Let's take a step back. You might be thinking, "wow, how did you move forward with this purchase? did you really not see any signs that would let you know how crazy this man was???"
And my answer to that would be: Well Of Course We Did!
The first time we saw the house it was late on a Friday night. Most of the lights in the house worked but it was still quite dark. It was obvious that the house would need a lot of work, there was weird outdoor tile on the floors, the bathroom was a hodgepodge of DIYs gone awry complete with loose mismatched tiles and a floor mostly comprised of caulk. After seeing one bedroom covered in an overwhelming amount of belongings, I turned to enter the second bedroom. I was met with darkness and a loud whirring of four large outdated computers working overtime and seemingly seconds away from overheating. I couldn't find the light switch and thought to myself - bedrooms are all pretty similar I don't really neeeed to see this one - and as I turned to leave the room I was faced with an enormous flat screen TV showing the feed of the 8 security cameras that RL had apparently felt the need to install around his property.
So, that was one warning sign.
The Inspection. This was the beginning of the crack pipe count. Under the kitchen sink, stuffed in the closet, prominently displayed throughout the living room and bathroom. Some were homemade, others broken but most likely still in use.
The inspectors knew there would be an entry point to the crawl space somewhere but asked that we give them a call when we find it under all RL's piles of stuff. They went to take a look at the electrical and found a thin copper wire sticking out of the box heading towards the backyard. RL had created a home-made electric fence surrounding the entire back yard of the 10,000sqft property. Yes it was live, yes that's insane.
When we first saw the house in the dark of night in February, we couldn't really see the state of the back yard. But the light of day revealed 4 gigantic piles of RL's crap covered in tarps, 2 broken down sheds (also filled to the brim with stuff), a boat and....wait for it.... A three story tree house made from random pieces of house siding, doors, and beams we would later realize he took from the garage.
Yeah, more signs.
The previously mention classy act of telling us he'd rather squat in the house until evicted than pay off the liens so the house could be sold.
Yet another sign.
Ok, so maybe we were neck deep in a river in Africa (badum bum - denial), but even with all those warning signs not even our realtor thought RL would try living in the front yard for two weeks after the house closed. And no one could have grasped the sheer amount of garbage this man had hoarded over the years that would become our responsibility to help him clean up.
It turns out, when you've been working towards a dream for a long time, you will put up with a lot of shit to accomplish it. Our house might include a zombie-hoarder-drug-addict, but it's Our House!!
Showing posts with label ramblings. Show all posts
Showing posts with label ramblings. Show all posts
March 29, 2017 5:00pm {the day that wasn't}
When the offer was accepted, when the appraisal went through, when we signed the mortgage documents and gave away all our money. These days were supposed to be filled with high-fives, congratulations, and celebratory beers. But too much kept going wrong, so we put off the hoorays, and told our friends and family not to congratulate us until the keys were in our hands.
March 29th.
We were finally going to celebrate! Closing Day! At 5:00pm the house would become ours, the keys would be in our hands and we'd have those beers!
At 4:00pm (an hour before the house was to be ours), The Man decided to go by the house to check on RL's progress. We knew, to a certain extent, how much stuff he had and that it was going to take quite an effort to get it all out of the house, the garage, and the massive back yard, but as it turned out we had no idea how much junk he truly had. And when The Man pulled up to the house he was met with a metaphorical punch to the gut.
Nothing had changed, in fact it was much worse than when we had been at the house for the inspection 2 weeks prior. RL was supposed to be completely out of the house by 5:00pm. There was no way it was going to happen.
A little back story on RL. He's a crackhead, and not as in "oh man that guy's crazy, he's a crackhead", but as in we have a running count of the amount of crack pipes we have found on the property and as of today we are at 27.
It turned out that in RL's mind "out of the house" meant that although all of his belongings were still taking up all the room in the house, he himself was not sleeping inside of the house. Of course he was sleeping in his trailer on the front lawn, but to him that was "out of the house." Apparently crackheads are really in to technicalities.
This is also when we learned that:
1.) RL's realtor (the person whose job it is to make sure their client is off the property and the transition goes smoothly) was so sick of dealing with RL that as soon as the money was transferred he left town. He went to Palm Springs for vacation for 2 weeks and stopped answering his phone...YAY! and
2.) Portland loves making laws to support the "little guys" and in this case RL was the "little guy." After frantically calling anyone involved in the purchase of this home trying to figure what we could do, we received a call from our realtor. He called to let us know that our plan to lock RL out of the house and throw all his stuff in the trash was in fact illegal. Since RL left his belongings on the property a tenant/landlord type rule now applied to us.
We would need to give RL written notice that he needed to pick up his belongings, giving him 5-8 days to respond and 15-30 days to collect his belongings (he had multiple cars and trailers on the property so it would be more like 30days). Properly protect and store his stuff while giving him ample opportunity and availability to collect it. And if he did not collect his crap by the end of those 40ish days we would need to try to sell anything of value and give him the money from the sale.
You have got to be f@#%ing kidding me!
That was not happening. RL also let us know that he had no money for a dumpster so he had no way of even beginning to get rid of his junk. So we did what any person at a complete loss for actions would do. We bought a dumpster for the crackhead that was living in our front yard.
March 29th.
We still had beers...
March 29th.
We were finally going to celebrate! Closing Day! At 5:00pm the house would become ours, the keys would be in our hands and we'd have those beers!
At 4:00pm (an hour before the house was to be ours), The Man decided to go by the house to check on RL's progress. We knew, to a certain extent, how much stuff he had and that it was going to take quite an effort to get it all out of the house, the garage, and the massive back yard, but as it turned out we had no idea how much junk he truly had. And when The Man pulled up to the house he was met with a metaphorical punch to the gut.
Nothing had changed, in fact it was much worse than when we had been at the house for the inspection 2 weeks prior. RL was supposed to be completely out of the house by 5:00pm. There was no way it was going to happen.
