I've got a blank space, baby...

See what I did there with the post title? Clever, no? Anyway. Since we moved into the new apartment, I've been basically reorganising things (mainly the living room) weekly. I'm used to apartments in the US with big blank walls that pretty much give you a pre-made layout. Well, after making poor R move the furniture what seems like 50 times, I've finally found a living room layout that's both functional and pretty appealing. The problem is, the one big blank wall we have is on the side that houses the small dining table, and I've got no idea what to do with the wall. Leaving it blank seems like a  complete waste, but we don't have the money to get a proper piece of art to fit and of course it's a rental, so painting isn't an option.

the wall in question. ignore the fact that we also need a printer stand, or a new place for the printer entirely. this is real life. 

I've been scouring Pinterest for dorm decor because it seems to be the only way to find options that don't reconstruct the wall entirely. I thought a tapestry would look great, but have you tried finding one that wouldn't prompt the police to search your house for hallucinogenics? Me either. So what's a girl to do? Well, create her first inspiration board of course! 

I'd like to go for an eclectic vibe to spice up the furniture already here (most of the apartments here come furnished whether you like it or not). However, since R's friends tend to stop in regularly I don't want it to get too feminine or too crazy. The picture I have in my mind includes some kind of simple textured tapestry, but another option is to DIY something completely different. Let's keep in mind I have a minimal budget and minimal resources though.

1 / 2 / 3 / 4 / 5 / 6

Of course, I found the most inspiration for patterns from Target (which I can't get here) and in objects that I can't actually hang on the wall. However, they serve as fantastic inspiration. The DIY options are pretty random as well. As yarn is pretty easy to procure, I like #4 the best, but I'd have to do it on a massive scale which could end up being more pricey than originally planned. I do love how it brings in the black with the bright colors though and would make our couches seem like they belong. The hexagons would be time consuming (but hey, may as well make the best of unemployment!) and I'd probably stick with the black but add in other colours instead of metallics. The macrame is definitely a valid option, although I was really hoping to do the same thing to cover a window on the other side. 

So what are your thoughts? Have any of you had a similar problem-- if so I'd love to hear the solution! Bonus points (and maybe even an Irish present) if someone can find me an amazon.co.uk tapestry option without an Indian (both the continent and the Native American kind) vibe in a reasonable price range. 



**Edited to add: Those gorgeous pillows you see there were commissioned from my friend Nadine who runs a lovely homewares business called Bolt & Boon, check out her Facebook here and if you find yourself in Belfast, stop by Studio Souk to check out more of her stuff as well as many other fabulous artists!

Valentine's recap

Happy Monday to you all!

I hope everyone had a fabulous weekend, and a splendid February 14th whether it was celebrated as Valentines, Galentines, or Anna Howard Shaw Day.

Although R is self proclaimed "anti-vday" I am pretty much a holiday enthusiast, no matter the occasion. To me, Valentine's wasn't actually created by Hallmark and has some pretty neat origins. I also read somewhere that the romanticised version of St. Valentine (patron saint of beekeepers and epilepsy) may have been inspired largely by Chaucer. I like that guy, I mean my second favourite party trick is still reciting the first 18 lines of The Canterbury Tales in Middle English (second only to rapping B.O.B. by Outkast). 

Moving on. 

Although I completely agree that the restaurants are overpriced and cards, candy and roses (my least favourite flower) are a bit cliche, I do feel that it's a very nice occasion to do something nice for your significant other or someone you think is super awesome to show they're appreciated. 

As the very wise saying goes, the quickest way to a man's heart is through his stomach. I think this year, I completely accomplished my mission. 

First up was dinner, where I made R's favourite dish: pizza with pepperoni and green peppers from SCRATCH*. Well, kind of. I made the dough, and had fresh mozzarella and pepperoni (prosciutto for me) but the sauce was 100% handmade by the lovely chefs at Tesco. It still turned out pretty amazing though. So much better than frozen pizza and much less greasy and chemical filled than Dominos. I call that a win. Actually, it's pretty quick too provided you plan ahead. I used this recipe for the dough which worked superbly. My only word of caution is that when it says to separate into 3 balls, each of these only makes something between a small and medium pizza. So if you're going for a med-large only make 2 balls.

Also- I read a lot of comments saying that the dough was hard to work with and wouldn't roll for them. That's solely because pizza dough isn't meant to be rolled. If your dough does easily roll out then it's not right. It's meant to be elastic and worked with. I worked through my undergrad at a local pizzeria (this one to be exact, go visit if you're ever in Montgomery, Alabama!) so I'm pretty much an expert.

For dessert I found a recipe that combined all of R's favourite desserts: brownies, red velvet cake, and cheesecake. While these could have turned out prettier, they could not have tasted better. The recipe can be found at Sally's Baking Addiction and seriously, that woman is a genius.

As for me? I received some beautiful flowers (and we were out of vases but I think I found a more than suitable replacement) and a lovely day of shopping without complaints and general togetherness. It was a pretty great day, and I even came out of it with a new stovetop coffee maker and coffee which may explain my perkiness the last two days (thanks to Nina for the great tutorial on how to use it!)

So how was your February 14th? Are you pro-celebrating or do you stick it to the man and protest?