My happy home

Last year I mentioned the possibility of entering my apartment in the Small | Cool Contest.   I didn't get "moved in" enough to feel confident exhibiting my living space to the world, so I held off.  But I worked on my apartment here and there, and was ready to enter this year's contest; of course it helped that I was already in spring cleaning mode. I scrambled a bit to take and edit the photos and to create an easy floor plan, and got my entry in by the hair of my chinny-chin-chin. Yet sadly, my apartment wasn't selected for the contest. Still, I feel good about having entered at all -- my strong and courageous thing for April -- and I feel good about the little nest I've built these past 15 months. And I'm happy to share it with you here:

There are still a lot of things I'd like to do:

• 
  
  re-upholster the loveseat


• 
  
  turn my library card file into additional kitchen work/counter space


• 
  
  get rugs


• 
  
  design/furnish the patio


• 
  
  sew one last pillow cover

which is basically the list I had from last year! I also considered "upgrading" to a larger bed, but I'm just so darn comfortable in my little daybed, and I love my current layout -- it's so perfect for the very little time I actually spend here.  I've recently cleared some room for my round folding table, now in the corner; it just needs a spot of lighting to make it fully functional. In reality, however, I spend most of my time on the floor, near the coffee table that also serves as my dining table, desk, and craft surface.

Nevertheless, I would love to hear any comments (and criticisms), as there's always room for improvement and beautification. Lemme know what you think!

Birthday self-gifting

I have a habit of buying for others things that I want for myself. (Maybe a therapist would call this projection? Whatever.) It's something that I've noticed about my gift-buying habits over the last few years. And it makes sense, too, if "you are your friends" holds true. I get to buy something without the guilt of having been too extravagant, because it's okay to lavish other people with things. Win-win!

This year, however, is the year of being good to myself. So when I found out about the Graphic Image winter sale, I got my click on and picked out a few things. And they arrived just after my birthday!

A beautiful desk-sized address book in a beautiful Robin's Egg blue leather, with gold embossing and edged pages.  My pocket one, which I've had for seven years or something, is not in the best condition.  And I wanted something a bit more substantial, a bit more grown up. Not just as a place to store contact information, but a history of places and friends.  I love my parents' old address books, filled not only with their distinct and beautiful penmanships, but the strikethrus and squeezed-in jottings that reflect home purchases, new jobs, the advent of mobile phone numbers, and all sorts of life changes -- including births and deaths.  I am eager to start my own!

I have set up an online address book through Postable (ironic, I know), which I've emailed and posted to Facebook, for my friends to send me their updated information. Then I'll transcribe it all into my book.  But which pen to use? Or shall I use pencil? And shall I write in block letters or script? The possibilities are endless.

My second self-purchase was a jotter. It's such a classy way to write notes. And easier for me, the slightly scatterbrained overwriting lefty. I don't have to flip through pages, but whatever's on my mind can get shuffled to the top, and additional notes can be written. And when I write (or doodle) I have a nice, compact, flat surface.

So far I love my self gifts! What have you, or would you, buy for yourself?