Yesterday, I Fell In Love

Today, I had my heart broken.

I guess that's what happens when you get attached to something...especially when it was love at first sight...and now I'm left with sweet-nothings...just memories...

It seems to be happening to me a lot lately.  I keep falling in love with things that I can't have.  It was bad enough when I found that dreamy house listing on Realtor.com the other day, but at least those were just photos.  I resisted the urge to drive-by the actual house in real life because I knew exactly what would happen.

There's just something that sparks inside of me when I fall in love with something, so let me tell you this tale of my broken heart.

Yesterday morning I was lounging around, enjoying my New Years paid-holiday from work...and then a thought came to me, but I brushed it away.  That thought..."Today's a great day to make a trip to Savers."  You see, I enjoy thrift store shopping on my days off because I can take my time to really browse.

Ultimately, I decided I would go in the afternoon and I wound up arriving for my thrifting spree at around 2 pm.  I'm only mentioning the times because they become pretty important later on in the story.

When I go to Savers, I always head straight for the window wall at the right side of the store, since that's where they always keep the furniture (plus, if you strike out with the furniture that's where all of the dishes, trays, and vases are too...so it's usually a win-win).

Yesterday was no different...except, when I made the standard turn to the right side of the store...immediately, I was gazing at this...

You know how in cartoons little hearts cover the character's eyes when they fall in love with something?? ...well, I think that might have happened to me, and I floated on clouds all the way over to take a closer look.

She was perfect!  

Nearly exact for the size and shape that I had in mind for either the foot of the bed in the master bedroom, or the sitting area in the studio.  Sure, for the master I pictured more of a sofa with two arms, and for the studio I wanted something that would pull out into a queen-size bed (like a trundle bed), but seeing her made me pretty open-minded.  I pictured a reupholstering project in my future (not that the fabric is even that bad), and a refinishing project for the frame...love, love, love, love, love!

But then I noticed something wasn't right.

...up on the top corner was a little orange sticker...a little orange sticker, that if perhaps were a really big-freakin-sticker could have saved me from a lot of heartache...

And on that sticker were the letters, S-O-L-D...

Inside I was having a tantrum like a little five-year-old, but I remained composed on the outside.  Not sure how I pulled it off, but somehow I kept it together.  But then, an evil side of me came out.  It was the side of me that wants to confront and intimidate an opponent to claim my territory.  Picture any male species (buffalo might do) featured on National Geographic during mating season...competing for the females....

Yep, that was me...competing for the chaise lounge!

A thought came to me.  I remembered that when I bought the bookcase for my master bedroom, I had to pick it up later that day since I didn't have room to take it with me at the time of purchase.  During that transaction I was told that I had 24 hours to pick it up...or else...(imagine that's said in a threatening way)...

Never before had I thought too much about what that or else meant, but I had assumed at that time it meant they reserved the right to resell the item if I failed to pick it up within the allotted time frame.

Bingo!!

I studied the sticker...it said the pick-up deadline was 10 am, but there was no date written on it, so I didn't know if 10 am meant earlier that day (pick-up window expired, score!), or 10 am today (24 hours of hopeless waiting).  So I waited in line and asked the clerks.

They looked at me like I was foolish.  They didn't know who had bought it, or what the deal was, but they said, "if it has a 'sold' sticker on it that means someone bought it, so they'll probably pick it up." I could see the judgement in they're eyes.  It was like they were thinking, "what kind of a woman would even try to buy something that someone else had already bought?"

...the love-crazed kind would.

Then they said, "you can come back tomorrow afternoon to see if it's still here." But then one of the clerks pierced a dagger in my heart by saying, "we had two of them...did the other one sell too?"

AAAAGGGGHHHHHH!!!   Bleep!!!!!  Bleep!  *Censored*, bleep, and bleep! 

Not only was I a few hours late for finding one of them (remember the times from before...thought about going to Savers in the morning...put it off to the afternoon...), I missed out on two of them!  As in, one of them could have made some other person very happy, and the other could have made me very happy...but instead, now they're both making someone else very happy!  

...It's too much...

Anyhoo...this morning I was due back at work, and Savers just happens to be not too far out of the way for my commute to the office.  So, I decided to do a little drive-by (drive-by thrifting, like a gangsta').  Since the chaise was right by the window that was right by the road, I knew it would be easy to tell if the lucky buyer had actually picked her up.

