In-law Suite Bathroom Mini-Makeover

This weekend, we also finished readying our in-law suite for posting on Craig's List. We're thinking the apartment would be great for a young professional or a student. It will be nice to have that extra income for other home improvement projects!

Beyond being cleaner, the apartment mostly looks the same as it did when we purchased the house. We did hang curtains to make the space feel a little more homey.

Most of the updating was in the bathroom. My mom and I picked out a new mirror, light fixtures and hardware. Dan installed a new toilet and over-the-toilet cabinet. I picked out the paint. It's a little darker than I thought it would be — but it still works. Dan and I took turns taping, painting and cursing (at taping and painting — not at each other).

Mirror - $16 (Big Lots), Paint - $22 (Valspar from Lowe's), Hardware - $20 (towel rack, toilet paper holder, hand towel ring - Lowe's), Light fixture - $18 (Lowe's), and light globes - $3/each (Lowe's)

Bathroom before.

Turning a Corner

I feel like we turned a corner this weekend.

The nasty weather, coupled with a morning-of decision to have a pizza party at our house, encouraged us to hunker down and get some work done yesterday.

Dan and I unpacked almost all the remaining upstairs boxes (there are still PLENTY in the unfinished basement), wiped pollen off our porch furniture, decluttered the living room and did boatloads of laundry.

One bedroom (the master) is in good shape. Still need to hang our Mallory Hats advertisements like we had in our old house.

You can't see the pieces well in the photos — but we have a traditional, chestnut-colored bedroom suite. These pieces were a gift to Dan's parents when they got married.

Thrilled to find a 16-foot-long runner for our hallway ($123 plus $1 shipping on Overstock).

Here's the living room as of today. (Note: we're going to replace that porcelain and brass chandelier with something more our taste). The rectangle rug is 8 x 11, also from Overstock - $181 plus $1 shipping.

Do you remember what the living room/dining room looked like before? 

Roxxi likes the new rugs, too.

Our first piece of art, picked up when we visited Steffi in July 2008. :)

We finally found something for under our dining room table. Dan was the one to find this 8-foot diameter rug on Overstock. The rug should still work even when we have the leaf in (leaf goes in length-wise so the table turns into a large square).

Perfect spot for the painting my Uncle Harry painted us for our wedding gift.

Granted we still have a long ways to go before the house is "finished" — but we feel more settled in now.

Doppleganger?

So Dan (the husband) has a best friend named James. James has a blog he doesn't update often that's located here. But that's beside the point...

James had a funny story for me yesterday. It goes something like this (I'm paraphrasing, so forgive me.)

James: So I've been in a training thing all week long.

Katy: okay?

James: And there's this girl in my training that looks SO much like you. I kept looking at her through the whole training, thinking about how much she looks like you.

Katy: yeah?

James: So I know it probably sounded creepy and weird, but I asked her if I could take a picture of her.

Here's the mysterious girl from James' training.

Here I am.

Katy: You're crazy! (Okay, maybe I didn't say that out loud...)

James: I told her that she looked SO much like one of my best friends' wives that it was crazy. So, we're talking and she asked me where my friend lives.

Katy: Okay (wondering what the punch line is)

James: So I tell her that my friend lives in Atlanta. Then she asks me what my friend's name is. So I tell her that his name is Dan.

Katy: yeah?

James: And this girl says, "wait, what? Dan as in Katy and Dan, Dan?"

Katy: WHAT?!?

James: Then she says, "Well, I guess it makes sense that we look alike... because she's my freaking first cousin."

---

Yep, James randomly met my cousin Bradley, my mom's sister's daughter, who was visiting from Tampa for a training. What are the freaking odds? Crazy!

Afternoon Marta

5:40 - leave my office

5:42 - arrive at Marta station

5:43 - the paper trip pass (to and fro) I bought this morning doesn't work. I all of a sudden remember it took 10 taps on the sensor to function correctly this morning when I exited the station. I buy a new fare card -- this time a legit, debit-card-durable card and load two round trips on it ($9).

