Happy Monday.

This morning at 2am, I was awoken from sleep by the gentle sound of running water. *Tinkle, tinkle* I awoke thinking, "Is it raining outside?" I opened my eyes and listened. Nope. No rain. Holycrapwhatthefuck.

Jumping out of bed, I got ten steps to my bathroom when my feet encountered the squish squish of EXTREMELY WET CARPET. Fuckity fuck. The bathroom floor was running with water, all from my suddenly, spontaneously cracked toilet bowl. So, out into the hallway I went, knocking on my neighbor's door, who also happens to be the building manager, and he mops up and promises to have the problem fixed today.

It's a good thing I spent Sunday cleaning up the sewing room, which until yesterday was still full of boxes. I didn't bother to go back to sleep; I finished clearing the sewing room floor of whatever clothes and costumes were still straggling around, moved Viola into the room with fresh litter and hay, and shut the door. She was pretty unhappy, but would have been unhappier still hopping over the wet, squishy carpet.

In response, here is a tripping Alan Tudyk from Death at a Funeral, which perfectly sums up my mentality level after so little sleep.

 

I Want My . . .

After 18 months going without, I finally did it: I bought a tv.

The first few months in California were full of withdrawal for Sunday afternoons on the Food Network, catching ANTM, watching shows I missed on OnDemand. I hated missing the shows I had kept up with, though the number was fairly small. I was antsy without something to provide background noise.

Then, I got used to it. The shows I wanted to keep up with, I read recaps on EW.com and such. The others I realized I didn't care about that much to begin with. I could always Netflix them once they came out on DVD. And, I had my laptop for my ever-expanding DVD library.

But, I always said if I ever got a little unexpected money, I would bite the bullet and spring for an actual tv, and graduate past my little laptop screen. Well, my check for my security deposit on the old apartment came through, and I bit that bullet. My new tv should be arriving thyis week. All weekend I kept taking movies off the shelf and replacing them again, saying to myself, "No; I'll watch that once I have my tv." Imagine being able to read the subtitles on foreign films! Seeing the detail on costumes! Being able to hear the movie from ten feet away! I'm fairly excited. I know it's silly in the grand scheme of things, and I should be worried about finding a better job or finishing my LOJ costume. But, for the moment, my new tv is the most exciting thing going on:)

Decorating Progress . . .

My new chair, a craigslist find I have privately begun to call "George", is getting ready to get his new slipcover. I've spent the last several days trying to choose a fabric for him, and when you're a seamstress who spends a lot of time obsessed with fabric in general, this is no easy task. I went on a favoriting rampage on Etsy over the weekend, choosing 15 or so fabrics that I liked, and then spent yesterday trying to narrow them down and finally make a decision. The winner is below:

Ta-dah! The pattern is by Amy Butler and is called "Ritsy Stripe". I love that it's deceptively unstructured, so  at first glance it appears more formal but is actually pretty playful and modern. I chose this to coordinate with my curtains, which will be in this:

Michael Miller's "Chevron" in yellow. I intend to inject some contrast into this with a teal tv stand and black and white striped rug. I think I may do an accent pillow on George in a red pattern, maybe Michael Miller's "Zinnia" fabric.

Excited, everybody! I'll post pictures as things get finished . . .

A Place in the Sun . . .

So, this weekend saw several advances in my little world; none earth-shattering, but still exciting for me. My tax return came through, which means two things:

1. I can get a car to replace my ailing Serenity, so she can retire to that nice farm.

2. I can take care of a few small things around the apartment.

I'll be car shopping the weekend of the 23-24th, so I'm sure I'll blog more about that then. It promises to be an interesting experience.

As for the apartment: I now have a chair, which means that when people come over, they no longer have to stand around awkwardly. Yay! I'll be slipcovering it just as soon as I narrow the fabric choices down from about eleventy-billion. I also have a kitchen garbage can with a lid now, which disappoints Viola, as climbing into the garbage is one of her favorite pasttimes. I made a shower curtain and a kitchen curtain from some stuff I had lying around, and fabric is on the way for my living room curtains. I'm also close to having what I need to make my new bedding, so I won't look so much like a sad college student with no coverlet;)

I know these don't seem like momentous things, but for me, they're little steps towards making my place a home, the first home that's ever really been mine. It feels pretty nice;)

Decorating daydreams . . . .

I have always wanted a chaise like this. A girl can dream, right?

What about you, dear readers? Any dream piece you've always wanted for your home?

Secret Garden . . .

I love gardens. Love them. I have always imagined sitting in a beautiful, overgrown garden behind my rambling house, on an old bench, reading, writing, just daydreaming . . . and then reality set in. I don't have a rambling house. Or old bench. Or overgrown garden. Dang.

Also, I have a black thumb.

Double-dang.

This will not, however, stop me from trying to have a tiny porch-garden at my apartment. As soon as I get my tax return, I'm heading to a garden center and buying a bunch of indiscriminate plants, hoping for the best. In my mind, that's what new plants are: hope for the future.

I certainly hope I don't kill them too quickly.

My Sanctum Sanctorum. . .

Since everyone has been asking for it, here is a little tour of my new place. It's like the Batcave . . . only without any of the cool stuff, or Christian Bale. Seriously, though, it would be longer, but I would need a bigger place for that;)

Favorite Site Tuesdays: Ped Ped

Large Tree Vinyl Wall Decal

It's no secret that I love the idea of wall decals; I've featured other sellers on my blog before. I am an unabashed fan of murals and wall decals are the easiest way to do one in a non-permanent way (a must for chronic apartment dwellers like myself!).

I discovered Ped Ped on Etsy not long ago, and fell in love with the minimalistic styles: beautiful tree silhouettes, wall-paper-inspired designs, and lots of color choices. I have little doubt once I move into the new place, I'll be placing a few orders with them.

Red Flower Tree with Birds Vinyl Wall Decal

16 Pieces of Black and White Design Vinyl Wall Decal

Tree Branch with Birds Vinyl Wall Decal

Which do you think I should order? I'm leaning towards the black and white design for the bathroom, and one of the tree designs for out in the apartment proper.

Visit Ped Ped; I dare you to not start imagining where you could apply these decals in your own place;)