Atlanta Trip

At the beginning of March, Hubs and I went to Atlanta to get our condo ready to sell. I hadn't been back since we moved to Savannah 2.5 years ago! It was SO good to go back and see old friends and familiar places. 

This was Mark's bachelor pad and then became our first home. Many memories here! From law school, dating, engaged (Mark asked me to marry him at the condo!), on and on.

It was in good shape, just needing some updating. A little mini facelift. 

New paint throughout, new kitchen hood and backsplash, new lighting, and a deep clean got it market ready. Hooray. After 4 days on the market, we were under contract. If all goes as planned, we are closing at the end of April. I'm happy and sad. Nostalgic I guess is the term. 

We also made time to head up to Roswell to visit our old neighborhood and neighbors. It was so odd seeing our old house. Nothing had really changed except some of the landscaping. I miss that house every single day that passes! Wish I could have taken it with me to Savannah along with all of our neighborhood friends. 

We hit all of our old stomping grounds. Jersey Mike's in Brookhaven, Verde on Dresden, Flying Biscuit, and a few other old haunts. 

We met up with friends Tyler and Jimmy and ate at the Optimist one night, best restaurant in Atlanta!

We also got to meet up with our friends Jennie and Jarad. It had been TOOOOO long! We ate at the new (to us) South City Kitchen location in Buckhead. SO Good. We about shut the restaurant down that night chatting and enjoying ourselves. I miss these people!!!

Standing in the spot he proposed :) Sigh. Love you, babe! We both got a little emotional leaving the condo for the last time. 

I have MISSED this girl!!!!!

Obviously, I am glad we live near family again, but there will always be a special place in my heart for Atlanta. A truly wonderful and diverse city. We love you, ATL. 

Condo Renovations

The Atlanta market has finally come back! WOO! Which means we are ready to say goodbye to our condo in Brookhaven. Tear! We are ready financially, but probably not emotionally. So many great memories here- including getting engaged. This was our very first home and will always have a special place in our hearts. That being said- she is going on the market in a few months! 

We've been lucky to have been able to rent the condo for the past 6 years over two really great renters. However, with life, kids, and the busy busy day to day, we are ready to move on. Sigh. I always loved this condo, and especially the location. It's just a mile north on Peachtree Road from Lenox Mall/Phipps and its close to the heart of Brookhaven. It's also close to two MARTA stations, which was really helpful when I was commuting to work and to school. 

So, all of that to say we are going to be getting it ready for market. It needs a little love and some updating. We'll actually be in Atlanta for a full WEEK at the beginning of March and I'm SOOOOO excited. We plan to visit some old haunts and restaurants where we were regulars. I plan to do (some) shopping and hope to visit some old friends. Part of me really, really misses Atlanta (especially our old house, neighborhood, and church), but I do not miss the traffic that's for sure. 

So here's some brainstorming for the condo. New paint throughout, updated lighting, updated backsplash in kitchen, new kitchen faucet, new shower faucet, and a few repairs. Hopefully we can get that done and ready to show by mid March. TBD!

Hopefully we'll be visiting the SUPER BOWL CHAMPS! 

Weekend Finds

Over the weekend we made some decisions for the basement bathroom. A trip to Home Depot for more wallpaper remover led to some other great finds as well... Including a vanity light, towel bar, and paper holder. I tried to pick stuff that's "manly". Hubs didn't fight any of these picks, so I guess I succeeded? That, or he's afraid of me one. It really could be either at this point in pregnancy.... 

Martha lighting

Glacier Bay towel and paper holders 

The room is coming along. Of course, projects always throw us curve balls around here. The wallpaper removal is taking longer than anticipated (especially since Hubs is working alone). But, it'll come together eventually! I plan to do a bit of shopping and browsing today. Maybe I'll come across the perfect vanity mirror... Tbd. 

