The Epiphany

Over the last few years, my dad and I have had a recurring conversation about a question I frequently ask-- when will I officially feel like a grown up? I got married, I finished school, I have a big girl job, I've moved away to a new state, and I am now a homeowner.  Yet somehow I've continued to feel like a kid playing house. I mean, I do all the grown-up things that aren't fun--work 40 hrs/week, pay taxes, have an appointment to set up a termite contract, and I even use words like "escrow." So what gives?  My dad said it would be a smooth, subtle transition.  He said I wouldn't even realize it, and then I would look back a few years and a couple of kiddos down the road and wonder when I became this adult person.  Well, Dad, you are right about a lot of things, but not this time... My transition felt anything but subtle...

I'm an adult, and it hit me like a ton of bricks with one statement--"Man, we really needed this rain."

I uttered those words this weekend, and in that instant I felt like I morphed from a bouncing twenty-something to a card-carrying AARP member.  Me? Worried about my lawn? Who is this person?

Apparently I now appreciate rain for landscaping purposes.  And in case that is not enough, we even purchased a sprinkler. 

We got it all set up in just the right spot so it would reach all the corners of the yard.  Five minutes of sprinkling later, this happened....

And ya know what, we really needed that rain.

So now here we are...rain lovin', sprinkler-buyin', lawn-waterin' grown-ups. I hope you still recognize us.

Another visitor & a porch sneak peek!

The Bell hotel just keeps hopping!  My mom came to town this weekend for the first time since she & my sweet dad helped on move-in day (26 ft U-Haul and 96 degree heat do not happy movers make...). It was so great to spend the weekend with her, and I loved showing her how our little nest was coming right along!  We bounced all around town, ate lots of good food, and worked on some things around the house.  If you know my mother, you know she is a workhorse.  Laundry machines, completed tasks, and the smell of bleach are her happy place.  If you know me, you know I did not inherit these genes. So having her here was both enjoyable and also very beneficial to us & our home!

At Trivia Night at a local spot...Team Know Nothin' did in fact know basically nothing.

Also, true to form, my mother arrived bearing gifts. She delivered various items that I had called about saying, "Is this at your house?? I can't find it anywhere!"And also a little something original for our guests...

Alice is so funny & clever. And those genes I did inherit. (I kid, I kid.)

Now, let's move on to that screened-in porch that I've been dying to share! There is still quite a bit of cutesy-ing up to do out there, but here is the end of the porch that is almost complete.

And I must give a shout out here to my oh-so-talented and generous brother in law Owen!  He is a graphic designer and so sweetly put together the prints below within 24 hours of my request.  (Talk about service!) I absolutely love the colors on that open wall space. The custom Arkansas print (my nod to the homeland) is my favorite.  THANKS AGAIN, O!

Luckily, the fabric I had ordered arrived this weekend (yay!), so I took advantage of mom's speedy sewing skills, and we whipped out those coral ikat pillows for added color in this sweet little spot!

As if that wasn't enough for the weekend, I did one more quick, little crafty project to help carry that coral print over to the other end of the porch.  Fabric-covered flower pots--so cute and so easy! (Thank you to Pinterest for the idea, and thank you to Allibrad for getting me absolutely hooked on Pinterest!) Loved how this one turned out!

Now onto my second week of vacation... (It's okay that you feel that way. I'd hate me, too.) Hope everyone had a happy, happy weekend!

Special Delivery!

Just a quick update to announce...OUR COUCHES HAVE FINALLY ARRIVED!!  We are so thrilled that we could shout it from the rooftops! We spent the first several weeks in our new house with nowhere comfortable to sit....as in I tuned in weekly to my must-see TV shows from a dining room chair. My tush and back have been pouting for weeks. Buuut we are back in business!  And for those of you who know my childlike spilling tendencies and are worried about stains on the cream couches...rest easy! They are slipcovered & totally washable. Whoop whoop!

So there is my blank canvas.  The living room is neutral city, and I can't wait to add a bit of color and bring it to life. But for now, I think I will go stretch out and relax.

The Prodigal Blogger Returns

I knew I would be bad at this.  It's been about 3 weeks since my last post, but time flies when you've moved away, are trying to settle into a new home, have both started new jobs, and are trying to meet new friends! But never fear-- I'm back with updates o' plenty!

Perhaps the most fun tidbits are all the visitors who have come to town! The Bell hotel has been in full swing, and we have loved every minute of it.  Our first full weekend here we welcomed Austin's parents to town! We shopped, visited the farmer's market, & ate some delicious food!

The following weekend Alex & Lauren came to town for the July 4th holiday!  We relaxed by the pool, checked out a baseball game (we left before the fireworks...), and did a little Independence Day grilling.  What's July 4th without some yummy food on the backporch?!

It was strange having the tables turned because only about 3-4 years ago we were all visiting them here....and apparently we love eating at the same places...

Lunch at Pei Wei circa June, 2007 vs. July 4, 2011

Great times with the Bell fam! Now we've just got to get Em, John, & the kiddos over here!

Now I'm sad to report that we did NOT take any photos with these next visitors, but I must say that having them here was good for my soul.  My dear friend Allison was here visiting her family (bonus that they live in town!), so we got to spend some time with her and Evie Lou. It was a delight! We even got to watch the Bach-ette like old times! How I miss those days and my weekly visits with this sweet, sweet friend! It was so fun seeing how much Ev has grown already! She is the busiest, sweetest little toddler, and we miss her so!  I'm borrowing a picture from Allison's blog because you just have to see this precious face!!

This concludes the tales of our visitors...for now. But we welcome company, so come on over! 

The less photo-worthy updates include our new jobs! It's been a little hectic as we get adjusted to the changes for both of us, but I would say so far, so good.  No major hiccups, so there's something to be said for that.  Austin's current rotation is one of his lighter loads for the year, so he is getting eased into his role as Dr. Bell.  And, although getting acquainted with my job has been a bit stressful, I have been spending my days with some of the sweetest little faces in the world. Everyday I am on the receiving end of more hugs and kisses than I could ever ask for, so I can't complain.  My new tiny little friends are my joy.

Last, but certainly not least (especially in the eyes of my husband), is our latest piece of excitement.  We are the proud owners of two cars with automatic transmissions! Austin has been trying to sell his stick-shift for months, and we finally found a gal who was looking for just that. It was truly a miracle.  So with sentimental hearts, we bid farewell to the silver Altima.  She was good to us, but it was her time to go. It is well with my soul.

One final note...did I mention that my work schedule is incredible? After this week, I have a two week vacation. Yup. Two weeks. And yes, that is how long I have been working so far. I'm super excited for more visitors who are making the trek over, and I'm also hoping to make some serious progress on the casa. We are still kind of living in bare bones, so there is much to do, and I can't wait to get started! My next post will definitely have to be about the newest, most comfortable addition to the house... stay tuned!

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'...