APPROVED

Here is my dirt, it is official, my mortgage is approved. I feel queasy, but 3rd time is the charm, right? I hope I did the right thing, going the practical route rather than letting my heart decide. I can't handle a money pit while I'm smack in the middle of putting 3 kids through college. But maybe someday down the road, there will be a little cape cod or drafty Victorian lady with my name on it... ok, time to quit dreaming.

For now, I have this dirt pile to look at and wait to watch a brand new house go up on, and then I get to look for unique ways to give a cookie cutter house some charm and style. Just having a place all my own is really exciting. Plus, there is a lot to be said for central vacuuming. I'm getting those little "dust bin" traps under my kitchen and bathroom sinks, all you do is sweep the dirt up near it, kick the button, and the dirt is magically sucked away to the vacuum in the garage. How cool is that? I think it is one of my favorite things about the house.

Also, I'm going to be happy to get a better dishwasher. I never use the one in my rental, it cleans sporadically and smells burn-y when I run it. I had the maintenance guy in a few times, he says there is nothing wrong with it. So I just wash all the dishes by hand, which gets old. Also - no small thing - I'm getting a new gas stove, no more electric burners.

I bought a couple small things recently, nothing terribly exciting. Here is a little pumpkin from TJ Maxx. It's ceramic with a cream crackle finish and a wire and metal leaf. Cute! I'll take more photos when I get all my fall and Halloween stuff out.