A Tour of My First NYC Apartment

As I was looking through my photos and posts getting ready to share a snippet of our new apartment that we just moved into in August, I realized that I'd never shared a photo tour of my old apartment. I shared photos around Christmastime, but never without the twinkle lights and reindeer. :)

This apartment will always be so special to me because it was my first place of my own. This was the apartment where we really learned to explore New York. The walls of 2B heard so much excited chatter about "What are we gonna do next!?" or "Seriously, why does no one here know where Indiana is?"

(Pictured above: How to paint a couch, and how to make a felted wool ball garland.)

We learned that if you're a frugal type who likes to do everything themselves like Sean, Adele, and I, New York makes all aspects of domestic life both ridiculous and hilarious. Over the past year we learned that grocery shopping is best done as a team with backpacks and granny carts, basil plants tend to commit suicide when they cross our threshold, and furniture left on the street as trash is treasure for those of us with no shame.

Over the past year we've learned that Trader Joe's has the cheapest most awesome groceries, but sometimes you have to wait in line to get inside TJoes.

We also learned that if a food item goes on sale, especially, especially beer... YOU BUY IT. (Beer is usually so expensive here!) One time there was a sale on canned 12-packs of Rolling Rock at Gristedes. I bought three cases and then came home and told Adele and Sean about my discovery. They put their backpacks on and went to buy 12 more cases of Rolling Rock, which we squirreled away in corners of our teeny apartment. We were set on beer for a while.

Adele and Sean learned that if you leave any potential storage areas empty for too long, they get filled with craft supplies. Like the suitcases above.

We learned that you probably have to call mom a few times to keep your plants alive...

...And that the best decor is also functional.

As someone who only moved once growing up, it has been so fun decorating 2B and redecorating our new place. Since we're on such a cheapskate budget, it has been so fun to figure out how to make everything work and come together. Our curtains were made from Target shower curtains, we used electrical tape on the doors and walls, and none of our furniture was new. There's a filing cabinet in the kitchen...

...and a drafting table in the dining room. Nothing matches, but that's fine. My socks never match either. :)

(Above: DIY Chevron chairs and the Great Lakes topographic map.)

While it was a little nostalgic to leave the cozy little 2B, it's nice to have a window in my bedroom now and a fridge that wasn't built for hobbits.

I just thank my lucky stars, galaxies, and universe that I get to live in this incredible city with two of the best lovebugs I know.

Here's to year two in NYC... in 4E. <3

Sean and Adele, I'll try to keep my beads and crafts stashed away a bit more this year.