Ramblings around DC and Beyond

The wedding photos have arrived!

2011-12-06T15:40:00.000Z

Yesterday's mail brought me a much-anticipated present - our wedding photos! I have only looked through them once, but expect to see some soon! Our photographer has posted some of our engagement photos on her blog, if you just can't wait. :)

Color My World

2011-11-11T19:11:00.000Z

We all know about my love for Apartment Therapy. So of course I was going to enter the Room for Color contest, with my lovely sunny living room. :) Check me out here!

A New Form of Salad Bar

2011-11-04T14:37:00.001Z

It's not really season-appropriate, but I'm going to continue my theme of plants/gardening from yesterday. This is also an inspiration from Apartment Therapy, but from a while back. They had a post on building a salad table, which is basically a compact kitchen garden, which works great for people with limited outdoor spaces, as well as it reduces pest and weed issues. Not to mention the one pictured has amazing style and legs. :)

Photo: Apartment Therapy

Be a Wallflower

2011-11-03T14:32:00.000Z

Yesterday I managed to tackle the 12 square feet of our living room that was taken over by all of my plants and replant some and distribute around the house. Most of my plants are too large for this super cool idea that I ran across on Apartment Therapy, but it's definitely been stored in my idea folder: a wall of plants. The first one I ran across was a pegboard option, very easy to DIY:

I can see that one working well in a kitchen as a vertical herb garden. A fancier, albeit more expensive option is the magnetic vertical garden from Urbio:

Although this option is shown on a fence, I can see it translated inside for slightly larger plants:

Maybe once the house is finally put together (if that ever happens), I will try one of these options. Which is your favorite?

Photos 1 & 4: Master Gardener Blog, Photos 2 & 3: Apartment Therapy

And we now resume regular programming...

2011-11-03T13:54:00.000Z

I'm officially declaring that my life is back to normal. It's not really, as the five loads of clean laundry sitting on my bed that have been taunting me can testify to, but this weekend is the first weekend in I can't even remember how long that I have no plans, and the house is slowly getting pulled together, so I'm just declaring that I will not be overwhelmed anymore. :) Stay tuned for much more regular posts.

Digging my way out...

2011-10-17T13:58:00.000Z

So I haven't had a chance to go through photos or anything, but I will just say that the wedding overall was a success. Not just in that I am now married, but it was a really wonderful ceremony and reception, and it was great to see everyone and celebrate with family and friends. And the 5 days in St. Lucia was a much much needed respite after the stress of the last 3 months. 2 days after the wedding I asked husband why I was so tired, and he said, it's because you've been a raging maniac for the last 3 months, and I said, oh yeah, that's right. :)

Now we're just trying to dig ourselves out of the giant mess that has become our home, and it's slowly getting better. Saturday it was impossible to cross the living room without climbing on either the couch or the dining room table, but that has been cleared out. Now I just need to figure out where all my socks ended up.

Orange you glad it's fall?

2011-09-16T17:45:00.000Z

Completely corny title aside, I am. I love fall so much, and it's finally cool in DC, and I'm so happy. Part of the reason I love fall is the color palette. Orange isn't necessarily my best color, but I love it anyway. I want a jacket just like this one:

Photo courtesy of The Sartorialist

Getting Around

2011-09-14T14:08:00.000Z

So it occurred to me yesterday that I should probably figure out exactly husband and I should get from the church to the reception location (first time I've typed husband - really weird). Since I am a transportation nerd, this is actually a really big deal. Obviously, we could take Clark, fiancées trusty Ford Explorer, but the missing trim and general shabbiness make it not my idea of a wedding chariot.

My first idea was a trolley, since they are awesome. They are pretty popular right now, but unfortunately, they are also very expensive, so that was out. I looked around for classic cars to rent in Northern Michigan and didn't really find anything, so that was out too. I then just happened to think about the fact that I will be buying a scooter at some point after the wedding, since I will be moving to Virginia, and they don't really believe it's possible to live without owning a vehicle there. Seriously, how awesome would it be to leave the church on a bright red Vespa?

My mom thinks I'm crazy, and perhaps I am a little, but I think it's a great idea. What do you think?

Photo courtesy of Kara Pearson Photography

My Turn to Cross Over to the Dark Side

2011-09-08T21:08:00.000Z

So I wrote a year ago about how I wasn't super happy about boyfriend moving across the river into Virginia. One of the biggest sacrifices that I will have to make in this marriage is following him. I thought about convincing him to move back, but realistically speaking, it just makes so much more sense for me to move there. It hadn't really sunk in yet though, until today I put up a Craigslist ad for someone to take over my apartment. I don't want to give up my wonderful apartment in the middle of the wonderful city where I can walk to everything. The things you do for love. The funniest part of it all is though I got an email from a girl who said it reminded her of an apartment from the Apartment Therapy Small Cool Contest. :)

Still Plugging Away....

2011-09-01T13:46:00.002Z

I haven't abandoned you, no worries! Life has gotten incredibly busy and the wedding is 30 days away, and let's just say there have been a few snags along the way. But I think we're on track, and it will all come together. That's what I keep telling myself anyway. So I have a bazillion little projects going on at once, and then today I ran across another really cool idea on Oh Happy Day that I just might have to try.

It is called a pajak, and is essentially a polish chandelier or paper mobile of sorts. Now I'm mostly polish, but my main connection to my heritage is through my love of pierogies and other polish foods. Still, I think it would be cool to include them. Unfortunately, they are highly labor intensive, so they will be left to the back burner, just in case I happen to have some spare time at the end, maybe the 13 hour drive to Michigan? :)

image 1: Oh Happy Day, image 2: Wren Handmade

The Dress That Led Me Down the Garden Path

2011-07-26T19:32:00.000Z

So I mentioned that I'm crazy and attempted to sew my own wedding dress. This is kinda what I was going for, but with a sweetheart neckline:

I realize that my sewing skills, while they have gone much further than they were back when I sewed my high school homecoming dress out of a curtain and my mother looked on in horror at my seams, that I probably shouldn't go buy a lot of expensive fabric and go to town. Hence, my test dress is being sewn out of an old sheet. This is what I came up with after a couple of hours, with a base/lining, and the top draping bit (which took by far the longest):

I then added the rest of the bodice top layer, but it's really loose because I was planning on doing a corset bodice, so it was basically clipped together in the back with a hair clip:

And that's where I stopped. I decided that since I wanted to do boning, I should probably actually get a pattern that would teach me how to do it. After looking at every single evening and wedding gown pattern on the internet (approximately 2,375,338), I settled on an out-of-print Vogue pattern as my base:

I got the pattern in the mail on Friday, but seeing as how my invitations have exactly 3 days to magically make themselves, it's been put to the back burner. But it's been simmering, have no fear. So here are my thoughts, feel free to chime in. First of all, that sheer thing on the top of the bodice is hideous and isn't structural at all, so it's gone. So basically what I have here is a simple strapless mermaid dress. I'm not exactly what you would call normal, and this definitely extends to how I want my wedding dress to look, so I don't want a simple strapless mermaid dress. My first dress, which has since been returned, was a gorgeous, simple silk sheath dress, which was vetoed as being too simple:

I loved the straps and the differentness of it, but it wasn't as flattering on as it could have been.

So my thoughts for the front of the dress are to modify it to have some sort of strap that either is sheer that goes over the sweetheart strapless neckline, or modify it entirely to look more like the original dress, and this one:

My thought is that this will also still get vetoed for being too plain, so I'll add something like this waistline doodad:

The back is definitely too plain on the pattern, so I have to spice that up a bit too. I have no idea if this is possible or not, but I would love to lower it a bit and have the straps do something like this:

Although I'm loving how the straps go down into the detachable train like this one:

I will definitely add some sort of detachable train, just not sure yet the best place and method for attaching it.

So there you have it folks. Who knows if I will actually do any of this, but at least I have lots of ideas. :) Any thoughts?

(photo 1: unknown, 2 & 3: my lovely camera phone, 4 & 5: Vogue, 6 & 7: Nicole Miller, 8, 10, 11: Amanda Wakeley, 9: Jenny Packham)

It's Official - Wedding Planning Has Made Me Go Crazy

2011-07-19T14:09:00.000Z

My wedding is 74 days away, as my incomplete gift registry tells me, and I'm crazy. Right now, there are two wedding dresses sitting at fiancées house (one of which is returnable, the other is not), and last night I spent 5 hours seeing if it was possible for me to sew a wedding dress. Let's ignore the fact that we haven't even started making our complicated invitations that need to be mailed in like a week and half, just for starters. I was actually pretty impressed with the results, but I still think I'm crazy.

I love clever solutions

2011-07-08T20:01:00.000Z

This is just simply brilliant - who would have thought to use a tension rod like this? My massively jumbled cupboard of cleaning supplies thanks Jen from A Thousand Words for this idea.

Looking Down

2011-07-07T17:13:00.000Z

So, as you may have guessed, since I am planning a wedding in 3 months, my blogging with a) not be as frequent and b) have a lot to do with weddings. I'm actually trying to keep my intake on wedding blogs and shows and magazines and stuff to a minimum, because honestly, I find it depressing how much work and money goes into these things. But since I am me, there will definitely be enough work and randomness to make it interesting. Fiancee and I are making our own invitations, using wood veneer instead of paper, and he had the idea of doing a pattern that looks like a wood inlay floor. So I've been look at wood inlay floors a lot, and realized I really like them. There are just so many amazing patterns out there - here are a few of my favorites:

How do you feel about inlay floors? Should they make a comeback?

