2.02.2013

The Macklemore Thrift Shop Challenge

Jacob has to work the  Indy home show all day again today (boo) and I can do whatever I want (yay) without any whining opinions from anyone else.  So what do I do?  I accepted the Macklemore Thrift Shop Challenge over at Young House Love! I haven't been the thrift store regular I used to be, but apparently it was my lucky day because it was 50% off day at Goodwill. I took this as a sign from the thrift store gods, grabbed a diet coke, and off I went to pop some tags.


The challenge came from the lyrics in the song. Never heard the song? I posted the edited for radio version below and here's the unedited version.


THRIFT SHOP (PG Radio Edit Clean version) - MACKLEMORE & RYAN LEWIS FEAT. WANZ from Garrett Wesley Gibbons on Vimeo.

STEP 1: Go to a thrift shop with – just as the chorus of the song says – “$20 in your pocket” and take a picture. 

Like I said, I was by my lonesome so I couldn't take a picture with the money in front of the store, so I improvised. 


 


STEP 2: Spend your $20 any way you’d like and photograph your spoils. 

 I totally did not mean to, but all three items I bought were donated by Target. Bullseye strikes again!
 

 
I thought this little clock would be cute on one of the nightstands for only $2.49


The frame was $4.25. Brand new, in the box. No scratches. Score


 I'm looking at my receipt now and apparently I got the vase for $2.50? That does not add up, but it says $9.99 and then discount and then $2.50. Hmmm...



That brings me to a grand total of $9.90 with tax. Pretty cheap shopping trip if you ask me. It's too bad HomeGoods forced me inside their doors next.

STEP 3: Find one item (or more) referenced in the song and snap a pic 

"I'm digging, I'm digging, I'm searching right through that luggage
One man's trash, that's another man's come-up"


I'm pretty bummed that I didn't score a big coat or a fringed vest, but this suitcase is pretty cool too. Dare I admit I kind of like it in a weird way?

Mission Complete.
1.23.2013

Prepping the Floors

We decided when we closed on the house in the spring that we were going to add hardwood flooring over our time off of work at Christmas. At that point we started saving and started some shopping. Of course thanks to my inability to make a decision, I did not decide which floors to buy until after Christmas with only a few days left of our time off.  However, I'm glad I waited and went to "just one more place" before deciding because that one last place was ultimately the one I had been looking for.

After lots of research and shopping we  decided on bamboo floors in the end for three reasons.  1. They are very durable and we have two very active dogs and will eventually have little Jacobs and Kims  2. We liked the way they look 3. They are environmentally friendly

We bought the floors at Home Depot. They are strand woven bamboo in a walnut finish with click n lock installation. I highly recommend the click and lock. It was super easy. Time consuming, but easy.


Once we loaded them up and took them home, we started the prep process the next day. We had heard that wood needed a minimum of 3 days before installing the floors once they are in the house, but this manufactor said that it was unnecessary with these floors. (So far, so good)

The first step was to rip up the carpeting in the dining room. Thankfully it came up very very easily and took about 10 minutes. We then removed all the tack strips and swept everything up before laying down the moisture barrier and underlayment. We decided not to rip up all the linoleum to save time and energy. We had also been told that it could be used as a moisture barrier if it is in good shape, which it was.


Emma bear loved the cold, concrete floors. She is still mad at us for putting in real floors.


The next step was removing all the quarter round. I forgot to take any pictures, but basically we used a spackle knife and a hammer to pry off each piece. We were actually able to save all of the quarter round and save some money. I marked them all on the back so we would remember where they went. We ended up giving them a fresh coat of paint before putting them back on.

To finish up getting ready to actually start laying the floors we had to cut off the bottoms of the door frames. We initially used the saw in this picture but it was really hard work and didn't do a great job, so we ended up borrowing J's dad power dremel multi max tool which was fantastic. I want one of my own ASAP. To know how much to cut off of the doors we used a scrap piece of floor and underlayment under the saw like the picture shows.


After the prep on the first day, we couldn't wait to see some flooring actually on the floor. This is how far we got laying floor the first day since we had plans in the evening.


 Andddd our family room looked like this...



1.20.2013

What You Missed and What's to Come

Please excuse my 7 month little blogging break. My bad. I have no excuse, other than I started this blog for fun and to be honest I just didn't feel like it for a while.

