Author: Tess

Before & After, Interior Design

Before and After Mania: Our Apartment

Tess

[I don’t know if that’s an onion peel on the floor or what, but just ignore it.  Please.]

Most of you who know me know that I am a complete and total nut for a good before and after transformation.  What’s better than seeing an ugly-ass chair revamped into the pinnacle of fun – or better yet, the centerpiece of a room?

Well, this post isn’t about a chair.  It’s about my apartment.

As I’ve mentioned in the past, My Man and I dwell in a mere 530 square feet, a space which we have used well in the past year.  For the past few months, we had decided that we had outgrown this place, and that moving was the only way to accommodate the vast quantities of crap that we had managed to amass over the past year.

However, after looking at several options and realizing what the price difference was, we sat down and had a long conversation about what moving REALLY meant: money.  Space, also, but mostly money – and lots of it.  Boulder homeowners can charge a small fortune for a shitty-yet-large apartment in a good location, and we were starting to grow weary of justifying enormous rent leaps in the coming months.

So, we took a leap of faith and decided to go in another direction: straight to The Container Store.  After measuring out the areas of our apartment that we felt were not being put to good use spatially, we stormed through the doors of that fated retail venue with one goal in mind: organize the crap.  And organize we did.  Check it out! Continue reading “Before and After Mania: Our Apartment” →

Birthdays, Family, Friends, Life

Birthday Week Recap, Slash Instagram Remix

Tess

(Cough.) A visual representation of Birthday Week, through some iPhone Instagram pictures (verbal recap at the end, if you’re so inclined):

[Giant birthday cupcake, made from scratch by my boss and our CEO – just one of the many reasons why I love my job]

[….and approximately 24 more reasons to go along with it.  I was instructed to hand these out to everyone at work, because I never got to do it in school!!  Love.] Mas pictures, por favor!

Birthdays, Life

Birfday Week

Tess

[Pink stools!!!!!!!!!!]

You guys!  The 4th of July happened.  We bought a Wii.  My sister came to visit.  It’s rained like every day.

And my birfday is on Sunday.  Twenty fo’!

Most people who know me well know that I have kind of a complex surrounding my birthday.  I honestly don’t know what’s caused it, but I think it might have something to do with being a summer baby – I never got any cupcakes in school.  And my friends were usually away at camp on my birthday growing up.  Wah, wah, wah. Birth-day! Birth-day! (Read more.)

Interior Design, Life

Design Bind

Tess

(For reference, I’m aware that the title of this post is not especially witty.  So if you’re thinking that too, then we’re on the same page.)

Guys, my internal sense of design zen is really not in a good place at the moment.  For one thing, My Man and I are absolutely BURSTING at the seams of our 530 square foot apartment, which we adore but have simply outgrown.

For another, no matter where we go, it will still be small.  And I will still probably not be able to re-wire the lighting and hang expensive pendant lamps designed by George Nelson for Eames.  Or afford expensive pendant lamps designed by George Nelson for Eames.

It’s the big small things in life. You’re so right. More designz, please!

Family

Dadz R Kool

Tess

Sometimes, when people aren’t happy with their fathers, they write something to show them that, like a song or a play.  Or a movie (if they have a LOT of energy).

This is kind of the opposite of that.

My dad is the freaking BEST.  Not only does he share my occasionally sarcastic, overkill-laden and kooky sense of humor, he also happens to set a good example as a human being each and every day.  And there aren’t many people you can say that about. Read on if you think my dad rulez