apartment therapy 20/20 cure update 2

Well, I think I may just keep writing about this 20/20 home cure for all my posts this week. Is anyone else getting inspired? I am! I feel that my apartment has a lot of energy now...something the cure promised! I'll show you some in-progress photos...I'll begin with a finished area...my nightstand:

I had a pile of books a mile high on top of that notebook, and a few other items. I got some beautiful miniature carnations for my vase (and they are spread throughout the apartment too!) and purchased a cute vintage alarm clock ($.90) to go here because usually I just check my phone to see what time it is. However, I realized that the previous owner of this clock got rid of it because of the awful ticking noise it makes every single second. So for now it is just decoration...that's probably not supposed to be part of the cure, ha! But I just think it's so adorable. I hung two prints on the wall (bottom print by Matt Cipov, top print from a classmate, Anne, in a print exchange last school year) one on top of the other (sorry, couldn't get a good picture with both in there). I love vintage office supplies and school-related items so the clipboard seemed like a fun way to hang this print (for now--I realize it's not archival).

I moved my desk from a cramped corner in another room to here. So far I like it a lot better! I still have to move and arrange the rest of the things that need to be on/near it, so this is really in progress.

These are my floors that I was talking about. They are in every room of the apartment except the bathroom and kitchen, which have oh-so-lovely vinyl "tile." This floor that you see here...why did I not clean it for the photo, you ask? That IS clean! Those little specks are just part of it. So my floor looks perpetually dirty, which really gets on my nerves. It also might be the worst shade of brown ever.

Another little work in progress. This is where a lot of things I want to rearrange have ended up. I might hang that chalkboard above my desk...do you like it? I actually won it in a giveaway recently! I kind of love it. You can check those out here at Revived Vintage if you want one for yourself.

Finally, I will end with my children...my plants. haha. This is almost the rest of my plant collection (I might be nearing plant lady status, huh?). All of these are "clearance plant" rescues. I bought them on clearance and nursed them back to health by this super sunny window. Most of them are at least a year old and have grown a lot! The one in the yellow planter was my very first houseplant, a devil's ivy. I bought it on clearance in that cute planter for $2.50 and it had only four leaves. I am so proud of how far it's come and I have gotten three cuttings out of it too.

That's it for today...if you are feeling inspired, I challenge you to:
- Get some fresh flowers for your home! You will love having them, I promise.
- Rearrange a few pieces of art/objects.
- Clear the clutter from one surface.

If you're like me, once you do this much, there will be nothing stopping you!

apartment therapy 20/20 cure update

Since starting Apartment Therapy's 20/20 Cure, I have gotten so much work done on my home! I don't know that most of it was even through following the cure steps directly, but was simply the result of getting inspired by the 20/20 Cure to do some serious cleaning/changing.

What you see in the above picture is my dining room window. Those are about half of my houseplants, many of them recently brought indoors when the frost came. I keep a grow light on them for several hours a day because only two windows in my apartment let in enough light for plants during non-summer seasons here. Since starting the 20/20 Cure, I bought a rod for and hung those cafe curtains, a thrift-store find from earlier this year ($3 and they appear to be handmade!). I rearranged these plants and cleaned the surfaces they are on.

I cleaned the bathroom and kitchen from top to bottom, reorganized the cabinet under the kitchen sink, did a bunch of laundry, dusted every surface in the apartment, caulked a bunch of drafty gaps around door and window moldings, and put away little piles of clutter here and there. I've also done other things that I just can't think of off the top of my head. But the apartment is looking so good! I surface clean weekly, but you know there are always those detailed things that you want to do but put off. It feels good to get around to them. I have also been rearranging little items here and there, which makes things feel fresh. In some areas I even removed items without adding anything back, something the cure recommends. I agree that negative space is good!

One part of the 20/20 Cure I have not done yet but would like to do, is to buy some fresh flowers for my apartment. I am about to have a cup of coffee, and then I might just go do that!

apartment therapy: mine could use some, how about yours?

Do any of you ever read Apartment Therapy? I love it. I never knew the story behind it, however, until I starting reading some excerpts from its founder's book The Eight-Step Home Cure. To go along with the book, the Apartment Therapy website is having its second annual 20/20 Cure, which promises to make your home a better place to live by spending just 20 minutes a day on this for 20 days.

I have decided to do this challenge because, as winter sets in, I find myself spending more and more time in my apartment, which makes everything that could be improved stand out even more to me. Let me tell you about my place, what I like and dislike about it.

As far as living spaces go, I love arranging them, decorating with little bits and pieces of things I buy, make, or find second-hand. I love experimenting with colors and patterns, adding plants by windows, and framing art by myself or friends to add a personal touch.

