"If I brought you my baby, would you pay me anything for her?" ...
(was my question to my sister, Lisa)
"oooooooooooooo. ya - no"
(was her QUICK response)
"hmmmm. nothing?"
(was MY begging plea to her as I listened to the 4th straight WHINING hour from baby's mouth for funny things like BUGS and PLANES and ICE)
"ummmmmm. no. You'd have to PAY ME, infact".
"SO ... what you are IN FACT saying is that there's no equity in her. She's a SUB PRIME loan. Is that what you're getting at?"
(again - my begging plea to her)
"Yes - that's right. Right now you're paying only interest on her. And in about 17 years about $75 will go towards principle. And then when she hits 27, you'll see some equity come of it."
And THAT my friends-with-children-who-live-in-the-real-world, is what we call REALITY in the life of a 2 year old. :) Baby Maby is DARLING! Ohhhh she is darling. Which is why we haven't dropped her off on your front porch. ohhhh she is darling. Which is why we giggle when she sleeps. Ohhhh she is darling. Which is why when she DOES wake up in the morning I only GROOOOOOOOOAN to myself (and maybe a bit louder for Nate to hear) because I know the whole thing starts again.
BUT - when she IS delightful, I stare at her a little longer, soaking in her darlingliness and for what is to come in her life.
For those of you who don't believe me, think of DARLA on Nemo... the girl screaming FISHY FISHY FISHY as she POUNDS POUNDS POUNDS on the glass. Yep - that's baby maby. Right, Lilian? (speaking of, I need to borrow a movie from you tonight!).
NOW - more on the EQUITY topic. My house went up for sale last night at 11:07 pm. The sign was jammed into the 20 degree temperature grass/snow/whateverwasleftbehindinthesnow. And I was OK. And then today I started looking through pictures of baby maby and noticed ALLLLLLLLLLLLL the pictures of my house and I was sad. I built this home. I found the house plans. I was the one SO specific on every part of the home that people thought we were CRAZY when we put in cherry wood/walnut stained floors. I was the one who INSISITED on hardie plank w/ a wrap around porch. I was the one who planted 4 Honey Suckle plants to climb up my porch. I was the one who spent several months researching every flower/tree I put in my yard so it would emulate a beautiful country side garden. And knowing that I'm walking away from all that I worked on... into something that won't grow what I've planted... makes me sad. And what if someone who LOVES BROWN/POO moves into my home? And she repaints everything and she pulls out what I planted and she insists on stripping the personality out of my home???? yes - that probably will happen. I THOUGHt about having the potential buyer sign a contract that said "I will keep this home AS IS or Kara will hunt me down and beat me to a bloody poo pulp". BUT ... I opted out of that part of the contract. Knowing that my rationale sensors were not up to speed.
So... to keep me OK I will post my home. :) Hello home that I love.
Family room...
Outside of my home in the summer ...
Crazy Baby Maby's room ... (Ohhhh love this room!) ...
Boy with no teeth's room ...
Kid's Bathroom ...
Fluffy Head's Room ...
Kitchen with licroice that everyone eats now ...
2 different room - Laudry and Sitting room ...
Master Bedroom/Bath ...
Loft ...
Bonus Room ...
************ sigh *****************.
I drank the equivalent of 3 Diet Cokes from Sonic thinking it would take the sorrow away. Alas, it did not. Any suggestions? :)
Ugliest of Ug!! Oh my heart aches too!! so much personality and beauty in that house. That is what is going to sell it!! Someone will come a long and fall in love with it!! I'm so happy for you, yet so sad!! I lvoe what you've done to the place for pictures!! I'm so impressed with the house cleaning!! ahaha:) I love you!! It looks fabulous!! Your talents and abilities to make soemthing so beauiful and homey are incredible!! With a touch of class!! Oh some people get all the talents!! LYG
Posted by: Adie Mitchell | March 10, 2009 at 05:20 PM
Your home is beautiful, I don't know why anyone would want to change it. Love the rug in your laundry room! Where'd you get it? :)
Posted by: Kayleen T. | March 10, 2009 at 05:38 PM
Kara! You have a beautiful home..... I can see why you are sad to leave it! I love the porch too! That is on my list for my dream house! Someone will love it and buy it, and I am sure leave it mostly as it is. I would buy it and leave it, and I am a brown/poo loving person! My suggestion is to add junior mints to the diet coke equation... then take a nice walk or drive if it's too cold, listening to your favorite music (and sing along really loudly), then look at new houses on the internet and think of how you can fix up your new house. Or go onto one of those snapfish type places and make a book of just your house pictures.
