My Review of Calms FortéTM Tablets

Originally submitted at Hyland's Homeopathic

Hyland's Calms FortéTM provides 100% all-natural, temporary symptomatic relief of simple nervous tension and insomnia (sleeplessness). Hyland's Calms FortéTM works without contraindications or side effects. No drug hangover, no sedatives, just nature's answer to a good night's sleep...

Calms FortéTM Tablets

Worked wonders on my old dog

By Coletta in Ventura from Ventura, CA on 11/9/2011

 

5out of 5

Pros: Works Quickly, Good Value, Relieves Stress

Best Uses: Before Sleep

Describe Yourself: Regular User

I know the company can't recommend this for dogs...but I am using it on my old dog that is getting dementia and it is a life saver!
My dog started pacing at night, waking up repeatedly, and was just all around anxious at night. I read about this product on another blog and gave it a try on him...and it WORKS!
I give him 2 pills at 9 each night and he now sleeps all night long!

(legalese)

I LOVE This Rug

This may be the best purchase EVER!
Unbelievably thick and soft.
Great color.
Matches description from the website perfectly.
Five stars.
Two thumbs up.
I LOVE IT!!!

Now I just need to lower the artwork that's behind the couch, get some colorful pillows and hang curtains and the living room will be D-O-N-E!

Winston loves it too. He won't get off of it. Thank You www.overstock.com

ZEBRA

How long have I been going on and on and on about wanting a zebra rug? Hmmmmmm...a really long time. I thought I wanted a black and white one until I saw one up close and realized that the white part wouldn't stay white for very long in my place....so I pretty much figured I would never own a zebra rug. Until today......ok..actually until four days ago when I spotted a nice brown and tan one on overstock.com. I stared at it on and off and ended up waiting until this morning to actually buy it.

The price went up while I was procrastinating for those four days....so I almost didn't buy it but it got wonderful reviews so I took a deep breath, hit the "add to cart" button and bought the sucker.

I do not like to buy things online....so this was a big deal for me. I like to feel things, hold things, really check things out in person, so I am a bit anxious about my purchase.

I can't wait for the rug to get here. After several years of wanting a zebra rug....I will finally have one.

Pretty!

For The Shady Side Of My Patio

For now it will stay white. Later on, it will get sanded down and painted a new color or maybe I will keep it white and add some snazzy pillows. Until then, it will be enjoyed by me, myself, and I and my evening cocktail.

I search craigslist everyday! This cost me $75.00 and it took me three weeks of daily searching to find it. Everyone else, that had patio furniture for sale, seemed to think that people were willing to pay several hundreds of dollars for their used shit!

Word of advise...if you are buying on craigslist, don't pay over $100. If you are selling on craigslist...don't list your shit for over $100.00

Peace!

The Winner Wasn't The Winner & Cat Pee

So...the couch we bought went back after two full days of trying to sit on it.
WHY you ask?
Because as pretty as it was to look at it, it was like trying to get comfortable on a 2 x 4.
The back was too low and no matter who much we fluffed the pillows...we just couldn't get them right.

I didn't mind returning it but I did mind paying a 20% restocking fee. Urban Home can kiss my pasty white ass.

Anyhoooooo...I ended up buying the first couch that we had selected. I guess I just like to torture myself and try 15 other ones before I go back to my first choice.

I have no photos of the couch right now because for the last two weeks we have not even been able to enjoy living in this unit thanks to the ongoing battle I like to call, "Cat Urine Eradication from Hell".

New carpet and padding were put down AFTER we had already moved in but they FAILED to clean and/or seal the concrete floors which soaked up all that yummy odor. So after one full week of my bitching and complaining (and calling corporate) they came back and pulled up the carpet, padding, and tack strips, then put down sealant, new tack strips and a second round of new padding & carpet. After another full week of bitching, because the smell was STILL HERE, they finally showed up this morning to prime and paint the offending walls.

FOR FUCKS SAKE I HOPE THIS ENDS THIS BULLSHIT SO I CAN GO BACK TO POSTING THINGS THAT ARE PRETTY!!!!!

And The Winner Is......

Freestyle-Pewter from Urban Home.
YES...the lady in the corporate office is a dumb bitch, but the couch is great and I couldn't resist it any longer.

