Cheers to a year! 🥂 🏡 🎉
Updated: Sep 7, 2022
Wow! I can’t believe it’s officially been one year in our “new” home. Or more accurately, we have survived being homeowners for one year...we’ve made it through so many new challenges, endless fun (and some not-so-fun) discoveries as well as seemingly endless weeding, hundreds of Home Depot trips and countless cans of paint (ok, well actually we can count that and it’s safe to say we’ve gone through about 10 gallons of paint so far), celebrating birthdays and holiday gatherings, tears (from sweat, grief, and happiness), and so much more…
Looking back, it makes me chuckle to think about all of the plans I had initially made going into this adventure—all of the fancy chandeliers and rugs I was going to buy, the pottery barn sofas, the ornate frames, refinishing antique china cabinets, the paintings I was going to paint—essentially everything in relation to interior design. You should see my Pinterest page--it's fully loaded! While so much has happened, so little of what I had planned has happened. And that’s OK!
I truly underestimated the many repairs we’d need as well as the time required to learn all of the new languages of owning a home, such as navigating a whole-house water filtration system (like, who knew that was a thing?), researching and installing security systems, electricity (yes, just generally), pellet stoves and fireplaces and grills (oh my!), cat urine enzymes and sub-flooring and tearing out entire closets, wild animals and how to scare them away, the many facets of gardening, lawn mowers (truly a world of its own), having to replace three out of five major appliances, and the many many more micro-adventures of caring for such a complex and challenging—and yes, at times completely frustrating and tedious—yet intriguing and thrilling property which is constantly keeping us on our toes.
One of the biggest lessons I’ve learned as a new homeowner is to be patient, the second is to prioritize responsibility (especially when you really don’t feel like it), and the third is resourcefulness. Look, personally, I’m a dreamer. Always have been. I’m a big ole head-in-the-clouds-glitter-driven dreamer with little patience for mundane or repetitive tasks and I feel the most fulfilled when I can freely play and create beautiful things. But that’s not practical when you own your first home, especially not while simultaneously planning an international wedding week during a global pandemic…You've got to--quite literally, ahem--set up your home base first. This was really hard to swallow at first, but over time, and with some helpful resources (such as the NextDoor Neighbor app), and finding a local team of amazing contractors, plus my beloved Husk 15-in-1 painter's tool, everything started to balance out. With many of the essentials nailed down, it’s now starting to feel like a fun video game, where as soon as I complete grinding through a necessary task, I unlock the possibilities for the freedom I crave. Insert a big, happy, light-hearted SIGH. :)
If you just bought your first home, or are still learning the ropes, just know that the resources are out there, things will likely take a little more time than you planned, but that is OK and it's important to be kind to yourself (and to your house). Also know that it's OK to take a break from all of the home improvements to just eat popcorn and watch a stupid movie, or whatever it is that helps you to relax and reset. That's part of owning a home too. :)
A few resources I wanted to share:
If you have any water Qs, and would like to watch a tutorial, this guy is the best: https://www.youtube.com/c/GarytheWaterGuy
If you need local recommendations, for things like lawn care, contractors, where to go hiking, check out the NextDoor app in your area: Nextdoor.com
If you simply desire a life-changing tool: https://www.homedepot.com/p/Husky-15-in-1-Painter-s-Tool-18PT0846/309098036
We still have so much more to learn, to fix, to beautify, and I can’t wait for all of the opportunities where we can share this incredible experience with everyone we love!
Lastly, I leave this post by honoring some of the lovely memories from the past year through pictures, such as sitting under the arbor, discovering baby birds, all of the incredible flowers that naturally grew, evenings around the fire pit, decorating for holidays, visiting the nearby farms and trails, and so so many more… :)
P.S.
What’s next? Provided no more major appliances give up on me, I’m thinking of doing a dark, glam bathroom makeover…
Also…..Halloween is coming…just sayin’. ;)