HAPPY HOLIDAYS! Let’s multiply that times 20 though because it’s 2020 and it’s. been. a. year. so we need extra holiday cheer. We need like 10 Will Ferrells dressed as uncomfortably large and loud elves.
Anywho, welcome back to my apartment! I moved in June and only recently started feeling actually settled in, thanks to some small and some much larger updates. It’s a teeny, tiny space now with the additions, but it’s home. I should probably come right out and warn those who are… um, extra concerned about things being straight and perfectly lined up and matching and all that. You’ll see a few situations where that is not the case in my apartment, and I’m not bugged by it! That’s just me. ☺️
As was the case in the first apartment tour, most if not all of the decor is from Target or TJ Maxx, if you’re wondering. Like I always say, we are ballin’ on a budget in this apartment!
We’ve had this Christmas countdown calendar in our family for as long as I can remember, perhaps even longer. This year, with all of us being apartment for most of the days leading up to Christmas Eve (when we will celebrate together), my parents split the decorations amongst my themselves, my brother, and me. I’m the lucky duck who got the countdown calendar!
The most important and most frequently occupied area: the kitchen. You probably guessed that. When I first moved in, many of the cabinets and much of the counter space was empty, but that’s all changed by now. I’ve done my best to purchase only the essentials, and I’ve succeeded at times and failed at others. It all just comes down to the fact that… I have a small apartment. ☺️
My kitchen island is doubling as my work-from-home desk right now, so I keep it cleeee-eeee-eeeeean at all times, whether I’m working or cooking or eating or sitting on the couch. Because it has multiples roles, I keep it *almost* spotless *almost* all the time, except for these essentials at one end: a seasonal candle, a pen holder, and two photos of two of my favorite people (grandma on the right and grandpa on the left). It also has some shelves, which you’ll see in other photos, and I use those for storing tupperware and pots and pans on one side, and mail, to-do lists, etc. and dog toys on the other. How functional is that?!
Here’s my cute new bar/coffee cart! The first thing my eyes see are the two crooked shelves at the bottom that I am way too lazy to fix. Ignore those if you can, please! Because I’m not adventurous enough with my coffee or my alcohol, I couldn’t justify setting up a cart for either one, so I combined the two and it works perfectly. My coffee maker is a Hamilton Beach 12-Cup Programmable Coffee Maker in black and I snatched it up on super-duper sale right before Black Friday at Target. Score! It makes delicious coffee. I’m currently drinking Dunn Brothers - medium roast, please! - on an almost daily basis, and I’m about to pick up a caramel roast from Caribou Coffee that my boyfriend’s sister-in-law always has. It smells like the holidays in a cup and I just need it.
At around the same time I purchased the cart, I also invested in/splurged on a Toshiba 43” Smart Fire TV. If you know me, you might be asking if I actually did buy a TV. Well, I did! And I love it. It was, like the coffee maker, also on super-duper pre-Black Friday sale at Best Buy. I’m so so soooo happy I made this purchase! I don’t watch a ton of TV “in normal times”, but these aren’t normal times and winter is here, so I’m watching more TV. That’s that on that.
Some additions to my cozy little living room since your last visit are the dumbbells and yoga mat underneath the couch, so now it’s not only a living room and an office, but also a gym! So versatile. So functional (kind of). That big gray pillow on the couch is also new, and it’s just one of two I splurged on at Target. Holy moly - these pillows are incredible! They’re softer than you could ever imagine, and they hold their fluffiness pretty well through the night. The little pup stuffed animal next to the pillow is meant to be heated and placed over my tummy during that time of the month, and boy oh boy, he comes in handy. I keep him close by when I know the time is coming.
And last but not least, some accessory pieces! One of my best friends from college handmade this sign above the tree, and I am so going to keep it for years to come. It’s one of my first very own holiday decorations, and it’s made by hand by one of my best friends!
My cute little side table is one of my favorite pieces of furniture. That coaster tray holds my coffee cup in the morning, my water glass for the rest of the day, and my wine glass at night. You know, any other year, you’d wonder why in the world I’m sitting on my couch all day. It’s 2020, though, so you know why. I LOVE these sparkly Christmas trees (thank you, Target dollar section) and the gnome my mom donated, too. Fun fact: I didn’t know these guys were gnomes for the longest time - I just thought they were little Santa figurines so I called them “blind Santas”. Obviously, I know now that they are gnomes, but “blind Santas” has a better ring to it, I think.
Well, happy holidays from me and my 589 square feet of Minneapolis! I hope these photos helped spread some holiday cheer, and maybe even provide some decoration inspiration. Stay cozy, stay healthy, and I’ll see you again soon!