Apartment Living

I think it's about time to give a virtual tour of the finished half of my apartment!

Ben and I have had so much fun putting together our place, especially since we will be settling down her for a number of years (opposed to our past apartments where we knew we were going to move not much later).
and here is our living room.
Since I don't like to decorate around a TV, we don't have one. More room for some lovely artwork. I have a special clock coming my way to hang over the buffet. It used to be in my grandma Tygerson's house. It will be nice to have something hanging that reminds me of her and all those Polaroids she took of us under it.
There's a little more to do with this angle of the room-1. Make some pillows 2. Paint an accent wall!
I hope you enjoyed the tour. There's more to be done on my bedroom, kitchen and closet...or should I say work room...those will have to be revealed another day! Have a great weekend!

Bus 27

My family came for a visit a little while ago. Just thought I would share a picture of us preparing to board the 27 (the bus I took to and from Anthropologie) I had to give them the full experience which included the diverse ride to Market Street through the Tenderloin. I could write a small novel of my moments with the bus 27 folks.

Short Story 1: First Day on the Bus

As the crowd shuffles onto the bus, I notice a sweet little old lady. She's carrying a bag and doing her best to fend for herself. As she steps onto the bus, a loud man with his oxygen tank weasels his way in front of her as he demands,

"Wait your turn now, wait your turn."

The little old lady shrinks into a small opening in the line. One personal assault was not enough for the tenderloin folks.

The bus continues to fill with people while another bus rider, who is sitting in the disabled/senior section, yells,

"Your bag is touching me! Move it away from me!"

(Since when do claustrophobic people ride bus?) The little old lady glances at me and we exchange startled looks as she sweeps her bag up and into herself. I try to keep a straight face as to not clue in the other riders of my inexperience of riding the 27. It seems as though it's survival of the fittest.

The bus continues to flood with people. I don't think it is possible for anymore to fit! Soon enough the bus driver shuts his doors and the bus is ready to take off...Wait, what's that beeping? Why isn't the bus moving? I knew there were far too many people on board. We are like sardines and the man with the oxygen tank is breathing down my neck.

"There's too many people!"

the bus driver exclaims as the riders left on the street bang on the doors. And the crowd goes wild! "What's going on?! Let's go! Your bag is touching me! Move!"

Should I abandon ship? Is there going to be a riot? Oh no, it's the typical day on the 27.

Work Work Work Room

Within the last week I started a new job+moved into my apartment. I'm racing to get everything set up before I sink into the lull of getting used to stuff lying around. Do you know what I mean? I'm talking about that framed picture that sits propped up against the wall for months because at some point you just got used to it sitting in the same place. What would look unusual to a guest is simply normal for you. If you don't know what I'm talking about, it is probably happening to you right now. I've been there and I'm not doing again.


I have 2 boxes to empty, 6 pictures to hang +1 mirror and a closet to organize before I can begin building my work station. I basically need to fit this into the second half of my closet.

Unpacking the Beast

It's 6am and boxes seem to be around every corner. We had an unpacking marathon for the last 2 days. Surprisingly, I don't feel the need to crawl back into bed. I am starting a new job on Wednesday so I am determined to get my apartment in working order before then...wait is that tomorrow?? Oh boy.
Also need to find a number of new lamp shades...I have one that is ready to retire and this one is too darn small.
Time for breakfast.

Moving Day

We are moving into our new place today! My internet has been down which is why I haven't posted much in the last while. Hopefully we will have internet up and running soon so I can show you the new apartment!

Attention SF Dog Owners

Dear San Francisco Dog Owners or maybe all dog owners,

It has come to my attention that most of you pick up your dog droppings. This is great! The human species has accomplished the first step of living civilized in a world of pets. This is not my concern. My concern is that half of you dispose of the bag somewhere OTHER than the trash...? I'm so glad that you have taken the effort to use a bag while walking your dog but I believe you have forgotten the last step. The most important step. Stop me if I'm wrong, but the bag is supposed to be disposed of in a trash; not on the sidewalk, not on the beach, and not in someones yard. I would like to remind you, the community would much rather have nature take its course in decomposing the remains your dog left behind rather than leaving it bottled up in a plastic bag where it will remain forever. Next time, I'm leaving it on your porch.

Love,
me

Table Restoration Project

Ben and I spent Saturday afternoon working on my table since we finally decided how we wanted to fix it up.
We love the worn look of this table but the top is hardly appetizing. We talked about doing many different things but in the end decided to simply strip the top of the table and leave the old charm of the rest.BEFORE:
Supplies for paint stripping: Paint stripper-I like the paste and I like the strong stuff-you know, the kind that says poisonous on the front. Thick, chemical resistant gloves are a MUST. In fact, buy a couple pair because the first pair started to bubble and burn through even though they were supposed to be chemical resistant. Steel wool for rubbing the paste around. Masking tape for protecting anything you don't want to remove paint from. Plastic Shovel-like scraper for scraping off paint. The citrus shield is to protect unfinished wood if you odn't plan on re-painting it.
Step 1: Tape any edges you need to protect from the stripper.
Step2: pour paste onto surface and spread around with your scraper tool and steel wool and wait a couple minutes. (working on smaller spaces keeps the paste from drying up to quickly if you are working in the sun. I would say 2x2 feet is a workable amount of space.)

Step 3: The paint will start to weaken and can then be scraped off with scraper tool and also rubbed off with the steel wool. (the scraper gets most of the paint and the steel wool gets the last of it as you rub. I also used the steel wool on the edges around the table)

Tip: Make sure to scrape and rub with the grain. While you can't tell while you are working, you will once the wood is cleaned off.
Last step is to sand the surface to refine the feel of the wood. You can do this by hand or mechanically! If you are not planning on re-painting the wood, rub on some finishing wax and you're good to go!
AFTER:
I love how clean and simple the table looks now. I'm so excited to put it in my apartment!

I think I will eventually make some cushions for the chairs to add a little color and personal style but until then, here it is!

Disclaimer: Make sure to be careful with the stripping chemicals! They are incredibly strong and can really burn you if you leave them on your skin for even a minute. Also, make sure you have proper ventilation or you'll probably pass out.