Dreams Happen: Our Piece of Paradise- Part 2

These last 2 months were rough. We  lived in our new house during the renovation. Everyday we dealt with the three D's..Demolition, Danger and Dust. 

Office

Half bathroom and breakfast nook

Living room

So long half bathroom & breakfast nook- hello open floor plan

Bye bye office space

No more walls!

Deck renovation

You might be asking yourself- "How did they live in that?" Well, we didn't cook a meal in 8 weeks so we ate sandwiches or cereal on our little folding chairs in the middle of our mess. We did enjoy a few dinners on the deck but got nervous the dog would fall off. Callie was covered in drywall dust but has managed to be happy. 

Kel, Callie and I needed a break for our renovation and were in search of a clean, furnished home where we could just relax. Thanks to Ben, Becca, baby Kate and Wrigs for letting us crash at your house.

 A few weeks later when our floors were being refinished we had to move out for a solid week. A BIG thanks to Wink for taking us in and caring for us all week. 

We are ready to move out all the machines and move-in our furniture. 

Labor Day Weekend!

My good friend, Emily, and her husband, Brian, came into town for the long weekend from New Jersey. It's not often that we have visitors so we packed the weekend with events. 

Fall has begun which means college football season has begun. 

If I have learned anything since moving to Atlanta, its that on Saturdays everyone throws on their red shirt and watches "the game". UGA was playing Clemson, so we all headed up to Athens for some tailgating and to experience the Classic City. 

Go Dawgs!

On Sunday, we drove to Hampton, GA to the Atlanta Motor Speedway to watch our first Nascar race. Emily and Brian are pros so we followed along in the glory. The day consisted of brews, subs, sweat rags, and lots of people watching.  

 Another fun weekend with some good friends. Ya'll come back now ya hear!

Dreams Happen: Our Piece of Paradise- Part 1

The sale of our first home was a little stressful. We accepted an offer from the open house which meant we needed to find a house quickly. Not just any house, the perfect house. 

Kelly and I were in search of a house with similar character to our first home. We found this gem in the rolling hills of a suburban neighborhood north of Atlanta. Close enough to family & friends and within a reasonable commute to our offices. The house was built in the 1970s with good bones and amazing view. 

Deck

Smaller yard

Awesome view

We signed on the dotted line and embarked on yet another adventure. I'm beginning to think we enjoy living in the house among utter chaos. Below are few pictures of our new home prior to the renovation.

Foyer

Living Room

Kitchen/Breakfast Nook/Half Bathroom

Half Bathroom

Kitchen

Hallway

Laundry Room/Callie's Room

Guest Room

1st Floor Bathroom

Call us crazy, but I think we have slight addiction to renovations. I 've logged enough "Q4" hours on pinterest, watched enough HGTV shows and scoured all the home decor magazines I could get my hands on. 

We've both worked so hard  in our careers and saved our pennies for this house. Kel and I have our vision set and can't wait to watch it come to life.

Let the renovation begin!!

730 days

It’s been two years since I walked down the aisle towards my best friend.

Surrounded by family and friends in sunny Jamaica, we said "I do."

 I blinked my eyes and the day I had been dreaming of since I was a little girl was over. Luckily, Kelly and I have our whole lives to spend with each other.

 I learn more about him every day and feel so blessed that we have each other. Kel~ thank you for working so hard and providing for our family. Everything you do for us is appreciated and we can only hope you feel loved every morning you wake up next to us. I love you to the moon and back! Cheers to many more anniversaries and celebrations.

Good-bye little birdie

Two months ago we said farewell to our first house. This place holds a very special place in my heart. In April 2011, after an extremely long day of moving from our two-bedroom apartment, Kelly proposed. We were unpacking moving boxes in our dining room when I came across a gold box with a black ribbon.  What a perfect way to start our journey together in our new home!

We fell in love with the house the moment we laid eyes on it. The house had a solid foundation, charm and lots of potential. We knew if we bought the house we had to make a few updates to the 1960s layout. Check out the photos below of our interior renovation! 

   Before

Foyer with travertine flooring

French doors leading to foyer

Office

Dining room with wallpaper under two layers of paint

Living room with judges paneling

A few projects were completed right away such as the wall removals and hardwood installation, the rest happened over time. I'm proud of all our accomplishments and the mistakes we made. I mean who knew you shouldn't use black spray paint inside the house... I learned my lesson quick. Aren't the light fixtures awesome- Kel installed them all!

After

Foyer with new wood floors

Wall removed, new light fixture

New plantation shutters and wall removed

Removed wall, updated fireplace and new wood flooring

Dining room

Office with paint and light fixture

    

 Over the last three years, we've spent summer nights on the patio listening to coyotes howl, fall days raking leaves only to have more come down, beautiful spring days gardening and tackling the enormous backyard, mornings rescuing abandoned baby critters and nurturing them back to health, afternoons taking family walks throughout the neighborhood and endless evenings jogging on the old golf course. As you can see, Callie enjoyed that backyard as much as we did!

So long little birdie, we are off to the next nest.