A home tour for all the messy people!

A thought about home tours.

I don't know about you, but I read *a lot* of blogs. And they all seem so shiny and happy and their houses are so clean. 

And while I have wanted to show off my cute little studio since we moved in, I was waiting.

"I don't want to do a tour until it looks pretty."

"I'll wait until everything is unpacked"

"Oh I'll wait until the desk gets here"

Well the desk is here* (accompanied by three more boxes of dear husband's stuff. Joy.) and I STILL don't want to do a tour.

Because here's the dirty little secret about this blog.

Looking for cute decorating ideas/housekeeping/diying?  I'm not the red head you want.

I am just not one of those cute diyers. My apartments look...messy most of the time.

And you know what? That's ok.

So for all of the messy people out there...this tour is for you!

*Actually it was here about three weeks ago. I've been a neglectful blogger guys sorry. 

Welcome to our lobby! To the left you can sort of see the built in bike racks, and that door in the left corner is our front door. 

Welcome to our messy studio!

This is our "pass through" kitchen (I think that's the fancy name for it) Please note our gas stove (We are THRILLED :) ) and in the corner you can just see our knife rack. Better picture here: http://www.thinkgeek.com/product/86dd/ .We call ours Fred :)

This is our lovely built in island with heater underneath. My computer live here much of the time because I like to watch tv while I cook/do the dishes. :)

This is our other island, next to the built in.
Please note the Tardis Cookie Jar. :)

Our Kitchen Guardian

Immediately after our kitchen you enter the living room! (With crazy tv system mounted to the wall)

                           

Our "Dinning Room" which is conveniently located about a foot away from....

The Study! Also, a little lesson in being a messy person. This desk is a sectary desk. When open, it adds more mess to the room. However....

Once shut you look a (teeny) bit cleaner! Yay!

This is the "nothing" corner (admit it, you have one too). The chair is where laundry gets thrown, or  one of us sits when we want to work alone. (The chair back faces the sofa table you can kind of see in the living room picture :) )

Our lovely bedroom. (Yes, we are fond of Ikea)

And one of my favorite features of the apartment, the built in shelves. These border the left wall of our bed and are GREAT for storage, as you can see

Ok  this is probably my most favorite part of the apartment. Our deck. It's lovely to be able to step outside and sit in the sun with a book, or have a glass of wine out there. We had dinner out there a few weeks ago, and it was amazing. :)

And now: Some Studio Vignettes/Tips

Short on bookshelves, but have lots of windows? Make one of them a bookshelf window. This one stores my library books.

WIndow sills are also great for storing knick knacks If you're like me and want to be able to open the window though, make sure you only store things you don't mind getting a little damp if it starts to rain.

Cats always warm up an apartment. :)

And our time's up folks! Thanks for stopping by!

fall decorating: one at a time

I love fall. No, seriously. Best season ever.

But how in the world does a crafty girl decorate a studio apartment for fall without buying any more stuff or overwhelming her husband (and herself) with so many things just "sitting around not picked up"?

By gathering ideas and working one step at a time.

Last week, I decided I simply must have some fall decor in my teensy apartment.  I don't care if it means I have to rotate my knicknacks or dust more frequently.

So, after checking out some adorable and easy ideas in BHG, I knew the perfect place to start.

Like every girl obsessed with mason jars, I've made my own beeswax candles in mason jars.  (We'll save the details on creating these candles for another post.)  I took leftover orange scrapbook/craft paper, cut it in half, cut out pumpkin faces, and taped it into a cylinder just large enough to fit around the candle with a little breathing room.

Easy peasy.  And it's one tiny bit of halloween decoration.  Since we have such a small apartment, there's no way we could do real pumpkins this year. But these cute little candles are enough for me for this year!

disaster!

So... I realized today that I hadn't given you all a proper post in a while.  Last night, I thought I would make a delightful snack, take pictures, and tell you how to make it. 

Unfortunately, I failed. Miserably.

See?

Fail.

It was such an epic fail that I set off the smoke alarm at 10:15 at night and almost forced the entire apartment building to evacuate. It was...exciting.  Quite an adrenaline rush, I must say. For about 45 seconds, I ran around opening the windows and turning up fans and opening doors while envisioning hundreds of people standing outside our apartment building blaming me for setting off the smoke alarm.

I shall attempt said lovely snack again soon. I've made it before, so I don't know why it was difficult this time.

C'est la vie, I suppose.

Wait you're moving into a studio?!

This was the reaction of pretty much everyone we knew after we told them our moving plans. Even after we explained all the perks of the apartment: spacious, lovely deck, good location; they would still almost universally shake their heads, and say "I could never live in a studio with my significant other"
Which is fair. I can't really live with anybody other than Anthony,  no matter how big the apartment. (I am a TERRIBLE roomate) But we did have some pretty good reasons about why we moved, and why we're excited about our new cute studio that we thought we'd share.