A little back story on RL. He's a crackhead, and not as in "oh man that guy's crazy, he's a crackhead", but as in we have a running count of the amount of crack pipes we have found on the property and as of today we are at 27.
It turned out that in RL's mind "out of the house" meant that although all of his belongings were still taking up all the room in the house, he himself was not sleeping inside of the house. Of course he was sleeping in his trailer on the front lawn, but to him that was "out of the house." Apparently crackheads are really in to technicalities.
This is also when we learned that:
1.) RL's realtor (the person whose job it is to make sure their client is off the property and the transition goes smoothly) was so sick of dealing with RL that as soon as the money was transferred he left town. He went to Palm Springs for vacation for 2 weeks and stopped answering his phone...YAY! and
2.) Portland loves making laws to support the "little guys" and in this case RL was the "little guy." After frantically calling anyone involved in the purchase of this home trying to figure what we could do, we received a call from our realtor. He called to let us know that our plan to lock RL out of the house and throw all his stuff in the trash was in fact illegal. Since RL left his belongings on the property a tenant/landlord type rule now applied to us.
We would need to give RL written notice that he needed to pick up his belongings, giving him 5-8 days to respond and 15-30 days to collect his belongings (he had multiple cars and trailers on the property so it would be more like 30days). Properly protect and store his stuff while giving him ample opportunity and availability to collect it. And if he did not collect his crap by the end of those 40ish days we would need to try to sell anything of value and give him the money from the sale.
You have got to be f@#%ing kidding me!
That was not happening. RL also let us know that he had no money for a dumpster so he had no way of even beginning to get rid of his junk. So we did what any person at a complete loss for actions would do. We bought a dumpster for the crackhead that was living in our front yard.
March 29th.
We still had beers...
closing is such sweet sorrow
We started looking in February of 2016.
Over the course of that year we were outbid by as much as $5K - $40K, underbid by $10K but with cash, and at one point we were the only bid but the owner "found" some liens on the property and needed us to fork over more than the house was would appraise for in order to cover his costs. When we submitted a bid at the house that would eventually become ours, we were pros at hearing the word no.
It took us over a year to finally hear "Your offer was accepted!" but by the time we heard it we were so skeptical. No hoorays, no celebratory drinks, those 4 words were met with, "ok, now what?" And with good reason. Every step of the process was difficult.
We learned after our offer was accepted that the roof would need to be replaced in order for the house to appraise, after much back and forth we came to an agreement, we upped our offer by $3K and he paid the rest of what the roof would cost (about $5-6K). At first we thought we had the upper hand, we were the only offer, the place was a disaster and without us he (let's call him RL) would surely go into foreclosure. Then we learned who we were dealing with. The house had belonged to RL's mother and when she died it became a part of the estate, RL figured out that if the house went into foreclosure it wouldn't effect him directly so if the deal fell through he would just stay in the house (without paying) until he was evicted... classy huh?
With each hiccup came another debate of who would pay for what, and without any upper hand it became more and more difficult. It got to the point that I dreaded calls from The Man. Everyday for the last week before closing I'd get a call around 10am - the deal was going to fall through/the heating system might not work/there's a lien on the house for two thousand dollars, then by 4pm it somehow worked itself out. We almost walked away more times than I can count, even when we went to sign the mortgage documents we weren't sure if it would really happen.
But on March 29, 2017 at 5:00pm we closed on the house and it became ours....crackhead and all...
Over the course of that year we were outbid by as much as $5K - $40K, underbid by $10K but with cash, and at one point we were the only bid but the owner "found" some liens on the property and needed us to fork over more than the house was would appraise for in order to cover his costs. When we submitted a bid at the house that would eventually become ours, we were pros at hearing the word no.
It took us over a year to finally hear "Your offer was accepted!" but by the time we heard it we were so skeptical. No hoorays, no celebratory drinks, those 4 words were met with, "ok, now what?" And with good reason. Every step of the process was difficult.
We learned after our offer was accepted that the roof would need to be replaced in order for the house to appraise, after much back and forth we came to an agreement, we upped our offer by $3K and he paid the rest of what the roof would cost (about $5-6K). At first we thought we had the upper hand, we were the only offer, the place was a disaster and without us he (let's call him RL) would surely go into foreclosure. Then we learned who we were dealing with. The house had belonged to RL's mother and when she died it became a part of the estate, RL figured out that if the house went into foreclosure it wouldn't effect him directly so if the deal fell through he would just stay in the house (without paying) until he was evicted... classy huh?
With each hiccup came another debate of who would pay for what, and without any upper hand it became more and more difficult. It got to the point that I dreaded calls from The Man. Everyday for the last week before closing I'd get a call around 10am - the deal was going to fall through/the heating system might not work/there's a lien on the house for two thousand dollars, then by 4pm it somehow worked itself out. We almost walked away more times than I can count, even when we went to sign the mortgage documents we weren't sure if it would really happen.
But on March 29, 2017 at 5:00pm we closed on the house and it became ours....crackhead and all...
what happend to my little city?
Finding a house was a long road for The Morning Man and I.
We moved to Portland at the end of June 2015 (almost two years ago! eeek!). We decided it was too much to try to buy a house when we first got to Portland. After spending a pretty penny on the move we thought, "hey, let's see what neighborhoods we like before settling down in one"...cute right.
I hadn't lived in Portland since 2005, and even though I had come to visit about twice a year during my 10 year stint in Chicago, I never quite grasped how much Portland changed. It has grown up and spread out and whether you want to blame it on Californians, or IFC's Portlandia, or just call it inevitable, it is no longer the affordable hidden gem that it once was.
So there we were saving up money for a wedding and a new home, looking up houses at a price we were sure we could afford and dreaming of the great future we were on our way to building for ourselves... then we met with the mortgage broker. wah wah. Thankfully instead of telling us what we could afford by bank standards (36% of your monthly income?! - no way!), he based the number off of what we decided we could afford per month, and it turned out our dream number wasn't based in any sort of reality (seriously, my greatest advice for anyone wanting to start the home buying process is - find out what you can afford first!).
