Bouqs-Making me the best niece ever

Some lucky bloggers were ordering these gorgeous flowers from a company called Bouqs, and i wanted in.  When Bouqs contacted me with an opportunity to order my own, i was all yesss. But then i thought, it's the season of giving-why keep these flowers for yourself when you can send them to your Aunt who is hosting Thanksgiving. These will adorn her table, she will be pleasantly surprised to receive such things, and you will be known as the best niece ever.  So that's what i did.  Officially the best niece ever right here.

With the idea that these would be sent for Thanksgiving, i went with a dozen of these orangey red roses.



I was really impressed with the selection and the pricing-a discount code when you sign up, more discount codes emailed to me after this purchase, on their web page right now there's a code for double the amount of flowers. Sold.

But let's talk about the flowers. They aren't just any old flowers. These beauties are cut from the volcano only when you place your order so your flowers arrive the freshest.  They cut only what they sell, so the farms are eco friendly and sustainable.  I was shocked to actually get a tracking code for them, and for the origination to actually be from Quito, Ecuador.



What a great way to show someone you care this holiday season, for a special occasion, or for a not so special occasion.

You could be the best _______ ever.

World's Greatest Niece,
B

I am now a Bouqs ambassador and affiliate, and am recommending them based on the fabulous experience that i had.

Currently...October

Have mercy, how on earth is it October? And don't you feel like we're all asking this question so often now? Like, how is the summer already over? How is it October? How is it the holidays are so close? By the way, no one talk to me about the holidays yet...although I've seen a few posts about them in link parties and will not so much as glance in their Santa direction. How is it that people are posting about the holidays already? While we're asking random questions, how is it that i will be 35 in a few weeks? Holy smokes, 35.  The next box. In the checking of boxes, the next box is 35 and older. How is it that I will soon be checking that next box?  Time is totally flying faster than ever before.

Speaking of flying, I will be turning 35 in Puerto Vallarta, Mexico. Surely that takes the sting out, a bit.  Also, i want to buy myself something fancy, but what?

puertavallarta.net

This is most likely the one excursion we are going to, the Marieta Islands, which is a hidden beach made from bomb testing in the 1900s. You can only gain entry from either jumping in from the top (not recommended) or swimming into it from a "short tunnel carved from sea by the ocean side and into the crater." That sounds a little scary, i'm not a good swimmer, but when else do you get to see something like this???

Currently.....
Smelling:  Mulled Cider candle from Walmart. Their brand of candles were recommended to me, and they are so fragrant.
Loving:  My cats. I can't get enough of them, especially when i am going on vacation. I just try to soak up as much time with them as possible.
Planning:  Um, vacation? Right now the planning is focused just on clothing to bring. Luckily, this seems to be simpler than our last two trips and i am determined to get everything in the smaller carry-on suitcase.
Baking:  The weeks leading up to a vacation are freeing, don't you think? It's the only time i don't look at the food circulars, because instead of buying more food I'm looking to use what i have on hand in case something happens to the fridge or power or something.
Celebrating:  I mean, did somebody say 35 or what?!?!

 Any tips on PV? We are staying in the Bay of Banderas, about 20 minutes from downtown, so i was told to put Sayulito on my must see list.What else?!?!

Participating in Currently @ Dearest Love, Random Wednesday @ Because Shanna Said So

Don't be fooled by the rocks that i got

Cats. Squirrels. Two creatures, apparently, who are not so into the fact that i have potted plants.  Or rather, they're a bit TOO interested in the potted plants.  They're just not interested in how i intend these plants to live, which is INSIDE their pots and with the dirt UNDISTURBED.  I have found, both inside and out, my plants dug up and unearthed, dirt on the stairs and dirt covering the carpet.  No more.  For i have found the answer.

Rocks.

Don't be fooled by the rocks that i got, i'm still (i'm still) planting in my pots.  That's right.  Nothing a little j. lo wordplay can't fix.



