Upside to Cancer?

SPOILER ALERT:

THERE ISN'T ONE.

But...IF you were counting, and you guys know I am an optimist and ever the consummate Pollyanna so: my mom did get a handicapped tag and I did get to put it in my car and that was wildly convenient in certain circumstances. 

Minnehaha Falls at Night

Look at this lovely waterfall not two miles from my house:

 

 

Moving Day!

As much as I loved that little 1+ bedroom upstairs triplex apartment, of course when I bought my little house that meant I had to eventually leave it. It was sad, especially when I saw all my worldly belongings laid out on the grass out front.

 

Life goes on, right?

 

...All of said worldly belongings went on to sit on a trailer in my new house garage for two months while I waited for construction to complete.

 

 

Sunday Favorites: I Don't Have a Microwave

New to A Lady Reveals Nothing? You've missed SO MUCH. Not to worry. Every Sunday, I dig through the archives to repost an old favorite. Mostly because I'm too lazy to come up with new content every single day. Enjoy! This story originally appeared on September 26, 2014:

 


I don't have a microwave in my apartment.

1. There is no room for a microwave. My refrigerator is in the hallway for Gosh Sakes.
2. I don't want to spend the money on a microwave. I want to spend my money on plane tickets and bold-colored-printed-pants.
3. I am better than everyone and I wouldn't dream of unhealthily microwaving my food.
4. I like re-heating stuff up in a saucepan. It makes me feel like a pioneer woman taking care of my 5 kids over a campfire next to the wagon wheel.

However, almost every single day at work, I eat one of these:

Image stolen from http://www.missbargainhuntress.com

"Ready in 5 minutes"

Some day I'll tell you all about how I don't have a TV.

Stairway to the Loft

See these rectangular holes below? I made them! With a router. That I broke. Twice. The stair treads go in there.

 

It's Shake and Bake! And I helped!

 

 

 

 

 

They Grow Up So Fast

Providing transportation to and from my mom's appointments was difficult, especially during her seven weeks of radiation. every. single. day. If her appointments were right away in the morning, I could take her, but some days they were late morning and some days she had to see the oncologist and her appointments went pretty late, after I needed to be at work. We didn't want her riding the bus, because she would have to walk several blocks on both ends through neighborhoods that scare people from towns of 150 people like my mom (plus she sometimes needed a cane and COULDN'T walk more than like two blocks). And taking a cab would be WAAAAAAAAY to expensive.

 

Some days I rode my bike to work and gave her my car. But then my mom got approval from the State for a service called Metro Mobility -- it provides inexpensive rides to people who are disabled permanently or temporarily, or unable to drive for whatever reason. Metro Mobility was so great! They picked my mom up and dropped her right at the hospital. And then picked her right back up and dropped her right back off again, for only $3 each way. Door-to-door service!

 

I forced her to take some "first day of school" pictures, and ain't she cute!

 

 

Tile Choice

I can't put tile in my upstairs bathroom, because the joists for the loft are "three-foot-on-center" and therefore ceramic tile is too heavy, but I can put it in my little 4' x 8' bathroom on the main floor since the main floor joists are only 18" apart.

 

You learn so much when you remodel a house!

 

Here's what I picked - basically because it's what I had at my last apartment and it's vintage-y cute and basic and white.

 

 

Does Anybody Want to Explain This to Me?

 

Seriously, how does a person pee on the FRONT of their shoe? In the work bathroom?

 



 

Upstairs Flooring

Flooring in the upstairs -- the 99 cents a square foot stuff -- it's called Industrial Oak (scraps) 

You may have noticed too that there is no longer a chimney in the upstairs -- I decided to cut it off at the ceiling below -- it was right in the way of where my bed would be, and I would have had to build it up to the ceiling with more bricks.

So, bye bye, chimney! I tried! Don't worry, your bottom part is still in my kitchen!

GONE-ZO

Flooring and The Toilet Tarp

The bathroom used to be located on the north side of the house, but was relocated to the south side. Since the beginning it (one single toilet) has been tarped off -- in the beginning it was winter and so we had to keep the heat in -- remember there was no roof for some time and so only the basement was heated...and later for privacy.

We took to affectionately calling it the Toilet Tarp. It's the only place in the history of the universe and in my life where I gave myself permission to not wash my hands after using the toilet and then immediately eat a slice of pizza. Remodeling!

Here it is in its new location:

And here's the new flooring -- the old stuff didn't quite stretch all the way across the house, but I did want to salvage it if possible -- to save money and to channel my inner Nicole Curtis.

New front and side windows in the front office:

Farm Sink Project

I knew that I wanted a farm sink in my new house because I just love porcelain and that drain board they have and I love the vintage-y look of them.

SO I went on craigslist and started digging around but they all want $500 and they're just gross and they're in Milwaukee.

And then my brother-in-law surprised me with a free one from his garage! I was so excited! And then I found out my sister really wanted it and he gave it to me instead and so there was that whole mess and I felt bad but not that bad because look!

It was really gross but oh well.

I wanted to paint the cabinet a 50's vintage color and here was some inspiration colors:

And then I found out about a hip-hop store in uptown that sells graffiti spray paint. I marched in there like a proper graffiti artist and bought six cans of this color and then told them I was about to go tag the town.

With my name, only the Y would have an arrow on it.

I thought I was so funny. 

They didn't.

It's so hard to take a picture of color, huh? But it's SO CUTE you guys! p.s. I didn't do the work. My worker did the work. I don't mean to take credit.

I color matched it and painted the wall too! LOOK HOW CUTE!!!

Have You Missed Me?

I'm a pretty darn regular blogger, or I liked to think that I was or used to be.

Here are my excuses for the last several months:

• My mom had cancer.
• I was remodeling a house.
• Work was insane.
• My mom had cancer.

Also, for the last two months I didn't have internet at home (also I didn't have a home, period), so I didn't really write anything.

Lots to catch up on!

My mom is better!

My house is done!

I'm living here!

I'm cooking here!

I hung some pictures!

My pants are too tight!

photo cred to Abby G