by Jen | Apr 28, 2014 | Life Reflections
www.ramblingsfromtheleft.wordpress.org
Here’s the thing. There are approximately 280 students at the Army War College. When the school year ends–they all move away. And then 280 new students replace them. There are approximately 280 people moving from the Carlisle area all at the same time. Let’s try this again…this is a small town, there are only so many movers, and just about the entire Army War College student population is moving all within weeks of each other—while, wait for it, 280 students plus families move TO Carlisle. That’s about 500 students plus families crisscrossing through Carlisle with moving vans.
What this also means is everyone is securing new housing while trying to see an end to their current housing.
What this really means to me is I have a headache.
I cannot go anywhere lately where there is not some sort of discussion about household goods, logistical maneuvers involving u-hauls, moving dates, storage in transit, permanent change of station or PCS, packing, administrative or bureaucratic tasks, moving carriers, weight of household goods, garage sales due to excess weight, pack out dates, new house, old house, ugly house, huge house, small house, rental house, or loony house.
Even as I type this my head throbs. I went out to breakfast last Friday where all we did was exchange mobil phones to show pictures of our “new” houses. I went out to lunch 3 days later with a different group of people where all we did was say I just found a house, I just lost another house, I just bid on a house, I can’t find a house, I hate my house, I’m waiting on a house, do you have moving dates, I don’t have moving dates, I can’t believe my moving dates, no one will call me back about my moving dates.
In between breakfast Friday and lunch Monday all I did was silently obsess about purging and the fact that I have so much to do in one short month and wish that I could go somewhere where people would stop talking about moving.
My sister-in-law arrived today from Syracuse. Perfect! She has nothing to do with anything moving related so this makes her the perfect guest. So what do I do? I follow her around the house ranting about moving dates, logistics, 1400 square feet, rental houses, and moving surveys.
Tomorrow the nice man from the moving company comes to start setting up our move. Stay tuned.
~Jen
by Jennifer Farlin | Apr 27, 2014 | Life Reflections
I have essentially one month before the packers show up. And my month of May is packed.
The first week of June I have house guests, my husband’s graduation from the U.S. Army War College, my son’s 9 year old birthday party, a trip to Disney World and the day after…the whirling dervishes, aka packers and movers, descend upon my house.
I live in a 4000 square foot house.
I am moving to a 1400 square foot house plus basement in DC.
And I have a lot of things.
I am haunted by the questions do I need this, is this useful, does this have value, when was the last time I used it, does it have more than one purpose…
I just looked at my 6 year old and asked him if he really needed both stuffed penguins and if they were part of his 5 year plan. “How much are Waddles and Baby Waddles worth to you today and are you willing to expend valuable personal energy managing them?”
I am sick of staring at my stuff and trying to pare down. I’m at the point where if Peter Walsh, from TLC’s Clean Sweep, the professional organizer extraordinare, was here–I’d punch him in the nose. I. Am. Exasperated.
We are military. What doesn’t work in one house might work in another! Right??
On the other hand I’d like to be able to walk through my next house with ease without having to dodge piles of “stuff” and without having to suck in and turn sideways to make it through a room. And I REFUSE to get a storage unit. No sir. No ma’am.
If you don’t hear from me it’s because I am weighing the pros and cons of how much spray paint does one really need, do these shoes make me look fat, and how to part with one too many chairs…
I don’t tweet but if I did I would add #First world problems, #I hate moving, #Downsizing is NOT my strength, and #Can’t follow my own advice– to the bottom of this post.
Feel free to send good mental health prayers. Or Peter Walsh.
~Jen
by Jennifer Farlin | Apr 26, 2014 | Fun Style, How To, Inspired Style, Interior Decorating
Well, Hello.
I have not posted for awhile.
I went to Detroit for Easter.
Awesome art I bought from local artist in Ferndale, Michigan.
Our house is still being shown to potential buyers…
…which is having A LOT of activity. We’ve been busy with many house guests. I’m torn between whether I am maintaining a museum (for the showings) or a bed and breakfast (for the friends and family). Of course a whirlwind trip to Detroit and bajillion other things happening isn’t really helping. It’s ok.
Birthday Card that I Love.
We’re all healthy, “wealthy”, and wise so I won’t complain. I only wish I had a tiara and a tutu–and rainbow striped rain boots. That would make it all so much easier.
My head has been in a fog trying to maintain momentum for the 6,000 directions I am running in. But I haven’t been too busy to scavenge. I just bought this cool chair for our next house in DC.
And I just bought a fern for my favorite chair which lives on the front porch. Hopefully, the new front porch will have an empty welcoming spot for it.
I’ve got a thing for chairs. I don’t spend more than a few pennies on every chair I buy (more or less). An interesting chair gives a little something something to every room.
