Busy Bee!

I haven't even had a minute to post about my house progress. And I barely have a minute now, so I'll make it brief. But I promised some photos, so here they are.

My mom came down to help me this weekend, and I don't know what I would have done without her help!



I painted the living/dining room and left white edges going around the walls. I saw it in a magazine somewhere and thought it was really cool. Plus, not having to paint the edges was a nice bonus!



My office was painted in a Tiffany blue with a chocolate brown accent wall. I really like the way it turned out! That bench is a new Expedit bookcase at IKEA. Hopefully I can get a few little cushions for the top. A perfect window seat!



And I finally got a big Expedit bookcase! Seems like a staple for all crafty ladies. The only problem with this room is the small closet. I put up some more wire shelves, but I'm not sure it's going to be enough.



This is what my living room currently looks like. Rob made so many trips back and forth with my mom's SUV. I'm hoping we can put most of the boxes away by the time we move the furniture in on Saturday!



This is my favorite part of the house...the kitchen! Kind of ironic since I hate cooking. But look at how cute it is! I was worried about painting the walls purple initially, but I LOVE it!



And this is the cute table we got from Craigslist. Perfect for the room! We picked up the chairs at IKEA last weekend. And that milk bottle came from ebay.




That's it for now! We also painted Rob's room last night but I have yet to take any photos. I love my home so far! The only issue I ran into was the oven. I tried to preheat it and after ten minutes, all the smoke alarms in the house went off. Yikes. I guess I have to look into that.

Let me know what you think so far!

We did it!

They actually gave us the keys! After 14 months of waiting, our new house is finally officially OURS! I love it I love it I love it.

My mom is driving down this morning to stay with me for the weekend to help me paint, clean, unpack, line shelves and drawers, hang shelves, etc. Oh yeah, and feed me and take care of me while I'm doing all of these things. Rob's job is to take my mom's SUV and make trips back and forth. This will make our actual move next Saturday much easier for us (and Rob's dad, who is helping us move for the fourth time in 7 years.)

I'll be sure to take a lot of photos as I go through the transformation process!

I'm really excited about living here! The couple who bought the unit two down from ours was moving in yesterday and they are super nice. My old roomie, who I mentioned earlier, was walking her dog past my house. My blog stalker, who has been the sweetest, most helpful person, will hopefully stop by this weekend. We haven't even moved and I feel like I already know so many people!

The Big Day

Less than six hours until closing. How exactly am I supposed to concentrate on anything at work?

Anyone out there use Twitter? The lovely Maria invited me to join, and I'm still sort of getting the hang of it. I guess I'm just supposed to mention what I'm doing. That's easy. It's like a really simple blog. And I kinda like logging in to see that Maria had a milkshake for lunch. :-) It's the little things that make you feel close to someone. This is me.

Yesterday at work, I had to make some silhouettes of race horses for an invitation. It was fun playing around in Illustrator. Sometimes I feel like all I do is layout forms and newsletters. So since I was on an Illustrator kick, I whipped this up for fun.



Um, is it 3pm yet???

It's a sign!

It's no secret that the last house delay three weeks ago has dampened my mood. I probably haven't been the easiest person to be around, complaining about anything and everything. Even the rescheduling of our closing didn't seem to help, since I'm so pessimistic about anything going right.

But it's the day before closing now, and I feel like it's safe to feel a little excited. So I stopped at Target on the way home to pick up a few things that I'll need during my transition week. As I was driving home, I spotted a little piece of rainbow. It was tough to make out, but I've only seen maybe three rainbows in my whole life, so I was really thrilled. I kept trying to find it behind the trees, while not crashing my car, but I lost it while taking my exit.

As I merged onto Route 41, I looked ahead of me and saw this!


I have never seen a rainbow that bright and clear! I covered my mouth as a gasped out loud. Luckily the grocery store where I had to stop was only a few hundred feet away, so I pulled into the parking lot and stared. Of course it was the one day I decided to leave my camera at work, but I pulled out the trusty iPhone and snapped a few pictures. They don't do it justice, of course. Is it weird that I actually got all choked up??


