Wednesday, April 30, 2008

Things I Love About My New House

Even though I am still trying to figure things out in my new circumstances, let it not be said that I don't adore my new house. God was so generous to our family! I have to praise and thank Him! Here are 20 things I love about my new house - 10 outside and 10 inside.

1) It's in a family-friendly neighborhood.
2) It's absolutely beautiful, and in a style I have loved for a long time.
3) It has a front porch for my rocking chairs.
4) It has a back patio that's big enough for a table and chairs.
5) It has St. Augustine grass that feels good to walk on. That kind of grass is a lot easier to have in Houston than in North Texas because of the abundance of dew each morning. We had it at our Irving house but we could never water it enough to keep it looking good. Plus, I think we had some kind of bug conspiring against us.
6) There is really no vegetation in the backyard besides grass, which is nice because it is very low maintenance. Curt wants to landscape it but I'm thinking less is more, particularly with a big dog.
7) I love every single house on our street. I would have taken any one of them.
8) There are beautiful trees all around our neighborhood.
9) We have cute mailboxes that all look the same.
10)The porch already has hooks for hanging baskets, even though I don't have any yet.
11)I have a kitchen island and it is w-o-n-d-e-r-f-u-l.
12)We have a remote control gas fireplace. It's very easy to use and with the way our house is laid out, it heats the upstairs very quicly.
13)We have lots of big windows. (I'm having to deal with curtains for them though and it is killing me. Anyone in my area have the anointing for that?)
14)When we moved in, we had an electric range that had seen better days. I was really bummed about it because I loved my gas range in Irving so much. When we removed it from its space, we saw that we had a gas connection! Yeah! I was so happy!
15)I have a big garden tub that I love. I did adore my old clawfoot tub, though.
16)We have more than one bathroom.
17)I even have my own sink now! And the bathroom is actually big enough to get ready in! You cannot imagine how small our other one was. You could not take more than one step in it.
18)Closets. Storage closets. Clothes closets. Linen closets. Thank You, Lord.
19)The staircase is carpeted and has a landing, which is perfect for Jackson.
20)I have, for the first time, an office and a proper dining room! And Curtis, bless him Lord, let me pick out exactly what I wanted to go in those rooms.

This is my desk. We got similar chairs at Ikea for $30. (This is not a picture of my actual office, but I'd love it to look just like this!)


And this is our dining table, except we have a darker finish.


We had an empty guest room and we'd been wanting to get a king size bed. (Sharing a queen size when you're 8 months pregnant will do that to you.) So now was the perfect time to move our current furniture to the guest room and get some new things for our master bedroom. After my little desk and dining table shopping spree, I could not bear to give Pottery Barn any more of my money, so I picked out some fun bedroom furniture at Ikea. It might not last as long, but it's super cute. Here are some of the pieces we got.







The crowning glory of it all is a little thing we like to call "The Westin Heavenly Bed." We went to buy a new mattress and, behold, it was revealed to us in a loud voice that we were resting on heavenly boxsprings. And lo, it was the same bed you can sleep on at any Westin Hotel for a couple hundred bucks a night. Sold! It is totally heavenly.

I ordered this really cute bedding online but it was 5 shades brighter in real life than in the picture. Dern. It has to be returned but I have no idea what we're going to get instead. Curt said absolutely nothing floral. You might need a microscope, but you can see it below.

54 comments:

Becca said...

Yippee! It looks like your new house is going to be so beautiful with all your new furnishings! How fun!

Kelli said...

We got a king bed during my 7th month of pregnancy and it was/is HEAVENLY!

I LOVE all your new furniture! It is GORGEOUS!!

Jenna said...

The house sounds amazing!! I LOVE all the furniture you picked--especially your desk. That might be the coolest thing I have ever seen. :)

Kelly said...

Love everything you have picked out!!! Oh the joys of a new house and new furniture!!! PTL! :-)
And a king bed will make your marriage so much better! I bought a king size bed for the house I bought when I was single. It was the some of the best advice my mom ever gave me "Go ahead and get the king size. You'll thank me when you get married". Oh she was right!

Kelly @ Love Well said...

Get. Out.

I did not get any further in this wonderful post once you showed a picture of MY DESK. It's not mine in a literal sense, but I like to think it's mine in a spiritual sense. (Much like our perfection before God.) I do believe I've been lusting after it ever since I first saw it in PB a few years ago. It's the source of many deep and dark sighs.

