AlHal's Profile

Ahhh! This is the perfect post. I'm planning a cross-country move this summer. I' m so overwhelmed at the prospect of packing everything up/ sorting through what I can or should take.

My apartment was painted with a semi gloss white over a bunch of poorly patched cracks in the drywall. Everything, the walls, ceiling and trim all the same weird glossy white.
It was all just a bit much and the gloss seemed to highlight the terrible patch jobs everywhere. I repainted the ceiling with a matte (eggshell?) plain white, and I put some light color on the walls. It was transformed.
It's going to kill me to return it to the white when I move out (I promised I would before I painted), but I'll be sure NOT to go glossy like my loony landlords.

This is so funny, I hate the opposite of this. I find it horrible when people redesign their homes and just buy things that match the aesthetic without regard for the little personal items that make a home a home! Something always feels off, and everything feels slightly forced.
Though, I completely agree that kitchens with kitchen-art or bathrooms with bathroom art is ridiculous.

I'm a mid-twenties woman spending a large portion of money on rent in Boston, but my quality of life is so much better here than when I was commuting from the suburbs. I walk to work, I can bike anywhere I need for my daily necessities, even getting to the airport is a cake walk compared to when I lived in the 'burbs.
While housing costs are stressful at times, the thought of moving out of the city to conserve money still makes me shudder. I do wonder how I will deal with this when I decide to have children, but I will absolutely never commute into a city ever again. Period. It makes me a miserable person and those I love suffer for it.

I agree with having a police officer do a walk through. I had a family friend who was a retired officer come scout out my apartment. He had some really great simple ideas that I, as a renter, could implement (most have been mentioned here, but radio by the door, timed lights, screws/dowels above windows.)
Best bet is to get to know your neighbors as well. I broke into a neighbor's when I heard her fire alarm going and put out a kitchen fire before it could spread. The woman is elderly and I was worried she had fallen (she hadn't, she'd just left a pot on the stove with the gas still on...) But I still keep an eye out if I see any sketchy people lingering around porches in the neighborhood, especially after seeing how easily I broke into her place. Having neighbors who care about you is generally going to be helpful.

I got an antenna that gives me access to most major networks for $0 a month.
It's not always a perfect reception but for no money, I think it's worth it.
When I really want to catch a football game, or if there's a show (Game of Thrones) that I can't get without a subscription, I go to a friend's with some appetizers and make a night out of it.

It's probably too late in the year for many readers, but I got a CSA. Having an unpredictable haul from my local farm forces me to get creative (rutabaga, anyone?) and when I get too many veggies (I'm just one gal) I try cooking new soups for canning, or make a large dish of something that I can freeze for nights when I'm too tired to dive in.
I've been slowly chipping away at a lasagna I made with my own tomato sauce and some kale several weeks ago and froze. Tonight I'll be canning more tomato sauce that I can pull out in winter months when I don't have access to such fresh ingredients.

Don't paint it! This isn't a "style" it's a type of building: a cabin. It'd be like putting a Pottery Barn in a Frank Lloyd Wright building.
Embrace the architecture and go cabin.

I do advocate ripping out that horrible carpet. Find some hand woven, rustic ones to keep the tootsies warm in the winter.

I remember when I was 7, my (now) best friend came to visit our church before her family moved to our town. They would drive the 2 hours to our town on Sundays for the month leading up to the move so their kids could acclimate to at least some part of their future life before arriving.
Because of their trips to church, I was excited to have my new friend start at my school, and she and her brother had a much easier time transitioning, despite both being wildly shy.
I'd recommend something similar, if at all possible (obviously not an option for moving across the country, etc.)

I don't know if you follow Daniel at Manhattan Nest, but he'd be a great resource for you.
I think his DIY on re-doing the doors of a sad little vanity would help in particular:
http://manhattan-nest.com/2010/10/13/conquer-your-vanity/