More MCM House Hunting in Atlanta

Before I start overloading you with house pictures, I have to inform you that we are NOT moving to Rome Ga. LOL...As if.....

BUT! Remember this awesome house I showed you?

We actually did take a little day trip up there to see this AWESOME mid-century modern home estate, and although I totally fell in LOVE with the property (Ernesto loved it too!) it is just not in the right location.

It was impressive to say the least. Could I see myself living in this awesome room of windows with views of green foothills? Hell. Yes.

If it was in an Atlanta suburb, we would consider it. (and I don't want to live in the suburbs) BUT! A whole different city? And a small one to boot? No can do. This did make me consider it though.....

Also to note...if this house WAS in Atlanta, it would be closer to $3 MILLION! (So at $399k it is a bargain - way more space and coolness than we can get in Atlanta for that price!)

 

The kids favorite feature?

The spiral staircase! Oh yeah! Hours of fun, right in the den!

Let's go back to the front door.

This is my view as I walk to let in my cute little visitors. Look at the shaped boxwoods...

The japanese maples in my courtyard!!

The view from the kitchen looks like you are in the mountains. (When really you are just on top of a hill-but still)

A grand brick patio for entertaining....

Hello to my HUGE viburnum (aka:snowball)! UGH!

A HUGE yard and future pool area (just to make it a PERFECT 10!)

I KNOW! The list goes on and on....Doesn't my car look fabulous pulling out of our estate?!

I would really feel like a rich movie star living in this house.

We checked out the little downtown area of Rome. It was cute.

We had lunch and then hung out at the splash pad on the river.

But alas, it is not in the cards for us.

Let's get back to [the much more expensive] housing in Atlanta.

This house was/is awesome and has the BEST location! It came on the market a couple weeks ago, we went to the open house the next day. Ernesto was ready to put an offer in on the spot.

Flipping through the pics, you can see the original owners still had everything original. It had to be Don Draper!

Ernesto said he could just see himself lounging in front of these windows everyday! Yeah, me too!

Then we would head out back to our POOL and big back yard! Ahhhhhhhh just perfect!

Needless to say, that baby went under contract the next day. While at the open house, they were accepting bids on furniture or really anything in the house as the owners had passed away.

This beautiful painting was in the basement laundry room. Ha! Anyway I left a bid for $50 and apparently no one else wanted it....because here she is on my mantel.

She is not going to live there permanently, but I want to just stare at her. There is something about her that I love, not to mention the beautiful yellow. Paired with a GOLD frame too? Yes! I think it will be so pretty against my dark blue bedroom walls.

I LOVE this house too! It's HUGE, in a gorgeous neighborhood (Amberwood) and listed as a short sale, but still $100k more than our budget. (update:they just reduced it by $25k) Who knows, maybe it will be reduced more!

Look at the back of it! LOVE LOVE LOVE! It does seem to be in need of some major landscaping help, which we would be happy to work on. It has FIVE bedrooms !!!

This little house is pretty cool as well, (Brookhaven) I love the flat roof but it's not enough house for the price!

This one, although not MCM, is a cool updated mid century ranch, which we would also consider.

We liked it, but the inside, although spacious and nicely done, was nothing SPECIAL. What actually made us go look at it?

Oh yes! I am kinda loving the idea of us having a pool! This guy LOVED the idea!

Again with the wrong location and $$$, but this house is awesome!

Its got everything we are looking for...except the basement! Loving the light bright rooms, big windows and the beams! Also look at the colored bottles in the window. I like that.

This beauty just popped up in Decatur. Not really in our desired area, and over our max budget, but still fun to drool over look at!

Yeah, I would take it. AND I would negotiate the couch, rug and chairs.

 

Ok, and one last house...in the BURBS. (Dunwoody for you Atlantans) No doubt a very nice area to live,being a more upscale suburb on the North side of Atlanta. Great schools yada yada yada...but...but OTP.

 

Yes that is a thing here: ITP (inside the perimeter) and OTP (outside the perimeter) We are an ITP kind of family. We want to be close to the city and to all the "things" that have made us love Atlanta over the last 16 years. OMG I can't believe it has been that long!

Ernesto wants to go see it (just for fun he says), but honestly I am a little scared...I think I will love it too much. And it is just TOO FAR from everything that we have grown to love in the heart of the city. (not to mention the Spanish school that I would like the kids to attend)

What do you think?

It's cool right? Built the LAST YEAR of "mid-century" (1979) this house leans towards 80's vintage...which I am oddly a fan of...

Oh the windows and light!

Oh those beams!