Photos 1: Design Amour 2: Wood Floors Online 3: Ali Express

Big News!

2011-06-30T15:52:00.000Z

So I've been pretty silent the past few weeks, but for a good cause, I promise. Boyfriend and I went on vacation in New Mexico a few weeks ago, and while on top of a mountain overlooking Albuquerque, he proposed, and so now boyfriend has become fiancée! We are trying like mad to pull together a wedding in Michigan in October (planning from DC), so I've been a little busy the last few weeks. We have the church somewhat lined up, but we have to pick between two reception locations by tomorrow. I haven't seen either place in person, but I've sent my parents to go check them out. Which do you think? (Seriously, I need help deciding here).

Option 1: The Old Art Building

This is a building that is used for art shows and performances and whatnot, and is basically across the street from Lake Michigan. You can't see the lake, but it's a short walk, and there is a river that runs right next to it. It's the cheaper option (by a decent amount), and is slightly closer to the church. It's slightly smaller, which means we might have to take down a few tables after dinner for dancing. It's a similar style to option 2, just more rustic. If the weather cooperates, I might set up lawn games or something, because there is a nice big yard.

Option 2: Willowbrook Mill

This is a water mill that was recently renovated for the purpose of being a reception location. It's gorgeous. This is on the other side of the Leelanau peninsula, so it overlooks the Grand Traverse Bay. Again, it's across the street, but doesn't have a super view of the water, but very easy to walk to. And I will say it again, it's gorgeous.

So there you have it kids, what do you say?

What's Wrong With This Picture?

2011-05-31T20:23:00.000Z

It's 96 degrees outside and I was excited to just go pick up something from the printer, because I was able to warm up my hands on the paper.

My Favorite Thing About Cleaning...

2011-05-27T14:41:00.003Z

...is all the random stuff I come across that I forgot about. I tend to use my email as a virtual notepad, sending myself emails when I want to remember something, or go back and look at something on the internet, but my email is so full of all of these little reminders, that I can never find what I'm looking for. I decided to go on a cleaning splurge, and weed my way through all my little reminders, and see what I could find. One of these great finds was Kate Towers, a clothing designer from Portland, who has incredible designs. We all know by now that I love texture, and her work is full of it.

You can see more of her work on her website, as well as her Etsy store.

All images: www.katetowers.com

Come See Me!

2011-05-27T14:14:00.004Z

I've been a little MIA lately, but that is because I've been hard at work, preparing to be at the Fenton Street Market tomorrow, peddling my wares. If you are in the DC area, you should definitely come see me!

This Sums Up How I Feel Right Now

2011-05-11T15:05:00.003Z

"Work when there is work to do. Rest when you are tired. One thing done in peace will most likely be better than ten things done in panic.....I am not a hero if I deny rest; I am only tired."

--Susan McHenry

Almost to the Finish Line!

2011-04-28T19:51:00.003Z

Apartment Therapy's Small Cool contest is approaching the end of Round 1, and I'm doing pretty decently, if I do say so myself, currently 10th out of 40 in my category. I could do a little better, though (hint, hint)! Thanks to everyone who voted for me! And definitely check out some of the other entries - there are some really good ones this year.

Stars Wars Celebrates Earth Day

2011-04-22T17:44:00.003Z

Yesterday I realized that I am ridiculous. Completely and totally ridiculous. Because, for the past 27 years, I have been calling the glowy stick things they fight with in Star Wars lightsavers. Oh yeah, they can conserve energy and kill the bad guy. I never really understood the name, but I figured, what the heck, it's science fiction. No idea how I managed to last this long without figuring out I had it wrong.

Hurry Up Before it's Too Late!

2011-04-20T20:40:00.002Z

Time is running out to enter the giveaway over on the Veater Family Adventures blog to win a $25 gift certificate to my shop, Totables! You have until Friday, so make sure you go check it out!

I just listed some new purses, and am working on several to list soon, so keep an eye out!

Bulls-eye!

2011-04-20T16:32:00.006Z

So I'm not really allowed to look at rugs anymore, but in my internet perambulations, I happened to take a peek at West Elm's selection (I always like their rugs, my current one is from there via Craigslist), and came across this beauty. I don't have a room big enough for it (it's 8' square), but it's just such a fabulous rug, isn't it?

The Great Rug Adventure

2011-04-19T20:20:00.007Z

So I've always had this thing about rugs. I don't know what it is, but I'm just really picky and can never make up my mind. In my last apartment, I looked at approximately, oh, 3000 rugs or so, and that's not really that much of an exaggeration (boyfriend can vouch for it - he was so sick of looking at rugs). So I finally got my rug, which I really liked, and it worked well in my current place as well.

The only problem with it was that I am just an inherently messy person. I've tried to change, but at least 5 days a week, I look down at myself and say things like, hmmm...why is there pizza sauce on my shoulder (two weeks ago). So the fact that the rug was mostly white proved to be difficult, even after I rented a steam cleaner. So up on Craigslist it went, and I got this one:

I really like the rug itself, and the brown background was definitely a plus, but the size wasn't quite right. I thought I could go down from the 5'x8' of my old rug, but this one was 3.5'x5.5', which didn't quite fit the bill. I left it for a while though, as I couldn't bring myself to get a new rug. That is, until I saw this fantastic tutorial on making a rug out of fabric, from High-Heeled Foot in the Door.

(Photo via High-Heeled Foot in the Door)

Sounds a little silly, but it fit the budget. She had used one layer of heavy-weight fabric, one layer of canvas (a drop-cloth), and a rug pad. Since I had already used canvas drop cloth for my bookshelf doors, I figured I would just do two layers of canvas. I also took some inspiration from a post on Apartment Therapy on using a doormat as a stencil to paint a rug.

(Photo via Apartment Therapy)

So I decided to combine the two ideas, and do a stamp of a gingko leaf on the canvas drop cloth. You can find better instructions on the tutorial I linked above, but here is how I did it.

Materials:

1 - 4' x 15' canvas drop cloth: $15

1 - 5' x 8' rug pad: $20

4 jars of fabric paint (red, yellow, brown, and white - only used half at most): already had on hand, I think about $4 apiece from the art store

1 - sheet of foam stuff from the kids craft aisle: $0.50

Spray adhesive: around $8

Total - around $40 or $50

How I did it:

I wanted to make sure that I made the rug the right size, so I spent some time looking at the various drop cloths, and decided the 4' x 7.5' sounded about right, so I bought the 4' x 15' one and cut it in half. Following the tutorial I laid it out, ironed the crap out of both pieces, and then folded one half back. I sprayed both sides, let it sit for a minute, and then very carefully folded it back, starting at the center line and smoothing as I went.

This is a terrible picture, but luckily I had just painted my bedroom, so I had a clear space to work in. This is with the top piece folded halfway back.

Unfortunately, after I did the first half, I ran out of spray adhesive, since I just used a can I had on hand. Since it was almost midnight, I had to wait until the morning to run to the hardware store. This time I bought the super heavy duty spray adhesive, as I had my doubts as to my general purpose stuff that I had used. Being super heavy duty though, meant that I was almost in tears by the time I got it all glued together, as it kept getting messed up, or I would step on it and mess it all up/track glue all over my floor, etc. This is not fun at all. But I do recommend the heavy duty stuff.

I let it dry for a while while I cut out my stamps. I decided to go with two smaller leaves, and just do a random pattern. I had also bought this foam stuff a while ago, and it worked perfectly. After looking at several inspiration leaves, I hand-drew my leaves and then cut them out.

I then mixed up my fabric paints to the perfect shade of yellow, which actually turned out lighter than I wanted, and stamped away with the larger of the stamps. I painted the stamp with a brush, so I didn't make too big of a mess. I figured they wouldn't be perfect, but I really like the texture they ended up with.

Once I had a good scattering of yellow leaves, I mixed up a brownish color (I was running out of colors to mix with), and stamped the smaller of my gingko leaves all over.

Before sewing the rug pad to it, I decided to check it out in the living room.

I left it like that for a while, with the rug pad under it, but not attached, and it worked quite nicely. Unfortunately, as I mentioned before, I'm a little messy, so I spilled some coffee on it. I thought I would see what would happen if I threw it in the washing machine. The side that I used the heavy-duty spray on held up pretty well, but it needed a good ironing. The other side came apart, and was a completely balled up, wrinkled mess. Needless to say, it was not something I tried to fix before submitting my apartment for Small Cool. It is currently in a balled mess underneath my bed, and someday I will put it out and try to fix it. But take my word for it, never put a rug like this in the washing machine.

Behind Closed Doors

2011-04-13T14:27:00.004Z

So I mentioned in my house tour posts that I modified my Craigslist bookshelves by adding doors, so I figured I would give a more detailed look at what exactly I did. For a while, this is what they looked like:

While useful, Staples paper boxes aren't exactly my idea of ideal design. I eventually migrated most of them either to the recycling or to under the loft bed, but there was still unattractive stuff on the shelves, so I came up with the idea of making doors. After my more fancy ideas got vetoed by boyfriend, I eventually came up with the idea of stretching canvas over wooden frames - simple and economical.

