Desk Transformation

Remember this desk I posted about AGES ago? And by ages ago, I mean back in September.

Well, it's finally finished! It actually has been finished for quite some time, but I haven't been able to get a good picture of it since the sun seems to set approximately 5 minutes after I get home from work every day!

Well, I can't help not showing you something of the progress, so here's a little picture of the side of the desk.

I decided to leave the top of the desk unpainted. After stripping off about 10 layers of paint, it just seemed wrong to repaint it! Plus, the wood is so pretty and with a layer of stain and polycarbonate it looks amazing. I will post more pictures as soon as I can get some good ones!

I can't believe December is already right around the corner! I hope all of you had a wonderful Thanksgiving holiday!

Happy Thanksgiving!

Hi friends! I want to wish you all a WONDERFUL Thanksgiving week!

Also, if you need a last-minute dessert to bring to your family get-together, I would like to introduce you to Pioneer Woman's Nantucket Cranberry Pie.

(image from the pioneer woman dot com)

This pie is, quite honestly, life-changingly yummy.

So go HERE for the recipe. You're welcome. And Happy Turkey Day!

Communication Barriers in Marriage

I love being married. It has been such a wonderful first year of marriage, and I couldn’t ask for a better husband!

Sometimes, marriage can be rather hilarious. You take two people with different personalities, coming from different backgrounds and throw them together and communication can be a bit challenging at times.

One of the roadblocks in communication that we have come up against a few times is the fact that Josh is extremely literal. As in, he thinks that every word that comes from my mouth is absolutely exactly how I feel and completely set in stone.

I, on the other hand, am a pathological over-exaggerator.

As you can imagine, our conversations and attempts to communicate from these completely opposite ends of the spectrum can be quite amusing.

Like the other day, Josh and I were emailing back and forth periodically while at work, like any normal day. However, for the couple of days before we had been so busy that we didn’t get a lot of time together.

So here’s a little snippet of our conversation:


Josh: I am so glad we are both going to just be home tonight. It will be great to spend time together.

Mikalah: I am too! I do have an eye doctor appointment, but I should still be home before you get there.

Josh: Sweet, I will not have to wait for you when I get home then.

Mikalah: Nope, you won't have to wait! Instead, you will most likely be ambushed by an attention starved wife who will pelt you with kisses and cling to you like a deranged monkey.

Josh (ever the harbinger of personal safety): Haha, please give me time to take off my shoes! It would be dangerous if you jumped on me as I come into the entry.



Do you see what I mean? Absolutely hilarious. I, of course, was slightly taken aback that he really thought I would actually fling myself down the flight of stairs to our entryway and assault him with affection as he innocently came in the door from work.

Then again, I can be rather dramatic and overzealous at times.

Accent Color: Tangerine

Well I must say, I was pleasantly surprised when most of you responded to my post yesterday and recommended the color I had already chosen: tangerine! Yay!

So here's the deets on the new color for our living room:


I purchased 2 pillows from JCPenney for $9.99 each. Normally, I would sew these myself but for $9.99 it made more sense to just buy them already made!

Then, I found 2 adorable tea-light holders at Marshalls for only $3.99 apiece. Hallelujah- they matched the pillows to perfection!

In the photo above you can get a sense for how the colors match the loveseat!

I also grabbed the "J M" initals that I painted a while back because they are almost the exact same shade of tangerine. Perfecto.

Notice the little lamp switcher-oo as well? I found 2 beautiful glass lamp bases at Goodwill a few weeks ago for $10 apiece. Be still my heart. I have moved the green lamps elsewhere, and I feel like these add the perfect touch, especially with the new tangerine accents.

What do you think?

Accent Colors

Hello Everyone. Please meet my ho-hum living room.

It needs some serious intervention.

I have been thinking long and hard about a way to bring an accent color into our living room.... It's very difficult sometimes for me to "remove" myself from my own spaces and look at them objectively! I couldn't figure out what this room needed. Some green? More dark colors to make it cohesive? A bright pop of some color?

Well, one of the thoughts I had was to pull some of the color from our loveseat:

I really LOVE this loveseat. I don't know why, but the second I saw it sitting there in the thrift store I knew it had to be mine. It's from the 80s I believe, a Sears couch. Go figure.


There are some nice blues, greens, neutrals, browns, and even a lovely tangerine color in there! So, it gave me a lot of options for an accent color:



What's your favorite accent color? Is it one that's not even listed?

Just so you don't get mad when I do another post tomorrow, I already have chosen an accent color. I know, I'm a trickster. However, it occurred to me that it would be nice to hear your thoughts! So please, use the comment section and give me some brainstorming action!

Inspiration for Monday Morning... (Warning, Early Christmas Decor Post!)

Sorry for the involuntary blogging break, y'all! I have been thinking about my blog and missing it, but there has been LOTS going on with work and life. Mostly good stuff. =)

However, I have been keeping my eyes open for my inspiration files for the upcoming Christmas season, and I thought it would be the perfect time to share some with you! So here's a few things that have been catching my eye as of late:

#1 Milk glass

(You can find this set of 2 vases for #20.00 at this etsy shop.)

Yes, it's been around for a while and honestly, I think it's a trend that will keep on keeping on! Milk glass is so simple and blends so easily with many different styles. In fact- the November issue of Family Circle magazine has a GORGEOUS holiday decorating section featuring milk glass! I tried to find pictures online, but sadly it doesn't look like they have any up. Did any of you see that issue yet?

#2 Faux Mercury Glass

(Image from Take the Side Street blog).

I have been dying to try this technique myself, but alas, I can't seem to find that darn mirror spray paint! I might have to just order it from Amazon... Anna from Take the Side Street posted a great tutorial on using this technique to make glass look mirrored and antiqued, without using any harsh chemicals.

On a side note- as Anna mentions in her tutorial, you really have to find the "Mirror-Like" spray paint from Krylon. I have tried using regular "silver" and is just doesn't look the same. I will keep on looking though...


#3 GLITTER!



(all images from Martha Stewart dot com).


Need I say more?

Most of the time, I am all about the natural, pretty type of home decor. But when Christmas is on the horizon, I suddenly have to resist the urge to buy a huge vat of glitter and dip every decoration I own into it. What's up with that? Does anyone else suffer from this illness?

Well, that's all I have for now! Hope you have a wonderful start to your week!