Since the beginning of this teacup pup trend I've called the mini-pooches "cats in dog-suits." It's been funny, usually pulls a laugh. But today, I found proof that it might actually be true. I was leaving TJMaxx, happy with the new decorations I had chosen for my Epiphany Bathroom (more on this later), when I was walking towards a woman with a little grey poodle. It was sitting in the basket of the cart, and when she picked it up to put it in it's little roller-mesh-cage-thingy it hissed. The poodle hissed. It was the strangest hiss I have ever heard, but it was definitely a hiss. So apparently, the joke is on everyone, they really are cats in dog-suits.
June 26, 2007
June 22, 2007
Photos photos everywhere!
Many of you have already gotten notice that the photos of my mom and Homer's wedding are released and ready for you to enjoy and go broke purchasing. You can find all of them on Pictage. You can also see a beautiful slideshow created by the photographer, complete with pretty music. Lastly, I have created a Flickr group where people can add all their photos from the weekend to one photo pool for everyone to view. So far it's just my pictures, but I hope more people will be adding theirs to the mix.
Enjoy!
Enjoy!
June 20, 2007
Grown-up book report
I have a bone to pick with Emily Giffin, the writer of the book Baby Proof. But first...
Most of my readers already know my stance on kids. They are fine; we have to have them for continuation of the species, and I even like some of them (my cousins seem to pop out some mighty cute ones). But they aren't for me. The desire to non-produce puts me in a major minority, but it doesn't mean there's anything wrong with me. For years I've endured all-knowing remarks from family and friends who are all certain I'll change my mind when I meet The Right Guy. Oh yes, how could I forget? The Right Guy is out there somewhere. The man who is so physically, intellectually and emotionally gifted that our bond of love creates a force such that can't help but be shared with the world in the form of new genetic material left behind to carry on the legacy of our joined selves. The man who will be so perfect that what I want for my life no longer matters.
Hooey. Serious, serious hooey.
Such is the topic of above mentioned book, Baby Proof. Claudia is an attractive, intelligent, successful New York woman who doesn't want to be a mother. Right around my age she resigns herself to living her life as she wants, content that she may not ever find The Right Guy, and she's okay with that 'cause she has family, friends and New York City as her playground. Chapter One, Claudia is someone I want to hang out with. Of course she does find a man named Ben who is also attractive, intelligent and successful and doesn't want kids. They fall madly in love and marry. A few years in, he changes his mind, and decides he wants to be a father and they divorce. Chapter Two, my greatest fear realized, marrying The Wrong Guy. The rest of the book tells the story of Claudia trying to move on, trying to be okay with living the "New York as my playground" life again, and questioning her decision not to have kids with who she thought was The Right Guy.
And it's a great read. Giffin writes a page-turner of a chick-novel, which I think is pretty hard to do. These are not usually the types of books I engage in, but I couldn't put it down. Then I got to the very end, and became really, really annoyed. (If you plan to read the book and don't want to know the end, stop reading, cause I'm definitely going to spoil it.)
Claudia comes to the realization that she can't live without Ben. That he really is The Right Guy and she makes the decision to have a baby with him in order to get him back. You get the feeling that she's softened a little about having kids, but still would rather not. I wouldn't even call her on-the-fence about it, she's still pretty firmly on the No Kids side. She arranges to meet Ben for lunch to tell him. But before she can, he blurts out that she is The Right Woman and he will happily give up having children if he could just be with her again, because he couldn't imagine having a child with anyone else on earth. The moral of the story: Love Triumphs All.
I adore Shakespeare, the king of Love Triumphs All, but I think even the bard would have had Romeo and Juliet part ways if they couldn't agree on a family life. "Juliet, put down the dagger. Romeo, lay off the poison. There's someone better out there for each of you. You're only teenagers for chrissake!"
Here is why I have a big problem with this ending; no one should have to compromise on the choice to have or not have children. For as strongly as most people want to have kids, this is how strongly I don't. Having children is an amazing thing that should never be denied to anyone who wants to do it. From what I'm told it is fulfilling beyond words. But only for those who choose it. For me (and I'm assuming there are a few others like me out there), having children isn't a source of fulfillment, and we shouldn't be denied the choice not to have them. I realize I am posing the argument in black and white, when there are a bunch of people out there in the grey who could go either way and be happy. Many of these people are happy they had families in the end. Some are not.
