Virgins No More! Property Virigins That Is...

I am very excited to say that DH and I are closing on our first place in two weeks from yesterday!! After a year of living in Atlanta, GA we have decided to call it home! Our house is located in Roswell, about 20 minutes north of Atlanta. The neighborhood is so wonderful - family friendly, safe and quiet. In fact, it was actually voted one of the best places to live by CNN.

Interesting facts about Roswell:

• Named One of the Top Three Cities in the Nation to Raise Your Family. Roswell was listed third in the book, Best Places to Raise Your Family, released by Frommer's.
• In October 2006, the City of Roswell was named the 18th Safest City in the United States by City Crime Rankings

After growing up in an apartment for virtually my entire life, and especially after DH and I shared a 600 square foot studio in Manhattan for some years, it feels great to know we have a quiet (and HUGE!) home to come home to after a long days work.

Although the picture doesn't do it justice - this is our place! 4 bedroom, 2 1/2 bath at around 2,700 square feet. We purchased the house from the bank, so it came "as-is." Neither DH or I are the most handy, so we have hired a contractor to come in and help us spruce the place up.

Check out this chocolate brown paint - this is the color of nearly the whole house!! The plan is to re-paint all walls in Behr's Raffia Cream. I think the dark railings are gorgeous and will especially "pop" against the lighter wall color.

I've always wanted an island! The anitqued cabinets don't suit my style, so I'm having the contractor re-stain them a rice magohany to match the chair rail in the eat in kitchen. I can't wait to post the "after" pictures! 

I am in love with these ultra modern glass bowl sinks. The previous owner installed two in the master bath and another in the upstairs guest bath. Love these!

While the excitment of first time homeownership has been very exciting, I am beginning to feel a little overwhelmed when I think about decorating! Where do you all go for inspiration?? Any helpful hints on approaching furnishing our first home?

Where the Magic Happens

I recently decided my bedroom linens from college needed to go. As the demands of work and home life continue, a bedroom "sanctuary" is what I needed. I looked online, agonized over how expensive these freakin duvet covers were and ultimately did what any rational woman would do. I waited until my mom came to visit to take me shopping.

After much debate, I decided on this set from Restoration Hardware. Although it is stunning as pictured, I opted for a chocolate brown quilt under the duvet cover instead of the pictured baby blue... Overall the bed is amazing. The sheets feel like butter (tip ladies- I waited until Macy's had a sale and bought some solid sheet sets for a quarter of what Restoration Hardware sold them for). Although I fondly remember the nights propped up in bed watching TV with a glass of Pinot Noir, I gladly trade under eye bags and dehydration for a blissful nights' sleep.