Friday, June 27, 2008

Open House




Hi.
Did you come from Mrs. G.'s place?
Welcome.
Nice to see you.
Oh, if you wouldn't mind, please take your shoes off at the door while I run around the hide the piles of clutter and quickly make beds. It has been raining a lot lately.

Well, this is it. This is our house. Welcome to Suburbia in the MidWest. Let me give you the tour.

This is the entryway:


To the left we have the half bath and laundry room/garage entrance. We spent 2 years in Edmonton, Canada with the BEST LAUNDRY ROOM EVER - built in storage benches, extra utility sink, laundry shoot, walk-through pantry to the kitchen. It spoiled us, but it also forever ruined me for laundry rooms. I became so accustomed to the 'drop zone' for backpacks, snowboots, outerware, work bag, etc. that when we returned to Central Illinois in 2007, one of the first things we did was knock through a wall to add a drop zone to our existing closet of a laundry room. We think it is one of the best improvements in our house. Worth every penny.








To the right is the formal living room which is another way of saying WASTED SPACE. Therefore, we use it for our home office. I think it will also be the home of our FUTURE Wii.

Just off the formal living room is our formal dining room which is yet another way of saying WASTED SPACE. So, we use this for children's crafts, homework and coupon cutting. When we have a large group of people around, we will overflow into this room IF I get off my arse and can find a place to hide the piles of crap put everything away.




If you would keep going down the hall in the entryway, you would walk into the kitchen which also connects to the dining room. The kitchen is probably the heart of the home where I spend most of MY time. We upgraded the island and added the pantry last year (we busted out the old pantry for the laundry room drop zone). I love the kitchen. I wish it were about 2 feet bigger in either direction so the island would have been big enough for some bar stools. I love to have people belly up to the bar with me while I cook or clean or whatever in the kitchen. As it stood, though, space was limited so we opted for more cabinetry instead. We use every bit of the storage, so I don't regret it.



This is our family room. This is one of those open floor plans, so the kitchen and family room are open to each other. Open floor plan could also be described as LOUD AND DISTRACTING as far as I am concerned. I think rooms are best a BIT more separated from each other. Don't you think a lovely wall with peek-through fireplace would be nice right here? That is our wood-burning fireplace. Hubby will not let me get gas inserts because he likes dust and ash covering every item in this room and the trail of wood chips on the floor and surrounding the hearth that HE doesn't have to clean the smell of burning wood.





Downstairs you will find my husband sleeping in his recliner watching our big screen TV, our exercise equipment and the rarely played in toy room with the air hockey table never used, yet first game requested at any arcade, as well as a full bath and very small guest bedroom.




Upstairs holds our 4 bedrooms.

Gavin's where on any given day, you will find whatever he COLLECTED that day - rocks, bottle caps, receipts and other scraps of paper he likes to call TREASURE MAPS and I like to call OTHER PEOPLE'S GARBAGE, etc.

Grant's, where on any given day, you will find last night's bath towel and yesterday's clothes on the floor, as well as anything else he can get away with leaving around until I make him clean so he can melt-down for an hour to clean up something that otherwise would have taken him about 6 minutes.



guest/junk room/scrapbook room/Brian's work overflow


boys' bathroom where you will find toothpaste crusted on the sink, toothpaste spit on the mirror, unflushed toilets and toothpaste on the floor.




This is the Master Suite. This where the magic happens, and by magic, I mean that amazing thing I can do called falling asleep EXACTLY 2.75 seconds after my head hits the pillow.



Master Bathroom with our large whirlpool tub which is alternately the boys' indoor waterpark.



Well, that sums up our open house. Please do not think this virtual tour precludes you from coming for an actual visit.



Oh I, almost forgot. The true HUB of our house is our garage. It is in our garage where we keep the vehicles, the yard maintenance equipment, all Brian's tools, our outdoor toys, bikes, but MOST IMPORTANTLY, our second fridge, which we have affectionately and ACCURATELY named the beer fridge. BEHOLD!!!!!








*cue inspirational music*



Yes, all traffic to all parts of the house flows in and around the beer fridge. Come over. We'd love to have you maybe try a beer or 10 you've never had before.


See ya soon.


