WillowKathryn's Adventures in Apartment Vamping

My Mighty Girl List

2010-01-26T07:43:00.000-08:00

-Plant a vegetable garden. -Put a kiddie pool in the courtyard of my apartment for some summer night swimming. -Catch lightning bugs in jars. Enough to light a room. (Let them go same night) -Swim in the ocean naked. -Take a road trip by myself. -See Asheville North Carolina. -Draw my own coloring book. -Make candles from leftover wax. -Make wine bottle lights. -Continue to work to make every place I live my home. -Make a vegetarian lasagna. -Hold a reiki party. -See Nine Inch Nails live. -Meet Joss Whedon. -Get into a mosh pit again and kick ass! -Do a shot. -Make very tiny cupcakes for Alana when she doesn't expect it. -Take Claire on a miny road trip just the two of us. -Tan in California with Mom. -Grow Aloe Vera plant for when I go tanning with Mom and most likely burn. -Learn how to make whine. -Plant 764 trees. -Kiss more often. -Smile 3 times in every day (MINIMUM!) -Dance every day. -Publish a book. -Make my own cook book. -Have a gallery show for my photography. -Learn how to play one song on an instrument with confidence. -Paint with my whole body. -Love honestly. -Plan a day of Dick-worthy adventures. -Make a gown. -Rock cowboy boots. -Own coats of all colors of the rainbow. -Hold a garage, art, food sale to benefit a local family in need. -Swim with something bigger than myself. -Hold my arms open under a rain filled sky in Ireland. -Take an art class every year starting in 2010. -Worry less. -Breathe more.

This list is inspired by a list from MightyGirl.com.
(Also see Bon Appetit's mention of Mighty Girl - Maggie Mason's goals.)

This is a changing list. One I am proud to write and excited to cross things off of. I will probably make certain goals more specific.

Cabinet 1

2010-01-23T15:41:00.000-08:00

Dick and I are having a busy weekend.
(As you'll see in some of the pictures, Dr. Manhattan is try to help too.)

Dick is now working on sanding down the cabinet. Going to take it down to the base and take out the shelf paper.

We have plans for the top. (Yes, it's a surprise.)

Also going to work on the dresser tonight. Going to sand off the black.

Below are pictures of my new favorite cabinet.

Bedroom Before

2010-01-23T14:30:00.000-08:00

So readers, if there are any of you out there, I write this blog with great pride.
I have now painted a wall in my first apartment.

We only painted one wall in the bedroom, but I think I want to do the rest.
Our original idea was to do an accent wall in each room. (It would have been cheaper, it would be easier and much less to paint over when we move.) At this point, I think we should just do it! It went a lot faster than I thought it would and I am super excited to make my home!
Oh and we have small walls. :)

The color we chose was Behr's Ultra Premium (low VOC) Plum.
(Link is to a site with the "Top 10" best low-no VOC paints. Behr is not on there, but still good and in our price range.)
This paint was fantastic for numerous reasons.
The fumes were MUCH, MUCH lower, the paint was easy to wipe off of our wood floors if it dripped, we didn't have to use a primer, and by God it's gorgeous!

Below are some pictures of our bedroom before we painted. Another post will follow with the finished wall.

List #1 - Starting Point

2010-01-14T13:14:00.000-08:00

Painting
-Paint new cabinet
-Paint or cover new quite tall shelf
-Paint the walls

Build it & Salvage it
-Get glass or some sort of cover for white shadow boxes
-Make a trunk for storage/table
-Do something with the dresser
-Make/Buy/Find baskets or crates for sexy in view storage
-Remove all dumb white plastic blinds. Replace with amazing, awe inspiring window covers

OK but workable
-Get a couch cover
-Buy amazing light switch covers/pull cords found on Etsy.com through julietew
-Silver wear holders, other than 7-Eleven cup

More to come. As well as pictures.
Feedback welcome.
(Please keep rude ignorance at home.)

Mighty Indeed

2010-01-14T13:02:00.000-08:00

So, I started this blog as a way to vent.
Then I did the remodel as a way to display the remodel of Dillock Manor.
(The apartment my boyfriend and I share with two wonderful felines, and I'm convinced, a few ghosts.)

Keeping a regular project seems a daunting task and one I have yet to skillfully master in such a way that I can call myself proud.
This doesn't seem to be a new concept to my generation, or the one before.
I digress so as to save myself (and you) from a diatribe of circling thoughts that would, I believe just lead to a shower drain of confusion. And probably some self righteous, uninformed exclamations.

My point -- I have found inspiration. In many places.
One of the most recent has been blogs written by women of all kinds.
So far my favorite - Mighty Girl

When I first stumbled on her blog I was excited, amused and fucking intimidated.
Reading her list of things to do I thought, well hell I should write one of those! (See my next post)
And at the end, after shutting down my computer, and getting into the POS pick-up truck my boyfriend held the reigns to.. I felt small.
She seems to have done so much and with such courage that I, wee little Willow felt small and boring.

This changed today.

I gave her blog and site another look and realized to my great delight, that she too has battled with "silly" fears, anxieties and mishaps.
(Plus she likes tea, thought birth was one of the scariest things she'd ever have to go through until she did it, and fell in love with her first car.)
I don't say these things to sound like a stalker, or even praise this woman, but more to help explain what has helped give me the confidence to get this project (the record of other endeavors) off of its cement laden feet.

To take that step and start this blog and begin to log what I want to change.
Starting with the apartment.

WARNING: This blog has a very great chance of veering into thought-and-ramble land.

Thanks for reading and please do comment with any thoughts.