This couch is soft like a teddy bear and is a bluish-gray color. So darn pretty! None of my artwork matches and I now have to buy all new everything...and I am poor...but who cares. Aren't we all just numbers on the computer of some credit reporting agency anyhow???!!!

We move Saturday and this super soft beauty gets delivered Saturday evening!

FYI, the picture doesn't do this couch justice!

Couch vs. Couch

So, the ground floor unit that we will move into next month is finally empty and I decided to peek into the windows. Believe it or not, I have never seen the inside. I have seen the model unit but it is on the 2nd floor, it faces the opposite direction, and has no attached garage so while the general floor plan is the same....it really isn't.

Have I lost ya? Ya..it's confusing.

Anyhow...I have been walking by the darn unit for weeks sending the current residents "move out" vibes and they finally did. I looked in the windows to get a feel for the place (I tried picking the lock but my burglery skills aren't what they use to be) and yikers...that living room/dining room combo is T-I-N-Y!

TINY as in...I guess the sectional I had all picked out ain't gonna fit.

ARE YOU KIDDING ME???

NO I'M NOT!

SO.....I am hoping that once we actually get in and I can measure that the place just LOOKS small and is actually JUST RIGHT!

UH...OK...so I know that is not gonna happen. I am not a math whiz...but I am a decorating GENIOUS and the couch ain't gonna fit sister!!!!

With that being said..I guess instead of the Drew II we will have to consider the Oakdale. I actually like the color of the Oakdale better and it is comfy..just not AS comfy as the Drew. It is smaller though and so I think she will have to do.

DREW

OAKDALE

One thing is certain. That ugly, fake leather ottoman that comes with either of them, is getting sold on craigslist faster than you can say, "cheap piece of crap"!

Can I Get An Amen?

Ok, OK, OK, so we haven't even moved yet and I am already dragging my husband to furniture stores and putting our stuff on craigslist....but I can't help it.

I have a problem. A "I love furniture way too much" problem.

I LOVE the funky colors from the options at IKEA but our IKEA is 1 1/2 hours away, never has anything in stock, AND charges way too much for delivery. Urban Home has some great LOOKING stuff but you can tell that if someone sneezes too hard or a dogs claw even comes near the thing, it will fall to pieces. Ethan Allen and Lazy Boy are both out of my price range. BLAH BLAH BLAH!

So, today we headed over to Easy Life Furniture. I pretty much expected cheesy, overstuffed CRAP..and there was a lot of that in the store...but I also found a nice, basic sectional. Do I wish I could get it in ORANGE, ...yes....but that is not gonna happen...so the basic tannish/brown will work. (I'll just jazz it up with amazing pillows and a funky throw)

I would like to get one that is a bit larger but since my husband has a leather recliner that he won't part with I will have to settle for a smaller version. (See..I can compromise)

The really great news....this sucker is only $799.00. I came home and looked it up online and the SAME COUCH sales for $1400 at JC Penny, and between $1100 to $1300 at some other stores.

CRAZY!

It also comes with a fake leather ottoman...that is UGLY. I tried to get them to let me have a coffee table instead but the bastards said it a combo deal. If I take the nice sectional than the ugly step-sister (ottoman) has to come too. I guess I can sell it on Craigslist. HEE HEE

Did I buy it today? NOPE. We have to sign papers for the new apartment first and we do that tomorrow. YAY!

3 to 2. We Get To Move

YAY!!!

We finally got approved to do the apartment transfer from our third floor, no elevator, 3 bedroom, to a ground floor, attached garage, 2 bedroom. We are giving up a room...but gaining our sanity!

Not only will we appreciate not having to chuck it up four flights of stairs day in and day out (the thought of grocery shopping made us cry) but our old dog, Winston will REALLY be happy. Poor old guy is 11 (that's 77 in human years) and the trips up & down really did him in.

On Monday we go down to the office to sign the transfer papers and find out when we get to move in. We had REALLY hoped to score a ground floor unit in our current building...but no one is moving out (bastards)... so we are taking a unit that is on the other side of our complex.

The move still involves packing (joy) and lugging it DOWN the 4 flights of stairs..(more joy)then tossing it into our truck, driving to the other building and repeating that process about a billion times...but when it is all done...we will be much happier! TIRED...but HAPPY!

