@#*&*#* ... Curtains

Hey Ya'll,

I am a minimalist, so I don't always love curtains in a room, but in some cases they are just needed. We really tall ceilings and a gorgeous formal living room and formal dining room that I found the perfect modern/simple curtains for. I ordered them, left them in their packing for the move and pulled them out tonight to start the hanging process.

The hubs and I broke up the "curtain roles" and were ready to put a dint in our very long to do list. As much as I hate to iron (seriously, I am not sure I've done it in years) my role was to wash and iron. Meanwhile, the hubs role was anything involving patience and power tools, meaning he got to hang the fixtures and curtains.

This should be easy enough, right? WRONG!! From the get go this wasn't a smooth process. I heard a few "choice" word come out of the hubs mouth several times and I was called to pick up dropped brackets and screws several times - and that is just for starters.

On my end, the darn things just wouldn't de-wrinkle I had to leave and get starch hoping that would work. Two loads of laundry, two hours and a bottle of starch later, things were "going" ... until I noticed that some of the curtains were wider than the others. I thought maybe I was seeing things. After all I still haven't had a full nights sleep and this was my view for what seemed like days!!

The hubs started noticing the same as he would hang them. One would drag the ground, one would be an inch off the ground, etc. I got all one size, for sure. To make sure we checked the tags on the curtains, the receipt, everything. We thought maybe our windows are uneven? Maybe the rods were crooked? Let's just say, he hung the rods, took them down, lowered them, hung them again, etc., but it was not our eye or our walls - it's the darn fabric!!! Whoever cuts, sews, measures, whatever at WEST ELM - we curse you!! Literally - we cursed you A LOT!  48x108 is 48x108 .. not 47 x109 or 49 x 111 **yes, we measured the fabric and some of them were that off**

We aren't taking them back - it's just more trouble than it's worth. However they will be hearing from me! So if you come to our house and notice the curtain length is "off"  - don't you dare say a word! For someone with OCD about things being "perfect" - this was NOT a good night!

XO,
Mrs. Green

Closet Case

Hey,

Believe it or not, we ALMOST didn't get our house because of one teeny tiny major thing - the master closet.

We had a list list of "musts" and this was basically number one on MY list. Of course the house we love - has a crap master closet. I am not sure what the former owners were thinking when they built it. I suppose they are clothing minimalists, but it was NOT going to work for us. We loved the house and decided it was "the one", so I was willing to TRY to make it work.

Doug was automatically booted to the guest bedroom closet. Even then I knew my stuff wasn't going to fit without some major help. We took the measurements and enlisted inThe Container Store and their ELFA closet system. They worked their magic and we came up with something that would work. It wasn't going to be perfect and I was give no choice but "let go" of quite a bit of my wardrobe, but I took a deep breath and got to work. It wasn't the end of the world because most the stuff I haven't worn in forever or shouldn't wear again anyway. It's just the mental process of letting go, it was so hard but I dwindled down - some.

The closet situation is so important to me that we convinced the sellers to let us in the house a day before closing to allow ELFA to install my closet system, that way I wouldn't have to pick outfits out of bags/boxes for weeks. So you can imagine my *gasp* when the hubs sent me this picture of my "finished" closet!

Ummm, what is this?? Shoe racks hanging into the entry way? No!!! The guy shad to literally turn sideways to get in, not to mention it just wasn't what I was expecting. They look so pretty in the store and my little drawing looked so perfect?!  I called The Container Store and basically what happened is somehow the doorway measurement got put in the system wrong. This meant we had to do a total closet re-haul AND re-install! After going back and forth with the designer (thinking I was going to have to lose even more space) she came up with some solution to still keep my most my shoes and almost all the hanging space that I needed. Bad news - I had to wait until today to get someone in to fix it!!

Finally the hanging process has begun. Guess what - another issue. When I gave them the number of shoes (non boots) I owned, I included flats and wedges in that number. Umm, wedges do NOT feet on heel racks!! Thankfully my husband is a handyman! He removed a gliding shoe rack or two and we are returning them for shelves. After that, all should be well in my closet world.

In the meantime I will continue to pick outfits out of plastic bags and hope for the best. So if I repeat outfits or look like a homeless person - don't judge.

Xo
Mrs. Green

Settling

Hey Ya'll,

Well, thanks to all the dusty boxes (and the severe allergy I have to dust mites) I lay here on the first night in our new home - sniffling, sneezing and feverish.

Boxes and black trash bags are in every room and around every corner for as far as the eye can see .. I am living on 3 outfits in a suitcase .. it took me 10 min to find toothpaste .. I showered with no shower curtain .. my cats won't stop hissing at each other ... and my bed still reeks of that horrible "new" plastic smell - but I'm the coziest I've been in months, maybe years!!

We are in our first HOUSE together!! The hubs and I bought a loft before we were married when I first moved to town, but this is our first home as a married couple, as The Green Family! I've missed living in a house- with hallways, corners, rooms and lots of walls. Loft living is great and certainly has it's perks but there are things I've missed about having a house, that is for sure. One example - silence! As you read in my last blog, silence wasn't something we had much of where we lived before. In addition to the arguing going on next door, our neighbors upstairs walked with heavy feet to say the least. That combined with an OLD building in which your ceiling is their floor  - not good. So I am enjoying the sound of NOTHING as I type!
 
Today has been a whirlwind of go-go-go-go! So much, that I realized we never took a picture of the move, of us in front of our new home, nothing! What kind of wifey am I, haha!! Oh well, there will be plenty of pictures to come! Besides, they didn't put a cute little "SOLD" sign up anyway - so I mean really - what difference does it make :)

XO,
Mrs. Green

PS - Exactly one year ago the hubs and I were in the middle of the ocean on our yearly vacation. Doug's heart was racing and meanwhile I had NO CLUE that he was about to ask THE question that led to everything we are experiencing today. What better timing, huh?! Spending the "one year anniversary" of our engagement closing on our first "home" together :)  You can read all about the big proposal here.  (*That link is to our wedding webpage, no clue how long they stay up. Hopefully a long time*)

Farewell

Goodbyes are usually not one of my favorite things. But today the hubs and I were ALL SMILES as we said bye-bye-bye 👋 to our loft at Historic Werthan Mills.
We lived there happily for over 3 years and we really did love OUR loft. It was unique, totally us (industrial modern), we designed and put in a sick addition - it was a place where people walked in and said 'wow'. We had some great times there .. emphasis on WE. I cant say the same about our nearby company. Our neighbors must be two of the most miserable people I know. All they do is fight and we could hear them crystal clear. I'll never forget one valentines day we were trying to enjoy ourselves and WW2 broke out next door. Someone else must have noticed too because the cops even came. Then there is our "property manager" - don't get me started on her. To this day I am not sure what we pay her to do. I am guessing be lazy and complain when she is asked to do something. Lastly - three letters - HOA. In a loft you have to deal with them A LOT! And I mean, when you get a group of ALL Type A personalities together ... enough said.

We were in such a rush to get out (we kinda had the closing from hell) and get into our new place all under a time crunch, that I am surprised we even had one second to pose for this picture! Needless to say - we were happy to say bye loft and move on to our new HOUSE!



XO
Mrs Green