Yesterday was the first official birthday of the Little House (!!), otherwise known as the one-year anniversary since I signed my young name on one less-than-dotted line, and altered my life and maturity level forever.
My first entry of the lamentable few three I have written tells of how unprepared my 19-year-old self was to manage such a large house. Has it gotten better? Yes and no. I've turned into more of a neat freak, but still can't remember to clean out the refrigerator. I nearly had an emotional breakdown after discovering a closet full of boxes I'd never unpacked, and had to deal with the air conditioning man all on my own after a few particularly hot spring days post AC-explosion. The house has tested and tried me in ways I never thought possible, and I like to think I've come out (at least somewhat) on top.
But far out-weighing the stressful moments are the joyful ones. I've had countless sleepovers with my Little, who is nearly too tall for my grandmother's antique bed. I had 30 sisters hold their new member retreat in my living room (read: sleeping in every nook and cranny of the house!), and have had 5 am visits from friends who feel like watching Storage Wars rather than sleeping. I've somewhat conquered the art of crafting, and am looking forward to the arrival of Roommate O! And finally, I've watched as my house's nickname went from Little House...to Prepcastle...to Sratcastle...to now just our beloved Castle.
So until very (very!!! Do you believe me!?) soon, Happy Birthday, Castle!!
Monday, June 25, 2012
Wednesday, January 4, 2012
...And Apparently it Feels Like Christmas, Too
Hi y'all!
Well, I believe I mentioned yesterday that it was beginning to feel something like Christmas weather down here in the Deep South...oops, I mean the Arctic Tundra! This morning I woke up to a house which was nothing short of freezing, much to my own confusion. I hadn't experienced the likes of this weather since my two-year foray in Tennessee, and I certainly wasn't ready for it to be in my bedroom. It took a bit of complaining via text to friends, yelling at myself and then finally bribing myself out of bed before I could get to the thermostat to discover such an interesting concept as the heat setting- rather unheard-of down here! Anyway, Little House is warm now, and the redecorating has continued.
Today's projects were: silver polishing, finishing several paintings, redoing the third floor guest bath, and stripping the paint (or whatever that was) off an antique trunk I was given. Three out of the four were done- I desperately need sandpaper before I can go any farther on the trunk.
Now, decorating a home for a college student's needs and lifestyle is clearly a completely different pitcher of sweet tea than decorating a real home. For most students, this is a matter of fiscal practicality: a college student's budget, as I have discovered, usually does not accommodate the way one lived with her parents. So yes, this means unfinished walls where Mama's oil paintings would have been, ikea tables where one wishes she could put her grandmother's table, etc, etc, etc. But it goes far beyond that.
1. Decorate using your budget. Money will be tight, yes. So stretch it where you can. Places like Marshall's, Ross, SteinMart, etc. sell lots of cute goodies at a fraction of the cost. Learn to shop here now, and you'll learn how to cut costs when you're older. That could mean food for your family, or it could mean money saved for a vacation. You can do style without looking cheap. Bear that in mind, because...
2. Don't put anything valuable or sentimental in the way of raging. And I mean anything. Whether it's heirloom silver (and I've managed to snag a few pieces!) or a favourite picture frame, put it in your room, away from common party traffic. If you want, say, a silver remote tray, go to an estate sale, buy an inexpensive piece, polish it up, and use that. You'll be much less upset if that's broken than if it's your deceased grandmother's engraved platter.
3. Get durable furniture. I missed this memo, as my living room proudly sports suede couches. Oops. The first week I moved in, someone cried their eyes out on it...and my focus was on those tears not hitting that suede- not on their distress. Go with ikea pieces or something from garage sales. Ikea chairs have covers which are easily changed, and their furniture is surprisingly durable with clean lines and varying styles for every taste. I highly recommend it.
4. Pots & pans are the one thing you do not want to get from ikea. (If you have, and it's working for you, please tell me!) My experience with it has left my kitchen smokey more than once. Go with pots and pans from a more well-known maker whose designs stand the tests of time. However, ikea silverware ($24 for four settings!) has worked well for me as have a lot of their smaller kitchen utensils. I love their cork hot pads and their chrome can opener. I haven't seen a reason to get anything more expensive at this point. I'll explain why in a moment.
5. Get things which double as storage. Clean lines are fabulous, I will say that. But often those same clean lines afford absolutely no discreet storage at all, and the homeowner/renter winds up with their possessions visible all over the place. Mess, visible or otherwise, isn't my thing, so I would suggest finding bookshelves with built-in cabinets for easily hidden goods.
