Not sure why, but some people are anxiously awaiting pics of our apartment.  In case you missed it, here’s the floor plan…

With tons of help from some family and friends {thank you!}, this past weekend we were able to move almost all of our stuff that is making the move to the apartment.  I’m so lucky to have ties to a few strong men!  After moving a laundry washer and dryer {not to mention a bunch of other stuff} up THREE flights of stairs, those men can bring me their dirty laundry any time and I’ll wash it up for free.  We were also able to unload a bunch of furniture that’s not making the apartment/Underdog cut via Craigslist.  I had every intention of linking to our items for sale here on House*Tweaking but nearly 90% of it was gone in less than 24 hours!  I am relieved to have this whole moving process underway and am starting to see the light {although it may be fluorescent thanks to our interim housing} at the end of this whole for-sale-by-owner/moving-to-an-apartment-for-a-few-months escapade.  I’m living day to day for the next couple of weeks then hopefully we’ll have settled into a new place and new routine.

And here’s the new place where the new routine will be happening…

This is the view into the living room from the front door.  As you can see, it has vaulted ceilings and sliders leading to a balcony.  I’ve got to find some way of making those sliders childproof because I wouldn’t trust my kiddos out there for one second.  If anyone has an idea please share!

Here’s a view of the dining area and breakfast bar looking in from a corner of the living room.  We moved a pair of counter stools from our current home to the apartment just for that breakfast bar HOWEVER I should have measured first.  The stools are waaaay too low for the bar.  Oh well.  At least they weren’t heavy.  And we’ll have adequate dining space for special visitors with extremely long torsos!  Hehe.  I’m already trying to figure out an inexpensive way to improve the look of the gold dining chandy {that is hung too high} without permanently changing it.

That, my folks, is the kitchen.  The folding doors lead to the laundry room.  It may look like those floors are wood but in actuality they’re vinyl.  They look worse in real life.  I like the globe lights.

The hall leads back to the 2 bedrooms and 2 bathrooms.  Layne says it’s the perfect hall to run his monster truck down.  Shall I dare tell him I donated said monster truck that he hadn’t played with for months to Goodwill just last week?

Here is one of the two full bathrooms.  Again, vinyl wood lookalike flooring.  I only took a picture of one of the bathrooms because 1) they are twins and 2) the aforementioned strong guys were waiting to start carrying stuff in while I was snapping away.  Handy Hubby is pretty happy we were able to find an affordable apartment with 2 full baths.  He doesn’t want to share with the kids.  I could care less.  Guess who cleans the bathrooms in our family!

This is where Layne and Everett will either become close and loving brothers OR fight to the death. I appreciate everyone’s comments about their children whose bedroom sharing experiences brought them closer together.  There is hope!

And this is where you’ll find Handy Hubby and me passing out at the end of long renovation days.  There is a full bathroom en suite and a walk-in closet for plenty of storage.

So ends our apartment tour.  It’s nothing over the top but it will definitely work.  The finishes are dated but the place is clean and has good natural light.  I would like to try my hand at a few budget-friendly, temporary cosmetic improvements while we’re living in the apartment.  I mentioned something to HH about painting a few walls and he said I’m crazy.  I didn’t disagree.  I just don’t see the harm in making the place you’re living in feel a little happier with a few cheap tricks.  I also surprisingly discovered that we won’t be responsible for patching any holes smaller than a dime; we only have to prime over any walls we {I} may paint.  Hanging stuff on the walls?!  Game on.

Have you ever used budget-friendly decor or DIY to freshen up a living space even if it was temporary?  Anyone guilty of the ol’ toothpaste spackling trick to disguise holes in the walls of dorm rooms?  Me…guilty as charged.

images:  Dana Miller for House*Tweaking

Boxes are slowly but surely beginning to take over corners and rooms of our house.  I’ve been tackling packing in my own way going room to room, starting with the least used areas {i.e. guest room} first.  I haven’t been numbering boxes and then detailing specific items according to box number on a separate sheet of paper like so many people do.  Instead, I’ve just been writing a general one word description on the box like ‘decor’ and then listing each item in the box under the description word. For me, keeping track of a separate piece of paper with our entire home’s inventory seems daunting.   And when it comes to unpacking and looking for specific items, I’d rather just go straight to the boxes and find what I need.  But that’s just me.  There are probably a million different ways to pack for a move.  I’m just doing what feels comfortable and what I’ve done in the past.  This is my second time packing up our family and it worked well the first go around.

