"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: 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: 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: IKEA

The store that Sister, the world and I love is HERE! In the Dominican Republic!!!!! I drive by and I still can't believe it!! WOW!

The place to go to for great prices, chic furniture and décor ideas, easy assembly, and did I say GREAT PRICES?! Such affordable, cool pieces for people that don't want to commit to heavy, traditional furniture but want their place to look fab, like me ;)

IKEA's opening date is set for February 17th and it can not seem further away!!!!! I don't even want to imagine how many people will be in the store that first day! The expectation is so high right now! It's gonna be the first Ikea store in Latin America, YEY! DR once more is FIRST in history; first discovered land in the Americas, first established city--SANTO DOMINGO, first cathedral, first university, first IKEA!!!!!!!!!!! Uuuujuuuuu ;)

I just really do hope that Ikea keeps its concept of affordable prices because things tend to get triple-priced $$$$$ once they cross over the Atlantic :S

Ikea couldn't have come at a better time! ;) ;) ;)