Alabama & Mississippi, and "House Hunters" Episode #1

Hi Everyone!

So last week, my husband and I went down to Mobile, Alabama and gulf coast Mississippi (a super cute little town called Ocean Springs). We relaxed a little (stayed at the Magala Inn in Mobile [ask for room 220] and the Gulf Hills Hotel in Ocean Springs, both of which were wonderful), ate some good meals (most notably Phonecia [thanks, Tortoise Baby, for the recommendation!] and Al Fresco, both in Ocean Springs). But mostly, my husband did a couple days of job interviews, and I looked at houses. My husband is graduating in the spring (was in the military, went back to school on the GI bill), and we're trying to figure out what happens next. There's a company down there that's very interested in him, so we went to check it out.

Interviews went well. House hunting was fun (although VERY premature, as we have no idea if we'll be moving or not, but I wanted to see the neighborhoods and figure out if this is a part of the country where I could feel at home [bottom line is yes]).

Houses are relatively cheap, especially with the economy the way it is. Here are a couple I fell in love with:

House #1 we've been calling "The Lake House." It's in a rural area west of Mobile, on three acres and shares a five-acre lake with a few other properties, is HUGE but is so beautiful...if we lived here, I'd never want to leave. I'd feel like I was on vacation 24/7. Not sure I want to live where you have to drive a ways to everything, though. And I didn't love Mobile...I'm sure there are some cool parts of the city, but we didn't find them. Also this is at the top of our budget...doable, but a stretch.

House #2 is in a part of Ocean Springs called Gulf Hills. We're calling it "The Elevator House" because even though it's only a basement and two stories, it has an elevator (with this beautiful inlaid mosaic floor, no less). It's on a golf course, and has been decorated amazingly...I guess an older woman lives there now and she for the most part has fabulous taste. If we were to buy it my husband would make me get rid of some thing (he's saying no to the black-and-gold cherub wallpaper in the bathroom...I think it's so over the top that it's cool.) But I could probably get away with keeping the gold swan water spouts. :) This house is a better size for us (not ridiculously huge) and is very close to the beach, playgrounds, a cute little downtown with restaurants and bars etc. Also this is more comfortably within our budget. But it has no yard to speak of (a little in the front, nothing in the back), which is a definite disadvantage since we have 2 dogs.

Anyway, all of this dreaming of houses (nesting instinct kicking in, you think?) is just wild speculation on my part. The company will let my husband know about the job in December, and IF they offer him a job and IF the salary is right, we may be moving. I have lots and lots of feelings about leaving Colorado and moving to the deep South, but that's a post for another day. If it's right for my husband career-wise, we're going to do it. We wouldn't have to be there forever, and it could be really cool.

Stay tuned...

XOXO

Image Credits: Gulf Coast MLS.com, Realtor.com

And thanks to Girl's Gone Child for the "House Hunters" post idea! :)