i have finally settled in my new happy place! if any of you have subscribed to my youtube or follow me on instagram, you would know that i have finally moved. i made the decision at the beginning of this month to save my sanity, peace + energy. i`m in between having fun decorating my place + being slightly annoyed at how much covid has affected the delivery of my major furniture pieces. however, ya girl is super excited for this new journey.
gettin' settled during such unsettling times is scary. you don`t know what`s going to happen. everything is so up in the air. if you have watched my moving video on youtube, you`d know that although i had been searching for apartments for about a month or two, my decision to move was made rather quickly. i told myself that i was going to "jump out the window", as my dad would say. or in other words, take a risk and go for what i want. all the while living in the era of uncertainty, during a pandemic that is affecting people mentally, financially, physically. despite all of this, moving has brought me so much peace!
filling up my place with things that bring me joy has been so fulfilling. since i have no furniture, i`ve been buying small items to fill in the space while i wait. + i`m doing a few DIY projects just to make the place more of what i would like aesthetic-wise, but nothing too crazy because i don`t own my unit. one of the first major things i purchased was peel and stick wallpaper, which i will be documenting on my youtube. i purchased all of my wallpaper on amazon and etsy. i made a mistake of miscalculating the size of my wall, so i ended up returning the wallpaper i purchased from etsy. i think the owner was upset with me and hell, i was upset with myself because to ship it back cost me $84! so yeah, i have to learn to chill on being so impulsive with my design ideas. lol.
for the bedroom, i purchased the bed bench in the photo above from homegoods for $129. i absolutely love the wooden legs + the canvas seating. it matches my bed platform so how perfect is that? i wanted a bedroom that was super cozy and made me feel relaxed, even when i was stressed. i opted for earthy, neutral tones and wooden textures and i think they fit my naturally lit room so well. it`s important that this space feels like peace, serenity and comfort. and i will know what that feels like as soon as they deliver my bed! haha.
i also purchased pewter curtain rods for the rooms to also give an industrial feel. however, since i haven`t decided on curtains, i did not take photos yet. they can be found here if you would like a visual, though! i`m thinking either a print or a nice sheer one, but i don`t know yet. we will see.
to fill in the living room, i bought this cute little wooden coffee table. it`s from a third-party vendor that i found on walmart.com and you can find it here. i purchased it for $72.99 and it`s still listed as "on sale" for $79.99. i loved the mid-century feel and the openness in the center. i can fill it in with books, candles, small decor items... atop my cute coffee table is "The New Black Vanguard: Photography between Art and Fashion": a photography book centered around blackness in fashion by antwaun sargeant. below is a description that i found on aperture, the online bookshop, where you can purchase here.
The New Black Vanguard: Photography between Art and Fashion, curator and critic Antwaun Sargent addresses a radical transformation taking place in fashion and art today. The presentation of black figures and black runway and cover models in the media and art has been one marker of increasingly inclusive fashion and art communities. More critically, however, the contemporary visual vocabulary around beauty and the body has been reinfused with new vitality and substance thanks to an increase in powerful images authored by an international community of black photographers.
next to my book is a snake plant that my best friend, keith, purchased for me as a housewarming gift.. along with some prosecco that is no longer in my fridge. lol. i`m officially a plant mommy! i also purchased a money tree, that seemed to pull me in without my knowledge. i literally was just browsing and when i looked up, i saw a plant with a thick trunk in a beautiful cement pot. i knew it was the one. that plant sits in my art studio with hopes of bringing ya girl some coin.
and the icing on the cake was this perfect care package from my lovely friend brooke, of sincerely, emily brooke. ya`ll, this was such a thoughtful + sweet package! alot of reassurance that i am the bomb diggity (thank you brooke!), which i need because i am constantly fighting w/ self-doubt. the card reads "shine" and on the inside, she listed out what all of the items were + why i would need them. i loooove her so much, ya`ll. this really lifted my spirits when i reeived it + i`m super thankful to have her in my life, especially during this chapter unknown. i`m definitely going to make a few kickass cocktails! lol.
how have you guys been gettin' settled during such unsettling times?
- the broke girl