Playing House

bridesmaids.

2010-05-20T08:30:00.002-04:00

Now the fun of bridesmaid dress shopping begins. I am still going back and forth with color options, but do know that in some way I want purple incorporated. I plan on choosing about six different dresses and letting the girls choose which they like best. Here are a few that I am considering...

Like I said I am not sure about color yet - I am leaning toward either that purple above (with pewter shoes) or slate gray dresses (with purple shoes). I like the idea of letting my girls choose which they would like to wear the most and I think different lengths and styles all in the same color is really pretty.

Love this wedding posted on Style Me Pretty.

Can't wait to start the shopping with my girls for both their dresses...and mine!!!

colors.

2010-05-18T08:30:00.000-04:00

So as I had mentioned, our wedding is being focused around the color purple (focused around my shoes really!). So M and I have been going back and forth with a few options when it comes to color palettes. Here are a few of the contenders... Purple, Slate Grey, Sage/Apple Green

shoe update.

2010-05-13T08:30:00.003-04:00

The shoe clips I had ordered for my wedding shoes came in - don't they look purdy? :)

asking my girls.

2010-05-11T08:30:00.003-04:00

We all think about who will be our bridesmaids and stand up there with us from an early age, and a big deciding factor in our wedding was that M had a smaller number of guys that he wanted to stand up there with us. So we made the decision that I would have a few more girls than he had guys, but not so many more that it would look awkward.

My bridal party will include five of my best friends and family - the three best friends of my life from high school, my best friend from college and my cousin/pseudo sister. I am so stinkin excited to have these people who mean the world to me standing up there! Our flower girl will be another cousin's daughter and we will have two ring bearers, M's nephew and my cousin's son.

I decided I had wanted to do something special to ask my ladies so decided on a super money-saving DIY project. I purchased blank note cards and 3D wedding decals and printed up 'Will you be my bridesmaid' cards on my own printer. Inside the card was a sweet little poem telling them all what they meant to me and officially asking them. Granted, they all already knew I wanted them up there with me, but I wanted to make it official by asking in a special way I totally forgot to take pics of the cards before I mailed them all out though - boo - but I got the idea form something I had read online and they turned out to look very much like this card. :)

another big update.

2010-05-07T08:30:00.000-04:00

I actually quit my job this week! I will be starting a new job in June at a ballet company as their Marketing and Company Manager - beyond ecstatic about this huge change. And this all came to be right before my 25th birthday and now the big 2-5 does not seem to scare me as much. My quarter life crisis has almost disappeared because I am going to be living what I love! Having dance back in my life has already made me so incredibly happy - and I have not even started the new job yet!

And to have a job where I am not on call 24/7 just makes me giddy. Ahh agency life, I won't miss you a a bit! My personal life might actually have a chance now and I won't have to go days without seeing my guy (now fiance ahhh)! Oh and did I mention the new job is 3.3 miles from my house? Gooooooodbye three hour commute, won't miss you either!

weddingness.

2010-05-05T08:30:00.000-04:00

My wedding binder is out in full force now that M and I have been engaged for a little over three weeks! And now that I have finally gotten my head around everything, we are really in planning mode. We had a few visits this past weekend to venue sites and are pretty sure we found ours! We fell in love with it and are now trying to work out logistics, so fingers crossed we know our place, and therefore our date - June 18, 2010!

Our wedding is going to be very DIY (we are on a tiny lil budget) - making our own save-the-dates, our own invites, our own bouquets etc. First and foremost for me though, even before the oh-so-exciting dress hunt were the wedding shoes!

And I had kept it a secret until about seven minutes after M proposed, but I have had my shoes stashed away in the guest room closet for months now. :) I was so excited to tell him about my lil secret. Crazy I know, but when I saw them months ago and fell in love, I couldn't pass them up! in fact, they were featured right here on the blog back in January! They are the purple ones! Yay! And to glam them up, I actually purchased shoe clips that will go right on the front of them.

So the color palette of our wedding will definitely be having purple in it - it has always been my favorite color. My room growing up was even purple and lime green, awesome I know. So more wedding updates to come as well as those house projects I had mentioned months ago. They really happened, I swear.

ENGAGED!

2010-04-12T13:01:00.008-04:00

We got engaged over the weekend!!! I am so giddy and excited to spend the rest of my life with the love of my life. So we will be pretty darn busy from here on out - so exciting! Those house projects might just fall behind now in priority, but I promise, once I get my head out of the clouds, I will have both house and now WEDDING updates!

I absolutely feel like the luckiest girl in the world!

busy bee.

2010-03-29T10:08:00.003-04:00

Crazy busy lately at work and with projects at home, but promise I have some fun stuff to show soonish!

Hope everyone has a great week! It is rainy and a bit chilly in MD this week - boo.

i love lamp.

2010-03-18T08:30:00.001-04:00

Per my post earlier this week about the new hometrends collection at Walmart - I wanted to show off another purchase I made after seeing how well the new pillows went with the bedroom. It was actually in the photo when showing off the new bedding.

But here is a close up of the uber fabulous lamp that I got for a steal! The base was only $25. Love!

Sláinte!

2010-03-17T08:30:00.002-04:00

Happy St Patrick's Day everyone! We actually bought our house on St Patty's last year - crazy! Definitely need to drink it up these year in celebration! But it is my favorite day of the year to be an Irish gal :)

Throw back to freshman year of college - dancing with the roomies to Flogging Molly! Ahh those were the days - we totally lived in sweat pants!

If you're lucky enough to be Irish, you're lucky enough :) Sláinte!

a new love.

2010-03-16T08:30:00.001-04:00

Holy cow - can I just say how excited I am about the new hometrends collection at Walmart! I have always been an avid Target fan when it comes to home furnishings, but this new line has pulled me in. In fact, I told M that the new commercial about the line MADE me have to go purchase items for our bedroom.

First - the stages of the bedding...

Right after moving in -

Right after our bedroom furniture purchase -

After purchasing a new duvet via Pottery Barn outlet -

And voila - here is what our bed is now rockin!

I just need to figure out what I want to do with the wall decor and I think another room in the house might just be complete!

Lucille.

2010-03-11T08:30:00.003-05:00

Quick update: My new car has been named Lucille! Got the idea from a story my parents still tell and think is hysterical to this day - I spoke at an early age (not a big shocker there) and my parents decided to take advantage of this.

So they taught me what a cow would say - moo. What a pig would say - oink. And best of all, what Ricky Ricardo from I Love Lucy would say - in which case I would run around screaming AY AY AY AY! Oh, how I wish more of my childhood had been documented on film. Thanks Mom and Dad!

kitchen hardware progress.

