tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5617965500742164022024-03-01T20:08:11.531-05:00Sweet Home CarolinasBuilding a new home by Ryan Homes in Charlotte, North Carolina/Fort Mill, South CarolinaAngelahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07565382247296853581noreply@blogger.comBlogger15125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-561796550074216402.post-75495365214049135052014-06-29T13:36:00.001-04:002014-06-29T13:36:53.758-04:00A Busy Two Months for Our Home!Hello! I hope everyone has been enjoying the summer. I love the summer season, especially after spending our first winter here in the Carolinas compared to a "winter" in Florida. We have been looking for ways to enjoy the weather outdoors while it lasts, that is... between everything we have been doing for our NEW HOME!<br />
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Closing went well, and after moving, unpacking, and spending consecutive weekends at Lowe's and Home Depot, we are definitely ready to settle back into a routine. We have been in our new home for two months. It's time to embrace the fact that we have at least gotten ourselves an organized start, and begin to build a plan to complete "one room at a time."<br />
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I can't believe I haven't posted since closing! We have so much to share, and haven't had much time to do so.<br />
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Anyway, let's get on with pictures of the finished product!<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiK6X9w8ZxEyA6-qw4-h_KId6YE68qkMvSKlLofhjFDjSq90YU99Fbevoc7RGDaeOO1TDNoopZ_vcTct-rPwMFEcAZYEYMaHMZSBUcua6o4tAuLs_iJ4YPtFQp09WZV7S2SJ3wX8OYHrgk/s1600/exterior+3+from+left.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="ryan homes naples south carolina arizona stone elevation d" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiK6X9w8ZxEyA6-qw4-h_KId6YE68qkMvSKlLofhjFDjSq90YU99Fbevoc7RGDaeOO1TDNoopZ_vcTct-rPwMFEcAZYEYMaHMZSBUcua6o4tAuLs_iJ4YPtFQp09WZV7S2SJ3wX8OYHrgk/s1600/exterior+3+from+left.jpg" height="425" title="" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Our New Home!</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQp8-VDnZQN1rKKENprXzCBwE_yCKluNa708_Ud3CT3BnSKX0s6xM8Gu5B_VxtQhQKacS4v1rocuzKnEcNBiIZSAwF1wAUzYlJ-SDKVh-lYTQjLSe0764Bfw9HyquYT_Ef-b9o2kMiUtQ/s1600/exterior+2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="ryan homes naples elevation d arizona stone" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQp8-VDnZQN1rKKENprXzCBwE_yCKluNa708_Ud3CT3BnSKX0s6xM8Gu5B_VxtQhQKacS4v1rocuzKnEcNBiIZSAwF1wAUzYlJ-SDKVh-lYTQjLSe0764Bfw9HyquYT_Ef-b9o2kMiUtQ/s1600/exterior+2.jpg" height="508" title="" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Ryan Homes Naples Elevation D with Stone</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjsxb2fgBE65sNMFgaYbkLYbftD2XYay4p6dtpbD0KUJrjzKML7iJd8i_Ta5lO3OxLll75GDoj5SpJuYe_hm8xC_pfexHbmxSAYe7_TmtvOB4gll_DwM41gXj_LMAM_AYHndhx7Co-5-3c/s1600/porch+from+right+side.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="ryan homes naples elevation d with stone" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjsxb2fgBE65sNMFgaYbkLYbftD2XYay4p6dtpbD0KUJrjzKML7iJd8i_Ta5lO3OxLll75GDoj5SpJuYe_hm8xC_pfexHbmxSAYe7_TmtvOB4gll_DwM41gXj_LMAM_AYHndhx7Co-5-3c/s1600/porch+from+right+side.jpg" height="425" title="" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Ryan Homes Naples Elevation D with Stone</td></tr>
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We decided to switch from the accidental "Rustic Suede" stone to our original choice, the "Arizona," complete here at closing. Since we've moved in, we've pulled all the pine straw out, added black mulch, and hung Boston ferns from the top of the porch for the summer season. <br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWqvnA3dHoXlGnJEzlaxlhMUjQTgSmh3Uv0xBkaok9zn-hN2tc0yRVQxv9ihl8hi9ZUBT446IupLWz6iLD8_sJ08od3HaQgqTD3567ygDGtUwt9Lah8m4st5JGIlX6X4zAjCL7ceCsYu8/s1600/entry.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWqvnA3dHoXlGnJEzlaxlhMUjQTgSmh3Uv0xBkaok9zn-hN2tc0yRVQxv9ihl8hi9ZUBT446IupLWz6iLD8_sJ08od3HaQgqTD3567ygDGtUwt9Lah8m4st5JGIlX6X4zAjCL7ceCsYu8/s1600/entry.jpg" height="426" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Front Entryway</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBkL65bmGylwXi5O2kRv2ZDSgquzkFx8WUoMzpVuel__lnlwgFzV8TxOaLIypNvsg0lu4cublqwrDhMNBPq3ltsSmrNcF5pIxoobJaOAE1-Kd5YsNLklbmE-TQ_qA9-ZZbn3gftIBRCVM/s1600/study+from+left.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBkL65bmGylwXi5O2kRv2ZDSgquzkFx8WUoMzpVuel__lnlwgFzV8TxOaLIypNvsg0lu4cublqwrDhMNBPq3ltsSmrNcF5pIxoobJaOAE1-Kd5YsNLklbmE-TQ_qA9-ZZbn3gftIBRCVM/s1600/study+from+left.jpg" height="640" width="426" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">View of the Study to the right</td></tr>
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Since moving in, we've added roller shades to the front windows in the study for privacy, and filled the study with the desk we currently have, along with odds and ends like wall art that we aren't quite sure what to do with yet.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgY4SZDMGtg5Dgigt47F18fkfR9s3vf65rNA4ZKiIEu4SNWX1mcVdRQNadliZDfW3ScEZOQ4hAu6baI3gJDbzCuP3Nxwetus4aAyuG7EYA50-6YUd5qn3x_S8VMvuBH6dToGMs5gEe-83o/s1600/dining+room.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="ryan homes formal dining room" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgY4SZDMGtg5Dgigt47F18fkfR9s3vf65rNA4ZKiIEu4SNWX1mcVdRQNadliZDfW3ScEZOQ4hAu6baI3gJDbzCuP3Nxwetus4aAyuG7EYA50-6YUd5qn3x_S8VMvuBH6dToGMs5gEe-83o/s1600/dining+room.jpg" height="426" title="" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Dining Room</td></tr>
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We have a drop-leaf table in our dining room right now, and a china cabinet.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-3Z4byHCwW5or1DkMzjYhyphenhyphen9nB1pQEku76ysYe_QueoOkSnXsZukppagLdlp6soMf-z268VrUIvkYJmQ5tzlqxjWcgXPCGrD_fMJBemUTSclesIb6PFn_offYmoGPTyzcVxPmy0W15aME/s1600/morning+room+from+hall.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="ryan homes morning room naples reverse floor plan" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-3Z4byHCwW5or1DkMzjYhyphenhyphen9nB1pQEku76ysYe_QueoOkSnXsZukppagLdlp6soMf-z268VrUIvkYJmQ5tzlqxjWcgXPCGrD_fMJBemUTSclesIb6PFn_offYmoGPTyzcVxPmy0W15aME/s1600/morning+room+from+hall.jpg" height="466" title="" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Morning Room from Hall</td></tr>
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The morning room is our absolute favorite room of the house and we hope to make it into a sunroom to extend our entertaining space, or at least a breakfast room.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjh0XhxNYREj1-3Rc3Tc9vnQPHBuL6c4Cx_8JeJk0-lM7F8zGIqCqRb2El0VFIb2oqtEKzDM3LqxrGi8BIETzIdAJYLZ4ol51RjH_yAxqAHqtKE4ec4exqXJ-24YzSRH9vmgO6he0l3TGo/s1600/morning+room+from+kitchen.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="ryan homes morning room from kitchen naples" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjh0XhxNYREj1-3Rc3Tc9vnQPHBuL6c4Cx_8JeJk0-lM7F8zGIqCqRb2El0VFIb2oqtEKzDM3LqxrGi8BIETzIdAJYLZ4ol51RjH_yAxqAHqtKE4ec4exqXJ-24YzSRH9vmgO6he0l3TGo/s1600/morning+room+from+kitchen.jpg" height="426" title="" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Morning Room from Kitchen</td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgt55fwtxl4OIQG4E8WWHtaeTKgIXIkKffC3hGt-p4Y6wCqSp8q04JXR8fUhWc6Z5U2ugzmWoJQo7RgbsLd9sZEAU09MVzRI_izgqT4zE47il6FIyo6rkxX9TXX-mTX9QQItjwk8-Jpchw/s1600/kitchen+from+morning+room.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="ryan homes naples reverse floor plan kitchen" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgt55fwtxl4OIQG4E8WWHtaeTKgIXIkKffC3hGt-p4Y6wCqSp8q04JXR8fUhWc6Z5U2ugzmWoJQo7RgbsLd9sZEAU09MVzRI_izgqT4zE47il6FIyo6rkxX9TXX-mTX9QQItjwk8-Jpchw/s1600/kitchen+from+morning+room.jpg" height="426" title="" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Kitchen from Morning Room</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidw5CCFosg_BAcyoxvWjIhw-xCzxGBmZNENzIjmda0lEa4eeyz_WBuRfv7KWCMy9Z6Lih2DxFsd_LXRNlXQ8oSJSofiDjajNJYFgFb1NccGMVL80MZvOuQtsfsjrl_hrQ-yFwwj6GZJBk/s1600/kitchen+from+living+room.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="ryan homes kitchen naples reverse floor plan morning room" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidw5CCFosg_BAcyoxvWjIhw-xCzxGBmZNENzIjmda0lEa4eeyz_WBuRfv7KWCMy9Z6Lih2DxFsd_LXRNlXQ8oSJSofiDjajNJYFgFb1NccGMVL80MZvOuQtsfsjrl_hrQ-yFwwj6GZJBk/s1600/kitchen+from+living+room.jpg" height="426" title="" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Kitchen from Living Room</td></tr>
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The kitchen is accessible from the dining room, morning room, and living room.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh92MWt9TbTmhB2qNHwv7xp2kCA7NF9WOKfHIA0g5F1Avq9vWZI6Jpxq9LJTz_QGVciK4D9GtZsEcibILmSk6EJ9w8RxSIFjnVPy_zKmTpTTEVkOb6KZVqbYNF7e7Eep3MSncgF__RSPUU/s1600/living+room.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="ryan homes living room naples with fireplace" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh92MWt9TbTmhB2qNHwv7xp2kCA7NF9WOKfHIA0g5F1Avq9vWZI6Jpxq9LJTz_QGVciK4D9GtZsEcibILmSk6EJ9w8RxSIFjnVPy_zKmTpTTEVkOb6KZVqbYNF7e7Eep3MSncgF__RSPUU/s1600/living+room.jpg" height="426" title="" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Living Room</td></tr>
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We have a new <a href="http://www.potterybarn.com/products/pearce-3-piece-l-shaped-sectional-with-wedge/" target="_blank">Pottery Barn sectional</a> in the living room, posted up the Ikea <a href="http://www.ikea.com/us/en/catalog/categories/series/17723/" target="_blank">Hemnes</a> entertainment center we already owned, and have a few decor items in the living room. <br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiylE5tBXMtlFfOD3rV0YTNwZ1JgirV41-1z5xFSBWV2ATsVZr4t7zcHblPig3WL_DidJut_9IEMNf0whcQVg9mkRqccp5EgSWcF_WfRfcvXgMWBehoaT89JFdmKLXuan_QN3mG5KxF2Rs/s1600/stairs.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="ryan home stairs upgrade" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiylE5tBXMtlFfOD3rV0YTNwZ1JgirV41-1z5xFSBWV2ATsVZr4t7zcHblPig3WL_DidJut_9IEMNf0whcQVg9mkRqccp5EgSWcF_WfRfcvXgMWBehoaT89JFdmKLXuan_QN3mG5KxF2Rs/s1600/stairs.jpg" height="640" title="" width="426" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Stairs</td></tr>
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Unfortunately, the polyurethane coat on our stairs was peeling shortly after closing. It was fixed during our "30 day check-in" through Ryan Homes.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2K4ExRQPZKLNV7wN0hBaHwZ5XuABsRSPcvYcpROA6b6pahuE4hk9ou-OAgky99iLyPl5D87A_YHYrzmTJFeccA0py59P3g6HyyA0SBakNcvFoy_crdPO4QbfvbsJthCQ6nIc-dO7IsB8/s1600/loft.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2K4ExRQPZKLNV7wN0hBaHwZ5XuABsRSPcvYcpROA6b6pahuE4hk9ou-OAgky99iLyPl5D87A_YHYrzmTJFeccA0py59P3g6HyyA0SBakNcvFoy_crdPO4QbfvbsJthCQ6nIc-dO7IsB8/s1600/loft.jpg" height="426" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Loft</td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhEn2Gfpx5kRIrdGa2pdUkPLRvXvVpq_0If4Q0wfqx3UhRGvevI2SnDqmZ_wI6-TScOPNqWQI81fDGtGfoheV1jcCiUsW_fzSVUnv4XktY3kbbpAxYqkuE9BmcUo_cn8S-fZVwADiitIgI/s1600/loft+full+view+.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="ryan homes loft" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhEn2Gfpx5kRIrdGa2pdUkPLRvXvVpq_0If4Q0wfqx3UhRGvevI2SnDqmZ_wI6-TScOPNqWQI81fDGtGfoheV1jcCiUsW_fzSVUnv4XktY3kbbpAxYqkuE9BmcUo_cn8S-fZVwADiitIgI/s1600/loft+full+view+.jpg" height="426" title="" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Loft</td></tr>
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We have our old couch upstairs against the capped wall in the loft. Eventually we hope to get a bigger TV for the living room and move the older TV upstairs to the loft area.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg87Q2dhtVRtI5M97_Pt8moWypnq_MtUf6LvadhzL7MTH6xGYqWzQ0Ax_0Kpux_wHcFSMi2L4hzDXAXlJX4v0Ub6lPIMOR1N0WLp66-pqIu9dz5UM0vp1cILFzJp6c70tEP950mMWis5KQ/s1600/nursery.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="ryan homes" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg87Q2dhtVRtI5M97_Pt8moWypnq_MtUf6LvadhzL7MTH6xGYqWzQ0Ax_0Kpux_wHcFSMi2L4hzDXAXlJX4v0Ub6lPIMOR1N0WLp66-pqIu9dz5UM0vp1cILFzJp6c70tEP950mMWis5KQ/s1600/nursery.jpg" height="426" title="" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Future Nursery</td></tr>
