tweaked

Just after writing my last post I decided to get moving with hanging some frames with the thought of creating a gallery wall in the bedroom.  But once I cleared off the top of the dresser I realized I like it better that way.  Simple and uncluttered.  So I just tweaked things.  There's something so satisfying about keeping that spot clear and pretty.

oslo

Remember how I was agonizing over what to do with the entry?  Agonize no more.  Meet Oslo:


We spent months going to Crate & Barrel and petting this Oslo Bar Cabinet.  The dimensions were pretty much spot on for what we were looking for and the closed storage was perfect.  This thing was never going to go on sale, but there was finally a Black Friday / Cyber Monday deal, plus we scored some free shipping thanks to the lovely saleslady (and a little bit playing we are young and poor but have expensive taste).

Oslo finally arrived this morning and we eagerly stuffed it with things we need to grab on the way out the door - umbrellas, gloves, sunglasses, etc. - plus stuff that just needs to live somewhere like batteries and my sewing kit.

Remember how it used to look like this?

I sold that table last weekend.  Craigslist tip: always post quality photos.  Even though it never looked like this in real life, these are some of the staged photos I posted:

Wanna know a secret?  I bought that table off of Craigslist 2 years ago for $65, and it was delivered to me.  I sold it last weekend for $100.  I think I actually could have gotten more, but was just happy to have it out of the way because our new friend was coming in.

Look how pretty now!

I borrowed the framed print from the dining nook (there's something else in the works for art there) and the horse was gifted by my mom.  Thanks Mommy!

a christmas time of year

I gave in.  We have a real tree this year.

I will admit it looks nicer than last year's, although the headache factor of getting it all set up was much higher (needles everywhere, sawing off sappy branches, automatic water-er leaking on the floor, etc.)

But we had a lot of fun with DIY ornaments!  Pulling inspiration from Sherry at YHL, we grabbed some plain glass ornaments from Michael's plus glitter, feathers, paint, and ribbon.  I also made some origami stars.  Check it out!





We also grabbed some furry friends from Crate & Barrel to join in the fun:

bathroom art {updates}

Yes, I'm still struggling to get those last things done to call the bathroom facelift "complete".  But we finally have pretty stuff in frames hanging on the wall:

We have had these for months.  Finally in early September I took action and made some trusty catalog templates to test out different configurations (like we did with the tv).

bedroom happenings

We're back from our Barcelona / Sitges trip!  But I haven't gone through all the photos yet so that post will have to wait.  While the trip was amazing, I was really excited to come home.  And even more excited because I had packages waiting for me!  Hello my new friends:
 

Oh yes, it's time to stop neglecting the bedroom.  I've done almost nothing with the bedroom since moving in.  Sure, I slapped some paint on the walls and threw furniture in there, but for the most part I haven't really thought about flow or utility or how to maximize storage in the small space.  But one thing I did do was hang curtains.  And this is how it's looked for 2 years:

Yes, there are 2 floor lamps just sitting there taking up space.  Please ignore.  I'm trying to figure out what to do with lighting in here.

details

Even though I've been struggling to get projects done, we have made some progress!  Let's see, shall we?  As I mentioned last time, I embarked on repainting all the trim in the apartment.  In doing something like this, it was the natural opportunity to swap out old hardware.  Here's a glimpse at what our old hinges looked like:

Aren't you a gem.

Well now we have these instead:

Much better, yes?  And check out the shiny fresh paint job!  (Okay I have to admit there's one door / hinge combo left to do, but I'll get there soon!)

a bathroom facelift {part 4}

The final part! Well, at least for now. The hallway bathroom certainly isn't done, but all the heavy lifting is over. After putting some new bathroom accessories in place, cleaning and repairing the shower tile, and installing a new glass shower door, we ended up here: 

While I'm calling this the final part, there are a few things we still want to complete:

1. Hang artwork in the big blank space over the toilet
2. Buy a soap pump (yes I looked at your votes!)
3. Find a new trash can 
4. Buy matching hand towels, bath towels, and a bath mat
5. Stain and seal the floor grout 
6. Frame the mirror (maybe)
7. Buy a new robe hook for the back of the door (maybe)
8. Replace the shower valve (maybe)

But for now it's "done".  Picking up where we left off last time, here's how we got there!

i need your help...

The shower door is installed!!

Before I get to talking about that, I have a much more pressing issue.  We been searching for accessories to complete the hallway bathroom. One topic of much debate has been a soap pump (I know, big issue).  We prefer foaming soap, but most options for foaming soap dispensers are the cheaper single-use type or other really clunky / awkward looking ones. I finally came across these gems on Amazon:

Umbra Birdie Foaming Soap Pump

Soo cute!  (And the video review cracks me up!)  Now the question is, black or white??  The black one looks like a little penguin which I love, but the white one is cleaner looking and would be a little more subtle against the white counter top.

mounted!

Helloooooo! I've been silent for a bit - apologies. I have been traveling to Ann Arbor weekly for work which really has me pooped lately. But a post on our TV mounting project is long overdue, so here's at least the start of it. For those of you who may not care at all how we did it, here's the end product: OooooooooooOoOoOoOOOOOoooooooo! Check out how sleek and thin and practically frameless it is! This baby also came with free 3D glasses which work surprisingly well. And after the month+ with the new TV, I must say I'm really enjoying it. The room feels bigger and cleaner, and the actual TV is great too. While I didn't quite capture it well, here's what the before looked like (but ignore the wall mount back there.. photo was taken in progress rather than before like I should have):
Now I know you're dying to read all about how we did it, right?? Well here we go.

dining nook {reveal}

A week or so ago I mentioned a pending project involving the installation of a pendant light, which I actually completed the very next day but just hadn't gotten to posting.  So here it is.

