The List

It was just too overwhelming at first to make a list for the new apartment, and I also wouldn't let myself think too much about setting things up here until I was absolutely undeniably finished with things at the old place. Luckily after the walk-thru on Monday (not a one issue, either! hooray for getting back our entire security deposit!), I breathed a great sigh of relief and have mentally begun my list. And now with a three day weekend looming and precious few outside obligations, I am ready to begin. First stop, those 17 or so boxes left to unpack and deal with.

1. Boxes. Unpack, store, trash, goodwill, get rid of empties - to be completed ASAP.
2. Paint colors to choose. Pretty much every room is going to get painted at some point, and all of the trim as well. Everything white trim-wise. It will take some time but I'd like to get colors chosen (esp. for trim since it will just be one color) and decide on the bathroom and bedroom colors.
3. Research easy paint stripping. Some of the trim/doors are painted so thick with that awful beige that they are peeling. We might leave some doors unpainted so I need to figure out how to get the wood back without too much aggravation and toxic fumes.
4. Clean. We cleaned for two days when we moved it but things are needing a touch up again. Bathroom needs a deep cleaning.
5. Grocery shop. Finally have a list for a BIG trip.
6. Plan window treatments and work out a budget. No clue what I want to do, but some of the junky mini blinds that were up are broken and some are just dirty.
7. Remove and boil hardware to strip paint. Some genius painted right over the awesome mid-century brass hardware on all the doors and built ins. It's really easy to boil off in a junky pot w/ baking soda but the paint needs to be sliced away with an exacto knife so we can actually remove this stuff. I can't wait to see the "after"!
8. Take before pictures. I need to borrow a camera...still haven't replaced the one I broke over a year ago. Sigh.

That's gonna do it for now. Quite the workload, eh? Here's to a productive labor day weekend!

So far....

I got the keys to the new place today. So far, well, let's just say I'm really super pleased that the central air seems to be working just fine. If it wasn't for that, I'd have to be a bit discouraged. I've been cleaning over 5 hours now and it's only about 1/2 way finished. Soooooo much cat hair, dirt, grime, paint chips, etc. My allergies love it. The bathroom was pretty frightening, with a shower head that looked straight out of Cold War Russia and the most mildewed tiles you can imagine. There is absolutely no chance of hanging a full sized hanger in the bedroom closet. Baby hangers, perhaps, but unfortunately my clothes are all adult sized. The washer/dryer that is supposed to be in the basement is mysteriously absent (there are three sets, but 4 apts...each is hooked up to that unit's utilities). It took me about 15 minutes just to clean the toilet.

Sigh.

I think if I left my apartment in the state in which I've found the new one, I'd have to kiss a huge chunk of my security deposit goodbye. And I'm having a hard time even thinking about going through all this top-to-bottom scrub-a-dub rigmarole again when I finally get moved out of the old place. Finally being the operative word. I just have no clue when it will be finished.

But that central air. Oh yes, central air. It's marvelous. A saving grace for the slow transition. I know once I get my stuff settled in and we can arrange rooms and hang artwork and tweak a few things and paint a room or two things will be just fine. There is some fantastic natural light. It's so cheery. The floors are in decent shape, and I imagine will look even better once mopped (no hot water till Tuesday, the earliest Laclede Gas can be there). I'm up to the challenge. And excited to try some new ideas. To cook in a kitchen actually big enough for two people. To do laundry without a stop off at the car wash for some quarters. All in good time.

Until then, I'll just bring up my yoga mat and practice the handstands we learned today in class against the empty walls. :)

Got what I wished for!

Well it seems as though I got what I wished for though of course when it rains, it pours! This next week is sure to bring many awesome changes and experiences that I hope I can roll with it all without too much craziness.

I found a cool place in a great neighborhood and I'm looking forward to picking up the keys next Saturday. Can't believe after a looong month of filling out paperwork, writing check after check, and collecting piles of boxes that moving day is almost here. It's got central air, it's own washer/dryer in the basement (no more quarter hoarding!), more room, an actual dining room, space in the kitchen for two people, and a great landlord. I don't know much more though because we looked at it while the previous tenant was still there, while he was in the apt., and I didn't feel comfortable being so nosy. So most of the details will just be a surprise!