Honestly, I was hoping that whoever it was had already picked it up so I could get my crazy idea of swooping in for the buy (after the 24-hour window, of course) out of my head.

But there she was...still sitting there...untouched...abandoned by her buyer...giving me hope!

At first I planned to take an early lunch and be there waiting right at 10 am...but then I thought that might seem a bit desperate.  Finally, I decided I'd swing by after work, and if the chaise was still there at that point then we were just meant to be together.

Now, I know that you're anticipating a happy ending to this story, and I'm glad to report that you'll get it...but I won't.  I guess really, there is no happy ending to this story...

If I succeed in my plot, someone else's heart gets broken, but if the chaise is gone, then my own fragile heart crumbles to pieces...and that's just what happened. 

It's funny though.  On the drive back to Savers after work, a part of me hoped that it was already gone, while another part of me hoped that I could be telling a story with a different ending tonight.  But when I saw that it was gone I imagined someone out there taking it home and bragging about their sweet thrift-store find to their family and friends.

It made me happy to think about someone else being happy like that...so I guess I didn't lose after all. But what do you think?

Goodbye 2011, I'll Miss You

I still can't believe that this year has flown by so fast.  It seems like only yesterday that I wrote up this post about my resolutions for 2011.  As I read back through it now, I'm glad that nobody really even knew I was blogging at that point (since I was just building some content before I released by site address in April).

Now, it's a different story...and I'm starting to feel the pressure.

2011 Resolution 1--Finish What I Start

My goals for last year were easily stated, but were not easily accomplished.  The first goal was to finish what I start...well, I think this pin on Pinterest just about sums that up...

Yep.  Pretty true.

Sure, I finished several projects throughout this year, but I also have several projects that are still hovering over my head in project-limbo.  Like the baby mobile that I started for my friend's daughter, Brin--haven't touched it since.  At this point I might just have to wait until another one of my friends has a little girl since Brin will probably be a teenager by the time I finish.

But, I don't want to neglect the fact that there were several projects this year that made it all the way from the idea phase to the completion phase.  Here are some of my favorites...

An easy-sew table runner, made with leftover materials from another project...

...$5.00 thrift-store lamp makeover...

...A "Penny for Your Thoughts" Mother's Day thought book...

...Mini Topiaries...

...and a mirror makeover...

I also made some art and some decorations for my friend's bridal shower, tinted some glass, made a chalkboard, painted some spoons, blinged out some pumpkins, made a tutu, rescued some bottles, made some ornaments and some centerpieces, and some gifts (here, here, here, here, and here).

I guess I did get a few things done this year, so maybe having a few unfinished projects lingering in limbo isn't all that bad.  Now I'm just trying to decide if I should modify the resolution for this year to be "start projects you haven't started yet," since that's where things are really starting to build up.  With all of the great deals I've found at Savers this year I have about a million projects that haven't been touched.  We'll talk more about that when I start working on my studio, since all of the goods for these projects are currently being stored in my spare bedroom.  ha!

2011 Resolution 2--Tackle "The List"

My second resolution for the past year was to tackle what I call the "stupid little things list."  It's basically the list of tasks that are fairly simple to complete, yet go untouched for years.  Well, guess what???  My stupid-little-things-list is still basically untouched...

Yep, I still need to change out the hardware on the roll-top desk.  Still need to add some length to one of the sheer curtain panels in the family room (seriously, this project is 75% done...3 out of 4 completely finished...what the heck happened?).  Still need to reupholster the two arm chairs that go with my dining set...and the list goes on.

2011 Resolution 3--Own What I Love

Though I took a few moments to dream about a home listing I stumbled across on Realtor.com  my house, I really do love all of the hidden potential in my very own house too.  Slowly, but surely, Mark and I are beginning to clear out out our hand-me-down stuff.  You know, the stuff all newly-wed couples end up with when they're just starting out...well, it's taken us six years to really start the process of filling our home with the things we love.

The guest bedroom is the perfect example of this.  When we moved into the house we were strapped for cash, but we suddenly had more bedrooms than we needed for just the two of us...which meant our place could finally be viewed as a place for company to stay over.  But, we had no furniture and no bedding for the guest bedroom, so we took in a hodge-podge arrangement of hand-me-downs.  Even though everything was functional, nothing matched...so the room looked like a big-ol-mess (here's a look at where we started).  But piece-by-piece we've started to bring in things that fit our style, like this duvet set, writer's desk and storage ottoman.  