Sarah's list of reasons why I'm glad we're out of our old apartment:

1. There were mice. A lot of them. We estimate that we killed at least 20 in the year we lived there.
2. Our old apartment was wicked expensive. Between the utilities and the rent, it was eating up a ton of money. Our new apartment? So affordable I almost feel bad telling other people what the rent is. And it's cute!
3. Our neighbors were...colorful.
4. We couldn't walk anywhere, except to the metro stop.
4a. The area was kind of gritty. Used car lots, loud music on the street, no trees, broken glass on the sidewalk.
5. It never really felt like our "home". While I didn't realize this until we moved into our new place, our apartment just never really felt like us.
6. Our dryer NEVER dried clothes the first time around. This might sound minor, but it jacked up our electric bills like no one's business.
7. Iron spiral staircases look super cool, but when you're half awake in the morning, walking down them is not so fun. Also, I found excuses to not go up or downstairs. I.e. I'd be upstairs, need something downstairs and ask Anthony to get it for me.
8.Our walls were paper thin. I got way more intimately acquainted with our neighbors personal life then I was comfortable with.
9. Our landlord was not responsive at all. We were once locked out of our apartment for almost 3 hours, because the service people had locked a lock we didn't have a working key to. (Oh yeah, we didn't have a working key to our deadbolt for the first 6 months we lived there.) We finally called--and paid for--a locksmith ourselves.
10. Mice. Everywhere. I realize I've said this once but it bears repeating. The mice figured out how to climb things so in addition to there being mice everywhere; there were mice droppings everywhere. Gross.

Sarah: Why I'm glad we moved to our new place:

1. Our deck is fabulous.
2. I feel so much more at home here. I call this the "Hippy, crunchy, mom's with strollers" part of the city. If you know where I went to college you know why this makes me happy. :)
3. Our apartment, while tiny, feels like us. It feels like a home. Which I didn't even realize I was missing until we moved.

Anthony's Top 6 Reasons Our Last Place Sucked
6. The neighborhood was on the edge of a very seedy part of the city.
5. Living near a metro stop, and only a metro stop, does not solve your city transportation issues.
4. Our building neighbors matched our 'hood (the very edge of seedy).
3. We had our property stolen from a "locked" garage.
2. Building management were easy to reach, but often slow to address our requests.
1. The literal mice infestation. And the worst part was I was sure they were nesting in the adjacent apartment.

Anthony's Top 6 Reasons Our New Place Rocks
6. We live in a lively, walkable part of the city.
5. I can now ride my bike to work.
4. We have a deck... Labor Day BBQ anyone?
3. Our landlord is an awesomely chill guy (e.g. he stopped by on a Saturday to replace some lightbulbs)
2. We have built in wall bike racks in building entryway.
1. We can live really comfortably without AC thanks to our wall-to-wall windows and two amazing ceiling fans. edit: He's not joking. There's maybe been 2 days since we moved that I've escaped to the library for air conditioning. 

On Name Changing.

No two ways about it.
This is a toughie.

I always thought I would change my name when I got married. Never even crossed my mind to consider othewise. When I would mention how difficult it was going to be to decide which names to keep (I have two middle names) when I changed my name, people would always say "Well, you can just keep your name" and I would say "No, I want to change it."

And I do. I can not stress that point enough. I love my husband, and I want to be Mrs. Hislastname.

And yet.

I haven't done it.

Legally changed my name I mean.

I didn't realize how attached I was to being Sarah French until I was about to give it up.

I mean, for one thing roughly half of the people I met during college still call me "Sarah French". I have never been Sarah, always Sarah French. I'm not even entirely sure how it came about, but it did stick. And while I realize changing my name isn't likely to change what they call me, it still resonated with me.

Also, (and I'm playing couch pyschologist now aren't you pschyed?!) it took me a really really long time to be happy with who I was. It took me a long time to like myself. And my name was part of that, and is still a part of me. Perhaps on some level, it feels like regression. Like taking my husband's last name (which is unquestionably prettier and more exotic then mine) is saying that I didn't like who I was, and was waiting for him to change me into someone I do like.

This is coming out badly, excuse me.

I guess it boils down to identity. And what I didn't realize was how much I idenitfy who I am with "Sarah French". I've been Sarah French for 26 years. That name has taken me to foreign countries, survived heartache I thought I would never recover from, saw both my parents go through major life threatening illness, and been shouted by friends (in both joy and not joy) more times then I can count.

And while I know intellectually that just because my name is changing it isn't changing who I am (let's get real, it's just a name, and if you met me during college, chances are good you're going to be calling me "SarahFrench" for the rest of our lives) it feels...big. Like it does mean I'm becoming someone brand new. Which is kind of fun, and kind of scary. Like I said, it took me a long long time to like who I am.

But after this weekend, I just feel a kind of peace about it. It's time. I'm ready.

And I finally came up with a solution about my myriad of name that makes me happy. Which is probably a large part of it too.

But if you ever address mail to me "Mrs. Anthony Hislastname" I might send it back to you.

Cause dude. I am "Sarah French Hislastname". Not an appendage.

