thursday's thoughts: couches

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What a sound piece of advice for a Thursday morning!  While I agree with the sentiment, I have to stop myself (often) from falling into the trap of just trying to get things "finished" around the house.  Really we have a long way to go on the house, but I am so thankful for lots of years ahead to make this house the home we really want.  

While some major projects are on the back burner for now, I am trying hard to get the living room fairly furnished before Christmas rolls around.  This will be our first Christmas morning in our own house after 6 years of marriage, and I cannot wait to wake up and see our tree and stockings before bouncing between family celebrations.  

We're on a tight budget for decorating, so getting the room into shape means being creative.  There are some pieces that will definitely be more of an investment, but I am trying to become a DIY queen with pillows, curtains, and this bench makeover from Becky's blog.  (Check back for posts on these projects...can't promise success, but I am definitely going to try!)  In the meantime, we are on the hunt for a couch.  I know we want a white couch, and I love the look of tufted upholstery and nailhead, but I think it might be more reasonable to get slipcovered white pieces.

slipcovered / nailhead / tufted

I should mention that we have a slipcovered couch in the family room that definitely gets more day to day use.  Any great options out there that combine more of the pretty details with slipcovers?  Or should we just bite the bullet and invest in scotch guard?  Decisions, decisions...

xo,

help + phillip lim for target

 :: H E L P ::

Friends, I need your help!  I have been working diligently on our living room, and I am so happy with the fabrics I've found to round out the space.  Except...this beautiful navy and white pattern.  I broke the cardinal rule and fell in love with this fabric without looking at the price.  Needless to say, I have been on the hunt for a similar fabric for the better part of the week, and I am hoping someone out there can help.  I don't need much (only about 2 yds), but since I will be attempting a DIY with the fabric, I want the price point to be one that won't be too painful if I mess up.  Anyone out there have a good fabric source?  Or have a couple yards of this stuff lying around?

john robshaw for duralee bindi fabric

:: P H I L I P  L I M  F O R  T A R G E T ::

In other news, thanks to my friend TB for letting me in on the Philip Lim for Target event starting Sunday.  I had heard rumblings about this way back when I was studying for the bar, but it completely slipped my mind until yesterday when T reminded me that it was this weekend!  While I can't say I am enough of a die hard to shop online at midnight (and certainly not die hard enough to line up at the store before the doors open), I do think there are some pretty great pieces coming out.  Although I've been disappointed by Target collaborations in the past, don't be shocked if you see me at Target on Sunday (during normal daylight hours) checking this one out.  And, just to get you all inspired, here are a few of my favorites from the look book.  

Anything you have your eye on?  

Happy Friday!

xo,

house updates

In the past few weeks, I have finished unpacking (most) of the boxes that have been lingering around our house, and I have started attempting small house projects.  We have decided to hold off a while longer on any major changes to the house, but in the meantime, I am working on little ways to make the space feel more lived in and personal, despite a few empty rooms here and there.  

nothing like fresh flowers, framed map prints, and a gold tray to give a little life to an entry

I can't claim to be a true DIY pro yet, but I am pretty proud of my work with a little black spray paint

We will add a little height when we actually fill out planters, but I was super excited to find these in the clearance section at target.  The before picture shows the old brass lanterns that flanked the door on the day our roof was redone (sorry for the poor quality photo- this was the only picture I had of the front of our house before)

Next up: new paint and maybe a few pieces of furniture for our living room.  

Hope you enjoyed a little peek into the new space.

xo,

PS: I'm not sure why the caption on the gallery wall photo is in all caps?  Please let me know if you see other format issues when you open in your browser or device.  Thanks!

happy friday

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Happy Friday Loves!  Any grand plans for this weekend?  We are debating a last minute trip to Orlando and IKEA to go furniture shopping. I must admit, I am feeling a little overwhelmed at the thought of an IKEA adventure.  It might be that I am just overwhelmed making decisions about furniture in general, and I am very aware of not making rushed choices that I won't like in the long run.  Decisions, decisions...

Anyone have any great suggestions for living room furniture sources?  

Hope your weekend is fabulous! 

xo,

it's here!

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Closing Day has arrived!  The final leg of our "move back home" is happening this weekend.  I don't know if it has hit us yet that we will have our own space in Jacksonville, but we can't wait to get the keys to our new house.

Though it's hard to believe, we have "officially" lived outside of Jacksonville for more than a decade!  When we have been back to visit, Jacksonville has consisted of childhood bedrooms and home-cooked meals.  While I can't complain about this, I have to admit I am excited to have our own space.  I know living here will be a completely different experience, but it will be a fun one with our own house and our own routines.  It will certainly be another transition but it is one we are excited to make.   

Thank you to everyone who has helped make this move possible.  We appreciate you taking us in for weeks at a time, keeping us full of amazing meals, and just showing us your unconditional love and support.  We can't wait to return the favor from our very own place in town.

xo,

office spaces

Today I am dreaming of ways to squeeze an office into our new house.  For the majority of the summer, I will be studying for the bar exam, and my "office" will actually be our dining room table.  While this is acceptable for the brief period that is bar prep, in the long run, I envision an office being more of an organizational hub for our home.  I don't want anything too big, but I would like space for mail, for a computer, and for a some storage.  

I love this small office space in what looks like a hallway.  Although it is small, it looks like everything has a place and like it functions well.  I also love the grey and white marble top with while cabinets...the perfect extension of my kitchen dreams!

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Another great use of space in this office.  I love the open shelves mixed with closed cabinets.  Only thing missing now is a window...

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This would be a great option for a shared home office.  Josh and I have a shared office in our current house (2 full time graduate students needed their own desks) and it has worked out well.  I love the symmetry of the open shelves and the nailhead chairs.  Now, if only the desks would stay looking so clean!

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I love the pull out table top in this office.  It allows for extra space when needed, but it doesn't take up valuable living space when it's not in use.

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Last but not least this beauty.  Open shelving, some closed cabinets, grey and white marble countertop, windows, and functionality.  This just might be a winner.

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What do you have in your home office that makes you happy or makes the space especially functional?  Any and all suggestions are welcomed and appreciated!

xo,

kitchen dreams

Hello Dears!  As you may know, we are moving back to Florida in May.  We have a house under contract and we could not be more thrilled.  Though the house has lots of wonderful features, it is also an older house that needs a little updating.  While many of our initial updates/improvements on the house will be not so fun (think new roof, attic insulation, etc.) I can't help but dream of an updated kitchen one day.

Luckily for me, I love looking for inspiration pictures and a fairly consistent theme has emerged over time.

I love gray and white granite with white cabinets...

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wide plank, dark wood floors...

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stainless steel appliances...

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and a beautiful backsplash and unique lighting.

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Any favorite sources for house inspiration?  I have a ways to go before our kitchen looks anything like these, but I love this period of planning and looking at beautiful pictures to get some ideas!

xo,