Six Days and Counting..

Well, we are officially six days a way. Next Tuesday we pass papers. I'm psyched and nervous. There is so much to do before then! We've got to get the final bedroom paint colors picked out and mixed... we've got to get the paint supplies and the cleaning supplies, and the last minute stuff.
Lately, we've been looking at furniture. We are going to need an entertainment center or television stand of some kind for both upstairs and downstairs, end tables to match our coffee table, and eventually, a kitchen set. None of this is needed before we move in the house but we've been looking none-the-less. The end tables that match our coffee table are only available, it seems, at Bernie and Phyl's and they're $160 each. Considering we only paid $200 for the coffee table, delivered, from Bob's, $320 for end tables is a little ridiculous. I've received a few coupons for the Mill Stores so I decided to spend my Good Friday checking out their stock. I found some end tables that I can definitely stain to match our coffee table. I also found a TV stand that I loved. I brought Matt back Monday night and we bought the television stand, picked out a second one for the basement, checked out end tables, and even found a kitchen set that I really loved. I like that the items are from the Mill Stores for a few reasons. For one thing, I can stain it to match whatever I want, which is really nice. The other thing is quality. The stuff at the Mill Stores is solid wood. You can feel the quality. It's not flimsy. It's not cheaply made. And - it's nothing spectacular. It's simple but I love it.
So... we have one TV stand bought and another one picked out. We have 20% off coupons which have dropped the prices nicely and really, they're cheaper than buying the finished stuff at the store in the styles that we like. I'm so excited to be able to get in there and start working on the house. Yay!
In the meantime, Matt and I are trying like hell to find time to help Zosia and Eric get their new house ready. I still have paint on me from helping them on Saturday. I figure, it will finally disappear around Sunday or Monday and I'll be sure to add a different color on Tuesday and Wednesday! I forgot how much I missed working on houses. As happy as I am as a teacher and living up here, I often miss South Carolina and working for Habitat. I've got to get myself settled and find a way to get back into some construction and Habitat up here. It's so rewarding!

The Next Big Thing

So we signed the Purchase & Sales on Tuesday night. What a relief. As long as all of the financing goes through with the banks and mortgage companies, we're closing on April 22nd, halfway through my school vacation. We're both so excited. It's rather scary thinking that very soon we could be paying a mortgage and being "grown up". I hope we're ready!

One of the first things we've been talking about buying is a new bed. The bed we have is only a full, and Matt's feet hang off the end. Besides that, our bed is old; it was given to me by a friend a few years ago. Friday night we went out looking for a bed, as well as searching for the end tables that match our coffee table. We started at Bob's Discount Furniture, where we bought our coffee table. Apparently, they no longer carry our coffee table so we searched for something else that would match and found nothing else. We found some kitchen sets to keep our eye on for when the time comes but that was about it.

We tried Bernie and Phyl's, too. I hated the store. I lost Matt in there for a good 20 minutes. It reminded me of Ikea. There's probably a method to going through that store but I couldn't figure it out.

Our last stop before dinner was Mattress Giant. I would have given up by then but we were with my parents and they wanted to check out a new mattress so we stopped. We spent, I think, over an hour and a half in Mattress Giant. We were the only people in there, besides the salesman, John, and he knew his stuff. He talked about mattresses as if they were the only thing in the world. He was missing quite a few teeth and had an odor to him, but he was the only salesman and he quite obviously knew what he was talking about. In the end, Matt and I decided to finance a king sized bed. We set it up to be delivered on April 23rd, right after we move in. Now of course, the anxiety comes in trying to find a comforter. I've searched online at Kohl's, Macy's, JC Penney, Sears, Domestications, Bed,Bath, and Beyond, Target, Walmart, and Overstock.com and still, I haven't found anything especially fantastic. Of course, not only does it have to be fantastic but Matt and I have to agree on it as well. Next big thing: kitchen set? end tables? television? paint? hardwood flooring? We'll see.