It wasn't going to take much.

When looking at houses in this area in California, Mister Man kept seeing a lot of galley kitchens.  And leaving our Kansan kitchen was going to be hard enough (there was sooooooooooooooo much storage!), we didn't need to add insult to injury.  So when he came across this kitchen, he knew he'd found a gem and someone had already done some updating.  Sure...we would've chosen different cabinets, sure we wouldn't have chosen those appliances, but we're not those people in episodes of House Hunters.  We can live with these.  But there was one change I had to do immediately...

No, I wasn't going to put up with the gold fixtures.  Those needed to go and they needed to go because that was THE EASIEST switch ever!  I didn't even have to put in new holes or change out their screws!

We needed less than twenty five knobs for the house, which was perfect because Overstock.com (my new favorite online store!) had packs of twenty five for very reasonable costs!  I barely spent $50 for new hardware for throughout the house!  And FREE shipping!  And QUICK shipping, I just ordered them on Monday!!!!!! (I also bought a pack of ten handles and hardware for the built-in hutch.)


Our Kansan kitchen has a LOT more hardware than that, so that was one plus to this whole move.  Such an easy update at such a little cost.  And I had enough for our bathroom too!

Again, the knobs were so easy to switch out.  The handles were a different story, but we'll get to those eventually.  No rush.  Really....

The Interim Couch

I loved my old couch.  It was big, brown, deep, and it could hide a stain like no other.  I spent a reasonable amount of money on it, it withstood a lot, and it had a forgivable color and texture.



And then we sold it for $50 so we could move.  And while it was probably worth more, I really just needed it gone, because we didn't have the space to take it with us.  I would have even given it away.  And it was almost ten years old, even though it didn't look it.  It had aged well.  Mostly because of the color and texture.


So I've been sitting on lots of couches since being on California soil.  I've perused many styles on Overstock.com and Wayfair.  But I just haven't found anything that screams "buy me," or the price tag to convince me to actually do so.  Or anything online that has been worth betting on.





I'm looking for the couch I can have in ten years.  But I haven't found it yet.





So I did what I was afraid I'd do.  I have settled.  And I'm hoping this is a temporary sort of settling.  Which is a heavy gamble with someone like me who greatly dislikes change.  But for $269, it can perhaps buy me some time until I find the couch or couches worth buying, the couches I actually want, the ones I have yet to find.  The ones that will work for all of us.  With forgiving fabric.  And a style that will last.


So until then, this will have to do.  So no matter how much the cat claws at it, the stuff that will be spilled on it, and how it's not nearly as comfortable as our old one (not even close), this is our new couch.  For now.  Until we find the one worth buying.  Worth investing in.  Worth really sitting on.

We can live with it.  But we've already lived with less the last two weeks.

Waterworks and such

A view of our front yard taken on Saturday.

It was wet.

A view of the living room, also taken on Saturday.

No surprise, but these photos were taken sometime around then too.

And if you had driven by a week or so ago, you would have seen this:

In this household, we know how to have a good time.

The Arrival

As much as I want to believe all we need for this to be our home is us, I know that's a crock....

But we could have gone with a traditional moving company and had our stuff a lot sooner, but that was going to cost us thousands more.  And after I added it all up, it wasn't worth it.  We could use new beds anyhow.  Some new furniture.  We could definitely stand to get rid of A LOT.  So we did.  It wasn't pretty and buying new isn't always easy for someone frugal like me who only likes to buy new if she finds a fabulous deal she can't refuse.  But if we're going to start anew in California, I needed to keep an open mind and do what was best for all of us.  Don't get the wrong idea though. I'm still going to whine a bit in the next month or two (or nine) and I'm still bitter over some the items we had to leave behind at the last minute.

But the stuff we could bring is finally here, and I can finally see if I packed the right things.

  Or if I just packed more stuff that will need to go.

Can you tell towards the end we just shoved all we could in?  Of course you can.

 

And less than 24 hours after it arrived, it is completely empty.  But now the true madness begins.

A Room of Her Own

I had these helpful project managers guiding me through my project that is the Tiffany's box.  My daughter may never want a pink room, but really, what's girlier than a Tiffany's box?  Is there anything?  Really?

So while I managed to accomplish my end of the task, it was Mister Man's turn.  And while we may not have our belongings from Kansas yet, we have been busy ordering new furniture and items and had them delivered here.  So The Redhead finally has a real bed to sleep on!

Unexpectedly, Alexandra enjoyed this the most.

It was so nice of us to get her an additional cat tower.

The things that amuse us.

I had to rush to the kitchen this morning to take a picture.  The Redhead exclaimed such.  

And that's what I had to take a picture of.  The perfect circle of Trix, synchronized in the Dixie bowl, because we don't have real bowls or plates yet.  And they don't seem to mind their disposable pool, in all their infinite circular wisdom.

In case you don't get it, the cat didn't see what the big deal was either.


And if you're judging us based on the sugar-infested cereal in that bowl, that's okay.  Enjoy your wheatgrass.

This cat has the life...

While The Redhead is playing with her new neighborhood friend, I get to stand around twiddling my thumbs, waiting for our belongings to arrive.  I swear, this cat has more stuff than we do at the moment.

And as fine as she is by basking in the sun, enjoying her lazy days, I require more than that.  I have to keep moving.  Doing things.  Real things.  And painting isn't keeping me busy enough.

Not that one could blame the cat for preferring to sleep and hide from the kids.  Because their sort of playing involves torturing her, and playing hide and go seek with her.  Like they stick the cat somewhere and see if the other person can figure out where they hid her.

Fudge still thinks she has the life though.

And the cat is just getting better at avoiding the children.  Like hiding on a desk.

So until I have real things to do, you can just stare at the cat.  Some more.