I've been converted

For our anniversary, Jason gave me a Kindle. I l-o-v-e my Kindle. The instantaneous books and portability won me over in less than 10 minutes of use. But this post is not about my conversion from a hardcopy book lover to a Kindle believer. Stay with me here...

My best friend Kirstin gave me an Amazon gift card for my birthday. Knowing that I was a Kindle addict (and being one herself) this was a wonderful gift. The first book I purchased was called Unbroken: A World War II Story of Survival, Resilience, and Redemption by Laura Hillenbrand. (It was great, and I highly recommend it.) But it was my 2nd digital purchase that may have changed my life forever.

I purchased Dave Ramsey's Total Money Makeover. I'm 51% of the way through it (I know this because my handy Kindle told me so) and already applying the principles to our life (Jason is roped in even though he hasn't read it...yet!)

We are ready. We are going to navigate our debt with gazelle intensity. I've started evaluating how much I could get for everything in my house that's not nailed down... including the wondrous blue curio cabinet from a few posts down (any offers?). Just keep your hands off my Kindle. I need that for the Baby Steps.

You may be wondering, how much debt could they possibly have? Well, we don't have as much as the "average American" but we have enough that I feel held back. I'm tired of giving my paycheck to other people.

My biggest financial downfall is something that I confessed to being obsessed with in my last post. My purchases tend to be small, like less than $20 at a time, but I make many of them. They add up fast and before I know it, I've spent $300 and have a bunch of small "things" to show for it. Well not anymore!

If I start pulling out seemingly weird phrases like, "I can't get coffee with you because I want to live like no one else," you'll know where it's coming from. This process is not going to be easy or anywhere near it. But it will be worth it. Your support and encouragement will go a long way.

So you see, Kirstin didn't just give me a gift card, she has single handedly impacted our future. Thanks, K.

Weekend Acquisitions

Want to know why I look forward to weekends? No, it's not because I get to sleep in (although that is a bonus). It's not because emails can go unanswered or phone calls silenced (also a perk).

I love weekends because I finally have time to comb thrift stores for treasures. The hunt is my favorite part. You never know what cool stuff is waiting for you. 

Just check out what I found this weekend!

Perfect new (to me) desk chair: $10

Pair of beautiful patina lamps: $16

(I know I've found something cool when everyone in the store stops me to remark/lust after them. Hands off... they're mine!)

Old books in just the right colors with hidden history: $9

Pottery Barn paisley table runner: $10

 Bringing the entry table together: Priceless 

(The lamp on the right needs a little repair. I'm going to become well-versed in lamp mechanics soon)

And if I ever need a reminder why I love living here, this will do the trick. 

Curio

As previously blogged, I have become consumed with house related projects. Now that I own 2,700 square feet I have been concentrating on finding furniture so that it's not so sparse. Considering we moved from a space half the size, I have a lot of room to work with. Enter KSL and Craigslist. I am borderline obsessed with these sites. I check them numerous times each day (or hour depending on what else is going on) and even look in neighboring cities. I'm lucky enough to sit between two cities with their own Craigslist pages, and I've learned that the goods in Provo are just as good but cheaper than those in Salt Lake.

This weekend I coerced my dearest hubby into venturing to dreaded Utah County to look at a curio cabinet I found on CL. I think he was equal parts concerned that I'd be abducted into a cult if I went alone and tempted by my offer of Bajio after checking out the goods.

The goods were better than good and a deal was struck. We loaded the cabinet into J's car and squeeeeezed into the front seats. I delivered on my promise of Bajio and then we made the trek home.

When we arrived I threw my index fingers at the sky like a wide receiver and our garage was the end zone. I am so grateful we made it home safe because any other outcome would have been disastrous for us... and the cabinet.

Behold! 

(It was worth the risk and $75)

The question remains, do I leave it in its current state (read: wonderfully distressed) Or do I paint it and what color? 

Next project... finishing our bedroom. Mr. J doesn't see the harm in leaving the mattresses on the floor, but I do! We need a bed frame. That reminds me, I haven't checked CL in like 2 hours... wish me luck!

New House Woes

Since purchasing our home a few months ago, all I've managed to do is paint our bedroom and begin choosing paint colors for other rooms. Building other people's homes took precedence over personalizing my new house. I'm also in the middle of refinishing a desk for my office. The thing that I don't want to be bothered with but have no choice right now is our plumbing. This weekend the temperature in Hickville (a.k.a. Heber) fell to -14 overnight. You read that right. -14! A few of our lines froze as a result and we've  been trying to unthaw them ever since. So far Jason's shower and the washer are better, but the potty in my bathroom still doesn't work. Even worse than the frozen pipes is the clog in our main line. I'll save you the details, but there is a lot of junk pouring UP through the drain in our utility room. A drain is supposed to suck down, not push shit up. We rented a snake and went to town, but it's not budging. The professionals will be here in the morning. I'm hoping that by the end of tomorrow I can 1. Use my toilet and 2. Go back to dreaming about paint colors rather than sewer lines.

