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Showing posts from 2011

Bed Upgrade -- And Hopefully a Solution

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New Bed!  This bed frame is from my childhood set (aww the memories) and has been sitting in storage for several years. And though I had originally planned to leave them in the garage until the Spring when I could sand and repaint them, we decided, due to recent events (Alice is creeping into our bed at night) we should set it up sooner. (Thanks Nana for bringing them over.) Old Bed, New Job With some help from Eric, Liza and Dave we got it up and running. The platform under the mattress fits better than the original (the siblings know what I'm talking about). Hopefully my night-time wanderer will decide to sleep until morning on her "big-girl" bed. Fingers crossed, her Mom could use the sleep. Meanwhile, the old bed makes a fantastic spot for the menagerie of stuffed animals (see right). This is just the before picture. The girls spent much of the afternoon piling on the stuffed animals  -- and sorting out the ones Leah wanted in her room.

Paging the Tooth Fairy

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Leah lost her first tooth on Friday while hanging out at Daddy's office. It had been dangling for a few months now, so I'm glad it's gone. She had been using it as an excuse not to brush her teeth, eat certain foods or anything else that would be inconvenient.

Chalkboard Paint in the Back Hallway

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There is so much work that needs to be done to make this house feel like mine. I have a list in my head that is slowly being prioritized. (More on that later.) My first painting project is the chalkboard in the back hall (yes, I have a back hall). Despite being told that the key holder would look better in a contrasting color (coughEriccough), I went with a camouflage look and painted it with the chalkboard, too. I can't write on it for a few days but I think it came out quite well. Props to Eric and Dave for the help. PS. This wall will eventually go from awful beige to amazing olive green. It's going to be gorgeous!

Empty Dining Room

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This house is *much* larger than anything we've ever lived in. Example: We have almost nothing in our formal living room/dining room. Sparse Dining Room Donations are welcome!

Another Incentive ... Elise!

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Another reason to move out to Illinois came on Thanksgiving ... the newest Brand lives in Lincoln Park, just 45 minutes away! She's practically a fifth niece to us. (Girls rule in our family.) Sweet Baby Elise

Photos By Leah

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Leah got a hold of my cell phone and took some pictures on Sunday afternoon. It kept her busy for about 10 minutes. Nana raising a glass to the new house Alice, looking unsure

Empty Ferncliff Road

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Was going through my photos and spotted these from our last day in the Ferncliff Road house. Unbelievable how big the place looked without furniture. Master bedroom (with the two models) Leah's empty room The basement - ample storage, no? I've got a cleaning crew going in there tomorrow to scrub the place up -- in case we get any showings in January. Fingers crossed!

Leah Is Funny...

We went on an errand today and as we pulled the car into the garage Leah says to me: "We live in Chicago. We're Illinois people now." :)

Kitchen Duty

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When we woke up this morning, the snow was coming down and I was worried that the van wasn't going to show up. But they did! Just before 9 am that gigantic moving truck rolled up to our very empty house. (Meanwhile, kiddos were having a sleepover party at Nana's house.) It took them the entire day to empty the truck. It was so exciting. I was running on adrenaline most of the day -- and bouncing around to different rooms. But it was so nice to fall asleep in our own beds in our new house. Hooray! Before - box city! After - what a mess!

Squatters

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Our first breakfast at the new house. Not a formal affair. Empty Room ... not for long!

Looks Like We Made It

We're hereeee!!! The new house is more awesome than I remember. The carpets were cleaned this morning (by Stanley Steamer, no less) so they're wet. The girls are in awe. More later.... We have a whirlwind of activities in the next few days.

Mission Accomplished

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Car is getting a lift to Illinois. So are we... off to the airport.

Going Home

Tomorrow we're going home. This is how I'm now referring to the new house. This house is nearly empty and as much as I'll cherish the memories we made here, it's time to leave it behind. Remember all the holidays here? The Christmas we all packed into the living room and played the biggest version of the dice game? Leah and Alice took their first steps in the living room. But as of tomorrow, we'll start making memories in the new home.