Supplies (for 3 doors):

3 - 1x3 boards, $3 apiece

1 - canvas drop cloth, $15 (only used half)

3 - cupboard magnetic closures, $2 apiece

3 - sets of hinges, $2 apiece

scrap hard board for frame corners, free (leftover from loft bed)

staple gun and staples, already on hand

Total cost for 3 doors - $36 (the bookshelves themselves only cost $25 for all 3)

I measured and boyfriend cut my boards with the miter saw, to make perfect corners. He also cut the hard board into triangle shapes. I then glued the triangle shapes to each corner, and tacked them in place with small nails, to hold everything together while it dried.

Once my frames were all put together, I stretched my canvas over the frames and stapled it in place. I'm not exactly a perfectionist when it comes to stuff like this, so the inside isn't the most attractive, but that's not the part that shows. :)

I then attached the hinges and the magnetic closures, and put them on the bookshelves. All in all, it probably took about 2 or 3 hours to assemble them, and it instantly upgraded my shelves.

And there you have it, my custom bookshelves!

Welcome to my Home - The Bedroom

2011-04-11T16:46:00.006Z

And here we come to the final space, my bedroom. Moving from a studio apartment to an even smaller one-bedroom meant rethinking how to arrange the various living areas. Before, my media area (computer monitor used as tv) was able to double up with a desk area/workspace. But having a living room less than 9' in width meant that it just wasn't possible to have a workspace in the living room, which meant it had to go in the bedroom. What also didn't help matters was that the bedroom wasn't much wider, and had windows at one end, and the door and closet at the other end, making for an awkward layout.

After much measuring and debating, I decided to go with the loft bed for multiple reasons, which I didn't realize would be such a controversial choice, but either people love it or hate it. The main reason for going with it was storage space. Despite paring down, there are just some things I'm not about to get rid of, such as my headboard and footboard, which wouldn't work at all in my new bedroom, but I've had since I was five. Since there is only one small closet as opposed to three large closets in my old place, Boyfriend and I came up with the idea of a storage locker under a lofted bed. Because it is such a small room, I didn't want it to be just a huge box in the middle of the room, but maintain as much openness as possible. This led to the cantilevered idea. The whole planning and design process can be read about here and here, but overall, I'm very pleased with the results.

The original plan had the shelves under the bed as well, but the room just seemed so unbalanced that way.

The great controversy - when (not if) when I roll off the bed and kill myself. The top of the mattress is 6.5' off the ground, which is a little intimidating at first, but I soon adjusted. I was originally going to put a railing on the bed, but seeing as it took us a few months just to build the thing to begin with, I lived with it without the railing and did fine. I have managed to stay in bed without falling for over a year now, and plan to keep it that way.

A point of reference - I am 5'3". The height of the bottom of the loft was actually a much more contentious subject in the design project between boyfriend and I. I wanted it to be 5'5" so I could walk under it. Boyfriend thought that 5' would be better, so that no one would run into the edges. I gave in, and so the bottom edge is 5' off the ground. For boyfriend, this works well, because he can clearly avoid running into it. For me, it's at eye level. Let's just say that I'm much more likely to lose an eye versus rolling out of bed. If I were to change it, I would have made it 4.5'.

My closet had regular doors, which are nice, but didn't work well with the space once the loft was in place. I was constantly opening and closing them to get back and forth, so I eventually just took them off. In this picture you can also see my "night stand." This is half of a larger shelf that I cut and painted the same color as the wall and loft.

I was originally going to go with all white everything in the bedroom, because of the beautiful light I get, but it was a little boring. I decided to introduce some blue into the bedroom with my sheets and other touches around the room.

A close-up of my workspace. Because my computer ended up in the living room, I mostly use my desk for sewing. I've discovered I don't like to store supplies in drawers for some reason, so I've decided to use my desk drawers as a dresser instead, holding socks and underwear. The organization board boyfriend and I made a few years ago, and it's been useful everywhere I've lived.

Not only has my work area had to move to another location in this apartment, but it's function has changed as well. Before it was more of a computer work area, and now it's more of a craft work area. As I mentioned above, the desk is mostly used for sewing, and the wall of shelves shown in this photo hold all of my craft supplies that I use in making my bags for Totables. The terrarium you see is there temporarily.

I set up my little reading nook in my bedroom using one of my chairs from Honduras (the other one is stored under the bed), and my lampshade I made for my old dining area. The curtains were also somewhat of a project. I decided to wash them a few weeks ago, and when I went to hang them back up, they were 6" shorter than they had been previously. No more using hot water and a hot dryer, apparently. So while a trip to my favorite fabric store didn't turn up a nice blue patterned material like I was hoping for, I did come home with a solid blue linen that was lovely. Boyfriend suggested making my own pattern with fabric paint, and many many hours later, this is what I had come up with. I think they turned out quite nicely and add a little interest in the room.

I purchased these three tapestries in Honduras, which are all various shades of dark blue, purple, and turquoise. They are pretty dark though, and it's hard to see them through the glass, as it's a bit glary. Any better suggestions for hanging them?

Inspired by all the pipe shelves out there on the internet these days, I wanted to do something similar, but mix it up a bit. Copper pipes seemed like a good way to do that, so here are my custom-made pipe shelves. The soldering is definitely not a beginner type project, but boyfriend did most of the heavy lifting on this project. I also bought a verdigris kit, hoping to turn them a beautiful blue-green color, but my test swipe didn't turn out as well as I had hoped. You can barely barely see a bit of green on the upper left upright piece, which was what happened when I bathed that entire piece in the solution. I might eventually try to actually get it to work, but it's not high on the priority list. I've also upgraded my storage system, as previously my supplies were in a mish-mash of random boxes, with the majority being Staples paper boxes. After looking at pretty much every container ever made and not finding ones which were the right dimensions, I settled on these from Crate and Barrel and they work wonderfully.

Well, we've come to the end of the tour, thanks for stopping by and taking a peek into my home!

Welcome to my Home - The Bathroom

2011-04-11T14:53:00.004Z

This post is short and sweet, because my bathroom is so incredibly tiny. I tried to inject a little character into it, but not sure it's exactly the way I want it. The one thing I didn't need when I moved into this apartment was a new shower curtain, but I couldn't resist the Metro map curtain when I saw it at BB&B. Needless to say, this threw a wrench in my decorating plans, and I'm still figuring out the details. I had a hard time deciding what color to paint the bathroom, as picking up any of the map colors would make it a bright bathroom indeed. I finally went with a classic turquoise color, which complements the map, I like to think, anyway.

Because there was very little storage in the bathroom, I came up with the idea of shelving on the wall (very original, I know). I found the wide boards for free on Craigslist, painted them white, and bought the white plastic baskets for $1 apiece. It's amazing what a little repetition can do to upgrade a space. I made the map basket on the toilet out of my map stash - more details here. The room is so small that this photo actually is a compilation of two photos.

Trying to fit it all in.

The shower curtain in all its glory. There isn't room for a tub in my bathroom, but I do have a nice-sized shower. It's about 3' x 4'.

I've used these white hook racks for storing my necklaces for at least 4 or 5 years now. I've seen many more stylish solutions, but this is simple and works for me. I keep my rings on my ceramic hand, and my earrings are stored in the little boxes on the shelf. Another staple in every apartment of mine are the over-the-door hooks. There is literally no space for any towel hooks in the bathroom except for the door.

Up next, the final installment - the bedroom!

Welcome to my Home - The Kitchen

2011-04-08T17:24:00.004Z

My kitchen was a big part of why I liked my new apartment - it was completely new and, wonder of all wonders, included a dishwasher. I love to eat, but I tend to not cook as much as I should, but Boyfriend is a wonderful cook, so he utilizes my kitchen more than I do. :)

This is the one area in the house where there is actually decent storage space. Most of the upper shelves which I can't reach hold non-kitchen related things, like my sports equipment and old tax returns. Because all but about 6 square feet of wall space in the kitchen are covered in cabinets, there aren't a lot of decorating opportunities, but I did try and pull in the yellow, with the rug, tea kettle, and paper towel holder.

I hate the overhead light in the kitchen, which is the only light in the main room. I rarely use it, so I added this sconce light my mom gave me for a little character.

I recently replaced the stools at my counter, as the former stools were much larger, and took up too much of the entryway. I found the plaque above the bedroom door at a thrift store a few months ago, and bought it because I used to have this poster hanging in my dorm room at college and I loved it.

Obligatory vignette

And here is the only actual wall space in the kitchen, which I used to hang some trays I've had for a long time sitting in a box, a clock (I love clocks - I have way too many of them), and my knife strip.

And there you have it - next up, the bathroom!

Welcome to my Home - The Living Room

2011-04-08T13:54:00.002Z

Walking past the entryway puts you smack dab in my living room. This room has experienced the most frequent changes over the past year and few months, but I think it's just about there.

