The shopping around has begun. Ever since I moved out of the old (dearly missed) Berkeley apartment, I've been keeping note of things that I need before I move into a new place. For instance, my old bedspread didn't last long- the one I got before the start of my freshmen year bleached out at the top, and has already gone flat. I think I want new window hangings for my new room (or do I? are window hangings overdoing it? Will it make my room look too...Martha? will I even have windows?) And I want a bathroom that matches (as I've mentioned before.) With a cute...no, wait...sophisticated....no, too hoighty-toighty...a simple, yet stylish shower curtain. (I have been resisting the urge to buy those ones with ducks on them. I *love* rubber duckie shower curtains...) Anyway.

But what to do? Buy everything I need in a ready-made set? Like a bed-in-a-bag? Most of those are so...soulless. I want everything to fit together, seamlessly. But I want to make it look like I did something to earn this. I didn't just pull a bunch of well-matching (maybe *too* well-matching) articles out of a bag and suddenly turn my bed into a spotless model of home decor. Like in a catalogue. Or a cheesy hotel room. No! I want my own little spaces to say, "Look! We are very well put together! We are pleasant, and comfortable, and were assembled after hours of scanning bed & bath websites for good deals and walking around in various department stores and garage sales. We are a testament to our decorator's thrift, good eye for color, creative spirit, and, well...magic. Simple as that."

Is that so hard? I don't think I'm asking for much here, people.

:::sigh:::