Of course there are always things you have to work with. As a grad student, the two that hold me back the most are: low budget, and the consideration of how soon I might move again. These two things keep me from affording an apartment that is awesome at its core before I put any of my stuff in it, and from getting "real" furniture, for the most part (most of my furniture is particle board, save for a couple of pieces--and I even still have a futon as a couch, probably my least favorite piece of home decor at the moment).

My apartment is old and has a lot of..."character." The worst part is probably the floors...no, definitely the floors. They are old wooden floors that have been painted over in the shade of chocolate brown. Some of the molding and doors are painted this color too. The color is too dark (and shows dust like crazy)...but the worst part? The paint chips away easily. I got some touch up paint and sometimes go around and paint over the spots, but the paint store couldn't match the color or finish exactly for some reason (I took in a chipped away piece and had them match it). Other things I dislike are uneven walls in some areas, lots of cracks around moldings and such, lack of storage space, and it is not well-insulated (costly in winter). I chose the apartment online before moving here, and even though I don't love it, decided to extend my lease for my last year of grad school because moving--even just across town or a few streets over--is so expensive and time-consuming.

As for things I like about it, it gets plenty of natural light, having big windows in every room. The living room is the only room that is too dark, because the window goes out onto the shady front porch. I think the living room could benefit from more lamps. If I ignore all of the unevenness, cracks, and imperfections, I really do like the style of the place, and the kind of charm that it has as an old building. I like that I have a small backyard for keeping a garden. Aside from the structure of the apartment itself, I like my decorations for the most part, aside from some of the furniture, although besides the futon, I can live with the particle board stuff, I just find it kind of boring. I think my style comes through in the way I decorate, and to me that's a good thing.

Through this project, the things I would like to accomplish are: organize areas that have gotten a little messy and rethink certain storage solutions, re-evaluate my art-making/working spaces and figure out how they can serve me better, rearrange some of the art and other decor that has been in the same place since I moved in, fill in cracks near windows and otherwise make things more insulated for winter, and obtain curtains/rugs for a few areas that I have been neglecting since moving in.

I am currently on day 3 of the 20/20 cure! Today's task was to look for images of inspiration. I happen to keep a folder titled "inspiration" on my computer where I save things I find online, including interior design, illustrations, art, etc. I went through all 800 images in my folder and pulled out the ones that I related to most in regards to my own apartment and how I want it to look. Here they are...unfortunately I don't save sources most of the time for interior design images (many are from tumblr and other sites that make sourcing difficult)...so if you see one and know where it's from, let me know and I will give proper credit.

I love the couch...wouldn't this be an amazing replacement for my futon!? In my dreams, I know...

I like the way this looks organized without being too clinical. I have a white desk that looks similar.

Plants, plants, plants. Plants, white walls, and beautiful wooden furniture. I'm missing the last part.

I love using bunting to decorate, and I really love this quilt. I have been wanting to make a quilt for quite some time.

I like the inclusion of pattern...and the idea that a bookshelf doesn't have to be full.

I like the color of the walls. I'd really like to paint a few rooms in my apartment different colors. The bedroom is white, living room and kitchen are taupe, dining room is butter yellow, and the bathroom is off-white. I'd most like to paint the bathroom and taupe rooms. I like that chevron rug too...really wanting one.

I like the use of pattern and patches of bright color next to white.

White plus color is a really good mix I think...

I love hanging tiny prints and postcards on string with clothespins, and I also have two globes...if only I had some amazing flat files like this.

from Darling Dexter. Neutrals + color + light. Perfect.

from Thompson Family Life. I love collecting vintage things. That pattern is fabulous...this also makes me want to paint the rest of my non-functioning fireplace white. It looks nothing like this one, however.

I'd like a workspace like this. I've been wanting to incorporate the use of pegboard for awhile now.

What inspires your home? Any tips for me?

as of late...

Let's see...lately I have been...

1. Getting into my new class schedule. It's the final sprint...it seems impossibly short to accomplish all I need to. I keep telling myself I'll make it! I can't believe I will be a college graduate in three months...that's crazy!

2. Enjoying my new apartment a lot and cooking amazing things. I sometimes miss the cafeteria, where I dined multiple times daily for four years, but not as much as I thought I would. I knew I loved cooking and baking, but before now it was more of a hobby than a necessity. I feel like the habits I let myself keep now will likely follow me into my post-grad life, so I'm trying not to use excuses like "it's only for a few months" when it comes to cooking and housekeeping. What I've learned in my "adult life" so far is that there really won't ever be a time when you can't claim busyness as an excuse. So when I'm busy, I just try to throw together simple but balanced meals that are quick and use up what groceries I already have.

3. Starting my final photography series for undergraduate school...scary! I know it's not the end all, be all, pinnacle of my career as an artist, I just want it to be good. I'll post more on it when I have images to share...hopefully very soon.

