Shoe storage fit for a shoegirl (& other apartment progress)

Isn't it funny how when things start to take off in one area of your life - for example, those writing and creative opportunities you have been looking for finally materialize - the other areas that have been stagnating - say, a problem-ridden new apartment - start to come together, therefore demanding more of that precious attention you want to be dedicating to the former thing? Perhaps it's just me and my mediocre time management skills, but lately I have felt distracted from my personal projects in light of progress on the home front that has been begging for my attention. Not that I should be complaining, mind you, it's hard sometimes to drum up the necessary creative juices after focusing on cleaning, installing, organizing and the general business of settling into a new home that has been so slow to move forward in recent weeks. Just the natural ebb and flow of life, I suppose.

While the apartment issues have not all been solved (workers are coming on Monday to start work on some of the basics, you know, like re-cutting baseboards to actually accommodate the swing of a door and attaching the hardware on windows so that they can actually be opened), some notable wins have meant cause for celebration. First, we finally got our deposit back from our old apartment (well, the first big chunk of it anyway), allowing us to make another big dent in our to-buy list for the new place. Upon hanging our first mirror and finally having color-coordinating rugs in the bedroom, something shifted for me. It was as if the dark cloud of pessimism I had been feeling from the state of our new apartment finally started to lift. I'm pretty sure I will never be enamored of this place as much as I was for our amazing apartment in Wiesbaden, but I know now that with the patience to see my design visions through, I will love the home that we create within these walls. I also think that my new shoe storage, or more importantly, display, has done wonders for my happiness level (a 39€ Ikea Billy bookcase floor model score). The organizing freak and shoe lover in me have blissfully come together, not to mention that more of my beloved footwear gets consideration when planning my daily outfit. Now they all get the love and attention they deserve.

The other monumental happening was finally getting someone to come out and look at our un-operating cooktop. My poor husband, who had tried countless times to get the thing working was vindicated when the guy explained it wasn't the cooktop at all, but that there weren't enough live wires in the wall for the hook-up. Nice, huh? So he jury rigged some new wiring, cautioned us against having all burners and the oven on at the same time (thinking it might be time to finally invest in that fire extinguisher...) and now we can cook. My poor pots and pans have sat untouched for so long, not to mention my cooking mojo that has all but gone into hibernation, I only hope I can muster the desire to jump back into the kitchen as if I haven't been on this two month hiatus from preparing real, regular meals. I have two unread issues of Bon Appetit waiting to get me inspired, so get ready kitchen, 'cause I'm comin' back to you. Spaghetti night was just the beginning...