more peeks at settling in

I have fully moved in with my parents and only visit the old place to transport things. I do the transporting by stages in order to manage the cleaning and fixing and arranging, especially of the tons of books that have to be re-organized into various shelves.

I gave priority to fixing my workspace/writing nook because a project is due to begin by end of next week and I really want to get seriously started on the research work for this year's NaNoWriMo. I have also decided to make my workspace more of a writing nook than a day-job workspace. Hence my "work" shelf actually has more of the happy stuff (my library of journals, writing books, notebooks) than the day-job stuff.

I also discovered that having no windows (my corner is literally a corner and under the stairs and walled in by a shelf) somehow helped me work better because I am less sensitive to the passing of the day and thus feel less resentful of feeling that I spent most hours just working on the day-job. The light is constant as if it is always early evening and I often pretend I am a hardworking detective on a mystery crime case working overtime (yes, it has a bit of that feel). Much better than enduring the daylight change from morning to late afternoon and realizing that I have been in the same spot doing the same thing.

A whole new theme and flavor for my writing nook/ work space.

in progress

a very rare selfie, and only because I want to show off the owl print that is now in my writing nook

Today's focus will be the bedroom. I hope to make progress in it well enough to be able to show nice photos. Then next on the list is the bathroom which is now much bigger and also shared with my sister. There is an unbelievable amount of possessions to sort through, combine, de-clutter.

Finding the right balance of co-existence in shared spaces is a very big deal and in that matter I count myself pretty lucky that I get along with my sister. She lives on rigid, almost obsessive but enviable well-orchestrated schedules while I fare better with a flexible day that leaves much space for maneuvering and flowing in any direction. I am more impulsive and indulgent. I am also worse at getting lists ticked off.

my odd sister. queen of calendars, schedule master.

settling in slowly

DIY house moving is very exhausting and very slow. On the other hand it does not cost any money. Except perhaps for the food and beverage treats I allow myself as comfort and reward.

What did cost me money was fixing the new place especially since I have to integrate myself into an existing household instead of simply setting up a new place for myself. There were repairs and upgrades and renovations. There were color palettes to consider. There is now a roommate to consult with constantly.

Hello (Sort of) New Place...

Renovated the living room. Still in progress.

Renovated the dining room. Still in progress.

quiet good friday

I've been having peaceful quiet days since yesterday. I beat my procrastination and made myself pick up the paintbrush and start painting my walls. My home started to feel different as the colors emerged. After the originally planned turquoise walls, I followed my instinct and re-opened the cans of yellow-green and orange and started painting the edges of my kitchen. This morning I painted the wash area which I had converted into a kitchen extension.

In the process I found some clutter hiding in corners and rarely visited shelves. And out they went. It is amazing how we can accumulate clutter without realizing it! As my home starts to breathe and beat with its new summer mood I vowed to get rid of everything I no longer use. No just-in-cases. I will further reduce all my possessions to those that I use on a regular basis. Everything I take out will be sold in a garage sale so I can make a bit of extra money to help pay for a trip I will take next month.

I actually do have some project work to do but I have parked them for a while until I am done with the summer cleaning of my home. By the time Easter comes around I should have caught up with everything. That would be such a relief, to clean my inboxes and to-do lists and keep everything updated and current with no back logs.

Easter -- resurrection --- I could certainly use a good restart on many aspects of my life right now. I do what I can to help the energies along, like painting my walls and always, always clearing the old to make way for the new.

redecorating : making more progress

I got a good amount of cleaning, clearing, and redecorating done even with a sore back. I just avoided anything too strenuous and I remembered to do stretches during my breaks.

Today I did portions of the kitchen, dining area, work area, and the bathroom, plus I finished up the entrance area (a semblance of it, at least, since I have a tiny, tiny, studio).

These matchboxes were souvenirs from Beijing given by a friend. I love the cat images and decided to put them on display on the entrance table. The Welcome Home is a fitting message!

I dressed up the side of the refrigerator with light fabric to create the illusion of a wall instead of an appliance. It also effectively separates the kitchen from the entrance way. The flowery plastic container is made of a recycled and repurposed softdrinks bottle, handcrafted by my grandmother. The glass bowl on the left is a gift from another friend and holds an assortment of hard candy. The round decorative piece on the right is a tealight holder, yet another gift.

This recharging station used to be white which had become stained with stubborn dirt. I cleaned and repainted it and is now an attractive piece. This recharging station has been made to order for only Php700, patterned after a similar piece from Pottery Barn.

I covered these shelf doors with an old stock of French Provincial designed giftwrappers. Again another case of putting on display things that would otherwise be hidden and gathering dust and most likely to be forgotten.

The bathroom finally gets its turn. I disposed of anything I haven't used for the past six months. I cleaned my makeup brushes and devised a way to display and organize my flower clips.  Fabric coverings made everything look even more cleaned up and organized, not to mention bright and happy.

This is it. My whole stock and repertoire of personal care products (only a handful not in the photo because they are kept in the shower area). I used to have about three to four times as much when I was younger and used to shop with abandon. At least a quarter of the items here are gifts.

My trinkets. Hair accessories, rings, and earrings. And yes I only have two bottles of perfume. Necklaces are in the closet (which is next in line for redecorating).

I don't think I will get to finish the fixing and redecorating 100% by the time the new year comes along. But it will be a nice thought that the new year came in with most already done. Always looking at the bright side. :)

truly nesting in

My back has been aching since yesterday. I must have strained it with three whole days spent redecorating and painting and walking long hours through shops looking for ideas and materials.

So today I decided to stay home and take it a bit easy. I was planning to start on painting my wall but I didn't want to make my backache worse. Hence after doing half an hour of yoga for back pain, I contented myself with painting smaller objects. I also got a start on fixing my kitchen cabinets and making sure that there are no old useless stuff to carry on to the new year.