The chesterfield loveseat which was an impulse purchase at Goodwill for $35 about 3 years ago. It completely changed my color scheme at the time, but I love it. I do have enough space for a full-sized couch now though, so I've been daydreaming for a while. The rug was a last minute addition that was sitting in Boyfriend's closet, as I accidentally washed my rug and it isn't doing so hot at the moment. I had originally found it for his bedroom in his old house, and talked about stealing it back then, so it finally made it's way to me. The gallery lighting Boyfriend rigged up for about $15 total from a light fixture from Ikea and some supplies from the hardware store (it was originally hard-wired).

The living room is incredibly narrow, and I've tried about every furniture arrangement I can think of, but this is the only way I can get it to work. I do get a good workout every time I try and change it up though. :)

My gallery wall is pretty much complete now. The largest photo is actually a collage of a gingko tree from boyfriend's old street that he made for me, the three mural photos I took in my old neighborhood (Adams Morgan), the two prints with the yellow sky are from my favorite DC artist, Joseph Harrison Snyder, and are also from my old neighborhood, the two graffiti photos I took in Philly, and the top frame holds three pages from an Anthropologie catalog that I saved about 7 years ago or so.

Boyfriend always makes fun of me for having out the wood pieces which are in the corner. They are actually the side rails from my old bed, but I think they look neat. The chairs were a nice $5 apiece I snagged when Boyfriend's office moved. I tried to buy so much more from his office, but Boyfriend wisely held me back. I still regret not buying the like 9' long credenza for $10 though.

When I first moved in I had grand plans to build custom shelves (actually, I still have all the drawings somewhere), but then I happened up three boring white bookshelves on Craigslist for $25 total. Seeing as how I had a lot of stuff and nowhere to put it, I bought them as a temporary solution. They have grown on me, and knowing how long it takes for me to compete projects, I'll just stick with these. I did customize them though, by making canvas doors for the bottoms. Stay tuned for a post on that. The plant stand/end table (of which I have two) is also DIYed. I bought ten ten foot long copper pipes on Craigslist, so I cut it all to size, and boyfriend soldered it together to make these. Stay tuned for more copper in the bedroom. I also have plans to make a copper floor lamp but that hasn't happened yet.

A close-up of some of my treasures. The baskets I brought back from Zambia, Lucy is my dress-maker's form, and I got her at a garage sale in high school for $2, and my wooden clogs came from the Singel Canal Flower Market in Amsterdam (one of my favorite places ever).

Get ready to move to the kitchen!

Welcome to my Home - The Entrance

2011-04-07T21:29:00.003Z

So I thought that since I took a bunch more photos than the five required for the Small Cool contest, I would share them with you all! Since there are a lot of them, I'm going to break it up and make you wait a bit to see the whole thing.

The floorplan

Come on in! My entryway has a bowl for everything - boyfriend's bowl for stuff he would otherwise leave laying all over the place, sunglasses, keys, quarters for laundry, chapstick, and other change.

On the other side is plenty of room for shoes, jackets, and purses. Boyfriend also has a basket for larger items that need to make their way back to his house. My table runner from Botswana works perfectly to cover up my fuse box.

A close-up of my mini-gallery wall of botanical photos I've taken.

And now we head to the living room. I recently switched one of my bookshelves over to this wall to hold two of my terrariums. I eventually will build a custom shelving unit for them, but for the time being, this works.

Bringing the Outdoors In

2011-04-07T15:48:00.002Z

Seeing as how I'm a bit obsessed with Apartment Therapy's Small Cool contest right about now (thanks for all the votes!), I thought I would take a quick trip through some past small cool contests, as they are a fantastic source of inspiration. The photo below is from the 2009 contest, and while I don't know that I'm brave enough to do this to my kitchen cabinets, I think it looks fantastic. I think this would look great in a series of frames on the wall, as well. Could you take the leap and do this to your cabinets?

(photo courtesy of Apartment Therapy)

Small Cool Begins!

2011-04-04T15:07:00.003Z

So after a mad dash this weekend to get all the photos taken while I had my rented wide-angle lens, it turns out my apartment is the first one posted in the teeny-tiny division of Apartment Therapy's small cool contest!

Vote for me here!

Totables Giveaway!

2011-04-01T17:57:00.002Z

I have a Friday treat for all of you! Head on over to the Veater Family Adventures blog, and sign up to win a $25 gift certificate to my shop, Totables! Ashley has a great blog, make sure you browse around a bit!

Getting Ready...

2011-04-01T15:57:00.003Z

So I'm super excited that something I've been waiting for for over a year is upon us! That's right, Apartment Therapy's Small Cool contest starts in a few days. I wasn't able to enter last year because I had just moved and wasn't ready, but watch out world this year! I've rented a wide-angle lens (who knew it was super easy to rent cameras and accessories?) and will be doing the whole photo shoot thing tomorrow. So here is the pre-styled version, any thoughts? (Sorry for the crappy photo quality - the light is terrible in my apartment at night).

Entryway:

Living Room - How do we feel about the orange rug? It was a last minute replacement that boyfriend had sitting in his closet because I decided it would be a good idea to wash my rug. No, no it was not a good idea. Also, I think I will move the baskets above the bookshelves a little.

Bedroom:

I realized I don't have any photos of the kitchen or bathroom, so you'll just have to wait to see those. Any last minute advice?

Bright and Bold

2011-03-31T21:54:00.004Z

A few more favorites from the Botanic Gardens:

This one reminds me of a Mardi Gras headdress - no idea what the plant was though.

Take A Dip

2011-03-31T13:45:00.002Z

This is something I would never ever have thought of doing on my own, but I think it just looks fantastic! I love the way the crisp white plays off the natural feel of the baskets. I had a basket that this would have been perfect for that I had gotten from my Mom, but unfortunately, she had also had it a long time, and I got rid of it because it was slowly crumbling to dust. Now I'm going to have to keep a look out for another one.

(Photo courtesy of Apartment Therapy)

Up Close and Personal: Daffodils

2011-03-30T15:52:00.002Z

I love daffodils in the springtime - so bright and cheery. So when I picked up a bunch at Whole Foods, of course I had to get out my macro lens and share them with you all!

Oooh, Pretty

2011-03-25T16:31:00.005Z

Despite my love of pretty things, I don't think most people would call me a girly girl. But my inner girlyness comes out from time to time, especially when I see amazing works of art like these dresses by Versace. These are again a fantastic example of adding texture, but I don't even want to think about the time it took to make even one of these gowns.

(Photos: Versace)

Browsing on Etsy - Earrings

2011-03-25T15:33:00.003Z

I'm a big fan of hoop earrings, especially hoop earrings with dangling pretty things. So when I ran across these beauties from Natasha Khan Designs, I just had to share. With a price tag of $1,750, they are a little out of my range, but a girl can dream, can't she?

Macro Lens!

2011-03-23T02:33:00.002Z

After stalking Craigslist for a while and dreaming of getting a macro lens, while fully expecting it to stay firmly in my dreams, last week I found a steal! It is from the 70s, but apparently one of the best macro lenses Nikon ever made, and people still prefer it over the new ones. So without further ado, I give you yarn, up close and personal.

Texture: Quilting

2011-03-21T15:44:00.003Z

Since writing my post about smocking, I’ve been thinking about texture. My wardrobe tends to be on the plain side, but I think that texture is a great way to add interest without being flashy, and apparently I’m right in line with this season’s styles, according to this article.

A few weeks ago there was a post on Apartment Therapy about bedside tables, but i really fell in love with the quilt in one of the photos. While I think it’s great as an actual quilt, I also thought it would be fantastic as a dress or some other clothing item. Funnily enough, after thinking about all this on Friday, I found out that this past Saturday was national quilting day, so it fits right in!

Doing a little research didn’t turn up much in the way of quilted clothing, besides the ubiquitous quilted jacket, but I did turn up a few things which managed to bring a classic technique more up to date in terms of fashion. Thinking back to the fact that I started a little mini-quilt when I was about eight, and it still sits unfinished in with all my material may mean that I will never attempt anything of this sort, but it’s fun to look at.

A few high-end pieces to start with:

This dress by Zac Posen is on the more simple side, but is stunning.

Getting more 3-dimensional with Lanvin (photo from style.com via The Girl in the Check Scarf).

I figured Etsy would be a good place to look for quilted fashion, and I was able to turn up a few there as well:

While the quilting is really minimal on this dress by jenfashion, I think it’s a really modern take.

This dress by LoveInTheAfternoon reminds me of the Lanvin dress, at a much smaller price tag ($260 vs. an original price of $2,255, but on sale for $789).

How do you feel about quilting? Should it stay firmly on the bed, or can it migrate over to fashion?

Decorating with Frogs

2011-03-18T17:48:00.003Z

So frogs aren't typically the topic of most interior design blog posts, but I'm not typical. I currently have two toads, three grey tree frogs, and 2 amazon milk frogs, and they are all in some stage of adolescence. I just finished a beautiful new terrarium for the grey tree frogs, as they are almost grown up, and will be making a new big one for the amazon milk frogs next. Both of these are about 12" deep by 16" wide by 24" tall, so finding a place to put them is a little difficult. I've been playing with designs for a custom shelving unit, but I've always loved the look of metal etageres, and think they would be perfect for terrarium displays. Now I just have to find one that is the correct size and sturdy enough, which is unfortunately almost impossible.

