spoken for

In May, I bought a Groupon for a mattress store that’s about 45 miles north of us, $50 to get $225 off.  Not too shabby.  We needed a new mattress pretty bad.  Come to think of it, I think our last one was purchased in 2002.  It held up pretty well, for the most part, the mattress just getting a bit saggy, but the box springs was still perfect.  Time for an update, though.

Steve actually took the day off work for us to finally get up to the store and do this before the Groupon would expire in November.  He worked all weekend though, so that was out, Tuesday it was.

When we moved into this house, we were in the main floor bedroom but while I was pregnant with Elijah, our upstairs needed to be finished asap.  Steve finished up the drywall work the previous owner started and had to continue with the texture that was being put on the slanted walls (half story, enough said).  When that was finally finished, I was probably about 8 months along, and it was time to move the bed and stuff upstairs.  That… was a nightmare.  Our stairs are steep.  Yup.  Steve and whoever was helping, I think my Dad, got the mattress up there but when it was time for the box springs, it was about 6 inches too wide.  So they took the boards off the stairs, yay for gaping holes!  Every single board cracked in half down the middle… long-ways.  They got the box springs up there and then the steps had to be replaced.  Steve picked sturdier boards that were about twice as thick.

Fast forward… I knew knew knew that when we needed to replace the box springs… it would have to be demolished.  Of course, in the past, I envisioned hurtling it out the window, but that is apparently frowned upon in this establishment.  So we went in the store in mind to get JUST a mattress, no box springs.  Steve, the ever frugal, surprised me by saying that even though our box springs was in good condition, we should go ahead and get the new one.  This, of course, after finding out that they apparently make split queen box springs… so it’s two pieces, halved down the length.  Unfortunately, we had to go to their warehouse to get them, the manager said they don’t sell often, so he never keeps them in stock.  But it wasn’t too bad, I was just glad we could do it all in one day.  He was concerned, though, in having to buy another box springs at some point before needing yet our next mattress, and he was probably right.

But when we had to get this stuff in the house. Oy.  Of course, the old stuff had to come out first.  Steve just kept saying, “I don’t know how we’re going to do this…”   I said we should take a saw to it.  :)  But circular saws in the bedroom are also frowned upon in this establishment.  He ended up having me hold it up on its end while he hammered away at it with a hammer.  Very interesting.  But the short supports went first followed by other boards.  Pretty soon we could fold it in half with the wood inside and cart it out of there.  A pity, but what you gonna do?

The split box springs got up there easily, Steve didn’t need my help, I had children and a dog to attend to, anyway.  Poor Elijah, we had to have him keep Kayleigh and the dog shut in their bedroom downstairs for us to do all of this.  He can keep Kayleigh out of trouble but we had to prop open the back door and, given the chance, both Kayleigh and the dog would take off in a split second if they saw a way out.

But the mattress was another story.  It kept getting stuck and Steve was getting maaaad.  At one point it’s just hanging there, stuck between the ceiling and the stairs and he’s like well crap I don’t know what to do.  Ummm can’t leave it like that!  Eventually with enough maneuvering and lots of prayer, it started popping up the stairs one by one.  Then we had to get it over the short wall and the stupid elliptical that never gets used… anyone want an elliptical??

But then… an assembled bed, a mattress pad protector thing (part of the warranty), clean sheets and pillow cases… ahhhh I am much to excited to sleep here in a few minutes!

The best part?  We got $1400 worth of bed for $600  plus the $50 the Groupon cost me.  The mattress and box springs should have been $1100 but we bought a model that got a tiny scuff on it – it’s lyke omg reallllllly – because it’s not a big deal at all, I wouldn’t have noticed it if the manager hadn’t pointed it out.  I think they tried to deliver it to someone, got the scuff, and had to send those people a new one!  Supposedly those are the rules.  But then they waived $300 for “upgrading” to a split box springs and we added a store warranty for like $60 and taxes were around $70 or so, minus $225.  Yeah it works out to about $600 somehow and it’s a better mattress than we had before, should be much better for my back and hips, I’m under orders of the massage therapist to get something better.  Really was more than I wanted to spend but if it lasts as long as our last mattress (which really could have gone on further, if needed), then we’re talking, what, $70 a year for comfort?  :)

So that took a long time to tell a short story.  Really, it’s some of the beginnings of getting this house under control again.  I have lots of measurements to take, I need to organize some space.  We weren’t doing too bad in the way of organization, but then we added a 4th person and things started snowballing out of control.  I have a few ideas, hope I can do them for cheap and make this effective.  Got lots to do…

It all started last Christmas when my brother-in-law asked me to make him a crochet beard.  I did but didn’t get to really see him in it, since they’re living across the country right now then he went to Afghanistan shortly after that.  But a couple weeks ago, my friend asked me to make him one so I made my first one attached to the hat.  It’s so hilarious.  These things crack me up.  And then I go and post that photo on Facebook and now I have to make 5 more…  O_o

Got 3 orders and now Steve has decided he wants one (when before he thought it was stupid haha) and my father-in-law wants a looooong one.  Gonna have to figure that one out.  Steve wants dreads of his.  Nice.

Keepin’ me busy!

Elijah’s been asking for one, too, but I haven’t made him one yet because I’ll have to modify the pattern to fit him and, let’s face it, I’ve got enough to do right now!

