tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-87230104003111615712024-03-12T18:57:58.710-07:009-OH-6Kelly (&Dan!)http://www.blogger.com/profile/17290089088736919714noreply@blogger.comBlogger231125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8723010400311161571.post-57640520027434421632012-01-25T09:42:00.000-08:002012-01-25T09:42:47.272-08:00PinterestSo here's the deal. I'm (more than a little) obsessed with Pinterest. There, I admitted it. I am happy to say that thanks to my constant prodding about it, Bridget finally joined up a couple months ago and she is equally obsessed. The majority of our conversations these days begin with something along the lines of "did you see that thing I pinned?"... and I love it.<br />
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Dan, and many many others, seem to think that Pinterest is a big fat waste of time, and while it very well might be in some aspects (say, when I spend an hour pinning instead of working or doing laundry), it is also a constant source of inspiration right at our fingertips. It has made me more creative and sparked countless craft projects, given me the courage to be a little more bold in my personal style, and helped me plan several dinners, parties and random get-togethers... among other things.<br />
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Last night while heading to dinner, Bridget and I got on the topic of Pinterest (shocking!) and I mentioned that it would be interesting for me to go through my pins and see what I've actually done. And because Pinterest is <i>that </i>amazing - I have done a LOT... and now I'm going to blog about it as proof that it's not all just pretty pictures and unreachable things (although I admit that some of it is)!<br />
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Here's a roundup of what I've pinned... and then actually done something with!<br />
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<div style="text-align: center;"><b>CRAFTS</b></div><div style="text-align: center;"><b><br />
</b></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-8bXfE0VxCoY/TyA1uPLjDUI/AAAAAAAACEM/H5aqpQSJP8k/s1600/crafts.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-8bXfE0VxCoY/TyA1uPLjDUI/AAAAAAAACEM/H5aqpQSJP8k/s400/crafts.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;">Clockwise from top left: </div><div style="text-align: center;"></div><ul><li style="text-align: left;">I learned how to transfer a photo onto a block of wood, which I used for an art project here at work just this week</li>
<li style="text-align: left;">I made a ton of these handy little clothespin magnets with scrapbook paper with some leftover clothespins from the wedding</li>
<li style="text-align: left;">I lined the back panels of our dining room hutch with fun paper that instantly brightened it up</li>
<li style="text-align: left;">I painted the lyrics to our first dance onto a canvas as a Christmas gift to Dan</li>
<li style="text-align: left;">Dan an I DIY'd a headboard for our bedroom and used the shape I liked from this image</li>
</ul><br />
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<div style="text-align: center;"><b>COOKING</b></div><div style="text-align: center;"><b><br />
</b></div><div style="text-align: center;"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: normal;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-E3C5n1Z5_FU/TyA1sTJVuuI/AAAAAAAACEE/nJLOSVHevVk/s1600/cooking.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-E3C5n1Z5_FU/TyA1sTJVuuI/AAAAAAAACEE/nJLOSVHevVk/s400/cooking.jpg" style="cursor: move;" width="400" /></a></span></b></div><div style="text-align: center;"><b><br />
</b></div><div style="text-align: left;"></div><ul><li>I made cupcake fondue for Kadence's 4th birthday, and we all had a blast decorating little mini cupcakes with tons of sprinkles</li>
<li>This gingerbread cheesecake trifle went to my gramma's house on Christmas Eve with us</li>
<li>Dan's cookies for our cookie exchange party were these snickerdoodles</li>
<li>Manda, Bridget and I indulged in apple pie ice cream in the fall</li>
<li>These little mini baked apple donuts were DELICIOUS and a huge hit at work</li>
<li>I made these peppermint snowballs as my contribution to our cookie exchange party</li>
</ul><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;"><b>FASHION</b></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-EkiaBW1x-Nw/TyA7xuvMnoI/AAAAAAAACEc/JydgBemGpV8/s1600/fashion.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-EkiaBW1x-Nw/TyA7xuvMnoI/AAAAAAAACEc/JydgBemGpV8/s400/fashion.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><b><br />
</b></div><div style="text-align: left;"></div><ul><li>I've purchased a few pairs of pants that are NOT jeans, including some fun brights! The girl in this photo is someone who's daily outfits push me to try something a little bit outside of my regular</li>
<li>I already had a striped dress almost identical to this one, and have actually worn it to WORK a few times, which is really a big step for me</li>
<li>I bought a bunch of knee socks. I am in love.</li>
<li>I scored a pair of nerd glasses for $14 online and have been rocking them every day since they arrived. Girls at work have complimented me endlessly and one even said the glasses elevate my entire look. Awesome.</li>
<li>A girl at work and this tutorial taught me how to curl my hair with a straightener - SO easy</li>
<li>I exchanged a couple Christmas things and snatched up the perfect rose gold watch I pinned</li>
<li>Post-wedding, I got a layered sorta choppy haircut, just like Reese</li>
<li>After seeing a bunch of pins about a big top-bun, I tried it once on the weekend, loved it, and slowly gained the confidence to wear it to work... where I (again) get a bunch of compliments every time. I work with some sweet people!</li>
<li>I learned how to tie a skinny belt a bunch of ways</li>
</ul><br />
<div style="text-align: center;"><b><br />
</b></div><div style="text-align: center;"><b>WEDDING</b></div><div style="text-align: center;"><b><br />
</b></div><div style="text-align: center;"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: normal;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-dEtOb2X4XLM/TyA4UhMuyHI/AAAAAAAACEU/wSusEDKn5ms/s1600/wedding.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-dEtOb2X4XLM/TyA4UhMuyHI/AAAAAAAACEU/wSusEDKn5ms/s400/wedding.jpg" style="cursor: move;" width="400" /></a></span></b></div><div style="text-align: center;"><b><br />
</b></div><div style="text-align: left;"></div><ul><li>I learned how to make pinwheels to cover up un-pretty things at our reception space</li>
<li>My mom, gramma, aunts, sister, friends and even Dan joined forces to make hundreds of tissue paper flowers which made for awesome handmade centerpieces</li>
<li>I saw this quote and (finally) let go of the little things that didn't go my way on our big day</li>
<li>I ripped off this cute door hanger idea and put one in each of our hotel guest bags</li>
<li>Hair inspiration!</li>
<li>My mom used some guides from Pinterest to make flowers out of pieces of her wedding veil to attach to my teal shoes</li>
<li>I used this tutorial to make a fabric flower for my hair, which I adorned with one of my grandma's old buttons as a little way of having her with me that day</li>
</ul><br />
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<div style="text-align: center;"><b>OTHER</b></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-3hZ3LOviki8/TyA1rCRQloI/AAAAAAAACD8/QMQe-dDn6O4/s1600/other.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="238" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-3hZ3LOviki8/TyA1rCRQloI/AAAAAAAACD8/QMQe-dDn6O4/s400/other.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">A few random ones here...</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"></div><ul><li>This punch was a hit at our cookie exchange party</li>
<li>I recently tried out an aspirin mask to reduce inflammation in my skin</li>
<li>I've been writing down one line a day as a personal reminder to be thankful for the little things throughout the year (I'm keeping mine in a little book rather than a jar, but got the idea here)</li>
<li>All the years of me throwing fits about annoying stickers on things got better when someone pinned this little trick of using a blowdryer to get them off</li>
</ul><div>So there you have it - all the wonderful little things I've seen/found/done/copied off of Pinterest. And this, my friends, is just a snapshot of al the amazing things that site has to offer. Just ask Bridget.<br />
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You can see ALL of my pins here: <a href="http://pinterest.com/kve_pins/" target="_blank">pinterest.com/kve_pins/</a></div>Kelly (&Dan!)http://www.blogger.com/profile/17290089088736919714noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8723010400311161571.post-33067706453374059052012-01-24T13:03:00.000-08:002012-01-24T13:09:33.514-08:00DIY HeadboardI have a tendency to think about/write about/talk about all kinds of projects that I have "HUGE" plans for... and then never actually get around to them. Sometimes though, while it may take months or even years, I DO actually tackle projects that I've been dying to try out... and thankfully, often times they are successful!<br />
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</div><div>Our latest undertaking was a DIY headboard, which is definitely on the "been talking about it for years" list. I randomly bought fabric for the project back at the beginning of our wedding planning because I was at a textile outlet and found something I liked for cheap... but of course with the wedding being my #1 priority for most of 2011, the fabric just sat unused for quite some time. When I ended up with a 4-day weekend for Martin Luther King's birthday I convinced Dan to head to Home Depot for the plywood, and our headboard extravaganza began...</div><div><br />
</div><div>I learned from reading a billion blogs that Home Depot will cut pieces of wood for you, which was obviously a huge help - and allowed us to actually fit this into the CR-V.</div><div><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-YG6xwTew_1E/Tx8VzvxifNI/AAAAAAAAB90/m5IIqHiON7I/s1600/photo%255B4%255D.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-YG6xwTew_1E/Tx8VzvxifNI/AAAAAAAAB90/m5IIqHiON7I/s400/photo%255B4%255D.JPG" width="298" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Here's Dan wheeling everything out to the car. The bottom piece is the actual headboard - the 2 smaller pieces are the remainder of the 4x8' sheet of plywood. Since we had to buy the entire sheet regardless, we figured we may as well take the extra pieces home to have for something else down the road.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-7Hjna6cpRD4/Tx8V17zb4SI/AAAAAAAAB-c/BXM6W5AUI_k/s1600/photo%255B9%255D.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-7Hjna6cpRD4/Tx8V17zb4SI/AAAAAAAAB-c/BXM6W5AUI_k/s400/photo%255B9%255D.JPG" style="cursor: move;" width="298" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">To figure out what size we needed, we just measured the width of our queen size bed and added about 2 inches to be safe. For height, we made the bed complete with all of our pillows propped up and I grabbed a piece of chalk and drew a (very crooked) line on the wall behind our bed as a visual reference. Once we got to a height we liked we measured from the bottom of our mattress to the chalk line, and again added a couple inches just to be safe (I would have rather had the headboard end up a little taller than a little shorter). All in all the measurements ended up being 41" tall and 60" wide.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Originally, we were just going to do a regular old rectangular headboard... and then my mom told me she had a jigsaw we could borrow and I decided it would be fun to add a little shape to our headboard. So, we waited until this past weekend when we could stop by to grab it, and then decided on just rounding in the top corners for a simple - but a little more fancy - shape. </div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-ItOzyuf2lLg/Tx8V0KQRVSI/AAAAAAAAB98/5Edbn3_x49g/s1600/photo%255B5%255D.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-ItOzyuf2lLg/Tx8V0KQRVSI/AAAAAAAAB98/5Edbn3_x49g/s400/photo%255B5%255D.JPG" width="298" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Once our board was cut we arranged 1" thick foam across almost the whole thing. Since I wanted the headboard to go to the bottom of our mattress but did NOT want it to cause our mattress to sit far from the wall, we did not put any foam on the bottom 9 inches of the board, but still wrapped it in fabric for a seamless look.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">We read that it isn't totally necessary to glue the foam to the board if you're using batting (which we were), but we decided to use a little spray mount anyways, which Dan had fun with. We also thought this was probably a good idea because we had to cut a couple of smaller pieces of foam to fit in on some of the edges, and wanted to be sure those stayed put for the long haul.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">In case anyone is wondering - I did the un-environmentally friendly thing and bought regular old foam at Walmart for about $20, rather than the "green" foam from the fabric store that would have cost me closer to $75. Sorry Earth, I'm not planning to throw this thing out for awhile, and I don't have that kind of money for to spruce up my bed.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-gs2piEDbHHY/Tx8V1f4IwnI/AAAAAAAAB-U/d5zqDuEOxdM/s1600/photo%255B8%255D.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-gs2piEDbHHY/Tx8V1f4IwnI/AAAAAAAAB-U/d5zqDuEOxdM/s400/photo%255B8%255D.JPG" width="298" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div>I forgot to take a picture of the next step, but it was the fairly easy process of wrapping a big piece of quilt batting over the whole thing and stapling it on the back around all the edges. Then we steamed our big piece of fabric and went to work wrapping that over the batting. I was super excited about how easy it was to get the batting right on the rounded in corners, which made it a little cruel when the fabric was a HUGE pain to get right in those same spots.<br />
