If you’ve been around for the last few months, you probably know about our family’s recent move from Nashville to Austin. Since May, our lives have been about preparing our previous house to sell, living in a temporary apartment for two months, and then finding and buying a great new house. Suffice it to say, this summer has been a blur!
For two years, our home in Tennessee was our perfect family nest. Nestled in a cozy neighborhood perfect for children, our family put our stamp on the home, truly making it ours. As our family has settled into our new home here in Texas over the course of the last week and a half, I have found myself thinking about our old home and hoping the new family living there will be filled with the same joy our family experienced within those walls. Today, I thought it would be fun to take a walk down memory lane and share my top favorite projects from our previous home as a way of closing a door on that chapter of our family story and opening the door to this new part of our journey!
1. George’s Nursery
I poured more of myself into this room that any other in our home, painstakingly leaving no stone unturned as I sewed, painted and crafted nearly every element that went into its creation. Without a doubt, that was my favorite space in the entire house, and the memories I have of rocking my sweet baby boy in that space will be some of my most cherished of our time in Tennessee.
2. My Creative Space
In a home that has 1800 square feet, it is hard to carve out a dedicated creative space. Taking our underutilized formal dining room, I was able to turn that small corner of our home into a creative haven of my very own, thanks to a piece of furniture called the Sewing Box. I cannot say enough how much having this space revolutionized my life, allowing me to sew and create to my heart’s content!
3. Hallway Command Center
With six individuals occupying the same small space, organizing is a crucial part of keeping a family dynamic flowing smoothly. A board and batten treatment with handy hooks helped turn an underutilized hallway leading in from our garage into an organized command center for our home, complete with a magnetic board for keeping important notes and school papers in plain sight and a custom-made chalkboard for jotting down important dates and appointments. With the upcoming school year coming up quickly, something similar to this will be my very first project in our new home!
4. Updated Eat-In Kitchen
Starting with a completely blank (ugly!) slate, I injected my own colorful sensibility into our eat-in kitchen with paint, board and batten and an oversized menu board made from an ugly old painting. So many happy meals were eaten in this space!
Homes really become a part of the fibers of who we are, which is especially true for children. Often, the house a child calls home is the only one he or she has ever known. As our family has settled into our new home here in Texas, I have been especially aware that our children need special attention to make this transition as easy as possible. Over at Homes.com, I have shared some ways to make moving with children a bit easier, so be sure to venture over for all of the details.
As our family said goodbye to our home in Tennessee, we carved our initial in the tree in the front yard, putting our lasting stamp on the home we loved so much. As the years go by, I know we will do the same in our new home, turning a house we like into a beloved family home. I hope you’ll stick around to follow along every step of the way!
Having grown up in a home brimming with sewing notions and paintbrushes, Amy has a deep love for all things creative. On any given day, you’ll find her knee-deep in her latest creative endeavor, with projects ranging from sewing and crafts to home decor and kid-friendly ideas. Amy believes that everyone, regardless of skill level or experience, possesses the ability to create something beautiful, and Positively Splendid was born of her passion for helping others harness their innate creative potential.
Hi Amy and welcome to Austin. I moved to the area 5 years ago from Colorado via Wisconsin and now you couldn’t get me out of here with dynamite! I am in Cedar Park and just love it, I have never lived in a place that I love as much as I do Austin and Cedar Park, Texas. The people here are some of the most friendly and wonderful people I have ever had the pleasure of meeting. The year round (free or low cost) entertainment for adults as well as children is plentiful. I hope that you and your family learn to love your new home as much as I have. Wendy
Thanks so much, Wendy, for the warm welcome! We are loving it so far!
I loved reading about how you decorated that home. I look forward to reading as you work your magic in your new home.
Just found your blog through a post on ‘Go To Sew’. Your former home is lovely!! Looking forward to your touches to your new home.
I have a fondness for Nashville because our younger son and daughter-in-law live there. Any places you recommend for fabric and/or quilting? We will visit them in October.