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September 19, 2005
Believe it or not
Believe it or not, I have been knitting (a little). Swatching really. But I don't have any photos of my swatches and they really aren't terribly exciting so I've decided to show you my favorite parts of my new apartment instead. If you're still hanging around here looking for knitting, it will be back one of these days. My office just isn't set up yet to allow for full productivity. Yes! That's right! You read that correctly. Not only do I live in an apartment with enough room for my offspring, but also for an office! How cool is that?! I'm going to have to share a little corner of it with my beloved Frog, but we're still calling it "Kate's office." I even have a desk, which for the time being is serving as a kitchen table... and my office is serving as storage for boxes full of things that we have no place to put yet, but one day, it'll all be in place and I will create a flurry of knitting patterns and take over the world... or maybe I'll just catch up on my blog reading.
There it is! It looks kind of small in the photo, but it's not really. That door on the wall? It goes to the pool and the library nowhere. It's just a door hanging on the wall. And I like it. That little door under the slanty ceiling? That's the Harry Potter closet. Blossom is going to move in there. The spot outside of the office where the ottoman and those boxes are is where my brand new red couch is going to go. I hope it doesn't take too long to arrive because I'm getting sick of sitting on my bed all the time.
Many of you have seen these before. For those who aren't familiar with them, they are called "closets" and I've got tons of them! Fine, not tons, but I have several. In France, we had one one foot wide closet that couldn't be used because anything that went in dry and clean would come out wet and moldy. And what you can't see in the photo is that above the closets, there are more little closets where we can stick suitcases and the bodies of people who were mean to us. Do I need to tell you that I am kidding and that we are not murderers?
This is the window in my kitchen. There is also a door that leads out to a deck thingy. And the deck thingy is big enough for a table and chairs. And the kitchen is big enough for more than one person. That window is probably bigger than our entire Paris kitchen which could hold two people and that's assuming that they liked each other a lot. Our Montreal kitchen could hold at least... uhhh... forty(?) people who like each other a lot. My counter space has been multiplied by at least 17, not to mention refrigerator size and cabinet space. It's incredible. I can't believe I used to make Thanksgiving for ten people in my old kitchen. Of course, now that I actually have a human sized kitchen, I won't be making Thanksgiving this year because on that day I will most likely be busy expelling something the size of a small turkey from my body. So be it. I'll cook next year.
This is probably the part of my apartment which I am the most excited about. I know that might seem a little domestic and pathetic, but really, how could I not be excited about having a gigantic washer and dryer in my house? In Paris, I had a washing machine, which I was very grateful for, but it took about an hour and forty minutes to wash one small load. And then, because we had no room to dry anything in the house and there was too much humidity for anything to dry anyway, we would have to drag the wet laundry down all of the stairs and several blocks down the street and dry it at the laundromat. And often, our clothes would come out of the dryer smelling kind of nasty. Please don't bother telling me that I should have just washed and dried the clothes at the laundromat. We tried that. It was a lot more expensive and the amount of nasty smell increased exponentially. Here, I can wash and dry and my clothes smell good! Every time I open my gigantic closet, I am shocked and delighted by the smell of clean clothes.
Ahhhhh, Paris was good, but this is heaven.
Posted by kate at September 19, 2005 10:48 AM
Comments
Thanks for the virtual tour...glad to know you're settling in. Your place is very nice (with or without furniture!!) Once you have your own washing machine and dryer, it's nearly impossible to do laundry any other way. Enjoy it--you're entitled!
Posted by: deawn at September 29, 2005 12:08 AM
Everytime I come back here to see if you've updated, I get the theme song from The Greatest American Hero stuck in my head.
(nice place!)
Posted by: cari at September 28, 2005 09:00 PM
everything looks beautiful! hurrah for space! gotta love having your own washer/dryer. i am just the tiniest bit freaked out by that door that doesn't go anywhere, though ;-)
Posted by: kris at September 28, 2005 06:43 AM
The new place looks fabulous!! All that space - lots of places to "stash" yarn! And a washer & dryer to boot! Maybe we will see some felted items in your upcoming knitting project. I know where you can find a cool, hip felted baby bag pattern! Enjoy your new home!
Posted by: Nicole at September 27, 2005 02:08 PM
I love it! We're currently holed up in the smallest apartment ever in Copenhagen... I don't even have an OVEN in this place! I'll bet you even have a bathtub, and a shower that's not PART of the bathroom itself!
Ahh, reading your post made me laugh and cringe. Someday, when we move back to the other side of the Atlantic, I too, will have a kitchen that holds more than 2 very friendly people, a bed that we can walk all the way around, and a washing machine that doesn't "dry" by producing hot, wet clothes after 2 hours...
