I didn’t disappear…
Hopefully, you missed me! I really didn’t intend to be absent from the blogosphere for so long. I must apologize to Shelbee (Shelbee on the Edge) and Suzy (The Grey Brunette) for missing this month’s Songful Style. You can catch Shelbee’s take here.
We’re in!
We were able to move into our home on the 26th which was a Friday. The movers estimated it would take about 4-5 hours. Let’s just say they grossly underestimated moving me! Nigel and I booked a hotel room for that night as we knew we wouldn’t be putting together the bedroom in time to rest peacefully. Boy, were we right! We didn’t leave our former home until close to 9:00! I had been emptying and cleaning rooms as we packed. But, the big cleaning was the kitchen and living areas as well as our bedroom and bathroom.
My poor new carpet…
Nigel and I are not young whipper snappers and don’t track dirt into the house. So, I opted for a cream carpet in the living room. It’s a sculpted (for lack of a better word) carpet, and I really like it. But, the movers didn’t take their shoes off as they brought things in. They also used those big heavy carts with black wheels. So, my new carpet had all kinds of black marks all over it. Luckily, we were able to use a carpet cleaner and got all of the spots out. Nigel wanted to use cleaner, but I told him hot water would probably take care of it. Luckily, I was right! Still, it’s disappointing when you have brand new carpeting, and someone disregards that. Neither of us were at the house when they were unloading as we were at closing.
No internet…
But, even though we were in on Friday, we didn’t get internet service until the 31st. Trust me when I tell you how much we depend on internet these days! We stream tv so we had to use the hotspot on my phone. First world problems, I know. But, I don’t know how to use my iPhone and my laptop. That meant I couldn’t write any blog posts or read any either! Please accept my apologies for not commenting on your posts for the last several days!
And, then…
My batteries in my laptop died! I was beyond frustrated by that point. Luckily, my oldest son is an IT guy and was able to fix the problem for me. But, it made me realize I need to do something to backup where my blog stuff is, or I’m really out of luck. I’ve read too many blogs where the bloggers have lost everything because of their computers. I’m also having some problems with my laptop still. It’s the weirdest thing…I cannot see links posted on link parties on my blog nor on any other blogs! I can see them on my iPhone and iPad, but I do my blogging and commenting on my laptop. I’m going to have to do some digging unless some of you have experienced the same and can give me some pointers or a direction in which to go! I don’t think the batteries (did you know laptops have two…I didn’t) had anything to do with it.
Working on my closet…
Nigel and I visited the local IKEA to buy some Kallax units for my closet. Unfortunately, they didn’t have both units I needed. The sales associate told us the one we needed would be in on Tuesday. I checked online to see the availability, and it appeared there were none. We had something to return so Nigel said we should just go ahead and see what was there. No Kallax in the size we needed. When Nigel talked with one of the sales associates, she said we could buy the display. It was almost pristine because it was up high and avoided all of the dings the floor models usually get. We also got a substantial discount.
But, I broke my closet…
I’ve spent several hours unpacking my clothes and putting them away. I’m a bit on the OCD side when it comes to my closet. I like things organized by color, fabric content (woven vs. knit), and length. So, I had to ignore that and just get everything unpacked and in place. I had bought several of those velvet hangers and had hung up most of my dresses. Then, I looked at the rod (which is pretty substantial). While it wasn’t bowing under the weight of the dresses, one of the brackets holding it up didn’t look quite right. I looked even more closely at the screw (which is into the stud). It looked like it was pulling out of the stud. I called Nigel in for a consultation. He located two more studs on that wall and called the finish carpenter to see where he could get a few more of those brackets. The guy asked if I really had that many clothes. Nigel laughed and said I did! Apparently, those brackets can’t be found in the local big box stores, but the carpenter said he might have a couple.
Poor Jack…
And, of course, Jack scratched his ear Thursday or Friday and kept scratching at it. By Friday night, he was in real pain and wouldn’t even let me look in it. I caught a glimpse on Saturday and could see it was full of pus. Being a holiday weekend, it was Tuesday before the vet’s office opened. Luckily, we got in at 8:10 Tuesday morning. He has a bacterial and yeast infection as well as something called rod infection. He is on prednisone (he also got a prednisone shot at the vet), ear drops, and an antibiotic! I knew I should have bought pet insurance! Luckily, we still have his foam cone of shame so he wasn’t able to scratch at his ear over the weekend. Today (Wednesday), he is much improved already. I’m going to try taking his collar off tomorrow to see how he does.
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September 10 on the 10th!
I’m really sorry for not getting this out sooner. September is a list of ten things you consider essential for fall. I realize some of you may not have fall so just substitute your September season (if that makes sense)!
Wrap it up, Marsha!
