Back after a month

There hasn't been too much going on in my life the last month or so. Just more of the same. Boyfriend Jon and i have been steadily working to unpack the remainder of our apartment. There's less and less of the "oh crap, what box is that in?" and "I think I unpacked it, but i have no idea where i put it".

With the installation of floating shelves for all of our books (all the friends are raving about it as a brilliant idea...we just did it because we had a vent in the way that we couldn't put a bookshelf in front of), our house instantly looked more homey and less apartment-y. We're working on projects pretty much non stop for the improvement of the apartment. Everything from painting to sewing, building, organizing, to cleaning, decorating and arranging.

The media stand is finally finished, in all it's resplendent glory. From a drawing to a creation. i'm very proud of this one, despite learning a some different techniques than i had originally planned due to some mistakes.

Also, i decided to take my multi canvas painting and paint over it in greens and silvers. Next i'll paint branches in a variety of browns, then affix flowers made from printed paper to the canvas. This project will eventually adorn the wall above our bed.

So basically in the apartment department, we're down to decorating and learning how to not throttle each other. Some days its harder than others, but for the most part I love having Boyfriend Jon around even if he does tease me about my newfound Pinterest addiction.

One such Pinterest teasing moment came from finding a post about a DIY Popcorn Station. Where guests can create a popcorn concoction to their personal liking with a variety of shakers like ranch, cheddar, and cinnamon sugar. So my thought process went: ooo! cool pinterest post, must do this, i need to have a party where i can do this! throw a party where i can do this. Overall my friends thought it was great. Needs a little bit of refinement and it will be perfect.

Other bits of news.

Celebrated another Friday the 13th with the wonderful Boyfriend Jon. Since we got together on a Friday the 13th, it's been a special day for us ever since.

How it was supposed to go

At least until I got involved in a hit and run on the way to our special romantic dinner. There was minimal damage and no injuries thankfully. But it did lead to a harrowing race after the jerk, and catching up to him twice. Boyfriend Jon got out of the car and the guy took off again so i followed him leaving Boyfriend Jon standing in the middle of an intersection. He led me on a chase through an apartment complex and somehow i managed to get his licence plate number to the dispatcher. Eventually the police caught up with the guy and raked him over the coals for leaving the scene of an accident but apparently i'm terrifying when I'm angry and he was scared of me. 
When the police finally got me in touch with him, I told both him and the officers that HAD he stopped and done the right thing, there was so little damage that i probably would have told the guy no problem, here let me fix your licence plate for you. In the end he apologized and i told him "no offense, but we never bump into each other again." and that was that.

The day after the accident, I got into it with another major jerk. I did some voluenteer work for the city television crew during a parade. I was doing my job when i realized that someone was touching me. I stepped back from my view finder to realize that a guy with a camera was practically on top of me very much in my personal bubble. I asked him to move nicely, stating that i needed to be able to move in my zone. He told me screw you. Oh no no no. I'm no meek little thing that will tolerate being spoken to in such a way. So i got in his way, and told him firmly to back up, this area had been reserved and i pointed out the construction cones that were in place for just such a reason. He didn't move. So i got even closer...just about drill sargent close and yelled for him to back up. I then stepped into him and used my body to back him up. People from the crowd behind him were trying to pull him back and he was not having anything of it even if he didn't seem too inclined to take me on. My boss managed to catch what was happening and asked his superior to go and step in. Eventually the guy was reloated and i was able to get back to my job. I think if my boss hadn't been tied up in wires, the man would have gotten decked.

So it's nice to get back to work where while people here may be annoying, at least they're not that big of jerks.

Arranging

It's been a busy few weeks since my last post. I think out of probably 100 boxes, we're down to maybe a dozen. Most of those items are things that we're not entirely sure where to put because we don't have the furniture item that they will go into set up yet.

My carpentry hobby hasn't been put into use yet because we're still planning on how to fit everything necessary in the few things i have to build. We're pretty much set on our new media stand design which will house all our various electronics for the main room from the sub woofer to our modem while hiding all the wires from immediate view. Also in the works is a new desk that will fit both of us considering there's a 10 inch difference to our heights, not to mention a huge difference in our preferences on desks. Jon likes his arms low, i like mine high; he leans forward, i lean back; his mouse is on the left and mine is on the right; he puts the chair all the way up, i put the chair all the way down or my toes barely brush the floor. It's a conundrum.

Slowly we're learning how to adjust to our new living situation. Thankfully thus far, disagreements have been relatively small and we've worked through them by each giving a little ground.

On Saturday, we braved Ikea first thing in the morning. We got there when the cafe was open, but before the big crowd of people Actually, it was a total ghost town. And breakfast? I gotta tell you: 5$ for a filling breakfast for two! How they keep those prices so low is beyond me. Do they get the chickens to lay their eggs in modular form? Square instead of round to reduce waste of space???

Really...it's mind blowing in this day and age of 10$ coffee based drinks.

We went in looking for a sleeper sofa that would serve as guest sleeping plus an escape when one of us is sick or snoring badly.

We found one that seemed to work for us, but the fabric options were kind of ho-hum. It was definitively industrial and designed to stand up to millenia of wear and tear, but it was about as soft as burlap. But since brown was the best option, we went to talk to the sales lady. While i was talking to her, i happened to put my hand down and felt soft and semi fuzzy. I looked down and saw the same couch, but with an oatmeal colored corduroy-esque cover. I asked her if it was available on the sleeper sofa and she said "Yes, and that blue option over there" So i quickly called Jon over and we molested the couch for several minutes before deciding on the dark nighttime blue couch. (Which...this picture does absolutely no justice as to how wonderfully luxurious the couch is)

So shortly there after, after much grunting, cursing, yelling, struggling, straining, and amazed looks from neighbors....we got the couch and the rest of our loot into the apartment. While Boyfriend Jon still jokes about us having primary color couches (Blue, Red and Green), i thin the effect of having a rich red and a dark cobalt blue look wonderful together. Especially once i figure out where i put my dark cobalt colored blanket. That must be in a box still to be opened.....somewhere....