5:46 - a southbound train arrives. I take David Byrnes advice from facebook today and get on the last car (David has generally found the last car to be least crowded in the afternoons).  Car isn't crowded -- but then again, I'm getting on toward the upper-most part of the line.

5:51 - this train is actually pretty chilly inside. Where was this chill factor this morning when I was developing a nice pre-work layer of moistness all over?

5:56 - Lindbergh station. About 15 people get on my train car, three of which seem they've recently been expunged from mental institutions. We have two talk-to-yourselfers, one of which is carrying her Marta pass, driver's license, AARP card and wallet in a ziplock bag. She's asked, "you want some?" about four times, to no one in particular about nothing particular.

6:03 - I'm no germophobe but the number of people coughing and sneezing remind me of how many colds and flus are probably passed along on this train.

My train is now standing room only.

I hear a man ask the woman next to him, "so do you ride the train often?" I bet she's never heard THAT before.

6:08 - getting more full. Next stop - Five Points to change trains.

6:10 - time to time trains. Doors on both sides open. I incorrectly assume I can exit from either side. Nope, that's to go up to the street. Whoops. Have to walk back through train car over to other side. I go up on the escalator to snag my connection.

6:11 - score! My train is here and the doors are still open. I don't have time to walk to the last train car.

Car isn't too crowded, though there aren't any seats available.

6:14 - car frees up a little but I feel it would be lazy to sit down because only have two more stops before I get off. I hold onto a railing.

I'm seeing fewer afternoon sketchies than I was warned about.

I spy a girl with that fierce Cassie haircut. Looking good, bb! Apparently the older gentleman next to her thinks so, too. Googly eyes ensue.

6:21 - arrive at my station, wishing I had hand sanitizer.

6:22 - Heavier duty card works fine, allows me to exit. I start walking home. Typing these notes on my phone, walk into a branch.

6:29 - arrive at home in almost exactly the same amount of time it took me to get to work this morning.

P.s. Does the style of these Marta posts remind you a little of Paul's blog?

My MARTA morning...

7:55 - realize it's really time to get boogying; have not yet put on makeup - whoops!

8:00 - leave for Marta with purse, book, coffee

8:06 - arrive; buy $4 ticket

8:12 - 8:10 train arrives

See that quite a few people in my neighborhood either walk to this station or park (free).

It's almost standing room only.

The train doesn't seem to have AC. I'm wearing a skirt and short sleeves but still have a little "glistening" action going on.

Observing more white collar professionals on this ride compared to when I go to the airport. Man to my left appears to be studying and making notes on a building plan splayed across his lap. Woman to my right looks like she's reviewing a meeting agenda.

Lots of people get off at the GA State station. I make a note to self that we ought to market our proximity to Marta when we list our in-law suite/apt on Craigslist.

8:21 - we arrive at Five Points; time to change trains

8:21 and 30 seconds - Score! My connecting train is just about to pull away but it's doors are still open.

8:22 - train is so full I can barely find a place to stand. Wish I had put my makeup on at home or on the last train.

8:27 - enough people get off at the Civic Center (?) that I'm able to sit down.

8:29 - 8:31 - I get strange looks as I put on concealer, blush and bronzer. Sure natural light is best for applying makeup - but being underground on a transit train while applying can't have THAT different of results. I decide to wait until i get to the office to do eyeshadow and eyeliner.

8:37 - we arrive at the Buckhead station. My train car is now about half full.

8:40 - maybe I do have time to put on eye shadow and eyeliner afterall.

Two girls are talking across the train about their latest love conquests. The girl in the red shirt doesn't believe the boy she met the other night actually owns his own place. She thinks it's his mama's place. This is mildly amusing.

