Goal # 2: Legal Documents

Death is rarely welcome… Unfortunately I’ve experienced a number of untimely deaths already. A few friends passed away in high school and my mother past away a few years ago, only in her 40s. My experiences have taught me that death can happen at any time – there is no guarantee that we will have the opportunity to enjoy old age.

Taking this into consideration, my relatively new marriage status, and a recently purchased property, I have been meaning to drag Mr. Bartender and myself to an Estate Attorney for a while now. I’m happy to say, earlier this week, we did just that!

Through experience with my mother’s estate and after a thorough reading of “Why Wills Won’t Work” (http://whywillswontwork.com/) I knew that I preferred a trust to avoid probate and allow a smooth transition of our assets to our beneficiaries in the case of our deaths. Questions we pondered included:

- Do we have the proper amounts of life insurance, AD&D insurance, and liability coverage for our cars and property?
- What are our current assets?
- Do we want to leave all of our assets to each other should only one of us die? Or do we want to distribute them to other people as well?
- Where do we want our assets to go should both of us die?

I know the process can seem daunting and depressing, but our attorney seems very pleasant and really broke it down very simply. The goal for us was to create a strong legal foundation so that as our assets accumulate through life and our family expands, changes can be made simply and quickly.

If anyone needs a good Estate Attorney in Chicago, I’ll be happy to refer ours.

Goal # 1: Going "Plant Strong"

A few weeks ago I learned that my blood pressure is a bit high. I knew the day would come, but I must say I was surprised it came so soon. I was raised with good eating habits (no fried foods or salt), I work out regularly (3-4 days a week) and I don’t drink too much (3-5 drinks a week). Though I like my sweets, I have a pretty healthy lifestyle compared to the average American.

Problem #1: no one should compare themselves to the “average American” when gauging their health. We’re a country of tubbies.
Problem #2: genetics. Both sides of my family are plagued with weight problems, diabetes, heart conditions, alcoholism, etc.

A friend at work told me about the Engine 2 Diet: a 28-day plan that promotes a “plant strong”, essentially vegan eating program. Unlimited amounts of whole grains, fruits, vegetables, and legumes; cut out all meats, oils, dairy, and processed foods. I must admit, I shed a little tear when I thought about not eating cheese, but I committed to the plan for the 28 days.

Though I may incorporate some low-fat cheese and margarine back into my diet after the 28 days, ultimately I'm looking at this as a lifestyle change. The book provides a number of recipes and approved foods, as well as online resources. The hardest part has been adjusting my palette and learning more healthy cooking skills/recipes. I'll follow up in a few weeks for an update.

New Year's Goals

I confess, I'm one of those people; I love lists! I have lists for groceries, for chores, for work, and for play. In fact, if something's not on my list, I'll write it on the list JUST so I can have the pleasure of crossing it off. In honor of the New Year, here is my list of 2010 Goals:

1. Convert to "Plant Strong" Vegetarian
2. Create Power of Attorney(s) and Revocable Living Trust
3. Set up Safety Deposit Box
4. Finish the guest bedroom - including new chair and dresser
5. Complete my MBA!
6. Design and create outdoor garden
7. Workout 4 days per week, minimum

I will be expanding on each goal, and possibly adding more, in the next few weeks.

What are your New Year's Goals or Resolutions?

Home Work

After much delay, I have [for the most part] finished the office! If you recall from my first post, the space was entirely pea green. Though I liked the color, it was entirely too much. BUT, after painting two other rooms, I knew I didn't want to start all over with a new color. So I decided on STRIPES.

Lurve how they turned out. The stripes were created with painters' tape and an eye for a straight line. (That's right - no levels used here!) I'll admit the room's a bit bright...but it's meant to be vibrant and awakening. As my good friend says, "You can tell a Cuban lives here!"

My wonderful hubby managed to round up some perfect white shelves for me - FOR FREE - and intall them. On top of which I've placed pictures purchased from http://www.etsy.com/ and some vases I found at thrift stores and garage sales.

The couch is a double seater and has a footstool for extreme comfort during long study sessions. I repainted a file cabinet we purchased a few years ago the same color as the teal stripes on the wall. Of course all accessories match the color motif; apparently, I'm the "matchy-matchy" type. Right down to the bright green computer chair!

Our Escape

My favorite space in the house is our bedroom. This is where I spent the most money and, not coincidentally, this is where we spend the most time. We love to waste away cold Sundays watching movies and lounging in bed. I often do homework or some studying while Mr. Bartender is still sleeping after a long nights' work.

I knew my color scheme would be brown, gray/blue, white, and silver. I also wanted to convey the sense of a hotel room, so I aimed to keep the decor clean and simple. We did not bring any furniture with us from the old apartment (it was all beaten up and in very poor shape), so everything for the master was purchased new - part of the reason I spent the most money in here. Though I know a lot of people do not like the "matchy-matchy" furniture, I knew I wanted to purchase a set in espresso finish to really convey that "luxury suite" feel of a hotel.