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We have deemed the bedroom to the right of the loft the "future nursery" and have pretty much forgotten this room even exists. It will remain empty until the day we have a use for it :) We are using the closet space in this room for my craft items and gift wrap, but we don't see a point in filling the room with anything else. <br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFoxVYSJc2V__jiDiW0XVbCleiufNuvqTzWPCN_6bkH2Vrf16h7flAbB92eK7bE1qTdAka5-Deavn39YzQYiejgPPhUJknBpXh3hgRd14mj5wbXHfTyrp0jLuDRLbNrhF-LIlNrqSd1Ic/s1600/master+bedroom_right+side.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="ryan homes naples master bedroom his and hers closets" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFoxVYSJc2V__jiDiW0XVbCleiufNuvqTzWPCN_6bkH2Vrf16h7flAbB92eK7bE1qTdAka5-Deavn39YzQYiejgPPhUJknBpXh3hgRd14mj5wbXHfTyrp0jLuDRLbNrhF-LIlNrqSd1Ic/s1600/master+bedroom_right+side.jpg" height="426" title="" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Master Bedroom</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjEow3IBjRSEyOdpapX9ShPIee7RSZxpnYscAwFFioA9xHal05uOijTcqMNYW4dLAc5VjhJZJ1SmCtQDgPYuQtg34czUGFh0exip3VIKnwrTvKRZOpk7PCrIdvIwEIreDjPeQDj9TmAhQU/s1600/master+bedroom_rearview.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="ryan homes naples master bedroom sitting area" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjEow3IBjRSEyOdpapX9ShPIee7RSZxpnYscAwFFioA9xHal05uOijTcqMNYW4dLAc5VjhJZJ1SmCtQDgPYuQtg34czUGFh0exip3VIKnwrTvKRZOpk7PCrIdvIwEIreDjPeQDj9TmAhQU/s1600/master+bedroom_rearview.jpg" height="444" title="" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Master Bedroom</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxWwVFX6t8qZzAssmfBmntI_F8tExD8ze1iD5Kk6WUhSxvq7m6AWsCbj5Otyq9ETH9EmuJ-5IE00zJFs-ePrOvZN-LShCqMXJUVx8YEIAbxUzAI9nLwIeivGRQN2LPJt7v_YfsraB2DWc/s1600/master+bedroom.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="ryan homes master bedroom his and hers closets sitting area" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxWwVFX6t8qZzAssmfBmntI_F8tExD8ze1iD5Kk6WUhSxvq7m6AWsCbj5Otyq9ETH9EmuJ-5IE00zJFs-ePrOvZN-LShCqMXJUVx8YEIAbxUzAI9nLwIeivGRQN2LPJt7v_YfsraB2DWc/s1600/master+bedroom.jpg" height="426" title="" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Master Bedroom</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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Our master bedroom is a work in progress mainly because we need to purchase dressers and a vanity for our room. Our king size bed fits perfectly between the two back windows, but we have a ways to go! Besides our living room, the master bedroom is top priority on the "one room at a time" list.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjF2xVj9jsVUgp_LObB8H1hCg8EoJWjaXWka9I5P7R4I5gyxJH7-sdg1KKizg01W-m9tzxbtGZ83czChz6pVGK_SBQzHeHuRasFde4w8A7Lo7fvVFR_J-XewHNQqGgj6DlxFUHlOoEaOB8/s1600/master+bath+garden+tub.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="ryan homes master bathroom garden tub" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjF2xVj9jsVUgp_LObB8H1hCg8EoJWjaXWka9I5P7R4I5gyxJH7-sdg1KKizg01W-m9tzxbtGZ83czChz6pVGK_SBQzHeHuRasFde4w8A7Lo7fvVFR_J-XewHNQqGgj6DlxFUHlOoEaOB8/s1600/master+bath+garden+tub.jpg" height="640" title="" width="426" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Master Bathroom</td></tr>
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I only have a picture of the garden tub in the master bathroom at closing. Since moving in, we've removed the towel bar above the bath in favor of hanging a picture there. I've never really been a fan of "fancy towels" for our master bath, I will decorate with towels in the guest bath and powder room, but for the master I didn't think we needed them. The bathroom actually lacks a good space to hang our day-to-day towels.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbMm6m6A_k_nL5rTp9YqMnSgA8h91nOTviV10uw_9ox6mlAokVJF-wAxsouv8rsZynYdf3-G_B4S7qSoXP5as2rTyHyWH7u1CjOoQt6KxLTSgyYyh7QzAh6TknK9qgES0YAF4UYjVT7zw/s1600/guest+front+bedroom.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="ryan homes naples elevation d guest bedroom" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbMm6m6A_k_nL5rTp9YqMnSgA8h91nOTviV10uw_9ox6mlAokVJF-wAxsouv8rsZynYdf3-G_B4S7qSoXP5as2rTyHyWH7u1CjOoQt6KxLTSgyYyh7QzAh6TknK9qgES0YAF4UYjVT7zw/s1600/guest+front+bedroom.jpg" height="426" title="" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Front Guest Bedroom</td></tr>
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We have two extra bedrooms for our guests (until the future kiddos take over). The cute oval window on our front elevation is actually in one of the guest bedrooms, so it is on our to-do list to get the window fitted with custom wood shutters. The oval trim piece actually had to be ordered twice, and then kept fitting incorrectly, so Ryan Homes ordered a trim piece for the window that was only replaced a couple weeks ago. Until the trim was in place, we couldn't get anything measured for the window treatments.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-WX5n5RnfuEupUBCQjASmogmUp2Spz0tur4Xammk3rQ1q7_ORrhQmK7qcOsrLemiORnszVjCdU-80n6svF89jeJRQKPXzEpVyVE0LARxa46fDH3cXWxqYoTRWjm0dJqUe-zrRsRAph24/s1600/backyard_full.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-WX5n5RnfuEupUBCQjASmogmUp2Spz0tur4Xammk3rQ1q7_ORrhQmK7qcOsrLemiORnszVjCdU-80n6svF89jeJRQKPXzEpVyVE0LARxa46fDH3cXWxqYoTRWjm0dJqUe-zrRsRAph24/s1600/backyard_full.jpg" height="426" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Backyard</td></tr>
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Our backyard is pretty private with only woods behind us. We would not have built our home had it not been for this lot. At the time we purchased, it was the only lot available that didn't back up to another home. <br />
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Our home is definitely a work in progress and I will share "progress" photos very soon! <br />
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<br />Angelahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07565382247296853581noreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-561796550074216402.post-50489330433695167092014-04-06T19:10:00.001-04:002014-04-06T19:11:47.197-04:00Paint & Trim<div>
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The first round of paint and trim is complete! Our new home will come painted entirely in Dover White by Sherwin Williams- I'm not sure the color of the white trim. Dover White is, in my opinion, a much better all-over color to start out with than the beiges of our former rentals, and not so "white, white" that it will be completely unbearable. Of course, we plan to add our own paint choices to each room as we build a plan for our decor.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUozqMZsgkD_-Ick3e4QRydUycOzB-uFY5GfdALoersp1DOJ9OtV8YjJHwQRn0NkUHjA7yoWbJ0pLNKozF3O9g8tqtzGosRQ8khh2jv1O-gLce4VTALigJBjJXEuh6uyRjN1s_CmhXFBc/s1600/living+room.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="sherwin williams dover white ryan homes living room" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUozqMZsgkD_-Ick3e4QRydUycOzB-uFY5GfdALoersp1DOJ9OtV8YjJHwQRn0NkUHjA7yoWbJ0pLNKozF3O9g8tqtzGosRQ8khh2jv1O-gLce4VTALigJBjJXEuh6uyRjN1s_CmhXFBc/s1600/living+room.png" height="426" title="" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Living Room in Sherwin Williams <a href="http://www.sherwin-williams.com/homeowners/color/find-and-explore-colors/paint-colors-by-family/SW6385-dover-white/" target="_blank">Dover White</a></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCTNNbaPSr_MNJJD7ZSlP43M2G4ao7ND2XPtWPOExcMgQwz-kjYaYFql4_7JhF2wAzpkoTrr77jCyD_bI8a7l067Gw5kSSkRfovrMMneRXy50rNTmTkH64LKQRHm5QxQrdrziRhzyv7LE/s1600/capped+wall+at+stairs+ryan+homes.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="ryan homes dover white sherwin williams capped wall at stairs loft" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCTNNbaPSr_MNJJD7ZSlP43M2G4ao7ND2XPtWPOExcMgQwz-kjYaYFql4_7JhF2wAzpkoTrr77jCyD_bI8a7l067Gw5kSSkRfovrMMneRXy50rNTmTkH64LKQRHm5QxQrdrziRhzyv7LE/s1600/capped+wall+at+stairs+ryan+homes.png" height="426" title="" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Loft</td></tr>
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The capped wall at the loft is the only "non-standard" request we asked for and were granted from the builder. Typically, with hardwood stairs like we will have, the loft is entirely done in balusters as shown on the right side of the stairs above (not yet stained). In order to keep noise down and to enhance furniture placement for the loft, we were able to change one side of the balusters to the capped wall that is offered when you choose carpeted stairs. We're really happy we were granted this request!<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjnA27Q-JPgzturOl_VdjIudyKU0ownBCM_XusatoGQEUQK8ZenH6Mggx0Ws1UQdNfH-zVQs1-TXETDV_DSYtPxOjUexmbWn1B9ee8h_FtW_YFrDEHUG31pP9sOAUVG1IM8eD2_l_HMIyk/s1600/guest+bedroom+oval+window.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjnA27Q-JPgzturOl_VdjIudyKU0ownBCM_XusatoGQEUQK8ZenH6Mggx0Ws1UQdNfH-zVQs1-TXETDV_DSYtPxOjUexmbWn1B9ee8h_FtW_YFrDEHUG31pP9sOAUVG1IM8eD2_l_HMIyk/s1600/guest+bedroom+oval+window.png" height="640" width="426" /></a></td></tr>
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This lovely window is actually in one of the front guestrooms. We thought it would be in the loft by the way the elevation looks from the outside, but we were wrong. This guest room will arguably be the most charming extra room in the house! The window will be trimmed in white as well.<br />
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My neighbor chose her permanent paint colors in advance of their move and had a paint crew come in and paint the whole home before she and her fiance even moved in! It's awesome that she won't have to worry about moving furniture around or doing "one room at a time" in terms of paint. Me on the other hand, I have a bunch of jumbled Pinterest boards I still need to sort through to choose the final inspirations for each room.<br />
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How long did it take you to paint the rooms in your home to your liking? Do you know exactly what you want, or will you have to take some time to choose?<br />
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Angelahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07565382247296853581noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-561796550074216402.post-29816776612746170222014-04-03T21:23:00.001-04:002014-04-06T19:10:26.084-04:00Windows & DrywallOur windows were installed right after the framing was complete. We chose beige exterior windows to compliment our beige exterior trim (garage door, molding, gutters). The beige windows were actually required with the beige trim package, and the interior windows had to be beige (also called almond) as well. At first, we were skeptical about beige interior windows because typically interior window trim is white, but after researching the look of the almond windows online I am really excited about them, and they won't look awful if we decide to install white trim. <br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzMJm0hBxytbqwa6cc0CP38m5gwy7MaHl4xVYxKZm8tyLhT5bZ4t-Q0pnZxZ1XraEnx4ONEn5fTdvDnevSR3bkc2m0W1ttSVueROLZKaXyk5sphx5n-4Oyd_A6x96VIKX9dLhOAt8WZC8/s1600/almond+windows.PNG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzMJm0hBxytbqwa6cc0CP38m5gwy7MaHl4xVYxKZm8tyLhT5bZ4t-Q0pnZxZ1XraEnx4ONEn5fTdvDnevSR3bkc2m0W1ttSVueROLZKaXyk5sphx5n-4Oyd_A6x96VIKX9dLhOAt8WZC8/s1600/almond+windows.PNG" height="246" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1500vinylcollection.com/index.php/dev/sliding-window" target="_blank">source</a></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_safnFs3nmYDqfIaU7fqR3BwoZtWSNLPGO_jJtDiQfzM8LA8Q0duPKpsVZo85_E41PNmh0KfzVqzqEQ2NQkyAmT7oUOlXwXsL0Qn7G3FE4IHtUMVhpOk5qzqHdb_1ZGWwcHHz4j23xXk/s1600/beige+window+2.PNG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_safnFs3nmYDqfIaU7fqR3BwoZtWSNLPGO_jJtDiQfzM8LA8Q0duPKpsVZo85_E41PNmh0KfzVqzqEQ2NQkyAmT7oUOlXwXsL0Qn7G3FE4IHtUMVhpOk5qzqHdb_1ZGWwcHHz4j23xXk/s1600/beige+window+2.PNG" height="243" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1500vinylcollection.com/index.php/dev/sliding-window" target="_blank">source</a></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEisg_RzrFiQKGXnWi5UAswNB3xSwWTuiK-fCebq0JgW-OYk0n2o17LsFtnSHWig2xMVhn6cmFy1RH1FtnFkx1TLoUSdENWUwyvrHXohIoDafdNG1TW0IDP1F5fBcxi7kN5SJUciyk8Pex0/s1600/almond+interior+windows.PNG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEisg_RzrFiQKGXnWi5UAswNB3xSwWTuiK-fCebq0JgW-OYk0n2o17LsFtnSHWig2xMVhn6cmFy1RH1FtnFkx1TLoUSdENWUwyvrHXohIoDafdNG1TW0IDP1F5fBcxi7kN5SJUciyk8Pex0/s1600/almond+interior+windows.PNG" height="320" width="255" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.houzz.com/photos/3735596/The-Verdigre---Plan--936-traditional-bedroom-charlotte" target="_blank">source</a></td></tr>
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Now for our REAL windows!</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjcd2txVpY0CPKzEP2X0LCAJ1_d9kvSlYUzHgdQrtvbmdZArjdGJC74DGFMN408hYHkJDiQMi0MqvqmGEK-GcK7uie6fEOZOW7EGeAMwmofAxb0tkp1lQvme95SkoOXvH3wecVrWRmNfVM/s1600/rear_exterior_ryanhomes_naples.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="ryan homes exterior rear morning room naples" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjcd2txVpY0CPKzEP2X0LCAJ1_d9kvSlYUzHgdQrtvbmdZArjdGJC74DGFMN408hYHkJDiQMi0MqvqmGEK-GcK7uie6fEOZOW7EGeAMwmofAxb0tkp1lQvme95SkoOXvH3wecVrWRmNfVM/s1600/rear_exterior_ryanhomes_naples.jpg" height="426" title="" width="640" /></a></div>
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Hopefully, we'll get lots of natural light in our morning room.</div>
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The drywall went up quickly and was at the "mud and tape" phase during this round of photos. </div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Living Room</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmDfEkdkU3Bw-AHFeTbBMsos03ISuOygbL4F7bBH4txQ-Fu2wriDAzYw-lXa0YiuaqXDwkWy_JW3qiXf_UkuJTa2mXUZKDRZwr4y4VaDMnLkrcNDP7-jGzbfNlsugMphSXz1Oeon4mSiE/s1600/morning+room_ryan+homes_interior_drywall.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="ryan homes naples morning room" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmDfEkdkU3Bw-AHFeTbBMsos03ISuOygbL4F7bBH4txQ-Fu2wriDAzYw-lXa0YiuaqXDwkWy_JW3qiXf_UkuJTa2mXUZKDRZwr4y4VaDMnLkrcNDP7-jGzbfNlsugMphSXz1Oeon4mSiE/s1600/morning+room_ryan+homes_interior_drywall.jpg" height="426" title="" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Morning Room</td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhueeunv7f6YLmF42qIibk7CPzTDX0R5Nkh1uIRiB_zDf0BavcPJIDUKsk2R0vY4ai-rcskNizcI2S-9i_-Cw9wILCj4xaaAkFehMhELkEr6UQoV0q0l0oDAjsfRDOimUv9Q-ZNKgz8-I0/s1600/ryan+homes_loft.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="ryan homes naples loft" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhueeunv7f6YLmF42qIibk7CPzTDX0R5Nkh1uIRiB_zDf0BavcPJIDUKsk2R0vY4ai-rcskNizcI2S-9i_-Cw9wILCj4xaaAkFehMhELkEr6UQoV0q0l0oDAjsfRDOimUv9Q-ZNKgz8-I0/s1600/ryan+homes_loft.jpg" height="426" title="" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Loft</td></tr>
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There were some areas of the framing that needed to be re-secured, such as the wall at the top of the stairs shown above, but it was no big deal to point it out to Ryan Homes to correct.</div>
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Much more progress to come! You can definitely see things coming together here.</div>
Angelahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07565382247296853581noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-561796550074216402.post-42867871370264947042014-03-30T20:24:00.004-04:002014-03-30T20:24:47.155-04:00Framing<br />
At one point our home went from this:<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhv7g3rJkPxbFA1mUKEV79cjokI8lc3xn5BGLUGt5zTXNerDQLiM5EnuS8qRn6upJpvVAG-jZFbZioJCDh63_fp2CQZJGLW1vmmp7uPt8ocfyuDvH0qGd6NwskKwhnFEOcmpj_9tYZaryw/s1600/Pre+Slab.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="ryan homes slab" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhv7g3rJkPxbFA1mUKEV79cjokI8lc3xn5BGLUGt5zTXNerDQLiM5EnuS8qRn6upJpvVAG-jZFbZioJCDh63_fp2CQZJGLW1vmmp7uPt8ocfyuDvH0qGd6NwskKwhnFEOcmpj_9tYZaryw/s1600/Pre+Slab.jpg" height="426" title="" width="640" /></a></div>
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To this, seemingly overnight:<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgr7BbaW6ZFKB19NRpR2R9aEthR45CQLj35QqHbc6icAD84fIRrRfTgubl4fr4yxNHuJwtIIyD-UjW5vEm2hTcassWod5Ye-_CtQXadbbU6VGLW20HCVuWKa75N5Lj0L8nwPHPRIb5OSB8/s1600/IMG_0669.JPG" imageanchor="1"><img alt="ryan homes framing" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgr7BbaW6ZFKB19NRpR2R9aEthR45CQLj35QqHbc6icAD84fIRrRfTgubl4fr4yxNHuJwtIIyD-UjW5vEm2hTcassWod5Ye-_CtQXadbbU6VGLW20HCVuWKa75N5Lj0L8nwPHPRIb5OSB8/s1600/IMG_0669.JPG" height="426" title="" width="640" /></a></div>
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Really by the day we knew the framework had started, our entire house was up! <br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNK3zWJh9TfmPiIMh7MT-Nrws8Un-eQ6gBaI5KWM1at6_a2Af_w3NfOEYA8R-M6Pg6p4pgdpb_ZjgHLR9hefgK_ilPRvmM3cKCqo7WLDdTW2HXT2lzGgdtVnRX14KaeUrh9jAIani0-vU/s1600/IMG_0685.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="ryan homes morning room naples" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNK3zWJh9TfmPiIMh7MT-Nrws8Un-eQ6gBaI5KWM1at6_a2Af_w3NfOEYA8R-M6Pg6p4pgdpb_ZjgHLR9hefgK_ilPRvmM3cKCqo7WLDdTW2HXT2lzGgdtVnRX14KaeUrh9jAIani0-vU/s1600/IMG_0685.JPG" height="426" title="" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Morning Room</td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgp8NigsHVaEuKnhZt4s0VgIS_CbOmt4nGzzGVMna5CDEh9AkH33Yp91Uhhy1jQmYcDQA4R5ensnxIm8dm-xut9IgcuByNu_7tS33lXC9GU2Ubjlvzs4W_hH4ErsH4J78pwbvU6cFUkeh0/s1600/IMG_0688.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="ryan homes living room" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgp8NigsHVaEuKnhZt4s0VgIS_CbOmt4nGzzGVMna5CDEh9AkH33Yp91Uhhy1jQmYcDQA4R5ensnxIm8dm-xut9IgcuByNu_7tS33lXC9GU2Ubjlvzs4W_hH4ErsH4J78pwbvU6cFUkeh0/s1600/IMG_0688.JPG" height="426" title="" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Living Room</td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiO549hTxzkWM8thOU2K0HIBWcIndKg3-d-2gLGPGNhBzeK_5W7WZw3HA-3_VmIGNaWwdZUSs5onI11eNlxG_h7gk7Yb9Gm6jv1MjmHD4VE6WibZuRbdJVkB_nrf3kMkoiFZKBDY0e6agk/s1600/IMG_0714.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="ryan homes guest bedroom naples elevation d" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiO549hTxzkWM8thOU2K0HIBWcIndKg3-d-2gLGPGNhBzeK_5W7WZw3HA-3_VmIGNaWwdZUSs5onI11eNlxG_h7gk7Yb9Gm6jv1MjmHD4VE6WibZuRbdJVkB_nrf3kMkoiFZKBDY0e6agk/s1600/IMG_0714.JPG" height="426" title="" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Looking through the walls of Bedroom #1</td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhpaG8Gf3utwCNBcmLdVC-MQ9yFpwLSRuR5FP2E56qaaccMnLMDFl4Su3F8fZSFlj8azucaiuArpeOoVa1aJBApOAdf3h-pt9LdWGYM8ODeeJMP4GvTp83bxGYmSa-vfITXXE1tNCBvriU/s1600/IMG_0727.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="ryan homes stairs naples" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhpaG8Gf3utwCNBcmLdVC-MQ9yFpwLSRuR5FP2E56qaaccMnLMDFl4Su3F8fZSFlj8azucaiuArpeOoVa1aJBApOAdf3h-pt9LdWGYM8ODeeJMP4GvTp83bxGYmSa-vfITXXE1tNCBvriU/s1600/IMG_0727.JPG" height="640" title="" width="426" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Stairs</td></tr>
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Even with the weather delay we experienced in the very beginning, at the time of framing we were still on track to close by the end of April, and once the roof is on, weather is no longer a problem.<br />
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The entire process really flew by after this!<br />
<br />Angelahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07565382247296853581noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-561796550074216402.post-65374534098693507752014-03-26T08:58:00.001-04:002014-04-06T19:10:38.233-04:0030 Days Until Closing! The First Big "Oops"<br />
Today marks 30 days until closing! Here's to hoping it's not so much of a bumpy ride.<br />
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It seems every big milestone in life is sometimes accompanied by an "oops." On our wedding day, the chairs were late for delivery, delaying the start of the ceremony. For our neighbor's Ryan Homes build, the big oops was their kitchen island (later corrected). <br />
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Well ladies and gentlemen, Ryan Homes installed the WRONG STONE on our home.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiby_veCjOf0LkwsiXN1YZcpCERaUgCp4HjyGZVFFWwcnCqND6DUvbKT-5BbE2ZXpmE7HoW0dS5ZBF6KUkc9WGgcd3U3W7xcLgZ4GOG2FN8ADSgj39OZYmuXY37XjsbcUwfxhMhcHn2oDA/s1600/rustic+suede+stone.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiby_veCjOf0LkwsiXN1YZcpCERaUgCp4HjyGZVFFWwcnCqND6DUvbKT-5BbE2ZXpmE7HoW0dS5ZBF6KUkc9WGgcd3U3W7xcLgZ4GOG2FN8ADSgj39OZYmuXY37XjsbcUwfxhMhcHn2oDA/s1600/rustic+suede+stone.jpeg" height="478" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The sample at the bottom is the stone we selected, Arizona. Rustic Suede is the stone that is installed.</td></tr>
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We did not discover this mistake ourselves. Our project manager sent us a sweet little email last night, almost like clockwork with 30 days to go, saying honesty is the best policy and somehow it was determined the wrong stone was installed. We have seen the stone on our home once in person, and we asked about how the stone looked scuffed up (apparently it will be pressure washed back to normal). We didn't look hard enough or remember that the stone we selected is actually lighter than the stone installed. The "Rustic Suede" stone has pieces of grey and red in it, and the Arizona does not.<br />
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The stone installed is a stone that Ryan Homes does not even offer (at least in our community). Of course this can be corrected if we want it to. Basically, our project manager gave us two options:<br />
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1. We can keep the stone that was installed. We will be the only ones in the community to have it (a mistake laced with positives)!<br />
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2. We can have the stone replaced with the stone we actually selected.<br />
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This mistake does not bother me that much because it can be fixed, and I've already seen the stone once and didn't think to question it, but it certainly makes you wonder what other mistakes happen that are overlooked, hmmm?<br />
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We plan to visit the neighborhood this week and knock on the door of the house we modeled our selections after, so we can examine the stone on their porch (as we've only really seen it from our car on the street). Then we will simply decide if we prefer the "Rustic Suede" mistake stone, or the stone we actually chose.<br />
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Have you had any big things go wrong during your home building process?Angelahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07565382247296853581noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-561796550074216402.post-68710726776763397262014-03-11T22:11:00.004-04:002014-04-06T19:10:51.682-04:00Exterior Elevations<br />
Before we started the process of buying a home I had no idea the term "elevation" referred to the look of the exterior of a home. You would think it had something to do with how high the home sat on a piece of land, or something having to do with that. However, the term exterior elevation refers to the overall look and feel of the outside of your home, aka 'curb appeal.' When you drive up to your home, you want to feel like you LOVE it. You also want your home to appeal to others, so if and when you go to resell, it is easy. Choosing an elevation was one of the most important parts of the new-construction process for us. <br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMefDmK6WsIBgDrAs5yFmL4NhhJqvJxTP0l9d70UBmY_YhO929oq7YBncQY4JvuvubYLxU5tqiRMB4TW36Twq8jmymcw_gwmufe6nhflSpU6Ru_E-T8EjawbtSHr19WlY3p0nd5lKe6U4/s1600/ryan+homes+naples+elevation+d+blueprint.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="Ryan Homes Naples Elevation D" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMefDmK6WsIBgDrAs5yFmL4NhhJqvJxTP0l9d70UBmY_YhO929oq7YBncQY4JvuvubYLxU5tqiRMB4TW36Twq8jmymcw_gwmufe6nhflSpU6Ru_E-T8EjawbtSHr19WlY3p0nd5lKe6U4/s1600/ryan+homes+naples+elevation+d+blueprint.png" height="338" title="" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Ryan Homes Naples Elevation D</td></tr>
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When we did our initial pricing meeting with Ryan Homes, we chose our elevation based on blueprint drawings. Our floor plan only has one elevation with a front porch available, which we knew we really wanted, but later we initially eliminated this choice in favor of a less expensive elevation, due to seeing how much costs were adding up.<br />
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The most frustrating part of this entire process is there are no real-life examples of most of the options you can select. We chose our elevation from a blueprint, and then chose some colors based on small samples in the showroom. We later changed both.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhl1he3SlvB0I1_AT1BjB9fXoUNBlM6zGW3g2vCD6waDhKIMnHPSjrBAzv4QMEm-M787S60Ck28SJZfjByeqb0_lGRvpJI1qWEWuBGK21P5SBEssTDce0RndOLgPPcbvLNBcMpbuFFR_DU/s1600/ryan+homes+silver+mist+shake+graphite+gray+siding+english+stone+sherwin+williams+roycroft+copper+red+door.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="ryan homes color selections english stone" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhl1he3SlvB0I1_AT1BjB9fXoUNBlM6zGW3g2vCD6waDhKIMnHPSjrBAzv4QMEm-M787S60Ck28SJZfjByeqb0_lGRvpJI1qWEWuBGK21P5SBEssTDce0RndOLgPPcbvLNBcMpbuFFR_DU/s1600/ryan+homes+silver+mist+shake+graphite+gray+siding+english+stone+sherwin+williams+roycroft+copper+red+door.png" height="400" title="" width="380" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Ryan Homes Color Selection Process</td></tr>
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Looks good enough here. After selecting our colors we asked our sales rep could we pretty please have some addresses of the houses in the neighborhood that have our chosen elevation or colors?<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGyzdFSd5tDlC5WvIUcLZDxY7-kYTMDnwhf8WgpINi6VKxMfFThTiBCcqneCjNHbTkmEMq7xE7a9g9W6Yu2He7pE5JPrFQq_Dvo9jh9s5F1I3eijUOypfxpcUBGtNL6Il7WIELKaC_jy4/s1600/ryan+homes+silver+mist+shake+graphite+gray+siding+1.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="Ryan Homes Graphite Gray Siding, Silver Mist Shake, Roycroft Copper Red Door" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGyzdFSd5tDlC5WvIUcLZDxY7-kYTMDnwhf8WgpINi6VKxMfFThTiBCcqneCjNHbTkmEMq7xE7a9g9W6Yu2He7pE5JPrFQq_Dvo9jh9s5F1I3eijUOypfxpcUBGtNL6Il7WIELKaC_jy4/s1600/ryan+homes+silver+mist+shake+graphite+gray+siding+1.png" height="366" title="" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Ryan Homes Naples Elevation L, Graphite Gray Siding, Silver Mist Shake, Roycroft Copper Red Door</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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I always wanted a red door, but at this point we realized we didn't LOVE the contrast of these colors, or the elevation very much. It was time to make a change.<br />
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Now for my father's visit! He helped us determine what upgrades to add now and what we may be able to do ourselves later. For example, crown moulding can wait. We were able to move some money around on our selected options in order to get the elevation we really wanted, the one with a porch! There is only ONE house in the neighborhood with our elevation! There are other homes with front porches, but not with our floor plan or other exterior features. We have a chosen elevation example and a color example, as we will be the first house with both used together (pictured separately here).<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfzUkT8k7B4uF718c1_vBNeWEdoFMNnoSy39wj9mKbgGmiT6ohzbvbQ2nG5xwsR5fDY-7cXgEFYedUIFSJcMjHCi8OYZwAEFBLpB-mnv1vAsi8KiRv6A5jcHO8AWf-ouTnfhAaXge8YP8/s1600/ryan+homes+exterior+elevation+naples+d.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="yan Homes Naples Elevation D with Partial Stone" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfzUkT8k7B4uF718c1_vBNeWEdoFMNnoSy39wj9mKbgGmiT6ohzbvbQ2nG5xwsR5fDY-7cXgEFYedUIFSJcMjHCi8OYZwAEFBLpB-mnv1vAsi8KiRv6A5jcHO8AWf-ouTnfhAaXge8YP8/s1600/ryan+homes+exterior+elevation+naples+d.png" height="307" title="" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Ryan Homes Naples Elevation D with Partial Stone</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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We are getting a porch! I definitely zoomed in on this house from way across the street. Sorry neighbors. Future home-buyers are welcome to creep on my new house. I won't be allowed to mind one bit, considering how many times we circled through the neighborhood while doing our research. The home pictured here is our exact elevation, including the cute oval window!<br />