Earlier I mentioned that I hadn't found a reason to get anything more expensive just yet. Here's why: there are a lot of people coming through here regularly. I have found that although knives/bottle openers/tvs/lamps and pretty much everything else in my house is used frequently, that in itself is just the reason I won't buy the expensive versions. Frequent use raises the opportunity for breakage, and as I explained in #2, I'd much rather something cheap go now than something nice go after a year or two. Perhaps you see it differently- that's fine! However, I have found that my dollar-store bottle openers are just as appreciated as the electric aerators would be- and I'm just fine with that!
Bottom line: you're in college. Don't forget that when you're decorating. DIY. Save the heirlooms and the dollars. You'll thank yourself for it in the long run!
And before I disappear, a few inspirational pictures to end your evening...
Well, I believe I mentioned yesterday that it was beginning to feel something like Christmas weather down here in the Deep South...oops, I mean the Arctic Tundra! This morning I woke up to a house which was nothing short of freezing, much to my own confusion. I hadn't experienced the likes of this weather since my two-year foray in Tennessee, and I certainly wasn't ready for it to be in my bedroom. It took a bit of complaining via text to friends, yelling at myself and then finally bribing myself out of bed before I could get to the thermostat to discover such an interesting concept as the heat setting- rather unheard-of down here! Anyway, Little House is warm now, and the redecorating has continued.
Today's projects were: silver polishing, finishing several paintings, redoing the third floor guest bath, and stripping the paint (or whatever that was) off an antique trunk I was given. Three out of the four were done- I desperately need sandpaper before I can go any farther on the trunk.
Now, decorating a home for a college student's needs and lifestyle is clearly a completely different pitcher of sweet tea than decorating a real home. For most students, this is a matter of fiscal practicality: a college student's budget, as I have discovered, usually does not accommodate the way one lived with her parents. So yes, this means unfinished walls where Mama's oil paintings would have been, ikea tables where one wishes she could put her grandmother's table, etc, etc, etc. But it goes far beyond that.
1. Decorate using your budget. Money will be tight, yes. So stretch it where you can. Places like Marshall's, Ross, SteinMart, etc. sell lots of cute goodies at a fraction of the cost. Learn to shop here now, and you'll learn how to cut costs when you're older. That could mean food for your family, or it could mean money saved for a vacation. You can do style without looking cheap. Bear that in mind, because...
2. Don't put anything valuable or sentimental in the way of raging. And I mean anything. Whether it's heirloom silver (and I've managed to snag a few pieces!) or a favourite picture frame, put it in your room, away from common party traffic. If you want, say, a silver remote tray, go to an estate sale, buy an inexpensive piece, polish it up, and use that. You'll be much less upset if that's broken than if it's your deceased grandmother's engraved platter.
3. Get durable furniture. I missed this memo, as my living room proudly sports suede couches. Oops. The first week I moved in, someone cried their eyes out on it...and my focus was on those tears not hitting that suede- not on their distress. Go with ikea pieces or something from garage sales. Ikea chairs have covers which are easily changed, and their furniture is surprisingly durable with clean lines and varying styles for every taste. I highly recommend it.
4. Pots & pans are the one thing you do not want to get from ikea. (If you have, and it's working for you, please tell me!) My experience with it has left my kitchen smokey more than once. Go with pots and pans from a more well-known maker whose designs stand the tests of time. However, ikea silverware ($24 for four settings!) has worked well for me as have a lot of their smaller kitchen utensils. I love their cork hot pads and their chrome can opener. I haven't seen a reason to get anything more expensive at this point. I'll explain why in a moment.
5. Get things which double as storage. Clean lines are fabulous, I will say that. But often those same clean lines afford absolutely no discreet storage at all, and the homeowner/renter winds up with their possessions visible all over the place. Mess, visible or otherwise, isn't my thing, so I would suggest finding bookshelves with built-in cabinets for easily hidden goods.
Earlier I mentioned that I hadn't found a reason to get anything more expensive just yet. Here's why: there are a lot of people coming through here regularly. I have found that although knives/bottle openers/tvs/lamps and pretty much everything else in my house is used frequently, that in itself is just the reason I won't buy the expensive versions. Frequent use raises the opportunity for breakage, and as I explained in #2, I'd much rather something cheap go now than something nice go after a year or two. Perhaps you see it differently- that's fine! However, I have found that my dollar-store bottle openers are just as appreciated as the electric aerators would be- and I'm just fine with that!
