Best. Birthday. Ever.
Monday, October 22, 2012 at 10:02AM 
As I celebrate three amazing decades of life today, Chris and I are also raising our glasses to some very exciting news - We have a new home!
A while back, we came across a spectacular apartment. Private balcony, French doors, huuugge bathroom with a walk-in shower and room for a clawfoot tub! We put down an offer on the spot, and I immediately began daydreaming and decorating in my head.
Cue viscous bidding war. We went back and forth with another relentless buyer for days. The whole thing spiraled out of control, and we had to walk away. I was devastated, but our wonderful agents promised they had something truly special in store for us.
I started feeling weak in the knees the moment we stepped into Hampton Court. The courtyard's towering trees and gorgeous landscaping completely stole my heart, and the stunning pre-war buildings surrounding us took my breath away. The apartment was spacious, in excellent condition, and had fantastic potential. What really sealed the deal wasn't the wine fridge in the kitchen - it was the ridiculous 538-acre park we'd have as a backyard. This was it. It was meant to be. We made an offer, and several rounds of negotiations/panic attacks later, we got it!
Well, it wasn't exactly ours yet at that point, because then came board apps and interviews. For what felt like an eternity, we were so focused on wrangling paperwork that I actually started to forget what the apartment even looked like. It has been a crazy, and at times, terrifying few months. The more time, energy, emotion, and money we invested into this process, the more anxiety I had to battle. But all the insanity paid off... we've just received board approval, and we're going to be homeowners! Looking back, I can say with certainty that this has been an unforgettable lesson in faith, patience, and teamwork.
The icing on my cake is the fact that Chris is granting me carte blanche over all our renovations! I will be sharing peeks and snippets along the way as I explore the ups, downs, ins and outs of designing our new place. If you have any wisdom or advice to impart, I'd love to hear from you.
What a splendid way to kick off this new chapter in my life. This is going to be so much fun :)
Reader Comments (10)
CONGRATS & Happy Birthday!! you are so awesome. So grateful for a woman like you in my life. To carry me through funny and hard and great moments. thank you so much <3 love you! yay new homeeee! I'm coming over!
Congrats Jenn! What an amazing birthday gift!! Welcome to home ownership. It's an adventure you'll never forget. So happy for you and Chris on this wonderful new chapter :-)
praise God for all of these huge and amazing blessings! happy birthday!
YAY!! FINALLY you can sleep now!!! =) GJH and HAPPY BEEFDAY <3 <3 <3
awesomeness!! congrats!!
Can I have a drink...its so much fun playing in your backyard ! ( Future Nathan)
OMGAHHHHH YOU GOT IT!!!!! So happy for you both (and Wonka that precious little monkey). I wish you guys all the best in this exciting next step! I'm also thrilled we are still neighbors :)
Oh yeah, happy birthday too my darling :)
YAY JENN!! SO HAPPY FOR YOU AND CHRIS! Can't wait to see what you have in store! :)
Yayyyy Jenn and Chris!!!! Can't wait to see everything you do to you new place! I bet it's gonna be so glam and sophisticated!!
It's really a birthday present for Chris and you. May every moment you work or play there be a blessing to you and those who visit.