Mid-Week Must-Haves

oh hello, Wednesday. We meet again. You have tried to conquer me with your hump day badness, but you will not be victorious. These mid-week must-haves are SO GOOD they will jolt me straight into Friday.

1. Window Seating
Here is a great tutorial on building one from Ikea Cabinets

2. Madewell Leopard Loafers
psst these are on sale NOW for 50% off

3. Coral X-bench
Found here  

4. Henry Bertoia Chairs
(good knock offs found here and here)

5. Glass Lamps
(*TJMaxx/HomeGoods is your best bet for good pricing, 
but they can also be found at PB and World Market)

Poll vs Pole vs pole

My Cousin: "Did Caroline ever finish the pole for her bedroom?"   

My Mother in Law: "Katie, a pole in Ty and Caroline's bedroom is none of my business!!!"

And while they may still be debating poll vs pole vs Pole...

The POLL results are in! and SHADES OF GREY is the winner!

We haven't taken the leap into re-painting the room (I am still recovering from painting the entire interior and attempting to paint the exterior) we have reversed our entire bedroom.

 From this....

 to this...and it is amazing! 

We can now see into our beautiful back and side yard.With this new point of view I feel like I am in a whole new room. Who knows, I may even have started to like the color! 

I will keep y'all posted on the happenings...no paint yet. Although GREY is the top of our list too!

What are your thoughts on the new direction of the room? 

Design Tip: 

Have a room that just doesn't feel right but not in the mood to paint?! 

try rearranging the furniture!

We Don't Actually Live in Sylvan Park...and other confessions

Confession #1: We Don't Actually Live in Sylvan Park

This has been a much debated topic of interest. I even had a co-worker say there was a heated debate in the middle of the PICU, and she just knew I lived in Sylvan Park and had defended me to the nth degree. 

I let her down gently. We no longer live in our beloved Sylvan Park. We still met and fell in love in Sylvan Park. We still climb at our favorite climbing gym in SP. We still have quite a few friends in the neighborhood. We still plan to move back there one day - hopefully to live in what I like to call our "house-house" (aka forever home). BUT when we sold the condo in 48 hours and had to go-a-searching for a house, we liked this one best and it was still in our top 3 areas to live - just right outside Sylvan Park. 

Phew, got that off my chest.

Confession #2: 

We no longer live in a grey house. Some may say we live in the White House. 

You can decide.

When we last left you with the exterior, we had begun to prep and repair the exterior of the house. By December, the job still wasn't done and we decided to cut our losses and hire professionals. Have y'all ever encountered a job that was just too big to tackle on your own? Like you'd finish one part and the project just seems to go on and on and on?!? 

While I was on a trip to Miami, Ty had them come out and paint the entire house Dover White. (Yes, surrender is sometimes necessary, and you can't always do-it-yourself. Lesson learned.)

I came home to a snowy Nashville and a freshly painted house!

That was the last time we stepped outdoors...until now! 

Well that may be a little bit of an exaggeration BUT this beautiful spring weather is the perfect time to reveal our newly painted white house of a home during the springtime. 

ENJOY!

We have lots more spring projects and confessions to share with you so check back for more.

And don't miss Wednesday's Mid-week Must-have list!

Living in the "It" City

As you may have read in Part 1 of the GREAT Shift for SPL, we want to incorporate our LARGER journey to home ownership into the blog...and most importantly, bring you along in the journey. It is often hard to stay motivated when looking down the long road to home ownership....
so we thought, why not have some accountibility?! We are not called to walk down hard roads alone.

Now, lets talk about Nashville.

Living in the "It" City of the moment has its perks (don't mean to brag, but I am pretty dang pumped about this news).  New companies, new restaurants, and new shops mean new jobs. There is a constant in-flux of new people. And Real Estate is BOOMING. Houses are selling in record time in the city of Nashville. Take our condo for instance, it sold in less than 48 hours. Most homes in this area of Sylvan Park do the same....with multiple offers and above asking price bids. It is a seller's paradise.

Insert: OPPORTUNITY

When we saw that homes in our area were selling in record time and for record prices, we knew that a door had opened for us. Although we had not reached our goal of paying off our mortgage, we did know that the condo market can be volatile and wanted to capitalize on this rare opportunity to sell at a high price in a hot market. 