This may be a no brainer-certainly this is not rocket science-but it IS one of those "why didn't i think of that" moments.  Because, people, this WORKS!  Consistently ALL summer, no more dirt on my front steps.  I seriously stand behind this.  The other idea for keeping squirrels away, that gets pinned a millllllion times, that didn't work for me.  But this works.  Pin THIS a million times.  Because i wish i would have known about this sooner.

This also keeps my cat Lily out of my indoor plants.  Yet another genius idea from the boyfriend, one that i didn't fully grasp right away.  When he said i needed to add rocks to keep her from digging, i assumed he meant the ones from our travels. 

So, i tucked in a few heart shaped ones from Aruba and France, added a little pottery shards from Israel, some shells from Hawaii...and expected it to work.  Not so, my friends.  For outdoor use and for consistency across the top of the pot, you're gonna need the little stones that come in bags from the dollar store or Ikea.

Gives it an added bonus of a finished, decorative look.  And not coming home to dirt on your floors or your stairs is always a good thing.

Go forth and rock on.

Get it???

I refrained from using this one, but i can't get it out of my head now.  "I like the way you work it...no diggity." Remember that song?

J.Lo ain't got nothin' on me.

sharing is caring: thrifty treasures @ southern hospitality, travel photo mondays @ travel photo discovery, places i've been @ the tablescaper,  travel photo thursdays@ budget travelers sandbox , Monthly projects @ Evolution of Style Make it Pretty Mon @ Dedicated House Throwback Thursday @ Sweet Pea, inspire me mondays and power of paint @ domestically speaking, Places I've Been @ The Tablescaper,  Before and After @ Thrifty Decor Chick,   Sundays @ Suburbs Mama  Mod Vintage Life, Motivate Me Mon @Keeping it Simple,  give me the goods @ rain on a tin roof, home stories a-z, nifty thrifty @ Coastal Charm, be inspired @ elizabeth and co, the scoop @ stone gable,  inspire me tues, lil luna, get your craft on, sugar bee crafts. inspire me weds @ 733, wow us weds @ savvy southern style,  work it weds @ the blissful bee, outdoor weds @ a southern daydreamer, whimsy wednesday, wicked awesome weds @ handy man, crafty woman,  whatever goes weds @ someday crafts,  charm of home, link party palooza @ tatertots and jello, Flaunt it Friday @ Chic on a Shoestring, open house @ no minimalist here, creativity unleashed @ shaken together,inspiration gallery @ Craftberry Bush, Frugal Friday @ The Shabby Nest, my romantic home, jennifer rizzo, Weekend Bloggy Reading @ Serenity now,  furniture fridays @ mustard seed, Feathered Nest @ French Country Cottage, design it fridays @ finding fabulous, best diy @ 36th ave, overflowing w/ creativity @ it's overflowing, nifty thrifty sundays, under the table and dreaming. inspire me please @ liz marie blog,sunday best @ the girl creative  shaken together,

Summer bathroom decor

Can you believe it is almost August?  Where on earth did the summer go?  I, for one, am thrilled to be so close to Fall and a certain little holiday called Halloween.  My cousin posted on facebook that there are 99 days until Halloween.  Pretty soon, fall decorations, outfits, and porches will be de rigueur on blogs and pinterest and i can't wait!

But if you (crazy person) are still hanging onto summer and want to inject a little summer style into all the rooms of your home, look no further for inspiration than My-Bathrooms.co.uk.  Their animated video shows tips on bringing some summer touches into your bathroom, with my favorite tip being the addition of greens and plants.  As you know from my living room plant collection, i'm really into greens this time of year.  A snake plant is a no fail plant, and can withstand the shade if your bathroom doesn't have a window.  Since our hall bath no longer has the window (it's now the sunroom shelving niche) this would be a change i can easily make.


 


What about you?  Can you see yourself incorporating any of those ideas into your home?  Do you already make summer changes to your bathroom?  And be honest, who else is happy over the Halloween count down.