Love to Garbage Men

Just a quick note dedicated to my trash guys. I love you, trash guys. You are the unsung Heroes of our society. Today, they not only took my huge pile of trash, they walked around a huge moving truck to do it. They even took a gross bag of latex paint goo. You have me eternal thanks for that. Even if you may be associated with the mob, you are alright in my book. Sincerely, Jessica and family

Day Two

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Looks like they'll need one more day... As suspected. Gifts for Gal Pals Trying to be patient More boxes outside

Photos From Day 1 of Packing

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Picked up the girls from school and they were so excited to see the truck out front. Leah thought the truck was as big as a dinosaur!! And wanted to know where is slept at night. (Click on them to see bigger images.) Posing With the Truck Alice's Room Master Bedroom Leah's Room In Leah's "Old" Room Thought Mom would enjoy this label

Movers ... are Moving!

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Two guys showed up today with a HUMONGOUS van. They parked it out front (which should make us a big hit with the neighbors). The Entire Truck Doesn't Fit in the Frame As of lunch they were done with the kids' bedrooms and half the basement -- and are currently working on the master. I'm having heart palpitations. There's a part of my brain that isn't processing this. It's saying I'll never see this stuff again. Which is ridiculous, because I'll be wading through it at the new house -- cursing it. But between now and then, I'm sure I'll think of a dozen things I need that are now boxed up. Meanwhile, they're motivated to get this job done quickly, so we may be unpacking by the weekend. So, yeah, this move is actually happening.

Progress...

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Dave moved the contents of his bachelor pad into the new house ... step 1 of the move-in process. Moving In

The End is In Sight

Way back in August when we agreed to make this leap, we didn't think we'd be sitting here in December biting our nails.  But here we are.  As of today, I'm happy to report we have a move date and moving trucks scheduled ... for next week. Like Monday.  Dave is getting keys for the new house today (or tomorrow) and will be moving in his bachelor pad stuff. It's all coming together. But there is now a lot more planning to do; scheduling the car move, cleaning the house, unloading, flights, logistics on where to stay with an empty house. Not to mention the Hanukkah party this weekend and Christmas a week after we settle into the house. I may need another glass of wine. 

Now GO!

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It's been wait, wait, wait, wait ... and suddenly the GREEN LIGHT. GO! Everything is starting to fall into place quickly. Very quickly. If Monday goes as planned, I'll have a date, booked the movers, the car move and looking at plane tickets for our "final move" to Illinois. And Dave will be bringing his boxes into our new house -- only three months after our house-hunt trip in mid-September. And the anxiety is mounting. Not only are we trying to get this all in before the holidays, we've got tickets to see Wilco and family flying in. The next few days will be terribly exciting. Stay tuned.

An Image from the Future

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A glimpse at my future. (And Dave's present.) Icy windshield on a cold morning. Brrrrr

Baby Day!!!!

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I remember this day all too well with Alice. You're excited. You're nervous. You wish things would go quicker so you can stop being pregnant! Then you enter the delivery room, see the shiny instruments laid out like a horror movie and you want to flee. Fast. Now. But the need to NOT be pregnant anymore outweighs thoughts of flight. And you just want to meet this little girl you've been dreaming about for what feels like years. You'll get to hold her. Soon. Good luck Albertons! We're excited to meet the new addition to our family.  Soon To Be Four! And here she is: Adriana was born at 12:44. 7bs, 11oz.

News From the Battlefield

Now that we overcame a huge hurdle, we're in a rush to get out of the old house and into the new one in the next two weeks. (!!) That's not a lot of time. So we're dividing to conquer: Dave is working the phones, settling issues with lawyers, real estate agents, sellers, mortgage guys and all else -- as he's on the frontline. On the homefront, I've got a list of house fixes the inspector found that need to be dealt with under the conditions of the buyout. I need a plumber, a mason, a general carpenter and perhaps a chimney guy -- depending on how this all goes. They need to be in and out before I am, so we've got to rush them through. (Not to mention preparing for the holidays and all the lovely stress that this time of the year brings.) At least we're moving forward!

My Husband is Getting Old

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Happy Birthday to the best husband and father in the entire world. You're OOOOOOLD today! HANDSOME!

