Karen Foley
Lynn Raye Harris
Ellen Hartman
Diana Holquist
Samantha Hunter
Shirley Jump
Dee Tenorio
Jeannie Watt
Life Changes...in Sage Green or Ligonier Tan?
If you want a big life change, buy a big house. :-) At least, that's what I'm finding, now that DH and I have bought a new house that's triple the size of our current one (which was too small for too many years, believe me, with three dogs, a cat, two kids, DH and me). It's been fun, and stressful, all at the same time. Something as simple as a coffee table can create a four-hour uh...we'll call it a debate ;-).
We had to pick out a lot of new furniture for the new house. We've been married nearly 20 years, but we still have a lot of Early Marriage style furniture. You know the type--the stuff your well-meaning family members give you because you're newlyweds and you're poor. Or the pieces you picked up at garage sales and Goodwill, because well, you're newlyweds and you're poor ;-). Over the years, we've bought some new pieces, but never had full sets that all matched throughout. For the first time ever, we'll have a dining room set (now that I have a house with a large enough dining room!) and a bedroom set that doesn't have mismatched living room end tables for night stands ;-)
Then there were the appliances. The previous owners took most of theirs with them, so we had to buy several new appliances. I thought I measured right...
Until we walked into the house after closing and DH politely (cough, cough) informed me that I had no business using a tape measure. That inspired another week of hand-wringing while I tried to find a fridge and microwave that would fit the current spaces. DH came to the rescue and offered to rout out the cabinets, reminding me all over again why I married him. ;-)
But the most anxiety producing aspect of this whole process (more daunting than the thought of packing, while I have a book due...don't even get me started on THAT), is PAINT. I've been through so many colors, my walls are starting to look like some deranged clown came through the great room. The shades look great at night, then too bright during the day. Or I love this shade, DH hates it.
We've solved the problem, though. We've hired a mediator.
A decorator is coming out at 11.
Shirley
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Your post brought back a lot of memories!
My dh and I ended up buying four homes in seven years due to work relocations. We had the most motley furniture assortment that you could imagine. When we moved to our current home (which my husband picked out on his own because I was still working out of state and six months pregnant) everything was orange (except the red carpet in one of the bathrooms -- eeew).
Your new home looks absolutely beautiful. Have fun picking out colors....so darn many to choose from!
Rita
P.S. I absolutely loved "The Other Wife". I tried to send you a comment on your web page but it kept kicking back. I had never read anything from the NEXT line at Harlequin -- and your story made me laugh more times than I could count.
WOW! Lots of moving!
Couldn't post yesterday because I was at the new house and I don't have FIOS out there yet (two more weeks! :-). But wow, 4 moves in 7 years? That is tough!
My husband picked out one of our rental houses himself. We had a furnace in the center of the living room, and every time it kicked on, you couldn't hear the TV. The kitchen had WHITE Berber carpet (try dropping an egg on THAT) and the dryer was outside in a shed.
It was awful. I hear you on the carpet -- but at least carpet is easy to change! :-)
I let my web person know about the contact thing. Sorry about that! Glad you loved the book!! I have another NEXT out in August, called AROUND THE BEND.
Shirley
New York Times and USA Today Bestselling Author
Easy and delicious recipes at: www.shirleyjump.blogspot.com
In Stores Now: CHRISTMAS WEDDINGS
www.shirleyjump.com
Love the pictures!
It looks gorgeous! I can't wait to see what colors you pick -- make sure to share! :)
It is stressful, as I well remember moving into our current home. We were so excited the morning we closed we drove here directly and started pulling rooms apart, LOL. Remodeling started less than an hour after signing the papers. *G*
Moving in was awful, so much packing, and we hired a company, and they were fine, but I got some serious food poisoning the first night in the house, with everything packed, no stove working, and poor Mike trying to take care of me and a thousand other things...
I hope your move will be much easier -- stay away from restaurant food as much as you can in the process! LOL
Sam
Colors...
We finally settled on all of them. The great room, master and master bath will all be a color called "Ligonier Tan," really a deep brownish beige. The dining room will be red, but it only has one full wall, so the red won't be in your face red, KWIM? The kitchen is a soft gold, and so is my office (the office has a built in oak desk with a dark green top, so that will go well).
