house projects

So at the beginning of the year, I made a list of "projects" I want to implement in my condo this year. I made this list for various reasons: (a) my mind is constantly inspired by a number of different ideas and instead of constantly thinking about them for the fear I would forget them, I wrote them down! (b) the list helps me manage my financial resources a bit more wisely in that I don't spend on superfluous things, but save and spend on things I really want. (c) I love lists!

Here are some ideas in my portfolio of projects:

1) The Cuddler Sofa

Isn't this cute?? The living room needs more seating, but since what I currently have is not a full furniture"set," I have a little more flexibility to pick out something cool that doesn't have to match everything else! This piece is called the "Cuddler Sofa." I've never seen anything like it before! Just my style: trendy yet not overly contemporary. And I like the tan color...when in doubt, always go neutral. Besides picking colors for big pieces like this freaks me out because I change my mind so much! Also, doesn't it look perfect to cozy up and read a book / take a nap / watch a movie? Note: this sofa is perfectly capable of seating singles...contrary to what it's called, you do not have to cuddle with anyone to be able to sit on it. :-)

(2) Bedroom Dresser

I've never had my own big-girl dresser like this, the chest of drawers in my bedroom is falling apart AND I found this awesome dresser at none other than IKEA! It's exactly what I want....black (matches the decorative "work" on my headboard)...deep drawers...small jewelry drawers...and a ROUND MIRROR!!! There is something about the round mirror. I didn't even know I "needed" it until I saw it! This is going to require some carpentry work - so I'll need to bribe my expert sis and brother-in-law to make a trip up to Indy to put it together for me! Like I said, my chest of drawers is on its last leg, so the second that falls apart, I'm dashing to IKEA to snatch this right up!

(3) Leaning Bookshelves
The living room is going to get a lot of love this year! Minus the middle shelf & chair, I plan on adding two white leaning bookshelves to my living room (next to the TV stand). I realized with no fireplace and mantle, I have absolutely no room to display photo frames, vases, other decorations, etc...and then I ran into these at Crate & Barrel! I think the white will be a nice touch since I have neutral and chocolate-accented walls in my living room and dining room.

(4) Art
Recognize this? My obsession with picking out the "perfect" piece of art for my living room has paralyzed me to pick out anything at all and has left my poor walls completely blank. My condo has a lot of wall space, which is good and bad. Good because there is a lot of room to be creative, but bad because my addiction to perfection stifles my creativity! I can't tell you how many pieces of art I analyzed and ruled out because it didn't "speak" to me. I even consulted one of my good friends who is quite the artist herself and has an eye for good art, but even that didn't result in a living room piece. I concluded that I just need to wait to find something and I will stumble up on it when I least expect it. Until one day when she and I on a Friends marathon. In case you didn't realize, this poster is from the popular old sitcom, Friends! You'll find it in every episode (all 10 seasons) next to the TV in Monica's apartment! When we were watching Friends, I kept saying how much I liked the poster and my friend fires back, "why don't you put THAT above your couch, since it speaks to you?" What a marvelous idea?! So, I looked it up online and sure enough there is a website that sells various sizes. This will be perfect for many reasons but most importantly it will bring the splash of color I've been wanting to bring into the living room!

That's it! There are a couple of other small things on the list, which you're just going to have to see when you come visit. :-)

UPDATE: I had to change the "theme picture" of the blog...while tulips are the best, they're out-of-season at the moment...snowflakes are more appropriate!!