Please let me know if it's worth the money. I'll be in prayer about it until then.

3girlsmom said...

I fully support and understand the appreciation of a linen closet. This is our 4th house in 10 years of marriage and my first linen closet. 'BOUT TIME!

I also appreciate the need for a king bed. I got mine when I was pregnant because our queen suddenly felt like a kindergarten nap mat.

I do not live in a town with an Ikea. I'm sad about that. Must find one and shop there.

Is that your actual office or is that a picture from the magazine of the desk? Because if it is your office, dang, girl, it's so cute!

Kudos for carpeted stairs. We have 2 flights in my house. 1 is carpeted. 1 is not. My youngest has fallen down both of them. Less boo boos and ER trips on the carpeted ones.

Looking forward to meeting you in San Antonio.

Colored With Memories said...

Just reading this is giving me an itch to move and re-do.

I love all your choices!

Erin Ward said...

I'm glad there are so many things you love about your new house! I can't wait to come visit it sometime!

Holly said...

Singing in a round in my head: God is so good-He cares for me and He answers prayer all at once :)

Yay God! So very pretty, Amanda!

Melinda said...

Some mighty fine choices...but, YES, the Westin Heavenly Bed is the crowning glory! I'm convinced that it is called heavenly because of the host of angels that seem to cradle you as you sleep, singing soft lullabies from on high. Ahhhh...Praise God from Whom all King-sized blessings flow...

Catrina said...

Ok. Don't take this wrong, but everyone I know (and that's not many people) know that I adore you and your mom and I'm very afraid since I posted a list of things I love about my new house like 2 days ago that no one will look at the dates and think I stole your blog idea! Lame, I know, but I'm nervous like that! It's nowhere near as fun as yours, but you're welcome to check it out! :)
Congrats on the house and have fun making it beautiful!
Looking forward to San Antonio! :)

Kevin and Christie said...

Love, love, love that desk set up...I have been eyeing it for awhile, but no luck! I am glad I know someone that is enjoying it though. Love all of it...so fun to get new things for your new house!

Show us some pics...it doesn't have to be perfect.

Nancy Mon said...

Love the furniture and the outside of your home sounds wonderful as well.

A king size bed will save a marriage. Roy, 6'4" and I 6' slept in a queen size bed much too long. Love having the extra room to spread out. I am a tad envious of the heavenly bed though.

Deidre said...

Your new home sounds beautiful, Amanda. What fun to pick out new furniture! I love the black!

The king size bed was a smart, smart move.

Jen said...

I have that bed from Ikea... have for 4 years. It's survived 3 moves and still looks great. I LOVE IT! I also love that it's chocolate brown, but can look black just as easy.
And by the way... now that you're back in Houston if you ever need a babysitter you can always call me! :) And I go to HFBC and know the Altics!

Hillary said...

Josh and I have already decided we're going to splurge and get a king size bed for when we get married. I think we'll be much happier people!

boomama said...

That desk speaks to me way down deep in my soul. And when we were in California a couple of months ago, I spent a whole afternoon in IKEA. My heart was in a state of revival by the time I left. Hallelujah.

Sunni at The Flying Mum said...

Love all of it, especially the dining room table! And the bedside table.

Callie said...

love the update on the house! a note about the curtains...my grandma lives here in town and is a fabulous seamstress. And definitely the most affordable one you can find. She made all our drapes and the baby bedding for our home - if you'd like her services for your home I'd be glad to "hook a girl up"!

Fran said...

I am so happy for y'all Amanda!!
I can tell you love your new house!
It just feels right doesn't it??!!

Enjoy every bit of it!!
Hugs~
Fran

Unknown said...

You are totally and IKEA ad if I ever saw one... (They are paying you a referral fee right, cause I totally dig the bedroom furniture.)

Blessings.

Shelley said...

What fun! I LOVE anything Pottery Barn, but I too get to the point where I just can't bear to spend anymore there! The most expensive item we've bought from there was our Dining Room table. I couldn't do the chairs though, and ended up finding some that matched perfectly at a local discount furniture store. I love the idea of getting some cute, cheap things from Ikea. That's a great store for a girl on a budget. Someday I hope one comes near me!

Unknown said...

Awesome.God is so good!Try the nesting place blog she has a great idea for breathtaking curtains for cheap!!!!!!!I love cute and inexpensive!Love the blog!

