Truth be told, I have had "write XX blog posts" on my to do list nearly every day for the last 3 weeks. In particular, I had a goal of writing 10 posts over the last two weeks when I was on "Spring Break" from my job. It's not that I don't have plenty of topics to cover or things I want to share with you all. It's simply boiled down to not enough hours in each day.
For the first week we owned our new home, we literally worked from 7:30am until 10pm every.single.day. No lies, ask my parents. They were about ready to kill me and I'm certain I was referred to as a slave driver on more than one occasion. To say we dove head first into home ownership projects would be an understatement. So without further delay, here's what has be keeping my so preoccupied the last month plus.
The things we've tackled include...
3. New paint in the master and getting to put our antique style dressers on display. We used these dressers to help create the entry of our wedding site and to display a tribute of photos to our grandparents. They have so much more character and importance than our previous box store pieces, and the love and sweat that went into them makes them so special. Shout out to Blake Currey and Julie Davis for their talents on making these so beautiful.
5. We (and by we I mean BK) transformed our hall closet doors last weekend. These bad boys were a dingy and dated shade of creamy beige with some 70's gold knobs. Apparently I was so much not a fan that I didn't take a before picture... whoops! Three cans of spray paint and new hardware... voila! Such a dramatic and welcomed difference.
6. Have I ever mentioned how much I love to garden? What about how much I love our new yard? Well a bit of planning, a whole lot of lumber and soil, and one weekend later, we have the most fabulous raised bed garden to fill with delicious summer produce. Jason's grandparents came and spent the weekend with us and helped make this bad boy possible. We couldn't have done it without them, and were so grateful for their help and the warm weather that graced us with it's presence while we worked!
7. Another touch we added in the decorating department was in the dining room and the front door. The burlap monogram wreath was made for us by Kindra Finney as a bridal shower gift, and she so kindly made us a second one as well so we could use them on our ceremony entrance doors at the wedding. She knows my style so well :) The rusted metal letters were the first decoration we bought toward the wedding after we got engaged. I always said I wanted to hang them in our home, but at the time, had no idea what (or where) our home would be. I'm happy to have this reminder on our walls and we've already (by we, I again mean myself and BK) talked about what I envision for the kitchen remodel and how to balance these with the new design. Did I tell you I'm a planner? No? Hmmm, not sure how I could've skimmed over that detail ;)
8. And as if all that weren't enough, we also spent 3 hours of drive time, an hour of test driving/exchanging keys and paperwork, and 4 cumulative hours at my not so favorite place, the DMV, to get Jason a truck last week. We knew we would be needing to reevaluate our transportation needs before next winter, but we weren't really expecting to do so these first two months. With projects like the garden (hauling lumber, truck beds full of dirt, buckets in the back with gravel, our need for mulch sometime soon...) and knowing that we are also going to be do many more renovation projects, I caved and decided now was the time. Jason looked at me like I had morphed into the Three-Headed Dog from Harry Potter when I said "Maybe a truck wouldn't be a bad idea." The look of shock and almost disbelief faded real fast into pure excitement, non-stop chatter about options, and frantic searching of Craigslist. He ended up finding a pretty good deal on a truck that was kept in great condition. It's nothing flashy or fancy, it's not new by any stretch of the imagination, and that bright blue paint job is a head turner. But it's exactly what we needed to get the job done, and it's a manual. He's happy, the dogs are happy, and I got to point out that he in fact was the reason my car was always a mess. It was a good decision.
-----
And then there is the actual process of moving. We started with two trips into the city with our small SUV and my dad's large utility van, and then our WONDERFUL friends Lucas & Logan so kindly gave up their Sunday, in the midst of heavy snow no less, to load their car and make {how many trips was it Luc?} up and down those three flights of stairs in our condo unit loading the other two vehicles also. Have I mentioned how utterly fabulous these two gents are? One of them is single... snatch him up while you still can, ladies. And thank me later.
To date, I would say we are 90% moved. We left lots of big things (couch, arm chair, one whole bedroom suite, dining table/chairs) at the condo to stage it until it sells. But those items also unpack rather quickly once they are transported too. We have some memorabilia, holiday decor, off season clothing, and the like still in boxes, but for the most part, the rest is under control.
Also, take note that *moving* entails much more than that. The time it takes to even do the littlest things like change your address on your ID, forwarding mail, updating the numerous store cards, magazine subscriptions, accounts with doctors/pharmacies/vets, etc., and even setting up new utilities and scheduling bill payments... these things take so much more time than I thought they would. Special note to all of you still super patiently awaiting your thank you cards from our wedding... I promise, pinky promise even, you WILL be getting them eventually!
So what's still to be done? Here's the to-do list for the next month or so.
1. Finishing the laundry room shelving (we purchased the materials over 3 weeks ago, but who's counting?)
2. Purchasing the materials for and building the new entertainment center
3. Mounting the TV and finishing the wall decor in the living room
4. Jason FINALLY getting the wires and cables run behind the walls/up from the basement, versus the tucked in the corner mess I've been trying to tolerate.
5. Purchasing the materials for and building the sofa tables (we need somewhere to set drinks when you own a couch that large)
6. Planting all the produce in the garden, as well as the flowers in the front porch planters.
7. Purchase and spread new mulch in all the landscape beds
8. Refinish the book shelf in the office
9. Finish craft storage/setup space in the basement
10. Hang art and curtains in master bedroom
11. Hang art and finish organizing the office
12. Organizing the garage in a way that actually makes finding tools when needed possible (ahem, dear)
13. Getting our headboard/feature wall/bigger sized bed situation rolling. Our queen size mattress and box spring are currently sitting on the floor for three reasons. A) What was the headboard and frame we used previously is still at the condo. B) The angled walls/dormer ceilings in the upstairs means that a standard height headboard isn't an option. C) With two large dogs who love to cuddle, we've decided a king size bed is in our future and I like to be practical and not buy new bedding until that happens. You know, horse before the cart kinda thing. Struggles, oh the struggles.
And the bigger projects on the agenda for this summer include a bathroom remodel, patio setup, and potentially a full kitchen remodel come fall. If there is one thing I know, it's that a house is just a house without love. It's the love we share, and the love of our friends and family that have helped us create our home that make it so special. Everywhere I look I see things that were made with love, passed down from previous generations, or have amazing memories yet to be created with our favorite people. Nothing makes me happier. Truth be told, I finally realized that I need to slow down sometimes and just enjoy it. Living, loving, and making memories with my little family. The to-do list, the projects, the blog... all that comes second. <3