I am already looking at many furniture items that will NOT be making the journey. My husbands GIANT desk is going on craigslist next weekend, and I think our couch may go bye bye too. YES...the big, orange couch. (Don't worry..I'll get another one...just better) The floor plan of the new place just SCREAMS for something different. I see a custom sectional in our future.

I have a huge, vintage, 1970's, Drexel coffee table that I need to work around..which could be a bit of an issue. Hmmmmm....it may end up on craigslist too.

Glad I don't get attached to furniture!

Anyhooooooooooooooooooo.....here is the new floor plan. (For our current floor plan just go back to my very first posting on this blog) The patio/deck is different though. Ours is a ground floor unit so the patio extends along the entire front part of the unit and there is a front door off of the living room. The door shown as the entrance (into the dining room/kitchen) on this photo actually leads to the garages in ours.

Swanky right?

Help Me Get My Mom Here.

My mom is in the country in Missouri. Wheatland, Missouri.

She lives in a single wide mobile home on a 1.25 acre lot near a lake. During the summer months the boaters from Kansas City come to the area and spend a few months fishing & drinking....then they all go home.

In May they have a craft festival that brings several people and then the big crowd hits around the 4th of July. There is a VFW, a gas station, and a couple of restaurants.

It is a peaceful place and if you love hanging out on a boat and don't have a lot of money to spend....it could be the place for you.

To make a long story short (too late right) I am asking for help from the blogger world. My mom has had her little place on the market for 3 months with no luck. I want her here and she wants to be here...but until she sales...she is stuck!

I don't know how many people will see this...but all it takes is one blogger sending this to another blogger and so on down the line...and maybe with a little luck...my mom can get her place sold.

So if you know of anyone who knows of anyone who wants a little place, near a lake, in the country....then give her realtor a call!

Rebecca Walker
1-417-770-0225
1-417-745-2045

Moving On Up....Or Down

So....my hubs and I are currently in a 3rd floor (no elevator and not so close parking) apartment. Ya..it sucks and not only can we not take many more trips up the multiple flights of stairs but our 11 year old dog, Winston, ain't dealing with it too good either!

WORD!

Needless to say, we are hoping to work out some deal with our property management company on a 2 bedroom (ground floor and attached garage) unit that is two buildings away from where we are now. Problem? They have increased the rent since we moved in four months ago!!!

So our dilema is...do we stay where we are and watch our dog struggle to go up and down four flights of stairs or do we pay the extra $65.00 to be on a ground floor unit that has one less bedroom?

This is some serious shit people. I have been losing sleep over it!

We moved here with the intentions of staying only for a year then seeking out a home to buy. Now, we know that home buying in a year is not going to happen with my low paying job (I was unemployed for 18 months until I got this job) and my hubs recently losing his job (he got laid off ONE month after I got my current job) so we are kinda sorta "stuck" here for 2 years! So do we want to bitch and moan everyday as we huff it up the stairs or do we cave in and pay more to be on the GROUND FLOOR with an ATTACHED GARAGE???

What would you all do??

We will lose one bedroom but gain NO STAIRS! We will lose space but gain A HAPPY OLD DOG.

Plus..my mom (man I love and miss her) will be here soon (once her house sales in Missouri) and the thought of her huffing it up these stairs every day worries the shit out of me. She ain't feeble but she is 68 and those stairs are a bitch for me and I am only 41! (yes..I DO look young for my age. SMILE)

Screw this...I know I have pretty much made up my mind...I guess I just need someone else to tell me that I have made the right choice!

I want the smaller, GROUND FLOOR, unit.

Lord have mercy.

On a good note...I get to toss out our HUGE (why do we have such a large ass desk) in exchange for this this computer armiore.

I smile as I plan the new decorating in my head! This will look perfect in our dining room. You won't even know that it is a desk you crazy bitches! I hate the moving...but I don't hate the decorating! WHO could hate decorating????

I am happy. Super happy. I am as happy as a bird with a french fry.

My Naked Wall Isn't Naked Anymore.

So today I took my own advice which is to only go to discount stores when you are not looking for anything in particular. Go when you are bored and you just feel like killing some time because as most of you already know, if you go to Ross, TJ Maxx or HomeGoods when you are dead set on finding that "one thing", you will never find it....don't even kid yourself into thinking that you will!

