I just HAD to let you all know about this giveaway from Herman Miller (that I found out about via atomic indy)!! All you have to do is enter your email address, and you could win any of the fab mod prizes up for grabs each week. The final drawing is on November 2nd, when you could win one of five hand-painted Eames Rockers.
I'm drooling over this peacock, by artist Andrew Holder...
Like it. Love it. Gotta have it. A peacock was a very prominent part of my dream last night. I'm taking that as a premonition. I promise if I win, I will give you a good home.
Click HERE to give Herman your email address and check out all the other goodies you could win!
It's been almost a month since The Big Move, and I finally have some progress to share. In case you have forgotten from this post, here is what the bathroom looked like when I went to see the apartment, before I moved in:
I took down the existing metal rack and the extra towel rod, which was hung way too high for any normal person's use, and replaced the weird spiral bulbs with proper vanity bulbs. (I still kept it eco-friendly, and splurged on these babies at Home Depot.) Maintenance came to fix the broken bathroom mirror (finally, two days ago) and gave the whole bathroom a fresh coat of white. As I have previously mentioned, I hate white walls. However, I've decided that bathrooms may be the exception. First of all, I'm too lazy to try to paint behind a toilet. Second of all, if any room should feel almost sterile, it should be the bathroom.
So, without further ado, here is what my bathroom looks like now:
TA-DA! I don't think I've ever had such a tidy looking bathroom in my life. Believe it or not, I didn't remove anything from the room before taking these photos. I love that everything has it's place, tucked away, out of sight. I'm sure it won't always look like this, but at least I know it can. It's a much more subdued color scheme than I originally had in mind (click here to see my inspiration board for the space), but I am loving the green and neutral (grey, brown, white) combo. It feels much less busy and much more calming. The only things I may change in here are the plastic handles on the doors below the sink. I'd like to get stainless to match the handle on the étagère. But that's a quick fix I can do anytime.
Stay tuned for more reveals as I get the rest of the apartment under control!
They're painting my apartment today. Except the bedroom (which will be painted on another day), because last night I panicked when I envisioned little white kitten paw prints all over the floors. Batman and Lester are holed up in the (still navy/baby blue) bedroom today while the rest of the place is being spackled, primed and painted. I'm going to return home tonight to a blank canvas. Great because the red/baby blue/water damage situation will be taken care of. But now I'm feeling anxious because I HATE WHITE WALLS. And now all of my walls (except my yellow kitchen) will be white. My sister thinks I'm crazy. She loves white walls. But white walls look unfinished to me. Temporary. Like no one actually lives in the space - they're just keeping their stuff there.
image via here
Here's hoping I feel inspired and motivated when I get home tonight - and not hopeless and uncomfortable in my own apartment.
As I have mentioned several times before, my beary vest friend Kate is getting married in December! The bridal shower is this weekend, and the theme is "Christmas in July" - in honor of their holiday nuptials. So I have pulled together a few Christmas-inspired gift ideas for anyone else with a holiday bride, holiday-themed party, or maybe you know someone who just needs a little Christmas cheer.
Clockwise from Top-Left:
3-Piece Cooper Vase Set - Crate and Barrel - $24.95 - The brushed stainless steel adds a frosty element to the gift. These would look lovely with small sprigs of holly berries and pine.
Lacoste Crocod'il Solid Towel Set in Chili Pepper - Zappos.com - $43.00 - Maybe I'm partial to these towels (I have them in green)... But they're very fluffy, and with the little croc emblem on the corner, there's just a touch of green popping off those bright red towels. Package them in a reusable green storage bin, like one of these from The Container Store.
A La Mode Pie Dishes - Crate and Barrel - $4.95/$14.95 - Who doesn't love red in the kitchen? Grab a couple of the individual dishes and print out a few of your favorite pie and/or casserole recipes for a personal touch.
Wood Boxes with Lacquered Lids in Poinsettia - West Elm - $14.00/$29.00 - The color is called "Poinsettia"; it was obviously meant to be. These functional boxes could also serve as wrapping for smaller, more personal gifts. In the larger one, include a photo frame or a personalized journal to document memories from their honeymoon or their first year of marriage. In one of the smaller ones, maybe a gift certificate for their favorite restaurant. Stack them on top of each other and tie with an ivory ribbon.
