That sounds lovely! One year I went out and gathered some particularly twiggy twigs (the twiggiest of them all) and arranged them in a fishbowl-style candy dish, and surprised my mom with it as a fall centerpiece. She kept it for quite a few years, longer than my intentions. [lol]

Though it's turning to autumn, my taste in arrangements is still decidedly more spring. I'm just not feeling brown lately. More pastels, please. Every time I go into Trader Joe's I see their lovely potted campanulas and it's so, so hard not to come home with one. Sadly, they need bright light and I simply don't get any sunlight in my room. My aloe is surviving underneath a lamp, but only just barely. It hasn't grown in ages.

Have you tried switching the bulb out with a grow light one? It will still function as a light for you to use, but the light is filtered in a way that is beneficial to the plant.

I actually came in here last time with another thing to say, but forgot when I made the post. Do you still get Country Living? I guess I'm going through a magazine phase right now, because that was another one I looked at the register and ended up buying. But page 12 of the most recent one - That is my jam!

The light fixture in my bathroom recently went kaput (by recently I mean a month ago. I've been surviving in there by using the one light above the shower. Such an adult, I am) so I've been looking around for ideas. I looked at art deco fixtures on ebay (love that skyscraper shade look), perused rejuvenation (I'm partial to this far-too-expensive ceiling mount: Mist Semi-Flush Mount | Rejuvenation) so when I the black and brass section on that page (which is a look I already love), I thought I'd head over to the schoolhouse electric website: Period Lighting | Modern Lighting, Furniture, Hardware | Schoolhouse Electric & Supply Co. I was already familiar with them, but I don't think I had been to the website. Man they have some neat stuff.
We both want a vintage brass bed, but look at this, Cherrs:Whitney Bed | Beds | Furniture How rad is it? It's got that bobbin look I love, and apparently it's swedish victorian. Sigh.

I also like this wastepaper basket: Wire Framed Trash Bin | Domestic Utility | Accessories
And all their candlesticks.

Man, my ikea cravings aside, I have poor budgetary taste in home decor [lol] I've also would love a bunch of these:
Aesthetic
And eastlake stuff.

I've wanted to buy a grow light, but... god, where do you get one?! I keep going down light bulb aisles and it's just a dizzying sea of various shades of florescents.

I don't think we still do get Country Living. I've actually been out of magazines lately. My interest in them was harboring some less-than-great habits for me. Namely, the tendency to hoard magazines (with the intentions of cutting out the things I like in them someday, honestly), and to be constantly buying new decorative pieces for whatever my taste of the month was. Since I got out of them, I recycled my huge amounts of back issues and have not been buying decorative things nearly as much. I still mentally toy with interior design ideas, but I'm not so flooded by them. My tastes are reflecting more of my current loves than what looked good on page 26 last week (but that I won't really care for in two months). I'm mostly just reading Businessweek now with some occasional flips through Better Homes and Gardens (which I've honestly never cared much for, it always ran too generic, but it seems to be the only one we get anymore. I would still rather we get Country Living, but I'm not the one paying the bill).

Of course, none of that is to suggest that there's anything wrong with a love of magazines or that I'm in any way judging you for getting into them. I couldn't approach them in a good way, but that certainly doesn't mean no one can. I do believe I'm in the minority for getting a little out of control with them. [lol]

That bed is pretty nice... does it come in brass? [lol] The black is a bit heavy for my current tastes, but I can certainly imagine it looking quite lovely in someone else's room (yours, namely).

The boyf and I have begun some very preliminary discussions about the possibility of moving in together at the end of the year or next year. There is a very long list of complications that must be addressed for that (finances, a job, my cat re: his roommate's hatred of cat, my cat re: his allergy of cats, my cat re: his apartment's lack of any logical space for a litterbox, etc.), but all I can think is... how are these two men going to stand living in an apartment I decorate? Because let me tell you, there's no lack of space for me to step in and decorate. They've done nothing to decorate the place. At all. Completely blank walls, except for one Walking Dead poster I insisted my boyfriend hang the first week because the walls were kind of freaking me out and were kind of actually giving me a panic attack.

I'm not really think so much good lately? I made that post a few days ago, and there was another thing I meant to include. You know those "Spooky Mingos" that you reblogged from me a week ago? I wanted them too, so I googled it. They are available at Manerd's, which doesn't work for me, but I do believe works for you [yes]

Where are you looking for the lightbulbs? If you are looking in big box stores, they might be more in the garden section than the lighting section.

