But sadly, no pictures yet, as I have homework to do and bills to pay. We took two car loads and a truck load of stuff that we had accumulated over the past 4 years due to a housewarming party, engagement party, bridal shower and wedding. Lots of stuff; and sadly, stuff that was still in the original boxes.
The closets are now free of clutter and thoughtfully and neatly organized. Space! Lots of space!! I'm so proud of the progress we made, but still freaking out at the prospect of actually selling our first place. We've decided that we're going to try to go it alone for a month and see what kind of interest we get. If we fail miserably, we'll find a realtor and fork up the $$$.
Our listing is officially on Craig's List and Owners.com. Yay for free advertising!! We're having our first open house in 3 weeks and we are going to have one every weekend for a month...because that won't be stressful. This morning I woke up at the crack of dawn (my mind wouldn't stay asleep...hmmm, wonder why.) to write up a list of things that need to get done in the next three weeks. All of it is cosmetic and involves finishing up the little odds and ends that never quite got fixed from the projects we've taken on.
Last night I made some really cute pieces of art that will take the place of the coat rack we put in storage. The wall looks so bare right now that it just needs something. I will post pictures as soon as they're hung. Unfortunately, after yesterday's box-apalooza, I was not in any mood, or condition for that matter, to document my process.
The next few posts will include our Granite Transformations experience, the clutterless pictures and a few DIY projects. Let the cleaning begin!
Sunday, January 31, 2010
Wednesday, January 27, 2010
Staging
I just wrote up an entire post on staging our house and I deleted it by accident. Doh! That's what I get for typing it up on my iPhone at work.
We are in the process of staging our house so we can put it up for sale. Mr.B and I have been in quite a few open houses over the past year and, needless to say, not many people take the advice the plaster all over HGTV. Staging sells houses! The buyer wants to be able to picture themself in your place; they don't want to see all your junk and wonder if they can fit all of their stuff in there.
This is why Mr.B and I are beginning the process of clearing out everything that is not absolutely necessary. Like those plates from college we haven't used in 3 years, or that electric knife that's still in the box from my bridal shower or my stack of year books. Going through all of our stuff has made me wonder why we even still have all of these things I we don't need them. I love getting rid of clutter--it's cathartic for me. I'm beginning to wonder if I've just been holding on to stuff just to be able to throw it away later, but I know it's really because I've been waiting for us to get a house. I'd see some fabric and say," that would be great for curtains in a kitchen" even though there are no windows in our kitchen now. Or I'd make a great find at Marshalls and snatch it up for 'later'.
This weekend should be filled with more exploration into every nook and cranny in our place, which I'm thoroughly looking forward to. I'm hoping to find some long lost something that I can use to help decorate and make our place look so absolutely fabulous that the first person in the door will NEED to have our place whatever the cost (a girl can dream, right?)
I hope to post some pictures sometime this weekend. Maybe some before and afters or maybe just some befores...depends on how sucked in I get to cleaning :)
-Mrs. B
We are in the process of staging our house so we can put it up for sale. Mr.B and I have been in quite a few open houses over the past year and, needless to say, not many people take the advice the plaster all over HGTV. Staging sells houses! The buyer wants to be able to picture themself in your place; they don't want to see all your junk and wonder if they can fit all of their stuff in there.
This is why Mr.B and I are beginning the process of clearing out everything that is not absolutely necessary. Like those plates from college we haven't used in 3 years, or that electric knife that's still in the box from my bridal shower or my stack of year books. Going through all of our stuff has made me wonder why we even still have all of these things I we don't need them. I love getting rid of clutter--it's cathartic for me. I'm beginning to wonder if I've just been holding on to stuff just to be able to throw it away later, but I know it's really because I've been waiting for us to get a house. I'd see some fabric and say," that would be great for curtains in a kitchen" even though there are no windows in our kitchen now. Or I'd make a great find at Marshalls and snatch it up for 'later'.
This weekend should be filled with more exploration into every nook and cranny in our place, which I'm thoroughly looking forward to. I'm hoping to find some long lost something that I can use to help decorate and make our place look so absolutely fabulous that the first person in the door will NEED to have our place whatever the cost (a girl can dream, right?)
I hope to post some pictures sometime this weekend. Maybe some before and afters or maybe just some befores...depends on how sucked in I get to cleaning :)
-Mrs. B
Saturday, January 23, 2010
Laid up
I went to get some boxes from my mom's office this week so Mr. B and I could start packing up some of the extra junk we've accumulated over the past 3+ years we've lived here. Mr. B had a class he had to go to, so I put on some reruns from the DVR and went to work.
