8 posts tagged “apartment living”

Sniffle.

I swear, I've had a cold since mid-November, pretty much the second I got off the plane from New York.  It has ebbed and flowed, but the chronic drip is getting to me.  I have a full-blown cold again.  Thank goodness for Dayquil (which I take at night as well, or else I can't get up in the morning) and tea.

I think this week that, besides finally taking my Christmas stuff back to my mom's house, I am going to organize my closet and buy a plastic container so I can sell some stuff on Amazon.com.  I have so many CDs that I don't listen to (and haven't bothered to even put on my iPod) and books that don't interest me that I know that I can make a couple of bucks, at least, off of them.  It will also minimize clutter, which is one of my Big Life Goals.

I hate clutter.  I think part of it comes from me wanting to psychologically purge myself of part of the past few years.  Another part is the fact that I have very little closet space in my apartment:  one walk-in closet, one closet that mostly houses my washer and dryer, a pantry and three cabinets under my sink.  That's it.  I suppose I have a couple of dressers, but those mostly house clothes.  I have cats, so I don't keep a lot of trinkets about, as they end up being cat toys anyway.  I still remember having a dog whose tail had a mind of its own, so usually my coffee table is uncluttered, too.  I just don't like stuff being out and visible.

It amazes me how much stuff has become unimportant to me.  I've never been sentimental-- never one to keep cards or press corsages.  I have an envelope of ticket stubs somewhere, but I probably ought to pitch them as I never look at them.  I try not to think, "Oh, what if I need this..." because so often, if I needed it, I'd be using it actively.  I've formerly been an obsessive collector: first, designer Barbie dolls (that didn't last long), then cosmetics (once I stopped doing makeup professionally, I had to get rid of most of my kit), then body products and perfume (I now actually use stuff up), handbags (I have all I need, and I can't afford the ones I like anymore anyway) and yarn (I now buy project-by-project).  I don't think I have anything I "collect" anymore. 

So I'm trying to figure out how to minimize the stuff I have.  I am going through my clothes again this weekend to toss a few things to Goodwill (and also inspire myself to get back into my Seven jeans).  I want to clean out my drawers so that they close easily (instead of being forced), and reorganize my under-cabinet space.  I need to reorganize my books, too-- I used to have them ordered by topic (Literature, Judaic Studies, Women's Studies, etc.) and within the topics in alphabetical order, but when I moved, that got shot to hell.  I need to find a better place for my cookbooks, too.  I also need to reorganize my pantry, which is totally out of control.  Sounds like I have a pretty big Saturday afternoon planned.

How do you deal with your clutter?

1. Clean out closet. (Half done; I still need to do the top shelf.)
2. Dismantle Christmas tree.
3. Return tree and extra set of luggage to Mom.
4. Organize yarn on Ravelry
5. Organize dresser drawers
6. Organize pantry

Oy!

I know, I've only been in my apartment for a couple of months, but I want to make a couple of changes.  I'm considering painting the hallway.  It's currently a sort of lime-green color, which is pretty and coordinates well with the poster I have hanging up in there, but there's NO other lime green in my entire apartment.  So I'm torn.

I was also thinking about painting the white parts of my bathroom-- which are, admittedly, few and far between.  I've been inspired by Apartment Therapy's month of color.  Though my space is AMAZING, the walls are brick, so any color I have has to be hanging.  There are only a few walls that are paintable.  I'll take some pictures of the space and see what you think.

I also want to get my furniture to match!  I don't like things that are matchy-matchy, but I would like some of my furniture to be slightly more updated.  I have the Ikea Leksvisk bookshelves, dressers, and a side table; Island Collection end tables that are darker, but don't quite match my west elm coffee table (a craigslist find; I don't have a picture), and my Dolce TV stand and desk.  My dining room table is vintage, and I know all I can really do with it (it's darker wood, but has a laminate top, god bless the 70s...) is recover the seats. 

I was thinking about replacing the end tables with the Dolce end tables, which will tie my living room area together.  I just have to have end tables with drawers-- I keep cat nip, a nail file, candles, and other stuff in them.  I'm not sure I could stain them successfully, but I have other  items from the Island collection (some media storage and a bench).  So I'm not sure. However, I COULD stain the Leksvisk items successfully.

What do you think?  Would all of my furniture being the same color be too "matchy", design-wise? 

I finally sold that bed.  What a hassle.  Of course, as soon as I sold the bed, I ended up buying a really gorgeous milk chocolate leather chair and ottoman-- for $150!  Tiny cat scratches be darned, give me some leather conditioner and it'll look fantastic.  I'm going to put it in my "knitting corner" which will also be great for reading.  After the chair, my apartment will essentially be finished. 

I am almost finished with my research paper.  About 1/4 of it left to go.