2010-03-09T08:30:00.000-05:00

I had mentioned previously that we wanted to add hardware to our kitchen cabinets for a more finished look. Here was the kitchen pre-hardware.

So we had a few hours to kill this weekend and got the drawer pulls installed. Next up are the knobs on the cabinet doors - but so far loving having pulls! Although i am actually still forgetting that they are there and not always using them, but it will sink in soon enough.

uber large purchase.

2010-03-04T08:30:00.002-05:00

So I bought a new car! I have wanted a new car since about a week after I purchased my old car. Sadly, my last car was bought out of desperation.

One week after I started my first job out of college, a 16 year old ran a stop sign and drove right into my driver side door, crushing my leg in the process and spinning my car several times off of the road. Good times. At the time, I was home in PA visiting family and friends and found myself with a totaled car and no way of getting back to MD and back to my new job. So I literally found a car the next day that ran, and bought it in order to make my way back to MD before the weekend was over. Not a good way to go about buying a car!

So three years later, I finally decided it was time for a car that did not shake when going over 60 mph and would not feel like it was falling apart when driving over even a pebble in the road.

And here is the winner! Isn't she pretty? It's a 2008 Mazda6! Still trying to come up with a name for her...which is tough to do. All of my cars have had pretty rad names, so this one needs to be most rad - it's the nicest car I have ever owned! And it gets really great gas mileage, which I desperately needed for my way-long commute now. (M and his pride and joy of a Mustang :) are in the photo too)

ballerina wedding.

2010-03-02T08:30:00.006-05:00

No, I am not getting married. But I was super excited to see the ballet inspired wedding in Martha Stewart Weddings via Style Me Pretty. I just love the concept and am totally using it when I do have a wedding to plan!

yes please.

2010-02-25T08:30:00.001-05:00

So the beach trip for my 25th has forced me into having to shop for a new bathing suit. Darn, I know.

I am having trouble deciding if I want to buy a one piece for the first time since I was 13 (and M is very against it). Here are a few I have been considering that are just adorable...

I think the purchase will most likely be based on how my working-out-new-year-resolution-ness goes...so we shall see!

quarter life.

2010-02-23T08:30:00.005-05:00

I am very happy that it is finally warming up and that the sun is still out when I leave the office each day! With that being said, it means the spring and summer are right around the corner!

That being said, I will be turning 25 (ahh) this May and have decided to take my quarter life crisis by the horns. I do not usually do much for my birthday - M usually takes me out to dinner and that is more than enough for me - birthdays are just not a big deal to me.

But with the 'BIG 2-5' looming over my head, I am freaking out a wee bit. Yes, I enjoy what I do for a living, own a home, am dating the love of my life...but man did I think I would be in a different place when I was 25. And by different place I mean following my passion for dance. This is the age when most ballerinas are already thinking about retiring and giving up on dance really is a big regret of mine. Granted a career in communications is a much easier/safer life, but I never thought I could miss dancing so badly.

Anyhoo, I am using 25 as an excuse to get all of my best friends together for a week in the Outer Banks. Pretty exciting stuff considering I usually don't even go out for drinks for my big day. We have rented a five bedroom house on the beach with a pool, hot tub, gazebo...perfection. The trip is proving to be a great distraction from the turning-25-bit that spurred it!

another blizzard.

2010-02-18T08:30:00.000-05:00

I think I might be the only person I know around here who is happy about the snow we got last week. I can't help it though. Granted most people down here in Maryland are really not used to amounts of snow like this, but I eat it up (thanks to PA)! It is so beautiful and soooo much fun to play in. And I honestly don't even mind the shoveling.

This time around, we had Kali and it made the play time that much more fun outside (although my guy seems to have fun no matter what).

Here he is standing on the mound of snow - normally the drop off the deck is about 6 feet!

A few more shots of the craziness - love it!

happy birthday.

2010-02-17T08:30:00.000-05:00

Happy birthday to my incredible boyfriend! I am so lucky to have him and so excited to spend many birthdays to come with him! :)

a year of change.

2010-02-16T09:30:00.004-05:00

Well, one year ago today I was laid off. And although it might be terrible to say because the economy still is not doing great and people are still losing their jobs left and right, my lay off was the absolute best thing that could have happened.

When I started this blog, it was really a coping mechanism for me in dealing with the piece of crap job I had. And when the economy went to hell last year, although I had been so miserable with this company for way too long, it was not the time to look elsewhere. I honestly do not think I would have left that job for a long, long time because I had become comfortable and felt safe there.

Hah, that was a joke. On the morning of my guy's birthday, I had not been at work even half an hour and a good friend of mine came up behind me crying, telling me she was laid off and that seven others would be going that day too. As I was consoling her, my supervisor walked up and asked me to meet him in his office. No lie, I said to my friend - "guess I am number two!" (what else can you do than try to have a sense of humor?) So I walked into his office, and honestly cannot remember anything other than my boss crying, his boss shoving a piece of paper in my face and telling me to sign it and me walking away.

After being treated like crap for close to two years, never being acknowledged for hard work, people above me taking credit for everything...this was what they did to me? I had been there longer than anyone else in my position, I had worked on more clients at one time than the other people at my level combined, and they threw me out. Suffice it to say, I was not happy.

So I walked to my desk, picked up my stuff and threw it while screaming not so nice things (not the best way to handle it, I now know, but damn it's funny to tell people.) I got home to my apartment, purged everything that had to do with anyone from that damn place and got on with my life.

Two weeks later I got a job, three weeks later I bought a house - and I must say I have not even remotely looked back since. The benefits, co-workers, vacation time, environment...everything at my new job is 100 times better and I could not be more grateful for my lay off. Funny huh? So cheers to today - I will be toasting with a large Yuengling tonight!

gallery wall breakdown.

2010-02-11T09:00:00.002-05:00

Per my post on our completed gallery wall, I thought I would break the wall down a bit and show some of the art/photography.

I grew up dancing and back when I was all in shape etc and spent a summer dancing with Washington Ballet, I had some photos taken as part of my audition. Thought it would be fun to have them up on the wall as a reminder of my younger, more limber days!

I also framed a few of the postcards I have collected over the years - one of which is a beautiful portrait of Stravinsky.

I nabbed this lil project from All Bower Power. I put together some key locations from both my home town and my guy's. Love how they turned out!

A bit of homemade art - I drew this way back in high school.

And my mama drew this beautiful landscape of Boathouse Row in Philly - she is mucho talented!

I also added a map of the area where Mike and I purchased our first home as well as some old dance art I think I purchased in the dollar section of Target years ago. Hope you like!

nine months later.

2010-02-09T08:30:00.004-05:00

No, definitely not a baby (although we do now have Kali). But we have now lived in our 'new' house for nine whole months! Our house is coming together and it has been so fun to work on - so I thought I would show off how it looks now.