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<div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-EyQ0qP1dF48/Tx8V1JyOJ3I/AAAAAAAAB-M/gCWz0dgyZBU/s1600/photo%255B7%255D.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-EyQ0qP1dF48/Tx8V1JyOJ3I/AAAAAAAAB-M/gCWz0dgyZBU/s400/photo%255B7%255D.JPG" width="298" /></a> </div><br />
We realized pretty late in the game that we were using flat staples and probably should have been using the pointy ones (which we didn't have). This made Dan's job of doing the actual stapling a huge pain, but since he's not me, he made it work without any dramatic meltdowns.<br />
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We haven't actually attached our beautiful new headboard to the wall yet so it's a little crooked here, but Dan still helped me set it all up to take a quick phone picture so I could write about it in the meantime!<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-ZEEkK9x7Dz8/Tx8V0m3i6YI/AAAAAAAAB-E/Bb5Pof1IytM/s1600/photo%255B6%255D.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-ZEEkK9x7Dz8/Tx8V0m3i6YI/AAAAAAAAB-E/Bb5Pof1IytM/s400/photo%255B6%255D.JPG" width="298" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Isn't it fun?!?</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">I MAY be adding nailhead trim to the finished product before we hang it, but that will depend on if I actually find the trim at Michael's tonight. I <i>thought</i> I had already bought it at the same outlet I got the fabric at, but apparently what I actually bought was the little things you use to bedazzle a shirt a la 1990 and NOT nailhead trim. Awesome. If I do in fact add the trim, I'll be sure to get my good camera out and take a "real" final picture to post!</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">We took a few breaks throughout the whole process to switch out laundry, eat a snack, and lay around because I was having some weird stomach pains for most of the day, but overall our little project probably only took us a couple of hours total! And since I'm a cheapskate and bought my fabric at an outlet and helped destroy our planet with bargain foam, this entire project ran me a measly $50 or so. Not bad considering <a href="http://www.crateandbarrel.com/furniture/beds/curve-queen-headboard/s235574" target="_blank">this similarly-shaped Crate & Barrel version</a> will run you an insane $799! And with that... my little <a href="http://9-oh-6.blogspot.com/2011/10/what-to-do-when-wedding-projects-are.html" target="_blank">bedroom makeover</a> is officially in progress. :)</div>Kelly (&Dan!)http://www.blogger.com/profile/17290089088736919714noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8723010400311161571.post-13179200662855862052012-01-18T15:07:00.000-08:002012-01-20T11:24:01.701-08:00Oh, and...I almost forgot to post another little update last week! It may not be the most exciting thing to just anyone, but it is for me. Check out this handy shelf we grabbed at Target for the bathroom, which Dan put up for me on New Years Eve while we were waiting for our guests to arrive.<br />
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<div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-X--dTvBSkkY/TxdLGjH25QI/AAAAAAAAB9s/3RXACiqBR6M/s1600/photo%255B3%255D.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-X--dTvBSkkY/TxdLGjH25QI/AAAAAAAAB9s/3RXACiqBR6M/s400/photo%255B3%255D.JPG" width="298" /></a><br />
<i>(The bathroom is teal - not sure why it's showing so straight-blue here)</i></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: left;">I love that we now have somewhere besides our main towel bar to keep hand towels, which I used to only put out when we were having parties. The black and white fabric box is from the Liberty of London for Target line and houses a bunch of my little daily beauty products like eye makeup remover and dry shampoo. The little vase was on clearance at West Elm ages ago for something like $3 and now holds my makeup brushes and a "lollipop" of ponytail holders from Bridget. Up top is a pretty smelling candle and a jar that is now full of cotton balls. And let's not forget to point out my hair straightener that hangs perfectly from the bar out of the way, instead of sitting on the sink to cool off every morning like it used to (thus ending up there all day because I would rush out the door before it was cool enough to put away). It's the little things. Unfortunately for OCD me, the shelf had to be hung slightly off center above the toilet because of the random capped off electrical box on the wall (behind my makeup brushes in the photo above), but I'm dealing.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: left;">I think if I'm talking about bathroom updates my new-ish lovely shower curtain is also worth noting, don't you?</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-sX6NWLjQ3BQ/TxdLFsSZlpI/AAAAAAAAB9c/7MSQ877S_ew/s1600/photo%255B1%255D.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-sX6NWLjQ3BQ/TxdLFsSZlpI/AAAAAAAAB9c/7MSQ877S_ew/s400/photo%255B1%255D.JPG" width="298" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: left;">We picked the curtain up at Target shortly after we decided to register for all gray and white towels for the wedding, which definitely would not match the brown patterned curtain that used to be there. The lighter gray color here helps the room feel less overwhelming, and as you may have noticed above - matches my hand towels, which I can assure you makes me endlessly happy.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: left;">We've also added one of those toilet paper extra-roll things (super technical term there for you) that was a nice change from the store-bought pack of extra rolls we used to have just sitting on the floor, and a teeny little hamper (wedding gift from Kevin and Erica) that I (try to) throw my pjs in every morning when I jump in the shower. Dan understandably HATES when I leave my clothes in a pile behind the bathroom door, so the hamper was a welcome addition. :)</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: left;">In other news, I am in love. With a couch.</div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-ZRsk4JSlzaU/TxdLEy5UdpI/AAAAAAAAB9U/iZAWk84qPDE/s1600/photo.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-ZRsk4JSlzaU/TxdLEy5UdpI/AAAAAAAAB9U/iZAWk84qPDE/s400/photo.JPG" width="298" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Two of my work buddies recently purchased this beauty from a store called Roy's here in Chicago, and I am dying to be the third person around here to call it mine. I dragged Dan to see it over the long weekend and after looking at a bunch of other stores and outlets we're mostly on the same page that it's the best we've seen... but at $800 it's not really an easy thing for our teeny budget minds to grasp. I've been told a million times that $800 is "a great price!!!" for a couch, but I'm still experiencing a little sticker shock as that is a LOT of money! Thankfully, while we agree that our current couch could definitely use replacing, we don't <i>have </i>to buy a new one right now and can afford to wait for a sale to come up at the store. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">If we do decide to bite the bullet on the couch, we will have to make the decision on which fabric we want it in out of at least 100 options. The fact that you get to choose your fabric for no additional cost really drew me to Roy's, as we'd like to find something that not only fits our style but is Louie-friendly. Truth be told - I'd like to train Louie to NOT go on the couch if we get a new one, but we'll tackle that when we come to it.</div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">I really love this gray "heather" fabric that's pretty heavy-duty, has some texture and almost has a little bit of a salt-and-pepper look to it. I think the different colors and dimensions in the fabric would help hide Louie's hair a bit (not to mention the dirt that he inevitably tracks in the house).</div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-nXnXrrC644o/TxdLGN3eQrI/AAAAAAAAB9k/iN36LSEmVdA/s1600/photo%255B2%255D.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-nXnXrrC644o/TxdLGN3eQrI/AAAAAAAAB9k/iN36LSEmVdA/s320/photo%255B2%255D.JPG" width="239" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Dan pointed out that the texture doesn't have a super tight weave, and therefore may snag more easily (say, from Louie's nails), so we may go a different route for the fabric if we decide to buy this specific couch.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">We're continuing to make amazing progress in the office and I can't wait to share photos of it soon! For now, I'm heading out to dinner in a bit to celebrate my mom's birthday with her and Manda. Happy birthday Mom - Love you lots!!</div><br />
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</div>Kelly (&Dan!)http://www.blogger.com/profile/17290089088736919714noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8723010400311161571.post-664693599605110492012-01-08T21:05:00.000-08:002012-01-08T21:18:26.060-08:00Ch-Ch-Ch-ChangesTo Dan's disappointment, since the wedding I have yet to get to a point where I'm ready to just RELAX. I'm certain this has something to do with the fact that I spent the last several months prior to the wedding literally doing projects every single day so I'm not exactly used to having all kinds of evening and weekend free time. Something in me changed when we got married - it's like I suddenly feel like a "real" adult and I'm on a mission to get my entire life in order - starting with things like decluttering the linen closet and finally, finally, FINALLY cleaning our home office. David, a guy I babysit for, calls it nesting - and I think he's exactly right. I'm anxious to get to a point that I really and truly feel like I <i>can </i>relax in our house, and I think the fact that I can see the light at the end of this tunnel is what's giving me the insane amount of energy to work to get it all done sooner than later.<br />
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To that point, we (well mostly I) have been making lots of little changes around the house. As usual, I didn't bother to take real pictures of anything, so here's a good and LONG iphone photo update of what's been going on here at 9-oh-6.<br />
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We painted the hallway! I honestly cannot put into words how happy it makes me... or how huge of a pain it was to do. We went with Dolphin Fin by Behr, which was the color I painted swatches of ages ago, and I am endlessly giddy about it. Unfortunately, I still don't know how to really use my good camera, so the color looks different in every single picture below... but oh well.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-atzIhVX0SzE/Twpp7lVFCbI/AAAAAAAAB6E/ufuDTIlLhls/s1600/DSC_0046.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="214" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-atzIhVX0SzE/Twpp7lVFCbI/AAAAAAAAB6E/ufuDTIlLhls/s320/DSC_0046.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">To celebrate the newly painted hallway, we hung some stuff up in it...</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">The lyrics to our first dance, which I painted onto a canvas as a Christmas present to Dan -</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-YNDBHFCb544/TwpqFC51sMI/AAAAAAAAB6s/bmW6-LJIo1A/s1600/IMG_0686.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-YNDBHFCb544/TwpqFC51sMI/AAAAAAAAB6s/bmW6-LJIo1A/s320/IMG_0686.jpg" style="cursor: move;" width="239" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;"> An adorable painting of Louie Louie, done by Manda as a Christmas gift to Dan -</div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-y650eYffwFo/TwpqG6pRuaI/AAAAAAAAB60/wg7bEQBYskE/s1600/IMG_0687.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-y650eYffwFo/TwpqG6pRuaI/AAAAAAAAB60/wg7bEQBYskE/s320/IMG_0687.jpg" width="239" /></a></div><br />
<div style="text-align: center;">An "I love you because..." frame, another Christmas gift from me to Dan.</div><div style="text-align: center;">Got this idea off Pinterest and LOVE it - </div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-FRxtNRTO4_4/TwpqL0eVaVI/AAAAAAAAB68/K2UrCBP57FQ/s1600/IMG_0689.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-FRxtNRTO4_4/TwpqL0eVaVI/AAAAAAAAB68/K2UrCBP57FQ/s320/IMG_0689.jpg" style="cursor: move;" width="239" /></a></div><br />