The same has been true with the master bedroom (we started here).  I even sold my bedroom set because I decided that I'd rather have an empty room so I could bring new pieces in as I found them.  Luckily I did, because I happened to find this fixer-upper bookcase with drop-down-desk for $7.50 at Savers...

...and this side table for $40.00 at Ross...

...plus, I've found a great new item on Craigslist just this week that I haven't shared with you yet (details coming soon).

In the breakfast nook, we replaced our old table with this $75.00 dining table we found on Craigslist...

...and in the main dining room we grew impatient waiting for the piggy bank to fill up, so we made a knock-off chandelier similar to West Elm's version.

I'd say we're getting there, but it's definitely a slow process.  Hopefully we'll continue to make more progress in this area throughout 2012.

2011 Resolution 4--Add Some Color

I think I fell a little short in this area since I only got around to painting the guest bedroom.  On a positive note, I did choose the color for the studio, and I am planning to get the paint up on the walls within the next few weeks if all goes well.

Other than that, the only real color that was added in our home was the cheery yellow of our Thanksgiving table...

I guess this resolution will most certainly remain on the list for 2012--but I'm just fine with that!

2011 Resolution 5--Organize and Simplify

Though I found some inspiring ideas on Pinterest, I'd have to say that I haven't made much progress in this area.  In fact, I think when I show you pictures of my studio "before" you'll see that I back-peddled slightly in the organization area.  But, one thing I always like to do at the end of each year is take some time to sort through my belongings and tidy things up.  In fact, that's what I've been busy doing this past week since I've had some time off of work.  I've already got a huge pile of things to donate, but it's been taking a lot of time since I'm really trying to simplify.

I'm very hopeful that tackling the studio will help me in this area too (since most of the clutter in my home is related to one project or another).  It will be nice to finally have a place to work, craft, and brainstorm, without dragging all of my supplies throughout my entire house.  My design plan for the room includes a lot of room for storage bins, and I'm planning to revamp the closet into more storage as well.  I'm very excited!

So overall, when it came to my 2011 resolutions, I think I did alright.  I mean, it's not like any of these items are things that you can officially cross off the list.  I plan on keeping all of them as goals for 2012, but I'm also adding a few more...

2012 Resolution 1--Bring in Some Art

My walls are stark-bare!  I need some pretty things to look at.  I'd like to really place focus this year on hanging some art on the wall, and adding decorative accessories throughout.  It just makes a house feel more complete when there is art around.

2012 Resolution 2--Refinish Some Furniture

Now that I've started finding furniture pieces to fill my home, I've got to find some time to fix them up. Most of the pieces I've brought home so far are the perfect shape and style, but they're old, scratched, and have definitely seen better days.  I want to make them look new again.  

2012 Resolution 3--Treat Some Windows

This one is for Mark.  He's been asking me to make some Roman shades for the dining room for several months (since we don't have any blinds in two windows), but I just haven't buckled down to figure out the process.  He finally got to the point where he taped up some extra wrapping paper in the uncovered windows so that nobody could see inside.  I can't blame him, but I also can't accept having paper window treatments either!  So...Roman shades have got to happen sometime soon, and other window treatments would be nice too.

2012 Resolution 4--Finish the Site Redesign

It drives me crazy to browse through this site since nothing is consistent anymore.  I've worked on a few site redesigns throughout 2011, but since this is my first year of blogging it's taken me a while to figure out how I want things to be presented.  Plus, I've constantly been stumbling across new features that I can do on the site to make things better, so I'm always revamping one thing or another.  But the goal is to create a consistent look throughout the site, with easy to find content and features.  Your help is always appreciated too!  If you have any ideas for content, or if you've noticed anything on the site that could be improved, please let me know.  You can leave me a comment, send me an email, or leave a post in the suggestion box.

2012 Resolution 5--Write an E-Book or Newsletter

If I can get the site content to a consistent state, I'd love to spend some time in 2012 writing an e-book, or producing a monthly newsletter (or both, time permitting).  I know it would be a lot to take on, but it's something that I've wanted to do for quite some time.  

