I've been yearning for a fancy/retro/homemade apron since I finally started baking and needing one. So, yesterday I convinced myself that I needed this one from a super cute young mom's etsy store.
Although, I went and spent money yesterday, I've decided to stop getting lattes every morning in an attempt to start saving for a down payment on a house. I'm hoping small steps like this will help me get out of debt this summer. That and hopefully I'll get a raise on July 1 which will make more of a difference.

Of course saving money means I need to put my plans for grandeur in our apartment on hold. I found a gorgeous vintage chandelier in an antiques shop for $79 last Friday that would be just perfect. I'm not sure if it works or what it would take to install, but I fell in love with it. Also, still looking for a dining room table that is the right size, style and price on craigslist (also, a boyfriend with a pick-up truck would be nice, but I'm not looking for that on craigslist, yet). And in my room I'm longing for two matching night stands that are only one foot wide as well as a pair of vintage-y lamps to put on top of them. The hideous wall sconces will be replaced when we paint (probably in August, I'm thinking a very pale lime green - like the color of my purse:).

I feel like I wouldn't be so strapped for cash if Dana Bergman, the woman we were subleasing from, hadn't SCREWED us out of our deposit at our last apartment. Out of a possible $600, she subtracted $450, leaving $50 for each of us. She also did not pay us interest. When I got her note about what she was deducting for, I was shocked at the amount of money she was charging for things I don't consider damage or that we had no knowledge of. I'm not going to detail everything, because it just makes me so angry every time I think about it. But just one example was charging us $50 because she didn't think her self-cleaning oven was clean enough.

Now, keep in mind that I've become kind of a neat freak lately and in my opinion, I left our old apartment sparkling. But, apparently she had a different opinion. This woman has been nothing but a nightmare to deal with. The real landlord was very surprised at her actions as well, saying that she thought we left the apartment very clean. And that we should demand receipts for repair. So, now I have to file a complaint. I just want this nightmare to end. Never rent or sublease from Dana Bergman.

To keep my mind off of that mess, I've been doing a little gardening lately around my house. Well, actually just planting pots with flowers, but it is a big deal for me. I love that I'm using my Grandma Christine's old garden trowel and watering can. She was the ultimate master gardener growing everything under the sun in elaborate garden designs meant to confuse the deer. She was also my hero of liberal political wonks.
Julie @ 6:47 AM Permalink |

I've been embroidering the days away at work. My friend Britney told me I sound like an old lady. Yea, pretty much. But, they are super-pretty and I just found the most fabulous patterns online.

I brought back a gallon of chopped rhubarb from Dad's garden and I've made rhubarb cake, rhubarb sauce and 4 loaves of rhubarb bread and it's still not gone. I'm considering bringing strawberry rhubarb pie to the office "Price is Right" potluck on Friday, but we'll see if I'm ambitious enough to make a crust. Might end up being rhubarb crunch instead. And then hopefully it will be gone.
Julie @ 8:01 AM Permalink |

Update 7pm: Went to the coffeeshop to steal internet cause I found my cord:)

I've had things to say, but part of the problem is we don't have internet at our house yet. It's been ordered and the hardware is on the way in the mail. Not sure if there is an actual place to hook it up in our house as, it seems the last people had cable. We're trying to avoid the expensive installation fee. We shall see.

I even took pictures this morning of our (almost) beautiful apartment to post today, but I can't find my camera-to-computer cord. I remember seeing it in the living room before we moved, but can't remember what box it got put in. Hmmm.


Our house is in a state of evolving fabulousness. Last weekend, I laid our rugs out (one in the living room and one in the dining) and put out the last of Julia's china and my champagne flutes (bought 24 for $2 at a rummage sale in Bji). I'm really not in love with my beige rugs any more and would like to do something more fun, but rugs cost money and this summer is devoted to getting out of my new-job-need-new-clothes debt. The dining room also needs a new table and chairs. The chandelier definitely leaves something to be desired. It's straight out of "Home Interiors". I've been keeping a close eye on craigslist - if only I had a pickup truck, I could have gotten a bunch of good deals on beautiful vintage furniture.


I also spent the good part of Saturday getting rid of all the grime in the bathroom. Including scraping the excess paint off of the window and plastic wall tile (gawd I hate that ugly plastic wall tile.) Ahh, a clean bathroom makes me happy every time I enter:)


And goodness every wall needs to be painted. Our landlord is offering to reduce our rent for the month we paint, as well as pay for the paint! So, I need to get my butt to Benjamin Moore to pick up some paint chips. I've never painted before, so this scares me a little, but it can't be that bad, right?


Recently, I've been taking advantage of all of the gorgeous peonies in our yard and bringing big, beautiful, ant-filled bouquets into our house. I can't wait until the lilies bloom!

This would be better with pictures, but they'll come soon promise. Here they are:)
Julie @ 7:33 AM Permalink |