House bucket list.

 This pregnancy is flying by and lately that has me itching to get some things done around the house. Because who has time to do things like make a headboard with two under two in the dead of winter? Crazy people, that's who.

  So I'm pretty aware that just making this list doesn't actually mean anything on it will happen. But it's a step closer? Truthfully, the hardest part is getting Justin on board because he's not in love with diys. He always loves the finished product, just not the thought of doing it. If we can jump that hurdle, there's hope for this list! And truthfully, I'd be happy with even a few {just one??} thing being crossed off!

  Here are the top six things I would loooove {hear that, sweetie??} to finish before the baby comes!

make a headboard// Our bedroom is so neglected, it's pathetic. We just have a mattress and metal bedframe. Not even a bedskirt. So a headboard would make a huge difference! I mean, we could buy one. But that's so expensive {we have a king bed!} and we're not made of monies. This one and this one are both super easy, cheap, and look great! I just can't make either on my own, so I'm in the market for willing helpers!

paint kitchen cabinets// Ok, this is lofty. I get that. But I've wanted to paint our cabinets since we first walked into this house! Our gross builder-grade honey oak cabinets kill me {that's dramatic, but you get the point} and I think the room would look awesome with crisp, white surfaces!

baby proof// Well this should be a given. And done already? We have all the drawer/cabinet locks, they just need to be attached. And we're still on the hunt for a gate that fits at the top of the stairs so we don't have to use the storage ottoman anymore {that Caleb will be able to climb over soon!}. 

set up nursery// This is {or should be!} an easy one! The baby will be sleeping in his crib as soon as we get home from the hospital, so it has to be set up before he's born. This can be our easy one to cross off the list!

update gallery wall// I sort of threw up the gallery wall in our bonus room just so we'd have something on the walls. Now that the room is coming together, I really want to update it with family photos and letters for both of the boys! {which means we'll have to decided on a name for baby boy...}

hang curtains// We have 3 sets of curtains resting over various windows in our house that have needed to be mounted for at least a year {classy!}. So that would be awesome to get that done/not be so trashy anymore.

I love my home. {natural light}

  One of the very first things I noticed when we looked at our home with the realtor was the natural light. If you stand in the center of the house, at any time of day, you will be able to see sunlight pouring in from one direction or another. It is wonderful! And makes our space seem more roomy and airy than it really is. Benefit of small house? No true interior rooms and lots of natural light all day long!

  I wouldn't really say I'm a skylight or high window fan, neccsisarily. But this house may have changed that for me. We never have any lights on around the house unless it's nighttime and all the pretty light we get makes for the best photos. All those bright monthly shots of Caleb? I never edit a single one. Well, honestly, I never edit any of my photos because I'm lazy. But thanks to all the natural light we get throughout our house, I never need to!

Its the narrows row of windows above our front door and down the hall, above the guest bath shower that pour in the most light. 

  And that big, awkward half circle window in our dining room- so so much light comes through! At the top of the stairs leading to the bonus room there is a cute round window {with crooked panes inside that drive me bananas} and it pours light down the dark stairway and into our entry. 

  The bay window in our kitchen lets in all the golden evening light and the big wall-to-wall windows in Caleb's tiny room make for the most glorious morning sunlight to wake up to {especially for a kid who is up with the sun most days anyway!}.
  As we get closer and closer to having another little person in this house and make plans to get rid of our guest room in lieu of another nursery, it gets easier to list the growing pains and frustrations with this little house. But the more I dive into making a list and taking inventory of all the things I love about our home- the more I really do love it. What's one of your favorite things about your home? Natural light? Lots of storage? I'd love to hear! 

What I love about my house.

 Have you read this book or this book? I've read each of them over the past couple of months {this one is my favorite!} and they've both given me a new perspective on my house. I loved them both so much, I'm adding them to my birthday list. Lots of thoughts about being content, using what I have in front of me, and making this place into a home I love. 
  Honestly though? There's a lot not to love about our house. It's small, cramped really. And feeling more and more cramped all the time {ahem baby number two ahem}. It's builder-grade in every sense of the phrase. It's located in a very transitional neighborhood. We have tiny closets. And hardly any space to host guests, which will turn into no space to host guests when the baby comes.
  Of course, I wasn't blind to any of those things when we bought our house 3.5 years ago. But that's ok! It's just our starter home! We'll upgrade all of those things in 5ish years! That's what we told ourselves. And it's true, we will move one day, probably sooner rather than later. But instead of waiting for that day, I've decided to spend more time thinking about what there is to love about our house instead of the things I wish I could change.
  And when I start to list them, I realize there are a ton of things I do love about our house. So, that's where I'm starting. With the things I do love about my house. And an impromptu mini-series was born! Stay tuned over the next few weeks for little bits of what I love about our home. 
  And I have a feeling this little mini-series is going to motivate me to paint a room or two and plan some small home projects. Maybe I'll even be able  to convince Justin to help me paint our kitchen cabinets?? A girl can dream!