Bottom line: you're in college. Don't forget that when you're decorating. DIY. Save the heirlooms and the dollars. You'll thank yourself for it in the long run!
And before I disappear, a few inspirational pictures to end your evening...
Excellent idea for dormer windows; DIY coming soon!
I need new handles for the trunk I told y'all about-
these would be perfect!
Now isn't this precious?!
Tuesday, January 3, 2012
It's Beginning to Look a Lot Like Christmas....A Little Late
First, my apologies for the long wait between posts. Not a very good start for a baby blogger like me! But, I am back, and quite excited to share a Young Homeowner Conquest.
I, Bitsy, fixed a toilet yesterday. Wait for it...what a success, right? Now, broken toilets most certainly fell under the category of Things I Neglected to Realize before buying a house. This particular loo is stationed in the master bath, and where some are equipped with a solid chain, mine came with a rubber line, perfect for breaking after long submersion. (more after the jump.)
I, Bitsy, fixed a toilet yesterday. Wait for it...what a success, right? Now, broken toilets most certainly fell under the category of Things I Neglected to Realize before buying a house. This particular loo is stationed in the master bath, and where some are equipped with a solid chain, mine came with a rubber line, perfect for breaking after long submersion. (more after the jump.)
Photo courtesy of RusticGirls.com
As you can see, that chain is attached to the flapper valve, which is what lifts and drains the tank, and to the flush arm, which you control by the handle. My rubber line had broken at the flush arm, which I discovered after removing the lid to the master bath tank, and then to the guest bath to compare what it was supposed to look like in there. After some maneuvering in my own bathroom, I realized that the flush arm came with two holes through it so the rubber line could connect at both a higher point and a lower point as well, depending on the length of the line. If this happens to you and there is enough length left, pull the top of the rubber line through the lower hole on the flush arm, and your toilet should be absolved of that little problem. (I'm not sure what to do in the case of broken chains.)
Enough of that dirty issue...it has begun to look a lot like Christmas down here in the Southernmost Part of the United States (I'll leave you to guess where I am!). Except, Christmas has passed, the decorations are down, and Christmas itself was rather....well, toasty, and not in the champagne sense. But, Little House has begun to undergo another phase of decoration, fondly known by those in the know as Operation Redecoration. Because I didn't have a whole lot of time to spend on the house until now, Little House has always been cute...but not put together. My sisters and I have started to put in some finishing touches, so I'll throw a few your way, and then leave you with a few of my ideas!
Happy New Year, y'all!
Everyone's new favourite corner; second floor landing.
New throw pillows!
Near & Dear Ideas
Faux flowers submerged in water look larger than life and so pretty!
Find a blank shade and write whatever speaks most to you & yours!
Paint your own rug! I love this idea!
A jar of bright candies makes guests feel super welcome!
All photos courtesy of Bitsy or Pinterest.
Wednesday, December 28, 2011
Happy Six Months, Little House!
Hello and good morning, lovelies! Today marks six months since I moved into my house! I was nineteen when I bought it, and somehow convinced that a four-story town home was an entirely practical purchase for a person my age. Since I've moved in, my life has been nothing short of adventures.
First came the adventure of moving. I'm sure I need not describe how perturbed the movers were when I explained that all of the heaviest, antique pieces belong on the third floor. Then came the first night alone in a house: although I was big enough to move out, I was not big enough to spend a night without my Mama, so she slept over. And not five days after I moved in (three spent all day at work!), I had to leave Little House for a month-long stay up North with the family. Then school started, and long story short, here it is, Christmas break, and I am just now settling into a routine.
The thing about houses, which I didn't know firsthand before moving in, is that they have a mind and a life of their own. They're like children, demanding every inch of your attention and love or they'll go and do something devious on you. Their schedule doesn't always (read: never) coincide with your own- just as you're leaving for four days, several lights will go out at once. With a house, unlike a dorm or in your parents' house, there are neighbors who must be respected and expenses which must be paid promptly. It's a lot to take on...and here's how one frazzled little girl handles it all!
Homeowner Snapshot
Name: affectionately known as Bitsy
Home: four-story townhouse, entirely chaotic and lovable
Decor: genuine antiques with the clean lines of Restoration Hardware; slight spritzing of Neiman Marcus for the Home. Lots of monogramming, lots of silver.
Favourite thing about the house: quiet and personal, but enough space to go crazy.
Least favourite thing about the house: the things that go bump in the night.
