Friday, August 3, 2012

Dorm Rooms, or Ikea is your friend

So when I moved into Reed my lovely parents and I spent a lot of time fixing up my room, and it was totally worth it.  I was lucky enough to get a single and as an introvert, it's really nice to have your own space.  My room was full of the things I like: I had hanging plants and a teapot and pictures on the walls and two very soft rugs and an armchair.
1) Rugs.
I got both of mine (the giant furry rug, kind of like this one, and the grey-and-white flowered one, kind of like this one) at Ikea, which was blessedly kind of near my college.  My parents stayed through O-week (Orientation) and had rented a car; they are among the most wonderful people on the planet and drove out to Ikea without me (being very familiar with my tastes).  My original floor was cold, kind of grimy lino, which is just kind of gross.  I layered my rugs so that most of the whole floor was covered.  It made my room much cozier.
2) Plants.
I love green things.  LOVE.  Plants just cheer me up - watering them makes me a little attached, and they brighten a space.  They also combat air pollution.  NASA thinks so, guys.  I had seven, which means that there was probably lots of oxygen in my pretty tiny room. Two of them were hanging from a pipe near the window.
3) Pictures.
Ikea is really really nice, people.  Specifically, they sell lots of little frames that are pretty cheap that you can put pictures in.  I framed the poster I pulled off the wall in Paris as well as a bunch of little prints I got at various thrift stores and Powell's (which is... literally the best thing ever.  Go if you are ever in Portland.  I'm serious.  Go.)  The only kind of strange thing is that their frames are weird sizes.
That's really all I can come up with at the moment.  Go forth and decorate your dorm rooms!

Wednesday, August 1, 2012

It's been a while!

Sorry about that, guys!  My summer actually hasn't been eventful enough to warrant me leaving for this long - but I will be talking about going back to school and the like because that's important.
In the next couple of days look for posts about what to bring and what to leave, about how Ikea is your very best friend, and how it won't matter if you have a bike if you don't remember the combination.
See you soon!