I know it's so cheesy, but I feel like this is a sign that everything is going to be great. If I would have moved three weeks ago, I never would have seen this rainbow!

Let's dish!

Moving into a brand new house, I have a clean slate. Everything is going to be how I want it, in due time. That means buying some new, necessary things, like bedroom furniture, and replacing some of our hideous older stuff, like that awful wicker coffee table.

Lately, I've been dissatisfied with our dishes. I inherited them after my grandmother passed away, so they have sentimental value. I remember admiring them as a kid, but apparently I was a child that enjoyed fruit themed dinnerware. So I have a large collection of Mikasa's Garden Harvest dishes and serving pieces.


Obviously this is so NOT me. Something about it is so mom-ish. I contemplated getting a new set. Or even a few new plates and/or bowls. But I wasn't seriously looking.

Until today. I received an email from Crate and Barrel about their outlet sale online. Ugh. I can't pass up a bargain. So I was picking out a few things, like a fondue set (which I'm sure will go forever unused) and a decanter (which will get as much use as the fondue set). But I thought that maybe it would be a good opportunity to rectify my dish situation.

I wanted something simple. Very simple. And cheap, you know, since my taste will probably change in a few years again. So, after going back and forth in my head for a good hour, I ended up picking up this Maxie Dinnerware Set for $55. I love how the plates are in between round and square. They look so clean and neat.

Here we go again.

Just got the call. Our NEW closing date is this Friday, May 23rd at 3pm. Obviously I'm not as excited as I was the last time they called me with a closing date. But on the inside, I'm hopeful.

If all goes as planned, I will be working a half day on Friday, and I'll be off work until next Thursday. That'll give me five and a half days to set up, paint, clean, etc. And we'll officially move on the 31st.

I'm so ready.

New Fave: Warning, Girly Post

I have a bit of an obsession with makeup. Never leave home without it...on my face, that is. I used to be a loyal Clinique user. Then, thanks to my best girlfriends, I switched to MAC. I have been religiously using their products for about three years.

The past year or so, my skin has been uneven, splotchy and red. I'm sure it has to do with the fact that I don't drink enough water, but whatever. Pass the coffee. My MAC foundations weren't giving me good coverage and they were looking cakey and icky on my skin, even the liquids. So I knew I had to switch.

I was wandering around Ulta the other day, and I found myself in front of the Bare Minerals section. I typically shy away from anything with an infomercial, but I put a little on my hand, and it felt really nice. I liked their claim that the makeup actually improves your skin, and it's so natural that you can sleep with it on. So I decided to give it a shot.

WOW! This stuff was better than any foundation I've ever used! My skin looks and feels healthy and smooth. And even though it's a powder, it doesn't look like one once it's on your face. So I went back this weekend to try out some of their other products. Love them too!

This photo is terrible because it was taken under the fluorescent lights of my office (and I look a little spooky), but I wanted to show how normal my skin looks now. For once, I was able to NOT Photoshop my skin!

Oh...my...god

I feel so embarrassed for them. Particularly when they busted out the "Ohh ohh oh-oh-oh.......the right stuff," dance moves.

You're So Vain

In my current living situation, I have a nice vanity area outside the bathroom. It's perfect since Rob hogs the bathroom for an hour and a half every morning. I can sit and do my makeup and hair comfortably. That's one of the things I'm going to miss when we move.

I've been coveting this vanity from West Elm for a little while now. I keep thinking about how I need a dresser and some night stands more than I need a "luxury" like a vanity, but it would be so useful. Well, it just went on sale. I am really tempted.

Crazy Story of the Week

I dropped by the new house on Wednesday to check up on things. All of the driveways are coned off, and it looks like they are finished. But the landscaping needs some touching up. Unfortunately it's pouring out, and I'm sure that'll delay us some more. I haven't heard any updates since Monday, so it's possible we could close next week. Then again, maybe not.

Anyway, I was leaving my development when I spotted someone walking home from the Riverline (train) stop across the street. As I got closer I realized it was my college roommate of four years! I couldn't believe my eyes! I hadn't seen her in about six years. She had moved to Baltimore for grad school, and other than the occasional email, we haven't really kept in touch. Coincidentally, she moved into my development in December! How insane is that?!