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Now for the colors!<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEie2EkoymhSLM9XMYs0o8EytYQS4j_qKEGwVTcSBWFX5O2ndF7jJR26phFJeZ2EhTgqkcw0QIQN5wAggR8ff6p-EC3HVRM4-0IghdNM1wBB5Oq663mH9CHY-3NJRLbRfyMJ0xOjRiFt0Gw/s1600/ryan+homes+color+selection.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="ryan homes arizona stone outerspace front door pebble clay siding sandy tan shake brown shutters color selection process" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEie2EkoymhSLM9XMYs0o8EytYQS4j_qKEGwVTcSBWFX5O2ndF7jJR26phFJeZ2EhTgqkcw0QIQN5wAggR8ff6p-EC3HVRM4-0IghdNM1wBB5Oq663mH9CHY-3NJRLbRfyMJ0xOjRiFt0Gw/s1600/ryan+homes+color+selection.png" height="400" title="" width="335" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Ryan Homes Color Selection Process</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqdqYRlwp9vyIiHb__W0LKAkbadtAoBVAPiu26Em0RKOGBI5_Jsfujjq6sUgrvYORN5uyRiz9zml8EwB-IO6Y_yYZjChQXJuaWqk-WA8zIP6c8PK5ZUYeIgnhKQRThEc1JLQqM4YeRDgc/s1600/ryan+homes+pebble+clay+siding+sandy+tan+shake.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqdqYRlwp9vyIiHb__W0LKAkbadtAoBVAPiu26Em0RKOGBI5_Jsfujjq6sUgrvYORN5uyRiz9zml8EwB-IO6Y_yYZjChQXJuaWqk-WA8zIP6c8PK5ZUYeIgnhKQRThEc1JLQqM4YeRDgc/s1600/ryan+homes+pebble+clay+siding+sandy+tan+shake.png" height="290" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Ryan Homes Pebble Clay Siding, Sandy Tan Shake, Brown Shutters, Cream Exterior Trim</td></tr>
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We must have researched every color color option available in the neighborhood when we were researching our colors. Seeing the colors in "real life" was important to us because how can you fully visualize your home? Our home will look very similar to the "real life" example above but we will have beige windows, that will blend into the overall color scheme even better, since we have beige/cream trim.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhgbyBzVVS3XrrdZpG-J4ek2qMZ_SspVP1Vh940YNcOzRnumYFCfDxc8tbjGsv1HCLHv9BXQgPvmxaXJdFyR6i311FhdKH9UTAfW2jkR5AvPIxhI28ZFkA5s1IOaKjprF687afN4zo0Tuk/s1600/ryan+homes+arizona+stone+porch.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="ryan homes porch elevation arizona stone beige cream trim" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhgbyBzVVS3XrrdZpG-J4ek2qMZ_SspVP1Vh940YNcOzRnumYFCfDxc8tbjGsv1HCLHv9BXQgPvmxaXJdFyR6i311FhdKH9UTAfW2jkR5AvPIxhI28ZFkA5s1IOaKjprF687afN4zo0Tuk/s1600/ryan+homes+arizona+stone+porch.png" height="247" title="" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Ryan Homes Front Porch with Arizona Stone</td></tr>
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Again, trying to not "creep" so hard on the neighbors. House numbers have been removed!<br />
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We have seen a lot of progress on our home since I last posted, but once they started framing everything moved so quickly! Lots of picture updates to come.<br />
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What color scheme is the exterior of your home? I'd still love to have a red door someday!<br />
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<br />Angelahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07565382247296853581noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-561796550074216402.post-6567882124785506832014-02-27T19:50:00.002-05:002014-02-27T19:53:50.929-05:00Our Kitchen Selections: Granite, Cabinets, and Lighting<br />
Selecting the options for our kitchen was fairly easy because we pretty much knew what we wanted. Luckily, the model home at our community features our selections, so it was easy to know and love what they will look like in "real life."<br />
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I love a timeless, white kitchen. <br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4jPL2_Kyre7ng3WMj82B1fFPAaoqCTistwZlTb4rsUJPSK17O7LLf7N3Uzu63OWXVugY6GzjI856GSsnOjmWBV_n4-v8MXkAolDaPHoOdUH56YRXUCus9nFCNSV0Lzm4e4azzDpCfkSSg/s1600/Full+Kitchen.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="ryan homes naples kitchen model maple glaze cabinets santa cecilia granite" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4jPL2_Kyre7ng3WMj82B1fFPAaoqCTistwZlTb4rsUJPSK17O7LLf7N3Uzu63OWXVugY6GzjI856GSsnOjmWBV_n4-v8MXkAolDaPHoOdUH56YRXUCus9nFCNSV0Lzm4e4azzDpCfkSSg/s1600/Full+Kitchen.png" height="425" title="" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Ryan Homes Naples Kitchen Model</td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjTipapwMq5ASlfNj125MLVInhSK6m8wG-DfUtavTNWgJZLEd4pYSb05zHo0DFF8mhBpZYkgzEyncXuAyAsr756FrvftcBxJ52ZDqydwexIddN5BxH0dyC3RMwyLBBWZbpHjJdVDexjklU/s1600/5cdd9aeab5c0faaeb2880c81151c245b.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="Ryan Homes Kitchen with Morning Room" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjTipapwMq5ASlfNj125MLVInhSK6m8wG-DfUtavTNWgJZLEd4pYSb05zHo0DFF8mhBpZYkgzEyncXuAyAsr756FrvftcBxJ52ZDqydwexIddN5BxH0dyC3RMwyLBBWZbpHjJdVDexjklU/s1600/5cdd9aeab5c0faaeb2880c81151c245b.jpg" title="" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Ryan Homes Kitchen with Morning Room <a href="http://www.ryanhomes.com/find-your-home/our-communities/south-carolina/fort-mill/massey/rome#photo-6" target="_blank">(source)</a></td></tr>
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The only thing hard to picture about our kitchen has been the actual layout. The kitchens above have become the "old" kitchen models as Ryan Homes frequently changes their floor plans. <br />
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Our kitchen layout moves the fridge to another wall, adding extra cabinet and countertop space. We have a morning room, so we will lose the window above the sink in the first picture and instead have bar space overlooking the morning room, as shown in the second photo.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj60fT4vOrWvz8ta5SC911KPmdbMBNGGDHKpA4H8-YJAMpzJxMRY6t3CiWydV_Tabmb28esV_obmDZ7hSkAVL1cS9lLSHNlsrYN7Bfb76qdS_FJmNFM0znpE9FjgD-ALV3iKwPoRAPDPjY2/s1600/Fridge+Location.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="ryan homes kitchen dining room" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj60fT4vOrWvz8ta5SC911KPmdbMBNGGDHKpA4H8-YJAMpzJxMRY6t3CiWydV_Tabmb28esV_obmDZ7hSkAVL1cS9lLSHNlsrYN7Bfb76qdS_FJmNFM0znpE9FjgD-ALV3iKwPoRAPDPjY2/s1600/Fridge+Location.png" height="425" title="" width="640" /></a></div>
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The refrigerator will now be on this wall, alongside the hallway leading to the dining room. The pantry is on the right of the hallway to the dining room.<br />
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As mentioned, luckily our granite is installed in the model so it is easy to see what it will look like. However, if you are interested in building with Ryan Homes, your granite samples to choose from are small squares.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhP-hEeab70-UtcTKhMZVQMTuGgC8bkgMXY7lENMLTZhtWSR9xXe39pCH6Y9K_hlE2BDCSYuZguIWihGpoTJJmnoey7MHA4OlFRKp8pTOmkHrwYuXp_il6PNb-S6oPIbg4SzSTy7EIcS1FB/s1600/Granite+Variations+Sample.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="Santa Cecilia Granite" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhP-hEeab70-UtcTKhMZVQMTuGgC8bkgMXY7lENMLTZhtWSR9xXe39pCH6Y9K_hlE2BDCSYuZguIWihGpoTJJmnoey7MHA4OlFRKp8pTOmkHrwYuXp_il6PNb-S6oPIbg4SzSTy7EIcS1FB/s1600/Granite+Variations+Sample.png" height="400" title="" width="265" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Santa Cecilia Granite</td></tr>
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The Santa Cecilia granite has two different shades to it, and can be either of the variations shown above (one has more gold to it). So it is important that if you choose Santa Cecilia (and can't choose your own slab, which we are not sure we can at this point) that you love both variations.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghoChc__1QtJFsUsHChyphenhyphenrhMilckk39DZRwsUyPPG2b0ovpm6A_ZwSdZE1TyofBMKuyrkGZjXH-J2_hBAMFlHunGKzcimYTbE63smyNxZ-0JxWJo-iqjedN0DrCP-DOY0EDH8z2-RP9dVH3/s1600/Granite+Variations+Example.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="santa cecilia granite ryan homes st. kitchen" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghoChc__1QtJFsUsHChyphenhyphenrhMilckk39DZRwsUyPPG2b0ovpm6A_ZwSdZE1TyofBMKuyrkGZjXH-J2_hBAMFlHunGKzcimYTbE63smyNxZ-0JxWJo-iqjedN0DrCP-DOY0EDH8z2-RP9dVH3/s1600/Granite+Variations+Example.png" height="441" title="" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Santa Cecilia Granite</td></tr>
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You can see the different variations in color actually sometimes run through the granite as in the photo above. Also note too when choosing a granite the granite names are standard. We were able to go to Home Depot and pick up a small sample of our granite to have on hand.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJ4OTW33yMUCum1ahZ2hBN48sXp7qnD6OXSCGH4y7taeQ2Kd0-lHjfsQAO0VsZQvDeqKsnoVCfMaDz-7ZETy0UyqiQsv1lxQDmS8mK7oQSk2GszmDZp8P5MNpJ84Lo1bWNJkAzdpUbEFW_/s1600/Santa+Cecilia+Granite+Under+Cabinet+Lighting.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="santa cecilia granite ryan homes under cabinet lighting" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJ4OTW33yMUCum1ahZ2hBN48sXp7qnD6OXSCGH4y7taeQ2Kd0-lHjfsQAO0VsZQvDeqKsnoVCfMaDz-7ZETy0UyqiQsv1lxQDmS8mK7oQSk2GszmDZp8P5MNpJ84Lo1bWNJkAzdpUbEFW_/s1600/Santa+Cecilia+Granite+Under+Cabinet+Lighting.png" height="425" title="" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Under-Cabinet Lighting</td></tr>
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My father suggested we add the under-cabinet lighting and I am so glad we did. It looks beautiful in the model, but it will also simply add more light in the kitchen, and it will be nice to not always have to burn the can lights overhead for our recessed lighting.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggpM-Yf-kPHjIhdqU9ANvC6aZZ3SzRemrS7pak7M1C8EaeVy3om1i7Mw25huT8m5XGAG77INmHBO139_e6EvuHzIUbME5fo7PM8FEi9Tkoy5RzpyJVfLZqgt9hB-kBPbxrPK4FtIuArmZ7/s1600/Timberlake+Butterscotch+Glaze+Closeup.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="Timberlake Rushmore Painted Maple Glaze Cabinets ryan homes" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggpM-Yf-kPHjIhdqU9ANvC6aZZ3SzRemrS7pak7M1C8EaeVy3om1i7Mw25huT8m5XGAG77INmHBO139_e6EvuHzIUbME5fo7PM8FEi9Tkoy5RzpyJVfLZqgt9hB-kBPbxrPK4FtIuArmZ7/s1600/Timberlake+Butterscotch+Glaze+Closeup.png" height="459" title="" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.timberlake.com/collections/rushmore/" target="_blank">Timberlake Rushmore Painted Maple Glaze Cabinets</a></td></tr>
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We are really happy with our cabinets, the Timberlake Rushmore Painted Maple Glaze cabinets. The Timberlake brand also offers a "hazelnut" glaze but we were worried they would look too dark, and liked the look of the cabinets in the model. <br />
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The next step for our kitchen (besides it actually being completed) is coming up with a "design" plan. We will want to find a kitchen island, choose and DIY a backsplash after move-in, and determine what color to paint, as well as a color scheme for decorative accents. It should be fun!<br />
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Do you like a white kitchen, or do you prefer darker cabinets? Both styles will be around for years to come.<br />
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<br />Angelahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07565382247296853581noreply@blogger.com11tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-561796550074216402.post-36576001533716527532014-02-17T18:56:00.003-05:002014-02-17T18:56:43.819-05:00The Wrath of Winter Storm Pax<br />
Last week we had a lot of snow in the Charlotte area, much more so than ever occurs here. Most of the southeast endured winter storm Pax. Unfortunately for us, because Charlotte hardly ever gets snow, our city lacks snow equipment to plow the roads and the entire city shuts down. It was fun taking my husband's truck (four wheel drive enabled) around to see our city covered in snow, but not so fun to see our lot covered in it.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiF4MKLyn97ukQOA-OnPbaMZWnX_kT605fHji_IfTkKjA2B29tHi_iPSQFjS80JJEfFtKJg8nIWU8mQEWxvobI7pms78ASswD1piia5mTDRfzHgR5HgmtoZxUmwtx8F91xA-EeliBMoJEi0/s1600/IMG_0406.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="ryan homes footings slab weather delay" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiF4MKLyn97ukQOA-OnPbaMZWnX_kT605fHji_IfTkKjA2B29tHi_iPSQFjS80JJEfFtKJg8nIWU8mQEWxvobI7pms78ASswD1piia5mTDRfzHgR5HgmtoZxUmwtx8F91xA-EeliBMoJEi0/s1600/IMG_0406.png" height="266" title="" width="400" /></a></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3wX5FQqE9hGfwVeqQxfbHkGA5NQ1RUxknciTcF3GscjiT6vvDg-1uJfiK-LhcAS4k0B1BP_WUGkXmZEJB9loW6t_pqSv1dwvP60Vo3MtOJtHRdNhQSCsqHtY9A0e9-_qnRxQXK1R2s2px/s1600/IMG_0408.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="ryan homes footings slab weather delay" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3wX5FQqE9hGfwVeqQxfbHkGA5NQ1RUxknciTcF3GscjiT6vvDg-1uJfiK-LhcAS4k0B1BP_WUGkXmZEJB9loW6t_pqSv1dwvP60Vo3MtOJtHRdNhQSCsqHtY9A0e9-_qnRxQXK1R2s2px/s1600/IMG_0408.png" height="266" title="" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
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During our Friday update on Valentine's Day, our project manager said he has to wait for the snow to melt before he can get through to the footings and get the city out to inspect and approve the footings. Then the concrete blocks will be laid in preparation for pouring the slab. He said all new construction is behind in the area due to the weather so he anticipated it would be hard to get the next steps done in a timely manner due to contractors being pulled every which direction to complete jobs. However, he said even with the weather delay we were still on schedule and will begin framing in 2 weeks!<br />
