chrisbean's Profile

HEY! an alternative to window film, that does the exact same thing, is far easier to apply flat, is much much cheaper, comes off in a jiffy with plain old soap-and-water when you move out, and is way prettier: http://manhattan-nest.com/2010/06/01/the-doors/

right on with the makeup tip! I used to sort by product categories. And that didn't work for me; it took me forever to dig through stuff that I never used to access products I need on the regular.

So now I sort into three categories in closed, labeled containers. (The first corresponds to Abby's "day" category; the other two correspond to her "night makeup," but for me it makes sense to split):

QUOTIDIAN - Stuff I use daily or weekly, or to be casually photographed. Mascara, tinted moisturizer, brow filler.

GLAMOUR - Party or nightclub stuff, accessed weekly or monthly. Wild bright eyeshadows, pots of gel eyeliner.

COSTUME - Stuff that I only pull out for Halloween, New Years, costume parties. False eyelashes, stick-on rhinestones, goth-white foundation.

Then, skincare stuff I touch everyday (cleanser, moisturizer, toner) is displayed on a pretty tray.

as an addendum to "post pictures on the internet," take pictures of EVERYTHING.

But only if you want your security deposit back.

binder clip!

am I the only one who finds that album art unbelievably creeptastic?

I actually just discovered an online resource that sells curtains for between ninety-nine cents and thirty bucks a panel! Unfortunately, they don't have anything that will work on my crazy-tall bay windows.

http://www.bcoutlet.com/Discount-Curtains-and-Drapes.aspx?sort=PRICE_ASCENDING&DeptId=13951

I'm all over this for art projects.

markbright's "use commercials" tip is spot-on. It's amazing how many dishes you can wash, clutter you can clear, etc. in the space of one commercial break.

Another good rule-of-thumb is never leave a room empty-handed.

Also, if my washing machine is working, I am, too. It's an enforced half-hour of cleaning, and it's amazing how quickly you can get things done when you don't think about how much you dread those tasks.

Also, thinks about what isn't necessary: we don't make our bed everyday (dust mites love neatly made beds!); I don't let cut flowers into my home because they shed and I hate watching things die.

Also, when you do a powerclean, go from high surfaces to low surfaces, starting in one area and moving clockwise (or counterclockwise) around the room. It goes quicker, you don't get sidelined by other tasks, and you can see actual awesome progress as you go round.

I CAN'T STRESS THIS ENOUGH: get a door security bar. Surprised it hasn't been suggested yet.

It's a metal rod; one end fits under your doorknob, and the other braces against the floor when you are home. Here's a video of one in use (I'm not promoing this company, but it is a TV ad): http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=luC_NnyMB1I

They are less than $20, work like a deadbolt, and really work. My dad got me one when I lived on my own for the first time.

And that studio apartment - which was on a fourth floor in a great safe neighborhood, with a deadbolt, did get robbed one day when I was at work. I was super-grateful, in the day or two before the deadbolt was replaced, that I had that bar.

I've only read the Cure book, but it definitely is geared more toward tailoring a space that you've been living in for a while accommodate to your current and future needs. You really NEED to (a) be familiar with your space (b) have discovered solid "pain points" to ameliorate, and (c) be mostly-completely settled in your apartment to do a cure successfully. It would just be too stressful (for me) to deal with during a move.

My impression is that the Small, Cool book would probably be better way for inspiring you as you create a fresh space (no pics in the Cure!).

I'd recommend you go with Small Cool right now while you're in process of researching/acquiring initial move-in things, and invest in the Cure once you've been in your place for six months to a year.