Our house in LA (Adam’s Hill, Glendale, specifically) is for sale as of today and I’m still grappling with the fact that we don’t live there anymore. We have been SCRAMBLING to move, clean and style, as we’ve shot there almost every day for 2 weeks – squeezing every last bit of content out of that lady. I’ve been obsessing, but it’s finally ready for market. I’m doing a Facebook Live today around 3:30 – 4pm PST where I hope you guys will tune in and ask TONS of questions so I’m not just touring around my house by myself.
Spending the last few days here shooting, placing flower arrangements and touching up paint has made me extremely nostalgic for the last three years. We moved in here 6 days before we had our first child, Charlie. Then we had Elliot 2 years later. The memories we’ve made are inexplicably beautiful – and you know it’s hard for me to write that kind of sap, so it must be true. Eight months ago when Brian suggested looking for a new house (one with a yard) I cried so hard and was even mad at him for betraying this house and its memories. I kept saying but we’ve had the best years of our lives here?? And he agreed, but said maybe we could have even better ones.
He was right. He’s always right.
Now that we are in our toddler friendly, adorable english cottage, I know that it’s time for someone else to make those beautiful memories (and instagrams ;)). I will most likely not follow along – like a healthy breakup, I wish it well and I want the best for it, but it would be too painful to see it with another woman.
Speaking of emotional torture, here’s a quick sentimental recap:
This is us, 3 years ago, 9 months pregnant, SO EXCITED for our new life with a baby and a house full of projects.
Like most of you, owning a home was a goal but one that felt like a fantasy for so long (especially in LA). We scrambled to buy this run-down midcentury house as if it were the last house on earth and we got it. We loved the potential of light, space, view and the architectural charm. Then we had this insanely wonderful baby. Life finally felt full of promise. Things were so lovely. So… now I’ll just start crying.
It was the holidays. I had a new baby. I had just got my Target job. I had this beautiful house to explore and share my creativity with. I honestly had never been so happy or knew that this level of happiness could even exist.
Life here with a baby was pretty darn good. Many people commented about the stairs (it’s 30 stairs to get into the house) but I was just so grateful to have a home, one that I loved, with such amazing light. It was always worth it when you got at the top.
We loved that year so much with, in fact, we figured why not get another baby? So 11 months after Charlie’s birth I became pregnant with Elliot (this was our announcement photo):
We were about to bring 2 tiny kids into our first home. I was excited obviously, but man was I underprepared (but how can you properly prepare for two kids under the age of 2?)
After 9 or so months, as they do, our magical little bird joined us. And life got more full of love, stress, joy, work and exhaustion – not because of her, but the accumulation of life. But somehow it was still so, so, so, so good.
It’s going too fast, you guys. TOO FAST. I’m missing it. I’m too busy, too tired to really soak it all up. I can’t believe she is almost a year and a half …
Elliot took it all to the next level. She made me tear off every layer of pride, ego and judgement that I didn’t even know existed. She is so loving, but also so emotionally intelligent that you question your own decision making when around her. She knows when I’m messing up before I do.
It’s hard to properly describe that second year although I tried to in this post, this post and this post.
Back to the house:
We loved living here inside as much as out:
But wait, a lot has happened at this house, besides two kids.
We’ve watched a lot of Bachelor:
UGH. That guy was THE worst. They really should pay me to consult on the winners/who should get spinoffs. I was, absolutely, a reality TV casting director in my former life.
We had so many shoots that I couldn’t possibly count them all.
In fact this house has been in 6 magazines: Domino, Good Housekeeping, Parents, Darling, Redbook, etc.
See full Good Housekeeping Tour HERE.
See full Domino Tour, HERE.
See Full Darling spread, HERE.
See full Charlie’s room in Parents, HERE.
Plus we threw a lot of parties:
Spiderman even came to one (Brian dressed up for Charlie’s 2nd birthday).
And we designed a lot of rooms. Elliot’s nursery:
Charlie’s nursery – yea, we had TWO nurseries.
The guest suite downstairs:
Our master bedroom:
Plus renovated 3 bathrooms (here and here), and completely redid the exterior.
I’m going to do a big ‘greatest hits’ post where I document the various stages of each room, but this post is more about how much love, happiness and amazing memories we have had here. It’s hard to encapsulate or quantify it all. But trust me – it’s more than any number that exists. While we aren’t perfect, a lot of happiness can happen in 3 years. I should know.
We took a risk on a fixer upper, we put a ton of money, heart, love, time and sweat into making it a beautiful home – inside and out, literally – and it surely has paid off emotionally (let’s hope it pays off financially).
We are pretty darn lucky to have lived here. Just like the next owner. The house where you start a family is an emotional place, in location and in your heart. Our kids won’t remember it, they won’t long for it, they won’t have alarmingly nostalgic ties to it, but I will. FOREVER. 🙂
Take care of her, will you? She’s a lovely lady that deserves the best.
Don’t forget – today at 4pm (ish) PST I’ll be doing the first and last Facebook live tour of this house, so get your questions ready and i’ll answer any and all of them.
* There will be two open houses this weekend and next weekend. I won’t be there and street parking is hard (not for those that live there, but when there are more than 10 people over) so take an uber (and rest assured you’ll get one home because Glendale has the highest percentage of drivers in all of LA – which I already miss!).
Our realtor is Howard from Nourmand and Associates (who I can’t recommend enough). If you can’t make it this weekend your realtor can set up an appointment with him.
**The MLS is up!!! – 3 bedroom, 2 bath, 1911 square feet, newly restored 1964 midcentury gem. Central HVAC, with sweeping views and attached additional 225 guest suite/bathroom. Listing for $1, 027, 000. In Adams Hills, 91205.
Overalls by Harlow and Jade (I have a medium and its snug, fyi), blouse by Frame.
