Ta . . . Freaking . . . Wanda!

I am SO excited to own a house again and literally love every second of it (well, maybe not the plunging of the toilets but the rest is pretty good). I think I fall in love with it a little more everyday. Now I must admit (as some of you have also pointed out, I'm talking to you Mayda!), that's it not much to look at right now but I can see the potential through the blue carpeting, the dark paneling, and the drop-down ceiling. I have to look deep but its there. We have done quite a bit of renovating, a lot of it on our own, so I'll take the next couple of posts to catch you up. There will be lots of befores, a few afters, and a few not for the next couple of years!!

Now the girls and I were excited to spend some time at the house so we decided to have a picnic on the floor the night we became owners. 

Nothing wrong with Chick-fil-A on the ground, right?
We actually ended up meeting several of the new neighbors too.

The girls wanted to play around on the elevator a bit.
It's kind of funny.
Everyone is impressed when I say it has an elevator
but I am quick to tell them it isn't that cool! 

Here the girls are "rising" through the floor in Olivia's room
We laugh that it is definitely a bit creepy!

So the next morning I hit Home Depot and gathered some tools - crowbars, gloves, masks, goggles, and other miscellaneous tools that I already own but are packed in a box somewhere in a POD stashed somewhere where I have no idea.

Now the theme of this house is currently Tawanda. Those of you who are familiar with Fried Green Tomatoes know exactly what I am talking about. Those of you who don't, watch the movie and you'll know what I am referring to. It's freaking awesome!

One of my favorite, and most quoted, movies.  

My lovely, lovely, so relaxing master bedroom.
Can't you feel your troubles melting away???
Somewhere behind all that lovely paneling are 5 old windows
completely covered up by nasty paneling.

Looking into the lovely dressing area.
Closet to the right, master bathroom to the left.

My master closet . . . ok.

My master bathroom -
aren't you dying to take a soak in here?

Caitlin was an incredible tearer-downer of all things that must go!
We both learned it was super hard but
wonderfully cathartic and therapeutic!

Tawanda!
We yelled that a lot -
according to the girls, I yelled it too much!

We found this little coloring under some plaster.
It's not anything wonderful but we liked it.

Unfortunately in this room, there's not an after because it still basically looks like this! Oh vey!

More to come but that's for another post!

Literally (and Figuratively) Moving On . . .

I'm in love!!  Yes, I'm head-over-heels in love and I want the world to know it! A new puppy, you ask? Not yet! A new man?  Hell NO! What's causing me to smile just when I think about it . . . you really want to know? 

Drum roll please  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . It's our new home!!

After having to sell our family home and then living in a rental for 8 months, the girls and I were getting anxious and restless to get permanently settled. I needed some projects and I needed them now! I was actually having withdrawals from the smell of paint fumes and the sound of a nail gun from my prior need for renovations!  My Realtor was wonderful and patient while we house hunted - a bunch. I stalked Zillow, Realtor, Homefinder, Trulia, you name it. I obsessed about listings. I knew I wanted an older home with character - hardwood floors, high ceilings, moldings, and details out the ying yang!! The best neighborhood, in my opinion, in St. Petersburg is Old NE. It's quaint, charming, has a "neighborhoody" feel and is super close to downtown, which is under a major, super-hip, revitalization. Kind of like me, right?? Ha!! Well, after many, many open houses, house tours, multiple go backs, and going over financing, we finally found the right one and we're SO excited!! Its perfect for us and I can smell the paint fumes already  . . .

The house is on the corner and looks so pretty!
Uh, . . . well, its got potential and it is located
so close to downtown St. Pete.
I LOVE the location and love living here.

The front view from the main street.

I think I'm going to spend a lot of time here - someday . . .
when the paint is dry and the boxes are unpacked!

The living room is almost long enough to bowl in and
will need a lot of furniture to make it look cozy but I accept that challenge.
I got a little carried away when I was moving
and gave away most of our furniture - oops!
Time to go shopping.

The dining room and yes, those are burlap curtains
paired with a lovely '70s ceiling fan.

