Monday, April 4, 2011

Movin' On Up


You have no idea how that song's been playing over and over in my mind the past couple weeks.  For those of you who are unfamiliar it was the theme song from one of my fave shows back in the day:  The Jeffersons.  If George Jefferson's character tried even half the racial or male superiority stuff today, he'd be booted right off the tv.  Let's face it he wouldn't even get on in the first place.  Unless he was crazy like Charlie Sheen, but that's another story for another time.

No friends, today is the true story of me moving up to Level 2 of the 30 Day Shred (knees are throbbing and I think I pulled my achilles, but I managed to make it through) in the same weekend the landlord and I reach an agreement on the upper unit of the duplex I live in.  Now after last week's hell I realize  many of you may be thinking, 'giiiiiirrrrrl you just need to get out of there.'  And the truth is at some point I will, but summer is coming and I'd like to spend this one close to the beach.  It's tough to relo feral cats - even those that are semi-tame - at the best of times, never mind when the Chef is in full swing opening a restaurant.  On top of that I want a dishwasher, and this place has it.  
It may seem like a little thing, but here in SoCal unless you live in a human filing cabinet (large apartment community) it's tough to swing a dishwasher.  So some of my dreams are coming true. 

There's a great outdoor space above the garage right outside my backdoor.  Even though
it's a hot mess right now I plan to remove the debris, clean it up, 
and the Chef will put his carpenter's hat on to build some built-in lounge areas. 
Here's to days in the sun reading a book with SPF 7000 slathered on.
Morning tea, afternoon lemonade, and evening cocktails? Yes, yes, and yes.
Another big thing on my wish list was more natural light.  I've lived in this building
almost 6 years and have been fortunate enough to have only 2 different upstairs neighbors.  
Anytime I visited them I noticed how bright it was up there.  It might be 
a biznatch in the summer heat, but hopefully my A/C units + the cross breeze 
will tackle it.  I sure hope so.
And there's a deck that runs the width of the building just off the living room!
My cats can have their own outside space and hop in and out easily.
Now to find a nice person for my current downstairs place...

I hope you don't mind me sharing the details - after last week I felt like I owed you some sort of update.  Argh.  And now I have to zip off and keep prepping the tax pile for Tuesday's visit with the accountant (is this over yet?).  In the meantime I hope you all had a great and relaxing weekend in the sun.  To those of you shredding, shred on!

84 comments:

Anonymous said...

Better light, summer cocktails outside, a dishwasher - all good things. Level 2 of the Shred will be beginning tomorrow and I'm pretty sure Im gonna start crying myself to sleep tonight in adequate preparation. May Jillian have mercy on my out of shape, took 3 days off soul.

(She won't.)

Dawn said...

Ooooh....love that there balcony! And dishwashers are something no girl should live without!!!!

this free bird said...

Katie - you can do it girl. I took at least 3 - 5 second breaks trying not to phone it in. oy

and Dawn - thank you so much - I totally agree. At the end of it all I was so emotionally spent I almost just stayed put. The bf and one of my good friends really helped me to take a breath and just think about everything outside of what happened last week. I'm hoping for a peaceful spring and summer with clean dishes :)

Barbara von Enger said...

I love reading about your details. Dishwashers are very useful in any girl's flat. Your deck is lovely and I adore your yellow shoes. Natural light is so important - it's good for the overall well being and positive vibrations in a flat. Time for my morning tea;-)

little luxury list said...

I love the light and that is such a huge factor in apartment happiness! Dishwashers are so NOT an Asian thing. Hmm I wonder if they even make them here.

My gym did NOT open on time today but I am back on the horse tomorrow - promise!

xoxo,
Chic 'n Cheap Living

Marissa said...

You've confirmed one of my worst fears about living in SoCal- that I'll have to do without (what I thought were) basic amenities like a dishwasher. Sigh. Oh well, the things we give up... xoxo Marissa

http://happiness-is-the-little-things.blogspot.com/

. said...

I'm in love with that deck! And in regards to 30 Day Shred, I've apparently heard WAY too much of Jillian's motivation because last night I dreamed I was pregnant and she was my delivery nurse... I feel like today is going to be a lot easier to tackle knowing things could be that much worse haha

She Wore It Well said...

The floor boards are magnificent! You'll love it. things with mum were great in fact. She loves my hair and the house. It's a miracle. Thinking of you and cheering for the hot post shred body!!! X

Anonymous said...

Im loving that place. And yeah, nothing goes without a dishwasher! I mean, hello??!

