SPRING

i know i know...me saying something like this is not normal for me but none the less, i tried to make my house a little prettier than just dirt and tiny rocks....so i now that it is spring i planted some flowers ..and surprisingly they are growing....see below... okay so its only a few tiny leaves but its a start, they started as teenie tinnie seeds from the dollar section at target so i was surprised i got anything...hopefullywhen i get back frm the race there will be color...

then I went to bring in the trash cans this afternoon and to my surprise my front yard had some color too...

It may be pink but I really like them...and on the plus side i didnt have to do anything. they just appeared. there is still plenty of dirt around them but it is better than nothing...

trust me, there is still plenty to do in the front and back yards but it is a start, no matter how small it is.

i tried to get mac to pose in a picture with the pots in the backyard but when we tried the dog behind us came out and lets just say that was way more exciting to her than sitting still for a picture....

the house is coming along....

so over the past month my parents have come out twice and have helped with some little projects that have made the house looked much more cozy and its really comnig together in my opinion..at least some rooms are...

here we have mac looking for her friend next door. for whatever reason the past week the dog has been able to get right up to this wall and they both put their front feet up on the wall and lick each other and run back and forth its really very cute, and its a plus for me because it means mac is capable of being nice to other dogs which is not very evident on our walks. its really cute, sad i missed them both up there nose to nose but ill keep trying.

here's the craft/office/whatever room. with the desk my dad built for me and the printer my grandpa so generously got for me ( its a good thing my family loves me so much). then i added some storage stuff and personal pictures...ive had that bulletin board up in my room for many years and while it changes every few years i love having it up with all kinds of random memories and inspirations for me.

then we have the wall between the living room and pool table room. it was always a mystery to me what i would do with it, and then i put the shelf there just to get it out of the way one day and i loved it and then i saw the squares that came in a few choices and it was perfect, love the checkeredness of it and i think it looks good, the pictures need some designer adjusting but i like the overall idea.

then there's the wonderful "black and red" living room ive always wanted...it may have ended up with a brown couch but i believe it works. ive got lots of black and lots of red even if none of the reds are the same, im told it all works even though some days im not so sure, i love the overall idea. are you noticing a trend...it may not be perfect but i like the ideas that are coming together....wonderful red curtains, the perfect free window seat that has gerat toy storage for the kids that come over right there.

yes yes yes...its really coming together...still need some other rooms to make progress and at some point there will be a lot of painting ...but im happy for now...and it would seem i have quite the new journey ahead of me with me starting work in a preschool in a few weeks so im glad that the house is at least situated.

my first place...

So after months and months of searching i finally found the perfect house!!!!
the house has everything i need for a good resale, 3 bedrooms nad 2 bathrooms. and its set up if i ever get brave enough and desperate enough to find a roomate with the other bedrooms on the opposite side of the house.

it also has everything i wanted to make me happy while im here...it has a great backyard, a front porch and a fire place. and it was move in ready, not a think needed to be done to move in.

the front has a nice front porch which will eventually have 2 rocking chairs and a table so i can sit on my porch. the backyard has a nice covered patio just big enough for my picnic table and hammock and more importantly it has two GIANT trees that im in love with. then inside it has a room for a pool table, a good size kitchen for me, the bedrooms a ok sized but still big enough to be functional. and the living room has one of my favorite parts and defiantely what sold me on the house the first time i walked through the front door....

A FIREPLACE!!!!

overall...i love the house and its close to all the good stuff...close to the lake for picnics and walks with the puppy..close to both playgrounds which is cool for me. close to pools nad basketball and tennis courts...the orchards are not as close as id like but still just a short walk...
and...as ive lived there i have discovered that the guys across the street work on cars a lot...its a bug, but they still work on cars, and the guy on the corner has a verypretty old 70's ish camaro that is gorgeous and just makes me happy. so i am so excited about what my move and MY own house.

houses

so I am on a house hunt...
I don't really know what I am looking for because this is an investment not a dream home.
but so far I have been inside 3 homes
well one of them was really bad, needed a lot of work and smelled aweful and it had a tini tiny backyard which I just don't think I will ever be okay with
then the next one was okay, needs some love but could be really nice I think.but the yard is a bit smaller than I would like.
but the third one...well i fell in love with the backyard. the house is nice to. i mean it may not be perfect but I think its really nice, the only problem...it is already pending sale...or so some people think or who really knows because every website and every person you talk to has a different story...
now i will say there are a few down sides....
there are only 2 bedrooms which is not as good for resale value, the driveway is only wide enough for one car...long enough for two but the whole tandom parknig thing annoys me because I have been spoiled not having to deal with it. then i thought the living and dining rooms were a fine size but when my dad saw it he said that the living room was small which now concerns me slightly. also, the dirveway is not very flat so working on a car in the drive way may not be the easiest tihng...but im telling you the house is adorable...it has a good size backyard with awesome trees...a cement wall for kicking a soccer ball... plenty of room to run with kids and play fetch with a dog, a nice view over some just open space which is nice...the front has an adorable patio/porch which i can totally see sitting on a swing and watching the sunset...the inside of the house is nice, not necessarily all brand new and perfect but nice and totally liveable.
I really like the house a lot....just wish there was more i could find out about what was really going on...i have been told that if the pending sale falls through i will be the first to know and one website says it is going to auction next week and my parents have already agreed to go to that and see if it is actually being auctioned off because if it is that would just be amazing...a really good price and a really quick "Escrow" because i would only have to wait for the bank to sign papers not the normal like apparent 60 day crap that the other houses would be....but at the same time it is not likely any of that will happen seeing as how most people say the sale is pending and has been since december so i just don't know what to do...
waiting is really all i can do and of course hope that my car lasts long enough to not have to make the in its opinion long drive 4 days a week and seemingly more lately because of more work and other fun things going on.
anyway...those are my thoughts on houses for now...but it will be pretty cool to own my own home when im 22 or even 23 if it has to take that long.

an INVESTMENT property

so my dream home would be...
NOT in California
it would have a ton of land, like 20 acres
there would be at least 1 barn
there would be a wrap around porch
i want a log cabin(but that doesn't match the porch)
there would be a minimum 3 car garage
you get the idea...

but right now...
I am looking to make an investment...
I NEED
2 bedrooms
1 bathroom
and really thats it.

but I want
a little space
because...
I plan to get a puppy/dog and want them to be able to run around while I am at work all day
I want space between houses
I want a garage
I would like a third bedroom

but...
I also, need to have it fit in my budget, and really the sooner i find a place the better, because incase you were unaware, my car is a bit tired and isn't a huge fan of driving so far so often. I actually enjoy the drive, its very peaceful and my time for just me.

so do i settle for a place that is nice enough, but only has my minimum needs and NOTHING else?
or do I wait a bit longer and see if something better comes up?
its not like I have been seriously looking for very long. so it would make sense that some more choices would become availible, but this one is here now, and it is a fine little place.

what to do?