FRONT YARD

ENTRYWAY

LIVING ROOM

DINING AREA

KITCHEN

DECK

BACKYARD

BASEMENT

LAUNDRY ROOM

HALF BATHROOM

STAIRWAY

UPSTAIRS LANDING

MASTER BEDROOM

MASTER BATHROOM

GUEST ROOM

GUEST BATHROOM

OFFICE

gallery wall - complete.

2010-02-04T08:30:00.000-05:00

As I had mentioned back in August, I really wanted to do a gallery wall up our staircase. Thanks to M's little sister's generous Christmas gift of all black frames, my wish was granted!

Really loving how it looks from both the first and second floor!

puppy love!

2010-02-02T08:30:00.001-05:00

Meet the newest member of out family - Kali! She is a 4 month old Pit Bull and we just love her to death!

We had been talking about getting a puppy for a while and found this great shelter in Baltimore. Kali was rescued when she was only 3 days old from a kill shelter and from what we were told, was very malnourished. She is perfect now though and after our home visit with the shelter this past weekend, we just couldn't let her leave the house!

shoe love.

2010-01-28T08:30:00.002-05:00

So, lately I have been trying to save as much money as possible, therefore the shoe buying has been kept to a minimum (boo, I know). Anyhoo, I figured a bit of window shopping once in a while might do the trick, so here are some of my favorites.

(now that I see all of my choices, I think I might have a small ruffle and flower obsession going on...)

dining room - complete.

2010-01-26T08:30:00.002-05:00

Dining room before...(the table on the wall was an old pub table I had in my apartment kitchen...it was nice, but not what I wanted in the dining room)

And after with our fabulous new buffet a la Target clearance!

TV stand - complete.

2010-01-21T08:30:00.000-05:00

As mentioned before, we were trying to figure out a piece of furniture that would work for our new TV in the corner of the living room.

And the winner was...

This piece was actually not one of the few I had mentioned in the TV stand post. I found it by accident after that post and was beside myself when I saw the price - $64.00. Yup, that was all! It is from Walmart and it is not be most amazing quality furniture, but who can seriously beat $64??? After having purchased a new sofa and bedroom set last month, we just could not bring ourselves to buy more expensive furniture - so this was just perfect for our lil old budget!

Here is what it looks like in the living room - we just love it! (note the RedBox DVD - we loooove RedBox!)

bridesmaid fun.

2010-01-19T08:30:00.000-05:00

I mentioned months ago that I was super excited to be a part of my good childhood friend's wedding and that I got a say in choosing our dresses! We all went back and forth with several choices and I got to go this weekend to finally try a few on.

And the winner is....

(I don't look all that happy because the dressing rooms were a mob scene and all I wanted to do was get out of there, but yay for the dress being chosen!)

Here it is in black, which is what we will actually be wearing. Very excited!

the blizzard.

2010-01-14T08:30:00.001-05:00

I know it was weeks ago, but I am still so excited about the 23" of snow that we got in lil ole Maryland last month! I had not seen for serious snow in about 7 years (since my move down here from PA) so it was beyond awesome. We drank a lot, hung out with our snowed-in neighbors and even went four wheeling through the woods that afternoon!

Here are a few shots of the funness that was the blizzard of '09!

2010.

2010-01-11T08:30:00.000-05:00

Happy New Year! I know it already two weeks into the new year, but I was just still on vacation mode last week - apologies.

I hope everyone had a great holiday and got some time off to enjoy being with family and friends!

I am back and excited to show off some new additions/projects that I worked on over the holiday break! Coming soon...

holiday break.

2009-12-23T08:30:00.001-05:00

Not only do I not have to travel during this holiday (like I almost had to for Thanksgiving), my agency has off for 12 WHOLE days - between Christmas and New Years.

So I am taking a nice long break from the computer as well. I will be unplugging from the world, turning my Blackberry off and reeeelaxing with family and friends. It is about time!

Granted the holiday schedule is still going to be a bit nutty - driving to PA Christmas Eve, back to MD Christmas morning, back to PA for Christmas dinner (not a huge fan of having family in different states) - but we will make it work!

So happy holidays everyone - see you in the new year!

hung with care.

2009-12-21T09:30:00.001-05:00

No, not the stockings. We finnnnnnally hung the beautiful Wyeth painting that has been sitting on the floor in the living room since move-in day! As you can see, it made it's way around the house, but was never actually on the wall...

BUT - now it is because we finally were able to get a TV in the corner and figure out where exactly we wanted to painting on the wall!

teeeeeveeeee.

2009-12-17T08:30:00.001-05:00

Yes! We bought one as an early Christmas gift to ourselves!!!

And still without my camera - so please disregard the crap image. :) I am going to put a large bow on it on Christmas morning!

knobs.

2009-12-15T08:30:00.001-05:00

Our kitchen came without having any hardware on the cabinets. So I have decided to update the cabinets a bit before painting them all white. Knobs are in the budget right now - whole kitchen redo is not so much.

Here a few of the knobs I am digging - although I will probably go with simple satin nickel knobs - it is still so fun to look!

All can be found at Anthropologie.

spacial awareness.

2009-12-10T08:30:00.000-05:00

So the new sofa in the living room has posed a problem. When our new sofa first arrived, I just stuck it right up against the wall. This did not look so purdy - as you can see here.

And then I wrote about how we really wanted a TV in this space, but that the only option was to have it in a certain corner in the room - on the same stinkin wall where we originally were going to put the sofa, as seen here.

SO...here is what we came up with in the living/dining rooms. I am definitely loving the separation of the rooms - and the view outside our bay window while seated on the couch!

And yes, I know the painting still needs to be hung on that bare wall, but I do not want to hang until we know what size TV we are putting into the corner :)

corner time.

2009-12-08T08:30:00.001-05:00

Now that we finally have a sofa in the living room, it has been interesting trying to figure out the best way for our living room/dining room to be laid out.

I am working on a final layout of the space - mostly because I really want to incorporate a TV on the main level of the house (right now the TV is in the man cave in our basement - which is bitterly cold this time of year).

So the only way a TV would work in this space is in the corner to the right of the bay window. In that case we will need some sort of corner unit, so here are a few of my favorites. Oh, and we are going to need a TV for it too...hoping Santa might bring that :)
Click on images for sources

holiday hominess.

2009-12-03T08:30:00.016-05:00

Here are just some inspirational photos if you have not yet done the holiday decorating - or even if you want to keep adding to what you have done (which I am sure I will be doing)!

the stockings are hung.