We bought our moving boxes, bubble wrap and packing paper off Craigslist from a family who had recently moved.  We have plenty – maybe even more than we’ll need – and they only cost us $25. I fully plan on reselling them once we’re all unpacked after moving into the Underdog in a few months.  I think we can make our money back.

Besides labeling each box by category or room with specific items listed beneath, I’m also writing ‘apt’ or ‘no apt’ on them. Since not everything that will eventually end up at the Underdog can fit into our interim apartment, we’ll have to store many boxes elsewhere.  I frequently find myself staring into the abyss contemplating ‘apartment or storage?’  I’m really trying to minimize what we take to the apartment just so I don’t have to turn around in 3 months or so and repack it all.  But I also want to make the apartment somewhat homey and familiar for the time that our family will be living there. So packing is taking longer than it would with a typical home to home move because I’m trying to decide what we will use or need at the apartment and what we can do without for a few months.

{How freaky does that reflection of a throw blanket look in the fireplace glass?  It looks like a sobbing tragedy mask.  Anybody else see it?  As you may also see, the kids aren’t stressed one bit by the whole packing thing.}

It’s amazing how quickly a home can go from show house conditions for selling purposes to complete and utter disarray for moving purposes in just a matter of weeks.  Our home is starting to look less like a home and more like a house.  Meaning it’s becoming more and more barren and sterile with each item I pack.  It makes me think of when we bought the house and how I saw this huge empty space that we could bring to life.  It’s been a kind house to us over the last 3.5 years. No major issues…just little cosmetic changes here and there that didn’t require permits {besides the man shed} or lead or asbestos testing before digging in. It’s been a good home for Handy Hubby to piddle around on acquiring more DIY know how along the way.  It’s been a good canvas for my design loving heart allowing me to experiment with interior design without hardly any construction dust. We’re very thankful that we got to live here and play around.

Thank you house!

images:  all Dana Miller for House*Tweaking

The Underdog needs some major electrical upgrades.  When Handy Hubby discovered that fishing new wiring between the cinder block and plaster of the exterior walls was nearly impossible, the plaster came down to allow for easier access.  Since then, HH has been busy framing up all those naked block walls with 2″x2″ treated lumber.  Well, actually they are ripped 2″x4″s.  HH was appalled by the realization that 2″x2″s cost over $3 each while 2″x4″s were priced less than $2 each.  To save money {which usually means ‘to make more work and add time to the project’}, HH bought the 2″x4″s at the lesser cost and decided to rip them in half into 2″x2″s with his table saw. Essentially, he got two 2″x2″s from each 2″x4″ {after cutting them in half longways} bringing the cost of each 2″x2″ to 95¢ – well below the $3 off-the-shelf price tag.  Gotta love Handy Hubby.

So, he’s been putting in long hours measuring, cutting and framing the past few weeks.  Here’s his progress…

With a heat index over 100°F most days, HH was sweating his you-know-what’s off working in the unair-conditioned Underdog.  That is, until someone with a little more common sense {ahem, me} mentioned cranking up the A/C unit in the window left by the previous owner.

HH defended his decision not to turn the window unit by saying he was afraid of what nasty stuff might blow out of it.  But after talking to a neighbor, he learned that the unit hadn’t been run at all in the last few years.  Sure enough, when HH checked the filter it looked brand new.  And that’s pretty much the only ‘brand new’ thing we’ve found in the Underdog. Handy Hubby finally gave in and turned on the A/C.  Although it’s not powerful enough to really cool the entire house, HH was feeling more comfortable.  It was one of those, “See, I told you so” moments for me.

Anyhow, with framing underway, our cousin-in-law/electrician has started running new electric and cutting holes for overhead lighting…inside and outside.

In other news, the contractor we hired to manufacture and install the ridge beam that will support the roof above the vaulted ceilings in the great room started work this week.  Contractor?!  I know. That sounds professional.  I do feel a little hoity toity just typing it.  But creating and installing a major support beam is beyond our DIY skills and it would be very stupid and irresponsible of us to think otherwise.  That means HH has been home in the evenings this week for the first time in a long time.  The boys and I have really enjoyed eating dinner with him.