Connect with My-Bathrooms.co.uk
 
Twitter:https://twitter.com/MYBATHROOMS1
Pinterest:http://www.pinterest.com/mybathrooms
Facebook:https://www.facebook.com/MyBathrooms.co.uk
Google Plus: https://plus.google.com/u/0/+My-bathroomsCoUk/posts

you're killing me, basement

Friends and countrymen, the basement reno is almost done.  I know i've been telling you this for years, literally yeeeears, don't think i don't know that.  But.  We have made progress on those incidentals that have a way of bringing the whole thing to a hault.  Or in our case, prolong something from progressing.  I guess that's actually what bring it to a hault means, but that implies there was actual work being done.  We sort of go in spurts where we focus on the basement, and then refinish a tv cabinet, and then go on vacation, and then build a patio. And then we're like, so what are we doing about that thing in the basement?

So.  There were two situations with the basement looming over our heads.  What do we do with the pole, and what do we do with all the electronic equipment for all the theatre stuff.

Starting with the pole, we wanted to make it have a purpose.  It has to be there, it may as well DO something.  So we're making it a table, for that little retro chair and for people who may be congregating in the bar area.

And since my darling knows i'm a visual person, he printed out templates from work so we can get a general idea of what the table would like like.  We like the look of the bottom boxed out, but for the top we may just paint it. 

Just enough space to rest a beer on, i don't want the table to take center stage.  Here i think it looks too big, but the picture below doesn't leave much room for your beverage.  However, if we don't drywall the top of the pole, it will mean the table will be plenty big.

The height is a little higher that the chair so that people standing can still use it.

This feels unobtrusive, right?

The many sizes he brought home, each adding an inch to the table top.  S keeps calling it a guitar pick shape, but to me it's a ouja board piece. 

Some a little less unobtrusive. Lordy. I think he was just trying to annoy me.

Some apparently, quite comfortable. 

And then finally we have the component bench!  This looks simple (at least to me) but it took him ages to draw up and was full of mathematical thought. I am telling you, this, for some reason, was a lot more complicated than it looks right here.   It looks like a pretty simple box....right?  I had hoped we could rig something from Ikea and be done with it.

But my darling is a man's man, and a man's man's theatre room has surround sound and wi fi tv and remote controls i can't even begin to understand. He put a lot of thought into making it perfectly line up with the electrical and computer input things...yeah.  I love how the sub woofer (that big speaker on the left) is partially sunken behind the face so that it looks just like the right hand side.

We realized the receiver gets too hot when it's in use, so he installed a fan on the right  The man just thinks of everything.  We'll install a flip down door that covers the whole front except that very bottom, and he (of course) has a fancy pants remote that works through the door. We'll also add pillows and cushions up top for seating.

Listen, just as long as i don't have to see this mess, i'm golden.

I need some input with the wall behind the bench, if you would indulge me.  So when the theatre screen is down, it won't be a problem.  When it is up in the ceiling (like in the photos) and we're using it as a bench, it's a big empty wall with an off center and high, typical basement window.  How do i decorate this?  Any sort of artwork would have to go really high so that people sitting on the bench aren't uncomfortable.  Should i just do something to balance out the window?  Do nothing at all?  Maybe just look into pillows for now?  Help!

 

 

sharing is caring:  living savvy outdoor extravaganza, thrifty treasures @ southern hospitality, travel photo mondays @ travel photo discovery, places i've been @ the tablescaper,  travel photo thursdays@ budget travelers sandbox , Monthly projects @ Evolution of Style Make it Pretty Mon @ Dedicated House Throwback Thursday @ Sweet Pea, inspire me mondays and power of paint @ domestically speaking, Places I've Been @ The Tablescaper,  Before and After @ Thrifty Decor Chick,   Sundays @ Suburbs Mama  Mod Vintage Life, Motivate Me Mon @Keeping it Simple,  give me the goods @ rain on a tin roof, home stories a-z, nifty thrifty @ Coastal Charm, be inspired @ elizabeth and co, the scoop @ stone gable,  inspire me tues, lil luna, get your craft on, sugar bee crafts. inspire me weds @ 733, wow us weds @ savvy southern style,  work it weds @ the blissful bee, outdoor weds @ a southern daydreamer, whimsy wednesday, wicked awesome weds @ handy man, crafty woman,  whatever goes weds @ someday crafts,  charm of home, link party palooza @ tatertots and jello, Flaunt it Friday @ Chic on a Shoestring, open house @ no minimalist here, creativity unleashed @ shaken together,creative connection @ making home base,  inspiration gallery @ Craftberry Bush, Frugal Friday @ The Shabby Nest, my romantic home, jennifer rizzo, Weekend Bloggy Reading @ Serenity now,  furniture fridays @ mustard seed, Feathered Nest @ French Country Cottage, design it fridays @ finding fabulous, best diy @ 36th ave, overflowing w/ creativity @ it's overflowing, nifty thrifty sundays, under the table and dreaming. inspire me please @ liz marie blog,sunday best @ the girl creative  shaken together, seasonal sundays @ the tablescaper,   sunday soiree @ craftomaniac