Saturday is my grocery shopping day..OH THE JOY....but I decided to make a pit stop at Ross first and I am so happy (jumping up & down happy) that I did.

That problem wall of mine, the one that my eight foot couch sits in front of, is no longer a problem because as I strolled through Ross, I spotted this GIANT painting.....for $39.99!!!!!!!!

YES...I just said $39.99.

Jump & down....you know you want to!

BEFORE:

AFTER:

I am inspired again and that is a good thing because lord knows my end tables are in need of some pizazz.

Happy Weekend Everyone!

Mirror Mirror On The Wall

So as my blog title implies....I have a big couch! It is an 8 foot, burnt orange monster that we had custom made a few years ago. (We use to have a TEN foot custom couch...that we thought wouldn't fit in our house...so we sold it...only to find out that it WOULD have fit! Yes, I cried)

Anyhow...as you may or may not know...it is not easy to find artwork to fill the empty wall behind such a large couch. Well, let me rephrase that...it may be "easy" but it ain't cheap! Hence the still bare wall behind the couch.

Today, I spotted this funky, shiny idea on a recent house tour at www.apartmenttherapy.com. I like it. I like it a lot...and I think this may be what I attempt to copy!

Your thoughts please.

I Can't Afford To Decorate.... So I Steal Photos From Other Blogs And Drool!

One of the best blogs out there: www.Desire to Inspire.net

I'm Coming Over and I am Stealing All Your Pretty Decor!

I use to love, love, love super clean looking, super simple, modern decor but now I find myself being drawn to rooms with color. LOTS of color.

This blog: http://daveandjoi.blogspot.com/ is amazing. Her sense of style is unique. Great color. An all around happy home.

I dig it. I want to copy it. I want to sneak into her house and steal most of her stuff!

WOW!

No Dollars = No Decorating

Today my slacker attempts at decorating our apartment came to a screeching halt.

Just when I thought the finances couldn't get any worse....they got worse.

My husband lost his job today.

So instead of trying to locate artwork for behind the couch, a small bistro table for the patio, or the perfect sized bookshelf, I will be learning how to become one of those nutty women on TLC's "Extreme Couponing".

Have you seen that show??? Those wackjobs buy over $1200.00 worth of groceries and end up paying only $32.00 after a 2 hour check-out and 500 coupons. CRAZY....but fucking awesome at the same time. I am lucky if I can even find one coupon for a product that I actually use!!!

Anyhow....life is what it is and I will now spend more time in my undecorated apartment as to not waste gas driving from store to store looking for great shit on clearance or funky stuff in a thrift store.

Man..I am about to get real bored real quick!

Cross your fingers a super-duper high paying job lands in my husbands lap because I really don't want to get evicted. (Boy wouldn't that make an interesting blog!)

On the Cheap

So...Lamps Plus has an amazing floor lamp that I have been drooling over for months but at a cost of $150.00 that lamp ain't gonna end up in my house. Plus, they stopped selling it in wonderful, shiny chrome...so screw them and their overpriced lamp.

What's a girl to do when all she wants is a shiny, chrome floor lamp with an attached glass table but doesn't want to go broke buying one? She goes to Lowes and settles for this $35.00 bronze one instead. Not what I craved for this space but it does the job.

Now we can chill in the leather recliner, have plenty of light to read a book, and a spot to sit our drink. I think if I change out the boring white shade for something a little funkier then maybe I can call it DONE!

Work Is Overrated.

First let me stress that I like my job. After being unemployed for almost 19 months, I am super happy to be back at work.

NOW that I have said that...I still wish I could win the lottery and never have to work again a day in my life.

I am exhausted. I mean really, really tired.

Who knew that sitting behind a desk for hours on end could drain every ounce of energy out of you. I work all day and come home to a mess of an apartment. Decorating is the last thing that I think about anymore. I don't have the energy to shop or to haul stuff up three flights of stairs if I did manage to go shopping.

Our lease may very well be up before I even get artwork behind the couch!

I am just waiting for the weekend to get here. Perhaps then I can get a small burst of energy and at least finish up my balcony.

Until then, enjoy this lovely photo of me at our most recent apartment shindig! Ya...our complex throws a bash with free food and drinks. Gotta love that.

