Move in Day!

Out with the old and in with the NEW!   Yesterday was Moving Monday!

First and foremost, I'd like to give props to Move Our Stuff (and the lovely Jessica Goon who recommended them!).  I've never seen 2 movers work as hard as they did.  Thank you.  You saved us and our future marriage.

Here are some highlights.  D took some video and promises to share soon.

Bookcase Boudoir

I have a lot of books.  Actually, D would say I have a lot of books and magazines and paper.  But that's not important.  The important part is, "Where am I going to put it all?"

I have one tall BILLY bookcase from IKEA that I absolutely love.  It's the best piece to own when you are renting.  It's inexpensive ($59), the perfect size, lightweight, and a classic you can reinvent over and over again.  I have been thinking of purchasing a couple more after I saw this fabulous makeover on Ali Mode a few months ago.

 

What do you think: display books in the bedroom or the livingroom?


Photo: Susie Sarlo, top, and Ali Mode, middle, and Flickr, bottom

Theme night dinners

I like a little routine in my life, but it's got to have some spice, too.  And so brings me to the age old question, "What's for dinner?"  In my single days, most nights consisted of cheese and bread and maybe a yogurt.  Once D and I started dating, it got a little more serious - roasts and pork tenderloins - but it was always at his place or mine.  Now that we're joining forces, cooking for two has got to be better than cooking for one!

D has already thought of theme dinner nights like Taco Tuesdays and Stir Fry Wednesday.  We're getting lots of fancy kitchen tools from our lovely wedding guests and keep dreaming up new things to make with it all.  We're most famous for chili and apple pie Sunday Suppers once it gets a little cooler. I have a hilarious chili story, but I'm saving that for later.

What do you think?  Do you like ritual dinners or are they passe?

Photo: House Beautiful, top, and Ulrika Ekblom, bottom

Our new home

On Monday, D and I are moving into our first apartment together! We are so excited and feeling all grown-up. 

So, without further ado, here's our front door!  Welcome to the future Johnson's future home.

Shoe storage

I'm always thinking of ways to optimize my shoe storage.  Most recently I've had the luxury of having two closets all to myself.  I bought and stored all my shoes so I could see each and every one at all times.  I tried the polaroid trick, but found that The Container Store's clear shoe boxes were a better solution for me.

Now that I'm moving to co-habitating with my future husband, I've decided I need a new system like the one pictured above.

The black armoire is killer.  I have my eye on this piece from 1st dibs, but it's white and I believe in leaving antiques as they are. Aside from adding a few more shelves for shoes, that is!

Where can I find one similar? 

The hunt is on!


Photo: Sweet Space, top, and 1st Dibs, bottom

The one that got away

We didn't think it would happen to us. A perfectly nice apartment was available in an elevator building with a fireplace and a skylight and a dishwasher and lots of closets. It was at our fingertips.

And then we lost it.

"How could this happen?" you might ask.

In classic S&D fashion, we dilly-dallied. We waffled. We wrote Pro/Con lists. We discussed work commutes and bus routes. We brought friends along for second opinions.  We grappled with it's location. Second street and Avenue C is not the best of locales. It's a bit secluded.  But then again, it was a Penthouse.

And then someone else rented it. C'est la vie!

It wasn't meant to be.

Would you sleep in a lofted bedroom?

We got really close to renting this apartment on Third Avenue. 

I won't tease you with the large outdoor space and beautiful skyline views, but I will show you the spoiler : a lofted bedroom.  Yes, the lofted bedroom ended up being the spoiler.  Can you imagine climbing up and down those "stairs" each and every night?

There are many options to replace the ladder.  But why do it yourself when someone like George Oliphant from LX TV's Open House to the Rescue could come and fix it in a snap?  Well, if that wasn't going to happen, I wanted a pole to slide down or a spiral staircase. 

D, thought one of these stair kits made more sense.

 

Would you have rented this place?

Welcome to the Johnson's new apartment!

Well, almost! We're narrowing down our hunt for the perfect apartment very soon. Fingers and toes crossed we get our first choice. It's a bit manic looking for apartments in New York City. But, we've made it through with only one meltdown in the back of the cab. Me crying and D telling me this is what it must feel like to be on reality television. Now that it's almost over, I can laugh about it.

But, more importantly, I'm getting excited and pulling all kinds of inspirations for decorating our new home. Can't wait to share!

Photo: The Design Files