Stuck in Norther Idaho - We Moved!
We’ve been pretty absent around here as of late. What started as an intentional break turned into a year-and-a-half hiatus. During this time, we’ve made some really big life choices, and have experienced a few additional big life moments that, to be honest, I’m still processing and struggling with. But throughout this time I’ve actually missed sharing our life here, with you all - if any of you are even still there. I’m still a little afraid to bring my voice back knowing now just how unpopular my opinions may be in our region. I don’t want that to be a barrier though, so here I am again to share the big life choices we made that almost caused me to rename the blog and shift its focus. Here we go.
At the end of 2020, both Kyle and I decided we needed a change. A change of scenery. Work. Lifestyle. All of it. So we sold our house in Coeur d’Alene, applied for new jobs, and moved.
We considered options in Oregon, Washington, near Boise, and even northern California. Hence why I considered changing up the blog or taking it down altogether. But none of that was needed. In the end, we made the short jaunt north to Sandpoint, where I landed a job as the communications director for a local animal welfare non-profit (!!!) and Kyle is now working remotely for an online motorcycle parts/accessories retailer.
We were fortunate enough to find a small home on a corner lot in a neighborhood we love! After being so spoiled living in downtown Coeur d’Alene, my must-haves for a neighborhood are tough to find (must be walking distance to water and walking/biking distance to the downtown). This was a major score! It still doesn’t have a garage - which is far less than ideal - but we are starting the process of building one. By that I mean I have created a Pinterest board and emailed a few contractors who aren’t taking on any new clients, and Kyle called our lender to discuss options. So, we’ll have to keep you posted on that front.
The house is a 1970’s prefab home (we didn’t know this until after we purchased it, but that doesn’t really change much). It was the right size, but felt a little dark and closed off. We had ideas of opening it up someday and renovating the kitchen, but that wasn’t initially on the table. After walking through with our contractor to discuss new flooring, a few cosmetic changes to the bathroom, and some electrical work, he convinced us that we should in fact consider the larger project so that in a year we weren’t having to move out and redo a lot of work.
We agreed, and so what started as a pretty minor project turned into a major gut job and remodel. I am thrilled with the outcome but this meant that we put off our garage addition (indefinitely at this point due to construction shortages) and lived in a camping trailer through the summer (including a major heatwave) and into the early fall. I was originally hoping to document this as we went to share my thoughts, feelings, and what we learned along the way, but with adjusting to a new job, starting back at school, and just life in general, it felt a bit overwhelming to try and hold myself to that.
Instead, here are some before and after pics of some of the spaces, and a few other tidbits regarding the remodel and what we’re hoping to accomplish (maybe) in the not-too-distant future. You can also catch all of the progress on my IG account highlights.
One thing I have to mention is how well the pets did with all this! Imagine the two of us, Juneau, and our cat Zooey all living in a camper for like, four months. I am so proud that none of us committed murder. Also, please note that we are not DIY bloggers. These are by no means photos prepared for Domino or Real Simple magazines.
Overall interior changes:
Paint (Benjamin Moore, Classic Gray) throughout the entire house
New flooring (there were six different floors in a 1,000 sq. ft. home)
New trim, doors, lights, and switches
HVAC added
Kitchen/Living -
We wanted to knock out a HUGE wall that closed off the kitchen from the living room. We dreamed of a big island with stools and having a better format for entertaining. Mission accomplished there! We did lose some space in the dining area and are still trying to decide what to do there.
Bathroom (1) -
We replaced all the fixtures (toilet, tub, vanity) and carried the new flooring from the rest of the house.
Bedrooms (3) -
No bedroom-specific updates. We still need to add closet doors.
Well, if you made it through this giant post, congrats! Those are some of the big changes in our lives for 2021. We changed jobs, cities, homes, and remodeled. As I mentioned, there have been a couple of other big life events - one I probably won’t post about on the blog, but we’ll see. The other will be coming very soon - I’ve had a really hard time sitting down to write it.
Until next time, take care of yourselves - XOXO