As a side note, I really appreciate all the calls and texts and numerous messages from everyone about the baby. I promise to update friends and family if anything, I mean anything!, happens. But for now no news is, well, no news. Baby girl is still growing and doing her thing, and I'm going to let her. :) She knows when she's ready, and I can't go off an arbitrary date circled on a calendar (even if I'd like to!). Trust me, no one is more ready than this mama!

Window Shopping

Thank you so much for the sweet comments on our little one's nursery yesterday on House of Turquoise and here on my blog! And thank you to all the new followers. :)

So, my doctor advised that I walk to get things moving towards labor. I've had a lot of cramps and stronger Braxton Hicks for a week now, but nothing to write home or rush to labor & delivery over. So, walking it is. For me, that's a prescription I fill with shopping... Even if it's just the window variety. 

I often complain about traffic in this city and lack of outdoorsy stuff to do (I'm still a lake and ocean lovin' SC gal through and through), but honestly I don't know what I'd do if we ever moved. I've gotten so spoiled with Atlanta shopping, I'm not sure there's any going back. I mean really, 3 Pottery Barns (plus an outlet), West Elm, Crate & Barrel, 2 Ballard outlets, Frontgate (plus an outlet!), Restoration Hardware (plus an outlet!), several World Markets, several Homegoods/Stein Marts/Marshall's.... You get it. We are spoiled. 

It totally comes in handy when you are miserably 38 weeks huge, err I mean pregnant, and told to walk it out- literally. At the least, I can look at pretty things as I do so??

A recent trip to Homegoods.. I should note the minute I walked in, HG guy comments to me "You are pregnant!". Yes, thank you for the announcement... Men. ;) I only wish I'd responded with "it's just a bee sting". 

Check out the wingback ghost chair! I could never own one due to my slobbering pooch Blakely bear, but dang this one is cool. 

Super cute kid chairs... I've noticed HG is carrying more and more kid stuff lately. Look at that cup holder, spoiled rotten.

Basket love. Can you ever have enough baskets? 

Love this wire and wicker basket... Basement? 

Black and silver oversized lamps and linen shades

Sheesh, how I walked away I don't know. Oversized (seriously these were huge) hammered brass and linen shades. I'd pair these with some black & white goodness. 

Clearance Ralph Lauren beauties... Clearance I said! $70/each I think. Not bad for RL.

Lots of these, several colors.

Ikat and nail head bench

Cute grain sack foot stools

This box almost came home with me. Will power.

And, onto Marshall's. 

Tufted gray bar stools.. Too bad I have no bar. 

Faux fur tree skirts under $30. Can't you see this gray one with white feathers and silver and gold balls? 

Ladies, feast your eyes upon the kingdom of magnifying glasses. Holy cow. These all need a good home.

Always a sucker for black and white

And finally, Kirklands. 

I love the topiaries, but dang why do they keep them so high out of reach? That's not buyer friendly, Kirklands. 

I like these simple glass lamps... Basement??

And that's a wrap. All that walking, still no baby. Two weeks to due date. To be continued...

Fun Around Atlanta

I love this time of year. I know people get all in a hissy when Thanksgiving is skipped over and people start talking Christmas, but come on. Christmas rocks. My trees aren't up, but they might go up early (before the gobble gobble) since I'm about to pop at 37 weeks. I may have already tuned into Christmas Radio on Pandora a time or two. Don't hate! There are some really fun things happening around town that I'd be taking part in if I weren't so miserably large and uncomfortably pregnant.

The Radio City Rockettes are back! I saw them a few years ago at The Fox and it was awesome. So much incredible talent, and definitely gets you in the spirit!

Queen of Hearts Antiques is having a holiday open house today and tomorrow. This is one of my favorite places to dig for treasure. There are a few around town, but the Alpharetta location is my go to. 

And finally, Ballard Design is hosting a book signing that I just might have to drag my pregnant self to. Um, hello. You can meet Suzanne Kasler and get a book signed, too. Plus 15% off THE STORE. How could I miss it??

What do you love about this time of year? Anything fun happening around your city?