Favourite room: probably a tie between my bedroom and the kitchen. I'm partial to my bedroom because every piece in the room belonged to one of my grandmothers before it was given to me. I love the kitchen because it's where everyone gathers...and it always smells like cinnamon.
Favourite piece: antique marble-top dresser, which belonged to my paternal grandmother before it moved into my house.
Most fun had in the house: the evening after a local fashion show; all of my favourite people in one place!
How to master a house: put your laundry straight in the machine, not in the hamper, and be vigilant about running the loads; put dishes straight into the dishwasher and then remember to empty it regularly; bleach anything and everything which can be bleached; put cinnamon brooms everywhere because they smell fantastic. Make a competition out of turning off the lights, and remember that not every food in the refrigerator has the lifespan of a century.
Plans for the house: minor renovations: different flooring, lighting and cabinet hardware, to say the least. Possibly different (not shiny) paint. It's cute...but not that cute.
Outdoor space: two porches. Perfect for creeping.
Write a quick note to your house:
Dear Little House,
First, I love you immensely. Thank you for the great memories you've given us and the great fun we've had within your four walls. However, I'm wondering, could you possibly do something about those lightbulbs that keep burning out? And, could you perhaps stop the air conditioning unit from making frightening noises just as I'm falling asleep at night? That would be fabulous.
See you in a bit.
xx, Bitsy
First came the adventure of moving. I'm sure I need not describe how perturbed the movers were when I explained that all of the heaviest, antique pieces belong on the third floor. Then came the first night alone in a house: although I was big enough to move out, I was not big enough to spend a night without my Mama, so she slept over. And not five days after I moved in (three spent all day at work!), I had to leave Little House for a month-long stay up North with the family. Then school started, and long story short, here it is, Christmas break, and I am just now settling into a routine.
The thing about houses, which I didn't know firsthand before moving in, is that they have a mind and a life of their own. They're like children, demanding every inch of your attention and love or they'll go and do something devious on you. Their schedule doesn't always (read: never) coincide with your own- just as you're leaving for four days, several lights will go out at once. With a house, unlike a dorm or in your parents' house, there are neighbors who must be respected and expenses which must be paid promptly. It's a lot to take on...and here's how one frazzled little girl handles it all!
Homeowner Snapshot
Name: affectionately known as Bitsy
Home: four-story townhouse, entirely chaotic and lovable
Decor: genuine antiques with the clean lines of Restoration Hardware; slight spritzing of Neiman Marcus for the Home. Lots of monogramming, lots of silver.
Favourite thing about the house: quiet and personal, but enough space to go crazy.
Least favourite thing about the house: the things that go bump in the night.
Favourite room: probably a tie between my bedroom and the kitchen. I'm partial to my bedroom because every piece in the room belonged to one of my grandmothers before it was given to me. I love the kitchen because it's where everyone gathers...and it always smells like cinnamon.
Favourite piece: antique marble-top dresser, which belonged to my paternal grandmother before it moved into my house.
Things we'll find a lot of in your home: turtles, cable knits, and monograms.
Things we won't find in your home: sanity.
Zaniest decoration item: I'm not sure there's anything particularly zany about my style...but there are these giant Lilly Pulitzer lantern ball things just sitting on the top of an equally random bookcase...my Big gave them to me and I love them but they definitely do not match the color scheme in my living room.
Coolest decoration item: I can tell you what I love the most! One of my sisters gave me an adorable turtle bowl, which I lovelovelove. I'm also partial to a set of certain sorority letters my Big did for me, and a picture of my mother wearing her letters when she was in college.Most fun had in the house: the evening after a local fashion show; all of my favourite people in one place!
How to master a house: put your laundry straight in the machine, not in the hamper, and be vigilant about running the loads; put dishes straight into the dishwasher and then remember to empty it regularly; bleach anything and everything which can be bleached; put cinnamon brooms everywhere because they smell fantastic. Make a competition out of turning off the lights, and remember that not every food in the refrigerator has the lifespan of a century.
Plans for the house: minor renovations: different flooring, lighting and cabinet hardware, to say the least. Possibly different (not shiny) paint. It's cute...but not that cute.
Outdoor space: two porches. Perfect for creeping.
Write a quick note to your house:
Dear Little House,
First, I love you immensely. Thank you for the great memories you've given us and the great fun we've had within your four walls. However, I'm wondering, could you possibly do something about those lightbulbs that keep burning out? And, could you perhaps stop the air conditioning unit from making frightening noises just as I'm falling asleep at night? That would be fabulous.
See you in a bit.
xx, Bitsy
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