My point is this: I would NEVER ask someone to give up having children if they want them, and I would NEVER tolerate someone asking me to have children knowing I don't want them. This is not a compromise situation, and it's a lifelong choice. I do believe that almost anything can be compromised on without regret and resentment, but this is one of the few that cannot.
So the book ends with them back together, and Claudia never told Ben that she was willing to have a child. At least it wasn't written in the book. You don't really get a sense of whether they will or not. They are happy back together and the future seems shiny and bright. But would I ever love to see the sequel when he starts resenting her for not having a kid, so she has a kid to preserve the marriage, and then resents him for the rest of their lives because she had to have a kid for him and they are now both stuck in an unhappy marriage. Or maybe they get divorced and at holidays buy the kid gift certificates for a lifetime of therapy. Good times, good times.
Most of my readers already know my stance on kids. They are fine; we have to have them for continuation of the species, and I even like some of them (my cousins seem to pop out some mighty cute ones). But they aren't for me. The desire to non-produce puts me in a major minority, but it doesn't mean there's anything wrong with me. For years I've endured all-knowing remarks from family and friends who are all certain I'll change my mind when I meet The Right Guy. Oh yes, how could I forget? The Right Guy is out there somewhere. The man who is so physically, intellectually and emotionally gifted that our bond of love creates a force such that can't help but be shared with the world in the form of new genetic material left behind to carry on the legacy of our joined selves. The man who will be so perfect that what I want for my life no longer matters.
Hooey. Serious, serious hooey.
Such is the topic of above mentioned book, Baby Proof. Claudia is an attractive, intelligent, successful New York woman who doesn't want to be a mother. Right around my age she resigns herself to living her life as she wants, content that she may not ever find The Right Guy, and she's okay with that 'cause she has family, friends and New York City as her playground. Chapter One, Claudia is someone I want to hang out with. Of course she does find a man named Ben who is also attractive, intelligent and successful and doesn't want kids. They fall madly in love and marry. A few years in, he changes his mind, and decides he wants to be a father and they divorce. Chapter Two, my greatest fear realized, marrying The Wrong Guy. The rest of the book tells the story of Claudia trying to move on, trying to be okay with living the "New York as my playground" life again, and questioning her decision not to have kids with who she thought was The Right Guy.
And it's a great read. Giffin writes a page-turner of a chick-novel, which I think is pretty hard to do. These are not usually the types of books I engage in, but I couldn't put it down. Then I got to the very end, and became really, really annoyed. (If you plan to read the book and don't want to know the end, stop reading, cause I'm definitely going to spoil it.)
Claudia comes to the realization that she can't live without Ben. That he really is The Right Guy and she makes the decision to have a baby with him in order to get him back. You get the feeling that she's softened a little about having kids, but still would rather not. I wouldn't even call her on-the-fence about it, she's still pretty firmly on the No Kids side. She arranges to meet Ben for lunch to tell him. But before she can, he blurts out that she is The Right Woman and he will happily give up having children if he could just be with her again, because he couldn't imagine having a child with anyone else on earth. The moral of the story: Love Triumphs All.
I adore Shakespeare, the king of Love Triumphs All, but I think even the bard would have had Romeo and Juliet part ways if they couldn't agree on a family life. "Juliet, put down the dagger. Romeo, lay off the poison. There's someone better out there for each of you. You're only teenagers for chrissake!"
Here is why I have a big problem with this ending; no one should have to compromise on the choice to have or not have children. For as strongly as most people want to have kids, this is how strongly I don't. Having children is an amazing thing that should never be denied to anyone who wants to do it. From what I'm told it is fulfilling beyond words. But only for those who choose it. For me (and I'm assuming there are a few others like me out there), having children isn't a source of fulfillment, and we shouldn't be denied the choice not to have them. I realize I am posing the argument in black and white, when there are a bunch of people out there in the grey who could go either way and be happy. Many of these people are happy they had families in the end. Some are not.
My point is this: I would NEVER ask someone to give up having children if they want them, and I would NEVER tolerate someone asking me to have children knowing I don't want them. This is not a compromise situation, and it's a lifelong choice. I do believe that almost anything can be compromised on without regret and resentment, but this is one of the few that cannot.
So the book ends with them back together, and Claudia never told Ben that she was willing to have a child. At least it wasn't written in the book. You don't really get a sense of whether they will or not. They are happy back together and the future seems shiny and bright. But would I ever love to see the sequel when he starts resenting her for not having a kid, so she has a kid to preserve the marriage, and then resents him for the rest of their lives because she had to have a kid for him and they are now both stuck in an unhappy marriage. Or maybe they get divorced and at holidays buy the kid gift certificates for a lifetime of therapy. Good times, good times.
