"Just To Look Around"

In this weekend's episode of HGTV...

Remember way back when two weekends ago when we bought the fireplace and it had the wrong finish?  Well, our solution to that was a brand new pellet stove.

Kevin has wanted a pellet stove since we moved in but I was hesitant.  It's a small house and brand-new so I wasn't super excited about it.  Then about a year later Kevin's parents moved up with us and we inherited a heirloom china hutch with heirloom china.  It went in the only place we could put a pellet stove so: all done. *brushing of hands*

The topic came up from time to time and I just would gesture to the giant china hutch. (corner styled, over 7 feet all, four feet wide, full of heirloom china)  Kevin one time lost his mind and suggested it could go in my office.   So, again: all done.

Finally, we...I...came to the realization that the furnace is going to be aging out soonish. Coincidentally, Kevin had been researching buying used pellet stoves.  We came to the agreement that we would not spend a bazillion dollars on a new one and if we found a used one on the lesser side, we would do it.

First we headed north, thinking that would be our best bet. Two stores and one lunch later, we decided to head into the other, south, county "just to look around".  Icy and snowy roads will not thwart this ill-conceived decision.

We went to one store and they only had fancy stoves that were way too big for our house. Oh, that's also part of the problem: we have a tiny house so finding a stove that won't require us to have the windows open in February is a challenge.

Even though we had already been to the store in the other town, we went to the store again "just in case."  If you're wondering: "Just to look around" and "just in case" is how we have ended up with dogs and vehicles that we didn't intend.  That's why the quotation marks and yes, maybe a little sarcasm.

This store did have pellet stoves that were the size we needed and they were on supery-dupery sale.  50% off.  Actually, there was only ONE left that was what we needed.  Now we've wandered into "We're stupid not to do this." territory.

We bought it and the kit but still had to return to the other store to pick up another piece.  Then we finally headed home and it's 3:00 in the afternoon. We started at 10:00.  We still have to buy pellets and the accoutrements for keeping it maintained.

It took three men and a dog  to unload the damn thing.  (Lucy was in supervisory capacity, in case you were wondering)  While they were doing the unloading and carrying, I was hurriedly and not a little panicky, emptying the giant china cupboard.

Pause:
The mom-in-law was worried that the china hutch wouldn't stay in the family.  It was hand built by my father-in-law and I totally understand.  But we don't have space to store it.  So a quick survey of nearby family members was conducted.   Kevin thought to ask the Nephew and to my surprise, he said YES!!!  Otherwise, it was going to get shipped out-of-state to cousins.

Now we're loading the giant cupboard into the back of the truck and going back into town.  Again, it's in the teens and snow on the ground so it was a DO IT NOW situation. Now Difficulty Level Increased: it was getting dark.  We unloaded it at the Nephew's, had a little visit, then realized that we had forgotten about dinner.  I would like to say that this is unusual for us but that would be a lie.

By the time we returned home, it was 8:00 and we were both just done.  But I had heirloom dishes that had to be dealt with.  It turns out that Kevin's mom would like to have some of them at her house. (sigh...on many levels)  It is a very tiny house (ours is 1100 square feet, theirs is 400)  and I'm skeptical but I boxed up some stuff.

I got into Jedi Mind Meld and chose some dishes for her.  Then I took stuff that I knew wasn't super valuable/important and put them in cupboards where I keep vases, etc.  I put a set of china that Kevin likes, that I don't, into our china hutch and now I'm stuck with a bunch of stuff that I have to find homes for.

Mickey Mouse cookie jar plays a song when you open it.  Hurricane lamps and candle holders are 100+ years old. Gnome is actually mine, he was relocated while painting. 

Oh, the fireplace?  It's totally going into our bedroom even though it doesn't quite fit so it's fate is yet to be decided. But it does match that furniture; especially if the dresser that has been on back-order for over two weeks ever arrives.

Lucy being Vanna...no, not really. She just came in and wanted treats.
Ignore the schmutz on the table.  So much stuff going on and I missed it. I could retake the photo but then Lucy wouldn't be in it and we can't have that.

Now the painting.  I'm never going to be done painting!  The wall where the giant cupboard lived desperately needs painting and a smart person would have done it prior to the installation of the stove but as you've surmised: we don't plan ahead. Like, ever.  And it's on a wall with a vaulted ceiling so I have to employ Kevin and his long legs.

However, because I continually make good choices, I did spend my last snow day painting one of the living room walls.  After much debate and me handing the paint color cards to Kevin and saying "What color do you hate?", we chose...wait for it...you'll probably guess...mocha.

I had about one fourth of the wall done and was so, so, so regretting my choices.  Like, nearly a panic attack regretting my choices.  But I persevered because changing my mind at that point wasn't an option. People will notice a half-painted brown wall.

In the end, I like it.  Kevin likes it.  Now I'm obsessing if I want to do any of the other walls that color. I fear it will be too much but I'm still pondering.

The hutch is the one built for me by my father-in-law. It is nearly half the size of the banished one.

One more thing: we were supposed to have a refrigerator delivered but the over one foot of snow on the ground delayed that one week.  I'm equally disappointed and relieved.  I don't know that I can take much more.

But I can.  Skip ahead a few more days with me.

When we were looking for a different dining table, because fireplace, I had spotted a bed frame that I liked.  It was in the north county and it snowed right after I found it so I didn't act on it.  Also, I didn't want to add another project to the already ongoing projects.

Except I did.  Two weeks later and the ad was still there.  I emailed them and it was still available. As luck would have it, Kevin was getting a haircut on Saturday and it was nearby.  The fates have spoken.  Like the table and the stove, it was $75 and we would be stupid to pass it up.

Now we spent Saturday evening (after visiting Kevin's mom in the hospital because OF COURSE) taking our bedroom apart.  I've mentioned before our bed was an old waterbed frame from the 80's.  I didn't mind it so much but it was super dated. And BIG.  And dark.  It's in our backyard, waiting it's fate in the burn pile.  (Yes, it does make me a little sad. Thanks for asking)

Now I'm wondering if I could paint the wall behind the bed the same mocha color.  Strangely, in the craigslist ad photos the wall color is very similar.  It is a Queen Anne Victorian iron bed.  The home we bought it from was a million dollar home so we can assume it wasn't a wallyworld, cheap bed frame. They were downsizing so that's why it was so cheap.

Fireplace will probably move to the left wall but isn't it lovely?

And, the dresser still hasn't arrived. Rumor has it that I can go pick it up tomorrow.  The refrigerator is scheduled to be here on Thursday but our driveway is nearly impassable so I'm not holding my breath.

Today is President's Day so I'm home.  I had a list of errands and tasks that I was going to do.  I woke up this morning in our cool new bed and thought "Nope. Nope to all of that."  Writing this bloggity is the most productive thing I've done all day.

And Kevin has asked me to stay off of Craigslist and OfferUp.  Fair enough.