Home Sweet Home

I feels good to be home. And I brought shiny new things home with me -- so I've been (re)decorating bits and pieces of the apartment. Naturally, I'm posting pictures. Here's the dining room!

My plan to claim the monkey as my own is progressing nicely. First, I cleaned it up and moved it from the garage to my bedroom. Now I've brought it from my old bedroom at moms to my dining room in Huntsville. Soon no one will question my ownership of the ugly monkey. Why do I want something I repeatedly refer to as "ugly" and "crazy" and "weird?" It's a piece of family history. This monkey was acquired by my great grandfather in World War 1 (He was a soldier) and given to his wife upon his return. It's been passed down to my mother. I can't remember mom ever actually hanging it up -- it's always just been shoved somewhere. When I was little, it was in the hallway leaning against a unused office desk which served quite nicely as my fort. Obviously, the monkey was the perfect door to my make-shift fort. It eventually made its way to the basement where it was covered in dust and animal hair and forgotten... until I cleaned it up one day and put it in my bedroom. I've slowly been claiming it every since ;)

This is a piece of family history and reminds me of mom and home and comfort. It's also a museum quality piece (there one just like it in the Birmingham Museum of Art's collection) that is worth a lot of money. I'd rather it stay with me because it means something to me -- as far as I know, the only value it has to my siblings is monetary.

Now I've hung it in my dining room -- and I LOVE it. The only problem is that it didn't fit in with my apartment at all. So today I went shopping and picked up the table cloth you see here in autumn colors that blend with the monkey. And to spice it up, I got this great bamboo runner and a set of three candle cages as a centerpiece. The only other thing I need is a set of wall sconces to go on either side of the monkey.

I also hung some new things in the kitchen. I love my new "toast" painting. It's gorgeously framed and its quirky. Totally perfect for me. And that cross is salvaged antique glass from a local church. So not only is it gorgeous, it's also special and a great conversation piece. And if you'd like one, I'm selling a few just like it on eBay.

I'm LOVING this apartment. IT'S HOME!