Not really sure how it happened, but I think I have a problem and her name is Vera.  Vera Bradley.  Actually, I know exactly how it happened.  It all started early this year when Stacey told me she had too many bags she’d never used and her husband wanted her to sell them and I said, “Oh, Kayleigh’s diaper bag is ripping to pieces, got anything I can use for a diaper bag?”  It’s all downhill from there.  Apparently I’m hooked.  But admitting the problem is the first step, right?

It’s just so strange because historically I haven’t been really girlie and I’ve never wanted to stand out.  I always try to blend in.  I don’t typically wear bright colors and while I’m not what you’d call a tomboy, I’ve never really been ornate or girlie in any way.

So I got a Pleated Tote in Bali Blue from Stacey which is a great diaper bag, by the way, and a Villager Tote in the same pattern for my crochet bag.  In my defense, I really did need something to keep my current project/yarn in – I took it in a basket once for a long car ride and that was a total disaster.  Then she called me later and said that the Lisa B. bags were on sale and she was placing an order, did I want one… so I ended up with a matching one of those for only $10.  Then we were headed to shoot a wedding in Ohio and I realized that I didn’t really have anything to put clothes in except this backpack that is getting really old… and she hooked me up with a large and small duffel in the same pattern.  And you were wondering why her husband wanted her to sell some stuff…  Really, I use them all the time.

I’ve ended up with a couple of purses that I snagged on sale while ordering Christmas presents for some of the ladies in my life for later this year.  My sister got a Pleated Tote from me at her baby shower (in a pattern she picked out), she tells me it’s an awesome diaper bag.  She doesn’t read here so I think I can safely say that she’s getting a matching purse for Christmas.  I am not totally lost, though, I cleaned out my closet of my old purses, giving all of them away to good homes except a solid black one I keep on hand and a sweet white one that I also plan to still use that was a gift from Linda.  Even though (before now!) I didn’t buy a purse but maybe twice a year if my other one broke, I’d accumulated a good collection over the years.  I was always getting one with some of my Christmas money from my parents.

I slowed down after that but my parents gave me some money for my birthday, and I got lost again.  Well, what I actually lost was my stupid wallet.  It still hasn’t turned up, it’s got to either be somewhere in this stupid house or it went out with the trash thanks to Kayleigh.  No one ever tried to use my credit cards.  But anyway, that wallet was also in Bali Blue… but I got a different pattern, Mocha Rouge, for my replacement wallet.  So for my birthday, I got me a Mocha Rouge Squared Away bag (pictured).  Goodness, I love this bag, haha.  It’s huge though, bigger than I normally use so I had to put in a couple of other things I don’t normally carry.  Funny.  Also funny: usually I avoid pink like the plague.  Mom’s always been telling me that pink looks good on me because of my skin tone, she’d like this irony.  I got mine new with tags on Ebay for a decent amount less than retail, and free shipping.

At least I do still have some brains.  I haven’t bought things full price, all either on sale or on Ebay when cheaper than the website, and aside from having a couple of extra purses now, the rest has been things I do need such as the duffels or the couple of beach towels I got (half price or so) that I need for going swimming with Elijah during his weekly lessons.  Did you know that after you’ve been married for 11 years, the towels you got for wedding presents are now pretty much crap?  I do!  I also do hereby solemnly swear that I’m not buying more stuff!  At least not for myself.  :)  (Truth be told, all spending that’s unnecessary is going to come to a halt, aside from Christmas, we’re going in to lock down again.)

My favorite patterns are the Bali Blue, Mocha Rouge, Baroque, and Barcelona.  That encompasses all that I personally have.  Each person I’ve bought a gift for is going to be getting a different pattern.  I guess that sort of shows my plainness, though, many of the patterns are much too bold for me, such as Loves Me, which is Stacey’s fav.  It totally fits her personality though, she’s so outgoing and sweet.  Our business has several large bags that we’ve acquired from Stacey’s stash in various patterns, mostly Pirouette.  I don’t particularly care for it much but we have to have something to carry all of our lights and bulbs and cloths and various other things and carrying Vera is a lot more professional looking than carrying Wal-Mart bags.  Yes, I have been known to just throw everything into plastic bags.  I also think I like Cupcakes Green, but I don’t have anything in it and don’t plan on getting anything in it!  Oh, the beach towels don’t match anything else I have, either, I just picked out two when they were on sale, but I don’t care, they are big and soft and way absorbent.  I also love that these bags are proving more durable than purses I’ve had in the past.  Maybe I just bought cheap crap but so far I haven’t had any of the problems I’ve historically had with my purses… straps coming away from the bag, zipper pulls coming off, rips in the outside fabric, stitching coming out, etc.  And they’re machine washable.  I tell you what, that “diaper bag” really needs it about now…  I also like that at least some of them I have say Made in the USA on them.  And they hold value.  I bought one that I used twice and then regretted, I was able to re-sell it on Ebay very quickly.

The only thing I really wish was that they had a decent laptop bag for my behemoth.  I had to get this big black thing from Targus or someone and I swear, that bag is heavier than the actual laptop.  But I was having a hard time finding something that the stupid thing would fit in!

So, hello, I’m Valerie and I’ve become a bag whore… someone save me.  :)