Lady Grey said...

looks like a fabulous space... especially that rooftop part. You could do wonders with that!
xo

Lisa Griffin said...

wowza this looks like an old new orleans town house but on the ocean! congrats lady and way to stick with it (on both accounts :)
www.indramaticfashion.com

Leah said...

Good luck with the Shred. I wish I lived in Cali, even if it had to be in a filing cabinet. Have a great week.

xo L.

Danielle (elleinadspir) said...

Oh Carrie, I'm so glad you got it...a deck and a patio area and great light...and a dishwasher...so great! An LA find for sure. Enjoy!!!

Unknown said...

i may start the shred tonight. YIKES. i need to get back on that train.

love the deck on that place...perfect for summer soirees :)

kelli g. { bug miscellany } said...

whoa, gorgeous! i'm totally jealous of all that beautiful sunshine pouring in. :)

Anonymous said...

NOOOOOO! You just got "Movin on up" stuck in my head!!! On another note...your photos are gorgoues :-) have a great week!

<3 megan
Come check out my Too Faced Giveaway!

Summer Athena said...

i love it. i really do. everything about it. and you fit quite nicely in your new pad.

Julie and Lauren said...

The new place looks great! What a fun spot and so jealous about the warm weather. Congrats on your new home : )
Xx

Taylor said...

OMG YOU GOT IT!!!!!!!!!!!!! AMEN, and I would take your downstairs but i think the commute to work would just suck! ;)

Oh and ineed to get back into the 'shred' i took 2.5 days off...only a half day bc we did do a couple bike rides - but no abs or arms, oh well I rode hard and got sweaty so it has to count! But after tonight i am going level two too -need to step it up!

Amber said...

well I am happy you reached an agreement with your landlord and scoring a dishwasher is a big deal. I dont know what I would do without mine...well I guess I do know what I would do...get my husband to do the dishes :)

Kayla said...

Certainly are movin' on up. Sounds like a good move. I don't have a dishwasher or a big back balcony like that. Therefore I am jealous.

Ramblings of a Small Town Girl
Fanciful Brainstorm - Tumblr

Alyssa said...

how exciting! i'm so happy for you that you're moving into such an awesome place! i want to see after pics of the new place!

Tiffany Kadani said...

Yeah, that is definitely a summer place. And I bought the 30 day Shred! I am so inspired by you. Let's see how it goes!

Kristen said...

...to a deluxxxx apartement in the skyyyiiiyii.

or something like that. such a good theme song ;)

the place looks lovely and so do you. thanks for the updates!

stephanie said...

those boyfriend jeans look great on you!
xx

Annie said...

it's gorgeous carrie!

Courtney Erin said...

At least you were able to come to some sort of understanding about your place - I hope it will work out for you. And yay for moving up to the Shred level 2! Having finished the Shred I'm moving on to the yoga meltdown.

xoxo ~ Courtney
http://sartorialsidelines.blogspot.com

fshnonmymind said...

No dishwasher!!? Really??? That unit you are going to move into is my dream. I love the floors and the light and most definitely that outdoor space (so jealous). Outdoor space for me to drink and read is high on my wishlist for my next place.

Should I be concerned that my body isn't aching from Shredding? I am out of breath and sweating when I do it though, so is it working? I don't even want to attempt level three until I can get through two without stopping, panting, or getting dizzy to the point of almost passing out from exhaustion.

Josie said...

Love the stripes on you, first of all. And even though you're not getting away from the crazy landlord, I'm seriously excited about your new place! It looks gorgeous, and I love the deck... And thank goodness for dishwashers!
xo Josie
http://winksmilestyle.blogspot.com

A Crimson Kiss said...

Such exciting news!! The outdoor spaces are absolutely unbelievable, and I think everyone is going to be wildly happy up there. As for the landlord, I understand-sometimes you find the perfect place and you just have to lunge. It'll all work out-can't wait to see photos once you've got the place decorated!

Claire Kiefer said...

Wow. That upstairs space looks magnificent. Those floors! I have to confess that although I love my apartment, I covet my upstairs neighbors' as well. It has a spectacular outdoor area and an enormous living room. Maybe one day . . .

My Heart Blogged said...

I'm glad you came to an agreement, and you can find something that works. I mean you are kind of big deal, he doesn't know what kind of tenant he has.
My Heart Blogged

Jen said...

The place looks amazing!! And a deck? You lucky duck! I'd LOVE a deck!

Happy Monday Darling! xo

Jen said...

Girl, I'm takin' ya up on that invite!! ;-)

this free bird said...

DO IT!

Marie a la Mode said...

It looks like a really nice place Carrie! Damn, I didn't know dishwashers were so hard to come by in California!

Anonymous said...