Begin: Dreaming

Knowing that we could sell our home for profit gave us the freedom to explore some of our other dreams: 

like gutting and renovating an entire home. We had already had fun accomplishing some smaller DIY tasks in the condo, and this seemed like a great opportunity to take that dream one step further. So we listed our condo, and began searching for a home that needed "updating." 

At the end of July 2013, we moved into our home by the creek. We were able to make a 20% down payment, and put the rest of the profit from the condo toward the renovations for house (like the kitchen overhaul). We are very thankful that the opportunity to live in a home came sooner than expected. 

Where are you on your journey to financial freedom? 

Paying off debt? Buying your first home? Mid-way through paying off your first home? Saving for a down payment? Wherever you are, we want to meet you there. 

Feel free to email us at sylvanparklife@gmail.com us with questions or comment in the section below! 

Let's do this together. 

Mid-Week Must-Haves!

This week's list is a good mix of mid-century and currently trending items that I just LOVE!

1. MUST HAVE: A Bar Cart
Best Places to Find - West Elm
& this revamped Target Bar Cart by Cindy over at Made2Style

2. MUST HAVE: 

MidCentury Wire Chairs (with faux fur of course!)

3. MUST HAVE: Nailhead Headboard

4. MUST HAVE: Hexagon Chandelier

5. MUST HAVE: Cowhide Rug

Have y'all seen anything you just can't live without!?! 

We'd love to hear from you. Post your ideas in the comments section below for a chance to be featured in future Mid-Week Must-Have madness. 

What are you willing to sacrifice?

I want to share this article with you guys. It is from a few years back but it is an encouraging story of one couple's journey to mortgage payoff. It begs the question, what are you willing to sacrifice? Here is a small snippet from the larger article - found here.

“My wife and I purchased our house in the fall of 2008 for $300,000. I believe the interest rate was 6%. We used the equity from our old house to pay off three small auto loans and to make a 35% down payment on our new house. The big down payment made it easy for us to refinance it two times since 2008 because we were never under water.

We didn’t want to buy a huge house with a huge mortgage. We decided not to let the bank or agent tell us how much house we could afford. WE did the math, WE knew our budget; therefore, WE decided how much we were comfortable paying each month. We found a house that works well for us within our budget.

Sure, it doesn’t have the desirable three-car garage that we wish we had, but a bigger garage comes with even a bigger mortgage, so we decided we could live with a smaller garage but with the smaller mortgage. [...] Back in 2008 the bank would have let us borrow two times the amount that we borrowed. Ouch!”

Two big take aways for me -

1. Decide early what you can afford, NOT what someone tells you that you can. What are you comfortable with paying each month? I will tell you that Ty and I are uncomfortable in our current house payment. That is a big and hard thing for me to admit but this house buying experience has taught us our limits. 

2. Lately I have had a case of the must-haves. I must have an en suite master bathroom, I must have a laundry room, I must have... and the list goes on and on. It is so hard to maintain perspective and ENJOY where I am living now when I am constantly looking ahead. When I keep the bigger picture of paying off our home early at hand, those things don't matter and once again I find contentment in our wonderful home. 

For this couple, living below their means and having a mortgage that they were comfortable in provided more peace than the fancy home with the big mortgage. Yes, it required sacrifice but it also gave them flexibility and allowed them to achieve their goal of financial freedom.

What do you think of this couple's story? Can you relate? 
What are you sacrificing to achieve your goal of mortgage freedom? Are you driving around your car from high school? (we are!) Are you going out to eat less, and staying in to cook more? Are you living in a place that's not quite your dream home?

Unlocking Craigslist

I often get the question "how do you find such great stuff on craigslist?"

Shortly followed by the comment "all I find is junk!" Well today, I am unlocking all of my secrets to craigslist shopping. for the greater good of all of us shopping on a budget.
I cannot wait to hear about all you guys find!

Adorable Pair of Chairs found on Clist

Secret #1: 

Search, Search, and Search Again.

Look for the same thing at least 3 different ways. 

Everyone thinks differently, calls things by different names - use this to your advantage.

For example, if I am looking for a sofa I would search: SOFA, COUCH, LIVING ROOM, LOVESEAT.

Search "COUCH"

Search "Living Room"

Search "Sofa"

The results are completely different with each search, and reveal many more items.

Secret #2: 

Check Craigslist Often & Early!