Over the span of 2 hours, I boxed up extra dishes, untouched wedding presents and a few other odds and ends. All in all, it was about 5 big boxes of junk. I was pretty darn proud of myself for getting so much done that I rewarded myself with an early bedtime so I could get lots of rest.
Fast forward to the next morning and I can't move without intense pain shooting down my legs and up my back. Yay. I somehow get to a standing position and now I can't walk. My back didn't even feel this bad after a weekend of tiling, grouting and wood floor laying! Mr. B got the heating pad and some advil, which helped alot.
I managed to get to my eye doctor appointment, the DMV, finish some other errands and started the laundry. Today I'm feeling much better, but I can still feel tightness in my back. Ugh. I'm going to try to get to the gym, but will definitely be working at a slower pace. I guess this is just a lesson learn from--I can't do everything by myself, even though I like to think I can.
Over the span of 2 hours, I boxed up extra dishes, untouched wedding presents and a few other odds and ends. All in all, it was about 5 big boxes of junk. I was pretty darn proud of myself for getting so much done that I rewarded myself with an early bedtime so I could get lots of rest.
Fast forward to the next morning and I can't move without intense pain shooting down my legs and up my back. Yay. I somehow get to a standing position and now I can't walk. My back didn't even feel this bad after a weekend of tiling, grouting and wood floor laying! Mr. B got the heating pad and some advil, which helped alot.
I managed to get to my eye doctor appointment, the DMV, finish some other errands and started the laundry. Today I'm feeling much better, but I can still feel tightness in my back. Ugh. I'm going to try to get to the gym, but will definitely be working at a slower pace. I guess this is just a lesson learn from--I can't do everything by myself, even though I like to think I can.
Monday, January 18, 2010
Teavana
A couple of weeks ago, Mr. B and I went to the mall and I saw a store offering free samples of tea. I love tea. All kinds of tea. So I weaved my way through the massive amounts of people and had a sip of my first sample. I was in LOVE. Mmm...Matevana Rooibos Chai.
I bought a quarter of a pound and it wasn't cheap, but I don't regret it at all :) It has the spices from the chai and a little sweetness from the Mate. It's actually a blend of the two teas and it's fabulous!
Coincidentally, my grandparents got me this neat little tea pot that brews loose tea. I've made at least 15 cups of it. Its a caffeinated tea, so it's been great on those 'I don't want to get up, let alone go to work' days. I can't stand coffee so it's a total lifesaver. Oh, and it doesn't give you the jitteryness and doesn't have the same addictive qualities as coffee. I can't wait to finish this batch up so I can find something else to love.
Another plus of drinking tea that I recently found out is that people that drink 3 or more cups of tea a day live longer. I highly recommend checking it out!
I bought a quarter of a pound and it wasn't cheap, but I don't regret it at all :) It has the spices from the chai and a little sweetness from the Mate. It's actually a blend of the two teas and it's fabulous!
Coincidentally, my grandparents got me this neat little tea pot that brews loose tea. I've made at least 15 cups of it. Its a caffeinated tea, so it's been great on those 'I don't want to get up, let alone go to work' days. I can't stand coffee so it's a total lifesaver. Oh, and it doesn't give you the jitteryness and doesn't have the same addictive qualities as coffee. I can't wait to finish this batch up so I can find something else to love.
Another plus of drinking tea that I recently found out is that people that drink 3 or more cups of tea a day live longer. I highly recommend checking it out!
Wednesday, January 13, 2010
Decisions, decisions...
We're putting our place on the market next month. We have absolutely too much other stuff going on, but I think trying to get buyers that want that $8k credit is our best bet. I just got notified that our free listing on zillow.com is going to cost us $9.95, so we won't be doing that.
The dilema comes when trying to decide whether or not to use a realtor. My dad has a license, but really isn't practicing. His insisting we can do it on our own, but I'm not sure I have the time nor the energy to spend on it. Mr. B and I are going to discuss this further this weekend but I have a feeling we will end up getting a realtor.
This weekend will also consist of decluttering the house. We need to find a place for all the wedding gift we haven't even touched and my huge bin of summer clothes. I'm pretty excited at the thought of getting a house together, bit then again it's also kind of sad. This was my first place and I've been here for over 3 years. It'll be weird to leave.
- Mrs. B
The dilema comes when trying to decide whether or not to use a realtor. My dad has a license, but really isn't practicing. His insisting we can do it on our own, but I'm not sure I have the time nor the energy to spend on it. Mr. B and I are going to discuss this further this weekend but I have a feeling we will end up getting a realtor.