I'm not much of a magazine person myself. I do like buying them once in a while, as it makes me feel so 'with it' to read them [lol] But it's fall, and I do tend to be a sucker for the autumn issues >.>

Okay, so if you aren't inspired by aesthetics going around, what was the last thing you saw that made you say "yes, good"?

Ah, tricky. Am I right in 'remembering' that your boyfriend's roommate is his father? Obviously it's not a great idea to jettison him in that case (and it would probably seem cold even it he wasn't)... But reading that, he/his cat dislike seems like it is the biggest stumbling point. I mean, there are injections for cat allergies (not that that's an easy financial consideration to take on), and apartments can be made to work(just rearranging, or even something like this.) I know that financial considerations don't facilitate the two of you *just* getting another apartment either, and getting pet friendly ones are a hurdle. Heck, I'm sure I'm not saying anything you two haven't thought of before.
But as for decorating, I'd say you have a free hand. If it's been left like that, they've forfeited a lot of their decorating rights [lol] Of course you can give them the opportunity for a lot of feedback, but I think you can reasonably take the helm [yes]

I went to a halloween shop recently and they had some skeleton flamingoes there! Very spoopy. It was hard not to come home with some. [lol] But it's an expensive place, so I think I'm going to try finding them elsewhere first.

I was just looking in walmart. I'll try the plant section next. But maybe I'd be better off at a place like Home Depot or Lowe's.

The last thing? Hmm. Well, yesterday the boyf took me to some open houses at ad agencies, and one in particular was designed just so well. It was really an environment conducive to creativity. It was a very lovely mix of the sort of rustic antique look from country living with a very clean, modern, minimalist influence. Sadly I can't find much online. I did find this on their facebook page, though.
https://fbcdn-sphotos-h-a.akamaihd.n...ef1903b03fe7fa
This bookshelf is in the front of the building, so it's what you see when you walk by outside. It was decorated very carefully and lovingly, and it's everything I want in a bookshelf. I took my own photos and am in love with it.

Remembering incorrectly, actually. He lives with a friend. A stubborn, alcoholic, ultimately likeable idiot of a guy. [lol] Which means he would probably be totally on board with me joining them and doing whatever I wanted to the place (provided it's not too girly, because then it would probably be "gay." [roll] ), but if he decided he hated cats, it would be NO CATS EVER UNDER ANY CIRCUMSTANCES EVER. So it would very much be dependent on how it was brought up to him, especially in regards to how this would not mean one single responsibility for him (you do not have to feed the cat, clean the cat's litterbox, pet the cat, even look at the cat).

I think there's definitely a lot of middleground for design where my boyfriend and I are concerned. We've talked about it a little bit and he says he essentially doesn't care how I decorate things and would be fine with whatever I did in any room. I think my biggest regret is that a floral comforter would probably be too much to ask. I fell in love with the comforter on New Girl and there's just no satisfying me until I have my own approximation.
http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-f4aRfMfUOn...NewGirlApt.jpg
But of course I absolutely cannot justify buying a new comforter for my little twin size bed when, moving in with the guy or not, I'll likely have a new larger bed within the next year or two.

Ah, there was something about dealing with tampons around guy's dad. On tumblr? On here? I can't remember.

What were you doing at ad agency open houses? That's such a specific thing.

There are masculine florals, but I know you want something approximating that. I think what you might be able to do is incorporate that into a mixed bedding set. Maybe mix it with a nice plaid in complimentary colors. I think that can be a striking look in a lot of situations.
Or a nice masculine paisley. I love that.

Continuing the theme of me forgetting things, I didn't answer your question about the bed I linked to coming in different colors. It doesn't. It's a wood bed, and I guess it could come in different finishes, but a lot of it depends on the type of wood used and what works best. I think it looks pretty warm in that finish, so I am cool with it.

