Elle Decor in my hood

I've had a subscription to Elle Decor magazine for years but I must have somehow missed the issue where they sing Kansas City's praises. 


"You can’t anticipate Kansas City’s charms by looking at a map. It has all the elements that create a rich urban experience, coupled with a gracious, small-town intimacy that ensures an easy stay—for a weekend or a lifetime." -Elle Decor

It was really fun to read through their picks of favorite restaurants, hotels and shops. On their short list of best hotels was The Raphael Hotel where JJ and I stayed on our wedding night. 

There are some amazing pictures of this city, where I'm starting to feel more and more at home every day. 

You can see my apartment building in the skyline of this last picture. I tried to figure out a way to describe in words which one it is but I was unsuccessful so you'll just have to pretend I'm waving at you from one of the smaller brick buildings. 

TGIF

This has been such a long {first full} week in our new place. With JJ at work all day, I'm left trying to entertain myself for 9ish hours. The freezing temperatures have kept me from doing too much exploring outdoors and I've unpacked nearly every box. Job searching has left me a tad frustrated/grumpy. Luckily JJ loves his new job and I really do love the new apartment. I'm just going a little stir crazy!

I was looking forward to falling into a rhythm with my husband in this new city but we've found out that he'll be traveling to Florida, Pennsylvania, Louisiana and Illinois over the next month. So, I'll make lemonade out of lemons and take this time to force myself to make some new friends and start volunteering.


Change is hard.          

First Week

Today marks one full week that we've been living in our new apartment.

Unfortunately this is what it still looks like....

I feel like daily we take a giant load of empty boxes down to basement trash compactor but I am still lacking a feeling of accomplishment since we still go into a frantic search every time we need something other than a cell phone charger or a coffee mug {obviously those things we keep tabs on!}.

The last time I moved into a new apartment I was all unpacked within 48 hours. But, now I'm unemployed so I'm having trouble forcing myself to get it done. Now that JJ is back to work I have no excuse. It's just me, the apartment and boxes ALL DAY by ourselves. Quite the party.

What a Lovely Year I've had

We're all moved in thanks to the muscles of many of our friends and family members. Aside from one small breakdown last night when I realized that all of my clothes and shoes do not have a chance of all fitting in my closet, I am thrilled/relieved at how smoothly everything went. I'm not embarrassed to say that this breakdown included tears. Since "moved in" is NOT the same as "unpacked" I'm not quite ready to share pictures of the apartment in it's current state.

I'm overwhelmed by the thought of learning my way around a new {much larger} city and making friends and finding a job- but at least JJ and I are going through it all together.

It is hard to believe that today is the last day of 2010...and then wraps up one of the most eventful year of my life. What a LOVELY year I've had! 2010 was filled with my first full-time job, weddings of dear friends, wonderful trips, a move to a new city and my wedding to Mr. Bennett.

I hope all of you have a lovely New Year's Eve. I'll be wearing all black to a party tonight because I've always imagined that is what you do when you live in a big city.

M-Day

Check out our new digs! Today is the big M-Day: moving day. While you are nice and toasty inside, think of us carrying a sofa bed {who's idea was it to buy a sofa bed anyway?!} up and down flights of stairs in the snow. In fact, please drink some hot chocolate with mini marshmallows because that is inevitably what will be on my mind most of the day. Add some Kahlua and you've got a 98% shot of hitting my exact deepest wishes at this very moment.

Famous holiday lights on the Plaza in Kansas City

Anywho, I'm excited to show you photos of our new apartment as soon as we get settled. We {obviously I mean "I"} have accumulated a ridiculous amount of stuff over the years so it is taking a small army of friends and family to make today's M-Day happen. I'm going to owe so many people beer!

Check out my Frosted Tips

Want to know what I'm doing instead of packing right now?

I'm currently laying in bed, drinking tea, and looking through these ridiculous pictures of boy bands.

Please, join me...

 

I can't even imagine what type of cohesion had to take place for these boys to pose for these pictures. I am SO glad they did though. It is providing a perfect comic relief to packing boxes!

I've moved from packing boxes to packing my mouth full of reddi-whip

I don't so much mind the winter, or the cold, but today the yoga pants and extra hot coffee just weren't cutting it. According to the local weatherman we got a "nice dusting of snow" this weekend. He makes it sound pleasant. To me, it looks like a white nightmare outside.

Wrapping up every glass we own in newspaper {which I had to have my mom bring me from Kansas because JJ and I haven't read a print version of a newspaper since we graduated high school} got really, really old so I moved on to cleaning out the fridge. I knew I had hit a low point when I was sticking the nozzle of reddi-whip in my mouth and seeing how much I could squirt in there before my cheeks buldged. JJ didn't dare take the bottle away.

