I feel like I’ve been all over the place today both mentally and physically. After breakfast and a morning walk with Sadie, I drove to Whole Foods for a meeting with the local store’s regional marketing specialist.
I am working with Whole Foods on an upcoming project and I’ll be sure to share more details with you guys soon! Once my meeting was over, I couldn’t resist grabbing an early lunch from the hot bar.
I loaded my contained with the superfood salad, steamed kale, grilled zucchini, eggplant and squash, teriyaki chicken, macaroni and cheese and chicken fried tofu. Yes, you read that right. Chicken fried tofu. Have you guys tried it? Oh my gosh I love it so much. I got it for the first time a few weeks ago when I met up with Caitlin for lunch and was dying to try it again. I’m pretty sure it’s not even kind of good for me but it’s so darn delicious.
With my belly nice and full, I hopped in my car and headed out on a mission to check out two local furniture consignment shops.
The first one was a total bust. The shop’s furniture had a more formal feel feel than what Ryan and I typically gravitate toward and coffee tables were $500+ which is significantly more than what I was hoping to pay for a used coffee table. The people in the shop were super friendly though! The second one had a lot to look at but nothing really jumped out at me. I was kind of bummed and was really hoping to find a nice wood coffee table and an end table at a decent price. The search goes on!
Before driving home, my final errand for the day took me to the bank where I spent over an hour getting everything in line for our closing tomorrow morning. Pretty much the only thing on my mind right now is our new house and everything surrounding our final walk through, the closing tomorrow and our move on Friday. We’re set to close at 9 a.m. tomorrow and I’m kind of freaking out. That overwhelmed/excited/panicky feeling is setting in!
Hope you guys are having a great Wednesday!
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Okay so – #1 I am SO EXCITED to see what’s to come of your Whole Foods project!!!! Our WF has only been in our city for less than a year, so the newness is still there. Love that place (and their hot bar!!!!)!!
And #2 – How exciting!!! Only a few more hours until you have a house! I’ve loved following your journey over the past couple of months. Congratulations!
Buying a house is so overwhelming. It just takes over your life! But happy decorating, hope you can score some great items at low prices.
You definitely need to put your feet up for the evening! 🙂
Good luck with all the house paperwork tomorrow!
When I was looking for coffee tables I couldn’t find one in my price range either, but I ended up finding a huge vintage truck that we are using as one instead and I LOVE the way it looks. Maybe that will help in your search?
Yes!! I love that idea! We actually used a wicker trunk as a coffee table in our last apartment. 🙂
That’s so exciting about your house! My favorite part about moving is getting to organize and decorate!! Can’t wait to hear how it goes!
Yahoo!! Our WF just opened two weeks ago! (I still haven’t been 🙁 ). I’m most excited for the hot bar though! Buying a place is definitely nerve racking but SOOO much more exciting than scary. I work at a title company and our attorney says “Well, you’re very deeply in debt, congratulations!” hahaha. It always gets people laughing. Be excited, it’s a big step! Plus it’s fun to decorate and do whatever you want to it!! Home Goods is our fave too!
I would recommend trying Sleepy Poet on South Blvd. It’s a consignment mall with many different booths by different vendors/individuals; the place can be overwhelming (it’s huge!) but usually quite a few cool things.
I second Courtney’s Sleepy Poet recommendation. I would also check out Consignment First. They have a few locations around Charlotte.
Keep an eye out for sales at Crate and Barrel, they have awesome furniture that holds up and can be scored at a great price! Good luck tomorrow!!
I had my coffee table custom made my James and James carpentry. It was very reasonable. I got a dining table to and I can’t remember how much each piece was only the total. http://www.carpenterjames.com/
I love it. They do a fabulous job.
Checkout BlackLion…they have lots of vendors and great furniture. There are also a couple of places in Downtown Pineville that are quaint antique furniture.
Have you tried West Elm? (http://www.westelm.com/shop/furniture/coffee-side-tables/?cm_type=gnav) They have a ton of really cute wooden coffee tables around $500 for NEW!!!
Your WF project sounds like fun! Can’t wait to hear more!! Was this something you arranged yourself?? And yay for house decorating!!
