A few of you already know this good news – after months and months of looking and dozens of houses, we found the perfect house!
Today is the big day – we pick up the keys to our new house this morning! We signed an inch of paperwork yesterday, went out to a celebratory lunch, and had our final walk through in the afternoon. Once we found the house and made an offer, well, I didn’t want to jinx anything so I kept quiet about it. It has been excruciating, I have been excitedly waiting to share the news. We all know patience is not my strong suit…
Since I couldn’t talk about it? I made cookies. Cookies that look like our new house.
Blue front door and all.
Who remembers the Fisher Price House? Same style, right?
We are giving up two acres, a golf course and no neighbors for more space, my dream kitchen, and lots of natural light that I am so excited about. Seriously, we’d go on a house tour and could easily spot our deal breakers. Me? Dark rooms, no natural light. Jason? Basketball hoops in every driveway, neighbors on top of each other. We both walked into this house and said yep, this is it. We hadn’t even seen the whole thing.
We are also trading our swimming pool for a back yard hot tub. Much less maintenance, much more relaxing (and useful?).
Basil is giving up chasing squirrels and other country critters for a fully fenced yard and soon, a dachshund sister!
easy vegan cut out cookies
gluten, dairy, egg and soy free, vegan
makes 18-20 medium size cookies
1 cup butter (Earth Balance soy free)
1/4 cup sugar
1 tablespoon vanilla paste
2 cups flour (gluten free ap), plus another 1/3 cup for kneading
1/4 cup milk (vanilla almond)
Cream together butter, sugar and vanilla. Stir in flour, adding milk one tablespoon at a time until dough forms. With floured hands and surface and using another 1/3 cup flour, knead dough until no longer sticky. Wrap in plastic or return to mixing bowl, cool in refrigerator 20 minutes. On floured surface, roll to 1/4 to 1/3 inch thickness and cut into desired shapes. Bake on prepared (parchment or silpat) baking sheet at 350 for 12 – 15 minutes, or until just golden brown on edges. Cool completely, frost.
These cookies are perfectly crunchy, sweet and buttery.
I love our blue front door. I love our Fisher Price house.
{ 92 comments… read them below or add one }
Congratulations! It is magnificent! I want to be your neighbor!!!
Welcome home my friend. Enjoy your new space!
ooh, having you all as neighbors would be great!! I just got chills when reading “welcome home” – and now teary eyed writing that!
thank you, sweet friend XO
Congratulations! Such exciting news! I hear you on lighting – deal breaker!
The hot tub and new pup sound dreamy/dream come true!
thank you, JL! and I knew you’d like the new pup addition
I am soooo happy for you guys!!! Congrats and can’t wait to see pics of this perfect kitchen. I know you’re going to get so much good use out of it. Can I come to the housewarming please
thank you Heather!!
I’ll share more photos soon, and also when we decorate and paint… I have some fun ideas! and YES, I’d LOVE to have you at the housewarming!! XXO
Congrats!!! So exciting!!!
Everyone told me I would “just know” when I walked into the house I was meant to buy, and even though I doubted it, that’s totally what happened. Sometimes you just know, and as long as Basil approved, I’m so happy to see that you found it!
thank you Abby!! I know, I heard that too – and after seeing so many (and losing one we offered on) I was beginning to doubt that would happen, but you’re right, it did!
Basil saw it for the first time yesterday in the final walk through, and he sniffed every corner and … claimed the back yard!
oh my gosh, too stinkin cute! SO SO HAPPY! ready for us to come visit?
ABSOLUTELY! well, soon – unless you want to help us move
Congrats on the house! It looks good in blue.
excited to hear more about the dachshund sister too….
thank you so much, my friend. and YES, I KNOW – I want to get settled, get Basil settled, then go back to Oregon Dachshund Rescue and find him a younger sister! Summer time will be perfect for that! We can’t stop talking about it…
It is absolutely beautiful!! Congrats! And love the blue door!
thank you, Cathy! now all we need is some Oregon sunshine, yes?
I love the blue door too…
Ahh, it’s gorgeous! Congrats times a million
Natural light is SUCH a deal breaker for me and it was even that way before having a blog! I can’t stand dark rooms and houses, it just makes everything seem so dreary.
I know, same here. natural light definitely makes my photography easier, but I have always wanted natural light and big windows! the house we have now has some skylights, but the windows are weird and it is dark much of the time – I just KNOW this will improve my mood!! < --weird to say when I am always pretty happy, but... now I'll be even more so??! ;)
Congratulations!
thank you, Evan!
Congratulations on the new home – how exciting!! Your home requirements sound similar to mine – although I always add in “open floorplan”, which makes the search even more difficult.
