TumTumMcPuff's Profile

When living with a boyfriend at the time, I decided I'd "surprise" him when he went out of town one weekend with a quickie bathroom makeover, one that I expected to take about 8 hours of work total, just stripping off old, already peeling wallpaper and then painting the walls white. HAHAHAHAHAHA hahaahhaa haaaaa hoooooooooo, yeah, well, turns out the bathroom had been wallpapered EIGHT times and each time new paper was just slapped on top of the old. It took me 16 hours (there was only about 50 square feet of wall to work on) just to strip the paper and the only way I could do it was to soak bath towels in warm water and completely wet the wallpaper to be able to peel it off. I got it finished just in the nick of time, the paint was still wet when he walked in the door!

I think buying a house is great if you want the freedom to do whatever you want with your space and maintain control of the property. Or, most importantly, if that's what you want to do. I think a lot of people who do have a "problem" with renting have completely fed into the concept that a home is a great investment and renting is throwing your money away. Homes are not great investments. A great investment is something that you put a minimal amount of money into and in turn receive a significant amount of money back. As we all know, that is not usually the case when buying a house. A house is something you put a lot of money into and it provides you with a place to live. And if that's what you want, that's awesome. Like a lot of other commenters have said, you are buying security (sort of) and something to treasure (which is not a bad thing at all). But it certainly isn't a great "investment". And as far as "throwing away" money while renting, I've been a renter since I moved out of my mom's house over 10 years ago and don't regret a day of it. When I wanted to move across the country, all I had to do was call my landlord and let him know when I'd be moving out. When my hot water heater, air conditioner, dryer, refrigerator, bathroom light, whatever other things in my various rentals over the years broke, I just called my landlord and then it was fixed. For free. I consider rent money well spent.

I found a vintage wooden Chinese checker board, added hanging hardware, and then used small S hooks through the holes to hang necklaces from. My style is less Versailles and more Grey Gardens so it's a look that works for me!

I moved cross country (using a moving company) and I tried doing the "oh, I'll just pack these little bits and pieces and then I'll get to the stuff I REALLY use" only to consider everything REALLY useful. Let me tell you, it doesn't work. Copy 3 months of recipes from those cookbooks and pack them NOW. All your other books: pack now and use the library in the interim. If you have cable or netflix or some other entertainment media, pack all your DVDs now. All the pretty things you like to look at: pack them now. Otherwise, you end up spending a ton of money having to buy boxes and packing supplies at the last minute because you haven't brought home enough from work since you will greatly underestimate the number you need. With a cross-country move (or any move) you really can't be prepared enough.

I agree with a lot of the commenters: donate it to someone who can use it now. There are only a few toys I played with as a child that I want to be able to pass on to my own children/grandchildren and they all fit in a container the size of a shoe box. In 20+ years, how much will you have spent (both in terms of money and headache/wasted space) storing these items? Not to mention whether or not they'd even be useable at that point, whether because they have deteriorated or because your daughter doesn't have kids or has kids who aren't interested in kitchen playsets. Last, and this comes from a personal place: do NOT saddle your kids with your own nostalgia. You may remember the times when she was 4 and played joyfully with that toy. She may not. But she will still be the one stuck with this thing that you kept and now will feel guilty because she has no room for it, doesn't want it, or has no use for it. Don't let your intention to create an heirloom turn into an emotional obligation.

It's amazing how much thoughtful planning and storage can really expand an otherwise small space. I went from an apartment that size to my current one which is about 150 sq ft. larger but both suffer from poor space planning and lack of storage. I would KILL for those kitchen shelves and recessed closet space. Cute place! Also, any ideas where that couch may have come from?

Love the fabric choices, especially the contrasting back.

I say go with your gut and your personal tastes. You are the one who will be looking at it and using it every day. Also, it's a piece of furniture, not a one-of-a-kind national treasure. You aren't beholden to keep it "close to original".

So cute and pretty! And small enough that you could frame and hang it without it screaming CARTOON CHARACTER ART!

Meh, I just smoke a bowl in the parking lot, take my time, and treat myself to some meatballs.