I walked in the door to my apartment tonight and gave a big contented sigh of "ah, I'm home." And then I thought - wow, that's the first time in awhile I've felt at home again, anywhere, really. I lived in 6 different places in the past 2 years . . . even my parent's house doesn't feel like "home" in the current sense anymore. So it was a bit of a thrill to realize I finally feel like I have a place to be home, again.

It probably helps that Rob and I put up my Christmas tree this weekend. It's a six foot fake tree, and a little worse for the wear of being stuffed in boxes and trucked all over and reassembled - this is the third year I've had it up. But when the rest of the lights are out and it's just the tree it's beautiful - I have only shiny balls on the tree and the most beautiful glass birds on the tree, and they gleam in reflection of the lights on the tree. And I really really like my tree topper - a beautiful angel in a full cranberry red dress. There aren't many ornaments - other than purple and gold ball and the glass hummingbirds, I have one golden glittery star Rob bought me from Mystic Seaport. But it's a beautiful tree.

I bought an advent wreath this year too, which is a nice touch to the season, I think. I'm planning on being in this apartment for at least two years, so I've been a bit more willing to actually buy things for the place, like some fluffy comfy pillows for the futon. The apartment came w/ most of the furniture I need, but there are a few odds and ends I'd like to add, although figuring out where to put them my be hard: a coat rack, and some glass display shelves for the Norman Rockwell plates my sister Kate gave me several Christmas's ago that I have never yet been able to display.

It's so great to have my own place - it's decorated very "me". I finally pulled out the colored wax shadow puppet I bought in China and found a way to display it - AC Moore had frames that are basically two clear pieces of plastic with a black frame around it, "floating frames" I think they call them, so I can put a light behind the puppet when I want to show it off. My tapestries are on the wall, as well as one really aweome picture I took at the Forbidden City and an embrodered painting I bought in a flea market that's really classy, surprisingly. The book shelves are full of my old books from my poli sci classes, and also with all my fiction books from home (the ones I felt like keeping that is), which I finally moved out of my parents house. And I have pictures up on the table and the TV and the shelves. And a magnetic dart board. :-) As usual, my living space is an outward expression of me.

Interestingly enough, my bedroom is pretty sparse. I used to spend so much time decorating my bedroom - but really I spend very little time back there, and I host people in the living room, and I do my work in the living room - basically I live in the living room and sleep in the bedroom. The way it's supposed to be! And the kitchen is set up for me - all the important stuff at Cecelia-accessible heights. :-)

Rob even likes the place, which is saying quite a lot. We had a really good weekend this weekend - went to Hai Hong for dinner, went dancing, had bubble tea w/ Darrick and El, had some "us" time, put up the tree . . . really it almost couldn't be improved. It was the second time we've gone out w/ Darrick and El; the first time was bowling and Rob had a headache and so he barely spoke three sentences the whole night, but Saturday he was feeling fine and was quite sociable; he really liked Darrick and enjoyed the night, which made me really happy. It's one of those things - two girls may be close friends, but when they can go out as couples, it's so much better . . . as El said once, when you're in a relationship it's not always about who you get along w/ one on one but what couple works well with your couple. I'm enjoying playing the hostess at my apartment a lot; I think I may invite them over next weekend too, if they're free.

But I've rambled on about how much I love apartment quite enough. I really would love to host out of towners, although I'll have to find some extra padding for the futon because unfortunately it's a pretty wussy pad. My butt hurts from sitting here typing this. ;-) But I will say, it's a good thing that I told Jason he couldn't come down this weekend as we'd been planning, since he has a date for a Christmas dance that he couldn't have said yes to otherwise. :-)

Everything works out the way it's supposed to, right? I'm feeling very optimistic.