This weekend will also consist of decluttering the house. We need to find a place for all the wedding gift we haven't even touched and my huge bin of summer clothes. I'm pretty excited at the thought of getting a house together, bit then again it's also kind of sad. This was my first place and I've been here for over 3 years. It'll be weird to leave.
- Mrs. B
Friday, January 8, 2010
An interesting fads in gym wear
I went to the gym this morning to do a long cardio workout. This gave me ample time to people watch; one of my favorite things to do. As I was putting my purse and sweatshirt in my locker a woman walking out to the floor caught my eye. She was wearing an oversized shirt and light gray leggings...with a zipper running up each leg. I had to do a double take. They were zipped, thank God, but who in their right mind would wear something with a visible, silver zipper to workout in?! Is that comfortable? And exactly what purpose does that serve? She was wearing capri's so it's not like they were pants and you could unzip them to fit over your shoes.
I rolled that fashion anomaly around in my head as I got on my elliptical and what to my wondering eyes should appear, but another woman with a huge, silver zipper on her pants. Except, she had her shirt tucked into her skin tight pants and the zipper was on the hip down to her mid-thigh. WTF, indeed. This cold weather and intermittent snow has got everyone dressing like it's the 80's come back to haunt us.
I managed to get myself refocused on my workout, because one of my favorite workout songs, "She Wolf" (don't judge) came on. My song had just ended when I spotted it. A zipper on the back of this woman's pants. This one wasn't silver and it was small; meant to be a pocket for keys, I assume. I wouldn't have noticed it except for the fact that there was no pocket, just ass. Seriously, I could see skin and I'm looking around thinking, "Does anyone else see that?!" I looked a little harder thinking I was just seeing things, but nope, definitely skin. Gross. Did the pants come like that or did the pocket rip out and she just didn't realize that a 2" line on her derriere was hanging out there for the world to see.
What a disturbing workout. I mean, how many zippers on tight, sweaty clothing did I have to see?? I managed to get myself back into my workout when I saw him. You know what I'm talking about. I know you've seen him somewhere. Either at the beach, at a pool...the guy that looks like he's wearing a sweater when he's not. And this guy was proud, really proud, of his hairiness. How do I know that? Well, let's just say he was wearing the minimum amount of clothing allowable in a public place like this. He was wearing a thin tank top and an inappropriately tight pair of biking shorts. Lovely image, I know. It's burned into my retinas.
Hairy man was running on a treadmill diagonal from me and boy was he sweaty. I could see the sweat sliding around on his hairy neck and shoulders...blech!!! He didn't have any zippers, but I think it was the worse of the 4 sightings. My thought is that if you're really that hairy and don't want to do anything about it, wear a t-shirt! No one wants to see your curly, frizzy shoulder hair and neck beard drip all over communal gym equipment. As if the sweating wasn't enough, he started throwing his hands in the air like Rocky, screaming out some song and then doing shadowboxing all while still running on the treadmill. He's the kind of guy they feature in those Budlight 'Real Men of Genius' commercials.
If only I had my phone with me I could have gotten some pictures of these awesome fashions...
I rolled that fashion anomaly around in my head as I got on my elliptical and what to my wondering eyes should appear, but another woman with a huge, silver zipper on her pants. Except, she had her shirt tucked into her skin tight pants and the zipper was on the hip down to her mid-thigh. WTF, indeed. This cold weather and intermittent snow has got everyone dressing like it's the 80's come back to haunt us.
I managed to get myself refocused on my workout, because one of my favorite workout songs, "She Wolf" (don't judge) came on. My song had just ended when I spotted it. A zipper on the back of this woman's pants. This one wasn't silver and it was small; meant to be a pocket for keys, I assume. I wouldn't have noticed it except for the fact that there was no pocket, just ass. Seriously, I could see skin and I'm looking around thinking, "Does anyone else see that?!" I looked a little harder thinking I was just seeing things, but nope, definitely skin. Gross. Did the pants come like that or did the pocket rip out and she just didn't realize that a 2" line on her derriere was hanging out there for the world to see.
What a disturbing workout. I mean, how many zippers on tight, sweaty clothing did I have to see?? I managed to get myself back into my workout when I saw him. You know what I'm talking about. I know you've seen him somewhere. Either at the beach, at a pool...the guy that looks like he's wearing a sweater when he's not. And this guy was proud, really proud, of his hairiness. How do I know that? Well, let's just say he was wearing the minimum amount of clothing allowable in a public place like this. He was wearing a thin tank top and an inappropriately tight pair of biking shorts. Lovely image, I know. It's burned into my retinas.
