Paper due Tuesday... It's Crunch Time!

...and when I say "crunch time," I clearly mean obsessively check the internet for new apartment listings and decorating tips. Isn't that what you mean too?

The hubs and I currently live in Trendy Inland Neighborhood, but wish to move to Neighborhood on the Lake, as the water, the gorgeous parks, the bike paths, etc. are, more uplifting than the noiser, dirtier streets (and occasional noisy, dirty former students) we see now. This is, unfortunately, proving to be logistically difficult. I want to be able to walk to my classes at University on the Lake (read: not pay for train tickets-- I'd rather spend the money on beer!), but the hubs will be working WAY down south come fall. He HATES commuting, and this move will mean countless hours of him sitting in traffic, possibly thinking not-so-nice thoughts as he imagines me skipping around on the beach and making flower chains with the wind in my hair, as everyone not bogged down by traffic does every day.

While the bickering over a 6-block radius and the ever-present guilt about not actually doing anything for this assignment (did I mention it's due in 5 days?) are fun and all, I thought I'd post a bit about my dream apartment. Here's what I envision:

Library (with fireplace, naturally):

 We'd need at least a 2-bedroom, so one room could function as an office/library/daydreaming space. (image: flikr)

Kitchen:

Requirements include tons of cabinet and counter space for my millions of kitchen supplies, and a dishwasher-- when you bake as much as me, you think about tallying up all the time spent doing dishes, but it's too painful (also painful: math).

Our bedroom:
I'm loving clean lines and greys lately. Our bedrooms for 3 years have not had the space for us to get out of bed on either side, and it's always me that has to climb up and over the hubs (and inevitably trip on the laundry basket at the foot of the bed) to go to the bathroom. Boo.

This room from C&B would be perfect if the duvet wasn't so garish busy.

Living Room:

Since most of our books will be in the library, our living room will feel more decorated than cluttered, as it feels now (replace austere-looking dude with too-big TV).

 
I also love how comfortable this room looks, from Design*Sponge 

Outside space for coffee or a cocktail w/a view:

Neighborhood by the Lake was meant to be enjoyed like this!

I guess we won't be enjoying anything if I don't get into this master's program, though, and for that I need to begin this paper before the hardworking hubs comes home and finds out I've been fantasizing about apartments for hours instead of working (again). le sigh...