My First Place

I hope I don’t get in trouble for this blog title infringing on the name of the television show on HGTV! :)

So, I closed on my house on July 1.  I moved in on July 10.  Most of the boxes are unpacked, but it’s not photo-ready yet.  Eventually, I will post some pictures, but there are several areas that are just not ready for me to share with the world.  The main things I need are a dining room suite and a bedroom suite for my Master bedroom.  The bedroom furniture currently in my room will go to the guest room and I will use the linens from my bedroom at my condo in Auburn in the guest room.  I haven’t found the “exact right” things yet, but like I tell people, “I’ll know it when I see it!”

I feel like there are papers and random “junk” everywhere.  I don’t think my coffee table has been completely cleaned off once since I got here.  I’m trying a new system with my bills I receive in paper and also with my credit card receipts.  My paper shredder is upstairs in the third bedroom and I’m trying to figure out a better place downstairs for it so I don’t have a “things to shred” pile on the table every day.  I need to see if my coat closet has a free plug…that might just work!  I’m also getting tired of dropping my purse on the floor and putting my phone and other things on the bar in the kitchen.  I’m going to have to come up with some kind of system, but I need to be patient and not expect everything to be perfect immediately.  Easier said than done for this type-A personality.

My house is actually a townhouse, so every unit looks almost identical from the front.  My unit does not have much personality since the previous owners didn’t do much, if any, landscaping beyond what is included in the Homeowner’s Association fees.  It’s too hot to plant anything right now, but I’m planning on putting a large pot of my Grandmother’s on the front porch and maybe some mums for the fall.  I also have a large pot of curly ivy of my Grandmother’s that I plan to put on the back deck.  I do have hanging baskets on the deck now, but only the sweet potato vine is seemingly happy.  There is lantana in each basket, but this is the third year I have planted it and it just doesn’t seem to like me.  My favorite plant on the deck, however, is my moon plant.  I’ve had it for three years since Grams gave it to me as a cutting from one of her plants.  Unfortunately, it has never bloomed despite growing like a weed.  I have “threatened” it for the last two years that each year was it’s last chance and if it didn’t bloom, I would throw it away.  Although I am frustrated that it hasn’t bloomed yet, I don’t think I will actually get rid of it.  For a simple green plant, it is pretty and looks very happy growing along my fence. 

I’m planning on putting in some perennials in the back in future.  I would like rose bushes, but I don’t think there is enough direct sunlight for them to be happy.  I would also like traditional hydrangeas, but they wouldn’t bloom as well with indirect light.  I think I’m going to go with oak-leaf hydrangea, but I’m not 100% sure yet.  I have plenty of time to come up with a good plan for both the front and the back since I’m not going to do anything major until the spring.

Sorry this is so disjointed.  I’m trying to do better about blogging, but there are some things going on right now that I’m just not comfortable sharing about.  I might try linking up to some other blogs and doing something fun like “What I’m Loving Wednesdays” to break up the monotony.  I need to get my camera out as well…pictures would definitely help with making this more interesting! :)