Meet the J.Rays

Well... I'm back.

2010-08-10T17:24:00.004-05:00

And I promise to resume regular postings... soon. I have so much to update y'all on!!

I'll leave you with this picture that sums up where I've been. Meet our newest family additon, Everett Ross. Born June 16. We are totally and completely in love with this little guy. He is such a blessing and truly a wonderful baby. I could go on and on.. as I'm sure most mommies can! But, he really is such an easy baby. For instance, right now I am holding him while he sleeps and blogging at the same time. Mad skill on my part, eh?

I have so many more pictures to share, so stay tuned!

Mobile Found

2010-03-22T12:06:00.009-05:00

Hello there! We have been super busy over the past couple of weeks! I think it all caught up with me yesterday and all I could do was sit in bed with my pj's on, snoozing on and off.

Just an update:

My husband has spent the past two weekends in ATL, Saturday I joined him for the night and we were able to hang with some pretty awesome friends.
We bought a new car ;)
My older sister had her baby. Sweet Dixie Nicole entered this world on the 14th. She is absolutely beautiful, and hardly ever cries! I hope to be as lucky with Everett ;)
We have finished painting the nursery (thanks to some friends for their help!)
I painted the dresser/changing table and am seeking out handles for it now.
We've celebrated birthdays for friends, had friends over for dinner, played games at our small group, shopped for baby clothes, and spring cleaned.

What's next on the agenda for us:
Paint headboard we recently acquired
Put together crib
(me)Bachelorette trip to Nashville for my dear friend Leah
JonRoss is playing 9 services Easter weekend
Glucose Test
Oh yeah, and watch LOST episodes of course

Here's a picture of a birthday lunch I had at the apartment for my friend Laura:

A picture of the painted nursery:

Our new to us car:

And me at 26 weeks:

One last thing to mention, and the reason I started this post in the first place. I have a couple of mobile ideas in mind, but this one I am really enjoying at the moment.

{via Etsy shop Almost Sunday}

It's close (spring)

2010-03-04T10:54:00.007-06:00

I can't help but crave a little bit of floral in my wardrobe at the moment, this Alabama winter has been the coldest one I have experienced. Although it is sunny today, it's still freezing and I am still wearing black. I miss green grass and flowers blooming, white pants and brighter colors. If I weren't preggo, I'd love to pair this top

{via ModCloth}

with a pair of denim trousers, tucked in.

{via GAP}

Complete with camel colored shoes (preferably flats) and a skinny belt.

*this would also be cute with dark wash cigarette jeans*

Found.

2010-02-24T13:27:00.004-06:00

I finally found the cutest dress to wear to my dearest friend's bridal tea coming up in a few weeks. It's from Asos' maternity line. If it is still chilly here in Birmingham (begging for it to be at least in the 60's), I will pair a shrug and tights with it. Has anyone had experience purchasing from here?

p.s. My husband and I are getting the nursery paint this weekend. Very excited!

2010-02-22T13:53:00.008-06:00

It seems all I have to talk about these days is the nursery progress... I really do have a life outside of that, but I always forget to blog about those things, especially now that we got rid of internet at home. For those still interested, we have made a lot of progress.

Have we painted? No.
Have we bought anything? No.

So, how have we made progress? Well, we've actually agreed on everything (well, mostly) that is going in to the nursery. YAY! Now, the fun and lots of hard work begins. We went to ATL this past weekend, for the band guys to rehearse and for the band wives to play. We took a couple of hours to head to IKEA to see what they had to offer for baby Everett's nursery.

We officially decided on a crib:

I tested this one out at IKEA, and with the help from a few friends, decided this would be perfect. It sits lower than a normal crib, something that I wasn't sure of at first, but after pretending to put a baby in and pick back up, I was sold.

We decided against a rocker or glider. Instead, we are going to purchase a chair that can move from room to room over time. Here's the one we both like.

We'll get an ottoman to rest our weary feet, but no ideas in mind for that just yet.

We've decided on this crib sheet as inspiration for the room.

We aren't going for an owl theme persay, more towards the colors of the sheet and the modern design/feel. My sister is painting us a picture of one of the owls to hang somewhere, and that will be the extent of owls in the nursery.

For the bumper and crib skirt we were leaning towards white, but I want to get the crib sheet and see what else might look good. (opinions are welcomed)

We're still painting the stripes, light gray and white. We're going to do them in thick stripes horizontally, much like you see here.

Let's see, what else. Oh, since the nursery will also house a queen sized bed, we'll be purchasing a comforter for the bed. I think once we get these things put together, we will have a better idea of what we want for that, as well as curtains, pillows and other fun accessories.

So, what's going on with the J.Ray's other than baby and nursery progress?
The hubster has been busy, busy with recordings, rehearsals and all other things music.
I have decided I hate maternity clothes and have really tried to love things at Target and Motherhood. BLEH.
We are in the process of selling my Passat in hopes of getting a Nissan Pathfinder.
My sister in law and sister are both very close to having their babies. :)
We are also still working on our bedroom.
I have no creative juices left.

Thanks for keeping up with us!

Nursery Progress

2010-02-05T12:00:00.008-06:00

Well, the process is going very slowly for us, as we can't seem to agree on much. Seems weird being that we have only once (ok, maybe twice) disagreed on how we want a room to look. (If I were to be honest, I'd have to say that when we thought we were having a girl, I had the nursery planned in a day... now that we're having a boy, he wants to be more involved -which I love- but it is hard to give up the reins, right?)

We have decided on three things for sure.

We are going to paint thick stripes on the wall in grey and white. Probably a lighter grey, but that's not certain for now. Much like this room.

Second we want a white, modern crib. Much like this one. Although, we haven't decided on all white, white/espresso or white/natural.

This dresser I recently painted, will be painted white and the handles/knobs changed out. It will serve as baby Everett's dresser and changing table.

The other main color we want for the room is still being decided on. My first idea of navy blue was nixed. My second idea of orange is being mulled over. I ordered samples of FLOR tiles today to see if my sweet husband will like any of these options. I am smitten with all three colors and really hope the samples will seal the deal. I think a bold punch of color is necessary for every room, and love the idea of having a large "rug" in orange to break up all the white furniture.

First, the color "Tabby Cat"

Second, the color "Blingy Bronze"

Third, the color "Gourd" I wanted to throw in a burnt orange, just in case. Although, I know he'll like the brighter oranges.

So, there you have it. Our (small) progress.

Well Folks

2010-02-02T12:35:00.003-06:00

Everett Ross will be here around June! I'm thrilled they pushed my due date up 8 days, which means more time to recover before we attempt our first vacation with him at the beach only 6 weeks later.

Now the serious nursery planning will begin! I'll keep y'all updated.

Baby Names

2010-01-22T10:26:00.004-06:00

I just love this vanity bench from etsy store High Street Market. The fabric colors are exactly what I want for the (girl)nursery and it would make a great place to perch my feet while rocking baby. We keep going back and forth about what to do with the nursery if we are having a boy, so this piece may or may not work.

This weekend we (my sister Erica and I) are hosting a baby shower for our older sister, Lindsay. She is due March 14th with her sweet little Dixie (she really likes her southern roots). Before I go and finalize the details for the shower, I thought I'd share with you dear readers the names we have picked out for baby.

Boy: Everette(after my grandfather) Ross(after my baby's daddy)
Girl: Lennon(after John Lennon) Joy(after my sweet Mama)

If you'll remember, we recently named our kitten Lennon. When a friend told us how cool that name would be for our child, we quickly changed kitties name to Dexter. After the t.v. show. He reminds us much of Dexter's character. Normal, fun loving kitty by day, psychopath serial killer by night. It fits him well.

Have a great weekend!

One down.

2010-01-19T13:36:00.004-06:00

This past weekend my husband and I were celebrating our one year anniversary. We are very laid back people when it comes to holidays/birthdays/and other random things people celebrate. We like to do fun things for each other, but we don't feel the need to go crazy, spending lots of money and getting all fancy shmancy. (there are times for this, but they are rare!)

A perfect night of celebrating according to us is when we can order take-out, set up a picnic in our living room and watch the last two episodes of season 5 from LOST. (which we did) It was pure bliss. However, that day we did get out to look at houses, go see Avatar, and eat some more (I've finally moved into the "i'm hungry more phase"). What a beautiful movie that is! I am fascinated and slightly obsessed with seeing it again!

We had such a wonderful day, which carried over to Sunday and Monday just spending time together, regrouping and talking about what a beautiful, first year it was! I am positively giddy about what this year will hold for us.

p.s. I am going on a maternity shopping spree soon. Any suggestions on where to go? (besides Old Navy)

Did you know?

2010-01-13T15:04:00.004-06:00

That Top Shop sells maternity clothes?

This dress is a.dorable and I'm wondering if I could talk my sweet husband into getting it for me?!

Also, I am about to enter my 16th week of pregnancy. I have a cute little bump and I felt my sweet little one kick for the first time yesterday! We find out the sex of the baby in 2 weeks. I am distracting myself by contemplating a makeover. I have been so bleh for the past 12 weeks, that I'm ready to feel beautiful and sassy once again. Although it's a bit chilly for that dress at this moment, I'd still feel sassy with it hanging in my closet awaiting Spring.

I will leave you with a photo. It's a very bad quality, blurry, not centered photo, but I can't figure out how to download pictures from my camera just yet so this'll do. It's our new t.v. stand. We got it from IKEA for $60, on sale from $180. It's a bookcase that we turned sideways. My husband had the *brilliant* idea to put the fabric behind it to cover all those nasty chords. He also tied back the chords that are currently shown in this picture. I'm in love with it!

Zofran..

2009-12-16T09:13:00.003-06:00

is my new best friend. I am amazed at how well this tiny (and very expensive) yellow pill has completely helped me, overnight. The 'ole saying, "I feel like a new woman" sums it all up for me. I am (somewhat)ready to start the nursery planning process, finally.

Although we won't know the gender of the baby for about 6 more weeks, I thought a lot last night about the nursery. We know that no matter the gender we want to do white/antique white, yellow mustard and possibly gray or brown for the colors. I want something very simple. Calm and serene.

I was looking at different nursery photos online and a question popped in my head: Should there always be a focal point in a room (and this goes for all bedrooms)? Does it always have to be the crib/bed??

I was wondering what your opinion on this was. Please leave a comment if you'd like!

Look who I found...

2009-12-10T08:45:00.003-06:00

... ME! Good Morning fellow bloggers... are you still out there?! Well, yes of course YOU'RE still out there, but where have *I* been?! Well, pregnancy has sort of taken over, well, me. I work, sleep and eat (when possible). And that has been my life for weeks now. I am almost finished with this first trimester, and I pray this sickness will go with it!
I still read a lot of blogs daily, but that's as far as I get. Not even a comment. I know, shame on me. After quite a few requests though, I knew it was time to update this silly blog.
For Christmas, my sweet husband and I are going to redecorate our bedroom. Actually, we're decorating for the first time as we never really got around to it before now. We have a few things already (duvet, shams, DIY dresser) and that's about it. So, before this precious bundle arrives, we figured we needed to get our haven ready.