Down to a suitcase

This is the week that i hope to pack all of my belongings and live out of a suitcase for a week before the actual move. Last week i packed up my whole kitchen with the help of my friend Lindsey so I've been eating off of paper plates and takeout with a single set of knife,fork, and spoon. I have one kitchen towel and a lot of empty spaces.

It was harder than i thought it would be to not have a single kitchen tool to work with. Not a can opener, not a skillet, not even a dish rack for when i washed the few items i had left out. Everything was gone. I don't think I've ever eaten so much take out in a single week as i did this week. And of course, this was the time when my body started craving steak, seared salmon, chicken and gnochi soup, spaghetti....all things that i currently have sitting in my freezer that if i had a pan to cook them in, i could have made and eaten to satisfy the cravings. But all my pans are in boxes, buried under more boxes, with packing supplies on top of those.

Last night, my dad came to help me take down the light fixture in the kitchen. We had replaced it shortly after i moved in because the light was so dim that i felt like nothing was gained by turning on the light. Instead we installed a 4 bulb florescent light fixture and that was heavenly light at the flip of a switch. In fact, i had forgotten how bad it was until we replaced the old fixture and turned on the light. I had thought that maybe my brain exaggerated the dimness, but nope...it was dead on accurate.

I'm also taking out the shelving i installed in the pantry. I was amazed to find that there was mold growing all over the bottom underneath the shelf. Mostly because the shelf was at least 4 inches off the ground and there was nothing trapping air. By all mold logic i had ever known...it should NOT have started to mold.

This is probably the only apartment i have ever had issues deal with mold. It's not like i'm unused to Northwest weather and it's propensity for mold, but generally, when i deal with mold, it doesn't come back this fast. I've been bleaching window frames ever since i moved in, and within a month, the mold is back. Clearly, it was some shoddy workmanship in that apartment. I'm going to have my work cut out for me when i clean that place.

Today, however, i'm taking a brief break from the packing to go with my wonderful friend Annie to see THE HUNGER GAMES!!!! She, as a major book worm, turned me on to these books before they took off and i absolutely loved them. I'm totally a sucker for female survivor stories. So it was only fitting that we went to see them together immediately after they came out. I can't wait!!!

I'm sorely in need of a break from all the packing.

Packing Schedule

So i move at the end of this month. 20 days away. It's no April fool's joke. And obviously i'll need a plan.

First off, i'm at work for at least 9 hours a day (not counting lunch hour). I pull four 9 hour days which bascially means i'm running around the whole day solving copier problems, putting in orders, running endless arrays of data, and reminding people for the millionth time that i am not responsible for keeping track of their bloody coffee cup!

Needless to say, by the end of the day, i'm exhausted. So any major packing for the week days just aint gonna happen. Which leaves the weekends for me to concentrate on.

This last weekend, i concentrated on packing up all the decorative things i have scattered around. Pictures, candles and holders, my ceramic dragon sculpture i made in art class in college, fake plants i've collected because there was no way to keep real plants alive in my dark dungeon of an apartment i have now. Then came my small collection of board games, and cards.
Then i started in on the art supplies and office supplies.

Which made me think that I developed my mother's pen hoarding tendency. I say this because i filled up an entire gallon sized ziplock bag with pens. woops.

My books were already packed, but i had to tape them shut. So by the end of the weekend, i had 8 boxes packed of things i won't need before the end of the month.

Next weekend, I'm probably going to go through everything that's under my bed. Which could get interesting, because the last time i tried to go through under there, i found a gallon of plain old sand. No idea why it was there, but for some reason i had it.

Overall this is going to be an interesting month as i continually pare down to what items i absolutely need in order to get by day to day in my current apartment, while more and more things end up in an ever increasing maze of boxes.

Not-so Breaking News!

FINALLY! FINALLY! I can talk about it.

Boyfriend Jon and I are moving in together!!!!!

We found a gorgeous apartment, in the perfect area, next to a creek with a trail, a fireplace, a huge kitchen and walking distance to a grocery store. It's huge, almost double the square footage that i'm currently living in. And in the next month, you're probably going to be reading about all the obsessive moving thoughts that will be running through my head.

I didn't want to break the news pre-maturely and possibly jinx it, and also because i hadn't told my parents yet. There were a lot of variables that had to come together in order for all of this to work.

But we got the lease papers last night and are going over them today. So it's pretty much official. We're moving in together.

I had a lot of concern about how my parents would react. They pretend that most dating milestones that are common for the 21st century don't exist. They like to pretend there's still the courting process prevalent in the 1950s. Sometimes the pretending goes to the extreme, in my opinion, but that's just the way that they are. And i am their baby, and this mold hasn't been broken in on the girls side of things. Thankfully, i seem to have caught them at a good time and overall the announcement went well. I had hoped for a genuinely happy response, but it was more reserved and cautious. Probably cause they've had no wind of this before, they don't realize that this has been in the works since August.

I'm so excited to move in with Boyfriend Jon. He's my best friend, companion, confidant, and winner of the best boyfriend award multiple times. This is going to be such a beneficial step. No more logistics of having two apartments, two refrigerators, two schedules...we'll be able to save money on rent, cook more cause all the ingredients are in one place, so many other pluses that i can't even count them right now cause i'm too giddy. And the place is huge by comparison to either of our places, and open, and there's two bedrooms so there's the option of our own private space. I have such a good feeling about this place.

I'm an artistic, right brained type. I love to spread out and have room to move. Which is kind of hard in a just over 500 sq/f apartment. Oh, did i mention its on the 3rd floor? This means there's the options of leaving the curtains open!!! Natrual light, oh happy day!

