Hardscaping

As nice as the house is on the inside, the surrounding area was pretty craptacular. It was all gravel in the driveway. The fence was dilapidated. The outside space itself seemed wasted. What I also disliked was that my basement door was easily accessible to passers-by. And why would I want people to see my trash bins?

Here is the before:

Note that the house next door is completely exposed. That window is the main resident's bedroom, so he can hear the gravel's crunching when I pull up in my truck. So the first major expenditure is in the hardscaping and fencing.

I felt so bad for my neighbors. The cement truck came in at 5:30 on a Saturday morning and they began mixing at 6am. It was super loud. Thankfully, they understood. They know I'm new to the neighborhood, and when there's a new owner, there will be some work to be done.

The cement now brings a new driveway that extends all the way to just before the deck. The area feels so much cleaner, and my backyard feels far more expansive.

The fence has been brought up to the front just before the porch with an added step towards the house.

The best part, my nosy next-door neighbor (and he is a busybody) is fenced off.

All Moved In and Ready to Design and Decorate

Since receiving the key, I've spent all of September making improvements to my house; both inside and outside.

The Backyard

The backyard was a huge task pulling out all the old trees and plants and putting in new ones. It took an entire weekend and a trip to the dump, but it got done. I've planted the following trees in addition to the peach tree that was already there: plum, cherry, pomegranate, and avocado.  It's still a work in progress as I've yet to begin my victory garden. I also have plans to build a chicken coop. That's right, my backyard will be my own private farm.

As you can see from the panorama above, I have a deck. Eventually I will build a patio (with the help of my weekend warrior parents, of course). Other small projects I'd like to have completed/included by next summer: a tiki bar, a bbq grill, torch lighting and a pull down screen. I think it would be nice to project old films; have friends over for a cocktail and classic films.

It's like living in the woods.

The Living Room

What little furniture I have is of course antique. I brought my 1912 victrola, a gutted 1920s victrola that serves as a cabinet, a lamp table, a side table that belonged to my grandparents, end tables and my upright bass. So where to sit? My parents and I went up to Sacramento's antique row to look for some seating. We came out with a lot of goods. We bought a 3-piece parlor set that dates back to the 1890s. 

The curtains, though modern, added a nice vintage appeal. I also included art work by Tamara De Lempicka. What I need now is a rug and perhaps a coffee table. We'll see.

Bedroom #1

I finally got to use my 1930s beaded chandelier. It lights up my room quite beautifully. The closets are quite small, so I drove up to Upper Lake to purchase an Art Deco armoire that matched perfectly with my highboy dresser. 

Bedroom #2

The guest room is not yet complete. Right now it's just a bed and setee. I need to find a dresser and perhaps a blanket chest for my extra linens. Still, as it is, it's a comfortable place to sleep. My parents certainly love it.

Dining Area

It's an eat in kitchen. I found a vintage table mantel which I topped with a plastic cover (it's the Latin in me) and some flowers. The art work is Edward Hopper's Nighthawks.

Bathroom

I have to say that I HATE the bathroom. It is tiny. But, no place is perfect. There are far more positives in this house. The bathroom just happens to be the negative. All I can do is make it as comfortable as possible. I took some crates, stained them, and made them my towel storage. My dad put up a shelf over the window to keep other bathroom items.

At Treasure Island, I purchased this DIY type of hook. Different, but I liked the look of it. I screwed it in and now have a convenient place for a hand towel.

That's all for now. Eventually I'll add more posts to show other improvements and additions. Stay tuned...

Key in Hand

As of August 24, 2016, it is now officially on record that I am a homeowner. Yaaaaay!!! And it was on that day that I received my keys. 

On Friday night, I took a few things over to my house to get started on the move. I spent the night there. All I heard were the sounds of crickets, the trees as the breeze blew through the branches and leaves, and the windchimes playing light tunes. It was incredibly peaceful. I kept thinking to myself, there's no one above me, no one below me and no one on either side. I hear no one. And no one hears me. That's the difference between life in a house and life in an apartment. No shared space.

I decided to place one picture on the wall to make it less empty. As I pounded the nail, I smiled realizing that I'm not disturbing anyone. It's also MY wall. I don't need permission to make changes. Here's the result:

I know it's a slow start, but it's a start. I can't wait until I have all my antique furnishings moved in. Stay tuned...

Half way there...

I'm now half way through the escrow period! 

I thought the search for a house was a stress, but it doesn't compare to the process of a home purchase.

I did the home inspection and was surprised to learn of the problems it has. It needs improvements in the following: plumbing, electrical, new waterheater, and a few other cosmetic issues. I thought, "this is a flipped house! How can it have these issues when the whole idea of a flipped house is to make upgrades and improvements to its infrastructure?" I was really bummed out about it.

