Anticipation

We got the rental application and credit check stuff to the apartment management company today and should hear back in a few days about the apartment.

I'm getting very excited (as opposed to anxious) about the move, mostly because I have all sorts of possibly unrealistic plans for decorating. :P

As this is a garden apartment (ie in the basement), the windows are fairly short and up near the ceilings. So, I'm planning on getting some inexpensive white or natural muslin and a pretty trim to make curtains that won't block light. Overall, the potential for little natural light is pushing me toward trying to brighten rooms as much as possible with the decor - light, airy curtains, lighter colors with furniture, brighter colors, etc. Since our budget is tight, I really want to stick with inexpensive DIY stuff, preferably using as much stuff that we already have as possible.

Also on my list of things I really want to do:

• Refinish a metal chest of drawers we have. I've been wanting to do this for years. The current paint is a dull beige and is peeling. One of the drawers has stickers on it that were painted over and this makes me crazy. I would like to strip down that drawer to get a smooth surface and then decoupage fabric or paper on the drawer surfaces and repaint the basic frame. This might be possible as this new place has a storage area right across from the back door of the apartment, so I could conceivably have Tom move the thing in there for me to paint and to let it dry without having excessive fumes in the apartment or the risk of paint mess.
• Refinish a metal filing cabinet we have in the same manner.
• Paint all of our pressboard el-cheapo bookcases so they match. I'm thinking white. I've also considered decoupaging them, though that could be a major headache with all the angles and corners. Also, all the painting has to be with a brush or roller because 1) I am not a fan of using spray paint indoors or outdoors in common areas; 2) spray paint is technically illegal in the city. I'm also not sure how many coats it would take to completely cover the faux woodgrain look.
• Do something with the TV stand. It's black. It's kind of ugly. I'm actually thinking it might be a good candidate for Mod Podge/decoupage as well. A sufficiently heavy fabric would probably cover up the black fairly well. If I get something that coordinates with black, I only really need to do the little side doors.
• Acquire and possibly re-paint and reupholster some extra chairs for guests. Upholstery scares me a bit, but I like chairs with cushions.
• Do actual...decorating. Not crazy - I've never liked to have a lot of knickknacks, but I would like some more pretty touches. Vases with flowers. That sort of thing... I'd actually like some wall shelves to put little things in that I make more than any things else. At the moment, we don't really have a good display area. It's part of what keeps me from making more amigurumi - I don't want to give all of them away and I'm not always sure what to do with them otherwise.
• I'm planning to crochet and/or knit some colorful potholders to hang up in the kitchen more as decoration than anything else.
• I'd like to get rid of the desk I have now because it's monstrously big, has no real storage, and is a bit too modern for my tastes now. I'd much rather have a smaller writing desk or even an additional table at a good height. Mostly, I just need a sewing table and a "general other work" table - especially if I get going with Etsy, I'll need a place convenient to our printer that has room for putting together packages for mailing and filing paperwork.
• Get some more storage for my fabric stash. At the moment, I probably only really need a clothing box or two.
• Set up a good indoor photo area. I need to get better at photography, both doing it at all and making what I do better. Since mobility is kind of a problem for me, indoor is best. And since light is going to be at a bit of a premium, I'm going to have to figure out a setup. Fortunately, Tom is all about some photography, so I have a good resource. :)

I am also excited because I think I will be able to do laundry now! Currently our apartment is up two short flights of stairs. There is no way I can get down them while carrying a hamper. It's a bit too far to just drop the hamper over the side plus I'm not quite strong enough to do so. Then, the laundry room is down another flight of steps and behind a heavy door. So, poor Tom has to do all the laundry on top of everything else he does. The laundry room at the new (hopefully) place though is just three steps up, then across a nice flat concrete apron, and down a ramp (yay!). Plus there are comfy chairs and books in there if you want to hang out while your laundry is going. We're going to score either a wheeled hamper or a collapsible shopping cart (grocery store is also within more feasible walking distance) so I can do stuff.

So, with luck, I can do a bit more around the house. I'm also going to try very hard to do a bit of light housework every day. Mostly I need to find a good way to remind myself to do it. So, we'll see.