First and last night, see you on the other side!

Yesterday we slept in our new home, for the very first time!
It was.., well, kind of weird. Nice, but it felt like we were camping, or staying in a hotel. And we kind of were. I mean, we have no lights yet, so if I wanted to go to the bathroom at night I had to use a flashlight. And because we don't have any curtains yet it felt as of the whole neighborhood was looking in (which I'm pretty sure they were, we've had so many comments!)
And it hit me, really hit me, for the first time. I am moving in with somebody else! I won't have a home of my own anymore! I won't be able to just spread out in bed (I love to take up the whole bed! I usually look like an X, with my arms and legs spread out!), or, you know, tell him to go home when we have a fight. It felt like a lot to take in. And it still feels kind of daunting. I'm sure it will be great, once we're settled, but for now it feels really quite strange..

Today we spend making room in our new home for all our (read: my) old stuff. Tomorrow (in 15 hours to be exact) a friend of mine, who has a van, is coming to help us move all the big stuff (sofa, wardrobe, fridge, washing-machine, you get the point) and we are no were near ready!
All the rooms are still so full of stuff that the sofa won't be able to get to the door! So right this minute, as I type, Joris (I love you so much, baby! I really do appreciate all that you do for me!) is packing a moving-box with some of my many, many books and dvd's.

Me? I do help, really, I do! It's just, right now I'm all worn out. I can't seem to find the trees through the forest anymore. It feels like, no matter how much stuff we take out, the rooms just don't seem to get any emptier... How does THAT work?!
But we're tired, and we need to get some sleep.

Tonight is going to be our last night in my old home (we're sleeping here tonight, because it's easier when we start moving stuff in the morning. And we still have a mattress on the floor here). It feels like I'm closing a chapter, and I won't ever be able to go back to it. I always get this way when I move, and I'm sure I'll be sobbing on the floor before I hand in the keys.

So, goodbye for now. I'm not sure if my internet connection here will continue for long. But Thursday (IEK!!! It's almost Thursday!!! Please, no! I just need a little more time, just give me two more days!) we will be done, that's when we hand in the keys of my old, single, home. at least, I hope so...

See you on the other side!

Final days..

Just a quick post because we have been very busy (and still are!).
We've been hard at work, and the new Home is getting there, slowly, but surely.
I have to leave my old house on Thursday July 7, and there is still sooo much tot do!
We hope to be moving next week, Friday or Saturday, if we can find someone with a van to help us that is!

But, before I go on, first some more pictures of our Home as it is/was in the 'Before'!
First up, is the bathroom! Well, what to say about it.. It's small. It has a shower, and no, the grout is not just dirty, it's been painted green by the previous occupants! Not to bad, but they, ahum, didn't actually do it very well. We tried to paint over it, using special grout paint, but, uhm.. it's mainly sticking to the tiles, and not really to the grout.. Yeah.. kind of sucks (more because it took up a lot of time and effort), but we'll deal with that once we live there!
I present to you: THE BATHROOM!



The washer and dryer are going to be in there as well, to the left of the sink. It's going to be a squeeze, but that's fine. Bathrooms can be changed, altered and remodelled. Right?

Next up.. The livingroom!!!
As these are the 'before' pictures, I can tell you, the living room does not look like this anymore..
For the moment it's being used as storage for the oven, dryer, dishwasher, paint, floors (that still need to go down in the other rooms that need to be painted first), etc..
But.. the biggest change are the garden doors! We now have double-doors!!! I promise I'll get some good pictures of the new doors, they are really quite lovely..

THE LIVINGROOM!


This side hasn't changed that much.. Love that view, if there isn't a van parked in front of our house (it's the neighbours van..) we have a lovely view of a pond with ducks! Love that!


This side looks very different now! It wasn't bad like this, but I/we wanted two doors we could open in summertime! It's going to be lovely!

Now, this post isn't over, but I am feeling a bit sorry for myself today, so be warned if you read on.. I guess it's because I'm tiered from working at the house for over six (6!) months, and it that time of year..

Tomorrow is my birthday, and (as usual) I have a bit of the Birthday-Blues.. It's not unusual for me to feel this way around my birthday (and I seem to get it around New years as well), but with all the work that has to be done it's not very helpful!
Because we are not nearly as far with all the work as we should be, my birthday will be spent painting. And maybe that's a good thing. I wouldn't be able to sit and enjoy "birthday-stuff" knowing that we still have so much work to do! And painting is definitely one of the more "fun" things to do! Well.., I actually do not enjoy the painting itself (it's ok for small stuff, but after a while everything just starts hurting, and we still have a lot of rooms to paint!), but it can be so gratifying to see the result! All the hours, days, weeks, months of hard work, and then to, finally, put on a beautiful coat of paint! After de paint come the floors, and then the room is ready! Then it can be filled with treasures and can be used to create beautiful memories!

To be honest I am both dreading July 7 and really looking forward to it.
I am somewhat worried that we won't make it in time, that we won't get the work done.
But if (and when) we do, it will be great! Then we can finally start living in this lovely Home! Love it the way it's supposed to be! Be able to actually see my friends again (I've missed you!!)!! To take some time off from working on the house, even if it's just for the night! I can't wait for fall, hopefully by that time we're settled in our new Home, and we might have even unpacked one or two things!