I hope you’ll share more shots of the house when you get settled in!
open floorplan, YES! it’s what we have now, and I really wanted it again (I love to entertain in the kitchen/living area). and yes, we saw some houses that didn’t have that, I couldn’t talk myself into those…
I’ll definitely share more photos soon, and as we decorate and make it our own!
Congratulations! That is the most adorable house.
thank you, Laura – we are very excited!
Cookies that look like the new house? That is so awesome. Congratulations to you both! That’s very exciting.
hee, I had to do it, right?
thank you SO much – we are very excited!
wheeee! congratulations!
will you post a house tour after you’re settled?!?
and i want to hear about this new doggie friend for basil.
thank you Sarah!! absolutely – I have some fun painting projects planned, I thought I’d share all of that too! and after we are settled in, we search for a new doxie to adopt – we can’t wait!
YES! SO GLAD you’re sharing the news! And oh my gosh, your new house is stunning! I love your Fisher Price house too
Lack of light was definitely a deal breaker for me as well. I definitely don’t have your space, but I knew I had to have windows galore. I can’t wait to see the inside–and this kitchen! So happy for you!
thank you SO much, dear friend! isn’t it fun, just like Fisher Price! (I always loved that style, as soon as I saw the front porch I knew I wanted it!)
Lots of windows and light is big for me – I’m glad your new place has that too! XO
Massive congrats on your new house! Can’t wait to see how you guys make your house a home and adorable cookies, too
thank you, Averie! I’ll be posting along the way – I have some fun ideas planned!
Congratulations!! That is fabulous news. I have a blue front door, too, but not as bright as your new door
thank you, Jennie! blue front doors are FUN!
Wow! congratulations!!! sounds like the ideal home for you two! I am excited for you!! I hope you share some pictures of your house!! Love the recipe today, so perfect and fitting for the theme!
thank you!! we are thrilled. and yes, you can count on more – photos of the interior are coming, and I will share the fun painting and projects I have in mind… weee!
I cannot freaking wait to come visit. I might not ever leave either. Seriously though, SO HAPPY for you 2!! Thank you 2012 for finally bringing something beautiful to celebrate
oh, Cara, my thoughts exactly – a good thing has happened this year! there is a “cara Room” waiting, you may even have your choice of dachshund snuggle mates!
Once again, CONGRATS to you, Jason, and Basil! So happy for you 3!
LOVE the house! I want to come visit!!!! I mean if you allow
Love how you guys celebrated too! <3
thank you Thank You THANK YOU, dear! there will be a guest room, so if you are ever in the area… weeee!
Congrats! Adorable house and I love the blue door. I am so curious what neck of the woods you’re in now.
hi Lisa! we are still in SW Portland – about 10 minutes from where we are now, just not as remote!
YAY!!! Congrats to you both – love love love that you now have your dream kitchen!! I can’t wait to see more pics
thank you, friend! I will be posting sorta regularly as we move in and update – I have a couple fun painting projects I can’t wait to do!
Oh my gosh, your home is AMAZING! I can’t wait to see more of the inside!
thank you, Leanne! we are very happy – I’ll show more interior photos soon, and more when I get to some of my fun projects!
YIPPEE!
yeee!
How exciting! I’m green with envy for your blue doored house… natural light = yes please! Are you in the city limits or in the burbs? Locals want to know… Fisher Price house indeed.
Cheers to Basil getting a sibling – and YES to a hot tub over a pool around here any day!
hi Amy! we are still in SW Portland, about 10 minutes from our current place (but less remote!). There are so few days we get to enjoy our pool, so we know we’ll get more use out of the spa!
So happy for you! And love the cookies… did I miss who won your nunaturals giveaway? drat.
An icing post would be most welcomed.
eep, thanks for reminding me. I’ll get on the random number generator shortly…
glad to hear you’d like an icing post, Elle – I will work on one!
Yay…I LOVE your blue door too:)Congratulations on your beautiful new house. It is such an exciting time. I bet Basil is excited;)Not bad to get a spa and great lighting is a bonus:)
weee – thank you, Lora! yep, looking forward to the spa
Yay! Congrats on the new house (love Fisher Price!)!!! Time for a spa night.
ooh, indeed – spa night every night!
I have always loved that Fisher Price house…
Wow on everything!!! Love the house and its percs, the adorable cookies, that Basil is getting a sister!!, etc. Congratsssssssssssssssssssssssss, dear!
xoxo,
Shirley
oh, Shirley, I knew you would be excited, and especially about Basil’s sister! (that is one of my top things!) thank you, friend! XO
Congratulations on your beautiful new house! What a ‘sweet’ way to celebrate!
hee – indeed sweet!
thank you, Char – we are excited!
