Sammy, Front and Center.

Yes. I had an OSCE on Thursday and a shelf exam on Friday.  Y'all know what that means.....  An OTTGOP!  (offering to the gods of procrastination).  This time it was a rearrangement of the living room furniture and a new feline migration.  Sammy has finally returned to the main room.

Sharp eyes may notice that he's had a bit of a makeover with the help of some gold paint for his frame.  I really like how he pops now. 

The mirror that was in that place has made its way underneath the mantel.  I'm pleased with the way that this turned out. The green satin cloth that was there had just a touch too much yellow to go with the drapes and rug. Now it's not so emesis-colored.  

Tell me what y'all think.

Framing the Kitchen

Some main room rearrangements left me with 3 unused thrift shop frames.  For months, I tripped over them when I went into my closet. Eventually, I decided to re-donate them and so leaned them against the wall near my kitchen door. I then tripped over them for 3 weeks while procrastinating on dropping them off.  Finally, as I was gathering them up to haul to the car, I looked up at the (not really) blank wall of my kitchen. Hummmmm. 

Here's the result: my effort to make common, oft used things (like keys, broom, dustpan) easily grabbable and yet deliberate.

Let me know if you think it works or if it's just cluttery.


Cheers

New Glass and New Fish

Over the last few months, my flat has undergone many manifestations. I glanced at old posts yesterday and realized the photos are don't represent the current arrangement at. all.

I need to have an update post.  Maybe tomorrow?

In the meantime, here is the new witches' ball that my aunt gave me for Christmas.  Isn't it lovely?

Oh, I also, in a moment of mad impulsivity, bought a betta while picking up cat food at the local pet shop.  I quickly realized 3 things:

1. The little one gallon bowl wasn't nearly large enough for the poor thing.
2.  It was a chore to clean/change the water several times a week. And it was traumatic for Charybdis (the fish). (Yes, I know that Charybdis was a female sea monster and my betta is male. I think the Greeks had it wrong though-  a mouth that consumes everything is definitely a male trait.  Ironically, my Charybdis doesn't eat much at all.)
3. Toulouse (my cat) LOVED the open top.

This $5 thrift shop find, a 3 gallon drink dispenser solved everything!  I can let the water out through the spout and add fresh on top with minimal disturbance to the fish and mess for me to clean up. And the top prevents middle-of-the-night fishing excursions.

Bedroom Drapes

My landlord updated the outdoor lights.  This has been great in eliminating the late night key fumbling but has resulted in a 10 million watt (mild exaggeration) spotlight that shines into my bedroom all. night. long.  So I headed to IKEA for some blackout curtains. I'm thrilled that they were so inexpensive (less than 50$ including the rod) but I wish they were about 5 inches longer. *shrug* Maybe a future project would be to add length and make them two toned.

I added the blue voile to the panels behind the bed but kept the white for privacy during the day when the velvet panels were open.

As you can see, Sammy has a new home guarding me whilst I sleep. 


While at IKEA, I picked up 4 lamps, basic white cylinders that I lined up behind the bed for added light. One of my longstanding frustrations with the bedroom is its cavelike (i.e. DARK) quality.  These (http://www.ikea.com/us/en/catalog/products/90242194/) lamps really brighten the room.

All in all, the way the room has come together is really exciting.  I hope y'all enjoy :)

The Salon Wall

Here is the latest manifestation of an ever evolving wall:

The Wandering Lion

I treasure the old lithograph that I inherited from my great grandma but it's a bit unwieldy because of its size and the dark dark frame. It definitely dominates the wall and doesn't reflect ANY light.

So I decided to move it from the main wall.... 

 

to a corner spot near the shelves.  Eventually, if I spot one in a thrift shop, I may hang a mirror here to maximize the light from the window.  I feel like I live in a little cave.

I know that it's hung way too high but there was absolutely no other place to put it. I'm thinking of getting a little art light to hang over it.

Here are the befores:

Here are some gratuitous photos of my breathing little lion, Toulouse. She's practicing her world-class laziness.

Increased Stress = Increased Furniture Migration

My USMLE step one is rapidly approaching and I'm becoming increasingly anxious. When I become stressed, I nest. I think it's a holdover from my homeless years- 3 years of couch surfing & living out of a suitcase (long story).

