marcel and paula get hitched

(reposted from woolarina)

The past few weeks have been crazy busy. First trying to figure out how to get some hideous bookcases down from their perch on the wall (these things were bolted in with 6" screws!) then repairing the damage that some previous owner did...

Here's with one of three of these ikea bookcases down! We actually couldn't get the main bolts out. We had to enlist the help of a super strong guy! (thanks, mac!) and even then had to break off the screws!



And a dozen or so of the seventy holes left behind! Um? These people apparently did not use the technology of a STUDFINDER! Boo.



So after a week of patching and prepping, we painted... nearly every night last week! We managed to avoid dripping on the other furniture in the room (and it was tight)! My husband was pretty diligent at finishing it, even when I was superbusy at work or feeling sickish.



(with a fancy sewing machine + cabinet I need to find time to play with!)



Now we have to go find the artwork to stick up! :)

This is where we started Saturday morning:



After an entire roll of tape!



Then after a lot of this from Marcel and I..



and overnight plus another coat, it looked like this:



Today we put all our furniture back in the dining room:



Dinner was so much better today!

It's been a week almost and our excitement is still building! The more we see it the more we like it! Several other condos are coming on the market now in the same area, and this one seems the best, and for slightly less money. We did the home inspection Saturday and didn't find much at all wrong with it, aside from a couple minor things. Yippee!

So more about it... it's on the 3rd floor (only drawback, really), actually has a separate dining room (only dining room we've seen in our search), has a fireplace, a tiny bathroom (circa 1950s they were all small!), two bedrooms, both with large closets, including one large closet along the wall in the second bedroom with sliding doors - perfect to hide/store my wooly stuff. Kitchen's got new appliance, and the rest is in good shape, though we'll likely replace the oldish cabnets and formica countertop and the linoleum. And washer and dryer! (the main requirement.) Windows are on the front and back of the building, so light should be around much of the day. And there's a pool outside the back of the place! Woohoo!



What we really like about it, though, is that it's a neighborhood of youngish people like us. There's a little strip of shops nearby with a couple restaurants, a deli, an organic food coop, a bike shop, and a gym. The place is right next to Rock Creek Park, so there'll be even less of an excuse to not get out there and run and bike and hike! It's on the bus line and about a mile's walk to metro and food/shopping/movies.

We're ecstatic!

We keep getting more and more photos to pore through! I can't believe that was US at the wedding!

Here are a few shots from the photographer!

We've been working on fixing up my dad's house for months and months and months now. We're *finally* getting to the point where it's almost there.

-new carpet downstairs and upstairs
-new deck out back
-new walls just about everywhere
-new paint to go on fancy new walls
-new dishwasher
-new kitchen, really! cabinets, counter, etc.

Few more days. So much to do still!

The Takoma Park Jazzfest is happening on June 10th. They have a bunch of different musicians out, as well as craft vendors and food. Might be nice to relax for a couple hours and enjoy the music! About a mile or two from downtown Silver Spring.

Congrats to Jen and Matt, for kicking off the Summer of Weddings! They had a lovely ceremony on the Chesapeake Bay... only a few setbacks, and a few lessons learned (eat food!)! ;) Definitely a great dry-run for June!