That afternoon, I went to my friend's housewarming party and told her what happened. She, too, bought an old house and said that her home has the same issues. Then other guests chimed in saying that when you buy an old house, it's expected to come with electrical and plumbing issues; they also had the same experience. It made me feel a little better. They encouraged me, though, to negotiate with the seller and tell them to repair it. I made a list of requests, and to my surprise, the seller agreed to make all the repairs. One less stress. 

Meanwhile, I'm having very mixed emotions: excitement, nervousness, fear, etc. My parents have been my strongest supporters in my decision to buy a house. What I'm going through is absolutely normal, especially when it's your first home. "You're a homeowner!" That's what my mom cheerfully tells me. It's definitely a great accomplishment, especially to buy a house in the San Francisco Bay Area. It's a tough market.

Everything seems to be falling into place. Not only is my home loan approved, but due to my high credit score, the interest rate was reduced; the homeowners insurance quote was reduced because I have a Master's Degree. 

This American Dream is becoming reality. 

Stay tuned for the "before and after" shots.

The ULTIMATE Vintage Purchase

It has been quite awhile since I've posted any vintage purchases, but I've just been super busy with work. When I come home, I just want to sleep. Weekends are usually spent outdoors or playing my bass. The last thing I want to do is spend time in front of my laptop. The items I purchased were 1940s clothing and shoes. A dress, a pair of sandals, and some peep-toe slingbacks. And here are the photos...

But neither of these items come close as the ultimate vintage purchase. Oh no. I got something much better and much bigger. "What could it be", you ask?

IT'S A HOUSE!

I've been looking to buy a home for the past two years. I had made offers before, but I was always outbid. I swear, it was like an eBay auction. It was also extremely disheartening. I stopped looking for awhile before deciding to move down to Santa Cruz. Then I abandoned that idea when I got a new (higher paying) position in San Francisco. So I had only been casually looking. I found one that was absolutely beautiful, but again, as in times before, I was outbid. There was another house that was available in the same area. When I drove past, I was a bit iffy. Then my realtor took me along to view it. As soon as I stepped on the property, it just felt right. I had to have it. Again, I made an offer, and this time, it was accepted. Finally! I have a house to call my own.

And not just any house. I bought a 100-year-old bungalow. Hence, the ultimate vintage purchase. What I love most about it is the porch and the huge backyard. I know I'll be spending evenings sitting on the porch and playing my bass.

In my mind, I've already planned how to design and decorate my house. I can't wait to start shopping the antique shops, estate sales and the Alameda Antique Fair. That's where the fun will be.

Shedding Purple Tears

Prince Rogers Nelson
1958-2016

I was stunned when I learned of the passing of The Purple One. I have been a Prince fan since 1982. I was only 6 years old when I was sitting in front of my babysitter's TV when the 1999 video came out. I remember being intrigued by his performance.

When Purple Rain came out in 1984, I begged my mom to take me to see it, and she did. I had many of his albums from For You to Come. During my senior year of high school, I made a Prince collage and painted a portrait of his profile. I'm sure my dad has them stored somewhere. 

Prince was definitely a musical genius. He wrote and composed all his songs. He sang with his 8 octave voice range and played 27 instruments (self-taught). On many of his songs, he is playing all the instruments. Prince was a far superior musical artist than his contemporary Michael Jackson (though I will not deny that MJ is probably the best performer). He also wrote hits for others. The best ones: Manic Monday performed by the Bangles. A bit of trivia, Manic Monday has the same tune as 1999. Another favorite is Stand Back sung by Stevie Nicks and The Glamorous Life by Sheila E. If you listen closely, Prince is singing background.

I had a preference for his older music from the late 70s to the early 90s. I didn't really listen to his later music; but I always kept his older songs in my library and I'd occasionally play him on heavy rotation. Perhaps the last time was earlier this year when news came of his upcoming concert (which was way out of my price range).

Today, I've just been walking about my campus singing Prince tunes. Raspberry Beret was always a favorite to sing. I even played his music in the teachers' room. We were all saddened by this great loss.

Good night, sweet Prince.

Moving on up!

Hence, my inability to keep up with my posts. I'm quite a busy bee, but I love what I do.

Stuff and 2016 Vintage Purchase #2

It's hard to find really good antique shops in the heart of San Francisco. Many tend to be ultra high end antique shops that service the 1% of the population. The prices are astronomical. If you want to find really good antique shops that house several dealers, you usually need to go down the peninsula or across the bay. Then I discovered Stuff. This is a post long overdue as I had discovered them over a year ago.

Stuff is a large warehouse of antique dealers selling all types of antique products: furniture, lighting, appliances, decor, jewelry, clothing, etc. I made my first purchase of a 1930s chandelier last February. Since then, I just browse the inventory until something catches my eye. 