8:43 - whoops. Almost miss my stop: exit the train

Walk across the parking lot, thinking this wasn't so bad afterall. Grateful I didn't have to take a bus to or from the stations

8:49 - walk into my building, realizing my Marta commute time today is equal to my car commute yesterday.

8: 50 - gaze at my reflection in the in the mirrored elevator doors; hair is frizzier than usual but the trip was worth it.

Next up: the ride home...

One Line, Two Line, Red Line, Blue Line (MARTA Adventure Time)

I've lived in Atlanta almost five years. While I've ridden the train to the airport or occasional concerts, I've never used MARTA (the Metro Atlanta Rapid Transit Authority) to get to work.

That changes tomorrow. 

Love my new job... not always loving the commute. Sometimes it's 25 minutes in the morning, sometimes it's 50. Same thing in the afternoons. There's no great way to get from our house to the office. So I figure that riding MARTA (one line to Five Points, then transferring to another line to get to my office) is worth a shot. Maybe I can read or listen to some tunes. 

BTW, could MARTA not get the url www.marta.com or www.marta.org? The web address is www.itsmarta.com — which is just about as ghetto as how miniscule its reach is or how goofy its iPhone app is (it's a flat, non-interactive map of train stations).

Wish me luck!

p.s. Emily, any words of wisdom since you're a veteran to-work MARTA rider and all?

Going Away Present (Mmmmmemories)

When I arrived at my last day of work with my former company (this past Friday), I had a curious gift waiting for me on my chair. With scribbly writing said, "from Scott."

"What's so awesome about this gift?" you ask?

Well, Scott and I happened to be the same age and have a class together at The University of Georgia. And most anyone (not ME, of course!) who was in our class spent a few more nights than they would like to admit at...

Uptown Lounge.

The joke was that their standards were so low that you could have a handwritten note from your mom that said, "My daughter is 21," and they would allow you into the establishment. 

A few years ago, Scott and some friends made these Uptown Lounge Alumni Association shirts as a joke. Boy am I glad he had a leftover size small — I am going to wear this thing with a mix of extreme pride and shame.

p.s. To BJ the stocky bouncer from Uptown Lounge, if you're out there, Scott & Co. have a size XXL for you if you would like it. 

Translate Me This:

Hey Katy, Beck, so last night. What about the Democrat uppermost are not expected, but that mightwork, but I will call you when I am done and will I'd like to talk to you bye. 

(Rachel's voicemail via Google Voice)

Three Seasons Porch

(Aside from the pollen count) now is the perfect time to enjoy our screened in porch — and we haven't really had good furniture to help us enjoy it!

Dan talked one of the managers at Intown Ace Hardware (Decatur) into giving us a 30% discount on this set because it was the last one left and also the display. We're pumped about having morning coffee, newspaper reading time, post-work beers and dinners out here. (And there's still room for the cornhole game to the right). Score!!

It's six pieces plus a coffee table (not pictured). Furniture is Living Accents (by White Tiger Furniture).

If There Were a "Worst Logo in America" bracket...

I'm sure this one would be in the championship game.

I've been wanting to snap a picture of this atrocious logo (located on I-85 Northbound just past the North Druid Hills exit) for years. When a Chamblee-Tucker pileup clogged the interstate yesterday, I had my chance!

I mean, really... what is going on here? I see WAY too many words and abbreviations, a too-small-to-read organization name, a skirt made out of As and a head that's reminiscent of a Candy Land character.

Time for a makeover, Fulton Atlanta Community Action Authority.

Efficient Advertising Kudos to... the US Postal Service?

Smart and inexpensive use of resources, United States Postal Service!

I consider myself "reminded."

Ed Hardy's Douchey-ness Spreads to Spamming Blogs

When I scrolled to the bottom of this Creative Loafing food blog post, I saw something that made me roll my eyes and think, "you guys suck!"

It appears that Ed Hardy's marketeers have moved on from partnering with Jon Gosselin and have begun spamming high traffic blogs.

Lame!