HEY, YOUR PLACE IS LIKE, REALLY NICE, WATSON.

I KNOW, RIGHT? IT IS AN EVOLVING SPACE BUT I LIKE WHERE IT IS RIGHT NOW.

Uh, puppies? I sleep here, too. I hate to be a bother, but if you could all maybe consider the dog bed? The couches? Or maybe the rug? I’ve got some private room under the bed?

NO, NO, THIS IS GOOD. HERE. LAY DOWN AND WE WILL SLEEP ON TOP OF YOU, OKAY?

Okay, puppies. Okay.

Documenting my continued experiments in home-building:

When I first moved in, the living room was nice, but in a quiet sort of way.

A few months later, I painted the main wall the brightest, most golden yellow I could find. Then, the room was much more interesting.

Now, it is blue. Seriously, lushly, dramatically blue. When I grow up, I am going to build myself a mid-century modern life full of neutrals and thoughtful shelving. Today, though, today I want to live in a bowl of candy.

This card catalog is everything I always knew I wanted.

A week/end digest:

1. Dog walks with Kelli
2. My professor for Medieval Research is always like, “and what does the third line of this text tell us?” and then someone reads out the Latin or Old English like it’s no big deal, while I question the quality of my education up until this point and mourn my illiteracy.
3. Wedding craft experimentation continues. Also, right. That is a picture of a Westie dressed as Mr. Darcy. It was a birthday present from Kelli and we’re going to go with it, okay?
4. Popcorn I did not burn.
5. IF A POEM CAN BE HEADED INTO ITS PROPER CURRENT SOMEONE WILL TAKE IT WITHIN HIS HEART TO THE POWER AND BEAUTY OF EVERYBODY by Kenneth Patchen.
6. Programs, programs, for Chatter.

Additional reminders to stop altering my room — that curtain? Totally worth the absurd price of purchase. I finally threw the receipt away, acknowledging that I never planned to return it, anyway. 

After many incremental improvements over a nine month period, I think I am finally happy with this corner of the room. In writing and in life, it is sometimes hard for me to edit myself. I always want to add one more adjective, or tear it all down and try another color scheme.

This is nice, though, and I am going to do my best to live in this space, accepting that it is finished. I like that it draws from garage sales, antique shops, Target, Anthropologie, and crafting. 

Kelli helped me make that necklace holder on a Friday afternoon. We are not often at home on the same nights, but happened to have a few hours before our evening plans (hers, a date night with Dan; mine, sitting in bed with chocolate cake and internet television). She pulled out the drill and lace, I loaded up the glue gun with another stick of plastic. We’re fancy. 

What’s that, Max? You would really appreciate it if I would turn down the Dashboard Confessional so you can nap without feeling sorry for me (and my regressive musical taste)?

Sorry, kiddo. Can’t do it. This has to happen.

p.s. That bright yellow accent wall, along with everything on the mantle, was  thrown together during one of my periods of weekend restlessness. Fortunately, Kelli is totes supportive of such impulsive decisions. In fact, when I call out, “Kelli! Bring me your miscellaneous decorative items!” she not only complies, but comes bearing the most amazing and delightful things. Like stone sun-faces with different expressions, a Russian nesting doll, many elephant figurines, and tiny metalwork statues.

Having painted all reasonable surfaces in our house, this month’s project was the wall by my bed. If anything looks off-kilter, it’s…on purpose. And not because I’m too lazy to get a leveler, but not very good at the tilt-your-head-and-eyeball-it method. 

Also, Watson and I got haircuts this week (by different people). I know we do not look different, but it is just that having articulated our style, we now strive for maintenance and not invention. 

It was probably ill-advised to start painting my kitchen around 9 PM on a Tuesday night, knowing that I would likely be too stubborn to stop before I finished the whole room. 

What a reasonable sacrifice sleep is, though, to live in such a delicious shade of minty-mint green! 

This day, one year ago, I moved to New Mexico. That night, despite being exhausted from moving-related labors, I could not fall asleep. I tried to find something familiar in the shadows of my empty apartment; in the darkness, those echoes and creaks, those sheets and silences, could be the same as those of home. Filled with more trepidation than anticipation, I tried to ignore the significance of what was about to happen, focusing instead on getting through one day in this desert frontier at a time. 

One year later, again exhausted from moving-related labors, I sit beside the flickering flames of the fireplace, in the company of some fine looking puppies. This living room already feels like home, which may be due in part to the fact that Albuquerque is starting to feel like home. The uncertainly of the previous year has dissipated. I can be happy here; I will be happy here. 

Tomorrow, Albuquerque: Year Two. 

Drew’s parents came to visit, and I made them a cheese plate using the cheese I had laying around in my fridge. There were some leftovers, but my book club polished them off. My grocery list says “cheeses, assorted.”

I’ve got a secret. Well, it’s not really a secret to active participants in my real life, but I’ve decided that keeping it from the internet will preclude the gods from accusing me of tempting fate. I don’t want to jinx anything, but it’s going to be so good if things go as they should. 

Anyway. In the process of things to do with my secret, I had to take pictures of my apartment. I’ve been avoiding this because I don’t really think it is “done,” design-wise, and wanted to show a complete aesthetic. It has been seven months, though. I have so many things! I feel comfortable ownership of this space. So, here’s a tour of my apartment, so far. 

ps: I’ll get a real bed, eventually. 

Here you can see the colors a little better. The two taller bookcases are dove gray with a light minty green trim. The shorter bookcase is minty green with gray trim.

Tah dah! It will probably get all scratched up in no time (stupid particle board), but, for now, it is beautiful.