Monday, July 11, 2016

Betwixt and Between

We have been traveling between three houses. Last Friday was the closing on my house in Minnesota. Thank goodness, that one is done and dusted! Because the other two are in all stages of chaos and incompleteness. And every few days we are making the 3 hour drive in between for one reason. Or six.

 

One looks like this from where I sit right now, with boxes being packed and stacked everywhere.

A couple days ago while we were here working, the air-conditioning was out for 14 hours.

Packing boxes in 99 degree F heat and 85% humidity = sweaty torture!

 

 

Meanwhile, in Georgetown we have had good news on what the house inspector thought could be some pricey repairs. The air-con problem with the potential to need major repair (maybe even replacement) was a fuse, and the foundation moisture fix will cost $hundreds, not $thousands as feared!

Now, on to other decisions that have been more fun!

 

 

The living room

(Disclaimer: the mirrors behind the white shelves will be leaving as soon as the final papers are signed.)

 
Some living room SOFA candidates.

 

(I kept calling them couches which apparently is Minnesotan and kept being kindly corrected, so I'm working on that.)

This one, but maybe in tan?

It's so nice and ... beachy.

 

 

More formal. Larger size? Is the wood too dark with the newly refinished oak floors?

 

The jury is still out on cou... er,SOFAS.

 

 

Kitchen floor, ceramic or vinyl?

Vinyl is easier on the legs, vinyl it is.

Left or right? Leaning left.

 

Hallway carpet. Requirements: soft and squishy, long-wearing, neutral color. You would think that would be easy, but do you know how many shades of beige and degrees of squishy there are? How many prices there are? How many promises of wearability there are? Did you even know wearability was a word?

Anyhoo, we made a decision. But it was in a carpet warehouse at the end of another 99 degree/85% humidity day of decisions and our decision-making ability had tanked somewhere around noon.

We had to go back the next morning and change the order.

The clerk didn't seem too surprised.

 

 

But it hasn't been all work and no play.

 

I picked out my coffee shop in Georgetown where I can get my favorite morning brew -- iced Americano -- and take it across the street to enjoy on the harbor walk on the waterfront, watching the yachts and working boats come and go.

 

 

 

 

One night we went to hear a friend of The Writer's singing at a restaurant at Murrells Inlet a ways up the coast. He is a fantastic entertainer and it was a nice place on the water.

My brain was fried and instead of the beautiful harbor and decks and docks behind him, I chose the background of the parking lot for the photo!

This is Bil Krauss. If you get a chance to hear him, he plays all over the East Coast and you'll have lots of fun.

 

 

 

 

This coming weekend The Writer will be gone to Orlando, next week I fly to Minnesota to take care of my grandsons for a week while my daughter and son-in-law are in Washington, DC, and the following week we close on our new house and move in. So please forgive me if things are a little quiet on my blog for the rest of the month and I don't get around to yours as often as usual.

I'll be around when I can!

 

22 comments:

  1. So many decisions! A very busy time for you. When it's all sorted I can see you slumping on that settee, um couch, er..sofa with a long cool drink.

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  2. Wow Cynthia no chance to relax and take your time over decisions but it does seem to be all coming together.

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  3. I can't tell if you have the room for a 3 cushion sofa vs a 2 cushion one but I would hesitate to go with something as dark, heavy and formal as the one in your photo. Do you have room for a pair of 2 cushion sofas? If not sitting side by side, you could do them in different in different patterns or use different throw pillows.

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    1. I like your ideas! Obviously this is not my forte. My past decorating style is Inherited Hand-me-Downs.

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  4. You are having a lot of fun with buying and selling houses and then there's Oh my. buying things. I hope this all works out for you.

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  5. Sounds like you are keeping really busy and tired. I like the beachy sofa if you can get it in a neutral colour. I do like the blue and white stripes too but I'm imagining it is a little harder to match things or get complementary things to go with it. I too would lean toward the vinyl shade on the left and the carpet shade on the right though I'm sure you'll pick a shade that meets your needs. Dark carpet shows absolutely everything. The coffee shop looks very nice and the setting sounds perfect.

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  6. Cynthia, I am so happy for you! Your new house is going to be beautiful! Most of the places you talk about now sound so familiar, like Murrells Inlet. You have sure been busy!

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  7. You are a busy woman, and I am getting tired just imagining all the activity. T'will be worth it when it's all finished. Relax; we'll wait.

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  8. I like the second couch...any color accent will work! The other is beachy but ...is it as comfy as the other one? I love tile it is so cool in the summer and easy to keep up...I hate carpet so we don't have much except upstairs where no one goes:) Have fun! Enjoy your GRands!! :)

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  9. Wow what an exciting time for you. Glad the house in Minnesota has sold. The new place looks great and it sounds like it is in a super position. looking forward to seeing it furnished with a SOFA, we call them lounges.

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  10. Such a hectic but exciting time for you! In Australia, we also call them couches and sometimes lounges...a lounge suite here refers to a 2 or 3seater couch with 2 single chairs.

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  11. Wow!!! What a lot happening can I commend you on only needing an iced-americano to fully appreciate the harbour views?!!! I won't offer my style advice as I'm like you the one asking everyone which shade of neutral I should choose!
    Have fun with your grandsons!
    Wren x

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  12. Such an exciting time albeit busy and lots of decisions to make, but it will all be worth it in the end. Have a wonderful time with the Grandchildren.

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  13. When I was little, my mother didn't say couch or sofa. She said "davenport", so I grew up with that. But couch does sound more Minnesotan. Enjoy your babysitting time back here in MN! Glad things are moving foreward for you.

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    1. That's what my mother called them growing up, too! Apparently, it's a specific type/brand from Davenport, IA? Kind of like calling all tissues Kleenex is what I've been told. ):

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  14. As a not speaking enkish person, I looked up the word for a ciuch several times and you getvall kind of different words for it. I don' t know anything about Minisota or other parts it is all very confusing for everyone I think. A lot of work to do for you, changing places is always difficult. Exciting to choose all new furnitures. Wish you luck and fun with the grandchildren.

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  15. Couches or sofas - what's the difference. Same thing to sit on.
    I like the stripped one.
    Anyhow I am sure your new home in Georgetown will be wonderful when you
    have fully settled in.
    Best wishes to the Little Aussie in Minn. aka Mason. and the other 3 young fellas.
    Have fun.
    Colin

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  16. Wow, I'm tired and cranky just reading about all that...and you know me without AC! Oy vey!

    I like the striped couch, but I like the idea someone gave of 2 smaller ones maybe, too? And a big, comfy side chair! How fun to get a new house and remodel a bit, too - wish I lived closer to help!

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  17. They're couches, none of this east coast sofa silliness. Don't you just love long distance buying and selling. We were living in California when we bought our house in Georgia. Right now I'm sitting in the Sky Lounge in Budapest, Hungary waiting for or flight to Amsterdam and then on to London. Budapest has been as hot as Georgia without air conditioning. Think long and hard before you carpet anything in the South.

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  18. I'm worn out just reading about your activities. I think you've chosen a lovely location and will enjoy it very much once you are settled in and can take a deep breath or two.

    I like the striped couch but that's just me, as for the wood I believe rooms look good with a mix of wood tones so if you love that one you will make it work. By the way I call them couches too but find not many others do, something else those of us in parts of PA and MN have in common.

    Enjoy those grandchildren, see you when you have time to relax and catch up.

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  19. You are very busy then.
    That temperature is certainly a bit warm to be working in - it's just for sitting :)
    Have fun...lucky the Georgetown problems were not too costly, lucky there.
    Couches look good..

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  20. Moving is a lot of work. No doubt about it....:)

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