This one sits by my front door. It is hinged and if you open it up and flip it over the chair turns into shelves.
This, my friend, is the Spanish Conquistador Chair. It has a title. I paid $25 for it at Edlin’s Auction in Corpus Christi, Texas, 1999.
This lady was a redo. It was also bought at Edlin’s in 1999, but by my friends. They reupholstered it, got sick of it, I took it, painted it, and then modge podged it with pages from a book. Sadly, it had a twin that still lives in Virginia Beach.
This is one of my favorites. I love the shiny enamel white chipped paint, the pink that is on the underside. It is so solid. It has stories. Someone else painted it other than me. It has age. It is sturdy. I love the lines. I love the back of it.
As I type this I am looking at my Chair Art…
I love chairs.
www.squarestate.com
Most homes I go into don’t have good funky chairs. You need at least two. Chairs, I have found, are expensive if they are already decked out. Junk stores, thrift stores, garage sales etc… are good places. Look for one with a nice shape and a seat that (if upholstered) lifts out easily (easy to take some new fabric and a staple gun to) and disregard the color. Scrub brush, sand paper, and/or paint can transform many a chair.
www.designloversblog.com
www.thewhitedresser.com
www.mrkate.com
LOVE this room.
Chairs to you! Get it? It’s like Cheers only Chairs because this post is about Chairs…
~Jen
by Jen | Apr 14, 2014 | Art, Happiness at Home, Home Staging, How To, Interior Decorating
www.squido.com
Today I hauled out a desk I’ve had since college and painted it white. I’m getting ready for our new home in DC. The to do list that I’ve been staring at suddenly doesn’t have me beat anymore. I’m ready for some change. Sunshine and warm weather do that after a long, long winter. I’m ready to tackle some projects and ready for action–says the sedentary girl sitting on the couch with her laptop with a cup of coffee and the Today show… I’m currently living in a house that is up for sale. Last June I was living in a different house that was up for sale. Golly, it would be awesome if I can spend every spring prepping for buyers. Not to brag, but I sort of kind of a little bit always have a nice house. I follow my own advice. At least I do. My kids, not so much.
EVERY single house I stage the owners always say the same thing—I wish we had made these changes earlier so WE could have enjoyed them. I make it my mantra to NEVER say that about my own houses. I want it to be nice NOW, not just when it’s on the market.
So here are my Top 10 Spring Staging and Redesign Decorating Tips that are the backbone to any good looking house-and well, what I do inside my house.
1.Pare down. Declutter. Remove. Purge. Pack it away. Abolish. Dispose. And stage a coup of your stuff. Here are some links to previous posts I’ve written on the subject: The Home Purge Game, Prime Real Estate–Inside Your Home. Remember that an organized home sends a positive message. If your knick knacks are smaller than a football rethink them. They just add to the visual clutter factor. Bigger is better. If it is something that brings you joy and is teeny tiny then by all means keep it out. There’s a difference between a room full of meaningless stuff and a room that makes your life better/happier.
www.apartmentherapy.com
2.Clean it. Buyers and even yourself may excuse dated if everything is clean and bright.
Real Simple
3.Open your curtains and blinds. Sunshine makes everyone happy.
www.ninainvorm.punt.nl
4.Add greenery and flowers. This is HUGE. Pretty flowers and plants in trendy pots (go to TJ Maxx) can work miracles towards making a room more inviting and cheerful. Game Show Decorating–What Do These Have in Common? And, Plants Make It Pretty.
Southern Living
5.Get rid of dingy throw/scatter rugs. Show your floor off.
Bread and Olives
6.Spruce up your front door. Clean it up. Scrub the area around the door bell and the moldings. If you want to take it up a level try to polish the metal. Really feeling crazy? Paint it.
Southern Living
7.What about your front hall? Take as much out of your front hall as you can. A table, mirror and nice vase of flowers are perfect.
www.thenestinggame.com
8.Be greeted with style. What door do you enter from? (What Door Do You Use? And One Door’s Journey, Or…A Follow Up) If it is through the garage does it depress the heck out of you because there are so many piles and so much chaos? You deserve to be greeted with love. Make this is a priority. Set the kitchen timer and give yourself 20 minutes a day to work on this until it’s “done”. No excuses! Less is more.
www.centsationalgirl.com
9.Think spa when it comes to your bathrooms. Fluffy white towel, a white fabric shower curtain, white accessories–keep it fresh. Then add a plant. Sick–Or A Tour of Bathrooms.
10.Hang big art on your wall. Bigger is better. Less is more. It’s easier AND it’s less visual clutter. You Gotta Have Art.
Benjamin Moore
Happy Spring!
Joy to You~Jen
by Jennifer Farlin | Apr 13, 2014 | Fun Style, How To, Inspired Style, Interior Decorating
Go Get Some Flowers!
~Joy To You! Jen
