It's finally here: move day!

I was up until after almost 3am last night finishing my packing--turns out, I was less organized than I thought.  That said, it's done.  It's done!  Now just have to supervise the movers, bite my tongue and pray nothing gets broken.

The plan for the day is as follows: movers arrive at Marco's at 9am.  I will be heading there just before then so we can keep an eye on things at both ends.  Once all packed up, we will head over to my place together and get this place packed up by the movers.  Then, it's on to the new spot for unloading.

The bonus is that we both have our apartments until the end of March, which means there will be a few items remaining once the movers load up my place, such as my bed, dresser, armour, etc.  All things I plan to sell and don't want to move.  Additionally, a garbage bag of laundry--how do people deal with that?--and some bottles of wine that I suppose I will just transport over the coming days on my own.

Tomorrow I have taken the day off work to unpack and organize and putter away at my own pace, which I'm looking forward to.  I'm even more excited to spend the first night in our new place, and in our new bed--from the couple quick lie downs, it seems like something I could get used to!

I'll share weekend snaps on Tuesday and you can see what my apartment living room usually looked like here, if you'd like.


Since I'm still down and out with Laryngitis that has been joined by cold symptoms, I thought I would share a few Christmas snaps from around my tiny apartment.  

I wasn't going to put up my tree--gasp!--since we are so close to the day and I will not be here, but eventually gave myself a good shake, took 10 minutes and got my baby tree up.  Remember when I got this little tree?

To be honest, I've hardly decorated aside from the tree and throwing a sequin top on my mannequin.  I haven't had the time to grab all my decor from my parent's basement, bring it back here and decorate.  I was going to go into details about my apartment and recent thought, but I'll save that for another day.  Cheers!





I have been wanting to film an apartment tour but the honest to goodness truth is that I'm pretty messy and this place is so small it gets messy fast.  So, in the mean time, I thought I would share a few photos I took around my place to share some of the details, if you'd like to see...


This sequin top is from Forever 21, last year, and I've worn it with denim to a party, and dressed down with black skinnies for work.  As it's pretty and delicate, I like to keep it on display in my bedroom, hanging outside my closet--plus it would likely get ruined being smushed between the other clothes.


I created a bed-side table out of three boxes; the bottom is an 'gator embossed box my sister gave me for my birthday one year and the other two are animal hair covered and from Home Sense.

The two picture frames are housing some black-and-white polka dot scarves I managed to flatten down.  It was meant to be a quick fix for empty frames until I had time to choose and get pictures printed and it's now been over a year.  Pfffft.

The chandelier lamp is vintage and belonged to my grandparents.  I have a matching one that sits in my front foyer on a small table.

I keep two large jars with lids to the left of the night stand that hold black, white, and turquoise pashminas as they kind of work with my grey/black/white bedroom colours.

The art on the right hand side is a favourite mainly because of the metallic and texture. This piece is displayed on the wall as you enter into my bedroom.  While I wanted something over my bed, this didn't really fit and I love the idea of putting a big statement piece somewhere unexpected.


I keep my clutches together and the majority in the brown basket on the left at the top (not really shown).  The overspill is what you're seeing and I love having my Asos feather clutch on display because it's so feminine and works with the colours of the room.  Additionally, I don't use it a ton so it's nice to have it out in the open as some sort of decor.  And if I can add one more thing, when you're in a space as small as mine, a lot of things become 'decor' (ha).


My living room furniture is old, but the pillows are new.  I got these two from Home Sense a couple months ago and shared them in a Home Decor Haul.  I meant to buy just the one at the back as it was on sale for $15, but then the one at the front was so nice too, I grabbed it.  They look great together despite the fact that I have far too many pillows in general.


Across from the chair--and another chair in leather that's beside it, which you didn't see--is my couch and another end table.  The lamp is a recent purchase which I fell in love with as soon as I saw it last Spring.  I scooped it up for $40 at Home Sense and it works perfectly in the space.  


The boots are from Aldo and a couple years old and they are actually on display in my bedroom, but the colours worked to share it beside the living room furniture.




Things you  may have missed:
* The Condo Story: Purchasing My Own Place (which I'm still not living in)


Today I'm sharing with you how I have recently organized my pashminas.  Before, they were all stuffed into a huge bin at the bottom of my closet, which was out of the way, but I never wore them as it was such a pain to dig through and find the one I was searching for (additionally, as I cleaned them out, I found ones I had forgotten about!).

Now, using a very simple method (below), they are organized and easy to see.  If you have extra hanging space (I had to make some), this might be helpful for you to get your scarves out where you can see them to maximize their use.  I now use that pink bin to house extra hangers that were taking up valuable hanging space on my rolling rack!

A big ol' bin of scarves!



You may also like:
* Closet clean out (the top portion).
* How I organized my accessories/make-up/linen closet.
* A peak into my apartment.
* An up-close look at how I used to store my accessories (a few years ago).
* A box of accessories.
* How to tie a scarf (a video of me; super old!).
* All of my 'How To' posts.




I will often let messes get messier.  It's a terrible habit, but I do it and then it stresses me beyond belief until I attack the mess and get it under control. 

My make-up/accessories/linen closet has been one of these things; haunting me every weekend while I'm trying to do fun things (the nerve!) and every time I open it up to grab something (or throw my laundry in the basket below), I wanted to shudder.  Then, instead of tackling it, I would quickly close the door and, well, run off and do something fun instead.

