I think I could spend a lot of money decorating, if I had it to spend, but it makes no sense to spend significant money on an apartment I'll only have for a school year. I am looking forward to bringing in a few things that may make the place a little more mine:
Yves Rocher Pivoine is incredibly pretty, one of the softest, cleanest floral scents I've ever smelled. I think I might be too curmudgeonly to wear such a sweet-and-innocent scent in EDT, but the soap, shower gel, etc. are charming. The hand soap is $10 CAD at regular price ($7.50 on the American site), but Yves Rocher has very frequent sales, and last week they were selling this for $4 on the Canadian website. Also, the bottle is hella girly, which will help to get rid of the aura of swingin' bachelor pad (and I can easily decant the soap and recycle the bottle if I later find myself entering an "ugh, no more girly pink crap" phase).
I'm not really big on cooking. I joke about being incompetent, but it's more that I just don't enjoy it. Coffee, on the other hand, I love; I love the whole process. Since I don't have the space or money for a good espresso machine, I use stovetop moka pots; the classic ones, made by Bialetti, are widely available (prices vary by size, but the 6-cup size -- bear in mind, by "cup" they mean espresso cup -- is currently $24.95 on Amazon).
I hope these mugs become available again, because I think they're adorable. I also collect teapots because I love the way they look, but I've decided I should stop; it's silly to have more than one teapot when you don't really like tea.
I hope these mugs become available again, because I think they're adorable. I also collect teapots because I love the way they look, but I've decided I should stop; it's silly to have more than one teapot when you don't really like tea.
I don't really own any art and I don't like buying posters at university poster sales. I'm not really much of a photographer, but I enjoy playing with my Holga; it's terribly hipster-pretentious ("ooo, look at my 'cheap camera' that isn't actually remotely cheap, I'm so ironic"), but I do like the vignetting and the light leaks, and I occasionally get a shot I like enough to blow up and frame, at least temporarily. Aside from that, I expect I'll mostly be decorating the walls with chiyogami -- not exciting, maybe, but cheap and portable and more homey than bare walls (and hey, something has to take the place of the porno ads).
In other news, I need something to read on the plane back to school. I'm thinking I will re-read Wuthering Heights, since I am in a cynical mood and a friend's description of this book -- "a slow and steady descent into hell" -- sounds more appealing than usual right now. (Wuthering Heights is still marketed as a love story -- how many generations of readers has it disappointed? And yet it's fantastic, just not what people are led to expect.) I already own a copy of Wuthering Heights, but I'm always tempted by Norton Critical Editions; I made a crappy English major, but I still love reading litcrit.
In my experience with decorating bleak dorm rooms:
ReplyDelete(1) good lighting
(2) a pretty rug
(3) wall hangings
Those three things go a long way to make a room ten times better.
This is my first non-dorm apartment in a long time! (A good thing, too, as the residence building I lived in last year is starting to fall apart two years after construction was completed.) I don't have much in the way of rugs, though.
ReplyDeleteHey Dorothy, I just wanted to say "Hi" and introduce myself. I've known and worked with Dain via the internet and TheLipstickPage for years now.
ReplyDeleteIts pretty cool that you're in law school. I just started classes in Paralegal studies,maybe you need an assistant in the future? LOL!! :D
Duh! Hit the send button too soon, I also wanted to add that I'm a big fan of moka pots but I usually end up scorching the coffee, any good ideas how not to do so? Other than don't turn it on and walk away and forget about it. Every used one of the electric ones?
ReplyDeleteIt's well worth it, I know they can be a little expensive, but I found a really nice one at TJMaxx (don't know if you have that in Canada) for $80, and the difference is positively enormous.
ReplyDeleteHi Carol! I remember you. :) How long is your program?
ReplyDeleteHmm, I usually take the pot off the stove as soon as it starts to make that coughing-up-a-hairball noise, and I've never scorched the coffee. I'm not sure I've ever even seen the electric kind -- we don't have TJMaxx in Canada. Is there a difference between TJMaxx and TKMAxx?
lol! TKMaxx? I suppose the purpose remains the same?
ReplyDeleteAh! One is American and one is British and they're the same company. Wikipedia is my friend.
ReplyDeleteThese discount department stores...Canada has Winners, which may be similar, but that's about it.
The one thing those wretched Twilight books got right was their commentary on Wuthering Heights being a terrible excuse for a love story.
ReplyDeleteO, are you talking about those vampire books, Michelle? I read the first, it was good in a really bad way, like junk food, but couldn't make it to the second. I hear they're making a movie of it, which is almost determined to be even worse.
ReplyDeleteIts a two year program and I just took my first class yesterday afternoon.
ReplyDeleteI saw an electric moka pot at (of all places) TJMaxx. I'd have bought it but it was painted to look like Tweety Bird. I couldn't imagine THAT sitting out on my countertops.
oooo,the Twilight books. All my friends are mad about them,my kids constantly make fun of them and I am refusing to read them.
This comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeleteBah. I wanted to post a picture of the Tweety Bird espresso maker but couldn't get it to work. I put a picture up of it on my blog though,lest you think I jest.
ReplyDeleteFunny, I could only find it on Ebay.
Yeah, I actually read the first three over a weekend on the beach. I'm told the fourth is horrendous, but the third, I think, makes a point of having the heroine reading Wuthering Heights and her love interest wondering what's wrong with people who think it's a love story. I was amused, because the same can be said of the Twilight books themselves.
ReplyDeleteI think the Olivier movie might have something to do with the misconception (although I haven't seen it, I gather it ends at a point well before the end of the book, possibly even before Catherine marries Edgar? Anyway). I was sure the "great love story" narrative came from people who hadn't read the book, and then I happened upon an entire Livejournal community of young women going goo-goo over Heathcliff, as if he were Darcy or something. Apparently some people think "boy meets girl, boy loses girl, boy destroys girl's entire family" is a great love story. Shudder.
ReplyDeleteI only became aware of the existence of the Twilight books a few weeks ago. I am out of touch. :)
And ha, Carol, the Tweety thing! I have one that looks just like that (still stovetop, not electric, though), but has cow spots. So who am I to judge, really? ;)
ReplyDeleteNow cow spots are ok. I used to live on a diary farm and still am occasionally give cow related paraphernalia at christmas or birthdays.
ReplyDeleteTweety and espresso just seem like such an odd pairing, so does cow print now that I think about it....;)
Yeah, my cow print thing makes "cappuccino" (it's actually not that wonderful at it, but it was a gift, so eh). So I suppose cappuccino = milk = cow spots. :)
ReplyDeleteAs for Tweety...uh...Tweety's very perky?