Buying a house is totally overwhelming and my dad gave me the best advice “you’re going to feel like this is the first time that anyone has bought a house ever. Don’t let it stress you out.” Which was nice to know since I closed on my home (all alone!) last year. It’s pretty scary and intimidating, but it’s soooo worth it! Having a place that you can do whatever you want to is the best feeling!
Good luck tomorrow!
If you don’t mind traveling a little bit outside of Charlotte, you should check out RJ’s in Spencer and Transit Damaged Freight in Lexington. When I bought my first house, I bought all of my furniture from those two places. Their prices are really reasonable.
Ahhh! Congrats on the closing tomorrow! That’s so exciting! Also… I need another trip to the Whole Foods hot bar, like now. This time I’ll try to keep it under $15 😉
Oh yay I love in the area can’t wait to hear about yor WF project!! Best of luck tomorrow and there are plenty of fun shops. Check out Lake Norman and Belmont thrift shops too!!
YAY! This is SO exciting. Cannot WAIT to see the new place, this is such an exciting time!
Also – I LOVE the hot bar at Whole Foods. I’m sad the nearest one is an hour away from me!
I can’t wait to see what you have planned out with whole foods! Can you give us a hint?
Chicken fried tofu sounds amazing!! I’ll be on the lookout for that at my Whole Foods!
I enjoy consignment shopping for home pieces. I feel to be successful you have to search frequently and go in with an open mind. I always find the best decor items but usually get big pieces at a furniture store.
That’s so exciting that you are working with Whole Foods! Good luck with the closing tomorrow.
Hi Julie,
Congratulations on your new home! Closing can be intimidating, but I’d like to suggest a few ideas to make sure your interests are protected. First, don’t let ANYONE pressure you to race through the documents without reading them closely BEFORE you sign. Both you and Ryan should read through, even if it means everyone has to sit and wait and wait and wait. It is your right and your responsibility for your future financial success.
The mortgage lender agreed to get me the full packet the night before to read through. I did that and still read them again at the closing. Surprise, surprise, there were $10,750 worth of fees and charges tacked on overnight in non-obvious ways. I made them change the documents on the spot to correct them back to the original agreement. The lawyer and the sellers were unhappy about having to wait, but I was signing my life away.
I had a friend who went to closing with her husband and found the documents so out of kilter from what was negotiated that they walked away from the appointment. They did not close. The lender eventually made the corrections and the closing was rescheduled, but they were not willing to be quiet about $25,000 in added costs.
These changes or exclusions (and those in my documents) were not obvious. I questioned every area where the language was unclear. Please do not hesitate to do this yourself at your closing. It really does make a very big difference. Stay calm and carry on. You’ll feel a little panic, but it’s vital to protect yourselves.
After the closing you should do a little something to celebrate–perhaps lunch out or champagne with dinner tomorrow night? Sending bunches of good wishes your way. Courtney
Julie, you should check for furniture at Habitat for Humanity Restore. It’s used furniture people donate….kind of like a Goodwill. I checked and there are two in Charlotte! You’ll find some cool stuff for a fraction of the price.
http://www.habitat.org/restores/search?zip=&area=NC&province=
The chicken fried tofu is my ABSOLUTELY FAVORITE thing at Whole Foods Hot bar!! I put it with the Carolina mustard sauce or something… it’s a yellowish color, but it’s freakin’ delicious!! I became a vegetarian in January and that stuff hits the spot when it comes to my old non-vegetarian ways! I just did a small project with my local Whole Foods and blogged through the 28 day Health Starts Here Challenge! The challenge was absolutely wonderful for my mind & body! Excited to see what you’re working up with your local Whole Foods! 🙂
The chicken fried tofu looks mouth watering, I miss living close to whole foods… I am always overwhelmed with shopping for used furniture. It seems like everything is overpriced or straight out of the 80s.
Try searching for people who refinish furniture on Facebook in your area! That’s where I always go, and much more unique! 🙂 Plus sometimes you can customize!
Congrats! I hope everything goes perfectly! And sorry to hear about your consignment fail but best not to buy it unless you LOVE It so hang in there!!
If you haven’t already, check out Garden Ridge out by Concord Mills. You might not find furniture there but they have some other cool home stuff.