So, that’s the latest and greatest on the Underdog.  HH and I have been trying to nail down flooring {metaphorically speaking, not literally} for the house.  There are so many options that it’s difficult to choose just one or two!  But we’re having fun looking at all the different tiles, engineered wood, and concrete stains.  I’ll let you know what we decide!

images:  Dana Miller for House*Tweaking

The Inside Source is eBay’s digital style magazine.  It’s a curated collection of what’s hot in fashion, home and garden, and pop culture based on proprietary data provided by eBay.  In other words, they take all that stuff on eBay and show you how to use and enjoy it.

Imagine my surprise when one of the online magazine’s contributors asked me to participate in an article featuring items recycled and incorporated into interior design!  The article, Recycling: Not just for Empties, compiles a variety of reused items – from pallets to fish nets – and shows how they were reinterpreted as home decor.

{Love that pallet daybed!}

My church pew turned porch bench is featured in the article if you want to check it out…along with a bunch of other great ideas.  Words can’t describe how honored I am to be included in the round-up.  It has me itching to get back to DIY design after several months of focusing on the marketing and sale of our home by owner.  Handy Hubby and I just discussed a future DIY project that we have in store for the Underdog and I am super excited about it!  I’ll give you a hint…it involves the placement of our flatscreen TV.

Thanks for the mention, Marni!

images:  1-3) The Inside Source  4)  Dana Miller for House*Tweaking

We decided to go the apartment route versus staying with my dad.  Not that I don’t love my dad.  I do.  Lots.  It’s just going to be easier for everyone involved if we rent for a few months while we get the Underdog suitable for living.  I really appreciate all the comments left on the interim housing post a few days back.  Each one gave us something to consider.  In the end, the long commutes and time wasted driving {precious time that could be spent renovating or eating dinner together as a family} were huge deal breakers for the living-with-Dad option.  We like the idea of living near our new neighborhood so Layne can transition as easily as possible to his new school, we can get acclimated to the area, and we can oversee the Underdog renovation.  After we swiftly yet thoughtfully decided to take on apartment living, it’s been my job for the last 3 days to hunt down an apartment.  Easier said than done.

You see, we’re in need of a short-term lease.  A 3-month lease {versus your typical 12-month lease}.  And apparently 3-month leases are hard to come by – at least in the area we’re looking to move to.  Maybe it’s because of the subpar real estate market right now?  Maybe it’s because of the excellent school district?  I don’t know.  But I called about three dozen apartment complexes and rental properties and found only 3 that offered a 3-month lease option.  I know.  That’s a lot of 3′s.  Anyhow, one property said that while they did offer 3-month leases, they didn’t have anything that would become available until the end of August.  That would have left us homeless for 2 weeks since we close on our current home mid-August.  No good.

The second property was in an ideal location – close to the kids’ schools, close to the Underdog and close to the main roads that Handy Hubby and I traverse to commute to work.  I set up an appointment to view an open unit.  Great!  HOWEVER…the place was a complete dump.  And an expensive dump at that.  To my ignorant surprise, I discovered that short-term leases {i.e. anything less than 12 months} come with LOTS of fees on top of the monthly rent.  To the tune of $150-$200 per month. Ouch.  Still, even if this unit had been dirt cheap, I’m not sure it would have been worth it.  I fully expected not to find a pristine, luxury apartment with top of the line finishes.  I lived in apartments during my college years and this one didn’t even compare…in a bad way.  It smelled like stale cigarette smoke and I knew that smell wasn’t coming out anytime soon.  There was no green space for the kids to left off steam.  And the ‘stocked fishing pond’ looked more like a big mud puddle/mosquito magnet/cesspool.  I could not envision myself and my family living healthily or even safely there. But since it was one of my only two options, it stayed on the list.  Barely.

