Category Archives: On My Mind

Sunshine on a cloudy day

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Remember when I used to make you listen to my (many) thoughts about my hair all the time? (Okay, maybe it wasn’t that long ago…)

Well, a few months back, I embraced that seen-everywhere trend of dyeing my hair ombré.

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As soon as my stylist stepped back to show me how it looked, I was fairly certain I had made a mistake.

It’s not that it looked horrible. (I don’t think.) It just…wasn’t me. And every time I looked in the mirror, my coloring just looked sad. The darker hair washed me out, and I felt like I just looked like I needed a highlight.

So last weekend, I accepted my mistake and went back to blonde. Here’s my best model pose, which those of you who follow me on Instagram have already seen:

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The difference was immediate. My complexion seemed brighter, and I just felt more like my sunny self. (Damn right I’m sunny.)

Yesterday, Taylor, who sits next to me at work and hears my tales of woe about this all the time, said, “Remember how you always said that your ombré hair made you look different? I get it now. Because you really look different blonde!”

This is what I’ve been saying, people.

So anyway. We’re back to normal and ready for summer. You know. Because of the sunniness.

Another apartment update.

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Man, radio silence on the blog, amiright?

I promise, I have not forsaken you. I’ve just been busting my behind trying to get another corner of the apartment presentable to show you.

Here’s some of the progress we made last week:

1. Emptying TONS of boxes. Seriously, folks. We’re down to the last 11, and I have high hopes that we’ll get down to two or three by the end of next weekend. (Joey is out of town, which means I can spend all my time organizing.)(Is it weird that that thrills me?)

2. Ordered a couch! We finally made it out to IKEA and ordered this little baby:

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He’ll arrive in about two weeks. At which point we will stop sitting on the floor. For the most part.

3. Built a kitchen pantry. I really should have take a picture of this, but the kitchen is still a bit too cluttered to show off. But the pantry is awesome. So much storage space!

4. Organized the bar area:

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Priorities, people.

5. Added a bar to Joey’s closet so he can finally hang up his clothes, along with a slew of other bedroom organization.

6. Emptied my closet of a few more things I never wear.

7. Started hanging pictures! Here’s our new baby gallery wall:

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I’m sure there were a few more little things along the way, but those are the ones I’m most excited about.

I CAN SEE THE LIGHT AT THE END, YOU GUYS.

Plus, I’m still in love with our neighborhood and have been exploring it more and more. Look how pretty it looks in the sunshine:

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Ok, so maybe it’s still a lot of concrete. But the trees are finally getting green!

So this was a boring post unless you’re as excited about my home as I am. What did YOU do this weekend?

Pack and Buy

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We’re moving in less than a week. I am only panicking a little bit.

Well, panicking isn’t the right word. Obsessing probably is.

For the record, we’re in pretty good shape. I’ve sold everything we needed to sell. (Oh! Did I tell you I sold our dining set? Well…I did.) More than half of our stuff is boxed up. And the hubs has Thursday and Friday off of work this week to start moving things.

I’m sort of hoping once he transports everything that is packed, it will make the stuff that’s not yet packed seem more manageable.

Side note: Is it me, or is packing one of the hardest things in the world to focus on? I swear, I get three or four boxes in, and I am wiped out. My friend Erin explained it pretty well that you get mentally exhausted from having to make so many decisions. Which is probably why packing things like books and dishes is easy, but wading through the mess of our bedroom has taken me two weeks.

Side question: I feel like I’ve asked this before, but is there a thrift store service that will pick up stuff from your house? I seem to remember that Salvation Army used to do this. Is it still a thing? Because I have a pile of stuff to get rid of. (Unless anyone I know is planning on having a garage sale soon? In which case, I have some stuff to contribute.)

Anyway. Packing sucks. On to happier topics.

I bought the rug for our bedroom! I used a 50-percent-off-plus-free-shipping coupon code (WINT50, if anyone else is in the market for a RugsUSA.com rug) and my parents got it for us as an anniversary gift. Awesome, right?

Second side note: Joey and I have been married for almost two years. Wacky.

I’m excited to get the rug mostly because it takes me one step closer to accomplishing my grown-up apartment goals of having a put-together bedroom. Next up, new bedding, possibly new curtains, and an artwork project. (Stay tuned.)

Here’s a list of everything else I would like to acquire/update at some point in the new place (in order of urgency):

1. Free-standing closet/armoire. Our bedroom closet is teensy. Considering right now our clothes are spread out between two closets, we need a bit more storage.

