Ikea Kitchen Remodel - Off white GRIMSLÖV

I have been talking about remodeling my kitchen for years. Over ten years to be serious, since we bought the house. I was putting the remodel off for a several reasons: cost, commitment, the work. In the meantime, we have repainted the cabinets (hand painted) and got new appliances. It was fine, but it was just time to do something bigger about it.

I've looked into Ikea and HomeDepot kitchens for a while, doing my google research on experiences of others. I decided to start off with Ikea mostly because they had a nice kitchen planner I could play around with, to see how much $ we are talking about and to get all my measurements in. I also liked Ikea style better than HomeDepot for some reason (Ikea seemed more in style), and did not want to deal with transporting already put together HomeDepot cabinets as I read this actually makes it more difficult in the end as you almost have to take them apart in order to install them, often times dealing with other issues that come up.

So, the Ikea kitchen planner wasn't too bad, but it was a little figidity and stubborn at times so it took some time to get used to. I also did write some of my measurements down on paper just in case, and this was a good idea for later.

Once I had all my measurements and a start to the cabinet placement, I went to see the Ikea kitchen professionals. I wanted to make sure I did not miss anything before I proceeded to order and also because I was stuck in some of the corner pieces. I had too much empty space, and since my kitchen is not large to begin with, I wanted ideas on eliminating this as much as possible.

Definitely recommend seeing the Ikea kitchen pros as they do this all day every day, but the unfortunate part was that I came back two days in row (had to go back think about options overnight etc), so I ended up talking to 3 different kitchen planners at Ikea. This was a good thing as some were more experienced than others and the first two missed some very important, critical things, that the third one caught. I say unfortunate because if I didn't happen to speak with the third specialist, I would kinda have been screwed and some things wouldn't fit, and other things would not be as efficient as they could have been. So be warned and have several of them look at your design.

Things I've learned threw the Ikea kitchen process:
- some cabinets need extra space around them
- keep in mind that the sink should be centered with the window above it, if you have one, and the online design is not accurate so you must do the math manually to consider that your sink cabinet should Not start at the same place your window starts (may be obvious for some, wasn't for me in the beginning)
- fill empty space of inches, with wine racks that may be used just as shelves later, this can be for lower or upper cabinets
- the Ikea requirement/recommendation of having some inches of dead space between a cabinet and the wall, to allow for the door to open is NOT necessary. This is because the door is pretty flush with the cabinet so I had no problems and eliminating not using space for max cabinet or counter top space
- be prepared for 100+ boxes
- be prepared to assemble every stinking little piece together, but that's no surprise as we are talking about Ikea after all and to most people, an Ikea kitchen is not their first Ikea purchase

The cost of the kitchen cabinets and hardware was surprisingly affordable and 100 boxes later, it was all in my garage.
*** I HIGHLY recommend when you are home, taking complete inventory of what you have arrived with. This taking your purchase receipt and the kitchen planner design printout, checking off each box on BOTH papers of what the item is (taking into account that some pieces are duplicates) and writing on a post-it note the # of the cabinet that piece is for, from the design printout. I went off of the barcode on each both.
This will allow you to confirm you arrived with everything you paid for, everything you need from the design, and make your life so much easier when you are putting everything together as it will all be numbered.
After each box has a #, organize everything to have all of the #s together. And let the 'fun' begin.

I had a friend who is a professional carpenter/kitchen installer assist me, and this trully was a blessing. We ended up not using the Ikea legs and attached pieces of wood to the lower cabinets, to make them more sturdy and save $.
I think there were a few other little things he did like this, to make it more sturdy and for me to return things to save $. The only thing to keep in mind is that any customization to the installation supposedly voids Ikea warranty...so hopefully I won't need it or can figure it out later.  When you have a professional helping you, you don't argue with them and just let them work so I got what I got ;)

Before

During (new cab's on bottom, old on top)

Another one during

During

After - but not grouted tile and and unfinished lights above

I need to take new pic's of the completed kitchen but I am waiting for the new outlets/switches and for the above lights to be swapped from fluorescent to canned.
But I am happy with the product so far :)
I am just happy with a new kitchen period.

