More from IKEA

I think that I officially have a problem...I have gone to IKEA four times since I've been to Houston...and yesterday, I went twice in one trip...I went through once and paid, and brought the stuff to my car, and then I went back in and went through again. But I'm sure that all of the things I bought will help breath some life into my semi-unfurnished living space (also known as my apartment)...I am now the proud owner of two LACK bookcases, all sorts of curtains and fabric, and a million odds and ends. Now I just have to put everything together. Tell me what you think.

The two bookcases will go next to each other in the living room (I'll move the big Janus shelf from The Container Store to my bedroom and it will become the home for my music) the heart shaped pattern will become curtains covering my washer and dryer...they had it displayed with the hearts upsidedown at the store, and I didn't eve realize they were hearts then...I think I will do it that way...and the blue panel curtains will go behind my bed.

IKEA etc

Today I went to IKEA to buy some fabric type thing to put behind my bed as well and a curtain to put in front of my washer/dryer...and I ended up leaving with a cart full of random items...none of which were the things I came in for. So I guess I'm gonna go back tomorrow and pick some things having thought about it for a day (none of the textiles are available online...).

My apartment will soon be equipped with new towel bar...a dish scrubber...a red ice cream scoop...a magazine file (to put my orchestra music in...right now it just sits on the kitchen counter)...some candle trays...and a bunch of candles...all sorts of things I don't really need at all...but I now own...

I really need to buckle down and get my shit together when I get back to Houston on Sunday night...I'm sick of living in a mess...my couch will be coming on Wednesday, and I want it to slip into a finished apartment...this probably isn't going to happen...but one can try, right?

Greetings from Houston!

Hello! I'm in Houston for the week preparing for a concert this Saturday at St. Phillip's church. Its a "concert for peace" and I'll be playing the Schubert Cello Quintet as well as the Brahms Piano Quintet with some friends here in Houston (from Rice and elsewhere). We haven't started rehearsing yet...so I'm getting a bit nervous about throwing it all together...its going to be a crazy few days...and we just found out that we will be playing on the radio on Friday morning...yikes!!

I haven't updated in a while...so here's a recap of what has been going on:

1. I played two concerts this past weekend featuring cricus performers...it sounds totally cheesy, but it was actually pretty fun, and very entertaining.
2. I auditioned for the Milwaukee Symphony...I really hadn't prepared like I should have and I was playing on a cello that just really isn't good enough to be playing auditions on...so obviously, I didn't advance past the first round. But it was nice to see some friends there!
3. I spent some time at home in Wilmette with my parents (following the MSO audition)
4. I had a personal training session...it was really good, and he showed me a bunch of things I had never done before...now I just have to keep it up.
5. I rehearsed the Franck String Quartet in D major with my quartet (the Sturgis Quartet)...out first concert is coming up at the end of October, and we want to be ready!
6. I receieved and put together a MALM bed from IKEA...this was not very easy for me...but I managed to get it together...and it looks pretty good! And after a few days the matress has puffed out and become pretty comfortable. pictured above.
7. I drove to Houston...see the above paragraph.
8. Now you're caught up.

Dorm Room/Storage Unit

Its not a good sign when the people that work at the Container Store recognize you and know your name. But since there is basically nowhere else to go here for more "modern" looking furniture, at least that I know of, the container store is it. I have spent more money that I had ever planned to there...but now I have three sets of Elfa drawers...two in the bedroom that function as a dresser (with wheels on the bottom) and one in the bathroom that functions as a...well...bathroom dresser.

I visited the container store again today and bought a Janus "dorm-room set" which is basically a lot of wires and shelves that you can arrange however your little heart desires (pictured above). I thought that I would need tons and tons of shelves...but apparently I have big shelf eyes...because I am nearly done unpacking all of my boxes, and barely any of the shelves are filled. I'm not concerned however, because the shelf looks cool, and I can come up with plenty of stuff to fill it with.

Thanks to the very smart people that work at the container store, my parents and I where directed to a wonderful store by the name of Garden Ridge...where you can find any and every kind of home furnishing for very very little money. I am now the proud owner of black table and four chairs for under $200. One of the chairs already kind of fell apart...but the other three are going strong.

The container store people also directed us to Hank's Fine Furniture...where I made my most exciting purchase of all...a leather couch!! I'm still trying to grasp the fact that I can actually afford something like a leather couch now (or a piece of furniture at all, for that matter)...but, in about two weeks from now, this couch will be arriving at my apartment...and it will be mine to use!!

And I'm still waiting for my bed...cough cough...IKEA?? Is anybody home? I'm waiting for all of my furniture to arrive, so I can decide where to put my art up...because that makes a big difference, right? I'm sure that once I put the art up, it will really start looking like a real apartment where somebody actually lives...right now it looks like a dorm room/storage unit.

I'm still not off my high from the Met Opening Night yet...I've been listening to Manon all day...and humming it in the car when I've been driving places (I just uploaded it to my iPod, so I can bring it with me tomorrow)...my recording is with Beverly Sills...so its kind of amazing...omg. I think since last night I may have become a big opera fan...how cheesy and random is that?