Endings. And Beginnings.

It's official! I am sitting here tonight with the keys to my new house in hand. Finally. I only have to sleep in the rental 2 more nights. Although I doubt you could call what I have been doing at night for the past week, sleep.

Things are feeling a bit surreal to me right now. I have a new house. A.NEW.HOUSE! I get to feather my nest again. I've been a homeowner since the tender age of 21. After growing up in rentals my whole life and never feeling a sense of permanence anywhere, owning a home is of extreme importance to me. The Year of Sacrifice, as I have taken to calling it, is coming to an end. Was it worth it? Of course!

We've decided to camp out in the new house on mattresses until the movers come next week. This will give me time to paint before most of our stuff arrives. Did I mention that I purchased 12 gallons of paint in the last week? Let the fun begin! Since our painting crew consists of...well, me, I am hoping that I can physically manage to paint 3 bedrooms before the furniture is delivered! That is my goal. I always was a girl that likes to reach high.

Also, it is just now starting to occur to me that I just downsized from a 3600 sq ft house to a 2100 sq ft house. An old house with not a lot of extra space and me with a storage unit crammed full of stuff. Why didn't that occur to me sooner? TGFG (Thank God for Garages).

On the whole, I'm feeling a bit overwhelmed, and a bunch excited, joyful and thankful! I know that the next couple of weeks will be full but after that I hope to get back to a normal routine and stop neglecting so many other parts of my life. You know who you are. Okay, well, it's all of you.

I will be without internet, phone and cable for the next week. It's like we will be partial Amish. A long time fantasy of mine. Or partial Little House on the Prairie. Another fantasy. I imagine I will still be able to fit in occasional trips to the coffee shop to check my email (and scarf lemon scones) and to check in with you. In my next post I hope to tell you about my plans for adding charm to the exterior and my makeover plans for the enclosed front porch! Until then I will leave you with some lovely cottage images to inspire your own Cottage Nest dreams.

P.S. You know the only thing better than a white cottage? A grey one. I guarantee my cottage will be one or the other one day.