First big adjustment: I had to move all my fabric out of the basement (10 32 gallon bins) and into my guest room and study.
Why? Because 1.) Apparently, I have to live with my intended once we get married. So, I have ceded my back basement fabric storage to a squat rack, weights and work out equipment. ::tears:: Also, I’m converting from oil to gas and needed to get my fabric out of the work area.
My front basement will no longer be my sewing room either. For some reason, it’s important that we have a clear and organized space to have company over and watch TV with friends.
My guestroom (Above) will become the sewing room. And, hopefully, I can get some fabric back in the back basement now that there is no longer and oil tank and 20 year old fridge taking up space.
The central air installation will make it all worth it! Yes. That’s right. After ten years, I am putting in central air. The fiance has bad allergies and asthma so my moldy window units weren’t going to cut it. Also, I figured this was a good way to keep peace in the summer.
I do not love living in a construction zone. What do people do with bigger projects like kitchens and baths??
I started some wedding stuff! I made my veil over the weekend. Lace edged, single layer, finger tip length. Three dollar investment. The one I wanted was $300 in the store! Ba-nanas.
This weekend we went to a wedding in upstate New York (Westchester County). I’d never been to a wedding with a full mass before so that was really interesting. I’m wearing my officiant dress from last October. I love this dress!! It was such a pleasant surprise to pull it out and see how good it looked! I haven’t worn it since the wedding last year.
The wedding was on the grounds of a camp site. It was just like Dirty Dancing. Minus the ethnic and class tension.
We stayed in these cool yurts. And, I’ve never been so glad for my two sleeping bags in my life. First time I’ve used them in ten years!
So, that’s my round up. I still have an unblogged dress from a month ago to post. But, I can’t even find my tripod in the mess that is my home 🙂
Miss Celie's Pants 
Congratulations, again! It’s good to get these things done before he moves in. Q (what I call my husband) was upset because I had to do these things after I moved in and he felt like I was taking completely over the whole house and I think if he had done it ahead of time it would have felt more like he had control.
Thank you! And, thanks for telling me about your move in. It’s been hard because he’s moving in to my house which I’ve had for ten years. So, I’m trying to be good and not be mean about giving up space. But, my clothes are in ALL the closets! And now with a/c ductwork in the closets, they are even smaller. I don’t know where to put my shoes! So, I’m trying to get a lot of this kind of stuff done before he moves in so it doesn’t feel chaotic and I won’t feel… disgruntled 🙂
🙂 :-). Well worth doing ahead of time, I completely agree. If only because you can detach the cleanup phase from the “lovely to have you here” phase. And I think the sewing/guest room combination is the best, as I rarely have time to sew while I actually have guests present (unless they’re that kind of guest, in which case they’re delighted to be sleeping in the middle of piles of fabric strewn about). May I suggest a comfy foldout sofa instead of bed? Then you can nap while pondering projects, or comfortably look over magazines, and still generally have -room-.
May I also respectfully suggest that a mere 9 boxes of fabric would be enough for several years? Seizing the opportunity for a bit of destashing may help that cramped feeling?
Be sure you maintain that new a/c unit too, change filters faithfully! And a damp washcloth through the dog fur every few days goes a long ways towards bringing down the general allergy inflammation level. Did you know about double bagging the vacuum? Cut the top out of a bag, put another in, and presto, you have a HEPA filter that’ll go a long way towards happy lungs.
You both look gorgeous, like this could be your own wedding’s picture :-). Happy for you..
I hear you on the disgruntlement. If you’re losing your patience, try counting your new blessings: your stuffed closets can’t protect you at home like your husband can, he’s more fun to watch a movie with, he can drop by the supermarket on the way home, etc etc. *sigh* But still it is hard to move your stuff out to make space for another. You’ll get through this *hugs*
Well I am glad to know I am not the only one suffering (at least it’s for love!) as I am packing up my fabric and sewing stuff, too. And to answer your question, “what do people do with bigger renovations?” the answer once again is: suffer. It is so hard! Those home improvement tv show and blogs make it look a lot easier than it really is.
There is dust everywhere. Like, everywhere. And, this is a minor project!
I love it that you stayed in a yurt. And that you are giving the finger to the wedding industrial complex by making your own veil. Do it, girl!
