Saturday, October 2, 2010

Priorities… or lack there of

I feel like there are so many different projects that we need to focus our attention and money on and I just don’t know where to start!  So I thought if I could just list them all and then figure out some sort of priority list it could help.  So here goes:
Mattress                            Front yard landscaping
Dining Room Re-doRe-upholster Chairs in Liv Rm
Replace remaining 4 windowsFreezer
That’s a lot of $$ to budget out!  So trying to prioritize, Joe and I both agree that buying mattress should be our first focus.  You spend A LOT of your life on your mattress and it determines how well you face the next day.  Our current mattress was purchased 10 years ago which is about the normal life span, I believe, but regardless, she is just worn out!  There is a permanent hole on one side and we take turns sleeping on that side to give each other some relief.
So have any recommendations for mattresses?
The #2 priority gets a little trickier.  We both agree that fall is a perfect time to focus on the yard.  The weather is nice, grass could possibly grow now versus the hot summer.  But that’s a lot of mulch to spread and Joe and I are disagreeing on whether that should be a hire out job or a DIY job.  The idea of spreading 10 cubic yards of mulch makes me want to go and hide somewhere - forever!
And after those 2 items…  I’m completely lost on where to go next!  I’m all about getting started on the dining room but should I finish the living room and actually have one room completely done?  (Is being “done” even possible, anyway??)  I need to reupholster the 2 side chairs in the room.  I love both of them but they need some attention.
IMG_8028 IMG_8030
My mom found the orange chair at Habitat for Humanity and I love the vintage feel.  I also got the rattan chair from my Mom (THANKS Mom!!) and it just needs new fabric on the cushions.  I want to do a neutral on both pieces; I am a big proponent for neutrals on the upholstery and pop your colors in other ways.  I was discussing the options with Shannon and she had a great point:  if you choose a fabric the same tone as the rattan you will be able to appreciate that texture of the natural material; where right now all you see is Navy because of the high contrast.
So anyone know of a good Upholster in Charlotte?  I need some referrals!
For the dining room I don’t even have a direction yet.  I want to marinate on that a little more and see if I can stretch my normal design.  Some it’s time to do some research!  I’m hoping to work on some idea boards to share!
The freezer and the windows just keep getting pushed to the back burner but both are really needed!  Believe me if you saw my freezer you wouldn’t believe that only 2 people live here!  A few years back we replaced all but 4 of the windows in the house.  And from friend to friend – when you replace windows just do them all at the same time.  We thought we would do 1/2 and 1/2 to spread out the cost but now it’s just lost it’s place on the list. 
So that’s my dilemma – what’s your expert opinion??  How do you prioritize your “To-Do’s”?   HELP!

5 comments:

  1. Katy, re: the freezer. We purchased our freezer almost 15 years ago (oooh, I'm a little scared to say that out loud - what's their "lifespan"?) from Sears. My advice for it's place in your priority order has to do with sales for the kind you want. For example, we knew we did NOT want a chest freezer and they seem to be less expensive. I also did not want a HUGE upright freezer. Like ya'll, there are only two people in our household and I felt like a really big one would just be a waste of space and energy. So, I was looking for a slightly smaller upright freezer and found they were not easy to find. I finally (after LOTS of looking) found that (at that time) in Charlotte Sears had the best variety of what we were looking for. We waited for a sale and got a good price on a not huge, upright freezer. It's just the right size to fit in our laundry room with our washer and dryer. I guess I'm suggesting to decide specifically what kind you want, what brand you might prefer, and watch for a sale. That's when I would buy.
    Kasey (who also lives in Charlotte)

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  2. That is such a great point! Thanks Kasey!! What a great way to look at it. I totally agree with the upright and smaller size!

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  3. Okay, Definitely upright. Having been given a chest type (HUGE) many years ago, I just didn't like it at all. It was a gift, it was free, I used it until we could afford an upright. The one advantage though that I see in an upright in your case would be the "counter top" like space, but there is the one thing about digging down to the bottom to get something. Remember your brother's deer head??

    Secondly, I would go with the chairs, first. Why? I know (and especially in your case) rooms are ongoing projects. But, that's an easy breezy Saturday morning at a couple of fabric shops--The chairs are finished and the next time you have company, there will be oohs and aahs. Christmas is coming-- Plus mark a problem off the list.

    That being said, what do you want to do in the dining room? Paint, again???????? And, if it were me I would change that window and either go with a door or open up for a bigger window---

    The outdoors just putter with it. Make a design--You are never going to have grass under those trees. So, I would make more islands of shade loving bushes, have grass at the front where the sun is and invest in tons of mulch. Add the color in the summer with things like pots of mixed coleus, impatiens and other shade loving plants. Put a bird bath or a water feature with some statuary.

    And after reading all of this---get a mattress. Just go out this afternoon, and get a mattress. (After what you might call a Panthers game) You both have the afternoon (I assume) set up a delivery time and that one is done.

    Okay, you asked (Mothers are like that, yeah, they are!)

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  4. I did all my own mulch spreading in Hickory (pine straw seems to be the yard cover of choice in Mt Pleasant). It is hard work, but I looked at it like a work out and called it excercise. Plus you don't have to haul it up a hill like we had at that house. Have it deliverd for like $50 bucks and dig in. It will make your house look so much better.

    I would also justify the windows asap. Right now we have mild weather, but when it gets cold every extra penny you spend on heating could have gone against the cost of the windows.

    Mattress stores are ALWAYS having sales. We bought ours when we moved to MT P and got a pillow top that I love. 3 years later I lay down and go ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh..............zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz

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  5. From a girl who has about six projects going at one time, I wished I knew how to prioritize too! At our house, the biggest issue is time. We have some pretty demanding work schedules so whatever we can get done when we have free time is what gets done! (PS. I think you should start with recovering that orange vintage chair because it is GOR-GEOUS!! Great find!!)

    It's so great that you have Charleston roots like me! It is an amazing city and I try to bring the city's style into my home as much as possible.

    Thanks for visiting over at Ten June!

    xo- M

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