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Soon enough, our house will start to form in front of our eyes.<br />
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<br />Angelahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07565382247296853581noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-561796550074216402.post-7118444136794091382014-02-11T21:06:00.000-05:002014-02-12T10:59:23.537-05:00The Study (Upgraded Formal Living Room)<br />
We chose to upgrade the formal living room by adding a wall between that room and the dining room and adding a set of french doors to enter the room. While I really like the idea of a formal sitting area, it had the potential to never be used and we thought a designated office area would be more practical instead of sacrificing one of the upstairs bedrooms. This room is the only room downstairs we chose to leave carpeted (we would have loved wood but we had to draw the line somewhere as we priced out upgrade options). The room could also make a great enclosed playroom area. Here are some pictures from the model:<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgW3adj4fRXHeV6pdzTUCZyrD_GYfYMsWCz2A5xsfpLIYFXladf_seXNRwMXrMybVNm_Ql3FViN3BW2hJGeq5gAW_VHxeRK4nzj5a90aop0YAFuXW5ed9yLpFDv7KOkBi2d6mn-SXXAw12G/s1600/ryan+homes+study+two+doors.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="ryan homes formal living room study upgrade french doors" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgW3adj4fRXHeV6pdzTUCZyrD_GYfYMsWCz2A5xsfpLIYFXladf_seXNRwMXrMybVNm_Ql3FViN3BW2hJGeq5gAW_VHxeRK4nzj5a90aop0YAFuXW5ed9yLpFDv7KOkBi2d6mn-SXXAw12G/s1600/ryan+homes+study+two+doors.png" height="353" title="" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Ryan Homes Formal Living Room Upgraded to Study Option</td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNRgGCMAn6eRdXuXkSB5a8XjCJgqubd2pW-VffEvcHJ5smxXqR8YB7OpAXd-1gFVJB4CBUg1bcaXmF3zRFrAQ2AgkzD83GROXMphCZdO5DhqxWwNeduN968GhH2Ay_LVybwQgdvm57Vyoz/s1600/ryan+homes+study+one+door.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="ryan homes formal living room study upgrade french doors" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNRgGCMAn6eRdXuXkSB5a8XjCJgqubd2pW-VffEvcHJ5smxXqR8YB7OpAXd-1gFVJB4CBUg1bcaXmF3zRFrAQ2AgkzD83GROXMphCZdO5DhqxWwNeduN968GhH2Ay_LVybwQgdvm57Vyoz/s1600/ryan+homes+study+one+door.png" height="340" title="" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Ryan Homes Formal Living Room Upgraded to Study Option</td></tr>
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For our layout, the study is immediately to the right of the front door entry, so I hope we can setup a functional but "pretty" office space. Ryan loves filing cabinets so we will have to find a desk or chest of drawers that will camouflage filing space. <br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhlC5Uj6Gsu3jA6YHA7n0aR3J3zW6aBI_VuH3ZIhWf-PeR3X0pJmArOHbgH9XHl3nKD87oNE-SIHNQvPBL_2nkY6rtiekdJHKfSf4wzg0_3LexJna1OhiH9A55ipDIZ2lKufgs17vwhxISn/s1600/ryan+homes+study.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="ryan homes formal living room study upgrade french doors" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhlC5Uj6Gsu3jA6YHA7n0aR3J3zW6aBI_VuH3ZIhWf-PeR3X0pJmArOHbgH9XHl3nKD87oNE-SIHNQvPBL_2nkY6rtiekdJHKfSf4wzg0_3LexJna1OhiH9A55ipDIZ2lKufgs17vwhxISn/s1600/ryan+homes+study.png" height="400" title="" width="280" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Ryan Homes Formal Living Room Upgraded to Study Option</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSZdMGSmNHlBOJkg5KcfpiHjTkhPNof3hNyGc7Skm5wBpUKgoUIHUSyew6ifdrqPcwgvvRjI2k04LqjD1xyrtOcLVO5i0_yg4Lx_kIqVvVtR2-UixclfLVqMHTZMs9vuGdI5I-HmMvH6wN/s1600/ryan+homes+study+windows.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="ryan homes formal living room study upgrade french doors" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSZdMGSmNHlBOJkg5KcfpiHjTkhPNof3hNyGc7Skm5wBpUKgoUIHUSyew6ifdrqPcwgvvRjI2k04LqjD1xyrtOcLVO5i0_yg4Lx_kIqVvVtR2-UixclfLVqMHTZMs9vuGdI5I-HmMvH6wN/s1600/ryan+homes+study+windows.png" height="400" title="" width="300" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Ryan Homes Formal Living Room Upgraded to Study Option</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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Our windows are slightly different (six paneled) due to our elevation but will resemble the above. This room looks out over the front lawn.<br />
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Along the way I've gathered some inspiration for our study.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiOEkaajpFWuq71peYhOF2TRHGi_0B25ZzFCkR5Z3nWsDodrucdEJ1ApUsvuMB0e7hZCv4kOCnKuK9OW6E4Wh15Ne43Bpn_wK3niKVrBLt7EvTNm_YVxVbbK9Gukk59Jm6D1aG-FAvuhi0/s1600/study.PNG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiOEkaajpFWuq71peYhOF2TRHGi_0B25ZzFCkR5Z3nWsDodrucdEJ1ApUsvuMB0e7hZCv4kOCnKuK9OW6E4Wh15Ne43Bpn_wK3niKVrBLt7EvTNm_YVxVbbK9Gukk59Jm6D1aG-FAvuhi0/s1600/study.PNG" height="400" width="265" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/35707628@N07/3331456141/" target="_blank">Source</a></td></tr>
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The above is not a Ryan Homes build to my knowledge, but our front door will actually look similar (without the additional windows around) and this picture shows the french doors to the right of the front entry. I love the light fixture.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQp9GVzeoZ8Po7ZDmnYFSGA6PKrGylBnu7GlOrQbYRXt9Lhakjde9BdKEVge0gnFFWHiRSBB5K8cJUh_LRySj6K_08m7rI0JJlf_VN0brCBMG6fnOYgzRhfwSgj9KvxO7zvsLoi_29_EM/s1600/mom'sreadingnook.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQp9GVzeoZ8Po7ZDmnYFSGA6PKrGylBnu7GlOrQbYRXt9Lhakjde9BdKEVge0gnFFWHiRSBB5K8cJUh_LRySj6K_08m7rI0JJlf_VN0brCBMG6fnOYgzRhfwSgj9KvxO7zvsLoi_29_EM/s1600/mom'sreadingnook.jpg" height="400" width="266" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.ourfifthhouse.com/2012/09/master-bedroom-progress.html" target="_blank">Source</a></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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I'd love to somehow center a desk in the middle of the room (although I'm not sure about power cords) and I think a separate sitting area would be great. We also may be inheriting a piano that we would put in the study. <br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEitiA4EbyaBIcT7m_PGGkBZMOg0sxIcdzqUk2N7VL6s-tkWT8vjo6bOrrM1QnpnlQA79_ptuC9dVdGYHjXs2aiecrOXdogTwFHzukWg3o8yMuRhD942bO6uysxD5QvboNcdn8Nvd8lgu10/s1600/bc62eec040f372ae1ff805f768b297ef.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEitiA4EbyaBIcT7m_PGGkBZMOg0sxIcdzqUk2N7VL6s-tkWT8vjo6bOrrM1QnpnlQA79_ptuC9dVdGYHjXs2aiecrOXdogTwFHzukWg3o8yMuRhD942bO6uysxD5QvboNcdn8Nvd8lgu10/s1600/bc62eec040f372ae1ff805f768b297ef.jpg" height="282" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://highstreetmarket.blogspot.com/2011/11/vintage-city-maps.html" target="_blank">Source</a></td></tr>
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Ryan LOVES maps. Really, he could look at them all day. I'm sure we will frame some maps for the office. He mostly works from home, so the office will be in a sense his "man cave."<br />
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Would you choose a formal living room or an office/study if you could choose to use one space for either?<br />
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<br />Angelahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07565382247296853581noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-561796550074216402.post-16413432724700417542014-02-10T11:11:00.001-05:002014-02-12T11:00:08.182-05:00The Footings are PouredWhat is a footing? If you are anything like me and/or don't have a construction background, you likely have no idea. The footing is part of the foundation and you can read more about footings <a href="http://www.diynetwork.com/remodeling/a-strong-foundation-footings-introduction/index.html" target="_blank">here</a>. Basically, some concrete looks to be haphazardly poured in preparation for the concrete blocks that will be laid prior to pouring the concrete slab over the entire floor plan layout. But, we have footings! Check out our red clay and concrete.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJ2kg1_qgEd17qtuL_2qbvSDdoil2AsVNityOiMxnqeKYkRdPLj5f06Ajtf4bDzSU1GfDzcbuXvI2KqzIEzT4AbfjbwinFx1GjhWMqLqfvrxnYzmkLNGA5H9DdwqWnGdaJVQwtA054Vcev/s1600/Ryan+Homes+Naples+Reverse+Floor+Plan+Elevation+D+Garage+Footings.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="Ryan Homes Naples Reverse Floor Plan Garage Footings" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJ2kg1_qgEd17qtuL_2qbvSDdoil2AsVNityOiMxnqeKYkRdPLj5f06Ajtf4bDzSU1GfDzcbuXvI2KqzIEzT4AbfjbwinFx1GjhWMqLqfvrxnYzmkLNGA5H9DdwqWnGdaJVQwtA054Vcev/s1600/Ryan+Homes+Naples+Reverse+Floor+Plan+Elevation+D+Garage+Footings.JPG" height="400" title="" width="300" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Left Side of Home (Garage) Footing</td></tr>
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Our garage is on the far left side of the front of our home.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1D4MoaV4T6pOZMYqJcEzssF9Hl19w8fhJnPszqjDVWDnSKYxTYWnELxL2ge5jTJQU23b6uMUJNOBRBqILSK-WoZFGwyktwk29TmOFSpgXRFt673tkAqHR1_DwKDzsvHqwgE9_ybijZ-N4/s1600/Ryan+Homes+Naples+Reverse+Floor+Plan+Elevation+D+Footings.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="Ryan Homes Naples Reverse Floor Plan Elevation D Porch" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1D4MoaV4T6pOZMYqJcEzssF9Hl19w8fhJnPszqjDVWDnSKYxTYWnELxL2ge5jTJQU23b6uMUJNOBRBqILSK-WoZFGwyktwk29TmOFSpgXRFt673tkAqHR1_DwKDzsvHqwgE9_ybijZ-N4/s1600/Ryan+Homes+Naples+Reverse+Floor+Plan+Elevation+D+Footings.JPG" height="300" title="" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Front Door and Front Porch Footing</td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEifjNbGdAe1IBM8bH-Mm_lInQybfF0qbu1-O9bu3aC6g7bFmBob9p-LFujTm5XnWhyphenhyphenx4ipNCNtVmNbXpHazHNaE9LwKPgQYnUy3yuwSfPUbEbERQq0zRmMv94PXkErjbPO-L0ZKmjTZMqve/s1600/Ryan+Homes+Naples+Reverse+Floor+Plan+Elevation+D+Front+Porch+Footings.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="Ryan Homes Naples Reverse Floor Plan Elevation D Front Porch" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEifjNbGdAe1IBM8bH-Mm_lInQybfF0qbu1-O9bu3aC6g7bFmBob9p-LFujTm5XnWhyphenhyphenx4ipNCNtVmNbXpHazHNaE9LwKPgQYnUy3yuwSfPUbEbERQq0zRmMv94PXkErjbPO-L0ZKmjTZMqve/s1600/Ryan+Homes+Naples+Reverse+Floor+Plan+Elevation+D+Front+Porch+Footings.JPG" height="300" title="" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Front Porch Footings</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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We are building the Naples (reverse floor plan) Elevation D. We have a front porch!<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEguEVfu5U7qYgVO4OfoCcR9RNa18XLJ6770FPZmJrM1QDCF60_ybVyZlZNm08660OEoYGEC1XpMM2uPvQ_sYL6xzTvjOAUUqgGIaHhiGlpxdNuEYNNKs8gn_CAP_QvaHsr_pF5Xf4gI3whI/s1600/Ryan+Homes+Naples+Reverse+Floor+Plan+Morning+Room+Extension+and+Rear+Fireplace.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="Ryan Homes Reverse Floor Plan Morning Room Rear Fireplace Footing" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEguEVfu5U7qYgVO4OfoCcR9RNa18XLJ6770FPZmJrM1QDCF60_ybVyZlZNm08660OEoYGEC1XpMM2uPvQ_sYL6xzTvjOAUUqgGIaHhiGlpxdNuEYNNKs8gn_CAP_QvaHsr_pF5Xf4gI3whI/s1600/Ryan+Homes+Naples+Reverse+Floor+Plan+Morning+Room+Extension+and+Rear+Fireplace.JPG" height="400" title="" width="300" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Morning Room Extension and Rear Fireplace Footing</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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In the above picture you can see the outline of our morning room extension off the kitchen and a small stick out for the rear fireplace. You can also see the bit of yard on that side we will lose to the morning room compared to our neighbor's yard next door. <br />
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The next step is pouring the concrete slab over the entire thing. Unfortunately, Charlotte is due for 4-6 inches of snow this week due to the harsh winter the southeast has had this year. It is unusual for it to snow much in Charlotte. We think this may delay the pouring of our slab, but we'll have to wait and see what our project manager says.<br />
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</script>Angelahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07565382247296853581noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-561796550074216402.post-931566739561268892014-02-08T21:59:00.004-05:002014-03-31T16:30:00.841-04:00Oil Rubbed Bronze vs. Brushed Nickel Hardware<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivsQCQPMI-k9tizRMEC1mHVYNNVQZ4Xg8LLY_2K9IohWjqDOS9Zz9G23LgDq1zebPPxl2xPGfr7fv9iNtCoPfcHlqPkp_7FX8doXCWZ3mLmxsAR1NkuGeQhj4cerDXGJknOLAV0HWBBlI/s1600/ORBvsNickelPin.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="oil rubbed bronze, brushed nickel, sweet home carolinas blog" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivsQCQPMI-k9tizRMEC1mHVYNNVQZ4Xg8LLY_2K9IohWjqDOS9Zz9G23LgDq1zebPPxl2xPGfr7fv9iNtCoPfcHlqPkp_7FX8doXCWZ3mLmxsAR1NkuGeQhj4cerDXGJknOLAV0HWBBlI/s1600/ORBvsNickelPin.png" height="320" title="" width="320" /></a></div>
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The standard plumbing hardware in our Ryan Homes community is chrome, so during the upgrade selection process we were able to consider upgrading to oil rubbed bronze hardware or brushed nickel hardware for all of the plumbing fixtures. We are going to have bronze hardware on our interior doors, but for the plumbing we wanted brushed nickel. Our fixtures will all be Moen brand, specifically from the <a href="http://www.moen.com/eva/_/N-1z141sn?paginator=true&offset=1" target="_blank">Eva</a> collection. <br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgcRXQNXaFLobeGtyY8r8ZOEcueEKWyHstK7xVIhyphenhyphenbgLTqTx7KOdbKrVY5nmvNM58GNGKeNaYeEwTvpzuXFPlLkaMcuUub9MHERhPGnfqoZWypqRgkDIGtUjFkDesiefexp2gHa4zFW5yRA/s1600/IMG_0318.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="ryan homes brushed nickel hardware soaking garden tub" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgcRXQNXaFLobeGtyY8r8ZOEcueEKWyHstK7xVIhyphenhyphenbgLTqTx7KOdbKrVY5nmvNM58GNGKeNaYeEwTvpzuXFPlLkaMcuUub9MHERhPGnfqoZWypqRgkDIGtUjFkDesiefexp2gHa4zFW5yRA/s1600/IMG_0318.JPG" height="266" title="" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Ryan Homes Upgraded Garden Soaking Tub (James Joyce Model)</td></tr>
