Apartment Rehab

I don’t know what is going on with me but I am feeling VERY anxious/uncomfortable with my apartment and keep thinking about redecorating ideas to freshen things up.  Here’s some ideas I have for now:

LIVING ROOM:

-Build window seat for the little window nook? The cats LOVE looking out those windows and as such, the end table and chair I have in this space now are constantly coated with bits of cat litter and fur and sometimes cat barf.  I could sell the table and chair since I have no other room for it.  I could make a cushion with a removable, washable cover too.

-Plants.  I keep talking about this but not doing it!  I think 3 hanging plants in the corner would be nice, with maybe a small succulent or 2 in the media console.

-Lose the skulls.  My decorating theme for the past couple of years has been skulls and I think they are played out. I’m not sure what to replace them with, maybe vintage cat figurines and stuff?

-Get rid of the ottoman.  It takes up SO much room and isn’t really used.  I used to use my grandfather’s foot locker as a coffee table and now it’s pushed to the side to make space for the ottoman.  I think the only argument for keeping it would be that it matches the couch, but the couch is already not resellable due to the cats scratching it, so whatever.

-Recover the couch.  First of all, it’s orange.  Secondly, it’s leather and the cats scratch it and the leather is worn and it just looks gross.  I think I can cheaply/easily recover it with a couple sets of king sheets and upholstery pins.  I’d like to do a pattern so it doesn’t show wear very easily.

KITCHEN:

-Get a nice curtain or blind for the window.

-Organize the stuff that is on top of the cabinets and maybe add some plants.

-Organize all the cabinets.  Shit is always so messy.  Maybe get a shallow pantry/china cabinet/hoosier cabinet to go on the wall opposite the kitchen for food storage?  Maybe once I organize this will be fine!

BEDROOM:

-Move the bed back against the wall? It means that Eric would have to roll over me in the mornings but he always wakes me up when he gets up anyway so whatever.  Or we could switch sides.  Again, whatever.  The bedroom just feels claustrophobic.

-Frame some prints to hang.

-Get Eric to build one of those octagonal wall shelves.

-Clean out the closet again.

-Hang a curtain over the window.

BATHROOM:

-Install full length mirror on back of door.

-Remove koala picture over toilet, add shelf/towel rack.

-Get new shower curtain

BACK ROOM/OFFICE:

-Organize closet (of course)

-Hang bikes

-Move patio table and chairs outside, chain to deck.

Ok! I think that’s it.  This weekend I swear I am going to chug a ton of coffee and do a deep clean/organization!

November Goals

Hi! Long time no write.  It turns out that my life is far too boring for a lifestyle blog with regular updates.  However, I wanted to make some goals for November, and I thought maybe publishing them would help me stick to them.

1. Start going to the gym regularly. 
If there is one thing I hate, it's physical activity.  But my blood work came back not so great and I think I can nip some things in the bud if I start exercising a little.  Not a ton- I won't become the gym bunny I once was.  More like walking for 30 minutes after work, maybe some weights, maybe some yoga.  Defining "regularly" is hard- ideally I'd do 5 days a week but stuff comes up, so I guess I will say 3 days a week.

2. Clean out the back room closet.
This closet HAUNTS ME and every weekend I put it on my to-do list and every weekend I do not even go in the back room.  I swear I will get this clean in November.

Well, I guess that's it.  There's other things I want to do, small improvements I want to make to my apartment, but I don't know how money is going to be this month and I don't want to feel badly for not reaching goals I can't afford.

Friday Five for 23 August 2013

Ugh!  I have really been slacking on this blog but truth be told, my life is not too interesting lately.  I've been feeling so sick and tired.  Anyway, here's 5 for you.

Andy leaving: last night was Andy's going away party.  It was a lot of fun (and delicious) but I totally lost it after I said goodbye.  I felt a wave of emotions for her, similar to the ones I felt last time I moved- I am so happy for her and for the new chapter of her life, but saying goodbye is always so sad.