<div style="text-align: center;">A cool piece Bridget and I each scored on clearance from Ikea for a whopping $4 -</div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-GkozgrshC3Q/TwpqRCPujbI/AAAAAAAAB7M/4IX3JKKl2oc/s1600/IMG_0694.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-GkozgrshC3Q/TwpqRCPujbI/AAAAAAAAB7M/4IX3JKKl2oc/s320/IMG_0694.jpg" style="cursor: move;" width="239" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;">My favorite wedding card, which was from a colleague of Dan's. It's gorgeous and letterpressed, and reads "Build a strong foundation and you will sway through life's little earthquakes." Our gospel reading talked about building a foundation, so it really means a lot to us -</div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-JC0nARZ8HIo/TwpqU9LYCZI/AAAAAAAAB7U/8zS7LSKRsXQ/s1600/IMG_0696.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-JC0nARZ8HIo/TwpqU9LYCZI/AAAAAAAAB7U/8zS7LSKRsXQ/s320/IMG_0696.jpg" style="cursor: move;" width="239" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;">Louie Louie wanted to be in the photoshoot too - </div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-hDwDMYCCF2U/TwpqW_oQlFI/AAAAAAAAB7c/Ky8hQq-wQvo/s1600/IMG_0698.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-hDwDMYCCF2U/TwpqW_oQlFI/AAAAAAAAB7c/Ky8hQq-wQvo/s320/IMG_0698.jpg" style="cursor: move;" width="239" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;">At the top of the stairs is one of my favorite random things ever. It's an owl statue I found on clearance at West Elm one night when Manda and I were out, and it made me laugh so hard I just had to have it. I still smile every time I see him sitting at the top of the stairs (on a free plant stand Bev found when we drove through Western Springs junkaway days last year - don't judge) -</div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-0GtFd8Z7Wlk/TwpqOrLiDDI/AAAAAAAAB7E/owZT7ed5nvQ/s1600/IMG_0692.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-0GtFd8Z7Wlk/TwpqOrLiDDI/AAAAAAAAB7E/owZT7ed5nvQ/s320/IMG_0692.jpg" style="cursor: move;" width="239" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;">In the bedroom, we finally got a bedskirt that works for our apparently overly large box spring and my new obsession with gray -</div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-sPcPljPlwPA/Twpp_GOzk0I/AAAAAAAAB6U/rXgVW1K1_as/s1600/IMG_0683.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-sPcPljPlwPA/Twpp_GOzk0I/AAAAAAAAB6U/rXgVW1K1_as/s320/IMG_0683.jpg" style="cursor: move;" width="239" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;">We also brought the ottoman from the living room upstairs to put at the foot of the bed, replacing the horrible white shelf thing from Ikea that we used to hit our knees on no less than twice a week. It's the perfect storage for my scarves and belts that don't fit in drawers. I THINK I can recover it in a bright patterned cotton someday if I want to, but for now I'll leave it alone since Dan told me to chill out and stop trying to change everything :) -</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-r0R653wejkA/Twpp9Z9J9EI/AAAAAAAAB6M/QJPU5DX3Do0/s1600/IMG_0679.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-r0R653wejkA/Twpp9Z9J9EI/AAAAAAAAB6M/QJPU5DX3Do0/s320/IMG_0679.jpg" width="239" /></a></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">These sequined pillows were $6 each at Target on New Years Eve so I obviously bought them for the downstairs decor since we were hosting a party that evening. They're pretty close to the color of the couch so they were quickly relocated to the bed where they look perfect - </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-5UdmveEKOJM/TwpqBIkD_fI/AAAAAAAAB6c/Apfgz3XxVHM/s1600/IMG_0684.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-5UdmveEKOJM/TwpqBIkD_fI/AAAAAAAAB6c/Apfgz3XxVHM/s320/IMG_0684.jpg" width="239" /></a></div><br />
<div style="text-align: center;">The ottoman got to leave the living room thanks to my first major deal of the year - a $250 Pier 1 coffee table that I grabbed from the as-is section for $20. I have to get glass cut for it, but it shouldn't be more than $20-30 so I still think it's an awesome deal. AND, the airy design looks much less blocky than the solid ottoman in our tiny little living room and shows off more of my favorite rug, which is great -</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Mxx0KgBjdUE/TwpuSOiBo0I/AAAAAAAAB9E/Ttn7h-P5bNQ/s1600/IMG_0672.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Mxx0KgBjdUE/TwpuSOiBo0I/AAAAAAAAB9E/Ttn7h-P5bNQ/s320/IMG_0672.jpg" width="239" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;">I also replaced the fake wood $10 Ikea end table... with the exact same table in a super glossy lacquered gray. It was in the as-is section for $6 and I couldn't pass it up since one of my favorite blog posts ever is all about one of those exact tables in light blue being very simply turned into an awesome piece (<a href="http://littlegreennotebook.blogspot.com/2011/10/diy-campaign-style-side-tables.html" target="_blank"">see it here</a>). I've put tissue paper flowers from the wedding in a few vases, including this one from my mom! -<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-h9KgJLJYn4g/TwpqoNnl9TI/AAAAAAAAB8U/Ms8HQYfwUE8/s1600/IMG_0718.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-h9KgJLJYn4g/TwpqoNnl9TI/AAAAAAAAB8U/Ms8HQYfwUE8/s320/IMG_0718.jpg" width="239" /></a></div><i>(check out the reflection on that thing! I'm in love)</i></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;">Crate & Barrel was having an insane after-Christmas sale that sent me home with two of these bright striped pillow covers for $4 each. My existing pillow inserts fit perfectly in them and I was able to get rid of the ugly velvety ones that used to be there and gave my brother's girlfriend the chills (the girl HATES velvet, and I sort of don't blame her) -</div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-Oik8ZTqTebE/Twpqq-kFhkI/AAAAAAAAB8c/UurRPaEK6JY/s1600/IMG_0720.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-Oik8ZTqTebE/Twpqq-kFhkI/AAAAAAAAB8c/UurRPaEK6JY/s320/IMG_0720.jpg" style="cursor: move;" width="239" /></a></div><br />
<div style="text-align: center;">The loss of the storage space in the ottoman meant I needed a basket for blankets. Manda helped me pick this one out at Home Goods and it sits on the other side of the couch where Louie can't really get at it -</div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-nyLSNM54jms/Twpql1sQ7KI/AAAAAAAAB8M/qbuxPMzqLaY/s1600/IMG_0716.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-nyLSNM54jms/Twpql1sQ7KI/AAAAAAAAB8M/qbuxPMzqLaY/s320/IMG_0716.jpg" style="cursor: move;" width="239" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;">Speaking of Louie, here he is modeling the fun new green runner, also from the CB after-Christmas sale. You can't hear him, but he's telling Dan to put away his shoes - </div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-wG4D72t7CK0/TwpqtA6b2gI/AAAAAAAAB8k/X9qedXYCE9E/s1600/IMG_0722.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-wG4D72t7CK0/TwpqtA6b2gI/AAAAAAAAB8k/X9qedXYCE9E/s320/IMG_0722.jpg" style="cursor: move;" width="239" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;">In the dining room, I am happy to announce that I FINALLY have a tablecloth for our table! We looked around a lot for one to register for, but couldn't find anything we liked. This was on sale at CB today for $30 and it's a perfect mustard yellow kind of color, in a heavy linen. You can also see my brand new napkins, which we registered for but did not receive and Dan sweetly got me for Christmas. They're pretty expensive for napkins (at least to us), and I'm sure it was tough for my frugal hubby to spend so much on something so small, so I really appreciated him getting them for me knowing how badly I wanted them! -</div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-pCAxtLYviZo/TwpqvCnANMI/AAAAAAAAB8s/R7aKux-WGKc/s1600/IMG_0724.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-pCAxtLYviZo/TwpqvCnANMI/AAAAAAAAB8s/R7aKux-WGKc/s320/IMG_0724.jpg" style="cursor: move;" width="239" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i>(PS - don't judge the amount of time I've been spending at CB - I stopped in today because we got a postcard saying our wine glasses are being discontinued and replaced with identical ones in a new kind of glass that will cost more, so I wanted to try and grab a few of the originals to have as backups. They were already gone so no luck, but at least I got a great tablecloth.)</i></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;">I don't think I ever posted a picture of my finished <a href="http://9-oh-6.blogspot.com/2011/05/addition.html" target="_blank">little yellow cabinet</a>! Like a lot of other things in our house, it makes me happy every time I see it, and considering I spent a grand total of $8 on the little knobs and it was otherwise totally free, I love it -</div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-eFVjN4HBIfM/TwpqgmtFr5I/AAAAAAAAB78/r0hzyv94kqY/s1600/IMG_0712.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-eFVjN4HBIfM/TwpqgmtFr5I/AAAAAAAAB78/r0hzyv94kqY/s320/IMG_0712.jpg" style="cursor: move;" width="239" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;">I styled one side of the top of the hutch with some of my favorite wedding things - the birdcage used for cards, and the candle, vase and frame of names in memory of our family and friends that were not with us that day -</div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-6Sr_WwrF9vQ/TwpqbjAxaVI/AAAAAAAAB7s/FXyOf6B7uyA/s1600/IMG_0704.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-6Sr_WwrF9vQ/TwpqbjAxaVI/AAAAAAAAB7s/FXyOf6B7uyA/s320/IMG_0704.jpg" style="cursor: move;" width="239" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;">And in the center below the window are the table numbers from the</div><div style="text-align: center;">reception that insure we will never forget our wedding date -</div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-ztrsP_iJVeo/TwpqjYMWvpI/AAAAAAAAB8E/vghbdSFoTD0/s1600/IMG_0714.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-ztrsP_iJVeo/TwpqjYMWvpI/AAAAAAAAB8E/vghbdSFoTD0/s320/IMG_0714.jpg" style="cursor: move;" width="239" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;">When I cleared out the hutch after the wedding to put all of our gifts away, I lined the back panels with a fun patterned paper I got at Paper Source. The sheets were literally the exact width of the panels, which made the project 100 times easier than I was expecting it to be. I like how it lightens up the hutch a bit and brings more color and pattern into my favorite room in the house - </div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-kAzUB757Rbo/TwpqeRHizlI/AAAAAAAAB70/UYJ76_IAzsY/s1600/IMG_0710.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-kAzUB757Rbo/TwpqeRHizlI/AAAAAAAAB70/UYJ76_IAzsY/s320/IMG_0710.jpg" style="cursor: move;" width="239" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;">In the kitchen is the fabulous craigslist find <a href="http://9-oh-6.blogspot.com/2011/11/in-kitchen.html" target="_blank">kitchen cart</a>, which I painted in navy blue the same weekend we painted the hallway. I'm having some issues with things sticking to the top and leaving marks even though it dried for days before I put anything on it, so I may have to redo the top and use some kind of sealant eventually. The endgrain chopping board was a wedding gift from my coworkers and the cake plate is one of the ones I made for the wedding -</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-gSjdQuAvgIY/TwpqZKzfc1I/AAAAAAAAB7k/f68p0JO-sMg/s1600/IMG_0700.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-gSjdQuAvgIY/TwpqZKzfc1I/AAAAAAAAB7k/f68p0JO-sMg/s320/IMG_0700.jpg" width="239" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;">Finally, back upstairs in the office... we've been cleaning like CRAZY and throwing away insane amounts of random old stuff that was just taking up space. It's a little embarrassing to admit, but I think this is literally the first time I've ever been able to set up my laptop at my desk and type. Dan hung up my DIY bulletin board last night and I love looking up at some of my favorite little things hanging there. We still have a bit of work to do and thanks to getting rid of so much I can actually style a few of the shelves so I'm looking forward to finishing it all up this week -</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-OUNiBc_zDK8/TwpqCt84u_I/AAAAAAAAB6k/wB5S3XG3OXg/s1600/IMG_0685.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-OUNiBc_zDK8/TwpqCt84u_I/AAAAAAAAB6k/wB5S3XG3OXg/s320/IMG_0685.jpg" width="239" /></a></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">So, we've been busy, but I am thrilled about how great the house is looking. And, I'm excited to have things to blog about again! Here's to week 2 of 2012 being as fun as week 1 was...</div>Kelly (&Dan!)http://www.blogger.com/profile/17290089088736919714noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8723010400311161571.post-81900043145823783202012-01-04T10:49:00.000-08:002012-01-04T10:51:46.083-08:0030 Before 30... meh<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px;">It's funny how things change - with or without you taking note of it. Take my 30 Before 30 list, for example, that I created shortly after my 28th birthday (at the tail end of 2010). I had all these big plans of traveling and doing a bunch of extracurricular activities and basically flipping my life upside down by going back to school and attempting to work for myself. Little did I know, Dan was planning to propose just a couple of months after I wrote my list, and I dove head first into planning a majorly DIY wedding that I had a ball with, but left little time for things like baking bread from scratch or taking dance classes. </span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px;">While some of the things are still plenty feasible (and there's a few I've actually accomplished!), I'm taking a fresh look at my list and deciding to take on life, in general, with a different approach than I have in the past. In short, my hope is that I can begin to live much more deliberately - that is, appreciating what and who I have, relishing in the everyday, consistently remembering just how blessed I am, and truly "living in the moment" (as cliche as it may sound). </span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px;">Here's the original list, with accomplished ones crossed out. I still have until mid-August before I officially hit the big 3-0, so hopefully a few more of these will get done over the coming months!</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px;"><b>30 BEFORE 30</b></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px;"><br />
