The Kitchen

Three words about my kitchen: 1.) Skinny, 2.) Boring, 3.) Wallpaper.

This scrawny galley kitchen was the room I least wanted to spend time in and most wanted to touch when I moved in. (Then, the idea of peeling wallpaper made me not want to touch it at all, but just wake up one morning to find it magically renovated.)

Once I started adding my own stuff to it and the new appliances arrived after the Fridge Ordeal... it's starting to grow on me.

I reminded myself it could be worse. It could be any of the other kitchens I visited while house-hunting. If there must be wallpaper, at least it's a neutral color. If there must be boring peel-and-stick tile, at least it's in the same matching neutral.

I don't know why I originally hated the stainless steel backsplash so much. (I have an unpopular theory that stainless steel will become the Harvest Gold of the 2020's and have been avoiding it in exchange for the ever-okay white.) But, now that my stuff is in there, I realize the wall plays well with the metallic features of my small appliances.

All in all, the kitchen is still not my favorite room. But, it ain't so bad.

My favorite thing about this room:

Crockpot by Crockpot, purchased at Target
Red outdoor rug, also from Target
Adorable breadbox, by Waverly. Purchased at amazon.com
Yellow tinted Bell jar from JoAnn Fabric. Spatulas from here and there.

(Here and There is not a store, by the way.)

This once boring room is all about the little things that give it some graphics and its pop of color. My favorite Crock Pot. The perfect red rug that happens to match my adorable breadbox. (Psst... it's an outdoor rug, purchased from Target's patio section clearance. 50% off and I can spill on it and much as I plan to!) Not to mention the new oven and fridge that actually work and are not in danger of imploding at any given moment.

Just don't ask about my dishwasher that, turns out, has not one inch of metal to it.

What this room will be used for: It's amazing how much I drift through this hidden corner. I planned on only spending about 1% of my time in the kitchen. But, it turns out, being hypoglycemic, I eat alot more than I'd like to admit. (Time to gain some of that weight back!) Not to mention the time spent chasing my nephews out of the cookie cupboard. Plus, it's where I stash the tools, scissors and batteries. My kitchen's work is never done!

One more use for the kitchen. Adoption news, coming soon!

What I'd still like to do with this space: Tear out that wallpaper! My original design plan involved white subway tile on both of the length-running walls, walnut floors and some paint. But, now that the stainless steel backsplash on the oven wall is growing on me, it may be more cost-effective to just add a matching backsplash on the opposite wall as well. (Half the work, half the price!)

I also want to paint a chalkboard wall on the narrow wall in the back. But, for now, this will have to do!

Notice last item on the shopping list. Check!

I Ache!

Spoiler alert! The living room is partially done.

There's not an inch of my body that hasn't been aching in the past week!

I creak, I pop and I grunt like an 80-year-old man with every movement. I moan every time I rise from a chair and my joints mimic rust each time I sit back down. My skin feels like sandpaper and looks even worse!

Good news is, it's because moving day happened 8 days ago. Yay!!!

Bad news, my pale skin managed to bump into every box, piece of furniture and appliance that made its way up those three flights of stairs.

Lest ye forget...

I've got cuts in places I don't remember scraping and so many bruises that, when I catch a glimpse of myself in the shower, I look like a breathing Rorschach test! I was worried, for a split second, that the veins in my hands were showing signs of cardio distress... only to realize it was remnants of teal paint.

Then there was all the squatting, bending and reaching involved with painting the bedroom as well as various pieces of old furniture that just didn't look up to snuff in the new place.

Oh well. I ache, therefore I mortgage.

In other moving news... I sleep like a baby in the new place!

I credit it to the open door wall, providing a pleasant summer's breeze. The calming shade of Salzburg Blue (Benjamin Moore #755. Two thumbs up!). The luxe caress of brand new bedding.

The only time I haven't slept like a baby here is when the neighbor's infant decides to change the definition of that phrase.

I should count my blessings, though. If you must share a bedroom wall with a crying baby, thank my lucky stars this one's not a screamer. His (Her?) cry is more of the "Coo... coo... wa-ah.. [sigh]" variety. The real entertainment starts when its Middle-Eastern father appears to sing it back to sleep.

I may learn a foreign tongue, if for no other reason than to decipher the soothing phrases that lull the little one back to slumberland. Is it an immigrant's lullaby, passed down through his ancestors? Or, is he just gently threatening the babe with sweetly sung consequences of being awake at such an hour? (♫"Little one, don't you know, I wake in four hours to earn you food to eat? ♪ Shush your mouth, close your eyes, and just...)