Right now thoughts of BBQs by the pool (did i mention there's a pool?), movie nights with friends where everyone can sit and enjoy the tv, baking parties, Halloween parties, eventually getting a puppy or two; all those things just keep running through my head.

I just can't wait for April!

The Saga of the Purple Couch

A few years ago, while i was dealing with the Roommate Katherine, a co-worker asked me if i would like to take her twin size hide a bed love-seat off her hands. I went over and checked it out and it was indeed a beautiful couch. A nice dusty plum color with ample cushioning and no large stains or tears. Unfortunately, i didn't have that much room so i declined to take it.

Now that my furniture space has changed and i'm able to fit something like that, i started thinking about how nice it would be when guests stay over/or there's someone snoring in my bedroom, to have a secondary bed area that's easily available even during the half awake stumble that occurs in the middle of the night.

So i went back to the co-worker and asked if she still had the couch. Unfortunately she didn't, but she had given it to another co-worker of ours, (we'll call her Cindy). As it turned out, Cindy was looking to get rid of the very same couch well within the time frame that i was looking at and she would be very happy if i could take it off her hands. She assured me that it was still in good condition, and that she'd get her husband to clean it before they gave it to me. I thought i had just won the jackpot.

An exaggerated example
of the "children" stains i'm referring to.

I borrowed my dad's van and pulled up to their house to take the couch. Looking back now, i should have gone to look at the couch before hand. But i trusted Cindy because she's a wonderful lady and i had no reason to believe anything less than the best from her. I could see a couple smudges from little children fingers, but overall the couch looked in good shape. So the couch got loaded up and i started to drive off.

Then i started to notice a very strong odor. My first thought was that i had gone through a skunk plume. Then i realized the smell was not skunk, but dog and it was coming from the couch behind me. I ended up driving down the highway with the windows down several inches and the rear wing windows open in the pouring rain because the stench was overwhelming. At this point, i didn't feel that i could go back, but i seriously thought about letting it accidentally fall out the back of the van. I think it might just be one of those cases where someone who lives with the smell, no longer notices it after a while. Cindy is too sweet a person to intentionally mislead someone.

Still it was a couch that was complementary in color to my Red Couch Of Awesomeness. It was originally an 800$ couch and it had a fold out bed, and i was getting it free of charge. Surely i could salvage this couch. Surely even if i had to spend a little bit of money, this couch would be worth it in the end.

So despite Boyfriend Jon's dubious looks and tactful silences when i explained my plan to him, i set the plan in motion. I borrowed my mothers industrial rinse and vac machine, created solutions of hot water, a mild citrus scented soap, and a little Fabreeze and went to work cleaning this couch.

The stuffing from the back cushion went straight into the garbage because it smelled like dog piss. I figure that i can find replacement stuffing for less than 20$ so that's no big loss. And then i sprayed my cleaning solution and used a scrub brush on every single inch of fabric on that entire couch, inside and out. The rinse and vac has a clear cover where you can see what you're sucking up. I can't clearly convey the gross factor of what i saw, but needless to say, i went over certain areas several times until the water was coming out clear.

For five hours i worked on cleaning this couch. I know because i watched the entire extended edition original DUNE movie plus over two episodes of Battlestar Galatica. I worked hard the entire time, soaking, scrubbing, suctioning, and fabreezing the entire couch, top to bottom, inside and out. I even cleaned all the hardware inside for the hide a bed.

By the end, my back was screaming, my sense of smell was completely GONE, i had a massive headache, and my knuckles were scraped raw. I had hauled gallons of water for rinsing my scrub brush, filled my water spray bottle dozens of times and gone through over half a bottle of fabreeze.

BUT!!!!

This is not my couch, but an example
of the difference before and after

This couch looks GOOD now. All of the children and pet dander stains came out after the scrubbing, and i'm positive that i managed to get almost all the body oils and other stains out of the fabric. I'm going to have to trash the mattress and replace it with a foam pad, but overall, i think this couch is saved.

I might just be optimistic, but it's going to depend on getting my mother's amazing nose in there to tell if it still smells cause i still can't smell a thing. If it still smells after that, i'll probably get rid of it. But i'm hopeful that all that work will pay off and i'll have a new couch. Fingers crossed because this couch looks good, it's just all dependent on the lack of odor.

The Stages of Furniture

Just like stages in life, most furniture goes through a relatively defined path.

When we are born, we're put into cribs that our parents have purchased. In my case, being the youngest, it was a hand me down crib that had scratches on the wood, and the rattle spinners were missing in a couple places and one of them had rusted stuck. it had survived all my siblings, and many moves throughout the states. It was ugly but it worked.

Later, i shared a room with my brother and we slept in bunk beds that my father had built. To this day, i'm not sure how we never managed to knock the bunk bed over given all the flips and jumps we made out of the top bunk.

For me? ICK! 

When we got too old to share a room together, Dad took a saw and cut the bunk bed in two. Shortly thereafter, my brother and I got a little lucky. My older siblings were moving out. My brother got the older brother's thick and clunky wood bed and dresser that had under the bed storage. I got the white and gold french provincial bedroom set that my sister loved. I hated it on sight. But i had to live with that until i graduated.

(The point of that was that when we are young, we get whatever someone else buys, rarely getting a say in the matter or using hand me down pieces.)

Since i went to community college and not a university to live in the dorms, i'm going to skip over the part where you have the exact same storage as everyone else or make do with the plastic bins and drawers which are the cheapest form of storage.

Then you move out on your own. This is the point where you finally get to start making decisions for yourself. It's also the point where you realize just how expensive it really is. So you begin to build your collection from family or friend donations, sidewalk rescues, garage sales and craigslist. Sometimes you get lucky and find a nice piece. But more often than not...you get the mismatched, scratched, or painted a million times collection that just gets the job done. Sometimes it even manages to give an eclectic artistic feel. More often than not....it looks, feels and smells scavenged.

