Street of Dreams....

No really, this blog is about The Street of Dreams. It's not a metaphor. It's an actual thing.

So last year we went to The Street of Dreams and realized how very much we wanted to move. The indoor outdoor space, the kitchens, those were the things that made us realize that no matter what we do to this place it's not going to be what we really want. And thus started the year of looking. And we ended up realizing that what we really want doesn't really exist.

We want a smaller place than we have now. This place is a four bedroom three bath with a bonus room. We use two of the bedrooms. The master bedroom and one as an office. The downstairs bonus room has been C's space, my work space and is now my workout space though I do most of my working out at the gym so it gets used once a week or so and that's only if I can't make it to the gym at all. Basically it's a giant underused room. Now that C has moved out the two bedrooms upstairs that he used are empty. Well mostly empty. His old desk is waiting to be sold so it's in one room and our luggage is in the closet and I have stolen the closet in the other for my boots. So...basically two more underused rooms.

What we need is a place with two bedrooms. One we can use as a master suite and one we can use as an office/guest room for when C visits. Which two bedrooms isn't hard to find. The hard thing to find is two bedrooms PLUS a nice big kitchen.

Home builders sort of assume that if you are only in need of two bedrooms you really don't need a decent kitchen. But one of the things I really don't care for here is the kitchen. I can make do with the counter space. I can make do with the odd cabinet arrangement. But I can't do anything about the smoke that fills the house when I use my cast iron. Not because I'm a bad cook, thank you very much, but because the hood over the stove is..well...it's a microwave. There is a vent under the microwave but it doesn't go anywhere so the smoke just recirculates. So anything cooked at high heat, or fried, or strong smelling, doesn't go anyplace but all through the house. Ugh.

I want a nice big kitchen with gorgeous flat counter tops for baking with a big stove top with a giant hood and could I get double ovens because that would rock. Yes, a lot of you are very confused about this since you all know I don't cook. But like I say, just because I don't, doesn't mean I can't. I am actually really good at it. I just haven't. But the more and more I try and get away from processed food and food like stuff the more and more I realize I am just going to have to cook it all myself.

So what we've discovered is that we want a place with two bedrooms and a really big nice kitchen. Oh and a little outdoor space. That's private, wooded would be best. Backing to the forest or a green space would be awesome. Is that too much to ask?

Well yeah. It actually sort of is. That's what we've found. We can get the big kitchen but they come in big houses. We can get the two bedrooms but they come in tiny houses with dinky kitchens. We can get the outdoor space but...well sometimes the house is just a wreck, sometimes it's too big, sometimes it's too small. Just any number of issues. So we've decided what we have to do is either build our own or remodel someplace that has a nice lot and good bones. Which then you look at bills and budgets and we are staying here for a few more years. Just until the college loans are paid off.

Which leads us to the next question, how much do we want to put in to this place while we stay? And we don't agree. I am all for nothing or nothing much, Brent is realistically looking at what it would take to bring this place back up to snuff for resale and for our own enjoyment while we are here. So we are doing the home improvement tango. He moves...I back up...he dips...I turn my head...

And part of that dance was another trip to Street of Dreams to look at the things we liked last year and see if they stuck.

So a nice view is great. The houses were in Happy Valley this year so almost all had some sort of Mt. Hood view. Though from odd places at times....

This was a walk-in closet. With a view of Mt. Hood. See what I mean?

Don't we all need a shower with neon lights?

I did like this touch. It's a tree and branches, all metal work. Nice way to let in a little light between rooms.

So..I love the drama but could only think about what a bitch it would be to dust those nooks...

Now THIS is what I'm talking about! GIANT kitchen, dining room combo.

I just thought the blue booties really made the outfit...

So other than a few more shots of Mt. Hood those were the only pictures I took. Which is sort of funny since I didn't even take any of the builder we really liked. Who would have made the perfect home for us...if only we could have sliced off the top floor. The main floor, that's all we needed. Two bedrooms, great kitchen, decent outdoor space, though not as private as we would like, but still...pretty darn close to perfect.

Last year Street of Dreams set us off on a year of looking. This year, it just firmed up that we aren't looking right now. The houses were all just okay. The lots they were on weren't private enough to cause location envy. The spaces were too big for what we want to cause house envy. The kitchens...well...they still made me sigh. But for the most part our reaction was...enh...

I guess we already know what we are dreaming of.

Paid off college loans.  That's the dream... *sigh*