Reason Two to become bilingual: To get a better grasp on what he and his wife are bickering about at equally late hours. If I must hear it, at least grant me the ability to pick sides!

After a good night's sleep, on the weekends, I always enjoy my breakfast in (one of the few completely finished rooms) my Florida Room. A routine I pictured even back in the house-hunting phase.

I woke up like this. Sorry you had to find out!

A toasted Eggo tastes extra filling out there while I spy on the neighbors and watch birds commit unintentional suicide one-by-one as they fly into my floor-to-ceiling windows. (I swear, its like the Hale Bopp cult of sparrows around here!)

Then, it's always back to the boxes and their reciprocal paper cuts. It may ache for a short while, but it's no death-by-plexiglass!

Slowly but surely, this condo is becoming a home. [Insert smiley emoticon that Blogger's template doesn't support.]

Bit 'n Pieces

dotandbo.com

I'm now at the stage where I don't have another completed room to share with you.

It's that odd limbo that happens between appliance deliveries, cable hookups, uHaul rentals and finishing up with a spackle and paint job.

I've spent the last two days supervising a carpet install, making lists, scheduling services and bringing lightweight bits and pieces out of storage, while waiting on my stronger-than-me helpers who are coming to my rescue later in the week.

All while nursing a pulled hip. (Don't ask! It's a non-juicy story whose setting can be found at Ikea.)

I've got carpet! (And, way too frizzy of hair to be posing for this...)
Carpet by Home Depot. They were incredible!

While I keep you waiting on the next room, here's some favorites of my "bits 'n pieces" that have made their way home, so far:

Hepburn graffiti print:

Canvas print purchased at Veramar Arts at ebay.com

I always thought that Holly Golightly could have been alot nicer to Cat, so this revenge piece has me completely enamored with it! 

The best part is, I hung it just so that when you stand facing my hallway, it looks like she's being dragged away to her doom.

Disclaimer: I absolutely love Audrey Hepburn.

I've got my towels back! 

Most towels from Target. T.P. too, if you're interested!

This is definitely the stage of the "little things". I've been using the same three borrowed towels for the past year, while mine set sat buried in storage. They're not new. They're the same ones I'd been using, wearing out, and replacing for the last decade or so. But, they're back! And, they're mine!!!

Living Room Curtains:

Patterned curtains from jcp.com
Sheer curtains from Kmart
Double curtain rod from Bed Bath Beyond
Cubed storage (that's not staying there) from Target
Chair from allmodern.com

I've been dying to add some privacy to my doorwall all week, but was waiting on the carpet to hang the curtains.

The day finally came to hang these pretty teal things up and whoops! As you can tell, I only had half as many panels needed to fill this 125 inch-wide space. Total user error on my part when ordering. And, they sat, undiscovered, in their shipping packaging for over a month before I bothered taking them out and having a look. The other half is on its way! (Thankfully, they still had this color and pattern in stock!)

Today, I also spent way too many hours running around town trying to find the perfect pair of plain white sheer panels for the curtain rod's second layer. Every store in town was super fancy with their patterned sheers, textured sheers, colored sheers, pre-crinkled sheers (why?!). But, I could not find a plain white pair in the entire metro area to save my life!

Finally, I just happened to drive past a Kmart store. (Yes. There's still at least one left in existence!) I thought, "Well, I'll kick myself if I don't stop in and later find out they had them." Sure enough, there they were. I got two 60 X 84" panels for $5.99 apiece. Score! 

New chairs:

Both chairs found at allmodern.com

Both purchased to be used at a desk (one in the bedroom, one in the living room.) But, I'm tempted to just place them in the epicenter of the joint to be stared at like the pieces of art that they are.

My favorite!

Disney wall:

Replications of vintage Disney posters
found at ebay.com

I hang prints of vintage Disney World and Disneyland advertising in my cubicle at work. I love them so much that I've always planned on buying more and having a feature wall in whatever place I ended up buying. (And, they're beyond inexpensive. We're talking $5-10 each! Then, I just used basic frames purchased at Michael's to hang them in.*)

These are in my dining room. Now that I've temporarily placed my favorite chair in there and snapped a photo, though, I'm tempted to turn the room into a library/office instead!

Alas, I already have a hand-me-down dining set that I'm committed to (and frightful of) refinishing. But, I will do the deed! The deed will be done!

