loft – Gays in the Life

The Budget Queens Strike Again

April 4, 2017September 1, 2019 Jamal2 Comments

So I went to Michael’s to get a couple posters framed over the weekend. The customer service rep at the counter was extremely nice, but there was no way I was paying $110, each, to get both of our Radiohead posters framed.

S and I plan on painting our loft a gray that is slightly lighter than the seal-toned color we had in our first apartment. I have a tendency to lean towards dark colors. Knowing this and the fact that our office/music/yoga space would be painted gray with pops of color throughout the space, getting white frames for these posters was my only goal at the popular craft store.

After learning the price to frame just one of the posters, and confirming the second would be the same or more because it was an odd size, I asked “…so where can I find your standard stock frames and white chalk paint?”

Praise be to my mother, for blessing me with creativity and the gift of decor, and for a good sale on craft supplies. I was able to get two frames for $30 a piece and scored an additional 40% off one of those and my paint. I got out of the store for just over sixty bucks; NOT two-hundred and twenty plus. Go me.

S has always been a huge Radiohead fan. I had no idea who they were until they released In Rainbows – making a huge statement across the music industry, instructing fans to buy the album directly from their website for however much they wanted – no label involvement. I paid five euros and I can’t get enough of opening track, 15 Step.

We knew how we’d decorate the loft area in our condo from the moment we saw the space in person. “This space needs to be productive and filled with music” I thought now a little over three years ago. Keep this picture in mind as I describe how the loft space will look – things are rearranged in the living room now, but keep the color scheme in mind:

The space will be gray-walled and trimmed in white. With a funky floral chair, resting on a spicy red rug, bookshelves (filled to capacity) and music art will surround what will be the funkiest corner of a library you’ve ever seen in a person’s home.

Our condo is open and the loft area is exposed, so picture the colors we have going on downstairs, suddenly shifting from chic, shady tones, to a color-punched and bold workspace. I do yoga in this space, S works in this space, and we hangout with friends, the most, in this space. Wait… I’m writing in this space.

The gray walls, paired with bright art and white trim, will make every piece stand out. Eventually I’ll have my trumpet hanging above one of the windows – serving as art and a reminder that I should pull it down and practice more – and my guitar and bass guitar on stands in the corner by the bookshelves.

Our Pinterest Palace is well on its way, I’d say, and finally having these posters framed will kick off the upstairs transformation.

Clean the Space, Clean the Mind.

November 13, 2016September 1, 2019 Jamal3 Comments

I’m in love with our dark bamboo floors in the loft. I love them more when they’re flashing that clean, just polished sparkle.

Say hello to our creeper dog, Reynold. I tweeted earlier that he just stares at us if he needs or wants something. Creeper dog. He’s actually pretty vocal once we figure out he needs something (haha).

Anyway! For weeks we’ve been avoiding cleaning the floor. Gross, right!? We love the dark floors, but they’re a little more to keep up with on the cleaning front. I’d rather see the dirt and have it shame me on a daily basis, than have it blending in with a lighter colored floor. People always praise lighter wood floors because they “can’t see the dirt as much.” That’s gnarley, in my opinion. We sweep the floors every week, but using the cleaner has fallen by the wayside the past handful of weeks. We don’t wear shoes inside so this helps a ton.

Whenever the floors are just cleaned, I have such a feeling of relief. S and I keep a very clean space, and if things start to pile up or get too dusty, we tend to go crazy; major moods and attitudes (lol).

S is almost done with school and our schedules are almost ready to calm completely down. There will be at least two more fullout cleaning days before the new year. We’ll need the extra zen as S enters finals time 🙂

Labor Day Meditation

September 5, 2016September 1, 2019 JamalLeave a comment

I feel like I’ve been talking a lot about how busy S and I have been. Okay, that’s still true, but I’m over it. Let’s talk a little bit about rising above stress and maintaining healthy zen levels.

In the past weeks, I’ve been really focusing on working meditation back into my daily routine – and encouraging S to do the same. Most hear “meditation” and immediately think they have to sit on a mat and do hours of breathing exercises. That method is used by many – and a session can go as long or short as you wish – but isn’t the sole way to regain a calm sense of self.

My morning started with some coffee and taking care of my houseplants. I have a collection of succulents and a couple bamboo clones that I’m slowly building up, and a couple of them needed repotting. Stepping away from my laptop and phone always gives me an instant boost of clarity and lightness – a moment to process whatever is on my mind at that moment – so getting my hands dirty really breathed life into my morning.

Cleaning is a great opportunity to put on some music – or one of your favorite YouTubers, shout-out to Shameless Maya – and adds a visual aspect to the cleaning you’re processing in your mind. I decided to continue riding my zen wave with sweeping and cleaning our bamboo floors. Jimi Hendrix knows they needed a good cleaning and I felt as if a ton of weight had been lifted after I’d polished the dark surface.

I ran out of incense to burn, but I never run out of candles. This maple hazelnut candle has the loft smelling so delicious. There’s one of my jet bead succulents in its new home on the coffee table.

Having a clean space enhances your ability to maintain a clear head. The last thing you want when you’re coming home from work is a dirty bathroom, cluttered living room, and a gross kitchen. Today after I’d done a huge chunk of our regular chores, the sense of accomplishment amplified my relaxation to a point. When we cook on the grill tonight, the kitchen will be clean – there’d be no mound of lazy-dirty-dish-skeletons. When I come home from work tomorrow, the space will feel open and light; we’ll be able to breathe.

Now, it is high time for some wine…