Come Into My Living Room

So back in April (was it really that long ago?!) I shared pictures from the kitchen of my apartment.  I've made a few updates recently, so I've added new pictures to that post.  Here's one of them:

I've got two amazing new paintings that my sister made for me, and a newly-painted black table (it used to be blue and pink).  I'll share the pictures of the (long!) painting process soon, too.

And here are the pictures of my living room - furnished and decorated on a student's budget, with a lot of help from family and friends.  If you've read my blog before, you've probably seen quite a few sunset pictures - this is the biggest window in my apartment, and I also have large windows in my kitchen and bedroom.  They all face the same direction, so during the summer and early fall I can see the sunsets from them, and I can also see Lake Erie in the distance.

My rug is from TJ Maxx - I really love it, and it was such a great deal.  The curtain rod and curtains are from JC Penney.  The chair and ottoman are hand-me-downs from my great aunt.

My couch was my first real "grown-up" furniture purchase.  The accent pillows came with it - they're not something I would have picked out myself, but I haven't really looked for replacements.  The table to the right of my couch is a family hand-me-down, and it's pretty scratched up, so I covered it with a table cloth that I got on Etsy.  It'd be really fun to refurbish the table some day, though, because it has a lot of character.  The lamp on the table is also a hand-me-down from my parents.  I've been considering spray-painting the base and either recovering or replacing the lamp shade. but I'm still thinking it through.

That's my front door and entrance hall in the back left corner of the picture.  My coffee table was another hand-me-down from my parents - we had it in the family room of our first house, and in the basement of my parents' current house.  Lots of memories!  And a few scratches for good measure.

This is the view from the window side of the room.  Notice my party lights?  Haha.  The tenant before me told me that the previous tenant put them up, and I thought they were fun, so I decided to keep them.  A girl I baby-sit really likes them, and she was just shocked that someone could leave them behind :)

You can see my "work station" in the back left corner of this picture - I've got a bookcase, bulletin board, desk (another hand-me-down from my great aunt), and floor lamp.  I actually use this area more for just storing things, though, and usually do my work at the kitchen table.  I need to spread out!  And generally make quite a mess.

Please ignore the terribly ugly cords under my TV.  I've been wanting to get some big wicker storage baskets to put under there, but I haven't found any that I love yet.

My parents gave me that papasan chair as a birthday present when I turned 16 - I still love it!  Although I pretty much instantly fall asleep when I sit in it...

And here are some close-ups of my "decor," if you will.  I really love fireplaces, and although this isn't a working fireplace, I still think it's pretty fun.  My mom got me the candle holder as a gift, and I bought candles that have wooden wicks - when you light them, they crackle like a fire!  My cousin gave me that brilliant idea - I love it.  I used an old vase I had from delivered flowers and put some decorative glass pebbles (yeah, not sure if that's what they're really called, but that's what they look like) and a few fake calla lilies from Hobby Lobby in there.  I put some little knick knacks and votives on the mantle.

My best friend gave me these awesome pictures which she took at concerts we'd been to together, and I love seeing them every day!  I think personalized artwork is such a special, amazing gift.

I got those three little frames from the dollar spot at Target when I was in undergrad, and I printed out some pictures in black and white to put in them.  The glass bud vases are from CB2, and the fake gerbera daisies are from Hobby Lobby.  I found that black and white print on Etsy, and got the mat and frame from... wait for it... Hobby Lobby.

I got that floor lamp from Ikea recently, and now I can see to read on my couch!  Only took me two years...  That wall-mounted candle holder is from CB2, and the picture is a vintage-y map of Paris that is actually wrapping paper from Paper Source, which I put in a poster frame from Target.

Upon my suggestion, my mom ordered those flowers for my parents' kitchen after they re-painted it, but they weren't working there.  So I got them instead!  Works for me.  

So there you have it - another peek into my apartment.  And I still need to share some pictures of my hall, bathroom, and bedroom, too.  I promise it won't take me another six months to share them this time.  

And just for fun, here's a picture from two years ago, before I got around to unpacking.  Yikes!

Oh, and happy fall!

Song of the day:

"Live It Out" by Metric.