Then as your life moves on, and you get that job that pays just enough that you have some extra to play around with. It's at that point that you get the Grown-Up Furniture Set.

It's not the best materials, but it all goes together or at least looks like it does. And best of all: you got to pick it yourself! It works exactly as you need it to, it fits into your space and it looks good in your eyes.

As of today, i sold the mismatched dressers and chest of drawers that had been housing my assorted belongings. Even got more than i paid for them, thank you very much craigslist buyer. They hauled them out at lunchtime, and tonight my dad will be bringing in my new side by side 8 drawer dresser with a mirror to go with my matching night stands which i installed over the weekend.

Wanna talk lucky? Remember a ways back, i refurbished an Ikea bed frame and put it up on specially built stilts? Then those stilts were too long and i had to cut them off with a sawsall? Yeah, the nightstands are EXACTLY level with the top of the mattress. I was so shocked, i got the level out just to make sure. How unbelievable is that?

Originally, the set would have run me almost $180 but i talked them down to just over $150. Awesome sauce! Pics to follow.

Best part of all, not even a hint of white french provincial. Thank god!

The importance of great kitchenware

My number one pet peeve that i have is people who don't take care of their kitchen equiptment. Good cookware is essential for me. My family always pushed and emphasis on quality in the kitchen and i quickly learned why my mom refused to let us put pots in the dishwasher, instead making us wash everything that had to do with the stove by hand.

I started out with practically nothing in my kitchen arsenal aside from a basic four serving corelle ware dishes and some silverware i got from value village. I had to rely on the roommate's cooking tools. I was immediately horrified at my first roommate's so called cooking tools. And no...most of them didn't get the job done. They were scratched, dented, stained, cooked unevenly, food stuck, and didn't sit flat on the stove. Probably because she always threw them in the dishwasher or left the burner on. I couldn't fathom someone being so careless but there was nothing i could do.

I swore that i would never have pots and pans that were THAT crappy. I remember hiding my one fantastic universal pan in my room instead of in the kitchen. When i got an amazing professional stainless steel set for Christmas, they stayed in the box until i moved out despite my yearning for quality pans every time i cooked.

 My next roommate had her own set, which were already getting scratched. But they at least worked. I seasoned them for her and I did my best to take care of them when i used them though she always looked askance at me when i hand washed them. My professional set stayed hidden away in my garage. Finally, i moved out on my own and i was so excited to finally pull the pots out of their box. They were just so pretty!

It's hard to believe that in just a handful of years, I've filled out my collection with quality, nice looking, serviceable kitchenware. Especially since the roommates are no longer a factor. I still drool over kitchen gadgets and was in awe of the professional cooking store i found nearby. I started to expand my collection beyond the basics.

Everything from a kitchen aid (best invention ever!), quality wood spatulas and spoons, pyrex mixing dishes, and high quality and sharp knives. I even got Boyfriend Jon a nice set of knives to replace his old ones because they drove me insane.

But there are still so many things I need. For dinner this week, i'm planning on a green bean casserole, one of Boyfriend Jon's favorites and lo and behold...no casserole dish. Before this we had been using the disposable aluminum tins from the grocery store. I instantly thought of my parent's Visionware Corning dish. That sucker is awesome. But they're not carried in any local stores. Before i know what's happened, it's past my bedtime and I had been looking at Corning ware at every single local store that sells it for over two hours.

It's an obsession. I won't deny it. Having a beautiful and functional kitchen with great tools is a big dream of mine. A currently un-achievable dream given my apartment and income, but a constant one. Down to the fact that i highly covet my buddy Kenny's island in his kitchen. I miss the days of plentiful counterspace. I'd happily give up a dining room to have a bigger kitchen. And i can't help but imagine a home with one of those mockups you see at home depot or ikea.

So please, be kind to your good kitchenware.

The mountain of clothes

Somehow, i forgot that i absolutely HATE folding clothes. In my haste to get my apartment looking awesome again, i decided that the shelves in my closet needed to be cleared out and everything re-done. I just happened to forget that this meant a lot of folding.

Now there is a HUGE pile of clean clothes strewn over about 1/4 of my living room. I can feel it watching me when i call friends after work to see if they want to hang out. Its "eyes" bore into my back when i decide to eat out instead of in. It calls to me as i put my hand on the doorknob to flee. "Annnneee...you forgot something..."

And i'm even dreaming about LAUNDRY. Nay, having nightmares about it.

Maybe i shouldn't play anymore and do battle with the PILE!

ON GUARD!

The Apartment Re-Do

One of these days i'll get the hang of relaxing instead of working on the weekend. My arm muscles sure wish i would since they're protesting even the amount of moving needed for typing.

This weekend was the big re-do of my apartment. I have been sick to death of not being organized and having no where to put all the random stuff. My family has decided to do a garage sale next month and it's lighting a fire under me to get RID of everything in my house that i never use and have no idea what i was thinking when i got it.

Friday, I brought home the new headboard and went shopping at Walmart for new organizing stuff. Boyfriend Jon (aka sweetest boyfriend in the world) agreed to come over after he got off of work to help me put the bed together. I spent the remaining time covering paper ream boxes with contact paper. This ended up being so easy and the final product was awesome. They're still a little plain, but they look great and i can spruce them up anytime. Starting with making labels for them that aren't made out of post it notes.

Saturday, we finally took down my hanging bookshelf to make room for the much taller headboard and as soon as we put it in place, we started noticing something. It looked really high. I was undaunted, since i was certain that i had done my math correctly. Original 9 inch legs, plus ten inches of lift, plus an additional 10 inches for the mattress would just a little bit taller than my old bed had been (28 inches).