Classic Century Salt and Pepper Set - Crate and Barrel - $38.95 - A personal favorite. I envision these sitting on a Whoville dinner table, right next to the roast beast.
Stewart Apron/Potholder and Mitt Set - Crate and Barrel - $12.95/$16.95 - Pair these olive green treats with some red kitchen utensils, much like the ones listed next.
Giada De Laurentiis Nylon Tool Set - Target - $19.99 - See above. Giada has some great cookware at Target right now. A lot of red and ivory items - perfect for our holiday theme!
Beaded Jewelry Box - Pottery Barn - $59.00/$99.00 - I love engraved gifts. (I've been known to go overboard with them.) But there's something so special for a bride about seeing her new initials, and a lovely silver jewelry box is a beautiful gift for any season.
Faux-Sheepskin Throw - Pottery Barn - $99.00 - Every newlywed couple needs something cuddly to curl up under while roasting chestnuts on an open fire. And if, hypothetically, your bride happens to have a stuffed sheep who has seen better days and may not have a place on the marriage bed, this would be a wonderful way to honor said sheep and give your bride a good snuggle substitute. Hypothetically.
Kate, I know you read this. Don't be surprised if one of these gifts is actually yours by Sunday. But also, don't be disappointed if none of them are. xoxo, BVF.
I'm in.
Finally, I am in my new apartment. Not unpacked, but in nonetheless. Now the real work begins. For a rental, I think this one would qualify as a "fixer-upper." There is definitely some maintenance that needs to take place. Some water damage around the windows, a broken bathroom mirror... but thankfully, the property management company will take care of those things. They will also be taking care of getting the apartment painted back to "rental white".
I hesitate to even post the pictures I am about to show you. Whoever it was that painted this apartment previously... lets just say... they were no Picasso. As a disclaimer, I would also like to say (a) that these are not my belongings, and (b) please do not judge my photographic skills based on these shots.
Here is the bedroom. I have only three words: navy blue ceiling.
A nice size, but awfully dark even with the... ehem... baby blue accent walls and trim. (In case you were wondering, yes, the inside of the closet is also baby blue. How did you know?)
Second bedroom/guest room, which for me will serve as a dining room/office. It's just off the kitchen and has two pocket "french" doors.
Yes, these are photos of the same room. (Notice the futon.) And, you guessed it... baby blue inside this closet too. The same baby blue as the bedroom? Of course not. Because one needs a variety of baby blues in their home.
Now, I've never been much of a clean freak or germaphobe, but for some reason... yikes. I'd like to douse this place in bleach. Maybe it's because I plan on staying here for a while and putting a lot of effort into making this a nice place to live. I just want a clean start, and don't want to look at a window frame or a corner and say to myself, "That is definitely not my dirt." And there is no better motivation to clean than photos of somebody else's filth in your new bathroom.
If you look pass the mess (which is now gone, obviously), you will notice a missing mirror panel, terrible bulb choices, a boarded up window, along with the terrible red paint job on the wainscoting. (Again, not the same red as in Bedroom No. 2, of course.) At this juncture I should also mention that my towels are bright green. Merry Christmas and a Happy New Shower. (The red has got to go.)
The kitchen and entryway are fine. (Again, kitchen just needed a thorough scrub-down.) And the living room is a lovely shade of grey, but will have to be painted white again after the water damage is fixed.
So this is my new home project. Wish me luck - I'm diving in.
We are in full-on packing mode at our apartment. (Okay, Kristen is way ahead of me. But I have an extra week...right??) I absolutely hate the act of moving. There is so much stuff to be done that it's hard to know where to begin. So I've put together this handy guide with a few pointers from someone with a little experience in the field. (I'm talking about me, folks.)
- go slowly. start a few weeks before moving day by packing items that you don't use regularly (for me, kitchen goods). then work your way towards those items you use on a daily basis (for me, clothes).
- clear a space. make a spot in the corner or along an empty wall where you can begin stacking up packed boxes and furniture pieces that are ready to go. this will give you a visual separation of what is done and what is left to do.