I'm really incredibly ready to be settled in to the new place though. I hate living in a state of flux and with most of my stuff packed, other things definitely NOT packed, and lots of cleaning to do (luckily I do have until the end of the month to finish moving/cleaning), I've definitely begun to feel a tiny bit overwhelmed and certainly not the least bit calm.

Also, I'm going to become an aunt any day now!!!! That is the biggest family news and I pretty much stop to think about it, oh, every 15 minutes of so! I can't believe the big day is almost here and my brother, my big but by just under a year brother, is going to be a Dad! It's amazing. They are both going to be great parents, you can tell already. I can't wait to meet my sweet little niece and smother her with all kinds of love. She'll be spoiled in no time ;)

I could have picked a better week to turn my own life upside down I guess but that's just how things work out. To top it all off, I've got a couple East coast visitors headed to STL in the next week as well, and I can't wait to see them and hang out and catch up. Who knows when I'll fit it all in, but I know it will happen. And that the next month or so is just going to be one exciting, happy, crazy blur...I can't wait!

Feeling a Smidge Restless...

Lately I've just been jonesing for a change. Or several.

Things at work have been, well, let's just say a bit far from engaging. I am stuck in a rut of the same old same old and don't see much light at the end of the proverbial tunnel.

I've got no vacation on the horizon either and as much as I love St. Louis I really would like to get away. Fox 2 even told me the other day that vacations were medically necessary. Don't have to tell me twice! Now who would like to give me $500 so I can escape for a week (cheap!)? Crickets...that's all I hear. I know I'm not alone at least.

And finally, I'm definitely starting to feel cooped up at my apartment. Yes, the one where I have spent countless hours arranging, rearranging, de-cluttering, scrubbing top to bottom and back again. After just over 5 years I'm itching to shake things up. Try a new neighborhood. Enjoy modern conveniences such as central air (I hear it's just phenomenal). I looked at an apartment today that popped up on Craigslist just as I started yet another search - it was in my ideal neighborhood (Lafayette Square) and boasted not just central air but a real live dishwasher! Alas, it was not meant to be. The "600 square feet" the agent quoted made my 575 square foot apartment look like a mansion. And unfortunately, the boy and I prefer to eat dinner at an actual dining room table instead of the coffee table, two feet in front of the TV.

I finished the first draft of my grad school application essay tonight, and I'll edit it tomorrow. I'm crossing my fingers that I'll potentially be able to start MPPA classes at UMSL in the Fall. I think that would be a good change - one that DOES give me a light at the end of my current career path's tunnel, and also a welcome distraction from this amazing pity party. Oh, and a student loan deferrment for the next 3+ years and nobody can complain about that.

You Know Those Days...

When you just don't feel like doing, oh, anything?

Today is absolutely gorgeous, and after getting up (after a mighty fine BBQ we hosted last night), hitting yoga class, and potting a beautiful plant my best friend visiting from DC brought me, I stopped doing much of anything productive.

I've eaten a few too many of the leftover bits of junk food, so perhaps that's why I feel extra sluggish. Mostly though I think it's just such a nice, peaceful day that I wouldn't want to waste it rushing around on errands or doing chores.

It's hard though, not to feel guilty knowing that you've got a never-ending to-do list in the back of your mind but instead of being productive you are going to laze away the day w/ a book, mint and lemon ice water, probably a few too many minutes spent online, and otherwise just taking it easy.

I suppose that's what summertime is for though! Cheers to a "daycation" then ;)

5 Things

So I sort of trailed off on finishing the official cure, for a few reasons. #1 was lack of time, #2 was lack of money, and #3 was that I didn't have too much to do. However, for several weeks I've had random piles and boxes in my living room and I finally got around to my basement storage area today. Yikes. Lesson to be learned - don't take "free crap" from people, as nice and well-meaning as they may be. You don't need something unless you'd actually spend the money on something yourself. You just don't.