Edit: I'm still working on the paperwork. But hey. At least I'm working on it?

a thought.

"I love being married. It's so great to find that one special person you want to annoy for the rest of your life."

-- Rita Rudner

Taking a moment to appreciate my hubby today.

He's a keeper.

Anyone have some inexpensive, creative date night ideas to share?

We've done a picnic in the park (with a little soccer or frisbee tossing, of course) and a few other inexpensive dates like netflix movie with wine, etc.  

xoxo Susannah

found: blog post

Find of the day: another blog by an adorable newlywed couple.  They've been blogging for about a year, and I came across their blog through Pinterest, of all places.

Anyway, check out this post:

 It's a whole post on advice for newlyweds, from newlyweds.  They have some lovely things to say, and I love the suggestions.

See for yourself!

xoxo Susannah

birthday fun

via

For my birthday last week, we spent the whole weekend doing fun things. Friday night was dinner in with the husband and my birthday presents from him.  Saturday was a day in town visiting the big flea market.  Saturday evening, we went bowling with a few friends, and Sunday afternoon was a baseball game!  It was a lovely weekend, and one of the only times the hubby has had a three day weekend, which made it even better.

So, I was thinking.

How, exactly, are we (those of us watching our budgets) supposed to celebrate birthdays in a fun way that doesn't stress the wallet?  A few ideas for your consideration!

1.  Do those things you always say you're going to do but never have time for. 

2. Stay in town instead of taking a trip, but act like a tourist.

3. Do an activity like bowling or game night with friends.

4. Check out deals on Groupon, LivingSocial, or TravelZoo.

Have any other ideas to share?  This was only our first birthday as a married couple and we have lots to learn, but these are our preliminary ideas for this go around.

xoxo Susannah

birthday!

I have learned that only two things are necessary to keep one's wife happy.  First, let her think she's having her own way.  And second, let her have it.  

--Lyndon B. Johnson

Hah! Hilarious, no?  Is it true?  (Maybe you shouldn't answer that...)

This week is my birthday!  Hubby is planning most of the birthday things, so I have no idea what's on the menu, but I do always love celebrating birthdays.  And not just my own birthday, if that's what you're thinking.  :)

Birthdays are a chance to celebrate, to spend time with people you enjoy, and to eat inappropriate amounts of dessert.

So, for this week, I do believe I'm allowed to have my own, if only in the dessert department.

Apologies on the short post this week.  This is a week of big life changes for me, and not just because of the birthday. Updates soon!

xoxo Susannah

The Moving Saga Part 2

So yesterday you heard the story of how the studio came to be.
Today I shall share with you the lengths the husband and I will go to for a good apartment (More then most if my friends' reactions are any indication)
Also I promise no more grand language.

So.

The lease on our old place was going to end 10 days before we could get into our new studio.* As fate would have it, we were scheduled to be out of town anyway over the weekend because I was running a wedding, and my husband was assisting me.
So that left us with about 7 days where we needed to sleep somewhere, and store our stuff.

First up: The stuff

While we explored the idea of a POD (basically a portable storage unit that you park on the street), it proved wicked expensive. So we thought about renting a UHAUL for the 10 days and parking it in front of our new apartment. Also wicked expensive.
This is where my lovely husband stepped in (possibly to keep me from tearing my hair out). A storage unit was found with a great deal and good review.
So it was decided. We would pack up our apartment, load it onto a UHAUL, unpack it at a storage unit and  re-load it onto a UHAUL in 10 days.

Stuff done.

Next up: Where to sleep
So. We are nowhere close to being the Rockefellers. So while this might be easy enough for some people "Just rent a hotel room for 10 days!" Yeah. Not happening. We are newlyweds and money is tight**
A plan was created.
A friend generously offered to let us stay on her living room floor for the first few nights of our odyssey.
Tip: A twin air mattress is only meant to support the weight of one person, not two.
Then we trecked out to the wedding site for a Sarah French Events wedding( :D)
Which left us with a five day, four night period of where to sleep.
Which is where the lovely site www.airbnb.com comes in.*** If you've never been to that site, airbnb is a website that allows homeowners and renters with extra bedrooms (or, apartments that they're never in) to list their rooms. You can stay there for a day or multiple weeks. It's a super great site for when you're moving to a new area, have a lease overlap, or are budget traveling. They also have reviews about the owners/rooms so you have a better idea of who you're sharing a house with.
 We found a room to rent that was in the same neighborhood as our new place. It was pretty, affordable, and conveniently located.
Done.

*Whew*

And now, it's D-Day. And it's raining. Lord be with us.

See you on the other side!

UPDATE: All of our stuff and us are in the studio. I can't find the hardware for the bedframe, and we are exhausted. So essentially, all is right with the world. :)

* Originally, it was going to be 15 days, so this was actually good news.
**Those two things don't have to go together, but they often do.
***This is not a paid advertisement, airbnb doesn't know me from Anne of Green Gables. They're just awesome.