</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px;">1. Leave the country</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px;"><br />
</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px;">2. Enroll back in school to begin working towards my bachelor's degree</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px;"><br />
</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px;">3. Learn to sew</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px;"><br />
</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px;">4. Put all of my pictures in albums, get prints of all of my digital photos and put them in albums as well</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px;"><br />
</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px;">5. Work for myself (whether it be in addition to another job or a full on business)</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px;"><br />
</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px;">6. Run a marathon. Ok ok... or at least a half marathon</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px;"><br />
</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px;">7. <strike>Take a trip with my sister </strike> <i>(We road tripped to Florida last winter between Christmas and New Years to visit Kevin and Erica with Dan and Allie! Vacation without any parents?? We had a blast.)</i></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px;"><br />
</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px;">8. <strike>Spend a day at a spa </strike> <i>(I didn't 100% do this, but I'm crossing it out anyways. I DID spend an evening getting massages with Bridget and then mani/pedis with all of my bridesmaids the night before the wedding, which is why I'm calling this one a "sort of done". I'm crossing it out because as much as I enjoy an occasional manicure or a massage from Dan, I truly think that I would get REALLY bored spending an entire day at a spa.)</i></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px;"><br />
</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px;">9. See the Grand Canyon in person</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px;"><br />
</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px;">10. Finish compiling my Top 10 (Easy) Recipes list</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px;"><br />
</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px;">11. Get dressed up and take my Gramma to dinner and a show</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px;"><br />
</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px;">12. <strike>Make money blogging (seriously, even if I make $10, I'll count it) </strike> <i>(Thanks to a new position at work, I am now a semi-regular contributor to our agency blog. And since my job pays my salary, I'm counting it!)</i></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px;"><br />
</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px;">13. Become more of a morning person</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px;"><br />
</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px;">14. Buy</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px;"> </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px;"><span style="font-style: italic;">real</span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px;"> </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px;">truffles and feel amazing cooking with them</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px;"><br />
</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px;">15. <strike>Join a team. Any team.</strike> <i>(I've played park district kickball with Jeff and his friends for a couple of seasons now. SO. Much. Fun.)</i></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px;"><br />
</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px;">16. Go to a drive-in movie</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px;"><br />
</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px;">17. <strike>Create a piece of artwork to hang in my home</strike> <i>(Completed x2! As Christmas gifts to Dan, I painted a canvas with the lyrics to our first dance, and also took an idea from Pinterest and made him a little "I love you because..." frame that I'm having fun filling in the blank for every couple days.)</i></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px;"><br />
</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px;">18. Meet Harry Connick Jr. in person</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px;"><br />
</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px;">19. Reduce our grocery spending by utilizing coupons on a regular basis</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px;"><br />
</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px;">20. Make a loaf of bread from scratch</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px;"><br />
</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px;">21. Dramatically improve my posture</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px;"><br />
</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px;">22. Volunteer an afternoon at the Greater Chicago Food Depository</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px;"><br />
</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px;">23. Go on a picnic with Dan</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px;"><br />
</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px;">24. Cook a 5-course meal</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px;"><br />
</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px;">25. Take a dance class</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px;"><br />
</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px;">26. Bake my late Grandmother's famous cheesecake</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px;"><br />
</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px;">27. Learn how to do my makeup further than my 3-minute daily ritual of mascara and sheer mineral shadow, and learn to do something more to my hair than wear it down or throw it in a ponytail</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px;"><br />
</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px;">28. Go ziplining or parasailing (both are things I am terrified of)</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px;"><br />
</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px;">29. Figure out a system for dealing with mail, bills, important papers, etc, that actually WORKS for me, and use it</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px;"><br />
</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px;">30. Spend a weekend with Maryrose, just the 2 of us, eating good food, drinking good wine, getting the tattoo we've been talking about for years, and wasting our time away doing whatever we want</span>Kelly (&Dan!)http://www.blogger.com/profile/17290089088736919714noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8723010400311161571.post-71511762469653403612012-01-02T08:15:00.000-08:002012-01-02T08:15:29.946-08:00I resolve......to eat out less and cook at home more<br />
...to finally get our office at home in order<br />
...to work to make our first year of marriage something amazing<br />
<div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;">...to get back to blogging regularly</div></div><div>...to be the best friend I can be to the awesome friends I have<br />
...to try and stop swearing so much</div>...to apply myself 100% at work<br />
...to do yoga twice a week<br />
<br />
...and to make 2012 an unforgettable year overall. 2011 will be a tough one to beat, what with a wedding, a new position at work and all the fun we had with friends and family, but I'm convinced it's going to be a good one.<br />
<br />
Happy New Year friends!Kelly (&Dan!)http://www.blogger.com/profile/17290089088736919714noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8723010400311161571.post-21746932422863789302011-11-30T12:43:00.000-08:002011-11-30T12:43:49.678-08:00In the kitchenAnyone that has ever been to our house is likely well aware of the fact that I have a strong love-hate relationship with our kitchen. I'm still insanely proud of how big of a transformation we made on a teeny tiny budget, and I looooove our stainless steel appliances and the fact that we have a dishwasher. But, the room itself is extremely tiny and the only place for the fridge to go results in the one and only base cabinet and drawer we have to be covered up.<br />
<br />
As a refresher, here's a picture from right after we finished our <a href="http://9-oh-6.blogspot.com/2009/09/house-tour-kitchen.html" target="_blank">kitchen makeover</a> -<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-VZz_SUr76Oo/TtaRoGt3QII/AAAAAAAAB5o/TLIa7o_ZK3E/s1600/DSC07773.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-VZz_SUr76Oo/TtaRoGt3QII/AAAAAAAAB5o/TLIa7o_ZK3E/s400/DSC07773.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">We've since made little changes - like getting a paper towel holder that mounts to the wall instead of having them take up precious counter space, and putting up hooks for kitchen towels so Louie Louie doesn't use them as toys - but for the most part the room still looks just like this picture. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">While my absolute dream is to knock a big hole in the wall opposite everything you see above (which separates the kitchen from the dining room) and add in a countertop with a couple of base cabinets below it, Dan has consistently reminded me over the years that since said wall is load-bearing, we'd have to hire someone to do the work... and it would be even MORE expensive because there is plumbing and electrical work running straight through that same wall. (Insert sad trombone here).</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">So since we can't exactly afford a remodel, we've recently been kicking around the much more affordable idea of getting a little kitchen cart to put on that same wall for a bit of extra storage AND additional counter space. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Always major cheapskates (or frugal, to put it a little nicer), we didn't want to actually have to spend any money on this project, since it was more of a "nice to have" than a "have to have". So even though we found and liked this nice and simple option at Ikea, we didn't bite the bullet and spend the $100 on it last time we were there -</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-WYwHCeYtj1s/TtaRohAYn8I/AAAAAAAAB5s/coJJ6kkECOc/s1600/forhoja-kitchen-cart__38532_PE130363_S4.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-WYwHCeYtj1s/TtaRohAYn8I/AAAAAAAAB5s/coJJ6kkECOc/s320/forhoja-kitchen-cart__38532_PE130363_S4.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">And now I'm thankful that we decided to wait on the purchase, because just this last weekend I found the exact same cart, in perfect condition, barely a mile from our house, on craigslist for $45. I, of course, sent over a lower offer, and within a few hours we were on our way home with our "new" kitchen cart for a measly $30!