Enter: this bedroom {source:unknown}

There are so many elements that I love about this room. But the main one is how traditional meets modern. Something I have struggled with so much lately. This room is perfect for what my husband and I would want for our bedroom. As it happens, they have the same duvet as we do. Which is probably what grabbed my attention first. I lalso love how bright it is. Only months ago did I want a dungeon of a room. The darkest gray walls I could think of. Before I could take that plunge, I found out I was pregnant and all painting was put on hold. THANK GOODNESS. I am loving the wallpaper and the pops of teal/robins egg blue/whatever you call that color. We have a chair that needs to be recovered as well, and I would love to bring in color/pattern with that. For my husband's sake, I will have to bring in some darker elements to the room, probably in the side tables.

As a gift to ourselves, we're heading over to ATL on New Year's Eve (after our doctor's appointment) to do some serious shopping, celebrate the new year and do an early celebration of our (almost) one year of marriage. Which is in January. I am positively giddy!!

Well, I hope that brings y'all up to speed. I promise to be more regular about my postings. I have some pretty cute ideas for nurseries that I will also share. In the meantime, I do appreciate any thoughts and prayers sent my way regarding the health of myself and our baby!

Christmas List

2009-11-11T09:42:00.005-06:00

I would love to own this dress for all of the up-coming Christmas parties. (yes, I know I'm hopping right over Thanksgiving. But who really dresses up for that. If I'm going to be stuffing my face full of turkey, I want to be in my fat pants)

I think this dress would be perfect for the tiny bump that will start to form around that time.

{via ModCloth}

Last night I stayed home to rest (I am getting over coughing/sneezing/sore throat/fever) and started on my Christmas List. (I am a list person, really it was for my own benefit) But, I'm curious to know, what is on your Christmas List this year?

Different and Wonderful

2009-11-03T10:40:00.002-06:00

Things around here could not be more different and wonderful all at the same time:

We are frantically searching for a new house to rent, since we had decided to wait until next year to buy.
I am eating saltine crackers and drinking water for breakfast, lunch and dinner. Hormones are flying around like crazy.
What they say about pregnancy brain is true.
I find myself surrounded by family and friends only to daydream of this sweet baby growing inside of me and lose track of all conversation.
I find myself praying more for this baby than any other person I have ever prayed for.
I google "what happens when..." many times a day.
JonRoss is in love.
I am in love.

I have basically finished the look of the nursery if we find out it is a girl. Guess I'm in a girly mood these days. =)

Onsies

2009-10-29T11:06:00.005-05:00

First onsie I want to buy if the baby is a girl:

And if the baby is a boy:

How adorable?!

{both via b. childrens wear}

Good News!

2009-10-28T09:16:00.003-05:00

Well, it's time. Time I share with my fellow bloggers the good news. I AM PREGNANT!!

JonRoss and I found out last week, which really explains why I have been a little absent-minded lately. All I can think about is this sweet, precious gift from God growing inside of me. (not to mention I am extremely tired already with little motivation)

We are stoked. I mean just downright giddy. I look forward to reading each week how our baby is doing, how he/she is growing, and the changes my body will go through. I'm embracing this journey with all that is inside of me. I look forward to the good, the bad, and the ugly. REALLY!

In other good news. My sister had her baby yesterday. Kamila Monroe was 8 lbs 1 oz and 19 3/4 inches. She is beautiful, angelic and spunky already. Knowing how much I love her really gets me all choked up about how much I'm going to love my own baby. (and yes, what they say about pregnancy hormones is true... I am a ball of tears these days)

Please excuse my big face, and just ooh and ahh over my precious niece!

Tisk. Tisk. (for hannah)

2009-10-26T10:46:00.006-05:00

I know, I know. It's been over a week since my last post. Shame on me. To be honest, I haven't been too inspired lately. Not to say that I don't think what you fellow bloggers are posting about isn't insanely wonderful, because it is. And I have enjoyed just being a blog stalker for the past week. It was nice to take a break!

This weekend JonRoss and I had a "staycation" in our apartment. Friday night we had a picnic in our living room. Saturday we got out once to see my little brother play soccer, picked up a pizza, and back home we went into our jammies.

On Sunday, we went to church, visited our dear friends and their new baby girl, went to Boo at the Zoo, then rounded out the weekend with one of our favorite events: Small Group. I'm telling you, this small group is both challenging and rejuvenating. And the people we have met, well, I just can't say enough about them.

Every Tuesday I get together with some of my close girlfriends for "Girl's Night." Here are a few pictures of our delicious snacks. (please excuse the blurry photos)

Regular postings will resume. Hope you all had a beautiful weekend as well!

Nicole Richie

2009-10-15T14:30:00.003-05:00

on a budget. Her very expensive, but definitely rocking outfit.

And mine. Everything under $100.

Nicole Richie on a budget by Rachel Aldridge featuring Dorothy Perkins

While I sit here at work, counting down to 4:00, my husband is at home snuggling with our fur children and watching t.v. Oh, the life of a rockstar.

Winter White (workshop)

2009-10-15T09:58:00.006-05:00

Since this jacket sold out...

{via ModCloth}

I'll take this one instead.

{via cutiemus}

Here's my sweet husband teaching a workshop to all electric guitar players at our church. So proud of him.

This weekend will be spent hanging with family, a wedding shower, deap cleaning, football, church and some pretty awesome friends.

Happy Weekend! (yea, I know it's Thursday, but it's like my Friday)

Confessions of a shopaholic

2009-10-13T09:00:00.005-05:00

They say it happens in three's. I'm going to believe this and hope for the best. Last Wednesday, right before we left for the beach my car died, my phone died and my camera died. The car was a minor fix and we are getting ready to get me a Nissan Murano, I'm getting an iphone today (my husband can get a new one for $100 with his current phone plan and our dear friend Charley gave us his old iphone for free), and a new camera is being saved up for as we speak. Why and I sharing this with you all?

Well, I was supposed to be on a spending hiatus. That has not gone well, AT ALL. Although, we have been paying off debt. Yay us! I commend all of you ladies for sticking to your hiatus. Really. I felt the need to share how terrible JonRoss and I have been, and to let you know that we will be terrible until the end of this year. =)

Also, a funny conversation with my boss yesterday went as follows:

Him: What is that on your wrist?
Me: A watch.
Him: But, it's so big.
Me: It's called a boyfriend's watch.
Him: Don't you already have a husband?
Me: Well, yes. But this is from my sugar daddy (which also happens to be my husband)
Him: Don't they have girlfriend watches you could wear?
Me: Ha, yes. I just like mine a little bigger.
Him: I just don't get it.... (walks away shaking his head)

Silly non-trendy men.

My little sister is just days away from having her baby and that seems to be where most of my focus and energy is going right now. I'll keep you all posted!

greetings

2009-10-09T12:01:00.003-05:00

...from the beach! Hope all my blogger friends are having a wonderful Friday. JonRoss and I are at the beach with his parents. We are finally getting to relax after quite a few busy months.

Hope you all have a wonderful weekend!

{me and my love}

We welcome you to... (where the streets have no name)

2009-10-07T09:15:00.016-05:00

A typical tuesday night with the J.rays... where will you find us??

Me: either hanging with some of my best gal friends or spending some quality time with my sisters and nieces/nephews.

Lindsay on the left is 17 weeks pregnant. She's 14 months older than me and loves to wear flowers in her hair. (don't ya just love when people step out of the norm?) Erica on the right is 37(almost) weeks pregnant with Kamilla Monroe. Holy cow, I am so ready to meet this precious girl. It really could be any day now. Erica is 2 years younger than me. (by the way, I am 27)

We celebrated my Maw Maw's 83rd birthday last night. Although she likes to think of herself as 38.

That cutie patootie in her lap is Klatyon. He belongs to Erica and will be 2 in January.

This beautiful angel is Hannah. My niece.

This other beautiful angel is Abigail. My other niece.

Gah. This picture melts my heart. This picture looks like it's straight from a magazine!

So, that was my night.

JonRoss:

See that foot? That's JonRoss. Him and his buddies went to the U2 concert. Jealous?? I know I am.

Both of us came home with our hearts full and went to sleep with smiles on our faces. If you're asking yourself if this is a typical night for us, the answer is YES!

Tonight we leave for the beach. FINALLY. A relaxing weekend with nothing going on. I'm downright giddy.

(sorry for the terrible quality of photos. we're currently working on that)

Weekend Recap: Part 1 (U2)

2009-10-05T08:49:00.006-05:00

This weekend was filled with so much laughter, celebrating, tears and making new friends. To refresh your memory, we were in Marietta, GA for our dear friends' wedding weekend.

But first, we took a trip to IKEA. My first time. I was always skeptical of their stuff b/c it just seemed "too good to be true for the price", even though everyone else loves them. I am a believer now. We plan on taking a trip back very soon to rack up. JonRoss is going back Tuesday for the U2 concert, and he is wanting to pick up this t.v. console.

We then headed to the rehearsal dinner. Actually, we rushed there. I do love visiting Atlanta, but that traffic sets me on edge! I will save tomorrow's post for more of the rehearsal dinner, but here is the dress I wore. It was originally for the wedding, but I ended up going with a different dress for that.

I first saw it on Down & Out Chic's blog. {via shopcuffs.com}

One last thing, this is the plaid tunic I bought from Charlotte Russe. It's my new favorite item of clothing.

Happy Monday!

Bowls (vox)

2009-10-01T08:33:00.009-05:00

I have to share my awesome purchase made yesterday. I love decorating our dining room table. Whether it be with decorative plates, flowers, funky bowls...you name it. The one thing I seem to lack are the linens, so I will be making a few more purchases soon.

Back to my awesome purchase. You know the store Old Time Pottery, right? Love that store. I found these white bowls for $.99 each. I know they're not the finest china in the world, but who really cares? They look great on my dining room table!

JonRoss wanted to be included too. peace.

See, cheap and wonderful all at the same time.

Since JonRoss is also a part of this blog now, I thought I'd show you something he purchased recently.

This bad boy is a Vox AC4TV 4W 1x10 Tube Guitar Combo Amp. Did you get that? Yeah, me neither. This is his practice amp, which cost $250.00. PRACTICE amp. Can you imagine how much the one he uses all the time costs?! I don't mind my silly $4 purchase now, nor does he.

And one last thing. I recently became a dark brunette, and I love it.

Tomorrow we are heading back to Marietta, GA for our wonderful friends' wedding. But first, we will be visiting the Georgia Aquarium and then stopping by IKEA. It will be a wonderful day!