Craigslist is Awesome in Other Places!

Why is everything listed on my local Craigslist a ton of crap but Burmingham, Alabama has these awesome chairs that I would bitch slap a baby for?

Thrifting here is bad. Really bad!

I had today off and went to so many thrift stores that I lost count.
They suck here.
I mean S to the U to the CK.
SUCK!

Whoever is doing the pricing is on some crazy pills and I wish I had taken a camera to show you the insane pricing on some of the stuff that I was looking at.
$189.99 for a funky painting. (I flipped it over. Nope. Not a Picasso)
$599.99 for a fabric wall hanging thing.
YES...I just said $599.99...for a fabric wall hanging....IN A THRIFT STORE!

I'm no art follower....but I am pretty sure that if someone gave it to the thrift store, FOR FREE, then the damn thing sure as hell is not worth $599.99.

Am I right?
YES.
Yes I am!

It pisses me off quite frankly.
It's a thrift store.
They got the stuff for free.
People who are poor, like ME, shop there.

Goodwill, Salvation Army, ARC Thrift Store, King Thrift Store, I hate you all!

All I want to do is find objects for my home that no one else has. I am tired of Ross, TJ Maxx, and Home Goods. I want something unique. Something I can hold up and say, "Check this awesome thing out. I got it for $3.00 at a Thrift Store".


Oh well.

I'm gonna have a drink now!

How NOT to decorate your outdoor space!

So....first let me make you all aware that I do not like being a renter. I HATE IT! I hate it with every fiber of my being!
Until September of 2010 I owned a home. I owned several homes prior to that ....but due to some stupid shit on my part, I am now back to renting and I HATE IT!

I hate renting for two reasons.

1. This place is not MINE. So anything I do it is temporary which makes it harder to decorate. I mean who wants to spend a lot of time or money on a place when you hope to be outta of it ASAP?

2. I hate the stigma of being a renter. You know what I am talking about, don't act like you don't! The majority of renters do not give a shit about the place that they live in. They will have a pet even when they are not supposed to and let that critter shit and piss all over the place. They will let their kids draw on the walls. They will tear shit up and not give it a second thought. (I was a landlord once...so I know what I am talking about) Renters will be..well...renters!

Which brings me to this.....THIS is the view from my balcony. THIS is how to NOT decorate your outdoor space; bikes, a fridge, bags of cans, a sofa, toys, a table saw, and various other non-balcony items! THIS is why people have a negative feeling about "renters"!




I wake up each morning and want to go to thier unit and smack the shit out of them. What a damn mess! These apartments aren't cheap..so get your ghetto shit off the damn balcony and outta my site!

Because of these LOSERS I now not only need basic patio furniture for my balcony but I also need tall plants and outdoor bamboo blinds! More money that I have to spend on a place that is only temporary!

Holy Shit. People Are Reading My Blog

SIT DOWN and maybe even grab a strong drink because I just discovered that...people ARE actually reading MY blog!

After a few days of feeling all boo-hooey for myself, I decided to give a stab at posting something on my blog..and there they were......COMMENTS...from people who were reading what I had to say! I almost fell over!

A big SMILE and THANK YOU to all of you. It really did make me feel better!

Now spread the word about my blog because I have an apartment that I need to decorate, on a very tiny budget, and I want to share it with whoever is interested!

In the meantime....here is a pretty picture that I stole from My favorite And My Best. Just one of the blogs that I follow like an addict!

The photo makes me calm!

Decorating is on Hold

I have been up since 5:22 this morning and as I roamed around the apartment, looking at the piles of stuff scattered on every flat surface, the unvacumed carpet, the sink full of dishes, the bare walls, and the many boxes of unpacked crap, I realized that I just do not have any desire to continue to decorate this space.

I'm just not "feeling it".

I just don't care.

My Elle Decor magazine came yesterday and I didn't get that normal excited feeling that I use to get when the new, pretty magazines would show up. I glanced through it and tossed it on the growing pile that sits on top of the dusty coffee table. It will sit there, untouched, until I move it to the pile on the floor in the guest/storage room.