</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">The cart looks awesome on the open wall and is shallow enough that it doesn't even really feel like it crowds the space. And thankfully, our ridiculously expensive wedding present garbage can <i>just </i>fits next to it, so we didn't have to try and relocate that somewhere else. I have big plans to paint the cart a nice rich navy, and from there we'll be able to load it up with some things that are currently kind of displaced. I'm particularly excited to get my (wedding shower gift from my mom) bright and colorful mixing bowls on one of the shelves and out of the pantry where there isn't room for them. We also received a gorgeous end-grain chopping board as a wedding gift from some of my coworkers, and I can't wait to actually be able to "display" it on top of the cart rather than having it shoved in a corner like it is now. And, perhaps the most exciting thing of all - the cart has two whole drawers (!!!!) where things like the can opener and citrus zester will live, rather than having them in the drawer that is behind the fridge, which I can assure you is SUPER inconvenient.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">I'm committed to keeping the cart clutter-free overall, but already know that just being able to store a few items on the open shelving will be a huge help, and the additional counter space will be great for when we host guests or are both trying to do something in the kitchen at the same time! Pictures to come once the painting is done!...</div>Kelly (&Dan!)http://www.blogger.com/profile/17290089088736919714noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8723010400311161571.post-88031916161184667262011-11-02T14:26:00.000-07:002011-11-02T14:30:45.837-07:00My Life is AverageLately, I've struggled a bit with the normalcy of my life - always having to remind myself to "live simply" and unfortunately having to consistently remind myself of all of the blessings in my life. A big part of my dreaming for bigger and better things really stems from my job - as much as I love it, I'm often surrounded by people who are in a completely different class than I am, and who therefore live a completely different lifestyle that I'm sometimes honestly jealous of. I work with girls who are insanely nice... but who are also wearing insanely expensive shoes and carrying insanely expensive purses and eating out at insanely expensive restaurants on the weekend. I can often look down at my entire outfit and be able to rattle off under-$20 prices from each piece right down to my shoes. During the day I work with clients who have ridiculously huge budgets for little tiny projects, and that same evening I may go home and head to PADS to serve chili to 40 homeless people. Dan works tirelessly for months with his teens to raise $40,000 for a service trip so they can go and build homes for people with a greater need... and while he's out fundraising I'm working on a 3x3 ad in a throwaway circular that costs double their fundraising efforts. The work that I'm doing day after day is fun and exciting... but<i> </i>is so drastically different than the actual real life that I'm living... and I'm trying to learn to begin to separate the two better. I'm learning to better appreciate the little things, and trying to get better about documenting them so I can look back and remember those little moments... so that whenever I feel like I'm lacking something that other people around me have, I can remember that isn't the case at all.<br />
<br />
Perhaps contradictory to everything I've just said above, we've honestly kind of been living the life since the wedding. Thanks to amazingly generous friends and family, literally everything in my kitchen and dining room is brand new, and <i>really</i> nice, and I am LOVING it. We also ended up with a pretty nice chunk of cash, which you'll see below we put some of to good use...<br />
<br />
Here's some little things I've been appreciating lately.<br />
<br />
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<div style="text-align: center;"><div style="text-align: left;">Shots with Dan to celebrate our 3 year house-iversary! (Which also means it's been 3 years since I started this little blog!) </div></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-obsj8bDL890/TrGy0cmDe5I/AAAAAAAAB4Y/hdtkS52yw-A/s1600/photo%255B5%255D.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-obsj8bDL890/TrGy0cmDe5I/AAAAAAAAB4Y/hdtkS52yw-A/s320/photo%255B5%255D.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><br />
<div style="text-align: center;"><div style="text-align: left;">Homemade ice cream in my a.ma.zing. Kitchenaid mixer. The amount of use I have already gotten out of this thing since the wedding is a little embarrassing as it is a clear indication of the amount of food I have been consuming. </div></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-uXbGxP0LrBI/TrGy00U8j1I/AAAAAAAAB4g/hWDgLaS5-XE/s1600/photo%255B6%255D.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-uXbGxP0LrBI/TrGy00U8j1I/AAAAAAAAB4g/hWDgLaS5-XE/s320/photo%255B6%255D.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Apple desserts galore with Manda and Bridget. (And wine for those of us over 21).</div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-wjQogTBXEk0/TrGy1sL1RLI/AAAAAAAAB4o/zpa7j78qdho/s1600/photo%255B7%255D.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-wjQogTBXEk0/TrGy1sL1RLI/AAAAAAAAB4o/zpa7j78qdho/s320/photo%255B7%255D.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Bedroom updates. I finally talked Dan into the West Elm duvet cover I've been coveting all year, and we finally hung one of my favorite engagement shots over the bed! The picture will be moved to another wall once I get around to the DIY headboard, but for now it looks pretty perfect right where it is. The photo was printed at work ages ago and we wrapped it around an existing Ikea frame, making this project my favorite price - F.R.E.E.</div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-MV-c0H4HB7c/TrGy2SmKTmI/AAAAAAAAB4w/xeOLNDQGWzY/s1600/photo%255B8%255D.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-MV-c0H4HB7c/TrGy2SmKTmI/AAAAAAAAB4w/xeOLNDQGWzY/s320/photo%255B8%255D.JPG" width="239" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Cuddle time with Louie Louie. Dan and I have learned that if we bend our knees, all 3 of us can (barely) fit on the couch together - which makes our sleepy puppy very happy.</div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-9RUjhX4849Q/TrGy8CLFerI/AAAAAAAAB44/mQVhlK8zzYA/s1600/photo%255B9%255D.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-9RUjhX4849Q/TrGy8CLFerI/AAAAAAAAB44/mQVhlK8zzYA/s320/photo%255B9%255D.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Aaaaaaaand... the "glacier blue" luxury we put some of our wedding money towards... our new (to us) car!!! We've been talking about a Honda CR-V for ages, and we finally bit the bullet last week and drove this guy home. I am definitely not able to park it in the garage just yet, but I'll get there :)</div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-Gn2ntVB_koI/TrGy-qzp20I/AAAAAAAAB5A/VGRARf-v8wI/s1600/photo%255B10%255D.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-Gn2ntVB_koI/TrGy-qzp20I/AAAAAAAAB5A/VGRARf-v8wI/s320/photo%255B10%255D.JPG" width="239" /></a></div>Kelly (&Dan!)http://www.blogger.com/profile/17290089088736919714noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8723010400311161571.post-34396197775561321832011-10-25T14:48:00.000-07:002011-10-25T14:50:01.046-07:00What to do when the wedding projects are overI've posted in the past about my extreme NEED for some major decluttering around the house, and with the wedding behind us, I've been working on finally making this vision a reality. Whether it be a sudden urge to make my house feel more open and serene, or the fact that I simply can't sit still for more than 10 minutes at a time, I've spent pretty much every waking minute of every evening since the wedding trying to make my house a perfect example of "a place for everything, and everything in it's place." While I know for a fact that Dan thinks I just need to chill out and relax for awhile, the lack of wedding projects has left me antsy... so my attention has been turned to our home!<br />
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We spent a huge chunk of time clearing out old dishes and kitchen odds & ends to make room for all the AMAZING wedding gifts we received, and I can say with 110% certainty that having matching <i>everything </i>truly makes this girl happy. Setting the table with brand new place mats, crisp white plates, gorgeous flatware and matching glasses (not plastic cups from the $1 section at Target!) quite literally makes me jump for joy. Nerdy? Sure. But I'm nothing if I'm not easily excited. I most definitely plan to take new photos of the dining room (including some fun updates to the hutch) and kitchen with all of our fun new things to share here just as soon as I'm able to utilize some natural light to do so!<br />
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I've also been focusing a TON on our bedroom, which I've (surprise!) decided needs a complete makeover. This isn't new news, but I'm now using the fact that we're a real live married couple to leverage wanting to make our bedroom more calming and "retreat-like" (insert Dan rolling his eyes here). I threw together a new little simple inspiration board that I'm hoping can come to life pretty easily -<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-bvV0Jul2M_E/Tqcp1UU-sPI/AAAAAAAAB4I/vENDwZOXXs0/s1600/bedroom_makeover.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="333" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-bvV0Jul2M_E/Tqcp1UU-sPI/AAAAAAAAB4I/vENDwZOXXs0/s400/bedroom_makeover.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Here's some details -</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">- We replaced our white Ikea dresser with 2 of the tall darker versions above. The added drawer space has been GREAT for storage purposes, and the darker color was instantly a little less "first place after college" to me.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">- The curtains are also from Ikea and would bring in another simple pattern. They'll also be a welcome change from the solid brown curtains that are there now (complete with a high-sheen - I don't know what I was thinking).</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">- I've always wanted a sunburst mirror of some sort, but think it's even more perfect now. With the taller, darker dressers taking up nearly the entire width of the wall they're on, I'm hoping something shapely and textural on the wall above will break up the heaviness of the dressers a bit. I've also thought about adding fun knobs to the dressers to make them look less "solid", but I'm not completely sold on that idea just yet.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">- We've had one of the little white (also Ikea) nightstands for ages, and I was thrilled to find a matching one on craigslist just this week. We took a quick trip downtown last night to pick it up and I was SO excited to get some new concealed storage for my jewelry, headbands, sunglasses, etc. While I would have loved to use the awesome vintage looking nightstands I already purchased on craigslist ages ago, they don't fit in our teeny bedroom with our queen size bed (I bought them when we had a full). I may paint the now-matching white nightstands in the Ralph Lauren Regent Metallics paint I originally bought for the <i>original</i> nightstands, but that decision will be based on what color we end up with on the walls!</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">- I've been talking about a DIY headboard for years and still haven't gotten the supplies to actually make one. I have the perfect fabric and nailhead trim for a copycat of the one I stripped in to my inspiration board... still deciding if I want to be gutsy and add some shape to the top or leave it square.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">- The bedding is from West Elm and something that Dan has (reluctantly) agreed to let me purchase, since I've promised I only HAVE to have the duvet cover, and can wait for the pillow shams to (hopefully) go on sale eventually. In my own defense, I have literally been searching for a duvet cover I loved since we bought our house 3 years ago, so I figure it's about time I just bite the bullet and buy one since I found something I love!</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">- Finally, the amazing yellow storage bench (from Target) that I am absolutely head over heels for. Ringing in at $179 it's definitely not "frugal", but that doesn't mean I'm not trying to convince Dan that we have to have it :). Hey, we have a ton of Target gift cards from the wedding, why not buy something fun and sort of unnecessary?!?</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">So, there's a lot to do, but I'm excited to see how we can turn our room into a more adult-looking space since the baby blue and brown I originally insisted on makes my head hurt these days. I'm ALSO excited that this will hopefully give me things to start writing about here on 9-oh-6 again, as I've missed it over this whirlwind of a year!</div>Kelly (&Dan!)http://www.blogger.com/profile/17290089088736919714noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8723010400311161571.post-4540497262038300472011-08-08T13:16:00.000-07:002011-08-08T13:18:34.462-07:00HistoryI don't think I've ever been as excited about my house as I am today. Here's why -<br />
