It's like HGTV up in here...

We've been a little busy over here trying to make this new house of ours feel like a home. My parents were here for 3 weeks and Andrew's parents came to visit for a weekend. So we had plenty of help with unpacking, organizing, and thinking of all kinds of home renovation projects. We still have plenty to unpack, but we have quite a bit of furniture ordered that hasn't come in yet. So some boxes will just have to stay put until they have somewhere to go.

One of our first projects was the dark, ugly fireplace that didn't match the room. Can you tell how much I just loved it? I couldn't wait to get it taken down and replaced with something more fitting. 

Here is the process...

Who knew there was brick under there? Too bad it had so many holes from the attached stone. And look at that mess!

Herringbone Calcutta Marble was selected.

Our builders... aka. my parents

Don't mind the homeless clutter.

The final product.

I have to say, I am happy that it’s over. Now we are on to fixing up the kitchen...

-Nicola & the little pup

Our first place...

The house (before we add any charm :)

Let me formally introduce you to our new home! It's in Raleigh, North Carolina and I just saw it for the first time a few days ago. Andrew came and picked it out, bought it, and moved in before I got here. 

 There is plenty to be done around here.  The place was move in ready, but has some things that need some updating to make them feel more like ours.  That said, I am becoming a regular at Lowes and Home Depot (someone get me a show on HGTV already). Things are changing daily. :)  Here are the pictures of some of the downstairs rooms of the house. I wanted to post them so that I can compare them as they change and grow over time.  I have big plans for this little place. 

Front Porch

Some new curb appeal :) I felt that stripes and flowers would encourage me to keep unpacking.

Front entry way

Hallway

Classy living room seating arrangement.

Living room with things piled around.

Dining room/ pseudo office

Fireplace in the living room (changing soon)

Kitchen (changing soon too) and my Barista :)

Dining room (waiting for the table and lights)

Kitchen extra space.  The chalk board is on an existing nail and will move. Apparently, I wrote on it upside down... no time for that now. 

I have been spending my days unpacking, organizing, cleaning, fixing, and shopping. When I am relaxing, I am scratching all of my bug bites. Lesson learned: don't play ball with the pup in the evening.  

I'll be updating the blog much more often with the changes that we have going on around here. It's fun to watch all of the online purchases come together. :)

-Nicola & the Little Pup

We made it!

We finally made it to North Carolina...

Moving Day:
I was nervous about our move for a number of reasons. The biggest one being getting to dog there in one piece. Shockingly, that was a breeze.  We had to wake up at 4am to get to LAX in time for an 8am flight. I was flying alone with the dog and I had bags that I could probably sleep in (they were so big). We made it to the airport with plenty of time. I spent a good 40 minutes trying to get the pup to poop outside. Here is some advice... don't try to talk your dog into pooping at 5am. Security will laugh at you & it won't work.  Given that I tried my best to talk Miles into pooping and failed, I was nervous that a poop explosion was going to happen on my lap as I sat comfortably in first class. Or worse, in my neighbors lap. I was proud that he waited until his new back yard to make that happen. 

Miles was Mr. Popular in the airport.He acted like he was a frequent flyer. Checking in was easy. Security was easy. The flight was easy. Miles just slept on my lap or looked out the window the whole time. 

Andrew picked us up in our new car and drove us to our new house... it was a pretty fancy day if you ask me. 

Don't mind my post-flight looks.

We have spent the past few days figuring out our house, trying to drive around this city, surviving humidity, and scratching our bug bites. :) My parents are here and ready to help us unpack and upgrade this place. 

Well, we're off to bed. House pictures to come! 

-Nicola & Miles

Busy, Busy, & Busy

Oh boy, are we busy around here. We are in the process of moving Andrew home from Virginia, buying a house, and packing up this one. Not exactly my idea of summer fun.

Summer will begin as soon as this house is packed...

 All I can think about these days is light fixtures. Our new house (which closes escrow in about 10 days) has some outdated (and not so cute) light fixtures. And since that is such an easy fix, I am determined to get that done the second we move in. I don't want to spend too much on them because this is not a house I plan to live in forever.

Anyway, the problem is deciding... 

Kitchen Options:

Polished Nickel (Kichler) 

                 

Seeded Glass and Nickel (Jamie Young & Livex Milford Lighting) 

Dining Room options:

West Elm

Horchow

Ebay

There are plenty of other options... the fun is just beginning. 

I still need to pick paint colors to cover the lovely green and purple walls. I need lights for the front of the house and the bathrooms. And LOTS of furniture.... Looks like an expensive year. My lucky husband!

-Nicola & the little pup