My living room is naked.

By that, I mean I lack furniture. It looked sad before, with only a day bed and a tv sitting on top of a coffee table, but now it's down right pathetic. My parents came today and took the coffee table away with them. This is a good thing as it's off to be refinished, but now my tv is sitting on the floor. It will be another 4-7 weeks before my entertainment cabinet, my sofa and my chair show up to make my living room look like it's lived in!

My parents were extremely helpful this morning and we got lots done. The china cabinet is stable and full of china (although my mum stole a drawer so the furniture guy can try to match the stain for the coffee table). My towel rods are up, the kitchen shelf is up, I can watch tv in my office, and the majority of my pictures are hung up on the wall (only ones left are the living room ones which can't really go up until I have furniture).

I love days off.

Productive Day

I love highly productive days. I really need to remember how I love this feeling of accomplishment and keep having this kind of day. Woke up at a decent time (for someone who works late!), went to my appointment, came home, did two loads of laundry and washed my hair while waiting for my sis. We went out to Ikea and found the nightstand lamps I've been wanting. We also bought a shelf for the kitchen, but I can't find a wooden wall mount paper towel holder anywhere! We then checked out the various furniture stores and I confirmed my desire for the Michigan sofa at Couch Potato. I took home some fabric swatches and will be going back tomorrow to order the queen sofabed and chair in Jessie Linen (a light tan/khaki) with pillows in Jupiter Flagstone (stripes of 3 shades of green ranging from celery to dark sage and one stripe of dark tan/camel). Here is the sofa, in similar green to the floor model. I considered green, but figured neutral beige is a better choice. Easier to change the walls down the road than the couch!! It's weird - I'm looking at the pic and never in a million years would I have picked this style out of a catalogue, but I love the way it feels when I sit in it. Tall people will most likely feel awkward, but it's MY couch!

After the couch shopping, we installed my laundry room shelves (finally!). Took way longer than I thought, but there was more thinking involved than I planned on. We rented The Guardian (actually good, 3.5 stars. 4 if I push it) and as we watched it, Angie painted the kitchen shelf and I workedon a sewing project.

Tomorrow - productive days continue, starting with a gym trip!

This is my 100th post.

First off - Lori had Baby Two yesterday! Baby Two is officially called Jacqueline, weighing in at 8 lbs. I can't wait until Easter when I get to see her and her big brother!

In other news - I can't believe I didn't write about the weekend earlier, although it did seriously exhaust me. Saturday was cooking lessons with my grandmother with appetizers as the theme. My sister and I were assigned pastry as we have never made that before. I made the pastry for mushroom and bacon quiches, my sister for crab puffs. We also made spicy beef turnovers (kind of like curry beef perogies). My cousins made Imperial cheese onion/olive balls, sweet and sour meatballs, and chicken wings. Nearly 7 hours of cooking! We made an insane amount of food, and my sis and I took our share to a cocktail party for a friend's 30th birthday. Appetizers, cocktails, and chocolate cake although by the time the cake showed up, I was way too full.

Sunday, I went shopping for a bit with my family and then required a nap. I might have accomplished things around the house, but the nap is all I really remember! Things are mostly organized around here, but I still have a long To Do list. Tomorrow, I plan to go couch shopping. I found an entertainment cabinet last weekend, but I can't have it until May. I really need seating though. I don't want to hang up my pictures until I figure out where the couch goes!

Happy Birthday to Baby M!

I actually made progress tonight, first time all week. I was just exhausted this week and between work and sleeping, I had enough to do. I did make it to the gym - once. I'd get home from work, look at the boxes, and go have a bath. My alarm would go off in the morning, I'd get up, I'd turn it off, and I'd go back to bed. I had clothes, soap and forks. Who needs anything else? A pen would have been nice though. I even opened the box labeled 'Desk', but no luck. Turns out it was in 'Sewing Room/Supplies'. Makes sense as my sewing room and office are the same thing. Anyway, the sewing room/office/whatever is now unpacked, just a few odds and ends to put away. TV stand to install, but I don't have a clue as to how it goes up. Need to buy bendy curtain rods for the bay window and then I plan to cut down my old living room curtains.

Tomorrow is my day off - Home Depot time again! I've decided to spring for the cool cast iron towel rods for the guest bathroom. What else - sewing, eyebrow waxing, making shortbread at my mum's, shopping with my sister, maybe a movie. Busy day.

Moved in!

To say that I am tired does not even begin to describe my condition. I took a nap today because if I didn't, I truly thought I'd fall down.

