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Thursday, December 29, 2011

I Want a House...I want a House! I want a HOUSE!

Kick, scream, yell, cry, wah, wah, wah!  Okay, temper tantrum over...but, seriously....I really do want a house...my house!  I actually thought that maybe my husband had heard back from our realtor, saying that we got the house (I know TOTALLY wishful thinking) and was waiting for Christmas to tell me...nope, not yet. :(
     We did hear back from him a couple of days ago and, the current owners lien company is looking over the offer.  While they say it could be about two weeks for them to decide, we aren't getting our hopes up.  We actually don't know very much about this...we didn't even know that there was a lien.  (yes, I had to look up what it meant: What is a Lien?) So, I guess this is our first hurdle in the process.
We're hoping to take it in stride...
  Any real estate gurus out there or just anyone who has been through a similar process?  Does every home have a lien or is that additional?  Does a lien equate to a second mortgage?  are they the same thing?  Depending on your answers, I might give the realtor a call but, I don't want to risk looking like a total goof if it's not necessary, lol.  (I generally don't mind though ;)
   This whole hurdle thing has got me so nervous now about the house...our house....or not?  So, all of the decorating I've been doing in my mind is watering at the edges just waiting to be washed away.  I'm scared.  I know we can find another house but that will take us closer to the end of our lease on this rental...which we are so over...I can't believe I didn't mention this yet! we might have mildew or mold in our freezer!
   So, hopefully you aren't thinking that's disgusting (on our part).  The freezer is clean, but, as I mentioned in  my very first post, the people who "remodeled" our villa apartment, did a very low-class job.  It looks great but then you seen the chocolate cabinets are just a 'crappy' paint job, the blinds are not fitted properly and fall on you when you try to open them, you can't use one of the toilets...yeah, not good.
     Anyways, we had been getting this "dust" coming from the doohickey that holds the frozen stuff in the freezer door since we moved in.  We just figured it was the filler from inside (no, we are not contractors and don't pretend to know what we are doing, lol).  Reason being, there was obvious caulking along the bottom of the same arm guy, so it seemed like another "quick fix," we just figured we'd deal.  So, I periodically cleaned up the dust with a Clorox wipe  and we went on about our business.
    The other day though, I saw a LOT of dust in the freezer and was complaining to my hubs (who happens to be 6'4") as we were putting groceries away.  i was trying to tape (yes with scotch, lol) the whole closed since we didn't have caulk.  I started to complain that it was getting worse (insert>wah I want a house!).  He looked at me over the door and realized it was actually MOLD!  Seriously!  Us short people don't even know half the dangers lurking that we just can't see!  It was an odd angle (over the door of the freezer), in my defense!
   Anyways, called the leasing manager immediately, no answer.  Wrote an email and sent her a text (her preferred forms of communication).  Got a call back but, she was supposed to contact the contractor and we've since heard anything....two days ago.  MOLD...should I be concerned?  

   Leave me thoughts on MOLD, short sales, liens, alien encounters, I'll take em' all!

Monday, December 26, 2011

Tough Morning, Fun Day!



My dad in his glory at Graceland, the home of his idol!


December 26, 2008...he fought hard and strong and we even had a few "good" hours on Christmas Day but my Dad finally lost his uphill battle against heart disease.  We knew he would soon pass, he was on hospice, but nothing will ever prepare you for the loss of your hero.  So, on that day three years ago, I woke on the couch and couldn't hear him breathing...I knew.  I was home alone so I called Steve (hubby) and the hospice service as well as my closest friends and family.  It was a terrible, terrible day.  I had now lost both of my parents and I just wanted to be away.  (I totally did not intend to be so somber)....anyways, being so far away from friends and family made today pretty hard...I didn't want to get out of bed to be honest and teared up and the amazing messages from my closest friends and family.  But, knowing my Dad would have told me to "Suck it Up!"
Him and his silly self!
I mosied around the house and got ready for a fun day at Disney with a new friend!  We had a fun day and I was able to get out and about.  Sometimes you just need to get out and live in the present.  My Dad had many great years here and I appreciate each moment I got to spend with him.  Wish my Daddy-O could be around to enjoy everything with me now but, I know he's here in spirit (probably telling me to stop crying now, lol). There's never any really great way to deal with death, nothing anyone can say that fixes the hurt you feel.  The best advice I've had has been to enjoy the memories and believe that your loved ones are watching over you.

Thursday, December 22, 2011

Our Mini-Christmas

     With the holidays upon us and all of the beauty of Christmas at its peak, I have to admit how bummed I've been about not decorating or really participating in holidays.  Part of the problem is that we don't have family or close friends in the area.  I'm used to having Pollyanna dinners, Christmas gift exchanges and other fun holiday events...the miles just don't allow it :(



      Another part of the problem is that we have been living out of boxes and didn't think it made sense to haul out all of our decorations this year.  I've literally been avoiding all Christmas decorations in Target because I buy something there almost every year, ha ha!  So for now, we're just sticking to the little tree and a few other decorations that were just sitting in a Rubbermaid container and easy to access. Special thanks to my Aunt and Uncle who sent us some Christmas presents (a ton!) which we have to wait until Christmas for!  We're so excited!


