Our Townhouse Sold!

After tentatively sharing the good news last week, I can finally confirm that the townhouse is SOLD!  It took longer than expected and we hit a few snags along the way, but we are finally able to move on - and move into the lakehouse.  We abandoned dozens of projects mid-task there, and won't even be able to unpack until we at least tackle a few, but right now all I can think about is how great it feels to no longer be in limbo (or have to clean for showings!).

The new owners take possession in January and I promise to share the whole story then, including what we learned and what we would do differently.  For now I don't want to jinx what still seems unreal.  I will tell you that we ended up re-listing with a different agent, and it was a totally different experience.  One commonality was that both hired professional photographers.  Even though I was adamant about this, it was very unnerving to see the townhouse through the eyes of someone else.  The real estate photos don't feel like my home.  Between the decluttering, bedroom re-arranging and the use of flash and overhead lighting (which I only turn on under duress because I'm all about mood lighting), the space feels . . . different.  The wide angle lens certainly helps to better capture our teeny abode, so I thought I'd share all of the listing photos with you.   

First up: never-before-seen photos of the outside of our home.  Hubby asked me not to include photos of the exterior in the house tour until we sold, so it feels like a major milestone to be able to share these.  Years ago a designer was hired by the condo board to design a colour scheme for our neighborhood.  Luckily I liked the blue-grey with the brick and Hubby loved the orange door, but I'm really looking forward to painting the exterior of the lakehouse, just because I can.

I'm not much of a gardener, though I did plant the little bush and the Lily of the Valley flowers by our front door.  Finding mulch that matched our orange door made me unreasonably happy.  Sadly, when we re-listed in the fall things were less green, but a poinsettia cheered things up (I killed the other plant - I'm not lying when I say I'm not much of a gardener). 

In our backyard we did so little that the condo finally sent us a letter demanding we tidy up.  The shrubbery touched the fence.  Le sigh.  The second photo shows the changes, which look more naked to me, exacerbated by the lack of leaves.

The second photographer captured the lovely green space behind our house (no backyard neighbours!):

Here are the interior photos from our first listing:

Here are the interior photos from the second photographer:

Ignore the curtains.  It traumatized me that the photographer pushed them messily out of the way. 

See?!?  My curtain pushing job on the dining room window, his on the patio doors.  Why does this bother me so?

I'm a little sad to say good-bye to the townhouse.  This was our first home and we spent a lot of our time working together on projects (you can see the before and afters, including a few befores I recently added, in the townhouse tour).  I've grown tired of some of my design choices though, because they weren't all made for us in the first place.  So, although I'm a little blue, I'm mostly tickled pink to start fresh and to see a different young couple call this home their first!

Faux Fur Throws

It looks like we will actually be moving into the lakehouse soon-ish.  Of course, as luck will have it, it will be the dead of winter.  Even with my cozy parka, I'm dreading it.  Did I mention our new place has electric forced air?  We plan to convert to propane heat as soon as we can afford it but for now I imagine we'll be keeping the thermostat on the cool side.  I'm going to miss the inexpensive radiant heat of the townhouse.  My plan is to spend the coldest winter nights bundled up like a burrito under layers of blankets.  One problem: Szuka is a certified blanket stealer/eater.  We're working on discouraging the habit, but if she so much as spots the corner of a blanket dangling off the sofa she grabs it and bolts, dragging it behind her.  She works quietly, throwing herself down on top of it and chewing it until it's soggy.  My two favorite blankets are a hand crocheted one my Mummu made and my spendy Marimekko wool one.  You can imagine my horror when I see one dangling from Szuka's mouth.  Plus, each is hand wash only and takes forever to line dry.

When I was contacted to review two Guillaume Luxe Faux Fur throws, available through The Shopping Channel, I greedily accepted.  Cozy and machine washable?  That is my new criteria. 

While the special price of $49.98 seems reasonable, the regular price of $79.98 seemed a bit steep.  As a wool-devotee I had no idea what a reasonable price is for a throw like this so I moseyed over to HomeSense and found faux fur throws that feel much skimpier selling for $49.99.  Certainly avoiding the incredibly insane holiday shoppers who all but shoved me is worth something.  Plus, after some chewing (Szuka!!!!), I can attest to the durability of these throws.

Unsurprisingly, I found Szuka on top of one yesterday morning.  The edges were damp and the tag chewed to pieces.  The first thing she does with every forbidden item she gets her paws on is to remove the tag.  Not eat it, just remove it.  I tossed the throw in the machine (cold wash) and tumble dried low.  The quality is there: there was no pilling or shedding plus it fluffed up perfectly and dried really quickly.  It's kept me so toasty in the evenings that I've gotten too warm.  Such a delicious problem to have.  I normally eschew polyester, but this feels soft and plush.  Frankly, I've surprised myself by enjoying these throws so much.

Aesthetically,the faux leopard print just isn't "me" after all, but I love the beige (faux snow lynx) because it's muted and chic.  It suits our cream leather sofa and doesn't look as faux to me.

Plus the beige will look lovely when I swap out the mellow assortment of sofa cushions for something bolder in the lakehouse (see below for what I'm loving right now).  The grey is also a favorite of mine but if I had the cash I'd splurge on the faux mink throw with velvet trim.  The "blonde" would look so retro on my teal, mid-century velvet chair.  Wow, online shopping - even browsing - is a dangerous rabbit hole to fall down.

1 / 2 / 3

I was provided two Guillaume Faux Throws but was not prompted or asked to write a positive review.  We put them through the wringer, literally, and were impressed with the quality and ease of care.  Little Szuka is definitely guiding a lifestyle change, but I'll happily trade in my wool throw for this cushy faux fur one that's machine-washable.   

Read more »

The Dr. is in

Big news: even though I hit a few bumps along the way, I successfully defended my PhD dissertation on Friday!!!  It was a grueling, sweat-inducing afternoon of fielding question after question, with nary a snack or bathroom break.  I didn't make it through unscathed - I have major revisions to complete, and only one month to complete them - but I did it!  Soon I will no longer be able to relate to this hilarious list of "grad school problems".   

photo source

It was a difficult task to both defend my work and also recognize room for improvement.  I felt awkward challenging scholars I deeply admire and respect, but in some cases I felt justified standing my ground.  Other times, I readily admitted that my project could benefit from their suggestions.  When this experience is in my rear view mirror, I promise to share some juicier details plus a link to my finished dissertation.  For now, I have a full schedule.  On my list of things to do:

1. Eat a pan of brownies in celebration.
2. Make sure everyone I know updates my contact information (to Dr. please).
3. Get to those revisions! 
4. Eat one more brownie.

Comic Source

Read more »