Call me the Queen of Suburbia.

The exodus from Apartamento to the Suburban Castle (our new humble abode) went smashingly well. We have some amazing friends in our lives for helping us on one of the hottest days of the year so far. There were some hiccups, but I was Zen like all day. I know, shocking, right?

Two weeks in and we are getting the hang of the space. I'm still wrapping my head around the amount of storage space we now have. There are about 5 boxes in the living room that still need unpacked, so bare with me, but we have gone from this:


To this:


Another angle:


The tree tapestry seen in the last photo is the coat closet; this place is full of craptastic old closet doors, which now live in the garage. We also took off the ones in the master bedroom and the girls' room. Here is a peek at their room (as of Sunday):

I sort of want to hang a curtain of some sort on their closet...but I'm not sure? There is a lot of storage/toys going on in there, so I feel like it would be nice to close the curtain at bedtime. I have a cute black and white floral cloth shower curtain I'm not using right now, so I might pick up another tension rod and try it? Not sure at this point about that. Also, I am secretly ecstatic that I got to hang up the teen magazine posters in an orderly fashion; you should have seen them at the apartamento. It was chaos.

from the door:

I plan on getting two more sets of curtains to frame out the pink sheers, something purple I do believe. I think it will cozy it up a bit. We also want to get some of those over sized letters for the girls' to decorate and hang over their beds. I saw some cardboard ones at Hobby Lobby a while back, which I think is perfect, because if it does fall off the wall, it won't hurt them.

I have these on order from Amazon, for a project for the bedroom (more to come later). IKEA will also be getting a good chunk of my monies soon.

Since I love a good list, here is a run down of everything we still need to do/get:

Living Room
Curtains (IKEA sheers, for starters)
DVD Storage (Lerberg from IKEA x3 or 4)
Closet doors off; tree tapestry turns into curtain w/tension rod and clips
Switch out ginormous ceiling fan? Perhaps!

Kitchen
Island (buy or re-purpose something else)
Chalkboard Wall
Girls' Art Gallery-need to ID drawings for this and get sizes for frames (IKEA)

Laundry/Utility Room
Steel Shelving to create pantry storage
Hang curtain to hide furnace/Hot Water Heater (IKEA again)
Organizing bins for cabinets over washer/dryer

Hall
Hang Framed photos (size each with paper ads, hang papers on wall in pattern, nail through and hang up pictures)

Bathrooms
Get 1 small and 1 large rug for main bath, brown
existing large green one goes in half bath
Something for walls-one picture has been printed, just need a frame and I'm thinking of shopping what we already have for the half bath.

Girls' room
Hang up collage wall near Kiddo's bed
Organize toy bins/put in closet/take off closet doors to maximize floorspace
Curtains (still need purples, IKEA?)
Big Letters for over their beds
Spice racks as front facing bookshelves from, you guessed it, IKEA
DIY Canopies (maybe)

Master
Long and low dresser 6-8 drawers, I want to find old one and re-paint and get new hardware for
Bedskirt/new bedding
DIY project with Wallflowers-ordered
Prints off Etsy (frames IKEA, do you see a pattern here?)
Different curtains-eventually

I have yet to unpack my books and get the Expedit 100% organized, so that is on the agenda for tonight.

I love how this place is evolving and I can't wait to see what it will become by the end of the Summer. The husband and I keep saying this place makes us feel like grown ups; I feel like it is exactly where we need to be right now. We have the opportunity to acquire all the crap we need for a house, without having to worry about the upkeep on things. I think by the time our lease is up (in two years) we might actually be able to look into buying. Or not, but that is okay too.

The other day my sister says, "what's with all the talk of "projects"? When did you become so crafty?" I've been reading on the interwebs about all this stuff basically since I got married in 2009, now I have a blank slate to execute on, and I'm so excited. And you know what? I just can't hide it.

Home: Update.

It has been almost a month since I set my goals for making the ol' apartamento more cozy and organized. Let's see how I've progressed, shall we?

Living room:
Large bookcase (think Expedit 4x4 from IKEA) for books and nonsense storage.
Couch/loveseat combo OR sectional. I've never owned my very own couch, and the blue and white checked monstrosity, while comfortable and sturdy has got to go. I am very thankful that the husband had it donated when he lost nearly all of his stuff in a fire long before we met, but the time has come to say goodbye.
Re-configure stuff on the walls and perhaps furniture arrangement
I broke down and ordered a tight fitting sofa cover in chocolate brown and bought some adorable new couch pillows on a great buy one, get three free sale at Value City. While I'm a bit sad about not getting whole new couch, our tax refund is looking to be a lot smaller than anticipated. I'm slashing the already tight budget I'd set for all of this. Such is life. Let's hope the cover shows up today in the mail and it fits correctly. Total cost (so far): $66.59

Bedroom:
Closet system- We currently have one extremely bowed closet rod and piles of nonsense below, so we need one. It will go with us when we leave, or the landlord can pay us back.
6 drawer low dresser- Two people and a four drawer garage sale find from when I was 16 does not compute.
Baskets for storage under nightstands.
Closet organization system is at the top of the list. The chaos that is our closet will soon be managed, as long as we can make it work in our budget for this month. Eating is a bit more important than closet organization. Sometimes. I am also going to try my damnedest to NOT forget a before photo, because it will be an epic before and after. You just wait.

