A time to remember

I know I have been neglecting my little blog lately. Unfortunately, there have been some difficult things going on in my life, and the lives of people that are very dear to me. I want this blog to be a place that is a breath of fresh air, so I don't always talk about the difficult things. But friends, sometimes life is just hard.

However, I believe in a God who is sovereign over all, and He is still working in our broken world. And for that, I am thankful.

I hope and pray that you all have a good Memorial Day weekend, spending time with friends and family and basking in the beautiful Summer sun. I will hopefully be back soon with some more DIY projects and fun stuff.

a day in blurry photos

A mid-morning snack.

A pair of earrings re-discovered.

Soft gray leather kitten heels.

It's Friday, and my mind is everywhere but here.

A sweet summer makeover

Well, it seems that Summer is finally upon us! Even though it is only May, the temperature (and humidity) has been steadily rising.

With the bright, sunny weather outside, our bedroom was starting to look a little bleak. In order to bring it out of the winter doldrums, I decided to make some summery changes!

In case you don't remember what it USED to look like, here's a little reminder:


Old bedspread, mis-matched lamps, see-through curtains. Yep, definitely a candidate for a makeover.

And now, for the after:



The details:

I bought a new duvet and pillow sham set from IKEA for a whopping $14.99.
The lamps are from Home Depot- a little more expensive at $49.99 each.
New curtains- also IKEA- were only $19.99.

After hemming and hawing over my lamp situation, I finally decided to just buy new lamps. As much as I love thrifting and finding inexpensive things, sometimes it's better to buy new! For instance, if you are trying to find identical lamps! I really felt like we needed 2 matching lamps to really anchor the space. I'm so happy we went with the ones from Home Depot, they are great and could work well in almost any setting. Definitely worth the price!


The little alarm clock is also from IKEA, but I bought it a few years ago.

We also invested in a new plant. I'm hoping it will last at least 3 months this time! But, if it doesn't, at least it was only $4.99.


Here's another close-up of the lamps. Aren't they pretty?


Well folks, I'm off to bed. But not before I link up to Kimba's DIY day. Did you know it's her last weekly DIY party? I was sad to see that, it's been fun seeing all of the other projects every week. You should definitely hop over there to see some of the other Do It Yourself projects!


I am also linked up to The Shabby Chic Cottage's "Transformation Thursdays" here!

Home sweet home

Well, after a somewhat involuntary blogging break, I am back!

I was out of town all last week in Des Moines for a business trip! Sadly, I ended up getting one of the worst sinus infections I have ever had in my entire life too, so it was not the best trip ever. Being sick + in a hotel + 4 hours away from home + on my birthday= NOT COOL.

But guess what? My hubby sent me some beautiful flowers. I didn't even have to ask him to do it, he just sent them all on his own!

And also, my Dad decided to drive down to visit me on my 25th birthday!!! It was pretty awesome. We had dinner together and walked around the city a little.



I got home Friday afternoon, and then on Saturday Josh and I drove up to Duluth to a wedding! One of my roommates from college got married to her sweetheart, and I was privileged to be her personal attendant. I ran around all day in 4 inch stilettos that absolutely killed my feet, but it was completely worth it!


The bride was lovely, and everything went so well. I'm so happy for her!

So that's about it. I'm glad to be home, and happy to be blogging again. I've definitely missed it!

A perfect Saturday

Some days just have that perfect "glow." Do you know what I mean? It's like, from the moment that you wake up to the moment you fall asleep, life is just good.

Could it have something to do with the sunshine after 2 weeks of rain? Maybe. Or the fact that it's a Saturday? Hmmm, perhaps. Or maybe because my hubby let me open a b-day gift early? Hehe. It was a lamp. What kind of person asks for a lamp for their birthday? Me, apparently.

After breakfast, we went to buy some plants for our porch! Here's what we came home with:

After getting dirt all over ourselves and our porch, and stealing some questionable "planters" from around the house, the porch is now starting to feel like a place where I could drink my coffee every morning!

I love flowers. They are so photogenic.

Sadly, even these perfect days have to come to an end. But not before we eat some delicious hamburgers for dinner! How are you celebrating these first few, warm days?

Just Dreaming a Little

Someday, when I have a house and buckets full of cash, I want to build a kitchen just like this one.

I can picture myself baking scones, sipping tea, wearing cute aprons and singing duets with Frank Sinatra in this kitchen.

(Disclaimer: The following pictures were saved to my inspirational file and their original whereabouts were promptly forgotten. If they belong to you, feel free to issue a warrant for my arrest. Or just tell me to take them down).

I could probably skip the creepy doll heads with plants growing out of them, but everything else (creamy white cabinets, glass-front doors, beautiful window with dotted swiss curtains) MUST STAY.

Also, this couch and picture-frame wall seriously gave me a heart attack when I first saw it! I rarely ever see something that grabs my attention like this did, but it makes me want to run out and buy a yellow couch and completely redecorate my living room! (Hubby, if you are reading this, please don’t cry. I was not actually serious about that).





Hello, Yellow! I think this is a perfect example of Vintage Eclectic. Notice the design of the couch is more classic, with some modern pieces like the drum shade on the lamp and the round table in front. I also love the color combo- the creamy walls with the bright punch of yellow and bold black frames! Somehow, it’s light, airy, full of depth, classic, and a bit quirky all at once.


Even though I love bright colors, I have a hard time buying big furniture pieces that aren’t neutral. But this is a great example of how well it can work with the right accessories! What are you inspired by lately?

Things you can't buy at Target

A picture of my Grandparents: David and Bertie Lou Harrison on their wedding day.

Hand-painted candlesticks, $7 from a street vendor in Kiev, Ukraine.


A paper star, crafted by my brother-in-law Ben.


The "big sister" in a set of 3 nesting dolls, the other two are with my sisters. $3, Kiev Ukraine.


There are some things that you just can't buy at Target.