2009-12-01T08:30:00.000-05:00

Unlike last year, I waited a bit longer to decorate the house for the holidays - no one can call my crazy now! I still did it a wee bit early last weekend, but I am just so beyond excited about having an entire house to decorate, I couldn't help myself :) And we did not put up the lights outside until this past weekend.

Here are a few of my favorites! (via my camera phone due to losing my camera somewhere in PA this weekend)

pantry love.

2009-11-27T08:30:00.000-05:00

As I have mentioned before, I love things organized. Enter my pantry - where as long as M does not put away the groceries, it usually can stay on the somewhat organized side :)

The previous owners left us these lovely side baskets that are perfect for our miscellaneous items that do not really fit onto the regular shelving.

Baking items and breakfast items take the top shelf. With dry items such as pasta and rice as well as canned goods on the shelf beneath that.

Snacks take the next lowest shelf and then tea, coffee and and other drinks/large items stored find their home on the bottom.

As long as I have some sort of system going, I can sleep soundly. It truly is amazing to have this much space though compared to our old apartment. As you can see, we are still not used to buying enough groceries to fully fill the space!

gobble gobble.

2009-11-25T08:30:00.000-05:00

Another Turkey Day is already here. And so comes the Turkey Day gratitudes.

My brand new nephew.
Our wonderful new home.
Moving even closer to the fam.
My brother coming all the way back to PA to be with us.
Black Friday midnight shopping traditions.
Not having to work on this holiday weekend (which was entirely possible-grr)
My job (even with the above parentheses)
Snuggly sweaters and socks.
My guy.

Happy Thanksgiving! Hope everyone has a safe and happy holiday with family and friends! Num num to all the food!

100!

2009-11-24T08:30:00.001-05:00

Yay for 100 posts! This is numero 100 since the start of my blog back in April of 2008. I thought it might be fun look back at how different the blog has become since its start. Here are a few of my favorites/biggies.

1. First post: Here goes... - Have to say that this one was a big deal for me - mostly because my first year out of college was a huge hurdle for me. The blog was my way of getting through it all - a way to talk myself into moving forward even with all of the walls I seemed to be hitting.

Although the blog has changed, I have as well, and I have kept the same title since day one. I think that 'Playing House' has been the perfect platform in showing those changes in myself and getting me closer to standing on my own two feet. I am not totally there yet and definitely still have my challenges, but it has been pretty cool to look back and see how much my life has changed for the better since that post.

2. the amazing parts. - This tragedy put a lot of things into perspective for me. My best friend from college lost her brother last year and I am still struggling to figure out how she and her family got through with such grace and courage. We will always miss you Jared.

3. the big move. - When M and I moved in together, I have to be honest and say that I was keeping my fingers crossed he would be easier to live with than girls! He is and we have not looked back since, now owning a house together and truly making it our home.

4. change. - Barack Obama - no other explanation needed.

5. one year ago. - And it will be two years very, very soon with my guy :)

6. breath of fresh air. - Ahh the lost house and lay off. All I have to say about this is what a huge blessing in disguise it was. We lost our first offer, but love our new home so much more! And no one ever wants to lose their job, but mine totally sucked, so I really was happy to get out of there. And I was uber lucky to find a new job at a great agency only two weeks later!

7. happy homeowners. - WE BOUGHT A HOUSE!!! and love love love it!

8. guest room paint. - This was my first for serious house project and M and I had so much fun. Granted this was the only painting needed to be done, which is probably why we had such a blast, but still.

9. painted console table. - Finally having space to paint furniture is so nice, and this was my first project for the new house.

10. all done-ish with the guestroom. - It felt so good to complete this room - I was mighty proud that I got it done in such a short amount of time - and I think it looks pretty darn good if I do say so myself.

11. work day stroll. - As I have mentioned, my new job has been such a blessing and is such a better environment that the last agency I worked for. Even my walk at lunchtime is amazing!

12. house tour. - Ta da! After six months of living in our new home, this is what it looks like. Proud and happy homeowners!

the bedroom.

2009-11-20T08:30:00.001-05:00

AND we got a bedroom set while we were in the furniture purchasing mode - new sofa and all! Wooo! I feel like such a grown up now that I don't have my random college furniture in the bedroom.

Old Bedroom -

New bedroom! Again, I have some finishing touches, like hanging art and getting organized, but YAY for a grown up bedroom!

numero dos.

2009-11-18T08:30:00.000-05:00

It's that time of year again. M and I have been together for an incredible two years (longest relationship ever for me - go Kait!) Never in my life did I think that I would be so lucky at the age of 24 - owning a home with the love of my life and happy as a clam. :) I am a very lucky girl and am way excited for our anniversary dinner tonight! And like I said 365 days ago - check back in another year.

finally furnished.

2009-11-16T08:30:00.000-05:00

We FINALLY got a stinkin sofa in our living room! I do not have to sit on the floor when I get home from work and I am uber excited about that!

The bare bones living room before...bleh.

And ook at our fabulous new addition!

I still have some finishing touches to do in the living/dining areas, but was too excited to show off the new addition than to wait!

a few of my favorite things.

2009-11-12T08:30:00.003-05:00

As mentioned before, I love to clean. It makes me so incredibly happy, so I thought I would share a few of my favorite cleaning items.

First and foremost, my Dyson. I love to vacuum regardless, but this machine makes me the happiest girl on earth. When I first got it, I was still living in my apartment - and I am not lying, I vacuumed three times in the same room and was STILL picking up dirt my old vacuum had left behind. It is amazingness!

Ahh the toilet want. I simply throw the mess away - bye bye germs. Enough said.I have mentioned my love for the Cook Top Cleaner before, but sheesh it makes my life easier!
Anything and everything can be cleaned by this piece of foam - pretty rad to have on hand, especially on move in day when we (meaning M) had a few scuffs here and there from the furniture.
I had tried the flat Swiffer Duster in the past and was not too impressed. But this lil wonder picks up every bit of dust in sight, no lie. And makes my life easier, yet again!

new plan.

2009-11-10T08:30:00.001-05:00

So my new plan for our kitchen is to paint the cabinets white. I think it will look great with the red walls and stainless appliances. Here is a shot of the kitchen now...

And here are a few inspirational kitchens that I am hoping to mimic.

a bit of rearranging.

2009-11-05T08:30:00.001-05:00

With our new table in the kitchen, we still did not have chairs. At the moment, M and I are trying to save up for the holidays, so rather than purchase a few chairs for the kitchen, we simply took our two leather chairs previously at the dining room table and stuck them in the kitchen for the time being. Really like them in there actually :)

scrub a dub dub heaven.

2009-11-03T08:30:00.000-05:00

I grew up with a gas stove and all of my former apartments were gas as well. Now we have an electric glass cook top in the new house - and as much as I LOVE our kitchen, that darn cooktop is a pain in the butt to clean!