Yay for YOU!
Posted by: Meg at September 26, 2005 08:07 AM
Ah,it's a wonderful life! Non?
Posted by: Norma at September 25, 2005 07:11 PM
What a beautiful apartment! I love your kitchen window. And your office is quite lovely, especially the angled bits. Have fun getting settled in!
Posted by: Teri at September 24, 2005 02:39 PM
Wow, everything looks so clean and new and bright! What a wonderful place! And believe me, I can appreciate how you feel about having a washer and dryer in your home. That will come in very handy when baby arrives.
Posted by: ellen at September 23, 2005 07:19 AM
Mmmm, I LOVE the tall window. That must make it so airy feeling in there. I used to live in an apartment with only two windows, and that was no good for me.
Posted by: Faith at September 22, 2005 09:48 PM
Great place, Kate! Looks very spiffy. How are you feeling?
Posted by: Anne-Caroline at September 22, 2005 07:20 AM
hooray! hooray! looks like a great place with nice light. and yes, the washer and dryer right in the apartment is a marvel. i think i do laundry 77 times a day just because i can. i don't know if i'll ever be able to go back!
the room of your own -- that's great!
Posted by: mrspilkington at September 21, 2005 06:33 AM
Kate, the new digs look fantastic. There's nothing like being able to do your laundry at home - it's one of those "domestic" things you don't realize REALLY ARE important and comforting! (And how happy you will be to have that when the baby arrives!!!)
Posted by: Stasia at September 20, 2005 10:11 PM
That looks like an absolutely FABULOUS apartment, Kate. I'm supremely jealous of the space you have. And a WASHER/DRYER! My fantasy.
Posted by: Jackie at September 20, 2005 05:08 PM
So glad to see you happily ensconced in your apt in Mtl. How I miss Mtl! So many great places to eat and shop...which part of town did you guys settle in?
Best of luck getting everything set up and ready before le bebe comes!
Posted by: amanda at September 20, 2005 04:08 PM
Great place. We bought our first washer/dryer when I was pregnant with our first child. Before that it was the laundromat. I was totally excited about having our own laundry facilities.
And babies make a lot of dirty laundry for something so small. You'll appreciate that special closet every day.
Posted by: Steph at September 20, 2005 01:42 PM
Okay, GORGEOUS apartment!!! Very nice. Are there any vacancys next door??? Washer and Dryer... BIG BONUS, new babies require you to be good friends with Mr.Washie. Shout it out girl, its the little things that make life worth living!!!
Posted by: Shannon at September 20, 2005 01:21 PM
congrats on the great new place! it looks so sunny and bright. and honestly, owning a washer and dryer vastly improved the quality of my life as a mom. enjoy it!
Posted by: regina at September 20, 2005 11:52 AM
Man, in one post you have dispelled all of my romantic notions about being an expat in Paris. I'm too old and spoiled to ever contemplate going without a washer and dryer.
Congratulations on your new apartment. May it help you gestate lovely, healthy humans and fabulous knitwear.
Posted by: Anmiryam at September 20, 2005 10:31 AM
an office and a big kitchen ? that's just what i am dreaming of. you are lucky and i understand you.
Posted by: Melanie at September 20, 2005 06:59 AM
Hooray! Kate you're back! So it was worth continually popping around to finally see your new flat! I totally sympathise with your favourite bit of the flat. The magical alchemy of clothes going into a machine dirty and coming out clean still makes me happy. (OK, maybe that's weird). Or wait, maybe my favourite bit is your kitchen window. That's pretty nice too. And the closets are good. And the office - you finally have A Room of Your Own. Oh, hooray all round. And nice to see you again.
Posted by: Philippa at September 20, 2005 03:06 AM
Congratulations in finding apartment heaven,it looks fantastic,living with no dryer and a new baby would have been a nightmare. Take care and have fun working in your new office.
Posted by: yvette at September 20, 2005 02:53 AM
Having gone through the first two years of my son's life without a washer and dryer, believe me when I say that I will never underestimate the love a mother can feel for those two pieces of equipment!
Posted by: Kirsty at September 19, 2005 07:03 PM
Just think how clean tadpole will smell too!!! i am so happy you're in a great place, have your own study, somewhere for Blossom to stay, and all that storage for the 300 tonne of toys which will accumulate over the next 2 years.
Cara - you fold? 'Chucking into drawers' is far more effective and leaves more time for admiring view from window :) Or sitting on nice red couch.
