Thursday, February 28, 2008

Good times in Cincy & N Kentucky


Current mood:excited
Can you believe it is harder to find a Starbucks in Northern Kentucky than it is in Utah?  How weird is that???  I finally found a nice size one off of Turkeyfoot Road (these are the names I am going to have to learn... no more Sitzmark or Quail Run roads ) and plugged in and settled down with my latte.
It's been snowing most of the time I have been here this visit, but nothing has really stuck other than where there is already snow. Seems much warmer than it did in January - thank God!
The visit to the design center was fun but almost a little disappointing.  I expected to be selecting a lot more things and was very disappointed to find that wall color, other than white, off white, off off white and really white white, were my only choices.  The model home has amazing color on the main floor and I totally wanted to copy it. I was told to expect at least 8 hours there and I was done in 4.  Mark works with a man whose wife spent three days there.  I can't even imagine, other than she must have upgraded totally EVERYTHING and had to go through a million times more options. I didn't pick out the exeterior brick yet and spent all of yesterday driving around the various communities and looking at what my options are. The design center brick samples were about 2x3 feet and Candice thought I would have an easier time looking at the full effect of the brick on a house. I have to say that was excellent advice.
Candice, the gal I worked with was wonderful.  She collected samples of all my choices as we went along and had them ready every step of the way to compare with the 'total package' so I could be sure I loved how it was all going together.  Again there were some items that we thought were included in the contract and some others that I didn't realize we had inadvertantly excluded.  The model has hardwood floors in the family room and we assumed (bad word!) that it was standard.  Nope, now we have an additional cost to upgrade there.  We opted for quartz countertops as they are basically maintanence free, but I was in love with the granite in the model.  We are staying with quartz in this case, but went totally opposite of the look I originally fell in love with.  But it's all good, I hope!
There are about six gray haired old men outside of this Starbucks all wearing black berets.  They look like an elderly old group of those guardian angel dudes who keep the streets safe for us simple folk....  Maybe they all retire to Northern Kentucky?
Anyway, a few of the photos I promised...
This is the model of the home we chose.  This is the elevation (front exterior) we want.  We had to chose another originally because of the homesite we chose, but with the move to a different homesite we are able to build this elevation (we love the porch area). I love the shingles below the eaves on the front of the home and how they add variety in color and texture. Our home will be the reverse of this one, with the garages on the left instead of the right.
This is the same home, reversed, with the other elevation so it looks a little different, but it has the garages on the left like ours will, and also has the carriage garage. So imagine this little side garage attached to ours as well.  There's actually a two car garage with side entry.  So the windows on the front here are the side wall of the two car garage and this carriage garage is set  back behind the two garage doors.  Does that make any sense, or do I have to take another photo?
This is just the entry into our community.  All those blurry spots are snowflakes.  Notice the lack of mountains and hills and evergreen trees?  I sure do!!!

Monday, February 25, 2008

Sittin’ and waitin’ and wishin’ & hopin’


I am currently sitting in the Minneapolis/St. Paul airport waiting for my connecting flight to Cincy. It leaves at 1:00 which is a LONG time from now - especially if you consider I was up at the butt-crack (thanks Alyssa, for that descriptive word) of dawn to catch my flight here. 
This airport is HUGE.  My flight docked about 3 miles from where my connecting flight takes off, and for that I am happy that I have a 3.5 hour wait. I was worried about not getting enough exercize. Ha!!  After a walk that included about 10 moving walkways and an incredibly short tram ride (about 1/2 block - what was the point of that??!!) and more moving walkways, two down escalators and two more up escalators, I am parked outside the gate for Cincy.  I am in a little enclosure where others have plugged in their laptops and pulled out their cell phones and conducted their business so I thought I would as well.  However, suddenly, they have all disappeared and I have become the lady that looks like she knows something.  If one more person comes up and asks me about their flight, I may have to pack up and resort to reading. 
Seems several flights have been cancelled from here due to fog today and I am only praying that i don't become one of them.  I've been there before and I do empathize with these stranded passengers... not to mention the airport employees that take the brunt of the frustration.  Ick - not for me!
If I make it to Cincy today I am really excited about the task ahead. Heck, I love all of it.  I know Mark hates travelling so much, but he does stay at the downtown ***** (encoded for my privacy!  LOL) with all the great amenities and the big ol' lavish and comfy bed.  A whole week, no cooking, cleaning or nothing! Better yet, no taking Mom back and forth to the bathroom, bedroom, livingroom or all the nasty stuff that goes along with that. I love her but....!!  Thanks Alyssa & Harriet!!
Mark is leaving Cincy on Friday, home in Utah for less than 24 hours and then flies out to go skiing with his buddies at Whistler.  I am envious but he didn't fly me out of Cincy until Sunday so I figure I am in for a good full two days of SHOPPING!!  I simply am NOT going to complain about that! 
Stay tuned for the photos that will be appearing shortly. 

Friday, February 22, 2008

Hi ho, hi ho, To O-Hi-O I go...

Originally published on MySpace on Feb 22, 2008

Current mood:excited
We did it.  We negotiated an offer with a builder for a new home in Northern Kentucky.  Hubby will be working in Cincy, across the river, but we will be living in the beautiful Kentucky countryside.
So we have the lot in our preferred community, we have the house design we love, we have the financing and now I get to go and pick out all the details... that means I am off to the design center. 
Never lived in an all new home before and I am soooo excited!! I'd love to post a picture but the one I have is a bit different from what we are building. I plan to take a photo of the model home when we are there this time and I'll share that when I come back.
We didn't get the first lot we made an offer on - long story - but the lot we did get was Mark's first choice, my second choice, so it's still all good.  We back onto a gully with shrub & trees that seclude us from our back yard neighbors. We will be just one house away from a community area and pathway that leads to the pool and there is also a small lake or pond that Bailey is absolutely going to LOVE swimming in. 
I'm not entirely sure what to expect at the design center.  I was told to allow at least eight hours.  One of Mark's co-workers is building in a community owned by the same builder and he said his wife took 3 days to complete the design center appointment. Yikes! I think it's going to be things like choosing our countertops, flooring, paint colors, etc.  I wish I could take some helpers along with me.  It's starting to sound like a whole lot of pressure... fun, definitely, but pressure, too!
This is going to make moving a bunch more fun!!

Monday, February 18, 2008

Why "KING" you ask?

Originally published on MySpace on Feb 18, 2008