A few of my favorite things

Very recently our neighbors discovered water in our basement. Not just a little puddle somewhere. No, we have some kind of incessant plumbing leak that caused an entire wall to line with mold. So my mind has been racing about what we are going to have to do- the worst scenario being that our landlords have to do a major overhaul downstairs and won't let us continue renting here come Spring. 

I LOVE our apartment- despite the water damage and terrible landlords- and would hate, I mean loathe, moving out until we are ready. 

So I've been thinking of how thankful I am to live in this wonderful space and have been smiling non-stop at some of the little things that make me happy around our home...

Like my beloved glass cocktail table. Its just the right amount of metallic flair to offset our neutral and natural living room. And I love how the mirror reflects our Victorian parlor doors or orange picture wall. 

Speaking of our orange picture wall...

It has been the perfect backdrop to fall decorating. And I'm more and more in love with our little entry nook as it becomes flooded with winter coats, scarves, and dirty boots. 

I love the little vignettes around the house. For those of you who are unfamiliar with the snobbish decor vocabulary of "vignette", its simply a gathering and display of objects or furniture. The great thing about these are they are so easy to change up and thus please my ever-going need to decorate. 

I'm in love with the way the morning light comes through our closed bedroom curtains. It gives everything this ethereal and slightly haunted, low-light glow. Reminds me of the movie The Virgin Suicides.  I love it but it makes it hard to get out of bed. 

Lastly, I love the things around the house that I made or recreated- things that give me a sense of accomplishment and that I saved a s***load of money on. 

Like this "Work Hard and Be Nice to People" poster that I drew on a paper bag. The original print  is about $80 pre-shipping. 

Or my chair that I found in our neighbors dumpster. Bill thought I was crazy but despite its beat-up wood and saggy, smelly fabric, I saw its appeal. A cheap sander and some varnish made this potentially expensive chair a cheap, and successful, find. 

I'm also growing quite fond of decorating for the holidays. After the great Halloween party of 2011, I've been loving adding additional seasonal touches to our apartment. November brought apples and pomegranates in glass jars, hints of gold and falling leaves. Now, I've begun the Great Holiday Decorating Fest and will soon show off what's in store but until then, here's a little sneak peek....