And we have ICE...

Ever since the LG Steam washer and dryer first appeared in that one appealing commercial where the woman took off her dress and tossed it into the dryer to "refresh", and it was ready to wear again in 15 mins, we have been hankering for the pair of dark blue wonder units. They have been delivered, and we haven't had more fun doing laundry. We haven't exactly tried the "Refresh" function, but it does make pleasant sounds (tunes or melodies, really) when the laundry is done. =)

AND, we have ICE! The refridgerator has been a life saver in more ways than one. After weeks of eating out and eating too much (because we couldn't keep leftovers), we can finally cook and also exercise a ton of portion control.

The screensaver flashes different pictures. So Hypnotic!

Touch Screen function.

We've been busy busy busy on the weekends. Went to Ikea and bought this whole closet system to fix ourselves. Jien said we should fix closets for a living. I say we aim for other aspirations.

We also bought barstools for the counter. Since we do not have a dining table set yet, we've been eating at the counter.

Next up....Window coverings and Composite wood decking on patio. This might take awhile since we need to get HOA approval. We'll try to finish up the closet soon so we can finally not have to live out of our suitcases!

The Arrival of the Infamous Couch..and 4th of July Fireworks!

Our couch is here! Nice, new and...white. We've been carefully censoring ourselves. Whether we can take a sit would greatly depend on what we were wearing. Dark denim and jeans were stictly prohibited. We'll see how long this lasts. =) Kind of silly to have a sofa you can't sit on. It'll wear off soon I'm sure. Here are some pictures of the couch in many different angles. I got a little self-indulgent while taking the pictures. =)










I just had to throw this picture of my reading corner in. =)



(The following just happened..right before I wrote this.)
We've just experienced our best 4th of July fireworks to date! All these years, we've been perfectly contented to see fireworks only on TV, pre-recorded from New York three hours earlier, not bothering to jostle with the crowds and the heavy traffic at local events. We moved into this house not knowing it holds the best view of the fireworks display at Warner Park, in front of Warner Center! This is simply the icing on the cake, completely unexpected but greatly appreciated! We didn't even know there were going to be fireworks until late last night or we could have invited some friends over. I wish we had pictures to share, but it was too dark, our camera has embarrassing range and we were completely mesmerized! Next year we'll hold a 4th of July bbq and fireworks event, so mark your calendars!

Here are some pictures of Warner Center from our top level deck. The fireworks literally shot up in front of the buildings. We'll leave the rest to your imagination! =)

Our LG Steam washing machine and dryer are coming tomorrow! Laundry at last!

Moving Day

(As explained in my previous post, we did not have internet access until today. The following took place over the course of a week. Disjointed time lapses may occur =)

Moving Day was finally upon us. After days of late night packing, throwing, wiping...we were finally ready to move! It was quite unfortunate (mostly for the movers at least) that LA would be hit by a heatwave so strong that kids and pets were not allowed to be left in cars unattended. It was 108 degrees Fahrenheit in Woodland Hills (which was about 42 degrees celsius when I converted!! That's NUTS!!) Jien and I mostly took cover in the house, where it was considerably cooler in the basement, while the movers earned every penny they made!

We transplanted our old apt into the basement.

By noon, we were done! The old Elaine would have finished unpacking by now, with everything in place and not one single item lying where it does not belong. =) Sorely lacking the same stamina, new Elaine is relishing in the newfound joy of unpacking..slowly.

Our bed and mattress arrived on Sunday, along with my precious bookshelves and Jien was all set since the satellite dish got installed the same day. He got to watch the end of the Spain-Italy match which made him a very happy man.

My library nook in the living room.

Jien's TV in the basement office.

(On a side note, while the delivery guys were here delivering the bed + bookshelves, a tiny little bird flew in. It couldn't find a way out and kept flying into the window. Jien tried to catch it and the more he tried, the more the bird squealed, if birds do squeal that is. It was obviously pushed to its limits when it started releasing its bowels...on our kitchen floor. Poor bird. Julio our delivery guy brilliantly took a paper towel to catch it and then released it outdoors. Jien's co-worker said it's good luck to have a bird poop in the house. We'll take that. )

Here are more pictures of half finished rooms...and our rug.

Our unfinished master bedroom.

Master Bath - We could just stay in here all day =)

Unfinished upstairs guest room.

Basement guest room - We've been hiding out here from the heat.

Half of the office/study - More architecture/interior/art books.

We're going to get our fridge and washer/dryer this weekend. It would be nice to have ice around here, or to be able to wash our clothes.

That's all the updates we have for now. Our couch will be coming on Saturday and our trash containers on Monday. Stay nice and cool everyone!!

Empty House for the Last Time

(Thanks everyone for being patient. We were left without any internet access at home for a while, that's why there are consecutive posts for events that happened over a course of 2 - 3 weeks.)

Prior to moving, we made a note to take pictures of the empty house since it will never look this way again. We are making a point not to clutter the place but it's never going to look this bare. We went to the house after work most nights, even though we should have been packing, and ate dinner on the kitchen counters sitting on chairs that were way too low. We eventually gave up and started eating while standing up. Let's just say we are keeping a look out for suitable height counter stools. =)

We are almost there!

We went for the "Walk-thru" today and learnt a whole lot about our new home. For example, during a power outage, we are not supposed to use the basement bathroom, or the sump pump might give us a nasty surprise. We were told where the circuit breakers were, where the pipes led, how to change the air-conditioning filters...etc. It was hard to not be distracted as there was so much "new" stuff to see. Everything looked different without that layer of dust. It also helped that there were no holes in the walls. Here are some of the things that truly made our day!

1. They got the color RIGHT!

The painters changed out the white and what a world of difference it makes.

This is a picture of our house taken from the main gated entrance.

2. We LOVE the hardwood floors that we picked!

(The protective covering has finally come off!)

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3. We love the kitchen + bathroom tiles too!

4. We are finally signing the documents tomorrow! The word "finally" comes up a lot. I think we're just glad that it's "finally" happening! That means we'll get the keys next Monday or Tuesday? Moving day is next Sat , two days prior to our one year wedding anniversary and what a journey it has been. =)

Please check back within the next two weeks for more pictures. It will take some time to furnish the house, and most parts will be left unfurnished for a while. We'll add pictures whenever we get new additions.

Have a great weekend!

On the Right Track...

Our new carpets are FINALLY accurately installed and we cannot be happier! They feel so clean and comfortable under our feet, I was this close to rolling around on the ground.

Here's Jien in the master bedroom....taking measurements?

Another picture of Jien in the furthest corner of the Office.

Jien: "My TV better fits up here!"

Another picture of Jien, carefully studying the wiring. In case you were to wonder why Jien's in every picture, as he usually is, that's because I'm usually behind the camera. He doesn't seem to have any qualms being my model.

Here's a random picture of our base molding. We're pretty happy with the effect.

As we're getting closer and closer to our closing date, (that's a mouthful - let's hope it will happen next week), we've unleashed our excitement in furniture stores. Yes, the damage has been done, but it hasn't been too bad. =) We bought our Simmons mattress, Bed frame, Bookshelves..and of course the couch with the infamous, but non-binding, no food and drinks policy.

Here's the bed frame at the store. It's a dark Wenge wood with cream color leather cushion inset. Another highly anticipated addition to our home!

That's all the updates for now. We are supposed to get the outside of the house re-painted next week. I hope to be able to post new pictures then.

In the meantime, I have some final projects to finish for school, and then we can focus on the house for the whole summer. Looking forward to it!