The third complex offering 3-month leases was located just outside our new city’s limits but still close enough to everything that we needed it to be close to.  In between working and packing and dropping stuff off at Goodwill, I made an appointment to see a 2-bedroom unit that had just opened up.  The boys and I drove up to see the place just this morning.  I was pleasantly surprised!  The unit was small and outdated but clean.  Lots of natural light and vaulted ceilings helped to make it feel bigger than it really was.  I thought, “This could really work!”  The boys took to it right away and started wrestling in the living room.  Me = embarrassed.  I talked with the manager about our situation {selling current home, renovating another home} and she said that the unit we were looking at was available now with no deposit required {some special they were running} and that if we could get our realtor to write her a letter saying that we were buying/had bought a home she would waive all those extra short-term lease fees.  I was sold.  A quick application and a few phone calls later, I secured our interim housing.

The unit is so much nicer than the previous one I had seen.  For one, there are 2 full baths versus 1 bath in the first place.  And it doesn’t stink.  The entire complex utilizes geo-thermal heating and cooling.  I had no idea apartments complexes even did that!  There is green space, a pool, playground and tennis courts for the kids to be kids since the apartment itself is teeny.  942 sq.ft. Yep, you read that right. 942.  It’s on the third floor which sucks for moving/unloading groceries and the residents below, but it gets us vaulted ceilings and the option to open our windows at night without me being paranoid that a kidnapper will strike.  Motherly paranoia.  Gotta love it.  Also, HH travels for work so I’ll feel more comfortable higher up away from robbers.  Listen to me!  The best part about finding this place?…it’s way cheaper than the first grungy one I toured. I guess because it’s outside city limits.  We’re saving nearly $1,000 over the 3-month lease span by going with this complex versus the other one.  It definitely pays to take time and uncover all your options.  Wanna know something crazy?  Our rent for the apartment is more than our mortgage payment on the Underdog by several hundred dollars. Ridiculous. That’s how cheap our Underdog is.  Also, our rent + Underdog mortgage payment is still less than our current home’s monthly mortgage payment.  Double ridiculous.

So before this gets too wordy {or am I too late?}, here’s the floor plan of our apartment.  All 942 sq.ft. of it.

It’s nothing special but it will do.  I’m a little nervous about the boys sharing a bedroom.  While I made over Layne’s bedroom into a shared bedroom for both boys, them sharing sleeping quarters hasn’t gone over smoothly.  They get rowdy and slap happy when they go to bed together.  We’ve reverted to putting Everett back in the nursery most nights.  Oh well.  We’ll make it work somehow. Are you wondering if I’ll tweak the apartment?  I thought so.  I definitely want to make it feel cozy and peaceful since it will be our safe haven away from the renovation dust.  So, yes there will be some tweaking but nothing over the top or expensive as we don’t plan on being there long-term.  I’ll be using furniture we already have and any new decor added will be budget-friendly or stuff that’s really meant for our new house.  I’ll still be working on plans for the Underdog after all!

That means in about one week {when our rental lease officially begins}, we’ll have 3 different living spaces on our plate: our current home that we’re packing and shining up for closing, our Underdog that is under renovation as I write, and our tiny apartment that will become our temporary home until the Underdog is livable.  Good grief!  So, please excuse me if I’m not able to post as frequently as I normally do or if I don’t return your email right away over the next week or two.  I’ll probably be busy packing, hauling, lifting, labeling, selling, donating or moving something. House*Tweaking has become my release, so I don’t think I’ll be able to step away for that long.  I just can’t guarantee those 4-5 weekly posts for the sake of sanity right now.  I hope you understand!

images:  1) Rayna’s Spot  2)  Earn the Money  3) Dana Miller for House*Tweaking

At the moment Handy Hubby is tied up with framing the exterior walls and laundry closet at the Underdog so the electrical upgrades can begin.  I’m tied up with trying to find us a place to live {we haven’t 100% decided on my dad’s house or an apartment yet} and psyching myself to pack up a family of four.  The kids?  Well, they’re tied up too.  Just in a different way.

The last time we had them out to check on the Underdog, we heard Layne say, “Everett come here.  Come stand right here and don’t move.”  We knew it was going to be good.  Layne doesn’t always like to include his bothersome little brother, so him being insincerely nice {we could hear the coaxing in his voice – it was not unlike that of a dog owner pleading with his mischievous loose dog to come close enough to hook him up to a leash} to Everett was a drop dead sign that something interesting was about to happen.

