We’re spending today packing things up, and although we thought it would feel monotonous and tiring, it’s oddly exciting.
Even the act of wrapping a bunch of cups in newspaper feels like “IT’S HAAAAAAPPENING! We’re really DOING IT!”
Can you believe Clara looked like this last time we moved?
Three birthdays (and a significant amount of hair) later, my baby’s gone. Sniffle. But there’s a pretty cool kid (complete with an arm tat) in her place, so it’s a fair trade.
Life will change with this big move, and our blog and our process for the new house might feel different to you because we’re approaching it, well, differently. More than any other house that we’ve lived in, our new place feels like it could become a long-term home for us and we want to make sure that the decisions we’re making, the projects we’re doing, and the materials we’re choosing will fit the vision of a place where we could live for decades and raise a family.
That means we may take more time to mull over design decisions, research options, weigh different approaches, and save up for materials and projects. So the pace at which this home transforms may be slower than the pace that you’re used to from us (it’ll most likely resemble the pace of our first house as opposed to our second one). But we hope that it’ll add up to a home that we love like crazy full of lots of thoughtful upgrades and exciting projects over time. Some weeks we might be humming right along (like our mad dash to paint the blue trim and install the hardwoods) and other weeks we might not make much progress at all because we’re stuck or delayed or saving up… but hey, that’s real life.
We’d also love to tackle more projects for the people we love, like this bathroom reno that we did for John’s grandma last fall. Beyond how awesome it feels to do something sweet like that for someone else, we’ve learned that those “off-campus” projects stretch us in new ways. After all, it was getting out of our house to do that makeover that later inspired our own bathroom paint color.
So it should end up being a nice smorgasbord of home, family, and random stuff – which has always been our favorite mix.
Some of you might like this new-ish approach more, others might like it less, and some folks probably won’t even notice a difference, but this little refresh makes us giddy in the nerdiest of ways. It feels just like it did when we started this back in 2007… the air is so thick with possibility that it’s fogging up our safety goggles.
So thank you thank you thank you for stopping in to see what’s going on in our house/life/brain. There’s so much fun stuff ahead, and we love you guys so much it’s borderline uncool. And you can bet your sweet buns that I’m teaching Clara the words (well, the clean ones). Turns out this kid is a HUGE fan of jumping around…
See you guys on the flip side when we’re all moved in!*
*And by the flip side, I mean Monday. And by moved in, I mean our house will look like a pillow and ceramic animal bomb went off.
Rachel says
SO EXCITED and happy for your family!! Big things ahead!!
Also? My sister and I do the “OHHHHHH my GODDDDDDDD…..” any time there’s a bug plan afoot… so basically, you just won my undying loyalty, forever ‘n’ ever amen….
YoungHouseLove says
Haha!
xo
s
Sarah says
Feel free to come a few hours down the road to Hokie country and help with my massive upcoming project. I want to create an epic craft room. It’s a type of room I don’t think we’ve seen you tackle yet. I’m a willing guinea pig. ;) It’s the only room in the house I haven’t been able to find a vision for yet. :/
Myrna says
I will miss having you so close, but I know change is inevitable. It was hard to believe the list of all the things you have completed in house #2—-lots of hard work and a real learning experience. I look forward to the new and have to admit that I DO have some blue woodwork (but only 1 room).
michelle says
This sounds great, I’m really looking forward to see how your blog and home develop. My husband and I just recently moved into our new home (two weeks ago, eek!) and I’m feeling the same way about decorating and renovating. I’m laboring much more over decisions about paint choices and feeling the desire to spend a bit more on hardware, appliances, furniture, etc. than I would have on our previous condo because I want to make it really great for the many years to come.
Renee says
Awe – am I the only one that is a little sad seeing your current house empty? I always get attached to my houses and cars and worry they will miss me. Weird, eh?
With that said, super excited to see what you do with this new house since it is a colonial like ours!
Megan says
My fiance and I have been packing/moving all week so I can definitely appreciate the take-out-food-on-the-floor picture! This is our very first home so we’re so excited we could explode. After years and years of watching you guys pour so much love into your houses, I cannot wait to have the chance to do the same with our own sweet place. Thanks for helping me feel like less of a weirdo for wanting to hug and kiss and say sweet words to the new love of my life, our little yellow house. Your house love really has been a heart-warming tale!
Adeline says
Good luck with the move, and congrats for having finished the hardwood floor in time (it looks really nice by the way).
Hannah says
I’m sure someone else has asked this somewhere, but I don’t remember seeing it and I wanted to make sure I caught you in time!
I would LOVE to see a post with comparison empty-room pictures… What each room looked like before you moved in and how you’re leaving each room now. You’ve made so many beautiful improvements to the house itself that it would be cool to see those differences without things like furniture and art to pull the eye. I know that moving day is always hectic enough without trying to grab tons of pictures, but I thought I’d just plant the idea somewhere in the back of your head in case you find time!
