Wednesday, December 18, 2013

From the moving frontlines

We are no longer here (thank god).

moving day!
{moving day}

Instead we are here ...

new living room
{new living room}

And, sadly, here ...

settling in
{settling in}

I failed to appreciate just how inadequate our adorable 1930's kitchen would be to my not-so-minimalist stash of kitchen equipment. It's an issue. We are putting in shelves as I type this and I'm hoping I actually make it in there for at least a single batch of Christmas cookies.

Whenever I get discouraged (about ten times a day, for the last two weeks) I just remind myself that my gift this year will be having these scraggly little legs on my sofa full time. Assuming Circe can adjust to apartment living, that is.

alive?
{alive?}

Eyes on the prize, people, eyes on the prize.

17 comments:

  1. I think they should warn people about how discouragement becomes your bff when moving. :(

    On a more positive note, I love all the pretty light that comes into your new digs. And the christmas tree! And the hardwood floors! Bummer about the kitchen equipment. I'm sure you guys will be able to do something fabulous w/ the shelving & storage tho!

    Will you be putting up pics when all (settling in) is done? I'd love to see the results. :)

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    1. I will put up pictures! I think (fingers crossed) that we'll get settled in relatively quickly. Neither of us likes a prolonged move in period and we have most of our plans made already.

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  2. Did you hire movers?? I always hire them, except for when my ex and I split up this summer, I just had my cousin help me. I regretted that very much. Always hire movers!

    But your new place looks lovely! I'm excited for you, and I hope we get to see the "finished" pictures!

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    1. We weren't going to but then panicked at the last minute and hired them and it was the best decision! We never would have made it on our own.

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  3. It looks like a great place!

    ...and for kitchen things, I heartily recommend hiding them in other rooms. I have two 2-drawer filing cabinets that act as end tables in my living room that contain a bunch of pans, apple peeler, food mill, etc. It's great to have some extra space there.

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    Replies
    1. Yes, some of my lesser used baking supplies are probably going to end up stashed in the hall closet! The area where everything is stacked is actually theoretically the "dining room" but it's so small that it won't fit our dining room table, so we're going to just make it an extension of the kitchen. The actual kitchen is so small that you literally can't have two people in there at once, unless neither of you moves AT ALL. Right now it's pretty unworkable, but we're going to put a temporary counter in along one of the dining room walls and I think that will make it much more functional.

      I honestly have no idea how I failed to consider this when we were deciding on the apartment. I think I'd just entered the desperate stage and decided it didn't matter.

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    2. Oof, I hear you. I've never actually had to look for an apartment in the real world (grad student housing and now living rent-free in a dorm)...but I'm sure it's so difficult to come up with what are the absolutes versus the wants and just get so sick of the fact that even getting the absolutes is difficult. But you're there now, with a puppy, and you'll make it work. :)

      Hmm...in the picture "settling in" - if it makes sense and there's nothing obstructing it, you could probably make the left side of it floor to ceiling shelves, an open concept butler's pantry, if you will. And I can't tell whether the doors are flush with one another or not, but if you need to make the shelves a bit less deep near the door proximal to the picture taker, that could work. Then, you could put a full length counter on the right side, either one of the metro shelving units with butcher block, or what have you. Now you only need some lights and you're set!

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    3. Yes, that's kind of what we're doing! Except we're doing a work desk on one side (since there is literally nowhere else to work on our computers) with shelves above and a counter on the other, with cabinets below. It seems like a lot to invest in a rental, but it's the only way we can make it functional!

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  4. Well, even with the disarray, I still think the apartment looks lovely! Lots of natural light. My dad was in the Air Force, so we moved every 3 years. It's amazing how that sense of efficiency sunk in - even moving apartments during college, I finished setting everything up within a week or so.

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    1. I wish I was an efficient mover! We never moved in my entire childhood and I'm just terrible at it. Unpacking, I am good at. The packing + actual moving - not so much.

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  5. moving sucks. i love cooking and baking as well, and living in nyc leads to very, very small kitchens. and counterspace is something unheard of. but i will tell you this...you get used to it, you figure it out, and before you know it you're an expert at working in a postage stamp kitchen. as my life goes on and i (hopefully) have a normal sized kitchen one day, i will never forget what i could do in a kitchen as large as a closet. it will make you stronger, trust.

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    1. Oh, yes, NYC kitchens! This one is actually on that scale, which I didn't think existed in LA. I'm looking forward to mastering it (although prob cheating because I'm totally going to put a counter in the "dining room" area to give myself some extra work space). You are a kitchen survivor, lady! Most of the people I know in NYC just seem to give up on cooking.

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  6. your place is gorgeous! it's amazing how people from the good old days could function in such small kitchens (and houses in general!) it's inspiring to me. is your apt seriously from the 1930s or are you joking?

    so good seeing you last week.

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    1. It is actually from the 1930s! 1937, I think? It is very, very cute but also clearly intended for one person! The unit next door is designed for two people and it's not much bigger but it's laid out differently (but got snatched up before we could sign the lease). Still, this will be a good exercise for us, even if I'm afraid we'll never be able to go as minimal as you have! You're amazing.

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  7. welcome home, rachel, dustin, and circe! i have faith in your kitchen-jenga skills.

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  8. I'm really hoping we can see a peek into your new home once you are settled - I'm sure it's awesome! Happy New Year!

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