Poor Everett.  He had no idea what he was getting into.

images: Dana Miller for House*Tweaking

We close on our current home mid-August and have agreed to vacate the premises the day of closing.  Realistically, we’re thinking we could have the Underdog livable in 2-3 months.  That’s with us {as in Handy Hubby} DIYing most of the work to save money on renovation costs.  If we didn’t have other work obligations or kids in the mix, we could probably get it finished sooner but that’s not the case.  So, that leaves us with a 2-3 month window in which we need interim housing. We’ll have sold our current home but not yet updated the Underdog to living status.  What to do?

We could live with my dad who has already graciously offered up his finished basement to us. The obvious advantage to this would be cost.  Although we couldn’t in our right minds live there free and clear {we’d offer to pay for groceries, utilities, etc.}, it would be cheaper than renting.  The downfall to this option would be location.  Living at my dad’s would make Handy Hubby’s commute an hour long and mine would be 45 minutes.  And that does not include dropping the kids off at school/preschool beforehand.  Basically, I would be driving about 30-35 minutes the opposite way {north} from my work to drop the kids off, then making another 30 minute commute in the total opposite direction {south} to work.  I don’t even want to talk about picking up the kids!  Plus, my dad’s house isn’t in the same area as the Underdog, so when HH would DIY over at the Underdog after work, he’d have another good half-hour drive home well after the sun was down making for a loooooong day.

Our other option is to rent near the Underdog in the school district where the kids will be attending school/preschool.  The location would be ideal and save us lots of driving time.  We would be minutes from the Underdog so we could easily run over after work and on weekends without too much hassle.  However, it would be more expensive than living at my dad’s. Although…once gas {for driving}, utilities and groceries are figured in {most likely we’d help my dad out with utilities and groceries since adding 4 people to a household increases those costs significantly}, we’d be spending only a few hundred dollars more each month versus living at my dad’s.  Not to mention that rent + crazy cheap Underdog house payment < our current house payment alone.  So, it’s not like we’d be strapped for money, but we do like saving when we can.

Do you see our conundrum?

I spent all day today calling apartment buildings near the Underdog.  It turns out there is one complex in an ideal location that offers a 3-month leasing option.  I’m scheduled to tour an available two-bedroom unit tomorrow morning.  I actually mentioned renting a one-bedroom unit to HH to save $$$.  I figured we could put a mattress in the living room for HH and me and give the boys the one bedroom to share.  HH didn’t like that idea.  He wants a real bed to collapse in after putting in long hours at work and the Underdog.  I don’t blame him.

So, this is the burning question for us at the moment.  Do we live with my dad or rent during the remainder of the renovation?  I think it could go either way.  Ah!  The things we do for dreams! Have you ever had to live elsewhere during a renovation?  With small children? Layne is really pushing for the apartment.  I think he thinks it sounds fancy and exciting. Boy, won’t he be surprised if he does get to experience apartment living?!

And while we’re at it, why can’t American apartment complexes take a hint from the Swedes?

I’ll take it!  I have a feeling the apartment I’m going to tour tomorrow will look absolutely nothing like that.

images:  1) Dana Miller for House*Tweaking  2-6) Home Edit

From the title it sounds like this could be some kind of science fiction twist on the Underdog. Luckily, it’s not.  I really don’t think I could handle aliens invading the Underdog at this point. Maybe in a few years when things have settled.

Back when Handy Hubby was down with his septoplasty, he wasn’t able to work on the Underdog at all and it was killing him.  So, he came up with a tedious Underdog-related project to keep him busy until he healed.  May I present to you…ta dah!…The Underdog Files…

Although I’m more of the house/everyday living organizer in the family, HH is definitely the paperwork/bill organizer.  It works out well for us.  HH is very detail-oriented when it comes to ideas, projects, estimates, and costs for the Underdog.  He is saving everything that relates to the renovation.  To keep it all organized {and to keep us from searching through piles and piles of paper}, he put together this accordion folder complete with labeled tabs.

