I hate that this has been such a recurring theme around here lately. I won't bother with the excuses, because you know how it goes. You're busy, I'm busy, we're all busy. If I'm honest, it's more than just that. Sometimes I just don't have the motivation to put time and energy into my blog. I always figured that Sweet V would grow with me and there would be times in my life that I would put more into it than others. This may be one of those lull times. The good news is that I'm 100% officially done with college classes! It was more than just a little sad to pack up and leave College Station for good, but I'm so excited for what's ahead. I finished my time in kindergarten and I start my student teaching in January. I'm happy to report that I'll be getting to know 20+ bright-eyed 4th graders in the upcoming months.
If you follow me on Instagram, you may have seen a few glimpses of what I've been up to recently. I made a pretty drastic change to my hair and cut off about 7".
Is it bad that I'm already starting to miss it? Although, a fresh cut is always nice. And it does help that it's 50 times easier to style now.
Also, now that I finally have some time off, I'm excited to get working on some of my to-do list projects. First up is a quilt for myself. I've made quilts only a few other times, always for other people. This time I'm making one all for me, with some of my favorite colors.
I'm looking forward to posting pictures of the final product.
Another exciting thing is that I've found an apartment for the Spring! I've always lived in student living housing and have had to use whatever furniture they've provided, but this time I get to furnish it myself. I've been saving up for months to try and afford decent furniture. I'm quickly finding out that it's more expensive than I'd thought. We'll just have to see how it all comes together. Here's my blank canvas:
What do you think of this wall (below) as a chalkboard wall? Is that a bad decision as a renter? Opinions and expertise welcome. And on that note, I'm open to any inexpensive furniture/decor stores suggestions as well. Send 'em my way.
I've got some DIY decor projects planned. I'm even going to try my hand at some simple carpentry. We'll just have to see how that goes... I'll keep you in the loop. (;
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Furnishing rentals is always hard! Instead of a chalkboard wall, I would get a big frame and use chalkboard paint on a thin piece of mdf board. (That's what I did at my wedding and now they are hanging up in my home!) Also, another thing to look for is a free-standing mantel! They make great places to display things and help with making it feel more homey. Good luck!
ReplyDeleteBefore you paint, ask yourself how long do you see yourself living in the apartment? I move every year or two so I vary rarely paint. Another thing to consider with the chalkboard wall is the dust. If you can live with the extra dust then it might be worth it.
ReplyDeleteI would look for a mixture of used and new furniture. I have found some real gems on craigslist and thrift stores. Often times all it takes is a new coat of paint or a steam cleaner to make something old look nice. The furniture that I buy used is typically better quality than what I could afford new.
My favorite place to get cheap decorations are Ross, Home Goods/Marshalls/TJ Maxx and Burlington Coat Factory and of course thrifting.
Congrats on your first apartment! It is always so exciting to really decorate for yourself!
Paige
www.theglitterpaiges.blogspot.com
Oooh! I love quilts! Those are such beautiful colors to choose too. I definitely can't wait to see the finished product. I've always wanted to make a quilt but have been scared it would be too much of an undertaking for me.
ReplyDeleteYou may need to ask, a lot of places don't allow renters to paint.
ReplyDeleteAnd even if you're allowed, it's quite a bit of effort, and they'll most likely expect you to paint it back to what they had before you moved in...just keep that in mind.
beautiful apartment!! and those colors look super cute for a quilt! can't wait to see the finished product :)
ReplyDeleteCheck out Craigslist! It's the way to go when buying furniture on a budget. Although I know it all adds up. Can't wait to see what you do with the place.
ReplyDeleteTry Freecycle.com for free used furniture you can repurpose. In the DFW area I belong to 3 different freecycle groups and I always see lots of furniture give aways and also lots of requests for furniture that produce results. I asked for a hall clothes tree once and got one right away. I get a lot of sewing items as well from freecycle which is great.
ReplyDeleteGood luck and have fun.
Billie
Similar to what LBMM said above, if you want a LARGE chalkboard wall, you can buy some cheap hardboard ( http://www.homedepot.com/h_d1/N-5yc1v/R-202046928/h_d2/ProductDisplay?catalogId=10053&langId=-1&keyword=hardboard&storeId=10051#.UMYHVYPAd2A), screw it into the wall and then paint it however you want. Home Depot ( or lowes) will cut it to size. This way, instead of re-painting, all you have to so is fix a couple screw holes when you move out, and you can talk your chalkboard "wall" with you!
ReplyDeleteSO nice to hear from you, you HAVE been missed! At least in MY computer you have! LOVE the new DO!!! Looks very nice for you face type! And the apt, WOW! a blank canvas for YOU!!! I've seen your work, you will have NO trouble decorating!!! Have fun, NO pressure to post. We WILL be waiting w/ baited breath for the next one & I personally am SURE you will NOT disappoint!!!
ReplyDeletekweenbee_612@yahoo.com
Congrats on graduating college!
ReplyDeleteI agree with everyone else, be careful painting rental properties. Your landlord/complex might not even allow it, you need to check with them first to see what their policy is. They will see you've painted when they come in to fix things, so its best to check first before you make any changes like that.
I also suggest the painting a board and hanging that up instead. That way you can take it with you. Also, if its allowed, you normally have to paint it back to what the original color was. How hard is it to paint over chalkboard paint?
