Fragment: FUTURE HOME

Oh my!! There are SO many things I want to blog about now!!! Is it OK to post more than one entry in one day??? Are you guys OK with that? ;)

Well, today, I might just have to or else, I'm gonna forget! I have to make up for those months of silence, eh?

Ok, so......this one is short and sweet. Basically, I want to share this fragment more so I don't forget about it!

I was looking for a place on craigslit.org for my sister and her kids to stay as they are coming to visit us (YEY!). This is when I bumped into a listing that I REALLY liked, and although I requested information, the person never got back to me (bummer!). Anyways, the picture of the little studio I saved for inspiration :)

I would love a place just like this for myself! I think there's really nothing more that a person needs; as of space, that is. In such a small space, you can have EVERYTHING, and it looks SO cozy and SIMPLE. I look at this little house and I definitely SEE me :)

So, I've decided that I want a place like this one (picture on the left). Whether I move out alone again, or move in with someone (aka get married? WHAT! note: this doesn't specifically mean anything if you're asking yourself why I just mentioned this here :p)...wow, this just made me realize that there are some serious fragments I've left out during my periods of silence (sorry!).

Ok, going on......

I've been wandering around stores in the NYC and Bergen County areas, and I came up with a list of THE stores to buy furniture and home decor for when I do get my little place. This is if I live in the states again. In the DR, the options are more limited--and more expensive--but it's not impossible....I can live ANYWHERE. Nevertheless, shopping here for home stuff would be FAR more exciting *wink, wink*

The list goes something like this:

-IKEA (duh!!!) I think you all would've guessed that one! Affordable, chic furniture and convenient in all aspects imaginable!

-MARSHALLS Great for unique wall art and good prices on brand names in bed sheets and towels; also, you can find unique pieces of furniture, but they are scarce and are often scratched or broken =/

-TJ MAXX Same as Marshalls.

-TARGET You can also find cute things at great prices for home decor and things that you actually really NEED (like bathroom and kitchen stuff)

-URBAN OUTFITTERS Good for weird, unique, colorful stuff (furniture and decor)...a bit overpriced for MY taste tho'

-THE CONTAINER STORE I am an ORGANIZATION freak! So this store relieves my anxieties ;) A MUST for my sanity!

-Various FLEA MARKETS/ANTIQUE SHOPS To satisfy my desire of treasure hunting!

-ETSY.com Same as above ;)

Just as a little example, look at this gorgeous bookend I found at Marshalls the other day:

I'm SO in love!

I don't ask for much, right? ;)

NOTE: I guess, in the end, this post was not as short as I thought it would be...oopsie!

"The things you left behind..."

Yesterday, I felt so close to you. You were in every corner of the house. Your old school music was all packed up in hundreds of cassettes inside an orange Home Depot bag, sharing the room with your son. Your 400+ CD collection was standing in a box facing the Hudson River, witnessing a breathtaking sunset; Dad and I organized them in 2 cool Ikea towers. Your scent collection was fragancing each room of the apartment with mouthwatering flavors. Your fancy marble chess set was sitting on the window sill and is now adorning the new Ikea sofa table we put in the living room (looks so fine, by the way!). All the little knick knacks from your travels are finding their way into this home, but some haven't found a place just yet. I put them inside one of the blue storage boxes under the sofa table. Your picture frames of you and your son, your daughter, your family, me...they are so many...you had so many pictures hanging in your bedroom, in your living room. Now, they are all here; some are up, but most are just stacked one on top of the other hidden behind a bed, until we figure out where to put them.

All these THINGS are bringing YOUR life into your kids' apartment...YOU ARE SO HERE...you are part of your 'original' family, once again...and it's so...satisfying, in a way :)

Tell me why.....I see you in so many men walking around NYC...can't help missing seeing your face, and watching you have your dinner at granny's house, which you used to savor and enjoy so much (can't help hearing the sounds you used to make)! It was all SO much part of my NYC trips. It is truly obvious that you're not here.

I sent you an e-mail the other day...can you get e-mails in heaven? :S

....writing is a precious gift.

Missing you lots... :'(

PS: There was something about your hands that I can't seem to get out of my head. Well...I am a hands person...so, I guess yours were one of those pair of hands I really liked :)

Fragment: SPACEBOX

I am in awe! I just came across this innovative living concept: SPACEBOX.

This ingenious invention by architect Mart de Jong in Holland back in 2003, consists of "a light weight prefab building system" which was inspired on the existing need for student housing.

I would've loved to live in a SpaceBox during my college years!