UNTILLLLL I found this wonder...I am skeptical of most cleaning thing-a-ma-jiggys, but I was having so much trouble getting the darn glass clean that I figured what the heck. And it is just dreamy! Cleans so well and I will never go back.

philly time.

2009-10-29T13:30:00.000-04:00

This Philly gal is so, so excited about the World Series! Go Phils - one down, three to go.

One of the newest Phillies fans posing for his Aunt Kaity :)

fabulous fall.

2009-10-29T08:30:00.003-04:00

As mentioned in my summer post about Fall, I don't really decorate for Halloween so much as the Fall season. With that said, here are a few very simple things that I have done around the house to welcome Fall (even though lately the weather around here has been quite winterish).

A few ears of corn from the grocery store and some twine for our front door.

My favorite new pumpkin piece a la Target.

Simple vase full of acorns.

A few gourds and pumpkins with my favorite Fall Harvest scented candle.

Hope everyone has a safe and fun Halloween!

what a steal.

2009-10-27T08:30:00.000-04:00

Pretty excited about my purchase over the weekend! Although it is a small purchase, the new lamp in our guestroom was something I had been eyeing for the space for a while!

At only $16.99 from Target, I finally scooped it up this weekend and love how it adds to the room!

college days.

2009-10-23T08:30:00.002-04:00

This past weekend was my college homecoming - woo Tigers! This was the third since graduation and although I did not have much pride for my out of state college while attending (can't help being a Penn State fanatic), I am definitely missing my college days very much (I missed homecoming because of my travels home to see my newborn nephew though - very worth it!).

I am sure I am missing college because of the lack of responsibilities we have at that time in our lives compared to the real world, but either way - I am finding myself much more nostalgic lately.

Some shots of Towson University's campus -

Towson's dance studios = my second home in college :)

My freshman dorms :)

And yes, I am that person that would spend my lunch hour driving around campus yelling "TRADE LIVES WITH ME!" to all the freshmen moving in. Hah!

ho ho ho.

2009-10-21T08:30:00.000-04:00

Santa is coming! I still cannot seem to believe that it is already time for the holidays. Last year, I had my apartment decorated and the tree up before Thanksgiving - I was just so excited! And this year, I have a whole house to trim with holiday decor. I even get to put candles in all of our windows - can't wait!

Here are a few favorites I have had my eye on -

welcome!

2009-10-20T08:30:00.000-04:00

Welcome to Baby Luke Matthew - and congratulations to his parents Julie and Blake! Born October 17, 7 pounds 10 ounces, 20. inches long! I am so excited to be an aunt!

Is he not just perfect?

hometown.

2009-10-19T08:30:00.000-04:00

I am working on our gallery wall, and decided I want to include great photography of where both m and I grew up. There are a ton of great Baltimore photos out there, so we should be set with M's hometown, but my town of lil old West Chester, PA is not as well known. However, in my search, I found some really amazing photography that I hope to order.

Here are a few of my favorites...

Chester County Courthouse

Night shot of Market Street

The town library

Phillips Concert Hall - where I grew up performing with my ballet company

One of the amazing homes in town

Love, love, love my hometown and miss it more and more all the time. I am very lucky that my parents are still living there and that I get to visit every once and a while still!

holy Lonny.

2009-10-16T08:30:00.001-04:00

I know it's kind of old news now...but Lonny Magazine: I cannot even begin to tell you how amazing this new magazine is - and the entire issue is online allowing readers to click on any item in the publication leading right to its source. Amazing. And so nice to see that this new magazine, with the falling of so many other great shelter pubs, has made such an effort to really play to the changing media demands, as well as bring great design that is still affordable to us all.

I was lucky enough to be able to read through the entire magazine while sitting on the beach last week - and here are some of my favorite parts...

Market - this section plays out different design styles and key items that fit each style, love it!

How To - for the DIYer, this section shows you a look and easily instructs how it can be done, again being able to click on any item to find where it can be purchased.

And there are so many inspirational spaces featured - can't wait for the next issue!

wall love.

2009-10-15T08:30:00.000-04:00

I have mentioned working on a gallery wall up our stairway - and this wall, although not in a stairwell, is EXACTLY the look I am going for. Very excited to see how mine turns out, and hoping it looks pretty darn close to this!

excited about gift wrapping.

2009-10-13T08:30:00.000-04:00

I have mentioned before that I live for organization. And this lil item makes my heart pound! It would just make me the happiest girl to own it.

And look at it in this fabulously organized craft room! Oh la la. Makes me ancy for gift wrapping this holiday season!

back to it.

2009-10-12T11:00:00.000-04:00

M and I had a very nice, relaxing seven days at the beach! I am back now and refreshed. I quite literally slept all seven days while basking in the sun and it was splendid! This was the first time away from the new house though, so I really missed it and was glad to get home too. Trying to catch up at work might be a bit tough, but I just think back to last week and smile.

This was the view from our balcony - not bad :)

peace out!

2009-10-02T08:30:00.003-04:00

I am leaving tomorrow morning for seven glorious days of vacation! My Blackberry is being left at home and I can't stinkin wait!

M and I have not been on a vacation in 1 year, 6 months and 15 days - but who's counting?!? So like I said, peace OUT! I will be sipping drinks with my toes in the sand for seven days straight and promise to return home and get back to posting next week. Hope you all have a wonderful week!

cozy corners.

2009-09-30T08:30:00.000-04:00

As the weather gets cooler and cooler, it makes me miss the fireplace that I grew up with. I loved cozying up next to it in the big comfortable furniture in my childhood home.

Is this not the most adorable corner of cozy?

And what about this fantastic reading nook?

Coastal living has a whole bunch of ideas for making any space more cuddle-worthy - take a look.

purple room love.

2009-09-28T08:30:00.000-04:00

As I have mentioned before, I am very much in love with the color purple! My childhood bedroom was themed in the lovely color - purple Pottery Barn duvet, purple Pottery Barn flowered rug, and hand painted (by me as a 7th grader) purple furniture with details painted in a darker purple shade. I was even lucky enough to have my mom help with painting a mural on the walls that mimicked the floral pattern on the area rug. Pretty cool room to grow up in!

Anyhoo, here are some beautiful grown up rooms in purple - if only I could talk M into this color palette!

fired up.

2009-09-25T08:30:00.000-04:00

This Fall weather is my absolute favorite! It makes me want to cuddle up with M and read a good book. It is the perfect tights, sweater, hoodie, open windows and bonfire weather. Love it!

Our backyard is a bit too small for a bonfire - plus our HOA might not like it so much. But I would love to get a fire pit and get some s'mores going before it gets too brr to go outside at all.