So, in the mean time, I'm drooling over everyone else's decorations and sharing my neighbor's festive holiday lights...


Okay, so I intended my actual next door neighbor's photo but came across this one from Hollywood Studios which is puuurrtyyy (and also a neighbor:)
  Feel free to add comments or links to your Christmas decor, I'd love to see it!  
Final Note: I can't believe it is December 23rd and 84 degrees outside!  I am loving this but it's very confusing to a northerner like me!  I keep thinking it's summer, ha ha!

Monday, December 19, 2011

Decorating Dreams!

Oh Boy Oh Boy!  Since I've arrived in Florida, I have become pretty much obsessed with decorating blogs.  It all started because we had no television!  So, what's a girl to do, all my scrapbooking supplies are packed up, no vehicle to explore with, plus, everyone stays inside in July and August!  So, I turned into a blog reading freak!  I saved some to my favorites tab and the list has grown.  Here's a list of the ones I'm currently following:
All of these exciting blogs have gotten me even more pumped to have my own home.  I am so excited to be able to stake my claim on my own house.  I am not sure exactly what my style will be but, I've been attracted to the use of color in each of these spaces and the clean look of the projects these bloggers use.  Once I have my house maybe some of them will help me with design ideas ;)


Oh, I almost forgot, my obsession has already spread to purchasing magazines about home improvement (thanks to a friend who just bought a house and told me all of the cool projects she's done since reading Better Homes and Gardens).  She's actually like my twin so, I figure, if she can do it, so can I!  The storage magazine caught my eye simply for the reason that I've always had an issue with keeping that "clean" look while remaining functional.

Sunday, December 18, 2011

Today I'm Dreaming of....Mexico!

   Well today's post is a bit off the beaten path as that most of my blog will be dedicated to the fun world of home shopping/buying for the next few months.  There are just some of those dreams that I just can't keep out of my head even though the bank account is screaming, "Don't touch me, it will NOT be pretty!"  But wouldn't it be so nice to have one of these in your backyard?
      Anyhow, back to my current dream....a Mexican vacation!  I am a travel bug at heart.  This past year we weren't able to take a "vacation" since we used our time to move down here to Florida.  Luckily, Florida is packed with all types of wonderful day trips we've enjoyed.  The beauty of the Gulf is like none other.  There was not a single beach near our home outside of Philadelphia that could boast water or beaches as gorgeous as Clearwater, Florida:
Seriously?  Why did I wait so long to move????

     So, as I was sitting here looking at photos on Facebook, I came across a colleague's Mexican vacation....and the drooling began.  The only time I've ever been out of the country has been for our wedding in St. Lucia
 We definitely want to make use of our passport especially before we have little ones running around (?   :O   ?????...maybe one day, lol).  So I contacted a friend who is like a Mexico travel agent and has been numerous times herself and began my dream to reality plan.  So, it may not happen this year (best friends wedding back in PA PLUS hopefully buying a home) but, I can have my plans all ready for whenever we're ready to spend those extra dolares (yes, I spelled that in Spanish, lol)  Have any of you been on a beautiful Mexican vacation?  Any no-no places to keep off  my list?  I'd love to hear from you!  Where are you dreaming of visiting?

Saturday, December 10, 2011

My Very First Post

   So I've finally done it, I've entered the world of blogging!  I've been hemming and hawing over it now for a few months.  There are so many exciting and interesting blogs out there in the world and I can only hope to live up to the interest they offer!  So, let's try this out!

   I decided to create a blog that will chronicle the next few months...years...decades... of dreams.  Who knows, I guess that will depend on a lot of different factors.  As I write this, I'm just hope I'm interesting enough for you to finish reading this post!  ha ha!  
   I guess today's post will be about the dream which is most present in my mind: finding a home!  My husband and I began the house hunting process in October and we are under contract for a short sale.  We love the place!  It's in a nice, neighborly area, has beautiful palm trees out front and an open living room/kitchen area I fell in love with.  I've been dreaming of all the decorating I can't wait to do. The house even has enough space for my hubby and I to have our own "rooms" (mine for scrapbooking, his as an office), PLUS a guest room for our friends and family that we can't wait to see!
   Now, if any of you are familiar, a short sale can take up to 5 months on average (and possibly more:Info on Short Sales). Soooooo, we are trying not to get our hopes up too much....and we're trying to be very patient, but AHHHHH I just want to know already!  ha ha!  Part of the problem is that we are living in a fairly small villa, dealing with a sketchy "remodel" (AKA, we made everything look pretty but don't pull on the blinds, flush that toilet or try to open the sliding glass door thankyouverymuch).  We also have a bunch of our things that make a place feel at home packed up.  
   Since we knew we were looking to buy a home, we decided not to unpack all the way...
Yes, this is the second bedroom AKA storage until we get a house!

Florida winter (so far) has been very friendly to us and we haven't had to dig that darn box (that you KNOW is at the bottom of the closet) out just yet to get sweaters.   We're hoping to find out about the house (*not calling it ours yet so I don't jinx myself!) in the next month or so.  Our Realtor seems pretty positive and he's a short sale master!
     Anyone else in the same boat?  Been there, done that?  Let me know!  I'm sure there are some horror stories too, they'll help keep me in reality!  Thanks for reading (if you made it this far!)