What Makes It Mine

So of course, there are a lot of improvements I would love to make on my apartment.  But I don't know, last night I just had a little moment, and I though "it's mine" and I liked it.

I like this place with the messy kitchen table, the smell of that popcorn that I burned a little bit, the sound of my records, the adorable pets to cuddle up with, the breezy window with a little bit of rain coming through, the couch I can put my boots on.  It's alright with me.

A few pictures of the new place...

We're still unpacking!  Sigh...  But I had to share at least a few images, or my Momma would get (even more) impatient.  ;)

Living room... and a lot of boxes...

No bookshelves yet... but neat stacks of books!

Had the get the couch and TV set up right away... so Dave could watch the Bears lose, and I could watch the Bills WIN!

Love love love.

Bathroom

Notice the separate faucets for hot & cold water?

My desk, still a little messy...

Next up... pictures of my new neighborhood!  :)

Ch-ch-ch-changes!

Have you noticed that I've been absent for a while?  Busy with work, busy with school, blah blah blah... finally, I got busy doing something that made me really happy -- I moved!!

The apartment is fabulous, the neighborhood is fantastic, and the kitchen is a dream.  Oh, yeah, and I can have a dog... one of which I recently apprehended... oops?

There will be pictures, there will be updates, and there will be stories, but first let me get these boxes unpacked...  See you soon!

Humbled & Inspired

After the last two mornings of watching videos on the Tiny House Blog, I'm kind of ashamed of myself...  I've been crying and whining about how much I "need" a bigger apartment, how miserable the kitchen is in ours (in my defense, it's hot and has no window, so when you don't have air conditioning it can get a bit oppressive), how there's never any space for anything -- then I see things like a young man living in a 78-square-foot studio in Manhattan, or a family of three in a 320-square-foot home, and I realize how good we've got it.

My apartment is still tiny, yes, but after watching those videos, it feels palatial.  I'm also realizing how much stuff I have, and how so much of my time is consumed with having room and places for all of this stuff, but that's not the point of living small.... the point is to have less stuff, more time outside enjoying the city, and a closer relationship with my 'fella.  Or really, that wasn't the point, but maybe it will start to be.  Instead of complaining so much about how small and insufferable my apartment is, I want to look at it as a way of living simpler, greener, and a little more in tune with how, realistically, much of the world already lives.

On that note, I want to spend my day off (Yes, I have a WHOLE day off, folks!!  The first one in like twenty days...) giving away things I don't want/use/wear anymore, and then digging a little deeper into the things that I do want, but don't need to keep.  Let's see if I can get through the whole day without looking at domu.com?  ;)

What I'm Decorating... Dresser/TV Stand

This thing has been a real thorn in my side (it's beyond annoying to have your clothes stored in the living room, for one thing), but I'm starting to warm up to it as I slowly make aesthetic improvements.  Today I painted it to match the walls, hoping it would blend in a little better, and I think it worked.  Obviously, I still need drawer knobs.  (Oh, and Go Hawks!!)

What I Want... This Lovely Apartment

See more photos on Realtor.com

Oh me oh my, is this one ever a honey.

Pros:
I can afford it ($55,000, are you kidding me!?)
Historic vintage building
Just a few blocks North of where I currently live
Assessment fees include gas & heat

Cons:
Building requires a 20% down payment (that's $11,000 I don't have)

I'm still going to see it tomorrow, maybe there will be some kind of miracle (like, instead of snow, $100 bills start falling from the sky).  My 'fella thinks I'm wasting the real estate agent's time, so for that, I feel minimally guilty.  But... but... this place is so cute!  I'm looking at it as part of planning for future ownership... I need to see what's out there, especially in this ridiculously low price range.

I've wanted to live in this building for over a year, really there couldn't be much harm in checking it out... right?