The Beauty of Craig's List

This week, I'm settling back in at work and home after a week away. I was in Ohio for the long weekend to celebrate my 31st birthday with my family, and as I was driving back (6 hours in the car by myself), I found myself in my usual post-vacation mode: dreaming of all of the changes I'd make once I arrived back home to live my Best Life Ever. You know what I'm talking about -- I'll wake up early, have my fridge stocked with healthy foods, do yoga daily, call my grandparents each week, and not let that stress bubble up to the surface again. 

Oh, if it was that easy! And, as you know, I do get overwhelmed with those BIG steps and tend to let that prevent me from doing any of it. I do better with small actions toward a bigger goal, and am often amazed at how a tiny change can have such a big impact. So, as I winded my way through Pennsylvania on the turnpike, my mind turned toward something small I could do this week to give myself (and my motivation) a little boost. 

I've lived in the same apartment for 5 years, and I love it. My bedroom is my haven, and it's the place I while away the hours watching Netflix, napping, and reading. Living with roommates, that room is the only place I can truly call my own. While the decor can certainly be called Ikea Chic, I adore it. But I hadn't rearranged the furniture or really spruced it up in several years. 

As I unpacked my bags Monday evening, I looked at my room with new eyes. What did it need to give it that change I was longing for? Not having much money to spare, I browsed Craig's List for some pieces of furniture, and then I happened upon it: the perfect cozy little armchair. It was red with white flowers, extremely reasonably priced, and I could see my room makeover happen before my eyes. 

The next day and a few emails later, I was on my way to pick up the chair with the help of my ever-supportive beau. I just did a slight bit of rearranging, a LOT of dusting (man, it's amazing how much can accumulate beneath something you haven't moved in years), and my little reading nook emerged: my cozy new chair, my already well stocked bookshelf, and a repositioned lamp. 

It was just what I needed - a small addition to make me better appreciate what I already had. I can't wait to curl up with a new book (or, let's face it, an episode of Dawson's Creek on Netflix) later today.