Pictures to follow! (Don't worry. I won't post pictures of the junk - just the beautiful color of our room!)

Our "Almost" House

Jason and I have decided to make a bold, grown up move... literally. We decided to buy a house rather than continue renting. It was a pretty easy decision: we're both settled in good jobs and sick of paying so much money toward someone else's mortgage. 


Since our lease ended on September 30th, Jason and I accepted my grandpa's generous offer to live with him (rent free!) until we could find and close on a house. The downside was that our beloved pups have to live with my parents until we can move into a new place. But we're lucky that my parents are willing to take care of them during this transition. So we packed all the belongings we don't require on a daily or weekly basis into a POD and moved in with my grandpa. I've traded the luxury of walking to/from work for the luxury of sharing coffee and the newspaper with my grandpa over breakfast. He's quite a guy. 


Finding a home that was affordable, in decent condition, and well-located was not so easy. We've been looking for a solid 3 months and after four (yes, four!) rejected or outbid offers, we finally found and secured the perfect home for us. We call it our almost house, because it's almost ours. If all goes well, we'll close on the 26th. Here's a teaser picture...

Great curb appeal? Check!

Two-car garage? Check! 

Fully fenced yard? Check! 

And that's just the outside. 

I began daydreaming and making plans for the interior before the ink was dry on our accepted counteroffer. Today, I found this bowl and plate at Anthropologie (love the store. just can't bring myself to shell out that much money for anything in it) and am using it as inspiration for my "reading room." Yes, this house is large enough for Jason and I to each get rooms of our own to do whatever we like with. 

    

I'm thinking high gloss black walls above the existing white beadboard and bright floral print art on the walls. Love it! 

Tomorrow I'm dragging Jason to Home Depot to think through paint colors for our bedroom. I have waited 4 long years to paint walls and change door hardware. 

Send us happy thoughts and good energy that all goes well and we close on our "almost" home! 

Pupper Tuck

Tucker
1995-2010

Today, we said goodbye to our four-legged family member, the patriarch of the furry brood. We rescued Tucker from some bully dogs at a kennel when he was just a puppy. I remember looking out the window as my mom opened the car door and this little black and brown bundle of energy flopped out. I thought, "Oh god, what has that woman done now?" But of course I was excited to have a puppy. He was the best puppy. The best dog. My best friend. Tucker always listened. He never passed judgment. I could always count on him.

My siblings never knew a life without Tucker and my heart breaks for them as they endure this hard life lesson.

Tucker was my mom's shadow. He never left her side. And in the end, she was by his as he took his last breath and left us for the first and only time.

Goodbye, Pupper Tuck. I will miss you forever and love you always.

It's Getting Wild

The list of things I'm getting used to since moving to Park City has just been expanded to include the abundance and proximity of wildlife to where we live.

"Bigoo"

I have the good fortune of living walking distance (I'm talking a 1 1/2 minute walk) from where I work. I also have the good fortune of bringing Bigoo (Big+Goo= Bigoo, a.k.a. Lucy) to work with me.

On our way to work Friday, we came out onto the sidewalk to find a 2.5 foot long snake just chillin'. It was just laying there minding its own business.

I made a quick assessment:

No rattle. Check!

Not a black mamba. Check!

Round pupils. Check!

(Tangent: Round pupils indicate that a snake is not venomous. Whereas, elliptical pupils indicate that they are. Good information, but let's hope you never get close enough to a snake for this information to be useful.)

Now I'm not afraid of snakes, or many reptile species for that matter, but I was afraid of the possible altercation between my hyper-curious labrador and this wild creature. But this was not the snake's first rodeo. It didn't move an inch and Bigoo stepped right over it (literally) without a hint of interest or recognition that it was even there. I, on the other hand, respected its "personal space bubble" and walked 3-feet around it.

Great, now I have snake encounters on my way to work. But that doesn't compare to the phone call I got from Jason a couple hours later.

Our condo backs up to a wooded hill-y area that is undeveloped for many many acres. Every now and then, people take their own noise makers for walks around the back of our house so it's not uncommon for our puppers to go ape shit at the back door. Our other little noise maker, Inga, was doing just that at the screen door.

Ferocious guard dog

As Jason attempted to quiet our 20lb guard dog, he saw movement out of the corner of his eye and turned to see a full-grown giant MOOSE (antlers and all) standing 30-feet outside our back door. Talk about an adrenaline rush.

He managed to snap off a photo before it meandered away. The photo mildly resembles those taken of Big Foot, but I swear that if you look close enough, you can see the outline of the moose in the background.

Forget the snake. I can handle a little garter snake. But a possible moose encounter is another story.