I’ve been asked by some readers where I’ve been the last week and a half. Working on this Fundrazr campaign. Last time I tried to use my blogging network to garner help for them, it was made very clear that the majority of readers did not care and did not want to see such things on my blog. So that’s what I’ve been up to and I care to hear comments about it as much as you care to see it, therefore comments are closed and that’s all I have to say about that.
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Now that I’m at the stage where I have everything I need except the computer I’m saving up for, I have a lot more budget to grab things on the various “for sale” sites that catch my eye and feel would be good long-term flexible pieces. I really don’t think I’ll ever be someone who buys brand new furniture, but I’m saving proper antiquing and consignment shopping for expensive used furniture for when I have my forever house. For now, I just want some nice pieces that will serve me until I get to that point.
One thing I’ve wanted for a long time is a better surface for my TV that doesn’t look like it belongs in a frat house. When I saw this console table, I knew it was exactly what I was looking for. It puts the TV at a much better height for viewing and gives me a drawer all along the front for Wii accessories and games, while looking quite nice.
It is a solid wood piece that has one big defect — one of the front feet was eaten by termites. It’s no longer infested and the rest is just fine. Shame that it’s a front foot. At some point, I will have a carpenter make me a new foot for it — I paid so little for it that it will be worth putting a little money into it later. I’m also really tempted to paint it a bright colour, but I actually really love the rich dark wood and it matches the other furniture in the room. So I’ll leave it for now and revisit the idea of having it professionally refinished when I have the foot fixed.
The slim profile makes this a really versatile piece that I think will follow me a long time. It was located in the extreme south of the city, but the lady was desperate to sell and found someone to deliver it (worth the extra $250!). It arrived strapped to the roof of VW Beetle. LOL!
I really love how this credenza looks in the room. It fits perfectly for the space and definitely feels more polished. TV is more comfortable to watch too.!
Now, I can’t believe I have this next piece. I saw it posted three weeks ago but had to let it go as I did not have $2,900 for it at the time, even though I knew that was a bargain price. I showed my interest by using the “love” button on FB. Today, I got a note from the seller asking if I remembered him. Turns out he’s the guy who sold me my Poang chair. He asked if I’d be interested in the cabinet, based on my reaction to it. He was desperate to get it out of his house and offered it to me for $200 less plus free delivery as he was still feeling guilty about the chair debacle last year. There went my October furniture budget, but yes, yes, yes!!!
This is a really solid (read heavy!) slide-out pantry. It’s not meant for super heavy things, like a ton of canned goods, but I’ll be able to put things I don’t use often, like my blender, in the bottom, and lighter weight goods at the top. I got really tired of walking in and seeing the mess that was the pantry bookshelf. Now, I need to find another place to put the bookshelf and I need to completely replan my pantry!
(And also make a note to pick up some L brackets so I can secure the cabinet to the wall!)
Next thing I’m looking for are short-pile huge area rugs in my favourite bright colours. I think exterior rugs will actually work better, so I’ll start in that section of stores as I haven’t found anything even remotely suitable on the garage sale sites in the months that I’ve been searching.
I’m one month away from one year of having moved into this house full-time and I can’t believe how much progress I’ve made in that time to making a home. It’s not as much as I’d dreamed when I started, but by taking my time, I’m doing it right and to my budget. I really love my house and I hope that this time next year, I’ll be even further ahead in its cosification and looking forward to at least two more years in it!
I can’t believe that, except for my trip to Haven, I’ve been sleeping in a hammock for going on two months now! I really can’t see myself going back to sleep in a “real” bed again. The trip to Haven really confirmed that to me — a bad night in a hammock is still a better night than the best night in a perfect bed.
One unfortunate thing is that the hammock seems to be stretching out in parts, which makes sense. The once a week wash and rehanging is really important and when I do it next, I’m going to sew some colourful thread on one of the hanging loops before I take down the hammock so I can be sure to hang it the opposite way after. This way, it should at least stretch out evenly. Or one can hope! The stretched-out-edness does not affect comfort when sleeping because my body naturally moves into the most comfortable position, but it does make it harder to get comfy for reading time before bed as the sides are really rigid and I find myself gravitating towards lying length-wise in a banana shape. It’s incredible how I always wake up lying flat and diagonal, though!
I brought back two things from Haven to improve my hammock experience. Yup, I had stuff at Haven that could do that! Those two things are the sleep sacks, one summer weight and one winter weight, that I had for my sleeping bags! The summer weight one is just a soft cotton sheet that my mother folded and sewed along the bottom and partway up the side. I get less tangled than I did in the sheet and I remain better covered at night. The winter weight one was also made by my mother out of fleece in the same principle as the warm-weather one. Last winter, there were nights that I really need to wrap up and even wear flannel PJs, so I know the fleece sleep sack is going to be very useful in a few months!
Getting in and out of the hammock now feels very natural and effortless. Maybe not quite yet like something I’ve done all my life, but already getting there. It does suck to have to get up to do something once I’m all cosy, but it was like that in a bed too.
The rooster remains the only reason I don’t sleep 8+ hours straight most nights and the hammock is the only reason I still manage to get a solid 7-8 (enough) despite the offending bird. I remain a convert. 🙂
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