Here are a few of my favorites - yes please to hanging out around any of these.

accessories.

2009-09-23T08:30:00.000-04:00

They are what makes your home yours - a little showcase of your personality - and here are a few of my favorites in our home.

This is the top of the kitchen mirror - each letter was 50 cents at a local home store.

My bowl of corks - M and I keep the corks from bottles of wine that represent and important time/occasion in our lives.

A birthday gift my surfer brother bought me this year - he did a pretty good job huh?

Our initials - I really love letters :)

My touch of dance in the living room - these were actually gifts from separate people, but look amazing all together - guess my friends and family all know me pretty well :)

love for laundry.

2009-09-21T08:30:00.000-04:00

So I have been told that my love for doing laundry is a bit on the strange side. Laundry and vacuuming make me happier than even an organized closet does, kinda nutty!

Now that M and I own a home, I finally - for the first time in SIX years - have a washer and dryer in the same place where I reside. Ahh the small things in life. But for serious, I am elated to be able to walk downstairs and do a load of laundry whenever my little heart desires.

As happy as I am to have a laundry room, ours is also a storage room with unfinished walls and the like. So here are a few spaces I can only dream about - because finishing our laundry room just would not make sense due to its location in the basement. A gal can dream though.

(click on photos for sources)

stressing.

2009-09-18T08:30:00.000-04:00

So I just looked at my tweets on the side of the blog, and my last three were pretty negative based on the stresses I have been experiencing at work lately.

I literally have no time or energy to get anything done around the house - even laundry - and need desperately to just de-stress. I am hoping this weekend with no plans will help, but I apologize for my lack of posts lately. Although the blog is my form of de-stressing, I do not even have time to write. More to come if work settles down, I hope - fingers crossed.

bed shelves.

2009-09-16T08:30:00.000-04:00

Well, as a ginormous fan of Sex and the City, I am wondering about shelving above our guest room bed. I beyond loved Carrie's apartment, both the original and movie versions, including the shelving above her bed, but I am trying to decide if shelving above a bed is a smart choice, or if guests will just get clonked in the head by them.

I love how this looks but am still wary. I have already bought the shelves and will let you know what I decide, possibly with before and after photos.

(source)

a new kitchen table.

2009-09-14T08:30:00.001-04:00

Another project that I was able to get to over the long weekend was our new kitchen table!

This lil treasure was found on Craigslist and was a mere $40 - solid oak and pretty darn nice for so little cash. It did not come with chairs, but we can get those anywhere - and hopefully soon but the stools are ok for now.

M did the sanding - it was a rainy day, but I would not suggest doing this indoors if you can avoid. We had a lot of saw dust to clean up, but this was the only time we had to get it done.

Painting the base - coat #1

Almost finished - love that we have a leaf for when we need more dining space.

Ta da! All done.
One table - $40.
One small can of black gloss paint - $8.
Stools for now - free.

Not too shabby!

my heart goes out.

2009-09-11T08:00:00.001-04:00

My heart goes out to all of those who lost a loved one eight years ago today.

We will never forget.

purple urple.

2009-09-10T08:30:00.002-04:00

As I have mentioned before, some of my old clients were home decor companies, one of which was EXPO Design Center - may it rest in peace. I was fortunate enough to do a lot of work for EXPO and was always so inspired by all of their new trends - they always seemed to be way ahead of the curve.

One of the last trends I worked on before they went out of business was what they called 'Hollywood Chic'. Last Fall, purple was a big trend and it still seems to be this Fall (plus it is my favorite color).

So I thought I would delight you with some of the amazing pieces that they offered last Fall (not all are purple, but I love them all) - which although no longer available at EXPO, can still be a great inspiration for any home.

some time to breathe.

2009-09-08T09:30:00.000-04:00

As you can see, NONE of my house projects have been completed in a while. Right now, I am getting home from work so late and so exhausted, I can barely stay awake long enough to eat dinner.

So this past weekend, thanks to the holiday, I finally had time to get at least a few things checked off of my list! I got my new table (Craigslist find) sanded, was able to get yard work done and even got to organize the basement storage area. Yay for a productive weekend. And even with all of that, I still have plenty of time to relax and be a complete and utter bum! Loved it!

AND to top all of that off, my clematis finally bloomed in the backyard! Pretty excited I didn't kill it :)

the crab pretzel.

2009-09-04T14:33:00.000-04:00

So, I have now been a Maryland resident for about six years (Philly gal at heart still though!). I was living in this state a total of four years before I ever came across the crab pretzel. Maryland is well known for crabs - but the crab pretzel is kept a bit more hush hush and to my understanding not even all Marylanders know about it.

BUT, it is the most amazing and delicious creation on the face of the earth. It is a baked soft pretzel topped with lump crab dip, cheddar cheese and Old Bay seasoning. Yum! And there is one place (since I have now tried them everywhere in the two years I have been aware of the amazingness) that does it best - Silver Spring Mining Company. When M and I moved north of the city, I totally thought we were never going to be able to get down to the restaurant to have them, however I now know that only 5 miles from our new home, a Silver Spring does reside!

Look at this amazingness - if you are ever in Maryland or lucky enough to already live here - totally order one with a tall Yuengling...heaven!

swooning over chairs.

2009-09-01T08:30:00.000-04:00

As I have mentioned before, we STILL have no living room furniture and will not be getting it for quite some time so it seems (for reasons that I will explain at another time).

Until then, a girl can dream/drool over these amazing chairs that are available at my most favorite store on earth - Target makes me weak in the knees every time!

new tools.

2009-08-31T08:30:00.000-04:00

M and I went out this past weekend and bought a brand new Dewalt Random Orbit Sander! The old agency I worked for did PR for power tools, and I never, ever thought I would come to buy a main competitor - but Dewalt was on sale and had the best warranty, so it went home with us!

The furniture I have sanded down and painted in the past was all small to medium sized and could be sanded by hand. BUT my new score from Craigslist will be requiring a bit more work. Can't wait to try out the new sander and show off the new project!

basement bathroom wish list.

2009-08-28T08:30:00.001-04:00

Sadly, the largest bathroom is our house in the third one located in the basement. Although the basement is M's favorite place in the world - what with his surround sound and 47" big screen - I am still trying to get used to having our living space on a different floor than the kitchen.

That being said, it is nice that we have a bathroom down there because so much time is spent in the cave. But the bathroom is grody. Plain and simple. It needs new fixtures desperately and it is outfitted to have a bathtub, but we don't want/need one down there - leaving an awkwardly large space. When you use the potty down there, it's mad awkward to stare off into a blank large space.

Here is proof of the awkwardness...this is one side of the bathroom.

And there is the other. See all that floor space? What to do, what to do? (plus the flooring is yuck and a half!)

