HOME: It's Official, I am a homeowner

So with one of the most hectic days I can remember in my life, we finally closed on our house. I am officially a home owner. We closed on a Wednesday and Monday and Tuesday were spent running around gathering more information for the mortgage guy. Everything was finalized with our mortgage at like 6pm Tuesday night.

Wednesday Morning...
We awaited a call from the lawyer telling us exactly how much we needed to bring to closing. Since we needed a cashier's check, we had to schedule in a trip to the bank. While we waited, we were on our way to the new house for our final walk through when we got a call from our Realtor. The sellers were not out of the house yet. So... we turned around and waited some more.

Our walk through ended up being at 1pm (closing now scheduled for 2) where we discovered, they STILL hadn't taken everything out of the house. We were also waiting for some town permits to be closed for work we had asked the sellers to do. So... the sellers realtor, grabbed one of our keys they had left us so she could get someone to empty the stuff out. She would meet us at the closing with the key. Sounds like no big deal.

It's now about 3pm and we are just arriving to the Registry of Deeds where our closing is to take place. We start signing our life away with our lawyer. Once everything was signed... we waited some more. We still hadn't received the closed permits saying the work was done correctly, and still there was no sign of their realtor with the extra key. We had the rest of the pile of keys with us, but weren't sure which was which. Our lawyer finally got an email with copies of the closed permits and with 10 minutes to spare submitted our paperwork to the Registry of Deeds. By 4pm we were officially home owners.

So now your thinking... this is where the story ends? One would think. But not in our case. We still had to go and make sure the stuff they were suppose to remove was out of the house. Around 5pm, we get to the home... its getting dark. Try every single key they gave us in every single door. None of them work. So... we're on the phone with our realtor trying to get her to get ahold of their realtor. Turns out their realtor left the extra key on the counter inside because she couldn't make it to our closing in time. FANTASTIC. We were homeowners locked out of our own home.

By now its completely dark so we decide if we're going to call a locksmith to get us in, it would have to wait till morning. Around 8pm or so... my phone rings. It's our realtor again. She informs me that she went out to dinner with her daughter and in walks the sellers! She went over and told them what happened and asked if any of them may have an additional key to the house. One of the sellers reaches into her purse and pulls out her keys and says "I may have given them the wrong key." So she gives the key to our realtor. We met her at about 8:30 in a dark CVS parking lot. She gave us the key and said good luck.

At about 9pm we went to the house (with a flashlight... it was pitch black out) and tried the key. WE WERE FINALLY IN THE HOUSE!! I was so excited for the day to be over. I spent all day Thursday cleaning and by the weekend we had started painting. Details on that later. For now... Here are some pictures of the house.

Please note these pictures are from the MLS listing. This is how it looked when we decided to purchase. I will be updating once projects are complete. Stay tuned :)

STAYING ORGANIZED: 2014 Calendar Roundup

2014 is here! Like the beginning of every new year, I try to start with organization. Easier said than done. With a lot of life changing events happening this year (post on that later), the first step was finding a calendar to keep myself on track. Here are a few of the favorites I found:

1. Paper Source | 2. Dozi on Etsy | 3. Paper Source

4. Paper Source | 5. SkyGoodies on Etsy | 6. Paper Source

7. Kate Spade | 8. One Canoe Two | 9. Red Cruiser on Etsy

10. Oh the Lovely Things | 11. Love vs. Design | 12. Design is Yay

Please note that 10, 11 & 12 are all FREE PRINTABLE CALENDARS. So there is no reason for you to not have a calendar this year!

Naturally I wanted to be able to create my own free printable calendar to share with you... but as I learned, I don't have as much time in the day as I always think I do. Hopefully there will be more freebies in the future... but for now enjoy!

ETSY: Holiday Shopping, Handmade Style

As most of you know, I am addicted to browsing around on Etsy. It is so inspiring to see all the beautiful handmade work out there. I often have trouble deciding what to buy. I thought I would share a few of my favorite shops with you just before the holiday shopping season kicks off!