Before, the nook looked like this:

It seemed a bit haphazard to me and was wanting some dressing-up.  My apartment is blessed with high ceilings but I haven't fully taken advantage of that height, with the exception of the curtains.  I wanted to add a chandelier / pendant of course for the functionality, but also to anchor the dining area and draw attention to the height of the room.  There was a cover plate on the ceiling which I hoped indicated the presence of a live junction box, but was not completely sure.  So we borrowed a ladder from maintenance and took a look.

So far so good.  I had to do a bit of sanding to remove excess paint that had built up around the cover but otherwise the process was quite painless.  After a quick consultation with my dad regarding where to attach what to hook up the light switch, and then with Adam to guesstimate the height, we ended up with this:

Loving it!  I thought the shade's diameter would be too small but actually with the extra height I think it fills the space well.  And the design allows for soft light to come through the shade while actually lighting the table quite brightly.  Overall, a great success!  And probably the most impact for $20 in the apartment so far. 

dining nook preview

I have been searching for the longest time to find a chandelier / pendant light that is justright for the dining nook.  There are just so many options and so many directions I could take - something more glam like a crystal chandelier, something uber-modern, a little mid-century mod, something kinda traditional.. and on and on.  When I feel indecisive like this I turn to my buddy Photoshop to visualize.  Here are some options:

The one on the left is a craigslist find I have been considering, as well as some urchin looking thing that is a lot prettier up close, and a standard Ikea pendant.  Still no clue.

Well we went out for a walk today and in trying to hide from the swarms of green-clad 20somethings trying to get into all the Boylston bars (happy St. Patty's Day to you all), we ducked into Crate&Barrel.  And in the little sale corner we found this guy:

For $20!  Yesssss.  Not sure if it's exactly what I want for the dining area but it's a great start.  And really, just the pendant cord and mounting plate would cost more than that from most places.  Excited for another project!  And yes, I will also post about the wall mounted tv, which looks AMAZING btw. 

home additions

This month we welcome two new additions to the home! The first is temporary.. meet our (fake) Christmas tree! I think it's pretty cute, and yes sitting on a table; I guess tall ceilings make things appear short. (The night shot also shows a glimpse of our new and very functional c-table.)


And now meet our more permanent addition, my long-anticipated and much searched for mid-century dresser. Thanks to zipcar, the resident muscles, and the powerful duo Pledge and Windex, this glass-topped retro beauty sits gloriously in the bedroom. (And check out the cute penguin we got too!) Love.

glam

I finally got around to ordering my watch and it arrived today in all its ohsofabulous glory... And I love it!


After weeks of unsolved fatigue, I'm finally starting to feel like myself again (and hopefully I'm not jinxing myself by saying that!) It was a pretty good day today... not so freezing, way too many donuts at work (thank you Jason), lots of green tea chai, and some quality time at home with my lovely new watch, last night's Glee (armwarmers!), and nibbles of sauteed mushrooms, pimento olives, Gorgonzola cheese, and pineapple tidbits. Yum!

As the pieces fall into place, I might actually begin posting pictures of my little home. I leave you with a glimpse of a fuzzy corner of my living room...

best of 2010

Great year, great moments, great memories. Here are a few highlights:

dance.
The Boston dance family emerged with force in 2010: Static6 on ABDC, the evolution and great success of Static Noyze, the debut of ProNailz and Weapons of Mass, and new blood in the MIT dance scene.
My last shows with Ridonk were bittersweet (love you guys!).. three wolf moon shirts, Footwork2010 with Fannypak, winning the Roxy battle, an epic set without a happy ending, Adlai losing his shoe in Rahway.
I transitioned into ProNailz, which has been such a wonderful thing in my life. I never thought I'd be in a girl group, but spending time and dancing with such talented, fun, and strong women has been my balance in life and a real source of energy and happiness. I love you girls (and Mama and Papa)!

love.
It's been a year of expressions of love. Naba and Bejan got married and I've truly loved seeing their relationship and marriage strengthen each of them as individuals. My cousin Sarah's wedding was perhaps the most beautiful and sincere wedding I've ever attended - also sparking my desire to start this blog. Janina and Dan got engaged! Liz and Eric got engaged! It's been a great year for love, and it will continue into 2011 with weddings, wedding receptions, and celebrations.
EDIT: And Andrew and Jess got engaged! Just today!!! Aw baby brother...
life.

I've done a bit of growing up in 2010, and little things have changed as a reflection. After a year+ being blond, I went back to brown. And I'm starting to lose interest in my piercings - let one close in.I recently celebrated my 4 year anniversary at work, and I feel I've actually accomplished quite a lot. Coming in I never expected to stay longer than two years. It was a bit of a struggle for me to decide whether to move on or to stick around for a little longer - I'll be sticking around.
After two years in a studio apartment (which was supposed to be my last Boston home and my last years here), I came to terms with my actually liking this city and upgraded to a bigger place. It took months of scouring listings and trolling the streets of Boston - only to bring me back to the same neighborhood - but I love it. New home, check.


It flew by, but 2010 has been the year. Bring it on, 2011 - I've been waiting for you!