June 13, 2007
Urine for a chuckle
Those of you with gmail know that there is a bar at the top of your inbox that not-so-randomly shows sponsored links and web clips. Today I got a link to this product. I realize that people with pets do often have the need to remove urine from time to time... but the product name is just too funny. And the web page is bright yellow. How can you take it seriously?
Take note, it gets surfaces "black light clean" for all you CSI addicts and misguided teenagers who think black lights are cool.
Take note, it gets surfaces "black light clean" for all you CSI addicts and misguided teenagers who think black lights are cool.
June 11, 2007
Magical Mystical Model
This morning I'm waiting for the train, trying to figure out why this particular morning is filled with happy smooching couples making me sick every 20 feet. I settle on the fact that they've probably spent an entire happy smooching couple weekend together and can't seem to break the mood until the very last second when the subway tears them apart and whisks them off to work. And then the Magical Mystical Model appears.
Amidst the dank, hot, grey-toned, gunk-stained subway station the MMM appears looking fresh as a daisy in her little flowy white dress (which I would have worn as a tunic, but whatever) and heels. Now, she may not have been a model, but even if this woman had the brains of a physicist she would be wasting her body by not being a model. She was tall and thin and actually had a very pretty face. Normally, for these reasons, I don't like models. They make me feel bad for being short and curvy and not able to walk gracefully in heels. But this one didn't bother me, because she noticed what was happening around her, and clearly found it amusing. I found it amusing too.
As she passed, all the men turned to look. That's not unusual, men will turn for just about anyone. Hell, men turn for me when there aren't models present. But then as she stopped to wait for the train I noticed the men shifting position. Guys that were facing the tracks were suddenly facing the side, so it was a little less noticeable they were looking over at her. One guy in particular, standing pretty much in front of her but closer to the tracks, had assumed his new side-stance and was consistently looking over at her, and back at the tracks. Over at her, back at the tracks. From my spot behind both of them I saw Sly-Guy doing this, and then when I looked at her she was smirking. Not a, "aw shucks, this guy thinks I'm cute" smirk, but a, "men are so damn easy" smirk. I like that smirk, I respect that smirk, I wear that smirk.
So I finally found something I have in common with a model. It's not much, but it's something.
Amidst the dank, hot, grey-toned, gunk-stained subway station the MMM appears looking fresh as a daisy in her little flowy white dress (which I would have worn as a tunic, but whatever) and heels. Now, she may not have been a model, but even if this woman had the brains of a physicist she would be wasting her body by not being a model. She was tall and thin and actually had a very pretty face. Normally, for these reasons, I don't like models. They make me feel bad for being short and curvy and not able to walk gracefully in heels. But this one didn't bother me, because she noticed what was happening around her, and clearly found it amusing. I found it amusing too.
As she passed, all the men turned to look. That's not unusual, men will turn for just about anyone. Hell, men turn for me when there aren't models present. But then as she stopped to wait for the train I noticed the men shifting position. Guys that were facing the tracks were suddenly facing the side, so it was a little less noticeable they were looking over at her. One guy in particular, standing pretty much in front of her but closer to the tracks, had assumed his new side-stance and was consistently looking over at her, and back at the tracks. Over at her, back at the tracks. From my spot behind both of them I saw Sly-Guy doing this, and then when I looked at her she was smirking. Not a, "aw shucks, this guy thinks I'm cute" smirk, but a, "men are so damn easy" smirk. I like that smirk, I respect that smirk, I wear that smirk.
So I finally found something I have in common with a model. It's not much, but it's something.
June 05, 2007
Keeping one eye on the street
I love my new neighborhood. Just at the end of my street on the way to the subway this morning I saw this big fella, relaxing by the fence. I just had to take a picture... because I have a deep love of chocolate labs, because he might be the cutest thing I've ever seen, and because this is as close as I'm going to get to having a pet for, well, at least 2 years. So what? So I'm a pet stalker, I'm okay with that.
June 04, 2007
The wedding post
What is with me? Anytime something big happens I completely forget to report on it. Here it is, over a week after my mom got married and I'm just now getting around to writing about it. Perchance there is just too much to say. Perhaps there are no words to describe the event. Maybe I've been busy. It's most likely that I'm just lazy. Sorry Ma!