With our new realistic number we set out to find our new home. This is where "oh wow Portland got expensive!" and "awww, how cute you thought you could afford the nice neighborhoods" comes in. The housing market is booming here, and the affordable properties keep getting pushed further and further to the outskirts of Portland where many native Portlandians would never consider. But with each offer came a no and each no lowered our standards and diminished our musts, so we started to look into the never-will-I-ever neighborhoods.
If someone told me even two years ago that I would be buying a house past I-205 I would have thrown back a hearty laugh complete with an eye-roll and a slight look of disgust.
It took a full year, but on February 15th, 2017 we heard those 4 words:
Your offer was accepted.
And with that came the end of a long road. Of course, that long road took a sharp turn into a longer more disgusting and agonizing road that neither we nor our realtor could imagine...
We moved to Portland at the end of June 2015 (almost two years ago! eeek!). We decided it was too much to try to buy a house when we first got to Portland. After spending a pretty penny on the move we thought, "hey, let's see what neighborhoods we like before settling down in one"...cute right.
I hadn't lived in Portland since 2005, and even though I had come to visit about twice a year during my 10 year stint in Chicago, I never quite grasped how much Portland changed. It has grown up and spread out and whether you want to blame it on Californians, or IFC's Portlandia, or just call it inevitable, it is no longer the affordable hidden gem that it once was.
So there we were saving up money for a wedding and a new home, looking up houses at a price we were sure we could afford and dreaming of the great future we were on our way to building for ourselves... then we met with the mortgage broker. wah wah. Thankfully instead of telling us what we could afford by bank standards (36% of your monthly income?! - no way!), he based the number off of what we decided we could afford per month, and it turned out our dream number wasn't based in any sort of reality (seriously, my greatest advice for anyone wanting to start the home buying process is - find out what you can afford first!).
With our new realistic number we set out to find our new home. This is where "oh wow Portland got expensive!" and "awww, how cute you thought you could afford the nice neighborhoods" comes in. The housing market is booming here, and the affordable properties keep getting pushed further and further to the outskirts of Portland where many native Portlandians would never consider. But with each offer came a no and each no lowered our standards and diminished our musts, so we started to look into the never-will-I-ever neighborhoods.
If someone told me even two years ago that I would be buying a house past I-205 I would have thrown back a hearty laugh complete with an eye-roll and a slight look of disgust.
It took a full year, but on February 15th, 2017 we heard those 4 words:
Your offer was accepted.
And with that came the end of a long road. Of course, that long road took a sharp turn into a longer more disgusting and agonizing road that neither we nor our realtor could imagine...
Oh...hello there {aka: it's been two years, is there anyone listening?}
Ummmmmmm Hi.
I don't think anyone reads this anymore, and if you do 2016 must have been quite a disappointing year (just 1 post?!?! jeez I really fell off the blogwagon). So much has happened in our life over the past 2 years: we got engaged, moved to Portland, got married and most recently we bought a house.
All of these are events I had dreamed of writing posts about when I first started this blog. I remember 6 or so years ago I got really into weddings, I followed all of the hip wedding blogs, Style Me Pretty was my favorite website and I would sit at work at watch stranger's wedding videos and quietly happy-cry in my cubicle. I couldn't wait to have a wedding of my own to prepare for so I could post all the DIYs and trails and tribulations of finding each vendor and then finally be able to reveal my wedding photos, or maybe even have my wedding featured on one of the sites that I loved. But planning a wedding is stressful (especially when you're paying for it yourself), and time consuming and when we were in the thick of it the idea of sitting down to document my experience sounded exhausting, and TV and snacks were such a better option.
After a while even doing the nail posts became a thing of the past, I started posting the photos on Instagram and the immediate gratification of likes was so much more satisfying than writing up a blog post for my parents to read (because let's face it, they were the only followers I ever really had).
But recently we bought a house, (and it turned out to be in worse shape than we originally thought when we made our offer) so for the past two months we've been tearing it apart and making it our own. It's been terrible and wonderful and all the emotions at once, and lately I've been thinking about how I want to remember this experience in the future. We're already starting to forget some of the crazy stories that began this process, the details are starting to fade and our re-telling and re-telling and re-telling of the whole debacle keeps getting shorter and shorter.
So here we are, an old platform and a new story, and if anything, this will just serve as a little journal for me to go back to when it's time to buy a new house and I think "it wasn't that hard, let's do it again!"
...
I don't think anyone reads this anymore, and if you do 2016 must have been quite a disappointing year (just 1 post?!?! jeez I really fell off the blogwagon). So much has happened in our life over the past 2 years: we got engaged, moved to Portland, got married and most recently we bought a house.
All of these are events I had dreamed of writing posts about when I first started this blog. I remember 6 or so years ago I got really into weddings, I followed all of the hip wedding blogs, Style Me Pretty was my favorite website and I would sit at work at watch stranger's wedding videos and quietly happy-cry in my cubicle. I couldn't wait to have a wedding of my own to prepare for so I could post all the DIYs and trails and tribulations of finding each vendor and then finally be able to reveal my wedding photos, or maybe even have my wedding featured on one of the sites that I loved. But planning a wedding is stressful (especially when you're paying for it yourself), and time consuming and when we were in the thick of it the idea of sitting down to document my experience sounded exhausting, and TV and snacks were such a better option.
After a while even doing the nail posts became a thing of the past, I started posting the photos on Instagram and the immediate gratification of likes was so much more satisfying than writing up a blog post for my parents to read (because let's face it, they were the only followers I ever really had).
But recently we bought a house, (and it turned out to be in worse shape than we originally thought when we made our offer) so for the past two months we've been tearing it apart and making it our own. It's been terrible and wonderful and all the emotions at once, and lately I've been thinking about how I want to remember this experience in the future. We're already starting to forget some of the crazy stories that began this process, the details are starting to fade and our re-telling and re-telling and re-telling of the whole debacle keeps getting shorter and shorter.