I don't know what the problem is. Part of it is the lack of money to be able to buy anything to decorate with...but the main thing is that this place just doesn't feel like home. I miss my tiny little house out in Oak View. I miss the big yard that took up so much of my time. THAT felt like home. THAT is the place that I wanted to put money into and my heart into to decorate. THAT is the place that I had big plans for. I pictured so many outdoor get togethers at that little house. I pictured finally having enough money saved up to be able to put in a 2nd bathroom. I had the "finished product" in my head and it was lovely and bright and peaceful and fun and my HOME!

Leaving that little house was a mistake and I blame only me. I know I can't get it back and I tell myself everytime I think about it, that it needed way too much work and would require way more dollars to fix than we had access to...but it still doesn't take away the fact that we may never own a home again.

These walls in this apartment will stay bare for the remaining 13 months of our lease. GOD..there was another idiot move on my part....taking that long of a lease. STUPID. STUPID. STUPID. I got suckered in with the newness of the place and the fact that they took large dogs. Hand me the lease! Where do I sign?

I am an IDIOT!

Shoulda found a cheap as hell, peice of shit, ground level, 2 bedroom, that took large dogs, for 6 months some place. (Thank you to California for your insane high cost of living and to all you jackass landlords that refuse to allow dogs! Go ahead and rent to that family with 5 kids. Those kids are gonna fuck your place up faster than you can say Koo Koo for Coco Puffs while my dog would have done nothing but sleep all day)


Oh well.

Fuck it!

Bathroom Storage

So last week I purchased a space saver bathroom cabinet. You know, the kind that stand behind the toilet. Ya...that kind that are SUPPOSED to stand behind the toilet..nice and even! It stood there....just not even...at all!

Our apartment complex was built in 2007, yet for some reason we have already realized that not one single floor is level. As a matter of fact, the floors and the walls are wonky as fuck in this joint!

Do you want your pictures hung up LEVEL or EVEN...pick one..because you won't get both! UGH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Anyhooooooooooooooooooooooo...the standing bathroom space saver cabinet was a no go and had to be returned. (It took me THREE hours to put it together, thanks to jacked up instructions and screws that refused to go into the pre-drilled holes, and only 5 minutes to tear it apart and cram it back into the box.) THANK YOU CHINA!

Upon its return to the store I lucked onto this hanging wall unit. Bamboo, nice color, and on clearance. It took me 10 minutes to assemble and about 20 minutes to hang on the wall. (I was doing it alone, trying to make it level, and trying to find the screw holes along the back of it, all while standing on the toilet seat.)

It isn't exactly what I wanted but it will do the job. Now my stuff is at eye level instead of tossed underneath the sink in a pile.

Orange is IN

Not sure whose house this is....but I wish I did so I could steal their HUGE (it's even bigger than mine)orange couch when they were out of town!

NOW..I need to go and get some black and white pillows to copy them! I also want them to send their designer my way...for free of course.

Brass is back too. So, I'll be stealing that huge brass chandelier from them as well!

Salt & Pepper

Sometimes it is all about the little things.
In this case, it is all about the little salt & pepper shaker set that makes me smile!
Perfect addition to my kitchen. Who doesn't want to see big boobs on tiny ceramic salt & pepper shakers each morning?
Now...if I could only find the perfect black & white curtains.

Can I Have This Instead?

THIS is my dream house! Tiny. Orange. Perfect!

http://www.apartmenttherapy.com/la/house-tours/stevens-800-square-foot-relocated-beach-cottagehouse-tour-140848

Rugs

SO...we moved in less than a month ago yet I am on my 3rd living room rug. Thank goodness I keep all my receipts and shop only at places that have no hassle return policies!

The first one was PERFECT in color but too small. The second one had reds, yellows and oranges in it but was so close to the same color as the couch that the couch almost disappeared. This one has more brown than orange and I think it is a keeper but I still wish it was a 6 x 9!

With a burnt orange couch it is really hard to find something that has a touch of the same color without being orange overload. The other impossible thing seems to be finding a rug in the right size. Since when did they stop making rugs in 6 x 9? WHEN and WHY?

Now area rugs start at 5 x 7 and then jump straight to 8 x 10 or some slight variation of those two sizes! Rug one was 5 x 7, rug two was 8 x 10 and rug three is 7.3 x 9.3. WTF? I am just a tad OCD....and having to put even just a tiny bit of the rug under the front feet of my couch is enough to almost drive me over the edge. I WANT A 6 x 9 RUG AND I WANT IT NOW.