I am still stunned by the small-worldness of it all. It's not like we're in the same town as our college or anything. We both moved away. And yet ended up in the same place. Crazy how things happen like that! We didn't get a chance to chat since she was in a rush and I was blocking traffic, but I'm going to give her a call when we move in. I'm really excited to hear how the last six years have been to her!

Sigh. I'll miss you.

This week I found out that I have to give up my beautiful office that I had just moved into six months ago. They are condensing space, so my department is moving back to our original spot, and I will be sharing a smaller office with my coworker (who I love). So it could be worse. But it's definitely a huge downgrade.

I'm really sad. I keep telling myself that I can't complain because I still have a job in this scary economy. And at least no one pees on my furniture. But this was definitely my best perk, and I'm disappointed to see it go.

Kitchen Art: Part 2

Based on my utensil illustration, here's the second installment of Melissa's Kitchen Art.



So now I have a pair!

Living Room Prints

Just ordered these two prints from vol25. They just so happen to match my future living room paint color perfectly.

Thanks for the advice!

Since the overwhelming response was for a smaller table, I had to concede. I'm really glad I asked.

I ended up scoring the table that I had wanted on Craigslist for half the price! It's in great condition and I don't even have to go through the hassle of assembling it! Yes, I'm the one that assembles all our furniture. I'm the husband. Rob does the laundry and cleans the bathrooms.

I just thought I'd show off what I picked up this weekend. At First Friday, I really had no intention of shopping. But when I spotted these flats at Lost + Found, I had to make an exception.



At the flea market on Saturday morning, my mission was to find little decorative items for the house. Rob calls them "trinkets" or "dust collectors", using a very negative tone. I nabbed these three for a total of $9.



I've been bad with the shopping lately. I bought myself some fun striped tube socks from American Apparel and then I realized that I needed sneakers to match the socks. Seriously. So I bought myself a new pair of black Pumas.



Okay, now THAT is IT! No more shopping! Except for house stuff, that doesn't count.

Where have you been all my life?

I had an awesome weekend. It definitely cured the "depression" of our house not being ready.

Friday night, Rob and I checked out First Friday and soaked in some culture. The rain held off and it was a beautiful night for wandering around.

Saturday was a full day. It began with some errands and then a trip to our townhouse. Two of the six driveways in our building were torn up, so four more to go. We were told that they were hoping to start scheduling settlements on the 15th, although I'm not holding my breath.

Afterwards, we headed over to the Fairmount Park Flea Market for some serious shopping. I scored three vases and a few cd's. Not to mention chicken on a stick! Awesome.

Then it was off to the Rittenhouse Spring Festival where I made a beeline for the cheese steak spring rolls. Then came a crab cake slider. And then some crab rangoons. Yum. My tummy was happy.

After a nap, we were ready to boogie at the Sorted Indie/Brit Rock Dance Party 10 Year Anniversary at the Barbary. What a freakin' blast! This is exactly what I needed in my life. A place to dance to some kick ass music with other weirdos/freaks/nerds like myself. I must have been stuck in suburbia because I had no idea that events like this existed. Now that I do, it's going to become a regular thing for me. Dance it out y'all!

Here are some photos from the hot sweaty mess:

I Need an Opinion

This is my kitchen:



I want to get a table to go by the window. A place were, in my imagination, we'd sit sipping coffee and reading the newspaper on a Sunday morning. This will never happen, I know, but the dream is still alive.

The Bjursta table from IKEA will work great. It's inexpensive and simple. But I have no clue what size to get. Initially, I thought I would get the small version. It's about 35", square. But then I realized that the window is 68" wide. So I started thinking that it would look silly with a tiny table in the middle of that wide window. So I thought about going one size up, to the 55"x35" table. Seems like a good fit.

But then I was talking to Rob this morning, and he thinks the smaller table would work better because then we could sit more in the sunlight. Plus he thinks the larger table will take up too much room in our small kitchen. I usually wouldn't take decorating advice from Rob, but now he has me second guessing myself. So, I ask for your help! Smaller table? Or larger table?