The kids picked their own colors...nuff said. I figure my master is on the first floor and I never need to go up there ;-)
We aren't doing anything to the basement until next year. It's finished already and looks great, so we'll leave it as is.
We did the same remodeling the minute we moved with our first house, which was a huge money pit. It needed SO much work. We had a moving company from that house to this one, and I kind of wish we were doing that this time, too. We're doing it for the heavy stuff, but doing all the small stuff ourselves because we have so much time in between.
Shirley
New York Times and USA Today Bestselling Author
Easy and delicious recipes at: www.shirleyjump.blogspot.com
In Stores Now: CHRISTMAS WEDDINGS
www.shirleyjump.com
What is wrong...
with decorating in Early American Yard Sale? Personally, I like Late Century Attic. Having an entire room's worth of furniture matching sounds like something that only happens in a movie. :-)
If you're talented at...
Choosing stuff that goes together, it's great. I have all the decorating skill of a lab monkey, so I need to go into a place where the room is done for me, LOL. We did get accent pieces and stuff like that, so it's not all Garanimals room, but seriously, I can't decorate to save my life, which was I had to have a mediator for the paint, LOL.
Shirley
New York Times and USA Today Bestselling Author
Easy and delicious recipes at: www.shirleyjump.blogspot.com
In Stores Now: CHRISTMAS WEDDINGS
www.shirleyjump.com
What a beautiful house...I'll be right over.
Wow. The house looks gorgeous.
We moved three years ago, and promised that we would fix and paint EVERYTHING ASAP, so that we wouldn't end up fixing/painting everything just before we move again for the new owners....
Yeah, right. I'm still sitting here in my bright blue office. My dining room is fingernail-red. I have two burners working on my stove. But, naturally, I'm too busy/poor/lazy to get it all fixed.
Be proud you're getting it done. I'm impressed.
--Diana
Come on over, Diana!
There's so much room in that basement, I probably wouldn't even notice you ;-)
We made that same vow with this house, and almost NOTHING got done until now...when we're selling it. That's why DH and I are doing everything we can afford to do before we move in. The flooring will have to wait (so much square footage costs a lot) but the rest will all get done. We bought all new updated fixtures, cabinet hardware, etc., and will get new lighting, too, just to take it up a modern notch ;-) Most of it has been installed, and the rest should go in tonight and tomorrow.
Shirley
New York Times and USA Today Bestselling Author
Easy and delicious recipes at: www.shirleyjump.blogspot.com
In Stores Now: CHRISTMAS WEDDINGS
www.shirleyjump.com
OMG
Look at the LIGHT in those rooms! Absolutely BEE-YUUUUU-tiful! I'd leave those rooms white, actually, to maximize that light, lol. Then I'd read or draw in there. Sigh.
Scoot over, Diana, I'm coming with you!
Dee
I vote for color
White can be too harsh -- the right color will make the light bearable. *G* I am partial to warm colors, myself...
Sam
I agree, Sam
In the light of day, the white seems harsh, at least to me. And it's overwhelming in such large spaces to have SO much white. I mean, it's EVERYWHERE. I'm afraid to breathe in there, LOL, in case I mess it up. Either way, it's only paint ;-)
Shirley
New York Times and USA Today Bestselling Author
In Stores Now: THE BRIDESMAID AND THE BILLIONAIRE
www.shirleyjump.com
Gorgeous!
Love the high ceilings and huge windows.
Deidre
Thanks, Deidre!
Shirley
New York Times and USA Today Bestselling Author
In Stores Now: THE BRIDESMAID AND THE BILLIONAIRE
www.shirleyjump.com
Furniture is supposed to
Furniture is supposed to match????
My husband lets me paint the walls whatever color I want. I cannot handle stark white.
LOL, Estella
Like I mentioned above, I have no decorating talents at all, which is why DH and I do this by committee. And white just makes me anxious, like I'll make a mess. Plus, I have three dogs and two kids...I mean, really, white in my life? LOL
Shirley
New York Times and USA Today Bestselling Author
In Stores Now: THE BRIDESMAID AND THE BILLIONAIRE
www.shirleyjump.com