Evolution of Style: Month One (August)

When Darla moved in she took pictures of our apartment and proclaimed that we should take pictures at regular intervals to see how the space changes over time. Here is what my room looked like in the month of August:
 

I brought the IKEA Expedit bookcase and the IKEA Lack shelf that is on the ground with me. I purchased a box fan for my room when I realized there is no air conditioning here. Air conditioning isn't a necessity, as the temperature rarely rises above 85 and my apartment is mostly in the shade, but I do like to have some air movement and sometimes it does get warm in here. I also purchased the lamp that is in the floor. It is exactly the lamp I planned to have when I made mock ups of my ideal room here, but I didn't think I would be able to actually own it, because it cost $50 at Target. While shopping one day I found that it had gone on clearance and been marked down multiple times. I only paid $7.50 for it.

Chris mailed me a few things I had left at home (due to a shortage of space). One of them was my iPhone dock/alarm radio, which is on the bookcase. I had three framed pictures of my friends and family but when I got here I couldn't look at them without becoming unbelievably sad and homesick, so I took the photographs out and replaced them with some Van Gogh prints I purchased at the Art Institute of Chicago this past spring (also on the bookcase). I thought we were going to have mirrors for closet doors, but they are just cheap wood and I hate them. There is much more space in the closet than I had in Indy though, so I have my purses hanging in there. 

I can't afford a mattress, so I piled all my throw pillows and blankets on the ground to sleep. I call it my nest. I love the shelf that is on the left. It is perfectly styled as I had planned in my mock ups. I just don't want to drill holes to put it up on the wall until I have furniture and know exactly where everything will be placed.