My husband and I had to combine all of our “stuff” from two separate houses (which were both full) and endure renovations at the same time, bathrooms, bedrooms, hardwood floor refinishing, etc. If we had not been doing it for love, I think we would have killed one another! And, it is an 75 year old house with NO closets to speak of. You will adjust, but there will be times when you will want to scream, just don’t. You will get accustomed to the changes, and it will all be worth it. You will figure it out in time. I can’t wait to see the veil. I’ll bet it is gorgeous.
So, I am planning on redoing the floors too in the next month of so. Is it possible to do when people are living in the house? I also need to paint. But, I may just let that wait…
The floor refinishing may be a problem with asthma and allergies (think endless dust and chemicals) and your furry companion may find it rough too. Maybe a night or two elsewhere?
Yes, you can if you use water based urethane. They can sand and do several coats in a day. We walked on it that evening, sock feet only for a few days. We couldn’t move back the furniture though, so you do need to have a place to put stuff and do it in stages if you are doing the whole house.
Love the veil! The FW is such a little cutie too. Sometimes when I use mine I think of a woman sewing with hers 65 years ago and wondering if she was ever sewing kids pajamas or a dress for a Christmas party in her dining room too. I wonder if your FW ever saw a wedding dress or a veil too.
I’ve just signed the contract on the bathroom reno upstairs and am dreading EVERY moment of the 5-7 days they are suppose to be there because I KNOW it will be longer! And I have another 1.5 baths so it’s not like we’ll really be out a bathroom! As for closet space look at one of those wall units IKEA sells that you can customize for your needs because take it from me you want to HIDE all those shoes. Men don’t understand shoes!
So far, this is the plan in the study. I need to put my shoes and purses somewhere. He looked baffled when he saw 30 shoe boxes stacked in the hallway.
Ahh…Central air conditioning…once you have it, you’ll never want to live without it!
Your veil looks lovely, can’t wait to see the whole thing!
I am so thrilled about your wonderfully exciting life! With all the things to do around the house and wedding planning, I don’t know if you know that Guss Woolens is going out of business. I just read this last week. Big Sale!!
Our basement (a.k.a. my lady-cave) has been “under construction” since we moved in two years ago. It’s a vast assortment of home-reno tools, insulation, drywall, tile, shower implements, my sewing stuff, my work out stuff and a very large shop vac. Needless to say, I completely understand what it feels like to live in a construction zone. I clean it up as best I can periodically, but I really can’t wait to have the reno finally done, although I too will have to give up my sewing area somewhat which sucks.
Nice job on the veil. I’m assuming you are making your dress? You will get no judgement from me if you are or aren’t. I didn’t really like the planning process of my wedding and couldn’t even think about making my own dress without loosing my shit. I found my dress in-store and then ordered it at plussizebridal.com for half the price (they sell all sizes), then had it altered.
You and your fiancé are a beautiful couple! Congratulations again!
Marriage is all about compromise. And hiding the things men really don’t understand. My husband can’t work out why women need more than one handbag. There is a lot of stuff hidden in my house!
Good luck with the re-organisation.
Oh, which reminds me. Because of the a/c I’ve also lost my shelf for my purses. Open to suggestions on how to store them…
It depends on how many purses you have, your space and your budget, right? Does Pinterest have anything? What about a little shelf around the ceiling of your clothing storage area?
I also second compromise and not bothering spouses with things that are liable to just start a fight… unless it’s so important that even risking a fight is a risk that should be taken. Now, Kristy (Lower Your Presser Foot) made it (married) through a remodeling period, and her stash is more than a box or two–a sewing and marriage success story there!