We pounded the stilts into place with my motorcycle boot for lack of a sturdy rubber mallet and then we put the frame together. Finally the mattress went on and Boyfriend Jon gave me a dubious look. It was REALLY tall. So we pulled out the tape measures. 32 3/4 inches tall. i was BAFFLED. How the heck did i mess that up? And then i realized, the ledge that the slats for the mattress to sit on is not the same as the bottom of the board. I totally missed it in my measurements. So after i kicked myself and called my dad to see what i should do. An hour later, Boyfriend Jon was holding on while i used a saws-all to lop off 3.5 inches from the bottom of the stilts. So much for my tricky foot cap that i made.

In the end, the bed looks awesome...maybe not against my Ikea nightstand and my filing cabinet/second nightstand. But it's getting there. Pretty soon i'll have some kind of theme in my bedroom.

Apparently however, my brain was not done working for the weekend. Because as soon as the bed was done, i was attacking the mess while Boyfriend Jon beat a wise and hasty retreat. I returned the storage bins i had bought on Friday and purchased ones of the right size since the stilt shrinkage. I also bought (and would end up returning and re-buying) drawers for my bathroom cabinet to organize there too. I spirited away all the winter coats, sweaters, and bulky linens that were piled high in the corners. I corralled all the miscellaneous items that had been underfoot for months. I sectioned off the living room into "Keep", "Trash", "Garage Sale", and "Clothes" and began depositing items accordingly. I couldn't walk through my kitchen due to the laundry basket of books and my bookcase. I even went through my pants, trying each one on to figure out which ones fit now and which ones had the promise of fitting without drastic weight loss.

I still have a mountain of clothes that need to be gone through and re-folded...my least favorite task, but at least I found several summer clothes i thought had mistakenly been donated. WIN!

When the dust settles in the next few days, i hope to have a clean and organized...and able to be kept that way, apartment.

Table Before and After Pics

It's official. My sister an I moved the coffee and end tables as well as most of the bed frame into my apartment and moved my old stuff out. This means i have some room to move around again because the dining room table and chairs were shipped out too.

I've often expressed my LOATHING for particle board, but i must say, my old coffee and end tables have held up extremely well considering they survived my sister's entire college experience...10 years between and then my entire college experience, plus a few years since. It's been dinged, scratched, spilled upon, stained, and the legs have to be regularly tightened so they don't fall off....but over all it's still a sturdy great piece. Hopefully i'll be able to get some money for it at the garage sale.

Anyway...the long awaited before and after pics!
Before....

AFTER!!!!!

Do you hear the hallelujah chorus? I do.
Although this means i have to clean up my apartment from the disaster it is when i threw everything that was on top of the old tables.

The new headboard is still hanging out at my parents place where the last coats of varnish are curing. When that's done, i'll move it over and set up my bedroom. I'm sorry that i don't have pictures. Every time i thought about taking pictures, my hands were covered with stain, varnish or paint. but here's the starting point. Just so you note: the height of the frame that the mattress sits in is 13 inches off the ground at the top.


Also on the project docket: Covering paper ream boxes with wallpaper or contact paper so that i can have a uniform storage boxes on the upper shelf in my closet. Most of the boxes and baskets up there are falling apart. When i priced buying some boxes...i was astounded at the price for 1. I'm figuring that for roughly the same price as buying one, to be able to make at least three. Also, i'm going to reinforce the edges and seams with duct tape first. Mine will be virtually indestructible!

I'm well on my way to re-organizing my home!

Puppies, Logistics and Craigslist

This being my first week back, I've been all but dragging myself to work, and trying my darnedest to stay focused and not grumbling about certain (numerous) reasons why i would rather be anywhere else than at work. I haven't gotten back into my usual routine, and the hours at work creep by like slugs.

That was until yesterday morning. I rounded the corner and saw one of my co-workers crouched on the floor playing with a black ball of fluff. Upon closer inspection it was a 14 week old shi tzu puppy named Max. Suddenly, all of my headaches, frustrations, and homicidal thoughts disappeared in the presence of puppy kisses.

It's not wise to upset a Wookie.
Now give me back my chew toy!

Things got even better when the owner needed a quick pet-sitter while she went to a meeting. I was only too happy to fulfill that temporary addition to my job description. Max got a blanket on the side of my desk where he could chew on  me his toys and investigate the tapping of my keys while i still worked. Eventually, he ended up dozing off with a paw draped over my arm. Unintelligible noises of adoration escaped me despite my best efforts.

I'm not usually a fan of small dogs. They have to be unreasonably cute and amusing for me to fall in love with them. This excludes chihuahuas, pugs and miniature dobermins. Those just arent' cute to me with their bug eyes. Shi tzus look so much like Ewoks that i can't help myself. If i ever got a shi tzu (one of the few small dogs i would consider owning) it would totally be named Wicket. But for now i'm having fun with Max.

I want a puppy so badly now. Of course i don't live a lifestyle that could support owning a dog, but it doesn't dampen the desire in the least.
***
So last Saturday, i bought a mattress. A new, queen size, which i was able to lay upon  first instead of dad just bringing it home and telling me this is my new mattress. It was all my choice, and i'm thrilled with it.

Except....

I still had my old full size mattress, old box spring, frame and headboard in the way. And in a 1 bedroom apartment, that doesn't leave much room for maneuverability. So since last Saturday, the new mattress has been up against a wall, while I've continued to sleep on the old mattress, which doesn't feel nearly as comfortable as i remember.

After contacting some of the "wanted" ads on craigslist, and getting tired of their flaking...i posted it and had immediate responses. One of them was even local, and several promised that they could pick up the next day. With any luck, that old mattress will be gone tonight and i can at least put my new mattress on the floor until i finish altering the new frame.

Ever since i worked for a personal organizer, I've always felt that box springs were a waste of space. I wondered why beds didn't just raise up higher and have built in support for the mattresses. At the time, however, i didn't have much of an option. But i do now.

