It’s only a new house, I know. But so many little things are changing — and I kind of love it:
- Gracie and I have gone for walks every single afternoon since we moved in. Oh wait, I lied — we did skip Tuesday when we had monsoon-like wind and rain. But we did walk today in the drizzle-rain. It’s quickly becoming an after-work routine for us.
- Small kitchen = clean kitchen. I’m quickly finding out that when you have a teeny-tiny kitchen, you can’t let it get messy. Our counter space is so limited that letting dirty dishes (for instance) pile up is simply not an option. And ya know what? It’s a good thing! It’s really nice to always walk into a kitchen that’s perfectly clean, bright and cheery!
- By far the most drastic change is sharing a home with my hunnybear. We work very opposite shifts so we don’t get to see each other nearly as much as you’d think, but the limited time we do have together is nice!
It’s the small things.
This has been a very, very busy week. We got the keys to the house Monday afternoon and now it’s only Thursday, but the place is beginning to look like home already. I’m in disbelief that it’s shaping up as quickly as it is. Not to say there’s not a lot of unpacking to do, but you can see the main living spaces taking shape, at least!
I’ve spent a lot of my time in the kitchen.
Tuesday night I washed every dish, bowl, drinking glass and mug that I own and put them in the cupboards. I unpacked the coffee pot (which is vital). I even found a cute little pumpkin-shaped candy dish (sitting on the stove at the moment, as a psuedo-spoon rest) amongst the junk my boxes. I thought it was quite seasonally-appropriate right now!
We also stocked the fridge…
Ok, that’s a complete lie. Actually, our cupboards and fridge are bare at the moment. Those 2 bottles of wine were Christmas gifts from last year that I have yet to uncork, and mom gave me the Asti to celebrate the new house (also has yet to be opened). In the fridge/pantry (but not in the picture) you’ll also find: a snack-pack mandarin oranges, maple syrup, soy sauce, 1 can of cream of chicken soup, 1 box of vanilla pudding mix, instant oatmeal, and assorted spices. Clearly, I can do some wicked cooking with those ingredients. Anyone up for some maple-glazed mandarin oranges in soy-chicken cream sauce? (Barf.)
Yesterday my dad, Mike and Dan (Mike’s brother) moved some of the bigger things from the storage unit to the house. I got a panicked call from Mike in the afternoon when they found this in the storage unit …
That would be the top edge of the back of my couch. With mold (mildew? unidentifiable organic fuzzy material?) or something like that. I freaked out completely. There was a whole dramatic series of events that I won’t go into … mostly only dramatic because I was terrified thinking that my mattress and couch and everything fabric-covered would be utterly ruined. (And how would I pay to replace it?! Would insurance cover it?!)
Long story short (too late!), my mother examined it and whatever those nasty goobers were, they brush right off (Yay, microfiber!) and left no smell behind at all. So I took my vacuum with the pet-brush handheld attachment and scrubbed the furniture down last night. Then went over it with Fabreeze for good measure. Then when I get some detergent for my Bissel steam cleaner, I’m going to use that on them too.
The day was saved and the living room is starting to look familiar and more like “home” again…
I was pleased as could be that my big coffee table fits in the room too. (My love for that coffee table will have to be expressed in another post…) Do you love the draperies? (They’re even nicer when they’re opened and tucked behind the nifty metal tie-back hooks! But this pic was taken around midnight last night, so I wasn’t going to open the drapes at that hour.) Mike picked out the drapes and the drapery hardware. He also hung them last night. (Whatta man!) I do need to take them back down and iron them to press out the wrinkes (they’re bad) as soon as I locate my iron, but I’ll get to that eventually.
You’ll also notice Gracie is sitting on the couch in that picture. (Stuart was off exploring somewhere and wouldn’t pose for the picture. Stinkin’ cat! haha)
So yes, Gracie and Stu have joined us at the house. Stuart was so, so happy. He couldn’t figure out what he wanted to do more: explore or cuddle. So he alternated all evening. Gracie was happy to explore, and happy to be able to play with her StuStu-Kitty, but she also looked a little lost. I think she’s used to having Kodi and Spock (my parents’ dogs) chasing her everywhere she goes, so the quietness of this house was a little weird for her.
Oh! And last night, I got to sleep in my bed. My bed. As in, my big ol’ cherry 4-poster with the smooshy pillow top mattress. (For the record, the mattress was fine — I’d forgotten we’d wrapped it in plastic before putting it in storage! Yay us!) It felt so good and was so comfy. I haven’t slept that well in what feels like ages. Of course, I had to sleep with a cat on my head and a dog between my feet — ’cause that’s what they do — but it still felt like home.
So the previous tenants that lived in our house apparently left us this gift. AWESOME.
What a random thing to find in the closet, huh!? We’ve been discussing all the amusing things we can do with it … like hanging it on the back wall of the hallway closet to take guests by surprise when they hang up their coats. Thought that might be amusing…
In a few short days, a Realtor will be coming to pound a “For Sale” sign into the yard in front of the house where I live. I couldn’t be more relieved.
I’ve been packing for several days. Surprisingly, I’ve packed a lot less than I expected, and I’ve gotten rid of a lot more. My mother was in awe as I tossed things (mostly old arts and crafts materials) into huge contractor-sized garbage bags, with an obvious look of satisfaction on my face.
It was cleansing. The first step to a new beginning.
I have a bit more packing to do, and then the deep-cleaning begins, as well as some paint touch-ups here and there.
Half my life is encapsulated in cardboard at the moment, and I just don’t care. It’s interesting how little you really need in life. I’m beginning to value simplicity a lot more.
… Of course, I should disclose the fact that I packed several plastic totes full of yarn and one full of spinning fiber. (Let me have my one vice, ‘kay?) Honestly, I know I don’t need those things either. But I do enjoy them a lot.
I’m actually not sure where I’m going when the house sells. Doesn’t that sound crazy? But I think that’s half the fun, flying by the seat of my pants…