A sunflower bridal shower

How is it that my baby brother is getting married in just a few weeks?!  Super happy for him and his soon to be bride.  We hosted a sunflower themed bridal shower for her a couple weekends ago, and i think it came together really well.  The wedding is being held in a barn, as they all seem to be these days, so we wanted to go with that rustic, ball jar, low key sort of feeling.  I also did something rather bold for me, and me as a blogger; i reached out to the owner of Wild Herb Soap Co. and asked if we could partner on the favors.  And i was truly shocked when she said yes. So in full disclosure this is not a sponsored post, but rather a partner post about her Etsy store.  And of course, i wanted to share the details of the shower with you all.

Does this invitation (also from Etsy) say casual and rustic or what.  We had the image printed on top of the cake, too, but it didn't come out that great. Perhaps stores who offer such services should then package the cake without material to smudge the icing of the image one carefully selected. Just saying. 

 

This was the display when guests entered, to drop off their recipe cards and to lay out the fabulous favors.  We used clip art of a giant realistic sunflower, printed with the words "Thank you for showering Julie with love" and then the soaps-the delicious smelling soaps-displayed in the box next to it.  Also a good saying would be "From Julie's shower to yours" but that one just gives me visual images i'd rather not have.  So "showering" with love also makes sense with soap, and doesn't give anyone mental images of Great Aunts they'd rather unsee.

I wish this was scratch and sniff.

From the moment we opened the box, they smelled  Hea.Ven. Ly. Heavenly.  They are bundled together with raffia, and come in flavors like Citrus Explosion and Green Tea and Aloe.  Individually, they smell and look amazing, but together is like Wow.  And the shape/size is absolutely perfect for a favor.  They are packaged with 3 handmade slices, 1.5 ounces total, nut oil free and soy free.  There was a slightly smaller option, but i would absolutely recommend the size we got as any smaller would be too small.  We opted out of customized tags, but you can go that route, too. I love the scalloped edges on some of them, and the color variation.

The recipe cards had the same image as the bigger invitation, and the wood box was perfectly sized for guests to deposit them for the bride. We also encouraged guests to share a recipe for a happy marriage or a date night idea, and they were placed in two Ball jars.



The gift table early on, with more Ball jars, and more sunflowers.

To add some extra wedding-ness, i stuck these cake tooth picks in some of the desserts and hung the lanterns from the dining room chandelier. 

White paper lanterns mean instant festive feeling.

We were lucky to have great weather, and of course everyone had a nice time and loved their soaps.  Who wouldn't.  Seriously, i can't recommend Carol and her handmade soaps from Wild Herb Soap Co. enough.  She was super to work with, going above and beyond (like when i had a question but was leaving for vacation, so i asked her to email my mom instead) to make sure the customer was satisfied and up to date.

Please visit Carol's Etsy shop www.wildherb.etsy.com  or go directly to www.wildherbsoap.com if you'd like to order or find out more info.

Now let me ask you about some wedding etiquette-My cousin got married 9 months ago, when she learned that she was pregnant.  So she and her husband were married, in front of immediate family, by a rabbi, before she had the baby, who is now 7 months old.  She had a baby shower, as one should, for their first child.

