Tonight (or possibly Saturday night) will be my last night in the bedroom that's been mine for over a year. It isn't my favourite room that I've lived in (that title actually belongs to my dorm room in fourth year, strangely enough), but it feels special somehow.
To say goodbye, and to celebrate the time I've spent here, I thought I would share the expository piece I wrote for my writing class back in February:
The first thing you notice when you walk into Amanda Greer's bedroom is colour. The floor is a checkerboard pattern of cream and teal. The panel curtains, a set of drawers, and a cheap-looking computer chair are all lime green. The top blanket on her bed is a smattering of pinks, yellows, purples, and blues. Peeking out from under that blanket is a quilt that is predominantly purple and visible under that is a teal sheet set. And then there are her walls.
You can tell the walls were once white, but now they have a dingy appearance. They're stained from time and there are too many cracks and chips to hide. There's no lack of trying, though; Amanda has hung many pieces of artwork and mementos.
Above her bed is a lone peacock feather, containing the same colours that are found in her bedding. There is also a small black and white poster, depicting a young girl, fast asleep and cuddling with a lion cub. Beside that is a vibrant piece drawn on some kind of hide with pastels. The artist has conjured a young Black woman, wearing a bright yellow dress and carrying a basket of vivid red flowers.
A teal heart made from clay and three frames hang on the opposite wall. The first frame is black and contains the Holstee Manifesto, which begins with the words "This is your LIFE." The second frame is black as well, but thinner, and contains a photo of a young woman jumping from a boat into a body of water. The third frame is white and holds lyrics from Doris Day's "Que Sera, Sera." On the same wall is a square bulletin board peppered with pages from a calendar, bookmarks, greeting cards, a button, and a miniature boat paddle.
On the adjacent wall hang two paintings. The first looks like an abstract piece, a sun on a blue background. The second is more traditional, a stately tree in a field, above directions for living life written by Bonnie L. Mohr. Beneath the paintings are five more frames: whimsical greeting cards featuring cups of tea and a peacock, prints with phrases such as, "Live vibrantly, not perfectly," and tiny photographs of Autumn details. There is also a Winnie the Pooh plaque, a colourful calendar, and a Ted Kennedy quote, handwritten: "Have faith in yourself and in the future."
Like her walls, Amanda's desk is a place where artwork is displayed. Three frames hold script art; they read, "we are super heroes + rockstars," "just start," and "be classy." Another frame has a simple message; the word "peace" is in its center. Two small, teal pieces of pottery hold pens and coins.
A main fixture in the room is the bookshelf. On its five shelves are photographs, an oil diffuser, a stuffed Tigger (from Winnie the Pooh), DVDs, magazines, and books. So many books. Some are stacked neatly and others are piled haphazardly. The genres range from fiction to non-fiction, "chick lit" to mysteries, children's books to erotica.
One of the last things you notice in Amanda's bedroom is a small, honey-coloured teddy bear. He has a few loose threads, and there's a small hole in his side. Sitting at the head of the bed, it looks as though he is keeping watch.
(The 3 prints in the top middle photo and "just start" are by Elise Blaha; "be classy" is by Kal Barteski.)
The first thing you notice when you walk into Amanda Greer's bedroom is colour. The floor is a checkerboard pattern of cream and teal. The panel curtains, a set of drawers, and a cheap-looking computer chair are all lime green. The top blanket on her bed is a smattering of pinks, yellows, purples, and blues. Peeking out from under that blanket is a quilt that is predominantly purple and visible under that is a teal sheet set. And then there are her walls.
You can tell the walls were once white, but now they have a dingy appearance. They're stained from time and there are too many cracks and chips to hide. There's no lack of trying, though; Amanda has hung many pieces of artwork and mementos.
Above her bed is a lone peacock feather, containing the same colours that are found in her bedding. There is also a small black and white poster, depicting a young girl, fast asleep and cuddling with a lion cub. Beside that is a vibrant piece drawn on some kind of hide with pastels. The artist has conjured a young Black woman, wearing a bright yellow dress and carrying a basket of vivid red flowers.
A teal heart made from clay and three frames hang on the opposite wall. The first frame is black and contains the Holstee Manifesto, which begins with the words "This is your LIFE." The second frame is black as well, but thinner, and contains a photo of a young woman jumping from a boat into a body of water. The third frame is white and holds lyrics from Doris Day's "Que Sera, Sera." On the same wall is a square bulletin board peppered with pages from a calendar, bookmarks, greeting cards, a button, and a miniature boat paddle.
On the adjacent wall hang two paintings. The first looks like an abstract piece, a sun on a blue background. The second is more traditional, a stately tree in a field, above directions for living life written by Bonnie L. Mohr. Beneath the paintings are five more frames: whimsical greeting cards featuring cups of tea and a peacock, prints with phrases such as, "Live vibrantly, not perfectly," and tiny photographs of Autumn details. There is also a Winnie the Pooh plaque, a colourful calendar, and a Ted Kennedy quote, handwritten: "Have faith in yourself and in the future."
Like her walls, Amanda's desk is a place where artwork is displayed. Three frames hold script art; they read, "we are super heroes + rockstars," "just start," and "be classy." Another frame has a simple message; the word "peace" is in its center. Two small, teal pieces of pottery hold pens and coins.
A main fixture in the room is the bookshelf. On its five shelves are photographs, an oil diffuser, a stuffed Tigger (from Winnie the Pooh), DVDs, magazines, and books. So many books. Some are stacked neatly and others are piled haphazardly. The genres range from fiction to non-fiction, "chick lit" to mysteries, children's books to erotica.
One of the last things you notice in Amanda's bedroom is a small, honey-coloured teddy bear. He has a few loose threads, and there's a small hole in his side. Sitting at the head of the bed, it looks as though he is keeping watch.
(The 3 prints in the top middle photo and "just start" are by Elise Blaha; "be classy" is by Kal Barteski.)
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