Lindsey's old frame is an Ikea build, with slats. So no box spring needed! Happy day! Now i just have to get around to adding the wood stilts so that it's not sitting 9 inches off the ground....because it's Ikea. When i'm done, it should be sitting 18-22 inches off the ground. I'm so excited to have all that new storage space. I'll finally be able to get plastic bins for my winter clothes instead of massing them together in garbage bags stacked precariously in the back of my closet.

Meanwhile, i tiptoe carefully through my apartment which looks like i just moved in...again.

Friends with Style

I'm not stylish. If i had to describe my style, i would say it's simple, classic and goes with everything. That translates to simple bootleg jeans, a colored tanktop and a black sweater. It's a combination that looks good on everyone, so that's what i wear every friday, sat and sun. At work i have slacks, two black one grey, that get paired up with solid colored knit shirts of varying arm legnths. Since Boyfriend Jon has known me...i can count the number of times i have left the house in a skirt or dress on one hand.

But i'm headed on a trip with one of my best Gal Pals who is the sharpest dresser i know. She has been dubbed my "Cute Expert" because she really has a knack for discovering cute things that i just kind of look at her and blink over. Lindsey is not super girly, but she has great style. And perhaps my next sentence won't show that she's not girly, but in the array of girly girl people in my life...she's at the bottom. She's already tanned, gotten a haircut and painted her nails for the trip. I'm sitting here with dirt under my nails from working in my mother's garden and i wouldn't be surprised if my hair smelled like sawdust from the shop.

TANGENT!
The end tables are BUILT! Done! I won't have to put in a single other screw anywhere, or use the nailgun or make any more cuts. All that's left now is to add the edging, fill the nail holes, sand, stain and put the finish on.
I estimate that if i took a solid week, i could have it done (except for the curing part).

OK, back to the regularly scheduled brain purge....

While i don't feel like it's a competition, I certainly don't want to look frumpy next to her. And because there is a dinner in which no jeans will be allowed....I had to ask her for help. Somehow this turned into a girls night in which not just Lindsey, but my other gal pal Naomi will be going through my clothing and putting together my outfits. All i have to do is make dinner and provide some wine. (which means i'm stealing it from my parents cupboard)

Part of me is just dreading this. To be dressed, analyzed, have my wardrobe scrutinized, and to wear clothes outside of my comfort zone. The other part of me is thinking "I don't have to choose outfits for the trip. They're doing 90% of the packing for me!" which i am so cool with!

Also, Lindsey alerted me to a free spray tan coupon. So i think i'll give that a shot so i don't look completely pasty white next to her. Never done a fake tan before, fingers crossed.

Either way, Lindsey is an awesome friend to hang out with. Everything is low key, no drama, and no stress. We work well together and don't get on each other's nerves very often. I'm looking forward to traveling with her. We'll see if we're still friends after.

In other news...i'm making more changes to the apartment. The dining room table is leaving. It's nice that it folds up to half its size, but i don't have a designated dining room space anymore and it's taking up part of my living room. Also, I've used it twice since i moved in. Once for a romantic dinner for Boyfriend Jon and I, and once to hold all 200 of the cursed cupcakes. The chairs for the table don't fold up and i really don't have room to store them. They alone take up half my storage closet.

Instead, i intend to get a 6 foot folding table and four folding chairs. The table will slide under my couch when not in use, and the chair will take up considerably less room in the storage closet. Also, having a six foot table will double for board games, dinner for more than just me and Jon, and even a craft table...which i really need. The DVD rack will be moved in it's place.

I'm excited for the change.

w00t! Friday

Today is the beginning of a jam packed weekend. Thank god my work schedule lets me off at noon today. I don't think i could get it all done in just two days. I need that extra half day.

First plan of order is to get a handle on my extremely cluttered apartment. It's gone to seed for about a month. So, the minute i get home, i'm going to attack. probably starting in the bathroom cause it's been left the longest. 

After that, i'll move onto the living room and clean up the Ukrainian easter egg supplies. Two years ago, I apparently decided it would be fun to slice into my hand with a serrated bread knife. Turns out, that was not very fun, and it has lasting effects. Half of my thumb is still numb and it starts to hurt when gripping things like a stylus even after just a few seconds. So trying to do Ukrainian easter eggs has been harder this year than i ever remember. Where i usually whip out 20, I've only completed one. So i think it will be a good idea to at least clean up the supplies even if I don't put them into storage. It would be nice to have my coffee table back. 

The other plan for today is to switch out summer and winter clothes. I have two of those big blue rubber maid bins that are sitting mostly empty taking up space in my storage locker. If i stuff the clothes in big plastic garbage bags first, that ought to protect them from the environment over the summer. 

Beyond that, it will be whatever i can get done before meeting up with Lindsey. She has need of some of my tools and assistance using them. Her cat Ray is getting a cat tree....that's 9 feet tall. And her ceilings are only 8 feet. So we're going to cut it down with my hack saw. 

When i was helping Lindsey paint her apartment two weeks ago...i went to refill the tray from the 5 gallon tub she decided to buy even though she had trouble lifting it. I had just gotten the lid off when all of a sudden, something brushed up against my leg. I let out a yelp and spun to see this pretty orange cat looking as surprised as i was. The cat had no collar and had several mats in its fur before Lindsey went all Sweeney Todd on the poor cat. But it didn't look like it's a stray. Given it's sweet demeanor and orange color, I named it Pumpkin. Lindsey lets Pumpkin into her apartment occasionally, and so far poor Ray is so confused but at least they're not aggressive with each other. Pumpkin goes crazy on Ray's catnip scratcher as Ray looks on woefully as if saying "But but but....that's mine!"

Also on the docket for this weekend is a Filk concert. Filk is a combination of Folkmusic, Fantasy themes, and Celtic style music. The group we're going to see is Vixy and Tony and they've got some amazing songs including....the theme song from Firefly! So excited!

Oh yeah, and at some point i'll get more work done on my tables. 