Another idea is to use fabric wall hangings instead of painting the walls. Grab a lot of inexpensive art and use that. Upgrade from college posters with art you've made or found inexpensively.
Thrift stores are a great place for furniture. I also suggest garage sales and flea markets for any furniture with a hard surface, I would be weary of any fabric furniture that is used. And for sure don't buy mattresses used!!!
Can't wait to see your decorated apartment, it looks fantastic!!
Beautiful apartment! I'm having some apartment envy about now...ha ha. My husband is a graduate student and so I know life on a budget. We shop for furniture almost exclusively at Ikea, so if you have one near by, I would recommend it. It's great starter furniture and is way better quality than most people give it credit for. I'm also a fan of thrift stores and flea markets. I've gotten some stuff there and then fixed it up
ReplyDeleteI LOVE your haircut! I've been thinking sbout cutting my hair to about that length, I think you just made that official! ;)
ReplyDeleteGlad to have you back!
Blessings <3
Furniture is insanely expensive! I would buy a quality couch that you can use for 10+ years if you can afford it (i feel weird about used upholstered items) and buy table and wooden things second hand, at flea markets, etc. Or try to get some hand me downs from family or friends. But looks like a great space!
ReplyDeleteConsider using contact paper, instead of chalkboard paint, like here:
ReplyDeletehttp://www.coletterie.com/peeks-in-the-studio/our-new-chalkboard
Much easier to remove and easier to put up than painting an entire wall.
Enjoy your new apartment and congrats on being done with classes!
Welcome back!! Your new apartment is so cute! I was thrilled to get out of student housing. It makes it harder to meet new people, but I've found that I love the freedom of being able to hang things by putting holes in to my walls! :)
ReplyDeleteCongrats on graduating! Gig em! Look through thrift stores (there are some good ones in college station from people who don't want to haul stuff back home) and paint the furniture to suit your need. I bought all new stuff and I wish I had taken the time to choose pieces that really spoke to me instead of a whole set brand new.
ReplyDeleteCongrats on graduating! And I love your new haircut! As for furniture, I love to shop the thrift stores and estate sales for old, sturdy pieces. A fresh coat of paint and you can have something that really pops! Plus you can paint the furniture fun colors instead of the walls. Thrifted furniture is usually better made and more sturdy than the new furniture you find in the stores. Best of luck! I cannot wait to see what you do with your blank canvas!
ReplyDeleteYour haircut looks ADORABLE! I love it! It's always hard the first few days after a haircut but it really suits you :)
ReplyDeleteFor furniture,check out freecyle (as mentioned above) as well as Salvation Army. for SA, we've gotten VERY nice furniture (e.g. lazyboy) for bargain prices. Out here in Cali, certain days are 50% off, so check in with your local store to see if they have special offers and go shopping then
good luck! and congrats on finishing college classes! Yay for no more college loans!
Congrats on finishing college! Don't worry about being scarce at times - people understand that school comes first.
ReplyDeleteYour apartment looks lovely, and I can't wait to see how you decorate it! The same goes for your quilt. I bet it will be gorgeous. :) I'm currently crocheting my first blanket, and I love seeing other people's work as well.
Congratulations on graduating college~! and congratulations on new rental place!
ReplyDeleteIt's always good and exciting to start something new and fresh!
As for the rental decoration, I lived in rental apartment for 2 yrs before moving into our new home. Personally I would not paint the wall of the property that's not mine, because it's just too much cleaning work when i move out. I like the idea of the above bloggers to use frames. Anything easy to move/take down is better. Just my thought. Thanks for the update, I'll follow your instagram.~
The apartment looks great. I used to live in student living communities and got tired of it pretty quickly. When I made the transition to my "adult" life, I scoured Craigslist and thrift stores for furniture. So I definitely suggest going there!
ReplyDeleteXO Lourdes
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ReplyDeleteSo many good ideas from these comments, so I will not repeat :0) Congrats on the Collage (Uni) and good luck in Jan I'm sure you will love it. nice Hair cut (very brave) And I look fwd to the quilt Dxx
ReplyDeleteWe lived in apartments for years because we moved so much with my hubby's job we did not want to buy...my tricks were always from Ikea...they have great prices and the furniture has very good storage for apartments...I always bought very colorful curtains which helped with the very white or plain walls. Colorful pillows are great too!! Have fun decorating :) ~Heather
ReplyDeleteCongrats on graduating and good luck teaching 4th graders!
ReplyDeleteCongrats on your graduation! Big step, I know.
ReplyDeleteI'm in a living situation right now with two rather irresponsible roommates who decided to chalkboard paint the wall in our living room without my knowing. Not a big deal - we're allowed to paint as long as we paint it back. The problem started when they started writing on the wall - chalk leaves indentations in drywall, which is softer than you'd think. There is a product you can use, I call it wall mud, that will mask the indentations. However, our office manager found out and has informed us that we are not allowed to use wall mud on the walls of our apartment and thus, the cost to repair it is coming out of our security deposit.
So yeah, stick to the frame. Best of luck in your new place!
That's a great apartment! As a current college student, I also cant wait to decorate my own place when I move on from the dorms...but it is so intimidating to start form scratch like that!
ReplyDeleteCongrats on finishing school. My sis graduated last year, and hopefully you have better luck than her finding a teaching job. I love your new apt. I cant wait for the day to have my own. As for furniture check out thrift stores they have pretty great pieces for a fraction of the cost.
ReplyDelete