Usually the nesting just entails rearranging plants and accents; last night though I had a vision! and decided to move my little bench to the sunroom.

I really like how the white brightens up the nook; it looks cleaner.  I can also see myself using it more, stretching out with a book in the sunlight.

before: 

I shifted the trunk/suitcase stack to behind the couch.

The side chairs were juggled too.  I had liked the symmetry of the bench in front of the fireplace but hated the blocked view. We have less symmetry here but can actually see the candles and Mackenzie Childs pegs now.  Dear reader, which did you prefer?

 here's the before:

Here's the new south view:

before:

So tell me reader,  which do you prefer?  Do you have any ideas for change?  If you let me know your ideas, I'll try to do it & post the photos :) 

My little art collection

I recently posted about my salon wall of travel memories.  In reflection though, I've realized that, though those memories are rich, more treasured ones grace all the walls of my apartment.  So much of the artwork that hangs was crafted by people I've loved.  Brace yourselves for a slideshow of indulgence:

These watercolors were painted by my very talented grandma. (the gilded frame was a thrift shop find)

 

My grandpa was also a gifted artist. His paintings are treasured in my family & I'm fortunate to have inherited two! 

 I remember being a little girl & fantasizing that the cave was the home of Pete's dragon.  My inspired adventures would occupy me for hours.

I did relief work for Haiti and in Viet Nam.  These paintings were given to me by people that I had worked with. 

Sammy, the lion, graced my great-grandma's house for 50+ years.  He's such an imposing presence,  he lounges in the background of all of my memories there.

A former love gave me this piece for my birthday. It was created by his incredibly talented sister.  When I see it, I'm reminded of some very happy days.

These were paintings that had belonged to my great-aunt. 

And the following paintings, I did myself when I dabbled with the idea of becoming an artist. As you can see, I had more enthusiasm than talent.

The beads are Greek prayer beads.

And finally, the following are batiks from Ghana and India.

So much of the art in my home was crafted with love by people who loved me.  That makes for the very best memories.

My Salon Wall

Like many people, I have lots of little treasures that I've collected on my adventures. This salon wall allowed me to show some of them off.  I like that the wall is not the 'main wall'; it puts the display to the periphery of the room and so it isn't a focus in the social area.  These are my memories and I like to share them but only if people are really interested.

Growing up, I hated when relatives pulled out the projector to show off their endless photos of the RV trip to the neighboring state.  I could only see so many pictures of rocks & leaves & itty bitty birds way off in the distance before I got bored.  I figure the salon wall is my version of the slideshow.  And so, off to the side!

For those who are interested, here's a list of where everything came from:
1. rice paper painting: Viet Nam
2. gourd ornaments: Peru
3. 2 papyri: Egypt
4. big mask: Puerto Rico
5. leather mask: Italy
6. gourd mask: Dominican Republic
7. orange plate(s): Viet Nam
8. elephant mask: India
9. face mask: Thailand
10. the spoons: Russia
11. butterfly: Peru
12. painting was done by me 
13.  Rorschach blot is part of a set that had belonged to my psychologist father
14. mirror: local thrift shop, lanterns: world market, gold mask: Pier 1

The black chest & briefcase had belonged to my father. The tan suitcase had been my great-grandma's (a traveler who put my adventures to shame- she was going on camping safaris in her mid 70s). That suitcase is much better traveled than I am.

The book is our family bible: 9 generations of births, weddings & deaths written in the pages & an antique photograph of Teddy Roosevelt for some strange random reason that was lost with time.

The rattan box is Mackenzie Childs (awesome store- but way expensive. I have family in the Fingerlakes, Barn Sale baby!) and the wooden box is thrift. As is the chair.

Stained glass

Over the years, I've gathered a little glass collection.  It's my favorite way of adding a little uniqueness to the architecture of a cookie-cutter apartment.  I only have 2 largish panels so they take center stage in the banks of windows. The other, smaller, pieces I've tried to combine in groups. I didn't want a cluttered randomness. Here y'all go.


The multifunction room:

In the bedroom:

 The kitchen windows: