snapshots

hello!

popped in to share a few snapshots of my new place:

artwork credits:
<first photo: claire print by lulie wallace, vintage carousel photograph by alicebgardens on etsy, vintage rose drawing>
<second photo: vintage print of pinkie by sir thomas lawrence>
<third photo: vintage florals>
<last photo going clockwise: roses scrapbook paper available from paper source, anthropologie fabric ampersand circa 2007, little inky riding hood by amberalexander on etsy, vintage mushroom needlepoint, vintage floral needlepoint from etsy>


until next time,
S

again.

well, here i go again. moving. you know, that thing i have been doing every year since i was in college.

snow and graham change of address note

last week i got a notice under my door that my lease out in the suburbs was up (well, in march).
i thought about re-signing, then thought better of it. i am over the 30 minute commute. and i'm excited to get back to the action.








i quickly went on craigslist, visited some spots, and signed myself to a new home.

it's different for me this time, no little luxuries - but for all the right reasons. it's funny how what once was important becomes secondary. of course this happens throughout life, but funny to experience it firsthand with apartment hunting. :)

my new apartment:

pros:
close to my pals. here's to late night coffees and saturday brunch. all within walking distance.
short commute to work
shorter commute to the weekend
wood floors
vintage charm (clawfoot tub!)
6 closets. in an old place like this, that put me over the edge.
the perfect place to host a party.

cons:
basement coin laundry (a good workout)
outdoor parking (but it's my very own parking spot)
no air conditioning (window unit will be just fine)
no dishwasher (rarely cook anyway. we're talking soup on the stove.)


unfortunately, no photos to share until march 1st. until then, i am brainstorming all sorts of fun layouts with my furniture. always such a fun challenge for me.

hope all is well.

until next time,
S

sunday shopping

out and about again.

started with a starbucks. when i have messy bun hair, i find lipstick helps pull me together. unfortunately, my starbucks cup doesn't always appreciate. anyone have tips on how to prevent?

at target, saw the prettiest aisle of home decor product.

 


so feminine. i just love it! especially those lamps (too bad i am already over my lamp quota..)

post target, i popped into west elm.

 

the cheery yellow tray, along with these watercolor bird pillows caught my eye.






lastly, i stopped over at hunt and gather. (such a treat for the eyes!) i had stayed away all winter long, not wanting to be tempted by home goods during the season of gifting. this nightstand caught my eye. something about curved legs and glass knobs get me every time.

then, this amazing red locker suite. couldn't you imagine in an entryway instead of a hall closet?

 

 

i want that dog. in a bad way. perfect for a bookshelf. he might come home with me next time...





how was your weekend? any good finds?


until next time,
S

who's coming home?

after weeks of fabulous promotions from west elm from rugs to side tables and dining room chairs, this week all lighting is 20% off - including the beloved owl table lamp!

so excited.

he will be the perfect addition in my crafty space. welcome home :)

until next time,
S

in progress

hello there!

i am so excited about what is going on organizationally in my home right now. all the ideas to finish up my apartment decorating have been piling up; finally there is time to complete them.

my lovely friend A came over to help me get started last night. we did the blank wall in my "studio space." it is so nice to do these projects with a friend - thank you so much for your amazing vision and handy-lady skills! :) i can't wait to keep going.

here is a sneak peak:

 

vintage sampler ~ anthropologie
vintage japanese paper lanterns ~ rose mille
papier-mâché antlers ~ west elm
white "gallery frames" ~ west elm
art prints ~ photo copies of stationery from green room eco


more to come!

until next time,
S

closet dreams

oh you know... the dream closet.

one with everything in its place. yeah. i am still dreaming. elfa seems to make the dream a little more achievable.

1. they now offer apartment friendly organization with their freestanding wall solutions. perfect for an apartment dweller like me, who also happens to move annually. i need something sturdy and practical, but one that can also morph into new and changing spaces. i always thought i could never use elfa since it is wall-installed. wall-installed no longer!

2. there is an online design center where you can play around and build your own. even if you don't end up using elfa, you can get great inspiration for closet layouts like these:

my current walk-in closet is unfortunate in layout (each side wall has one long bar for hanging, smack in the middle of the wall). these above layouts are perfect for the type of storage i actually need - enough for all my dresses and then one for tops/skirts/blazers. i don't have much folded clothing and what i do have could easily stack on top. (it goes without saying, i could also have a major closet purge session and not need to worry about storage, but let's face it. i love getting dressed in different outfits every day.... so it's never going to happen.)

whether or not i save up for the real elfa or just use it as inspiration is also another matter, but i am definitely excited about the possibilities and had to share with you.

now if only i could get a cute guy to install. ;)

until next time,
S

my living sanctuary

oh i am so excited to finally share some more photos of my living space (living room + dining room turned second living room + kitchen bar stools) with you! i still have to hang the curtains, but it is basically done. (whew! one room down, two to go eh!?)

it turned out very girly (a little vintage, a little bohemian eclectic, some modern elements thrown in too. sort of an homage to a lady anthropologie) and absolutely reflects my personal style. i love, love, love it. i tried to upload the photos i took so that you could clockwise around the room. hopefully it makes sense. :)

so above is when you first walk into the room (past the art-wall entryway) and face left.

 

 

 

and back to the beginning again!

until next time,
S

it's up!

finally. that's the only thing i could think when i walked into my apartment on monday night and saw that the chandelier was hung over the daybed (in the traditional dining room) by the maintenance man. then of course it only took a moment before i started enjoying how pretty it looked above the daybed.

that doesn't really show you anything, does it?  how about a wider shot? with daybed?

here is one more of the daybed (prior to the chandelier being hung...) and my little lavender cabinet next to the daybed.

it's finally all starting to come together.

last weekend i purchased a couple more pillows from west elm for my daybed. i wanted to add in a hint of modern to take the daybed away from the more traditional cottage feel.  (oh yeah, and i couldn't resist the little ceramic owl. i'll show you where he ended up another time.)

west elm delights by prettycupcake on Polyvore.com

 i know, i know. it still is very cottagey. but.. trust me. they totally helped. :) and the hint of yellow ties into the other side of the room.

just a smaller scope snapshot for now. i still need to hang one more window above the couch. maybe i can do that tonight and take a full shot to share later this week?

what do you think so far? it's definitely moving in a feminine, but eclectic direction.

until next time,
S

Embroidered Bird of Paradise Pillow Cover | west elm
$24 - westelm.com

Jason Polan Vidalia Pillow Cover | west elm
$20 - westelm.com

Ceramic Owl Small, White | west elm
$16 - westelm.com

sneak peak: entry way

hello! oooh i am so excited to share my first real sneak peak of my apartment with you! what better way to start than the entryway? ready?!
...come on in!

yep! this is my view right as i swing open my apartment. enchanting i hope! i had an art wall way back when in my studio apartment (year 2009-2010) and i was ready to ressurect the concept in the entry hall. prints are a mix of etsy, vintage, reproduction. same for the frames. opposite the entry wall is a bathroom and a closet door. i'll share those during a full tour later.
here's is a view from the other direction (like if you were leaving...)

my vintage organizer/mail holder is in the nook right next to the door. perfect for keys, mail, etc.

and what is under the art wall? well you know i love a good organization center! because the closet is across the way, i don't need to store umbrellas or coats, but i did want a plce to set mail, extra flip-flops, and sunglasses, so i used an older smaller bookcase. it still needs a coat of white paint, but it hints at my inspiration in functionality, for sure.

 

(i forgot to move my slippers! whoops!)

up next? finishing the rest of the living room and eventually you'll get the whole tour.  :)

until next time,
S

well, hello again.

this is only a quickie note to say hi! i am here! (well, sort of. still no internet at my new place. i think i will wait until mid june? not sure yet.)

pottery barn cubby organizers in weathered white (old apartment, fall 2010)

i have been busy with my move, which is finally complete. no more double-living! things are coming together nicely, but i still have some work to do (you know, hanging curtains, sorting out clothing).

my sister visited over memorial weekend. we didn't get as much as i had planned to get completed done, but we sure had a lot of fun!  we went to ikea on saturday night. they had an amazing special where whatever you ate in their cafe, they would take it off your total if you spent more than $100 in furniture. amazing! we had yummy mac and cheese, french fries, salmon, swedish fish, and of course some salad hehe... sustenance for the shopping! after dinner, we spent quite some time in the showroom.

i have been busily dreaming up ideas for my craft/project/studio space.  i love alicia paulson's studio she featured here. i wanted to also use white furniture in the space since all my crafting things are brightly colored and fun. nicole balch from making it lovely also has an enviable studio here. want some additional inspiration? check out these from apartment therapy.  it was exciting to think of the possibilities!

after browsing the ikea website for days, i was all set to purchase the EXPEDIT bookcase. i liked the price and thought i could do something fun with the little display squares.

what i was concerned about? would it be too many "boxes" when my pb cubbies were on the wall? it also was a bit modern. my sister pointed out i might need more clothing storage and less book storage that i thought anyway. older sisters can be so wise :) so it was a no-go on the expedit.

for clothing storage and some book storage then, i decided i wanted to get the ASPELUND wardrobe.

this was one i had liked for awhile, but didn't realize how perfect it would be in the new space. i didn't end up purchasing it yet (i'll get to that later), but it is definitely at the top of my wishlist. i also think it could work in a variety of spaces in the future (something very important to keep in mind when apartment living.)

what i did end up getting, was such a find! my sister and i had liked the HEMNES bookcase in white in the showroom, but $185 was just too much for only one bookcase.

holy ikea surprises. we went into the "as is" section and there one was! no dents, no dings, just an old display for only $125! wahoo! we dis-assembled it in the store and took it home. it worked perfectly on the smaller wall, which means the aspelund will still also fit on the original wall i was planning. yay!

i need to snap up some pictures to share with you. but i am loving the space already!

until next time,
S