Trying to Pull My Head Out of the Sand

Okay, so it's been a while. But getting distracted and losing focus isn't completely a new thing for me.  And well it's been kind of a rough couple of years. Losing the house, losing a breast, then losing my dad. Not long after my dad's passing we moved again. Not much of a move and to a somewhat nicer (though not much bigger place.) We've been a here a few months now and I think I am finally starting to feel settled. Trying to bond with the place as best as I can, even though it is a rental. It's hard to bond with a rented space after you've owned. But we've pretty much decided this is where we're going to stay for awhile so I'm trying to make it feel like home. And that, of course, starts in your head and your heart.

It's tough to make an apartment seem cozy. White walls, white trim, white blinds, beige carpet, beige linoleum. This place is a little strange as the doors are a deep brown which is really stark compared to the white walls and trim. So I've spent most of my time here just thinking about what I want to decorating wise rather than actually doing it. Part of the reason is I want to do what I can to make things seem ordered and consistent rather than slap dash. And of course the other part of that is funds available for such efforts, or a distinct lack thereof. Luckily I am pretty handy, but even the most handy person needs materials to work with.  And finding what you want, staying focused and consistent on a tight budget is a challenge. To say the least.

So far I've found some really great fabrics to work with and have spent a lot of my time deciding how to use them. My prize find was 4.5 yards of this Thomas Paul Arboretum in Chocolate fabric for $9.00 per yard

If you click on the image and follow the link you will see what a bargain I really got. And it is totally worth the full price of $55, a gorgeous heavy linen and such and amazing print. So I was torn between selling the fabric in my Etsy store, which I have been ignoring also, and using the money to buy some cheap drapes, or using it myself. In the end inertia (and my spouse) got the best of me, and I made some very pretty drapes for our bedroom. They match perfectly with this king size comforter set purchased on clearance at Target for a mere $30.

I had originally hoped to do the bedroom in sage to sort of flow with the living room. But this set was so beautiful and the quality is really nice. Plus at the the clearance price I couldn't resist. And already having the chocolate fabric in a similar theme it just seemed like fate.

So at least the bedroom is starting to come around. We had to buy a new king size bed when we moved, meaning we no longer have our beautiful oak shaker style queen size head board and foot board, which we gave to a very appreciative good friend. In fact we have no head board at all. So for now I've hung a vintage white popcorn chenille bedspread until I can find something a little more permanent. I'm thinking maybe a piece of plywood covered with some foam and the vintage chenille bedspread? Or an antique door. Whichever comes first.