A Work In Progress

I am sad to report that, as of tomorrow, our two weeks of jobless merriment are coming to a close...at least for the good doctor.  Austin reports at 5:45am for his first official day as an intern.  Let the games begin.  I, on the other hand, have until July 5th to relish in my time spent off the clock.  Although a break from the working world has been nice, I wouldn't necessarily call the last two weeks "vacation" (although I've still been getting paid-- heartfelt shout out to saved up paid time off at ACH!).  We have been slaving away on our new home, and, while it remains to be a serious work in progress, we finally have a few things to show for our blood, sweat, & tears! (Ok, you got me, there haven't really been any tears.  I just liked the drama of it.)  Onward to the goods!

First things first--while we dearly love our sweet little house built in 1952, one glance told us that it's original hardwood floors hadn't been given the TLC that they needed all these years.  The floors were scratched and stained, and they felt gritty on your bare feet.  Ick.  I wish I had a photo that did the damage justice, but I don't...they are awfully careful to make sure that the real estate photos show only the best in a home... But I'm not mad because now we have beautifully refinished floors!  Here's a little peek...

Although I am super pleased with how the floors turned out, I certainly cannot take credit.  So let's move along to the good stuff for which Austin and I can proudly pat ourselves on the back!

So what do ya get when you cross my BIG vision for this house & my teensy budget for new furniture?

Yup. And there's more where that came from.  We used real paint & paintbrushes, too, but this sight just made me laugh.  

So here are a few before and after shots for a quick look at our handiwork...

The desk in the study/guest room #2 is cream, so we couldn't have this headboard sticking out like a sore thumb now could we?!

Happy in it's new home and ready for visitors!

Also, that old headboard had a bookcase that was stained to match.  We forgot to snap a "before" picture of it, but here is the glorious "after"!  

We stained it a much darker color to better fit in it's new home in guest room #1!  And yes, I LOVE books.  I'm a closet librarian.

Also, in guest room #1, we gave an old beat up side table (circa Bell bachelor pad days) a fresh face!

 This room is also ready for visitors! Aren't you just itching to come see us?!

And last but certainly not least, my favorite transformation of all--the dining chairs!  I picked up this set of 6 beauties on craigslist for quite a bargain, and I've been dying freshen them up.  

 All these lovelies needed was a little paint, elbow grease, and a power sander-wielding husband.

Get a load of that muscle shirt from glory days gone by. Go Mounties!

And they are finally finished!!

Light & airy, don't you think?!

I think a little side by side comparison action is warranted here...

And that is all I have to say about that.  Several other projects are in the works, but with grown-up work starting back soon, who knows when they will be completed.  Hope these goodies will tide you over.  

Whew! That was a long post.  Are über lengthy posts poor blogging etiquette? If so, sue me.  I'm new to this.  And if you stuck with it until the end, you are a true friend (or family member- hi mom & dad!).

More to come as we slog away and make this house our new home...

How we landed here...

On May 24, 2008, I said "I do" to a second year medical student.

Three years and tons of fun later, it's MATCH DAY! We were seemingly handed our fate out of thin air-- we would be spending the next 4 years in... Tennessee!

The house hunt in our new town began, and in May we officially became homeowners! YAY!

Graduation day came and went, and I couldn't be more proud of Dr. Austin Bell!

Suddenly, almost out of nowhere, it was moving day.  We had to say farewell to a city we loved and all of the wonderful things that came with it-- fabulous friends, a wonderful job, and a quick drive to our families.  Then, with hearts full of so many emotions, we crossed the bridge into our new home!

And that, my friends, is the speedy version of how we landed here.

We've spent our first week in our new home unpacking, cleaning, sanding, painting, staining, and driving back and forth between various home improvement stores. I feel like we are on a roll, and things are starting to come together (fingers crossed!). Can't wait to share pictures of the process and hopefully the finished product...someday... :)

Succumbing to Peer Pressure

Ready or not...here I am.

After being pressured by many (you know who you are), I am going to give this blogging thing a try.  There are many reasons I have not joined the blog-o-sphere up until this point, but after moving away from home, I decided you guys were right-- it actually is a pretty good way for long-distance family & friends to have a glimpse into some of the daily happenings around this joint.  Also, I thought it might be fun to look back on this time full of change someday down the road. But finally, let's face it...I just moved to a new town where I don't really know anyone, and my husband is soon to be a bona fide work-a-holic (by no desire of his own, I assure you), so I figured I may have a little free time on my hands.

But before this goes any further, my first order of business is to issue a simple disclaimer that includes all of the things this blog does NOT promise to be:
1. Frequently updated
2. Thought-provoking
3. Comical
4. Interesting to anyone who does not share my DNA (and maybe not even to them...)

If any one of these things happens, consider it a bonus. After all, we have lovingly dubbed this blog "Bells in Real Life," and in real life the Bells love to keep expectations low.  :)

So here goes nothin'...