Accessories:

photo via milloo	Milloo This shop has fantastic bags and cosmetic pouches. All hand sewn in Greece, the quality is outstanding. I already own two of these bags and can tell you they hold up fantastically. Their customer service is friendly and informative. Good luck picking just one!
photo via Remixed by Jacki	Remixed By Jacki  This shop is great for infinity scarves, scarflette (as shown to the left) as well as head scarves and other adorable accssories. Based out of New England, this shop is great for holiday presents for anyone on your list. I own many Remixed by Jacki items- there is something to go with any outfit, and the yarn scarflettes are so soft and cozy, you won't want to take it off!
photo via Foodphyte	Foodphyte  I can personally vouch for these aprons. I own one that I had ordered a few years ago for when working at craft fairs. It is literally the perfect apron. The aprons come in a variety of styles, colors and patterns. Plus, if you need to customize it to your needs, those options are available too. These are great for the kitchen, garden or craft room. Plus these aprons have been seen on Cupcake Wars!
photo via SeoulLittle	SeoulLittle  This cute little ampersand has been on my wish list for a while now. I have been admiring the shop from afar. The shop is full of tiny little treasures, you are sure to find something you love.

Art, Photography or Prints:

photo via Dirty Bandits	Dirty Bandits I absolutely love the "calendar of silly holidays" - but this shop is full of so much more. With a focus on typography and silly design, there is something in this shop that is sure to grab your attention. Plus- they have adorable wooden signs that are a great accessory to any christmas tree (or anywhere else that suits your fancy.)
photo via Stamp and Note Photo	Stamp and Note Photo A Massachusetts based photographer that offers photo cards, prints and magnets. Her photography is crisp, refreshing and a delight to the eye. The prints would make a great addition to any home. Don't know where you'd hang one? Maybe the photo cards are for you. All cards come with a forever stamp, so its ready to send to whom ever you wish! These make great holiday cards for everyone.
photo via 1canoe2	1canoe2  I first saw these guys at the National Stationery show this year. Their booth looked amazing. The shop is full of letterpress goodness as well as simple elegant illustrations. It's full of great gift ideas from cards and recipe cards, to calendars and art prints. I have a hard time deciding which is my favorite! Although I am pretty sure that one of their recipe cards will end up on my wedding registry eventually!
photo via PhotographyDream	Photography Dream  This shop is based out of Paris. Its "Small Trades" series (example to the left) are my favorite. They would be perfect as a grouping together or just one by itself in a studio space. The shop offers more than just prints and even custom sizes if you wish.
photo via The Art of Michelle	The Art of Michelle  Let me start by saying... this girl has some major talent. I admire when someone can accomplish the amount of detail that she can, and with watercolors at that! What I love about this shop is the custom house prints. She takes custom orders, but there is a waiting list. You may not make it in time for this holiday season.

Home Decor & More:

photo via dahlhaus	dahlhaus This shop is often found on treasuries on the front page and I find myself clicking through, every time. I think its the beautiful simplicity that draws me in. Perfect for anywhere in your home.
photo via Citizens Collectibles	Citizens Collectibles  I first laid eyes on these cute little guys when a "citizen" that looked like D landed in my feed. (check it out... here). How cute are these guys? Thrown them on a couch or a shelf or anywhere in your home. They are customizable to make them look like your family!
photo via Room for Emptiness	Room for Emptiness  Simple black and white is offset by the amount of detail in these pieces. Hand painted plates cups and more would make a great addition to anyones china cabinet.
photo via Butterscotch Beestings	Butterscotch & Beestings  I love the randomness of this shop! Circus inspired housewares that are sure to make you smile. For people that know me, I have a slight obsession with pillows (you can never have too many) and this is what brought me to this shop. To my surprise- they had much more than just pillow. Go take a look!

So thats what I have for you thus far. I have been working on a Christmas list like this, hopefully will post soon. Do you have some favorite Etsy shops that you would love to share? Post a comment with your favorites (or your own shop). I would love to check them out!

LIFE: What's goin' on?

Well. I was on a roll, writing blog posts on a pretty regular schedule. And then I had a crazy week of life events. What events are you speaking of you ask? Well.... first, completely out of no where... D asked me to marry him! So yes, I am officially engaged and in complete awe of my shinny new accessory that I get to stare at daily. Pictures below. I apologize that I am never the girl that has perfectly girly manicured hands.

 


Second, with in a week of the engagement... we miraculously found a house we loved! Yes, you read that right. I just finished posting about how house hunting is tough, and then out of no where... a house popped into our extended price range that we had to go see immediately. The deal is not sealed yet... in fact it won't be sealed till every single paper is signed, but I was too excited not to share. Once everything is final- I will share some details with you.