wow those are such beautiful pix. it sounds like you had a lovely time. it is crazy what they charge for veils considering the lack of stuff in them! yours will be gorgeous im sure
Now, my renovation story is like the tsunami of renovations since we started with ‘just a little work on the kitchen and bath’ and ended up having to bring in an engineer with 4 jacks and two huge beams to jack up the center of our house because for some cah-ray-zee reason, when they built it and put in the staircase in the center of the house, they did not bother to support the floor next to it. totally nuts. Anyway – our renovation was one of those ‘money-pit’ issues and took two years. BUT, out builders used this product (I can’t remember the name of it) which is huge sheets of plastic which you seal both at the ceiling level and at the floor level, surrounding which areas you are working in and they come with giant zippers in them to get in and out of the areas and that system worked pretty well in terms of controlling the amount of dust everywhere. Now, saying THAT, I have to say that we used what is referred to here as ‘the den’ (a small room on the first floor which is usually used for computer work and watching the tube) as the eating and cooking area – we ripped out a free-standing tile-topped cabinet and used a toaster oven and an electric frying pan and a slow cooker to cook with. They only dealt with one bathroom at a time, which was really good. They did theengineering in the basement and the first floor first and then the kitchen (and while they did that, we ripped out the downstairs bath) and then the downstairs bath. Then we gutted the livingroom to put in new windows and insulation and they came and did that – and while they were doing that, we gutted the upstairs bathroom and a closet in one of the bedrooms so that we could steal some room from that for a decent bathroom. So, we basically marched around the house with our gutting in front of them and their following us behind doing the actual building. But that plastic stuff with the zippers was a lifesaver.
Are you going to make your own dress?
Welcome to living with a guy!! I’ve been married almost 20 yrs to my 2nd husband, and he did not want me cutting out patterns in the dining rm. FINallY have a sewing rm in the attic. It is very comfy and warm in the winter (buffalo,ny), but sometimes in the summer it is too hot in the evening–9 or 10 or 11 pm. Have refused an airconditioner in sewing rm, as patterns would be flying everywhere!!
In our house the question is “Why do you need more than three dresses?” As if a girl can wear the same three week in and out. And don’t get him started on shoes…
If you have kids, you’ll definitely be looking for a larger house… Might as well start now! LOL. Kids are like junk magnets. 🙂
You may be giving up the basement but the good news is he has no excuse to not keep in shape after you are married! 🙂 Gotta look on the bright side.
Nothing like AC and home upgrades–however, the process is aggravating.If possible, finish as much as you can before the wedding. You two will have your own personal adjustments to work out, so it helps if the house is completed. BTW, The veil is beautiful. 🙂
felicidades por tu compromiso y tu proxima boda. veras que despues que pase los preparativos de boda vas a poder con calma organizar todo lo de costura. Dios los bendiga a ambos
Congrats again on your future marriage, SO EXCITING!! My remodeling secrets are 1. being handy, 2. hiring a professional when you think you might get in over your head (seriously, it’s cheaper than waiting until a major screwup happens), 3. ORGANIZATION!! Label EVERYTHING, or you might inadvertently throw away something important, and 4. patience, you’re gonna need it. 😉
Also, congrats on getting central air–I grew up without A/C (not even a window unit), and I’d never go back!! Just be sure to get one of those nifty doodads that you can program, or you might have a bit of a shock when you get your utility bill next summer! I’ve seen one called “Nest”(?) on This Old House that supposedly is super simple to use and learns from you (and you can access it from your tablet/smartphone if you forget to turn it off!). Don’t know how much it costs, but it might be worth it for easy to program/use…
Ain’t love grand! Fortunately you have another option for your sewing space! Just try to keep your own closet space. My husband and I share and we both hate it b/c he has just as many clothes as I do!
If there is anything prettier than upstate New York in fall I cannot imagine what it is! I lived just outside of Ithaca for a year and it is just. so. pretty! Second the motion on the programmable thermostat, it can save you a bundle. Regarding handbags, shoes and purses, you just need them, that’s all he needs to know. You need them and you must have them. Ditto with sewing machines. He has to take you as you are, just as you’re taking him…but yeah, you do have to make room for him too! 😀 It is HARD to do though, no matter whose house you move into, so it’s important for everyone to keep a sense of humor about it. Also…well it wouldn’t hurt to clean out the closets, would it?
Perhaps a sell-off of the pieces that no longer really float your boat? I’ll bet there are loads of people here who would buy them.
You get to use the fitness equipment too, right?
So funny when you say that Westchester is “upstate”! I lived 450 miles further “upstate” for most of my life. Congrats on sharing!
You know it’s true love when you are prepared to give up your sewing room! Still a chance to start afresh and have a bit of a clear up can be a good thing, but I hear you about having to live in a place while renovations are going on around you, it’s a nightmare.
