The moving madness is almost over! As many of you know I moved from one large condo to a smaller condo. To make a long story short, the move was completely optional and of my free will. It also means greater expense. So like everything else, I had a budget. I decided to pack, move, paint, and put together furniture myself! Not a brilliant idea which may explain when it came time to unpack, there was one less bottle of red wine.

It's been awhile since I moved. To purchase one item, meant cutting back on others. Take for example, furniture. I bought some items at IKEA. But I soon learned IKEA charges royally for delivery. So I took a chance and hired someone from Craig's List to pickup the heavy pieces and deliver to my condo. The moving gods were kind. I met Gabriel, a young, handsome, strong, Brazilian mover. Seemed like dejavu--this was how I met my ex-boyfriend Philippe. But now I'm 40 and not 27 years young. And Gabriel is just a tadpole bit young. Fortunately, he was punctual, professional, reliable and oh so cute! Did I mention he's a professional model as well? I soon hired him for other jobs. (Sorry to my younger female friends, but he's committed to his girlfriend--got to love that). So Gabriel Marcelino (yes he is exotic Brazilian with Italian blend), the Brazilian model/mover is my first recommendation. His number is 786-447-0505. That's him pictured below with his wild, thick gorgeous curly hair on a good day.



Next, painting. I painted my bedroom and also planned to paint the entire living room and kitchen. The fumes from painting my bedroom must have damaged my brain cells. Let's see, going back to school to solve word math problems "If it takes Christine 3.5 days to paint one wall measuring 21 midget square feet, how long would it take her to paint 96 square feet? An eternity! What's the mathematical symbol for that? I was almost in tears (and I had taken the entire week off). So I called my good friend Lisa who recommended a painter, who was recommended to her by a friend in real estate. He was great! Ok so he wasn't a tall, gorgeous supermodel, but Ariel Ramirez was punctual and did an excellent job. Ariel is my next recommendation. NOTE: Ariel speaks German or Spanish, almost no English. If you do not speak either language, his son will answer your call and translate. But once he arrives at your home, everyone speaks paint talk with body language and somehow it's all understood. Ariel's number is 305-609-1955.

Putting together FURNITURE. I wish there was a single word in English as there is in Spanish "armar" for using tools to put together furniture. Again, on a budget, instead of purchasing a $1,700 entertainment center from Macy's or other store where they deliver and assemble for you, I decided I need to "customize" my center for my limited space to make the most ergonomically. Hence, IKEA was the perfect solution, money-wise. I saved $1,000 but then the chore of putting it together is time consuming. One could pay a handyman but I was already over budget--A FIRST! I needed someone with knowledge and experience of hanging and leveling a piece of furniture on a wall. I turned to my friends! Thank God for Bob Evans and his wife Lisa. They came through and now the frame of my unit is up and secure. Placing the doors and hinges is a separate challenge but I'm teaching myself and it's working. Who knew it would take an hour to hinge each door. But at least it's not crooked and flushes with the edge of the cabinet. I should promote my IKEA door/hinges services on Craig's List!

Often friends say "let me know if you need help" but I often hesitate because not everyone enjoys painting, or putting together furniture or unpacking. The offer to help often are pretentious words. But my friends came through and I am grateful. Thank you Bob, Lisa, Alex, and Adrienne!

The final lesson is about caring for your nails. Ladies, in my job grooming is important so clean, manicured nails is a must when meeting with important people. I purchased a package of those form fitting medical- type gloves that you feel everything-textures, temperature of liquid, etc. However, it turns out that it's like your own skin and the moisture still reaches your nails. My fingernails were destroyed! So off I was to the nail salon for an emergency manicure and from that day forward, I was married to my dishwashing thick gloves that truly protect my nails from all elements. I'm mostly talking about painting. For furniture construction my live hands worked best.

My job is not complete. There's still more furniture to assemble and functional accessories needed such as kitchen mat (my new "modern" sink was built for looks and not engineering purposes as the faucet water splashes all over my counter and floor.
And I decided to paint one more side wall in my bedroom to balance the colors. Light fixtures have to be changed as well as all light bulbs. It's a work in progress.

But the fun part is picking all new colors, decor, furniture, & accessories. HGTV comes in handy for this stage in my life.