Needs new flooring and kitchen, but definately great bones.

Oh yeah!! If anyone would drive out to visit, it would be party time!!

NOPE! Not going OTP.

I'm feeling sad to go 7 miles from Grant Park (our desired area near briarcliff and N. Druid Hills) and OTP would feel like a whole different city. We would never get down to the Beltline or Krog Street, Piedmont Park, Ponce City Market. I know things can change but right now I am not ready to give that up.

 

 

EIGHT MONTHS {Paloma's Monthly Photo}

How can she get any cuter? I ask Ernesto all the time. But she does. We can hardly stand it!

School is Out for the Summer!!

Summer Summer Summertime! Time to sit back and unwind!

So, now that school is out, it finally hit me. My biggest baby is moving into Pre-K at a public school [Hope-Hill in Old 4th Ward]. I am REALLY sad that he is leaving The Language Garden because he has LOVED it there and learned so much. He started just after he turned two. (cry cry cry. my baby is growing up.)

Marcelo started there at two as well, and will be returning for just one more year before moving on to Pre-K. Since his birthday is not "late" in the year (like Mateo) He will be just one year behind Mateo in school, and I love that!

Anyhow, for the last day of school it was "field day." Do your schools have field day too or is this an Atlanta thing? All the parents came and we were able to watch the kids at different stations. Painting, bowling, and sac hopping...so cute.

Papi joined in on a race too.

The school does a "rose ceremony" for graduation, sending off the kids who are leaving (white roses) and welcoming back the ones who will be returning. (yellow roses)
I was sad thinking about Mateo not coming back. Even worse, he doesn't realize it.
He has two friends that he plays with outside of school (and talks about constantly) Ben and Gabriel.

All three are graduating and all three are going to different elementary schools. (his friends are going to kindergarten though)

 

The good thing is they will still see each other every week at an afternoon Spanish class run by their teacher Dyan (below in the stripe shirt) at her home 2 days a week.

I have met some wonderful people and made a reeeealy good friend or two.

Sue Ellen is the founder and owner of the school and we hang out 2-3 days a week! Our boys are great friends and we stay sain by getting in some quality girl talk on the regular!

 

Marcelo has recently been talking a lot about Hugh, whom I was able to meet that day. These two are peas in a pod, let me tell you. TROU-BLE.

But so cute!

School is out and the pools are open!! We have basically lived in [a few different] pools the last week. One week into Summer and these guys are already tan and more blonde.

Just wait till the end of the summer....because we plan on living in the water. It is HOT here and being outside only feels good if you are in the water.

 

My favorite pool is the one at Piedmont Park. The proximity of the tables to the water is the BEST. They have a great little lunch/snack bar, (but I mostly pack our lunch) and a lazy river! And even though I am mostly in the water with the kids, I don't have to be the whole time. Thank God for water wings and lifeguards.

 

I can hang out with this little girl table side and watch the boys right in front of me.

Or maybe I'll be swimming and Ernesto will relax with the baby.

Isn't that bikini and rashgaurd the cutest. TARGET!

Paloma is a little fashionista already. She doesn't want anyone to see her in the same suit twice..

She get really tired being such a supermodel at the pool, she usually passes out (along with her brothers!) once she hits the car.

A playground just a few blocks from our house got a major face lift last month. They installed the coolest swing ever, Have you seen one of these? Best. Invention. Ever.

Check out the video I took of these two swinging. Its the cutest. No wait. WAIT! This is the cutest.

Is it just me or is she a beauty?!?!?!?! I pinch myself that she is mine!

 

Something else to throw into this run on post....we finally checked out the Chattahoochee River. Ah yeah,why did this take us 15 years? We need to go kayaking next time!!

We hiked a trail along the river.

We didn't go far, because well, the pace is pretty slow with this clan of curious kids. We stopped on cliffs and crawled into caves...

We stopped and watched tubes floating by and people fishing.

It ended with the kids being stripped down at the car. Because, if there is water nearby (im talking rain, a puddle, or even in a glass) Marcelo will be wet. Mateo slipped on a slippery rock and got wet.

OK. Pool. School. Park. River. What else? Oh! Cookouts and wagon rides too!

Oh! Also this is happening! NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO

Yes, baby girl is pulling up on everything. Needless to say, I can't be standing behind her the whole day, so there have been some spills. Pobrecita, but she is pretty tough. (just like her brothers)

She is changing everyday. My little happy baby. Eight months old in just a few days. As Marcelo says, "I am not liking" how fast the time is flying by.

What have you guys been up to so far this Summer?