Blog, blog, blog

Just found a very informative list of tips and tricks for starting a blog. It was written by Gretchen Rubin of The Happiness Project - amazing writer and blogger. While some of these I have already learned, I find the rest to be quite helpful. Enjoy!

Lessons learned, forgotten, and re-learned

I got a great deal on two tall bookshelves via craigslist last week. Originally they were $25 each, but the seller ended up giving me two for the price of one...yay! As they're just particleboard, I probably could have gotten them for pretty cheap at Target, but I prefer to buy for even cheaper and then cusotmize a la Centsationalgirl. (Tangent - I heart Kate's site and home. Check her out.)

Right now I am in the middle of priming and painting them. It's been so long since I've painted anything that I forgot some of the little tips and tricks that I've learned in the past. Aside from the basics, here's a refresher course on the little details that will make your painting project go much smoother:

1) Always have paint-mixing sticks on hand. They're cheap and so precious during a project like this.

2) For anything with corners, also have an angled brush available. For everything else, use a roller. So much faster.

3) Speaking of corners, do corners and edging first.

4) Paint in a well-ventilated and well-lit area. (Seems obvious, but easy for us northerners to forget when we want to paint and it's 40 degrees outside.)

5) Paint is meant to be applied at 70 degrees Farenheit and in moderate humidity. If you're painting in different conditions, use an additive such as Penetrol or Floetrol to allow for even coverage.

6) Don't bother with a manicure until the project is COMPLETE.

I'm Scared

There, I said it.

I've been talking about it for months and now it's nearly here. I am this close to giving birth. Not literally of course. According to my TO DO list, I will be spending the next nine months, developing, establishing, outlining, and beginning my own business. No MBA program, house purchase, or other general life goal is in my way. I have bought and decorated the house, graduated with a double Masters, shed 15 pounds, started volunteering again, obtained a second [eventually primary] source of income, and basically crossed out every other thing on my list. I am free.

Yet I am scared. In an effort to make myself accountable to the Universe I have told everyone dear to me about my plans. We've had other opportunities fall through...which in my mind is a sign from Madame Universe that I am MEANT to do this. I am MEANT to tear the band-aid, jump without a parachute, swim in my uncertainty, and DO THE DAMN THANG.

I've read enough of other entrepreneurs' experiences to know that I will be my own worst critic. I will second-guess myself to death. I'm there already. Scared, uncertain, timid, trembling, doubtful. (Wait a minute, back up. Did I just call myself an "entrepreneur"? Freaky.)

But I have conceived. You can't see the bump yet. I feel no kicks. I am still sleeping soundly. But there is a small sense of nausea at the back of my thoughts; I expect soon it will be a daily occurance. I shall go into labour on August 1st. Baby name to be announced in the future...

Are you a fan?

As an amateur designer I know the floors and the ceiling should never be ignored when creating a space. Until now I have completely ignored this rule, as a matter of inconvenience (how do I uninstall/insall) and expense (carpet was laid down by previous owners). But now I'm wondering if it's time for me to step up my game and install a pretty ceiling light in the Master Bedroom?

Here are a few of my choices. My favorite is the first one shown.

Look what mama bear found!

In a previous post I mentioned that our master bedroom was nearly complete. I was just missing one floor mirror to lean in a corner. Unfortunately floor mirrors can be very expensive; I found some I loved for as much as $400. Most will cost you between $150 and $250.


















But, stacked against the wall at my favorite hotel liquidator, I found the perfect cherry to top my sundae! A modern, espresso finished, high quality mirror! And the price... only $50! Whooo hooo.

Front Garden Makeover

Our front garden was a boring, dull space when we moved in. There was no landscaping and just a 10x10 lot of rocks. Since we have a garden apartment that we lease out I thought, "How perfect for a little patio area!" And so the makeover began...

Step 1: Clear out rocks and lay down sand and concrete.

Step 2: Lay down the brick and the border. We used both new brick and old stone pieces left over from stone work done on other areas of the garden.

Step 3: Purchase 1200 pounds of fresh soil, distribute, and garden! I chose Endless Summer Hydrangeas and Japanese Painted Ferns for the patio borders.

Step 4: Accessorize! A table/chairs set and grill were purchased from Craigslist.

Step 5: ENJOY.

Forgive me!?

I know I’ve been a horrible blogger. I have been sooooooooooo busy. Here’s what’s been going in this crazy ride called LIFE:

* Very last full quarter of my MBA! I finish up in 3 weeks! I’ll have one brief summer class in August…then ALL DONE!

* Trip to London just a few weeks ago. Celebrated my birthday while I was there. Post and pictures to come!

* Been working on the front garden. Happy to say it is nearly complete. I’ve been hounding Craigslist like crazy looking for furniture and flower pots to decorate with. Post and pictures to come.

* We’ve hired a contractor to build a deck on the back of our house. Of course, good ol’ Chicago has managed to delay the process with its endless permit reviews and restrictions, but I believe we are pretty close. (Fingers crossed. Knock on wood.)

* A few small business ideas swimming in my head, one of them firmly injected by my husband. It seems he feels I should fill up my free time with SOMETHING now that I’ll be done with school. How sweet of him.

* Training for a half marathon. I’m in week three of a 12 week program. Post to come on that as well.