Quoth President Bartlett: "Break's over."

Ah, it's good to be back. Thank you everybody for bearing with me while I took a lil' vacation. How's your own summer going? Any plans for the solstice today, perhaps building a teeny-tiny Stonehenge in your tiny-ass apartment? There are gonna be a few changes in my life that'll be reflected here on TAA. I'm moving out of my Hollywood TAA and back up to the Bay Area at the end of July. I'm in need of a change of scenery, and I'm also looking to change career paths; writing this blog has helped me to realize how much I love interior design, writing, and social media, and I want to pursue that. (Plus, I've really had it with some of the entertainment industry crazies I've had to work for and with these past four years!) And so, as things develop I'll write about them here on the site. There'll be moving out of the old place, moving into the new, and everything that comes after that. I'm starting to pack now, and geez -- how did I manage to fit so much stuff into my TAA in the first place? (BTW, I'm putting together a "virtual garage sale" in order to downsize before this move. More on that soon!) And now to get back to the heart of TAA: news, products, and tips about living in your own lil' shoebox of an apartment! When storage space is at a premium, making use of underutilized space is a must, and there is no piece of furniture that does it better than the storage bed. But alack and alas, these pieces can be a lil' pricey. Enter Copy Cat Chic. The ever-reliable Reichel has done it again, this time finding an affordable doppelganger for Pottery Barn's Stratton Bed. (Seriously, PB? $1,599? That is literally a month and a half's rent. I'd have to keep the cardboard box this bed came in, 'cause I'd need to live in it!)
Pottery Barn's Stratton Bed And now let's look at the much more reasonable alternative, from JCPenny's. You'd save a whopping $1,100, as this one's only $499.
JCPenny's Dover Bed Don't forget to check out all of Copy Cat Chic for even more frugal finds. After all, no matter how perfectly a piece may fit inside your TAA, it doesn't matter if it doesn't fit your budget.