The move yesterday went very well, although I have been informed that a truck would have been a good idea. The parking lot is apparently much longer than I thought, especially when you have to carry a large heavy object over and over again. It certainly didn't help that monsoon season hit yesterday. I'm completely finished at the old place, and semi-organized at the new place. Unpacking continues and will for awhile!

I'm just too tired to post. My eyes are closing while I type. More info to follow. Maybe.


Update: Just finished organizing my bathroom. It looks great! I replaced the old silver towel bars with white ones, and added a white mirrored medicine cabinet. My green towels go well with the original pink/grey swirly tiles and my honeydew walls. One room organized.... My bedroom is almost done. Most importantly, the white roller shade is up. I screwed up on the measurements and ordered a 70" wide blind when I really needed a 69.75" blind. Huge difference. HUGE. But dad and Rod managed to jam it in there and make it functional - although I now need to do some patching and painting to the window frame. I love having a blackout blind in my bedroom, a massive improvement over the crappy horizontals I've had for the last six months. Slept last night on my new bed frame that my aunt gave me - it's black walnut and really tones down my bright blue walls. Had to get rid of my box spring though as it wasn't designed for one. Poor guys carried it up and then back down. Ok, back to working on the bedroom and then bedtime.

How weird is this? I have phone and internet service through the same company (the same company that sent me my cell bill 183 times, I might add!). My phone has been disconnected, but the internet still works.

Probably won't have my computer hooked up at the new place until late Saturday/Sunday so you will have to learn to live without my fascinating updates again :)

Carpets cleaned, windows steamed

I should not still be awake, but I really wanted to finish packing the kitchen before bed. It's not done. I clearly have accumulated more stuff in the six months I have been living here. And really, how important is packing when I can just carry individual items over? Except I don't want to make sixty seven trips a day for the next 5 days.

I cleaned the carpets at the new place tonight and want to do the old place in the morning. Like everything, it took longer than I thought it would. But it looks nice. Ok, no more functioning thought process. Bed.

I think I taco'd my spine

I just checked my email and Telus had sent me my e-bill for my cell phone 61 times. And counting. I just got 3 more. I tried calling them, but of course they are closed. And it's one of those no return email addys. Just checked their website and it seems fried. I keep getting "missing content".

Do you know they don't make entertainment cabinets any more? At least that's what it seems like. Why would you need a cabinet when you can either mount your plasma tv on the wall or put it on top of a small sofa table? But I have a CRT and it needs room!! I did find one at Canadian Tire, oddly enough, that I will probably get.

As for the apartment - door jams and getting ready to clean the carpets. My new bed is in pieces. Half in the bathroom, half in the kitchen. I just have to drag the big box of leftover bits (old light fixtures, shelves etc that my dad is planning to reuse/recycle) into the bathroom and I can start. Must remember to actually rent the rug doctor after work.

And yes, my back hurts. I think it may be permanently bent after all that baseboard work.

Day Something

First, I had a major episode of dorm deja vu tonight. I was cutting across the parking lot between my two apartments while wearing plaid flannel pj pants, a man's workshirt and a parka, and eating a piece of cheese. This caused a serious flashback - not sure if it was the pants or the cheese...

Next - My back HURTS. I finished the baseboards tonight but apparently 4 plus hours of crawling around the floor taping, painting, untaping is not my back's idea of a good way to spend an evening. Got to listen to the hockey game while I worked - good game. Go Cowan. The baseboards look good, although there are a few touchup areas to do. I'm glad I decided to do them as the contrast between the pure white boards and the unpainted almond door jams is amazing. I also bought a light fixture for the kitchen on my lunch break today. It's an oval fluorescent light with brushed nickel trim, about 3 feet long.

Ok, I need bed. Should have gone 30 minutes ago.

Day 4 - Slow Progress

I had to work today so I only had this evening to work at the new place. In my head, the plan was to spend Monday and Tuesday doing the baseboards and door jams so I could clean the carpets on Thursday. I hoped to have half of the baseboards done tonight. Not a chance. Maybe an eighth. Of course I did do other things on the list. I fixed the grout in the tub. I touched up the ceiling where, in my aunt's words, the passing trucks caused the ceiling to jump down on her brush. That wasn't the only spot of course. Then I finally started the trim. I started in the second bathroom as I need the floor in there to store my new bed while I clean the carpets. And that's all. Got lots taped for tomorrow though, so hopefully it goes much better!! Maybe I'll skip the door jams for now and just do them when I do the doors.

I need to shower! I have white trim paint in my hair.