- wash everything. run a few extra loads in the dishwasher and the laundry. you'll be much happier unpacking those wine glasses and spare linens if they're not covered in water marks and cat hair.
- size matters. use a variety of box sizes. lighter things like pillows and blankets are easily carried up and down stairs in one trip packed in larger boxes. but smaller and heavier items like books and kitchen supplies should be packed in smaller, more manageable boxes. it's a bit like Goldilocks... find the box that is just right.
- categorize. i know most people pack "by room", but when you're still renting apartments you really only have a few categories:
- kitchen - everything from pots and pans to cookie cutters to flower vases. most breakables fall into this category. except for some miscellaneous "tchotchkes", probably. and it may sound like a waste, but go get some of those foamy dish sleeves. a co-worker gave me some that she had leftover and man those things are great. time savers and space savers.
- bathroom - if you're like me, this category will probably fit into one box. mostly toiletries and shower organizers.
- linens - keep 'em all together. get some large boxes and pack everything from dish towels to bedspreads.
- clothes and accessories - if you're anything like me, this will take the longest. don't get overwhelmed and pack with the like: scarves, jewelry, sweaters, tanks and tees, pants and shorts. and trust me, invest in a wardrobe moving box - the kind with the metal hanging bar. they range in price from $7 - $12 each and are definitely worth the investment. also, make the most of your duffels and suitcases. if they can move your clothes to you vacation destination, they can sure move them to your new home. they're also great for toting all of your other totes.
- everything else - i'll say it again, pack with the like. i know everyone says "don't pack all your books in one box. it'll be too heavy." that is why I encourage using multiple box sizes. file boxes are perfect for packing books. keep other similar items together also: photos and frames, dvds, records, electronics, papers and files, craft supplies (you have those too, right?), those miscellaneous "tchotchkes" I mentioned previously, etc.
- keep one box open. if there's a spare box lying around, tag it "miscellaneous" and leave it open until the last moment. this will come in handy for cleaning supplies, extension cords and any other items that may have been overlooked.
There you have it. Six no-brainer steps that will simplifying the moving process.
I may not be a professional, but after moving 7 times in 8 years you could say I've gotten the hang of it.
I've been all about lighting lately. The design bug has definitely bitten hard now that I've signed a new lease. There is much painting to be done (Step 1), but all I can think about after that is taking down those ugly white ceiling fans (Step 2).
Sure, I am still renting. But now that I am on my own, I don't plan on moving again unless this place turns out to be a total lemon. So I take the fans down now, store them, live happily, and put them back up when the time comes.
There is one hanging in every room, minus the bathroom. And while I understand the practicality of the ceiling fan, particularly in the summer months, I much prefer something with a little more personality. A little something like the Böja ceiling lamp from IKEA, perhaps?
Or even this cute little guy from Home Depot. I see him living in the kitchen or above a work space.
And to beat the heat during the summer months, I'd much prefer something a little more aesthetically pleasing. Like this retro box fan by Deco Breeze, available in 12 different colors on Amazon.
Check it off my to-do list: I got an apartment!
top left - that's me!
In my neighborhood of choice, and walking distance to my favorite bbq restaurant in the city. Also walking distance to the gym and on the third floor, so I'm sure to not get fat from eating a solid diet of coleslaw and pulled pork.
It should be noted that although I am very excited about my new place, I am not excited about moving. Because when I move, that means Kristen moves. To New York. Not to the bedroom down the hall. As they say on facebook... dislike.
I love Clean House. Niecy Nash is a hoot and a half.
image via here
This show - guilty pleasure though it may be - has a major impact on how I look at my own living environment. So does Hoarders. I have a legitimate fear of ending up on Hoarders when I am older. I've always held onto stuff... ticket stubs, old wallets, EVERY note I ever passed in 7th and 8th grade... stuff that I'm afraid to get rid of because "it means something" and "when I get older, I'll be able to look at this scrap of paper/tiny plastic object/eggshell from the first time he made me breakfast in bed (Rachel and Ross, anyone?) and remember this exact moment in time". When Kristen and I moved to our new (soon to be old) apartment last summer, I was smacked in the face with the quantity of STUFF I had accumulated. And I told myself "It's time."