I love the Ipad Craigslist App because it remembers your search history. I can search the last 20 things I have looked through in about 20 minutes. I look about every other day in the morning to see what new stuff has posted - this ensures that I get the good stuff first!

Secret #3:

Search for high end brand names.

Don't just search "chair." 

Search: Pottery Barn, West Elm, Ballards. This applies to posting ads as well.

Secret #3.5: 

Don't just search big box retailers, search local well-known furniture companies too. 

For example, in Nashville, Sprintz Furniture is one of the largest retailers of nice furniture. I often search "Sprintz" to see what people are selling because I know it will most likely be higher quality items.

Which is exactly how we found this custom made sofa for our living room and the grey trellis rug...

Secret #4: 

Don't limit your search by price! 

$$$$$$$$$$$$

Most items on Craigslist are negotiable and marked much higher than they will actually sell for. Be willing to negotiate with the seller. Make a reasonable offer with the expectation that they may reject it or counter with a higher offer. Don't be afraid to ask!

Our CList Farmhouse Table. Accented by store-bought Parsons Chairs.

Secret #5 

Search wealthier sub-cities of your area. 

When a for sale ad is posted, the poster indicates a specific location. Search for those specific locations - I find that wealthier areas of the city tend to have higher quality items.

Secret #6: 

Search "ESTATE and MOVING SALES"!

Unless you are at a sale at the crack of dawn on a Friday morning, all of the good stuff for an estate or moving sale is gone. Often times these sales are listed on CList early and you can avoid striking out, or even can purchase items before the sale. This is the best way to get the best picks of the sale!

Like our ESTATE Sale Buffet table:

The Secret is Out! Now get to searchin'~
I love hearing about thrifty finds - craigslist, freebies, thrift stores, you name it - so share them in the comments section below! have questions? Feel free to email us as well.
Can't wait to hear about all your awesome finds!

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Our Journey to Living Debt Free, Explained

I don't mean a GREAT_BIG_GIGANTIC shift... I mean a GREAT/TERRIFICALLY/ AWESOME/SPLENDID Shift! If you didn't already see our Blog-A-Birth-Aversary Post, let me catch you up to speed. SPL has JUST celebrated its one year anniversary, and in the spirit of celebrating we want to reveal a spring surprise that is only going to make the content we bring to you at Sylvan Park Life BETTER! Bottom Line: We want YOU to know US! 

Okay, now for the details - and the story. If you have ever followed my Tumblr account, you may have read THIS POST back in November of 2012 (just 4 short months after Ty and I married). In case you didn't get to read it, let me explain this If you Give a Mouse a Cookie Phenomenon.

The 1980s children's book If you Give a Mouse a Cookie had more mature intentions than I originally realized. The story finds the mouse constantly distracted by his next MUST HAVE. The little mouse's friend, Estuardo gives the mouse a cookie, and then the mouse wants some milk. This appears benign but then the little guys needs to clean his face, and so on. His friend runs around trying to give all of these things to the mouse, while jumping from one unfinished project to the next. In the end the mouse and Estuardo end up exactly where they started: the mouse wants a cookie.

Here at SPL, we have come full circle like Estuardo and the mouse. We started our home journey with the LARGER goal of home ownership aka paying off our mortgage, but in the last year (as you can see in this blog) it has seemingly gotten overshadowed by home renovation. At the end of a year we are still wanting a cookie, er, to pay off our home in a timely manner. 

Thus the shift: We want to bring you along in this part of our journey too. 

Let's Start from the Very Beginning, A very good place to start! 

(yes, I am singing out loud as I write this)

This desire to pay off our home early in our marriage was also fueled by the desire to own a dog. 

Here is the initial idea we had while we were living in the Condo in November 2012: 

To own a dog, we felt like we needed a yard, and thus a proper home. To buy a home, we need to pay off the condo we are currently living in within a reasonable time period. Together, Ty and I calculated how much extra per month we could put towards the principle of our mortgage by looking at our BUDGET and this MORTGAGE CALCULATOR, and using this amortization* (payments over multiple periods to include things like interest, additional payments to principle, etc) schedule. We also refinanced our condo from a 30 year to a 15 year loan to reduce our interest payment, and get a BIGGER bang for our mortgage payment bucks each month (more money going to principle rather than paying down interest).

AND THEN (play celebratory trumpet), opportunity struck!