Bathroom:
New Shower curtain
Shower organizational thingy-Right now we have two small ones and the clutter in there is suddenly driving me nuts. Both items have been purchased along with new shower curtain liner, pretty hangers and a fancy yet inexpensive suction cup soap dish for the hubster's bar soap. clutter managed, showering is fun again. Total cost: $22.96. I love TJ Maxx.

Girls' room:
They both need small, three drawer dressers. We have a clothes storage issue all-around in our home. Half of their closet is hanging clothes, the other half is Christmas tree/hockey crap storage. We have no storage besides unused kitchen cabinets. Before you call me the evil step-mother....we keep the girls' room door closed when they aren't over to conserve heat, so it is hard to put this stuff high on the priority list: I don't see it every day. Out of sight, out of mind might apply to their storage issues, although trust me, it does not apply to them, I think about what kind of day they are having every single day.

Little progress is better than no progress at all, so I'm happy with things. Stay tuned, living room/couch progress soon.

Home.

The apartment we currently call home is approximately 1200 Sq. ft. of living space consisting of two bedrooms, one bath with an open floor plan living/kitchen/dining area. Until last week, it was thought of by me as a temporary space we are on the verge of outgrowing. Due to various reasons, including fiscal and personal, we are not ready to buy a house so I'm on a mission to transform the home of all our crap into a home that is truly ours. My husband and I decided we don't like moving much, so until we can buy a house, we are staying put. Might as well get comfy, right?

Now, if you know me, you know I am slightly handicapped in the arena of designing anything. Clothes, home decor, arts and crafts, etc...but I am trying to make a true effort to change this. But I need help. That's where the interweb comes in. It is chock-full 'o goodies.

Most of the inspiration to begin this transformation of our rental into our home comes from reading about a friend's own decorating adventures over at Turn Right at Lake Michigan. While they are renovating their first home (something I don't even want to think about undertaking...they have bigger balls than I) there are many interior design topics that come up, and that's what I'm going for. If home ren-o is your thang or if you just like witty banter, check it out (yes, I just said thang, it wasn't a typo).

Apartment Therapy has proven to be an amazing source for inspiration so far as well. Here's a snapshot of what I likey from them.

For the bedroom:

I have a weak spot for trees/nature worked into design and I love the wall mounted dressing area for its space saving abilities.

For the living room:





I find myself loving clusters of things hung on walls. It reminds me of collages I used to make as a kid and since we have high ceilings in the living room, why not? I also am digging the t.v. stands that double as shelving/storage. And I will have a sectional couch like the one above even if we have to eat ramen noodles all summer long. It would be perfect for our living room, and since the couch seen here is awful, our first large purchase will be a sectional:

Kiddo doesn't judge us for our post-fire donated couch and although its functional and pretty comfortable, its very ugly. (ps-she read that chapter book in two sittings! She's a genius I swear and please ignore my hubby's scruffy do...he even admitted yesterday he's overdue for a cut)

For Ms. Kitty:
Even though I don't know where we would fit this, I thought it was so smart...it's an IKEA hack, consisting of a $60 cabinet and a $13 kitty door.

Again, all these (and more!) can be found at the amazing Apartment Therapy.

I am going to try to use updating this blog as motivation to keep re-working our space at home. I will admit I forgot to take before pictures when re-organizing the space right inside what we use as the main entrance, but here is the after, with a fabulous shoe rack I got on clearance at Target for $6.50: (I apologize for the crappy blackberry photo as well)

The wall crap needs a do over as well, but for now at least my shoes aren't the focal point of the space. Maybe by next time I'll have the table removed from what is now a reading nook near the deck doors to nowhere (that's a whole other post) and I'll share that space, or just some pictures of the apartment the weekend we moved in...since not much has changed since then...but that is about to...well, change.

Til next time.

Tuesday To-do's.

Inspired by my pal Tabs over at http://tabulouslyme.blogspot.com/ I have decided to start a weekly Tuesday To-do's posting, mirrored after her Totally Awkward Tuesdays(stolen fromhttp://tovadarling.blogspot.com/ ). I am an avid list maker and I think goal setting is a good way to stay organized.
This first week is centered around wedding planning, because like it or not, I have a wedding day come August 29th that is getting closer as I type. They won't all be wedding related, but until after mine, there's a good chance it's going to pop up from time to time.

My short list to hopefully be completed before or on next Tuesday:
-Format/Design invites with Fiancé.
-Ask him kindly to start gathering addresses for the ppl I gave him a list of a month ago.
-Type up addresses from the family list my mother hand wrote.
-Create Bridal Shower guest list for Maid of Honor, which I've been promising her for the past two weeks or so.

It is a bunch of not-fun wedding planing stuff. The invites might be fun, but then again, might not.