I got amazing hook ups with the slab and work, but so far the kitchen is only cost me $4k!!! That my friends, is the best part and I can't believe I have waited so many years to do this.

SmartSheet Certified User

Woo.hoo.
Hours later, taking the test twice, I can now put in my LinkedIn that I am SmartSheet certified. Certified User that is. What does that mean? Not too sure honestly, but it sounds nice and cost me $99 so it must mean something. I am hoping that it means I can say I know a few little things about SmartSheet.

For those who are wondering how the test is and exactly what do you have to know, I will share my experience.
You don't have to know everything about SmartSheet to pass the test.. mostly the basics.
The test starts out pretty easy and basic, making you feel like wow either I truly am an expert user or this is super easy. It goes over the general idea of what SmartSheet is and it's basics such as what are rows, sheets, conditional formatting etc.

The test is multiple choice so really if you understand the basics of process of elimination, you have good odds if even if you are guessing.
As the test progresses, it surprisingly got more difficult and to the point that I was learning as I was going. On the second half of the test, I...had to 'call a friend a lot'. My friend was google. I don't consider this cheating only because I am considering it as using my resources wisely. Also because I really did try to read everything I could find in SmartSheet but sometimes you just don't know what you missed until it's in front of you. In addition, I was learning as I was looking up the answers and at the end of the test, I copied the test results which show the questions I got correct vs incorrect, to study further.

I passed the test, with great results and was ready to show off my certificate in LinkedIn.
The best part of this whole experience is that it truly opened up new features and ideas of SmartSheet to me. In the weeks proceeding the test, I was able to implement SmartSheet in other parts of my work, all because of the way the test questions made me think. It felt great knowing that my $99 was not for nothing, and even if the certification itself is simple, it forced me to learn more.

Now, you may still be wondering why in the world I mentioned I took the test twice.
Well...I had to step out of my house for a bit. When I came back, the web browser had to refresh for me to continue with the test and all my previous work vanished. I was 3/4th of the way completed. It was upsetting because I had to re-do all of this effort, but it went much faster the second time around because I remembered a lot of the Q/A, even though I still had to look up (google) a good number. This again forced me to remember more, so it wasn't all a loss, just a lot of time.

I recommend taking the test if you want to prove to yourself you know as much as you think you do about SmartSheet and to actually learn new things.
The certification only lasts a year, and it seems that it is another $99 and the same test, which does not seem right. As SmartSheet is always enhancing their product and business, perhaps this may change by the time I need to renew, and there is a good chance I will renew.

Good Luck my SmartSheet professionals!

Why I should Blog....and a lil more

Well. I am back.
The last post was over two years ago. Maybe that is how my mental cycle is, every two years I have repeating thoughts and ideas.
True or not, I realized, over and over again, that I really do have thoughts and ideas that I find amazing. Then I forget about them, until a later time, and think they are brand new amazing ideas and thoughts. No. I don't have Alzheimer. I just have a lot of thoughts and then I forget them, which is exactly why I realized I should have a blog. So I remind myself of things instead of someone looking at me crazy thinking, um, you already told me this.

Will I keep this up? This regular bloggin thang?
Nah. Probably not. Just like almost everything else I start and don't finish. That doesn't have to be such a bad thing after all. Some people say it's the destination that matters and not so much the journey. To me, maybe I don't care so much where I end, as long as I enjoyed the journey. Just maybe.

So, this brings me to another subject. Hobbies. I always wanted them growing up, or at least ideas for them. Things that I wanted to do, learn, be interested in. I never had a lot of these things called hobbies or interests. And then, I got too many of them and don't even know where to start, because I want to start on all of them at the same time. Which of course is impossible, so nothing gets done. But I dream, and dreaming is good.
I'm going to start a list of my interests and hobbies that I want to start in hopes that this motives me, keeps me in check, helps me remember, and perhaps helps someone else who is struggling with findings ideas on what to get into.