So here we are, an old platform and a new story, and if anything, this will just serve as a little journal for me to go back to when it's time to buy a new house and I think "it wasn't that hard, let's do it again!"
...
quatrefoil mani
Well, I missed Monday!
This week flew by, and so did July! I know everyone is saying this, but... can you believe it's already August?!?
This summer has been really mild here in Chicago, I've been wearing sweaters and leggings and turning on my space heater everyday at work (although that's more because they love to blast the aircon in the office). It feels as though the summer never started and now it's almost over!
I was feeling pretty lazy on Sunday when I went to do my nails so I stuck to this quatrefoil/lattice pattern. It looks detailed but it's actually super easy!
It's just a series of dots with dots on top.
This week flew by, and so did July! I know everyone is saying this, but... can you believe it's already August?!?
This summer has been really mild here in Chicago, I've been wearing sweaters and leggings and turning on my space heater everyday at work (although that's more because they love to blast the aircon in the office). It feels as though the summer never started and now it's almost over!
I was feeling pretty lazy on Sunday when I went to do my nails so I stuck to this quatrefoil/lattice pattern. It looks detailed but it's actually super easy!
Next week I promise something a little more exciting...and hopefully on time for the usual "mani monday"
Have a great weekend!!!!
doodle day
Wow it's been a long time since I've posted a doodle.
I can't believe it's almost August! This year is just flying by and each moment feels so busy but when I take a step back it doesn't seem like anything is getting done. I recently took a look at that "goals" post from the beginning of the year, and although I have barely accomplished or started any of them (i.e. none, not a single one) reading it reminded me not to feel so guilty when things don't happen the way I planned.
I still do want to create photo albums of the last 4 (almost 5 AHHHHH!!) years with The Man, and use my studio more, and exercise, like, at all, and I can, and I will, but I'm a lazy procrastinating couch potato and I just have to take it one step at a time. Trying to do everything all at once is overwhelming, and then nothing gets done. So here's the first step back into being productive.....
Goal #3 - Post one doodle a week:
Today doodle is the classic combination of pencil on post-it:
I can't believe it's almost August! This year is just flying by and each moment feels so busy but when I take a step back it doesn't seem like anything is getting done. I recently took a look at that "goals" post from the beginning of the year, and although I have barely accomplished or started any of them (i.e. none, not a single one) reading it reminded me not to feel so guilty when things don't happen the way I planned.
I still do want to create photo albums of the last 4 (almost 5 AHHHHH!!) years with The Man, and use my studio more, and exercise, like, at all, and I can, and I will, but I'm a lazy procrastinating couch potato and I just have to take it one step at a time. Trying to do everything all at once is overwhelming, and then nothing gets done. So here's the first step back into being productive.....
Goal #3 - Post one doodle a week:
Today doodle is the classic combination of pencil on post-it:
easy peasy mac and cheesy.
blogaversary
Happy 3 Years!
This past weekend was this blog's 3 year anniversary, so I just wanted to pop in and say…
Thank you for continuing to come back, even though, more often than not, I leave you with nothing new to see.
I really appreciate your support.
Have a wonderful week y'all.
in 2014
This past week the blog-world has been filled with resolutions, fresh starts, and a can-do attitude.
So, here's my list, some are pretty cliche, but that's ok with me:
I've never been one for making resolutions, they're too easy to break. People always choose too huge of a task, and for some reason the word resolution feels like it comes with a deadline, as if all your statements need to be finished and wrapped up nice and neat by the end of the year. There's too much room for disappointment.
But for the past week I've been doing some reflecting. After reading at least 20 resolution posts from all those can-doers, I've been inspired to make a little list of my own. I still won't use the word resolution, but I think "goals" has a good ring to it. It's more of a desire to achieve something greater, as opposed to a commitment to finish some self-improvement by December 31st.
(I know these are arbitrary definitions I just created, but it's my blog, so go with it).
But for the past week I've been doing some reflecting. After reading at least 20 resolution posts from all those can-doers, I've been inspired to make a little list of my own. I still won't use the word resolution, but I think "goals" has a good ring to it. It's more of a desire to achieve something greater, as opposed to a commitment to finish some self-improvement by December 31st.
(I know these are arbitrary definitions I just created, but it's my blog, so go with it).
- Drink more smoothies - This summer I started to drink a smoothie for breakfast almost everyday, it felt so great! I started loosing weight, and the eczema on the back of my neck went away for the first time in 10 years. Then the winter hit, and I just can't seem to wake up in time (that, and drinking ice when it's -17 outside doesn't sound appealing most days).
- Get the studio organized and usable - The second bedroom in our apartment is supposed to be a creative space, but instead it's been the hodgepodge/storage room for the past year and a half.
- Post one drawing a week - I started "doodle day" a while back and I really want to get back into it. It doesn't have to be fancy, or finished, or even good for that matter, just as long as I'm being a little creative once a week, and creating more material for this blog.
- Work on one project a month - Speaking about being creative, I have so many projects and ideas I've wanted to start for years now. I need to stop waiting and making up excuses (like the messy studio) and just go for it.
- Plan an exercise routine with The Man... and stick to it - Here's the cliche. The Man has been talking about doing P90X together for some time now, and I've been fighting it, (because the idea of working out everyday for an hour sounds like living-hell to me) but after spending Christmas in Hawaii and seeing too many pictures of ourselves in bathingsuits -mid winter- I think it's time to go for it.
- Create photo albums of the last 4 years - This is something I've been wanting to do for years. I love how easy it is to take digital photos, but there's something about flipping through the pictures of a photo album that scrolling through iPhoto can not duplicate. As a kid my favorite thing to do was to sit and look through the albums my mom had put together (mostly to find pictures of myself), and now that we have a real computer that can handle me uploading all our pictures since 2009 I'm going to do it.