The Guess Family said...

Hi Amanda!!!

I haven't met you, but I am Sherry's best friend, so I found your blog through her's a long time ago. I am sure she told you that we are currently having the same kind of seperation anxiety that you are going through. Until I moved we were minutes away from each other, and hung out most everyday! Our kids might as well be siblings!!! Addison used to get mad at me in her early 2's and tell me she wanted to go to Miss Sherry's house! For weeks after I moved, I still talked to her everyday and it felt wierd if I didn't.

I am rambling....all this to say that you will come out of the "just moved with a toddler fog", but it does take some time. The Lord will provide new friends and activities for you. We have been in Denver a little over 2months, and things started coming together after about 6 weeks. Addison asks less and less about her old friends and old house, we have a great MOPS group, and lately we have something scheduled just about everyday.

I have been meaning to send you an encouraging comment for sometime, what finally got me to it was the Heavenly Bed....we too bought the king size when we moved to our new house. We are IN LOVE....despite my one year old still waking every 4 hours, the sleep has never been so good!

Good luck!
Blessings,
Kim

Anonymous said...

You got that bed frame at IKEA? really? I don't ever see anything I love there--too modern, too euro-ish--and nevermind the headache that is an IKEA store (at least in the SF Bay Area--are they the same all over?), but that is one sweet bed. I am frameless right now, and just like a choosing a husband I didn't want to settle. That black iron-looking bed frame would suit my fancy! Even if it's just me in the bed. Or maybe even more so BECAUSE it's just me in the bed. Ha! What's the model name of it?

Lana

Them Chandlers said...

I wanna come see this cute house of yours some time!!

Dana said...

LOVE the dining table..exactly my taste. Yea for new furniture!

Erica said...

Adorable! I love the porch swing and hope to have one of my own one day. I have related to so much of your writing lately as we are considering a move of our own. Have a blessed day.

Finally an Abrigg..... said...

I LOVE LOVE LOVE that round table. LOVE it! I had never had a gas stove before, but you're right, there is nothing like the gas stove!!!

The Self Cottage said...

your taste is awesome! i now need to come see the house in person! oh and by the way we tried to sell your old house to shane and ruthie davis and they seemed really interested and went to look at it the day we told them. what's the latest with the old house? praying for ya'll this morning. love, L

Anonymous said...

Love a house with closet space and a linen closet!! That's what sold me on our house, the storage space. Love the new furniture too! I'm challenged when it comes to window treatments. We have the wide (faux) wood blinds with curtains on some and just a swag (?) on others. Except my 16 mo old has made it his mission to pull everything down!

Unknown said...

A very positive and uplifting (and very picturefull - it's a Cathy word!) post. I love the new bedroom furniture. Don't you just love IKEA?? We had IKEA in Seattle (with daycare!) and I just loved it. Your new house sounds wonderful, inside & out. Thank you for sharing it with us.

Patty said...

You have great taste!! I love it all! The only thing I didn't get that I wanted was a big front porch. I still love my new home. When we drove into the huge neighborhood looking for homes it felt so peaceful and we have sidewalks throughout the subdivision, great for walking, and we all have matching mailboxes. Enjoy your new home!

Catrina said...

Ha! That was totally fun! Thanks for being a good sport! :)
And since Pottery Barn has met it's limit you should check out Pier 1 (if they have those in Texas) they're worth a look! :)

Sarah said...

Ikea furniture is super durable. I have that exact same dresser in my son's nursery and it has withstood a lot! Love the bed, I've had my eye on that for a long time!

Natalie Witcher said...

Looks great! I'm excited for you!

Jenn said...

Love the new furniture!!! Super cute, and I totally Heart that desk. I like the functional-ness of it all.

and thank you for your sweet comment! It blessed my heart and I blogged about it too!

Lauren said...

I heart your dining room set.

twinkle said...

I can relate to the love of the front porch with rockers and the gas stove! In fact, I was just rocking on my front porch and thinking how blessed I am. Your home sounds so lovely and I am so happy for you.
BTW, I have the white plantation blinds from Walm*rt in my windows and then I added white sheer panels. Love it! So simple but elegant.

B. said...

I need someone with a special annointing for curtains at my house too. PLease do share when you find this special someone.

Lindsee Lou said...

Oh, the heavenly bed. It is heavenly, isn't it. I'll take anything from the "heavenly" line. Even the shower.