If you know me well, you know I love to sleep. I knew we would be purchasing our first queen size bed and I wanted ultimate comfort. I got a great deal on the mattress and box spring at Carson's Furniture (thanks for the recommendation, Tina!). The bedding is from West Elm and the throw pillows from Home Goods. I love my new bed : )

The wall art I did on my own - saw it on HGTV and only cost about $25 total. All the accessories in the room, picture frames, jewelry displayers and hamper, I got for 50% off at either Carson's or Home Goods. Are you seeing a pattern here?

I've been told it's bad fung shui to sleep with your feet facing the door. But, due to the extremely odd shape of the room and the two closets, it was really hard to place the bed any other way and still allow for the two bed side tables to be in their appropriate spots on either side of the bed. I tried putting the bed in the center of the bay windows, but the large sleigh headboard blocked out too much light. Remember from my previous post - I love those windows! By positioning the bed on a diagonal we're also able to see the tv clearly. This was Mr. Bartender's contribution to the room - the lovely big, flat screen. We are so spoiled.

The only thing missing for the room is a floor mirror for this corner. I'm talking 6 feet tallk by 3 or 4 feet wide, preferably in espresso or white. I found one a few months ago at Home Goods, but I wasn't able to commit. Now I am regretting that decision immensely as my mind can not consider this room complete without a nice mirror. Still keeping my eyes open though...

Step On Up

As I've mentioned previously, I did not need to do very much to the first level of our new home. The painting, remodeling, and even the furniture came with the house. Mr. Bartender wanted turn-key and he got it!

Moving past the living area, underneath the stairwell, the previous owners hired a carpenter to install some beautiful built-in bookshelves to take advantage of the dead-space. Though I am a huge lover-of-books, alas the bookshelf has other purposes as well, namely photo display and liquor cabinet. The carpenter was smart to include some enclosed cabinetry as well.

Adjacent to the bookshelves we have a breakfast bar. Can you see the countertop? I'm not sure what the material is, but it's a gorgeous metallic finish of red, yellow, orange, and gold. The countertop on the dining table is identical. The bar stools and wall paint match perfectly.

Walking past the breakfast bar and the kitchen, we come to the most unique aspect of our house - the booth. Yes friends, our dining room table is surrounded by a high-backed booth. It's unconventional, but we have grown to love it. You know that sense of comfort, when you've got the best table at your favorite restaurant in town and you can sit back and relax after a delicious meal? It's the same feeling here...every time we eat. I've added overstuffed pillows for relaxation and in an attempt to tone down the industrial feel. Without a question, guests always feel the most comfortable around our table!

The house was updated with all the modern conveniences. We have a dish washer (which I missed dearly the last few years), stainless steel everything, and granite countertops. All the small details were taken into consideration from the paint, to the colors in the granite, to the slate flooring. Happily, I was able to bring with me my flamenco watercolor portrait that I've had for years, which matches the decor perfectly.

Living Area for LIVING

In starting to gather accessories, figure furniture layout, and consider utilization of space in the living room, one question played over and over throughout my mind: "How will the space be used?" Endless hours of HGTV have taught me to really consider the purpose of the space, the regular and potential inhabitants, and how to trigger all of the senses.

I knew my hubby, Mr. Bartender, wanted a big entertainment system - surround sound, flat screen, game consoles, the works. He loves his video games and we both love movies, therefore a front-and-center view of the tv was key! But we also love to entertain. Nearly every weekend in the Spring and Summer we have family or friends stopping by. The living area needed to be arranged to promote conversation and comfort, while also allowing enough space for adults and kids to move around freely. Besides television access and room for guests, I also wanted to take advantage of the gorgeous bay window. With our tree-lined street, I felt this was a beautiful vocal point that should not become overrun by the interior. And so you have it:

I think we balanced the use of the space very well. I've kept the window open for clear view and we are able to fit quite a few people in here. During get-togethers, we usually remove the large ottoman and place it under the window - allowing for even more seating. We were considering getting rid of it for a while, and I'm very glad we didn't.

As much as possible I tried to include texture throughout the space. I have a warm, wool blanket over smooth, dark leather; perched on top of the natural wood we have a ceramic, geometric pattern. And of course, no room is complete without plant life!

In case you were wondering, the paint is a faux finish originally applied by the previous owner. It's very simple. I had to do some touch ups and was able to replicate it nearly perfectly, but that's a post for another day. The leather furniture is from Z Gallerie. The TV and surround sound system were installed by friends of Mr. Bartender. The TV stand is from Home Decorator's Collection and accessories throughout the room were purchased at Home Goods and Target.