Thank you so much for your blog; I look forward to it every morning and I’m glad to hear that you guys are going to try to cut yourselves some slack. Merry moving day!
YoungHouseLove says
Oh yes, we’ll share that hopefully next week when the house is all cleared out!
xo
s
lauren says
Pillow and ceramic animal bomb – LOL! Congrats and good luck!
And PS, Clara’s hair is SO LONG all of a sudden!!! :D
Katie says
So fun! Enjoy your new digs this weekend. Frankly, I could care less what you write about or transform, so long as we get to read about it along the way! I love all the home things you do, but I also really enjoy the random posts you do about grocery shopping or organizing files or budgeting or kids/mom clothes. All of it! Besides, you will probably be maintaining the same pace as all the rest of us who have to save up for our own home transformations/think through decisions.
My one question for you guys is about light fixtures. Some of them seem so personal to me (well, for you, that is). Were you able to take some of them with you in the move? Was it a hard decision? So excited to keep reading!
YoungHouseLove says
Thanks Katie! We actually sold all of them with the house since the thought of taking them down and tossing up some cheap boob lights made us sad. We also like the idea of finding/making the perfect lights for the rooms in the new house (it’s one of our favorite parts of putting a room together) instead of trying to retrofit these in that house, ya know?
xo
s
Sassy Apple says
I recently read (and who knows, it could have been on this blog) that a house should be ‘collected,’ not ‘decorated.’ I found great comfort in this because it was like I was being given permission to go without a headboard until I had saved up and found the perfect one for me, for example. Enjoy the process as much as the product..good luck!
YoungHouseLove says
LOVE THAT! I need that on a poster.
xo
s
christina @ homemade ocean says
I am just so excited for you guys! It feels like a whole new chapter of YHL :) glad you let us play along!!!
Amy@TripWorthTaking says
Haha! My hubs sings that song all the time! So happy for you to have found that home for the long term. I wish I knew if mine was for the long term or if there is another one waiting in the wings. Good luck with all the up coming decisions!
Ashley says
I love the picture of John and Clara sitting on the floor in the new house. It says so much of this new adventure! So exciting! Good luck guys!
Jessica says
love you guys. i am so excited to see this journey you’re taking in which ever way you choose to take it. i love the thoughtfulness you put into everything you do.
also i have to say that first picture is so beautiful. i love the feeling it gives. there are empty shelves and a house that’s really no longer yours, and yet Clara seems to be running around care-free and John is still back there working. it has the feeling like it doesn’t matter what’s going on around you, the most important thing is your family. that same family will be in the next house, so it will always feel the same because your family is what brings the house to life.
YoungHouseLove says
Oh Jessica, quit making me cry! Haha!
xo
s
Casey says
SO excited for the move and the start of the new chapter of the blog! I love reading about all of your amazing projects, but I often feel like “holy crap-balls, batman, how in the world did they do all of that SO FAST??!?!!” So I think a slower pace might be nice for us non-super-human-DIYers.
But, really why I’m commenting is to say that I made a complete fool of myself laughing at that video alone in my office, which is on the ground floor next to a large window….I got some really awesome looks from folks on the sidewalk. Oooooh, my, gooodddddd. Love it.
YoungHouseLove says
Haha! I’m laughing out loud picturing you laughing. Full circle, baby.
xo
s
Ashley says
I don’t usually comment because there are always hundreds of comments, but…I just moved my own self, and my take was sooo different! I was moving from 400 sq ft studio to my very first home, and the morning the movers (i.e. my family!) came, I laid in bed, stressed and wondering if I really wanted to do this! Of course I did, but I found that packing and moving was my least favorite thing to do, even though I love the opportunity to tackle a million new projects. I’m envious you’re having such an enjoyable experience, but maybe it came from being so stressed about buying my first place. I’m thrilled to be along for the ride, and believe me–I’m going through your archives for all the how-to’s I need!
YoungHouseLove says
Oh yes, packing for this house felt crazy stressful! That was a harder buying/selling process for sure, and I just think I was in a different place (Clara was 7 months old, still nursing, it was our first big move so it seemed so scary, etc). Now I think I’m in this weird place where it’s still a ton of work but it’s crazy exciting – maybe because we’ve been waiting for this big day (moving day) to come for so long and it’s finally here?!
xo
s
Kaija says
Have a fun and ***safe*** move! I once split the corner of my eye when moving a mattress. It attacked me, I swear!
YoungHouseLove says
Ack! Our bedroom mattress is as heavy as 50 dead bodies (not that I’d know). I’m skeered!
xo
s
Laura says
I’m a long time reader but this is my first comment. I’m very excited to watch you do the new place.