A few inspiration photos from the archives:

Unfortunately, I saved these photos quite a while ago, and I have no idea where I got them, so if you know, let me know so I can credit them!

Graphic Punch

2011-03-17T15:08:00.003Z

I love the impact that a really graphic and bold item can have, like the headboard below:

I want to add a graphic piece of artwork to my gallery wall, as right now it's mainly photos and paintings of dc buildings and scenery. I don't have a current photo of the gallery wall up on the wall itself, but this gives you an idea of what's up:

I was thinking of trying my hand at making some art myself, but while perusing Etsy the other day, I came across Jackson Fabric Arts, a shop with handmade batik and other fabric, and was really struck with this fabric:

It comes in other colors as well, but this would look fantastic in my living room. What do you think, would this look good framed and up with the rest of my gallery wall?

Orchids and Butterflies

2011-03-17T14:29:00.005Z

One of my favorites of the Smithsonians is the Museum of Natural History, where boyfriend and I took a ramble a few weeks ago. Most of the museum is full of dead things, but there are few living items as well. I think it's a yearly thing, but they occasionally have an orchid exhibit, which is really amazing. Boyfriend and I got took some time to smell the orchids and learn a bit, as we wanted to head out to an orchid store in the boonies of Virginia to stock up on orchids for terrariums. Al's Orchid Greenhouse is amazing, and Al is quite the character himself. He went through the greenhouse with us and told us about every orchid that could possibly be used in a terrarium, and we came home with a nice selection.

Another exhibit at the museum that I like (which I think is a permanent exhibit) is the Orkin Insect Exhibit. I'm not sure how I feel about Orkin sponsoring it, but it's pretty neat. I liked the display window full of moth and butterfly chrysalises. I was able to sit there and watch one hatch.

I'm blue da ba dee da ba die...

2011-03-16T15:31:00.002Z

I haven't taken advantage of the fact that I live in a city full of free museums and great culturalness in a while, so boyfriend and I went to the Museum of Natural History and the National Botanic Gardens a few weeks ago. I haven't gotten a chance to go through all my photos yet, but here are some lovelies from the Gardens.

All Bagged Up

2011-03-15T16:56:00.003Z

Because I am car-free and commute via the Metro every day, I tend to carry my life around with me in my bag. I will have back problems the rest of my life, I'm sure, but try as I might, I can't leave my tote bag behind. It does make things a little difficult though, like when I'm madly digging through my bag to get out my ID card, so I've developed a system of bags within the bag, to corral like items. If I ever do decide I can go without the big tote bag for a day, I can decide which smaller bags are necessary, and which can stay home. The bags I'm currently using are an unattractive mismash of whatever I could find lying around the house, so this adorable airmail pouch is looking pretty darn attractive - nice price too, only $9!

How about you - do you have a method to the purse madness?

(photo courtesy of fredflare.com)

Have a Donut!

2011-03-08T16:33:00.004Z

So the other day I said something about how you eat donuts on Fat Tuesday, and boyfriend looked at me like I was crazy. I couldn't remember the name of the specific donut you're supposed to eat, but I eventually remembered it's a polish thing, so that's why he had no idea. My main connection to my polish heritage is through food, and I love sweet things, so you better believe this is a tradition I wanted to remember. So I perused wikipedia this morning to figure out exactly what I remembered eating. Turns out they are called Packzki and are actually eaten on fat Thursday in Poland, and on fat Tuesday by American Polish people. Hamtramck, a town enclosed by Detroit with a huge polish population, is where my Grandmother grew up, and is the only U.S. city to hold a Paczki day parade. Either on Tuesday or Thursday, they are delicious and it is a tradition that more people should follow. I had forgotten it was fat Tuesday until just now, but I did reward myself with a chocolate croissant for going to the doctor this morning, so I celebrated in my own way.

(photo courtesy of Wikipedia)

Shoes I Like

2011-03-08T15:18:00.003Z

So I have a bazillion things to post about, but they all require me to either take photos, or find photos somewhere in the 17 places I keep photos (need to work on my organizational skills). So here are a few photos of lovely shoes from, once again, the Sartorialist. I need to get a few basics for the spring, so my shoe wish list is a pair of nude pointy-toed stilettos (to replace my most beloved pair of shoes that finally kicked the bucket) and navy flats, so I can fully embrace navy this spring. What's on your shoe wish list?

Yellow - Need I Say More?

2011-03-07T18:03:00.003Z

So you probably have noticed that the majority of my fashion inspiration comes from the Sartorialist, but that's just because I'm lazy lately and don't read many blogs any more. His is one that I will read though, because it's pretty much just pictures. I do enjoy it when he adds a bit of commentary, as it's always interesting to see what exactly it is that catches someone's eye. This photo was from a post about this blue and yellow combo, which he was seeing all over London. That particular color is one of my current favorites, and I've been adding it into my bedroom, with my sheets and a few baskets. Yellow is always one of my favorites, and is also a key player in my apartment, as anyone who has seen my living room will say. I've always avoided navy in terms of fashion for some reason, sticking with black as my neutral, but every spring I say I'll give it a try. Since I'm deep in spring fever mode, I'll see if I can give it a go this year. And not only do I love the yellow of the bag, but it's just a fantastic bag all around.

(Photo by the Sartorialist)

Spring Green Plus Somewhere to Sit

2011-03-04T17:03:00.007Z

I love the color green, especially when I'm craving some springtime. Any shade will do, but bright grass green is my favorite. I would love a kitchen like this.

Also, I love those stools. Recently I went through a bit of a stool search myself, as I decided the stools I had just didn't cut it. My bar is pretty narrow, and essentially in the entryway, which like everything else in my apartment is very small. I had found two of these in black on Craigslist for a steal when I first moved in:

They worked fairly well, but were a little too big and cut off the entryway a bit. I don't have a photo of them in the space, but here is my bar when I was still moving in:

I sold them and set off to Ikea to find a replacement. It took me a little while, but I settled on these bad boys:

As to be expected, I don't have a photo of them in the entryway, but they work fantastically and I'm very happy with them. It is nice to have a back on a stool, but it really makes a big difference visually to not have it.

Photos courtesy of (1: I believe Apartment Therapy, 2 &4: Ikea, 3: Me)

Where to Put My Coffee?

2011-03-04T16:47:00.005Z

Today I'm here to talk to you about coffee tables. I normally would never consider not having a coffee table, especially since I don't have a dedicated dining table anymore, but my current apartment makes it a bit difficult. My living room is only about 9 feet wide, and by the time you throw a couch on one side and bookshelves on the other, it's hard to fit in a coffee table. This is what it looked like when I first moved in, just so you have an idea of what I'm working with here:

Sidenote: I really need to take new pictures of my apartment. Since then I have added doors to the bottom two shelves of the bookshelves, bought a new rug, decided I didn't like it and made a new rug (stay tuned for that one), sold that couch, and got my other couch back from boyfriend.

Anyway, I have tried a couple of options, including a bench (as shown in my old apartment):

as well as a pair of end tables boyfriend and I made out of copper pipes with wood tops (no photo of that one because I'm so behind on photographing my projects).

Both things just seemed to make the living room busy, but it's really annoying not have a surface to put things on. I do have end tables, but it's just so much more convenient to have the coffee table. I was thinking perhaps something in acrylic would work, as it would visually disappear, but it's not really my style. I did run across this one, I think on Apartment Therapy, a while ago, which I found on Amazon, but I'm not sure:

Thoughts? If you can think of a better way to arrange the room as well, let me know. I've spent a few evenings getting a work out moving stuff around, but it always ends up the same way.

Time for a Little Romance...

2011-02-21T17:23:00.004Z

I've been drawn to the floaty and flirty romantic looks lately, which is why I was attracted to this photo on the Sartorialist. The raspberry accents really make it pop - I might just go dig through my closet and see if I can come up with anything in that color now!

Friday Quickie

2011-02-18T15:07:00.002Z

So I've been trying to be better about the blogging these days, so I'll squeeze in just enough time this morning for a quickie. I typically don't have the energy to follow all that goes on during fashion week, so I glean bits and pieces from my internet wanderings and see what other people like. I know, I'm a bit of a fashion scavenger, but it works for me. Julee Wilson on the Simply Stated blog did a round up of a few of her favorite looks, and I really liked this one, from the Chris Benz show. I really like the shape of the skirt for some reason. As a short person, it's hard to wear a longer skirt and not look even shorter, but having the hem asymmetrical like this is a way to get around that.

Happy Anniversary...

2011-02-09T14:45:00.003Z

....to me! Today is my 4 year anniversary of becoming a Washingtonian. It's amazing how time flies.

How do we feel about smocking?

2011-02-08T15:01:00.005Z

In my life, I left smocking behind when I was about, oh, four or five. But it's been percolating in the back of my mind for a while now, and if I ever develop some patience, I might try it myself. Here are a few examples from my inspiration files.

Bottega Veneta - love the fullness of the skirt

Threads magazine has a tutorial on this stitch I might try

Preen - I love the floatiness.