Good luck...... I agree with Adie about the talent!
Posted by: Heidi Julander | March 10, 2009 at 05:47 PM
hahah - you gals are funny Heidi and Adie. :) It's all pretend.. fake it til you make it... right? :)
Kayleen - thank you! All accesories in the Laundry room came from Target. But the skirt and valance were made by my mom from the shower curtain at Target... same section.
Posted by: Kara Elmore | March 10, 2009 at 07:11 PM
I have a suggestion.... DON'T GO!Okay, okay.... I'll quit my selfishness now and think of NATE and how he needs the warm weather...and blah, blah, BLAH!!!
Ohhhhhh that crazy baby Maby!!! LOVE HER! WAKE UP FISHY!!!!!! What was that other name? Oh yeah... the TERRORIST!
Posted by: Lilian | March 10, 2009 at 07:52 PM
Kara-I would buy your house as is and never change it and I too am a brown loving person. It is beautiful. I love even more that I got to see it in person. I LOVE it. I LOVE your dark floors. It is sad to leave, but you will start over and make whatever you buy yours and it will be equally as beautiful.
are you staying with your mom so your house stays that clean? :)
I would take your baby for you.
Posted by: joanna | March 11, 2009 at 07:43 AM
AHHHH GLORIOUS!!! You know I love your home ;) I wish you could just pick it up and move it with you ;)
But seriously...where is fluffy head's BED? That is NOT her bed. ;)...where's the REAL one?
Posted by: Brandi Ginn | March 11, 2009 at 09:55 AM
kara sweet sweet kara.. your home is a showplace.. I find it hard to believe that children actually live there.. its gorgeous.. now.. to help make things better.. think.. envision a new home with new possibilities new ideas.. a new start.. try new things and concepts.. Sure this home is beautiful but what makes it a home is you and your family.. and you can make anyplace this beautiful with your loving spirit and your creativity... sure its sad to let go to move on.. but all those memories go with you.. and your next home will be equally as beautiful because you made it with love.
Posted by: elizabeth | March 11, 2009 at 01:03 PM
OH MY - your house is soooooooo dang cute!!! Why should I be surprised that someone who is so talented with photography would be equally skilled in creatively decorating her home. Thanks for sharing!!
Posted by: Natalie | March 11, 2009 at 05:58 PM
Bring Maby over and we will raise her. I'll just leave her in the room with Chuck and some honeycomb in a ziploc baggie.
GORGEOUS photos of your home, of course! Maybe I will come over in the middle of the night and steal your for sale sign. Kara, Sara, Madi and I almost did last night after mutual! Almost....
Also, I recommend DIET PEPSI WITH LIME and an afternoon movie borrowed from Lilian. DONE.
Posted by: Brandy | March 12, 2009 at 09:58 AM
See how loved you are? I'm jealous. AND they appreciate your talent and eye for color. Good friends. So, let's see, already two showings and a phone call in one day. I'm thinking you'd better start looking now for a place to rent until you know where you're going. I myself am looking forward to a fresh start and some sky blue walls. The wheels are smoking in my brain with new ideas and a vintage veer. :)
Posted by: Lisa Bingham | March 12, 2009 at 08:31 PM
Oh I have a poem I will email you that as I looked at your house reminded me of you. It looks amazing. I f I wasmoving to layton I would buy it.
By the way can I buy Mabel?
Posted by: krash | March 12, 2009 at 09:30 PM
OK so I have the PERFECT solution for everyone! You stay and send Nate away! I mean, really we only need men around every once in a while to open a jar, right? He can fly home every once in a while and you can send Mabes to see him when she's naughty! (P.S. she LOVES me!)Love ya my bestest Snuffy!
Posted by: Amberlee | March 14, 2009 at 11:20 PM
Gorgeous GORGEOUS house! I so want it! I'd buy it, except that I live in Sydney (Australia) and it would be just a tad inconvenient for dropping the kids to school every day. I'd also buy your baby, but I already have one of those. EXACTLY like yours!
Good luck with the sale of your house.
Posted by: Jennifer | March 15, 2009 at 01:56 PM