And, I'll be sure to blog it once I've made a mess of things.

*If you're planning your own feature wall, be careful to check the poster sizes before piecing together your collection. Several different vendors sell these and I almost ended up with a couple that were and inch or two smaller than the rest of my set!

Adventures in Home Ownership

I love owning my first home! I hate being suddenly broke because of it!

The phrase I've heard the most in this past week has been, "Welcome to home ownership!"

Some say it as a heartfelt welcome to the club. Some say it with humor. Some say it with well-known empathy. And, others say it as a vicious knife to the heart. (i.e. Their lips say, "Welcome to home ownership!" while their hearts are saying, "I can't wait to watch her eff this up!!!")

No matter how you break it down, I have definitely taken that plunge. All those precious dollars stowed away for year upon years have finally been invested into something that I wanted so badly. Gone is the bulk of my savings account. No more opportunities for impulse spending or last-minute vacations. The deed has been done (and transferred into my name officially at the city appraiser's office.)

Old carpet has already been ripped out and new carpeting is paid for and waiting on installation. Most of my furniture has already been purchased and is waiting to be sat on. Dated light fixtures have been replaced. New smoke detectors have been installed. 

More strapping men and women of my clan.

The budget I had so carefully mapped out for years, was falling into place to a t.

And, then... home ownership happened!

I was fixing lunch yesterday and noticed that my refrigerator was very upset about something and had started to cry. A more seasoned home owner pointed out to me that the drain pipe from the freezer was broken and had been leaking into the fridge below. (I like my theory better. I could have cheered it up for free!)

Well, I'd placed aside a contingency for such issues that may arise, per the advice of the Property Brothers. (I knew watching way too many hours of HGTV would pay off for me eventually!) So, I figured, "I wasn't planning on replacing appliances for a year, but that's what I have my contingency for!"

Bada-bang, bada-boom, a new fridge will be delivered on Friday. (And, "accidentally" a new oven too. I strive to maintain complete honesty in my blogs; so, I'll just admit that the range is at least thirty years old... although, most likely, closer to forty. It was nasty dirty and I had simply run out of elbow grease. I'd like to cook in my kitchen one day soon without running the risk of 30-year-old spaghetti sauce remnants catching on fire so, "Hello, contingency!" I do have some self control, though. The original dishwasher remains in place.)

So, alot of fun has been had in my kitchen already.

But, at least, that contingency thing worked out for me!

Then I find out that my home owner's association dues are being raised in two months.

Then I also find out there's a two phase special assessment starting in the complex next month. They won't give out details until my association meeting next week, but it's pricey enough where they're talking payment plans.

Augh! Four days in and home ownership is already giving me the back sweats!

My head wants to start to panic, but my gut is telling me to just trust the Lord. No one in my complex is a millionaire. (And, if you are, please show yourself! I'd like to schedule a dinner date.) We'll all have to find some way to pay for this extra cost. I am not alone.

Everything will work out if I don't sweat the small stuff. Or, the big stuff. Or, the expensive stuff. (Somebody please tell this to my back! No sweating allowed!)

 Besides, I've already got my first two pictures to hang on the new fridge.

I promise, less sweaty pictures of me once the move is complete.

Courtesy of one of our strapping littles:

The artiste'

In the meantime, a message from new homeowners to seasoned ones: When somebody vents to you about their new housing woes, they're not looking to be patronized. They're not looking for you to smirk or haughtily add, "Well, that's home ownership! What did you expect?"

We understood that home ownership came with a price. We are not naive. We're not looking to be judged... just for a sympathetic ear.

And, maybe, also a greeting card stuffed with hundred dollar bills. (I can private message you my address if you're interested.)

The Bathroom

Wrinkled rug. Doh! I have already failed at homemaking.

My bathroom cracks me up!  But, I guess it's okay to laugh in there. (Oooohhh... and I just said "crack" and "but(t)" right off the bat in my bathroom post.)

I didn't have to do much in here, which is why it's already pretty much done a mere two days after closing.

When it comes to bathrooms, white is right! (I just wish a little more whiteness on that tile floor in there. Here, bleach! Come 'ere, boy...")

Soap dispenser and trash can from Target
Bath mat by Ikea

I actually touched this room first on closing day. The previous owner had already installed this fine-by-me sink and cabinet. So, all I had to do was bring some soft soap and artwork into the mix.

Oh, why does my bathroom crack me up, you ask?