As I unpacked, I started separating out things that I had no use for anymore. I donated quite a bit of housewares and clothing to my local Goodwill and I started to feel really good. It was amazing how much lighter I felt. And honestly, unless I look at the detailed list I made of all the items I've let go of, I couldn't tell you what I'm missing from my home. And I don't feel like I've lost any of my memories either. Though I will admit that every so often, after dropping off a car load of goods, I have to call my sister and/or Todd for a little moral support.
(Find your nearest Goodwill donation center.)
So I've made some progress. But now that I'm faced with another move (to a yet unknown abode) I'm starting to take inventory. And there is still SO MUCH STUFF. I look around and all I want is for it all to be organized by Niecy and her crew. I've been reading some great design blogs lately (check out the 'design' blog list on the right), and envy their organizational prowess and execution. (It's really the execution that I have the most trouble with.) But I think the bug has bitten and I'm feeling inspired to make this next home be all it can be from Day One. Stay tuned for some design inspiration and maybe even a play-by-play of the... wait for it... EXECUTION!
For now, let's just keep our fingers crossed that I have enough boxes to pack up all of my STUFF.
There have been some unexpected ch-ch-changes happening lately. My roommate Kristen has made the decision to move to New York City. Around the same time, our other girl friend, Erica, announced that she was offered a new job and will also be making the move to NY. These events threw me into a whirlwind of emotions for about a week. I had to be supportive and helpful, all the while my heart was breaking at the thought of losing them and having to move all over again.
Kristen and I have lived together for three years. (And I lived with my sister for the three before that.) We had been planning to renew our lease at the end of May, but now instead I will be on the search for that perfect one bedroom apartment that will make me feel like the grown-up I always wanted to/thought I would be by now. It's going to be a big adjustment. And it's hard to find a nice one bedroom in the city... that I can afford... that isn't in a high-rise or complex... in the neighborhood I want... that has everything I'm looking for. Okay, so maybe I'm being picky. But I've lived in some really nice places with huge potential, and I was never able to get them past cluttered-living stage. This is my moment. I'm going for something along the lines of this:
image from pottery barn april 2010 catalog
I think I might be in the wrong part of the country...
As I mentioned in previous posts (like this one and this one), I have been on a quest to create a home in the apartment that Kristen and I moved into last June. Yes, it's been almost a year. Yes, it still looks like we just moved in. Yes, it is driving me crazy.
I've never been able to really pull it together in any apartment I've ever lived in, and, at 26, I am tired of living in an environment that makes me feel like I'm still in college. I have too much stuff.
What I'm trying to work on right now is color. We are so neutral that it makes me sick. Cream walls, white trim, chocolate brown chair, cream couch, black-brown bookshelves, tobacco brown table/chairs/bar stools/cabinets, caramel brown floors... Too many different browns. Our kitchen opens up into our living room, with a dining nook off to the side that opens onto our balcony. We have no rugs, no art, no curtains. There are some red accents in the kitchen already, but I don't want too much more red anywhere else - just enough to tie it in. Kristen and I both like green, and I'd like to incorporate some blue and/or yellow. I know that sounds like I may as well paint a rainbow on our ceiling and be done with it, but this is more what I had in mind:
I've been in love with this print for awhile, and how convenient that IKEA decided to make curtains out of it. I love the red berries against the cool greens and blues. I found a teal rug and some green throw pillows at Crate and Barrel that I can get using the gift certificates that Santa brought. And there's a bright red rug (for only $50) that I'm thinking about getting for under the table and chairs in the dining area. (After that - no more red.)
If I counted up all of the "Grand Plans" I've come up with, this is probably about Plan J or K. But I have a date with my sister this Saturday to bring this one to life. Cross your fingers that I make it happen, and that it looks as lovely in real life as it does in my head.
It's March! Time for Spring.
I'm ready for light jackets and no gloves. I'm ready for open windows. I'm ready for outdoor seating at restaurants.
I have NO plans until the 26th, and until then I want to get my life back in order. Kristen and I moved into our place almost 10 months ago, and my bedroom still looks like it did on day 2. I need to do some serious spring cleaning. And purging. Everything I own should have a place, and that place should not be "in a pile in the corner."
