The Big Move Part VII: An Unwelcome Visitor

The Big Move is a video series documenting the experience of downsizing from our family home in the suburbs to a condo by the Intracoastal. If you'd like to binge watch episodes I-VI you can start here.

Since I've been deluged (only slightly) with inquiries from my adoring fans who are wondering if The Big Move is adrift and floundering in limbo, I present Part VII.  Yes, the saga continues and it's not done yet. As we speak, upper cabinets are being installed in the kitchen.  

 

It's been a long hard few weeks but there have also been silver linings to be sure.  Sadly, Joe lost his sweet mother while I was away in St. Pete for the funeral of my dear sister-in-law, Helen.  Then we had a happy occasion, a trip to South Carolina to celebrate my stepson Jake's graduation from US Marine Corp boot camp, no small thing! That was quickly followed by IRMA. You'll hear more about her in the video.

 

 

In this episode, we install the new quartz kitchen countertops. I will share with you our varied choices for window treatments and one room that is very nearly finished!! Woohoo!  I think in the next episode we will unveil the kitchen and master bath with a peek at how the living area is shaping up.  I'm most excited about the final episode, once the artwork is hung I will take you on tour so you can see what we chose, where we put it along with the hows and whys. We may even have a wrap party on site :)

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IKEA'S LIVING STAGE

So it's January again and everybody's writing great posts about new trends (open shelves, fewer upper cabinets, the color orange, horizontal wood grains), and resolutions (already lost 4lbs YAY).  Not moi.  I'm in the mood for scanning the globe for home/kitchen related tidbits and what locale could be better than my new favorite, PARIS! That famous cheap yet hip ready-to-assemble furniture company, yes, IKEA stays edgy and current by coming up with new innovative marketing schemes.  The latest took place in the Paris commuter train station Auber R.E.R.  A 581 square foot apartment was erected,and five young stylish occupants were recruited to live in it for 6 days (January 9-14).  Oh, and commuters could peak in the windows to witness "hip" living in all its glory!The purpose of the marketing campaign was to demonstrate how IKEA products work for small spaces in real life. Each of the  days is documented via video on the IKEA France Facebook page.  Here are the highlights:1) Day 2-Take out sushi delivery (FOUL! I wanted them to cook in that kitchen! Okay it sort of looked like they cooked on Day 1.)2) Day 3- Twister (A good game choice for small spaces.)3) Day 3-Some guy really into his pink ukulele (This is actually pretty hip as ukueles are making a big comeback. Click here.)4) Day 1 -Sewing clothes with sewing machine and everything (Really?)5) Day 4, below, features a bang up birthday bash! (This must be the coolest cake ever.) This was creative, attention grabbing marketing, a statement about the relationship between form and function.  Did they succeed?  Has social media made marketing more important than product?