Happy Mother's Day...

Whether you are a mother or you are celebrating your mother today, I wish you a restful and loving day of appreciation! 

While the Nenonen boys are currently in the depths of university finals at Bradley and Drake, I don’t get them in person today but look forward to next week when they return home for the summer. Hurray!

My nest is officially empty! Yikes.

I just left my heart in Des Moines, friends... 

Brutal. This never gets easier. With teary eyes yet pure excitement, our boy is officially a Drake University Bulldog and we are empty nesters. 

A teeny peek at his dorm room, which or course is styling because well, hello... that is my Reed.

Sparkle and shine, Reed❤️

Nenonen Project Time: Geometric Accent Wall

We have always allowed our boys creative-control of their own bedrooms, and our youngest has been busy this week. 

Give a teenage boy quarantine orders, creative freedom, and three weeks to kill before he leaves for college and what do you get? 

A fun bedroom makeover! I love the funky freestyle geometric wall design that Reed created. He was going for visually-interesting without being too loud.  I think he nailed it and managed powerful visual impact without the commitment of wallpaper or bold colors.  Now on to final touch-ups, new baseboards, area rug, and furnishings✨

Base Color:  "Simply White" (OC- 117) by Benjamin Moore
Top Color:    "On The Rocks" (SW-7671) by Sherwin Williams

While the bulk of our ongoing home projects can be found on my Instagram (in stories and highlights), see a few of our other Casa de Nenonen projects HERE.

Under Contract and Goodbye High School!

Nothing says "Happy Friday" in Nenonen Quarantine like this...

and this...

An accepted contract on gorgeous Spyglass and my baby completed his last day of high school!  Whew, what a week!  I think it is safe to say that Spring 2020 has been an emotional rollercoaster for all, but in the wild ride, today was a definite peak!  As Reed is my real estate baby, it is all too appropriate?!  Ha ha.

A warm congratulations and thank you to the fabulous N duo for their friendship, business, and trust.  I look forward to your closing in a few short weeks.  Per my baby, my Reed, I am so proud of you.  While COVID-19 has robbed you of the typical graduation experience, it doesn't take from your incredible accomplishments.

I have been doing Back to School updates here on the blog for years.  I look forward to my post next August, as you venture off to Drake in Des Moines, Iowa!

Full heart, a terrific day.💓

Happy New Year!

January 1, 2020. 

Each year on the blog, I typically pause and pay homage to the year past.  This morning, however, I am eyes-straight-forward despite how generous 2019 was to me and my family. We not only stand at the threshold of a new year, but a new decade. The prospect of that is monumental to me, for some reason.

Last night, Steve and I hung out in bed and reminisced. Where were we exactly 10 years ago? Entering 2010, my father was on hospice battling a terminal diagnosis, we were just exiting the Great Recession so my business was in an odd state of limbo, and my husband traveled 3/4 of the time as I raised our boys (then 10 and 7) unassisted much of the time. 

Needless to say, challenging times. I look at the photo to the right and want to give that girl a huge hug.  She entered 2010 knowing it would be a difficult one, but clueless to how truly life-altering it would be.  Admittedly, we were too preoccupied to pause and appreciate the clean slate of a new year, let alone acknowledge the significance of entering a new decade of life.  

It isn't a bad thing, it just is what it is.

Steve and I have discussed and planned for 2020 for some time now, as it will be a pinnacle year for our family. Our youngest turns 18 and enters Drake University in the Fall, our oldest turns 21 and enters his Senior year at Bradley University, my hubby of almost 23 years turns the big 5-0, and I celebrate 18 years in this business as my nest at home empties.

It is a lot.

Due to the significant household changes we have seen coming our way for some time, we have been proactively planning for 2020 in correlation with a lot of goal-setting and life-coaching.  The silver lining? We not only enter the new year strategically and intentionally with plans and expectations in place, but we also enter the new decade that way.  

The Nenonens greet 2020 with a calm yet eager energy. That is so refreshing and significant, particularly when I think back to where we were emotionally on New Years Day just 10 years ago.  There is no doubt that the true perks of aging are wisdom, a slower pace, and most significantly... the wisdom that you are more likely to hear opportunity knock when you are blessed with the slower pace. This year and decade, we are listening at the door, eagerly awaiting its arrival. So many possibilities, exciting stuff.  

I am thankful for so many things:  A thriving and healthy family, both physically and emotionally.  A life partner who is dedicated to evolving with me and also recognizes and covets the "choose-your-own-adventure" aspect of life that so many people ignore.  A career that I adore and continues to challenge me even 18 years later.   Last but not least... you. My wonderful friends and clients who place your trust in me by allowing me the opportunity to help you chase your happy via a new home base.Thank you.  Even after 18 years, every single time someone says "You are the one we trust to help us", it touches and humbles me.

2019 blessed me, and for that I am eternally thankful, but I welcome 2020 with enthusiasm.

No matter where you find yourself in the dawn of this new decade, in a cloudy state of life frenzy or a calm intentional place, a warm Happy New Year to you, friend.  May 2020 gift you with health, clarity, contentment, and the courage to explore all of the possibilities that you tinker within your brain.

Hello, 2020.  Happy New Years, all.

Iowa College tours, historic estates!

College Tour Summer 2019 continues in Casa de Nenonen as our youngest nears closer to his Senior year.  Back to school in 2 weeks!

I have mentioned numerous times here on the blog over the years that I earned my real estate license while my youngest was in utero.  The older he gets?  There is no doubt that the love for historic architecture is in his blood! Hence, the perfect finale to his Iowa college tours? A tour of the lovely Salisbury Estate in Des Moines...

Built in 1923 by Carl Weeks, the inventor of foundation makeup, the estate was modeled after this beauty...

The handsome 14th century King's House in Salisbury, England. 

The original projected budget for the Week estate started at $150,000... but ended with the final cost of a whopping 3 million. It is a spectacular blend of architectural styles and interesting salvaged architectural goodies from all over the world.  I highly recommend a visit to the museum if ever in the Des Moines area.❤️

A teeny peek at our tour...

Learn more about the history of the estate here...

As far as my boy goes...

While it has been fun times exploring the country with him this summer in pursuit of his dream college, now the choice is up to him!  We shall see.

NITTY GRITTY:

Salisbury House and Gardens
4025 Tonawanda Drive
Des Moines, IA 50312
Phone:(515) 274-1777

Web: https://salisburyhouse.org/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/salisburyhousedsm