Nesting with Chester

"His house was perfect, whether you liked food, or sleep, or work, or story-telling, or singing, or just sitting and thinking, best, or a pleasant mixture of them all."

J.R.R. Tolkien  The Hobbit

We are trying to achieve this type of perfection - turning the proverbial boards and beams into our home. Making lovely spaces for all the food, sleep, work and singing we can handle. 

It officially began on Friday (dun, dun, DUN) that blackest of days when everyone collectively decides to descend on the shopping world in a frenzy of panicked spending. A modern day freakish example of how hunting and gathering has evolved. Matt and I joined ranks with the other crazies to try and take advantage of the deals to get things for the apartment. We didn’t have the most exciting items on our list but thought that 20% off made it worth the hassle. Our day started at Bed, Bath and Beyond, moved on to Target, and culminated in Crate & Barrel. 

Have to tell you that it was at least a very warm and sunny day with pretty scenery.

We are now the proud owners of bleach, paper towels, an air mattress, sheets, tons of Mrs. Meyer’s cleaning products, pillows, new dishes and a little green glass bird who I’ve named Chester the Chickadee.

This took up most of the morning and afternoon. We had a quick bite to eat to refuel and then headed to Santa Monica to put our supplies to good use scrubbing the place down. It seemed clean enough except for a bit of sawdust from the new vanity they installed in the bathroom, but there is something about your own dirt vs. the dirt of others that made Matt and I want to do a little more washing up. 

We drove from the Valley where we are staying currently, into Santa Monica and as we approached it got foggier and foggier. Like driving into a dream. Kind of a neat way to go to our apartment for the first official time.

A little white wine, Pandora playing on the radio, and elbow grease . . .

The final touch of the evening before we locked up and headed out was putting our doormat on our stoop. Why 'Hello' fishes - I've missed you.

Saturday was yet another day of shopping. Matt had NEVER been to an Ikea before - isn’t that unAmerican or something?? - so we had to go. Most importantly because we were in search of the perfect kitchen cart. There was this rather large gap in the kitchen between the fridge and the stove which needed to be utilized. Looking online with measurements I’d taken the night before we saw something that looked like it might work. Off we went to the Glendale Ikea. 

Amongst yet another loud crush of humanity we found what is perhaps the most perfect thing ever. A kitchen cart to end all kitchen carts. The crowning glory to our new “Cucina”. Am I exaggerating? Maybe, but it is really great. Makes me want to chop something. Or stick some utensils in it’s lovely little drawer. Go nuts, basically.

We got a few other little items - kitchen towels, bedside lamps - and drove back to our temporary place in the Valley. Traffic was too bad to bother going to Santa Monica once we’d finished, would have been at least an hour there and back. Instead we got up Sunday morning, loaded some of our Rubbermaid bins of belongings back into the bed of the truck and drove to the apartment.

Now the fun of setting up and making it into something even Bilbo would be jealous of can begin. (If you don’t get my LOTR + Hobbit references, you’ll just have to read the fabulous stories yourself). 

Isn’t it great?!?! It is the first actual piece of furniture we’ve bought together - I don’t think an air mattress counts - and we had fun assembling it, too. We also lined some of the cupboards and put our new dishes on them. Can’t wait til we get everything arranged and away and can start using it.

Right now we can’t be in the apartment because there isn’t any gas hooked up so we are without heat, hot water, or a working stove. The company screwed up and shut it off when the last tenant moved out. They were supposed to transfer it to the property management company and then to us but they didn’t get the memo apparently. With the holiday they were then closed for a few days and now tell us they won’t be able to get it done til Friday!!! That totally sucks because we signed the lease starting Saturday and are paying for it but can’t move in yet. 

Yes, this is SoCal, but it gets really chilly at night and I do like to cook and take showers. At least we have the temporary apartment til the 29th. Not ideal, but we don’t have to stay in a hotel or anything like that. Matt just left actually to head to one of the gas offices. He is hoping that if he shows up in person and lays it out to them they might be able to move up our turn on date. I’ve got my fingers crossed but I’m not holding my breath (to use a couple cliches) because I have little faith in the efficiency of public services.

Whenever it happens, we are looking forward to moving in. It is such a cute space. I took a few photos of the walkway and courtyard so you can see the cuteness for yourself.

Now, because it’s only fair, I’m going to post a picture Matt took of me last night. You remember the one I took of him taking up all the bed a few posts ago? Well, he insists I do it too, but I didn’t believe him. Here is proof. I guess now we’re even!

When Matt gets back from warring with utility providers we’re going to go to Santa Monica again and unpack more stuff. We’ve got a whole kitchen to organize and closets of clothes to hang. It might also not be a bad idea to pick up a few things at the grocery store - we now live a block away from Whole Foods, yay - because our fridge contains only one thing right now.

Vital, yes, but not very filling.

Most importantly we bought plastic film to cover the front windows. Once we actually get the gas turned on we want to keep it in the house and not be heating the courtyard. Let the good work begin.

"He is happiest, be he king or peasant, who finds peace in his home."

Johann Wolfgang von Goethe