Fragment: CLEANING

"nothing beats the feeling of clean. when everything is bright and sparkly. when the past is washed away and you have a fresh, new start. when your life is spotless and the possibilities are endless. and just for a moment--sigh--everything is perfect. for soon enough, life will go on. and before you know it, it will be time to clean again."

-from a Target's dusting cloth package :P

Really?! I have to clean.... AGAIN?!

These are the moments you start appreciating things you once had jajajaja...it's ok...I'm learning so many things! It's great :)

Must not complain ;)

Fragment: APARTMENT THERAPY

Ok, so sister and I are totally hooked to apartmenttherapy.com! We can spend hours going through all the house tours, jotting down ideas that people share.

So far, this little dining set from Laura's tiny studio inspired me to wake up early today and go to IKEA to get these 2 little mirrors, which gave MY tiny dining set some character (of course, mine is the super teeny-tiny version!)

(Right: Laura's dining set/Left: my teeny-tiny version)

Also, sister sent me the information for a contest that apartmenttherapy.com holds each year. I'm thinking about submitting my apartment in the teeny-tiny category! What do you guys think?! I gotta take really good pictures, though...Aliiiiiiiiii ;)

*Here's the link to the contest info:

http://www.apartmenttherapy.com/chicago/news/get-ready-small-cool-is-coming-soon-112423

I must confess to you guys, my tiny studio is literally working as APARTMENT THERAPY for me; it is my refuge in all senses right now. I love it and feel so happy to be here... :D :D :D

NOTE: You guys should check out my sister's blog TERAPIA DECORATIVA...it's like an apartment therapy for spanish speakers ;) LOVE IT!

Fragment: MINI STUDIO

I am so excited to share this with you guys!

A couple of days ago, I got an IKEA gift that became the answer to the HAMPER dilemma (refer to February 21st post).

An object that's been re-purposed, or perhaps, multi-purposed?

BENCH/HAMPER

So, I have my hamper and it works perfectly for my tiny apartment!

YEY! DONE ;)

Fragment: MINI STUDIO

Life plays dirty, little games sometimes....

I am so disappointed... :S Disgusted and, of course, freaking out! So terrified :(

Hope there's a quick, definite solution for this one!

Fragment: ORGANIZING/DECORATING

Ok, so, I've been to Ikea 3 times since it opened last Wednesday ;) and just can't wait to head over there again!

So far, I've gotten very useful items for my new place :D It's incredible how little things can change your everyday life! Never before had I been interested in shower heads, hooks, nails for hanging, water pumps, light bulbs, etc.! I used to think those were the boring sections of a store. Now that I NEED these things, I am SUPER interested in them ;) Very funny how life works... :)

I know you guys are dying to see what I've purchased (or not?), so I took pictures of some items; I am so in love with everything!

Now, since my mini studio is SUPER mini, I have no space at all for my laundry basket left! So, it ocurred to me that maybe HANGING HAMPERS exist????? I'm telling you, when in NEED, new interests are born, and you become creative ;)

Maybe this storage net from Ikea hanging from the ceiling could work as my new hamper?

Or in any case, I can have a laundry bag handmade and hang it from the door or from a hook on the wall.

Of course, I did a Google image search and hanging hampers DO exist! These were other cool ideas I found:

Fragment: MOVING

FEBRUARY...short month, big changes. Just like last year...

I think a time has come for me to grow up for REAL! To have my own space, to manage my life the way I believe works for me, to pay ALL my bills by MYSELF (uuuu! scary!), to have my own little 'home'.

So, a couple of days ago, I began my search. Waking up early in the morning, walking to the nearest newsstand, buying all the newspapers...I would come back home, excitingly sit at my desk, sip my coffee, and browse through the classifieds. It appeared to me that apartment searching was going to be a fun project. Until I realized, how sad it was that the places I could afford were either ugly or dirty or in areas that I wouldn't feel safe :S

I did find 3 one-bedroom apartments worthy of consideration. However, I still wasn't getting that "YES!-this-is-what-I've-been-looking-for" feeling.

Then, one day, while not fiercely looking, I came across a listing on the internet that sounded about right. At this point, I wasn't all that excited, but decided to give it one last shot before deciding for an apartment that was acceptable, but certainly not 'THE ONE'.

OMG!!!...........................................................I'd found a hidden treasure!!!!

Here are the photos of my little home...or as I've named it, "NENY'S TINY STUDIO" ;) YEYYYY!

Now, moving, organizing, decorating, and of course...LIVING! oh yeah....and paying rent every month, grrrrr! ;)