We Moved to Indiana

As I mentioned in my last post, five years ago this week we moved to Indiana.

I've been feeling really nostalgic.

I loved my little cottage in Connecticut.  It was the first home we purchased, and we worked soooo hard to make it just right.  That sweet little house sold in two weeks.  By owner.  And off we went to find another house in Indiana.

I just came across my files of pictures from our house hunting trip.  Want to see?  Oddly, we have very few exterior shots.  Sorry about that.  But don't you love to see the interiors of houses that aren't yours?

This was the very first house we looked at.

See Superkid in this next picture?  We left the other children with babysitters in Connecticut, and took little Miss Superkid on the househunting trip with us.  You can imagine how enjoyable that was for a not-quite-two-year-old.  

I think it was a bank sale.  It was empty, so we were able to have a great view of the shiny, black marble tile in a funky pattern that was EVERYWHERE.  I'm not kidding you, the entire basement was tiled like this.  The basement.  The windowless basement.

We then went to another house in the same neighborhood.  I totally fell in love with it, and didn't want any other house but this one.  For the entire househunting trip, I was stuck on this house.

I liked how the stairs turned.  In my mind, turning stairs mean your child can't fall all the way down.  

This bathtub had me at hello.  Now, do I EVER take baths?  No, I'm a shower-only kind of gal.  But I wanted this tub.  And these shutters.

This house was beautifully decorated.  I think I overlooked a lot of its flaws simply because I loved the way everything looked together.  For instance, that dining area was only about 7 feet wide.  But....it had this gorgeous sunroom just beyond it!

And, just beside the family room, there was a very nice den.

The basement recreation room had to be seen to be believed.  There was a model train track going around the ceiling!

And...they still had their Christmas tree up.  This was late June.  I don't feel so bad about our Easter tree, now.

Okay, this cracks me up.  In the next picture, just beyond our realtor, there is a HUGE wine cellar (Superkid and I are checking it out).  What, I ask you, what is a Mormon family supposed to do with a wine cellar?  (In case you haven't heard....Mormons don't drink alcohol.)

I think, during the process of talking the Bionic Man into making an offer on this house, he asked me that question.  I believe I told him I would use it for scrapbooking.  Funny.....I'm not a scrapper!

The same day I found my dream house, the Bionic Man found his.

He really, really, really liked the porch, the yard, the landscaping....everything about the exterior.

I thought it was fine, too.  And then we went inside, and were met by this.

Wallpaper.  Lots and lots of ugly wallpaper.  Up and down and all over the two story home.

I had just spent the last three years getting rid of wallpaper.  I wasn't about to spend the next thirty getting rid of more.  Because that is how long it would have taken me to get that wallpaper off the walls in that two story foyer.  Needless to say, we didn't make an offer on this house.

Then there were the houses that for various reasons were slightly less appealing.  Oh, my goodness, there are some crazy rooms in crazy houses, out there!

Tell me, what in heaven's name is that curtain doing in the loft?

Then we have the cotton-candy pink master bedroom and bath.  Sweet.

Everyone needs a room in their house for drumming, right?  If that is your philosophy, this is your house.  Love the egg crate foam mattresses stapled to the walls.  They add such texture.  (You know I'm kidding, right?)

The drum house had a dog that barked viciously the entire time we looked at the house.  Luckily, we didn't look long.

I had high hopes as I approached the door of this house.  Great curb appeal, right?

Unfortunately, Rustic Country Angels had taken over the interior.

Not only was this staircase steep, but I have to wonder if it went anywhere?

Oh, here's a good one.  This was an upstairs bonus room.  You could access it from a second staircase that was near the main floor laundry room.  OR you could enter it through the upstairs bathroom.  Seriously, the bathroom was like a hallway to the upstairs bonus room.  I found it a little weird.

Speaking of bathrooms, I guess that is the best place to put Pooh.

Winnie the Pooh, that is.  On display.....in the master bathroom?  Why?

Note the fabric on the ceiling of this bathroom.  Hmmm.  I have to wonder what that fabric is covering up.  And do you take that fabric down and wash it?  I must compliment the lovely draping of the fabric, but really?  Fabric ceiling?  Were they hoping for better accoustics in here?

Something that surprised me on our househunting trip was the number of homes we saw decorated with antiques.  I'm not sure why it surprised me so much--maybe because most of the homes we looked at were less than 15 years old?--but I was surprised.  Some homes had more antiques than others.

Enough with antiques.  Let's see something modern, edgy, and full of teen angst.  Perhaps a SOLID ORANGE bedroom?

Same house, down the hallway.....to the MUSTARD master bedroom.  The woman in that doorway is the sellers' realtor, trying to convince me that this color of yellow is "flattering" and "matches with everything."  Yeah, if you are decorating with hotdogs.

After looking at lots of pre-owned homes, we actually went and looked at some builders' models.  That was fun, but ultimately the Bionic Man and I decided that building would be too stressful.  It takes us months to pick out paint colors, we just couldn't imagine having to sit down and pick out all the components of a house in a matter of days.  I stuck this picture in because it illustrates how very helpful Superkid was on our househunting trip.  She was so good at checking to make sure all the plumbing, lighting, and electrical sockets were in working order.

Okay, I'm almost done.  The house we eventually purchased was the third house we looked at on our househunting trip.  The first time I looked at it, I hated it so much I wouldn't even let the Bionic Man take pictures.   (Remember, I already wanted to buy the second house we looked at.)  Eventually, 65 houses, one offer that was outbid, and an impending first day of school later, we went back and looked at the house again.  I walked in and said, "This is my house!"  I think the Bionic Man and our realtor had some serious eye-rolling to do.  The house we bought was far from perfect, but it was the right one for us.  I have to admit, though, the dining room really threw us for a loop.

Now, I just know that some of you are saying, "What's wrong with that?  I like it!"  Well, good for you.  But the picture simply doesn't do it justice.  That is three shades of orange faux painted on the walls there, folks.  And no masking tape was used during the process.  But, the homeowner did practice beforehand, on the basement stairwell.  (Cue the scary music.)

Now, isn't that lovely?

Well, this little exercise had made me decide to quit being nostalgic and get busy.  I need to walk around my house and look at it as if I were thinking about buying it.  What crazy colors or decorating decisions would have someone else laughing or walking away without making an offer?  Do I have anything--like Country Angels--that is dating my decor or home?  What cluttered corners can I eliminate?  What can I do to make my home more appealing?