2. A small dining table. I really like the IKEA Docksta tulip table, and I’ve seen it on Craigslist a few times, I just need to get back in the apartment an measure to make sure everything will fit. Really, though, is be fine with almost any small white table.

3. White kitchen pantry. We have a couple of these right now, but they’re a light wood color and they’re pretty banged up at this point. I’d like a white melamine version for the kitchen for a bit more storage.

4. Storage coffee table. This is the least urgent furniture need, though of course more storage is always helpful. I’d like either a Crate & Barrel Hunter Trunk (if I can find one on Craigslist…no way am I spending over $600 on a coffee table) or a white table with drawers.

5. White bedding. I will have a grown up bed if it kills me. Fortunately, Homegoods seems to have a few options at very reasonable prices.

6. White IKEA picture frames and lamps. Because it’s all in the details, right?

So, six-ish things. That’s not bad at all, right? It’s definitely easier setting up an apartment this time around, when I have a better idea what I like and how we live.

What’s next on your home shopping list? I know I can’t be the only one with one of these things…

Moving update.

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I guess this is just a post to tell you that packing/moving hasn’t killed me yet.

Let’s have a little moving update, shallll we?

Well, the lease is officially signed, so that’s good. Today I should find out when we can actually get into the place. So that’s good.

As for our stuff, I’m continuing in my goal of moving with the least amount of stuff possible. We had already sold the china cabinet and the bookshelves. Last night, I put our desk and our dining room table and chairs on Craigslist. We already have another desk, and we’ll need a smaller table (I’m hoping to thrift something). I actually got an email about the desk this morning, so hopefully that works out.

The only other piece of furniture I could see us selling would be our couch. Not because it wouldn’t fit, but because we would have more room if we got a smaller one. But we haven’t officially made our minds up about that one yet. (Besides, I have a really good streak going of selling almost everything I out up. Why would I ruin that?)

I’ve also started boxing the stuff we are taking with us. It’s a rather arduous ordeal, but I do feel good about the growing pile of stuff I’ve separated out to donate. This will be the year of limited clutter. Simplifying feels good.

I can’t wait until I have actual pictures of the apartment to show you! Someday…

New Apartment, New Look

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We’re signing the lease for our new apartment today. I think we all know what that means.

Time to start thinking about decorating it!!!

(Come on, you guys. It’s a new apartment; same old me.)

Obviously, I’ve started to put together a bit of inspiration for the rooms. Let’s start with the bedroom since it has the longest way to go:

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Basically, I love this. But my main concern is that it feels a bit too…neutral.

As I’ve said, a grown-up bedroom is one of my main new apartment goals, and I think this definitely fits the bill, but…it’s missing something, right? I’m hoping some of my more decor-savvy readers will chime in here. An accent color maybe? You can get an idea about the colors I use in the rest of our apartment here.

Anyway. We already have the bed (and a matching dresser) and the mirror, but everything else would be new. The main things I need to complete this look are that gorgeous rug (might actually be purchasing that very soon), white lamps, fluffy white bedding, and the curtains (though I actually already have some fabric that could maybe fit the bill). Oh, and some picture frames.

So…what am I missing?

Good news.

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You guys. I know where I’m living in three weeks.

That’s right; we found an apartment! (!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!)

Lets all exhale one collective sigh of relief, shall we? Phew.

I mean, it’s not like I thought we would never find a place. It was just really stressful searching, and I was concerned that we would just never find anything we loved and then we’d run out of time and have to settle for something that was just okay.

But, you guys, I really think I love this place.

I say think because when we saw it, it was being completely renovated. So it will have new floors, a brand new kitchen and bathroom, and re-plastered walls. But while I can’t be exactly sure what it will look like when it’s done, I have a pretty good idea from the other apartments in that building we saw. And, honestly, it’s a gamble I’m willing to take for a brand new apartment.

Alas, though, I don’t have any pictures for you yet. But I promise to post a bunch as soon as I do.

For now, we’re continuing to pack and sell off furniture we won’t need in the new place. I sold the china cabinet, our chunky bookshelves I want to replace with something slimmer to take up less space, and now I think I want to sell one of our desks. We might also end up replacing the dining room table, but I have to do some measuring first to make sure it won’t fit if we take the leaf out.

Anyway. Just thinking out loud again.

Thank you for putting up with my crazy while this all got figured out. And for those of you who live in Astoria…watch out. We’re coming for ya.