I will leave you hanging until next Friday, but be on the look out for our usual Monday morning post. 

You won't be disappointed!

If you are interested in exploring some of the tools we used to calculate our budget and mortgage payoff plan, just click on the links above. 

Our ONE YEAR Blog-A-Birth-Aversary!

We have so enjoyed sharing our journey in home renovation over the last year! 

Thank you so much for reading, following along, commenting, 

re-posting, and cheering us on through our first year of Sylvan Park Life. 

Looking back over the last year to write this post, we had to sit down and catch our breaths! It is hard to believe that this time last year we were still living in the Sloan Road House. From selling our condo, to buying a home, to renovating an entire kitchen, and other projects in between we have learned so much! 

With that said, our big spring surprise is a GOOD ONE! 

Sylvan Park Life is shifting ever so slightly....for the better! 

Bottom Line: We want YOU to know US - and that means knowing our WHOLE STORY. 

Over the Next Few Weeks, will have a series of posts explaining the shift. 

We will still be posting our HIT Mid-Week Must-Haves series, as well as the same great DIY-Budget-Saving-Home-Remodeling Posts that you guys love. The TWIST is the premise and focus of these posts will also include our larger goal of home ownership aka paying off the casa. Something I am EQUALLY excited to share with you in the coming weeks!

So stay tuned -- and remember, sometimes change is good!

Happy Blog-A-Birth-Aversary SPL! 

The Lantern Light that Just Wasn't Right

You may have gleaned our lantern light when we were doing some front door rehab this past fall.

During all of that we also tried failed at hanging a new front porch fixture. This lantern had all the makings of a beautiful fixture....

In my head I had visions of our home looking like this...

Unfortunately, it turned out more like this...

The original fixture was a square flush-mount, so the off centered-ness did not have any impact on the appearance of the porch. When we installed this hanging lantern, it became all too obvious that the light fixture had been centered on the porch and not the front door. 

I thought about hanging an iron pendant to balance the doorway....

I thought about putting a planter to balance the doorway distract from the off centered lantern 

(I DID in fact buy a plant for the porch it died)

I tried to ignore that it was off center. I EVEN took photos to make it appear centered. 

But in the end, I just could not get over the off centered light. 

Ultimately, I think I would like to have a wall lantern installed to the left of the front door (like the one below!) and completely remove the overhead light.

But for now our lop-sided lantern must come down!

Although that piece of our front door rehab was a major fail, 

we have been waiting to share our spring surprise with you guys for quite awhile....

stay tuned!

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Master Bedroom Inspiration: Poll Results Day 3

After a few days of voting for the Master Bedroom, Shades of Grey has taken a clear lead over all the rest. Poor Blue didn't even get ONE vote! (If you missed our Master Bedroom Post click here.)

Please vote if you haven't done so already. The poll closes on Monday, April 14. 

If you are having trouble viewing the poll on your mobile phone, scroll to the bottom of the blog and click "web version." This will take you to our full website where you can vote in the upper right corner of the blog.

Thanks for joining in the fun!

Psst...only a few more days until our spring surprise!

Mid-Week Must-Haves: South Carolina Addition!

I spent my weekend running the famous Bridge Run in SC. It is/was an uphill battle followed by a downhill jaunt through beautiful downtown Charleston. We finished the race (woohoo!) and then spent time perusing the shops on King Street. This city has unmistakable southern charm, and this is just where I found my inspiration for this week's Mid-Week Must-Haves!

King Street

1. Madewell Scarf

This is the perfect nautical addition to your spring wardrobe, 

PLUS it is big enough to be a wrap for those day trips to the beach (er, if you live in Charleston!) 

P.S. When are we getting this store in Nashville????

2. Neon Yellow Wedges by JCrew

Nothings says Charleston like bright colors.

 3. Brightly Colored Breakfast Nook

Perfect for enjoying those sunny South Carolina mornings. 

4. Mara Mi Journal

The perfect lay-flat journal, and its bright color with gold accents will have you looking like a SC local.

5. Mark & Graham Confidential Bag

If its monogrammed, its Charleston. 

I hope you enjoyed this weeks SC inspired Mid-Week Must-Haves!

Kelli & I conquering the Bridge

**Want more of what you must have? Take a peak at other must have items here. **

If you haven't voted for our Master Bedroom, please do in the upper right corner of the blog!

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