I admit it, I've been a bad blogger this past week. Sorry about that, but I've been a bit busy on the personal to-do list this week. Hopefully you'll understand after this post and the next. First off, I'm pretty freakin' excited to announce that I finally became a first-time homeowner recently. Yep, the folks at Home Depot down the street are awaiting me (and, of course, my money) with open arms. I can't wait to close on the 29th of this month. My dad used to do home remodeling and addition work, but somehow that all managed to skip a generation, and I'm ashamed to admit that I'm doing well to figure out which end of the hammer to hold on to. Good thing the only thing the new house needs is a little cosmetic love. I'm ready to have a wall paper removing party and throw up some fresh paint on the walls. Some new hardware bling is in order in a couple of the bathrooms and kitchen, but other than that, she's good to go for now. And I'd also like to take this opportunity to throw out some serious love to my realtor, Darlene Harrison. I can't say enough good things about her because she's the real deal, and there's nothing she won't do for her clients. I don't know how she does it, though... she seriously seems to be working all hours of the day. I don't know how many late night phone discussions we had as she was making sure I was comfortable in knowing what I was signing and recommending strategies when I finally decided to make an offer on the house. And did I mention she's super-knowledgeable and not afraid to tell you what she thinks? Two things you definitely want in a realtor. There were times we'd pull up to a house and she'd just flat out say "You don't want this house because of this, this and this, and you're going to have a problem with this." I love that, and I totally trust her inputs because she's helped several of my friends in purchasing their homes as well. Oh and she also did a HUGE favor for me which you'll find out about in the next post. Thanks, Darlene. You're the best!

If I was 30 years younger, the slide and play set might stay. Some days I wish I was 30 years younger, but in the absence of that miracle I've asked the seller to remove this little obstacle course.

mmmm.... 80's wall paper.

Breakfast area in the kitchen.

Love the vaulted ceilings in the living room and other rooms in the house.

This is one of my favorite parts of the house. It's a media room that I'm going to turn into my photography office/gallery where I'll meet with clients and present their images to them. Imagine a little paint and some swanky furniture. You see it?

More media room, this time looking into the kitchen and living room.

A little utility room action.

Come on in.

Welcome. I see two canvas gallery wraps going on the wall as you walk in.

Holy wall paper, Batman.

Main hallway going from one end of the house to the other.

Main hallway running between the bedrooms.

The master bedroom. Hopefully the scary head on the wall will find another séance to oversee in someone else's house by the 29th.

Master bathroom. The gold trim and fixtures gotta go!

One of the spare bedrooms. Yeah, uh not so much on the wallpaper borders.

The Jack-and-Jill bathroom between two of the spare bedrooms.

Okay, so after the 29th, the house is open for visitors. Come on down anytime for a free stay. I might even make you breakfast. You like Fruity Pebbles?