This move has taken much longer than I thought it would. We are approaching the two week mark and have emptied almost every box! I didn’t keep track of how many we packed, but there were so very many of the doggone things! It has been difficult moving from almost 4,000 square feet to less than 1,700 square feet! I miss the big closets in my old house! I’m sorry today’s post is short on pictures. And, I’m not 100% sure if I’ll be back to a regular posting schedule in the next week or two. Please hang in there with me! So, can we talk? How are you doing? Do you have a moving horror story? And, how do you feel about those velvet hangers? I don’t think I’m a fan! Please leave me a comment or two, and we can talk! I promise to respond as quickly as possible!
Thank you!
I appreciate each and every one of you! I thank you for hanging in there as I move, quite literally, into this next phase of my life. A special thank you goes out to my subscribers. If you’d like to follow me on Instagram, you can find me here.
Where you can find me…
Linking up with Nancy’s Fashion Style, My Bijou LIfe, Fine-Whatever, Is This Mutton, Shelbee on the Edge, Chez Mireile, The Grey Brunette, and Away from the Blue. I also link up with This Blonde’s Shopping Bag, Doused in Pink, Being a Wordsmith, and Mummabstylish. Please check out these wonderful ladies and their blogs! I’m a co-host on the Weekend Traffic Jam (here). I also am a co-host for Ageless Style on the third Thursday of the month and Songful Style on the last Monday of the month. I also host Final Friday Print Mixing on the last Friday of the month. I do hope you’ll check out all of these blogs and link parties!
Marsha,
How wise of you to book a hotel room for the night of the move. It has also been my experience that moving takes about twice as long as expected even if everything is packed in advance. I, too, have broken a closet or two over the years mostly due to hardware failure (and a lot of clothes). As for the issues with your blog, if you self-host, check with them if something configuration is out of whack (sorry I can’t be more technical than that). If not self-hosted, check with WordPress. I’m also having a problem seeing comments but it’s with the app on my iOS devices and not with my PC. And you definitely need to set up some sort of backup for your blog (there are free plug-ins) and perhaps a cloud account for your photos. Remember to get some rest; none of your chores can’t wait another day.
Rena
http://www.finewhateverblog.com
Thanks, Rena, for the technical support! I don’t know if I self-host or not…that’s bad, isn’t it? It is just the weirdest thing because it’s not just my blog. I can’t see the links on anyone’s link party! I do have the backup plugin…I had completely forgotten about that. I can also use the PC, but I like having my little world on my own laptop. I will definitely follow up on your suggestions, Rena!
Hardware failure…I’m going to remember that. Actually, part of it is not putting a bracket on each stud. I would have thought the finish carpenter would realize that. But, in his defense, he’d never heard of a closet this size before either! After unpacking and seeing just how many clothes I have, I’m going to try extremely hard to not buy anything in the coming months!
Thanks again, Rena!
I’m so happy to see you’re back, Marsha! I kept checking to see if I’d missed anything lol! I totally empathise with you on the move, having just done it ourselves. It takes AGES, right?! I couldn’t believe how much time the cleaning took in the end.
As for the velvet hangers, I used to hate them but now I seem to have decided I actually rather like them lol. I have most of my dresses, shirts and trousers hanging on them. You appear to have an extraordinary amount of clothes though, Marsha!! I’m suitably impressed 😉
Big hugs, and hope you manage to get everything sorted soon,
Suzy xx
Thanks so much, Suzy! I kept thinking of you as I was moving this box to that room and that box to this room! I don’t know that I matched your steps, but I surely did your aches and pains!!!
I just like the ease of slipping a tee shirt off the hanger. I have used them for my silk blouses and sleeveless things because they seemed easier. I am almost embarrassed by the amount of clothes I have. But, many of the things in my closet are many, many years old! I’m hoping we can get the closet rod fixed, and I can finish the closet soon!
Yay Marsha!! I am thrilled you are back and I love the reference to the VH song – ha!!! You were so smart about your move but I have to tell you, those movers are on my list!!! I cannot believe they got black marks on your carpet – ugh. I would kill for a closet that large.
So happy you are getting situated my friend!
xo,
Kellyann
Thanks, Kellyann! Oh, the black marks were the least of it! I am hoping we can get my closet fixed, and I can finish it this weekend or early next week. I am tired of living in a mess!
We had those same hooks in our closets– all our rods ended up falling off the wall the first year we lived here (some bent/ some the screws came loose) so it was a good thig you caught it early! It must feel wonderful to be mostly moved in now and settled once again. We haven’t moved in over 19 years so I’m not even sure where I would start… though I have been putting a bug in my husband’s ear about downsizing once the boys move out (still several years away I’m sure!).
Oh, I don’t want to hear that, Joanne!!! We are going to find more of those hooks and put them in at every stud. Hopefully, that will do the trick. Otherwise, I will have to abandon my craft closet and put some of my clothes in there. When we moved here seven years ago, I had downsized quite a bit. But, we ended up with an even bigger house than we had had! Naturally, it got filled up with stuff! It’s been hard trying to decide what to keep and what to let go. We probably wouldn’t have downsized if there had been a way to create a master suite on the first floor of our house. There wasn’t any way for that to happen so we moved! The downsizing was a result of the size of homes in the neighborhood. We just couldn’t build a bigger house, and the builder didn’t offer a two story though he probably would have customized this one if we’d really wanted him to do that…for lots and lots more $$$!!