Gorgeous floors and porch so it's totally worth the stupid landlord drama, plus being close to the beach... big plus!! Now I am going to have the Jefferson song stuck in my head. xo

this free bird said...

Hi Marie - only if you don't want to live in a human filing cabinet apartment community which i definitely do NOT. xoxo

Debby? Visit! But I have to clean first...hehe

xo,
C

Rachel from Love a la mode said...

Glad you resolved your housing! My townhouse has a dishwasher and my boyfriend's doesn't.... so I feel you on that one. I'm pretty sure I would never use real dishes or silverware if I had to hand wash everything like him haha.
Bisous,
Rachel
http://lovealamode.wordpress.com

PS I will definitely be taking you up on that interview help once I hear about interviews at the end of the month!! Thanks :)

Diana Mieczan said...

Looks like a great space, sweetie and I love all that natural light. The balcony is amazing too. Have a lovely day, sunshine and I adore your yellow shoes:) Muah

Vanilla said...

Gosh those floor boards are beautiful! :)

Love, Vanilla

Ashleigh said...

Sweet space Carrie! Totally feel you on the natural light, it makes a huge difference in my productivity for some reason...
What a gorge deck - it looks so tropical!
And hello roof deck - fun!!

kimbirdy said...

natural light, a dishwasher, & an outdoor patio? sounds perfect! i'm so happy that you're going to have such an amazing apartment, even if it is with the same landlord. congratulations!!!

Miri said...

Love your balcony/terrace, it's simply amazing :)

PS: Come and stop by my blog and follow me if you like <3
http://miriscastle.blogspot.com/

Ashley said...

Yay congrats on your new space! I've always preferred living on higher up floors too, I never like having people live above me. But in my last apartment at college I didn't like my neighbors below me either... haha don't I sound picky! But anyways, congrats! :)

-Ashley
http://breakfastatsaks.blogspot.com

Catita said...

great balcony!! and I love your laidback jeans!
xoxo
Catita

rebecca said...

i played this song OUT LOUD on my ipod every day when we literally "moved on up" to the 4th floor of our building. glad i'm not the only one who knows this song.

FRANKIE HEARTS FASHION said...

Yay...you got it! SO exciting...Love the color of the wood floors and that deck is some serious shizz!!! So exciting C...now I'm gonna have to come down there next time and visit you! xo

Cool Gal said...

Looks like the perfect place to me! I love the floors and both deck spaces. Dishwasher, too! Yay! :)

Anonymous said...

This place is gorgeous. The balcony and patio would have sold me. Dishwasher? What's that? Haha--I can dream. So glad you got one!

Unknown said...

So exciting!! A lot of natural lights. I love it.

Lori said...

I love the new space Carrie ~ light and outdoor space is a plus for sure! I have a dishwasher here ~ he is 6' tall and greying... xo

this free bird said...

BAHAHAHAHA Lori!! You're hilarious!

drollgirl said...

um, it is going to be amazing. and you are close to the beach. and you have kitties. oh my, you are going to have one hell of a summer.

PARTY AT FREE BIRD'S! lol

and you look pretty thin to me. if you are doing the shred to get into better shape, i need to swim to fiji repeatedly to get this bod into shape!

Lila said...

Growing up we had a dishwasher but was never allowed to use it now I can't go a day without it. Would anything ever be clean?

Love the space and yes with summer coming the beach is a must.

ash said...

love ur deck! i would never leave if i had a nice place to relax like that!!!

http://memyclothesni.blogspot.com

Isabel said...

the new apartment looks amazing! that outdoor space will be awesome in the summer. u need a hammock!

Elaine said...

Oh, I LOVE your deck!!!!!!!!

this free bird said...

I'm feeling so much apartment love today!! Thank you everyone!!

Drollgirl - honey it's all in the angle. The body needs toning - arms and mid-section. Death to flapping arms and spare tires around the waist. ixnay!

hahaha!

xo,
C

Leeann @ Join the Gossip said...

Sorry I've been so MIA! Looks like a great apartment! I'm SO jeally of your dishwasher. I need to get out of my hellhole and a dishwasher is a must. I don't care if I don't have AC, a pool...I need a dishwasher. Good luck on your search after summer :)

meghan said...

I'm glad everything is working out for you! Shred on!

Collette Osuna said...

SO so so so VERY happy for you hunnie!! The new space looks amazing....and from the sound of it, its a perfect fit....Im a light lover too....Im so excited for you:)
Love the outfit btw...and as weird as this is going to sounds, Ive been humming that same stupid song in my head the past few days!!! weird!!!

LyddieGal said...

Ohhh, the new place looks nice! I'm a huge fan of natural light and dishwashers. (and garbage disposals. can not live without.)
I'm sure you will work all kinds of magic on that roof top and it will just be the summer destination.