So there are my resolutions for 2012, but I'd love to hear yours.  What goals have you set for yourself this year? 

Jar O' Cookies

So, I feel a little bad that my sister and her husband got Mark and I such a nice gift...especially since one of the gifts we gave them was just a jar of cookies.  Sure, it's cute with the bow and all, but that gift card to Ikea, and Mark's gift card to Guitar Center, plus all of the goodies they tucked inside the jar filled with Lucky Charms made their gift A+ material.  Compared to theirs, I would say this jar of cookies is more like a B-, since it was so dang easy to put together.

Pretty much all I had to do was bake some cookies...put them in a jar...and tie a bow....

I did bake two different types of cookies though, so maybe that brings it up to a wholesome B...possibly on the edge of a B+ since one of those types included peanut butter (and my brother-in-law loves peanut butter).

I thought the jar was pretty cool too.  It's perfect for the holiday season when the giving of baked goods is so common.  Plus, it would even work well for all of the family get-togethers that are held during the holidays.

Well, it's still a cute gift...but I think the next time I do this I'll give it more as a party favor or hostest gift for someone who is throwing a holiday party.  

I'm going to be taking some pointers from my sister and her husband when it comes to the artistic nature of giving gifts.  If you missed the post about what they gave us, you can check it out here.  But all I can say is, "Game on, Sis...game on!"  A creative-gift-giving-challenge has just begun!

 

A Muffin-Themed Gift Basket

Lately, I've been going through the Desperate Housewives series on Hulu, and for some reason this last gift basket that I put together reminds me of Bree Van de Camp.  I could picture her carrying it down the lane with her prestigious walk to welcome new neighbors to the lane.

Then again, Bree would probably make the muffins, rather than just give the ingredients...hmm, maybe it's not a Bree Van de Camp basket after all.

Oh well, I guess it will just have to be a Kelli Uhrich basket, and I carried it from my house to my parents house to wish them a Merry Christmas.

Usually, when I make a gift basket I start with gathering the contents, and then I find a basket that will hold them all.  Not this time.  I came across this basket (it's actually a magazine holder) as I was shopping for other Christmas gifts and I absolutely fell in love with it!

I knew it was the perfect basket, so all I needed to do was find the perfect contents to go inside.

When I found these jars that fit perfectly inside, I knew they were winners!

Since I gave them a pancake-themed gift basket last year, I thought it would be fun to go with another breakfast item...and muffins seemed to be a good fit.  So, I rounded up some muffin mixes, some jams, and even a bit of chocolate...and to add a bit of color, I found a set of Christmas plaid napkins that I thought were cute.

I started by opening up the muffin mixes and pouring the contents into the jars.  I found that the jars took two mixes each, and could have probably held three...but I only had two.

My original plan was to include some hot chocolate mix inside the basket...but somehow I forgot that the blueberries / cranberries come in a little can that's tucked inside the box.  It was a major "duh" moment when I opened up the first mix.  

And so, the hot chocolate got nixed since there wasn't enough room in the basket to hold both.

I experimented with placing the cans separately throughout the basket, but it didn't look right...so ultimately I wound up wrapping all four cans in one of the napkins, and tying it off with ribbon.  I was happy with the results.

For the jams, I found these cute snowman spoons.  I wanted to display them up-right at the front of the basket, so I decided to attach them to one of the remaining napkins.

First, I rolled all three napkins up, and tied them with ribbon...

Then I used one to hold the spoons, and just tucked the other two napkins to fill in gaps between the items in the basket.  This actually helped to keep the items from crashing into each other as the basket traveled too.

For the instructions, I thought about typing them up on a cutesy card...but then I started thinking that would be silly.  The box already had step-by-step instructions, so why re-invent the wheel?

...and so, I simply cut out the instructions, and trimmed them to a nice square...

...Then I wrapped them with left-over gift-wrap, and made them into labels for the mixes...

When they were all wrapped up, I just slipped them behind the jars that they belonged to.  But, the key is to tell the receiver of the basket where the instructions are so that they don't accidentally throw them away.

So that's my muffin-themed gift basket.  Tomorrow I'll share the cookie-themed gift that I gave, so be sure to stop by!