Well, now i'm invited to her wedding.  But she's married. For almost a YEAR she's married, but, you know, i'll give her that and attend the wedding and buy a wedding gift (even though she chose to get married before her daughter was born, did i say that yet?).  But then-i get a bridal shower invite.  And here is where i draw the line and get all capital letters on you.  YOU ARE MARRIED! YOU DON'T GET A SHOWER!  I'm sorry you got pregnant and then had a shot gun wedding, but that is what HAPPENED and you have been MARRIED for almost a YEAR.  You don't get to go BACKWARDS and pretend you're NOT MARRIED and get MORE gifts and then MORE gifts!  Or is that just me?  I joked to my mom that i'm not married-nor am i engaged-but apparently there are no rules.  So with these no rules, even though i'm not engaged and not married, i'm gonna have me a "we've been together for 17 years SHOWER" and everyone can BUY ME PRESENTS.  How's that for ya?!

Am i being crazy to think this is just a ploy for gifts?  What would you do?  I'm not going and i'm not sending a gift.  This just bothers me to my very core. Tell me your thoughts on it. 

All opinions are 100% my own, i received a percentage off the favors in exchange for blogging about the store.

sharing is caring:  living savvy outdoor extravaganza, thrifty treasures @ southern hospitality, travel photo mondays @ travel photo discovery, places i've been @ the tablescaper,  travel photo thursdays@ budget travelers sandbox , Monthly projects @ Evolution of Style Make it Pretty Mon @ Dedicated House Throwback Thursday @ Sweet Pea, inspire me mondays and power of paint @ domestically speaking, Places I've Been @ The Tablescaper,  Before and After @ Thrifty Decor Chick,   Sundays @ Suburbs Mama  Mod Vintage Life, Motivate Me Mon @Keeping it Simple,  give me the goods @ rain on a tin roof, home stories a-z, nifty thrifty @ Coastal Charm, be inspired @ elizabeth and co, the scoop @ stone gable,  inspire me tues, lil luna, get your craft on, sugar bee crafts. inspire me weds @ 733, wow us weds @ savvy southern style,  work it weds @ the blissful bee, outdoor weds @ a southern daydreamer, whimsy wednesday, wicked awesome weds @ handy man, crafty woman,  whatever goes weds @ someday crafts,  charm of home, link party palooza @ tatertots and jello, Flaunt it Friday @ Chic on a Shoestring, open house @ no minimalist here, creativity unleashed @ shaken together,creative connection @ making home base,  inspiration gallery @ Craftberry Bush, Frugal Friday @ The Shabby Nest, my romantic home, jennifer rizzo, Weekend Bloggy Reading @ Serenity now,  furniture fridays @ mustard seed, Feathered Nest @ French Country Cottage, design it fridays @ finding fabulous, best diy @ 36th ave, overflowing w/ creativity @ it's overflowing, nifty thrifty sundays, under the table and dreaming. inspire me please @ liz marie blog,sunday best @ the girl creative  shaken together, seasonal sundays @ the tablescaper,   sunday soiree @ craftomaniac

DIY DSLR Camera Bag

 

Ok, so you know those Alaska pictures were taken with a fancy pants camera.  And a fancy pants camera needs protecting.  And a fancy pants camera protecting bag needs to look fancy pants itself.  And we all know how much those cost.  And we all know i'm a self proclaimed cheap ass. 

 

 

Let's put out there that I'm intimidated by things such as sewing.  And ironing.  And math.   

But even the expensive fancy pants bags didn't seem to have as many pockets as this girl needs.  Or they were many pocketed, but smaller in size.  So the first step was finding a bag that had minimal taper at the top, so it was wide enough to reach the camera quickly and easily, had handles but also a cross body strap, and would accommodate for more than just the camera and lens.  This was more difficult than I had thought, and necessitated stopping at 3 stores. 

 

And then I found the cheapest foam option-

and lined the bottom with a 1 inch thick piece, used a carving knife to make the sides a 1/2 thick so it could fit more and close-

and cut the 1 inch thick sides to shape.  Easy.  You can see the bag does taper slightly up top, but there's a lot of give.  It's got a big mouth.  Like a certain mother in law I know.  Burn! 

The excess foam was used for dividers, and when the camera was inside, held everything taut.