Hairy man was running on a treadmill diagonal from me and boy was he sweaty. I could see the sweat sliding around on his hairy neck and shoulders...blech!!! He didn't have any zippers, but I think it was the worse of the 4 sightings. My thought is that if you're really that hairy and don't want to do anything about it, wear a t-shirt! No one wants to see your curly, frizzy shoulder hair and neck beard drip all over communal gym equipment. As if the sweating wasn't enough, he started throwing his hands in the air like Rocky, screaming out some song and then doing shadowboxing all while still running on the treadmill. He's the kind of guy they feature in those Budlight 'Real Men of Genius' commercials.
If only I had my phone with me I could have gotten some pictures of these awesome fashions...
Wednesday, January 6, 2010
What a pleasant surprise!!
Mr. B and I have a lot in common and one thing we really enjoy is working out together. Most days during the week we'll go to the gym together and then do our own workouts. About once or twice during our workouts we'll check in with each other and see how the other is doing. Mr. B even helps me plan out my workouts for the week.
Lately, we've been dreading going to the gym for fear of all the crazy, lazy newbies that always seem to show up the first week of the New Year. We are three days into the week and the gym really hasn't been that bad. Hooray!! I would do cartwheels if I could. It's been crowded but nowhere close to the insanity last year--lines for equipment and arguing. Ugh...
Yesterday I even got to do a kettlebell workout without slugging some daydreaming moron in the head. I did a circuit of 3 sets with 4 different exercises and I was done in 15 minutes. I thought my heart was going to explode out of my chest! I love workouts like that!!! Everyone else just stares at you like you have 10 heads while they workout with their under trained trainer thats texting and has them doing things incorrectly.
Let's just hope that next week has about the same turn out as this week (less would be ok too).
- Mrs. B
Lately, we've been dreading going to the gym for fear of all the crazy, lazy newbies that always seem to show up the first week of the New Year. We are three days into the week and the gym really hasn't been that bad. Hooray!! I would do cartwheels if I could. It's been crowded but nowhere close to the insanity last year--lines for equipment and arguing. Ugh...
Yesterday I even got to do a kettlebell workout without slugging some daydreaming moron in the head. I did a circuit of 3 sets with 4 different exercises and I was done in 15 minutes. I thought my heart was going to explode out of my chest! I love workouts like that!!! Everyone else just stares at you like you have 10 heads while they workout with their under trained trainer thats texting and has them doing things incorrectly.
Let's just hope that next week has about the same turn out as this week (less would be ok too).
- Mrs. B
Sunday, January 3, 2010
Well hello, 2010!
My, didn't you come quickly! I feel like 2009 came and went in the blink of an eye. I guess that's what happens when you're an adult. I can only imagine how quickly the next couple years are going to go what with buying a house, renovating it, adopting a doggy (or two) and having some kiddies. (Note: none of this is close to happening, so don't freak out)
Here are some highlights from 2009:
-December/January: We spent our first married NYE together
-February: Went to Ireland :)
-March: Got a raise
-April: Bruce concert!
-May: Our first wedding anniversary and a trip to Vegas
-June: lots of work/school
-July: Our friend's baby was born
-August: lots of work/school/beach time
-September: nothing much
-October: 2 back to back weddings and a Bruce concert (his last one at the Spectrum)
-November: celebrated both of our birthday's and threw Mr. B a surprise 30th party
-December: Got to see lots of family and friends and I got a raise!
I know this year will be even busier than last year, and I'm not really sure that I'm 100% looking forward to it. I am looking forward to getting our own place and not sharing walls with inconsiderate neighbors (speaking of which, our upstairs neighbor just SLAMMED her door and proceeded to stomp down the stairs like a herd of elephants). I am so not going to miss that.
Here are some highlights from 2009:
-December/January: We spent our first married NYE together
-February: Went to Ireland :)
-March: Got a raise
-April: Bruce concert!
-May: Our first wedding anniversary and a trip to Vegas
-June: lots of work/school
-July: Our friend's baby was born
-August: lots of work/school/beach time
-September: nothing much
-October: 2 back to back weddings and a Bruce concert (his last one at the Spectrum)
-November: celebrated both of our birthday's and threw Mr. B a surprise 30th party
-December: Got to see lots of family and friends and I got a raise!
I know this year will be even busier than last year, and I'm not really sure that I'm 100% looking forward to it. I am looking forward to getting our own place and not sharing walls with inconsiderate neighbors (speaking of which, our upstairs neighbor just SLAMMED her door and proceeded to stomp down the stairs like a herd of elephants). I am so not going to miss that.
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