A year without Cable

A year ago today, I walked into the local Comcast store to set up my account for my new apartment. After living with roommates for two years, i was going to be paying for all the utility bills by myself for a change. I was doing some math trying to figure out how on earth i could afford to keep paying over $100 for internet, cable and a phone i never used. Since both of my roommates were TV hogs, i never spent much time watching TV anyway. There were only a couple shows that i enjoyed watching and everything else was put on for background noise.

So, when i got to the front counter, i made what seemed like a really bold decision at the time. "Just Internet please. Your most basic package. No, i don't want to spend more to save money by coupling phone and cable. yes i understand that means i won't even be able to get 1-13 anymore." I had signed up for Netflix a few months before and Boyfriend Jon showed me how i could view the streaming through my Xbox.

Here's the math a year later.

Old Comcast bill:         $120                          Over the course of a year: $1,440
Current Comcast bill:  $  35                          Over the course of a year: $   420
Plus Netflix:                  $  10                          Over the course of a year: $   120
                                                                             Difference:                $   900

NINE HUNDRED DOLLARS! I couldn't believe it when i looked over my finances last night. I knew i was saving money, but it's a different matter when you actually see that large of a number. I couldn't believe what i was paying to keep my roommates happy. And to pay for a phone that was LITERALLY never used.

As for missing prime time television...most days i honestly don't even notice it's gone. Occasionally someone will ask me "Did you see what happened on American Idol last night??" When i tell them i don't have cable, most people are amazed that I'd done away. To put this in a weird perspective: One of the group that gossips non stop about American Idol went Vegan around the same time. No animal products at all. The group was more amazed that i was without cable than they were about her going without meat. I've even been called "Brave" more than once. But i honestly don't feel like i'm missing anything.

Netflix has plenty of streaming TV shows without commercials to keep me busy. I've already gotten through all seasons of Star Trek Voyager, That 70's show, Xena, Firefly, Cake Boss, Mythbusters, Dirty Jobs, and now i'm starting in on the Sarah Connor Chronicles and America's Funniest Animals. They run in the background while I work on projects, or avoid folding clothes.

As for the shows i'm missing out on: I already own the three seasons of Big Bang Theory and they didn't dissapoint. I eagerly await season four. Two and a half men has lost it's appeal thanks to Sheen's arrogance, not to mention I preferred Jon Cryer anyway. And everything else...eh. I really haven't missed anything else, except maybe a couple of cooking shows for some inspiration. Oh, and COPS so that i can give out my own set of Darwin awards for idiocy.

It's amazing what we think we need, but can live without quite comfortably.

Holiday Plan of attack

Tidy is not a word you would use to describe my house. I'm an artist. I like to spread out and look at stuff. However with the holidays creeping up fast (and guests, and projects, and, and...and), I had roughly a week to get myself organized and get all those extra little clutter piles hidden away.

Obstacle 1: Cake making supplies EVERYWHERE.

An overflowing box shoved next to my tv, doesn't count as organized. Especially when half my utensils and tools are also strewn about my kitchen in various places. Some drawers won't close creating a hazardous walkway.

Solution! I got one of those slide under the bed rubber maid bins and amazingly, everything fits in there with room to spare. I even managed to get rid of several extra utensils and now all my drawers CLOSE! Happy day!

Obstacle 2: Extra art supplies with nowhere to go!

I keep my art supplies relatively neat and organized in my lower dresser drawers. However, they're stuffed to the brim and I bought more...cause i needed them!

Solution! Another of the slide under the bed bins proved to be the solution, which again gave me room to spare after cleaning out two drawers. Now i just have to clean up all the spilled glitter.

Obstacle 3: That wonderful task of Folding clothes has reared it's ugly head again. Remember how much I hate that chore? Aka, most useless task ever that must be done! Well, part of the cleaning involved laundry which is followed by folding.

Solution: I'm using the time to go through my clothing to find items I've never worn, and never intend to so i can get them out of my apartment and off to good will. Somehow there's immense satisfaction in stuffing a bunch of ill-fitting or misshapen clothing into garbage bags.

Obstacle 4: Finish Christmas Shopping

I really only have three people left on my list but they're the difficult ones to shop for. My brother, who recently has been giving me cookies, My mom, the techi geek for whom anything i want to buy is crazy expensive and My dad, who tells me every year "I don't want anything"

Solution:......Pending. But there is still time.

Obstacle 5: Getting my house super clean for guests

This one's pretty self explanatory. Not that my apartment is Dirty per se, but you can't operate on my counters like you can at my sister's place. But with so much to do, i found myself getting distracted and forgetting to finish cleaning areas.

Solution: Enlist Super Mom. Yes, the person who spent decades teaching me how to clean properly after her training in the military, has agreed to be roped in as a final sweep after I've done all the hard work. And she works for food :) Thank you mom.

Lock and load!

Nano 2010 day 10

Holly crap we've hit the double digits!

That's right, it's a full 1/3rd of the way through November and supposedly our novels.

Word count: 15,553
Word Quota: 16,670

That gimmick on the widget that I was talking about yesterday, is proving to be cunning and surprisingly effective not that i know what it is. Now that i know if i don't keep writing until i hit 1667 words for the DAY, that I'll have a yellow mark on my record.

Even in my sleep deprived, coffee filled, "why on earth am i doing this?" brain, that's just not ok. It's worse than not ok. I just can't let it happen. I can't break the cycle of green days by being lazy. I must have the Green Day o_O

So I'm not entirely acting like a zombie yet, but the toll of burning the candle at both ends is really starting to take a toll on me. Boyfriend Jon tried to introduce the concept of naps during the day, but it just doesn't happen very often. Especially not on a work day.

Tangent:
Although, i just found a way to insert photos. So maybe being sleep deprived is good for something. And after the following attempt:

Yeah, I think that works a lot better. Cause me + HTML do not make for the prettiest of sights. Nifty...learn something new every day.

