Thrifty

So, I'll be living in a dorm room next year, and I've spent the last few years daydreaming about decorating one of those. However, I don't have the most money, and I don't want to buy temporary pieces of "furniture" that are just petroleum products, so I've decided I'm gonna get as much as I can from thrift stores. Since my dorm room comes with a desk and a chest of drawers and a wardrobe (or at least I think it comes with both a chest of drawers and a wardrobe, but there isn't a straight answer anywhere online, so we'll see), I don't need to get too much, but there are a few things that I want/think could be useful.

Like what things, Violet? Tell us about your decorating plans!

Well, I'm glad you asked!

So far, I've bought 7 frames, and I already had 3, and I've bought a glass teapot that I'm either gonna scrub for days and then use as a teapot or use as a planter. The 7 frames and the teapot came in at about $7, which was pretty much lovely. So far, I know I'm gonna frame this, this, and I'll probably type up, print out, and frame the simple text: "That wasn't very thug of you." I've also considered buying some pretty floral paper, cutting out the letters of "YOLO," and gluing them to the paper, but I'm not sure. I'm also going to frame a picture of my best friend, my boyfriend, and possibly old pictures of my parents, separately/my parents and I.

But that's still not 10 pictures!

Yes, that's true, but I've also got my eye on a few prints online, and, if she'll let me, I'll probably frame a doodle of my mom's (she's just casually a fantastic artist, especially while on the phone, for some reason).

Oh, I see! Are you thinking about any other wall decorations? I mean, for a whole wall, 10 frames doesn't seem like much...

Indeed, I am! I've taken some pretty pictures of the outdoors, and a few of pretty houses, and added reassuring text on over them, and I plan to print them out. I haven't decided yet if I should get frames for them, too, but, if I do, I'll have to get quite a few more, and preferably small, simple, black ones to compliment the darker tones in the pictures. If not, I'll just pin them up somehow, but I think they would probably look better framed. Of course, I could also always make simple black paper "frames" to make them look classier for now, but we'll see. I also have several posters up around my room now, but I won't be able to bring all of them. I'm thinking I'll bring either just my two small ones (one for Fright Night and one from the Tour de Nerdfighting 2012/The Fault in Our Stars tour), or I'll bring those two, my Beatles poster, Back to the Future poster, and atlas poster. We'll see... If my impression is correct and part of my wall is purely cork-board, that'll come in handy, too, for pinning up a few photographs that I don't want to frame. I'd also like to put up a thin tapestry, but I'm not sure if I'll really have room to hang it up, so we'll see about that, too.

What else?

Well, I've got three strings of twinkle lights, but I'll probably only bring at most two of them. I'll probably bring some of my books, which I can store in the shelves that are attached to some of the furniture. Also, I'd like to get some kind of small silver platter from a thrift store, which I can put beauty/jewelry/everyday items on to keep myself organized. I plan to be pretty organized, so things that'll help with that were things I was lookin' hard for when I went thrifting the other day, but I didn't come across much. The most promising thing I found was $20, so I decided to wait on it and maybe go back and look around there again in a few days. I do have two small vinyl boxes that, I hope, will fit into the drawers in my desk, so I can use one for pens and pencils and the like and the other for beauty items. I'll look for a kind of a box to put the art supplies I use a little less often than I use simple pens and pencils during the school year in, so I can keep them organized and separate. I've considered getting a cupcake stand to put things on, but I'm not sure if that would keep me more organized or just get in the way, as, in such a small space, I could see it doing either. And, if I use those two boxes or a simple silver platter, what would I put on it? I could hang necklaces off the top, and put any other jewelry I decide to use on the top tier, and gloves or sunglasses or the like on the bottom tier, I suppose... We'll see, I guess. I have an old hat box from my grandmother that I've been considering bringing to hold some things, but I've got the same concern there, about it possibly getting in the way. I've also considered getting a pretty mug or something to fill with stones and then stick my pens and pencils in. I've also considered getting a pretty bowl to use organizationally, and I found a few really cute ones while thrifting, but here's the problem: what would I put in them? I don't want them to just be sitting there... So I need to think of what I'll actually use them for before buying them, I think.

Wow... You have a lot of ideas...

Tell me about it.

How about more decorative items that won't be, ya know, hung up?

Well, I've got a succulent that'll be, I suppose, decorative. I also have a potted plastic artichoke that I got from Target ages ago that I might bring. If I decide to use the teapot as a planter, it'll be decorative, too. I've got some vases that I might bring, as well. I've got some cute mugs that I've been given as gifts that, when not in use, will probably be pretty decorative. Other than that? To be honest, I'm not sure. Huh. I mean, not all the frames will be hung: some will be sitting on my desk or on shelves, but... To be honest, I'm guessing a lot of open space won't be so, erm, open when I've got all I need there, so I'm not paying too much attention to getting decorative standing knick-knacks that aren't also useful. I mean, whatever sheets I get to fit the twin xl beds will be decorative, in a way, I suppose, though they'll probably be pretty plain. I'm probably just going to bring some blankets from home rather than buy new ones, and they're pretty pretty. I will probably buy some new pillows and pillow cases, though, so I wanna get some cute ones. I might try to make some, actually, if I can ever get to a fabric store to get some pretty, soft fabric.

Is that it?

Well... Yes.

Oh, okay. Will you let us know if you come up with anything else? And will you show us the finished product when you move in in the fall?

Oh, of course!

Thank you, Violet! You're so sweet and pretty and funny.

Aw, shucks. You're too sweet. I'll talk to you again soon.

Okay! Bye!