Gatlinburg (thistle dew)

2009-09-28T13:52:00.007-05:00

Well, we made it back from our very quick trip to Gatlinburg and Marietta. Exhausted. The boys played at a camp in Gatlinburg on Friday and Saturday night. This left a lot of time to play. We were actually staying in two cabins named "Thistle Dew." Adorable, right? These suckers were tiny. (I am a really bad blogger these days, as I keep forgetting my camera) Enough room on the first floor for a queen sized bed, bathroom, tiny kitchen and a table. Then there was a ladder to the loft upstairs where thin green mattresses sat on the floor. Not our finest accommodations to date, but we were only there for one night. Saturday, we went into Gatlinburg to Ripley's Believe It or Not. Quite informative and fun! Did I mention it was pouring down rain, with only one umbrella for 8 people? That part I could have lived without. Nonetheless, we all got caramel apples and headed back to Pigeon Forge to go shopping. We were all so wet and tired, we didn't end up buying anything.

After they played Saturday night, we headed back to Marietta. Taylor and I slept until noon, while everyone else was playing/singing at Riverstone Church. We ate at The New Yorker, then the ladies went out for a little shopping. I was going to show you all the plaid tunic I bought at Charlotte Russe, but I can't find it online. It was my first plaid purchase and I'm quite excited about it.

Sorry for the lack of pictures. I know they make the posts more interesting. So, I'll leave you with this one.

This adorable lady is Jordan. Her and Joshua (known as Shua) are getting married this weekend. I am beyond thrilled to be in their wedding, and I can't wait to show you all how it turns out. (oh, and we will be in Marietta, again.)

Happy Monday!

Changed

2009-09-24T10:16:00.000-05:00

Do you ever feel like you go through growing pains in life(and I'm not talking about the physical ones you had while in junior high that hurt like the dickens). I'm talking about the phases in life where you know it's time for a change. A good change.

Let me back up by sharing a part of my {very} personal life with you all. Around my 9th grade year in highschool I started having a huge passion for orphans(shouldn't I have been focusing on guys and other things related??). I found myself praying for those children, wanting desperately to take them all in and just give them the love they deserved. That expanded to having a passion for Africa and the extreme poverty I can't even fathom and overpopulated orphanages. I don't know what it is about that multi-cultural continent, but I became fascinated and started learning everything I could about some of the East Coast countries (think Uganda or Kenya). I love the art, traditions, languages but most importantly the people there. I have not had the privilege of making a trip out there, but now looking back I have given up way too many chances. This is where I would always get weird looks from my friends when I would tell them about my love for a place I had never been.

Yesterday, Brooke (and then Paula) wrote one of her best (or at least my favorite) posts about Katie and the journey she is on taking caring for orphans in Uganda, providing education and food to the children in surrounding villages and even being a mother to 13 children. (by the way, she's only 20). I spent FOUR hours yesterday reading about her life. I cried, laughed, smiled and prayed. It was one of the biggest blessings I have experienced in quite some time. It reminded me. Reminded me of that passion and love that has been buried for years. Reminded me of my greater purpose. Reminded me WHY I went through school to get my Social Work degree. Reminded me that God needs me.

No, I'm not packing up and heading east, although if my husband would come along, I would. JonRoss and I have a shared vision, which is quite exciting, but more on that for another post. I look forward to the day when I will be in Africa. But for now, I have a lot to take care of here. And that is where the "growing pains" kick in. Quite a few things will change for JonRoss and I, but to tell you the truth, I am ready for them, not scared (like normal).

I still love my diy projects, design ideas, wish list items and so forth, but it's time to shake things up a little and add in a bit more personal touches to this blog. In one way, it'll remind me of my ultimate goal and in another keep me grounded. I do hope I haven't bored you all to death, but I couldn't help but sharing a piece of my heart today (and why I changed my blog name).

This weekend we are packing up and heading to Gatlinburg with some cool people. I actually don't know much about the trip (I do know my husband is going to play at a church somewhere), as I have been so busy with other things. So, I am looking forward to getting away and while my husband is busy, taking some time to just chill out.

Hope you all have a wonderful weekend. I can't wait to break out some long sleeves and boots!!

IF...

2009-09-21T09:39:00.000-05:00

Just a few wish list items for the month:

{both via LuLus}

{both via Ruche}

Hope you all had a great weekend. We had some dear friends in town, threw another wedding shower, watched football, ate homemade eggrolls, and visited friends who had just had their baby. Maybe soon I can add one of these items to my wardrobe?!

Googling

2009-09-16T10:26:00.000-05:00

I love Google. It really does make life easier at times. (it's the simple things, really)
Well, thanks to Google I ran across a fabulous website called The Fashionable Housewife. Ever heard of it? They dish out must have looks with pretty decent price tags. I also love online shopping, and I love even more when I find blogs that help me with that.
Thanks to a post written about make-up, it led me here, where I bought these items for a great price.

Mocha eye shadow. ($1)

I love a good smokey eye. This kit is the perfect beginning tool for me. ($5)

I love dark nail polish for Fall, and currently have plum on right now, but I also enjoy just a plain, nude color as well. ($1)

I will report back to y'all and let you know quality versus price.

A Z Gallerie gift card

2009-09-14T12:01:00.000-05:00

I'm having a bit of a problem. A good problem, mind you, but a problem nonetheless.

We received a gift card from our dear friends John-Mark and Ashley for our wedding, almost 8 months ago, to Z Gallerie in the amount of $75. Amazing gift, right??

Well, I have no idea what to use it on. But, it is burning a hole in my wallet! If any of you have suggestions on what I could spend this on, PLEASE feel free to comment. Our home is still pretty much a blank canvas, so don't worry too much about colors/themes.

Un-related to this topic, we had a wonderful weekend. Our dear friends Lori & Chad gave birth to their precious baby girl, Bevyn. We watched some Alabama Football and went on date night. We also started our small group: Mentoring Young Married Couples. We're pretty stoked about diving deeper into our marriage and learning from the incredible small group leaders and the other couples in the group.

Adorable nephews in their Alabama gear.

Ok bloggers, help me spend this money!

My goody bag

2009-09-11T08:52:00.000-05:00

My goody package arrived this week from Lola B's Boutique! I am so thrilled! (I won a $100 giveaway from Sa Sea Boutique) Kasey and I decided that I would just let her surprise me and she'd send a random assortment of items from her shop.

My husband loves the smell of this candle.

Thank you again Kasey for all of my goodys!!

Oh, and I got the watch from Target as a gift from my dear husband!

HAPPY FRIDAY!

Guest Bedroom

2009-09-09T09:03:00.000-05:00

Our guest bedroom had to have a quick overhaul after we invited my sister to come live with us. We had planned on this room being our next project anyway, this just sped things up a bit. With that said, we had nothing in that room except for junk. While my husband went away two weekends ago, I got down to the nitty gritty and tackled that room. I got rid of so much junk, and then some stuff to take to his parent's yard sale they will be having. I made way for new furniture to come in. All of which we were gifted or already had. How wonderful is that?

The room is not quite complete, but I will show you a few things just to give you an idea.

First I painted the room a lovely shade of light gray. Paula, from two ellie, graciously came over one night (with her adorable children in tow) to help me choose just the right shade. (thank you Paula, you saved me from many more headaches!)

We were gifted this headboard and mattress with white sheets from our dear friend Hannah.

This side table was in our bedroom, and quite the eye sore. All it needed was a fresh coat of white paint. The hardware was already black, but I gave them a fresh coat as well. Looks great now!

This t.v. had to stay for a little while, so I had to incorporate it into the room. I decided to treat it as a table and put a skirt on it to cover up the ugliness. I couldn't use a staple gun, so I used fabric tape. The fabric I had was just a bit dark for the color scheme I was going for, so I flipped it over and used the backside. This idea came my way from LindsB at Everything LEB, who suggested this to me a while back.

I haven't finished the bottom so it is a bit sloppy looking. And yes, I attempted a pleat down the middle. You can also see the gray of the walls we painted. Just compare the walls from the headboard picture to the ones above and you'll see the difference.

We recently got a black dresser for her room and some black shelves. There is still quite a bit to be done and I will post pictures as we complete it!

All these projects can really wear a girl down, but they are oh so rewarding!

what time is it?

2009-09-06T21:44:00.000-05:00

Reaaaally wanting one of these watches, which were first posted about over at The Budget Babe. Merona has a new collection of boyfriend watches at Target for only $14.99. I haven't worn a watch in years, but I feel it's time to take the plunge again!

Yes please, I'll take this one:

And this one:

They remind me of something Marianne from Haven & Homes would love too!

making it our home

2009-09-03T10:42:00.000-05:00

If you have ever lived in an apartment, then you know with it comes endless lists of pros and cons. Here is a very short version of mine.

Pros:
1.No out of pocket expenses for things breaking
2.They come with all of the appliances
3.Most come with a free gym and pool

Cons:
1.White walls
2.Ugly cabinets
3.Same ole, same ole floor plans

Well, for my husband and I, the pros are outweighing the cons. He travels a good bit, which leaves me home alone. Personally, I do not care for all of that responsibility of home ownership right now. We are still saving and searching for one, but like I have mentioned in a previous post, we are content where we are (for now).

So, what's a girl who loves to decorate, paint and constantly find new ways to jazz up a boring apartment to do with the cons??

Well, I started with #2 on the list. Our cabinets are the first thing that had to go. I could NOT stand one more moment of their ugliness. (the bottom cabinets are still on until I can figure out what to do there) Since I love the open shelving look, it didn't take long to figure out what needed to be done, take off the cabinet doors! All it took was a little coercing my husband, a couple of trips to Home Goods, and poof... a look that has me smiling again.

If you are a renter, house or apartment, what are some other tricks you did to personalize your home??

Oh, one more thing I did. Because of our aparement's layout, we have no official "mudroom." So, I took a wall hook and added it where I always seem to be plopping my purse down. My instant "mudroom."

Thank you so much for your comments on yesterday's post. I am always anxious to share my projects, so it really means a lot to me!

DIY: Dresser

2009-09-02T08:57:00.000-05:00

Finally! I am finished with the dresser. Well, I have been and just forgot to snap some photos. I really love how it turned out. Being that this was my first piece to re-invent, I have learned some lessons about painting furniture. And I also learned that I am not as much of a perfectionist as I thought I would be with it.

Remember the before pictures:

And after:

(The black frames on top of the dresser will be going into the guest bedroom)

I am happy that I went with lighter knobs and pulls. We are going to be painting the room a dark gray-brown soon, and these just help the dresser to stand out a bit more. I'm glad this is over though, and I look forward to taking my "lessons learned" and starting on another piece of furniture.

keepin' busy

2009-08-31T10:59:00.000-05:00

We had another shower this weekend that we helped to host. I am at the mercy of other people for their pictures, which is why I have yet to post the pictures from the gift card party we hosted last weekend. That's what I get for leaving my camera at home. Hopefully I will have some to post for the baby shower we hosted Saturday.