4. Crafting and reading in my spare time (spare time--what's that?). I've been making jewelry and reading In Defense of Food by Michael Pollan. I highly recommend both activities. This is my third Pollan and definitely my favorite. I think a career dealing with some type of food counterculture movement and combining my art in some way would suit all of my interests. Does such a job exists? If not, can I make one? These are the questions in my brain as of late.

5. And now I leave you with some pictures from my latest cooking and food photographing endeavors (I think I'm getting better at the food photographing part!)...Some of these veggies are from the local farmer's market.

mamma mia!, it's spaghetti

Since my last post, I moved into my new apartment...then a few days later had all of my wisdom teeth pulled! How wonderful. I've been lying around watching DVDs and drinking smoothies for the past two days. That's not as glamorous as it may sound.

I have yet to take pictures of my apartment (I'm still in the decorating process, anyhow) but here is the first real meal I cooked there (pre-wisdom teeth removal, of course)...whole wheat spaghetti and vegetarian meatballs, with fresh green beans and homemade bread. I did some research on various ways to make vegetarian meatballs, then concocted my own recipe, so here you have it:

Vegetarian Meatballs
2 Tbsp sunflower seeds
2 Tbsp flax seeds
1/3 c dried chickpeas (or chickpea flour)
1/3 c black beans
1/4 c corn
1/4 c whole wheat flour
seasoned salt, pepper, and onion powder, to taste
1 Tbsp vegetable oil
water

Combine sunflower seeds, flax seeds, and dried chickpeas in a food processor (or, I used my Magic Bullet) and grind until smooth. Grind black beans and corn as well, separate from the dry ingredients. Stir together both mixtures, along with the oil and spices, until smooth. Add in the whole wheat flour. The end result should be about the consistency of cookie dough. If the mixture is too dry, add water in small increments until right. If it is too wet, add more flour. Scoop into rounded tablespoonfuls and bake in the oven until slightly browned on the outside, or in the microwave, 6-7 at a time, for about 3 minutes.*

Makes 3-4 servings.

*I had to cook mine in the microwave because, as luck would have it, the stove/oven in my apartment was broken until two days ago! It's a long story. When I started cooking this meal, the repairman had just paid us a visit and we thought it was fixed, but twenty minutes into my culinary endeavor it suddenly went off, and I had to revert to finishing things up in the microwave.

Also, I believe you could easily make substitutions in the recipes if they were pretty equal. For instance, you could use other nuts besides sunflower seeds, other dried beans besides chickpeas, or other wet beans besides black beans. Overall they were very delicious and I plan on making them again soon!

glasses, etc.

I'm moving tomorrow! I'm excited for my new place.

I got new glasses in the mail...but I had them sent to Corey's house because I thought I'd already have moved when they arrived...and then they came a week early. So I don't have them yet! But I will get them tomorrow. I got them from Zenni Optical, thanks to Amanda's recommendation! Zenni Optical make really inexpensive prescription glasses that you can order online--starting at $8.00. I currently have one pair of prescription eyeglasses which are from my eye doctor. I need to send them in to get new lenses in them, but since they are my only pair, I'll be without them for a week, so I decided to go ahead and order others from Zenni. They will be good back-up pairs and also provide other options to me...fashionably speaking...because I don't really want contacts but sometimes I get tired of wearing these same glasses every single day. So anyway, I ordered two new pairs of regular glasses, and then I picked out a pair of prescription sunglasses, which is very exciting to me! Here's what they are going to look like:


This is my most reasonable pick. The you-can't-go-wrong-with-a-pair-of-plain-black-glasses glasses. $12.95.


This is the more "fun" pair that I chose. In brown tortoise shell. I hope they don't make me look ridiculous. $9.95.


And these are the sunglasses. In brown/clear, with brown lenses (not pictured--but you can choose to make any style on the website into sunglasses for $5 extra). I know they are kind of funky looking, but they are just sunglasses, after all. I think (hope) they will be cute. $14.95

Also! Corey sent me this adorable, adorable screenprint in the mail! It's from Wonder Thunder:


It was so sweet of him! I can't wait to decorate my new place with all the new art I've bought, been given, & made over the past few months. :)

And! Yesterday my brother surprised me with my favorite candy bar in the world. It's the Kinder Bueno, made by the same people who make Nutella. I discovered it in Italy, and they're a rare find in the U.S. He made another trip to the Indian grocery store I wrote about the other day, to get some juice he really liked, and found them there at a very reasonable price! How sweet of him!

Also, movingwise/apartmentwise, I can't find:
- A desk...? I've looked everywhere...new, used...need to find something under $100...I saw some online that I liked but when I went to the stores to locate them they were not there. That's annoying. All of the used ones I saw were in particularly awful shape.
- Size Y vacuum bags? I'll hopefully locate these soon...apparently places are discontinuing them!?