Day 1, Thursday night:
Arrive in Chicago late. Sister arrives late at the exact same time. Hilarity ensues as she waits for luggage in one terminal, I wait for train in another to get to her terminal, and Mom waits in car outside clueless as to where we are. Somehow we find each other, complain about air travel, and head to Mom's condo.
Day 2, Friday:
Three-way fight with Mom and Leah over brunch, perfectly normal. We generally get on each other's nerves anytime we are together, best we got it out of the way before any wedding activities began. Mom and I head out for some last minute fun-time shopping while Leah decorates the wedding cake. We all converge at the condo and head up to the hotel/restaurant to drop off the cake and check in to the hotel in Evanston. Mom has dinner with Homer, Leah goes out with her friends, I have dinner with Kristen. We complain about men, she spills wine all over her cute capris, we drink remainder of the bottle and then start laughing for the rest of the night. Can't remember about what, but I'm certain it was hilarious.
Day 3, Saturday:
Today we begin to simply refer to Mom as "The Bride" or "Bride." We start early for The Bride's Super Special Spa Day. The guest list as pictured below: Leah, Lisa (Bride's best friend), The Bride, me, Gerry (Bride's older sister), Abby (Groom's youngest daughter), and Susan (Bride's younger sister). Hey, I'm not even close to the shortest person in that group!
Bride got a manicure, pedicure and facial while the rest of us got mani/pedis. Except for Lisa, who, due to an unfortunate nail polish allergy, got the strangest hand and foot massage in history as the technician didn't use any lotion/oil/spittle... anything. After the spa, tapas for lunch where we surprised The Bride with presents.
Sidebar... The Bride really wasn't surprised by the presents at this point. Before the day started I get a call from Susan in my hotel room. We are getting ready to depart with Bride to the spa and she doesn't know how to hide the presents. The conversation goes something like this:
After lunch we have about an hour to relax before heading to the church for the rehearsal. There was major miscommunication in that Bride thought her two sisters were coming to the rehearsal but they thought they weren't. Last minute she calls them both, wakes them up from their naps and drags them to the church. The church went long, but we were having fun. Most fun I've had in a church... ever. I didn't even burst into flames.
After the rehearsal, dinner at a pizza place with everyone at the rehearsal and anyone else who was in town, which was a lot of Homer's family by this point. Lots of people getting to know each other from many families. Good times with round cheesy Chicago goodness.
Day 4, Sunday, The Wedding Day:
First day I get to sleep in a little bit. After getting ready Leah, Abby, Caroline (Groom's older daughter) and I met in The Bride's suite at 2pm for girl pictures. We then took some more with Groom in the parlor. Into the limo and off to the beach we went for some fun pictures in the sun and surf. Then it was on to the church for The Big Event.
The ceremony was lovely, and very touching. The Bride looked absolutely beautiful and The Groom was cool as a cucumber. The church was filled with family and friends, all of which were special to the couple. After refreshments in the church it was off to The Big Party!
The reception was in the restaurant at the base of the hotel, with one room for dinner and another for cocktails and dancing. Dinner was delicious family style Italian fare. During dinner the photographer secretly edited and created a slide show of some of the best pictures from the beach as a special treat. They were amazing, people couldn't look away. Dancing to a live jazz band followed dinner, as did pictures outside. New family and friends ate and drank and laughed and danced through the evening.
Here's a picture of The Bride and The Groom after they were announced before dinner. Awwwwwww......
Day 5, Monday, The Day After:
Bride and Groom left very early for flight to Puerto Vallarta. Bride sends text message before flight about how happy she is. After checking out of the hotel, Leah, her friend Nick and I have lunch with Caroline and her boyfriend Dave. Back to Caroline's place where we find Abby is back from her morning plans and we all go hang out at the park and the beach with Caroline's dog. It was nice to spend a few hours with our new step-sisters, who are in no way evil and in fact quite wonderful. It might be a really long time before we get to hang out together again... I live in NY, Caroline in Chicago, Leah in Minneapolis, and Abby lives in Thailand. This is what e-mail and web cams are for!
I wish I had more pictures of the event, but when you are part of a wedding it's hard to take the time to snap some shots. Its always when you are having the most fun that you end up with the least photos. When the photographer releases her online slide show I'll post the link here for all to see.
Day 1, Thursday night:
Arrive in Chicago late. Sister arrives late at the exact same time. Hilarity ensues as she waits for luggage in one terminal, I wait for train in another to get to her terminal, and Mom waits in car outside clueless as to where we are. Somehow we find each other, complain about air travel, and head to Mom's condo.