Posted by: Alison at September 19, 2005 06:39 PM
congratulations! it's a stunning place! i'm sure you'll be so happy there - and i understand that laundry thing - our clothes take about 4 days to dry in our cold house!!!! enjoy!!
becks x
Posted by: becks at September 19, 2005 04:46 PM
Kate! Yay for you about the awesome new apartment. I love the kitchen window and everything else - I wish I was getting a red couch - it'd look awesome in my house.
Have you picked a name for Tadpole yet? :)
Posted by: Laura Lee at September 19, 2005 04:43 PM
That's too cute, you already have living plants in your new home! Love the brick walls, around here bricks are on the outside! ;) Your place looks pretty cozy, it'll look fabulous once the red couch arrives, of course! ;)
Posted by: ~Jo~ at September 19, 2005 04:27 PM
I understand completely! all of this in your new place that makes you happy - the washer / the closets! / more space - all of it! Happy, happy for you and the family! And, I'm patiently waiting the knitting part. Take care "mommmy"!
Posted by: Terry at September 19, 2005 03:04 PM
It looks great. I love the brick walls. And closets? Washer/dryer? Kitchen bigger than a window? Sounds fab!
Posted by: --Deb at September 19, 2005 02:34 PM
I'm glad you have so much more space! I can totally relate when we moved to Boston last summer and went from a tiny kitchen to a full size kitchen... and from no laundry to exactly what you have! Enjoy!
Posted by: Dani at September 19, 2005 02:30 PM
Congrats. Beautiful new apartment. I had 8 people for Thanksgiving dinner about 6 days after delivering #1 son. Actually it was great because people were so horrified that I was doing any of it, that they did all of it. Even the dishes. I'm just saying, its a great way to look like a superhero with minimal effort. Plus you get to keep all the leftovers!
Posted by: KT at September 19, 2005 02:28 PM
It's a great place! The Paris flat sounds so teeny tiny. And yes I do agree with Cara, the washer and dryer *in* the apartment is the best!
Posted by: MJ at September 19, 2005 01:49 PM
Oh, I can definitely understand the washer/dryer excitement! You'll love them even more in a few short months. ; )
Posted by: Vicki at September 19, 2005 01:48 PM
There is nothing like moving around to really, really appreciate the 'simple' things we took for granted before. I empathize with you, Kate, (having experienced mold and no laundry and weird kitchens and weirder bathrooms myself -- all in the USA!)Knitting will be better, too!
Posted by: Nancy J at September 19, 2005 01:20 PM
It's beautiful! I'm working on cleaning out my office, too, but we've lived here four months and i's still full of boxes. May you unpack more speedily than I do!
Posted by: Brynne at September 19, 2005 12:21 PM
Kate! It looks so GREAT! And an OFFICE! How lucky are you!
Posted by: Rebecca at September 19, 2005 12:15 PM
Ah, ... perhaps you haven't heard. Canadian Thanksgiving is the second Monday in October--by November, with winter fast upon us, it's hard remember what we're being thankful for. This year it's October 10.
Anyway, it's much less low key than what you're used to. It's a turkey and pumpkin pie day, but it's not so have-to-be-with-your-family-no-matter-what, there are no sales, no parades, and only a couple of football games (if you watch one, remember that in the CFL there are only three downs).
Anyway, the apartment is gorgeous--not only do you have closets, but hardwood floors, brickwork, casement windows, and that cool sloped ceiling. Enjoy your new home.
Posted by: Mama Lu at September 19, 2005 12:14 PM
i don't think you're pathetic either -- i really love having a washer and dryer in the house. i'd love it more if they weren't in my husband's nasty wood shop in the basement. congratulations on having a normal people sized apartment.
Posted by: maryse at September 19, 2005 12:10 PM
Actually i was looking for a short hair cut... and came along your blog in my google search...
so here i am and love your new place feel free to check out my blog.... cheers
Posted by: HOLLY at September 19, 2005 11:57 AM
Congratulations on the new apartment-it looks great. I love all of the brick.
You are going to love your washing mashine even more after your little one comes along. It is amazing how many loads of laundry you can do in one week for such a tiny thing.
Posted by: Jen at September 19, 2005 11:51 AM
Congratulations on the wonderful apartment. Je suis jalouse!!! And good luck with the little turkey!
Posted by: Julia at September 19, 2005 11:31 AM
There is NOTHING better than having your own washer and dryer. Nothing. Not even having to fold all those clothes.
Congratulations on the wonderful new apartment!
Posted by: Cara at September 19, 2005 11:29 AM
Love the new place! I'm so happy for you about the closets and the washer/dryer. We are actually contemplating moving closer to NYC, and that will most likely mean going back to a laundromat or at best a shared laundry room for the building. So no, I don't think you are being pathetic. :)
Posted by: Sneaksleep at September 19, 2005 11:03 AM
