i painted a bookshelf. i cooked honey glazed chicken with rice. i'm making curtains. so far i have one set almost finished. it's turning out to be a little more challenging than i thought, but totally worth it! i get to be creative AND save money! it makes me feel very badass to do all these things by myself.

i've decided that most everything will be second hand or handmade by me. this is good for my wallet and i love the idea of creating my home. my colors are cream and white (the walls and some furniture), dark brown (curtains and some other furniture), with accents of yellow in every room. have i mentioned how stoked i am?

this sunday, i'm going to buy a couch from IKEA. perhaps even a tv table. i'm very excited about the prospect of having adequate seating and being able to invite guests over without having them sit on the floor. my other big news is that i went to the local secondhand shop on my way home from work today and i found several pieces that are just what i'm looking for and all for less than 200 dollars!

anyway, i'll try to post pictures as that comes along. but for now i'm going to make a list. i am the Queen of the List Makers. did you know that we are a people? totally true. anyway, the list:

Things that Grown-ups Have:

(disclaimer: this may not be true for ALL grown-ups, i have little knowledge of male grown-ups, therefore these findings may be biased. also it's not really stuff like insurance or mortgages, it's the little details that add something to your style as a person)

1. stationary: i actually own some. i don't mean it has to have roses and teddy bears on it, but something to write notes or letters on that wasn't just ripped out of a spiral notebook.

2. candles: who knows when the electricity will go out? or when there might be an atrocious smell to deal with? grown-ups are prepared with candles. i just ordered one today from a kid with a school fundraiser booklet. (that made me really feel like an adult)

3. real silverware: not the plastic stuff or the round kind with the colorful handles. i mean, honest-to-God flat silverware. the kind that's sturdy and doesn't bend when you stab your food. in this case, i've always been an adult because i've never liked any other kind.

4. picture frames: teenagers and college kids have posters in their room. grown-ups have framed pictures. even if those pictures were previously posters adorning college dorms. stick them in a frame and presto! instant grown-up. if it doesn't have a frame it had better be actual art, which doesn't always require framage. i have posters but i refuse to put them up until i get the proper accessories.

that's all i can think of for now. though i'm sure there's more. pictures soon ! (i hope)