The foam scratching the screen was a concern, so I put one of those protector films on it.  If you wanted to sew the foam into fabric (not happening here) or maybe glue the foam into fabric, you probably wouldn't need a film over the screen.

Of course I could take all the foam out and use this a regular purse, too.

 

 

This extra flap and outside pockets really made this bag that much more workable than some of the more expensive options.   

 

I'm ridiculously proud of myself, for saving money but also for rocking this out. 

Cost breakdown:
Bag from Marshalls, 35.00
Foam from Walmart, 7.00 for 15x17x1 2 pack
$42 for a fancy pants looking fancy pants camera bag.  Seriously. 

What's your latest DIY proud moment?   

 

Find me here: Places I've Been @ The Tablescaper, pinterest party @ Bower Power,  Before and After @ Thrifty Decor Chick,   Sundays @ Suburbs Mama Craftomaniac,  Mod Vintage Life, Motivate Me Mon @Keeping it Simple,  Anything Goes, home stories a-z, nifty thrifty @ Coastal Charm, home stories a-z, tweak it Tuesdays, you're gonna love it, Tuesdays Treasures @ My Uncommon Slice of Suburbia, be inspired @ elizabeth and co, tabletop tues, lil luna, get your craft on, sugar bee crafts. sugar and spice @ 733, wow us weds @ savvy southern style, outdoor weds @ a southern daydreamer, wicked awesome weds @ handy man, crafty woman, beyond the picket fence,  whatever goes weds @ someday crafts, 52 mantles, spring into spring, Transformation Thurs @ The Shabby Creek Cottage, charm of home, vintage thingy thurs @ the colorado lady, Strut Your Stuff @ Somewhat Simple, hooking up @ house of hepworths, open house @ no minimalist here, share awesomeness @ 36th ave, tutorials and tidbits, Flaunt it Friday @ Chic on a Shoestring, open house @ no minimalist here, happy hour @ Craftberry Bush, Frugal Friday @ The Shabby Nest, feature yourself fri @ Fingerprints on the fridge, my romantic home, jennifer rizzo, Weekend Bloggy Reading @ Serenity now, free for all @ 5days5ways, Feathered Nest @ French Country Cottage, frugalicious friday @ finding fabulous, potpourri @ 2805, thrifty things fri @ the thrifty groove,  overflowing w/ creativity @ it's overflowing, nifty thrifty sundays, under the table and dreaming., shaken together, seasonal sundays @ the tablescaper,   a round tuit

Google Reader Griever

Well, I guess I can't procrastinate any longer.  It's time to say goodbye to the easiest way that I read and follow blogs, which was via Google Reader and Google Friend Connect. Why they are fixing something that ain't broken is a puzzle to me-I guess they don't realize how hard we all work and the thrill that we get seeing that follower number rise rise rise.  I feel like it's back to square one.

Many people are making the switch to Bloglovin', and that switch is easy since it imports all the blogs you currently subscribe to.  I don't think anything that is "starred" in reader (which is saved) is imported.  So all those blog tips, pictures, and ideas are down the drain.  One thing I don't like is that all the posts are truncated in Bloglovin, so that means you have to click through to every blog to see the whole post.  I can't see myself doing that, so it probably means I'm going to miss a lot of good stuff.  But of course i'll expect you to click through to mine.  Wink wink. 

Follow my blog with Bloglovin

Pretty pretty please. 

Somehow I have followers on bloglovin' already.  Bless your hearts.  When I figure out what i'm doing, i'll put a follow widget up.  Or, you can tell me how.

Please also consider signing up for emails and Pinterest and Facebook over on the right hand side.

I'll never let go, internet friends.  I'll never let go!

I don't know, Alaska

What did Delaware? 
I don't know, Alaska.

State humor.  Always fun.  Especially when you're going to one of those states.  And if you think my annual vacation is to a state i can drive to in 20 minutes, you are clearly wrong.  Because this is a bucket list trip.  And while there's nary a thing wrong with Delaware, it's probably not on anyone's bucket list to visit.