That blog title is two-fold...
One, because my quest to cute-up our apartment continues.
And two, because it is almost Thanksgiving, which means it will soon be a socially acceptable time to put up our Christmas tree! (I'm so ready.)
The decorating frenzy continues. If only my frenzy would manifest itself into something tangible, instead of just being this overwhelming feeling of living in storage... still.
At the suggestion of my sister, I have made an appointment to donate my bookshelves and Kristen's old futon to The Brown Elephant - they will make an appointment and come to the house to pick up the furniture. Moving that futon is not something Kristen or I were willing to do again. Hopefully that will open up some space in the living room. (Although I still have plenty of stuff to get rid of/put in storage/take home to my Dad's house in Ohio. I'm hoping that I will tackle some of those things over Thanksgiving.)
I'm pretty set on that rug that I found at Target, and I found some light blue curtains that I think might bring some color into the room. What we really need is art to hang on the walls. Or to paint. I'm glad our walls aren't stark white in this apartment, but it's difficult to separate the spaces of one large kitchen/living/dining room without additional paint elements. And I am finding that hanging wall art in a visually pleasing way is next to impossible.
The quest continues, and I am trying to be positive. I have ideas, and I know that one day our apartment will look grown up and put together. I'm going to make it my pre-New Year's resolution... as in, get this done before New Years. If anyone wonders what I'm going to be asking Santa for this year, it will be gift cards to Target, Ikea, Crate and Barrel, and the Container Store.
Yes, please.
Oh man.
I want this...
I very much would like my apartment to be as adorable as I am. And I think this mustard yellow pillow will help.
Handmade "throwback" pillow from an Etsy shop called "The Red Stitch". (Etsy is yet another one of those sites that I have yet to fully discover.)
I recently had my old furniture ("old" as in it was purchased by my parents when they first moved in together in the 1970s) restored and reupholstered. It was a mildly traumatic experience, and I am still not 100% completely satisfied with the results - but the moral of the story is that you get what you pay for. And over all the pieces look nice - and they have been repaired, which was the most important thing to get taken care of. I can recover these things for years and years to come to suit my every design whim, as long as the bones stay strong.
Now that I have my basics taken care of, I am lost as to where to go next. The arm chair is a chocolate brown linen and the couch is an ivory cotton weave. The walls are that "rental" cream color with white trim, and I have all black/brown bookshelves from IKEA. The kitchen opens up into the living room, so I'd like them to be able to flow from one to the other. My kitchen is... well, I'd like it to be red, but so far, all I've got is a vintage Coca-Cola cooler, my red teapot and a dish towel.
I tend to favor green in everything that I do, so I'm trying (very hard) to stay away from major green design items for the common spaces. (My bedroom will be mostly greens when I'm done with it I'm sure... and my bathroom already is.) I'm thinking that this rug may be a good starting place to bring in other accent colors, like mustard yellow and light blue. [Enter: adorable yellow pillow... which also comes in green... temptation, you are a bitch.]
I love The Container Store. I wish my whole life was as organized as that store makes you believe that it can be.
Last weekend, while on a day long shopping adventure with my sister, we ended up in the checkout line at The Container Store. They have the best impulse shopping items in their check out line. Including giant pill-shaped pill boxes, a-la Dr. Mario. (Holy moly, you can play Dr. Mario online! This is the greatest moment of my life.) But I digress...
We were perusing the reusable shopping bags, knowing full well that reusable shopping bags can be kind of a waste because they're bulky and you don't always have them with you. And only end up using them on maybe 25% of your shopping trips.
But then we found these:
flip & tumble 24/7 bag
They sell them at The Container Store, but they have such a cute website. And also have a wider selection of colors, patterns and products that you can buy online. The 24/7 bags are made out of a super-light, super soft material and roll up into little stretchy Popple-like pods. The pods are attached and act as an inside mini-pocket when the bag is revealed.
I got the green one - big surprise. Stef got green and brown. The pod is so small I keep it in my purse all the time. And I actually use it.
Moral of the story: buy these bags.
They're the greatest. You won't be disappointed.
Second moral of the story: play Dr. Mario.
It is also the greatest.