It’s a great idea to take care of these projects before Mr. moves in. We had one whole level of our house torn up for 8 months while husband was traveling a ridiculous amount and I was home and working with a toddler and a 7 year old. Our dining room was crammed with couches and our living room looked like an episode of Hoarders. I really think I should have been on anti anxiety meds at the time.
Love the peek of your veil! I wish I knew how to sew when I got married. I was one of those suckers who forked out $200. 😉
to answer your question, people remodeling kitchens/baths want to kill EVERYTHING.
i love seeing all this changes going on, brings back memories…..oh, the trips to ikea…
But central air (and gas) you’re going to like that SO much. OK, can you store some things (seasonal shoes and clothes) in the basement? Maybe some closets built down there to make it nice. And clearing the sewing decks every once in a while is a good thing. Very “freeing.”
And boy, I hope he appreciates your sacrifice! And is he allergic to the adorable dog?
My husband came to an epiphany a few years ago: “Women love shoes like men love tools.” We’ve been good on the shoe and tool front since then. 🙂
Yeah, you do have to kind of live with them. But it’s worth it (most of the time) :-). And you’ll figure out how to share space as you go along. Glad to hear you’re not leaving the ‘hood. :-)Can I tell you just how jealous I am of your central air installation? We have window units on all 3 floors and Erik and I spend most of the summer arguing about how high to set them, when to turn them on and off, blah, blah, blah. And after one Sunday afternoon spent cleaning an obscene amount of black mold out of our bedroom A/C unit, I’m pretty much done (says the asthmatic). But also broke. 😦
By the way, if Linus needs someplace to hang out during the honeymoon, just yell.
As tough as the changes may be, they’re for such a fantastic reason! Congratulations!
Congratulations again on your engagement! My daughter got married this spring, and I made the veil and ring pillows. I was also trying to make my dress (bought beautiful blue silk for it) but after the second muslin (significant alterations from first muslin) looked so matronly, the silk was screeching and pleading not to be cut. (Fabric talks to you too, doesn’t it?) Anyway, I ended up buying a dress. Daughter’s dress was from Goodwill that I paid to have altered. Then added a silk ribbon sash from Mood and a crystal appliqué from Kaplan Fabrics in Kansas City. Her dress looked beautiful! Cost so much less than new, and alterations and additions made it totally her dress.
She also gave up closet space and, well, space in general for him to move in her house. She said it’s an adjustment when you’ve lived alone for some time.
And remember – a carpenter has more than one hammer in the tool box, a mechanic more than one screwdriver. You need more than one sewing machine/purse/pair of shoes because each has its own purpose. Even if that purpose is “because it makes you happy.”
You two look great! Sleeping bags in a yurt–how fun. I love your veil. It’s stunning. Miss Celie–do you have to change your name to Mrs or Ms Celie? 😉 The internet can’t show you that I’m grinning like when I tickle my son to make him laugh 🙂 You are going to love the man, and living together is not required but oh so nice–give it a little adjustment time and you won’t want to go back. Plus your guy will let Linus relax a little from his previous title of home defender to deputy home defender, which is just right for him. You are going to love the built-in airco, the gas heating, and man I would love a squat rack and workout equipment over fabric storage! But you know what my sewing has been like lately 🙂 Having friends over for socializing will be fun too. But I understand the iffiness over all those adjustments all at once. The good news is both of you like spending time together and doing your own thing separately at home, which is a huge bonus in the marriage department. Good thing your man was generous enough to move in with you and not ask for the reverse, plus agreed to the guest room being your haunt. It’s a lot easier to explain a guest room with sewing machines than telling guests not to touch the Smith rack overnight lest the barbell fall on their heads. Sooner or later with your joint payments going towards the ol’ mortgage you’ll have room for those awesome remodelings like the Sewing Lawyer did with a Murphy bed in her guest room (althought I guess more remodeling is not the first thing you want now… 😉 If you don’t have one, our dishwasher is our #1 keeper of the peace IMHO! With that $297 you saved on your veil you have some cash to move around 🙂 Speaking of Linus and peace, does your guy walk him too? (If not) Does Linus need a more manly dog coat?