To a T

Mmm...to me, this home is close to perfection. There's unexpected touches everywhere, and it emits a classic, pretty and feminine feel. (But not too feminine!) This is what I aim for in my home...lived-in things you don't see every day, beautiful individual pieces that don't necessarily match, but when you see them all together it just goes. 

This is Katie Ukrop's home, featured on Young House Love. Take a look this blog if you haven't yet – great DIY ideas on the cheap!

Not a huge fan of baby pink, but it works.

What amazing flow! One thing our house lacks...

Love the chandelier (I'm obsessed with chandeliers of all kinds, but Trav thinks they're a waste of money and completely impractical. They kind of are, but their beauty makes up for it!!) Also love the symmetry of the lamps.

Amazing couch. And the windows – wow!

What a neat place!

Mortgage Mania

Trav and I bought our house in 2007, when the market was through the roof. It's no secret. And we sort of knew what we were doing – or maybe we were just lucky and it turned out ok! Either way, we were ready to buy. I was tired of wasting a $1000 a month on rent...money that was essentially going down the drain. And while our mortgage is a bit more than that, at least it's going towards something of immense value. What was perhaps the smartest move on our part was paying slightly more for a house than what we planned (which sparked some uh ohs at first) in order to have a ready-to-go basement suite. We've had it rented out by people we know personally pretty much since we bought the house – and it's definitely paid for itself. In fact, our rental incomes pay for nearly two-thirds of our mortgage, which is a huge help. And it's income that we don't need to work for! Plus, our location is amazing, right between downtown and Whyte (less than five minutes to each to make work commutes relatively painless), and we're in a neighbourhood we've fallen in love with.

Now that we've got our footing and feel secure in our jobs, we're reevaluating our mortgage and what we can do to pay it off as quickly as possible with the least amount of interest possible. Trav's been busying himself during his days at his second job, poring over mortgage calculators and variable rates and our existing paperwork. What a good husband! Anyway, we did some figuring, and if we're able to double what we save a month now (which I think is doable with me picking up a second job - more on that later - and plus the wedding is over) we'll be able to pay the max amount allowed yearly and perhaps boost our monthly payments...and possibly pay it off in eight years!!! NUTS! I know it sounds crazy, and most people will think we won't do it...but I'm determined. And I'm excited. Imagine, being completely debt-free in our early thirties!!!! If that's not enough motivation, I don't know what is.

I found this article a couple of years ago, and it has fascinated me. This couple lived like paupers and hardly slept to become debt free in about three years. They had zero life. Depressing right? But is it worth it to live like that for awhile? To put you ahead? I'm not sure. In a way, Travis and I are embarking on something similar...just not near as extreme! We still plan on having some fun...I sure hope that can be done!

Reevaluating

Whew...I thought things would  come to a sort of halt with the wedding all wrapped up...but it seems everything is only beginning! Aside from reorganizing the house to put away gifts, doing the thank-yous, more work and dance opportunities, and trying to enjoy some of the warm weather, we've dove straight into our many renovations. 

First, our downstairs bathroom needed some R & R with the mould behind the tile. Yummy. Luckily we've enlisted the help of our renters! Trav's brother Ted, and his friend Kyle, have both got some construction experience (went to school for it!), so that's a big help. We are doing it on the cheap however, so the ugly tile and tub have to stay unfortunately. 

It makes sense though; if we have hopes to build our dream house in a few years, we have to suck up the parts of our home we don't like and just live with it...and remember what we truly want will be on the horizon!!! (I'm still practicing this! Trav's good at it.)

I'm happy to say that Travis and I share the same taste when it comes to our dream home. We love those older-looking, three-story, farm-house-with-the-porch-and-balcony-in-front-type-houses:

Aren't they devine? I'll be renovating and dreaming... : )

I'm going to try and document this round of renos since I failed to do last go round...which I'm disappointed about because it was a big change!! Stay tuned.

Six Days Wedded...

It's been almost a week since we said I do!!! I heard from my married friends that the day would fly by, but that it would be fabulous. And it was certainly both - plus so much more. A PERFECT day! Simply stunning...the weather cooperated and I felt truly happy...especially when I saw everyone enjoying themselves. I seriously wouldn't change a thing. We smiled a ton, laughed a lot, and I think a few tears may have been shed. Plus, with wine and beer before the ceremony, how could anything go wrong? ; ) 

These are pictures from my friends they've shared...there's a few professional ones up on my photographer's blog (who were awesome by the way!!!) I should get all those in a few weeks time, so there's definitely more to come. Plus I still need to highlight the reception...there were some unforgettable moments!!! (Including the emcee's classic Call On Me dance, and me and Natalie's impromptu MJ one glove Beat It tribute.)

More soon!!! In the meantime I gotta get used to this new last name!