Perks of Being Waylaid

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One good thing about our long delay... we didn't miss the Guster show at the Wellmont Theater in Montclair. (See earlier post about missing them.) Spectacular show! They played ALL of my favorite songs. Dave and I danced the night away. But we needed Maggie to complete the tradition. Where were you MAGGIE?! GUSTER IS FOR LOVERS

Thankful

So much to be Thankful for today... My family, my friends, our health. And for our move to Chicago, now cleared and on the fast-track.

Could Today Be the Day?

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We've been waiting patiently for a decision from the Company ... and it sounds like it's coming today. I'm on the edge of my seat. I'm biting my nails. What if... What if... What if....

Meet the MET

On this unseasonably warm day, the family jumped into the car early and checked out the Metropolitan Museum of Art (listed on my post about places to visit before we move). I have always wanted to take advantage of the classes they have for kids, so we participated in the 11:00 Start With Art program targeted to 3-5 year-olds. Before meeting up with the class, we walked through the Greek and Roman galleries and Alice was amused by all the "tushies." The MET is someplace I have visited many times. If you visited me (pre-kids) I likely dragged you to the MET. I had several of the wings memorized. And I'm continually awed by what is there. This is the first time I've taken the kids there, and it was definitely memorable. They were very good. Showed interested in the art we pointed out to them and had some fun things to say about the little things they notice. But, being so little, they only lasted a very few hours. We didn't get to see all my favorite things,

Our Week...

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Still waiting on some decisions but we're certainly keeping busy.

Jersey Things To Do...

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It occurred to me on the drive to the farm for eggs (I missed the farmer's market on Saturday ... and farm-fresh eggs just taste better!) that there are a few special places in the area that I really want to visit before we skedaddle. Here's my working list (and, yes, I'm fully aware of what a geek I am): - The Thomas Edison Lab : you can walk the lab Edison actually used to make all the cool stuff we take for granted -- phone, tv, movies! And it's just 20 minutes down the road in West Orange. Not sure what I'll do with the kids while I totally indulge my nerd side, but don't think I'll let it stop me. - George Washington's Headquarters in Morristown : Again, just 20 minutes away is the winter camp that housed General Washington and his army during the Revolutionary War. You can walk around the estate he stayed and strategized. I'm not a crazy Revolutionary War buff, but how can you not see that? - The Metropolitan Museum of Art : My own mec

Operation: Action for Alice

This week our mission will be to find more exciting activities for Alice to do while Leah is at school. Unfortunately, I'm just not that entertaining. With working part-time and keeping the house clean and laundry going, there's not a lot of time to put together a rigorous curriculum for Alice -- who craves schedule and stimulation. So, we're looking into temporary Pre-K programs that she can join for the next month ... as her parents get their act together.

Cancel Halloween!?

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Due to the terrible storm the towns in the area postponed trick or treating to Friday. Well, try to explain that to preschoolers who has been talking about being Blueberry Muffin for weeks. We were at the Wolffs this year so we decided to hit a few houses -- which slowly turned into a few more. We may do a few houses on Friday too. Why not!?

All is Well ... and Warm

Happy to report our new furnace is shiny and functional. When we woke up this morning, we were greeted to the sounds of warm air being pumped through the house. However, the major storm that blew through took down a live power line from the house next door -- dropping it on our driveway and across the street. So, we've got attractive "CAUTION" tape blocking the area in front of our house and the road. This is very attractive to potential buyers, I'm sure. And given the amount of people still without power, it's going to be awhile before they come out and get it cleaned up. Also feeling pretty good about removing the fence last month, as it would have been kindling thanks to the number of limbs that fell into the yard -- and from all sides. Though, I'm sad to report, the grill was smashed. Will be giving our insurance guy a call tomorrow -- does our policy cover freak October snow storms?

Snow!?! Really!?!

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The guys have been in the basement banging away installing the new furnace all day. We're anxious to feel the warm air and pull off some layers. We're upstairs trying to keep warm and watching the first snow storm of the year ... in October. Really?! And tree limbs are coming down all over the house! You hear a crack and a whoosh -- snow and limbs come crashing down. Crazy weather day. When will the heat come on?!

