wallpaper download

i was browsing over at copy cat chic, and spotted this great table, available at target.com.

**warning: pictureless post**

first of all...let me say that i NEVER intended to write a post like this.
not EVER.

you see, for the most part, i am a bit of an introvert. i love my down time and i really love my privacy.
don't get me wrong--i LOVE talking with people and being social, but i am not one of those people that can walk into a crowd and make instant friends with everyone.
i am more of a "one-on-one" type of gal.
it has taken me a long time to realize who i am and embrace my strengths and recognize my weaknesses.
i am pretty darn great in a lot of areas in my life, but there are other areas in which i...*a-hem* need improvement.
a LOT of improvement.

for instance, i am terrible at remembering cub scouts every wednesday for my 8 year old son.

in fact--this is what has been going down in my house every wednesday for the last 8 months-
"WHAT?? it is wednesday again? huh? do you really have scouts every week? where is your shirt? don't you have to wear your shirt??  it always at the same time? where is it again? didn't you just have scouts?? ugh. maybe we just won't go this week. i think your shirt is in the wash. how is it wednesday again?....i really need to put an alert on my i-phone for this...later" 

i am also really bad at self-promotion.

 my husband, who is the exact opposite of me in certain ways, (totally outgoing, can talk to ANYONE in the world at anytime, life of the party type-of guy, and can have 200 balls in the air at the same time and it doesn't phase him) has been encouraging me to branch out.
promote myself.
get a Facebook page.
get on twitter.
sign up for linked-n.

ei-yi-yi!! i would moan. 
that just sounds like so much w-o-r-k!!
(insert a looooong *sigh, and me flopping down face first on the bed...)
i feared that it would be like adopting a set of quadruplets!
4 more things to have to watch over.
worry about.
think about.
stress about.
i have been thinking a lot lately about how stretched we all are.
there are SO many places to "be".  did i really want to ask people to "go' somewhere else to "find/follow" me?

i guess i just felt like if someone wants to FIND me, they can come to my blog.
i mean...i am always at my blog. at some point during the week, i am here. the problem is that not everyone looks at blogs (gasp!). crazy, i know. and some people use these other sources almost exclusively as a way meet others.
i know that each of these social media sites has its place and function, and realize the positive aspects of broadening my horizons.

SO, i am finally caving.
yep.
this blog will always be my main source of creative outlet. this is where you can get the juicy details of my projects and what i am finding and loving and thinking.

however, starting now, you can also find me here:

twitter.
facebook. (under design dump)
instagram. @autumnclemons
linkedin.

SO....here i am.
putting myself out there.
feel free to follow me! (and if you don't, i totally GET why)
have a happy weekend everyone!

i love autumn. it is my favorite season.
(shocker, right?)
i love the crisp air, wearing sweaters and the smell of cinnamon and campfires. but most of all, i love the colorful leaves.  the leaves are especially great in the early fall...when there are still plenty of bright green leaves to contrast with the newly emerging oranges and yellows.


1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9

one of the things that i love about living in a place with mountains, is that the trees at higher elevations start to change 3-4 weeks earlier than the leaves in the valley. it is so amazing to watch the color slowly move down the side of the mountain...plus, it means that i get to enjoy the color a few weeks longer!

one of the first steps when building a house is selecting a lot. ideally, the lot needs to be picked BEFORE you finalize a floor plan.
why?
have you ever heard the phrase location, location, location?
yeah, i thought so.
before you fall in love with a house, you need to decide where you what that house to be!

different people select their lots in different ways.
some people are given land.
some people want to be within a certain neighborhood.
or school boundaries.
or a certain city.
others choose their lots based on size.
or views.

(this is the view standing at the edge of our lot, about half way up...the views won't be quite this good from the second story of our house, but we should be able to see the mountains and the sunsets! and, if we want a better view, we can just hike up our back yard!)

others choose their lot because it is on a golf course or close to water--either the ocean, a lake or river. all of these factors can and will affect the price of a lot.
usually, (but not always) the best lots in a development will be the first to go. (many times, a developer will allow builders (or their friends and family) to come in and "cherry pick" the best lots.)
the ones in the cul-de-sacs.
the ones that are easier to build on.
the ones that are larger and more private.
that have better views.

you definitely don't have to have the the exact floor plan selected, but is good to have an idea of the type of house you want to build as you are looking for land.  are you wanting to build a colonial 2 story with no basement and a front loading 2 car garage?  or you are looking to build a sprawling one story with a 4 car garage and a basement? these are very different houses, and certain lots will fit each floor plan better than others.


i HIGHLY recommend that you involve your builder  the final lot selection. a good, knowledgeable contractor can literally save you tens of thousands of dollars by helping you select the right lot for the type of house you want to build. they can help you figure out grading, setbacks, and guide you through the sometimes confusing process of figuring out codes/covenants/restrictions.  they can also help you figure out an ideal size/footprint to the house, maximize assets like views or privacy, and help you minimize things like the development cost of the lot (dirt work), or the number of steps from your garage to the main floor of your house.

when we have looked for lots in the past, we always have investment in mind. we want to build a house in an area that gives us the maximum return on our investment. we usually purchase a lot in a desirable neighborhood and plan on building a simple house with modest square footage. we like to get the "biggest bang for our buck." yes....even she it comes to building, i like to save and splurge. one thing that is worth the splurge is a good lot in a GREAT location. you can change a lot of things about your house, but you can't change the location!