 

One of my favorite artistic expressions is Art Deco. I try to collect as many pieces as I can; within reason of course. However, many Deco items are priced extremely high. Once, in awhile, I do get lucky. I bought an Art Deco dresser for $45 at an estate sale. At Stuff, there is an Art Deco display where nothing seems to be reasonably priced. The cheapest item I found was $175 for a tiny compact. This particular dealer isn't the only selling Deco, though. There are many others spread throughout. You just need to take the time to search all the inventory.

Around the time I bought my chandelier, I saw these two Art Deco chairs that I thought would look cute in my dining area. It was priced along with a table that I didn't need. I asked one of the workers if the dealer was insistent on selling with the table. He was. Some dealers are just too stubborn. I figured I'd just wait him out, and if it's meant to be, the chairs will still be there. Fast forward another 6 months and the table is gone but the chairs still there. This time they were priced at $90. I was still hesitant. Again, if it's meant to be, they'll be there. Another six months go by. Yesterday, I finally went back to Stuff. As I was walking up the second floor, I thought, if they're there, I'll take them no matter the price. 

Lo and Behold! The chairs were still there. This time they were priced at $65. I told one of the workers, "I'll take them." Then he dropped a bombshell. "You came at a good time. This seller is leaving this booth. Everything is 75% off!" Good knight! I wish he had more things available to my liking, but I walked away with those two Art Deco chairs for a whopping $17! I just love antiques on the cheap!

Next week, I'm planning on returning for this other Deco piece. It's pricey, but I wanted to wait until my next paycheck before I splurge. If it's meant to be, it'll be there. Stay tuned...

New Beginnings

It's been awhile since my last post. Mainly it was due to either stress or lack of time. Nonetheless, the new year started off with a struggle. 

I was hospitalized last month for severe migraines. I've suffered migraines since I was a child (my first one at age 9), but they only lasted a few hours before it downgraded to a headache. This migraine was different. It lasted 3 days. I couldn't hold down any food. I vomited all contents including plain water. I couldn't even take medication because I couldn't keep it down. Eventually I had to go to urgent care to get well. What led to this could be several factors but stress was probably number 1. 

I knew what was making me stressed. My job. It began when I applied to and was interviewed by UC Santa Cruz. They were extremely interested in my skills, but I didn't get the position. I wasn't really broken up about it because I felt that getting an interview was a big enough accomplishment. Then I learned later that my director never submitted my teacher evaluations nor a recommendation. He had even admitted that he didn't send them because he didn't want me to leave the school. I was disheartened by that. He promised to increase my pay. 

Throughout my time there, I was constantly on the receiving end of his wrath. Not just me, but others at the school were also mistreated. He was always stressed out for reasons unrelated to work, but I guess he needed a punching bag.

Late last month, due to declining enrollment, two classes were collapsed. Rather than letting the teacher go, the director gave her two of my classes resulting in a very large salary decrease. Considering my contribution to the school, I felt it was completely unfair. Why put it mildly? I was angry. 

I decided to find another position elsewhere. Today I was offered a full-time administrative position at another school where I would develop curriculum and work more with teachers as the master teacher. I hadn't thought about leaving the classroom. It never occurred to me. I was also offered a much higher salary than what I was making before my pay cut. It's also much closer to home. I've been driving 70 miles round trip to my current position. Now it will only be a short BART ride to San Francisco.

After much reflection, I'd realized that I was no longer happy at my current position. Though I enjoyed teaching my students, I felt that my director never appreciated my dedication, work, and effort. It's time for me to move on.

This will be a new experience to embark on, but I welcome the new challenges.

Sweet '16

It didn't seem so long ago when I wrote about 2015 goals. But alas! A year has flown by. Did I accomplish my goals set forth? Nope. Nor am I going to beat myself up for it. 

It was definitely a busy year for me professionally. I was promoted to Coordinator of Staff & Curriculum and Master Teacher. Yes, it came with a nice pay raise. In addition to teaching my core classes, I develop curriculum, and mentor & train new teachers. The new title means extra responsibility and less time for anything else. It also means putting my pursuit of a Ph.D. on hold.

I have limited my time on the dance floor. I'm lucky if I go to Verdi even twice a month. However, I have joined a new dance troupe, and we begin rehearsals next week. This will be a good diversion from my work life.

So what goals will I set for myself this year? Continue my professional successes. Get more tattoos. Increase my vintage wardrobe and antiques. Get more involved in arts and culture. Buy a house (and yes! This time it's more realistic). Whatever else happens...happens. But overall, I just want to be happy and wish others continued happiness.

Here's hoping that 2016 is definitely a sweet one.