Picasso, Martha Stewart, & Me

I recently ordered the above poster to better the feng shui and general life vibes of my apartment. For those who don't know, I moved into this place in a flurry of activity during early September. It was such an alternately slow and yet hasty move that there are a number of things I never really quite took care of. Like buying a paper towel hanger-upper or a kettle. After many late nights assembling cheap furniture, I was a bit pooped by the whole process, and other than cleaning, did little else to make myself feel at home. Until now.

Since some measure of drama had also taken a toll on my good energy & I discovered Ikea (in DC of all palces), the Martha Stewart in me decided to take matters into her own hands and - decorate. Wall decorations became my daily mission, and cushion covers the ultimate prize. I promised not to give my friends advice or wag my finger at them if they just told me one more time - black or brown? My traditionally slow decision-making reached new heights as I undertook this task with a zeal unmatched in other areas of my life. My efforts have led to a somewhat patchwork result, but I feel more at home, and that's what counts.

The Picasso painting pictured above is titled "The Lesson" and is one I've never seen before. I gazed at it longingly day after day before finally purchasing. It brightens up my space, and it puts a smile on my face. It is a blissfully serene painting with a balance of warmth and coolness that puts me in my comfort zone - an area that is always a bit of a contradiction or a balance, depending on how you view it.

I grew up in a house that my parents committed to turning into some modern South Asian (and then some) art/artifact museum, and while my sisters and I somewhat rebelled against it, in my growing and infinite wisdom I now realize how much that definition of space has informed my taste and sense of place. When I look around my apartment, I see their influences everywhere, and feel a mixture of surprise and comfort that is both remarkable and touching.