Friday, May 27, 2011

Progress is a Missing Pink Tub

It's only been a couple of months since the office got it's overhaul cleaning, and now it's a wreck again.  But now it's a wreck I can love.  Since I haven't had much time to do actual work in the office it has become packing central.  There are both full and half packed boxes stacking their way up the wall as the rest of the upstairs is packed and carted into the room.

Today I'm setting the (hopefully) achievable goal of packing ten boxes before I leave the apartments at 4 pm.  That gives me about 5 hours, so it should be doable.  I also want to go around the house and gather up some of the scattered cleaning supplies and various do-dads (like sharpies and spare curtains) that need to be at the house now.

Here are some "in progress" shots of the house... it's mostly destruction. 


Tuesday, May 24, 2011

House!House!House!House!

Well it's been quite a long month so far, and we're not even done yet.

Last Thursday, May 19, Richard and I closed on our house!  We're now officially home owners, and we're tackling everything head on.

There have been some unexpected developments... such as the wallpaper someone apparently painted over in the kitchen. We've already demolished the bathroom, it was the original 50's pink bathroom and while it was cute... well, it needed some updating and it turned out that every wall had water/moisture damage because the room was never properly vented. So we're tucking in and getting to work, which is just a round about way of saying we'll be super busy for the next month and a half.

We'll take a brief reprieve next Sunday to go to the first Maxwell Street Days of the 2011 season.  And I am so excited for the official beginning to the flea market season.  Maybe now that we have a house we'll finally find that chrome kitchen table we've been searching for.

Hopefully I'll get some photos and updates about the house up in the coming weeks, but I'm not making any promises.

Wednesday, May 4, 2011

Thrifter's Toolbox

There are so many aspects that I love about shopping secondhand.  I have a chance to find quirky, and even new, craft supplies.  Brand new red fun fur yarn for fifty cents a skein? Yes, please.  The options for vintage accessories at low prices are plentiful if you're willing to look.  And it always feels good to give an unwanted object a second life.  On the eve of my great jaunt across Wisconsin to attend the 100-Mile Yard Sale, I've decided to share some thrifty tips.

My favorite haunts include the usual suspects - Goodwill, Salvation Army and St. John Vianney Thrift stores as well as estate and yard sales.  I have a lot of tips for how to choose a good thrift store or sale, but today I'm sharing the tips of the things I use to find the diamonds in the rough.  These are the things in my traveling toolbox, do you use anything I might need to add to it?

Traveling Toolbox
- Sewer's Measuring Tape - after all, you should know if that bookcase is going to fit in your house... or even your car, and all rolled up the tape fits in your pocket
- Magnet - let's you know what is plain metal and what might be more
- Wet Wipes - I keep these in my car because one never knows what sticky substance you'll find on your fingers after rummaging
- Bags - self-explanitory
- Socks - if you're ever going to try on shoes, you're going to need socks.
- Water Bottle and Snacks - these are especially good to have when hopping between yard sales or even thrift stores as they'll save you a pricey lunch.
- Sunscreen - what can I say?  I burn easily and when I'm out at yard sales, I'll be spending a lot of time under the sun.
- Cash - always cash, always small bills, always makes it easier.  It also helps me keep a budget, plus I always know if I find something ridiculously amazing there's gotta be an ATM nearby.

Those are all the things I carry with me on a regular basis while I'm thrifting.  If you've got any extra tips, I'm always eager to learn.

Monday, May 2, 2011

Photography & Adventures

There's something about the combination of photography and adventures that is just so enticing.