On Our Way!

Ahh! I returned home on Sunday from

my four day trip to our new home.

I missed my family horribly

but it was nice to have the alone

time to work on the house.

The house has sat empty for about two 

years so there were quite a few 

daddy long legs to 

eradicate.

Mr. Jim had cleaned up

most of the ladybug remains

prior to my arrival so

I just had to get the leftovers out

of the nooks and crannies.

The house is now clean and ready

for our family next month!

Between cleaning and visiting

new neighbors and new friends

and being taken on little jaunts to 

some beautiful countryside,

I had no time to snap

photos of our neighborhood!

The night I got there {it was barely light}, 

I drove down

our street before I made it to 

Miss. Joyce and Mr. Allen's home.

{That was a treat in itself! 

Their house was built in 

1900/1901!}

I rolled the window down 

and crept along so I could 

take it all in.

I'm still in awe that we 

will live among all that history.

To know that the first shot

of the Civil War was called 

from our town, WOW!

Mr. Branch's home is still standing 

and he is buried in the cemetery 

not far from our home.

Mr. Jim said we could learn so

much by just taking the time

to walk through the cemetery 

and reading headstones.

We will absolutely do that!

For now, I will be taking a break

from this little blog-o-mine.

I'll be back just before we head out and will

absolutely take you on our adventure!

See you soon!

xo, Amber

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Take the Time...

...To Enjoy the Simple Things.

Looking through the lens,

not of the big picture

but the interesting little things

that sometimes go unnoticed,

are sometimes so fulfilling but

make you long for more.

Throughout  our lives

we collect small skills,

ideas, hopes and dreams.

Sometimes those things have

 nothing in common 

until all pieced together

to make the big picture.

The beautiful painting I now hold,

shows me that learning as you live,

with all  good things and bad, 

all happen for a reason.

Then, you get to that point in 

life where it finally feels right.

Yeah, I'm there.

~ ~ ~

Wishing you the best.

A Tell Tale Sign?

Do you believe in signs?

You know, the kind that when you are presented 

a decision, you look at your options

and with one of those choices, comes

something so extraordinary,

you know it must be a sign?

Yeah, I believe in that.

I'll tell you a true story...

My Grandma passed away about a year and a half ago

and on the day she passed, my dad

had called me to let me know.

She lived in Minnesota and

we are in California so I was 

dreading the phone call 

although I knew it would be coming.

She was in a coma due to a stroke 
she had following 

a surgery.
She just never recovered.

It was evening.

Dad called and we spoke briefly.

I was preparing dinner at the time so I was in the kitchen,
leaning against the counter

between the sink and the stove.

As I hung up, something drew my eye to 

the ceiling.

There was a red speck wandering around.

It was a lady bug (or bird, to some).

I got the most beautiful sensation at that moment.

Tears in eyes, I just smiled.

To me, it was a sign from her.

I loved my Grandma.

Between that time and now,

I have seen ladybugs in the most 

mysterious places at the most odd times.

Guess who I think of?

When we arrived at the house in Alabama

that we originally sought to buy, and

before I walked up the brick steps,

I said out loud,

"Okay Grandma, give me a sign.".

We walked in the house and my

eye was immediately drawn to the

doorway to the left.

Guess what was walking along 

the sash of the door?

Yep.

My husband and I just looked at each other,

mouthing quietly, 

"Oh, my God!".

We thought that was it!

Aside from absolutely loving everything about that house,

we knew we were making the right choice.
We wanted that to be home.

As you know, that house

didn't become home for us.

Maybe my "ideas" about the signs were wrong and

nothing but wishful thinking.

That was until...

Miss. Joyce called hubby and let him know

of a couple of houses she had just listed,

one being the house we are buying.

She sent us over all those wonderful photos

and then some!

I had noticed in the pictures some

specks that I could not make out.

I figured rodent droppings (UGH!), since

the house has sat empty for a bit.
The weird thing was they were localized and 
not through the whole house
(as far as I could tell).

I didn't ask because I kinda didn't want to know.

~ ~ ~

A few days ago, my husband (Bruce) and 

Miss. Joyce were talking on the phone

and all I heard him say was, 

"Oh my gosh! Hang on you have to tell Amber this story".