So- I have pretty much been crazy with house stuff. Inspections, mortgage stuff, researching boilers, (a story for another day)... and general preparing for Thanksgiving and a rush on Christmas wreaths in the shop. Sales have been picking up, I am slightly unprepared, but I can do anything when I put my mind to it and its proven that I work well under pressure.

Hopefully I will be back soon with some good news and more posts! Stay tuned and Happy Thanksgiving!

FOXY: Etsy Front Page

Naturally- as part of my morning routine.... I log onto Etsy. To my surprise, I was delighted to see the front page be a fox theme this morning! Look at all the super cute stuff!

Via Etsy

See something you like? Links to the items shown above below. I am particularly loving the Fox tote bag and the fox book ends (both in the top row). Enjoy!

Top Row:
Fox Bookends, Fox Dress Up Hat, Fox Toy Softie, Fox Tote Bag

Middle Row:
Fox Print, Fox Pendant Necklace, Fox Brooch, Fox Card

Bottom Row:
Fox Tail, Fox Top, Fox Scarf, Fox Illustration

Not Show:
Fox Ring (LOVE THIS!), Forest Animal Brooch, Crochet Fox Pillow, Hand Painted Wood Fox

To see the complete treasury by Papiki titled "foxes, foxes, foxes!" - click here.

WEEKEND: Supply Shopping and House Hunting

I spent the weekend running around like a crazy person, dragging D along side with me. (actually he was nice enough to be my chauffeur and drive me around like a crazy person) Anyway. It is safe to say that I am ready for any holiday COZYmade orders. Which is great because I have already begun to sell holiday wreaths thanks to Etsy using my wreath in the Holiday Browse section for the Wreath category for a whole week.

I feel somewhat prepared- with the exception of lack of a proper work space. However- I am use to this since I haven't had a proper workspace in quite sometime. Which brings me to my second task of the weekend- House Hunting.

For those of you who are home owners, you understand. House hunting is a ridiculous process, and I am a little pickier than I had anticipated. I have been looking at houses and dreaming of a place to call my own for YEARS. This is not to say that I have been ready to buy for years, I've just been looking. I am not one of those people who can't see past the cosmetics of a house. I don't mind if I have to put in a little work to make it a home, but the process is a little frustrating and harder than I anticipated. Willing to redo a kitchen because its original to a house- sure. Willing to rewire the entire house- not so much. Taking down wallpaper form the entire house- I can handle it. Needs a new septic system and all new plumbing- I'll pass.

Photo Credit: Shop Vol25 via Etsy

I gave this print to D for Valentine's Day last year. We have been day dreaming about a new house for a while and finally are in the position of purchasing. This will be the first thing we hang when we finally have a place.

What I have learned thus far from my house hunt is this:

• Don't start looking at houses before you're ready to buy: A few years ago I went to an open house. I was just driving by, saw the sign, had always liked the house and so we decided to go in. A few years ago, the market was at a completely different place so the house was in a different price bracket. I loved it. Since we weren't ready to buy yet, it was a love from afar. Now... every house I go into- I compare to that house. Making the house hunting just that much harder.
• It's good to see everything, even if the listing looks like crap: We have been looking at houses not only with our fantastic Realtor, but also going to open houses on the weekends. A lot of the time, houses in person look completely different than their listings. This can happen for 2 reasons: The listing agent has an amazing photographer or the listing agent has a horrible photographer. I have learned not to judge a house by its listing (unless of course it says something like, house needs to be completely gutted... thats not in my plans.)
• Keep an eye on houses that are slightly out of your budget: If you have a budget of say $300,000. Expand your search slightly higher. There could be a seller willing to negotiate OR if they don't get offers the price could be reduced and you will be ahead of the ball by already knowing about it.
• Make a list of the must haves and the wants: You may already have a list of everything you want in a house. Come to find out, if your budget is tight- chances of you getting everything on your wish list will be slim. Make a 2 (or 3) column list with your "must haves", your "wants" and your "deal breakers". This helps not only you, but also your Realtor help you find the right home for you.
• Search multiple websites: If you have a Realtor, they most likely have set you up on the MLS website to view listings. I have found other sites to be slightly more easy to read. Try Zillow or Redfin (my personal favorite- but only available in some areas). You may need an account to view all information on a listing, but it's free and well worth it.

