Moving

Well, it's finally happening.  After much planning, and our recent 3 year housiversary, we are moving in less than a month.  I'm surprised by my lack of stress right now- I'm probably in denial.  Despite not having been granted a job transfer YET or looked at any houses or apartments in person, I am still so happy and excited!!! 

Over the last few years, we have really grown to love Rad House #1, made some wonderful friends, and explored pretty much all of Orlando, but there's just something awesome about starting fresh.  I can't wait to see our new place and begin to explore Ft. Lauderdale.  I'll be about 1.5 hours from my family, instead of 4.5 hours, and Ronn will be starting the Neuropsychology Doctoral program and Nova Southeastern... In less than one month!  Everything is falling into place, and a lot of our doubts and fears have so far turned out to be baseless. 

To try to make sense of this whirlwind, here are some random thoughts:

- now that we're moving, I have finally found the time to start fixing things in the house that I've been meaning to fix for years

- moving is a great motivator to get organized and get rid of things

- I will really REALLY miss my friends and coworkers

- I am afraid I won't like Ft. Lauderdale

- I'm afraid I won't get a good job

- I have always dreamed of living in one of the craftsman bungalows on a brick street in downtown Orlando, and now I have to find a new dream

- I have lived in Orlando for a quarter of my life.  Man, I'm old.

- Ronn's grad school is going to cost over $200,000.  I can't even think about it.

- I would like to go to grad school too...  But I'm not sure what I want to do.

- I can't wait to jog on "Southbeach" and people watch.  I can't wait to be closer to the beach, and check out all the cool vegan restaurants, farmers markets, and botanical gardens.

- I'm so excited to decorate our new place.

- if I had organized and cleaned this much before, I may have been more inclined to stay here

Clean bathroom proof (ignore broken towel rack please!)

This is The List

I have about a million plans for this house, and since we're only renting and have no idea how long we're going to live here, it's unlikely I'm going to get through all of them.  But hey, I can dream, can't I?

Regardless, I thought I would share my ideas with you in one extensive, ongoing, ever-changing list.  The ones in blue I am hoping to accomplish in the near future

Front Yard

• Tear out dead eyesore shrub
• Create garden bed
• Turn soil and dig out some of the annoying roots
• Fill out area with new shrubs, ferns, and rose bushes
• Line walkway with solar powered lights and plants
• Clean front door and fix jiggly doorknob

Back Yard

• Make a border out of wine bottles
• plant avocado tree in ground
• cover cement patio with wood tiles or outdoor rug
• hang lantern lights
• get new patio furniture to replace wooden loveseat
• Fill out the garden with more veggies, herbs, and flowers

Living Room

• replace tv stand with something like this.
• replace area rug
• create bookshelves under window to kitchen
• get a flat screen tv
• hang more art on wall opposite the couch

Kitchen

• hang more art
• find better organizational solutions for cabinets
• line cabinets
• refinish kitchen table
• paint cabinets white and add new hardware
• change out the outdated overhead light with a chandelier or something along those lines

Master Bedroom

• Refinish night stand
• Paint walls
• Get dresser
• Create a new organizational system for closet.
• Get a lamp for the tall night stand
• Hang shelves
• Make a headboard
• Get an armchair and ottoman for reading nook
• Find an area rug
• Reupholster headboard and hang lower. Fill in holes in wall

Master Bathroom

• Re-grout shower
• find art
• paint stripes on walls?

Music Studio/ Guest Room

• Create built-in day bed with ample storage underneath
• Replace day bed mattress
• Hang better light-blocking curtains (for my poor night shift working boyfriend)- possibly get ones that take up the whole wall?
• replace artwork so that everything is more cohesive
• Convince Ronn to sell armoir

Guest Bathroom

• Make a shade for the window, like this one.
• paint the inside of medicine cabinet
• re-caulk shower
• paint stripes on walls?

 That's it for now, my friends.  It's a small house, but there's plenty to do, and with Ronn and I working full time, who knows when it will all get done?!  Baby steps, people!

In the Beginning

Hey Everyone!
Welcome to the RAD*PAD.  My name is Amanda (the "A" in the RAD), and I live with my awesome and introspective boyfriend, Ronn (the "R"), and our mischievous feline roommate, Dexter (the "D".)  This is the very first post on a blog documenting our garden, weekend DIY projects, home decorating, and life in general.  So please feel free to sit, make some tea, and stay awhile. <3