Day 2, Friday:
Three-way fight with Mom and Leah over brunch, perfectly normal. We generally get on each other's nerves anytime we are together, best we got it out of the way before any wedding activities began. Mom and I head out for some last minute fun-time shopping while Leah decorates the wedding cake. We all converge at the condo and head up to the hotel/restaurant to drop off the cake and check in to the hotel in Evanston. Mom has dinner with Homer, Leah goes out with her friends, I have dinner with Kristen. We complain about men, she spills wine all over her cute capris, we drink remainder of the bottle and then start laughing for the rest of the night. Can't remember about what, but I'm certain it was hilarious.
Day 3, Saturday:
Today we begin to simply refer to Mom as "The Bride" or "Bride." We start early for The Bride's Super Special Spa Day. The guest list as pictured below: Leah, Lisa (Bride's best friend), The Bride, me, Gerry (Bride's older sister), Abby (Groom's youngest daughter), and Susan (Bride's younger sister). Hey, I'm not even close to the shortest person in that group!
Bride got a manicure, pedicure and facial while the rest of us got mani/pedis. Except for Lisa, who, due to an unfortunate nail polish allergy, got the strangest hand and foot massage in history as the technician didn't use any lotion/oil/spittle... anything. After the spa, tapas for lunch where we surprised The Bride with presents.Sidebar... The Bride really wasn't surprised by the presents at this point. Before the day started I get a call from Susan in my hotel room. We are getting ready to depart with Bride to the spa and she doesn't know how to hide the presents. The conversation goes something like this:
Susan says, "I got a garbage bag from the front desk, do you want to put your present in there too?"She still came downstairs with the garbage bag. Bride told us later that she did think it was strange but just thought they were decorations for the restaurant, or so she says....
I ask, "A garbage bag? Don't you think Bride will think it's a little strange that you are bringing a suspicious garbage bag with you to the spa?"
"Well I'll just tell her it's junk or something."
"Don't you think she'll wonder why you are bringing a bag of junk to a spa?"
"I don't know..."
"Susan, I think the jig is up on the presents."
After lunch we have about an hour to relax before heading to the church for the rehearsal. There was major miscommunication in that Bride thought her two sisters were coming to the rehearsal but they thought they weren't. Last minute she calls them both, wakes them up from their naps and drags them to the church. The church went long, but we were having fun. Most fun I've had in a church... ever. I didn't even burst into flames.
After the rehearsal, dinner at a pizza place with everyone at the rehearsal and anyone else who was in town, which was a lot of Homer's family by this point. Lots of people getting to know each other from many families. Good times with round cheesy Chicago goodness.
Day 4, Sunday, The Wedding Day:
First day I get to sleep in a little bit. After getting ready Leah, Abby, Caroline (Groom's older daughter) and I met in The Bride's suite at 2pm for girl pictures. We then took some more with Groom in the parlor. Into the limo and off to the beach we went for some fun pictures in the sun and surf. Then it was on to the church for The Big Event.
The ceremony was lovely, and very touching. The Bride looked absolutely beautiful and The Groom was cool as a cucumber. The church was filled with family and friends, all of which were special to the couple. After refreshments in the church it was off to The Big Party!
The reception was in the restaurant at the base of the hotel, with one room for dinner and another for cocktails and dancing. Dinner was delicious family style Italian fare. During dinner the photographer secretly edited and created a slide show of some of the best pictures from the beach as a special treat. They were amazing, people couldn't look away. Dancing to a live jazz band followed dinner, as did pictures outside. New family and friends ate and drank and laughed and danced through the evening.
Here's a picture of The Bride and The Groom after they were announced before dinner. Awwwwwww......
Day 5, Monday, The Day After:
Bride and Groom left very early for flight to Puerto Vallarta. Bride sends text message before flight about how happy she is. After checking out of the hotel, Leah, her friend Nick and I have lunch with Caroline and her boyfriend Dave. Back to Caroline's place where we find Abby is back from her morning plans and we all go hang out at the park and the beach with Caroline's dog. It was nice to spend a few hours with our new step-sisters, who are in no way evil and in fact quite wonderful. It might be a really long time before we get to hang out together again... I live in NY, Caroline in Chicago, Leah in Minneapolis, and Abby lives in Thailand. This is what e-mail and web cams are for!
I wish I had more pictures of the event, but when you are part of a wedding it's hard to take the time to snap some shots. Its always when you are having the most fun that you end up with the least photos. When the photographer releases her online slide show I'll post the link here for all to see.