Whole Foods: this probably sounds dumb but one of my favorite things to do is wander Whole Foods and look at stuff.  It's been a long time, so I decided that tonight I am treating myself to a wander (and some papalote salsa).

Housecleaning: is this how boring my life is?  I am really looking forward to cleaning this weekend, the house is kinda trashed.  I guess having 4 pets and 2 humans in 900sq ft will do that!

 Ceiling Fan: I really want a ceiling fan for the bedroom, but all the nice looking ones are so expensive! I don't know what to do.

Swimming: I wouldn't mind a nice swim.  Maybe it'll be warm and sunny this weekend!

Friday Five for 16 August 2013

House News: My buyer counter offered a price for repairs, I accepted, we are one step closer to closing!

Leaving Early: my boss already left for the day and said I could leave as soon as I wanted (after I finish this post)

Pregnancy Symptoms: I am hoping they are actual symptoms and not just my body being weird!

No Plans This Weekend: I am really looking forward to relaxing.

Dinner Tonight: Eric said I could pick.  I might pick Papa Johns.

Weekend Wrap-up

Hi friends!  Work was so busy yesterday I did not have time to write my weekend wrap-up!  Here it is!

Friday Eric and I had a romantic date at Taco Bell and then went to the pet shop so he could buy a moss ball for his aquarium.  I think we might have watched a movie after that, but I don’t remember for sure.  I was exhausted from the work week and I know we went to bed early.  Saturday we ran a bunch of errands to get parts and tools so he could change the brake pads and rotors on my car.  This required going to a far-flung suburb and took a lot of time!  Then he worked on the brakes while I alternated between trying to help and trying to leave him alone.  He ended up having to get more tools and also having to borrow some from our neighbor.  Once the sun went down, we walked to a neighborhood sushi restaurant and had the most delicious sushi of my life.  The walk was nice too.  Sunday we went to brunch with Jessica and Jason at Jessica and I’s favorite Jewish deli, then worked on the car some more, then ran some more errands with spongey brakes.  The brakes finally got finished last night after work and boy do they feel great!  I really am lucky to have a handy partner who can do these things for me.  It’s no secret that I want a new Jetta station wagon, but the longer I can make my old Golf work, the better.

August Shopping Spree!

I wish I knew how to make this cuter!  Anyway, as you can see, I pretty much only wear comfortable plain black clothing.  I think the jacket will be cute over a hoodie for this fall/winter.  I also have lost or broken all my sunglasses so having a pair in the car and a pair in my purse is a good idea.  I love this red purse! My previous red purse was stolen out of a car in St Louis and I've been coveting one ever since.  And finally, I wanted some simple stud earrings and I like these because they are plain black.  I can't wait to get this stuff!

Friday Five for 09 August 2013

1. Not washing my hair every day: you are probably like duhhhh but I had no idea how life changing this would be!  It's so nice to have that spare half an hour in the mornings!

2. Deciding to dye my hair red: it's been dark for a couple of years now and I am ready for the change.  So, as soon as I have some spare money I am doing it!

3. Falafel for lunch: my work cafeteria's falafel is surprisingly good!

4.  Mini shopping spree:  I am about to place a minor order, and am really excited about getting some new things!  I'll post a pinterest board later.

5. Origins Ginger perfume: wearing it again today.  I don't wear it often but I should.  Last time I purchased a new bottle, the guy I was dating at the time said, "It just smells like YOU." Best compliment.

Thoughts on homes

I bought the best little Victorian cottage in Indianapolis when I was 26.  I did so much to personalize the house.  I painted, installed hardwood floors, went to countless estate sales and thrift stores to decorate it just the way I wanted it.  I love that house, but I was never happy in Indianapolis.  It’s great for a lot of people but it never felt like home to me.  When I was laid off from a job in 2009, I took the opportunity to move to the Bay Area, a place that felt right for me and where I’d been dreaming of living for a long time. 