Random smocking from Michael Kors

Photos courtesy of 1&2: disdressed 3: Stitcher's Guild, 4&5: Threads, 6&7: The Sartorialist

Take a Seat

2011-02-07T19:37:00.003Z

I'm sure any regular reader is well aware of my slight fixation on chairs and seating, and it's gotten worse since I've been thinking about upgrading my couch. I would really like a sleeper sofa, and since they tend to be slightly short on style (at least in my budget), I even came up with plans to build my own. Luckily, boyfriend talked me into putting that idea on the shelf, for a while at least, but I can still dream. Anyways, that long-winded introduction was for this little beauty, which doesn't fulfill any of my new sofa requirements, but is still adorable. I think it would work fantastically in an entryway, as it doesn't quite have the comfort level required for living room seating, at least for me.

(photo courtesy of Apartment Therapy)

Roll with it?

2011-02-04T17:20:00.003Z

I've been a big fan of the the Sartorialist for a long time now, and sometimes I am inspired by his photographs, and sometimes I just have to shake my head and say, "That's fashion?" But then other times I'm indecisive and can't decide what to think. It's been a while since I've taken a look, so I was catching up on a bunch of photos, and came across two similar looks that I feel like I like, but will probably just look ridiculous on me - the rolled up skinny jeans with booties and socks:

I just bought these booties:
which would work perfectly, and I have skinny jeans that I usually just wear in the summer, because I only like them rolled up a bit, so it's totally doable. I might give it a try tomorrow and see how it goes. What do you think, yea or nay?

Moving Up in Being Stuck

2011-01-20T18:37:00.002Z

DC has finally made it to the top - in traffic congestion that is. Normally LA gets that distinction, but this year DC and Chicago are tied for first. Some may see that as a negative, but as a transportation engineer who doesn't own a car, I call it job security. :)

Explain This To Me

2010-12-30T15:52:00.002Z

So, I've owned a poofy vest for about 5 or 6 years now, and only worn it a few times. That is because I feel, deep down, that it should be a useful garment, and I am unable to get rid of it, but really, I just don't see the point. Extremities, like arms for example, are the part of the body that get cold fastest, so if it's cold enough for me to pull out my poofy wardrobe, would I choose something that ensures I will freeze my arms off? Sure, you can layer the sweater or sweatshirt underneath it, but in my last foray into poofy vest wearing, I wore a hooded sweatshirt and a hat and gloves to ensure adequate warmth and then walked all over DC, and I'm pretty sure at least 3 people thought I was homeless. Do you wear a poofy vest? And can you explain the logic/situation in which it's applicable?

Getting into the Christmas Spirit!

2010-11-30T04:40:00.002Z

A trip up to boyfriend's cabin a week ago means I came home with a Christmas tree! It's pretty small, but it is the first tree I've had living all by myself, so I had fun decorating. :) Now I just need to figure out when to have a party!

Woo Hoo!

2010-11-18T23:18:00.004Z

I just got my fifteen minutes of fame! I made it onto the front page of Etsy! Totables is doing quite well these days, and I'm gearing up for my first craft show, so if you're in the DC area come on out! The details are:

T.C. Williams High School

3330 King Street

Alexandria, VA

Saturday, December 18th

10 am to 4 pm

The craft show is being put on by the advanced engineering class and is supporting Joining Hearts and Hands, an organization that promotes educational, health, and economic well fare for the people of Kenya and Tanzania. This organization, founded by William and Joanne Cala, has raised money to build schools, health clinics water wells, and latrines in these countries. They have also provided secondary school scholarships for students and created micro-businesses to promote self-sustainability.

High Speed Bus, Anyone?

2010-11-17T16:40:00.000Z

Ah, it's funny because it's almost true:

http://www.theonion.com/video/obama-replaces-costly-highspeed-rail-plan-with-hig,18473/

The 100 Greatest Cult Restaurants of All Time

2010-11-03T13:29:00.003Z

So I was perusing the Real Simple blogs, and came across a post on The 100 Greatest Cult Restaurants of All Time. The definition of a cult restaurant is:

- Having a highly devoted customer base, divided between locals and tourists
- Stellar and unique food
- An almost unbearable wait
- Not too many multiple locations
- Cheap—less then $20 per person for a meal

Sounds good to me, so I counted up where I had been on the list, along with my own commentary.

9. Ben’s Chili Bowl (Washington, D.C.) - I hate chili, and therefore am not a fan.

18. Ray’s Hell Burgers (Arlington, VA) - Pretty good burger, and I may be going against regional judgement here, but I've had better.

54. Voodoo Doughnut (Portland, OR)

70. Dinosaur BBQ (Syracuse, NY) - I actually ate at the NYC location, and Salt Lick should totally be above it on the list.

80. Salt Lick Bar-B-Que (Driftwood, TX) - Best BBQ in the world.

84. Busboys & Poets (Washington, D.C.) - Fun place to hang out, not sure their food warrants them being on the list.

96. Georgetown Cupcake (Washington, D.C.) - Way too popular for its own good.

Anyone else have thoughts on the list?

Costume Madness, Part 2!

2010-11-02T01:26:00.002Z

So here we go - the reveal! The rally was a lot of fun, despite not being able to meet up with multiple groups of friends. It ended up just being me, boyfriend, and another friend, Brian.

What most of the rally looked like to me.

Until I got to see the view from boyfriend's shoulders.

After a quick change at home, time to go out on the town in my second costume of the day! It ended up being more Vegas showgirl then sexy monster, but it worked.

Meeting Maxwell

2010-10-29T19:18:00.004Z

So as anyone who has read my blog for any amount of time knows that I love Apartment Therapy. So imagine how excited I was to find out that Maxwell (creator of Apartment Therapy) was going to do a presentation and booksigning last night in DC! I was one of those people that pre-ordered the Big Book of Small Cool Spaces, so yeah, it's awesome to have it signed.

Costume Madness!

2010-10-21T16:14:00.004Z

I love halloween - it's one of my favorite holidays. I love candy and I love dressing up, so what could be better? I've missed out on dressing up the past couple of years for various reasons (I spent last halloween camping in a treehouse), so I'm super excited about making up for lost time. This means two, maybe three costumes. First off is Saturday during the day, for the Rally to Restore Sanity. Several coworkers and I are dressing up as Waldo, so if you happen to catch it on TV, keep an eye out for me.

I was supposed to be running the Marine Corps 10k on Sunday morning, but due to my big toe getting into a fight with a table and ending up with the raw end of the deal, that may be out of the picture now, we'll see. But I had lots of ideas for running costumes - Tinker Bell, Peter Pan, tooth fairy, flash dance....some really good ones.

So that leaves me with the main event - Saturday night. This costume has taken up many hours of planning, visiting three fabric stores so far, with more to come, and a few disagreements with the boyfriend. The inspiration was sexy monster, aka this dress, which I cannot afford:

I totally can make something similar though, so I thought it all out. The yarn might be a bit tedious, so I thought I would change it to feathers, and use boas. Unfortunately, there just isn't a lot out there for sexy feather monster costumes. Or sexy monsters in general. I wouldn't recommend googling it, just so you know. So after coming up wiht many design options ourselves, one of which boyfriend even dreamed about, I've decided to go the more simple route due to time constraints and start with a sequined mini dress and add a feather skirt. I've also purchased a feather wig, because no costume is complete without a wig. Stay tuned for the reveal!

A Snapshot of My Life

2010-10-14T14:27:00.001Z

So I'm taking an online time management workshop, because I'm ridiculous these days and not getting anything done. It started last week and I'm a week behind. Sad...

Goodness is the Only Word for It

2010-10-12T17:57:00.002Z

So it's not really an exaggeration to say that at a minimum, my diet is made up of 25% cheese. And potatoes are right up there on the histogram of most commonly eaten foods by Laura. So when I came across a recipe for gnocci mac and cheese, you better believe that I may be getting a little more rotund in the future.

Definitely Not Taking a Dip Now

2010-09-02T15:29:00.004Z

So back in Austin, while canoeing on Town Lake (aka the Colorado River), I convinced Bushwoman that there were alligators in the water. Of course there were none, but it was all good fun.

The Potomac, in my mind, is equally unlikely to contain vicious man-eating beasts, but unfortunately I'm wrong - according to NBC Washington, a man caught an 8-foot bull shark in the Potomac southeast of DC. Eeek!

How Do You Really Feel About It?

2010-09-02T14:13:00.003Z

So one of the things I like about Apartment Therapy is the comments. There are some true gems, and once you've been reading awhile, you think, I wonder what so-and-so will say to this post? I've actually seen comments saying they wonder what so-and-so will think, which is awesome. Today there was a great one, on a post about floor cushions:

I once mentioned to a friend that I hate sitting on the floor more than anything.

"Really?" he replied, "More than EVIL?"

My answer was yes.

I Love a Good Before and After...

2010-09-01T14:46:00.003Z

...but in this case I love the before more. I was perusing realsimple.com this morning and came across some bedroom before and afters (I promise my bedroom is really almost done!), and the after just doesn't do it for me. I think I just like the colors of the before better, although obviously it does need some work. What do you think?