I forgot how much I enjoy Top Chef on Bravo.  So far, I think Hung (what an unfortunate name) is obnoxious, but like Marcel, I'm sort of rooting for him.  On the culinary front, I went to Tropicana for dinner and thoroughly enjoyed my truffle butter. I'm sure I gained 23973.4 pounds from it, but I really don't care.  I ran by REO and picked up a knife sharpener to get my knives into shape (I still need a honing steel).  Thanks to Drew for the tip on that!

I'm considering getting a car alarm/starter, as I'd like something sort of sensitive as a Volvo parked RIGHT behind my car got broken into last night.  Of course, the car was also messy (which apparently lures thieves) and had a digital camera on the seat (that's just dumb), but one can never be too careful.  Any suggestions as to brands, or for locals, installers?

That's all the news that's fit to blog. 

My super perfect bed is a KING.  Everything (the side bars, the middle bar, the slats) were labeled Queen.  The seller said it was Queen.  It's king!

Does anyone want it?  $200 OBO, I need to get this out of the apartment.  *cries*

http://cincinnati.craigslist.org/fur/381957650.html if you want to see the CL ad.

I am so disappointed.

Yesterday, I left work around 4:30 (I like getting there a smidge early so I can leave before five) and came home to do a little self-improvement:  yoga.  I love Rodney Yee's Power Yoga series (he's The Package, have you seen him?  He practices in an eensy speedo, and he certainly defies those stereotypes about asian men). 

Power Yoga - Stamina

See what I mean?  Anyway, I did my yoga, with Mooch's help.  I'm going to have to take pictures-- he rolls around and tries to do yoga too. (who am I kidding?  He just rubs himself all over my mat.)

I then went to Home Goods and bought some canisters, a Le Creuset pitcher (I love the traditional "flame' glazing) and some martini glasses, then went to Potbelly for dinner and put together a desk for one of my friends who is moving.  I am woman, hear me roar!

Tonight, I plan on doing some more yoga, and going to pick up this from a local Craigslister:

22200_PE107067_S4

It is the exact bed I want, in the exact size I want, and I don't have to either drive to Chicago or have it shipped for $150.  SCORE!  I just couldn't pass it up.  Considering how thick my mattress is, I might have to  get a step stool to get into bed, but who cares?  It's gorgeous.

Last night was Home Improvement Monday!  First, I drove down the street to pick up a really nice coffee table from someone I found on Craigslist (espresso colored!  actual wood!  $30!), then armed with my limited array of tools (an electric screwdriver, hammer, various nails, a multifunction tool, a ratchet set, and bubble gum), I decided to install the wire shelving in my pantry.  You see, the previous tenants installed wire shelving... then took the shelves.  I bought new shelves and brackets at Home Depot... but the braces were the wrong size.  So back I go, and buy new braces.  They'd been sitting in my pantry for weeks, with  my food in boxes.  I didn't have anything else to do last night, so I decided tonight was the night.

What I discovered: despite the previous tenants putting in the braces, there are NO studs in the pantry.  None!  So all of my screw-driving would just tear up the drywall, covering me in drywall dust and making me potentially lose my deposit.  Mikki had mentioned some shelving she used in her studio, so I called her up for a consult.  She suggested Target.  So, I go to Target, and $100 later (only $25 of which was shelving), I pull up to my apartment and discover... no parking.

No, seriously.  None.  Apparently there was a Hipster Convention at Publico (not really a convention, but instead a This Bike is a Pipe Bomb and Japanther concert.  On a Monday.  At (despite what the website says) 11 PM.  I felt instantly old, because I was wearing khakis, carrying Target bags, and wondering why there were so many teenagers out on a Monday night.  I need a hip injection). 

So, I park about a block away-- towards town, not the crack houses-- and lug my Sterilite up the stairs and put it together.  Easy peasy, no tools needed.  I spent a little time, while watching Big Love, arranging everything. 

Then!  I went out to the car, and hauled the other $75 worth of stuff in-- three candlesticks (clearance!), a picture for my bathroom (clearance!), a new shower head (not on clearance, but $25!) and a few other things.  I assembled and installed the shower head all by myself-- figured out what that extra washer was for really quickly-- and settled down for the rest of the evening.

I'm not so bad at this home improvement stuff.

http://news.enquirer.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20070708/BIZ01/707080347

This is seriously the best thing for us apartment-dwellers.  I'm on the second floor, and there's nothing less fun than dragging detergent up the flight of stairs to my apartment.  However, what's strange is this article talks about this stuff in the future tense, and though I don't live in Cedar Rapids, I have this stuff in my closet. It's great-- I mean, it's detergent-- and I'm all for less packaging.  However, I can't say I'm into this for "green" reasons-- it's purely selfish.