Day 3 - The Work Continues

Note to self: Wear pants tomorrow. The last thing I did tonight was wash the baseboards so I can paint them tomorrow. Crawling around on the carpet has given me rug burn on both my knees.

Lots done today! Second coats on all the walls, ceilings done. All the light fixtures up except the kitchen one as I want to look for a new one. Once the old one was down, I really really didn't want it to go back up. The place looks good and the colours have really grown on me. The light green wasn't quite what I was aiming for but it works. It's very bright and sunny, but in a green way. Man, my feet hurt.

I have to go back to work tomorrow which means I can only work on the place at night. There's lots on the list to be done, but really the only things I really HAVE to do before the weekend is paint the baseboards and clean the carpets. The window trim can wait, shelving can wait, the cat door can wait. I want to stop at JYSK or something tomorrow on the way home to buy towel bars and other items, but again not a priority. Except a plastic scraper. I need one of those.

I hope I sleep all night tonight! Fuzzy keeps waking me up. He knows something is going on.

Day 2

Well, I think I'm only wearing 2 colours of paint and since I used 3 colours, we'll consider this a reno miracle. We started pretty early this morning, a little after 8 am. Both my dad and sister came out then, my aunt at 9 and my mum at 10. My dad spent the entire day removing lighting fixtures and painting the popcorn ceilings. We patched, sanded, and painted the first coat on almost all the wall. There are only 3 very basic walls left in the dining room, but that's where we stashed the kitchen appliances. When my aunt opened that first can of Yucca White, I was very very unsure. It's been growing on me all day and I really liked the contrast once the Woodland Mystery went up. Spent the day trying to figure out what colour Yucca White is though! Iced Mint? Lemon-Lime Sorbet? The Woodland is more of a sage/olive colour. If your monitor and my monitor are the same, on this site, check out Honeydew (close to the Yucca), Sea Green Dark (close to Woodland), and Cornflower (close to my bedroom colour). It's not quite, but in the ballpark. You get the idea. Too bad you can't just see my hands. The Yucca White went up in the bathrooms, kitchen, front hallway, and closets. The Woodland is in the second bedroom. It was the dining room and living room that confused me. Some are light, some are dark. Trying for that accent wall thing, I guess. Had to make one trip to Rona today for more paint. We were seriously short on the light colour. I need to go in the morning again as we are now out of blue and could use some tape. I really underestimated paint, but then we didn't choose to prime. tomorrow, second coat! And then all the hardware has to go back on....

Day 1 - The New Place

Day 1 - pretty good I think. My aunt is a workhorse! I got the keys around 1030am and did a walk through with my realtor. My aunt showed up just as I was wheeling my dolly over. We removed all the wallpaper (the master bedroom just pulled off, but the kitchen roosters were torture. If we peeled off more than a quarter inch at a time, we were thrilled. While I removed all the hardware and drapery stuff, my aunt washed most of the walls (wallpaper glue everywhere!) and removed closet doors. So far I've patched the master bedroom and I'll probably go back tonight and patch a bit more. Right now I'm taking a supper break and then heading to Home Depot to buy lights!

Today's the Day!

I woke up early, but forget going back to sleep. It feels like Christmas! There's even snow! I get my keys in only a few hours. Yay!!!

I know there are other things to blog about - the Ryan Smyth trade, the Oscars, the weather, my search for a couch (my taste is so not 2007 apparently), but that implies I can think about other things. I might blog later about the joys of wallpaper removal though. *g*

Snap. Crackle.

I was going crazy a few minutes ago, which is why I'm taking a net break. I'm using all the same boxes as when I moved out here so I'm trying to use the box that is already labelled correctly. A box that says DVDs gets DVDs etc. So I know darn well there's a big box labelled China/Linens for my big plates, but I CAN'T FIND IT ANYWHERE! I look, I look, I look. I even went down to my storage locker thinking maybe that's where I saw it. Not there, although I brought up some more boxes while I was at it. I went through all the boxes again. Nope. I finally saw it as I went into the kitchen for something. I'm using it to store all my painting supplies. Bah, it's been right next to the stinking china cabinet the whole time!

One week to go.

That's it! Just one week to go and it will be mine. One week. eep!!!

In other news.... nope, don't got any. It's all about the move. Haven't packed much, should really work on that. Trying to keep the place clean for prospective buyers and pack at the same time is a bit of a challenge, but really I'm just using that as an excuse. I just am too lazy to pack! I have organized the first load of stuff though - everything I need to remove wallpaper and paint. I've got some people organized to help that first weekend, so it should go okay.

Ok, need to go clean something. Or pack something. I'll try to blog if my brain ever comes up with something to say other than EEP!

