I had an OMG moment this morning in the shower…right about now, 9 years ago, I moved into my home. I got my keys in December of that year, but slowly moved in that month, and then finally began sleeping there a couple of days after Christmas.

NINE YEARS AGO.

It’s incredibly hard to believe that nine years have gone by.

I was 26 years old, I purchased my condo here because it was half way between the city where I grew up and work…and it was right by an awesome shopping center. (That first year, the gals at Ann Taylor Loft got to know me by name – but that’s a story for another time.)

I was convinced that I’d only be in my one bedroom condo for a couple of years before I traded up or got married, so I did a three year adjustable rate loan. HA.

I’ve made some awesome memories in this house. As I look back on my favorite memories, I remember my first dinner party, where I essentially opened a plastic bag of pasta and heated it on the stove and a recent dinner where friends told me I had become an incredible cook. : ) I remember my annual Christmas Eve Eve Open Houses that have changed from tipsy singles to families with kids running around. I remember my couch where I’ve cried many a tear and a closet that I stand in every day and just love. I remember my deck where I had my wine club/small group over and served them my amazing corn. I remember the hot tub downstairs where I’ve been tipsy with girlfriends, flirted with boys, and relaxed sore muscles after the triathlon. I remember all the awesome DIY projects my dad and I have accomplished over the years, my own DIY screw ups, including a fall off of the top of a four foot ladder while holding a drill. I remember the time when the dining room light fixture fell straight out of the ceiling, crashing onto my table. I remember when my cat singed his tail walking by lit candles.

It’s been nine years of awesome memories…and some that weren’t so awesome. There were times where I felt burdened by home ownership and trapped in a one bedroom cage. There were times where I cursed the lack of storage, the summer ant problems and the fall spider infiltration. There were times where I sent nastygram emails to the HOA management company.

But all and all, I’m so thankful to have a roof over my head, friends who encouraged me to buy in spite of my young age, and parents who came to look at the house and supported me through the process, who helped me paint, decorate, and make my condo into my castle!

In the last nine years, I’ve painted the interior (some rooms three times), recarpeted twice, installed moulding, new light fixtures in a couple of rooms, designed my deck, remodeled my kitchen, remodeled my bathroom, remodeled my closet, got new living room, dining room, and bedroom furniture, and got all new appliances.

It’s no surprise that I love Fort Worth. I enjoyed my years at TCU and I’ve pretty much been back every year to visit since 1998. It’s a heck of a lot more fun now that the Horned Frogs are a killer team, but that’s not what I love most about being there.

I love everything about the city of FW…with the exception of tornadoes. : ) Whenever I go to visit, I just feel lighter…the pace is slower, the people are so nice and friendly, and the southern charm just oozes everywhere you look.

I just booked my ticket for my fall visit and so I’m getting antsy again.

When I came back from a visit last year, I thought I might want to relocate. Granted, my family isn’t there, so I’d always feel like a piece of me was missing, but gosh, I wish I could just transplant the whole city just a little closer to Orange County!

One of the things I really enjoy about FW is the real estate. I love the brick homes with big yards and character. There are a ton of bungalows near TCU and just for kicks, I look at listings every once and a while.

I just saw these two adorable homes in the heart of the TCU community. They are BOTH under $200k and on HUGE lots. As a comparison, I live in a one bedroom condo with no character that is FAR more than these – it kind of makes me sick. I can’t wait until the day that I can have my own single family home…I just hope I don’t have to pay an arm and a leg to get it.

In the meantime, I’ll just keep real estate dreaming.

When I decided to remodel my bathroom, I threw ideas around with my dad. I knew I wanted to do subway tiles and a set of accent tiles at eye level. As a personal preference, I was determined to raise the shower head to taller than my 5’8 frame, so we decided that 6 feet was a perfect height.

Then my dad threw me a curveball. After just remodeling their master suite, they had tiled all the way to the ceiling and he suggested that I consider doing the same. It wasn’t something I’d given any thought to, but I liked the idea…it felt fresh and clean to me.

When I got home from Hawaii to see the finished job, I was SO SURPRISED by how much BIGGER my bathroom looked. By removing the shower door, raising the tile to the ceiling, and pulling the tile across the back wall (including behind the toilet), the space was visually expanded!

Each morning since, as I wash my hair under the taller shower head and look up the wall, I feel like I’m in a whole new larger bathroom! Tile choice can visually expand the size of your bathroom…no need to knock down walls! : )