if people do it in a 5th floor walk up in new york, I can do it in my townhome.

the thing I'm talking about is having a baby.

but let me clear something up real quick: NOT PREGNANT. got it? good.

so, the trip to Italy was incredibly incredible, and I will tell you about it post-haste. but I'm going that on a whole separate blog because, well, I want lots of people to get to read it and I don't want all those folks reading this one. capisce?

matt and I have been jibbering and jabbering about buying a house. I already own a nice little townhome. 1600 sqft, with patio and a deck and a two car garage, 2.5 bathrooms and two bedrooms. yes, it's sans a much-missed coat closet and you have to immediately walk up stairs to enter into it, but it's pretty cute and functional and in a good location.

however.

we (okay, maybe *I*) seem to have house-lust. and I seem to have fallen victim to one of the classic blunders--thinking that just because everyone else is doing it, you should too.

aside from my next door neighbors and one couple we know, I can't think of anyone in my area that has a baby or is anticipating the arrival of a baby that does not have a biiiiig sprawling house. one with 3+ bedrooms and seventeen bathrooms and a spacious yard. and one that does not have steep steps that you must climb in order to enter. I think I might have had a case of the Joneses.

except not anymore.

it's a crummy time to sell a house. and now that we've been in it for nearly 3 years (as of the 16th, actually) we have enough equity that we could, potentially, sell. and at least break even. but really, truly...it just doesn't make sense. or cents.

so, if they can do it in a 5th floor walk up in new york, I can do it in my townhome.

and in the meantime, we will be playing the rearranging game.

currently there are THREE couches in our mostly-unused downstairs bonus room. Two of them need to be outta there. The third, Nicole's old couch that's a sleeper, needs to have sole billing. Along with Matt's recliner that he loves so very much. And I have plans.

Our current guest room/Carrie's crafty stuff room/catch all will remain as a guest room. And a potential future nursery.

Our downstairs, aka bonus room, which we call the "basement"--I have big plans for there. I think it requires drawing a picture. But I think we'll rearrange it and add some desk space and integrate some storage so I can put my crafty stuff in there. We initially thought it would be a cool "party space"--but in reality? eh. Not so amazing.

And I'm still wondering about our living area. We have the same quandary as before--how to arrange the couch...I'm thinking we need a bigger TV so we can put the couch across the room and really open up that space. Matt isn't a huge fan of this idea, but I am! I definitely want the TV to be visible from the kitchen and dining area, but otherwise I'm up for options.

so, yeah. focus on decorating and changing. and maybe just maybe some painting. (matt might keel over at this too. shhhh don't tell him yet)

I promise I'll give before and after pictures. We just have to stay in town enough consecutive weekends to accomplish something!