The old owners left the ironing board rack, so we just stuck ours in there for now - bleh.

So here is what I am thinking we should do with the space. I would love to fill that huge blank wall with a great piece of furniture as well as get a new vanity and fixtures. And with a few accessories, the space might feel a bit more intentional rather than just plain odd.

house tour.

2009-08-27T08:30:00.007-04:00

We have only been in our house a few months now, but I wanted to give you a tour to get an idea of how the house is laid out. Some rooms are still missing furniture and we still have a lot of things I would like to change - but it's home, and I love it here!

FRONT YARD

ENTRYWAY

LIVING ROOM

DINING AREA

KITCHEN

DECK

BACKYARD

BASEMENT

LAUNDRY ROOM

HALF BATHROOM

STAIRWAY

UPSTAIRS LANDING

MASTER BEDROOM

MASTER BATHROOM

GUEST ROOM

GUEST BATHROOM

OFFICE

Hope you enjoyed! If you have any questions about the spaces - just let me know!

fall is not so far.

2009-08-26T08:30:00.004-04:00

First off, I cannot believe that it is already the end of August and that Fall is right around the corner. Ahh! With that said, many retailers already have the Halloween hoopla in full swing, scarily enough (pun kinda intended).

I am not a huge fan of decorating the house for each holiday that rolls around. Granted I go nuts around Christmas, but other holiday decorations are usually...a bit cheesy for my taste.

I am more apt to decorate per season. And this Fall, I would not mind having some of these lovely items around my home. I guess because they do not scream Halloween, I am okay with them (and there is a good chance that because all of these are from Pottery Barn, I am bound to love them no matter what).

work day stroll.

2009-08-25T08:30:00.000-04:00

So I am beyond lucky to work in the cute lil neighborhood called Fell's Point in Baltimore. My building is right on the corner of cobble stone streets and you can see the harbor from any given window in the building - pretty awesome.

That makes for even more awesome lunch time walks. There are adorable shops and boutiques lining the streets and it almost makes me forget that I am at work! So I thought I'd show you some of my favorite spots. Here is the awesome street view of my building - thanks to Google Maps. If you scroll left about 180 degrees, you will see my building - very cool, I know.

And here are some great views from my daily walk.

Lucky gal, aren't I?

all done-ish with the guest room.

2009-08-24T08:30:00.002-04:00

So the guest room has been completed!! (for now - we still only have an air bed, but I am saving every penny to eventually get a real bed in there)

From my wish list to the wallpaper removal/painting and now into reality - I am so excited to show off the new space!

Here again are the before photos - the old nursery from previous owners.

And after!

The bedding I originally had on my idea board was from Crate & Barrel - but for budget purposes, I went with this bedding from Ikea. The duvet and shams for Queen size was only $19.99! And I have to say - it is pretty darn close to the other pattern! The art is being framed right now for above the bed, but I will be sure to show you once it is up!

The four black frames seen when entering the room were a total of $3.00 from target on clearance a while back. And the simple white drapes were $17.99 again from Target.

The little dresser is from my childhood room and followed me to my first apartment and now my first home - FREE!

The lamp I had already owned, but I bought a simple black shade from Target for $7.99. Black framed mirror, another Home Goods buy for $14.99. And I already owned the tea light holder ($5.99 from Ten Thousand Villages), vase ($2.99 from Ikea) and magazines.

The euro pillows were on sale at JCPenny for $7.99 each and the black accent pillow was a mere $6.00 thanks to Walmart! My $5.00 side table from Craigslist just needed a coat of white paint. Glass bottles were from Home Goods, $2.99 each and the gray pot was from a thrift store back when I spent a summer in Erie, PA, $1.50.

(final view with mood lighting - the stinkin' flash stopped working)

Grand total: $104.41 - and I already owned a good amount of the accessories - so that's not the for serious total - but still darn good if I had bought it all at once!

August 22 gratitudes.

2009-08-22T08:30:00.000-04:00

Really great friends from a really not so great old job.

A beautiful home that I share with an amazing man.

One booked vacation to Florida come October!

Getting credit when credit is due at work.

Saturday night sleepovers with the girls (soon to start!)

A family that I miss so much because they are just that incredible.

Air conditioning!

Really good music on my commute on I-95.

loving leaves.

2009-08-21T08:30:00.000-04:00

Lately I have been falling in love with all things leaves. Lots of L's huh? Anyhoo, there seems to be something for every space in your home - and I am wish listing them all right now!

Living Room

Accessories

Walls

Bedding
Kitchen

And that is only SOME of all that is out there - whew!

my office organization.

2009-08-20T08:30:00.001-04:00

So, as mentioned before, I live for organization. Our office right now still has my college desk in it, but I have still tried to make it as nice a space as possible. (oh and go state! if you see my paw magnet)

So I am all about file folders. It is the only way I can stay sane and keep things on track - same goes at my office at work (co-workers have commented on how disgustingly organized my desk is at all times - and yes, that makes me happy!). So I have some folders on the side of the desk with items I need to access on almost a daily basis.

I am also a neat freak with the desk drawers. And yay for endless amounts of post-its. I could not live without them!

And then I have my two lovely leather crates from Target (bought on clearance - my favorite!)

These house anything and everything we have concerning bills, cars, house docs etc. And of course they are in alphabetical order!

Also on the desk, I have a little bill paying pseudo station - housing check, envelopes, stamps and my favorite - MORE post-its! (and my Irish good luck duck of course - nerd, I know)

Then there is the teeny weeny little closet we have in the office. Barely enough room to house anything - which is why it is key for it to remain organized. Too often, small cramped spaces can become a dumping ground for random items which makes it impossible to ever find anything when you actually need it.

This closet keeps my books, my portfolios from work, and most importantly - a small gift wrapping station. I have a bin of wrapping paper, tissue paper and gift bags.

A drawer full of bows and ribbons -

A drawer of note cards and envelopes -

And a drawer full of art supplies - markers, colored pencils, glue, stickers etc. -

And that's that for the office. Another look at how I remain a lil bit more stress free...a lil bit.

sick as a dog.

2009-08-19T09:14:00.003-04:00

Well I have been sick in bed for the past few days and apologize for the lack of posts lately. Seems as though work has gotten me pretty run down - but I promise I am working on some new posts. Until then, I am medicating and hydrating! And of course back at work :(

office love.

2009-08-18T09:45:00.000-04:00

Is this not the cutest little set up? And I am not always a fan of the matchy-matchy, but here it looks adorable having the wall, clock, chair cushions and baskets coordinate! Also a great use of space for those smaller rooms.

(And do you see the lovely labels on those baskets? Maybe that's what made me fall for the look)

painted console table.