Happy Move-iversary!

Today is the six month anniversary of The Great Move. I really have a hard time believing it. On one hand, I feel like I've been here always and the whole Edmonton thing was a dream. I had my performance review today, the one that marks the end of my probation. It went very well. This whole thing is still moving so fast though. Buying my own place. Possession of the new apartment is in only two weeks. I can't remember if I've already said this but I can't help thinking about the speed in which I make major life decisions. Have I always been like this? Just... jumping.. and hoping it all works out? That's what this past year feels like. How did go? My letters to the labs in Vancouver, asking for tours, are dated June 23. I had job offers by July 7. By July 12, I had given notice at my old job, sold my apartment (in about 6 hours), and started looking for a place to live in BC. I had always planned to buy a place out here - in the New Year, I said. When I spoke to my realtor, I very very clearly said I was in no hurry, that I wanted to want until I found the right place. My soon to be new place was the second apartment I viewed (although I did go on to view all the other ones she had set up for that day). Seriously. It's just crazy. And just in case you are wondering - my new paint colours will be from Rona A29 - Yucca White (90YY 83/107, light yellow/green creme?) and Woodland Mystery (90YY 52/138, sagey green?). My bedroom will be the same blue as when I repainted in May (E47 - Aristocratic). Can't find online paint chips.

It's Mine

It's mine. All mine. Well, the bank's really, but they let me call it mine. I'm not freaked out, but I'm definitely on the squirrel-ly side. I think I'm going with green this time, instead of yellow. Same blue for my bedroom. Possession is the beginning of March so I have a LOT to do. Packing. Again. And at the same time, I'll need to keep my current place clean and tidy as my landlord will be showing it. There's other stuff to say but it escapes me now. Bedtime maybe.

Things are moving so fast!

I think I mentioned before that my plan was to look for a new place to live, one that I'd own, in the New Year. Well, in mid-January, I started that particular ball rolling and spent today with my realtor looking at various apartments. I found one that I really really like and we are the process of putting an offer in. The current owner is an older lady and doesn't want any offers presented until the morning. So now I have to wait!! I'm excited about this place. It's in the right area, upper corner unit, great layout, and in great shape. This is just bizarre though. It's weird how fast things move.

My mind is a bit blank for the rest of the previous week. Let's see - hung out with Rod and Fancy Friday night for a little boardgaming and a little drive. Saturday, my sister and I had lunch with my grandma and then I watched the Canucks lose to the Flames at Shivauna's house.
In an effort to boot kick my own ass into exercising more, I've decided to get competitive! I've scheduled a 5K run with Rod for the end of the month, with the goal of not dying when running with a guy who 13 inches taller than me. I'm now writing down all my exercise sessions and showing my trainer when I see him every second week. I've made a schedule for myself! No hoping it's going to work - - It's going to work.

Ok, really, all I can think about it the apartment.

Happy Birthday Robbie Burns

I had my cousins over for a Robbie Burns' (Scottish poet, in case you don't know) dinner last night. I went full out, like I usually do! I even made a kilt this week :). I used the internet and my grandma for recipes and served Cock-a-leekie soup (kinda bland, but i liked it), Bannocks (dry!!), Collops of Beef (marinated steak basically, liked it), Clapshot (mashed turnip and potato, quite excellent), Haggis (seriously yucky to look at it and I didn't like it at all), Black Pudding (soooo digusting), peas and carrots, and Floating Island (red currant jelly meringue on sherry laced whipped cream - yummy). We read the Selkirk Grace and Address to the Haggis. I did an immortal memory (basically, a history of Burns and why we bother celebrating his birthday). And we also read random poems and songs - including Auld Lang Syne which in probably the most well known. My favourite poem is On My Own Friend And My Father's Friend, Wm. Muir in Tarbolton Mill. It's an epitaph/elegy and it reminds me of my scottish grandfather who died when I was 15.

As for the kilt, my grandma gave me some plaid fabric so I could make a scarf or something, but she bought quite a bit. I decided to attempt a kilt and googled "how to make a kilt". Using this website, I got this result:

The pin you can't see in this pic (near my left hand) is a silver scotty dog that I gave to my grandfather for Christmas one year and that my grandma gave back to me after he died.

And in the news - I've been reading about the Tory attack ads on Stephane Dion. I despise attack ads. I think they are the lowest form of politics. I don't care what you think of the other side, I only want to know what you will do for me. Or at the very least, what you would like to promise me for the now that you probably won't be able to fulfill later. Lie to me about yourself, don't diss your opponent! Ahhhh, the faith I have in politicans.