Friday, May 24, 2013

2013-05-18 MCM Thriftying Adventures

OMGoodness!  What a weekend of home-love happiness.  Saturday my mom and I headed out to the Carlisle Barracks for their annual yardsale and pretty much it was a bust, except for the last stop we made where I found this really cool mid-century side chair, which turns out is a rocker. Bonus!   I wasn't sure at first if it was for sale with the daughter currently cuddle on it, but after coming back from the yardsale next door I overheard the husband saying to his wife, "I don't care if we give it away, but the chair has to go."  At that point I intervened and mentioned that I wasn't interested in the chair.  They perked up and the wife said $2 and it's yours!  I was pretty stocked about the price, which basically paid the husband to walk it across the street to load it into my car.  

 
I absolutely love the feet and how comfortable it is and a bonus - the chair rocks. By Sunday night I had the recliner I bought at the Salvo2 weeks ago already posted on craigslist.  There is a 2" ripe toward the top left of the chair, but it's nothing to obvious with the fabric pattern.  There is a little paper dirt and some dust toward the back of the seat, but I just need to take the vacuum to it, and then we'll shampoo it just as a precaution.  The springs do squeak when I rock, so if anyone has any suggestions on what I should use please let me know.


It's so weird having the living room so empty and finally having the sectional out.  The great thing about it was that the buyer didn't talk me down on the price, which was nice.  It really was worth the full asking price.  The hardest part now is just being patient and not wavering on my mid-century criteria.  I may also sell the matching yellow carpet/area rugs to purchase something a bit more interesting.  I'm in love with the Jute Chenille Herringbone Rug that I saw on Welcome to the Heardmont post about their New Living Room Rug.  They had an IKEA Alvine Ruta Rug, which is also on my wish list possibly for the Dining room. 



With the Barracks yardsale being such a bust we decided to make a drive over to the Blue to the Blue Mountain Thrift Store in Annville, which has a very nice selection of vintage accessories and furniture.  While there we found a few treasure like these adorable yellow table napkins, place mats and table runner, flower pattern casserole dish, and a mushroom Pyrex bowl.  We spent several hours and debated on a few items before making our final purchase. 


We also found this macroma plant holder for only a $1. What a steal when these things sell anywhere from $38-$50 each on etsy. I had an extra planter and faux plant from IKEA that I put in there for now.  This way I don't have to worry about watering anything.  


Here are a few things we decided to pass on starting from the top right and "S" curve down -

1) MCM coffee table with metal tapered legs and a lower shelf.
This was all metal, and very sturdy at around $30, however I wasn't sure I wanted the undershelf.  It would be perfect to store our wicker tray for remotes, but I really want a bench that I can store a wicker basket with throw blankets in.

2) Hoover pink vacuum
This was a good value at $25 for a basic vacuum, but didn't think it had enough suction to gather all the dog hair, even on the 3rd floor.   

3) Metal Bookshelf
I think this was under $20, but couldn't think of a good place for it other then the basement and it's really not functional for what we need to store.  

4&7) Neutral w floral pattern sofa
This was a nice neutral print sofa for only $80 that I liked, however, when you sat on it you fell into the couch as the cushions were very worn in.  Not really worth it for the price.  

5&6) Very loud sleeper Sofa lovesea
It was funny that both my mom and I saw this and thought..hmmm not a bad deal $80 for a sleeper sofa and it's in really great condition, but with the velor covering and loud pattern choice it was not really what we wanted so I'm glad we decided in the end to pass.  I had actually sent a text to a friend of mine, who also is into MCM design and she promoted me to pass on it.   It's always good to listen to your friends, they do help in buying something that you'll regret later.  As we left the store we were very thankful that we didn't end up buying it. 


What I am super excited about is this MCM desk that I found while there.  I had gone back and forth on whether I should and then my friend, Kate, said she had one very similar and she loved it.  I really love the handles and the easy access to the drawers.  The one I have the drawers sometimes stick and don't really want to use it because of that.    The top of the table is laminate, but it's heavy duty and much heavier than my other one. Since I'm going to be out of town this weekend, my mom is going to pick it up for me since we weren't able to fit in into my SUV.  With some cute drawer liners in this bad boy it's going to look pretty amazing and at only $26 a complete steal.


It was still early so after we finished up in Annville we made out way to the Salvo off Trindle.  Once we arrived we made a v-line to the furniture section.  The only sofa's there that caught our eye was a plush maroon leather sofa that was priced well at $100 and super comfy, but I wasn't budging on my criteria.  Plus, there's no way it would have fit through the door so that helped my case.  While browsing through the other pieces I spotted this mcm dream by Lane furniture marked at only $80 for all 3 pieces and immediatly thought of this Modern Mid Century Makeover by Dream Green DIY and knew that this would be the perfect piece to attempt this DIY for myself.  A post with further details on the kitchen update and how the credenza works in kitchen hopefully in the next few weeks. 