Cute furniture. I love Ikea. It got me through college! :)

Oh, and about the bedding, I got a "quilt" for my bed too, except I got it at TJ Maxx. They have the 'floraly' ones, but then they have the cute ones. Mine is a greenish color with paisly all over it. It's really not way to girly, but I love it. So, if you are a 'looker' I would try TJ Maxx. They have tons and they are great prices. Plus, the 'new' one one Spring Cypress is fabulous. So very organized!

Holly Mathis Interiors said...

if there is anything i can do to help you with curtains or any other decor decisions, let me know,i love to give opinions;;)..i have a lady out here who sews for a fair price and i can hook you up with her..be sure and go to Glick Fabrics near kirby..but of all the fabric places i go (unless money is no object which is rate), i usually end up back at Hobby lobby for fabric..if you go to Austin?Dripping Springs, be SURE and stop in Cowgirls and Lace.

Blessings on your new house!

Holly in Hempstead..

Holly Mathis Interiors said...

i agree with whoever said TJMAXX for bedding..you might find a white (I know that sounds nuts but you can bleach it if needed) or khaki quilt or coverlet and then you could splurge on a RL (you of course know there is a RL outlet at katymills) dust ruffle and shams...or look at target..they have some great brown and white stuff..get their cute bedding in a bag (I think they have black and white damask) and just dont use every piece..mix it up with something else..maybe one custom pillow..most of the pillows at TJMxx, marshalls and target have zippers and you can just unzip and take and have monogrammed with a big "J"..i really like the furniture..when i got engaged my brother said "three words of marriage advice..KING SIZE BED!" so true!

Marc and Charity said...

We have several of those pieces from IKEA- the store that is a life saver for all oversease M's. :) It's been over a year and has held up nicely.

Congrats on your new home!

Rose said...

AJ, I really must know where you got the desk, I abosulotely love it. HELP!! Thanks.

Rachel said...

just lovely! what a blessing!

Amanda said...

I made curtains for my house here in Katy. I was a bit hesitant about making them, but the silk curtains I wanted would have cost a fortune, and I like more of a fuller look rather than the straight flat panels. I found dupioni silk and taffeta fabric online for under $10 a yard and made them myself with tips from my designer friend. I curtained three rooms with large panels for under $250, and it was SO easy! If you're up for the task and need assistance , let me know. By the way, we looked at the same IKEA furniture. It really does look well-made and the price is amazing! Love IKEA!

Lori, Landon and Logan said...

That is awesome! That dining table rocks!

Texas Aggie in Florida said...

I totally understand! We just moved from a 1300 sq ft FREE house that our church owns (which was 60 yrs old and termite infested) to a 2300 brand new Floridian paradise in a gated community! And I grew up in Houston (with St Augustine grass) and moved to DFW and I always said how much I missed the Houston grass. Well, we have St. Augustine grass too at our new house! My kids can now play outside and not come in with black feet. I love it!!!!!

Anonymous said...

Can you come to GA and decorate my house with a negative $$ budget?

Emily

dawn said...

I have never commented before, but I do check out your LPM blog sometimes. Just read about your bedding issue and I have had the same issue for a while. Recently we were in Austin and made our way to the Pottery Barn outlet. I bought this http://www.potterybarn.com/products/p9046/index.cfm?clg=17&bnrid=3380801&cm_ven=FRU&cm_cat=Shopping&cm_pla=Datafeed&cm_ite=All%20Products

and it was MUCH cheaper than In the catalog and I love it. It does not match your new furniture, but you could check out the outlet store for something really great and inexpensive. The reason we love it so much is our bedroom is red so it matches perfectly. AND the big reason is it is not girlie. I love girlie things, but in a house of boys, I have to save girlie things for my clothes and not our home decor.

Have you made your way to the outlets in San Marcus? If not, run there as fast as you can!

Linda said...

I just love your decorating style.
Your bedroom furniture is gorgeous, or as my teen son would say "uber sweet", lol. I wish we had an IKEA here in Vegas. I can't believe they don't yet, or even a Crackerbarrel.
Thanks for sharing, I'm so happy for you.

Anonymous said...

Looks & sounds very fun! :) I'm so glad you have so much for which to be thankful and enjoy!

Erin said...

your new bedroom furniture is EXACTLY what I have on my wish list for our Montana house...exactly, the EXACT same pieces.