Before

After

(Photos courtesy of http://www.realsimple.com/home-organizing/decorating/bedroom/bedroom-makeovers-00000000041356/index.html?xid=weeklynews-09-01-2010)

Up, Down, and All Around

2010-08-18T03:52:00.005Z

So yeah, here goes the last how every many months it's been since I've posted - I got laid off in June, freaked out for two days, and then decided to enjoy my summer and hang out by the pool (while looking for a job, no worries). I actually ended up getting a job faster than I thought, 3.5 weeks from the day I got laid off to the day I got my offer, so I was a little bummed my pool time was getting cut short. So I parlayed three more weeks out of the deal, dividing it equally between more lazy time, a trip home to Michigan to see the fam, and a trip down to Honduras to see boyfriend's dad and stepmom. Cue dramatic travel sagas involving much internal cursing of Delta (I'll spare you all the dramatic details, but it wasn't pretty). And now life is pseudo back to normal. Well, as normal as life can be when you start a job three weeks before four DC-area offices of your company decide to play musical chairs. Anyways, boring details aside, I enjoyed my time hanging out and I enjoy being a productive member of society again.

Random Fact: The thing that I miss most about the old job (aside from my wonderful friends) is the tv in the elevator that filled me in on the news of the day. Every day for the past week and a half I've gotten in the elevator and looked up, only to be filled with disappointment, not to mention it was always fun to toss random statements in conversations about what my elevator told me that day. Excuse the rustiness, I'm just getting back in the saddle, but no worries, I'm back for good now. :)

A Little Overbuilt, Perhaps?

2010-07-16T15:11:00.003Z

So it has been a really long time, I know, but there has been a bit of stuff going on lately. I'm really close to finally finishing up my apartment, with the loft bed built, and one set out of two of copper pipe shelves soldered together and my bathroom all painted, so stay tuned for the final results!

But in other news, I received a local breaking news email from the Washington Post this morning, which explained an unusual shaking I felt in the night. Apparently, the DC area had an earthquake of 3.6 magnitude, and the loft bed shook, but was completely fine. :) I was a little sleepy, so I was confused by my bed shaking, but not awake enough to actually think about it.

The Morning After

2010-06-09T16:22:00.003Z

So yesterday, after 1 year and 2 months, I caved and lost my re-found hair virginity. That's right, I am now a redhead! I even did highlights and all, but they were a little off with my skin tone, so I am parting my hair on the other side until I get a little more tan.

I Just Fell A Little Bit in Love...

2010-06-04T20:00:00.004Z

...with these fabulously beautiful shoes, found via Apartment #34.

Cooking with Carrie

2010-05-27T19:35:00.003Z

So despite all the bad reviews, I will be going to see Sex and the City 2 at some point, as someone who owns all six seasons and the first movie on DVD. But I'm not expecting much. I did get a peak at the interior design in the movie on Elle Decor and had a pleasant surprise. I had run across a tile I loved in a wine shop in Rosslyn a few years ago, and here it is popping up in Carrie's kitchen! It's not the greatest picture of the tile itself, but I just love the textured look of them.

I have a bone to pick with geography

2010-05-27T13:59:00.004Z

So I was reading a blog post about traveling around the world, and the writer talked about Equatorial Guinea, and how expensive it was. And I thought, oh, bushwoman was supposed to have gone there for Peace Corps, but then there were riots or something, and so she went to Botswana and lived in the bush instead. But then I thought, oh wait, there are multiple Guineas, let me check on that. Yeah, turns out she was supposed to have gone to just plain Guinea, not Equatorial Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, or French Guinea (another continent altogether). Well, French Guinea is technically Guyane, but it's also called French Guinea, so it's close enough.

So my gripe is this - with all the millions of words in the hundreds of languages in the world, four countries have to be named essentially the same thing? I would think the makers of geography could be a little more creative than that.

Sad Day

2010-05-25T14:11:00.002Z

Very sad news. Friday night I came home and discovered that Lewis had died. He had been really dark colored and lethargic for a few days, but I'm not sure what it was that he died from. He had a rough froglethood, as we had no idea what we were doing when we got the tadpoles, but he was a trooper.

R.I.P my beloved baby frog.

Fashion Inspiration

2010-05-21T18:13:00.004Z

I love it when a photo speaks to me on different levels. The photo below is of an editor of Martha Stuart Living (if I remember correctly), and is quite obvious the specific person and her dog are the subject. No offense, but I can't even really remember who she is, so that obviously wasn't important to me. What I found inspiring in the photo was her beautiful scarf. As many people who know me know that a scarf is my most frequent accessory, it's not surprising. But it's not just the scarf itself that I love. The slate grey and punch of red work fantastically together and the proportions that they are used are beautiful, and can be translated in so many different ways - different items of clothing, interior design, how a photo is framed to capture something similar, and the list goes on. How are you inspired by the little things in a photo?

(photo courtesy of Martha Stuart Living)

Taxation without Representation

2010-05-18T14:10:00.003Z

So anyone who moves to DC finds out really quickly that living in a district is a little different than living in a state. I never really took great offense to the fact that we don't have any voting senators or representatives, because I still had my own vote. But I've been living here over three years now, and it's starting to get to me. I went on a tour of the Capitol with my parents when they were here in April, and the whole thing was pretty much a snub on Washingtonians. We came really close last month to getting representation, but it stalled when gun control provisions (or rather gun uncontrol provisions) were added to the bill. So this morning I came across an article in the Washington Post that details how Puerto Rico is now in the runnings for becoming the 51st state. Really? Really?

Previously on Lost

2010-05-17T14:17:00.002Z

So I'm a bit of a lostie - it all started back during Season 2 when I stayed with bushwoman over Christmas break and we watched all of Season 1 on DVD in 3 days. While I, and millions of other people, will be a little lost when it all ends this weekend, I found out what I'm doing this Saturday - catching up on what happened in a musical fashion at the Iota Club, with the Brooklyn-based band Previously on Lost, which writes songs about episodes of the show. Any other losties out there wanna join me?

Sit Down and Take A Load Off

2010-05-17T14:14:00.002Z

We all know about my slight chair obsession, which isn't going anywhere soon. Here's a chair from the inspiration file - I've always loved this one.

(photo courtesy of Apartment Therapy - I think)

Ready to Take Off

2010-05-14T21:53:00.001Z

DSC_8574, originally uploaded by sassyladie4567.

My Baby!

2010-05-14T21:52:00.001Z

DSC_8778, originally uploaded by sassyladie4567.

Isn't he a cutie?

Babies Just in Time for Mother's Day!

2010-05-13T18:54:00.002Z

Boyfriend went up to the cabin last weekend and had a special delivery for me when he came back - 3 tadpoles! They came from the same tire rut that Lewis and Clark came from, so my hope is that they are gray tree frogs, but we'll find out in a couple of months. The frog guru (actual title) on the frog forum I frequent thinks they may be toad tadpoles, so that made me a little nervous. They are really small, so I'm thinking they just hatched from eggs, but they are quite active and fun to watch. I can't wait for little baby froglets - they are so adorable. :)

Finding My Way Around Storage

2010-05-12T14:55:00.003Z

Two for one Tuesday! Oh wait, it's Wednesday. Oh well, here is another random project that I had finished a while ago. I've posted before about my design dilemmas when it comes to my bathroom, and unfortunately I'm no further along now. But back when I was thinking about making it transportation-themed, to fit with the Metro map shower curtain, I saw on the internet some baskets made out of newspaper. This got my little brain a chugging, and I finally came up with a purpose for all the maps that I've been hoarding. Everyone has their thing they can't get rid of, and for me, it's maps. I either think that I will at some point use it again, or I just like to have it as a souvenir. But the fact of the matter is, they usually end up taking up space in a drawer somewhere. So about 10 maps later, I now have a map basket!

And yes, the edge is a little crooked, but for a first try, not so bad, I think. I modpodged the crap out of it, so it's holding up pretty well in the bathroom.

The Bathroom Chair Reveal

2010-05-12T14:45:00.003Z

So I have a backlog of random projects that I have done in the past, oh, six months, so here goes. You may be familiar with the chair that I found free on boyfriend's street, and intended to redo to match the bathroom in my old apartment. Well, needless to say, I'm really slow when it comes to projects, so it didn't get finished until after I moved and no longer had room for it and it doesn't match my new apartment. So I am currently in the process of trying to sell it on Craigslist and getting very frustrated with the approximately 17 people who have left me dangling multiple times. Anyways, here is the original, in its intended setting:

and here is the finished product:

The idea was to get a faux-lacquer effect, so boyfriend had read up on the process, which involved a coat of primer, a couple of coats of flat paint, and the floor wax. It ended up being more of a semi-gloss finish, but I was too lazy to try harder for something that didn't work in my apartment any more. Back in high school I had drawn a super sweet monogram with a celtic knot border and fancyiness in art class, and I intended the monogram to be the same, as I had spent quite a bit of time on it. Unfortunately, it seems to have disappeared from my stash of random artwork, which makes me really sad. So I had to improvise and I think it came out pretty nice. Now hopefully someone with the initials LBM wants a new chair.