So, there you have it. Maybe I'll be able to stick to these, and maybe I won't, but just telling you about them will give me the push to start at least a few.
Happy New Year,
Keep warm and safe,
Love,
Me!
destination: procrastination-station
When you're as Lazy as I am, procrastination doesn't follow too far behind. I can't tell you how many papers were written the night before they were due or art projects were hung up still wet with paint. At times I can motivate myself, but for the most part all projects and "to-do's" just fall by the wayside.
I am good at starting things, making the first move or collecting the supplies. I can't begin to tell you how many projects I am prepared to do, or how many are almost done. It's those last little steps that get me every time.
Remember the assignment? Remember how excited I was? How I had this huge list of creative projects and how I was going to show you the final piece when I was finished? Yeah... It's basically done, but the paper ended up being too thick for the frame, so now it's just sitting there, haphazardly.
Remember those chairs? Remember how excited I was? How I was going to teach myself upholstery and those chairs were the first step? Yeah.... They're almost finished, I just need to buy foam, but who knows when that will happen.
Remember wishful wednesdays? Remember how excited I was? How I was going to post one every week and chronicle my dream home aspirations? Yeah... Those take a lot of research, and I'm tired.
Remember this post you're reading right now? Yeah... I started it a week ago, and now I don't remember my point.
I've told you many, many, many, many, many, many times that I'm going to whip myself into shape, and do things. But let's be honest, we're all lucky I have the motivation to do my nails every week, let alone finish a craft or art project I've started!
So, here's my new point (since I can't remember the original point), I think it's time to post the "in-progress." If I keep waiting to show you projects when they're finished you'll never see anything. Like our apartment, The Man has made some beautiful furniture, and even though the rooms aren't finished (or clean for that matter) you need to see them!!
Yeah! I'm going to go home and take some pictures!!
...or maybe I'll wait until the weekend when the lighting is better... hmmm.
Remember the assignment? Remember how excited I was? How I had this huge list of creative projects and how I was going to show you the final piece when I was finished? Yeah... It's basically done, but the paper ended up being too thick for the frame, so now it's just sitting there, haphazardly.
Remember those chairs? Remember how excited I was? How I was going to teach myself upholstery and those chairs were the first step? Yeah.... They're almost finished, I just need to buy foam, but who knows when that will happen.
Remember wishful wednesdays? Remember how excited I was? How I was going to post one every week and chronicle my dream home aspirations? Yeah... Those take a lot of research, and I'm tired.
Remember this post you're reading right now? Yeah... I started it a week ago, and now I don't remember my point.
I've told you many, many, many, many, many, many times that I'm going to whip myself into shape, and do things. But let's be honest, we're all lucky I have the motivation to do my nails every week, let alone finish a craft or art project I've started!
So, here's my new point (since I can't remember the original point), I think it's time to post the "in-progress." If I keep waiting to show you projects when they're finished you'll never see anything. Like our apartment, The Man has made some beautiful furniture, and even though the rooms aren't finished (or clean for that matter) you need to see them!!
Yeah! I'm going to go home and take some pictures!!
...or maybe I'll wait until the weekend when the lighting is better... hmmm.
it's not about the nail
My boss sent me this video and I just had to share.
I can't tell you how many times I've complained to The Man about something, anything: work, life, knee pain, hunger, goals, "what it all means," and all I want is a little sympathy, a little "yeah, that sucks," but every time he tries to solve my problems!
It's always the same, ladies just want a little camaraderie, they want to share their problems and in return get some justification that their feelings of frustration or sadness or annoyance are right on point. Men hear our complaints and want to tell us how to fix our problems or tell us that we're probably over-reacting and with a few adjustments we could just get over it.
I can't tell you how many times I've complained to The Man about something, anything: work, life, knee pain, hunger, goals, "what it all means," and all I want is a little sympathy, a little "yeah, that sucks," but every time he tries to solve my problems!
It's always the same, ladies just want a little camaraderie, they want to share their problems and in return get some justification that their feelings of frustration or sadness or annoyance are right on point. Men hear our complaints and want to tell us how to fix our problems or tell us that we're probably over-reacting and with a few adjustments we could just get over it.
It's Not About The Nail from Republic Content on Vimeo.
This video is so funny I got tears in my eyes!!
The Man and I have had this discussion more times
than I can count, and now when I complain he asks me "Do you want me to
help or just agree with you?" and for the most part I pick the latter.
a lazy lady's exercise
As you can probably tell from my haphazard posting and, well, the title of this blog, I'm a lazy person.
My nights are spent lying on the couch, and my weekends are spent lying in bed.
I love tv and movies and netflix and hulu.
Getting cable was probably both the best and worst thing I could have done for myself.
Even my showers take 20 min.
So, when it came to exercise I'd never been one for going out of my way. If it wasn't convenient it wasn't happening.
I recently ended a three year relationship with XSport Gym, we didn't see much of each other in the past two years, and when he told me I'd have to spend more money to go to the gym that's closer to my house, I thought it was time to end it.
Since then I've bought ankle weights and tried carving out a part of my day to devote to "bettering" myself. But it never sticks. Then a few days ago I found this exercise routine via Cup of Jo. It's the Scientific 7-Minute Workout.
Each exercise is done for 30 seconds:
You'd think 7 minutes wouldn't be enough time to do anything beneficial, but scientists say it is, so it has to be true!!! I've only done this routine for 2 days but I already feel it (especially in my tush muscles). I've always had trouble with not only the time commitment exercise took, but also pushing myself to keep going when it gets dificult. When you are exercising alone it is really easy to stop or slow down when you start to feel "the burn," but this workout is so short and well planned that there is literally no time to slow down, and 7 minutes later I'm back on the couch where I belong. Hopefully I'll keep this up...we'll see how it goes.