In the meantime, this hot man I call my husband has been keeping me busy as well.

He's been on the road a lot lately, as well as playing at our church every Sunday and two nights during the week. It's no wonder my projects don't get finished...

Crossing my fingers I have more pictures to post soon! Just wanted to update you all!

Color Inspiration: Amethyst

2009-08-27T06:49:00.000-05:00

In the recent issue of House Beautiful, I was re-introduced to the color amethyst. That's one of those colors I had long forgotten about. It's the crayon I would wear down to nothing when I was a little girl and because of that, I probably grew tired of the color. Plus, my husband is fairly open to most colors I choose, but this one would be harder to persuade him with. Until now. ;) I know it may sound silly, but after I picked up this issue, my wheels starting turning and that's when I knew I had painted the wrong color in our guest bathroom. Just like my ADD with DIY projects, I am easily bored with accessories. If I wanted to change colors in my guest bathroom, it would have been hard. The gray I chose had too much blue in it.

Not that I plan on overloading on accessories just because I want a change now and again (wouldn't that be nice??). But, this lovely towel is what got me re-thinking my paint choice. And I would take two of them.

I hope there are fellow bloggers who have been where I am now (that is, painters remorse). My sweet friend Paula, from two ellie, has offered to help me find that perfect.neutral.gray.paint color. THANK GOODNESS!! It is definitely something I am thinking about a lot.

Other "amethyst" eye candy:

I will definitely be rocking some purple eye shadow this fall to compliment my green eyes.

Love this bowl.

And if I felt myself getting extra crazy over this color, I could just go ahead and paint the entire bathroom this color. Ok, not really.

Enjoy your day!

I am a better blog-reader than a blog-poster...

2009-08-24T12:39:00.000-05:00

This weekend was another busy, busy weekend. I can't wait to show you pictures of the gift card party my husband and I helped to host. I loved the decorations, so fun and creative. It's amazing what you can do with twine, cardboard and a sharpie!

The best part of the weekend was getting to hang with some of my favorite ladies. I stayed up til 3:00 chatting and laughing with Kimberly and Taylor.

I spent most of yesterday cleaning. And I mean, deeeep cleaning. We're getting ready to re-do our guest bedroom, but first we have to declutter and organize our "stuff."

I did take pictures of the guest bathroom for show-and-tell, but after a couple of weeks and looking at the photos, I have decided I don't like the paint color. Thank goodness it's a small bathroom and a quick coat of paint will be just the ticket.

Hope you all have a wonderful Monday. Just so it's not all words, here are my precious kitty's lounging in the sunlight.

I have the fever

2009-08-19T08:56:00.000-05:00

I have baby fever. BAD. Both of my sisters and my sister-in-law are pregnant right now. How can I not have baby fever?? My husband and I are in no hurry to have babies (for now), but I can't help but wonder how we would design the nursery. Of course it would lean more towards the modern side, but I would want it to feel as comfy as possible (which can be hard in a modern room).

I came across some fun and interesting nurseries this morning. Here are a few of my favorite ideas:

I know we have all seen this room before, so I posted it first. It really is one of the cutest nursery's I have seen. I love love that black wall.

I enjoy the simplicity of this nursery, and the colors.

Creativity is key when trying to personalize the nursery.

A lot going on here, but I love the shapes and textures in this room. I also like the idea of having a bed in a nursery if the room allows.

This is probably one of my favorites. I like the punches of color, the striped rug, and of course the light fixture.

The other side.

More rooms like these can be found here.

Engagement Party

2009-08-17T08:52:00.000-05:00

This weekend was quite a whirlwind. Friday my husband and I drove to Marietta, GA to meet up with some friends. We ate chicken salad sandwhiches, toured the Coca-Cola Factory, shopped at cute boutique stores, walked to Midtown, ate some more chicken salad sandwhiches, went for drinks at the Westin, and finished up the night laughing and talked while watching "So you think you can dance." The next morning we went to the Farmer's Market at Marietta Square and ate at a cute restaurant called Sugar Cakes.

We quickly headed back to Birmingham to get ready for the engagement party I was helping to host that night. I didn't take pictures, so I had to steal from the other ladies there.

The beautiful cake and the cake maker, Ashley. Fabulous job!

Guest book and our hostess gifts.

To save money, we made the food ourselves. Delicious!

Wine, and our incredibly cheap wine "glasses." It was a last minute addition.

Table decor. I wish there were more pictures of the tables. Each table had it's own centerpiece. (I will see if I can get other pictures to post)

The girls. We have been friends since highschool. Leah is the last of us to get married, so we wanted to make this extra special.

And the beautiful and wonderful couple of the night. Chad and Leah. I couldn't be more thrilled for my dear friends. They really deserve all the happiness this world can offer them. (and don't ya just love her dress??)

Sunday was spent celebrating my "baby" sister's 25th birthday. I can hardly believe she isn't still 3 years old and we're playing dress up with each other. Well, I suppose we still "play" that, because we do love to shop! Happy Birthday Erica!!

IF...

2009-08-12T08:55:00.000-05:00

... I were shopping today, these are the items I would grab up in a hurry.

{both via Urban Outfitters}

The leather jacket is a bit of a stretch for me since I feel leather jackets are very masculine, but the ruffle is just the ticket for me!

{in tan via Victoria's Secret}

Enjoy your Wednesday blogger friends!

Local Artist

2009-08-11T08:57:00.000-05:00

I wanted to share a local artist, meaning Birmingham, AL, and a friend to my blogger friends.

Her name is Katherine, and is a new friend of mine I met at our church. Her and her husband Jonathan are just the neatest people. They have two ADORABLE children, Eli and Lydia. If I've ever met a couple to be walking in their faith, it is these two. Katherine stays at home with her children, while Jonathan is finishing an internship program at our church. In an effort to bring in more money, she and her sister opened up an Etsy store called bakd-handmade children's clothing and gifts. Right off the bat they were flooded with orders. She is remaining busy and has even asked for my help a couple of times. (No, I don't know anything about sewing, but I can cut patterns!)

Here are a few of my favorite pieces modeled by her extremely beautiful daughter, Lydia:

Look at those sweet cheeks!

You really should go and check out the rest of her items!

I am thankful

2009-08-09T18:45:00.000-05:00

My recent IF post featured this lovely necklace from Etsy shop my lavaliere. Well, as it happens a friend of mine purchased that necklace! She received the necklace and then asked if Daniele wouldn't mind shortening the chain it originally came with. When she got her necklace back, she was surprised to see two necklaces in the package.

Here it is for reference:

So, what did sweet Natalie do with the extra necklace??

She asked me if I would like it! (I really think I had shed a tear when she asked me) Of course, I couldn't turn that down! I was so excited. Not only to get that beautiful necklace, but because I felt like it was my first, if not only, gift from a blog reader, not just a friend. (silly I know)

Sometimes I finish a post and think how silly it is that anyone is actually reading this blog?! But, I love reading blogs and hope others love reading mine too. It's an outlet for me to discuss the things I love and have y'all agree, or give opinions, or maybe even inspire someone. (and this is where I think how much I really love comments and feedback!!)

Thank you again Natalie!!

(right now my husband is cooking me dinner. I truly love that man!)

hardware

2009-08-04T09:57:00.000-05:00

I finally bought knobs for our DIY dresser. I know, I know. I move at a snail's pace when it comes to these makeovers. I have some sort of DIY ADD. I started on the dresser, and then finished the guest bathroom. Then back to the dresser, then back to the bathroom. This probably relates to many other areas of my life, but for now, we'll deal with the dresser. Ok, so I bought two knobs for the doors. Now, I just need four pulls for the drawers.

Here they are, and I love them.

{via Anthropologie}

I love how feminine they are, since the dresser has such straight lines. Once I find those perfect pulls, the dresser will be ready for show-n-tell. Thank you for being patient dear ones.

I also need to show the guest bathroom off. Of course, there are a few pieces I want to get before it's complete, but that will probably be the story of the whole apartment.. so I'll show rooms unfinished from now on. Just promise not to judge too badly =)

Confessions...

2009-08-03T08:37:00.000-05:00

...of a shopoholic. Now that my husband and I are a little relaxed about house hunting, we're not penny penching AS MUCH. We still are being very conscious about where those pennies are going. (paying off debt, what little we have, is the first place) But, we do like to reward ourselves every once in a while.

This time is was at Urban Outfitters. We scored 2 album art frames for $10 a piece. (My husband is a huge Beatles fan, so we had the White Album and then a Radiohead album he received as a wedding gift framed)

Then, because he(my husband) loves me so much, he bought me this dress:

Which I wore with skinny jeans, gold sandals and a coral/gold necklace.

The rest of my shopping over the next few weeks will be for an engagement party, a couple's gift card party, and a baby shower. All of which I am helping to host. Phew!

Oh, and I really need a dress to wear to this engagement party. Semi-dressy. Anyone have ideas on where to look? Send links if you can!

Wood Veneer

2009-07-31T10:45:00.000-05:00

What are your thoughts about wood veneer? Have you ever used it?
I picked up the do it YOURSELF (a Better Homes & Garden Specialty Publication) magazine last night and they had a pretty fabulous section devoted to wood veneer. Wood veneer first crept up in my mind when I was googling what I could do to my cabinets in the apartment. (We are still house hunting, but taking our precious time. In the meantime, I'm tired of looking at these awful cabinets)Which led me on a google hunt searching for cabinest that other people put veneer on. I have to admit, they didn't look all that bad!

Back to the magazine... they had some neat ideas on where to use it.

Such as here:

This grid wall really caught my eye:

(and if you couldn't guess, most of the accents in this room are via Anthropologie)

And this leaf motif would make for some great decorations:

I know Lowes has rolls of paper-backed veneer for easy installation.

What do you think? I must say, I am more impressed than I thought I would be!

Photography Love

2009-07-29T09:52:00.000-05:00

I came across photographer Ted Yarwood today while googling something, and I can't remember what. I'm glad that I did though, because I love his work. He "shoots residential and commercial interiors for editorial and advertising" clients, such as Metropolitan Home.

Here are a couple of my favorite:

You can see the rest of this gorgeous home here .

With all of this hot weather Alabama has been seeing, I wouldn't mind a chilly morning. And I could see myself here with a warm cup of coffee, a blanket and a good book.

Speaking of books, I need a good one to start reading. Any suggestions?

Weekend Recap

2009-07-27T09:52:00.000-05:00

This weekend was quite eventful! Friday night I hung out with my dear friend Hannah. We painted, ate dinner, listend to the Wicked Soundtrack and watched "Twilight." It was an absolute blast. And I finally convinced her to go get the first book. As of yesterday, she can't put it down and is obsessed with Edward, like the rest of us.