I finally pulled everything out the other night, organized, purged (a ton) and then figured out a way that would work for me to be organized and make getting ready in the morning a little bit easier.  I amalgamated all my accesories onto one shelf (the upper) and kept the beauty/make-up products down below.  I also pulled several things from the kitchen that I keep but barely use to help this effort: the home-made cake stand in the back for bracelets, the large black bowl to hold smaller bangles, a regular wine bottle for hinged bangles, a decorative vase from my room for the leather-wrap bracelets, regular glass ware for an overflow of nail polishes, and a clear glass bowl with a wide mouth with a lid for rings.




I also wanted to show you how I display my necklaces.  Silver on one side and gold on the right, some nails in the wall and voila...

Last night, after a visit with a good friend, I decided to edit a vlog I recently filmed.  Since my laptop takes about six years to boot up, I thought I'd do some 'tidying' of my closet while it was loading.  Well, I didn't end up editing my video, but I sure did edit my closet!

I'm terrible at taking before photos, so you don't ge to see the mess that was that top shelf prior to last night (plus it was embarassing!), but I wanted to share with you how it looks now (and how it looked bare).

If you want, you can see some of the in-progress pictures which include the pile of clothes I'm getting rid of, all of my sweaters and jeans on the floor and the mess that was my bed (which is pretty embarassing but hey, it has to get messy before it can get better, right?  Right).

Additionally, if you're interested in a pair of True Religion 'Sammy's', I'm selling mine (size 29).

Before (ish)

After
          
What does it feel like to go from having 1742 square feet of finished living space to 600?  ...Crowded.

So here I am, over a year into my lease and I absolutely love apartment living.  Yes there are downfalls: No dishwasher, laundry in the basement, no garbage shute and next time I would certainly get something with a balcony.  But other than that, I love it. 

I wasn't sure how I would adjust, going from brand-new-townhome to old-one-bedroom-apartment, not to mention the vast difference in space (only 1250 square feet less...), but I have.  In fact, more than have, I really love it.  I don't mind being in something small, in fact, in some ways it's nice: forgetting something in another room doesn't require much effort to go retrieve it, cleaning takes far less time, and it forces me to get creative with my storage solutions.  

That said, another bedroom to store all my clothes and shoes would be nice.  An option I looked into when the house sold but figured the extra $400 would be better left in my pocket versus spent basically on a closet.

That said, my parent's basement is housing over half my stuff: extra shoes, a Christmas tree, a washer/dryer set, all my artwork, decor items, etc.  Not that I don't want those things with me, but space is a serious issue and I have sort of had to adopt the mindset: if you bring something in, something has to go.  I have even started to build up, as when in a tiny space you certainly cannot build out.

Of storage solution purchases I have made are three garmet rolling racks (purchased at 50% off each), a chrome shoe rack (see below), four faux-leather cube boxes with lids and a ridiculously heavy Ikea armoir that I scored off Kijij for $30.

I'm currently trying to reorganize my apartment and get things in better working order.  I just purchased some new curtains for my bedroom and rolling racks (metallic silver, versus black) and want to start working on my closets.  I thought it might be fun to take you with me on this little 'adventure'.

Here are a few snaps of my place that I've posted on Instagram:

Front foyer (using dining room chairs to make a bench).
Decor deets:  Loblaws vase, Ikea sticks, TJ Maxx miniature table, vintage lamp from my grandparents, Loblaws sequin pillow, Dollarama silver/white pillow sham & Home Sense fur blanket.


 The fantastic view.


 Bathroom shelving and art.




And here is a picture of when I first moved in (yikes!), versus now:

I wrote this September 2011:

I'm downsizing.  The time has officially come for me to live on my own, and I'm excited.  Really, really excited.  I've never lived alone and it's not that I didn't want to, it's just that the way my life path traveled, it didn't happen, however, it's happening now.

I've been working with a Realtor for months upon months looking for a condo.  I've seen many properties, with and without my realtor.  I have yet to find the 'perfect' condo to purchase.  So, in an event get out of my parent's house and on my own, I have decided to rent for the next year.  Initially, I was very snobby about this idea.  MeRent?  Even though I've already owned?  I wasn't having it (snobby, yes, I know).  However, after spending over two months living at my parent's house (for the first time in almost a decade), I think it's safe to say both parties will benefit from me moving out (ha!).  That's not to say my parents aren't great, they are, and I'm so grateful for them taking me in and letting me live (rent free!) with them, but it will be so nice to have my own space (and they can have theirs back, too).  

My apartment hunt began in the remaining two weeks of August.  I was hoping to find something for September 1st (or September 15th at the latest).  After seeing at least 15 properties (ghetto, after ghet-toe place) I almost settled.  I'd been to an apartment building in China Town and it had everything I was looking for... almost: one bedroom, hardwood, nice layout, bathroom counter space and a big closet

Right.  Not so much. 

The closet was about 2/3rds the size I had at my parent's place, and I had already been living with about 1/8th of my wardrobe over the summer months since moving from my house (everything else was still at my house).  How on earth would I make such a tiny space work? 

But the rent was well priced, and the (underground) parking was cheap, and I was close to downtown... but something just didn't feel right. However, feeling frustrated and tired, I decided to call the Super and arrange a time to go see it, again.  It must have been fate because two hours before I was suppose to go see the apartment again, I found something else.  I immediately called and long story short, it was available.  I was there within 30 minutes to view it and loved it.  I felt it.  I got that feeling that you're suppose to get when something is 'the one', and this was certainly it.  From there on out, it was paper work and waiting (oh, and packing, of course, lots and lots of packing).

And here I am, at the end of September and moving into my new place.  MY new place.  The kitchen is small, there is no counter in the bathroom (pedestal sink), but it's mine.  And to name off a few high-points: it's newly renovated, I have brand new berber carpet in my bedroom (and wood and ceramic everywhere else), the view is amazing and it's in a hot-n-happenin' part of town.  Oh, and did I mention it's all mine?
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