A Lesson in Edwardian Architecture

So... I've spent the last two days researching early 1900's home decor.  What started as a simple Google search to find period paint colors, turned into an informational and very fascinating lesson on Victorian and Edwardian architecture.  Our beautiful Home on Spring Street was built in 1905 (or so we were told), which would make it Edwardian style.  The main difference between Edwardian and Victorian style is simply the monarch who ruled in Britain at the time.  The Victorian era lasted for the duration of Queen Victoria's rule, which was 1837 to 1901.  Edwardian style was prevalent between 1901 to 1910.  Isn't it interesting that home architecture in America was so heavily influenced by who was ruling in Britain at the time?  Well, I thought it was interesting, which is why I've spent so much time reading about, and writing a blog post about it.

Edwardian style was characterized by it's open and airy feel, directly contrasting with the previous Victorian style which tended to be dark and cluttered.  Below I've shared some pictures of Edwardian style decor.  Perhaps our Home on Spring Street will sport some of these in the future!

The First Tour

This past week seems to have been so busy! Now that we officially own the house, Noah has been there almost every night working to make it ready to move into.  I've realized how much I miss having him home in time for dinner.  My husband is such a hard worker.  I know that in a couple weeks Joseph and I will be able to enjoy evening time with Daddy in our new home!

Speaking of which, here is a little tour of our humble abode.

We have two front doors, kinda neat huh?

We also have two living rooms, this is the first one.

This is the master bedroom.  Aren't the double doors awesome?

This is our new kitchen.  At first I didn't like the black and white tile, but I think it's grown on me.

This is one of the bedrooms.  Recognize the wallpaper?

This is the second living room.

This is the another bedroom.

This is attic space.  Our hope is that we will be able to finish it someday.

Our lovely backyard. 

In the beginning stages, this house may look a little rough.  Honestly I wasn't sure that I wanted a project that seemed so big, but Noah saw great potential.   His excitement and enthusiasm warmed me to the idea of having a Home on Spring Street.  I'm thankful for that, I pray that God blesses and guides this opportunity and that our family would be good stewards of the provisions He has given us.

Hooray for Homeownership!

Noah and I are officially homeowners!  We went to the bank last Friday and spent forty five minutes signing papers, and now, 278 Spring Street in Wilmington, Ohio belongs to the Dell family.  We couldn't be more excited to begin work on our new home, and certainly there is a lot of work to be done.  We have been taking lots of pictures so that we will have "before and after" memorabilia of our Home on Spring Street!  

My Little Bug, Closing Matters, and Weekend Visits

I've heard that closing on a home is no small thing, and often is slow, confusing, and simply frustrating.  Unfortunately this has been the case for us and our Home on Spring Street.  When we began the loan process, our hope was that we would be able to close on the house at the end of April and move in at the end of May.  My husband, Noah, is still confident that moving in and the end of this month or the beginning of next month is possible, but that would require a lot of long nights on his part.  Prayers that we can close this week would be appreciated.  

In the meantime, I thought I would share pictures of my precious little "Bug".  Like most babies, Joseph enjoys looking at bright lights, so Noah and I decided to nickname him Bug.  We got to spend the weekend with Aunt Bekah, who was home for a visit.  She got Joseph to really smile for the first time.  Up to this point, he has only given us half-awake, sleepy smiles, but this weekend Aunt Bekah got him to coo, smile, and do all sorts of adorable things.  Regrettably, I couldn't snap any good pictures of Bug smiling, but there are some cute ones nonetheless.

The First Ever Post

This is my first ever blog post.  The reason I wanted to begin a blog is I have always enjoyed free writing, I've just never taken the time to do it.  Thanks to the encouragement of sister-in-law, Joanna, I decided to try my hand at this blogging thing.  We'll see how it goes.  I expect that over time, an online blog is meant to change just as much as the person who's writing it.  Well, if I had been on top of things, I would have started this blog a year ago.  A lot has changed since May of 2012 and for my first post, I thought I would share some of events that have changed my life in an wonderful way.

Change #1

My husband, Noah, graduated from Hillsdale College.  Although I've only ever been to Hillsdale to visit Noah, it became a home to me, and I've missed it.

Change #2

I married a caring, loyal, faithful, God-fearing, man.  Noah and I dated from the end of high school, through college.  Even though it was long distance, and even though we been through our share of trials, on July 7th, 2012, I married my best friend.

Change #3

Noah and I have always talked about having a big family and having children at a young age.  Perhaps getting pregnant on our honeymoon was not exactly what we envisioned, but God is good, and He has made provisions for us to begin our family.  Baby Joseph was on the way!

Adorable maternity photos courtesy of Joanna Christine Photography

Change #4

On March 14th, 2013, our precious son, Joseph Mark Dell was born.  He was 7 pounds, 1 ounce and 20 inches long.  It really was something special to hold our perfect little boy for the first time.  I feel so blessed to be a mommy.

Change #5

Now we come to the beginning of a new chapter and the title of this blog, Home on Spring Street.  Noah and I are currently in the process of closing on a house located in little old Wilmington, Ohio (on Spring Street of course).  The house is definitely in need of some work, but we are excited for the new project.  Never would we have guessed that we would be able to live in our own home within a year of getting married and having a baby, but again, God is good and He makes provisions.  

To say the least, life seems to have been in the fast lane this past year.  It has been a joyous ride and I look forward to sharing it.

More to come from the Home on Spring Street!