Before you take that tree down, get a second opinion from a certified arborist (http://www.treesaregood.org/findtreeservices/FindTreeCareService.aspx), NOT a tree service. It will cost you, but not as much as taking the tree down.
It’s a beautiful tree not replacable in this lifetime (not to mention that it will cost you big $$$). There is an old school opinion that tree roots damage foundations because tree roots have been found in cracks. Cracking damage is typically caused by soil shrinkage during drought conditions, not by tree roots. Tree roots grow into cracks, not cause them.
http://www.mortonarb.org/tree-plant-advice/article/16888/tree-roots-and-foundation-damage.html
YoungHouseLove says
Thanks so much for the info Laura! Since the tree is 30+ feet tall and only 4′ from the foundation we’re not only nervous about roots, but that if a storm ever knocked just one branch from the top of the tree (they’re 10′ above our house and directly over our roof) it could really damage our house. We have had a few pretty strong hurricanes since living in VA, so we have to worry about that stuff too. I wish I could move it 10 more feet away though! Oh man, if someone could do that I’d pay them big bucks!
xo
s
Dee Wilcox says
I’m so excited for you guys! And yes, of course, I’ll keep reading even is progress on your new home doesn’t seem to happen as quickly. Meaningful and thoughtful changes take time. :)
Carol says
The emotion you’re feeling on this momentous occasion is bringing back so many memories. I remember consciously taking the time to absorb all the feelings of nostalgia and wonderment and hope I had when we moved into our home almost 20 years ago. Baby sons, now college students (one in Richmond!) a new baby, now about-to-be high school senior daughter, lots of changes, and many memories later, we are still loving our home. Wishing you all the best as you enter the next chapter in your home and career!
Emma says
So happy for y’all. Sounds like a great plan and I look forward to reading all about it :) Best wishes!
Joseph says
So exciting!
Ingrid says
I’ve become attached to your old place – every room looks great now and it was so much fun to watch your progress. But, I’m excited about how you will transform your new house into your home. (And I think third houses have a tendency to be forever houses!) Good luck and hope all goes smoothly this weekend!
Jessica says
I already commented once, but can I make one tiny little blog request? So far in the new house, I’ve just loved the pictures of Clara where she’s jumping or dancing around in a pool of sunlight in an empty room and you snapped the picture from behind. (Like in the bedroom after removing the carpet, or on the pile of flooring boxes). Or even the one in today’s post with John and Clara “picnicking” on the bare floor in the LR/office. They perfectly capture the joy, whimsy, and innocence of being three. Can we get one of those when house #2 is all empty?
YoungHouseLove says
Oh yes, we can’t wait to take a ton of photos of this place empty. Hopefully with Clara and Burger in them if they’ll stay still! Haha!
xo
s
Jill says
I am so ridiculously excited for you guys.
And I love the Kristin Wiig reference. I can’t be the only one who yells, “APPROVED!” when my card goes through at Target, can I?
YoungHouseLove says
Haha! We scream “it’s a match!”
xo
s
mamaw says
Congratulations on the move! Love the new house. I agree with Pam re: the new blog. I’m glad to see the two of you back to a more humanly pace. I usually need a nap by Friday after all that hard work. Again, congratulations!
MJB says
I like the idea of you doing projects for other people — you can come to MN any time and tackle my ugly basement bathroom with jungle wallpaper and a bare PVC pipe in the corner.
Richelle says
Sending smooth move vibes your way! (Child of the 80’s that I am, my brain keeps trying to work “Ex-lax” in there somewhere. Sigh. I will always be 8 years old.)
And I really like the new direction you guys are talking about. It *is* real life – which I find waaay more interesting than those tv shows where someone comes in and redoes everything in 2 days. (I always wonder what issues the homeowner finds after the tv crew is gone…) You guys have always been very real about the amount of work and time that projects take, the setbacks, and the solutions. Seeing more of the planning and saving-up-for stages is great – one more reason this blog is so relatable for so many of us.
So hooray for the new house! And hooray for you guys!
YoungHouseLove says
Thanks Richelle!
xo
s
Jeanette says
Is it weird that this post made me a little teary eyed?! I can’t wait to watch the blog and your home grow along with you and your family. Much love guys xo
YoungHouseLove says
Love you right back Jeanette!
xo
s
Sheila says
Justed wanted to chime in an add my best wishes to all the others. I hope your move goes smoothly and that your new home is always filled with family, friends and happiness.