Freeeeeezing

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This morning is definitely the coldest morning in the house since the furnace was disconnected. (For our safety.) There's frost on the pumpkins and we could see our breath when we dropped Leah off at Kindergarten.  Low 50s are forecasted for the day. The thermostat in the dining room is reading 61 degrees -- and we've got a space heater turned on in here! The water coming out of the faucets is ice-cold. It almost hurts my hands. And I've got three layers on to keep warm. And here's what the 3-year-old decides to wear around the house ... ... and I had to beg her to put on the sweatpants. Minutes earlier she was naked.  Sigh.

Guster?! In My Backyard?

This is just bad luck. For years, we went to see Guster in NYC on Thanksgiving weekend. Usually with Maggie. Remember? It was a tradition, along with going to see the Macy's Thanksgiving parade with Josh. Guess where Guster is playing this Thanksgiving. Montclair!! Ten minutes down the friggin road. We plan to move away just in time for them to come to us?! Curses!

The Secret Sauce

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When it comes to spray cleaners for my house, I prefer the organic brands. They're not made from harsh chemicals, so I don't have to worry about who is around when I'm using them or what I'm cleaning. And the sharp ammonia smell always bothered me. The previous owners of the house didn't feel the same way and, in the spirit of generosity, left a few bottles of Windex, TopJob and 409 cleaners. I just shoved them aside, feeling too guilty about pouring them down the drain or trashing them. Since putting the house on the market I've been going through spray cleaner quicker than tissue in a preschool, so I pulled out the Windex one afternoon when my Method spray was gone. My question is this: What the HELL is inside Windex? It makes my counters sparkle, the stove top shine, takes up grubby oil in two wipes and generally makes the kitchen look brand-new. There's a noticeable difference. I still worry when I drop a strawberry on the counter -- can I eat

Found at the Bookstore

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Found this little board book at the bookstore. Cute, no? Omen of things to come? Maybe. Maybe not. *sigh*

Puttering

Work was slow today and I got my errand done early so I got to indulge in one of my favorite activities: puttering. Puttering = me wandering from room to room taking care of a variety of small tasks. But never staying in one room for too long. For a scatterbrain like me, it's true glory. I started in my bedroom, walked into Leah's room to put some photos I unearthed away ... found Alice's baby book so I looked through that. I headed toward Alice's room to put away the Barbies which sent me back to Leah's for more Barbie stuff. Back in Alice's I put away clean clothes I folded last night, which turned into reorganizing her drawers, removing summer items. Back to my room to check work email. And so on. Room to room, task to task. Puttering is a fine art. Puttering also has the added advantage of keeping me warm -- as the furnace is still busted and the current house temperature is 65 degrees.

Limbo City

We're still here. I ran into a parent I knew from day care this weekend and he was kinda shocked to see me. "Aren't you moving?" Ugh. It keeps happening. At Smashburger after yoga (I regret that stop), getting frozen yogurt and the playground. I just explain things are taking a lot longer than we thought ... which is the truth. I was planning to be settling in by Halloween and here we are, looking at Thanksgiving as the new target. Limbo City. Now, had I known we'd be around for two solid months I'd have found a part-time PreK program for Alice, who is bored out of her gourd at home all day -- without Leah and with her lame ("let's clean the kitchen again!") Mom. I might have found some after-school activities for Leah, like soccer or swimming that some of the other kiddos take. But of course, without the help of a magic crystal ball, I wouldn't have known that. Meanwhile, I'm so juiced up on design shows I'm starting to

The Heat Is Off

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To sum up: We're putting a new furnace in this old house. That's right. We're trying to move out of this house, but we are putting in a new furnace. Hooray! MY FAMILY IN A WEEK To expand slightly: We've had a parade of inspectors come through the house making recommendations of improvements, so the house is in good shape if we take the buyout. The HVAC inspector found the furnace was unsafe. He unhooked it and, well, we need heat (it's October!). So, I've been getting estimates for a new furnace. I have conflicting feelings about this. On one hand, I hate that I have to replace a furnace that was functioning fine (as much as I knew) for the last 5 years. And it's not even for the benefit of me or my family. And it's going to completely decimate my decorating budget for the new house. However, if we get a buyer, their inspector might have found this furnace issue and we'd be replacing it anyway. And probably at a much higher cost. Of