There have been lots of changes over here so I'll do a quick update to get everyone up to speed. 

April 2012

We bought our very first house. Apparently it was a little known fact that we were actually renting the blue carpet house. I wrote a quick blog about the new house a while back but we have made tons of changes since then which are coming soon!



May 2012

I FINALLY graduated with my Masters degree in social work.



June 2012

We celebrated our second wedding anniversary. I guess we are not really newlyweds anymore...

July 2012

I started a new job as a therapist working with children.

My sister got married.



Hubby and I went to Punta Cana, Dominican Republic to celebrate our anniversary the month before.






September 2012

I turned 25.  How can that be?! Only two years until my scary age.

We added a new member to our family, Emma the 2 year old golden retriever mix.  She is as well behaved as she is cute! Proof that adult shelter dogs can be excellent dogs.




October 2012

Jacob became even older than he already is and started a new job. He is still in sales but left pharmaceuticals for building supplies and is loving the change.

November, December, and January

Blur of family, friends, projects, work and holiday festivities. I feel like I haven't sat down since October.

I have a laundry list of projects that are coming to the blog soon!

Watch out for:
  • Installing bamboo floors
  • Building an entertainment center out of hand me downs for the family room
  • New upholstered bed in the master (and the details of buying a mattress on the internet)
  • Filling my giant family room wall
  • My sister's bridal shower
  • " Little man" baby shower
  • Guest room updates x 2
  • Mounting a flat screen
  • Painting bookshelves using a power sprayer
  • Building in the refrigerator 
6.02.2012

New House Progress

We are slowly but surely getting moved in and settled into our new house. There is still a lot of work to do, but I know these things take time without the magic of HGTV. So I just wanted to stop in and post some pictures of the progress we have made thus far. 

WARNING: Longest post ever

Our family room is one of my favorite rooms in the house so far. Probably because most of our money and work have been used in this room.


I love love LOOOVE the couch. I am so happy we went with the big sectional. It's so comfy and pretty! We got the coffee table and blanket at IKEA, the medallion pillow at Garden Ridge and already owned everything else.


My mirror was one of my favorite HomeGoods finds. I found this way before we moved, but I knew it would be perfect here. I also paid around $60 for it, as it was on clearance because the frame on some of the bursts(?) was damaged. Unless you take it off the wall and look closely you can't see it and since I don't have plans to do so, it works for us.


We made the tv unit. The bottom is an old bookcase turned on its side and Jacob made cabinet doors for it and a shelf for the cable box. The side bookcases were given to us from my Grandma. We painted it all, frosted the glass, added door knobs, and used silver rub and buff on all of the brass. It was a pain in the butt and took us 3 weekends, but oh so worth it. You would think I measured and planned for it to fit in the space (which I of course did not). Apparently I am lucky! Somone needs to order the TV mount and then actually mount it to hide the outlets and the cords...


These curtains are the newest addition to the living room. They are a housewarming gift from my parents. I think they make the room a little more fun and interesting. We found them at Z Gallerie, the chairs are Target, and the table was TJ Maxx.


Moving on...the curtains are also on the sliding door in the kitchen


This picture was actually taken a few weeks ago and things have changed a bit. There are now plants in the window, different accessories, a new rug, pictures, a big clock, and a new cabinet. One day I will paint those bar stools. I would take a new picture and post it, but my kitchen island looks like a bomb just went off. Just keeping it real.


I can, however, take close ups of some the new things without being mortified.

The rug was a Garden Ridge find. I'm debating going back and buying a bigger one for elsewhere because I love it.


My two loves deserved a spot in our home...food and wine


That cabinet needs painted all white, but it will be perfect for cookbooks. It was also given to us by my Grandma. Notice a theme? She was downsizing at the same time we were moving into a much bigger house that we could never possibly furnish, so we inherited a lot. Luckily my grandma doesn't have "grandma" tastes so I got great stuff that I actually love! Our house would be half empty without her giving us so much and we are so very thankful.

The clock was from Hobby Lobby on sale.

The lower level also hosts our dining room, furnished from the store of Grandma Takayoshi. I have big plans of reupholstering one day.  I'm also on the hunt for curtains.



The half bath downstairs is another favorite space in the house. Is that weird?