The kitchen - isn't she a beaut!?!? Ha!
Oh vey! '70s cabinets too.

Don't you love the drop-down ceiling?? 

The elevator, yes, we have an elevator.
Might come in handy when I'm old, like in a year or two.

Olivia's bedroom - see the line, to the right, on the ground?
That's where the elevator comes upstairs -
right into Liv's room. She hates it.

Caitlin's bedroom - Do you see the potential?

Guest room - More '70s??
That paneling has GOT. TO. GO!

The girls' bathroom - its a good size and in good condition -
its just U.G.L.Y. it ain't got no alibi.

The master bedroom - it's so tranquil - NOT!
Paneling, and acoustic tiles, and paneling, oh my!

Yes, they think this ceiling is a highlight. Not sure why?

I just can't even . . . 

Love the beautiful backyard!!
Ugh!

Ok, so truth be told. Yes, the house is a fixer upper. Structurally this baby is sound. It has a great floor plan and the rooms are a good size. The girls and I are excited to make it our own and have been working hard for the past couple of months.

We're homeowners again!!!

 I can't wait to share all the changes we have made but that's for many, many future posts!

- Kristin

Still Alive and Kicking . . .

Ok, so you haven't heard from me in four months. Yes, I have missed you, too. So let's recap a bit and then I will blog in more detail about certain highlights.

Former Maselli Home - 

We have sold our house. It was exhausting work but it's officially no longer ours. It only took 2 PODS worth of storage, one full 12' truck worth of donations, 1 truck full of consignment items, 1 flatbed hauler and 1 small moving truck (mix in 12 relatives), 3 friends, 2 hauls of donations to Lakeview Elementary, countless (and I mean countless) trips to our church's thrift store and the local Goodwill and Salvation Army drop-off centers, one ridiculously large trash dump, 2 emergency repairs from the A/C man, one termite tenting and we are out! It was definitely bittersweet. This was really the only house our children knew and while they are super-excited to look for a new house, the reason we had to move was in the back of all of our minds, even though I keep trying to focus them on the adventure aspect of it all. Being 12 and 16, it's a little harder.

Here's where we currently rest our heads (These photos are from Zillow and are pretty much what the house still looks like with us in it. It came completely furnished and is exactly what I wanted so I didn't have to pack, unpack, pack again for our permanent home, and then unpack again! We have made some small changes but that is it). -

Isn't it charming and we can keep our dog Hattie with us!

Our living room - we did have the landlord
remove a bunch of the little trinkets so we had room for
our things. I love the British Colonial feel,
it's like we are on vacation.

Our cute kitchen. I have come to find out
I love the big sink and the Bosch dishwasher.
I want both of those items in my new home!

The master bedroom -
something awesome about having the whole bed
to yourself!!

I actually have a fireplace in my bedroom!!
The landlord was kind enough to remove the
naked man painting from the fireplace
seeing how I have "quit" men for the time being!

My youngest's room - she has added some of her
photos on top of the headboard to make it her own.
The French doors lead to the screened-in pool.

My oldest's room - she has added a desk in the corner
and  has a huge closet so she is perfectly content for now.

We brought in a larger table with 3 chairs so
this is where we eat dinner.
There is also a washer and dryer in a closet.
The chaise is gone and we added some extra shelves for additional
storage for misc items and pantry supplies.

This is my favorite part of the house.
I have started swimming everyday and yes,
I do get excited when I swim 100 laps
(please no mention of the size of the pool!)

This is the Gulfport Marina, just about 6 houses from our home.

We have settled in nicely and are really enjoying our summer break. It feels good to be back, healthier, stronger, and more importantly, happier! This journey is just over a year in the making and I know I still have a long way to go but I am excited about all the possibilities in my future. Lots more to share but that is for another post!

NYC Bound . . .

Ok, so I am heading out for the week with 7 female family members. We are doing what all normal Floridians do during spring break - heading north.

I predict it will be super fun, chaotic, overwhelming, crazy, and exhausting, and that's just getting to the airport!

There will be a LOT more to come but that's for another post!