The One That Got Away

I'm not sure why I did this, but for some reason (mostly curiosity) I went on to Realtor.com the other day and browsed through home listings.  It started off as a whim where I searched in different locations like Michigan, Virginia, Maine, New Hampshire, Colorado, and even Idaho.  You see, I've never lived anywhere else but Arizona, so I thought it would be fun to see what housing looks like in other places.

But then I made a mistake...

I started browsing through the Phoenix listings and nearby areas, and I stumbled across a home that I fell in love with.  Well, at least based on the photos and the description.  Four bedrooms, four baths, 2,766 square feet, all listed for $152,000 (short sale).

Now, I've confessed before that it wasn't love at first sight when Mark and I bought our first home. In fact, we placed offers on several houses that we liked better than the house we're in now, but it was a buyers market, so the bidding wars were a brutal game.  

Don't get me wrong, I love my house...except for a few small things.  First, the location is not ideal.  It's quite a drive for both Mark and I to get to work.  Second, all of the houses in the neighborhood can see into our backyard since they're all two-story.  And third (this was a recent development), the neighbor's dog barks non-stop and often leads an all-out neighborhood dog choir where every dog in the hood chimes in.  

But, Mark and I are making no plans to sell or to move anytime soon.  So, since I can't buy the house that I just fell in love with, I figured I'd post about the dreams I've already had of projects for the one that got away.

Here she is:

Not much to look at...but let me clarify a bit further...this house is the DIY blogger's dream.  What makes it so, you might ask?  Well, it has great bones, and tons of potential for greatness...all through a little DIY action.

So look at this image again, but imagine the following things:

• Large tree that's blocking the house removed.
• Updated landscaping, include some grass and flowering plants.
• Freshly painted eaves and paneling.
• Shutters??  Perhaps.
• Brightly painted front door, I'm thinking red, or maybe a deep navy.
• A wreath of some sort hanging on that bright door.  Something inspired by Pinterest.

Now do you see where I'm coming from?  The curb appeal is just the beginning!  Let's take a look at the hidden potential of the inside...

Okay, so did anyone else immediately think of stenciling the coffered ceiling?  What about painting the cabinets, replacing the appliances, adding modern countertops and a pretty tile backsplash??  Maybe even some open shelving where the range is...

This would make a great dining room / family room, plus that wall at the end of the room would be perfect to put a piano...or even a writing desk.

This is the same room, but from the other side.  Who knows, it would probably be pretty cool to open up the wall on the left so it opens up to the kitchen...and yes, I know it's pathetic, but I've studied these images enough that I think I know the layout of the house.  haha!

I imagine this room with built-in shelving on each side of the fireplace...and painted ceilings so that the beams become an architectural feature.  If this were my house, I would probably turn this room into a library of some sort...a place to relax and read...and this is definitely where I picture the Christmas tree going up each year.

Hello, game room!  This would be Mark's hang-out spot because I'd jazz it up with a ping-pong table and a cool place to play (and display) his guitars.  Check out the wet bar!  I love it!

I believe this is the master bedroom, but I'm just guessing.

...and I believe this is the master bath.  The description said 3/4 bath in master, so that's what gives me the hunch.  I love the window in this bathroom, and though it doesn't have a tub, I still think it has a lot of potential.

...an good sized bedroom with endless possibilities...

...and another...

...and yet another.  I'd have one room as a guest room, another as my studio, and I'd have a lot of fun deciding what to do with the third bedroom (at least until any kiddos came into the picture).

...and here are some of the bathrooms...

There's a lot that could be done to make these bathrooms more homey, but I'd certainly paint the vanities as one of the first things on the list.

I am absolutely in love with all of the storage space in this laundry room, plus the open wall space that's perfect for floating shelves, and artwork.  Sigh...

Okay, here's where I'm stumped...I'm not really sure what this room is, or what I'd use it for.  I guess it's one of those rooms that you just have to see in person to get a feel for.

Oh the possibilities for this back yard.  It would be amazing with a covered patio, some grass, and maybe even a little garden along the fence.  Sigh again...

Well, now I've dreamed the dream.  I hope that the lucky new owner of this property treats her well, and brings out the hidden potential that's just beyond the surface.  Sigh again, and again, and again...

Maybe I'll feel better if I just tell myself that it probaly has a leaky roof, and cracked foundation...oh, and termites.

PS...If you fell in love like I did, you can find the listing here.