The Humble Abode

As I languish away, tending to my spotted skin and sipping my umpteenth can of ice-cold Zevia, I have found my thoughts turning towards September, RISD, my new roommate, and my future home away from home.

When I visited RISD in February I paid much attention to the tour of the freshman dorms. After months of fantasizing over this article:



I was more than a tad bit disappointed to find that my living quarters looked more like a much darker, dingier version of this:



Now don't get me wrong, I'm no spoiled princess with unrealistic aspirations for a lofty castle in the sky. After spending the last five summers living in college dorms for ballet programs with San Fransisco Ballet and Pacific Northwest Ballet along with my Pre-Collage program at California College of the Arts I have plenty of experience with dorm living.

Call me crazy, but I'd really like to retain some level of aesthetics in my future place of dwelling. If only to make it feel a bit more like home. Now, if you have been reading Curly Top for any length of time, you may have picked up on the fact that I have a slight obsession with interior decorating (if not, perhaps you'd like a tour of my bedoir?). I may have shed more than a few tears when Blueprint and Domino Magazine closed their gates, and I like to say I single-handedly decorated our current abode(OK, OK, if you want to argue semantics Mom may have helped a tad, and Daddy's credit card was certainly helpful.)



And so, as you can imagine, when I received my dorm assignment this morning (still no word about roommates...), I rushed to put together a little inspiration board for my new room. Seeing as there will be an abundance of charcoal involved in my freshman assignments, I needed a bed covering that wasn't too precious that I'd give birth to a flying cow before tossing it in the wash, cheap movable lighting, and a little something to give it some flair. Urban Outfitters answered my prayers.

Despite my efforts, I do realize that the room will never be transformed into a Versailles-esque bedchamber or the vision of airy eco-chic portrayed in the first photo. I have to remember that sometimes, what happens inside the room is more important than how pretty it is to behold.

And, on that note, I give you the reason why I don't blog about everything I put into this curly tummy:



Sometimes folks, my food just ain't pretty.

Got your air-popped carbs, heart-healthy fats, and some eggwhitalicious protein... and, due to a completely empty produce drawer, I had to eat it in my Duncan Oregano dining room and think broccoli thoughts to get my greens.

I guess it's the inside that counts right? This dinner tasted pretty darn yummy despite being an assault to the eyes. And if I can handle eating (and posting!) a less than picture-perfect meal perhaps I'll be alright without my dream of large bay windows and recycled bamboo furniture...

With Love,

Emily