I'm pretty sure I need some entertainment {or a multi vitamin} in my life.  Next on my agenda: making the batter for some home-made cinnamon rolls for the work Christmas brunch. Just three more days of work left before the big move. We're down to paper plates and reject tshirts at this point.

No time for crappy thoughts

This weekend we doubled the number of boxes we had packed. We also doubled our stress levels.

Here is what is getting me through:

via

Tomorrow starts my last full week at work. There's so much left to do to make sure 50 little girls have a magical Christmas. Just call me Santa.


And, if you didn't already know, Apartment Therapy is giving away some pretty amazing holiday goodies everyday until Christmas. I am in LOVE with this candelabra they are giving away today.

Go enter. It's free! 

The Purge

While all of my friends (and all of America) have been decorating their Christmas trees and putting up holiday decorations, I have been packing everything I own into boxes and rolling suitcases.

Take a look at our holiday cheer:

I've left a big box in the living room to collect items we want to donate. My goal was to purge at least 30 things from our apartment that someone else would get more use/enjoyment out of than we are. So far I've collected:

1 cookbook
3 pillows
1 cookie sheet (in rough shape)
2 glass liquor decanters
3 pairs of shoes
5 sweaters
1 set of sheets
1 pair of jeans
2 picture frames
2 novels
a box of tea lights
miscellaneous kitchen tools
2 beer openers (why do we have so many of these!?)


I'm sad we won't be joining the masses who are enjoying their Christmas deocrations right now- but it will be worth it when I'm not trying to pack up ordinments at the last minute.

This holiday-ish photo of us will have to do instead:

I wish I was a Cat Person

I wish I could be a cat person. I've always liked the cats that my parents have had and I do think some of the "LOL Cats" pictures are cute, but I just can't get revved up about the idea of having a cat in our new apartment.

And, I guess it wouldn't be fair to have a dog ride up and down the elevator from our apartment 8 floors each time he needs to go potty. So, I wish I was a cat person.

This is a daily conversation at our house. JJ wants a cat so bad he offered to clean its litterbox Forever. I so badly don't want a cat I offered to let him have the garage parking spot and I would park outside in the snow if we don't get one.

I guess we should just get a fish. We are clearly not ready for any more responsibility.

Blue on the Brain

I just submitted an application on one of the apartments I told you about last night. The deal got even sweeter after talking to the agent so I decided I had to act on it today.

The first thing that poped in my head after I sent over my credit scores and everything else they need to steal my identity was.....this ad:

Via Lonny

There must be something wrong with my brain!

But really though, isn't this ad beautiful! I think this is going to be my inspriation for decorating my cool new apartment.

Home sweet future home

I had a very productive weekend scoping out our future home. With my mother as my partner-in-crime, we toured 13 apartments in 24 hours. I video taped everything with JJ's flipvideo and made detailed notes to share with the Mr. last night when I got home.

While all of the units had its own benefits and weaknesses, I think we've narrowed it down to two. I wish I had better pictures to share, but I can't figure out how to freeze-frame the flip video.

Choice 1:
1100 square feet, 2 bedrooms+small bonus room, 2 bathrooms, 8th floor of a downtown high-rise with amazing city views, updated kitchen with granite countertops and stainless steel appliances, three closets, washer and dryer, includes 2 uncovered reserved parking spots.

Choice 2:
1100 square feet, 2 bedrooms, 2 bathrooms, large closets and lots of storage, wonderful neighborhood where you can walk to all amenities, brand new unit with no previous occupants, big jacuzzi tub, washer and dryer, includes one covered parking spot.

Choice one is $200 less per month than Choice 2 and includes parking for both of us. Choice 2 is in a better neighborhood than Choice 1 and has more storage space. Choice 1 has to pay monthly HOA fees and is run by a Board of Directors. Both options are less than 5 minutes from JJ's office.


I'm having trouble deciding.



And to "treat" myself for all of my hard work, I bought this precious candle I'd been wanting.

via

Counting my Chickens

Since hubby is studying his fine butt off, I am working tirelessly at finding somewhere for us to live in 59 days when we make our big move to a new city. I've come up with a list of {unrealistic} requirements for our new diggs:
     Safe/Available Parking for TWO cars
     Washer and Dryer in the unit
     Enough kitchen cabinets that I don't have to store bakeware under my living room chair like I do now
     Atleast two closets
     More than 900 square feet
     In a location with young people who are looking for new friends


I've found some amazing places (which I've been informed by Realtors there is no chance they'll still be available when I want them...). Instead of figuring out how I will pay a deposit, I'm figuring out what cool furniture I will fill them with.

Remember when I was obsessed with this chair? Well I found something even better!

Now I can have the print without having to get new chairs. Now if only I had an extra $300 laying around...


This ottoman is the classic example of "don't count your chickens before they hatch." Elise, don't decorate your apartment before you sign a lease.