What is it, you ask? A house stalker is someone who drives around and looks at houses, even though you may not need one. I found by doing this assignment, that I am attracted to cozy looking houses with trees and charm. I have a weakness for dormer windows. Dormer windows are my heroin. I gotta have 'em. I like stone and brick work and I could probably be happy living in one of those fairy tale cottages. I am a sap, I already know this.
Anyway, below are some of my favorite houses in the neighborhood.
This little sweetheart is right down the road from me, and if it had been for sale when we bought our house, it would have been mine. Dormer windows, brick, trees...what more could a girl ask for?
This one is right around the corner, and was for sale when we were looking, but it was not in our price range. Evidently it has brick from the famous Chicago fire and some famous writer scrawled something on the back of the attic door. I do like the vines on the front porch, and notice the dormer windows.
This one is in a newer part of our neighborhood and has that stonework I was talking about. It also has a neat wrought iron railing. But this house has no trees, so even if there was some way I could afford the steep price tag, I could not be talked into buying it.
Love the porch railing on this one. And the garage doors. I also like a red door, which you almost can't see.
Dormer window heaven! Brick stairway heaven! Porch heaven! This one faces a really cute little park with a stream running through it.
Ok, this little cutie is mine. I do have those wonderful dormer windows, but those are currently the attic. One day we will renovate up there and I will live with the light streaming through those cute windows. Our yard certainly needs some work. The previous owners had not done much to the yard in about 10 years, and so we have patchy grass and bushes that are out of control.Well, I hope you enjoyed this trip through my neighborhood and had fun becoming my online support group for my problems. If you have this problem too, I would love to hear about it. Better yet, do a post of your own and show me your weakness. Is it dormer windows, brick or stonework, or an immaculately groomed yard?
And, if you're willing to host the next HSA meeting, I'll bring the snacks!
I am a woman with more questions than answers. I am constantly searching, learning, decorating, loving and muddling my way through this life. I live under His grace. I stray daily from my faith, my diet, the road, but never my husband. I could eat a whole dish of tiramisu and not feel guilty. I could knit a sweater with all the dog hair on my floor, if I swept it up, or knew how to knit. I am hanging on, holding out, and hoping for the best God has to offer.
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11 comments:
That was a great post. The houses in your neighborhood have lots of character. I live in a suburb with cookie cutter houses. Don't get me wrong I LOVE my house, and we live in a great neighborhood. But they just don't have the unique charm that the houses you posted have. Thanks for sharing. That was fun!
I have this same affliction. There is no cure. I was disappointed when we found our new house right away cuz it meant I didn't get to go look around anymore. Also, love House Hunters. Helps me get my fix without even leaving the house. My husband hates it. Poor guy. He's stuck.
Oh, I love those houses too. We didn't buy one like those, but I do love my new house. We live in the Illnois prairie so cute and cottag-y just wouldn't really fit. Ours is sort of modern country style. (If you look back to the very beginning of my blog there are exterior and interior pics, if you're intersted.)
Like Debbie, I live in a cookie cutter house. It's great and I love my neighborhood too, but I drive around and dream of something with a little more character. Maybe someday, when I don't have to be the little old lady living in the shoe with all of my bo-jillion children.
I was about to do a post like this myself. I've already shown houses around my neighborhood that I like, but there are whole other neighborhoods I stalk frequently :)! AND I'm worse--I don't just look at the outside--I try and see inside too!!! I think we need a support group for sure.
Looks like you love those great "Leave it to Beaver" houses. Although the new one is nice, it just can't compare to the cottagey charm of the older ones--and the mature landscaping is priceless!
Thanks for sharing!!!
I like to look at houses too. Porches are my biggest attraction.
I've been inside that new one. It is beautiful...but there is also a "new neighborhood pond" right behind it. aka: water drainage. With a "fountain" that is so loud, you can't think. So yeah, very pretty but notsomuch in a way, you know? And seeing as how I just bought a house built when Kennedy was President, I'm kinda trying to get into the older crowd. But I'm sure gonna miss my dog houses..I mean my dormer windows.
I loved the tour! I think you and I have the same taste! My best friend in college grew up in a house like that...all brick, older, cute, cottagey...it had a detached garage around back just like all the rest of the houses around there, and it had tiny rooms (you should have seen the kitchen and the one bathroom), but they had converted the attic into my friend's bedroom. She had the whole length of the house to herself with old hardwood floors, funky ceilings and two large dormers. It was HUGE and warm. We were art college students, so it was perfect as a studio too. I loved it so much and had to work not to be jealous. Anyway, I used to belong to HSA too, but it caused me too much mental anguish, dissatisfaction an envy and I had to give it up. :-(
Uh, yeah Emily, I know what you mean about that fountain thing. I was getting hit with spray as I was taking the picture cause it was so windy that day.
I liked your post - I found you through Emily (we went to college together so I promise I'm not a stalker). I'll have to do a post like this cause my husband and I love to look at houses. We particularly like to stalk neighborhoods near my parents in Charlotte and continuously question if the people that live there actually make enough money to pay their mortgage or if they are in debt up to their eyeballs.
Love those houses! What part of the country do you live in? I really love them all, although the one with the porch and the purported writer's scrawl is the one I like best. What a charming neighborhood! YOur house is so cute! Thanks so much for the nice mention and the visit to my blog!
~Angela :-)
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