June 01, 2007
The new "New York Lori"
So I moved into my new apartment yesterday. The move went as smoothly as could be expected... with the major exception that I didn't know where I was actually putting my stuff until 1pm the day of. Apparently the apartment failed the first lead test and was fixed, but they wouldn't let me in until they got the results back from the second lead test. If it failed I would have been putting my stuff in storage for an undetermined amount of time and sleeping on Jerry and Jenna's couch. But it did pass, I didn't have a stroke, and into my new apartment I went.
They did a better job cleaning and painting than I expected. Of course, it's not clean up to my standards, but I'm crazy about a fresh new apartment. I've moved into a lot of them, I know what I like. One major disappointment is that they painted over this beautiful framed blue-green glass that was over the doors to the bedroom and kitchen. I really loved it. I'll have to buy a paint solvent and get that glass back myself. Other than that some pretty basic stuff to fix... missing light bulbs in ceiling fixtures, putting screens in windows, replacing a towel bar in the bathroom. Nothing major, just small annoyances.
I quickly realized upon moving in that I'll have to make a few adjustments to my lifestyle in the new place. It's not a small apartment by New York standards, but it is to Chicago standards. Even though I already downsized when I first moved here, and then got rid of even more stuff before this move, it's still not really enough. All my stuff fits, but not comfortably. Certainly not stylishly. So I have vowed, in the presence of Jenna and Jerry (so I can't back down now), that I will become a new Lori. A paired down Lori. A streamlined Lori. A "New York Lori" if you will.
I'm going to be a new woman with a better attitude. I will see my apartment not as a too-small space with limited furniture placement options and awkward painting challenges. I see it as a tremendous and unique opportunity for artistic design growth. I will utilize these challenges to stretch my creativity and see what I can come up with. I will also no longer see my "stuff" as necessary objects just because I've had them for a long time or someone gave them to me. Everything is up for disposal. Well, except of course furniture that is handed down and special and I love it. But the handed down non-special stuff is up for grabs. I will learn to live the New York apartment life, with the emphasis on higher quality of fewer objects instead of greater quantity for the same price. I've already been doing this very thing with my wardrobe, time to put it into practice outside of the closet too.
But don't worry, fair readers, I'll never become a real New Yorker. Just a New Yorked version of Lori. I'll pluck the good stuff that the city has to teach and blend it in. And I look forward to the massive shopping spree I'll have the day I move back to Chicago because I'll have so much floor space to fill!
They did a better job cleaning and painting than I expected. Of course, it's not clean up to my standards, but I'm crazy about a fresh new apartment. I've moved into a lot of them, I know what I like. One major disappointment is that they painted over this beautiful framed blue-green glass that was over the doors to the bedroom and kitchen. I really loved it. I'll have to buy a paint solvent and get that glass back myself. Other than that some pretty basic stuff to fix... missing light bulbs in ceiling fixtures, putting screens in windows, replacing a towel bar in the bathroom. Nothing major, just small annoyances.
I quickly realized upon moving in that I'll have to make a few adjustments to my lifestyle in the new place. It's not a small apartment by New York standards, but it is to Chicago standards. Even though I already downsized when I first moved here, and then got rid of even more stuff before this move, it's still not really enough. All my stuff fits, but not comfortably. Certainly not stylishly. So I have vowed, in the presence of Jenna and Jerry (so I can't back down now), that I will become a new Lori. A paired down Lori. A streamlined Lori. A "New York Lori" if you will.
I'm going to be a new woman with a better attitude. I will see my apartment not as a too-small space with limited furniture placement options and awkward painting challenges. I see it as a tremendous and unique opportunity for artistic design growth. I will utilize these challenges to stretch my creativity and see what I can come up with. I will also no longer see my "stuff" as necessary objects just because I've had them for a long time or someone gave them to me. Everything is up for disposal. Well, except of course furniture that is handed down and special and I love it. But the handed down non-special stuff is up for grabs. I will learn to live the New York apartment life, with the emphasis on higher quality of fewer objects instead of greater quantity for the same price. I've already been doing this very thing with my wardrobe, time to put it into practice outside of the closet too.
But don't worry, fair readers, I'll never become a real New Yorker. Just a New Yorked version of Lori. I'll pluck the good stuff that the city has to teach and blend it in. And I look forward to the massive shopping spree I'll have the day I move back to Chicago because I'll have so much floor space to fill!
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