Heeey, yoooou, guu-uys!
(Name that movie.)
What’s up? Happy Friday! It’s been a crazy week around here and it’s about to get even crazier because…we bought a house!
The “special project” Ben and I have been working on since oh gosh, February? was getting our home listed and sold, then finding a new home ourselves. Because we didn’t think having a baby was life-changing enough so we thought we’d throw a move into the mix, too. ;) Honestly, we love our little home, the one we moved into straight from our honeymoon 5 years ago, but were just ready to find something with a little more room to grow into.
The house sold in a little over a month but we must have looked at 50+ homes in the 3 months following before finding “the one.” Our Realtor kept telling us it would happen but we were about a week away from looking at short-term rental options before poof, dream home! Space, privacy, an outdoor kitchen (!), a big back yard, and…a chandelier in the bathroom. I know. Plus it’s only 10 minutes away from our current home so we can stay in an area we really love. I can’t wait to give you a mini tour!
We move in later next month (23 days to be exact but who’s counting?) and could not be more excited…nor anxious to get the little man’s room ready. The timing may not be ideal for some, but I’m so glad we did this now vs after the baby. As hard as it was to have a house on the market (decluttering, painting, staging, cleaning ALL. THE. TIME.) I can’t imagine doing it with an infant. I bow down to anyone who does this with kids or pets. You are wizards!
And don’t worry, I will not be lifting a box on moving day, rather, I will be directing traffic. Actually worked out kinda perfect… ;)
Anyway, just wanted to share our good news with you! Although we did a lot of de-cluttering and donating when we listed, there’s still a lot to pack, which I hope to get started on this weekend – in between stops at the farmers’ market and my first baby shower, that is! Should be a full, but fun next couple of days.
Wherever you are, and whatever you do, have an absolutely wonderful weekend and in the meantime, please enjoy my favorite finds from around the web in this week’s Friday Favorites!
Click the blue links to be taken to the original source.
Favorite mmm: Lemon Velvet Cream Cake. I pretty much want to swim in a giant vat of this thick and luscious frosting. MMM!
Favorite sip: Homemade Lemonade. Leave it to the Pioneer Woman to give us an awesome, thirst-quenching recipe for homemade lemonade concentrate. Great for this hot and sticky weather.
Favorite fresh: Farmer’s Red Potato Salad. This is one of the loveliest recipes I’ve seen in a long time, from an equally as lovely blogger, Sandy, whom I got to meet in Monterrey earlier this month. No mayo to be found in this unique take on potato salad.
Favorite decor: DIY Moss Letter. I loooove this homemade moss letter. Looks shabby-chic, not shabby. An important distinction, no? (BTW: Just found this design blog this week and am next level obsessed.)
Favorite indulge: Buttermilk Chocolate Chip Crumb Cake. I can’t even imagine how mouthwatering this moist and fluffy cake is, topped with crunchy crumbs and sweet chocolate chips. I would devour a loaf of this!
Favorite bite: Tomato and Fresh Corn Quiche. A fresh and summery bite for breakfast, lunch, or dinner.
Favorite decor: Will Bryant Sure, I Like Fun Print. Soo, cough, I saw this print on The Real World this week, cough, and immediately hopped on the interwebs to find it. How fun, right?
Favorite refresh: Simplest Red Fruit Salad. Watermelon, pomegranate, mint, and lime. YUM. Perfect to have in the fridge all summer long.
Favorite view: Château de Chenonceau. I’ve seen many pictures of this French chateau, built on the site of an old mill in the 1500s, but never from this angle, which appears to be from a hot air balloon. Stunning!
Favorite app: Salmon Cucumber Bites. Definitely need to remember to make this yummy party app when I’m able to eat smoked salmon again. Flavor-packed, fresh, and easy.
Favorite fashion. I’ve been wearing my jean jacket like a crazy person this spring since my regular spring jacket no longer fits, and like to “class it up” a bit with fancy/sparkly necklaces. Love the mix of rugged and refined.
Favorite fakeout: Krispie Ice Cream Dessert. Using buttery Rice Krispie Treats and ice cream to mimic fried ice cream?? Brilliant! :)
Have a great weekend! BTW, the movie was, of course, The Goonies.
Congrats on a new house! I had to laugh when you said your glad you aren’t doing it with an infant, because we are moving in August and our house is listed now and we have a 1 yr old! Trying to keep the house picked up seems to be a full time job on top of the ones we currently have! Can’t wait for it to sell so I can let the toys go free again!
congrats! it is exciting and you are smart to do now vs after the baby gets here. i have moved 2x while pregnant and we moved into our house last spring with a 2 yr and 5 month old around and it was SO much easier doing it will pregnant. plus, you don’t have to any of the real work on moving day :)
My daughter sold their house in a week, first ones that looked at it. So the scramble to find a house was hectic. She has a 15 month old and every room needed painted. Needless to say it was not fun..
I love your Friday favorites…but now am hungry looking at that food…and I need to leave for a 4-mile walk. Congrats on the house!!
Congratulations! You ARE smart to get it done before the baby comes–We bought our house when I was 7 1/2 months pregnant, and I’m SO glad we were able to get settled before our son was born. I am jealous and can’t wait to see pictures of your outdoor kitchen!
Congratulations on the house purchase! Can’t wait to see the pictures!
By the way, where did you get/what brand is your jean jacket? I always seem to be swimming in the ones I try on.
Yay! Congrats on the new house!
Congratulations! It’s all very exciting. Could you possibly sneak in a post about your baby shower? I have a few coming up this summer and have been out of the baby loop for a few years. It would be nice to have some gift ideas. Thanks and many happy memories in your new home.
Congrats on selling your house! I bet that is a huge relief (especially in this market) and yippee on the new house. I’m sure you will get a lot of use out of the outdoor kitchen ;) my mother-in-law also moved into a new house right before she had my husband and she said it was a smart decision because she didn’t have to lift a finger ;) The crumb cake looks so yummy! Thanks for the great finds!
Thanks for all the cool finds. That fruit salad has my name on it. The weather is supposed to be amazing this weekend here in the SF Bay Area, and it would be perfect for tomorrow afternoon. Congrats on the house!!
Congrats!
Yay! Congrats!!!
When are you due? I think we may be around the same time :)
Congrats on the house! We are selling right now and it is a nerve wracking process! I have been to Château de Chenonceau and it is AMAZING. The room spanning the river on the bottom floor is the ballroom with windows on all sides. The floor is stone of huge black and white diamonds. The kitchen is on the lower floor and has a door going out to the river where they would receive food delivery via boat. I believe it was also used in World War I as a crossing – one side of the river was German occupied and the other was not. Also, I think this is the castle where the crest has both the wife and mistresses initials in the crest. Fun facts for y’all. Such a beautiful place!