KEEP BELIEVING


* Okay, because I am apparently coming off too Donna Reed-ish, Here are some photos of what some of those rooms USUALLY look like. I have always been one to quickly tidy before guests arrive - you know that surface clean look.




44 comments:

  1. AnonymousJune 27, 2008

    Your home is lovely! How do you keep it that way with two boys? Amazing...

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  2. Angie.... this house is impressive! :-) And the fridge would hold Aus hostage... that would be heaven for him!

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  3. So I'm reading along and thinking, this womans house is lovely, clean, nicely decorated, I really don't know that I have anything in common with her...until OMG the fridge! I think you are my new best friend.....while your house is lovely, your second fridge is a thing of beauty :-)

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  4. Woot for the beer fridge!

    I'll be right over!

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  5. I am so glad you added those pictures on at the end, I was going to tell you I didn't really like you. :) Grant and my boys have the same quilt on their beds -- You gotta love Target!!!

    Thanks for the tour -- i can be nosy about people's lives, so it was fun to intrude without actually intruding!!

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  6. AnonymousJune 27, 2008

    Okay. I got done reading this and I thought, "My friend sozzled would love your beer fridge." And I get to the comment page, and there she is.

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  7. Very entertaining post. I love discovering new bloggers this way! I love the second set of photos. Makes me feel better to be sitting at the computer instead of getting off my butt to clean my house. And I'm a made surface cleaner too. My house never looks better than it does just shortly before someone visits!

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  8. LOL! I love the "second" tour - I felt much more at home! You have a beautiful home. Love the boys' rooms! And... only toothpaste on the floor? In the boys' bathroom? Lucky!

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  9. I think my husband and your husband would be great friends...the issue with a real fire place, the beer fridge,the beer fridge, and the beer fridge and...you get my drift!

    Thanks for the tour! Your house beautiful!

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  10. Thank you for those last three photos. Thought I was the only one.

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  11. I covet that master bathroom. It is so bright and those windows! I'm coming over with my bath bubbles.

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  12. You have a beautiful home.

    How honest of you to show the other photos--that is keeping it real.

    I have a feeling people may think I cleaned up my house for mine, but no. I'm allergic to clutter--it makes me break out in bitch.

    I think the beer fridge makes you soulmates with . . . just about everybody!

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  13. Yeowza! That is quite a bit of beer! :)

    I love peeking in people's homes (and their fridge). You have a gorgeous home! Seriously, even with those tiny piles (which we also have..everywhere), it's beautifully done and decorated.

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  14. Is that what marks one as a Derfwad? Touring a beautiful home, and coming away with "BEER FRIDGE" crowding out all other impressions??

    I am coming over for a game of air hockey. Make sure the beer fridge is stocked!

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  15. AnonymousJune 27, 2008

    Don't invite us over if you aren't truly serious. We're close enough that I've seriously considered stopping by to say "hello" en route to other locations your way.

    Seriously. :)

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  16. Thanks for the honesty at the end. It saves a lot of self-hatred on my part.

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  17. Hey from the last post comments, everyone was so excited about the beer fridge, and I thought, "Don't people have those anywhere else?" UNTIL I SAW THE CONTENTS OF YOUR FRIDGE. Okay our "beer fridge" has mostly Diet Coke, Iced Tea, and less than 12 Miller Lites. You have ruined me for beer fridges.

    And, I admire you for doing the house tour. I tried to do it for my house (maybe I still will) and if you're anything like me, the pictures actually take, like, 2 weeks to compile because you only have 1 room clean at a time to take its picture, then you have to clean another room while the previously clean room goes to pot. Your house is gorgeous. Hey, and if you have time, you could edit, or add, and put in some pictures of the backyard and the famous trampoline (did it make it out of the tree?)
    Love ya kid!

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  18. AnonymousJune 27, 2008

    I.Love.Your.House. I love the rooms, the layout...what's the yard like? ;) I'm a house voyeur. LOL!
    The beer fridge...we have something similar in the basement, except it also holds extra milk and sodas. (Do you call them "sodys" or is that only in Springfield?). And I'd be there in a heartbeat if I could still drink beer! Gah...

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  19. AnonymousJune 27, 2008

    Our husbands must be long-lost twins: You have the beer fridge and we have the Keg Fridge. Yes, beer on tap 24/7/52. Our college friends love us.

