A Little Vanity Project

Our new apartment has a master bedroom, but we chose the other bedroom because we are such generous hosts the layout works better for our furniture and the master’s bathroom is teeny tiny. We figured it made more sense for us to use the larger bathroom instead of squeezing into the smaller one, which would leave no one in a good mood before the coffee was poured.

The shower curtain from my last apartment was too short, so we moved it to the now-guest bathroom.  We picked this curtain up from Wally World because it’s fun, but not super-girly and still matched our towels.



The bathroom is long and narrow with a long counter, which works well for us during the madness of getting ready on weekdays. While the space is great, the counter also had a cut-out for a vanity stool.  And, let’s be honest, I’m never going to be doing any sort of make-up routine that requires me to sit down.



This gapping hole is also the view you have from the hallway. I had the idea of making a curtain to cover the space, so we could use it as storage.  But since I don’t even know how to sew on a button I knew it would have to be a very easy project.

Luckily, the Taj Mahal of fabric stores, Mary Jo’s, is four miles from my office, so I stopped by one day to scope it out and strategize.  After getting lost for a few hours, my honing senses led me to the sale section, where I found a great piece of fabric marked down to $6.99 a yard.  After picking up some hemming tape and a tension rod, I was set.  Or so I thought.



I thought the fabric was a fun variation on the shower curtain. I also think it’s upholstery fabric, which I thought would be nice for the thickness and body, but it really meant that the hem tape I bought didn’t work a darn.  It seriously didn’t begin to melt or bond even when I left the iron on it for like a minute.
I also thought hem tape was the thickness of Velcro, hence the three rolls when about 20% of one roll would have worked. Remember, can’t sew a button… I have a lot of learn.

So, the Stick Witchery was out and I picked up a single roll {see, I’m learning} of Heat N Bond Ultrahold, which actually worked!


Did you hear the angels singing just then?  I measured the fabric and got to ironing.  A short while later, I strung up my very first curtain.



But I’m going to let you in on a little secret, it looks seriously wonky from the back. Yet, more than two weeks later, it’s still holding strong.

Overall, I think this was a great $13 solution because it’s much more fun to look at and gives us more storage room.

I would like to attempt some more projects, so I’ve been looking at getting a sewing machine. Amazon offers some nice models for decent prices. So we’ll see what the Paycheck Gods or Santa Clause have in store.

Hello From Charlotte!

Hi friends, remember me? After a whirlwind month, we're settled in Charlotte and enjoying our new jobs and exploring our new city.

Fifteen months after moving to Raleigh on a steamy May morning...

....we waved goodbye on a steamy August morning from our big yellow Penske truck.

Well, John waved goodbye because there is no way I could move that thing two feet, and he's an incredible moving truck driver.  I mean it's really a resume-level skill.

After this move, John and I have decide that the ability to afford to hire movers is one of the clearest signs of achieving the American Dream.

We enjoyed a last meal at one of our favorite restaurants, the State Farmer's Market Restaurant, to thank our friends, Bo and Julie, and brother, Jacob, for helping us move (notice all the ginormous water cups).

Is there anything better during a Southern Summer than a veggie plate?  I already miss their fried green tomatoes and cat head biscuits.  

Side note: we knew my Yankee father was fully converted the day he asked for "a big ol' cat head biscuit" for breakfast. Well done, Mom!

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 Unfortunately, we arrived in Charlotte to a nasty surprise. 

My beloved, less-than-a-year-old car had been vandalized!  After signing our lease in Charlotte on Friday, we left my car there while we went back to Raleigh for the rest of our stuff.

Some hoodlum took a landscaping stone and tried to break the window.  But, being an awesome Super Car, her window didn't break, so they broke the window of the 4-Runner next to me.  Sadly, being an awesome Super Car, it took $1,500 and a week to repair her damage and the 4-Runner's broken window was replaced in two hours.

There was no worse feeling than pulling up to our yet-to-be-moved-in home in Charlotte after 10 hours of moving already and find this surprise.  Thankfully, John and my parents pulled up right after me and the police, Geico, and the body shop couldn't have been nicer and more accommodating.  My girl is all fixed now and as pretty as ever.

With the help of my parents, we finished moving into the new apartment at 10:30, 14 hours after we started moving in Raleigh.  We enjoyed a cold Corona and plate of Lexington barbecue on the floor surrounded by boxes and furniture, and promptly passed out.

The damage to my car is one of the risks of living Uptown (downtown in all cities less concerned with downtown revitalization).  But we're choosing to focus on the positive ones, like John being able to walk to work, so I could drive his car while mine was being repaired, and a view like this from our porch.

Obviously, that's not our real view of the skyline, but once the trees lose their leaves, it will be pretty close.

We've already had some fun adventures in Charlotte and I have a lot more to share with you soon!