So that leaves Alaska.  I can buy a small car with the amount we are spending on this trip.  Bucket list vacations ain't cheap. This is also our 15 year anniversary thing, so going big is ok.  Bucket list items that I will cross off are as follows:  Alaska.  Pan for gold.  Icebergs from balcony.  Glass top train.  Baby moose.  Fancy pants camera.

via fineartamerica.com

 

Yes, that's right.  I've invested in a fancy pants beginner camera. On which I've been practicing for the last month.  Which means taking oodles of pictures of my cats.  My cats are ridiculously photogenic. 

Which means I need your fancy pants camera tips (mine is a Nikon 3100 with a 200 zoomy lens which will hopefully allow me to see baby moose/eagles/seals/elk/caribou/bear/whales). 

Also, I need your Alaska tips if you have any.  Namely for clothing.  And shoes.  And must see things.  Or tips aboard ship (our first time on a Princess ship).

We're going for two weeks.  First on land, then at sea.  Fairbanks-Denali-Talkeetna-Anchorage-Whittier-Hubbard Glacier-Glacier Bay-Skagway-Juneau-Ketchikan-Vancouver.

I'm freakin' out here.  It'll be here before I know it.  Help a girl out, please. 

 

  

 

Twenty Thirteen

2013.  Unflippinbelievable.  Where does the time go?  Let's take a look back on the year that was, and see if we actually accomplished anything in those 12 months.

The debrownification of the living room reached an all time high when i found this Missoni ottoman on clearance.


Then i bought the realest looking fake plant to add some life and greens, and i'm happy to say the plant is still thriving.  Ha. 

Then we spent a glorious two weeks in Aruba gorging ourselves on delicious food and ideal scenery.


We installed these ikea shelves to brighten up the kitchen and finally make some good use of this big wall.

A little kitten made an unexpected home with us.

I took my maiden voyage with rub'n'buff and transformed this mirror into something i like much better.


The basement made actual visual progress

Created my most favorite tablescape of the year.


Enjoyed the holidays in a winter wonderland relaxed sort of way.

And lost a door decorating contest (boo hiss!!)


One of my resolutions this year is to actually take the time to photo edit, and i was all prepared to do so with this post-kicking it off on a successful start and all that-but for some reason no new pictures will load.  There was even a collage, people!  Talk about fancy.

The basement is 75% done, and there better be a reveal in the next few months or the boyfriend will have to deal with one pissed off partner.  Prepare to hear about the dining room again, for we have to hang the marbled papers, rearrange some art and install the new lighting that i won. 

And maybe-just maybe-we can seriously entertain the idea of a kitchen update after the basement is complete.  Here's to hoping!  And here's hoping it all looks pretty in pictures!

What do you hope to accomplish this year?


Craftomaniac, Motivate Me Mon @ Keeping it Simple, DIY Showoff, Met Monday, Anything Goes, home stories a-z, nifty thrifty @ Coastal Charm, Tuesdays Treasures @ My Uncommon Slice of Suburbia, be inspired @ elizabeth and co, tabletop tues, lil luna, get your craft on, sugar bee crafts. sugar and spice @ 733, wow us weds @savvy southern style, wicked awesome weds @ handy man, crafty woman, whatever goes weds @ someday crafts, 52 mantles, fall into fall, Transformation Thurs @ The Shabby Creek Cottage, vintage thingy thurs @ the colorado lady, Strut Your Stuff @ Somewhat Simple, hooking up @ house of hepworths, open house @ no minimalist here, share awesomeness @ 36th ave, tutorials and tidbits, simply link @ simply designing, Flaunt it Friday @ Chic on a Shoestring, happy hour @ Craftberry Bush, Frugal Friday @ The Shabby Nest, feature yourself fri @ Fingerprints on the fridge, Weekend Bloggy Reading @ Serenity now, free for all @ 5days5ways, Feathered Nest @ French Country Cottage, frugalicious friday @ finding fabulous, potpourri @ 2805, thrifty things fri @ the thrifty groove, show and tell fri @ my romantic home, overflowing w/ creativity @ it's overflowing, nifty thrifty sundays, under the table and dreaming., shaken together, seasonal sundays @ the tablescaper,