    Thanks for the tour. I wish my daughters' rooms looked even half as good as your kids' rooms.

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  20. I'm glad you showed a little mess. I was afraid pod people had swapped out your children. : )

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  21. I'm glad you showed a little mess. I was afraid pod people had swapped out your children. : )

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  22. We had a house in Calgary like yours in Edmonton. Now we're in Vancouver with the smallest laundry room ever! Beautiful home. I love the decor in the boys room and I like the chaos of an open kitchen. But i like chaos anyway. :P
    Thanks for the tour of your loverly home.

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  23. I am envious of all the space, until I think about trying to keep it all clean. You are one busy woman!
    The beer fridge is a sight to behold. I bet all the dad's want to come over to your house.
    Thanks for sharing the messy pictures too. Makes us all feel a bit better.

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  24. Can I just tell you I LOVE the house!

    Beautiful. Seriously.

    And we have the same Target bathroom mirror and all! :)

    Great post. Loved the view!

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  25. Oh my! I was going to play "open House" but my little bungalow built in the 50's would be such a smile evoking post after seeing your house. It is lovely.
    Thanks

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  26. Gorgeous spaces!!! Thanks for sharing. I'm doing the Derfwad tour. It's been so much fun to have new people over at my blog too! =)

    I love how you showed the "before" pictures at the end. It was like seeing those "stars without their makeup" photos on the covers of magazines at the checkout stand--relief for my inner perfectionist.
    Thank you for relieving her! =)

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  27. Oh yeah...and the beer fridge. Way cool! =)

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  28. I like the "real" pictures the best...I was getting a bit worried.

    But mostly I like the beer fridge. And I have the same shower curtain. Gotta love Target!

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  29. You're home is beautiful. Apparently your "beer fridge" is a hit! :)

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  30. You are a brave girl! Your house looks great - and that beer fridge is to die for.

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  31. AnonymousJune 28, 2008

    Awesome home! I would have to have a housekeeper to get mine that clean. I do like the idea of playing open house though. Kinda cool to see what everyones place looks like. Gives you a feel for who they are.

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  32. AnonymousJune 29, 2008

    Look at your spotlessly clean house. I'm envious! Even your "bad" pictures are amazingly better than my house. :)

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  33. Your beer fridge could win contests!

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  34. Your home is beautiful, and WOW is that beer fridge impressive! ;)

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  35. AnonymousJune 29, 2008

    I was just thinking - what a heavenly house...how does it look so immaculate....then I saw the real photos at the end....thank you - I feel better now about mine being 'real' too!

    Thanks for popping by,
    Hen

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  36. Wow, you have an absolutely lovely home!! If anything would tempt me to live the States, it the type of home you all seem to have - big yet cosy, with lots of space for everything!

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  37. Ang, your home and your beer-pa-looza are LOVELY. No pun intended, but y'all have great taste (that's less filling).

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  38. AnonymousJune 30, 2008

    OK. My house looks like the bottom photos ALL the time. It did look like the top photos while we had it on the market...which is why we took it off the market...too exhausting for little 'ol Pinky. I'd rather stay here than keep a clean house all the time!
    ;-)
    Awesome house, babe.
    pass me a beer, please.

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  39. You are toooooo funny. I was JUST thinking it was too clean to be true. :-)

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  40. Thanks so much for having me over. I really enjoyed it. You have a lovely home!

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  41. Thanks for posting the follow-up pics. I was starting to worry about you when I saw how clean everything was. Seriously, your house looks beautiful, comfortable and homey as usual. You forgot to label the guest room the "Scarey, bleeding doll eye room".

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  42. I'm visiting from All Mediocre!

    I :heart: your beer fridge! I used to have one. But they are useless in Utah.

    Thanks so much for the tour!

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  43. AnonymousJuly 03, 2008

    Your house is stunning!! Oh man.. I cannot get over all the space you have to hide in!!

    And that beer fridge had me sold!! :)

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  44. Beautiful! And I love that you added the final touch of realism at the end. LOL! With a house that big, two boys, and a van to keep clean, no wonder you can fall asleep in 2.75seconds! LOL!

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