Introducing the new digs

It's taken a while to get everything unpacked and put away, and not everything is done yet... but here are some long-awaited pictures of my new apartment! It's a fabulous place!

The front door with the well-loved welcome mat. 

Our key rack with the lovely ladies of London reminding us to bring umbrellas with us when it rains. (Just kidding, it never rains!)

Inside the front door! The door is reinforced with metal on the inside, which makes it magnetic! So naturally, we have some magnetic poetry sticking to it.

The living and dining room. Cozy couch featuring the adorable Gabrielle.  And I need a longer curtain rod so I can hang curtains over the far window!

Looking toward the kitchen. Look! I have an ISLAND!

Unfinished, unpacked boxes of DVDs, video games, and Katie's record collection. We should be getting a shelf at some point to accommodate these things. 

Madam Gabrielle, Katie's adorable pup! 

Dining table featuring the pretty new placemats that I still haven't taken the tags off yet. I bought these at World Market with Duncan's help. 

My fabulous kitchen! It is a joy to work in, and did I mention I have an ISLAND? 

Our pantry/laundry closet. 

The white board that survived my college years!  Katie's birthday was the 16th, and I drew her a picture of a cake and Hagrid... which she won't let me erase.

Pictures of Gabrielle and Topher that I gave Katie for her birthday. 

Our built-in bookshelf, featuring the requisite Lord of the Rings and Harry Potter shelves!  Below them, we have a shelf for cookbooks and a shelf of books we deemed worthy enough of putting out for the public to adore. These include the Shorter Oxford English Dictionary, The Complete Poems of Winnie the Pooh, He's Just Not That Into You, Texas: All Hail the Mighty State, and the Complete Works of Shakespeare, among many others. Makes us look fancy, smart people, right?

My bathroom, which is a little messy because I still haven't found a good system yet.

My shower curtain, which features an atrociously inaccurate map of the London Tube system... but which I bought and love anyway.

My room, which is sort of mostly unpacked! 

The other side of my new bed! I love my new comforter!

My little stuffed friends, who hang out in the wire frame of my headboard.

My bookshelves, which I still haven't finished alphabetizing yet.

My framed landscape of the UT stadium over my closet! This photo was taken last fall, and I am in the picture on the bottom flag!  This was a crazy day, and I am so grateful to have participated. I will miss running the flag when I go to the games! 

So that is all for now! I hope you all come visit. I'd be happy to make you dinner or a cup of tea. :)

(I didn't take pictures of Katie's bedroom, mostly because she isn't here to give me permission!)