If anyone feels the urge to make a short list of tasks they need to do before next Tuesday, there is no better time than the present!

Boo Wedding Planning.

Women who enjoy planning their wedding are crazy in my opinion.

Don't get me wrong, there have been a few times things have been fun to plan/organize, but as of late, its nothing more than a huge pain in the ass that is making me crabby and overly worried and anxious.

It is so hard for me to remember what I really want is the most important thing because I do value certain people's opinions and when certain people react badly to things I thought they would be supportive about I get so pissed. And worried. And upset.

And then there is Fiance, who is pretty much clueless to the whole evil Wedding Industrial Complex, and he just doesn't get how there are expectations for what I am supposed to want and not want and what "we have to do" just because we are getting married. He doesn't get it.

He has a brilliant idea that I love which will cut our food cost in half: order pizzas and subs from the two places in town and we can DIY salad, cheese, olives and pickles from GFS. It is totally "us" because we aren't fancy people and who doesn't love pizza? People have been pissing all over this idea left and right before they even let me finish explaining how it is going to be done.

Like I would just throw 25 pizzas, still in their boxes, on a buffet table and holler "c'mon git it!" SERIOUSLY.

There will be a lovely pre-set up buffet table, with heat lamps for the pizzas, and definitely with some sort of platters to put on and take them out of the boxes. There will be a "Pizza buffet coordinator" or two. There will be a mini salad bar type thing, with breadsticks and sub sandwiches for those not wanting pizza. And there will be some awesome pizzas made with whole grain wheat crust and organically grown local veggies pizza for those wanting a heatlhier pizza option (ie: MEEEEE). Just because we want to serve pizza doesn't mean it has to look cheap or taste like greasy goodness. I mean, some of it will be your staples, but the other half will be veggie awesomeness.
No one lets me explain all this before completely shutting me down. It's really irritating. And it really only makes me want to do it EVEN MORE to prove them all wrong. Especially my mother. She says, "Pizza? I don't think so. but its your day, do whatever you want but you would have to have a really good salad for people like me...not just some lettuce in a bowl!"

Ah, man, because I was totally going to just put some plan lettuce in a huge ass bowl for people to eat at my freaking wedding. Damn it Mom, I'm not a freaking idiot.

We're trekking to IKEA tomorrow (my mom, her friend and my sister) and I am hoping to not even talk about food for the wedding at all. I just don't want to discuss it anymore for a while.

I love lists.

Things to accomplish in the next week:
1. Attempt to enjoying cooking/baking for Turkey Day
2. Possibly get keys to new place from new Landlord
3. Pack and move as much as possible on days off
4. Drive to far away small town to take care of some financial business with Bf
5. Enjoy the company of our families, no matter how different the experiences will be
6. Try and not feel like a failure/have a mini-crisis due to amount of time it is taking to finish Master's Project work

Things I'm looking forward to in the next month:
1. Moving into our new place
2. Painting the bedroom for Kiddo and Little One at the new place and possibly furnishing it with new pretty things
3. Buying normal sized pre-lit Christmas tree and decorating with Kiddo
4. the possibility of a proposal at any moment
5. apartment warming/bad Christmas sweater party that is TBA but totally happening
6. Seeing my brother
7. having more time off of work
8. Getting back into a healthy lifestyle.
9. Buying Christmas presents

Things I want for Christmas:
1. World Peace (totally for serious, I think war is pointless and dumb)
2. Someone to do all my moving for me. I am so excited to move, but the actual moving of things will not be fun.
3. Kiddo's mom to have a lobotomy and not be a crazy beeotch anymore (okay okay that is a bit extreme, but I wish she could at least get on some paxil or prozac or something)
4. A visit with Little One for Bf would be awesome, but there is little to no chance that will happen.


Places I would love to be right now: (just for fun)
1. On the beach in Hawaii
2. In a big snuggly bed with Bf with loads of movies at our finger tips
3. On a couch, in front of a lit fire place reading a great book
4. Having a late lunch with my bff talking about her/our wedding plans
5. Driving a new (to me at least, not brand new) VW Rabbit with a Manual Trans., and fully loaded accessories

I have too much time on my hands.

Today at work I have:
-found every house in town in (what I think is) our price range for buying and made a tidy list including address, price and number of bedrooms/bathrooms.
-found (the more realistic option) a spacious 2 bedroom apartment closer to downtown for not much more than we are paying now. I'm going to call the guy tonight for serious, and ask him one determining question: does it have a bathtub?
-found two realistic locations for our wedding. No, we still aren't officially engaged, but we might as well be. I felt weird researching things at first, since there is no ring on my finger, but it is only a matter of time (and money) until it is and I don't want to spend ions of time planning, so I might as well know what I want early.
-updated my offbeat bride tribe profile.
-checked MySpace a zillion times.
-visited Facebook a few times as well.
- I have NOT however, done much significant work. Not that I am complaining...I'm just worried one of these days they are going to bust me doing very little and realize they are paying all this money for me to organize my life on their time.

Oh well. I'm thinking over time, things may get busier, but who knows.