Love at First Sight

In January of 2009, my then-fiance and I moved from Michigan to Virginia. We stayed with my parents, while we found jobs and started our first house hunt. Being the penny pincher that I am, I was adamant about a small budget, so you can imagine the doozies we saw! Ryan wanted "BIG and cheap", and I wanted "cheap with charm".

After many dinner conversations, I convinced him that a "cheap" big house meant a lot more elbow grease, paint, repairs and utility bills. That's when our Highland Ave beauty entered our lives! Our realtor knew a bungalow was my dream. I wanted built-ins and a fireplace and wood floors. She found us all of that AND a claw foot! We were closed and moved in by April {sorry about the tiny picture}.

 Within the first week, we painted the living room!

Before...

After...

Can you tell I was a long-time renter? I know my color choice is bold to some, but the "Martha Stewart" green really helps pop the woodwork! {P.S. Even these pictures are outdated now...welcome to mommyhood}!

Badabing Badaboom! Then came marriage...

and a baby in a baby carriage!

Preston put some of our house plans on hold, but now that he's a year old, we're back at it! Won't you stay with us, as we lovingly redo {and change and rearrange and rearrange some more} our cozy little bungalow!