In no particular order:

- Lean how to play the Ukulele
- Grow some indoor plants
- Outdoor plants
- Start a little succulents
- Photography (I know, so typical these days. Call me whatever you want but I am not trying to take professional looking selfies, just capture memories the way I want to remember them)
- Paint more, specifically pineapple and tropical leaves
- Blog...
- Take more pics
- SUP more, in new places
- Learn how to do the splits
- and handstands
- Become an expert at SOMETHING. Anything.. like SmartSheet perhaps- more to come on that at a later time
- Make a difference in the world. I know, that was pretty deep.
- Volunteer?
- Find a career that I not only enjoy, but am good at. Not the best thing to put on this list, but I wanna.
- Would love to get some kind of an online career, business, that I can do from anywhere. So that I can travel and work from anywhere with wifi
- Get a new kitchen. Looking at Ikea kitchens.

Guess the list for now is not as long as it feels in my head, but maybe there are some things that I am forgetting, which I would not be surprised about at all.

Alright, this is a good start for now.
Don't want to exhaust myself.

xoxo

Liar Liar Pants on Fire

Its fairly common for residents to lie to us to get what they want, I mean for the whole world is like that, I guess it’s the lies that we hear are more distinguishable and outlandish that I feel like makes us an exception to the quality and the quantity of lies to the rest of the business world.  Some lies I hear takes me a minute to investigate to find out what they are trying to hide, which I love doing for the Aha! moments, and some lies just make me want to laugh and spin in my chair. 

 

So a last month I had a resident claiming she had paid her rent and was “pissed” that she got a 72 hour notice.  Well have a seat and let’s figure it out together.  Did you get a receipt from us? “No.”  Do you know how you paid it, check, money orders, certified funds, online visa, monopoly money, what?  “I think 2 money orders, because dad pays for half my rent.”  (of course he does!  And if you are so poor that you need your daddy to help you, you don’t keep track of every dollar?)  Anyway so she starts sobbing uncontrollably, I mean like tears and all, as if someone just stole her baby, which got kind of awkward because, as she was crying into her hands, she would peak at me through her fingers.  So than she starts ARGUING that she remembers giving it to some Hispanic lady in a pastel shirt that sat at the front desk.  Well that’s interesting because we don’t have Hispanic lady working for us, since I’ve worked here, ever.  So than she abruptly storms out of the office, leaving my assistant and I just staring at each other with “what the fuck just happened” faces.  Few short minute later she comes back in cussing herself out loud, holding the money she says she gave to us, well to some Hispanic lady.  No apologies, no nothing, just said she got confused.  Yea!!! No problem!

 

-Jewels

My lawyer is better than your lawyer

Most than anything I and other property managers love the residents that make it a sport of torturing and challenging the office staff, especially me, since the title manager means “the only person to handle a noise complaint.” So I recently had this resident, an old mean granny that decades ago had a job as a legal secretary (pfffit… big deal, all it means is you’re a minion for an attorney) and finds it fulfilling to question and demand an explanation for every move we make, and as classy as she posses herself it’s not above her to yell and cuss us out. 

So a year later we finally got fed up with her antics and served her a notice.  Of course she’s an expert on the matters and storms in threatening to sue us and blah blah blah.  Go ahead.  So she finds this ambulance chaser who takes this poor angry residents money to write a ridicules letter, which I always find amusing.  And as soon as our attorney responds, folds and gives a 30 days notice on behalf of the resident.  Really?! Was it worth it wasting your retirement money?  And of course this resident shorts her rent payment, demands we don’t charge her anything for damages.  At this point I don’t even care, your one foot is out the door the other one is on a banana peal.  Just get out.  She finds anyway possible to torture us all the way until her departure. 

 

So she asks that we let her move out earlier than her 30 days notice.  Yes, please!  Well she must have been a clever spy in her past life because what she actually does, returns a key and says she moved out. Little did she know I’m actually good at my job and go to the unit the following day to do a move out inspection.  Her shit is still there, along with her 2 dogs, an unauthorized cat and herself, clever. So after explaining that if you are still in the unit that means you have the possession of the unit, so she corners me and explains that she made those extra keys and paid for them so she’s keeping them, and after you break down her nonsense to her, her only response is “I worked for an attorney!”  What am I supposed to bow down and pee myself?  Just get out!  Clever still, she turns in her keys days later, claiming she has moved out.  Yes, finally!  Hallelujah! So I happily skip over there and talk myself into erasing any memory I have of her and pep myself up about the new sweet old lady that is going to be moving in there shortly, and how smart and beautiful I am, as I skip right into a giant pile of goods tucked underneath the stairways with a hand written sign that says “don’t touch, I’ll will be coming back!” Uhh... I give up.