My nights are spent lying on the couch, and my weekends are spent lying in bed.
I love tv and movies and netflix and hulu.
Getting cable was probably both the best and worst thing I could have done for myself.
Even my showers take 20 min.
I recently ended a three year relationship with XSport Gym, we didn't see much of each other in the past two years, and when he told me I'd have to spend more money to go to the gym that's closer to my house, I thought it was time to end it.
Since then I've bought ankle weights and tried carving out a part of my day to devote to "bettering" myself. But it never sticks. Then a few days ago I found this exercise routine via Cup of Jo. It's the Scientific 7-Minute Workout.
Each exercise is done for 30 seconds:
lately
It looks as though our house will be a tissue free zone in the very near future, but for now we're still taking it easy, and going to bed early...and not blogging. I promise I'll be back soon, and maybe I'll even share a new wishful wednesdays post!
Drink Plenty of Fluids Everyone!!
the assignment
So last Tuesday I completed step-one of my assignment. When The Man and I were talking about my misuse of internet inspiration, he decided to give me an assignment. I was to create a list of 25 creative projects that I could possibly complete in 2 days (a.k.a. a weekend). They didn't have to all be a piece of art, just as long as I was using the creative side of my brain and not just sitting on the couch all weekend long.
After the list was complete I was told to put it away and not look at it until the next day.
Wednesday's assignment:
Take the list back out and cross off 5 things, don't over think it, just 5 that you aren't as excited about as the others. Put the list away again.
Thursday's assignment:
Take the list back out and cross off 10 things. Seriously, try not to over think it, even though you over-analyze ev.er.y.thing. Put the list away.
Friday's assignment:
Take the list back out and cross off all but 1. By now you probably new which one you were going to choose, you've been thinking about it for the past 3 days, and you're actually excited. After work go get any supplies you will need so there will be no excuses when you wake up on Saturday.
I love making lists, so this assignment was actually super fun, and what's great is now I have a whole slew of stuff to do... when I finish what I'm working on right now.
After the list was complete I was told to put it away and not look at it until the next day.
Wednesday's assignment:
Take the list back out and cross off 5 things, don't over think it, just 5 that you aren't as excited about as the others. Put the list away again.
Thursday's assignment:
Take the list back out and cross off 10 things. Seriously, try not to over think it, even though you over-analyze ev.er.y.thing. Put the list away.
Friday's assignment:
Take the list back out and cross off all but 1. By now you probably new which one you were going to choose, you've been thinking about it for the past 3 days, and you're actually excited. After work go get any supplies you will need so there will be no excuses when you wake up on Saturday.
the inspirational interwebs
Last week,
after discussing my thoughts on Motivational Jealousy, The Man and I got into a
conversation about inspiration, and the overwhelming, endless amount of it found
on the wonderfully terrifying internet.
I am a blog
addict. The list of sites I follow is
always growing, but rarely edited. From
home décor to fashion, life style and d.i.y. I love it all. All that inspiration is amazing and beautiful
and there's always something to give you new ideas and it's exciting and clever and beautiful and
never-ending and…stifling.
I have this problem where if I see something a person has made, even if it is an idea I've had previous to seeing it, this thought goes through my mind that it's already out there in the world and there is no point in recreating it.…I give up before I even start. Isn't that sad? After a while it's hard to remember what was yours and what you picked up from out there. Of course, as you learn in art school, there are no new ideas, and even if you recreate something you’ve already seen it will always be different because your style/method/hand is different. But still, there is this "damn! If only I had done it first" thought. It's similar to the "why didn't I think of that" thought, except you did, you just didn't act on it.
I have this problem where if I see something a person has made, even if it is an idea I've had previous to seeing it, this thought goes through my mind that it's already out there in the world and there is no point in recreating it.…I give up before I even start. Isn't that sad? After a while it's hard to remember what was yours and what you picked up from out there. Of course, as you learn in art school, there are no new ideas, and even if you recreate something you’ve already seen it will always be different because your style/method/hand is different. But still, there is this "damn! If only I had done it first" thought. It's similar to the "why didn't I think of that" thought, except you did, you just didn't act on it.
I love blogs and pinterest and perusing
artists' websites but I think it might be time to take a step back (wait, I didn't realize where this rant was going, am I really going to take web break? I
love the Internet!)
The internet
can be a great tool when used properly, but when your need for a creative
outlet gets taken over by pages and pages of mindless images it’s time for a
change.
And that’s
where our conversation lead me. The realization that I need
to focus more on my own creativity rather than being in awe of others'. I have this annoying affliction where
everything I see I think to myself "well, I could do that," but when
was the last time I actually did? So The Man gave me an assignment to get me out of my inspiration-overload-non-creative slump. I started last Tuesday, and I’m really
excited about it.
... and I’ll tell you more about that later!!
p.s. blog headers pulled from:
SF Girl By Bay
Gems
Junkaholique
The Design Files
Keiko Lynn
Design Love Fest
Oh Happy Day
House Tweaking
In The Make
Little Green Notebook
Design Sponge
Atlantic Pacific
Bleubird
A Cup Of Jo
... and I’ll tell you more about that later!!
p.s. blog headers pulled from:
SF Girl By Bay
Gems
Junkaholique
The Design Files
Keiko Lynn
Design Love Fest
Oh Happy Day
House Tweaking
In The Make
Little Green Notebook
Design Sponge
Atlantic Pacific
Bleubird
A Cup Of Jo
motivational jealousy
What motivates you? Do you ever have those moments of clarity where you have a sudden desire to improve your life either through exercise or social events or creative endeavors ... Of course they rarely come to fruition, but there are moments where you suddenly think anything is possible if you just get going.
Every once in a long while I have these moments, episodes, where I suddenly have a strong desire to improve my life and I have a clear view of what will make it better. And, as much as I'd hate to admit it, it's normally spurred by the success of someone I know or once knew… or I guess I should say, the envy of their success. The other day I had a moment on the train where I couldn't stop thinking of what I could do to get "back on track" if you will. Go use that gym membership I've been paying for for three years, start printing or drawing or painting or just anything remotely creative because Jesus Aly don’t let those student loans be for nothing! Then I realized what brought this on.
