Upon Request...

So some people have been pestering me to post photos of our flat. I have been very reluctant to do so for a number of reasons.

#1 - There are so many beautiful and interesting things in Oxford, and our flat is certainly not one of them.

#2 - I don't really love it. (That actually may be the biggest understatement of my life.) Let me explain... Our couch is awful and less comfortable than your dentist's waiting room. The curtains are a strange pale yellow and blue and white stripe... like something you may have found in a church nursery circa 1984. Pretty bad and I'm working on replacing these. Our bed is worse than a cheap motel's. And it's a double which means it's super duper small. (The bed being bad is especially difficult given that our mattress back home is amazingly comfortable and may be my favorite thing that I own. Seriously, I miss it so much.) The kitchen is ridiculous to try to cook/work in - tiny, poor layout, no counter space, etc. The walls are cinderblock - enough said. There is no sink in the toiletroom. (Yes. I know it's weird. And disgusting. Don't worry, we still wash our hands... we just walk down the hall to the shower room and wash our hands in the sink there. And no, I don't know why you would want to wash your hands before you get in the shower but not after you go to the bathroom.) There are many other things I don't really love about our flat but I think you have the idea and there is no need to go on and on about it.

#3 - And most important - I don't feel as though it represents our family well. It holds almost none of our personality because it came with the basics furnished (beds, couches, dressers, table & chairs) and we aren't allowed to remove any of that. Also, we're not allowed to paint (understandable) or put any holes in the walls (are you kidding me??) - it was in our contract. Sigh.

The thing is, if you know me at all, you know that I am a nester. I nest. And not like, since I've been a mom I've been a nester. I've ALWAYS been a nester. I don't need a lot of things and they certainly don't need to be new (I love a good thrift shop!) but I like to have my things set up around me in an organized and inviting way. I like my home to feel homey. My bed to look irresistible to climb into for a midday snooze. My couch to be big and plush enough to sink into for a family cuddle under a super soft throw. I want the things hanging on my walls to inspire me... like pictures of my family, or great quotes, or works of art that make you linger and dream a bit when you look at them. I like to surround myself with things that remind me of the great times in my past... like a stone from a walk next to a river with my would-be husband, ticket stubs from the hockey game that we waded through 8 inch deep puddles and freezing rain to get to and then sat shivering in our seats for (the whole time laughing at how perfectly Canadian the guy in front of us was) or a handmade gift or card from a friend. I want my kitchen to be set up with lovely canisters of flour, oats, sugars, nuts and chocolate chips so that I can't help but whip up a batch of homemade cookies every couple of days.

When we came to Oxford, we left all those kinds of things in my in-law's attic and opted to bring clothes (good thing because it gets cold here and clothes are expensive!) So, slowly I've been trying to use what little we have around here (mostly empty cereal boxes, sticks and leaves, free wall-paper samples, etc.) and what little I can pick up in a VERY tiny craft section at a stationery store down the road (I left most of my craft stuff in the attic as well) and make our walls look a little less cold and bare. I keep reminding myself that we won't be living in University accommodations forever. If we knew for sure that we would be here longer than a year, we would have shipped quite a bit more over here with us... but since we don't know where we will be next fall it just didn't seem worth it.

Really, I'm not as miserable as this post makes me sound. We are all making due just fine. And there are so many wonderful things to explore in Oxford - outside of our flat! But hopefully you can understand my reluctance to indulge those asking for photos of our place. That being said, I know that it is nice to know where/how the people you love, live. It allows you to connect with their situation in a whole new way. So, I will share two bits of our home with you...

First, Nora's room - or at least part of it. Nora actually has a bigger room than we do but it is awkwardly shaped (narrow and long) and therefore, also kinda awkward to decorate. But for now, her name is on the wall so at least she'll know it's hers! And the lovely and colorful quilt that Katy made for her helps add some interest to her crib (which is actually called a "cot" here and is smaller than a standard crib.)

Second, our dining room/living room (or "lounge" as they call it here. But honestly I don't like that term... it makes me think of some poorly lit bar in the bottom of an out-dated hotel sporting bad 80's decor. Am I wrong??) This is where we spend most of our time. (And yes the bookshelf is permanently and strangely affixed to the wall there. I don't get it either.)

Hopefully these pictures will give you a little glimpse into our life here at the moment. Currently I am looking forward to decorating for Christmas!!! Hooray!