So, the painting part of our night was the guest bathroom in our apartment. It's looking so fabulous! I decided to go with a cooler gray color, brown accents and antique brass hardware. Who knew this modern-style gal would love antique brass?! But, I do. It's so lovely. I'm very excited to show the final result, but I'm waiting on a few items to arrive to finish it up.

(next up will be the guest bedroom)

On Saturday, I headed south for my nephew's 5th birthday party. (wow, he's really starting school this year) He had a GIANT inflatable water slide. Those children had the most fun I've ever seen a child have. And, I want one for my birthday next year. That night, I went to my good friend David's wedding. It was beautiful. The bride's family is very talented musically, and they each contributed to the ceremony. For their first dance, she pre-recorded a song they would dance to. I love personal touches like that.

Sunday was spent lounging with my husband after church and the final coat of paint was put on in our bathroom. It was a late night as we had "movie night" and ate way too much candy!

Hope y'all had a great weekend too. I'll post some pictures later. I really didn't carry it around with me this weekend, so I'll have to steal from others!

my livingroom: furniture

2009-07-22T08:54:00.000-05:00

Remember this post where I fell in love with this room featured on Benjamin Moore's website? Well, since then, I have been trying to replicate it on a serious budget. It won't be identical obviously, as we don't have that size living room (and definitely not the same budget). But, I'm pretty excited about what I have found so far.

This table (which I bought in white) is from Walmart. And it only cost me a whopping $14. It's actually very sturdy. Now, if I could put a coat of laquer on it, I'd be set.

Just as a reference, these were the original tables in the inspiration room from Jonathan Adler for $1000. phew!

And then I found this black chair from Overstock.com for $135. The inspirational room had two black leather chairs. The look of them was completely different, but I'm very happy with this one I found.

Since we could be looking for a house for quite some time, we've decided to go ahead and paint the apartment. My next task is just that, finding the right paint color.

I have so many new things to show you all, but they must wait until I'm finished. Just know, that is where my time is being spent right now. Party planning, and sprucing up our apartment.

the art of hanging art

2009-07-20T11:11:00.000-05:00

Today I am loving art hung from floor to ceiling. It's unusual and quirky. We have a wall in our apartment that would be perfect for doing this. Collecting the art will be harder than creating the wall once I get more pieces.

{via here}

{via MA Belle}

And, this is what we have been up to all weekend... Meet Lennon. (As in John Lennon. My husband is a musician, remember??)

A.dor.able. So far, Tigger is adjusting to the little fur ball. Ah, I wish I were at home with them now!

I'm a sucker...

2009-07-16T09:58:00.000-05:00

...for centerpieces. Until my wedding (which happened to be 6 months ago as of today), they were not something that ranked high on my "Things I Love Most" list. That is a completely different story now. I love them. And I love finding new ways to make my dining room table beautiful as much as possible. I really should snap a picture of how it is now... I have to come up with some ideas for an engagement party I'm helping to host in August. I have plenty of time, but it's so fun to search for inspiration now.

I found these images on the Hostess with the Mostess blog this morning:

Don't ya just love these ideas? I know most of them seem relatively "simple" in design. But, that's exactly what I love about centerpieces.. the simplicty of them, yet eye-catching.

IF..

2009-07-14T08:57:00.000-05:00

If I were shopping today, I would buy these items:

{Love Birds Wall Art by Gennine Zlatis via Urban Outfitters}

{Parrot Pillow Cover via West Elm}

{Penelope necklace from Etsy shop mylavaliere's}

You should go check out more of her items. They're so very cute and a great price. And, part of the proceeds go to charitites or organizations listed on her profile. Can't beat that!

So, today I have a thing for birds.

you could say...

2009-07-13T08:56:00.000-05:00

I am a little behind, and a little obsessed right now. I've started the Twilight books series. I didn't have much interest in them prior to receiving the 4(!) novel series from my sister-in-law over the weekend, and now, I am hooked!

I become enthralled, entranced and in love with the characters I read about. Scary, I know. I can't seem to help it. (I also do this with movies, and therefore have a hard time watching them without consuming myself) *Let me stop right here and say...I do not become engrossed in them because my real life is 'blah,' because I really am in love with my own life...I just have a vivid imagination and it's nice to get lost in it sometimes!

I feel the need to dedicate a post to this for two reasons. One, to say how much I am enjoying these books. And two, this is where I have been lately. The posts have been light I realize, but my husband picked up The Count of Monte Cristo, and we find ourselves reading every chance we get. (Man, are we getting THAT old??)

And, I could very happily throw some comfy pillows on this daybed and read for hours:

{Twilight Sleep Sofa via DWR} (did ya catch the name of the daybed??)

Or this one:

{via Restoration Hardware}

We did pick up the supplies needed for the dresser make-over and are both ready to get our hands dirty and beautify it tonight.

just a little update

2009-07-07T09:21:00.000-05:00

How is it that when my husband goes out of town, I seem to be even busier?? Well, first of all.. two of my best friends just got engaged and we must celebrate, right? Second, I find that much needed time to complete projects! I hope to reveal the dresser soon, probably next week.

As far as the Shopping Hiatus is going... well... I might have slipped. Ok, no might about it, I did. But, my husband was right there with me slipping too. Sheesh. They were small purchases, both under $30. However, I've been seriously saving us some money with groceries and toiletries! It's a bit time consuming, though!

We are still hunting for that perfect starter home, and think we have found one we both love. It's a bit above what we had originally thought, but it's so perfect. So, we're taking these next two months to save just a bit more. With a lot of prayer, we're hoping to be in a house in October!

I have a few events coming up that I am helping to plan. A baby shower, an engagement shower and a wedding. Things are about to get crazy! I love it!

Take a look...

2009-07-02T14:01:00.000-05:00

...at what I came across.. this Flickr photostream!! I was googling a paint color and this pulled up, and boy oh boy, does it has some yummy eye candy!? And tons of inspiration. Here are a few of my favorites. I'm really leaning towards dark walls lately. (you would think with it being summertime, I'd be going for the opposite??)

Pure yummy-ness:

The bold colors makes me so happy:

So much to love about this room:

And for the lighter side of me:

I'm off to Atlanta tomorrow, which is where my husband has been rocking it out all week. I have missed him terribly and am about to go nuts for lack of sleep...(does that ever happen to y'all? Your love leaves and you have a hard time sleeping?)

I hope you have a fabulous 4th of July weekend! I know I will!!

just breathe...

2009-07-01T08:54:00.000-05:00

I heard a quote last week at church and it has yet to leave my mind, so I thought I would share:

"Hurry kills everything from compassion to creativity." (anyone from Church of the Highlands remember which pastor this was?)

Since my husband has been out of town, I've had a lot of down time. By choice. I took my own staycation for a couple of nights, and it has proven to be needed. Things have been happening so fast for us, with all of our changes going on (jobs, school, the HOUSE). Most of which I have left out of this little blog, so as not to bore y'all.

I hope you have found time to rest your pretty little heads some. It's worth it. It really helped me to re-think some decisions and I even came up with a design for our bedroom, which the husband loves. (I had been having a hard time putting together what I wanted)

So, off I went to explore "gray" paint colors over on Benajamin Moore, and came across this room:

This room is gorgeous to me. And exactly how I want to model my living room after. The neatest part is they offer where you can look for the accessories and furniture, plus the colors of the wall. (they just made my life so easy... hey, don't judge!) And yes, that is a black wall. LOVE IT!

Tonight will be another 'restful' night of cleaning our apartment. Strange how I find cleaning relaxing, eh?

I like a good deal...

2009-06-29T18:33:00.000-05:00

If you are in love with this Anthropologie dress like I am, but not in love with the price tag of $128.00....

...then check out this dress from LuLus for only 34.00 bones..

I like the savings here!

I'm going on a chair hunt..

2009-06-26T09:17:00.000-05:00

THANK YOU, coco + kelley (don't ya just love her incredibly inspiring blog??) for your Style (E)scapes post today. First, it was definitely a glam garden, and second, it led me to this lovely website, Gardenhouse. Where I found this lovely chair (I promise, I'll be off my chair soap box soon).

I love this chair. It has the traditional lines and modern print. I will take two of these please for my living room. However, with the way too high price tag, I must move on. So, I'm on a hunt for the perfect chairs that I can give some love and new fabric to.

A few finds from Birmingham's Craigslist:

I like this chair, and it would be super easy to recover. But I'm looking for a little more comfort for when friends come over for "Game Night."

This is a neat chair, but the back sits pretty low.

This wingback chair has caught my eye, though.

A dark picture, but this is a retro chair. Great lines!

I have plenty of time to search, so I will start trekking around Birmingham, stalking all yard sales and flea markets for chairs that are calling my name. I know they're out there somewhere.

Birmingham ladies, if you happen to see some and don't need/want them for yourself.. please think of me =)

have a seat, please

2009-06-24T10:14:00.000-05:00

Now, I know these chairs are completely out of our price range, but they are exactly what I have been searching for. I've needed some modern chairs to fit our modern couch, and with a touch of color/fabric. These are divine. Darn that price tag!

Mademoiselle Chair with Missoni Fabrics via AllModern.com

I wouldn't mind having a more traditional chair and have them re-upholstered in modern fabric. I just have to find the right ones. Ideas??

wishful thinking?

2009-06-23T14:27:00.000-05:00

Excuse me dear husband, can we break our Shopping Hiatus for these adorable items, pretty please? With sugar on top?

Oh, and I thought my friend who wanted gray dresses for her wedding, could tie in this one, as well. Maybe add some trim to the bottom if it's too short?

all images via Anthropologie

House # 3

2009-06-23T10:06:00.000-05:00

We are going to look at this house tonight. For those in Birmingham, it's located in Pelham. It's the farthest down I-65 we are willing to go, but this particular home has easy access to the interstate.

Looks like a townhome, but isn't attached.

Kitchen leads into the Living Room

This is a 2 Bedroom 2.5 Baths with a Laundry Room. Not too much, other than painting, that needs to be done. We like that part the best! It's adorable and all we would need really. We'll know more tonight!

Thank you again Brooke for hosting a lovely (and yummy) dinner last night!

manic monday...

2009-06-22T09:57:00.000-05:00

Today feels scattered. Well, most of the past three weeks have been scattered. My thoughts haven't quite been on design as much as I like, and most of my house projects are on hold. So, I do apologize for no updates on those and a thank you for letting me use this blog as more of a personal diary at times!!

We had a great weekend with family, and more house hunting. I am also on the lookout for gray bridesmaid dresses for a friend... I really do love event planning!

