for Julia
for Ella
for Nick 

I saw this idea in February and have been dying to make one for Julia's May birthday. Then Nick came over and ignored it. 

Erin: "baby, did u see what i made Julia?"

Nick: "yeah yeah i saw it"

Erin: "isn't it cool?"

Nick: "how come you didn't make me one?"

Erin: "WhAt? You want one? For what?"

Nick: "All my ante-pesto and shit" 

Erin: "oh . . . i never thought of that" 

Nick (in his requisite 3rd person lamenting): "Nobody ever makes Nick anything." 

So I made Nick something.  

. . . and Ella . . . and probably everyone else . . . 

Dishes: $.49 to $1.99 at Goodwill

Orange polka dot cup: $1 at Dollarama

Epoxy: $1 at Dollarama

One of the infalliable truths of trash picking is you end up with way more chairs and lamps than any single girl in a small apartment can possibly use.  And it looks a little creepy. 

Paper lamp: $10 in as-is section at IKEA

I'm turning 27 next week.  That's a good day to stop pretending that I'm organized. I'm not. Probably never will be. There are 4285 loose bobby pins in my apartment.  I make a weekly vow to find my desk.  I have a 6 year supply of toothpaste because I always forget that I have some at home. 10 years of university failed to produce a single folder of notes and the ones I did throw together all have poems about chickens scrawled on them. I have at least 3 designated sock drawers and don't know what I'm doing tomorrow. 

But somewhere deep in the grey matter I insist on buying every funky organizing implement I see. 

Boxes: $1 each at Dollarama

My sister is a 27th degree black belt or something. I advanced as far as the white belt only because I couldn't keep my robe on otherwise. Whatever. I'm going to make my own arbitrary trash picking belt system.  And then I will be a black belt. 

It's the mature thing to do. 

Goblets: $1.49 each at Goodwill

Things always become less ugly when they're on the slightly 'free' side of things.  That hiddeous brass 'n glass combo on my closet door would have been gag worthy if I walked by it in a store.  But it's freeness made it oh so worthwhile . . . 

Yeah, yeah . . . don't judge a book . . . something something

Brand new brass shelf: $0 at the curb

Shameful amount of scarves: Dollarama, gifts, thrift stores

My ability to buy ribbon always outstrips my ability to use it. 

Now I need to go buy some more ribbon. 

Wheely side table: roadside find

Ribbon: Michael's ($1.29/spool), Dollarama ($.25/tiny spool), Ikea ($1.25/spool)

My rural, craftin' heart just spent four short days in Winnipeg.  I stayed with my (now non-virtual) friend, Laura, who calls herself the Prairie Peasant.  This is my prairie pheasant, I guess. 

Cute thing: $2 at Goodwill

I love Mennonites and Lutherans equally. I really do.  But the Lutherans have better pens. Check out that hi-liter! 

Writing implements: Complementary fond memories from Winnipeg. 

It's really hard to out-garbage my parents.  So I was totally surprised when my mom asked me if I was sure if I wanted a brutally hacked desk buried under six months of IKEA as-is. YES! She must have been plagued by some kind of maternal guilt or something . . . 

Desk: $10 as-is at IKEA

File folder: $8 in damaged stuff at Winners

Debbie Travis sure commissions cool stuff from China. 

Coffee cups: $.75/each at Canadian Tire

Sometimes I dream about the lifestyle that would accompany an object.  This ice bucket? Kidney shaped pool, '50s house wife dresses, hefty rocks glasses and bigger sun glasses, cigars and watermelon, sun so bright and shade so rare that even thinking about it makes my eyes squint. Pure Elliot Gould in Ocean's 11. Maybe minus the gold chains. Or maybe it's just Brad Pitt in a suit. That's a little ambitious for an ice bucket, eh? 

Ice bucket: couple bucks at auction

Yesterday was one of those days when I did a half-assed job of everything - eyes more shut than open whilst reading, more English than French during tutoring, more looking like you're floating in a pool than contortioning in yoga, more Cheerios than vegetables. You know how it goes. 

So I just killed the day and ate a huge brownie at 1:30am.  In bed. 

I think this closet-door goddess would have been okay with that. 

Poster: $1 in Little India

A rare two-picture day.  I have sacrificed blogging for ye old school work.  Poor little blog, give her another chance.

Library books (in theory): free

Library books (in practice): $.50/day in fines

Sometimes people just open up their destashing hearts and give me the coolest shit ever.  It only took six years of pining before this cobbler's bench found her way into my living room.  I will never ever never ever never ever never ever give it up. 

Cobbler's bench: Perfect gift from wonderful people.