My home is starting to look and feel bright. It is no longer just a waiting place, or a transition place. Regardless of how my life turns out this will be my little refuge. A place and space for creativity and comfort.

A definite good morning as the morning mail brought my Mod Podge order from Deovir.

It's orange day today. I got this pretty shade called Tiger Lily from Ace Hardware. 

This metal lamp got a bit of extra after the paint. Glittery jewels in the middle of the biggest flowers to add a bit of something.

My entrance table gets a brightening up as well so it does not melt into the shadows and the somber gray of the refrigerator (which it is actually trying to distract from).

The refrigerator gets clothed in bright stripes to complement the entrance table. Mr. Pebbleman is assigned the welcoming role.

Whole waiting for the paints to dry I started fixing my kitchen cabinets. I need to get more of those shelf helpers that let me maximize my shelf space by adding second layers. The mason jars at the top shelf are joyful finds and will be used for projects as well as some food preserves.

The mason jar box became the Mogget box.

That's pretty much what I got to do today with my back feeling bruised and beaten. I took a lot of breaks during which I read The Perfectly Imperfect Home -- a perfect match for my current activity. This book is one of my Christmas gifts to myself. I also read from Alphabet of Thorn, a fantasy book I purchased for my iPad Kindle. It's been a while since I got caught up in a magical story, I didn't realize I missed it so much.

Only two more days until the new year. I should get started on my new year lists! Maybe I'll put that on my to-do for tomorrow. Until then, savor whatever is left of this old year! Tweet

redecorating in progress, part 2

Today I tackled my work/study/crafting area, plus a bit of the kitchen. I repainted the back of my bookshelves which also serve as wall dividers to give my tiny studio some semblance of space assignment. The original color of the shelves was a very pale blue and I wanted bright color. I got a yellow green shade that looks sunshiny in daytime and lime-lemony in the evenings.

This is the back of my biggest shelf which separates my bedroom from the rest of the place. Just as I put up my Sandman card collection on the bedroom wall, here I chose to put up my Griffin & Sabine postcard collection. I have always been a Nick Bantock fan and I love to do my own collages.

I also changed the books on display at the top of the shelf (they used to be my Japanese manga collection) to complement the postcards - here I have Nick Bantock's books and Barbara Hodgson's. Barbara's books are like Nick's -- with beautiful art and beautiful writing combined to tell compelling stories. I hope to write one of my own one day.

Instead of throwing away a worn out mousepad, I stripped it of its peeling cover and re-covered it with a fresh bright fabric. Good As New mousepad!

These fabrics are waiting to be used for other decorating projects.

I took advantage of a 50% discount sale of good quality storage boxes and now I finally have my art and craft materials in one place. I added the stickers for a touch of whimsy. The objects on top are the materials for a current project.

I brightened up an all-black purely functional kitchen shelf by covering it with a bright green and white plaid self-adhering wallpaper. 

Not to be left behind, I dressed up a bare shelf that stored my cleaning products, kitchen towels, rags, and floor rugs with a fabric cover  so that the contents need not be exposed for all to see. It certainly made this tiny corner of the kitchen look fresher, brighter, and better organized. The bottles in the basket are waiting to be repurposed into something functional or decorative or both.

I will be going out for a new paint color tomorrow plus more fabric for new window curtains. Do visit again!

redecorating in progress

This is what I'm going to be busy with for the week before the new year: redecorating my home to prepare it for the fresh energies of 2012. It is also a way for me to cleanse and detoxify mentally, emotionally and spiritually. I also get to stretch my creative muscles and not hold myself back like I did three years ago when I just moved in. This time I will claim my space and really make it mine and let it speak for me.

Inexpensive wall stickers of colorful butterflies enhance an old plain black vinyl sticker I had put on the wall three years ago. 

Christmas lights cheer up my bed. I'm thinking I could keep it there all year round.

My Sandman card collection come out of hiding in a tattered box and are put on display for better appreciation. Neil Gaiman remains one of my favorite authors. Morpheus still pops up in my dreams sometimes, often with cryptic messages.

A store-bought vintage style wooden storage box gets personalized with happy colored sequins so it would not get lost in the vibrant fabric cover of the plastic Muji DVD storage. The shells are from a recent beach trip with my sister.

Another Muji plastic CD storage gets dressed up in fabric. I also use its top to display vintage LP covers. The yellow roses are made of wood ordered from Etsy. A few pieces of vintage safety pins gotten for free at the lace shop and a bowlful of assorted stones bought as souvenir from Athens, Georgia (when I did my little pilgrimage to Michael Stipe and REM in 2000.)

Repurposed a furry shawl into a table cover, keeping my turntable cozy.

Inexpensive doilies freshen and brighten up the shelf tops that hold my little garden of flowers and herbs.

This space does double duty as garden and as shelf for my planner, journals, idea notebook, and life list notebook.

More to come!

burst of sunshine and gold

I recently ordered two dozen yellow roses from Etsy -- but they are the kind that will never fade nor wilt. They are actually made of wood.

I have always wanted flowers in my home but they are way too expensive to buy regularly, not to mention quite difficult to find. The plastic flowers available in malls look too plasticky or the wrong shades of color. Imagine my delight at discovering Janice's lovely garden!

When I received my package of roses I took a milk bottle souvenir from Hong Kong and used it as a vase.

perfect distraction from my messy busy kitchen!

all saints' day

It's a holiday. The streets are blissfully quiet. The sun is shining softly warm.

I am cleaning and fixing my shelves. I actually want to step out into a cafe and have some quiet time in the outdoors reading and writing and dreaming.