That time my apartment almost looked kinda cute

I've been in my apartment since October, but I purchased a couch just this past weekend.

Now, let me tell you, buying a large piece of furniture that will be used by many made me feel like such an adult. Not my first expensive rent check, not my big girl job, a COUCH.



As you can see, Chester likes the couch too. I see a lot of vacuuming in my future.

I also finally hung those two prints on the wall. They were in my bedroom growing up, but I appreciate them to this day. What can I say, I'm a sucker for French inspired things. And animals.

The shelves needed something in between them, so I went for a cheap print and frame. We'll pretend that's the original painting, ok?



I found this at TJ Maxx/Home Goods when I was in San Antonio and just had to have it. It makes me feel fancy and chic. Please disregard how bad those two little paintings look above it. I either want to get a larger piece of art for the space or put up several small ones.

Notice that I am tring to start a frame wall. Right now it's kind of puny.

The whole shebang. It's getting there!!

What would make this whole thing even better and make me the happiest girl alive would be if I had a Casey O'Connell painting [or 5] to display. Le sigh.

Any tips or suggestions?? [I'm looking at you, Mandy!]



A designer obviously doesn't live here

If you are expecting to see photos of an impeccably decorated apartment that belongs in the pages of House Beautiful or Design Sponge, STOP LOOKING NOW.

I am TERRIBLE when it comes to making things pretty. I'd like to think that I have good taste and know a good thing when I see it, but ask me to put it together myself and I'm at a loss. I can read design blogs to my heart's content and never be able to recreate what those geniuses do.

With that said, here is the one part of my abode that is complete: A wall with bookshelves and a TV stand. Thank you, IKEA.

Please disregard the lack of books. I read. A lot. All of the books that have been read are at home in San Antonio, so I plan on bringing them back here in order to make myself look more scholarly.

I still am lacking a couch, though I did buy a coffee table off of Etsy yesterday. It is painted a light brown with a blue top (I promise it's actually cute), so hopefully that will bring a little color into the room. I love white, but I love color way more.

And this picture is just for the sake of the hydrangeas. They were GORGEOUS. Apparently Chester didn't think so, as he had destroyed them by the time I woke up the next morning.

R.I.P. hydrangeas.

Yes, please

If I could design my dream kitchen, this would be it. Just look at it!! It makes me want to fast forward life so I can get to the part where I have a big house that I can do with as I please.

As it is, I'm dying to just have my own apartment that I can decorate however I want to. Although I may browse design blogs and swoon over the magazine House Beautiful, I'm not so sure I'd actually be able to put together a living space that didn't look like a schizophrenic person went wild in. But hey, a girl can dream. Now I just need that apartment...and one day, that kitchen!!

Kitchen from this article