A couple of extremely talented people I went to High School with are doing very well.
The two of them have been in an ever evolving string of bands since Senior year, each new ensemble makes me simultaneously nostalgic for the previous iteration and overtaken with enthusiasm for the next. For a while now they have been Wild Ones. I absolutely love their music, and after a bit of silence they’ve created a new album. “Keep it Safe.” The album itself is not out yet but one track is. It has an awesome music video (directed by another talented alumni) and, oh yeah, it was featured as an exclusive premier on IFC’s website.
How amazing is that? They are really getting out there and I am incredibly happy for them, but there’s also this other feeling, this juvenile, tacky, “I want what they have!” feeling.
Every once in a long while I have these moments, episodes, where I suddenly have a strong desire to improve my life and I have a clear view of what will make it better. And, as much as I'd hate to admit it, it's normally spurred by the success of someone I know or once knew… or I guess I should say, the envy of their success. The other day I had a moment on the train where I couldn't stop thinking of what I could do to get "back on track" if you will. Go use that gym membership I've been paying for for three years, start printing or drawing or painting or just anything remotely creative because Jesus Aly don’t let those student loans be for nothing! Then I realized what brought this on.
A couple of extremely talented people I went to High School with are doing very well.
The two of them have been in an ever evolving string of bands since Senior year, each new ensemble makes me simultaneously nostalgic for the previous iteration and overtaken with enthusiasm for the next. For a while now they have been Wild Ones. I absolutely love their music, and after a bit of silence they’ve created a new album. “Keep it Safe.” The album itself is not out yet but one track is. It has an awesome music video (directed by another talented alumni) and, oh yeah, it was featured as an exclusive premier on IFC’s website.
How amazing is that? They are really getting out there and I am incredibly happy for them, but there’s also this other feeling, this juvenile, tacky, “I want what they have!” feeling.
From now on I think I’ll call it Motivational Jealousy.
quarter century talk
25!!
It doesn't feel any different than 24, but it sure does sound different!
Today is my half birthday, I've been 25 for six months. Back in April I talked about going through the oh so silly yet oh so real and common quarter life crisis, and it's only been heightened since the slew of weddings we've recently been to.
Do you ever think about where you thought you'd be at your age now, when you were younger?
When
I was 14 I was sure that I'd be having kids when I was 26, and now that
just seems like the most ridiculous timeline I've ever heard. It's
funny to think about the expectations and deadlines you set up for
yourself when you were younger and had no real life experience. With
every t.v. show and movie you see, every "milestone" year seems like it should be a
big life changing moment. Like when I was 8 and watching Clueless over and over again , Cher is supposed to be 16! It made 16 seem so old and mature,
like everyone was completely independent. Then I turned 16 and I was
still a kid, nothing really changed.
And
now at 25, an age that always sounded so adult, I still feel like a
kid, I mean I definitely don't feel like a grown-up yet (for example I
still call adults "grown-ups"). I'm not ready for weddings and babies
and buying houses, I'm still trying to balance what will make me happy
and what will pay my loans off. Some people get there quicker but I feel like for most of us, those deadlines are unrealistic. I'm at the age now where many of my friends are getting married, everyone is telling me, "oh, just you wait a couple years when all your friends are having children, that's the real kicker." We can't even afford the time and money it takes to own a dog, let alone do all that marriage/house buying/baby stuff!!
I feel like everyone goes through these stressful "crisis" periods because we are given so many expectations to live up to. And I know that a lot of them we put on ourselves but it's hard to let go of what 14 year old Aly thought was reasonable and right.
I want to do all those things, but dagnabbit, I'll do them when I'm good and ready!
I want to do all those things, but dagnabbit, I'll do them when I'm good and ready!
bloga-joba-versary
Holy Guacamole!
It's my 2 year workiversary and my 1 year bolgiversary.How the heck did that happen?
It's hard to tell where the time went. One year ago today I wrote this post. I still feel the way I did then, I've been a little better at pushing myself to be creative in my personal time, but still there's something missing. A feeling of self-satisfaction? Of accomplishment? Or maybe just the ability to believe it when I tell myself there will be more than this. You get a little disillusioned when you sit in a florescent lit box for too long. I know I have to change something, but where do you even begin?
I'm still excited about this blog, and I still feel (as I said back in July) that it is a great motivator. But I need to take it further. It's so easy to come home, sink into the couch and stare at a screen all night, and it's so easy to sleep the weekends away. Seriously, So. Easy. But I really have got to get my patootie off this couch and do something productive with my time (yes dad, you've been right all along).
I have so many ideas running though my head but I'm always putting things on hold until there's more time, space, money, and so on in the never ending list of excuses. I'm somehow frozen by the fear that this is it, that I've found my career . . . and it's beige.
The funny part is how common these feelings are. Just about everyone goes through it and, for the most part, gets past it. I read at least one story a week about someone clawing their way out of the depths of their cubicle. It's frustrating being in the middle of a problem and knowing the possible solution but not being able to bring yourself to the execution. All it takes is doing. But it's so much easier to sit. I've been a sitter for almost 25 years. So, what's it going to take to get me to stand up?
. . . welcome to a quarter life crisis
it's been too long
I know, I know, excuses, excuses.
Sorry for my little hiatus there. It was completely unintentional, I don't even know how it's already Wednesday again. Somehow, against my will, work has taken over my life. When I'm not at work, or thinking about work, I'm trying to rest up so I can get work done . . . at work. The sad part about all this is that I don't have some wonderful dream job. I know I mentioned that work has been a bit hectic last time I went to the farmers market, but it's been a while since I've talked about what I do, or want to for that matter.