Thanks for visiting, Joanne!
It’s so lovely to see you back. That’s smart of you to book a hotel room. I’m sorry to hear about Jack’s ear infection. I hope he is feeling better now.
xoxo
Lovely
http://www.mynameislovely.com
Thanks, Lovely! Jack is feeling so much better every day! We will probably take his padded collar off this weekend. The hotel room was really a wonderful thing after such a hectic day!
So glad that move finally happened! Great idea to book a hotel for the night of the move. You are so organized compared to the many clients I do closet audits with. Hope your pooch heals fast and can’t wait to see the new place!
https://www.kathrineeldridge.com
Thanks, Kathrine! I just knew we would be exhausted and not up to putting together the bed. I had no idea how late it would really be! Oh, my life may be a mess in many ways, but my closet will always be organized. I even have Mike’s closet organized by sleeve length and color! Jack is doing well…thanks!
Oh you poor thing! You have been incredibly busy! It all seems to come at once doesn’t it? I’m glad your dog is starting to feel better. His ear looks so angry in the pic you shared. And I’m glad you are starting to get settled. Your closet is looking good! Can’t wait to get peeks of the rest of your house!
Thanks, Laura! I did tell Mike about your black (I think) ceiling and how cool it looked. He just rolled his eyes at me! Jack is definitely better than even yesterday. Those prednisone shots do wonders! It seems like I open one box only to make another mess right after I’ve cleaned up the last one!!
Welcome back Marsha! You have had quite the week!! My goodness one thing after another. Glad the puppy is doing better and impressed with only one box to open left. I laughed so hard about your clothes weighing down the bar in your closet. Have a good week.
Thanks, Meagan! Jack is doing very well…I felt so badly for him over the weekend. It was bad but not bad enough to go to the emergency vet hospital. And, I should have known better because I have been known to overload closet rods before! But, these rods are huge! It’s just the brackets are not! Actually, I don’t think there are enough of them.
That was so fabulous to get the floor model at IKEA. That’s the shelving I use for my yarn and I’m trying to get the inserts (supposedly they are being delivered today…I have doubts).
And it makes you realize how much our clothes weight, right? LOL!!!
I can totally relate to the body hurting like that. Just one day of painting and my neck was a mess and I had a headache. That’s why we give ourself grace and let some things go for a while.
So glad you are okay, And sending love to Jack,
OXOX
Jodie
http://www.jtouchofstyle.com
You know things are bad when IKEA is understocked! I was really surprised when she said we could have the floor model! They did have a couple other ones in the area where they display bookcases and such. Those closet rods are so big…I figured they could take the weight! We are still trying to figure out our next steps. Luckily, Mike has been quite gracious about it, but it holds up all the other unpacking. The one good thing about other parts of my body hurting is that my knee feels great!
Jack is doing really well. His ear looks funny because they had to shave it quite closely to treat it. But, the prednisone makes him very sleepy!
Thanks for visiting, Jodie!
Oh poor Jack and your poor carpet! Bu your closet looks amazing! I have pulled many brackets from many walls due to the weight of my wardrobe! Jeff has become a master now at securing them for long lasting durability! I hope you are getting more and more settled in with each day, my friend. I have been in a painting frenzy which I am getting right back to after I finish typing this comment! Have a great weekend!
Shelbee
Thanks, Shelbee! Everything is coming together (finally)! I really, really want to do some painting. We selected Antique White for all the walls because paint changes were an added upcharge. Now, I wish I’d gone with my gut and chosen a different color. I’m already sick of it! I should have done some painting in my closet but probably won’t for a long, long time! I’m done with moving clothes in and out. We added three more brackets and huge lug bolts so those rods should stay up now (oh, that sounds faintly dirty, doesn’t it)!
I did miss you! But I knew you were moving and was glad your wait was over. Those movers should be flogged! I’ve never had movers that didn’t lay down plastic to protect the carpet. Awww…., poor Jack! I’m so glad the little cutie is on the mend.
Michelle
https://mybijoulifeonline.com
Oh, it was an ordeal, Michelle! But, it was nowhere near as bad as yours! We were just moving four miles! I was honestly shocked they didn’t put on those little paper booties and use some kind of protection. Jack is definitely feeling better. I even took his padded collar off for a bit.
Thanks for visiting, Michelle!
Glad you were able to get those floor models and get a nice discount: having all of your clothes up probably made you feel more at peace. Grr about the stains on your carpet but happy you were able to remove them. That would have really made me upset!
http://www.chezmireillefashiontravelmom.com
Thanks, Mireille! After such a long day to come home and find those awful stains…it just about did me in! I’m so glad Nigel got them out! And, yes, I felt immediately better unpacking my clothes (because they were lots of the boxes in the garage). Organizing them made me feel even better!