Maybe you can get the inside scoop on when the WF is opening in Huntersville. It seems like they’ve been building it forever. I’m patiently waiting 🙂
We had chicken fried tofu at our wedding. It is TOO delicious!
I know it’s easier said than done but you’ve got all the time in the world now :). You won’t be moving for awhile and it’s so fun to make a home. <3
How exciting and best of luck:)! Decorating a new place is so much fun. I found some great pieces at homedecorators.com and crate and barrel outlet stores if u have one nearby.
Congrats!! My fiancé and I just closed on our first house about 4 months ago and it was the most terrifying and exciting experience ever (way more stressful while also planning our wedding) but was so worth it in the end 🙂 After so many years of renting, getting to paint those walls and change things exactly how we wanted was exhilarating! Get ready to only watch HGTV for the next year!
How exciting! We had our final walk through of our first home today and are set to close and have keys in hand by Friday!!! So insane! Love all your house/home decor updates as that is all that’s been on my mind lately! 🙂
Yay! Congrats to you!
Good Luck! Thinking about you guys this morning as you close!!!
I live in charlotte too and I get the chicken fried tofu whenever I go to wf… It’s unreal! The first time I got it I actually called my mom to tell her how amazing it is. I love dipping it in the special mustard sauce they keep on the tables!
Try to find a Habitat for Humanity resale store. They always have awesome stuff to choose from!
Good luck with the completion Julie. Buying a house was the most stressful period in my life but it is all worth it once you are in the new place. All the best to you, Ryan and Sadie in your new home!
Chicken fried tofu?! How does that even work? #sosorrysoblonde
At least in my area, tag sale pages on facebook are really common and a great way to find used goods. Maybe check to see if there’s anything similar in Charlotte (there must be) and then join those pages.
I’ve seen tons of furniture posted, you just have to be quick to respond because if it’s something nice, it typically goes fast.
Good luck with the closing! It’s nerve wracking but exciting!
Congrats and good luck closing Julie! That is so exciting! Also sometimes you can find a coffee table at a thrift or antique store and do some nifty DIY project to get what you’re looking for! I have a couple friends who have done that and some of the projects are really awesome and unique to their personal style! 🙂
You should check out flea markets. Most of the pieces in my home or either revamped flea market finds are built by my fiancé. You’d be surprised how much you can actually DIY. Check out my site for a few inspirational pieces. The only thing we bought full price for our home was our sofa and the buffet in our dining area. Good luck and congrats on the new house!
Furniture shopping can be really hard! I can’t wait to hear more about the Whole Foods project!
I’ve actually had decent luck buying used furniture off of Craig’s List. I know the site has a bad reputation, but I’ve never had a single bad experience when it comes to furniture (can’t speak about anything else) Good luck!
I also second the comment about trying the Habitat Restore, but I would caution you that sometimes they can be REALLY overpriced (I wanted to refinish a dresser and the cheapest one I could find there was close to $300)
Not sure if they have this in the states but in Canada we have kijiji. Online site where you can buy and sell EVERYTHING. cars, furniture, clothes. I have found some great pieces on there, maybe some work needed but sometimes nothing needed at all for inexpensive prices. Hope you find something! So exciting with this new adventure! Good luck tomorrow:)
http://embracethisplace.wordpress.com/2014/09/04/small-space-big-improvement/
The tofu sounds delish! I went to a restaurant in DC the other day and had a vegan cobb salad with fried tofu bites that were amazing! If only I knew how to duplicate them at home.
I’m not sure how commercialized the area you’re in is but if there is a local Goodwill or Salvation Army, those are also great places to look for furniture. I always find clothes and odds and ends at Goodwill. I found a rather large bookshelf for $25 bucks and I love it so you may be able to find something there! Or even Big Lots if there is one near you 🙂
That is so exciting about your WF project! Can you share how you got involved with them? I would love tips on striking successful partnerships as like that as a writer/blogger/editor.
Some local papers have sections where people can list things for free that are under a certain $ value.
I found this link on facebook …. https://www.facebook.com/groups/509038159168171/?fref=ts
online garage sales in Charlotte
also put in search box in FB charlotte nc for sale lots of things there….xan you tell I am a librarian?
best of luck, love to y’all.
Does Charlotte have a Habitat for Humanity ReStore? You can usually find some treasures at the one in Memphis.