Sweet Spring Surprise

I arrive home from my night shift still shivering from that cold walk from my car to the building entrance. I think again about what I was thinking when I gave up the basement parking and let Lauro have it. I remind myself again that I already took the bigger room and the bathroom so he should at least have the indoor parking. You have to be fair, I tell myself. This soliloquy will probably go on until summer arrives and I no longer need to brace myself for that freezing 30-second run.

I remove my favorite navy blue sweater and hung it in my coat closet. If I wasn't such a lazy person I would have taken the time to bundle up in warmers, put on a scarf and a thicker jacket. Then I wouldn't be shivering now. But, me doing that is like acknowledging that it's still winter and I won't do that.  I remove my 3-year-old pair of leather gloves and kiss them. They never fail me--not once. I have lined them with fleece gloves last winter and I have never needed a better pair since. After changing into my favorite pambahay shirt and pyjamas, I poured myself some chocolate milk and I sit at the breakfast bar. I like to sit there and think. Mostly I just stare blankly and wait for Mr. Sandman.

I stare at my chocolate milk and wish it was hot cocoa instead. If only a cup of hot chocolate doesn't require boiling and waiting and stirring, my shivers would have been gone by now. I can't drink any more so I pour the rest of the milk in the sink and I start heading to my bedroom. Crawling up in bed underneath all those sheets and blankets and comforter sounds even better than hot chocolate.

Then, out of the corner of my eye, just as I reached for my bedroom door, I see something. Sitting there on the window ledge, is a potted miniature orchid. And I know just who it came from. I then remember Lauro telling me he'll get me a houseplant I can take care of for spring. A warm feeling washes over me and I laugh. Suddenly I'm not shivering anymore.  I sit on a chair next to it and put my feet up on the ottoman and stare at the mini orchid in front of me. It will get my by these last days of winter. A potted flower to remind that spring, along with its warmer weather, is coming soon!

I think about how I must be favored by the gods for having been given someone so sweet and thoughtful. I think about all the things he does for me and how he never forgets about me. And now I think about how glad I am I let him have the basement parking. It may not be much, but if every day I feel inconvenienced because outdoor parking is, undeniably, a pain in the arse then that's just perfect. Let me get soaked when it rains. Let me shiver in a snowstorm trying to scrape the car windows. Let me be umcomfortable. I want to do things for him too. :)

Bathroom Conundrum

Pristine and all white, or audacious and bold colors?

That was probably the most difficult part of our moving process--deciding on my bathroom theme. It did not matter that I have bare walls in my furniture-less bedroom, and the living room and kitchen can have the same old, ratty rugs and curtains for all I care. But my bathroom has to be the best room in the house. It's my only indulgence in life. Okay, I'm lying. That and Tim's coffee. lol

I don't know but I just have a thing for bathrooms. It's my favorite room to check out and admire when visiting a friend's house and the deciding factor when choosing an apartment. I want a bathroom I would be comfortable living in if it's the last living space on earth. lol

I spent the first couple of days in the apartment just setting up my bathroom. It was the first room I cleaned and shopped stuff for.

Finally, it's done and I must say I'm happy with the color I chose. Turquoise, but not quite. Aged turquoise, if I may call it that.

Here are some pictures of my bathroom.

 The lighting, or quite possibly the camera setting, made the color of the ceramics look powder blue but I swear they're that "aged turquoise" I'm telling you about. Believe me please? LOL. I found them at Walmart, after I've finecombed all major home furnishing stores in the city. I never would have thought Walmart would have what I was looking for--and way cheaper too. 

This guy! This is my Hedwig. Cutest thing I have ever owned. It was on sale when I bought it at Urban Outfitters.

Look at him!!! How does he not have a Pixar movie!? 

It took me a while to decide on a shower curtain. At first I wanted a solid design to make up for the subtlety of the color scheme. That way the color turquoise will visually occupy the room. But in all the stores that I've gone to, this was the only one I could find with the shade of turquoise that I want so it had to be this one. (Argh.. again, the colors look powder blue-ish than they really are.)

Amazingly enough, I spotted this lone painting at an aisle and could not believe how spot on the colors are. I was on a roll at Walmart that day. lol

And will you look at this... prettiest plastic flowers I've ever seen. I bought this at the local thrift store for ONLY... *drumroll*... $1.99!! Yep, *gasp!* is right. lol

 It's amazing the things you find at thrift stores. Like this makeup-applying-girl's bathroom must-have which I got for just $4! Seriously, they sell these for 50-something bucks at other stores.

And this vintage-design vase that only cost me 99 cents. CENTS, people. Cents!

A bathroom must have a radio.One must sing in the shower. lol

This is a tweaked wall art. It was actually a single poster of Audrey Hepburn, you know, those Warhol art photos. I added a little pizzazz and cut them into 3 different posters, glued them on black cardboards and secured them to the wall with purple crystal push pins. I love looking at it, although sometimes looking at her makes me feel like I'm a dowdy mouse. lol. She's just so, so beautiful.

 These baskets make the room feel more like home. A touch of mom. :)

And last, but not the least.. the final detail..

TSARAANNN!!!

A distressed chair!

Would you believe that this was just someone else's piece of junk? Well okay, I guess it does look like it's seen  better days. lol. But I was so thrilled when I saw it that I was incredulous that someone had wanted to get rid of it. The boyfriend just happened to stumble upon this at our apartment's basement refuse and he thought it would be a nice 'project' for me. Turned out, it cannot be made more beautiful than it already is. It is as antiquated and as rustic as I want it to be. 

 Well, that is it I guess..a photo tour of my bathroom which I probably won't ever redecorate lest I get sick of the color turquoise. :)