So anyway, I love the feeling of letting go of clutter. It's so freeing. Even if you don't feel like devoting 8 weeks to a major household overhaul, you can easily let things go. Choose 5 things from each room (it's easier than it sounds), and let them go - donate, trash, recycle, set by the dumpster - whatever. You won't regret it and the feeling of a weight off will last!

Sunday Update

My biggest accomplishment of this weekend was to start AND finish recovering the dining room chairs. I just finished the last one and I am so happy! They look much cuter than the old, stained covers, I wish I had a camera to take a picture. But just trust me on this - the Amy Butler lotus pattern fabric was just perfect. I gave the chairs a good scrub down too, which they really needed. Hooray!

I also did 4 loads of laundry AND put it all away.

Now off to pack for a night in Chicago tomorrow. My room smells like honeysuckle because the windows are wide open and the breezes are strong. It's pretty great to finally have Spring!

Week Six AND the Kichen

Here's the list, LONG week, but last weekend and this weekend have been pretty good chances to catch up. Whatever happened to dull weeknights?

1. Clean bathroom and related closets. Fun!

2. Declutter cabinets and closets. More fun! Not so bad because I am adamantly against not using up "products" but I know there are some things that can go for sure.

3. Arrange your bathroom efficiently. A few things can change (i.e. extra TP in the room, not just in the closet in the hall, stuff moved around to be with "like items", etc.).

4. Upgrade your razor and shaving supplies. I think I'm using ok stuff, but I do like to get the fancy shaving gel from time to time.

5. Purchase bath salts and a nice soap. I use Dove soap and other "fancy" stuff seems to bother my allergies. Bath salts sound nice, I'll keep my eye out at the fancy bath aisle next time I'm at Target. Yeah, so they have a $15 canister of the stuff, which is way out of the budget for "stuff for just myself." Gotta pay the bills you know.

6. Place a candle in your bathroom. Need a new candle, but generally I have one in there. I DID treat myself to a $3 candle from Target however.

7. Consider scents for your home. Ok, no thanks! It's so hard to get right, I prefer "clean".

8. Plan for the week ahead on Sunday. I think I do an ok job of this already, I don't hate Sundays so I'm not dreading the week usually.

9. Wake early and take a bath before work. Hmm, wishful thinking, maybe before yoga class though next Saturday.

10. Optional: consider a media fast for the next week. Probably won't cut it out entirely, but I don't watch much TV and just need to let go of my nighttime online browsing addiction a bit so I can read more. I've got 4 books in progress and one for book club I need to start so I've got plenty to keep me busy!

11. Optional: straighten your desk at work. I did a deep clean a few weeks ago when things were slow after a crazy time and it's held up. I did realize that I need a lamp there (probably on my dime), and would like to bring in just a few personal items, such as my diploma (it needs a frame first), and some cute photos or something. It's too office-y. Wish I had natural light for a plant of some kind!

I'm ALSO working through the Kitchen Cure, via AT's sister site, The Kitchn. It's actually only 6 weeks, and it's now week 2 and it's not quite as intense as the regular cure, probably because you get to break down just one room into a longer period of time. I needed it for sure. Things were getting grubby and cluttered and I'm still FAR from where I want to be in terms of actually doing the cooking, instead of letting the boy handle it every night.

Week 1's task was to clear out, clean, and reorganize your fridge, freezer, and pantry. I took care of this last weekend and finished the last bit today. The fridge and freezer really needed the deep clean, and I didn't have too much old stuff to toss. The spices are organized, and the pantry, which is a bit bare, is tidied up too. Makes life easier, and it's definitely worth the effort from time to time.

Week 2's task is to clear out cookware and dishware cabinets, drawers, etc. and pare down what you've got lurking in there. Donate stuff you don't need or use (i.e. duplicates or random appliances and gadgets). I'm working on this now, but have also been better at purging from time to time so mostly I'm concentrating on scrubbing my ancient white metal cabinets. Fun times! We had a little power outage for an hour or so and I wrapped things up in there, so it's nice and organized! A trip to the Container Store would make things even fancier but that can wait.