I also meant to link this, which I found when I was looking for... something. I can't even remember now.
Others : Spooky Collection of Outdoor Halloween Decorating Ideas - Outdoor Halloween Decorating Ideas Country Living Pumpkins 90 cool outdoor halloween decorating ideas, outdoor halloween decorating ideas scary, outdoor halloween decorating ideas mar

Another theme: Me getting stuck on things for a while. This time it's chinese lit and artistic traditions, and I focused in a few days ago on The Dream of the Red Chamber, which I knew to be one of the 4(?) great classics, and MASSIVELY long and complicated, with 440+ named characters. So I was on the google and found this, which I enjoyed:
In 'Red Chamber,' A Love Triangle For The Ages : NPR

Now I'm really lost considering I've never even used a tampon! So I can't imagine what that conversation was. There was a bit before he moved into his recent place where there was the possibility that he'd have to move back in with his dad. But my issue with that was much less, "my menstrual products in his dad's bathroom," and much more, "I'm very intimidated by his dad," with a side helping of, "well we can no longer have any sort of a sex life ever."

Well, really, by "approximating that" I mean an oversized floral that doesn't scream of grandmas or country quilts. I honestly cannot bring a "masculine floral" to mind, so do share what that is. Definitely never been a fan of paisley, though.

MMMM, MOTH PUMPKINS. [drool]

On a slightly (mostly) unrelated note to your last point, I've finally started listening to NPR. I found the local public radio station and now I find myself listening to it more often than not on my drives. Considering my commutes are 30 minutes to work, 40 to college, and 50 to the boyf's place (all times one-way), that's a considerable amount of time. I flip channels when I need something a bit less thoughtful or else put a CD on some week-long loop, but lately it's mostly NPR. I'm really enjoying it, even if my parents are teasing me.

Maybe it was a hypothetical you mentioned, in regard to staying with his dad.

Masculine floral... I'd consider this to be a good example:
http://www.streetmachine.com/shared/...1w490_crop.jpg
I don't consider the print on my target bedding particularly feminine:
http://scene7.targetimg1.com/is/imag...id=410&hei=410
I really did love this paisely from Ikea, I have to say:
http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/...tL._SY300_.jpg

NPR is just the best. Soothing and informative and fun. I just. It's a great thing to have as a resource.

I found the(?) article that the pumpkins are from. I also like the foliage pumpkins and the one with the liberty fabric decoupage:
http://www.countryliving.com/crafts/...g-1009#slide-1

Hmm, I don't know if he would go for it... This is typical Christy right here, though. It is not for certain that we will live together, there are many hurdles that need to be cleared first (think I discussed some of them with Ferra in my blanket fort thread), and here I am thinking about bedding. Mhm. Earlier I was thinking about night stands. I really don't like thinking about real world things like getting a better job, going to university, being able to financially support myself, or just any of the logistics involved here. I'd much rather think about interior design. Mhm. On the bright side, though, yesterday he said I had an eye for design. Coming from a graphic designer, I'll take that to mean something. So I think we could definitely find plenty of things we both like (i.e. I could decorate an entire room and he'd like it).

I think my favorite so far is a segment they've been running on Story Corps. They've set up a booth in the Missouri History Museum for people to come record, so NPR did a week-long feature on them, running bits of particularly interesting stories from the St. Louis area. There was a really touching one from a gay man who grew up in the 50s as the son of a farmer. I wouldn't do the story justice if I tried to tell it, but the basic idea was that when he was a kid, before he had even given his sexuality a thought, his father just knew. He gave him a little talk about accepting people for who they are, giving his son his love and approval, and the boy didn't really know what it meant at that moment, but he figured it out later when he realized he was gay. It was just a very sweet story and I may or may not have teared up a little.

Well, losing yourself in that kind of thinking is therapeutic I think. I'm not the best person to be commenting on it, though, as I think about that stuff far too much when compared when thinking about what I need to be.

Ah, that's so neat. I love that the it's being done through the Missouri History Museum. That's the kind of diversification in Museum offerings that is needed at this time.

So, I don't know how to tack this on to the conversation, but I've signed up for this online course. Should be fun. Should be.
https://www.futurelearn.com/courses/...nd-his-world-2

Yes, it's undoubtedly some form of escapism through avoidance. It allows me to fret over the situation in a much more palatable way.

I recently visited the MHM for the first time (though sadly before this exhibit was installed). What I found really interesting was a particular part of their exhibit on the 1904 Worlds Fair. They had one section devoted to the foreign people on show at the fair as exhibits. I thought it was really quite commendable of the museum to show this shameful part of St. Louis history alongside all their boasting. No part of the exhibit lent any notion that exhibiting people was okay, there was even a bit of copy directly (though lightly) addressing that, you know, people as things to ooh and ahh over is kind of messed up. Unfortunately the museum offered very little aside from Worlds Fair things as... Missouri hasn't done much else. Of course we had Lewis and Clark start their expedition here, but we have dedicated Lewis and Clark museums, so apparently the history museum didn't think they needed an exhibit for that.