2009-08-15T08:30:00.001-04:00

So I finally got around to painting the table in our entryway (that I snagged on Craigslist for a mere $30!)

Here is the before...

First coat of paint...

And after... I love, love, love it! I ended up putting three coats of paint on just to make sure all was covered. Might be doing a coat of polyurethane this weekend, but yay for the bulk of the work being done!

MIA.

2009-08-13T08:30:00.001-04:00

Sorry for the lack of posts this week - it's been a rough few days at work, and I desperately need a mental health break.

I am taking Monday off from work and am hoping to be somewhat back with it on Tuesday, with more new posts to come.

sneak peak at my closet.

2009-08-10T08:30:00.000-04:00

To begin, I should note that I have a slight shoe problem - BUT I donated many pairs to charity before we moved into the new house. That being said, don't judge the bottom of my closet, I am doing well not buying shoes lately!

But first - some dream, wish-I had, drool worthy closets of mine!

Organized and filled with shoes - oh la la! And now for my closet...dunh dunh dunhhhh

Yup, that's it. M's items on the left and mine on the right. Of course we would LOVE to have more closet space (for my shoes), but for our first home, it's not too bad!

I try to keep my side pretty organized (can't say the same for M) - work pants, skirts, tanks, short sleeve, long sleeves.

Shoes are organized by winter and summer and then by color (they are my babies).

I am not a huge fan of keeping color order for my clothes though. Once in a while I will have the urge to organize it that way, only to have it ruined by me, myself, and I two days in. I am not going to show you a close up of M's side though - cough, cough. It's not as pretty as my side. :)

outdoor living wish list.

2009-08-07T08:30:00.001-04:00

So here is my little wish list for that icky area outside our basement sliders. Once we paint the concrete and stucco, I would really love to transform the space into what would seem like an entire additional room.

The chairs look incredibly comfortable and with a few accessories and some lighting, the bleh area could easily be transformed. This project will most likely happen next year - too much on our plate right now and sooner than we think it will probably be cold and gross outside. Does make me look forward to next Spring though!

linen closet love.

2009-08-06T08:30:00.002-04:00

Fabulous organization makes my heart go pitter patter! It skips a beat whenever I see color coordinated anything or items organized alphabetically. So in honor of my love for all things in their place, I thought I would show you a little bit of my organized world. I know you are just as excited!

Here is my lovely linen closet.

Everything is in its own basket, in its own place.

With labels :)

And here are a few other linen closets that are oh so purdy! I know you are all oooing and ahhing like me!

gallery wall.

2009-08-05T08:30:00.000-04:00

Loving gallery walls lately - thinking this is what I want to do up our stairway. I am thinking we will stick with black frames of all different sizes with black and white photos in each.

my dance show finale.

2009-08-04T15:26:00.005-04:00

Not sure if any of you follow it - but this week is the SYTYCD finale!!! So excited and am hoping that my favorite dancer wins! I always tend to like the female contestants more because I can relate more to them in each performance and know more so how they should look technically in performances.

So I am rooting for Jeanine!!! She is such a powerhouse and dances with so much passion, I get goosebumps. Yes I am a dance loving nerd - woot! (that is her on the couch below)

Can't wait to see them perform Wednesday and then for the results Thursday. And I am now debating buying tickets to see them while they are on tour in baltimore...Only thing is I would be dragging M to it, which seems a tiny bit not nice. Although I have to admit, he patiently watches the show with me each week and even comments now on the good and bad things he sees in each dancer. He ALMOST likes it, and might even be starting to appreciate dance. :)

(Can't wait for season 6 in September either!)

sneak peak - guest room.

2009-08-04T08:30:00.001-04:00

It is coming along. the paint job was completed a few weeks ago and I am working on getting the rest of the room completed. But here is a sneak peak at what the room looks like right now.

And yes, that is an air bed - for now. And that painting will eventually be hung - we are getting there!

garden thieves.

2009-08-03T08:30:00.000-04:00

It is official - we have thieves at the new house! And they are in the form of little furry friends. Boo to the rabbits that are eating all of my attempted green thumbing.

I need all the help I can get not to kill these darn plants on my own - and then little bunnies come and eat them up any way. GAH! I will be purchasing fox urine ASAP to keep the little buggers far, far away.

beach getaway.

2009-07-31T13:00:00.000-04:00

I am headed to the beach this weekend! Normally I would call it the shore - being from Philly and all - but the Marylanders call it the beach (and the ocean - which is just strange to me) so the beach it is. I will be there for two glorious days - getting some much needed relaxation - Blackberry TURNED OFF! (man do I need a real vacation!)

Oh how I wish this is what the Maryland beaches actually looked like... Maybe a few cocktails will help my imagination :)

stucco yucco.

2009-07-31T08:30:00.003-04:00

Well this is the ONE part of the house that I sorta kinda don't like (but I won't say it out loud because I don't want to hurt its' feelings)

As you exit the basement slider doors, this is what you see - ewww. It's gross, we know.

And coming from the backyard this is the bleh view.

I would love to paint the stucco and concrete to look like any one of these - after a good scrubbing of course!

When we get through all of the other house projects, I would love to then make this space a nice outdoor living area - maybe I will even put a wish list together for it eventually! A few chairs with cushions, a sweet little table and some accessories would make a nice, relaxing reading area.

wedding on the brain.

2009-07-30T08:30:00.003-04:00

Since being asked to be a bridesmaid this week, I have not been able to stop the wedding excitement surrounding her big day! Here are a few inspirational photos using the bride-to-bes color palette.

red hot room love.

2009-07-29T11:45:00.003-04:00

To add to my red kick, I came across this image and fell in love. I am thinking I want a chandelier more and more in our master bedroom wish list! But with an already red kitchen, I will just dream about this lovely space.

master bedroom wish list.

2009-07-29T08:30:00.000-04:00

So this is what I am hoping our master will eventually come to look like. Right now we have hand me down white furniture in the bedroom, but our next big project once the guest room is complete will be the master. I love the dark wood, probably because I have had white furniture most of my life and cannot wait to get my hands on some of these pieces!

bridal party.

2009-07-28T14:52:00.009-04:00

I was beyond excited to be asked to participate in a good childhood friends' wedding - and even MORE excited that she has asked me to choose the bridesmaid gowns! The dresses will be floor length, strapless and black - and I get to choose! The wedding colors are black and white with red accents - going to be beautiful and so classic.

So here are a few I am considering - it will obviously be different once we try them on, but even so, it's fun to start looking! (kind of leaning toward the third by the way)

oh oh organization.

2009-07-28T08:30:00.000-04:00

This organization just makes my heart skip a beat! I am so hoping my office eventually turns out this beautifully!