Welcome to our new home! Earlier this month we made a big decision, to buy our future family home. We started the journey back in February and finally in June found the house of our dreams. Sure, some of you are thinking yeah yeah, you bought a home, what's the big deal? Well for Dave (my husband) and I this was a decision to officially plant our roots in Chicago. We are so excited to call this city our home. Today, I will be giving you a look at our house and also the tips I learned along the way. ENJOY!

My parents joke that every two years I move and even though their statement is true, I am happy to say this will be our home for many years to come. During the search process we decided our "MUST HAVES" and then worked our way down. His were: Price point, bedrooms and location. Mine were: School district and layout. I'd say we both got what we wanted.

Okay enough with the small talk- Let the tour begin!

First stop our, living room. When people walk through our front door I want them to feel the love and also right at home. I wanted to create a space that was inviting and hip. First thing we did was clean the windows. We lucked out with great natural light throughout the house, however, the windows needed a good cleaning. Once we were in the house for a few days we realized our couch was not enough and needed to fill the space a little bit more. Shoes aside, I am a bargain shopper so I went online to my favorite stores and sought out the best sale (and that's when we got the chairs). Eventually, we will be having a custom mantle and gas fireplace put in.

We couldn't leave out the fun details. I try to have a story with our house accessories. The flower in the picture below was not only created by one of my best girlfriends but it also was part of our centerpieces at our wedding. This glass sculpture is not only a statement but it's also a big party of our story!

White Cabinet done by Petronella Designs

The Dining Room- This is probably my favorite room for a number of reasons but I'd say my main one: It's where all the conversations happen. I love nothing more than to sit around the table and gab. This room is right off the kitchen and is great for entertaining guests and Chef Dave. In the kitchen we went with stainless steel appliances. We knew we were going to need more cabinet space when we moved in, so we had a custom piece (picture above) created by Nellie Fuder of Petronella-Designs. She makes pieces to fit any style and budget. I will definitely be having more of her collection around my house in years to come! We needed a focal point in the room and luckily with a few clicks on Craigslist I found this painting for only $35.00! The light fixture in this room was given to us by dear friends and I think it is the cherry on top!

Every house should have one wallpapered room and this will be our main floor powder room. I've heard wallpapering is tough to do, so for this task we will be bringing in the experts. Okay let's head upstairs.

The Caribou chalk board Dave proposed on.

Greetings from our second floor-

I have always wanted to have what I call, "A museum wall." One location to show off my art collection and we decided to do this upstairs (picture above). On this floor we also have our master bedroom/bath and what will one day be the nursery and this kids bathroom. Right now the extra room is serving as Dave's office. The chalkboard in the picture above is from the Caribou Coffee where I met Dave. Six months later we went in to that same coffee shop and on this board were the words "WILL YOU MARRY ME!" We had to keep it!

The master bedroom was a little overwhelming to me when we first moved in, because of its size. One of the first things I learned with buying this house is: It's fun to fill it up and change things over time. Not everything must be done overnight! The inspiration behind this room came from the Pottery Barn bed spread, I purchased the day we closed. The master bath is huge but needs updating; we are looking forward to putting in a steam shower and double sink.

To conclude our tour we will finish in the basement- On this floor we have our laundry room, a guest room, a full bathroom, bonus room and storage. My home office for the show and my jewelry line is is in the main room. I am surrounded by inspirational thoughts, articles and keepsakes. I finally have the space I need to be creative at home! In the guest bedroom on this level we have a bedroom ready for guests.

Below I have some tips to highly consider when moving-

1. STI Movers were a huge help to us during this whole process. And something I loved about them is their effort to Go Green. They have reusable eco-friendly boxes. All you have to do is order them, then the company will deliver them right to your doorstep. They help you move your boxes to your new location, and the best part is when you’re done they come and take the boxes away for you. No longer will you be stuck with big bulky cardboard boxes wondering what on earth you’re going to do with them. I may be a little biased, but I most definitely have to recommend them for your next move. www.stimovers.com

2. This may seem like an obvious statement, but, take some time before you start packing to get organized. Plan out what sections of your house you’re going to pack at what times, this way you don’t feel overwhelmed by the amount of packing required of you. If you try and do it all at once you’ll only regret it later on. By spending all of your energy on packing up your entire house in one swoop you’ll burn out and lose all motivation to unpack in your new house. This leads to what I like to call the year-long-move. It may take you one week to move to a whole new house, but unpacking is still part of the process.

3. Once you find the house you want to buy, get a good inspector. GS & TJ Services did a fantastic job making sure our house was safe and ready for us. Leon (the owner) walked us through potential issues and things that needed to get fixed. This is very important because you will get stuck with problems the previous owner created...As Dave would say, fight for the dollars and cents on the front end. Leon was great to work with: www.illinoisinspectors.com.

4. One of my favorite tips for moving is this “life hack” for switching closets. Instead of taking everything off their individual hangers and packing them into boxes, only to unpack them and rehang them one-by-one, two words: garbage bag. While your clothes are still hanging in the closet, take a garbage bag and scoop up a section of your clothes into the bag. Finally, tie the bag around the hangers so that the tops of them are sticking out. This way you’ll have a handle for your bag of clothes and you can easily transition them from one closet to the next.

Finally, even if you dread moving more than anything else in life, try and find some enjoyment out of the process. This is a life event you’re going to remember always. It’s the end of one chapter and the beginning of a new. Whether you’re moving across the country for a job or you’re moving down the street, old memories are to be archived and the prospects of new memories await you. So take a moment and take a deep breath before you allow yourself to be overcome by stress.

Change really can be a beautiful thing! <3

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