That looks neat! Beyond that, I'm just thrilled about that website as this is the first I'm hearing of it. Of course I've heard of (and used) the Khan institute, and the various free courses being published by places such as Harvard. I've heard the optimistic rumblings about an education revolution that will see even more free courses like this, but seeing something concrete come out of it is always exciting. I'll have to remember this site for next year, as I'll spend the first half of it not going to college.

This is now completely off-topic, but... hair. I know we have similar hair. What do you do to keep the frizz at bay? I just purchased a couple light mousses in the hopes of finding something that will control my horrible frizz without making my hair crunchy or appear unwashed. But I was wondering if you had any experience in the matter?

Hm, I don't know enough about missouri history to make any exhibit recommendations, but I have an inkling to brainstorm.

Ah, hair. The thing is, I don't do much. I just kind of roll with the fluff, and style with it. Pull it back with a barrette. I do sometimes use product, like this:
K-PAK Smoothing Balm | Joico Haircare
I just don't use the hairdryer on it, to avoid making it stick straight.

But yeah, most of the time, it's just this:
http://i587.photobucket.com/albums/s...ps123c4b15.jpg

Ah, well, the floof is working for you. You look very pretty! Unfortunately my frizz doesn't look quite so cute. It's more along the Janis Joplin lines.

Well, things like buns and hefty barrettes are your friend. Product is definitely something to experiment with.

To be completely honest, I have no idea how to do a bun. [lol] I do very low, loose side ponytails sometimes (think of it less as a side pony and more of a casual over-the-shoulder pony) and have converted that into a similar braid before (for extra frizzy days), and occasionally use those stretchy fabric headbands to keep things contained (mostly at work since I have to wear my hair up then and my hair does not look nice when tied up tightly), but I usually wear it down. That was quite a long sentence. Sorry about that. I lost my train of thought just typing it.

Ah, you should try one of those cheap little bun makers. I have one, and I enjoy using it. It's easy too:
http://cdn.sheknows.com/articles/201...ep-collage.jpg
the one I have is much smaller than this.

Wait wait why the cheering up? What wrong? What happen? Cherry here.

Actually Cherry about to go for the weekend, but Cherry care. [:(]

Ah. Both my cats died.

Oh... oh my goodness. I'm so so sorry. That's absolutely awful. I won't ask questions, don't feel obligated to share any info you don't want to talk about. But if you'd like to talk about it, by all means do so.

[hug] Losing a pet is just the worst. I know there's really nothing that can be said or done to make it better. But you gave them a comfortable, happy life full of love, and I'm sure that was great for them. Many many hugs

Thanks, Cherrs. Yeah, Smudge died in july, and Pumpernickel died about two weeks ago. Too much, too soon.

Very much so. [:(]

What can I do to help? I can listen, say something relevant, talk about something else to get your mind off it... What would help?

I don't know. It doesn't help that I've been abstracted lately.

How's that?

Just. Not with it. Not overtly so, more subtly, mellowy so. I haven't had the energy to cook lately. But that's fine because I haven't felt like eating lately. I might have a banana and a couple of glasses of milk in a day for my food.

Ah, I see. Yes, I've definitely been there before. Got the souvenir T-shirt and everything.

All I can recommend for that is just trying to get out of the house some, shake up your routine. It probably sounds like the exact opposite of what you want to do, and it might be torture to drag yourself out of the house, but it can work. Try to look up some events going on soon that sound relevant to your interests. Talks on topics you're interested in, art showings, music performances, festivals of any sort, just anything that sounds at least a little interesting. If you don't really know how to find out about these things, try to find some sort of local publication - my local Riverfront Times has a section on their website for all sorts of upcoming events, and I follow them on facebook to see all the events they post there. I'm sure your area has plenty of similar publications, especially given your proximity to Seattle. Anyway, find some things and go to them. You won't feel like it, but maybe shaking things up can help bring you out of your fog.

Speaking with a therapist could also be a good idea if you've got means to afford it. What you're describing is absolutely a major symptom of depression.