My eyes just welled up with tears and I was laughing in 

disbelief.

All of those specks were.....

YES!!

Ladybugs.

Hundreds of them.

Unfortunately, they are deceased but

none the less,

HUNDREDS. 

Do I feel relief that it wasn't rodent poop?

Elated that we made the right choice?

Or sad that all those expired ladybugs were stuck

in our new home?

Yes, yes, yes!

Here's a kicker...

Miss. Joyce called again

(before we found out about the ladybugs)

to let us know the other deal on 

the other house didn't go through

and we were offered to go through

with our original purchase.

We declined.

Our new home was meant to be ours
(again, before we knew of the ladybugs),

we just felt it in our hearts.

We made an agreement with the seller,

and we kept our word.

The very next day,

there was another offer on that (original) house,

which was purchased,

 and that again, was a tell tale sign.

{I am not going to lie, it was a HARD decision 

for me but one I will never regret. I'll always
love the Kennon house.}

Who would have known that our

future came to us

on the wings of a bird?

And not just any bird...

A lady-bird.

~ ~ ~

I get the joy of cleaning our new home in a week

and a half!

I'm flying HOME.

After taking a refresher photography class yesterday,

I am even more excited to share our

new adventure with you.

Hope you stick around!

xo, Amber

Part 4: Our Home {Sweet Home Alabama}

...Try and look at the bright side.

Roll eyes at the umpteenth,

"It only means something else better

will come along".

Hmm.

To Be Continued...

...And guess what?
It did.

We are moving in June!

The house that found us:

It's not an old Historic Home
but she sits smack dab
in the middle of
a beautiful neighborhood
filled with the Vintage charm
of days gone by.

She is surrounded by 
big Southern mansions 
and quaint little cottages and
behind her is a thick wooded forest
of which three acres belongs to us.

We have an amazing Realtor
who is now a friend and 
 she found us our dream home.

Where some see work, 
we see a clean slate.

The bones of this house are
perfect for the changes we want do,
to make it HOME.

You know that list of "must-haves"
you make when you are house hunting?
Check, check, check.
Yep, they're all there
all the way down the basement.

We see beyond the bland
gray/blue exterior
and overgrown yard.

I see a beautiful garden with trellises,
roses, lavender, lambs ear and
a sweet little place to sit and enjoy it.

Our home will have a  new paint color 
and stone added to the facade 
for true Cottage charm.

**HOUZZ is a great place for inspiration!

Bathrooms and Kitchen will get overhauls,
walls will be moved, removed
and added and our little house
will become home.

Sounds like a lot of work but
it's something we LOVE to do
{living in a rental has been pure 
torture! Haha!}.

Our new great room is gorgeous!
A vaulted  wood ceiling (and walls)
is our starting point for creating
a quaint, rustic, traditional 
Country Cottage
which fits our style to a T.

The bedrooms are tongue and groove wood walls that will
either be left as is, painted or covered.

We will live with them as is, then decide.
{the first thing that pops in my head is a white wash
with the wood grain showing through. We'll see.}



All of the living area is on the first floor,
which we so wanted.

The loft upstairs will become the
boys "lodge" once we put a
wall up and expand the existing bathroom.

Plus, there will still be room for a little reading loft!

Our daughter will have her own room and private bath 
which to a teen, is very important, you know!

This room under the loft will become our office.
Doorway will be widened and French doors added.

We can't wait to get started!

I will be flying out in a couple of weeks to 
get her ready for us,
you know, cleaning and stuff.
Of course while I'm there, I'll be
sighting the yard of where our little
guest cottage will go.

I can't wait to start shopping
in Montgomery at Rescued Relics so we can incorporate some
vintage elements to give it that "it's been here a while" feel.
And you best believe that
our cute little guest cottage will be nothing but and full of
charm, charm, charm.

This will definitely be the move of a lifetime.
One we have only dreamed about.
And living in the heart of the Historic South?
Something we are excited about and proud of.

Wait till I tell you about how we knew we made the right choice.
It all started with one little bug.

xo, Amber