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I'm working on freelance project with my friend Jeff, who had to email his committee today with my address so they could cut a check for my portion of the payment. One member of the team wrote him back the following:<br />
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<i>Jeff,<br />
A small world incident just occurred - that address is my Grandparents old home - they lived there for a long time (until the died about 20 years ago). My father was raised in that home. Very strange ....</i><br />
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Small world indeed!!! I, of course, immediately wrote Jeff back and included links from the blog here, so his friend could see what their grandparent's home looks like today - decades later. I was already excited and didn't think anything more would really come of it, until I got another email...<br />
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<i>Jeff,<br />
Per our earlier conversation - I emailed my sister and she emailed me a few pictures of the inside of the house. Feel free to share the pictures with your friend.</i><br />
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I squealed before I even saw the attachments, and called work friends over right away to check them out with me. Here it is friends - our beloved dining room at 906... several decades ago! -<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-L-DS4VHWNpU/TkBAzYm951I/AAAAAAAABzg/hkQ5WFXyW18/s1600/-1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="295" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-L-DS4VHWNpU/TkBAzYm951I/AAAAAAAABzg/hkQ5WFXyW18/s400/-1.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;">(click the image to view larger!)</span></i></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">For reference, here's a recent shot of the room now, although my handy yellow cabinet isn't there yet -</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-4EFEIf1ozgU/TkBBHG19oXI/AAAAAAAABzk/0y_XKnOXb7Y/s1600/DSCN1322.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-4EFEIf1ozgU/TkBBHG19oXI/AAAAAAAABzk/0y_XKnOXb7Y/s400/DSCN1322.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">I really cannot even begin to express my sheer excitement over this entire situation, and have been grinning ear to ear here at work since the email arrived. Dan agrees that seeing a little glimpse of the history of our house is incredible, and I can't wait to hear my Dad's reaction to it as he tends to find things like this pretty cool himself.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Looking at the "before" and "after" photos side by side, Dan and I both agree that we wish the gorgeous stained glass in the small windows and the hutch doors was still there when we purchased the house. The fact that the trim is already white in this old photo makes me question if it was EVER stripped wood, and I'm curious when the walls went from what looks like paneling to the smooth drywall we have now. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">I already have someone here at work printing the photo for me so I can frame it for our current dining room. I have no doubts that I will never tire of looking at the old picture next to what the room looks like now! </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">A huge thanks to Angie Kelly and Bryan Dunlap for taking time out of their Monday to share photos from their grandparents' time at 906! And a big thanks to Jeff for passing it all along to Dan and I! </div>Kelly (&Dan!)http://www.blogger.com/profile/17290089088736919714noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8723010400311161571.post-90591472322269115332011-07-11T08:58:00.000-07:002011-07-11T09:00:54.199-07:00Easy FixWay back in November, I blogged about trying a <a href="http://9-oh-6.blogspot.com/2010/11/light-it-up.html" target="_blank">DIY pendant fixture</a> for the hallway... then we got engaged over Christmas and my priorities shifted BIG time as I jumped head first into <a href="http://turquoiseflats.blogspot.com/"target="_blank">wedding planning</a>. So, the light kit Dan hung to replace the ugly old fixture that was in the hallway when we bought the house has been hanging for months with just a lightbulb on the end and no fixture of any kind covering it. Honestly, it was a little embarrassing when people came over, but we've been busy and it wasn't top of mind. Thankfully, Ikea came to the rescue on Friday afternoon when we were there grabbing a couple of things I needed for wedding decor. For $13 we got this great oversized shade with a subtle tone-on-tone floral pattern on it that's just perfect for the hallway. I was even able to hang it up myself last night while Dan took Louie Louie for a walk. Being as cheap and simple as this was, I'm happy to say it was an INSTANT upgrade for the hallway!<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-RAqlIKryr4w/ThsdOmUGy1I/AAAAAAAABwI/zcQFQw47Q2c/s1600/DSC_0283.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="267" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-RAqlIKryr4w/ThsdOmUGy1I/AAAAAAAABwI/zcQFQw47Q2c/s400/DSC_0283.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-K4BqvVpuX38/ThsdRomsixI/AAAAAAAABwM/r78SQY04JFw/s1600/DSC_0284.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="267" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-K4BqvVpuX38/ThsdRomsixI/AAAAAAAABwM/r78SQY04JFw/s400/DSC_0284.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">There's a part of me that thinks the light is hanging a little low now, but considering both Dan and I are fairly short I'm fine with it in the meantime. Now if we can just find the time to get that hallway painted...</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div>Kelly (&Dan!)http://www.blogger.com/profile/17290089088736919714noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8723010400311161571.post-50527498897912400542011-06-21T08:56:00.000-07:002011-06-21T08:56:50.764-07:00Dog Days of SummerSunday afternoon graced us with perfectly gorgeous weather, and I joined my dad and Manda at my aunt and uncle's house for a BBQ. At some point I mentioned that I needed to run home to let Louie out, and they suggested I just bring him back over to hang out in the yard. Manda also went and picked up Cosmo, and total chaos ensued for a bit while the two brothers got out their typical excitement over seeing each other. Eventually, they calmed down (though not for long), and I got a couple shots of my Louie Louie that are new favorites. Seeing as we got the dogs towards the end of August last year and they were 8 weeks old... this week is likely where their 1 year birthday falls! Dan and I decided months ago we would celebrate Louie's birthday on the day we got him, but knowing that will be a bit past his <i>real</i> day of birth, I'm going to go ahead and call these Louie's 1 year photos :).<br />
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<div style="text-align: center;">Isn't he cute?</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-nHOx5TthrYY/TgC-9wM29_I/AAAAAAAABuE/z3kYirjD3v4/s1600/DSC_0173.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="267" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-nHOx5TthrYY/TgC-9wM29_I/AAAAAAAABuE/z3kYirjD3v4/s400/DSC_0173.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-FCIeleCTA5w/TgC_CnbLpsI/AAAAAAAABuI/Nltf0Y4lJ6o/s1600/DSC_0177.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="267" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-FCIeleCTA5w/TgC_CnbLpsI/AAAAAAAABuI/Nltf0Y4lJ6o/s400/DSC_0177.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">And, here's a cute picture of Manda with Cosmo</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-IDvrbjdbW3I/TgC-470yYWI/AAAAAAAABuA/TY4v5ij3yuE/s1600/DSC_0168.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="267" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-IDvrbjdbW3I/TgC-470yYWI/AAAAAAAABuA/TY4v5ij3yuE/s400/DSC_0168.JPG" style="cursor: move;" width="400" /></a></div>Kelly (&Dan!)http://www.blogger.com/profile/17290089088736919714noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8723010400311161571.post-35872057788859869572011-06-20T08:19:00.000-07:002011-06-20T08:19:23.383-07:00First HarvestI don't know if it's the perfect mix of sunshine and rain that we've had so far in June, or just sheer luck, but my herb garden is flourishing, and I am loving it!<br />
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Just in time for taco night a couple weeks ago, I gathered a plate full of garlic chives, cilantro and mint from my garden.<br />
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<div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-diesnLUuqKc/Tf9iMZO95II/AAAAAAAABtQ/lGqTqsqHx4k/s1600/DSC_0139.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="267" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-diesnLUuqKc/Tf9iMZO95II/AAAAAAAABtQ/lGqTqsqHx4k/s400/DSC_0139.JPG" style="cursor: move;" width="400" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div>Unfortunately I forgot about the garlic chives and they went to waste, but I'm prepared with recipes the next time they're ready for clipping! The mint and cilantro went to great use though - I muddled the mint and added it to lemonade, and I used the cilantro in homemade salsa, as a garnish on my (DELICIOUS) shrimp tacos AND I also added it to rice with lime juice for an excellent knockoff of the addictive rice at Chipotle. Clearly, I was giddy with excitement about having so much cilantro to use, seeing as every time I've tried to grow it in the past has been a disappointment.<br />
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</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-V0hKUozIK18/Tf9h5VnEFLI/AAAAAAAABtM/4a6IULU54Fw/s1600/DSC_0140.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="267" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-V0hKUozIK18/Tf9h5VnEFLI/AAAAAAAABtM/4a6IULU54Fw/s400/DSC_0140.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">(Amazing what a little natural light does for a photo huh?)</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">My basil is thriving so I have big plans to make my first batch of pesto for the year tonight, provided I can find pine nuts at a reasonable price. And, since I tend to think chips and salsa is a reasonable meal, I see more cilantro use in my future this week as well.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Happy Monday!</div>Kelly (&Dan!)http://www.blogger.com/profile/17290089088736919714noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8723010400311161571.post-88106656973431412362011-06-03T09:52:00.000-07:002011-06-03T09:52:32.641-07:00How does your garden grow?I love weekends where I get to spend a huge chunk of my time hanging out with Manda talking, laughing and doing whatever comes to mind. Recently, we took advantage of the amazing weather and got my herb garden all planted and ready for the summer.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-YVqzTAXyNjY/TekPGhg0ZLI/AAAAAAAABr4/Zw1EZqWSP4M/s1600/DSC_0104.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="267" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-YVqzTAXyNjY/TekPGhg0ZLI/AAAAAAAABr4/Zw1EZqWSP4M/s400/DSC_0104.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">I gave cilantro it's own pot in hopes that it may actually grow...</div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-1Fs7CVK_stQ/TekPIvGCKdI/AAAAAAAABr8/JS3HeLhz0ZQ/s1600/DSC_0106.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="267" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-1Fs7CVK_stQ/TekPIvGCKdI/AAAAAAAABr8/JS3HeLhz0ZQ/s400/DSC_0106.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">I wasn't planning to grow chives again this year as we didn't really use them much last time, but when I went to get my pots out I saw that last year's plant had come back strong and was already HUGE and needing a trim without me having done a thing for it!...</div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-eKhtH9mM0OA/TekPK6f4ipI/AAAAAAAABsA/qqMiYMEclOU/s1600/DSC_0108.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="267" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-eKhtH9mM0OA/TekPK6f4ipI/AAAAAAAABsA/qqMiYMEclOU/s400/DSC_0108.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">I also gave my basil it's own pot, and got 2 plants instead of 1 since homemade pesto has become one of my favorite things since last summer...</div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-wthJfAoB5bE/TekPM4v6nlI/AAAAAAAABsE/xrlM0eiYwks/s1600/DSC_0109.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="267" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-wthJfAoB5bE/TekPM4v6nlI/AAAAAAAABsE/xrlM0eiYwks/s400/DSC_0109.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">While I planted, Manda worked on sanding the cabinet. And, you can see the shutters behind her that I found for (hopeful) use at the wedding!</div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-zUp4xcXrZXs/TekPO89TzhI/AAAAAAAABsI/ySUQtZLJ9gg/s1600/DSC_0110.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="267" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-zUp4xcXrZXs/TekPO89TzhI/AAAAAAAABsI/ySUQtZLJ9gg/s400/DSC_0110.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>Kelly (&Dan!)http://www.blogger.com/profile/17290089088736919714noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8723010400311161571.post-6595450033431725572011-06-01T09:18:00.000-07:002011-06-01T09:22:43.730-07:00Piece of cakeWhile I have my moments (few and far between) of creative genius, the sad truth is that I don't have a single TRUE artistic bone in my body. I do, however, do a fairly good job of drawing inspiration from others - more often than not in the form of something I saw on someone else's bog. Today, when checking out my daily sites, I saw a sale on Hautelook for artwork, and a quick look left me with newfound inspiration to find a few old pieces of wood and paint on it for easy custom art.<br />