At first, renting out the house was super easy! I already had 2 roommates so they just got a third to fill my room.  I had a friend manage the rental for me; basically, he collected rent and did minor repairs when needed.  Eventually those tenants parted ways and I got a new group of tenants who were high maintenance and my friend stopped managing for me.  In hindsight, I should have gotten another manager, but I thought I could handle it myself.  In this time, the house needed many major repairs and I had trouble collecting rent from one of the tenants.  When they decided to move out I decided it was time to sell the house.

As you can imagine, without collecting any rental income my budget has been super tight.  Paying a mortgage and rent is NOT easy.  To top it off, the house needed a lot of work to get it market ready.  Now I have an interested buyer, but the inspection report was 11 pages long (!!!) and the buyer requested even more repairs.  As you can imagine, I am so broke right now.  It’s stressful!  I look forward to our closing in the very near future and wiping my hands of this house.  Despite loving being inside of it, the house represents a lot of negative feelings and is my last tie to Indianapolis.

What’s funny is I’ve said many times that I never want to own another house again but to be honest I really miss the freedom that comes with owning your own space.  I love my apartment- it is in an excellent location, a new remodel, and cheaper than most of my friends pay for rent.  The amount of space is fine for me and Eric and the pets.  But there are so many decor changes I’d like to make and living in an apartment instead of a house wears on me.  Sadly, I just don’t think Eric and I will ever be able to afford an acceptable home in Oakland that does not require an insane commute (have I mentioned how much I hate commuting?!).  We’ve been talking a lot about moving to Pittsburgh eventually, where we could buy an affordable house with lots of room, find jobs just as good as the ones we have here, and HAVE EXTRA MONEY.

So, what to do in the meantime?  There are a lot of little things I would like to do to our apartment to make it feel more homey.  As soon as my house sells and my budget no longer includes a mortgage, I think I will start making those changes.  First step: houseplants and getting a number of prints framed!

Weekend Wrap-up

Well, I wasn't able to get out of work too terribly early, but I got home and Eric was right behind me, tacos and horchata in hand.  We ate while we watched Orange is the New Black which ended up being horribly cheesy and I would not recommend.  I decided against going to goth night and spent the rest of the evening on the couch :)

Saturday Eric took me to brunch at Jim's.  We love it because it's one of the few places in the Bay Area where you can get greasy midwestern food at a midwestern price.  Jim's gravy is out of this world!  Then we ran some errands, including going to Petco where Eric bought me a snail to live in his aquarium.  I named him Al G.  Get it?  huhuhuhuh.  Then I fucked around on my computer, getting it ready to sell, and we made stew and watched more OitNB.

Sunday we cleaned the house, ran some errands, and then I made a Cincinnati-themed feast (Cincinnati chili, buckeye brownies, regular non-Cincinnati salad, and my signature Pink Drink).  Jamie and Jessica came over for the feast; then we finished watching OitNB.

All in all a decent weekend!  It was nice to stay in town and take it easy.

  

About Alison:

I'm a 32 year old scientist originally from the Ozarks, currently living in Oakland California with my partner Eric and our menagerie of pets.  I enjoy nature documentaries (particularly about bears), alien conspiracy theories, cavemen, 1960s ludwigs, marimekko prints, Vera Neumann, campfires, sunburns, and skylines.

Friday Five for 02 August 2013:

1.  Planning my SoCRA Annual Conference trip to New Orleans... I've never been to NO and I am so excited to finally go!
2. Tacos for dinner... the taco truck by my house is amazing, and Eric promised to buy me tacos tonight!
3.  Goth Night with Jamie and Jessica... I am by no means a goth, but goth night is a fun excuse to do crazy hair and makeup and get silly
4.  Renters insurance... thank you so much for replacing stuff stolen last year.  I have started looking at bikes and I am excited to potentially have a nice road bike again
5.  Leaving work early enough to beat the traffic?  Here's hoping!