2010, a revue:

I'm preparing to be busy with the theatre peeps for NYE, so I'm doing my year in review now.

2010 was, I'd say for most people, about 40% good and 60% bad. I feel like I saw so many people having rough times. While a lot of good happened in 2010, so much bad happened, too. A recap:

The Good!
--Ricky and I moved in together, and had a great full calendar year together.
--Two of my good friends had babies! Awesome!
--My cousins got a great little puppy named Murray.
--Coco and Nicky.
--New job continuing to be good.
--Amanda got married!
--Countless friends got engaged.
--Rachel got married.
--I got Alva the fish.

The Bad!
--Midnight died.
--Maggie the dog died.
--Pat died. (too upsetting for me to write about)
--Ricky had some job woes and it was stressful.
--A rat moved into my apartment and wreaked havoc.
--Shitty neighbors.
--Three friends had issues with fertility (I won't mention who for their privacy).
--Buying my car was a dog and pony show.
--Leo switched to being in a wheelchair full time.
--Dramas with my grandparents.
--Too much family crap to write about in one blog between me and Ricky.
--Numerous friends have had job woes.
--Dramas with all dads.

But I know a lot of people have had issues in 2010. So I'm actually kind of glad to be putting this year to bed and move onto 2011. I have strong hopes for next year. A lot of weddings, some babies, two years with Ricky, probably more engagements, and other good things.

Peace out 2010, and bring on 2011!!

I want these for my apartment and life

I found these bad larrys on Apartment Therapy:


I WANT A KNITTED BEAN BAG. How cute is it?? Definitely more of an ottoman than a chair, but so freaking cute. I want to live in this apartment.


The aerial shot just makes me want them more. I think I'd go with gray, but hard to say. I definitely want to live in this house and be friends with that hip reader.

Song I'm digging this week

I've moved and am back on the internets! My camera shit the bed, but when I'm able to, I'll post photos of adorable nooks and spaces in my new adorable apartment.

In the meantime, he's a song I've really been digging a lot the last few days. Thanks to TBTL for playing it.

Hot Pants for moving... again!

Will this house fit on the back of a Uhaul? Probably not.


Loyal readers will read this title and think "didn't she just do this and whine about how many sticks of deodorant she had?" and you would be correct. But nonetheless, I am moving again. Still in Salem, but a nicer, bigger, 100% less rat apartment with Ricky. AND with a porch. So possibly another basil plant is in my future. Posting has been scarce because I've been busy coordinating logistics for this, packing, and on top of this planning my best friend's bridal shower for next weekend. So expect in July more posts about Greenland, this Polish Cafe opening near Gulu Gulu, the Farmer's Market, and all that good stuff.

Pretty apartment things: Crate and Barrel Edition

I've moved, and am slowly getting unpacked and settled. The kitchen is pretty much set and adorable. The bathroom is what it is. The office just needs a few added touches. The bedroom is pretty good. The living room needs help. Oh, and the porch will be adorable once I have plants.

I've been scanning the internet for new sheets and other cute items, as I think we're getting a bigger bed in a few months. I saw these sheets, from the love of my life Marimekko.

WANT. Unfortunately, I don't have a white bed, but I do have gray walls and hardwood floors. I like the idea of warmer tones for linen sheets... and not just having everything in my house be blue, brown, green, and charcoal gray.

I recently gave this plant pot to a friend for a bridal shower, but in blue. One of my plants needs a pot upgrade, and I'm thinking of getting it this green pot. Somewhat heavy, but sturdy and adorable. Granted, it is back in my color family, but ah well.

Pretty apartment things: Anthropologie Edition

When I'm stressed, I like to dream decorate dream apartments for myself. And right now, we have the one-two punch of work stress (Commencement is coming up and a huge part of my job is to run the conferral part of it) and even more apartment stress (it seems the toilet of the people upstairs is leaking into my living room, and no one really seems all that concerned about the unsightly water stains on the ceiling but me)... I'm in overdrive.

Tonight I decided to take a trip to Anthropologie and look at pretty apartment things to unwind. Two things caught my fancy:


Item #1: Coralie Bed from Anthropologie.


If I were made of millions and had a nice enough apartment for a bed like this, I'd grab it in a second. I loved the shape and color of this bed frame.

Right now, my mattress is sitting on that metal frame you get when you buy said mattress. This is for mainly practical reasons: I rent, I move frequently, and I'm probably going to upgrade to a queen in the future so I didn't want to waste money on a frame. But someday I will own a pretty vintage bed like this, and have pretty sheets on it.

I know that I tend to gravitate towards brown, blue, and green, but in my dream apartment/real life I'm trying to find different ways to get color into my life. So I could see myself doing a bedroom in colors like oranges and reds with this, or even purples and yellows.

Also, I probably can't maintain that many decorative pillows in my own life, but how wonderful do those look?? Don't you want to just curl up on that bed for hours on end with tea or knitting and relax? Gahhh so lovely. I'm now picturing it with a pretty sheet pattern, a kitten, and balls of lush yarn in pretty heathered tones.




And then for the second piece of imaginative furniture that I can't afford or have the room for...



Item #2: Astrid Chair from Anthropologie.


Oh you, you lovely chair. How you taunt me with your prettiness and expensiveness. (almost 2 grand for a chair?!?) At first I wasn't crazy about it on its own, then I saw it in a room and I liked it a lot more. The reviews also say it's very comfortable, which is nice to know.

The shape of it reminds me of a pink chair I had in my old Salem apartment that is currently hanging out in my parents' garage (hopefully not rotting since I'll need it again in the future!) and I love that oh so very vintage feel the high back and low arms give it. The fabric is also very darling. I'd have clothing and hand bags made out of this fabric in a heart beat.

Unlike the bed above, I also kind of dig the styling of this photo. The warm red pops compared to the cool blues and greens of the lamp and wallpaper.

Right now my couch (in my head) will be a chocolate brown and my throw pillows are blue and cream, but I wouldn't mind having a bright red chair in a cool blue/brown and neutral color room. Good to keep in mind.





Tune in over the next two weeks for other editions of "Pretty apartment things", feature stores like Crate and Barrel, Ikea, and "found on craigslist"!

Hot Pants for... moving?

So it's becoming more and more evident that all the signs are leading towards me moving. My roommate wants to leave Salem, and my roommate leads are falling apart. I don't want to try and find a new roommate and I can't afford to live on my own... so it's time to move!

It's been almost two years in this place, which is a lot, so I feel I've spent a decent amount of time here. Probably will still live in Salem, and hoping to move closer to the city and further away from... well, from the outskirts near Lynn. I'm sure many posts will discuss the trials and tribulations of finding new digs this summer.

The one thing I'm worried about is moving my garden, since it's pretty big. So hoping to find places with a porch or lots of sunlight.

Get ready for the latest adventures!