WOW. I haven't posted in a long time. Not inspired I guess? Worn out from work? Blah? All three. End of story.

Moving!

Our big couch and all our other stuff is moving and I have to say that I am so excited I might just pee myself!

After living in an apartment and having upstairs from hell, just knowing that in less than one week we will be in a house again, with a yard and no shared walls, makes me want to do a happy dance for eight hours straight!

Do we own it? No.

Do we have a great landlord who already told us that we could paint, replace light fixtures, put in plants, and pretty much do whatever wanted as long as it looked good? YES!!!!!

This is a 3 bedroom, 2 bath house with hardwood floors, a fireplace, a fenced in backyard, a landscaped front yard, 2 car garage, and is basically a blank canvas so I am as happy as a bug in a rug!

Our dog, Winston and our cat, Bruce are gonna be so happy. A yard all to themselves. A house with a doggy door so they don't have to rely on us to go pee and crap anymore. YAY for them and YAY for us!

If you are a renter, with shity, noisy, rude as hell neighbors you can understand my excitement. I am thrilled I tell ya....THRILLED!

I'm happy. My hubs is happy. The critters will soon be happy.

YAY YAY YAY

Hooty and the Couch Pillow

My cousin is very crafty and is in the works to make me a custom owl pillow for my big couch!

I have been quite the pain (I apologize) in regards to color and if she doesn't kill me or delete me from her Facebook friend list, I will end up with a really awesome, one of a kind pillow for my naked couch corner.

If you like owls (or oh so cute zombie dolls) I suggest you check her out and buy yourself some shit! http://www.etsy.com/shop/studiocalvin?ref=top_trail

Here are the current owls that are available. (She has different sizes and no two are alike.) I will show you mine once it is here perched on my couch.

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!