Moving forward...

It has been so very nice to not have house related bills to pay this month. In light of finally separating from Texas with the sale of the house, I'm moving forward with the adventure in Maryland. That has involved quite a few things.

The biggest decision was deciding to sign a new lease at my apartment. Yes, I decided not to move. I looked around and found several that were probably "better" than what I have, however, when all was said and done, the bedroom sizes weren't bigger and in one case the living area was smaller. Found several really lovely kitchens, but the trade-off wasn't really worth it. In the end, not one that I saw said "move here!" That coupled with the fact that the thought of moving just curled my toes led me to the conclusion that I should just stay. A decision which just seemed even more right when I was offered a very nice discount to renew the lease.

When making this decision, I decided if this was going to be home for awhile, then I'd make a few changes. So far, the biggest changes are in the bedroom. That room does not heat or cool well at all. Trying to help this out, I've hung insulated curtains in there, though not over the whole window because I enjoy the view. I had to hang rods from the ceiling because the windows are literally wall-to-wall. So, If I'd hung curtains over the whole window, it would have been funky and would have taken most of my view. Kitty Cat seems to enjoy lounging behind them.

I also had a ceiling fan installed in the bedroom. I was told I'd have to pay for the installation, but figured it would be worth it. I selected a nice one from Home Depot. Nice in that I like it; it was one of their "lower end" models but a reasonable price. Three globes and it came with three CF light bulbs. It took a bit to connect with the electrician, but he was a really good guy. Since this building is old (40+ years) and there was no light in the bedroom, the wiring had to run up the wall from a junction box placed on one of the outlets, over the ceiling and to the fan. It doesn't really look bad, but I wouldn't care if it did. I love having the fan in there and having an overhead light is just so very nice in the morning. The electrician also provided a remote for me. So far, I haven't been billed. I don't think I will. The apartment complex has vacancies and I think they are throwing this in since I signed another lease and also because I'm trying to find a way to cool that room down. I'm not questioning it.

The other big thing I did was finally getting new furniture. I'm excited. I'm getting a new love seat and a recliner. I'll donate my current furniture to a local charity. Because I selected the fabrics, I haven't received it yet, but I think I'm only about a couple of weeks from it coming in. As much as I love my current furniture (love seat, over sized chair and ottoman), the new furniture will be much more streamlined and will really open the room up.

Since I've been here a year, I'm starting to see ways to re-arrange and re-organize, especially my office. That is the next project.