{via J Crew}

I would love to see the bridesmaid wearing different dresses in the same shade (not all from David's Bridal either) as seen here:

{first seen at In Style}

Had I had bridesmaids at my wedding, I would have done something quirky like that. I really do need to do a post on our wedding. It was pretty non-traditional, and absolutely intimate. It was all I had wanted and more. Our wedding photographers did our wedding as a gift to us (we really were so blessed when it came to our wedding), and they recently had a baby, so we're still waiting on the edited pictures.

Ok, I'm off to go read your blogs to get my mind off of houses for now!

happy friday!

2009-06-19T09:46:00.000-05:00

If/when we get our first home, I would like to hang something like this in our dining room:

{via Lamps Plus}

I had a glorious week spending time with my sisters (my older sister lives in Virginia and came in for a visit) but I am exhausted. Tonight will be a lazy night, as my husband will be off recording. I'm thinking a good book and some kettle corn popcorn.

Have a lovely weekend!!

House # 57,896

2009-06-17T09:05:00.000-05:00

House hunting... boy am I tired emotionally, mentally and physically (we are having some hot and humid weather here in Alabama). BUT, it is so exciting as well. We are extremely fortunate to have friends to help us along in this process, offering advice and issues they had dealt with when they had purchased.

My husband and I always swore we would never purchase a "cookie-cutter" home. There is no character in these homes, and if you know me and my husband we are full of that...personality. However, a good friend offered up these wise words "It may look the same on the outside, but you can make it completely yours and unique on the inside." The house we are looking at is built really well, and another plus is we would know practically everyone who lived in the neighborhood.

Here are some pictures. We're waiting to hear back from the loan officer. (we were already approved with a different loan officer, but if we go through their realtor, we have to be approved through them)

We would end up painting our shutters a dark color

Dining area looking into kitchen and living room. We'd opt for the black appliances.. we actually prefer those over the stainless steel ones. I know, the terror. They also are offering a $3500 deco incentive, which would allow us to upgrade to hardwoods and other things, but we'd rather take that off the asking price. We know too many people who could get the job done for cheap later on.

This is actually an eat in kitchen, but plenty of space for us

Living area, so neat. To the left in that hallway is the place for the washer and dryer and to the right are the 2nd and 3rd bedrooms with a full bathroom

Master bathroom, and my cute husband being a camera hog

Tub and shower

Master walk in closet. This picture does not do it justice. We went by last night and it's bigger than I had remembered. You can fit a twin size mattress and still have room to wiggle!

The one downfall to this lot, are those giant green sewer things in the back yard. We like this lot the best for many reasons, but are wondering if there is anything they can do about those. If not, we may look at a different back yard. Those are such an eye sore and completely annoying. So, we'll see!

It's quite an adorable home and there is no doubt we'd start painting and changing things up right away. But, it has great bones and no major renovations needed!

And the winner is...

2009-06-16T08:37:00.000-05:00

ME!! Remember this give-away I entered last week?? Well, you guessed it, I WON!!! I am extremely excited and grateful to go shopping over at Lola B's Boutique with 100 bucks, especially during my own Shopping Hiatus. It seems this is just perfect for me, since we are also house-hunting.

I am truly thankful to Katie at Sa Sea Boutique for my first win, and wow, what a way to start out, right?? Katie, you are such a lovely and talented blogger, and I congratulate you on your 100th post!

Speaking of house hunting, I have a few pictures to show you ladies later on today. My sweet husband and I took the day yesterday bouncing around neighborhoods, and I think we have found one we can't live without. EEE!!

Hope you ladies had a great weekend and Monday!

going green

2009-06-12T09:37:00.000-05:00

I know the color white is so timeless and perfect for any room to brighten it up, whether it be curtains, pillows, vases or just odds and ends. However, I am more of an ivory color kind of gal. I love how the white looks in homes, and white trinkets are so available these days, but what about ivory trinkets?? They are a little harder to come by, or maybe this is just "not their season." Whatever the case, whenever I see adorable pieces I love in white, I just picture them in ivory and start a mad hunt to find them.

Such as these lovely textured white vessels:

I've done just a little more to the dining room (the big green painting is going to have a drastic make-over soon, meaning the color is going, but this picture had the table and shelves together. And those vases will have flowers in them soon, I hope)

If I could add more of these amazing vases to my green collection, I'd be one happy girl:

{vases via West Elm}

It's been such a busy week. I never knew how much time and energy went into the possibility of purchasing your first home could be! Hopefully we'll know more with that over the weekend.

Just a funny little picture to leave you with. My adorably kitty, Tigger, during his bath.

Have a great weekend!!

well of course...

2009-06-11T11:50:00.000-05:00

I'm going to post about this fabulous give-away!! The ever so lovely, and beyond talented Katie, at Sa-Sea Boutique is celebrating her 100th post as a blogger. And in honor of that, she is giving away 100 buck-a-roos to one lucky reader, to go towards the equally talented, Lola B's Boutique.

How amazing, and generous is that?? Go on over, and enter your chance to win as well! With the shopping hiatus most of us are in, this would be a real treat!

This one makes me particularly happy:

Good luck and have a wonderful day!

Shopping Hiatus

2009-06-10T10:54:00.000-05:00

Since we are looking to purchase a home this year, I am officially starting our Shopping Hiatus. We were told to save our pennies now, since we have been loose about that before. So ladies, I'm officially on the bandwagon and let me be honest here... I'm nervous. I am the spender of the family and my husband is the saver. So, this will be a very hard concept for me. Like any other hiatus, we have our exclusions.

*New contacts for me
*Supplies to refinish the dresser (still shouldn't cost that much)
*Husband is recording 2 songs for a new band him and a friend started, and since he knows friends in the recording business they're giving him a break, but I believe it will end up costing $100
*One cute outfit for my sweet niece who will be here in October
*CHEAP birthday and wedding gifts for those events coming up

That's really about it. We are going to stop eating out, unless he's on a business lunch and I'm out for a girl's night (about 3 times a month). Other than the dresser, no other house projects will go on.

Also, a friend gave me this website to help with coupons and deals for the day to get me started...after all, I am a newbie to all this. My time will now be spent clipping coupons. (how crazy that I'm excited about this??)

Lucky for me, I have a few gift cards left over from the wedding and birthday for when I am on the brink of pulling my hair out and my husband finds me rocking myself in a dark corner, ha. I am reminding myself of the bigger picture and know this will help me in so many ways.

Here's where the Shopping Hiatus began...

need a little...

2009-06-09T09:18:00.000-05:00

empowerment?? Go on over to the inspiring blog, Perfect Sentiment, where the lovely Erin speaks some truthful and encouraging words.

Things have been quiet, yet busy here. I've been just busy enough that I haven't had time to tackle the dresser I've been dying to get my hands on. We live in an apartment, so it takes a lot more than being able to go to a garage to sand and paint. But, I'm working on that.

My husband and I have been toying around with the idea of purchasing a home this year. Over the weekend we went and looked at an adorable home. I know it could be possible we don't get this house, but just the possibility of getting into our very own home this year makes me absolutely giddy! I feel like a "big kid" now! And of course, I'm already daydreaming about colors I would use to paint and dinner parties we'd have on our back deck.

I would probably purchase some outdoor chairs like these because they are cheerful, like my mood:

{via cb2, of course}

Will keep you all updated!

feeling lucky?

2009-06-08T09:18:00.000-05:00

Lucky Magazine just came out with their "Everything under $100 issue," and I am positively giddy with it. If you haven't gotten your copy ladies, I'd say it's a fashionistas dream magazine. Everything in this issue is truly under $100, and I'm not talking about things being $99. It gives a list of websites perfect for bargain hunters. I haven't officially begun my shopping hiatus, and I don't plan on going wild, but I do "need" a few more summer pieces.

Perfect for a summer wedding

{via LuLus}

Poolside with your man

{via Forever 21}

Lunch date with your girlfriends

{via Miss Me}

And of course, something for your home

{via cb2.com}

Hope you ladies had a great weekend. Mine was pretty eventful and I hope to share more of that soon!

a leap of faith

2009-06-05T08:54:00.000-05:00

I think I'm officially in love with decorator, Jonathan Adler's interior design. I could post a hundred pictures to prove my point, but I will stick to the ones I saw in May's House Beautiful Mag. Adler designed most of these furnishings and accessories in fashion designer's Liz Lange's house in Westchester County, New York.

Holy kitchen, I am in love. The thing I love most about this are the bold patterns and colors he uses against an otherwise "stark" white kitchen.

And if money were no object, I'd like to buy this please.

I've been absent this week for a few reasons, most I won't bore you with. But, I am excited to report that I will be going down to working only 4 days a week starting in July. As I mentioned in this post, I have been wanting to pursue other dreams of mine, and after having a heart to heart with my boss, I've taken one small step toward making these happen. This one little day will free up so much time for me. I'm so giddy. And I wanted to thank you blogger friends for your kind words and encouragement. Y'all are extremely sweet and I truly appreciate the time you all spent by commenting!!

So, everyone raise your glasses and let's toast, to whatever you want, but I am toasting to taking a leap of faith...no matter where it may lead.

CHEERS!

black walls

2009-06-02T10:01:00.000-05:00

The lovely Marianne from Haven & Home posed the question "Is Black the new Pink?" And then went on to show some lovely fabrics she scored with black as the main color. I would have to say YES! However, my husband wears nothing but black and I have a closet loaded down with it as well. If I'd let him, he'd probably have our living room painted like this, living up to his rockstar image, of course.

{image via House Beautiful}

Marianne also posted this picture of a black wall...

...and I could definitely see my husband and I being the odd couple to put this in our child's room. I love it!!

So, I pass the question along.. Would you be so daring as to put a black wall in your home?

daydream believer

2009-06-01T11:05:00.000-05:00

Totally don't mean to be debbie downer today, but I'm having a very un-motivated Monday. That probably could be considered redundant by most. I'm not entirely sure why though. I had a relaxing and productive weekend, it's absolutely beautiful today, and I enjoy working (for the most part). However, lately I have this burning desire to dive into something new. Two of my dear friends are getting married this year and I have been asked to help plan/decorate/whatever they need for both. After planning my own wedding, it's like this new passion has come alive inside of me! I can multi-task like no other, and I know this is key to party planning. My friend Kimberly, whom I've mentioned before is a wonderful decorator, and we sort of team up for these events. We all went swimming last night (one of our Summer rituals we're picking back up) and we sort of joked about starting a business for couples planning a wedding on a t i g h t budget. I know that everywhere I turned, planners/venues/caterers/florists were expecting $10,000 minimum budget for the wedding. I know that's not a lot to some, but to those of us NOT wanting to spend that much (and use our money in other places), it is.

My point is, I'm daydreaming about this a lot today. Probably because this dream could easily be attained. I already know of several girls who would want our help. But, it would be a huge step and one that didn't make much money for a while. This is what is on my mind today. Just a lot of daydreaming and no motivation to sit behind this desk! So, thanks for listening. I'm off my soap box for now =)

{via Martha Stewart Weddings}

I fell in love with this picture when browsing ideas over the weekend. And I love that tea-length dress!

yes or no?

