My new place. Thanks Mom!

The first apartment I rented when I moved to Portland 4 years ago, a studio, was a total joke. At 180 sq. feet TOTAL, I could basically reach the kitchen sink from my bed. Great when I needed to refill my glass of bedside table water, but not great any other time. Coming from out-of-state, the pickings were slim and for some reason I chose hardwoods and crown molding over the ability to have more than one person over at a time. I lived there for 6 months and not until after I moved out did my friend's architect dad tell me that it was most likely illegal for someone to rent a living space that tiny.

Since then I have happily lived with roommates (and been really appreciative of every square foot of space)... until now. I just moved into a studio in NE Portland and I loooove it.

There are many reasons I adore living solo and it’s pretty much all about control:

• I get to put out all my wacky decor and not worry about it giving my roommates nightmares
• I can stink up the kitchen when cooking (oh broccoli) without feeling guilty
• It’s clean when I want it to be clean and messy when I’m feeling lazy and just want to nap... which happens a lot.
• I control who comes over, even though I must admit I'm the one with the obnoxious friends who are always coming over
• I GET TO HAVE IT LOOK EXACTLY HOW I WANT

There are of course downsides. My roommates have always been friends and I’m really going to miss waking up and going to Saturday brunch with them, or staying up way too late on a work night watching the Bachelorette finale while stuffing our faces with mochi ice cream, or, of course, blasting Miley Cyrus and getting ready to go out to the bars (that Party in the USA song will never got old - I don't care what anyone says).

But now here I am, living by myself in a studio again and loving it so far. About a week ago, however, I didn’t love it because I had spent so many hours moving my stuff from the house (I’m talking like... probably close to 48 hours bc I did it by myself) that it gives me a headache just thinking about it. I HATE MOVING. After hearing about how stressful the whole thing was for me, my mom was like... “Just hire movers next time.” And why was that not even on my radar? Oh maybe because I'm a young, able-bodied single mover who doesn't even own a couch. But that's not saying I won't pay for some help next time.

Anyway, I wanted to show a Before and After because it’s pretty remarkable. “Before” including a bare studio and then also what it looked like after I’d brought all of my stuff to the new place, but hadn’t organized at all. One word: Hoarders. The photos don’t do it justice.

And an “After” of my apartment after my wonderful mother flew out to Portland from Texas just to help me set up my new place. Just kidding, she came out to visit me and do fun things in Portland, but we spent most of the time, really, putting my apartment together. But she loved it ;) I'm lucky to have a mom who says that Home Depot is her favorite store. Thanks mom, you da best. Okay, duh duh duh daaaaa.....

BEFORE

bad photo quality due to my camera phone....

and AFTER

Bathroom in the back there...

Can you spy what project still needs to be completed? Look closely ;)

Kitchen in the back right there...

(this is the one shot I took of the closet - which my mom expertly organized into a very glamorous space)

And a close-up of creepy man.. passed down from my grandmother... who gives everyone nightmares except me. I think he's hilarious and display him prominently on my dresser :)