I can't wait!

Lucky 13!!! (Watch out; long post ahead!)

So, it's been a while, and a lot has happened!

We got the house!!!! Jay!!!!
Well, sort of...

I needed to get a life insurance in order to get a mortgage. For The Boyfriend this was no problem. But I got turned down by two insurance companies. To be honest, it made me very sad, and even angry! I can put your mind at ease, I'm not ill nor am I dying. But I am overweight and I have been ill. This was reason for them not to want to take a risk and insure me. It came as a unexpected blow! I even had blood-work done, and all was perfect, but still, they thought the risk was to high.
I felt miserable. We had been through a lot to try and get this house, and now we might still loose it, because of me.
But then, there was one insurance company that DID want to insure me. Ok, the rates are a bit higher, but still fine, ok, good!

And because everything else is in order, we now can say, we got the house!!!!

To be honest, I still have a 'I'll believe it when I see it' feeling. But I'm sure that will pass, especially when The Boyfriend and I have signed the papers and receive the keys to our new home!

And the date we will get the keys to our new home is... (drum roll please!): Monday 13th December 2010!!!
Who ever said 13 is an unlucky number? Not me!

Because The Boyfriend and I are buying a house together without being married (we're not against getting married, but we want to live together for a bit first.) we are going to sign a co-habiting contract. It states all sort of things. From pensions, to what to do (who gets the house, the stuff) if we separate, what we think can be paid for with our joined checking account, etc.
Figuring this out was a lot of work, and most of the time not a whole lot of fun! But I'm glad we did it. You never know if, when, or why things might go wrong. And it's good to have thought about these things before you have to deal with them.
So, we are signing this contract (probably) the Friday before we get the keys, so on December 10th.
Ok, it's not a wedding, I know this! But it is the closest I've ever been to something resembling a marriage. Neither The Boyfriend nor I have ever lived with someone, so we are both doing this for the first time.
We want to make it a special day. The Boyfriend will take the day off work and we plan to go out to dinner and make it a special day, for us anyway. We'll probably go and sit outside our, then very soon to be, home!
To symbolize this special day we are looking for a ring, for Moi! (I can be such a Girl sometimes!)!
I have a half a carat stone that we are trying to find an old ring/setting for. Something Art Deco or 1940's would be nice.
I love the idea of repairing an old, once loved, ring. So it can be loved once again. And of course, we have a budget to think about, we are buying a house, you know!
We did spot one, but I'm afraid it's going to be a bit too expensive for us...
So, if you know, see, or hear about one, let me know!

I'll try and post more often. Now that I know we might actually get this house I think I'll have more fun writing about it!

However, I don't want to just write about a house. I want to write about making a Home. And the things that I enjoy, and come across. Fun things, and sometimes, not so fun things.

The Boyfriend came home last night and he had bought me the sweetest present! Angel Chimes! We have the silver ones and I'm trying to restrain myself, to keep them in the box until we have the new house!

I'm also looking at bags... I want lot's and lot's of new bags!!! (I know I'm focusing on other things then the house, because I'm still scared it all might not happen.. But that's OK. I like bags!) First I want a small Dooney & Bourke bag, but a vintage one, like this one (but I can't afford that one..).
AND I want a bigger bag! I'm actually looking for a lovely, soft, leather one, in brown. I know of a Michael Kors one I love, but I can't find it, and if I could, I'm afraid I won't be able to afford it... But a girl can dream, can't she?
I want this perfect-bag to have a vintage feel to it. I love the 1940's, and I love vintage stuff, or things that have a vintage-feel to them.
I was thinking about this one, from Zara.
But it's a tad to expensive, and I've looked at it, and I'm afraid it won't be practical in my day-to-day life.
Then there is this one, from Sasha. What I really LOVE about this one is that the lining is of this lovely flower fabric! You can see some of it on the flower on the bag. I love that! And it's in my price range! Well, sort of.. I really can't afford to buy anything right now, let alone a bag.. But if I did (and knowing me, I will..) this would be more my price range.)
What I don't love about the bag, is that it's plastic, and shiny and maybe a bit too orange in real live.

I don't know... I might go back into town tomorrow and look at both bags again. I know I will not be buying any new bags, until this one action on eBay has ended... It's for a ring setting I really love... And, I'm sorry, but, no. I'm not going to tell you which one!

Take a look at our garden!



This is one of the things The Boyfriend and I LOVED about this house, the backyard!
It's bigger then the house is!

Here is a view towards the house..



Aaaah, lovely....

The down side...

Buying a home with your partner should be fun, and it is, most of the time..
Today it is all getting to me a bit. And that's okay, I'll probably feel better tomorrow, but today I feel tired and tiny. (I hope I feel better tomorrow.. right? I'll feel better soon, right??)
Today it feels like it's never going to happen...
But I hope it will!

I'm trying not to think too much about house-stuff today.
Slept a lot, read some blogs about bikes and food, always a good thing!

Alright.. I can't resist.. one more picture of what I hope will be my future home...
When we enter the lovely blue/green door you step into the.. Horrible Hallway!



Sooo, yes, the house does need some work and a lot of TLC, but that is fine. I'd love to give it to her, him.., it? Well, you get the idea!

Love the stairs though!