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I am looking forward to our soaking garden tub. We have one now in our rental and I love to relax and catch up on TV shows on my iPad. The faucet shown is the Moen Eva Brushed Nickel Two Handle High Arc <a href="http://www.moen.com/eva/brushed-nickel-two-handle-high-arc-roman-tub-faucet/_/R-CONSUMER%3AT943BN" target="_blank">Roman Tub Faucet</a>. The tub we are actually getting with our upgrade is the rectangular one below.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdc3rWx8t3kDHAbEThBbqT9klkSU8bgn4riDpZuunMY5nAmDeGuHTf5dV1Ssi1C-vE8RS_uHYKuwacJFjU18IUuFXu9_sF7RHEXaSuQqHjOWI59pvZlEZtxzwFayPtw8zWymFPYz4af3tj/s1600/IMG_0304.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="ryan homes oil rubbed bronze garden soaking tub upgrade" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdc3rWx8t3kDHAbEThBbqT9klkSU8bgn4riDpZuunMY5nAmDeGuHTf5dV1Ssi1C-vE8RS_uHYKuwacJFjU18IUuFXu9_sF7RHEXaSuQqHjOWI59pvZlEZtxzwFayPtw8zWymFPYz4af3tj/s1600/IMG_0304.JPG" height="266" title="" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Ryan Homes Oil Rubbed Bronze Option (Naples Model)</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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Oil rubbed bronze hardware or (ORB) is known for showing water spots, so that is one thing to consider if you like the look. Choosing between these two finishes is mostly just personal preference. <br />
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Glass shower surrounds can be expensive to replace if you are changing from one finish to the other. If you are buying a resale home, this is a small detail but fixture finishes can really change the overall look and feel of your bathroom. <br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjv-mVOKBq4VNIVooH1GRBiVkKx695Vjki0ptBISH4gGvIJH5S68MvPB3q-JAeZDdE7QQ35vd00f-6p9e0qW5xbeEH3WbRDYj804yxSExrVNxNoA74ZMREmN2OaOBn1z8AUCmMOcLtK_bxE/s1600/IMG_0755.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjv-mVOKBq4VNIVooH1GRBiVkKx695Vjki0ptBISH4gGvIJH5S68MvPB3q-JAeZDdE7QQ35vd00f-6p9e0qW5xbeEH3WbRDYj804yxSExrVNxNoA74ZMREmN2OaOBn1z8AUCmMOcLtK_bxE/s1600/IMG_0755.jpg" height="400" width="300" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Ryan Homes Oil Rubbed Bronze Glass Shower Surround</td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9boesLCD_YM4t2ZuB2tz_3dvKDKkmDU8ecaU-5L0Mmz3cHQ2eh1QUYv3VXuvQAHgozjs4u71T15oCXxcfpHy59os4qFSgSep9uMA1JfW2ihnQU06-wtmQ8PwVGO6nUIyViauZCKjh23Kq/s1600/IMG_0696.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9boesLCD_YM4t2ZuB2tz_3dvKDKkmDU8ecaU-5L0Mmz3cHQ2eh1QUYv3VXuvQAHgozjs4u71T15oCXxcfpHy59os4qFSgSep9uMA1JfW2ihnQU06-wtmQ8PwVGO6nUIyViauZCKjh23Kq/s1600/IMG_0696.jpg" height="400" width="300" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Ryan Homes Brushed Nickel Glass Shower Surround</td></tr>
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We chose not to upgrade the cultured marble countertops in both bathrooms, and really preferred the look of the brushed nickel against the countertop as opposed to the oil rubbed bronze. <br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjSA6ImlNqvBK37Sac2fNL9908cLXcJUTX4wQDp7ANn7sUueA3xtFYiYUutkmTWg8or98SX3S3cIDvKTrSUjJ_E_sA9ax85IljQSx5YesChSkekFMuzB44K65UYnF1Vywhyp6ERmQYgGDv/s1600/IMG_0321.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="ryan homes brushed nickel moen cultured marble countertop" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjSA6ImlNqvBK37Sac2fNL9908cLXcJUTX4wQDp7ANn7sUueA3xtFYiYUutkmTWg8or98SX3S3cIDvKTrSUjJ_E_sA9ax85IljQSx5YesChSkekFMuzB44K65UYnF1Vywhyp6ERmQYgGDv/s1600/IMG_0321.JPG" height="266" title="" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Ryan Homes Cultured Marble Countertop with Brushed Nickel Fixtures</td></tr>
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The sink fixtures are the Moen Brushed Nickel Two-Handle High Arc Bathroom <a href="http://www.moen.com/eva/brushed-nickel-two-handle-high-arc-bathroom-faucet/_/R-CONSUMER%3A6410BN?swatch=1" target="_blank">Faucets</a>.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMEwYDJGbq0mW96NIYSgmw7SygnqPGlVUHgHhyphenhyphenNu8mQ3hwHNV1i48eY3Q50p4keUuZ7Tts02csf0htvmgQz_jCMulGnb1qaare0N3dv_r1QrnTMBAYj0tpGggTXNFPToPQBBhsvQ-hf0k/s1600/moen+eva.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="moen eva brushed nickel bathroom faucets" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMEwYDJGbq0mW96NIYSgmw7SygnqPGlVUHgHhyphenhyphenNu8mQ3hwHNV1i48eY3Q50p4keUuZ7Tts02csf0htvmgQz_jCMulGnb1qaare0N3dv_r1QrnTMBAYj0tpGggTXNFPToPQBBhsvQ-hf0k/s1600/moen+eva.jpg" height="300" title="" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.moen.com/shared/images/alt_478/set_shots_1136.jpg" target="_blank">source</a></td></tr>
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We did not upgrade the fiberglass surround in the guest bathroom, so the fixtures will also sit against a white in the shower in that bathroom. The guest bath and master bath will each have the Moen Eva Brushed Nickel Posi-Temp <a href="http://www.moen.com/eva/brushed-nickel-posi-temp-r-tub-shower/_/R-CONSUMER%3AT2133BN" target="_blank">Tub</a> or <a href="http://www.moen.com/eva/brushed-nickel-posi-temp-r-shower-only/_/R-CONSUMER%3AT2132BN" target="_blank">Shower</a> only fixtures.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtAeAwR9q-nPnxAZpcM5li_a6MT6qYopPovD8O_RrwaE5GcAg3wJ3-1ivI_lU-I11s8xtU-HPMsY2BsgFcBOJ5X01sAKOuUGvpzX-yBUbV0GbxAAf-lZPWZbMFjlqFCoiUBUBA_z2GBgR6/s1600/IMG_0317.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="ryan homes fiberglass surround moen brushed nickel fixtures" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtAeAwR9q-nPnxAZpcM5li_a6MT6qYopPovD8O_RrwaE5GcAg3wJ3-1ivI_lU-I11s8xtU-HPMsY2BsgFcBOJ5X01sAKOuUGvpzX-yBUbV0GbxAAf-lZPWZbMFjlqFCoiUBUBA_z2GBgR6/s1600/IMG_0317.JPG" height="266" title="" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Ryan Homes fiberglass shower surround with Moen Brushed Nickel Fixtures</td></tr>
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The oil rubbed bronze look...<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhY6X2EQUIzq4GcNM9SziVrkUjF6RgDtZM0AlFkNWCkpuVn7Ww-gR3yOcBTaV2fFJgk-0GahU9iUpoQ21dpykCC3f1_G5TVvnldFxpKVoS5SZGeQcTkVxXgHm0Wnx1EIp6_BRvSjgUrigon/s1600/IMG_0745.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhY6X2EQUIzq4GcNM9SziVrkUjF6RgDtZM0AlFkNWCkpuVn7Ww-gR3yOcBTaV2fFJgk-0GahU9iUpoQ21dpykCC3f1_G5TVvnldFxpKVoS5SZGeQcTkVxXgHm0Wnx1EIp6_BRvSjgUrigon/s1600/IMG_0745.jpg" height="400" width="300" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Ryan Homes fiberglass shower surround with Moen Oil Rubbed Bronze Fixtures</td></tr>
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The faucets in the powder room also sit on a white pedestal sink. <br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMREo5XMKZRKFlkicWtQGB785wuYLWy3aPtQGfLizb53FfK4MjI-GQ-GMxJF0WjYDSRKEeY11pvPiJb35XB5TgTLTZqlD7-iSJxnYOwr8DB0LMYwFxoC09PQ6Fb1NmANGcd2m0aUCFqOST/s1600/IMG_0314.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="Ryan Homes Powder Room Pedestal Sink with Brushed Nickel Fixtures" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMREo5XMKZRKFlkicWtQGB785wuYLWy3aPtQGfLizb53FfK4MjI-GQ-GMxJF0WjYDSRKEeY11pvPiJb35XB5TgTLTZqlD7-iSJxnYOwr8DB0LMYwFxoC09PQ6Fb1NmANGcd2m0aUCFqOST/s1600/IMG_0314.JPG" height="400" title="" width="266" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Ryan Homes Powder Room Pedestal Sink with Brushed Nickel Fixtures</td></tr>
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What fixture finishes do you have in your bathroom?<br />
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</script>Angelahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07565382247296853581noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-561796550074216402.post-42631281003940432102014-02-06T21:35:00.003-05:002014-02-11T19:22:37.323-05:00Choosing a Floor PlanOnce we decided we wanted to build with Ryan Homes, choosing a floor plan was actually one of the easier parts of the process. There were certain aspects of the layout that we knew we wanted, and not all floor plans offered. Ryan Homes builds for modern living, so all of the floor plans available to us to choose from had kitchens that opened to the family room, which many people look for. <br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Naples Reverse Floor Plan</td></tr>
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Surprisingly, not all of the floor plans with a formal dining room had the dining room connected to the kitchen, so we made sure to choose one that had a connecting hallway. We are also really excited about our Morning Room (or Sunroom). It can be used as a breakfast area or as an extension of the family room. The "study" downstairs shown above is actually a formal living room that we chose to upgrade to a study. The upgrade closes in the study from the dining room and adds two french doors. <br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8xlErP8avxA8fRj2Q2iLbqMbjJl_CAcZn9LilxYdeJ-RtUHgr_nZdM6biItXoRws2dfxHgGCcImOSfq6AdI46TzB5813V5VZUXwve2xAZIXwMgKCIvrKGLoWbjhiwdF2r2SU30pRr4FJe/s1600/naples+reverse+second+floor+plan+ryan+homes.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="naples reverse floor plan ryan homes" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8xlErP8avxA8fRj2Q2iLbqMbjJl_CAcZn9LilxYdeJ-RtUHgr_nZdM6biItXoRws2dfxHgGCcImOSfq6AdI46TzB5813V5VZUXwve2xAZIXwMgKCIvrKGLoWbjhiwdF2r2SU30pRr4FJe/s1600/naples+reverse+second+floor+plan+ryan+homes.png" height="640" title="" width="472" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Naples Reverse Floor Plan</td></tr>
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Upstairs, we have an open loft and 4 bedrooms. We loved the size of our master bedroom and that the his/hers closets are completely separate. The master is also big enough to have a separate seating/reading area. There are really no "upgrade" options to the floor plan itself besides closing the living room into a study (which we did) and upgrading the master bath to have a garden soaking tub and separate shower with seat. One thing we were able to approve not pictured above is reversing the way the door opens to both the laundry room and the "his" closet. The house is built to have those doors open into the room, and we thought it was an inefficient use of space to have the door open into those rooms. The laundry room door would have essentially needed to be closed or held open to do laundry. But, we got those two doors reversed and are very happy.<br />
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The "reverse" floor plan just means our floor plan is a mirror image of the regular floor plan. The lot dictates which side your driveway must be on due to drainage (something like that, ha)! The furnished model in our community is NOT a reverse floor plan, so things might feel a little backwards once we first move in, because we know the model like the back of our hands.<br />
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After choosing the floor plan we had to decide the rest of the upgraded options. More to come!<br />
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</script>Angelahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07565382247296853581noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-561796550074216402.post-23708887552143591652014-02-03T13:04:00.000-05:002014-02-11T19:22:23.711-05:00SOLD! Building a Naples with Ryan HomesOne of my best friends, Lauren, started looking to purchase a home with her fiance around the same time as we did. Lauren and I work for the same company and can chat online throughout the day. One Monday morning she started telling me about her weekend and that she and her fiance were going to build a home together! That weekend was the first and only time they had been out house hunting. I thought Lauren was crazy to be jumping into such a big decision so quickly, but I was so excited for our friends.<br />
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Fast forward to a few weekends into our home search, having seen several existing homes and not loving any of them. Lauren's new neighborhood sounded like it had all the right things, but my husband and I remained calculated in our home search, going over all of our options until we had exhausted them. We never thought we would build a home together as our first house. But were we starting to come around to the idea?<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">SOLD!</td></tr>
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We had driven through Lauren's neighborhood but not stopped at the model home. One weekend we went to check it out. It was beautiful! You should have seen Ryan's face as we walked into the master bedroom. All things considered (new vs. older home, schools, commute to Uptown Charlotte) we decided the new neighborhood was the best fit for us too!<br />
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Everyone approaches home buying differently. Lauren went with her gut and saved herself a lot of time on weekends. We went to home after home and never found the right combination of things- the right location, the right school district, the right floor plan, while Lauren shopped for furniture. We are so grateful to be living in the same neighborhood as our best friends. In fact, we ended up purchasing the lot right next door to them due to it being the only one left with a wooded backyard. We couldn't ask for better future neighbors and we're so glad our friends are excited to have us swoop in on their great initial decision! We're so excited for the future of our neighborhood and hope we are just a few of the other young couples moving there as well!