2009-05-29T09:13:00.000-05:00

I am loving this anthropologie top. And it's on sale for $39.95. I'm thinking it will be mine today, especially since our Shopping Hiatus is about to officially begin. I will do a post on our exclusions and such, soon. I'm desperately refraining from going crazy today and buying every cute shirt I see.

In other news, I've got a few projects I will be working on this weekend while my husband is off being a rockstar. Can't wait to share!!

Have a great weekend!!

it's the little things

2009-05-28T09:45:00.000-05:00

Look how fancy I am with my tiny changes to my blog!! Thank you Paula, at two ellie for sharing Amanda's tutorial love. Now, if I could only figure out how to change my header... it's driving me crazy. I'm really slow at all of this, but I'm learning! But, I'll take the help from ANYONE who wants to help a sista out =)

Did this picture give you enough warm fuzzies and giggles to help me out NOW?!?

this + that

2009-05-27T08:57:00.000-05:00

Just some updates here and there for y'all (yeah, I'm from the south...) The original fabric I chose for my framed fabric idea, can be seen here, was not quite what I was wanting once I received it in the mail. The fabric is beautiful, but the color grey is much darker than I was expecting. So, I've decided to go with this very neutral pattern and color, and work other colors into the bedroom. I'm completely satisfied with the simplicity of it and look forward to getting it on the wall!

A few shots of us on our beach trip.

Who doesn't love having a pinata at their birthday party?? Oh, and we had cookies instead of cake, because Taylor and I do not like cake. Weird, I know.

You should be completely jealous of our airbrushed t-shirts. They are super sweet, and v-neck to boot!

The ladies of the trip. Jordan (who's getting married in October!!), me, Kimberly and Taylor.

And, last, just a little glimpse into our obsession with ice cream. (please excuse our hair. It was pouring on us the last day there)

I'm sorry my blog has been lacking in the eye candy department. There are so many home projects going on, that's really where my mind's attention has been. I'm looking forward to starting my dresser make-over this weekend. Have a great day ladies!!!

happy, happy birthday

2009-05-26T09:43:00.000-05:00

To Me!!!

I have missed my blogging friends and look forward to catching up on everyone's blogs later tonight. I had a fabulous time at the beach and will share some photos later!! I have truly had the best birthday month thanks to my wonderful husband, family and the best friends a girl could ask for. I feel blessed and absolutely in love with this precious life God has given me.

Cue the sun!

2009-05-20T10:15:00.000-05:00

I honestly have no design inspiration today. Why, you ask??? Because I am leaving for the beach in the morning and that is really all I can think about. I even wore a 'beachy' blouse to work today. We are going with some incredible friends of ours and staying at a beautiful house in Seaside, FL. The very same area they filmed The Truman Show.

Absolutely charming little town with million dollar homes. The sort of place where riding your bike is more of a treat than a chore. And the people aren't stuffy millionares. You know what I'm talking about here. They're friendly and welcoming. I feel as if I am independently wealthy when we are there, and being that I'm a social worker and my husband is a musician, we're far from that. (although very, very happy with our lives)

This beach trip is purely for vacation. No plans, no weddings, no obligations. We're also celebrating mine and my dear friend Taylor's, from The Adventures of D and T, birthdays! It shall be a weekend of absolute bliss and fun, rain or shine!

So, ladies... Enjoy the rest of your week. I shall be back next week refreshed and ready to tackle my new DIY project!

the dresser

2009-05-19T09:49:00.000-05:00

Ok, here are two pictures of the dresser (which was originally a china cabinet) we just bought. My husband put it in our bedroom last night, just to see how it looks, and we both are 100% satisfied with our purchase! Refer back to this post to see the dresser that is my inspiration, but not in our budget, if we want to finish the rest of our bedroom out.

I am quite smitten, and proud. Not too shabby, eh? The lines are exactly what I was looking for. It has a good 6 inches on the west elm dresser, but with the size of our bedroom, it is a much needed 6 inches. Our plan is to paint, or stain it a dark chocolate brown and get some fancy shmancy door knobs and pulls from anthropologie. We're going to take the dark brown curtains from our living room and put in the bedroom. We have a street light just outside both of our windows that lets a lot of light in, so light and airy is not the feel we are going for. As we finish the bedroom I will post pictures!

Have a lovely Tuesday! Tonight I will be shopping and packing for our trip to the beach. We leave Thursday morning, rain or shine!

a home in the making...

2009-05-18T09:35:00.000-05:00

I'm very happy to report I DID get that piece of furniture I posted about on Friday! I forgot to snap a picture, though. I promise I will soon! It will take a couple of weeks before I can really get my hands on it to vamp it up. In the meantime, I've been making a few purchases for our apartment.
The first being this rug from Urban Outfitters for our kitchen. I needed something this big to cover the ugly tile that is standard with most apartments, and it works well with our color scheme.

I also- finally- decided on the fabric I wanted to frame as mentioned in this previous post. It's from Amy Butler's Nigella collection: a great mixture of classic feminine with a modern design. I'm particularly excited about getting our bedroom together, as it is the only room in the apartment I'm being frilly with. And that's not because of my husband, but more because we both like very clean and frilly-less design. So, I'm branching out ladies!

And these pillows for our living room from Etsy shop Maries Cosey Cushions for whopping $20!

I've noticed I have a thing for grey and have somehow incorporated the color into almost every room in our apartment. I'm now on the hunt for grey curtains for our living room to match that grey in the pillows. Any suggestions (at a reasonable price of course) ??

diy project found

2009-05-15T09:05:00.000-05:00

Oh my gaaaa, I am excited. I have been scouring local flea markets, thrift stores and other (cheap) furniture stores over the past 3 months looking for the perfect dresser to go in our bedroom. I wanted it to be a DIY project because I love the challenge and so I could stretch our budget for other pieces. First let me show you the dresser that I had originally fell in love with.

{via West Elm for a whopping 800 buckaroos}

I do not have a picture of the piece I am *hopefully buying as soon as I get off of work, but I will snap one tonight. I found it at our local Salvation Army Store. It's actually a china cabinet and hutch set for $200. We have no need for the hutch, so we will either talk down the price, or pay the $200 and donate the hutch right back to them. I am more than thrilled my friends. It is the same height and look as the dresser with a few changes here and there. I am wanting to paint it a grey/brown color and get some anthropologie knobs to gussy it up a bit. Just a couple of pictures for reference.

So, that is my project for the next few weekends. Any tips or tutorials that will help me is gladly appreciated.

*I say hopefully only because someone else may have their pretty little eyes on this piece as well. So, cross your fingers and send little thoughts and prayers my way in hopes that no one is =)

exciting news!

2009-05-13T12:32:00.000-05:00

My younger sister, Erica just informed me she is having a GIRL!!! I cannot tell you how excited I am. I have 4 nephews (all under the age of 4) and a little brother (age 4), whom I'm deeeeeeply in love with, but I have waited 5 long years for a precious niece. My whole family knows my shopping addiction, so they keep joking that I will literally break the bank for this sweet little miracle. And you know what? They're right. Erica also has a 16 month old named Klayton. She will be one busy little mommy, so I will be Aunt Rachel to her rescue. This definitely helps with the baby fever I have been battling lately.
Here are some pictures of my sweet family.

Here is Erica and her husband Jon

Uncle JonRoss and Ethan (age 1)

Me and Klayton (I'm playing peek-a-boo and he's sporting his rad mohawk)

Henry (little brother age 5 next month) and Landon (age 3)

Carrie (stepmom) and Caleb (age 5 in July)

Caleb, Landon and Ethan belong to these two Josh(brother) and Emily

Henry belongs to my Dad and Carrie

This is my beautiful Mom and me

And my hunky husband with his parents Judy and 'Kid'

Just a little glimpse into my wonderful world. Sorry for the poor quality of pictures, bad lighting and no cropping of pictures. Partly lazy and partly camera. I am excited to get our new camera soon!

20x200

2009-05-11T21:29:00.000-05:00

Most of you bloggers have probably heard of Jen Bekman's 20x200 Project. If you have not, please go check out the website as you will not be disappointed. If you are like my husband and me, we love art and are always on the hunt to expand our puny little collection, when we can afford it. One of the great things about 20x200 is it bring artists to you and you to the artist, all with this great technology we call the internet. How fabulous?? And, you can choose how much you want to spend according to the size of the prints. I love her formula: (limited editions x low prices)+ the internet= art for everyone.

These are the two my husband and I love:

artist: Valerie Roybal

artist: David Corbett

For $20, I am sold!

all things owls

2009-05-11T10:01:00.000-05:00

I've been seeing owls all over the place. Earrings, purses, sculptures, and prints. What is it with these mysterious creatures that we think are adorable enough to decorate our homes and outfits with?? Who knows. I do know I think they are a fabulous addition to any ensemble or room.

{made by Feisty Elle first seen at Modish blog}

{Vintage Owl via dear golden's Esty shop}

{Kenneth Jay Lane necklace via My Wardrobe}

{via LuLus}

{via Fruit Fly's Etsy shop}

This would look adorable in my green dining room, perched on a shelf!

I had the BEST weekend!! Quality time with my family and friends, became an official college graduate, and I slept until 11 am on Sunday! More pictures about my weekend soon!

it's so hard, to say goodbye...to yesterday

2009-05-07T09:07:00.000-05:00

My dear friend Hannah and new blogger from This is Only the Beginning, sent me an email last night with a lovely surprise inside. A link to Etsy shop The Brass Hussy. LOVELY!! And, I think I will just add these to my ever-growing birthday wish list!

A few of my favorites:

I will be taking off tomorrow, as I am spending the day with my mom before she heads home to Virginia. I've thoroughly enjoyed having her here (Alabama) for the past 3 months, but she misses her husband and home terribly and is quite ready to tend to her garden- I don't blame her one bit. I know they are hard for everyone, but 'goodbyes' are really hard for me. So, I am not looking forward to this one, knowing the next time I get to see her will be sometime in October. aggh. Thank goodness for emails, facebook and phone calls!!

*sorry for the cheesy title of this post... i couldn't resist. i remember listening to that song so many times after a break-up in highschool. It makes me giggle to hear it now.

Have a lovely weekend!

birthday wishes

2009-05-06T11:17:00.000-05:00

No, it's not my birthday today, but it is in 20 days! I have an absurdly long "wish list," which is ever-changing. These two are definitely on it, and may get them early. My husband said I have a surprise coming my way Friday.

