Guys, I am now a grown up. No big deal.

I now live all by myself. It's crazy. No roommates. I'm pretty sure this makes me a grown up. Living alone most importantly means: I never have to wear pants. Also, I can do whatever I want to my apartment without having to worry about the wishes of other people who also live there.

Mostly this means painting eveeeeerything gray. Gray Gray Gray. I love the color gray. Ok, and some blue.

When I first moved into my new place, a cozy little one bedroom in Portland's Hawthorne neighborhood, I was totally charmed by it's thick crown mouldings, multiple closets and hardwood floors.

I was less charmed by the taupe paint covering every wall (I have heard it described as "pukey" by more than one visitor) and the pervasive smell of cat pee.

Firstly let's talk about the cat pee.

When I viewed the apartment, I am not sure if I noticed it. I was euphoric with the hope that I might have actually found a one bedroom I could afford that was in a desireable neighborhood and larger than a shoe box. Also, maybe I assumed the smell was from the furniture of the previous tenant, which was still in the space at the time.

When I returned to sign my lease, the old occupant's belongings having been removed, and the cleaning person already having visited, I noticed the smell. I did not mention it to my landlord, I think I was still convinced something would fall through and they would pick someone else. I didn't want to complain about anything until that lease was signed. Anyone who has experienced the rental market in Portland in the last few years will likely understand my weird paranoia.

My landlord pointed out to me a stain on the wood floor in the hallway, noting that it was probably from wet boots. It was definitely from cat pee.

The combination of the slight cat urine aroma and the "pukey" color on every wall was...horrifying. But  the apartment was otherwise so darn cute. And it was mine!

Well anyway, white vinegar is pretty amazing. I soaked the stained part of the floor with it several times, and aired out the apartment for a few days, and soon the smell was gone. Thank goodness.

This only left the paint to deal with.

Full disclosure, I did not get permission to paint from landlords. Don't tell them.  Also, Cecile and Patrick, if you are reading this- I'm sorry. But I promise I did a good job and I didn't get any paint on the wood floors.

So cute, yet so taupe.

I swear the color looked worse in person than in these pictures.

And then the painting began!

The painting tripod. Everyone knows this is the most efficient way to paint.

I wasn't painting the bedroom, so it became the receptacle for everything I own. All this.

This is how I feel about my newly painted walls. Like dancing, if you can't tell. I think it was the Charleston.

And the finished product?

Gray > Taupe

Also, I got a new rug since this picture was shot...update to come.

I mentioned there was also blue, right?

So...here ends the first post about my grown up apartment. Which no longer smells like cat pee.