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I don't recall if we have any old wood left around our house that we tore down/replaced, but if we do, it would be so insanely easy to paint a big old "9-oh-6" on it and have it as a keepsake for years to come, even after we've moved and have a new address.<br />
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Here's some of my favorites from the sale...<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Perfect for the kitchen... or the breakfast nook I am dying to have in my next home -</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-imtfLiNhqEM/TeZmAnvNnBI/AAAAAAAABrk/3le45KzmCCA/s1600/592884.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-imtfLiNhqEM/TeZmAnvNnBI/AAAAAAAABrk/3le45KzmCCA/s400/592884.jpg" width="266" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Simple ways to say "I love you" -</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-gYykiYiysfw/TeZmBO5-MQI/AAAAAAAABro/x6632qW9uwc/s1600/592905.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-gYykiYiysfw/TeZmBO5-MQI/AAAAAAAABro/x6632qW9uwc/s400/592905.jpg" width="266" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-YeOapMxGNB4/TeZmBY0OkVI/AAAAAAAABrs/XEedjfucXig/s1600/592929.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-YeOapMxGNB4/TeZmBY0OkVI/AAAAAAAABrs/XEedjfucXig/s400/592929.jpg" width="266" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">How awesome would this be with a silhouette of our little Louie Louie? -</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-zcH02d27qT4/TeZmBuPvdKI/AAAAAAAABrw/19fsNIGZhQ0/s1600/592978.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-zcH02d27qT4/TeZmBuPvdKI/AAAAAAAABrw/19fsNIGZhQ0/s400/592978.jpg" width="266" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">In "real" house news, I was excited to blog about my <a href="http://9-oh-6.blogspot.com/2011/05/addition.html" target="_blank">found cabinet</a> makeover soon - it's all painted and looks FABULOUS - but the last step was to line the inside of the cabinets with paper and I nearly lost a chunk of my finger trying to use an xacto knife to do this part of the project the other night... so that will be put on hold until my finger heals or Dan decides to do it for me... we'll see which comes first :).</div>Kelly (&Dan!)http://www.blogger.com/profile/17290089088736919714noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8723010400311161571.post-37581228467828838182011-05-20T11:58:00.000-07:002011-05-20T12:03:02.598-07:00Claim to FameSo, we were in a magazine. When I cut out the article to finally frame last night I realized I never blogged about our 15 seconds of fame, so I took a couple of quick pictures this morning to show off!<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-s_D_W68rFSc/TdaWcokn2tI/AAAAAAAABrQ/6OT1vaxk95c/s1600/DSCN2101.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-s_D_W68rFSc/TdaWcokn2tI/AAAAAAAABrQ/6OT1vaxk95c/s400/DSCN2101.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Here's how the entire thing went down -</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Last fall, I saw a twitter posting from <a href="http://www.thenest.com/" target="_blank">The Nest</a> (the homey version of <a href="http://www.theknot.com/" target="_blank">The Knot</a>) looking for "our next real couple!"... So I responded, figuring nothing would come of it... but the next day I got an email from someone at The Nest saying they would love to feature Dan and I on their blog! I was thrilled... and Dan was not, but he was a good sport and answered all of the little interview questions with me. I sent in a bunch of pictures with our responses, and sat back and waited. A couple months later when I realized I hadn't seen anything online, I sent a quick email to the rep who responded with a cheery "We loved you guys so much we decided to feature you in our upcoming magazine instead of the blog!"</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Now, if you know Dan and I at all you can probably imagine our reactions - I was entirely THRILLED with this news, while Dan was... not. But, a couple weeks later we had a copy of The Nest in our mailbox with a sweet note from the rep I worked with congratulating us on our engagement (we were not engaged yet when we originally worked with her - the article actually quotes me saying "someday when we get married" as I had no idea it would actually be happening anytime soon!)</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">As you can see, our little Louie Louie (who is definitely not so little anymore) and our precious 9-oh-6 are both pictured, along with a couple of my all-time favorite shots of Dan and I - </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-J7Q__7U90U0/TdaWvSuGsNI/AAAAAAAABrU/OHdajIWGgl4/s1600/DSCN2104.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-J7Q__7U90U0/TdaWvSuGsNI/AAAAAAAABrU/OHdajIWGgl4/s400/DSCN2104.JPG" width="300" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">So, the article is now sitting pretty in a simple Ikea frame on the little <a href="http://9-oh-6.blogspot.com/2011/05/addition.html" target="_blank">cabinet I found</a>, along with a $5 clearance lamp from Target that I'm planning to dust off and spray paint this weekend. The lampshade was just another $5 at Ikea and I'm thinking I can dress it up a bit with some ribbon or something. It's supposed to rain AGAIN all weekend so I still don't know when I'll have the chance to sand the cabinet down so I can actually paint it, but with the long holiday weekend coming up I'm really hoping I can finish up that little project soon!</div>Kelly (&Dan!)http://www.blogger.com/profile/17290089088736919714noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8723010400311161571.post-83952705754964013122011-05-02T18:12:00.000-07:002011-05-02T18:17:32.111-07:00AdditionI did something the other day that Dan dreads. That is, I spotted something in an alley that I just HAD to have, and insisted that we take it home in the back of his truck that he conveniently had with him at the time. I found my latest gem right across the alley from my parent's house when we were walking Manda to a friends house, which for some reason I feel isn't quite as ridiculous as finding something in a random alley while driving somewhere. I know some people would scoff at bringing something into their home that was quite literally someone else's trash, but I generally feel that as long as it doesn't involve fabric and it gets a good cleaning - it's essentially a FREE addition to the house that I can do whatever I want with since it's not like I'm messing with an expensive piece of furniture or anything!<br />
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So, meet my new little cabinet, which is sitting pretty in the dining room waiting for a fresh coat of paint -<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-yDX4VR4is44/Tb9UAtWJrFI/AAAAAAAABp8/1rtC-SUqjj4/s1600/DSCN2087.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-yDX4VR4is44/Tb9UAtWJrFI/AAAAAAAABp8/1rtC-SUqjj4/s400/DSCN2087.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><br />
The cabinet has little dividers in it that seem to be permanent. I'm sure I could knock them out with a hammer, but instead I think they're absolutely perfect for helping to store all of my platters, trays and serving dishes -<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-0hV-JA5bHtE/Tb9UCcarGnI/AAAAAAAABqA/sGMBB0evhzo/s1600/DSCN2088.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-0hV-JA5bHtE/Tb9UCcarGnI/AAAAAAAABqA/sGMBB0evhzo/s400/DSCN2088.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><br />
Currently, this stuff is all stacked in the pantry, which is never fun when I want to use the one at the bottom of the pile -<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-2ENTq-lZvgA/Tb9UEazE0NI/AAAAAAAABqE/KQi3d_dhBts/s1600/DSCN2089.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-2ENTq-lZvgA/Tb9UEazE0NI/AAAAAAAABqE/KQi3d_dhBts/s400/DSCN2089.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">I suppose things may change after the wedding and I have fun new things to find places for, but in the meantime I'll likely move my cookbooks to the bottom cabinet so they aren't piled in the pantry taking up precious shelf space (and falling over every time I grab the flour or sugar jar) -</div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-tBSUDdbAbII/Tb9UGN33vvI/AAAAAAAABqI/hvq5tVYy1qc/s1600/DSCN2090.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-tBSUDdbAbII/Tb9UGN33vvI/AAAAAAAABqI/hvq5tVYy1qc/s400/DSCN2090.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;">(Yep, my pantry is a mess. And I got tired of the smoke detector in the kitchen going off every time cheese from a frozen pizza got stuck in the bottom of the oven, so I took it down all together. Don't judge.)</span></i></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">The plan is to paint the cabinet in pretty "mimosa" yellow, which I already have and am fairly convinced is the absolute perfect yellow to use in home goods. I used it on the <a href="http://9-oh-6.blogspot.com/2011/02/squirrely.html" target="_blank">wooden squirrel bookend</a> that I got from West Elm and think it will be a welcome colorful addition to the dining room. This will also be the perfect opportunity to use a couple of fun knobs that I got a long time ago in the dollar section at Michael's. Thanks to craigslist, neighbor's alleys and garage sales, I'm excited that in some ways, our house is starting to take on that "collected over time" look that I envy in the homes of some of my favorite bloggers!</div>Kelly (&Dan!)http://www.blogger.com/profile/17290089088736919714noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8723010400311161571.post-40775840538586436442011-04-26T13:00:00.000-07:002011-04-26T13:00:09.523-07:00The little thingsLast night, after a particularly awful day at work, Dan drove downtown to pick me up and drive me home so I wouldn't have to take the train. He babied me as only he can and let me spend the ride home whining about my horrible day. When we were getting off the expressway he asked what I wanted for dinner, and knowing we had a TON of leftover ground beef in our fridge from an impromptu BBQ party over the weekend, we decided to try making meatballs - a new cooking encounter for me.<br />
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Knowing that I likely already had a recipe saved from ages ago I checked my bookmarks, and sure enough I had <a href="http://noblepig.com/2009/10/25/the-best-meatballs-and-my-three-day-marinara-sauce.aspx">Noble Pig's "Best Meatballs"</a> tagged and ready to go. (We obviously didn't have the time for her 3-day marinara sauce, but I was more in the mood for just dumping a jar of sauce into a pan to heat anyways.) It's always thrilling to me to make a new recipe and realize that I have every single ingredient I need in my fridge or pantry already. Even better - we're notorious for wasting leftovers, so it was great to use up the ground beef so quickly, and even halving the recipe left us with 3 freezer bags of meatballs for quick dinners in the future.<br />
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As I read off the ingredients list and Dan measured out all the spices I started to feel better. As we took turns shaping the meatballs and unloading the dishwasher I started to be more calm. By the time we took the pan out of the oven and taste-tested the near perfect recipe I was nearly slaphappy. And as we sat down on the couch together to eat our dinner in front of a movie I realized that this is the kind of stuff that life is all about. It doesn't really matter if I have "the worst day of my life" - I will forever get to come home to Dan, have dinner together, and let things like work go to the back of my mind at least for a little while. And to me, that's the kind of stuff that matters.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-Rcsz-lzu6ug/TbcjYPc5o5I/AAAAAAAABp0/jTcg3J-p6Mo/s1600/IMG00064-20110425-2123.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-Rcsz-lzu6ug/TbcjYPc5o5I/AAAAAAAABp0/jTcg3J-p6Mo/s400/IMG00064-20110425-2123.jpg" width="300" /></a></div><br />
A few notes:<br />
1. Don't mind the cell phone picture that clearly doesn't have the most appetizing color in the world. Instead, focus on my aaaaaamazing ikat plates from Target that I somehow talked Dan into.<br />
2. The meatballs were a little heavy on the parsley flavor for me, as we used dried instead of fresh. I think it's time to get my little herb garden going again... if it would ever stay above 40 degrees for more than a day at a time around here.<br />