When your brain is completely fried after a long Monday

I totally recommend a YouTube video, preferably involving Soulja Boy and SpongeBob. Really.



via A to Z @ the RFT.

Week 5 - Here's to Hoping I Actually Get Something Done This Week

I've had some really long weeks, with very little free time at home, and when I AM home, I'm generally zonked. I'm annoyed that I haven't been able to put much time into the to-do lists, and I think that the severe lack of true spring weather is taking it's toll on me as well. I'm in for another long week with a quick trip to KC, but then a long weekend is on the books since the boy will be in Chicago for a Bachelor party and a trade wine tasting. So....I better get stuff done this weekend. No excuse not to! Maybe I'll surprise myself and tackle some things Tuesday and Wednesday night too (not tonight, we have my family's Easter dinner). Let's see what's on the list for week 5.

1. Take care of repairs this week. I'll do my best to get through as many as possible. Yeah, didn't do that.

2. Clean office area and related closets. No closet so just the office corner in my living room. Should be sort of easy. Only a little cluttered. Cleaned it a bit but it doesn't really get cluttered. Couple papers to deal with still.

3. Vacuum, dust and mop throughout. Definitely in need of this! Done! I made it through every room, it was wonderful.

4. Declutter files. Also in need of this - the files haven't been cleared out for at least a year and a half. I'm a pretty conscientious filer though, and it's really helpful to have a system that's worked for me for years now. Pulled out a bunch of stuff to take to work to shred/recycle. It's much easier to pull out the drawer. Plan on re-doing the labels at some point, but it's ok for now.

5. Tackle the cord octopus. I've tried before and failed. I need a laptop, really. Yeah, not much to be done. I tuck cords as best I can behind and under things, but the computer area is a bit of a lost cause.

6. Try a one-day media fast. Gladly. Saturday or Sunday. Not really, but cut back all week long. Hence, no blog till now.

7. Buy fresh flowers. OK! These will cheer me up I'm sure and my b.day flowers from the boy are starting to fade (they've lasted almost two weeks though!). My mom gave me some nice daffodils from her garden, they looked so nice, and lasted pretty long too!

8. Choose at least one hard or soft thing to add or subtract. I'm sure I can do this. Not sure just what yet. Added artwork on walls in living room. Could do plenty more, just no budget.

9. Cook three meals at home this week. I'll cook for myself all weekend, but it won't be as fun for one! I'll try to actually cook rather than heat up noodles. I ate out all weekend, it was mildly pathetic and did my wallet no good. I have a hard time going shopping and cooking just for myself. Plus I'm not that great at it, so yeah. Not motivated.

10. Go to bed early and read before sleep. Happily. I almost always read, I need to be a little bit better about the early part. Been better at this lately, which is nice. Getting up in the morning cause the sun is shining now is making this much more enjoyable too.

11. (Optional) Look into wireless technology. No point without a new laptop, but it would be nice. Someday. Right. No laptop. Someday.

Week 4 - The Halfway Mark

This week is focused on the living room, and it's also the halfway point. Which is good, because that means that REAL Spring is going to be here soon. Which should mean the end of the snow stuff that graced our presence in St. Louis today.

It's a good thing it's living room week because I got my new TV this weekend and in the process of setting it up, I started moving things around, making a mess, and reorganizing. Needless to say, I don't want to look at a sloppy living room every night when I get home so I should be pretty motivated to make some good headway this week. The official to-do list is as follows:

1. Clean up living room and related closets: I don't really have a "related closet" thankfully but the living room does need a good deep clean. Especially after the rearranging experiment this weekend. Didn't really get things clean. Tidied up a bit, but I wouldn't say that counts. Need to do this still.