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</script>Angelahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07565382247296853581noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-561796550074216402.post-36312654033451593032014-02-02T21:31:00.000-05:002014-02-11T19:22:11.248-05:00Househunting in CharlotteMy husband Ryan and I decided to start looking for a home to buy about 5 months before the end of our lease. I asked around for realtor recommendations, and we quickly found someone to work with. Initially, our search was time-sensitive because we did not want to renew a lease. We wanted to start putting our monthly payment towards an actual mortgage. We wanted the money we spent each month on housing to stay <i>ours</i>.<br />
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Everyone hears that renting is "throwing money away." We believe this to be true. Even though my husband could potentially be required to relocate in a few years, if we at least start "buying and selling," instead of just renting, the monthly payments we make every month will be going towards <i>equity</i> and <u>not</u> towards someone else's mortgage payment. When you rent, you get nothing in return. Especially as we matured and started looking for rentals that were more expensive to begin with, the best time to become homeowners was clearly as soon as possible.<br />
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Charlotte has several historical, close-in neighborhoods and a few suburbs. For our search, we wanted to stay in South Charlotte. In addition to our ideal location we also considered schools, nearby amenities, and age of the home.<br />
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How did we decide new construction was right for us? <br />
<a name='more'></a>We were never intimidated by a good old-fashioned DIY project. My father has certainly shown me that most anything can be "updated" and fixed to your liking, being that he used to be a successful commercial tile contractor and built <i>and</i> recently remodeled my parents' forever home. I actually prefer the look of older, established neighborhoods with mature landscaping compared to new developments. For a while we were looking to find a cute, charming ranch in an established neighborhood. Even if it needed some updating, I knew I could make it our own.<br />
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But, you can't change square footage. You can't (easily) change floor plan. You can't change the fact that in the 50s a neighborhood wasn't built with power lines underground and there are electrical power lines lines running right through the backyard of that cute, charming ranch. Garages were not common either, and we wanted a garage. We were disappointed in many of the ranches we saw. To live "close-in" to the city, we found we would pay a higher premium price, and get an older, less efficient home with a poor school system. Charlotte has a "lottery" system for its public schools, where you can elect to attend a public magnet school instead of your assigned public school, but it is not something I looked into much. We do not have kids but for the chance we stay in this home to raise them to school-age, good schools would be a great thing to have. Not to mention we would quickly outgrow a home we could have afforded to purchase "close-in." However, older homes in this area do have bigger yards and potentially more space between the homes compared to the suburbs. There were always pros/cons to each aspect of our decision making process. The important thing to remember was that we could never 'have it all,' but we could get close.<br />
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There is one particular suburb of Charlotte we focused our search in, but the homes were at least 20 years older compared to our new construction home. By building new construction, we get the "latest and greatest" in home building. For example, we'll have a tankless water heater system with unlimited hot water. We could do a load of hot laundry, wash dishes, and take hot showers in both bathrooms and never run out of hot water. And, to build new we will only be about 15 minutes away from the established suburb we were first looking in, with all the shopping and restaurants. The schools are also top-rated where we will be living. Building new ended up being the right decision for us in the Charlotte market.<br />
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We are so excited to begin our journey in home-ownership and to watch our new neighborhood continue to grow! Have you ever considered new construction?<br />
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</script>Angelahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07565382247296853581noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-561796550074216402.post-53136452357899692552014-02-01T18:57:00.003-05:002014-02-11T19:21:34.212-05:00A Year in Review - Moving to Charlotte<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Even though we are a week into 2014, I thought it would make sense to post a "year in review" of 2013 in order to kick-start the blog. 2013 was an eventful year for my little family (my husband, Ryan, and dog, Jack). Near the end of 2013, my husband was offered a promotion that required a move to Charlotte, North Carolina. The decision to move was long and hard as we loved our friends and family in Florida. But, we decided to move from Tampa, FL to Charlotte in January 2013, excited for our new adventure.</span><br />
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<b><span style="font-family: puritan, sans-serif; font-size: large;">January</span></b><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjnB8ZZOf6HRHg2i9_2VIfExu7_yEMW0jrNNLol5AwN5ZZU8aL_wn2Z-ITkQ9umuPwM2wr4PwoHAHqOLWDWaXmseTG1LGHoGtCvphwJ2HnpBbNjQrONUhsqr9wj-pILiUyXBo52hv8HgjBo/s1600/Charlotte+NC+Townhome+Madison+Park.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="Charlotte, NC: Southpark area townhome, Madison Park" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjnB8ZZOf6HRHg2i9_2VIfExu7_yEMW0jrNNLol5AwN5ZZU8aL_wn2Z-ITkQ9umuPwM2wr4PwoHAHqOLWDWaXmseTG1LGHoGtCvphwJ2HnpBbNjQrONUhsqr9wj-pILiUyXBo52hv8HgjBo/s1600/Charlotte+NC+Townhome+Madison+Park.jpg" height="640" title="" width="600" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Charlotte, NC: Southpark area townhome</td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; text-align: -webkit-auto;">My husband and I visited Charlotte to find a place to live (and rent). We knew little to nothing about the area prior to our relocation, but thankfully Ryan's counterpart at the company was able to provide some suggestions on places to look. We lucked out and found a beautiful townhome to rent in a great close-in location. </span><br />
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<b><span style="font-family: puritan, sans-serif; font-size: large;">February</span></b><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqRgj1CLHheyzS7gCgBbHgZ-_lHpt8hVlleZM7_TbpxOKUmLDTLkQXD5z5bNEuInzTdaEhUfX-OlqBzETLimLXaAa9Ybvo_Hl82gR1wMBweUWf49yA3d65Ix0G_zXHTuhSD2s7SVAEAa_e/s1600/Charlotte+NC+Snow.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="Snow in Charlotte, NC, North Carolina" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqRgj1CLHheyzS7gCgBbHgZ-_lHpt8hVlleZM7_TbpxOKUmLDTLkQXD5z5bNEuInzTdaEhUfX-OlqBzETLimLXaAa9Ybvo_Hl82gR1wMBweUWf49yA3d65Ix0G_zXHTuhSD2s7SVAEAa_e/s1600/Charlotte+NC+Snow.png" height="480" title="" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Snow in Charlotte, NC</td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">We move to Charlotte! </span><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">The second weekend we lived in Charlotte, Charlotte had its only snow of the season. Everyone told us it snows once a year in Charlotte, and we were here for it.</span><br />
<a name='more'></a><b><span style="font-family: puritan, sans-serif; font-size: large;">March</span></b><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiaJW1uuba-OhMv0lpaaUkGISvIgSEYWVqqNMnBv0C0EKI5gbW9pS7NB8P4B5jq1Hda4p7FNcgWNcrUGIbz9cP7Z97cOIA5_l4fJaDfZVsaSUnN5t-JyBKCUYeYOwyxPVJTwexf_2O08MIv/s1600/March+-+WWC.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="US National Whitewater Center in Charlotte, NC" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiaJW1uuba-OhMv0lpaaUkGISvIgSEYWVqqNMnBv0C0EKI5gbW9pS7NB8P4B5jq1Hda4p7FNcgWNcrUGIbz9cP7Z97cOIA5_l4fJaDfZVsaSUnN5t-JyBKCUYeYOwyxPVJTwexf_2O08MIv/s1600/March+-+WWC.JPG" height="480" title="" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">US National Whitewater Center in Charlotte, NC</td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; text-align: -webkit-auto;">One of our sweet neighbors invited us to the</span><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; text-align: -webkit-auto;"> </span><a href="http://usnwc.org/" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; text-align: -webkit-auto;" target="_blank">Whitewater Center</a><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; text-align: -webkit-auto;"> </span><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; text-align: -webkit-auto;">for St. Patrick's Day. It is an awesome sports complex. You can see a whitewater raft and someone kayaking in the photo. They dyed the water green for the event. I definitely want to try whitewater rafting next summer (when the water isn't green).</span><br />
<span style="font-family: puritan, sans-serif; font-size: large; text-align: -webkit-auto;"><b>April</b></span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhBvfmU2p0ZXTfOYRhhMlyS1Oz5mvbydrZZpwSlbvey27TeGAHVdJlDF16me4EgxOwNrFSgnsCXNYFETHPHTrv_aTWNpoyR5Tt2bpDcXJPAQb7ONj6U2zQsJUpsx7ebzZRAZj6cL58YFYi/s1600/Sugar+Creek+Charlotte+NC+Freedom+Park.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="Sugar Creek in Charlotte, NC: Freedom Park" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhBvfmU2p0ZXTfOYRhhMlyS1Oz5mvbydrZZpwSlbvey27TeGAHVdJlDF16me4EgxOwNrFSgnsCXNYFETHPHTrv_aTWNpoyR5Tt2bpDcXJPAQb7ONj6U2zQsJUpsx7ebzZRAZj6cL58YFYi/s1600/Sugar+Creek+Charlotte+NC+Freedom+Park.png" height="640" title="" width="480" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Sugar Creek in Charlotte, NC: Freedom Park</td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; text-align: -webkit-auto;">Charlotte offers many ways to enjoy the outdoors including </span><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Freedom_Park_(Charlotte,_North_Carolina)" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; text-align: -webkit-auto;" target="_blank">Freedom Park.</a></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmWEjUpQQeUrbRwvHxa22jA-Edx1o2FMTuUOsF7BqEkjZLvyU4Yo2G7UfEpBh8Z4KMaMxX9oSohFCe99JDh54QRh9XbySmjbHPeKXZ2PPTyqVU7Q-BMODkk3m904eKehMNB4lvga0jdzzg/s1600/Wisteria+in+bloom.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="Wisteria" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmWEjUpQQeUrbRwvHxa22jA-Edx1o2FMTuUOsF7BqEkjZLvyU4Yo2G7UfEpBh8Z4KMaMxX9oSohFCe99JDh54QRh9XbySmjbHPeKXZ2PPTyqVU7Q-BMODkk3m904eKehMNB4lvga0jdzzg/s1600/Wisteria+in+bloom.png" height="640" title="" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Wisteria</td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; text-align: center;">Spring is a beautiful season to watch come to life. </span><br />
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<b style="font-family: puritan, sans-serif; font-size: x-large; text-align: center;">May</b><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjcn6RowWQPbitXc33HSeT_oh5ZWulQfCdL_5fmwtViNEcRGUELHTE-dHtTKinPV-CEdOvqMRsvC3T43CRXkIzKw6iOPgb9txl5dj-00TyeyEAePbGlMDkTDk0_FgnrUxBl3G1xVMKzDCY7/s1600/North+Carolina+Mountains.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="North Carolina Mountains" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjcn6RowWQPbitXc33HSeT_oh5ZWulQfCdL_5fmwtViNEcRGUELHTE-dHtTKinPV-CEdOvqMRsvC3T43CRXkIzKw6iOPgb9txl5dj-00TyeyEAePbGlMDkTDk0_FgnrUxBl3G1xVMKzDCY7/s1600/North+Carolina+Mountains.png" height="480" title="" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">North Carolina Mountains</td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; text-align: -webkit-auto;">One of the great things about Charlotte is the proximity to both the mountains and the beach. We live two hours from my parents' second home near Asheville, NC and enjoyed a weekend with them there in May.</span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIinYB6kWMvagrpLlRx6yzafVMcevdjC0wP97A0C16S55-ZCacDrt7HuVEF8fq1NO5ATZtCc1-IyrAGaOQFNGplJLD6DqE38ci959kCEKj2NLQovbaQZcXbSCTfyHcmtk9eYOFGc_FEzdo/s1600/Charlotte+Skyline.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="Charlotte Skyline" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIinYB6kWMvagrpLlRx6yzafVMcevdjC0wP97A0C16S55-ZCacDrt7HuVEF8fq1NO5ATZtCc1-IyrAGaOQFNGplJLD6DqE38ci959kCEKj2NLQovbaQZcXbSCTfyHcmtk9eYOFGc_FEzdo/s1600/Charlotte+Skyline.png" height="480" title="" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Charlotte Skyline</td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; text-align: center;">We continued to enjoy the weather and our new city in May. Here is a picture of the Charlotte skyline on May 31 taken at </span><a href="http://vivacecharlotte.com/" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; text-align: center;" target="_blank">Vivace</a><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; text-align: center;">.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: puritan, sans-serif; font-size: large; text-align: center;"><b>June</b></span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiibY5K0Fwv4V9ayAeFHfJrPZmBoUc0CkWYS6eIm9o1VQEE0zsEJA_sQ6uIgQpeG7Mtv8VEU4YoKZCcYRD10VaMDjjxrlF7ACIxphXerlYhw0eAwrXww0tD6FDUijdf1CJ3FrBsORy7gugT/s1600/Little+Sugar+Creek+Greenway+Charlotte.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiibY5K0Fwv4V9ayAeFHfJrPZmBoUc0CkWYS6eIm9o1VQEE0zsEJA_sQ6uIgQpeG7Mtv8VEU4YoKZCcYRD10VaMDjjxrlF7ACIxphXerlYhw0eAwrXww0tD6FDUijdf1CJ3FrBsORy7gugT/s1600/Little+Sugar+Creek+Greenway+Charlotte.png" height="640" width="640" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; text-align: left;">June brought some more great weather to enjoy. We love to ride our bikes on the </span><a href="http://charmeck.org/mecklenburg/county/parkandrec/greenways/littlesugarcreekgreenway/Pages/default.aspx" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; text-align: left;" target="_blank">Little Sugar Creek Greenway</a><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; text-align: left;">.</span><br />