3. Apologies for the general sappiness of this post, but Dan really is wonderful to me and with Easter Sunday marking just 5 months to go (!!!!) until <a href="http://turquoiseflats.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">our wedding</a>, I was feeling particularly emotional over the last few days.Kelly (&Dan!)http://www.blogger.com/profile/17290089088736919714noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8723010400311161571.post-25176367662936845232011-04-08T08:33:00.000-07:002011-04-08T08:33:55.319-07:00The writing is on the wallI've been seeing a ton of inspiration around the web lately that makes me think I need to start hanging more stuff on our walls. Outside of some amazing prints of my friend <a href="http://www.blackcloudgallery.net/artists/artists_JasonT.html" target="_blank">Jason's</a> work and a poster illustration of the bean in Chicago that I got from a work event, there's a lot of potential for me to instill some character in our house through artwork.<br />
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This is one of the latest ideas I'd love to copy, maybe with the words from one of our wedding readings?<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-lK19-ownY74/TZ8qrN4pefI/AAAAAAAABpE/dQA5bzy6Qms/s1600/handwritten2-500x353.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="281" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-lK19-ownY74/TZ8qrN4pefI/AAAAAAAABpE/dQA5bzy6Qms/s400/handwritten2-500x353.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>Kelly (&Dan!)http://www.blogger.com/profile/17290089088736919714noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8723010400311161571.post-88313928695857513402011-03-31T11:48:00.000-07:002011-03-31T11:48:55.997-07:00You & MeIn all of my hunting for the perfect fabric to use for table runners at our wedding, I instead spent $40 on 5 yards of a gorgeous just barely metallic perfect grayish-tannish heavy duty fabric that I plan to use for the DIY headboard I've been talking about forever. I also bought a bunch of little 20 packs of nailhead trim for a whopping $.50 a pack, which I've been told is a major steal. Now I just need to get a piece of plywood and some foam, and talk the fiance into cutting said plywood for me so I can actually get this done.<br />
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In the meantime, I've realized that my original "You have my whole heart for my whole life" knockoff idea won't fit on the wall above our bed with a headboard, unless I make the artwork really small. Still wanting <i>something</i> above the bed, I saw this photo today on one of my <a href="http://ashleyannphotography.com/blog/" target="_blank">favorite blogs</a>, and have officially decided to copy it.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-lFG_AvK_Lgg/TZTLdBhGERI/AAAAAAAABos/aavukKsEvjc/s1600/youandme.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="262" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-lFG_AvK_Lgg/TZTLdBhGERI/AAAAAAAABos/aavukKsEvjc/s400/youandme.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Cute, simple, cheap, easily customizable... perfect.</div>Kelly (&Dan!)http://www.blogger.com/profile/17290089088736919714noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8723010400311161571.post-7377866763566607032011-03-22T08:54:00.000-07:002011-03-22T08:54:43.945-07:00Store CrushHello 9-oh-6 friends! If you've been checking in on me on <a href="http://turquoiseflats.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">Turquoise Flats</a> at all I'm sure you know I am knee-deep in wedding planning... and absolutely loving it.<br />
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Outside of the actual day-of planning, one of the toughest things we've done is without a doubt also one of the most fun - registering! I mean, who <i>wouldn't</i> love making a giant wish list of everything they've ever wanted?!? The tough part comes in when I try to look at the big picture and keep the overall look of our house cohesive. This is especially difficult for me since I've already put such a huge amount of time into making our house our home over the last couple of years, and now I have a chance to almost start over with new things, but in a house that already has color and character. Hmm.<br />
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I mentioned forever ago that I couldn't imagine picking out just one set of dishes, as I've always loved the look of crisp white with metallic or colorful accents... and that is exactly what we're doing. Perhaps not surprising, Dan and I picked out the least expensive dishes in all of Crate & Barrel, and even when we tried to talk ourselves into "nicer" ones we were still hooked on our original choice. So, we added in patterned salad plates and nice flatware. My overall hope is that I can stick to neutrals (a VERY difficult task for me, self-proclaimed color fiend), and add in pops of color and pattern in the details. I'm also attempting to stick to the "classics", like a white butter dish and gravy boat, and a stainless steel wine cooler - in hopes that I'll still love them years later when my taste changes.<br />
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But then places like my favorite West Elm come out with stunning summery items that make me want to drop all the boring white pieces and instead ask for fun whimsical items, like this yellow owl butter dish (Stacey - this owl stuff is calling your name!!!) -<br />
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<div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-VQ9q603cEhU/TYjFRW4q31I/AAAAAAAABoE/U5ORG7ctPy8/s1600/img79m.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-VQ9q603cEhU/TYjFRW4q31I/AAAAAAAABoE/U5ORG7ctPy8/s320/img79m.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br />
Or these nesting owl measuring cups -<br />
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<div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-ZfMFoaYWhWY/TYjFQ8qXRcI/AAAAAAAABn8/Sd5QCs5g0WE/s1600/img7m.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-ZfMFoaYWhWY/TYjFQ8qXRcI/AAAAAAAABn8/Sd5QCs5g0WE/s320/img7m.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: left;">I also (shocker) love these turquoise measuring cups, but feel that both these and the owl ones may be slightly impractical and tough to actually use - </div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-yYOBAmzRWDA/TYjFQsXtRVI/AAAAAAAABn4/Y6TaInzVzj4/s1600/img1m.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-yYOBAmzRWDA/TYjFQsXtRVI/AAAAAAAABn4/Y6TaInzVzj4/s320/img1m.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">These patterned bowls would pair perfectly with white dishes, wouldn't they? -</div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-38LpqhUiGT8/TYjFRDABFLI/AAAAAAAABoA/ttsY3eoOv9c/s1600/img18m.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-38LpqhUiGT8/TYjFRDABFLI/AAAAAAAABoA/ttsY3eoOv9c/s320/img18m.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">These mugs make me wish I drank coffee -</div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-z_Osm1QmeFI/TYjGFe_OZvI/AAAAAAAABoM/3G5S0FpKG24/s1600/img4m.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-z_Osm1QmeFI/TYjGFe_OZvI/AAAAAAAABoM/3G5S0FpKG24/s320/img4m.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>Kelly (&Dan!)http://www.blogger.com/profile/17290089088736919714noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8723010400311161571.post-19322266966046556532011-02-12T21:43:00.000-08:002011-02-12T21:43:15.756-08:00BummerI'm kind of mad I didn't think to keep any of the old ratty windows from the house that we quickly replaced as soon as we had the money. Way to let a sweet crafty project opportunity pass me right by.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-ZzKmETqKu3w/TVdva8RMHkI/AAAAAAAABkU/XgH-OlvkjvI/s1600/make-these-chalk-AT.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-ZzKmETqKu3w/TVdva8RMHkI/AAAAAAAABkU/XgH-OlvkjvI/s400/make-these-chalk-AT.jpg" width="297" /></a></div>Kelly (&Dan!)http://www.blogger.com/profile/17290089088736919714noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8723010400311161571.post-79051813588378738412011-02-07T08:23:00.000-08:002011-02-07T08:23:14.735-08:00SquirrelyWe stopped in to West Elm yesterday so I could see the duvet I picked out online in person. Thankfully, I loved it even more in person than I thought I would, so it's officially on our registry. Unfortunately, the guy working there that I spoke to assured me that this particular bedding will be long gone by the time my wedding rolls around in September, so we may just be buying ourselves a wedding present in a couple months when it goes on sale. Regardless, I found bedding I LOVE and it's simple non-floral pattern and overall sheen gray makes Dan happy too. Yay!<br />
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While at West Elm I decided to buy myself a little $3 present off the clearance table, and brought this little squirrel bookend home with me!<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_YyxBCKIif2s/TVAb5twGBVI/AAAAAAAABjo/Mzyplwd4oYY/s1600/img4m.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_YyxBCKIif2s/TVAb5twGBVI/AAAAAAAABjo/Mzyplwd4oYY/s320/img4m.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Seeing as it was on clearance, the little guy's wood grain doesn't look quite as nice as the photo here from West Elm's website... so I'm tempted to give him a nice coat of white paint. Or maybe yellow, as I still have an unopened quart of "Mimosa" by Glidden from when they did an online giveaway months and months ago. Either way, I'm excited for a new trinket for the shelf in the living room, which has been looking a little blah to me lately.</div>Kelly (&Dan!)http://www.blogger.com/profile/17290089088736919714noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8723010400311161571.post-27084225646329674432011-01-13T16:33:00.000-08:002011-01-13T16:39:57.922-08:00$140 Bath<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Overall, I think we've gotten pretty lucky with our house in the sense that we haven't had a ton of emergency projects come up in the time we've been here. In fact, between flooding, dead cats and furnace scares, the majority of our unexpected issues have been in the basement.</div><br />
Until last weekend, when Dan called me to say that he took a bath... and when he came downstairs there was water in the dining room. Not good.<br />
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<div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_YyxBCKIif2s/TS-bFCHQiUI/AAAAAAAABhU/p0cL055gaus/s1600/DSC_0925.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="214" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_YyxBCKIif2s/TS-bFCHQiUI/AAAAAAAABhU/p0cL055gaus/s320/DSC_0925.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><br />
I showered at my mom's the next morning and Dan called a plumber right away, who came out that day while I was at work. I spent the day mentally preparing myself to come home to a hefty plumbing bill and half of the dining room ceiling being cut out. Thankfully, the plumber was able to see without cutting into the ceiling at all that the problem was simply with the tub overfill drain, which we hadn't tightened properly the last time Dan cleaned out the drain pipes. So, when Dan took his bath (which we rarely do, or this would have happened months ago), the water hit the overfill line, and instead of going where it was supposed to, it went through the ceiling below and into the dining room. According to Dan, it took the plumber a grand total of about 12 minutes to put a new piece on the drain, and then charged us $140 for it, which is ridiculous - but it could have been MUCH worse! The dining room ceiling does have some damage that will have to be repaired, but it isn't urgent, and we can at least shower in the meantime!Kelly (&Dan!)http://www.blogger.com/profile/17290089088736919714noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8723010400311161571.post-46722888198646276992011-01-11T20:28:00.000-08:002011-01-11T20:29:28.268-08:00Turquoise FlatsIt needs some serious design help (kind of like this blog, don't judge), but I've started my wedding blog! I'll do my best to keep this one going as well, but anyone that knows how excited I am about our big day won't be surprised that I'll likely have much more to say that's wedding-related than not. Knowing how many wedding projects I already have stored away in my inspiration folders, I'm sure I'll have plenty to keep myself busy and keep my new blog full of the random rambling that I happen to be so good at!<br />
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So, friends, read along if you'd like, and feel free to click on the little button to leave a comment once in awhile (cough, cough, Mom) so I can pretend I'm one of those girls that has a wildly popular blog that <i>everybody </i>reads instead of accepting the reality that I'm the girl reading all of the other girls' blogs, and none of them even know that mine exists. K? Thanks. :)<br />
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<a href="http://turquoiseflats.blogspot.com/" target="_blank"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">Turquoise Flats</span></a>Kelly (&Dan!)http://www.blogger.com/profile/17290089088736919714noreply@blogger.com0