What a difference a year makes...

I am excited to share with you all our big anniversary today...

One year ago today, I put an offer in on the Discoball Speakeasy! Only six short months after that, I had keys in my hands! And only two and a half months after that we actually moved in! It has been a long road, but I couldn't be happier with how it (eventually) turned out. I love my house. It is a shining star in my life. And I am so proud of the work that Shupasaurus and I (and our band of awesome helpers) have put into it.

As a special bonus, we had family come into town this weekend (for Mama Irvine's Big Six Oh! Birthday Bash) and get to see my house. These are the family that don't make it up to Sac often, so it was so exciting to show off my house to them and have them see, in real life, the work that we have done.

I thought, since this blog was started to share with you the trials and tribulations of homeownership, in honor of the occasion, I would show you loyal blog readers some of the before and afters of the shack. Brace yourself, you might not believe some of these...

And CHEERS TO CHANGE! Here's to moving forward and having a blast growing up.

Five Bucks? I'll Take It!

Something super exciting happened this weekend at the Speakeasy...

We had... A yard sale.



Yep, a good old "Set all your junk on the lawn and hope someone finds a treasure" yard sale. As far as I can recollect, I have never, in my life, had a yard sale. If there was one during my childhood, it appears to have been blacklisted from my memory. I am very thankful for this fact.

Now, I totally understand that some people have found million dollar paintings, rare coins and other "diamonds in the rough" at yard sales and swap meets, but to me it just seems tedious and like WAY too much work, rummaging through other people's junk. Now that we live at the discoball shack, I have opened up to the idea of antique faires, but that's pretty much the extent of my desire to bargain shop.

But, after our sales adventure this weekend, I have a whole new appreciation for the yard sale.

Not only did we meet almost all of our neighbors (some of whom even tried to butter us up by BUYING something), we actually sold a lot of our junk. We also ended the weekend with a nice wad of cash (yeah, grocery money!) Of course, after clearing out the contents of the garage for the sale, it now seems as though we have more stuff than we started with (explain that one to me!)

But here's the thing I realized that really made the weekend interesting: People will buy anything. I mean it. ANYTHING.

Not working weed whacker? Five bucks? I'll take it!

Golden jeweled statue of a Thai goddess that hurts my eyes to look at? Five bucks? I'll take it!

Ugly ass purse that was a gift with my makeup at Macys? A dollar? I'll take it!

Used (old) vacuum that's really old and used? Ten bucks? I'll take it!

I was shocked. There really is a person for every weird and useless item! And they will PAY to take it off your hands! Who would have thought such a thing?! I had a real junk-purge epiphany. I usually just throw everything away (except what's recyclable, of course). Now I realize that I can just put it on a table outside, throw up a "Yard Sale" sign and people will PAY ME to take it off my hands. Woah.

Oh, and the added double-whammy bonus? It's pretty good entertainment while sitting out front, getting tan and drinking light beer.

Looks like I'll never be broke, or thirsty, again!

Here here!!

:)