Our last shipment of boxes and furniture was delivered about two and a half weeks ago, so we now have all of our stuff–the shipment that came from Europe, the things that we put in government storage before we moved in 2020, and the family photos and heirlooms that we put in climate-controlled storage at the same time. We truly had things spread all over the place and yes, in some cases I had forgotten what I owned!
I was thrilled to find the urns and topiary trellises that I had put in storage, thinking that we wouldn’t have any outdoor space in Stuttgart. Of course it turned out that we had a really big balcony, but I was able to find a few others at flohmarkts and thrift shops over there.
I popped some flowers in there within the first 24 hours of getting the keys to the house. Even if things are a mess inside, at least it looks like I have my act together outside!
As I mentioned in our Sunday newsletter, things are looking pretty good at this point, but I wouldn’t say any of the rooms are completely done. So I went through the house and porches snapping photos of corners that make me happy and feel a sense of progress.
Here’s the Swedish Mora clock I brought home with me. Doesn’t it look like that corner was made for it?
This Belgian armoire came from a lovely dealer in Tongeren. I need to take a picture of it with me standing next to it to show just how huge it is–it’s almost 8 feet tall and separates into three pieces for shipping. The movers were grateful I didn’t want them to take it upstairs!
My husband is a bourbon lover and we’ve never had a designated space where he could showcase his collection. I styled the top part as a bar area for him, and our daughter organized his hundreds of etched military glasses in the lower section. He loves it.
I snapped a few pictures in the dining area over the weekend when we had old friends over for dinner. They are coincidentally just heading to Stuttgart so we had plenty to talk about in addition to catching up.
I’ve hung curtains in several rooms already but obviously not here yet. There’s not a huge privacy issue so I’m going to take care of the bedrooms first. My riddling rack made the trip safely and is already at work holding wine. We shipped back a few hundred bottles and it was a happy day when we drove to Birmingham to pick up our shipment.
My chandeliers are upstairs in the attic; I’ll be bringing them out one at a time and reassembling them and getting them rewired.
Aren’t those little Staffordshire salt and pepper shakers adorable? My friend Danielle gave them to me. You can find a set here.
We started our dinner that evening with a charcuterie board and I pulled out the truffle oil, balsamic, baguette board, and Delft knives that I brought back from Germany. I could seriously eat cheese every night!
This little corner of our dining room is just to the left of the door to the back porch (probably my favorite “room” in the house).
The roof and trees ensure that it’s shaded all day long. I come out every morning with a cup of coffee to do my Bible reading, and we eat dinner out here almost every night, too.
I found two of these cast iron urns in Belgium and one is on the porch and the other one is under one of our oak trees.
I told you I found a few more topiary trellises –can one have too many? Also, is Brontë sticking her tongue out at us? I think I must have caught her mid-lick.
I’m looking forward to being able to show off entire rooms soon–in the meantime, it’s SO, SO good to be settling in to our new home and neighborhood!
Thanks for stopping by!
Everything looks amazing. I can’t wait to see home. I know you must be grateful to have a home to get settled into, that is always a first on my list. You found some amazing treasure in Germany and I look forward to seeing how you arrange them in your new home.
Thanks so much, Marty! It was a LONG ten months of living out of suitcases and I’m so thankful it’s over. Please keep us in mind to jump back into your fall home tour.
XO
Christy
Wonderful start and can’t wait for you to show us room by room! Great German finds too! Was wondering where you found those short gold cocktail forks on the charcuterie board??
Thank you, Penny! Yes, aren’t those little forks cute? I found them at a thrift shop in North Carolina that I used to volunteer at, but I’ve seen them on Etsy. Just search for “gold forks bamboo chinoiserie” or a variation of those words and you should be able to find some. Good luck!
You were so smart to shop for antiques and chandeliers while you were in Europe! I am so happy for you and know you will enjoy decorating and tweaking your new home. It’s going to be interesting to see how you put it all together!
Thank you, Bonnie! I probably would have bought more if it wasn’t for Covid, but I still did pretty well, I think. It’s so good to have a home again!
Christy
I am swooning over that Belgian Armoire! It definitely is a wonderful piece! Your home looks good already and we all look forward to seeing a completed tour. I know it’s going to be wonderful with all the antiques you brought home and what you already have.
Happy decorating !
Thank you so much, Nita. I love that piece, too. The movers did NOT love it but they were thankful it was staying downstairs. I’m so happy to have a home again; looking forward to sharing more with you all soon!
XO, Christy
Looking good Christy! Everything will come together before you know it. And hopefully no furniture/boxes were damaged in their shipment, right? =) Many years of happiness and memories be yours for years to come!!
Thanks so much, Julie! We only had a few minor damages; nothing that was heartbreaking or can’t be fixed. I was so thankful that our last military move went so smoothly. I’m looking forward to showing you more as I get it all put together!
XO,
Christy
Looking so forward to seeing your home when everything is in place. Take your time I can wait!
Haha, thank you, Marti! I’m unpacking and decorating just as fast as I can–it’s been a long time living out of suitcases! Thanks so much for the good wishes.
XO,
Christy
Beautiful!
Thank you, Liz. It’s SO, SO good to have a house again!
Christy
Love all the details you have already put together! I hope you have many, many happy years in this home 🙂
Just realized when my comment published that “home” is not correct. It is really hard to preview b/c the text is grey on white at my end…any way to change that?
Thank you so very much for the warm wishes, Jenni! I will ask our web designer about the font color–in the meantime, I fixed your small typo so you are now grammatically correct. 😉
On thing I learned as a military spouse was to settle in quickly! Know you are very happy to have all your HHG in one spot. Looking great!
That’s for sure, Linda! We were mostly unpacked within two weeks (and I took it slow this time) and people kept commenting on how fast we were. If they had to turn around and move again in 1-3 years, they’d hurry up, too!
Thanks for the good wishes–Christy