Some things no matter how good of a deal are just not meant to be, so it's nice to wait and see if it's still there in a few days and I'm still making plans for it.  Plus, I'm pretty tired of having extra things around the house, becasue I didn't wait and found something I liked better days or weeks later.   They were also having a 50% sale Monday for all their furniture, so it was another good reason to wait. 

I liked that the credenza had a mid-century look and had potential to fit in my Kitchen or Dining Room, so I took some measurements and headed home.  After some debate we decided it would work best in the kitchen and I began drawing up an action plan and figure out what we would actually store in it, especially since the bookshelf and Formica table wasn't really working for us since my the last kitchen refresher.

What I came up with:
Left Drawers:
1) spices
2) measuring spoons and cups
3) pie pans / hand mixer
4) cookie sheets

Middle Drawers:
1) Yellow table napkins
2) oven mits
3) Linens & Hand towels

Right Drawers:
1) cutting boards
2) Knives
3) coffee supplies
4) food processors

Monday morning my mom was their  when they opened and now it's mine and for only $40!  Tuesday the 21st a few friends came over to help unload all the pieces and take the 2 end tables and the kitchen bookshelf to the 3rd floor. 

While there we also saw a 12-pc set of fitness equipment by blitz, which priced at $700 was another great value so I sent a few picture messages to a coworker who was menationed just last week she was on the lookout for workout machines to start her personal training business.  I was glad that I sent her the information, because she sent me a text message Monday afternoon to thank me and that she purchased it.  

Saturday
We headed out to Allegheny Furniture Consignment who were recommended by a friend of my moms, and they just happened to be open Sunday and then continued our search traveling to Johnny's Furniture Discount, Value City, hley's Furniture, and N.B. Leibman's. 


Above are a few sofa's we were checking out.
1) A sofa and chair set for $800 at Allegheny.  It matched my style criteria and was comfortable, but it was 84$ long and required the purchase of the chair.  

2) This was a cute 3-pc set for only $100, but it was more than we need and it wasn't that comfortable.  I liked the shape and that it was a pale green, which matched my kitchen color.

3) A cute purple microsuede loveseat with lots of pillows for the back.  The price was higher since it was at Value City, but we opted to pass. 

4) I liked the color of this discounted sofa from Value City, but the cushions were attached denoting it's lower quality.

5) This was by far our favorite and one we were seriously considering purchasing.  We talked with the sales rep Brian, from N.B. Leibman.  I highly recommend asking for him if your at the Harrisburg location as I moved past 2 salesman before I opted to accept his assistance, and I'm glad he was very helpful and easy going.  The fabric had been discontinued so the sofa, which was 76" was a great size, and at only $500 the price was doable.  They only had the floor model and one still in the box at the warehouse, so we still had some time to think about it and since it wasn't 100% meeting my mid-century requirement I didn't want to make a purchase just yet.

6) A cute, cushion attached loveseat from Ashley.

7) A fuax white leather loveseat from Ashley.  Not really an option since I don't like faux leather or pleather as it's always cold, but I thought it was cute and closer to my style. 

We stopped by Burlington Coat Factory and found a sink size dish drainer and a bath rug for the 1/2 bath and then headed to the Chinese buffet next door for dinner.  Though it was pretty loud with a large party just a few tables over.  I went over and asked nicely if they could keep it down until we leave so I could hear my mom.  They apologized and did actually do so and afterwards I went over to thank them. 


Saturday night I posted my other mcm desk on Craigslist for $30, and by Sunday night it was sold.  A lovely mom came over and brought her daughter and daughters husband who are also into mcm design.  She knew that if she ended up not buying it, which she did, that they might be interested. They were actually over for at least an hour as we discussed our adventures collecting mcm accessories and furniture.  Monday {May 20} they were driving south toward Maryland to purchase another sofa for their living room.  They had a total of 5, but recently sold 3 and are moving the 4th one to their spare room.  I really wished I would have known them before they sold their couches, as I would have purchased one of them I'm sure.  It's nice to meet such a cute and fun couple who are very similar to me in when they find something they like better they'll buy it and sell the previous piece.  They also mentioned they have founds some furniture pieces at the Salvo off Union Deposit in Harrisburg, and accessories at the Goodwill in Lemoyne.  I wont deny that I wished they were both open so we could have gone that night. 


Monday, May 20, 2013

finding my balance part 2

The Social Dancer
Another part of my life that needs balance is my social life, which for the last few years has revolved around dancing.  Before I started dancing 7 years ago, and even up until about a few years ago my social life was pretty varied; I attended church, participated in young adult groups, hiked, hosted an occasional dinner party, and  when I lived in Colorado I used to bike.  However, this last year my only social avenue has revolved around dance events and exchanges;  Lindy Hop, Blue's Balboa, West Coast Swing and Fusion.  There is nothing wrong with it per say as I really enjoy the connection time off the dance floor that I've had these past few months traveling to the Baltimore, and D.C. scenes.  I've really felt apart of the scene especially in D.C. and I am making more of an effort to make the 2-hour trip down.

