Garbage Boxes and Red Doors

So we finally have water, and thanks to the efforts of some wonderful people, we also have a working air conditioner (without having to pay the professionals hundreds of bucks). I think we have had a guardian angel watching over us...that and some family and friends saying a few prayers on our behalf. So thank you times a million. I was a bit of a stress case this past week (er month).

So with the addition of water and cool air to our house, all of the sudden I am deeply in love with it. Don't get me wrong, it still needs a TON of work and we just found out that the carpets cannot stay (four words....dogs are disgusting creatures--or I simply would blame it on their less than stellar owners who apparently allowed them to occasionally pee on the floor), but I digress--I love this house. There is so much to love, and the fixing up stuff makes us appreciate it all that much more.

Ah ah ah says Martha. Don't use my name in vain. Or even associate it with your garbage boxes (you'll see what I mean in a second).

Anyway, people have been clamoring for pictures, but I have wanted to wait until things look amazingly martha stewartess. But then I realized that that kind of thinking is dumb. How will you appreciate the martha stewartyness of the house if you have not seen the absolute disaster it is currently? Yeah...that's how much I love you guys. I'm showing you my unpacked house in all its not glory. But only a few rooms. And to give myself some self esteem, I'm also showing you the door that I painted gloriously red (as I have always wanted to do) because we had to replace the hardware and I wanted to paint it eventually. So we just did them at the same time. I love it so much I want to marry it. yeah...that much. I hope you like the before's and afters of the door, and look forward to the afters of the whole house someday soon.

And lastly as a sort of p.s. we had to buy another baby monitor because our original one broke and this house is kinda big so we wouldn't have been able to hear maddy. So it has been a while since we have had a monitor and listening to the things she does before she falls asleep is hilarious. So far we have heard her tell herself a story about Cinderella that goes something like this: "A'rella (indistiguishable baby chatter) Rella go (more chatter) Rella do'd it (more cute chatter." And then we heard her humming to herself. So cute. I wonder what goes on in the mind of a two year old sometimes.

Wish we could bibbidy bobbedy boo our house!

Okay...ready for the long-winded/many-photo'ed tour? Here goes.

I'm only giving you a peak through the blinds of my kitchen. But it is my mostest favorite room in the house. Compared to my townhouse kitchen, this one is the Taj Majal of hugeness. That's right...two people can fit...at the same time.
So as to disillusion you right away about the glamour of my new house, there are still "garbage boxes" everywhere. You know...the boxes that you emptied only to fill with garbage. We are so classy.
Assorted junk on our couch. But can you spy the fireplace? Oh and one of my D.I. find chairs. Lovely.
I'm just so proud of this. John has been quite the handy guy, and he installed these lovely towel holders. He even picked them out, and I love them. This is actually the smallest and least dangerous of the handy things he has had to figure out this past week, but it's the most glamorous looking.We have stairs that go up and stairs that go down. I know you're thrilled.

We still have millions of boxes to unpack. But what beat them all out? Setting up the pool. We do own a toddler still you know. Pools in the summer are a must.These are in the front.

So is this pretty rose.
I also spotted them. They didn't come with the house, so I think I'll keep them.
Out of focus, but cute.
Slam dunk with her new bath toy. Aunt Kelly gave us the idea for this toy.

Okay, here are a bunch of before pics of the door. I'm a little too obsessed.

Here's a good idea of what the front looked like. Ho hum.
WOW you say. PIZZAZ you say. I agree I say.
I was nervous that it would be the right shade of red. But I love it.
Close up of the hardware that John put on. I think it looks nifty.So again, the front of the house with the old door.
And the front of the house with the new door. That concludes our tour for tonight. Please feel free to lavish praise on my door and daring use of garbage boxes as decor. And yes, you may copy me. Garbage boxes are very cheap and will fill in that space that you just don't know what to do with. You're welcome. :)