Fun and Games

There's a new game Matt and I like to play these days. It's called "Home Improvement Project" or, more accurately, "How Many Times Can Matt and Kat Possibly Go to Lowes In One Week?" Here's how you play:

1. Decide on a home improvement project you think even cavemen would find mind-numbingly easy. For example--but totally hypothetically--changing out your corroding faucet and drain in your downstairs half bathroom for new ones. 
2. Add on another related project because, hey, if you're going to Lowe's anyway, you might as will kill two birds with one stone. Say, for example, you add on replacing the light fixtures in said bathroom. 
3. Make sure you spend a long time agonizing over the best "bang-for-buck" products, because everyone loves a good deal, and...you just bought a house recently and are feeling a bit broke, so you don't want to spend more than you have to. It helps during this step to pretend as though you really believe this might be your only trip to Lowe's for this project. Hah. 
4. Get home and--this is crucial to playing the game correctly--immediately remember at least 3 things you forgot to get while you were there, making the project(s) un-finishable in one day like you'd hoped. 
5. But hey, you're tough. Setbacks, schmetbacks. You know not to get frustrated THAT easily. So, you continue on with the project anyway, knowing you won't finish but believing  that you'll get close to completion today and simply finish up tomorrow. Or, more realistically, next week. 
6. As soon as you get started, definitely make sure something breaks or doesn't work the way you thought it would, adding a bunch of extra work to the "simple" project. For instance, again, a totally hypothetical example, you realize a few of the screws you need to take out are completely corroded and (adding insult to injury) totally unreachable without completely disassembling the sink and taking it  off the wall, which then adds scraping, sanding, and re-painting the wall to the list of things you now have to do to complete the project. 
7. Then, return to the store for the things you forgot, and the new supplies you now need for scraping, sanding, and painting. Sigh. 
8. For good measure, make sure at least a couple things you bought for a great deal and were excited about totally don't work like you thought they would. Maybe, for example, the faucet you bought looks way too small for the sink you're putting it on (because you were trying to be thrifty and bought the cheapest one they had), causing yet another trip to the store. 
9. One last thing, and this is very important: make sure every step takes at least 4 times longer than you anticipated. 

Anyone else played this game before? We're totally addicted. 

***DISCLAIMER: All examples, persons, and situations represented in this post are completely fictitious.  Any similarity to real-life events is purely coincidental. Also, any sarcasm sensed in this post is 100% imaginary.*** 

Oh, hey, on a totally unrelated note, here's a photo of the new faucet, drain, and light fixtures we installed in our downstairs half-bathroom this week. Aren't they great? :)

Something We Have In Common

When Matt and I went to pre-marriage counseling, our counselor said MULTIPLE times (enough to make us uneasy, actually) that he and I were the most different from each other of any couple that he had ever counseled. In almost every way, we are exact opposites. For those who know us well, this is painfully obvious, and there's no way you're at all surprised by our counselor's comments. For those who don't know us as well, here's the synopsis. When you think of Matt, you should think of everything associated with the left brain. Order. Math. Objectivity. Dependability. Analysis. Steadiness. Routine. And...when you think of me, you should think of everything associated with the right brain. Color. Emotion (too much of all kinds). Words. Fun. Chaos. Spontaneity.  This picture explains it pretty well:

But then, maybe because he was trying to make up for scaring us half to death with his earlier comments, or maybe simply because he wanted to make a joke, our counselor also told us something else. He said, "It seems like the only two things you guys have in common are your sense of humor and how cheap you both are!" Laughter and thriftiness. The building blocks of a great marriage. 

Our friends and family must have noticed our joint frugality as well, because they continue to give us things. Maybe they are worried that if we're not given them, we'll simply decide to live without things like beds, couches, tables, and chairs? But hey, whatever the reason, we're lovin' it. 

Anyway, to illustrate just how cheap blessed we are, I thought I'd walk you through a few of the rooms of our house and point out all the things we DIDN'T buy. 

• Table and Chairs--lent by my parents. (Fun fact: They actually used them when they first got married too!)

• Rug--found in someone's trash pile along the road. Don't judge--it's an awesome rug. (Yes--we cleaned it). 
• Table--lent from my grandmother. It's Swedish! 
• Leather ottomans--Christmas present. 

• Patio furniture--Given to us by friends here in Smithfield. 
• Umbrella--Given to us by my parents
• Pansies--Gift from a friend here in Smithfield

• Drop Leaf Table--Gift from Matt's grandfather
• Clock (someone obscured from view)--Wedding gift from a family friend
• Bowl--Gift from my mom

• Bookcase--Given by my parents. (Re-painted by me!)
• Candles/Votives--Wedding gift.

• Side Tables--Lent by my grandmother (they match the coffee table)
• Lamps--Given by my parents
• Quilt--Made/Given by Matt's mom and grandmother
• Phones--Given by my parents

• Dresser--Given by Matt's parents from his old bedroom
• Lamp--Wedding gift

• Dresser--Obtained from outside the dumpster at our apartment complex. Don't hate! It's awesome.
• (Note: Yes, the Jesus Storybook Bible is on my dresser. No, I am not a child. Yes, I'm serious when I tell you that it's my favorite book.)

• Quilt Rack--Given by my parents; made by my grandfather. 
• Quilt--Made/Given by Matt's mom

• Mattress and Boxspring--Given by friends here in Smithfield
• Bookshelf--Given by my parents

• Desk and Chair--Given by Matt's parents
• Lamp--Given by my parents 

• INCREDIBLY comfortable recliner--Given by Matt's parents
• Blanket--Given by a college friend
• Side table--Given by Matt's parents

• Bookcase--Made/Given by Matt's parents

• TV--Given by my parents. Pay no attention to the ugly towel covering the beautiful coffee table (that we are sadly using as a TV stand for the moment). It's stopping the TV from scratching said coffee table.
• Wii--Gift from my brother
• Coffee Table--Given by my parents; made by my grandfather. (Fun Fact: There's a handwritten note to my mom from my grandpa on the underside of the table. One of my earliest memories is climbing under there and tracing his letters with my finger, and thinking it was weird that he signed it "Dad" when I knew him as Poppy. I miss him.) 

• Couch--Given by Matt's parents
• Rug--Given by a college friend