Well that leads us right into my favorite thing:

"Bat Brush" and "Cat Brush" by Greg Guillemin. Purchased at iCanvas.com

Moonrise Kingdom poster purchased at ParadoxParade on etsy.com.

White frame from Michael's Arts and Crafts

My favorite thing about this room: The artwork! It's fun, it's me, and it happened to come in the colors I wanted for this room. Moonrise Kingdom is one of my top ten favorite movies, which is why I initially chose the print on the wall opposite our Gotham heroes. The reason I'm laughing is because I placed that poster directly above the place in which many moons will be rising. *wink, wink. nudge, nudge.*

What this room will be use for: Duh! And, probably also several impromptu fights with Cat Woman over toothpaste and our main squeeze.

What I'd still like to do with this space: Bleach those floors! Possibly remove the glass shower doors. I've never been a fan, but I'm also kind of starting to like the airy lightness they provide in this all-white space. We'll revisit that topic once I've actually showered in there. Also, the counter space will soon be cluttered with way too many products once I've officially moved in.

That's all for now. Keep it fresh and clean out there!

The Florida Room

Since every inch of the poopy carpet* is in the process of being replaced, yet I'm chomping at the bit to start decorating, the easy choice was to start with the three rooms that aren't waiting on the Home Depot team to lay new flooring.

The easiest of those places to start was in my Florida room.

Everything had already been purchased and was waiting in storage, so once the dingy white carpet was gone, all it needed was a good floor scrubbing and some caulk to replace the peeled-off stuff under the windows. (Note to self: Must buy caulking. That part didn't actually happen yet.)

Chair, table and rugs from Target.
Chevron outdoor pillows from landofpillows.com

My favorite thing about this room: The brick wall and the colors! I'm a lover of color. Which is also my way of warning, "Brace yourself. There's more of that to come!"

More chairs and rugs from Target.

What this room will be used for: I decorated very inexpensively here because I hadn't fully decided what this space will be used for. If I change my mind along the way, there will be no crying over tossing out the $19 Adirondack chairs. I'll get more than $19 use out of them this summer alone. Anticipated use: Reading, blogging, snacking and petting of cats. (Whoops! Not plural. Just cat. Keep me accountable with that, please!)

I prefer to use trends like chevron in easily replaceable ways,
like these cheapo rugs and throw pillows. That way once the trend
is laid to rest, I won't be crying over painted chevron floors or tile work.

What I'd still like to do with this space: I've been scoping out local antique shops for the perfect vintage street sign for the brick wall... although I'd also kind of hate to cover any inch of it up. Festive outdoor lights will probably be added as well.

Punny street sign option for the "cougar den".

*Reassuring me in my repulsion of the state of the old carpet was my brother who, when lifting the throw rug the owner had left behind as camouflage, blurted out "AUGH!!! What did he do in here?!" See, doubters. It's not pop stains, coffee spills or other once edible substances. It was poop. (You may now debate the relation of poop to "once edible substances" amongst yourselves.)

The First Two Days

Keys! Keys! I've FINALLY got keys!!!

The keys came on Thursday night. One hour later...

...and I'm already tearing up carpet! 

"I" obviously meaning my dad and brother. The real I "supervised". (Totally accurate use of quotation marks on both accounts.)

Three hours later...

...and, new carpet was ordered by midnight. Kimmy don't play.

The past two days have been devoted to shop vacs, tape measures, scrubbing bubbles and shopping trips. (Not the fun kind.)

Of course, that also means the fine cuisine of Home Depot.

And, way too much takeout pizza for a woman of my age and metabolism.

Some things I've learned so far:

• Always be born into a family of strapping men.
• Hoarding furniture piece by piece while paying for a storage unit paid off. It's so much better to spread those expenses out over time then to take one big stressful and bank-busting shopping trip at crunch time.
• Those dated dining room mirrors I once hated, I now realize I'll miss once the furniture is moved in and I'll have to discontinue the one woman dance-offs.
• Heavy lifting up several flights of stairs is about as much fun as I anticipated.

STAIRS!!!

MORE STAIRS!!!

Bonus: I fully expect calves of steel by the end of next week!

Extra tidbit for my regular readers: The drunk guy that fell into a bush and starred in one of my prior house hunting posts lives directly across the parking lot from my Florida room. This ought to warrant a binoculars purchase in the near future.

Top window, abode of the entertainingly drunk home owner.
You're welcome.