New Home Prep

All of our stuff is officially en route to America!  The movers arrived at 0759 and had the whole house packed and on the truck by 1500.

I have never been more excited to move into a new house than I am right now.  After 3 years in government quarters with slightly off white walls, white floors, white EVERYTHING, I am so ready to have some color in my life.  Don't get me wrong, our home here in Japan was great, the size was larger than we needed and the location could not have been better (I have the best neighbors ever!) but it's just kind of blah on the inside and since we had nearly all government loaner furniture that was sufficient but definitely not our 1st choice or style, I'm ready to personalize our next place!  I started a few project here so that once our stuff arrives in SD I can finish them quickly.

We purchased our friend's dining room table.  Our best friends.  We've eaten many meals, had dozens of therapy sessions and multiple game nights on their table so we were more than happy to take if off their hands.  We'll remember all of the moments we shared with them every time we eat at our new table.  I decided to replace the fabric on the chairs.  I thought I was going to pick out a crazy bright, Japanese patterned fabric but while in the fabric store I feel in love with something completely different.  I thought my husband would hate it but when I sent him a picture of a few options he chose the same one I loved so the decision was made.  Plus I think it compliments the wood color beautifully.

(see, white floors, white walls, white base boards, white blinds...SO MUCH WHITE!)

The table top has been sanded and will be painted the same green color that's in the fabric.

The second major sanding project was this coffee table which will be re-stained to match our entertainment center and then the top will be covered with foam and fabric to make it into an ottoman.

I let my husband choose a fabric for the table with the only stipulations being that it contained plum and had a large print.  I'm still stunned at his choice (but only slightly, he's always had a quirky style)

  I cannot wait to see how the final products turn out.  I just have to wait 60-90 days for our stuff to arrive in San Diego.

Between sanding the table top and our coffee table I have decided that rehabbing furniture is not for me.  Even with our orbital sander, that was exhausting work.  I'm excited to finish these projects but I'm pretty sure they'll be my last!  I had aspirations to tackle a few other projects once we arrive but I think I've lost the desire for those, so I hope I can find what I have in my head at a store somewhere.

Any seasoned veterans out there want to offer some furniture re-purposing words of wisdom?

PCS Progress {2}

We're down to less than two weeks before we leave Japan.  I feel like the stress is mostly under control now that we have a place to live but our best friends are leaving Japan in a few days and we follow them just 9 days later, I'm certain once they're gone everything's going to sink in and I'll start to go crazy.  Tomorrow the last of our stuff gets packed up and put on a boat to slowly make its way back to America.  I think we're mostly prepared thanks to the numerous lists I've made and double and triple checked.

Poor Buster on the other hand is feeling the stress.  He's been so incredibly sad the past few weeks it breaks my heart!  I cannot believe this guy is going to be 16 in a few weeks!

Last week we got rid of everything we're not taking with us.  We had my bed & couch from college that we brought here knowing they wouldn't return with us so those went out to the curb.  We sold or gave away a few things, including my husbands beloved 52" television that was his redeployment gift to himself after his first tour.  We loved that TV and would have kept it except it didn't fit into the entertainment center we purchased for ourselves last year.  You see the entertainment center has these fancy doors that ares supposed to fold in while you're watching TV but our TV had the speakers and a glass trim that went all the way around it and prevented the doors from functioning as they should.

See?

This could not be good for the entertainment center so we decided to sell the TV and just buy a new one on the other end.  Since we're not buying it here and shipping it, we don't have to wait for our HHG to arrive, we can just buy one when we're ready for it.  So for the past few days I've had no excuse to sit around the house.  I've actually enjoyed not having a television.  I was able to get out and do some things that I had been putting off for no good reason.

I went in search of a fabric shop hoping to pick up some bright, crazy, Japanese inspired fabric to cover the seats cushions on the dining room table we're buying from our friends but found this gorgeous fabric instead.  I plan to pain the top of the table this same green color.  I can't wait to see it all together!

I went out to the sunflower fields to take some photos, something I've been wanting to do for 3 years and just never got around to.

I even sat down and designed my own change of address cards to mail out.  I've never tried to design anything like this before so I was really happy with how it turned out.  Too bad VistaPrint won't ship to an APO (they used to!) so they're en route to my mom's house and I'll send them out once we've actually moved!