For me starting a blog was about taking responsibility. I have always been terrible at self-motivation. I got work done in school and worked very hard, the studio was my second home, but I'll admit I got the work done because I had to. It was much easier to keep practicing art when there were critiques to complete pieces for, equipment and space to use, and a room full of peers who were educated in my practice and interested in what each other was working on. People who you could bounce ideas off of and (unbeknownst to them) compete with. It's something I don't like admitting and I must say am a little ashamed of, but I have not made a single print since my last class at SAIC about 2 years ago, I want to, I just haven't. Since I went to art school, most of the people I know here in Chicago are artist, and let me tell you, that last sentence was blasphemy. When I go out and see the kids I went to school with the fact that I have a well-paying 9-5 is nothing compared to the painting they completed last night, it's a strange world, and I chose the unpopular route.
Since graduating I have found other ways to be creative, ways that don't include an acid bath (in school I focused in etching which involves either nitric acid or ferric chloride - not something you can do in your living room). Once I came to the realization that a cubicle wasn't going to be enough for me I needed something to keep me accountable, and that is why I started this blog. It's a constant reminder to continue to do art. It's amazing how quickly time can slip away from you, I swear yesterday it was still June and now we're almost in August. When I log in and see that I haven't written anything in a whole week it's an indication that I need to take some time to focus on myself again. This blog has been wonderful at keeping me motivated and creative. Whenever I sit down and don't have anything to write about there is a little voice in my head that says "Well, then, do something about it. If you made something then there would be plenty to write about." That little voice is right, and it keeps me going.
It looks like work might settle down soon, and the Morning Man and I are going on a well deserved vacation to Portland for my Mom's Birthday in two weeks. I think I'll be able to take my life back,
Sorry for my little hiatus there. It was completely unintentional, I don't even know how it's already Wednesday again. Somehow, against my will, work has taken over my life. When I'm not at work, or thinking about work, I'm trying to rest up so I can get work done . . . at work. The sad part about all this is that I don't have some wonderful dream job. I know I mentioned that work has been a bit hectic last time I went to the farmers market, but it's been a while since I've talked about what I do, or want to for that matter.
For me starting a blog was about taking responsibility. I have always been terrible at self-motivation. I got work done in school and worked very hard, the studio was my second home, but I'll admit I got the work done because I had to. It was much easier to keep practicing art when there were critiques to complete pieces for, equipment and space to use, and a room full of peers who were educated in my practice and interested in what each other was working on. People who you could bounce ideas off of and (unbeknownst to them) compete with. It's something I don't like admitting and I must say am a little ashamed of, but I have not made a single print since my last class at SAIC about 2 years ago, I want to, I just haven't. Since I went to art school, most of the people I know here in Chicago are artist, and let me tell you, that last sentence was blasphemy. When I go out and see the kids I went to school with the fact that I have a well-paying 9-5 is nothing compared to the painting they completed last night, it's a strange world, and I chose the unpopular route.
Since graduating I have found other ways to be creative, ways that don't include an acid bath (in school I focused in etching which involves either nitric acid or ferric chloride - not something you can do in your living room). Once I came to the realization that a cubicle wasn't going to be enough for me I needed something to keep me accountable, and that is why I started this blog. It's a constant reminder to continue to do art. It's amazing how quickly time can slip away from you, I swear yesterday it was still June and now we're almost in August. When I log in and see that I haven't written anything in a whole week it's an indication that I need to take some time to focus on myself again. This blog has been wonderful at keeping me motivated and creative. Whenever I sit down and don't have anything to write about there is a little voice in my head that says "Well, then, do something about it. If you made something then there would be plenty to write about." That little voice is right, and it keeps me going.
It looks like work might settle down soon, and the Morning Man and I are going on a well deserved vacation to Portland for my Mom's Birthday in two weeks. I think I'll be able to take my life back,
just as long as I keep listening to that little voice.
workiversary
Today is my 1 year jobiversary. One year ago today I started working in this office, I was so excited I finally snagged the kind of job I wanted. Yep, my dream job was doing administrative work in a cubicle. In the past year I've climbed to the top of the 2 person ladder, gained a lot more responsibilities (office administrator, office manager, and personal assistant to the principal attorney), and I've learned a lot.
A few months ago I finally had a epiphany. After earning a BFA at one of the top 3 art colleges in the US, I actually want a job that is a little more creative. . . I never said it was a brilliant epiphany. You'd think I would have come to this realization 17 years ago in elementary school, when I would finish other kids' art projects for them, and get upset when the art "lesson" (painting on paper plates) would be replaced by math, because everyone was behind on their times tables. Instead it took me 1 year at a desk.
Now, I'm no dummy. I'm not going to go quit my job and work as a studio artist. I've never been delusional enough to think "studio artist" could be a valid career choice. My student loans are too high and my parents have enough worries of thier own without trying to pay for their grown daughters' rent and groceries. But there are some changes I can make, time I can set aside, and skills I can teach myself so that one day I can work somewhere that's a little less beige.
So, here I go, first step make a blog (check). Next, make stuff . . .
A few months ago I finally had a epiphany. After earning a BFA at one of the top 3 art colleges in the US, I actually want a job that is a little more creative. . . I never said it was a brilliant epiphany. You'd think I would have come to this realization 17 years ago in elementary school, when I would finish other kids' art projects for them, and get upset when the art "lesson" (painting on paper plates) would be replaced by math, because everyone was behind on their times tables. Instead it took me 1 year at a desk.
Now, I'm no dummy. I'm not going to go quit my job and work as a studio artist. I've never been delusional enough to think "studio artist" could be a valid career choice. My student loans are too high and my parents have enough worries of thier own without trying to pay for their grown daughters' rent and groceries. But there are some changes I can make, time I can set aside, and skills I can teach myself so that one day I can work somewhere that's a little less beige.
So, here I go, first step make a blog (check). Next, make stuff . . .
Subscribe to:
Comments (Atom)