- Jewels

Phone Bully

Ok what is wrong with people?  I’ve never ever had someone give me attitude via TTYL service.  I didn’t even know it as possible.  For those who don’t know what TTYL is it’s a free service deaf or people who don’t have ability to speak to communicate with someone by phone.  The person pretty much instant messages this service and someone calls us and replays the message.  So this resident calls, via the person who is reading the message and relays this.

Caller “So like my internet is down, and like yea I am tired of waiting for the box.”  This is all said from a monotone female voice who is reading the message that is being typed in slowly, that I could tell.

Me “Who is this and what box are you talking about.”  Because starting out with instant complain will let me know out of the 1100 people I have living here exactly who you are.

Caller “Yea this is Ms. Blah from Apartment # infinity and I tracked it down, so like um yea!”

Me “I am confused, are you asking if we have a package delivery for you?”

Caller “Umm yaaaaa” So the narrator at this point begins to read the message like she is giving me attitude.  From anyone who may ever read this and knows how this works if someone can please tell me if there is like an emotion type button you can press for the reader to read the message in a bitchy, annoyed, weird type of tone and voice.

Me “Ok it looks like they dropped of a box.  They are supposed to leave you a note.  I am sorry they didn’t notify you.”

Caller narrator interrupts me as if she is the one upset and speaks over me, which I also think it’s a function as she did not say stop go etc.  Says “Ya well you guys are supposed to post a note, why didn’t you guys do it, isn’t that your job? Huh.. um like ya.”  And this is said out loud with weird robot type voice reading this yet trying to give me attitude yet she isn’t emphasizing the correct vowels or words so it just sound completely dumb.  At which point I start to get mad, and want to serve the reader the same attitude but I realize it would be like giving attitude to a toaster.

So I politely respond and tell her that it’s a free service we provide to hold the packages but it’s the job of the delivery company to try to deliver the package to the door and if not let them know they left it at the office.  I told her we can begin to refuse the packages if she doesn’t like the delivery company or the way they are being delivered. 

The caller immediately thanks me, hangs up and picks up the package.  And the more weird part is when this person picks up the package she points to the dhl information on the package and does the wrist to chest gesture which I can only infer is she thinks they are retarded.  At which point now I think whoever the narrator or reader was obviously on her period and was probably the one who was making all the umm like and ya commands.  And if anyone is the “wrist to chest” gesture type person it was definitely this narrator/reader.

Thank God for 3 day weekends.

-Jewels

Doesn’t want to fit quiet together

Everyone savers the satisfaction of proving someone wrong.  We as professionals are not allowed to have those moments out loud and are required to be poised and gracious, the irony. So anyways todays’ dumbass moment brought to you by another resident who should refrain from procreating. So this resident, calls frantic and upset about how she has a leak in her apartment and how she has left us a message about her kitchen sink leaking since 7 am this morning, all the whilst making condescending remarks like, don’t you listen to your messages etc.  So she goes on about it and I put her on hold to get a maintenance to her unit asap.  So I explain quickly how there is a leak and someone needs to go to this unit, as my maintenance starts to laugh.  He says last night he saw her pulling her garbage disposal apart while he was working on something else and offered to help her.   Apparently she scoffed at him and told him she is well qualified and knows how to clean her garbage disposal and not to bother with it.  So I get back on the phone with her and ask her if in fact did she pull apart her garbage disposal yesterday?  Surprise, surprise.  Of course she admits to… trying to help us by cleaning it herself and that she is certain those two things are not related.  She then states that she did it correctly up to the point of putting it together, but that “it doesn’t want to fit quiet together.”  Seriously?  The garbage disposal bested you huh?

 

-Jewels