And shredding? whats that? my weight loss plan is as follows: Half fat ice cream.

Chic on the Cheap

Jessica said...

Your new place looks like a dream! My current apartment has a dishwasher and I can't believe I didn't have one in my previous apartments. Handwashing dishes is for fools.

Jamie said...

Your new place looks AMAZING!! How exciting! Moving sucks but the decorating part is my FAVE. That rooftop deck is just screaming "have your blogger friends over for Mohito's Carrie!"

http://www.glamlatte.com

Stacey said...

The new place is the "shiznit". Can't wait to see what you do with your outdoor space. I'm not sure what you're shredding off since you look fab in these pics(and all your pics prior). Anyway, keep on keeping the shredding alive-i'm definitely cheering you on:-)

Jess said...

LOVE the outdoor spaces. And how gorgeous are those hardwood floors?! Congrats girl - I love it!

Ellinor Forje said...

The yellow shoes and the stripes did the trick. Thanks for sharing the photos and drop by me too, soon.

Cheers.

RosaLovesDC said...

Hey girl, a little late here, longest day ever, but I am glad that you had everything with your landlord resolved. It looks like a fantastic place and I think you will enjoy. And heck, a dishwasher, I would have told the landlord "you had me at dishwasher".

Corey Thompson said...

Congrats I didn't realize this was in the works! if it is even half what your place is downstairs girrrrrllll... I can't wait to see it, Don't think I am not tempted to give it all up and come live downstairs....

this free bird said...

Corey I want you to be my roommate, neighbor and bar-stool share-r at the Chef's new digs. You know you are always welcome!! Bring the fam and head on down. Mama's got the Margaritas stirring already...Monk and Lil's former outdoor space can be Jefferson's dog run!! Miss you so much xoxo C

heather said...

Carrie, I've just been catching up on some of your old posts. You make me so happy! I might try that 30 day shred too! Congratulations on your upscale move and have fun putting the new place together! Yay dishwashwer! We have one here from the 80s (did they make them back then?), and it is one loud monster.

XO
heather

Caitlin @ Candyfloss & Persie said...

place looks great!!! I love the natural light and that porch looks perfect for a maxi dress and an ice tea (and maybe some blogging while you're at it), looks great! and you are shredding machine, you make me proud!

torrie said...

Huge props to you for sticking through it and making making it happen. Perfect timing... right before summer! My cousin lives near the beach in Santa Monica, and has lived in various beach apartments... Totally know what you mean- about the location, & the dishwasher.

Congratulations again!

LopezJennyLopez said...

So happy for you!!! Finally you got it!!!
Looks like a great place, and I am sure you will make it nice and cozy!
Enjoy it!!!
XO

Noe @ ADELLA AVENUE said...

So in love with your roof deck and those gorgeous floors! I'm definitely big on the beach apartment, and I'm all for sacrifice to stay. My thing has always been a laundry. I need to have one. Some conveniences you just can't live without. So happy it seems to be working out there after all!

p.s. Love the "human filing cabinet" comment-totally true.

-xx Noe ADELLA AVENUE

alli/hooray said...

sweet! natural light, a deck, and dishwasher would have me saying yes too. fingers crossed that you can find someone for your current apartment.

Unknown said...

Congratulations on moving up - in both ways! How exciting! Your new place looks beautiful, and I love that the chef is going to build a lounge area outside. That totally rules. Here's to greener pastures!

PursuitOfLLT said...

i am LOVING this place, carrie! you sure are movin on up! that outdoor space is going to be so lived in and if i know you it will feel so homey & chic. i bet the blanket will spend a lot of QT out there!

Closet Fashionista said...

Love this outfit and yayyy for moving up!! And I agree, I'd take the dumb landlord if I could spend the summer right near the beach ;)
http://www.closet-fashionista.com/

Veronika Novotny said...

ooh, this place is lovely and full of charm. I love the flooring, windows, the light, and that amazing deck -just gorgeous. Hope you share more pics once it's all set up. Congrats! xx veronika

Leia said...

Oh my gosh this looks like an incredible place! (loving your stripey top too)

Leia

Valerie said...

How exciting that you got the place, Carrie! It looks amazing! You have a deck, I'm so jealous. I'd love to drink my morning coffee on a deck while looking at the ocean. Oh, maybe one day. When are you moving?? It sounds like this week is going much better than last. And it's almost Friday! Oh, the taxes. I hope yours went better than nine. Ugh.

Gorgeous Glam said...

Great light in the space that is a must! I love the little area on the roof for dining al fresco!

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