2. Take care of repairs: Will hopefully get some help from my Mom this week. Need to also get some paint for the back splash in the kitchen, borrow the staple gun to recover my dining room chairs, go by Home Depot to get toilet repair stuff, and scope out cheap light fixtures. Since I rent, replacing fixtures is only going to happen if they are cheap...unless the are broken, which they are not. No progress whatsoever. Not surprising.

3. Declutter books and all media: Yikes, this could be scary. Ideally, I'd like to upload all the Cd's I still care about and get rid of the rest but I don't have enough hard drive space nor do I want to devote the time to it. At least I can go through and put anything I do not want in the outbox and reorganize what I will keep. As for books, I do need to purge a bit. Though part of me really wants a bigger (read: nicer) bookcase. Considered doing this a few times, but really didn't have the time or motivation. Still on the to-do list I suppose, because it does need to happen.

4. Cancel 75 percent of the catalogs you receive: I only get three (Crate and Barrel, CB2, and West Elm) and all the rest have been cancelled via CatalogChoice.org as they come in (which come to think of it hasn't been for a long time, it must be working!). So, done!

5. Empty outbox this week: Not much in it, but if I get down to the storage locker in the basement I'll have plenty for Goodwill. Maybe I'll do that one evening. We'll see. Yeah, didn't do that.

6. Confirm what you need to increase or decrease color in each room. Ok, off the top of my head:

Kitchen - paint back splash (green?)
Dining Room - re-cover dining chairs
Living Room - not sure exactly, but I would like it come in the form of a new love seat/couch, but that isn't going to happen.
Bathroom - something on the walls? Not sure, this room is ok. Probably just needs fresh flowers.
Bedroom - green sheer curtains need to turn into white sheer curtains. New bedding, preferably a light white quilt and new sheets. Cute throw pillow and blanket. A little more art on the walls. I could go on.
Hallway - change out art in phone nook. Found the photo on Etsy that I'd like.

7. Identify what you need to increase or decrease softness in each room. Again, off the top of my head:

Kitchen - nothing
Dining room - nothing (though a ceiling fan would be fabulous).
Hallway - nothing
Bathroom - new rug and towels would of course be lovely.
Living room - new throw pillows, framed art on the wall, new furniture - side tables, bookshelf, media stand, coordinate rugs. Again, I could go on.
Bedroom - needs "something" but I can't quite tell. Also would like a more natural hamper, perhaps a woven one instead of the metal and canvas one I have.

8. Cook three meals at home this week: Let's see, I only cooked once last week, but the boy cooked at least twice, so three shouldn't be TOO hard. I just have to be HOME at night, is the problem. FAIL. Yet again. I can't remember an excuse for every night, but there were plenty. Basically wasn't home, or if so, was in a funk.

Tiptoe Through THESE Tulips.

A photo of the gorgeous tulip fields in the Netherlands, to brighten up a cold and snowy April day in the 'Lou. At least SOMEONE gets to enjoy Spring! :)

See more at The Daily Mail. (via AT: Boston).

Week 3 - Already??

***Updated on Saturday***

I don't feel like I've done much lately so I'm sort of surprised that it's already week three. I think the tasks at hand are a bit more approachable, esp. since the week's area of focus - the entryway - is already in good shape. The hall closet will be the main event, I think. Hopefully there is a little $ in the budget for some organizers and stuff. I don't like to go on Container Store binges, but closets, once thoroughly purged, do seem to benefit from a bit of "containerizing".

Here's the official list:

1. Vacuum, dust, and mop throughout your home: again? I feel like I just did this! But it probably DOES need it again. I didn't really get this done over the weekend. I need to focus on it this week. I can say I'll just do one room a night but once you do one, you might as well do them all and then you've got 5 hours of work ahead...

2. Clean entrance and related closets: "Entrance" is clean, mostly stuff for the outbox, but the hall closet is another story all together. Ok so the cleaning has been done and I tidied up the closet a bit but any greater organizational feats will need some funds...but it's looking pretty neat and works well too. Just not very photogenic (which is fine, seeing as I don't have a working camera and all).

