in t-minus...

14.5 more days of work until I head out of the Southwest...but who's counting?  

grrtrude photo bomb

The past four years of living in an area that is hotter than hot (and that's during the winter) is quickly coming to a close, and I for one cannot wait!  Grrtrude, my four year old Westie (enter photo at below), doesn't know what's coming.  She may not be the only one.  

During the past year, I have been living in a small studio apartment in Tucson, AZ.  In a few short weeks, I will be heading out of the state I have called home to partake in a doctoral program at Miami University in Oxford, OH and upgrading to a new apartment, nay, the first floor of a house.  Hardwood floors, floor-to-ceiling windows, a covered porch (with a swing!) and two bedrooms can't be wrong.  And all for just a few bones more than the place I am living in now.  Seriously, if there were no other benefits to my moving, the sweet cost of living is reason enough to sway my motivations.  Well, that and the great program, lovely winters (check back in with me about this in December), and wonderful disposition possessed by those that reside there.  

beautiful new place

At this point, my days are consumed with daydreaming about how I will outfit my new pad.  I have made the decision to sell/donate/gift most of my things (aside from my books, clothes, BetCi the bike, and Grrtrude the dog) and start over in my new setting.  A fresh start for a my new path.  Plus, truth be told, I was getting a bit sick of all the old stuff in my current place.  

As can be seen, my bookcase is busting at the seams and I guess I never spent as much time as I wanted to outfitting my place.  The temporal state of my existence in Arizona has been a known fact in my mind for some time, so spending the time, energy and money to outfit my current environs seemed, well, silly.  But no longer - I am thinking of doing up my new place with modern furniture (can you say Ikea much?) with touches of antique and thrifty goodness about the apartment.  I also have a wonderful artist friend who is going to help make my walls look as beautiful as the Tate Modern.  Well, maybe not the Tate, but the Tate wishes it had what I will acquire.  They don't even know.  

The visions that I have bouncing in my noggin are reminiscent of a Mad Men motif (more Midge's apartment than The Draper Residence) crossed with low furniture and a fully creative space.  Oh, and a headboard made from chalk a la (500) Days of Summer.  Seriously, what is not to love about creating the Perfect Nest?  For now the blog searching will go on and ideas will continue to be stockpiled.  Can't stop a kid from dreamin', now can ya?