We're Flyin' The Roost
I am having a hard time deciding how to dive into such a lofty post but Im sure you prefer that I hop, skip and jump straight to the point. We are moving to Alabama! To say these past five months have been a whirlwind would be the understatement of the year. However this has been such a fun season for Jordan and I to muddle through matters of our hearts with each other and I am excited to share it here on my Roost.
I would like begin by telling you that these past three years in Seattle have been such joy. The people we've met and lived life with, the weddings, babies, new homes, new jobs, new friendships have all been life giving, encouraging and special. Out here I believe I have truly discovered a part of myself I was never able to find before. I have learned about my independence, confidence and freedom as a woman. I have learned to cleave to my husband and allow him to teach me how to love and be loved wholeheartedly. My first year out here in Seattle, not knowing a soul, feeling lost and lonely and overwhelmed by skinny jeans and tattoos I never imagined I would learn to love such a city. But over time my prejudices faded, my shell softened and I began to create a new life, from scratch.
Three years later Jordan and I look back and agree that these first years of our marriage, out here on our own, learning how to be adults, homeowners, business owners, and individuals were vital and necessary to become who we are today. However, we feel our time here is nearing an end and we have decided to relocate to Birmingham (where I am from and where we both went to college). Our house was placed on the market last week and now all we can do is pray and pack!
The thought of moving our whole life cross country is nothing short of daunting. And despite our excitement to be reunited with family and friends down in dixie we know that moving there means leaving behind family and friends whom we love very much here in Seattle. A joyous move yes, but bittersweet at the same time.
We are more than fortunate to have such supportive, loving family and friends in our lives. Thank you to everyone for your prayers and intercession as we process through such a big decision!
What is a post without some pictures? I thought I would share a few snapshots of our real Roost so you could see where I spend 99% of my time. I've had a couple of inquiries about where I take my pictures and what time of day. The room above is where I take most of the shots....there is ample natural light and I find it softest in the morning or late afternoon.
My next favorite room is the kitchen which is just off the living room...
The kitchen, my second love. When we first got married I had never really cooked anything more than rice and spaghetti.....so many memories in this kitchen including a slew of recipe triumphs AND blunders!
This is where Jordan and I discovered our love for gardening which ultimately birthed our dream to have a farm one day :)
Guest room...
My office...
We are so thrilled of the good days to come and I hope to be able to share more in later posts! (and if you know of anyone who is looking for a new, cozy abode in Seattle let me know!) And if anyone has any good tips or advice on moving across the country I am all ears!
ALSO.....the winner of my blog banner giveaway is KATEY PAYNE! Congrats Katey! Please send me an email to larkcreatif (at) me (dot) com and we will get started! To anyone still interested in a new blog banner feel free to send an inquiry to the email mentioned above!
Home & Family
Reader Comments (53)
My advice is to pack a box of essentials such as a kettle, mugs, tea, coffee, tea towel, toiletries, some basic cleaning supplies, pen and paper, etc and clearly mark it so that when you arrive at your new location you can easily make a cup of tea or coffee as you settle in to unpack. The cleaning supplies are handy so you can wipe down surfaces as you unpack and the pen and paper handy to note any damage in transit.
I love, love, LOVE your living room sofa. SO gorgeous. I'm looking for a new sofa at the moment and yours has given me some wonderful inspiration. I also love how the whole of your living room has been decorated. Simple, clean but homely and beautiful.
Kelly, my walls are actually textured white but the man who edited our pictures used HDR post processing and it somehow gave the living room walls a greyish tint..I love the color too :) but Im partial to all white...in my dream home I would have all white walls and really dark wood floors!
Beth, thank you! I will most definitely continue to blog, although my posts may be a bit sporadic amidst the packing and trekking cross country :)
Lauren (ya-ya)....I hope to see you soon and meet your beautiful little girl!
Tessa, thank you! Anthro is one of my favorite stores!
Good luck with getting started!
I just emailed you with some info! Hope to see you soon.
Love. M
How exciting to move & start a new creative decoration process!
Also, I feel extremely privileged to have won your competition. Thank you so much! x
Natasha xo
Oh and I LOVE your house - it's so nice and organized and even though it looks small from outside it seems so spacious inside!
My advice is good music while you're packing and possibly a timer set for 20m. Switch rooms after the timer goes off. It makes it go by faster and prevents that awful burnout in the middle of packing. I hope it goes smoothly!
Oh, and like Jennifer, I'm also in love with your sofa. Your home is so lovely, I'm sure it will sell quickly. Fingers crossed!
you have such a beautiful home, i can't imagine how lucky the new owners will be! i wish you all the best in your new journey and cross-country move. i'm sure your friends and family back home will be ecstatic to have you back!
p.s. i do have some friends looking for a house in seattle, so if you want email me the details and i will be glad to pass along the information.
Delighted to meet you!
I just popped over from Honey and Jam!
What a SURPRISE to read that you are moving from Seattle to Alabama!
Just a year and a half ago...my hubby...fur~ball and I made the BIG move from ALABAMA to SEATTLE!
Can you believe that!
I was almost in tears listening to your HEART as I felt the same way when we made such a BIG move!
We live on Bainbridge Island!
Your home is LOVELY!
What a small world!
I was in Alabama two weeks ago!
I grew up in Birmingham...I went to Vestavia High School!
We LOVE Birmingham!
Nothing like a day spent in Homewood~Mt. Brook~and up at The Summit!
Looking forward to following your journey back HOME!
Delighted to meet you!
xoxoxoxoxxo
Teresa
Bainbridge Island
Thank you again for your guest appearance. Your pictures are always so beautiful and the recipe sounds incredible.
Good luck with the move. It's always both super scary and super exciting with big changes in life.
Ps. We are so jealous of your kitchen, it is about three times bigger than ours. Hope you'll find a similar kitchen in Alabama.
Thanks for sharing pictures of your little roost. I LOVE your open kitchen with a table in it. Seems very European to me. Look forward to you sharing pics of your new roost! OH, and I love the new look of your site! Good luck, Coco!!!! Warmly, Tiffany
Congrats on your journey and impending move,
C
Angela, I LOVE your advice! I've already made a "packing playlist"!
Tiffany, Darby actually lives in Dothan which is about 3 hours south
Rick & Amy, we actually sold our house last Wednesday! woo hoo!
Cara, my heart goes out to you in more ways than one. First of all I am super jealous you are living in England, one of my most favorite places in the world! Secondly, I can definitely understand the loneliness and out of sorts you feel. When I moved to Seattle I felt I had moved to another country all together! What I meant by "finding myself, even in a place where I didn't feel I fit in" is that I was placed in a situation where everything around me was foreign and I had the opportunity to start fresh. I put aside all of the labels people assigned to me growing up in the south and discovered (as cliche as this sounds) who I am. The first thing I wanted to establish in my new home was myself, does that make sense?
Please know how courageous you are and I pray that soon Cambridge will feel like home and you will have the chance to feel a part of this new, foreign world. Take this time to reflect on the things you wouldnt necessarily reflect on back home amidst the busy life in New York City. Enjoy the beauty around you, cleave to your husband and allow yourself to be patient. I promise you will look back on this experience and be thankful! Blessings to you.
Zita
Budapest
Hungary
Best wishes.