So if you see this baby in a 6 x 9 , grab it, buy it, and bring it to me. I shall kiss you for it!

CHEERS!

UPDATE: as of 03-29-2011 the rug in this photo is G-O-N-E. Damn thing kept shedding and even though I had it for less than 30 days, it looked like it had been here for years. It was a total fuzz ball mess with strange long fibers sticking up all over the it by the time I took it back to Home Goods. So now we are back to no rug.

Master Bath

It is hard to photograph a bathroom. Too small a space with too big a mirror with no place to stand equals crappy photo shoot!

Oh well...at least the artwork is up. Now I need to find a cabinet for behind the toilet and I may change out the shower curtain for something with a bit of color or bling. This room is getting a bit too beige!

Headboards Cost a Fortune!

They really do cost too damn much and I would like for someone to explain why.

It's not like there is some short supply on headboards. Supply and demand is all screwy in this area and some stores really do seem to think that $400, for a piece of wood to stick behind the head of my bed, is a reasonable price.

Not in my world baby!

Screw you department store prices....I shop on the cheap!

Thank you Target for the bamboo trellis and Lowes for the high gloss spray paint.

Mind Block

I don't like ANYTHING that I am doing in this new place. Everything looks wrong.
The Big Couch looks out of place and too tiny. The rug overpowers the orange couch. Every picture, every knick knack, every piece of furniture just screams, "WRONG".

Great! I have an 1185 square foot apartment that I need all new stuff for.

I should start asking for donations or hang out on a street corner with a sign that says, "Need Money For New Shit".

I ain't too proud to beg. I need cash and ideas.

I have decoraters block and I am at a loss. Feel free to contact HGTV and recommend me for ANY show because I am in a funk!

Right now, the only thing I am liking is this pillow!

RAIN!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Did I do something to piss mother nature off because her cute little idea of RAINING on the "big move" day is NOT FUNNY!
Really? Rain? On Saturday? This Saturday? The Saturday that we are moving? Really?
YOU BITCH!

The Floor Plan

Try as I might...I can not get this image to enlarge. So, squint your eyes really tight and you can kinda sorta see it.

Smiles to everyone. It was almost 80 today so way too hot for me to do some "baby steps" moving. I got nothing done...except for drinking my wine.

CHEERS!

The Penthouse

So...my hubby and I are almost moved in. Baby steps people...baby steps. It is more like, "I am exhausted and can't go up another flight of steps" baby steps...but baby steps all the same.

Since I am still an unemployed slacker, I am taking a car load of stuff over each day. Lugging it down to my car from our current 2nd floor apartment then lugging it up to our new place on the THIRD floor. Movers come on the 19th to get the big stuff. I may be an unemployed slacker...but I ain't stupid. No way are we gonna kill ourselves hauling large ass furniture up and down all this steps.

I am so excited, pee my pants kind of excited, about this place. It is just so darn pretty. It is a total blank canvas and I get to do it up anyway I want. (Thank you to Willie for "seeing my vision" and letting me do what I please in regards to decor. He really is great) Now I just need fundage people. LOTS of $$ are gonna be involved to do this place up the way I want. Thank goodness I am a bargin shopper and can spot a red clearance tag from 100 feet away! Home Goods, TJ MAXX, Marshals, and ROSS are gonna all get to know me on a first name basis. (Ok...AFTER I get a job they will get to know me on a first name basis) So not only is the move itself a "baby steps" kinda deal...but the decorating will be too.

Being poor and loving decor SUCKS! (Hey..that rhymes)

Anyhow, our unit consists of 2 bedrooms, a den, a dining room, living room (with a fireplace..HELL YA), 2 full bathrooms, an open kitchen, a great corner balcony, and a laundry room. Oh ya, it has central heat and a/c too with tons of windows and so much bright light that sunglasses may be required during peak hours! There is also a beautiful pool, a spa, an awesome gym, and they offer yoga classes.

I think to be considered a penthouse, that the unit has to take up the whole top floor of a building but I have decided to ignore that "rule" and call our new place "The Penthouse" anyhow. It is the top floor, one corner of it, and it is now ours... so I can call it The Penthouse if I want to!!

Lots of before and after photos to follow people. LOTS!