Yesterday's highlight, of course, was the Gators' victory in the BCS Championship game. Today's indisputable highlight was the afternoon delivery of the narrow leg dresser (in acorn) and the framed secretary desk (in chocolate and white) that I purchased at West Elm last weekend. At last, I feel like I have all the essential pieces I need in my apartment. Now, I just have to pull the whole look together. I'm posting "before" pictures here so that I can enlist the help of friends and family (hi Mom!) to make that happen.
I took this picture at 9 p.m., so the lighting isn't great, but this a shot of my living room. The cream couch is from Macy's (it's microfiber and incredibly easy to clean). The throw is from Z Gallerie, the telephone pillow is from West Elm, and the white coffee table was a great find on Overstock.com. The lamp shade and the black and white canvas prints of Big Ben and the Arc de Triomphe are also great internet finds (lampsplus.com and art.com, respectively).
A better shot of the canvas prints (Big Ben and Arc de Triomphe) and the infamous Thanksgiving weekend "greige" paint job (thanks, Mom and Dad!).
The "circles" rug is another West Elm purchase. The white media console might be my favorite piece in the apartment (I waited almost 6 weeks for it to arrive after ordering it from Crate and Barrel, and my mom spent most of Thanksgiving day putting it together--hi again, Mom! And thanks!). The 32" LCD flat screen is fromVizio (and it was rated a Consumer Reports "Best Buy"!). I found the blue vases to the right of the tv at the Old Time Pottery store in Melbourne, Florida the day after Christmas.
My dresser! A steal at $180 from West Elm (regularly $549). And even though I was a little uneasy about the "acorn" color, I think it's already grown on me!
I found my bedding at Tuesday Morning. I fully intend to decorate my apartment using the colors in the patchwork pillow. My grandmother is graciously working on a beautiful cross stitch piece for me that will match perfectly (thanks, Grandma!)
How cute are these fish knobs? I found them at Anthropologie for less than $2 each and replaced the standard-issue knobs on the cabinet underneath my bathroom sink with them. Lurking in the background is my shower curtain (DKNY; I found it at Bed, Bath and Beyond).
This dining table nestled in the "nook" between my living room and kitchen. I'm on the lookout for a table setting to give the table a little more personality. That's my newly acquired secretary desk (and my laptop) in the background. Here's a better shot of the secretary (I'm still brainstorming ways to maximize its potential):
It's hard to tell from this picture, but the desk is quite sleek and compact.
Finally, the London Underground map that disguises the circuit breaker box in my apartment. And a housewarming gift from my brother that reminds me that every day is a good one.
I'm leaning toward the zebra chair (it has more personality), but the envelope chair would match the desk perfectly...
image: apple.com
I love it when I find a piece that I just know will be perfect in my apartment. And this white stool from Z Gallerie is one of those rare finds. How great are those interlocking circles? I love this stool so much, I may even dig deep into my apartment design budget to order two ...
I did it. I took the plunge and registered for "Learn to Sew Like a Pro I" at the Fashion Institute of Technology. The class meets on 4 consecutive Sundays beginning February 8. I'm stoked. My goal is to learn how to sew a shift dress by the summer -- a dress that I'd be comfortable wearing to work. That means that I really need to pay attention in class.
Barack Obama became the 44th president of the United States on Tuesday. I'm not sure that I even have the words to describe what an incredible moment in history this is. I was in DC over the weekend (sadly, I had to return to New York for work on Tuesday), and the excitement that swept the nation's capital in the days before the inaugural festivities was unlike anything I have ever experienced. It was contagious, and I'm still on cloud nine. So is my little brother, who braved the DC cold on Tuesday to witness history being made, and who took tons of pictures with my digital camera, and who promises to send me the copies of the pictures, and who promises to return my digital camera to me via priority mail. (Love you, Tommy!)
"Before"
Prepping the Wall
The Paint!
Work-in-Progress
Success!
That shade better be at the Home Depot.
Dinner! (And yes, I realize that my bread plate and spoon are not on the correct sides of the bowl. I was starving when I took this picture, and I literally threw the soup, bread, and spoon down on my kitchen counter just long enough to snap a quick picture before I moved everything to my coffee table, where I proceeded to eat and watch the opening minutes of the Golden Globes.)
A better shot of the canvas prints (Big Ben and Arc de Triomphe) and the infamous Thanksgiving weekend "greige" paint job (thanks, Mom and Dad!).
The "circles" rug is another West Elm purchase. The white media console might be my favorite piece in the apartment (I waited almost 6 weeks for it to arrive after ordering it from Crate and Barrel, and my mom spent most of Thanksgiving day putting it together--hi again, Mom! And thanks!). The 32" LCD flat screen is fromVizio (and it was rated a Consumer Reports "Best Buy"!). I found the blue vases to the right of the tv at the Old Time Pottery store in Melbourne, Florida the day after Christmas.
My dresser! A steal at $180 from West Elm (regularly $549). And even though I was a little uneasy about the "acorn" color, I think it's already grown on me!
I found my bedding at Tuesday Morning. I fully intend to decorate my apartment using the colors in the patchwork pillow. My grandmother is graciously working on a beautiful cross stitch piece for me that will match perfectly (thanks, Grandma!)