3. Arrange to have all repairs taken care of in the next three weeks: Ok, this shouldn't be too hard. After I help my Dad with his taxes this week, my Mom def. owes me a trip to the apt. for some home improvement chores :) We will hopefully get through the remaining items from my list in week one. Nothing too major.

4. Declutter your entrance: Gotcha. Could use a bit of decluttering I suppose. Done, moved a few frames, wasn't too cluttered to begin with.

5. Move all old mail, catalogs, and magazines to the outbox: Easy-peasy. I didn't do this. I made a mess in the living room and left this pile half sorted. Not sure why I didn't get to it but it's not much. Will tackle in Week 4.

6. Look into what you would need to create a landing strip: I have this set up already, so DONE! :)

7. Cancel any unused subscriptions: My only subscription died a few months ago...sad to see Domino go. So no unused subscriptions for this girl. Done!

8. Identify cool rooms and warm rooms: Let's see - Living Room is cool (though the book says it should be warm, more energy or something...), Hallway is warm (though the book says it should be cool, it's really mostly white), Bedroom is cool, Bathroom is cool, Dining Room is warm, Kitchen is warm. So...done?

9. Apply the 80/20 color rule: meaning that rooms should be filled w/ 80% neutrals and 20% accent colors so as not to overwhelm. I think I do an ok job here, esp. since most of my walls are white. I need most of my color help in the bedroom I think. Need new rugs, bedding, curtains maybe, etc. I get it, I just don't get to do it until there are funds. The plan is in place though. Will list details in bedroom week.

10. Cook two meals at home: I think this still means that I have to do it, not the boy. That's the challenge. Right. So this week, I haven't even been HOME for two meals. Monday night the boy cooked after kickboxing and the dishes still aren't totally done yet - on Saturday. Yikes. Tonight we shall cook though, and tomorrow as well I am sure. I promise to do some of it. I did get to do a lot of dining out though so I can't complain - Tues. at home w/ Mom, Wed. at Niche for my b.day w/ the boy, Thur. at Crown Candy for my b.day w/ the girls, Fri. Ethiopian w/ some friends from college. Yum. I cooked on Saturday night - most of it on my own! Hooray! Fabulous lemon-oregano chicken thighs, trader joe's harvest grain blend, asparagus w/ horseradish butter, and salad (the boy made that). One is better than none. :)

And we're off!

Week 2...

And one more thing about yesterday. I bought a TV on Woot. It shipped. After lots of basketball, golf, and movie-watching this weekend (I rarely turn the TV on, so lots is defined as a few hours on a Sunday)...I am really looking forward to it!

Week 2 Updates

Real quick, here are a few updates:

1. Computer stuff for my Mom took all night (who was I kidding?), but the boy came by the house (kept me sane w/ the 10 yr old Dell drama) and we did get to enjoy some eggplant parmesan and lots o' wine and conversation, so clearly the evening wasn't a wash.

2. I came home to a nicely repaired screen door. Thank you David! Bring on the spring breezes (now for that latch from the HD...).

3. I also came home to a letter from the landlord (sent to all 6 tenants in my building). Apparently the bathtub issue wasn't your run-of-the-mill hair and soap scum clog. Apparently people in the building have been flushing all manner of grossness ("feminine hygiene items, birth control items, and paper towels" to be exact). Ugh!! Do I apparently now live in a dorm? They had to have an actual plumbing service come out and snake the entire building's line to the sewer. If it has to be done again, the cost gets passed on to us. So not fair. I've got my sights set on some likely culprits - the two apts. upstairs were inhabited last summer by several SLU boys (w/ the same last name - brothers?) and a revolving collection of women. I hope they move out this summer. That's been a given. This incident just brings that hope home. I mean, they moved in furniture last year at like 3 am. Didn't start out on the right foot. I didn't complain, tried to brush it off. Just really hope they're gone soon.

So there we are - some ups, some downs, and not a whole lot of progress forward. Friday though. And Sunday. Looking forward to it :)

Week Two: Kitchen Week

***Updated Several Times - Progress has been made, but some are just gonna be incomplete...for now***

Well, here are the official to-do's for Week Two:

1. Fix one thing in your apartment yourself: I'd like to add to my list of things to fix, and then fix this - I just noticed that the little telephone alcove needed a coat of white paint. I'm going to do this. And probably also fix the latch on the screen door. Need to wait till payday for the HD trip. Just finished touching up the phone nook - painted the shelf semi-gloss white and messily got it on the beige-y wall paint...which wound up being ok because after I taped off the shelf to touch up the walls I noticed a million other spots on the wall that needed beige-y touch ups too. Done. Got the latch for the screen door, just need to decide where to put it and then that's that. FINALLY done. At end of week three :)

2. Clean your kitchen from top to bottom and thow away old food: I really wanted to get this done tonight, or at least make a big start on it. It's gross but feels so good to do it. And I need to do it. But I think I have to help my Mom with her computer instead. Last night and Monday were gym nights/late dinner so there wasn't much time to clean out the kitchen - only time to cook. Tomorrow is girl's night and then Friday is well, Friday. Saturday is a wedding. Hoping to get this done sooner than later. Perhaps all done by Sunday? Heard that the Kitchen Cure was going to start in a few weeks over at AT's sister site, The Kitchn. Since I totally put this off, I think I'll just take care of this stuff then...I promise!

3. Buy a water filter and use it: Already done!

4. Run your hands over every wall in your apartment: I've done this before. I guess I'll do it again. They are plaster and they are cold, except in July when they are just tepid. Ahh drafty rental apartment sans quality HVAC system. You are wonderful. Done. Cold. That's that :)

5. Clear space for an outbox: Outbox is already in full effect just inside the front door - oh so annoying and visible.

6. Clear one surface and use the outbox: I hope to clear the surfaces of my kitchen cupboards and surely something will go in the outbox. Well, I didn't entirely clear a surface because I don't have too many cluttered-up surfaces, but I did stick some old sheets and a throw blanket in the outbox while putting away clean towels in the linen closet. I think that counts.

7. Buy fresh flowers: Friday. Payday. I promise. Done - cheap and long-lasting pink and yellow alstroemeria for me.

8. Determine your style: I pretty much have this figured out. If labels are your thing, I'd go w/ calling it the darling "organic modern". Gah! Labels!

9. Find a new recipe and cook one meal at home: I don't think Monday night's black bean tacos count, nor does last night's asparagus risotto. We cook several nights a week. I have promised to cook for the boy once this week. Friday? Very little cooking was done from Wed. - Sun. Andrew made french toast, potato casserole, a yummy salad, cooked up some potstickers, etc. on Sunday but nothing was done by me, so I don't really count this as done. I promise I will be better in the coming weeks.

I am really really crossing my fingers for an easy go with Mom's computer tonight so I can get something done at my place. If not, Friday evening, Saturday morning, and Sunday are the best I've got. My kitchen needs some deep cleaning like whoa. I'm all motivated just no time. That's how it goes sometimes.

Springtime = Curing and Allergies

*** updated Sunday evening (got more done than I thought I would!) ***
*** more updates Monday morning! ***

Well if there is one thing that will get me to blog a bit more regularly, it's the Apartment Therapy Spring Cure. I am a sucker for spring cleaning and this has been one long winter so I am MORE than ready to get moving and spruce this place up. Of course that means springtime allergies are also in full effect, but I find that a small price to pay for a reprieve from grey skies and all-around gloominess brought on by lack of outdoors-time.

So here we are in Week One and the best way to keep myself motivated seems to be posting my list of things to do, then updating my progress along the way. Today it took me a LONG time to get motivated - I was bumming because I was tired and felt stuck because I'm eternally broke. Finally I broke out the Murphy's Oil Soap and my mop and before I knew it, the entire bedroom was mopped and cleaned up and I started to feel far from stuck. I'm lucky - I have a job, I have a nice apartment, I have free time to spend taking proper care of it, and I have Pandora radio to keep me moving. All in all, not a bad outlook :)

I wish I had a camera to post photos along the way but mine met an unfortunate end back in August and it hasn't made it to the top of the shopping list just yet. Maybe for my birthday...hint hint. ;) Barring that, I'll just do my best to keep things updated around here - it's truly thrilling stuff I know. But perhaps blogging for the cure will encourage me to jumpstart my blogging on other topics - such as my utter sense of procrastination when it comes to planning for grad school, my neighbor's weird classical music habit that floats into my apartment at all hours of the day/night, my most favorite topic of all - food, etc. We shall see.

WEEK ONE

1. List repairs and solutions:

• Patch holes in screen door: already asked David to fix it! Done :)
• Fix latch in screen door: trip to Home Depot should cover that. Done.
  
• Fix running toilet and "sticky" handle: tempted to ask my Mom to show me how. She's a pro. 5 kids and 4 bathrooms will do that.
• Deal with the peeling paint on the kitchen sink backsplash (perhaps an excuse to break out some color other than white??).
• Recover dining chairs: not really a repair but that fabric has seen way better days and it's easy. The hard part is picking just the right Amy Butler fabric to use! I bought the fabric today (3/30) and I'm looking forward to it arriving. Love Etsy. I do I do! Ok, now it's here and I need to borrow the staple gun from my mom and get going. It's gonna be sooooo cute!
  
• New light in Kitchen? New light in Bathroom (that's not the one, but I've got something similar already)? New thermostat? New Hallway sconce? I may have an electrician hookup and while none of those things are broken per se, they've also got room for improvement.
• Deal with non-draining bathtub (Sunday night bathwater still draining Monday morning -yuck!) - David has been called and hopefully he can get on that today...). Hooray! It seems to be fixed. :)
  

2.Vacuum/Mop floors, clean baseboards and doors:

• Bedroom - DONE
  
• Bathroom - DONE
  
• Hall - DONE
  
• Living Room - halfway done! I am rearranging and vacuumed the rugs, dusted the baseboards, and swept, but need to roll up the rugs, move the furniture and mop. Goal to be done with that by the end of the 4/12 weekend.
  
• Dining Room - DONE (as well as touching up all the spots on the wall - long overdue!)
  
• Kitchen - DONE
  

3. Remove one item and place it outside: aka get rid of at least one thing - give it away. Set it by the dumpster or go to Goodwill. I have a bag of clothes waiting by the door. Will drop it off tomorrow. Not Done. Taking it over lunch tomorrow. DONE (took it first thing this morning).

4. Buy fresh flowers: Well, I'm kinda broke and my tulips from TJ's last Saturday are still kicking it. I might swipe some greenery for free outside somewhere.

5. Try not to sniffle and sneeze too much while doing all that cleaning: We will see...thank you Allegra and Pro-Air. Hehehe, well, there were some sneezes along the way, but what can you do?

Love Love Love

The part with the fishes is the best. It just made me smile!

One Snow Day

Sometimes all you really need is one snow day to get you through a bit of the wintertime blahs. I sure did. One phone call giving you the freedom of one lovely day off, without sleeping till noon. One delish cup of french press coffee and oatmeal (real stuff on the stove, not from a packet at your desk like every other day of the workweek). One hour at the gym without actually taking an intense (but in a good way) class. One leisurely lunch at your favorite restaurant with your favorite boy. One cozy pair of slippers to wear (almost) all day. One load of laundry, because you need to be somewhat productive. One chapter (and likely more) read for the new book club next month. One pot of Lady Grey in the late afternoon. One sunshine filled apartment whose long over-looked dustbunnies finally met their match. One plan to go visit the coolest tree in the park soon (so it still looks like that). One hefty portion of the best-ever homemade mac 'n cheese from last night's perfect dinner with the boy waiting to be heated up as a quick bite for one. One early bedtime in preparation for one more day out of the office before just one more day and then the weekend (!). One cozy down comforter and one happy girl who just needed this one day off!