Funky Art For New Walls

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Lovely Art! Still shopping for my new house tonight, so I wandered over to Etsy.com, which is just the best place pick up great things -- especially original art. I've found a lot of neat things on that site over the past few years. Here's an example of a print I'm looking at. Colorful, funky and cool. YAY! And only about $20 unframed! I also got the idea to use the photos we took in Europe last year. Snapfish will blow up any photo into poster size or even a large canvas. I could have them printed in black and white and they could be gorgeous decorating a wall. Fun to toss around ideas. I've got a fun Pinterest board started here .

Media Center - New Idea

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I just got the new Pottery Barn catalog today and zeroed in on a possible solution for the media unit in the family room. (Otherwise, most of the other stuff wasn't in my new style.) Of course, the furniture is out of my budget but I do love the idea of a long row of cabinets with the TV and art casually placed along the top. My budget-saving idea would be to use my current TV cabinet, buy two more and place them in line like the Pottery Barn example that I love. So I jumped on the Crate and Barrel website and ... isn't it just my luck ... it's no longer available. Blah. Back to the drawing board.

The Neighbor's Shed - What Goes On?

My backyard neighbor has a shed. Just picture a normal-looking shed with a coiled hose hanging from the door. It's a few feet from their house's backdoor and about as big as a lawnmower, wheelbarrow and a few bags of fertilizer. I can see it from my kitchen sink. It's very average-looking. But it's the center of a giant mystery. The family that live there are just as average; Parents and a middle-school son and daughter. Sometimes I see a grandmother sitting outside. They have an above-ground pool and a young German shepherd. The Dad spends a lot of time taking care of his lawn and yard. Mom has a small circular garden. Here's the mystery: The mother and father neighbor enter this little shed several times a day (in all seasons) for a short amount of time, closing the door tight behind them. The children and dog are not allowed in this shed. I've even seen the kids pacing, waiting for the parents to emerge. What the HELL do they do in there? My best g

So That's Good News, Right?

I finally had an appointment for a showing today. Woohoo! This is the second showing in the last week -- so that's a good trend. Right? I called the agent once I got home -- because she forgot to leave a card, and I wanted to make sure she got in and had enough time to walk through -- and she did come by. And her clients "really liked the house." So that's good news, right? I'll just live off that for a few days.

My Free Therapy

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I've recently discovered that one of my favorite past-times during this transition is wall improvements. The act of pulling things off the walls, patching up the holes and touching up the paint is like free therapy. Once you really look at your walls - especially five years after painting them - you'd be amazing how messed up they are. And my walls are plaster, so every hole had to be pre-drilled. Case Study: Here's a photo of Leah's dresser where I hung two simple shelves. The mess I made on the walls to hang them haunted me -- though they were easily covered by books and other shelf nicknacks. So this weekend, I removed shelves, spackled the holes (some rather large) and retouched the paint. The End Result: Completely terrific! And I feel great.

Bagged!

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In my rush to declutter I filled a bin with DVD movies that we weren't likely to watch again and brought them up to camp in Western Mass. A few weeks later, I dropped off another pile of movies to resell in Hoboken. Days later I got a call from the place and was told most of the cases were empty. Crud! Further inspection lead me to a folder full of discs we brought to Europe last year. Empty cases everywhere! I was able to populate the empty cases for resale but I still have a stack of camp-friendly discs that need to be reunited with their cases. In the meantime, the brown paper bag I have them stored in reminds me of the bag the kid in Parenthood (the movie, not the tv show) stored his porn. And it makes me laugh just looking at it. Long story, short: It looks like I have a bag of porn. (I swear movies like The Goonies and Spaceballs are within.) Related posts: More about my quest to cook