OMFreakinG!!!! WOW! I am flabbergasted, that is like a real house! I cant wait to come visit! Where are you in PDX? SO happy for you guys!
I know, right? we are acting like grown ups over here. well, sorta. you’ll still recognize us. there WILL be a proper room for you, though, and for you? a white noise fan
That is hilarious! But I loved your old fan!
Soooo happy fir ya! 
) I bet Basil will be so happy too…..when can I come for the house warming party? I’ll bring lots of jalepenos!!
yeee, jalapeno party! I will absolutely let you know when we have a housewarming, you can stay the weekend! …with the old fan…
Congrats on your new digs!
thank you so much, Jeanette! we are giddy over here!
Oh, that’s wonderful! Finally finally, after you looked for such a long time! I’m so happy for you! Enjoy those lovely cookies in your new home!
thank you Kath!! you probably recall when we were looking LAST year, right?
now you have to come visit… Basil insists!
OMG, it’s lovely! Congratulations!!!
thank you Julie!!
The house is gorgeous! I love it! We built my house backwards it’s got tons of windows but they mostly face West and it’s so hot in the afternoon we have to draw the blinds. Here was I imagining a sunny kitchen with herbs growing in the window. Not! You will though. You’ll have so much fun in your sunny kitchen and your beautiful home there’ll not only be cookies there’ll be gingerbread houses every year. Perfect representations, windows, porches and all. I see all in my Crystal Ball. hehe Seriously CONGRATULATIONS!!!
hi Laurel! yes, one of the things I am most excited about is that many of the windows are north and south facing – so much bright everywhere!
and how did you know I would be making a replica gingerbread??
BEAUTIFUL dwelling for a beautiful person! I already know one paint project (if you’re still doing it, the BBYPLD to ask in code?)
I am excitedly on the edge of my seat to follow along with all of it, we all know the decor will be fabulous!
TJ
haa, THANK YOU for speaking in code!!
and yep, still planning on it – I’ve wanted to do this for YEARS, you know…
Congrats, Kristina! I can see your beautiful self living in this beautiful house.
aw, thanks Carrie
I don’t think it’s really hit me yet…
Yay!!! That is super duper exciting and it is absolutely gorgeous! Congratulations! The cookies are a great way to celebrate.
thank you Krista!! we are so dang excited!
I’m so glad you and Jason found your perfect house! It’s beautiful, and I love that you baked cookies to match.
maybe I’ll bake something to match our new apartment (when we finally make a decision) and move on May 1st! xo
Yay, congrats Kristina!! I love that we both looked forever and a day for a new house and found and closed in the same month! haha
It’s really gorgeous! Our house is also on a golf course, has tons of natural light (definitely was on my checklist), and a fenced in backyard for Corky- oh and no neighbors nearby either! Woohoo!
So happy for you (and for the new doggy too, how exciting)! Adorable cookies.
thank you, Aimee! I knew you would be excited about the pup addition – I will obviously share more when we find one to adopt… I want to settle in, make sure Basil is settled, probably a couple months from now. I can’t wait!
congrats! so glad you finally found it! enjoy in good health
thank you SO much, Cara!
My mom still has our Fisher Price house from when we were little and the school house with the chalk board you can slide out!
Love your house, so excited for you!
oh, I had the school house too! I have no idea where all of those went… I’m sure they didn’t make it through the move out of my childhood home.
Somehow I missed the post where you actually showed us the house! This looks almost exactly like the house I grew up in, except our garage was over on the side.. but same porch & window setup! Hope you guys have settled in nicely.
oh, just the one photo – I’ll share more soon!
we are finally done with the old place, back to ONE house to be responsible for! …so that has me more relaxed, and I get to unpack and decorate now… we are happy here, Basil is settling in too!
congratulation! house is pretty and the cookies are fun
congrats to your family!
I’m excited to find a recipe for vegan cutouts, but recipe says to cream together “butter, sugar, and water,” yet there’s no mention of water/amount in ingredient list. Can you direct me? Want to make these this weekend with my 4 year-old granddaughter who has egg and dairy allergies, so your help is soooo appreciated!
hi Karen! sorry about that, I have updated the directions (there is liquid in the recipe, but milk is listed). I hope you all enjoy these – the recipe is simple (the kneading takes a bit but it DOES work!), and they are delicious. Cheers!
Thank you! Can’t wait to make these… Happiest Holidays!
and happy holidays to you as well – Cheers!
{ 4 trackbacks }