A New House for Captain Morgan

Ahoy, matey! How's it going, friends?

Daniel and I would like to apologize for the lack of posts. It's been the most insane year of our lives. (By the way, how the heck is it almost May?? Mind blown.)

The past two months have been filled with absolute chaos. First of all, we sold Daniel's house (aka his swanky bachelor pad in the rolling hills of Aliso Viejo). We were going to try leasing it out for another year but received an offer we couldn't refuse. Thus, we were left with a predicament. (Not a bad one, but a predicament, nonetheless.)

What to do with this newly discovered equity...(tap fingers)...

We decided to roll over the funds and buy a house that we found in the same neighborhood as one of our best friends. It was a 'for sale by owner', and I was able to transact both sides of the deal with all my gathered real estate skillZzzZz---naturally.

Though this house is perfect for us in the long term (huge corner lot home, single level, with 3 bedrooms/2 baths), it's a 1950's, original condition property that needs a TON of work.

I'm still trying to figure out what decade the salmon and baby blue color combo was in style...or if ever?

HUGE front yard, so we're adding on a master suite, converting it into a 4 bed/3 bathroom home. (Finally get my walk in closet. YAY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!)

The original family room---wall to the left of the fireplace is the first thing to be knocked down.

The original kitchen. The oven is an original 50's GE stainless steel in tip top condition. Unfortunately, it's just not going to work for us, so we'll have to find it a better home!

The backyard with the sweet jacuzzi tub. If you're lucky, this beast is staying. ha! Really, though, Daniel's gonna have a field day re-designing this space. Forget the man cave when you have this much backyard to mess around with!

We just finished gutting and remodeling our little home on the Eastside of Costa Mesa (my 'bachelorette pad' that we settled into after getting married).

We touched every single inch of our townhome. (Flooring throughout, new kitchen, took down walls, re-landscaped the whole yard, all new windows...I mean to the nines!) Very satisfied with everything we had accomplished there this last year---we are now faced with this monstrosity of a project for this other house we intend on moving into! Of course, everything that this new "old" house requires (at least to satisfy our current wants and needs) doesn't come cheap, so we've also put our Eastside townhome on the market and are in escrow, set to close within a couple of weeks. (Not gonna lie, I think both of us cried a little bit inside after all the blood, sweat and tears we poured into making it our home.)

Actually, now come to think of it---I still can't believe what we've just signed up for, and I'm pretty sure Daniel was scheming to take on this massive remodel regardless of what his pregnant wife was thinking.









Wait, WHAT. Come again?

Yeah, you heard me. We're pregnant with a little captain on board. (Yak yak yak. Git it? Captain Morgan? Eh? EH?Yak yak yak!)

Hey, little champ!

 
So there's also that! Daniel said I could announce it on my blog, since he butchered the baby announcement with our families. Haha! Okay, in all seriousness, though. We're preggers and that's just bonkers as far as I'm concerned. On top of expecting, we will be gutting, remodeling, adding another master wing to this new house that we've gotten on the other side of town. We've been working with an architect, and our estimated time frame to complete this will be right up until the ETA of our little captain---due in October 2014! (Thankfully, I'm blessed with the greatest in-laws in the universe who have graciously allowed us to occupy their home in the interim so we won't have to live through a construction zone again like the first time around!)

We received the architectural site renderings today and are STOKED with the results so far. BEST. ARCHITECT. EVER.
 

 We can't, can't wait. AHHHHH!!!!


AHHHH!!!!


It looks so amazing, and these are just sketches for cryin' out loud! We're going to meet with the architect again to finalize the drawings, and then off to the city they go for permits. We're going for a more contemporary 'colonial' feel this time to the exterior, and we intend on tearing down walls, widening hallways, opening up the floorplan, all the fun shenanigans!

What can be more exciting than this?? We get a new house customized to our preferences just in time for our little bun in the oven. I feel elated, blessed, and am so thankful for everything God has in store for us.

Alright, you've officially been updated. Peace out folks!