{via anthropologie}

In other news: My sweet husband has already told me what I'm getting as a graduation present. A DSRL camera!! EEEEP! So, we're trying to decide, Canon or Nikon? And I am an amateur, and by amateur I mean I've looked at these cameras and that's about it. But with the camera will come photography classes or just a lot of help from one of our several friends who are in to photography. So, suggestions for which brand/model?

melissa moss

2009-05-05T09:25:00.000-05:00

I went to visit my dear friend Kimberly (who would be an amazing blogger given she is in school now for interior design and has the wittiest humor of anyone I've ever met) over the weekend, as she was very excited to show me some prints her and her husband bought while on their 4yr anniversary trip to Asheville, NC (which is definitely on our top list for the next vacation spot). The city is home to many cutting-edge artists and there is always some art festival, concert or happening event going on. side note: Kimberly said the city smells like hemp, interesting.
She was absolutely giddy about this new-to-her artist Melissa Moss. And after reading her blog and checking her artwork out, I was hooked. She states that she left the "publishing world to study color psychology and during my course work discovered my true passion…painting. I use color as my primary artistic element. I’ve studied the meanings and associations of colors and their subtle shades and tones and use this knowledge to convey the mood of each painting." And, she is true to her word. If you get the chance today, go check out her gallery. How lovely to have a few of her prints/art mixed in on your gallery wall??

There is also a hint of humor in her paintings, which is probably what first drew Kimberly to her work. The print they bought was called "Lemony Goodness" and is quite lovely.

Enjoy ladies!

another side note: I am getting the boots mentioned yesterday! YAY!

these boots were made for...

2009-05-04T10:26:00.000-05:00

Question: Cowboy boots. In or Out??

These are from the Steve Madden collection and are on sale, but the point isn't should I get these, rather are they even considered "in style?" And if they are, will they continue to be for some time?

oh, what a day!

2009-05-01T10:38:00.000-05:00

Since this is me at work today, I've decided to pretend I'm here, with my husband.

{photo by Debi Treloar}

Have a lovely weekend!

all things bird cages

2009-04-30T10:05:00.000-05:00

{Plumer Bird in Cage necklace by Moss Mills via CandyStore Collective first seen at contended me}

{via Maisy's Market}

Very interesting and lovely bird cage for a little girl's room
{via Nest Pretty Things}

{via we heart it}

We used one at our wedding to hold gift cards and such. Then we had white chocolate doves for our wedding favors. It was quite lovely. I'm wondering what to do with it now?? Any suggestions?

love at first sight.

2009-04-29T13:30:00.000-05:00

These adorable gemstone rings from Lindley's Recessionista by Korcula line

New York City, where my lovely friend Laura is for the week. I love the hustle and bustle, having the starbucks barista ask me to order something again because he loves my southern accent, Broadway shows,huge billboards, and the many different cultures one comes in contact with in a single minute. I do hope to go back soon.

This fabulous necklace the lovely Laura purchased today at Tiffany's.

This classic swim suit from J.Crew

Ocean blue vases from Tina Frey Designs, first seen at design public. I love all things blue right now, really.

And last, the bed frame I want is on sale at West Elm. I really need to see someone about my West Elm obsession.

"Love of beauty is taste. Creation of beauty is art." - Ralph Waldo Emerson

Room to Outfit

2009-04-28T12:21:00.000-05:00

As previously posted, I am starting a new series called Room to Outfit. The lovely Paula at two ellie started the series Outfit to Room (which are all so wonderful), so I thought it would be fun to reverse that thought and start this new series Room to Outfit. Here is the room that I previously mentioned, and two outfit options. (sorry I didn't keep up with the designer of the room)

Outfit 1:

{via net-a-porter}

{via anthropologie}

{via bakers shoes}

{via LuLu's}

{via Tom Design's etsy shop}

and if you want some green add this!
{via master gold craft's esty shop}

Outfit 2:

{via mod cloth}

{via J.Crew}

{via bakers shoes}

Keep the same jewelry and bag if you prefer.

Hope you enjoy ladies. This was fun and a challenge -when looking for specific pieces. I look forward to doing more, and getting more creative! If you have a room you'd like to see turned into an outfit, please email me at jrnraldridge@gmail.com!

opinions wanted...

2009-04-27T11:15:00.000-05:00

Ok ladies, I need some opinions/help. I am loving the framed wallpaper/fabric look right now (and my husband also likes it- yay!) and need your expert opinions on which direction I should take.

Here is our bedspread:

{from West Elm}

Now, as far as the pattern goes, should I stick with something basic but classic like this (can be in any color, I can't get enough of yellow right now):

Or have a little fun and go with bold patterns/colors:

{via fabric.com}

This may too girly for my husband, but I love it:

{via designyourwall.com}

It will be a fairly large piece of fabric being framed as shown in the last picture of my previous post. Or, if you have come across wall paper/fabric you think I should take a look at, please link it to me! Any advice is welcome really.

Thanks!

the bold and the beautiful

2009-04-24T09:30:00.000-05:00

I'm feeling bold and empowered today-mainly because I completed my final class last night and I have a sense of accomplishment and freedom! In honor of my mood, I wanted to post some pictures with beautiful, bold colors.

{via Livingetc first seen at sarah klassen}

{via trevor dixon}

{via kerri's kreations}

{via CB2}

{both via Jessica Klewicki's photographyblog}

I'm completely in love with the framed wallpaper and am off in search for some to go in my bedroom behind our bed!

Happy Friday!

Red + Yellow

2009-04-23T09:50:00.000-05:00

Last night I did a little spring cleaning. I'm a bit like Monica from Friends in that I am quite OCD about my home being clean and de-clutterd. It's a tough job, but somebody's gotta do it. I truly don't mind it being me. And yes, I love to sing while cleaning such as Cinderella.

However, I do not like feeling like this now. I'll be 27 next month, I shouldn't feel 77?!

After finally sitting down to relax, I started watching HGTV and one of the designers was using a red+yellow color scheme for a living room. I wasn't sure how I felt about these two colors together. So, this morning I started browsing magazines and came to the conclusion that I am not keen on the basic primary colors yellow and red being paired together, such as the designer was doing last night(they tend to look too Ronald McDonald), rather variations of the colors together. UNLESS, they are the accessories. Make sense??

Well, here are a few shots I do like:

{via apartment therapy}

{via Polly Wreford}

Using this color scheme, the yellow and red would make great accessories

{via LuvCharlie"}

I'm sure there are other fabulous red+yellow rooms out there, but I am short on time today. What is your take on this color scheme??

do you ever...

2009-04-21T20:12:00.000-05:00

think you could be best friends with someone famous, with what little you know them? Well, I have a few people I adore, and think we could be the best of friends. One being Jennifer Garner. Through any interview I've watched or read, she was completely down to earth and HILARIOUS! She's a mommy first, and has seemed to find the right balance between her career and family. Which for any mommy, I can imagine it is a tough road. Now, throw in cameras following you everywhere you go... I just can't imagine. Anyway... InStyle Magazine will be featuring her on their cover. The photos I saw online are breathtaking.

Stunning. Dramatic.

I love the jewel tones.

Just so gorgeous.

Ok, ok... I'm off my soap box. I am looking forward to the issue coming out!

And in honor of Earth Day tomorrow, I wanted to share a green brand of make-up Cargo with the mantra, "Red Lips. Green Conscience." Their new line is eco-friendly and "is truly beauty with a conscience. From natural and organic ingredients, to its environmentally award-winning compostable packaging, Cargo PlantLove™ lets us go green glamorously."

And isn't the packaging delightful??

Happy Earth Day!

all things lovely..

2009-04-21T10:21:00.000-05:00

Only three more days until I am finished with school, super excited! Crazy week, so this post will just be a few random things that make me smile. And I really haven't been good about keeping up with where I first saw things, so I apologize for the lack of credit given...

Decoy Lab's hanging wall clock

Sam McAdam Photography love the wall color

My nephew, Landon turned 3 over the weekend. The boy loves to eat!

This will be my first Room to Outfit post. Really kicking myself I didn't remember where I first saw this, or who the photographer is. SORRY!

My hunky husband, and my cute dress I wore to a beach wedding this past weekend.

"Every time you smile at someone, it is an action of love, a gift to that person, a beautiful thing." Mother Teresa

trying to complete the bedroom..

2009-04-20T10:21:00.000-05:00

I would love to have a headboard similar to this...in more of a brown/cream color scheme.

And ideas from you lovely design bloggers on how I could achieve this look? On a friendly budget!?

{photo via Livingetc.}

Pleated Petal Tank ANTHROPOLIFICATION GIVEAWAY!!!!

2009-04-16T15:23:00.000-05:00

Pleated Petal Tank ANTHROPOLIFICATION GIVEAWAY!!!!

The beautiful and inspiring Kathleen over at Grosgrain is hosting this fabulous giveaway. It seems all too perfect, since there is nothing I love more in the fashion world than anthropologie on a budget! I have been reading her blog for a few months now and she is always hosting wonderful giveaways. Like most of us, she lives on a budget and Anthropologie's prices are a bit steep. She turns thrift store finds into "anthropolification's" at an extremely low price. Her work and talent is truly amazing. Oh, and she also has giveaways from her featured sponsors. I wish I could win them all!

After reading about her post on Tiffany from Muntedkowhai, I knew I NEEDED one of her amazing necklaces. I was going to post a picture of the one I bought, but it must be sold out. It's adorable though! I'm completely happy with my purchase and I received quite a few compliments when I wore it.

Pop on over to her blog, you will instantly fall in love as I did! And enter the contest for your chance to win!

SIDE NOTE: If you have the priveledge, such as I did last night, to go see Wicked... PLEASE do. I love musical theatre so so much. I used to be really invovled when I was in highschool but pursued other dreams in college. Last night sparked such a deep passion in me that had been buried for so long! I won't be quitting my day job or anything, but I do plan on going to as many shows as possible and may get involved with a local community production. My husband's first musical was last night, and he absolutely loved the experience. YAY for me.

Have a great weekend my lovely's! I'm off to the beach for another wedding!

all things ruffled

2009-04-16T10:21:00.000-05:00

Do you ever find yourself standing in your closet just staring at your clothes? Wondering what to wear today? Wishing you HAD bought that cute little shirt to go with ________. Well, I did that this morning. And as I was picking through my clothes, I noticed I have a thing for ruffles right now. Interesting, but they are just so pretty!

The first being the J.Crew skirt I mentioned getting here(although I got it in the color shown below). I wore it with an orange tee and an adorable orange flowered necklace with bone colored pumps.

This adorable t-shirt, also from J.Crew

And finally, these strappy sandals from GAP

And I'm sure I won't stop with just these. I do adore all things ruffled.

pretty little things

2009-04-14T09:23:00.000-05:00

I am in love with Anthropologie's 3-D Nursery jewelry collection. We have quite a few weddings to attend this summer, and I think this necklace would be the perfect accessory for a simple little dress.

The posts will be light this week and possibly next, as I am finishing up my last two weeks of my undergraduate degree at UAB. Finally!