Now...where was I?

Whoops...forgot to post again. I have been taking photos, however.

A few updates.

So, the undersink cabinets in the master bathroom were only half finished when I moved in. I had them completed and that was super. However, I have no drawers or organization whatever inside the cabinets, so I had a lot of stuff out on the counter. This lead to a cluttery ugliness.
Observe...






To solve a problem that didn't actually exist, on a trip to Ikea with Greg and Andrea about three weeks ago, I picked up three square charcoal colored trays to leave on the counter. The deal I have with myself is I can keep things out on the countertop but they must stay on one of the two trays. Otherwise, underneath it shall go. I think it looks nice.






I also started to paint. I started with the wall between the office/guest bedroom (Dolley's room) and the second bathroom. With this step stool I can actually reach the ceiling to tape!

I am set to do my painting on my own. A friend suggested a decorator who came for a few hours last month and gave me some suggestions, including paint colors and etc.

I went to Potomac Paint, a great local paint store on Lee Highway last Sunday morning. I even chatted with a professional painter who was picking up an order. He gave me a few tips and said that my preparations sounded good. I had decided to go with Benjamin Moore Natura low-VOC paint. I read some mixed reviews of it, but I was really happy. It didn't smell AT ALL and dried nicely, rather fast. I did two coats. I'd highly recommend it, even with the $42 per gallon cost. Right now I have three colors in mind for the living room and bathrooms. Bedroom colors will come a little later as soon as I see what my bed will look like. The bathrooms will be a cream color called "Monroe Bisque" and only two of the living room walls will be a green called "Weekend Getaway."

Finally, the small wall between the bathroom and Doll's room is called "Sienna Clay" and my next step is to find a big mirror to hang on it, a suggestion from the decorator. I think it'll look pretty cool. What do you think of my painting technique?

...and after!

i want to be clear that my move was not fun, not that moving ever is. i could not have done it without my friends to kick me in the ass, as i am usually lazy and honestly thought most of my items would pick up and move on their own. VC, MF, GW, SV & especially LV who actually helped me clean the empty place, are super and i am very lucky to have them! these folks even came back more than once, so i'm assuming that means we're still friends. yay!


some improvements made. you can see the floor and see the counter now! also, please note the blue lights under the counter. sticky tap lights! i don't know how bright they'll prove to be, so we'll see.

i am still waiting for the microwave change-up...the builder is going to mount a new microwave w/lights above the stovetop so the HUGE unit next to the fridge (not visible in this photo) will make its way out of my apartment and i can get that space back. i will put my toaster oven in the corner and then i'll have THAT space back under the counter. hopefully that will be in the next two weeks or so.

anyway, i'm feeling good about progress so far. tomorrow i will make my way to my storage unit (in the other building...it's proving to be a whole ordeal right now) to store my larger luggage and some moving boxes for my friend's upcoming move in november.

before....

i just finished moving all of my stuff out of the old place! whoo-hoo! gave back my keys, door fob, parking sticker...did the walk through with one of the leasing people. i expect to get my full deposit back in 30-45 days. (eek.)

it is nap time now, as i stayed up most of last night thinking about what i had to remember to clean up and take from the old place, but first i wanted to share a "before" (uh...current) photo of my new kitchen. cleaning this area up will be my evening activity, and i will post another photo so i can show my progress. i will finish before mad men starts, though. i have to relax eventually, right?

Background info and why I need to get organized!

Hi folks,

First off, I’m posting this during my lunch time, so relax.

Background: I just moved from a 740 square foot apartment where I lived for almost exactly 6 years into a 1107 square foot, brand-spankin’ new condo that I bought. It’s still in my neighborhood, in fact, it’s about a block away from my old place, which is awesome. My place is super cool and I'm excited to finally have enough space to have people over for parties and just to hang out, but I have a problem.

I always knew I had a lot of stuff, that’s not news. What is news, however, is how good I was at hiding things in small spaces and packing things away. I had one closet in my old apartment. It was big, and I used every single corner of it.

I am also a crafter, which might be my biggest problem. If you craft (or actually, if you have any kind of creative hobby at all) you know that with craft comes STUFF….tools, materials, packaging. Along with the stuff comes furniture and plastic boxes to house the stuff. This is where it gets tricky. How do you keep your hobbies and not have a million plastic boxes in your living room?

Now, I am not a hoarder. I do not have collections of erasers, candles, stuffed bears, decorative mugs, shoes or anything like that. My home is always clean, there’s no food rotting anywhere, no dead animal carcasses, no garbage sitting for weeks waiting to be taken out. I have never had bugs in my home. I know when magazines need to be thrown out (recycled) and I generally know when to get rid of other items. In short, don’t call A&E’s “Hoarders” on me. Large, walkable areas of my floor are clearly visible, outlets are not blocked, windows are not sealed shut. No, I prefer organized piles of possibly useful things.

I’d like to use this blog to track my progress and to help keep me honest! Suggestions are welcome, references to hoarding are not. My goal for my new home is to get (and stay) organized. I am known for creating systems that others like to follow, but then I do not follow my own systems. Right now I’m starting with a blank slate in terms of organization. I’m going to slowly replace the Ikea furniture I’ve had for years, furniture that has been taken apart and put back together several times (it’s not really supposed to.)

I'm not interested in purchasing some crazy system...I need to find something that works for me in my place, is easy to follow/maintain and also looks nice.

Every week I’ll post once or twice with my progress and some photos. I will also post links and information to organizations that accept donations, or other suggestions about how to dispose of usable items in good condition.

:-)
Emily