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<b style="font-family: puritan, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">July</span></b><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNwinUNXkvREwahGQOoWHqD5Zam3P5f9UewzhyphenhyphenbLVi4jEuRgb-BX8UYGi0buNz6AIVLrkYvE81XEE47ofcnos4lEQCz_Fj0ouSY6WEw2BiAfyrv3HxFAk7hSwHo5Ykob0e02zv6lJudhW1/s1600/Lake+Norman+Sandbar.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="Lake Norman Sandbar" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNwinUNXkvREwahGQOoWHqD5Zam3P5f9UewzhyphenhyphenbLVi4jEuRgb-BX8UYGi0buNz6AIVLrkYvE81XEE47ofcnos4lEQCz_Fj0ouSY6WEw2BiAfyrv3HxFAk7hSwHo5Ykob0e02zv6lJudhW1/s1600/Lake+Norman+Sandbar.png" height="446" title="" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Lake Norman Sandbar</td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; text-align: -webkit-auto;">Great boating weather! My girls and I on</span><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; text-align: -webkit-auto;"> </span><a href="http://www.visitlakenorman.org/" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; text-align: -webkit-auto;" target="_blank">Lake Norman</a><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; text-align: -webkit-auto;">, the largest man-made lake.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: puritan, sans-serif; font-size: large; text-align: -webkit-auto;"><b>August</b></span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3BCIYVwg_khwRfX6iVqX2VoreuBeNkov_FifAo-T9tIHIz0OhALSF72NpCYgW9W6Eir8FC3nOWo5PMYutuHZ_AAWROaZm_hyphenhyphen6DFIRZKSzORzuHqKKz8jERkWxnCwqtp5IiykVqKZ624os/s1600/August-+kenny.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3BCIYVwg_khwRfX6iVqX2VoreuBeNkov_FifAo-T9tIHIz0OhALSF72NpCYgW9W6Eir8FC3nOWo5PMYutuHZ_AAWROaZm_hyphenhyphen6DFIRZKSzORzuHqKKz8jERkWxnCwqtp5IiykVqKZ624os/s1600/August-+kenny.JPG" height="480" width="640" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Charlotte is just 3 hours from Atlanta, where we have a few friends. Thanks to how close we are to Atlanta, we were able to see Kenny Chesney, Zac Brown Band, and Eli Young Band at the Georgia Dome.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: puritan, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><b>September</b></span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-NJ-SWdIqHwGeCHlWi7Rj9ELHCOxxNOFiwlS8c5yijwDHHOUjM6bY1H7xnrguuPUE61NgpRT21q7daA5wzrsqwwuPWALRxG7ik-AfNYU97qcDhnpqSWI0FnqOHmfmdOwDl3C8kdT78NkN/s1600/Windy+Hill+Orchard+and+Cidery+South+Carolina.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="Windy Hill Orchard and Cidery" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-NJ-SWdIqHwGeCHlWi7Rj9ELHCOxxNOFiwlS8c5yijwDHHOUjM6bY1H7xnrguuPUE61NgpRT21q7daA5wzrsqwwuPWALRxG7ik-AfNYU97qcDhnpqSWI0FnqOHmfmdOwDl3C8kdT78NkN/s1600/Windy+Hill+Orchard+and+Cidery+South+Carolina.png" height="480" title="" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Windy Hill Orchard and Cidery</td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; text-align: -webkit-auto;">In September the weather started to cool down, but we were still able to enjoy outdoor activities. </span><a href="http://windyhillorchard.com/" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; text-align: -webkit-auto;" target="_blank">Windy Hill Orchard</a><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; text-align: -webkit-auto;"> in South Carolina offers apple picking, hard cider tastings, and hot and fresh cider donuts.</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKt3chIeKkArhYKn97jLZLV62zmbnY980evvD93lrlmX9wlwMtECP2r3-Jk_oR6qWYP9cBE6SE1deO3WQ9yqT9-3I4ioKSF2At4ReZaoZxo6K6NhDsFDkwQfSmETvlhZNmT57Er9WP5PI/s1600/Sept+cookout.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKt3chIeKkArhYKn97jLZLV62zmbnY980evvD93lrlmX9wlwMtECP2r3-Jk_oR6qWYP9cBE6SE1deO3WQ9yqT9-3I4ioKSF2At4ReZaoZxo6K6NhDsFDkwQfSmETvlhZNmT57Er9WP5PI/s1600/Sept+cookout.jpg" height="640" width="480" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; text-align: -webkit-auto;">September also means fire and football. My husband redid the patio of our townhome, and we have used it for entertaining many times.</span><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; text-align: -webkit-auto;"> </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: puritan, sans-serif; font-size: large; text-align: -webkit-auto;"><b>October</b></span><br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVjQWmMIg3vJ-vVzNABOFyhWSMoYBQmgBcdOCNsiSUKS6duEnUaC0eA3zQaiPfgz72ZODxvnUgz6H2aRiUaanJqk56FKEuYvyYP2l9IS4iJN-RLT15hLYSnZllsXc_1FILtUMThc7jZTAP/s1600/Fall+Charlotte+NC+Plaza+Midwood.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="Fall in Charlotte NC Plaza Midwood" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVjQWmMIg3vJ-vVzNABOFyhWSMoYBQmgBcdOCNsiSUKS6duEnUaC0eA3zQaiPfgz72ZODxvnUgz6H2aRiUaanJqk56FKEuYvyYP2l9IS4iJN-RLT15hLYSnZllsXc_1FILtUMThc7jZTAP/s1600/Fall+Charlotte+NC+Plaza+Midwood.png" height="640" title="" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A tree in the Plaza Midwood neighborhood of Charlotte</td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; text-align: -webkit-auto;">Fall is absolutely beautiful in Charlotte and it's nice to have the change of seasons.</span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5qBM3KT5rMd-W7DqaTWJrWY_com5il4odfCtN-HJ2rV0DSZg4EPctSo4WeLVU1Wmcqi-y007SjCw6bEy12KxXW9OecgyvoIBzt27P9fGBePxwdmZGGdgGQGXveaPvV9LZ6hv01Pl5h-mj/s1600/Pumpkin+carving+party.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="pumpkin carving party" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5qBM3KT5rMd-W7DqaTWJrWY_com5il4odfCtN-HJ2rV0DSZg4EPctSo4WeLVU1Wmcqi-y007SjCw6bEy12KxXW9OecgyvoIBzt27P9fGBePxwdmZGGdgGQGXveaPvV9LZ6hv01Pl5h-mj/s1600/Pumpkin+carving+party.png" height="480" title="" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Pumpkin Carving Party</td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; text-align: -webkit-auto;">I hosted a pumpkin carving party as a Junior League social event.</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTUiom4gODoFKiNIPnX7MjMVH13vZsjszqhCIQ5CHVLywyj115mWdwIEFyYN9V2O_AEiG_2FKrIq7GFhR70IgNiDXClJ12xVMqiPbK8bT6RUZ8LiDmfzbvgBqxJQFnSm7TtO4_X9Ol3FOT/s1600/Oct+mtns.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTUiom4gODoFKiNIPnX7MjMVH13vZsjszqhCIQ5CHVLywyj115mWdwIEFyYN9V2O_AEiG_2FKrIq7GFhR70IgNiDXClJ12xVMqiPbK8bT6RUZ8LiDmfzbvgBqxJQFnSm7TtO4_X9Ol3FOT/s1600/Oct+mtns.JPG" height="640" width="640" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; text-align: -webkit-auto;">The mountains are beautiful to visit in the fall.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: puritan, sans-serif; font-size: large; text-align: -webkit-auto;"><b>November</b></span><br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhvGHOjHjutkBs2xsrori27mSa8KsB2094LxDtDNYOtsTvOBtIzJ66-MjfkFDLfaVQioGn-5NjdXZDiamM4mBTEYaKXIVmfHR8b3Vxx11zH2hWxAV78itmrhCU-g8NUYLxT1cXcTXe1LxJr/s1600/fall+in+charlotte+nc.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="Fall in Charlotte" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhvGHOjHjutkBs2xsrori27mSa8KsB2094LxDtDNYOtsTvOBtIzJ66-MjfkFDLfaVQioGn-5NjdXZDiamM4mBTEYaKXIVmfHR8b3Vxx11zH2hWxAV78itmrhCU-g8NUYLxT1cXcTXe1LxJr/s1600/fall+in+charlotte+nc.png" height="640" title="" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Fall in Charlotte, NC</td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">The leaves really did hold on until the very end of November.</span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhlo2ox-VyGNeCmv2i3jgVrDi-d8PAcDyI_zduu3mw96r6YW8YGTKwe4ZYg5uwkQjIqVciCyaRg6KzghjRX4cQt0gWUJ0VKbdjYsr0So7igebbPOUd-8f2A6Z3SHgFEXK9c7ls6Lp8KfYx2/s1600/Heist+Brewery+Charlotte.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="Heist Brewery Charlotte NoDa" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhlo2ox-VyGNeCmv2i3jgVrDi-d8PAcDyI_zduu3mw96r6YW8YGTKwe4ZYg5uwkQjIqVciCyaRg6KzghjRX4cQt0gWUJ0VKbdjYsr0So7igebbPOUd-8f2A6Z3SHgFEXK9c7ls6Lp8KfYx2/s1600/Heist+Brewery+Charlotte.png" height="640" title="" width="371" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Heist Brewery in Charlotte's NoDa</td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; text-align: center;">We did a "brewery day" with some friends to explore Charlotte's breweries.</span><br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMcqtDPPujNYVmblZcOxd1WQnZYW7IaVuCWDC3BBbjBiRX8DRNh7uKdof4QwQ95mYp-Io7PWK8H7QhZPXgyJjpQ6k-izUiJJuRaHm3E-s5u8cicKvDi1y9zaLWHIWz6Gvd1w4zBF-HcjpS/s1600/The+Green+uptown+charlotte.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="The green uptown charlotte directional sign" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMcqtDPPujNYVmblZcOxd1WQnZYW7IaVuCWDC3BBbjBiRX8DRNh7uKdof4QwQ95mYp-Io7PWK8H7QhZPXgyJjpQ6k-izUiJJuRaHm3E-s5u8cicKvDi1y9zaLWHIWz6Gvd1w4zBF-HcjpS/s1600/The+Green+uptown+charlotte.png" height="640" title="" width="480" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The Green, Uptown Charlotte</td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; text-align: -webkit-auto;">My youngest sister and her boyfriend visited before Thanksgiving.</span><br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEifCwgXLyiGQZR01oT4FTsRs6H9Egc4_uullNa3mk61p1xT7Ln3sHgbj_XLIyVErELuxZUiSP7YmxPkf5JFq_5dQQOW0d3_HuZJvG-zC77sV39e6bOHGU_WOzdvDQn4n2WmuYt5obhH9B5h/s1600/fall+in+charlotte+nc+nov.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="fall in charlotte nc" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEifCwgXLyiGQZR01oT4FTsRs6H9Egc4_uullNa3mk61p1xT7Ln3sHgbj_XLIyVErELuxZUiSP7YmxPkf5JFq_5dQQOW0d3_HuZJvG-zC77sV39e6bOHGU_WOzdvDQn4n2WmuYt5obhH9B5h/s1600/fall+in+charlotte+nc+nov.png" height="640" title="" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Late Fall in Charlotte</td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; text-align: -webkit-auto;">This tree became my favorite one to drive by and held on to its leaves long into the fall. Here it is on November 23.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: puritan, sans-serif; font-size: large; text-align: -webkit-auto;"><b>December</b></span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgq4IlLIV7UfBMhA1Goj7ode0Y6Zy55xkh7_HB9RDyEmeCSWAUnzMql1ZmGSarWDA_Xz8obIGgOBPP3MEIl7tIpvTpwvjx4Vfh2CDnmzSEqUfTZlxCaTvOn0tXHNS0bKZr1P_JjFtWVzWu-/s1600/queen+city+charlotte+crown+christmas.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="queen city christmas tree charlotte crown" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgq4IlLIV7UfBMhA1Goj7ode0Y6Zy55xkh7_HB9RDyEmeCSWAUnzMql1ZmGSarWDA_Xz8obIGgOBPP3MEIl7tIpvTpwvjx4Vfh2CDnmzSEqUfTZlxCaTvOn0tXHNS0bKZr1P_JjFtWVzWu-/s1600/queen+city+charlotte+crown+christmas.png" height="640" title="" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Queen City Christmas Tree</td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; text-align: -webkit-auto;">One thing I love about Charlotte is the branding the city has done as "The Queen City." Even the garbage cans have crowns on them. For our Christmas tree this year, I purchased a crown tree topper from</span><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; text-align: -webkit-auto;"> </span><a href="http://www.restorationhardware.com/catalog/product/product.jsp?productId=prod2690259&categoryId=search" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; text-align: -webkit-auto;" target="_blank">Restoration Hardware</a><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; text-align: -webkit-auto;"> (it's currently on sale)!</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; text-align: -webkit-auto;">2013 was a great year and we have grown to love our new home even though we will always be missing friends and family we left in Florida. </span></div>
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