However, it would be nice to have some friends locally that I connect with in that same manner, but with my social focus being around dancing it's hard to meet anyone locally and even the closest scene would be York or Lancaster, and they are still 30 minute to an hour drive.  My main thing really is to have the quality time and there are a few friends from my old church or even old hobbies that who I miss hanging out with and some one-on-one time to catch up would really be nice. 

That's me in the pink shirt under the spell of Bitter Dose Combo, a favorite band, as they perform at DCLX 2013 on Sunday afternoon. photo credit: Jerry Almonte.

------------------------ becoming a fit dancer ------------------------
It's amazing what you learn about yourself just by watching other dancers who are in their realm and it didn't take me very long to realize just how mediocre my so called "creative dance style" is and that I've got some work to do if I'm going to spice things up, so I've decided to dedicate an hour a week to practice different moves that will expand my dance move library so I can more flavor on the dance floor.

check out my vanilla moves

Here are a few of the moves I plan to work on:
* lock turn w kick ball chain
* eggbeater (in link above)
* heal stands
* helicopter
* falling off the log (6:05)
* the mess around
* hip thrust
* susy q

------------------------ dancing is exercise ------------------------
Lindy Hop (LH) is not only a social avenue for me, but it's also a way to keep fit since you can burn 1,000 calories in only a few hours depending on the advancement and intensity of the dancers in your scene.   My local scene is primarily East Coast Swing / Jitterbug, which doesn't compare to the original intensity from the 1920s and 1930s.   There are exceptions like on our Monthly dance in Colombia when most of my Happy Lindy dancers are present and I leave dripping sweat, which is a sanctifying feeling.  I also get a chance to catch up with some of my favorite people in my scene. 

Hooked On Swing Dancing
by BadZKarma99

I plan to start attending a weekly dance in Baltimore that gives me the intensity I desire and will be counting it in my weekly routine as an alternative cardio day.   The drive can sometimes be rough at 1-1/2 hours, but I also plan to treat myself to my favorite Starbucks coffee - soy latte and 2x shot of raspberry.  This also keeps me traveling outside of my scene where there are more advanced dancers to remind me how vanilla my moves really are.

Keep in mind that any Arial moves {seen in the video above} are reserved for the competitions and are not appropriate / respectful to be done on the social dance floor.  

part 1: Fit Life
part 3: Home Care

Tuesday, May 14, 2013

Finding my Balance part 1

This last month I've haven't really felt like blogging so I've been mostly posting mini updates on instagram and facebook about what's been happening around the house, with my workouts, and any fit and happy eats that I think you'll enjoy.  I'm not sure if my lack of blogging has been a result of doing to much and I just haven't had much time to post more then just snip-its or if it's because I've been spending a lot more time reading about other bloggers lives as lately my bloglovin stream has been increasing.  I've really been enjoying reading about the new workouts and eats from The Purely Twins, and She Rocks Fitness, along with reading about organizing and home decor ideas from Bowl Full of Lemons, and Oh So Lovely.  

Living a Fit life
The Purely Twins have been where I've been spending most of my reading time lately, especially since they are new to my feed.  I've been drooling over Lori and Michelle's tasty eats, and after seeing their plantain pancakes, Salmon, Spinach and Mushrooms and plantain egg breakfast on instagram I want to buy some plantains.  I've also done a few of their plank based workouts on youtube, which have been very challenging.   I appreciate that they do the videos in real time so you can workout with them and not have to worry what move is next or setting a timer.  They also do a quick breakdown of all the moves before they start each workout. I find them to be similar to the original bodyrock.tv host Z, now at Zuzka Light, in the sense that they are easy to follow along with during the workouts despite their awkward video personalities. 
 

Outside of that I've been working on creating a balance with running, dancing, working on the house, and strength training, so I do not get burnt out.  I'm hoping that as I learn the balance it will allow me time to fit more of the things I love without feeling overwhelmed.  In the past I've have high expectations for myself, instead of being realistic and I tend to get depressed thinking about all the things I need and want to do and end up overworking my body.  This only results in being super sore and depressed and state and it gets harder each time to pull myself back out. 


I've started simply scheduling my workouts weekly.  This allows me to look at the week ahead and determine what workouts are best with the weather forecast and my evening schedule.  You can see my schedule so far for May and I've done very well at successfully completing all of my workouts. 

I plan to incorporate 2 running days, 2 HIIT days, a dance night, a practice night, and an active rest day / rest day.  By broadening my workouts I hope to build my balance, endurance and add variety in my workouts so I'm not running every day and ignoring my strength training.   

What are some ways you are helping to keep the balance in your fit life?

part 2: The Social Dancer (coming next Monday)
part 3: Home Care