Sorry you all had to witness my technology deficiency.

Untangent:

Cousin Margaret and Cousin Nikki are coming over tomorrow to visit me and hopefully spend some time not writing, but enjoying each others company. Although it is becoming apparent to me that I really need to clean my apartment so they'll have a place to sleep. Thankfully, this will force me to do some much needed laundry, dishes and straightening.

Hailing in the month of September

Well, it's officially my favorite month. Labor day weekend is now over and soon fall will be in the air. And the weather is proving it. In the course of one weekend we have gone from warm sunshine and bright blue skies to dark gray clouds and torrential downpour. At least it gives me an excuse to wear my new jacket.

This month is my favorite because it has my birthday and the birthdays of 9! other people in my life whom i hold dear. Longtime friends, old classmates, colleagues....all Libras and Virgos.

It's also what i personally call the gateway month; leading into my favorite season. Very soon the streets, sidewalks and grass will be littered with thousands of felled leaves which glitter with the first frost. Trees will be come bright and vibrant with fall colors. And the chill in the air will give me ample reason to snuggle up to boyfriend Jon. I can't wait!

Labor day weekend was spent doing some much needed and long overdue cleaning. I mean deep cleaning. I threw out three trash bags worth of garbage, broken items, and things I've been holding onto for WAY too long. I went in there with a (if i haven't used it since i moved out...it's going)
Example: I found the tape recorder (yes actual tapes) my dad got my brother before he hit puberty! It didn't even work! I kept meaning to fix it....
Example: expired makeup that i bought and wore ONLY for my junior year homecoming.
Example: 9 pairs of jeans with holes in them...most of them in unwearable places!
Example: Getting rid of multiple bras and underwear. I haven't been a C cup in a very long time.
This is all not to mention the fridge and pantry getting cleaned out, getting rid of 3/4 of my socks (why i had 68 pairs...i have no idea) and a partridge in a pear tree.

I had originally planned on making a sock puppet army....,but elected to go the more altruistic route. I plan on making a couple trips to the good will tomorrow and hopefully spreading some much needed supplies to those who need them a lot more than I do especially once fall weather sets in.

In other news: my job inadvertently has decided to help me prepare for Nano 2010! By...typing a 24 page document word for word...in just 4 days!!!!

And naturally on the heels of that revelation...comes the "oh my god it's almost Nano time!!!!"
Time to start planning for leading the workshops again, prepping materials, reserving the time slots, and oh yeah, working on my plot idea.

Friday rewind

Been a while so I've got lots of recap.

I was sick with either some serious food poisoning or possibly ecol i. Not sure how, but it laid me out for a solid three days and i spent four more getting over some of the more mild symptoms. I use mild relatively because even the recovery wasn't pretty. I spent a lot of time getting to know the porcelain god and wondering if my appetite would ever come back.

In this last week i've lost nine pounds also. While loosing weight is a goal of mine at the moment, i would have much rather lost the weight on my own terms. Not feeling even the slightest urge to eat, having to force myself (mind over matter style) just to get crackers into my system is not my idea of a healthy weight loss system.

And through it all, Boyfriend Jon took care of me. He's deserving of some major koodos.

My apartment is a mess....again. I keep looking back to how i lived back in 2008 and wonder why i can't keep my place as clean as I did post roommate Katherine move out.

At most, i would have two days worth of clothes on the floor, papers all over my desk, and about two plates in the sink for cleaning.

Now, living completely alone, no chance of anyone going into my apartment without my say so.....there is mess everywhere. Paperwork everywhere. Gaming controllers, pools of candle wax, dust, leftover bags from shopping, piles of clothes either waiting to be folded (my most hated task ever!) or washed. And don't even get me started on the kitchen which still has not had a full wash-down after the wedding escapade. (edit: i went and took care of this at lunch. But I still do need to reorganize my pantry.)

This is not to say I've been totally idle. I pulled apart the food trap in my dishwasher and cleaned out what appeared to be leftover tomato skins and everything else that got caught. EWWWW.

Rave: Ikea truely has some awesome ideas. One such that is making my life easier is this little gadget. It's a pot lid holder and it accordions in and out depending on how thick your lids are. Needless to say, i'm in love now.
Oh and then was the bite of the Girly Bug. 275$ later.....i'm ready for fall :)

Food, fireworks, and sun....or not.

I haven't posted in a while for a variety of reasons. Most of them are personal and have taken a toll on my stress level. I'm worried about certain family members and trying to bite my tongue on the "I told you so" that threatens to pop out at any second.

The fact of the matter is I haven't felt like writing anything. I'm just trying to get through work and weekends one day at a time. One foot in front of the other, trudging along.

The closest I felt to normal in the last two weeks was Fourth of July weekend. I invited friends and the sweetheart down to the cabin on the 3rd, and we launched off nearly $200 worth of fireworks. But even then, it was a little off. The weather in the northwest has been unseasonably cold since April with weather patterns more akin to fall and late winter (minus snow). However, on the 3rd, the sun peaked through the clouds for a few hours and we were able to do some sun bathing and some very cold swimming. Normally, for 4th of July, it's warm enough to swim even at night.

So with the weather barely cooperating, we celebrated a day early, and I was very thankful for that. 4th of July this year, had a heavy drizzle and bleak gray skies. Hardly any fireworks could be heard after sunset on that day.

However, finally the weather decided to break it's gloomy mood. Today we should be clearing the 75 degree mark, and the rest of the week will be even better.

It's been making me think about my apartment. It's the first time i've ever been on the bottom floor and friends are telling me that in their experience...bottom floors are a lot cooler in the summer. If the weather this year is going to hit into the 100 degrees, I'm looking forward to that added bonus. The only downside is that i won't be able to open my windows and doors at night to let the cool air in, unless I'm staying up late and have my bat handy.