And a little Irish blessing too:
May you always have
Walls for the wind
A roof for the rain
And tea beside the fire
Laughter to cheer you
And those you love near you
And all that your heart may desire
YoungHouseLove says
LOVE that! Thanks so much Sheila!
xo
s
June says
Have fun and good luck with all the packing but don’t forget to sleep! :)
Janet says
Best of everything to you guys! I almost didn’t comment because I know you guys are so conscientious and read every comment posted and that you are ridiculously busy this weekend, but I couldn’t help myself ;). Best of everything with the move and your new adventures. If you weren’t 7 hours away and it didn’t sound creepy I would totally offer to come play with your bean while you unpacked. Moving with a three year old should be interesting – and fun!
Sophie says
I’m beyond stoked for this change for you guys!
From your new List for the house, it seems like your style has changed a lot. Do you think your style has actually changed, or maybe you’re thinking about things in a different way now that you have new spaces to work with?
YoungHouseLove says
I think it just evolves, like how our first house is sort of a sister to our second house, we think this next house will also be a “relative” but not a “twin” if that makes sense :)
xo
s
Vanessa says
Good luck to you guys with the move. We will miss the old house. I am excited for whatever new changes you all decide to make. Enjoy your family time, make the decisions you want to make-at the pace you want to make them. Your readers will still be here! I enjoy every post you make no matter what the topic. Enjoy the weekend and this new start!
Janel says
Yay, so excited for you guys!!! Best of luck – knowing you and John (well, not really…just through here, lol), you’ll rock it! ;-)
Tara says
I am excited for this new chapter and the changes to the blog. I loved your Grandmother’s bathroom reno and would like to see more of those sorts of projects (I think it’s the process piece that I really enjoy).
Have fun moving!
melissa says
I played the House of Pain song and slowly raised the volume during the intro so that it was blasting by the time they started singing. My husband and baby came upstairs to check it out. My husband asked, ‘Um was your computer hacked by the 90’s or something?”. We continued to listen to the song and used it as an occasion to let our seven month old try out his johnny jumper. He didn’t quite get the hang of it but I’m sure he’ll be jumpin’ around in no time. Good luck with the packing and moving!
YoungHouseLove says
Hahahaha!
xo
s
erin says
good luck!
Debbie says
I just recently found your wonderful blog….how exciting to find it just in time for your new move. I am really looking forward to all of your progress…big, small fast or slow, just so happy you want to share it all with us. You two are living the life I always wished I could. Happy Moving!
Barbara says
Good luck on your move! Honestly, I’ve always been surprised at the speed you guys move, so a slowdown will be right up my alley. This house will be an interesting project, and I look forward to seeing it.
On another note, that bear walked through the first picture at the top. Fortunately, the bear walked AWAY from Clara, and not towards her, so she’s safe. What a weird ad!
YoungHouseLove says
Hah! I keep hearing about this ad and trying to block it (we don’t like stuff that gets into the content column) but he remains. Taunting me! Haha! Maybe we’ll get him today…
xo
s
Frances Favela says
Crazy excited for you guys! I feel like i’m walking a similar path with your adventures…my husband got a job in san diego. were selling our first home and moving back down to san diego from portland, OR. we will find me a job and buy another house in our home city and not plan on moving for another 20 years (hopefully). Sooo exciting and very cypress hill jump around. I just need to pack up our house…some how.
your new adventures are giving me and my stress a much needed outlet right now.
rock on guys, i love what you are doing and just happy your are willing to share with the world what you are up to.
Renee says
So excited to follow along with another house! I love seeing your projects!
Susan @ Sweet Little Nest says
I love that the box Clara is standing in says “improving”. Seems pretty appropriate at the moment. Best of luck!
Kelly Day @ Kelly Day Interiors says
Just wanted to wish you a safe move, and all the best in your new home!
Megan K says
Good Luck this weekend! Hope Clara loves her new room at the new house!
Carli says
SO excited for you guys! Loved this post. Isn’t pausing to do a little reset the best!? Figure out what’s awesome about the way you’ve been doing things, and also take some time to assess the things here and there you’d like to change. I love seasons of change in my life that precipitate a fresh start! Couldn’t be happier for you three!
Julie @ Julie's Eats & Treats says
Congrats! The new approach is great and don’t let anyone else tell you otherwise. Always make the blog work for you, don’t work for the blog or you won’t enjoy it anymore!
YoungHouseLove says
Aw thanks Julie!
xo
s
Sarah S. says
I am so happy for you guys. I love the idea of a slower pace. Granted it is fun to see quick before and afters, but I think what readers have to remember is that you’re letting us in to your real life. We’re the guests. You don’t need to do things just to please readers, we all already adore you!! Good luck this weekend on the move! I’m really looking forward to getting to see this house transform. YHL rocks!!
Marie says
I would love it if you could share some packing and moving tips! We’re moving at the end of June and it’s something I’m thinking about.
YoungHouseLove says
Will do!
xo
s