First Fridays - Leaping Forward with Twins of a Gazelle

2010-05-06T14:06:00.007Z

So I've been super busy lately, but I'm coming out of my internet hiding with a splash to fill you in on what you should be doing tomorrow night. Last month I got the chance to go the the first First Fridays show of Twins of a Gazelle, with the vocals and guitar provided by my friend David-Craig, along with Noah on the cello, Emily Chimiak on the violin, Arthur Harrison playing the theremin (really amazing instrument, I was fascinated), and Christina on the viola.

It was a great intimate acoustic show, mixing mellow, soothing sounds with some great foot-tapping melodies that I, at least, couldn't sit still to. The link above is to one of their songs, so definitely take a listen and see for yourself.

And I say all this to announce what everyone in DC should be doing tomorrow night, namely, attending the second First Fridays show! This month The Echo Wall will be joining Twins of a Gazelle, along with a painting raffle from Emily, who has incredible work. I've got my fingers crossed to win this time! All of the details are on the poster below as well as on Facebook:

May's Event
June's Event

So despite the fact I brought my camera and took lots of pictures, they are currently on my computer at home and I haven't even looked through them yet. So here are some fantastic photos taken by M.V. Jantzen:

So come on down to Mid City Caffe (1626 14th Street Northwest) at 7 p.m. tomorrow night! I hope to see you there!

May I walk all over you?

2010-04-05T13:44:00.004Z

Pretty rugs of the day.

Angela Adams Rug in Nectar/Dandelion, via Black.White.Yellow

Unidentified beautiful rug via Apartment Therapy

The Great Divide

2010-04-01T14:38:00.004Z

So boyfriend is starting a new job in a week and a half, which is awesome, except for one little thing. It's in Virginia. And not just like, across the river Virginia like where he currently works. It's out there. I'll fully admit it - I'm a city snob. I refuse to ever live in Virginia and pretend that I'm from "DC". But I'm trying really hard to be supportive and encouraging, because that's what girlfriends do. He currently has no plans to move, but that could change once he tests out the commute, but hopefully he wouldn't move all the way out there, just into the across the river territory. But I was doing a little google-mapping for work, and I came across a road that I fully support him living on, because it's awesome. Who can resist living on Frying Pan Road? And no, I won't even make him buy an alpaca, which is the current requirement for him moving to Fairfax County.

View Larger Map

Memorializing a Town of Memorials?

2010-03-30T16:39:00.004Z

So I've been a bit flummoxed about what to do with my bathroom. I moved in with all white bathroom towels, shower curtain and rug (remember the pink bathroom?), and was planning on doing a sort of chic french sort of look, bringing in some black accessories, including a black wire mannequin earring holder thing I got for Christmas. That all changed when I went to Bed, Bath, and Beyond and was forced to buy the DC Metro system map shower curtain. I know the typical way to decorate around that would be to pull out the primary colors and go crazy. The bathroom is the one space you can really do that, but for some reason, I just can't get a good picture in my head of what it should look like. It also doesn't help matters that the tiles on the floor and in the shower are white with the occasional brown tile. If it weren't for that stupid brown tile, it would be a different story. But anyways, I digress. My idea was to try and make it transportation themed of some sort, and so I made a basket out of extra maps I've had lying around, with the intention of making more, but that has yet to be seen. And I still couldn't picture how to pull it all together.

Enter this month's edition of Real Simple/a random blog where I saw the same thing. I love graphic posters, and the travel posters for state capitals by The Heads of State are fantastic. I like them all, but I thought, why not go all out and DCify my bathroom? I'm thinking this:

and this:

I've been wanting to get the Ork poster for a while now, and this just gives me an excuse. :) So my question is, does this constitute an overly kitschy-themey bathroom?

(photo 1: The Heads of State, photo 2: Ork)

Lewis' New Home

2010-03-30T16:14:00.003Z

So I realized that I had forgotten to post a very momentous occasion that occurred a week ago - Lewis moved into his completed terrarium! He's very happy having extra room to leap around in and explore. He was a little confused by the waterfall at first though, as he had never seen running water before. He stared intently at it for several minutes and then tried to eat it - apparently everything that moves is food, in his head.

Now that this is done, boyfriend has massive plans to make a Cambodian temple terrarium for Troy and Hines, his two original dart frogs.

Dress for the Part

2010-03-26T17:11:00.007Z

I'm a transportation geek, I fully admit it. My shower curtain is the DC metro system:

So I was really excited when I came across this dress via Humble Ablog, but unfortunately it's no longer available. :( Hmm...having interesting thoughts now about converting my shower curtain into a dress....

(photo 1: Izola Shower, photo 2: Nordstrom)

Life To Do List

2010-03-26T14:22:00.005Z

So awhile ago I decided to start a "Things to accomplish before I die" sort of list. This kind of petered out as I haven't added to it since. But I was reading Martha's blog today (gotta love Martha), and she will be making pierogi with her nieces on her show next week.

Being "of polish heritage" myself (Martha's politically correct way of saying that), I have also grown up with this polish staple at holiday dinners, although mine are usually of the Mrs. T variety.

So anyways, I've been wanting to learn how to make them from scratch for a while now, so that is a good addition to my Life To Do list.

To Do:

1. Travel around southern Europe for one month (accomplish by mid-forties).
2. Make pierogis from scratch.

(photos courtesy of: 1: the Martha blog, 2: Mrs. T's)

Getting Things Done

2010-03-26T02:21:00.005Z

So, in an effort to finally pull my apartment together, I'm doing the Apartment Therapy Spring Cure. This week was focused on the kitchen, and so it got a deep clean and organizational frenzy, as the cupboards weren't quite arranged the way I wanted. Side note - who knew an oven could get dusty? I mean, I know I don't use it that much, but still, there was an actual layer of dust on the bottom inside my oven.

I can't get too creative with the design, as the wall below is literally the only available wall space in the whole kitchen. I tried to tie in the yellow of the living room with my tea kettle and paper towel holder, and then I pulled these three platters out of a box where they've lived for several years and hung them on the wall.

One of the things to do weekly in the Cure is to buy fresh flowers - this week was daffodils!

And onto one of my projects that's been hanging over my head - the gallery wall. After much debate, my orderly engineer side won out and I went with a geometric layout. I was planning on getting some of my photos printed for this, but I had some of my mural photos printed that I had never framed, so I went with those instead. These have a bit of a long history for me, and it's only taken about 3 years for me to decide I wanted them on my wall to get them up there. :)

The feature piece, my Christmas present from boyfriend, is a photo collage that has yet to be framed (it's the large square one on the floor), but the rest of them are hung up and look good (if I do say so myself). I'm anticipating it will grow, but these are just all the random frames/photos/artwork I had laying around.

Update on other random apartment projects - we actually managed to get a little bit of work done on the loft bed last weekend, that is, until the circular saw battery ran out and we realized the extra battery and charger were at boyfriend's house. I have high hopes of getting stuff done this weekend, but we'll see. :) The gorgeous weather we've been having means we can actually work outside, so that is a definite plus. Stay tuned for more updates!

Feeling a Little Square

2010-03-23T13:37:00.004Z

Seeing as how I have as yet to finish up my gallery wall, I figured I might as well add to my inspiration file. This one doesn't fit with the artwork I currently have, but is a possibility for another location, perhaps. I really like the skinny white frames against the white wall.

Photo courtesy of Apartment Therapy)

Fly Through the Air...

2010-03-09T14:39:00.004Z

So I've committed the cardinal sin of blogging - I've been terrible about posting lately. Hopefully this will get better soon, but rest assured, I'm still alive, just my life is very boring lately and full of work. But there have been a few bright spots, mainly, my mini-vacation last weekend with some co-workers to the Bahamas. It mostly involved eating, sleeping, and eating and sleeping on the beach. When we finally got tired of relaxing, we had fun learning the trapeze, which was so amazing! I think I've found my new calling...

New Life Goal...

2010-02-25T18:31:00.003Z

So after reading this article, I have turned my life around. I will devote my life to raising the world's tallest dogs.

(photo courtesy of Daily Mail via i suwannee)

New Additions to the Family

2010-02-22T17:08:00.003Z

So I'm sure you are all wondering how my Saturday spent with frogs was, and as you've probably guessed, we came home with a few new additions. We now have four Allobates femoralis froglets, which are a kind of dart frogs from Peru. I've learned the difference between people who keep dart frogs and people who keep tree frogs this weekend, which was interesting. Dart froggers (that's the actual term, interestingly enough), keep frogs as a hobby, and so they don't usually get common names, only scientific names, let alone actually have the owner give them an individual name. I guess when you keep 450 frogs, it's difficult to come up with enough names. But tree froggers tend to keep frogs more as pets and give them names, which is why I like them better. But without further ado, I introduce you to one of the new babies (we're not naming them until we see how their characters are).

Frogtime!

2010-02-19T21:42:00.003Z

So I haven't done a post on my frog baby in a while, and seeing as how boyfriend has talked me into going to a meeting of the mid-Atlantic dendrobate society tomorrow, I figured it was applicable. I'm totally making fun of it now - it's being held in someone's basement, who has 81 terrariums down there - but I know as soon as I get there I will immediately get really excited. Dendrobates are dart frogs, which I'm not as fond of, but boyfriend loves them, so hopefully I won't be too tempted to come home with some new friends, but we'll see. Anyways, here are some pictures of Lewis, chilling on his rock.