Last, but not least the office/den is downstairs. I have tried very hard to get a good picture, but the paint color is not true to real life in any picture. It is a much prettier blue. I believe it is Benjamin Moore Blue Herron based on the paint cans in the trash can when we moved in.




I cannot even tell you how hard it is to get a picture without Penny photo bombing. Diva.

This room is definitely functional but in progress. I have big (read: $$$) plans. Fun curtains, adding trim to the bookcases to make them look like built ins, new floor lamp that was not in a dorm room at one time,and a new couch. I am also hopeful that that desktop computer will die one day and I won't have to have the desk against the wall, but don't tell J. Oh and I need to hang diplomas and pictures.

Time to head upstairs


That dark brown paint has got to go. I don't like that there are three(!) different paint colors on the staircase walls. Plus the brown paint was not applied very evenly. Also I think I need another row of pictures, but the frames are currently out of stock.

Once upstairs, the loft is the first room. One of the many reasons we bought this house was because the loft was big and cozy. It's more like a second family room really. We have made it into a media room. J calls it his man loft.



Down the hall is the first guest room. It's coming along, but needs pictures hung.



The second extra bedroom is known around here as the Japanese Horse room. The previous owners had horse decals on the wall (it was a little girls room) and just painted over them when they left so you can totally still see them. There also also random Chinese or Japanese symbols on the walls in pencil. We need to sand the walls down and paint, but I'm growing kind of attached to them now. No matter what this will always be known as the Japanese Horse Room.

I love the bed in this room and I think I want to make this room kind of girly. Priority number one is paint. Then I want some pillows to made it a daybed, art, and curtains.


I hope to get to this room soon because it is probably the least done, other than the master bedroom. The master needs some major TLC as it is the weirdest shaped room ever and huge. It currently looks sterile in there and I don't even have a picture. You're not missing much. Just image a big blue room with a bed plopped in the middle.

The outside is also coming along. We cleaned it up a little, mulched, added flowers, and put down some grass seed. We are also currently battling the weeds in the grass and I think we may finally be winning!




Writing this post and looking at all the pictures made me realize how far we have come and how far we have to go. Other than the master I would say we have all or the furniture we need, and what is left to do is most curtains, art, accessorize, paint, etc. The fun stuff!




4.11.2012

Procrastination, Easter Egg Hunts, and Chocolate Cake

Creative title, huh?

Who thought it was a good idea to move in the last two weeks of grad school?! My motivation to finish up the 23 page paper, the 12 page paper, 2 presentations, and a final in the next 13 days is at an all time low. And that is saying a lot.  In a weird way I wish I was freaking out more so I would actually work on stuff instead of daydreaming about decorating the new house. I need to finish up/START some of this stuff before we do the big move Saturday. Basically I need to stop procrastinating. I know this intellectually, but I can't seem to stop myself.

So in an effort to procrastinate even further I wanted to share some pictures and a recipe from the weekend.

On Saturday we celebrated Easter (eve?) with my parents and siblings at my parents' house.I made a yummy cake that I can't stop eating because 1. it's yummy and 2. carbs and sugar are my cure for stress. Since food is always my priority numero uno I took an overexposed picture of the cake but nothing else.



 I found the recipe via Pinterest from The Nonpareil Baker. I copied the recipe exactly from her blog and it was the best cake I have ever made. It's basically the Hershey's chocolate cake recipe with a cream cheese frosting in the middle and chocolate buttercream frosting on the outside. Yum! I would definitely recommend adding the chocolate chips on top because in my unprofessional opinion there can never be enough chocolate. The cake was a little time consuming but so worth it.

On actual Easter Sunday J and I spend the morning painting. Fun right? We painted the kitchen and living room Sherwin Williams Amazing Gray and I am very happy with it. I need to finish my school work so I can get my booty over there and take some pics of the paint in the daylight. But instead I'll write a wordy blog post.

In the afternoon we went to J's parents' house for Easter. There are tons of little ones on his side so I actually remembered to take pictures of the egg hunt.


Our niece, Bella got to get a head start.

Another niece, Shelby looking cute in her Easter outfit. 


And her sister Taylor hanging out with her candy stash.


Chloe is our oldest niece who never stopped long enough for me to get a good picture. She took this Easter egg hunt seriously.


Hubby playing basketball with his brother and dad


My beautiful sister in law Kiara and Bella Boo


And we will end with a cute baby pic. How can you not love that face?!
 

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