There’s a tab for everything:  insulation, plumbing, roof, landscape, electrical, HVAC, framing, windows, receipts, permits, inspection and loan.  While some tabs have very little filed under them {plumbing} others are already bulging with information {electrical}.  I guess that just shows where we are in terms of renovation projects.  {I.e., we feel we can live with outdated, ugly bathrooms for a while but we should probably get the electrical system upgraded to avoid any safety issues.}

HH’s folder is pretty impressive.  So much so, that I’m thinking of starting one of my own for all of the decor related projects for the Underdog.  It would definitely help me to focus on the task at hand while still gathering information and ideas for other projects.  The only question is ‘How do I label it all?’  Do I go the obvious route and label files according to room {kitchen, living room, bedroom, etc.} or do I keep decor categories separate {flooring, lighting, fabrics, furniture, etc.}? Or do I combine both methods, labeling each room with subcategories under them?  For example, the living room tab would have flooring, lighting, fabric, furniture, etc. subcategories.  How would you approach the organization of so much decor information?  Any suggestions are appreciated!

images:  Dana Miller for House*Tweaking

I’ve had a few requests for more recipes on House*Tweaking.  Which is strange.  Because I’m a horrible cook, chef, baker – whatever.  I find no joy in cooking {I think it has to do with the fact that it’s extremely difficult to find one dish that every single person in my family will eat!} but I absolutely LOVE eating, so I cook to save money.  I approach it just like any other DIY project.  But in all honesty, I’d rather be painting than cooking.

Lo and behold, I recently found a tasty spread that everyone in my family will eat.  That’s somewhat of a miracle in our house.  So, I thought I’d share the recipe with you.  It’s a Greek cracker spread that’s easy, healthy and perfect for all those fresh veggies found in your garden or at the farmer’s market.  Here’s what you’ll need:

8 oz. hummus {whatever type you like – I’ve used traditional and roasted red pepper – or make your own}

6 oz. plain Greek yogurt

½ tsp. pepper

1 tsp. lemon juice

½ cucumber, seeded and chopped

2 roma tomatoes, seeded and chopped

½ bunch of green onions, chopped

½ c. kalamata olives, quartered {not shown above because I forgot to take them out of the fridge for the picture!}

6 oz. feta cheese, crumbled

1 red pepper, thinly sliced

1 tsp. extra virgin olive oil

Spread the hummus into the bottom of a 8″x8″ or 9″x9″ glass dish.

Mix together the Greek yogurt, pepper and lemon juice in a small bowl.

Spread the yogurt mixture over the hummus.

Top the yogurt mixture with cucumber, tomatoes, onions, olives, cheese and red pepper.

Drizzle the olive oil over top.

Mmmmmm…

Spoon the Greek spread onto pita crackers or chips and enjoy!  We can kill an entire dish of this spread in one day.  No joke.  It’s my new favorite summer eat.  What’s yours?

images:  all Dana Miller for House*Tweaking

Yesterday was inspection day for the home we’re selling in order to downsize to the Underdog.  Of course, a huge storm just had to come through the night before and leave this in its path…

That is, or I guess I should say, that was the pear tree in our front yard.

I think it was the victim of high winds not lightning.  The tree had previously been damaged by a deer rubbing its antlers along the trunk.  We had wrapped the trunk for a year to help it heal but I think it was still weak.  I had heard a cracking noise during the night before but thought it was just the outdoor trash can falling over.

With the impending inspection and Handy Hubby at work, I channeled by inner lumberjack and hacked away at the trunk with an axe to complete the trunk break.  It was my first time using an axe.  Sorry, no pictures of that.  I tried dragging the broken tree head to the backyard by myself but it was no use.  It was just too heavy.  Nope, no pictures of that either. Finally, I rang the neighbor’s doorbell and asked him to kindly help me drag the tree behind the Man Shed.  Then I called our buyers’ realtor to let him know that the tree had fallen so when they showed up for their home inspection they wouldn’t surprised by the missing tree.  Obviously, we’ll be removing the injured tree and having another one replanted in its place before the new owners take possession.

It would have been great if this pear tree could have held out for a few more weeks until closing.  It would have saved us some work and money.  But everything happens for a reason.  Just not sure what the reason could be for a tree falling the day of inspection!  At least, it didn’t hit the house or cause any damage.  And I guess the storm could have been much worse.  So, I’m shaking this minor mishap off and hoping all goes well from here on out.

After all, 10% of life is made up of what happens to you and the other 90% of life is decided by how you react, right?  I need to remember that.

images:  all Dana Miller for House*Tweaking