Fall Curb Appeal

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THE FINISHED PRODUCT I've definitely noticed cars stopping in front of the house for several minutes, and I assume they see for For Sale sign and are evaluating if they want to come in or not. (And yes, it's kinda creepy.) Also, Leah has noticed we're lacking fall and Halloween decorations, compared to some of our more festive neighbors. (Thanks to our daily walk down the block.) So yesterday I stopped by the landscape store and bought up a bunch of mums to pretty-up the front door. The landscape store was brimming with lots of different colored mums, fun scarecrows and other decor for the season. Plus, I just love a garden center at any time of the year. So, I enjoyed myself and took my time. (Alice was sleeping in the car.) I'm happy to report Leah was very pleased with the final look, though she has requested some scary, hanging ghosts and pumpkins of various sizes. Impossible to please, that one. For now, I hope it will entice more people to check out what

Rolling to School

As long as the weather is good, I'm going to walk to elementary school each day. I like the fresh air and exercise. Alice is always in the stroller and sometimes Leah will walk and sometimes she rides. It's a nice way to watch the seasons change on our block. It also reminds me of our fall in Berlin . We took the World's Heaviest Stroller everyday to explore the city. Most mornings we'd pass a kindergarten and watch parents drop off their kids. Only a few parents used cars, a bunch had strollers, but the majority had a seat for their tot on their bike. Leah was endlessly jealous and begged me to get such a bike. Unfortunately, our new house isn't close enough to school to walk or bike -- which I guess the exchange for moving to a less urban community. You can't win them all.

Cozy Modern

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Here's the best picture I can find so far as to the design direction I'm leaning toward for the new house. It's from CB2. It shows the gray, modern sofa that I want to fill with throw pillows in funky patterns. The great industrial green coffee table (totally kid friendly) and the shelves of storage/books in the background. Even the fun rug is where I'm going, but I'm thinking no pattern. I don't like the steel/glass side table -- as I'm not a fan of glass on tables (hello! kids!). Lots of color, lots of fun and a little funky with modern thrown in. And maybe some vintage, if I can find something I like. The pretend shopping continues. I've got a Pinterest board going here .

Take My House ... Please!

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No one has come to see my house again this weekend. That's two weeks now that we've gotten no visitors. This is very bad news. And it's beginning to feel personal. This is a great house. It's well-built, dry basement, good-size yard and a quick 20-minute drive into NYC (on most weekends) and Meadowlands stadium. I'm walking-distance to a top-rated elementary school and have great neighbors. And it's way cute inside, with new appliances! WHAT is the problem? I realize the economy sucks and getting a mortgage is tough. And, yeah, if you're in a house, it's going to be hard to sell it, but ... sigh ... it's not that bad, right? Come on. Come on! BUY MY HOUSE!

Home Owner Again!

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OUR NEW ABODE! It's official ... well, almost. We bought the house! YAY!!! It came down to either waiting to bid for another 3 weeks -- and put off the closing until DEC!! Or bidding and purchasing now, so we can close quickly and move. And it just came down to needing to end this awful transition time. It's been painful for all of us. So, maybe we kiss New Jersey goodbye just after Halloween? Scary!

Two Men and a House

In accordance with our relo package, we need two appraisals and a thorough home inspection. Two guys arrived today, at about the same time, to accomplish these goals. Strange to sit on my sofa as two strangers poked their noses into every corner of the house, measuring and making notes. And made me a bit nervous, as their reports will determine how much our buy-out will be if we don't find a buyer. I tried to smile and offered each beverages and popcorn. Beer, too. Both declined. I hope my hostess skills are noted in their final report.

With a New House, Comes New Design

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MY DESIGN BLUEPRINT Step 1: Put offer on House YES! We're going to do it. Timing-wise, we just need to seal the deal or we'll be in this limbo for longer than we need to be. Nothing ventured, nothing gained!!! Tally ho!  Step 2: DECORATE OK, it's not the correct step 2 but seriously, I'm so excited because I've decided to go into a new design direction -- Hello Mid-Century Modern, with an eclectic Scandinavian twist. Which so happens to fit the look of the new house to a T. According to my personal style guru Holly at Decor8  I should create a "mood board" for each room with stuff I like out of magazines and books. Now that's a FUN project during all this waiting -- it's like I'm giving birth again! Yuck! But I can share those mood boards here. Step 3: Sell the House, Pack My Stuff, Move Away Well, these might be more than one step and will take weeks, but I'm chunking them all together because they're not as fun as Step 2.