Now- take my advice with a grain of salt because I have yet to find the home I want to purchase. However, this is completely a learning process for me. Since D has owned a condo prior to this search, he is a little ahead of the game... but this is new to me. My first home. I seriously can not wait to find "the one". I can sadly report... we didn't find anything this weekend that was a contender.

FOXY: Happy Halloween! Felt Fox Mask

Happy Halloween! This year is the first year in over 13 years I actually get to relax and celebrate halloween... Why you ask? Well when you work for a party store who's business is at it's craziest during the Halloween season... for the most part I was just exhausted from working extra hours and tired of looking at costumes! This year however, since the company has been sold, there is a little bit of down time in the office to celebrate.

Since I have foxes on the brain... and I have been seeing so many cute handmade felt masks on Etsy (examples here, here, here and here), and the fact that I have piles of felt in every corner and workspace right now... I decided it only made sense to try and make myself a mask.

Once I made my fox on the computer... I broke it down into shapes and printed it out. Then traced it onto the felt, cut and glued! For the ears, I cut triangles out of the left over felt and glued them to a skinny headband. Simple as that. Besides drawing the fox on the computer, the project took less than an hour.

Want to make one?
Of course you do! I did the hard part for you and created the fox pieces. You can make yours out of felt like I did, or simply use the printed pieces to make a paper mask. Once everything is cut and glued, you can add an elastic to the back for wearing, or add a stick on one side for a photo-prop style mask.

With Ears can be downloaded here

Without Ears can be downloaded here

COZYmade: Us Weekly Feature!

I know I have mentioned before that I was unsure in what direction I wanted my COZYmade shop to go, but I am excited to share the following news. My new felt bobby pins have been featured in Us Weekly! Head over to the shop and grab yours today. They will make excellent little gifts for the holidays.

I have a few more inquiries about these bobby pins and I will share when I have more info- but for now, share in my excitement!

CRAFTY: Decorating Pumpkins... Hipster Style

  

So as I had mentioned in my previous post... it was game time this weekend. Not only did we watch the Red Sox win the ALCS to go on to the World Series... but there was also Bruins, and Patriots to watch this weekend as well. Of course I will always support my Boston teams... but I am not a fan that can sit and watch without a project. Enter tiny white pumpkins...

I had seen these at Trader Joe's and had to have them. They we're screaming "decorate me" in the store. I purchased a handful of the mini white gourds as well as a few tiger pumpkins (which I later decided we're cute on their own and needed no embellishments.)

Paint seemed like it would be a big ordeal to pull out. So I decided to go with Sharpies. I had just got a brand new set of Neon Sharpies that I had wanted to try out. Once I gathered all my supplies, I settled on the floor by the couch (yes, just like a little kid starting a project) and began to doodle.

Not really that surprising... the neon sharpies were a little too light to show up very well on the pumpkins. I then recruited my set of classic sharpies and a few of the metallics I had. The results came out quite pleasing to me. Plus this was a fun experience and kept me 100% occupied during the games.

What did you do with your pumpkins this year? I'd love to see! Leave a comment with a link to your pumpkin project or send me a note.

DISCLAIMER: I have learned that when you buy organic pumpkins... you should take pictures of them as soon as possible! It is semi apparent in my photos that my pumpkins began to turn yellow. It's my own fault for waiting days before taking pictures (and also taking pictures with my cell phone...). Sometimes I'm lazy. We all are...

FOOD: Gluten Free / Dairy Free Buffalo Chicken Dip

One of my favorite things is buffalo chicken. I don't know why I love it so much, but... it is what it is. Buffalo chicken dip was a staple in my eating routines. It's great for so many things...

• On a Sandwich
• For Dinner
• Appetizer for Parties
• As a toast topping
• and so much more!

Although, technically buffalo chicken dip is gluten free (depending on how you make it)... it certainly was not dairy free. When I discovered my gluten/dairy allergies... I knew I would have to find a substitute to the stand by recipe that I've used for years. Although my recipe was not nearly as low fat as the Hungry Girl recipe... it was delicious. Since D and I typically eat this as a meal on occasion, it was a perfect dinner while watching the baseball game Saturday night (Uh hem congrats to the Red Sox for making it into the World Series!!)