nesting

I am totally immersed in everything to do with decorating, clearing out clutter and planning for summer.

I went to ikea saturday morning. jay needed the car for work so i rented a little mazda 5 (dream car!) zipcar and took her around town for the day. decided to make the most of having to go out to Oakville for the day (for work on a saturday boo) and spent the morning sourcing out new stuff for the apartment. can you believe i didn't buy anything but a pack of tea lights?! that has got to be a record especially since all i can think about right now is making this place nicer. it is beyond difficult to walk out of ikea buying hardly anything but i did it.


saturday night i forgot to have dinner and a couple drinks later my darling friend melissa was packing me into a cab for the night. i realized i am now officially an old lady. an old lady who is nesting.

pictures from jennifer johners the little things blog

this weekend I am deep cleaning the kitchen, starting an outbox and doing one repair to the apartment. I also plan on hitting up ikea to do some sourcing and start planning some purchases.

on the downside I also have to work 7 hours on Saturday attending an event my company sponsored. BUT I am renting the cutest mazda 5 zipcar so its not all bad.

this week was super crazy, but also hugely productive at work. its actually mental that every time one project/task is finished more are invented for me. i really enjoy it so its not a complaint, but one day i'd like to have a 'slow' day at the office. i'm quite convinced they dont exist here.

i'm soooooo ready for the weekend! :)

bedroom inspiration

i just talked to the landlord. and i'm not sure i'm allowed to paint.

not. cool.

Spring Cure

when we moved into this apartment i knew it had loads of potential. it has big windows, LOTS of closets, enough cupboard space, and enough room for all our furniture and then some. all of the appliances are new and i have a hunch we are the first people to live with the new tile in the kitchen, hallway and bathroom. there is a balcony with morning sun and other perks like underground parking.

but.

we haven't done anything with the place yet. it looks almost the same as it did when we moved in (okay only two and a half months ago, but still). only because i know it has so much potential that it kills me to have it look so blah.

so i've decided to change this. i'm participating in the apartment therapy 2010 spring cure. and its going to be the inspiration and guidance i need to kick this place into shape.

there have been a couple things stopping me from really making this space great. Argument 1: given our past nomadic lifestyles we rarely stay in any apartment longer then 8 months, so investing in a place just isn't worth it. Solution: paint only when necessary and invest in items that we can take with us, for example drapes, artwork and furniture. Argument 2: $$$ Solution: we have finished saving for the car!


i know the place as it is doesn't bother J in the least, but im so visual and so influenced by my surroundings that this really gets to me. because of this i will take full responsibility for the cure and all the work it will entail. i want the change and i am prepared to do the work.



so this weeks homework:

Make a complete list of repairs and solutions.
*screw down metal floor thing in front hall
*clean windows front and back (involves taking them out and cleaning in between the glass)
*fix my dresser drawer so it doesn't fall out, or invest in a new one
Vacuum and mop the floors.
*done!
Remove one item from your apartment and put it outside.
*listing four items in ebay this afternoon
*putting our old textbooks on amazon
*listing the desk on craigslist
*i also want to remove all the cardboard boxes from the front closet (we use them to ship things for ebay, but the collection has taken over the closet) break them down and condense them.
Buy fresh flowers.
*i received two new plants last weekend for my birthday so i'm happy to enjoy these two.
Sit for ten minutes in a part of your home that you never sit in.
*i pretty much use even inch of the apartment already but i'm going to sit in the kitchen because i never just relax in there.
Look into earth-friendly cleaning products.
*i've been using vinegar and baking soda to soak certain dishes and tupperware that gets stained.






sorry if these pictures are a little off, my camera was on a weird setting and it was night time and i hate using the flash. regardless, you get the idea, the place is sparse.

habit

i was careless in the kitchen and caught a dish towel on fire. luckily, no one was around to see it.

the drive to Vancouver today was long. but driving through the rocky mountains is always worth it. and so is picking up the surprise chocolate cream pie along the way.

it took a lot of will-power but we made it out with only lunch.

Right when I get comfortable with the routine, it always changes. Usually I roll with it, but today that felt almost impossible. I know he felt the same way.

he brought home wine, we cooked, and then we rock, paper, scissored to see who would go to the deli for dessert. it was a tie. we went together.

a new favorite blog, habit, found via wikstenmade.

appreciating the small things is like a deep breath, a moment to refocus. its a commonly used phrase for an uncommon practice, evaluating without passing judgment. i will pause without feeling guilt.