It’s possible to be obsessed with a room…

They always say your house is a constant work in progress… They weren’t lying and man am I tired! It’s all been worth it though to have this room almost 100% done.

Let’s talk about this light fixture please! I knew I wanted something dramatic and a little funky to go with such a mega dark color and boy did I get it. Photographing it is still a little tricky, but it is FAB! Wondering how long before I cuss it for having 18 light bulbs though lol.

Not only am I obsessed with the light fixture, but this rug is to die for! I’m a huge sucker for some leopard print so I just went for it and I think it paid off. I think it looks elegant, but funky enough to please my little weirdo heart. And Vincent seems to love it too. 🙂

I’m also a big fan of the little details in spaces. I wanted it to be different and not so cookie cutter like you see in all todays Instagram and Blog posts. I think the mix of vintage and store bought items I have make it just that. I have various pictures that range from the vintage last supper painting (a gift from my godmother that hung in my parents house for years), both mine and my husbands parents wedding day photos, watercolor photos of our previous house and current one, a deer shed found while exploring a friends property and a rusty old animal trap found on our property left here from the 80’s. The china cabinet houses my grandparents china and a collection of crystal glasses I have amassed. 

I’m a sucker for some vintage brass candlesticks. I mean I love anything brass lets face it, but this peacock napkin holder screamed me when I saw it on a favorite Etsy/Instagram shop I follow. I won’t use it for it’s original intention, but rather a beautiful centerpiece. 

The whicker faux bamboo cart was a great FB marketplace find for much cheaper than the original. So far I haven’t killed my plants, but don’t hold your breath on that one lol. I’m still playing around with all of the styling, but we’re getting there little by little. 

We finally just finished replacing all of the almond colored outlets with crisp white ones. Thank god! There’s still all of trim work to be done, paint touchups and the stone wall behind the wood burner to be completed with wood burner reinstalled (not shown finished yet, but starting this weekend). I still have plans of reupholstering those terrible chair cushions and refinishing the table top, but it’ll get done eventually. It’s just amazing to see where this space came from originally. Look at the below pictures from the original listing and ponder on that for a bit… Eeesh that blue carpet and paisley border wallpaper still make me cringe!

Looking from the living room into the dining room

Wood burner location (update coming soon)

 

Sources: Chandelier – Paint Color – Rug – Bar Cart – Curtains – Flooring – Placemats

Similar Napkin Holder – Napkin Rings – Cotton Napkins – Curtain Rod

Adventures in renovating…

So…SURPRISE we bought another house earlier this year and have been renovating it ever since. Most people already know, but figured I’d give the interwebs the run down on this insane adventure. When I tell you that owning two house will take years off your life I mean it, damnit! If I could accurately photograph the amount of gray hair and stress I have just from this you’d be convinced. Don’t think it’s going to be easy or like some episode of Fixer Upper. (No offense Chip & Jo, but this shit ain’t for everybody.) From the moment we closed on the house in January we have been ripping things out, painting, tiling, grouting, drywalling…exhausted is an understatement! But now we FINALLY own land and I get to do all of the fun pain in the ass things to my house! 

Lets start from the beginning. The house is a berm home or earth home. So that means that the back of the house is buried into the side of a hill = no windows on the backside. Now I am familiar with this style because my Grandparents and Aunt & Uncle owned this style at one point. It’s 1000 sq. ft. bigger than our current house and is on 5 acres of land. You know what that means…

This disgusting  glorious royal blue carpet was the first thing to go. I mean don’t get me wrong my favorite color is blue, but there’s blue carpet, a blue toilet, blue bathtub and blue washer and dryer set. That’s excessive, even for me. 

(VERY stained blue carpet shown in living room below, complete with water damage and moldy baseboards…ugh.) (All now piled in a giant heap in our garage. Dumpster coming soon.)(Blue bathroom pictured below in all it’s glory) Oh hey there 80’s!We thought about staining the concrete underneath all this flooring, but soon realized that would not be an option. So wood look ceramic tile it is. And we LOVE it! I mean look at those beautiful grout lines!We did all 2015 sq. ft. of the house in this flooring and I’m glad we did due to cost and ease of cleaning. We’ve painted almost all of the rooms minus 3 bedrooms and a bathroom. And can I tell you how much paint changes a room? It’s insane the way it transforms a once drab shell into an extension of yourself. For instance this dining room color! Can I get an amen on this please?! Don’t mind that ugly fan either cause she’s going soon and will be replaced by a gorgeous brass sputnik light! Squeal!!! Not a single room is 100% complete, but I’m hoping that by starting to write on my blog again it will give me the kick in the ass I need to actually FINISH THE HOUSE! I mean that or the fact that we are supposed to be moving in soon due to hopefully selling our other house. 

And just maybe one day soon I’ll be able to post a picture of a completed room.

 

 

 

 

 

Feed Me & Tell Me I’m Pretty (The Story of a Bad Relationship With Food)

After coming back from the holidays I had a slight meltdown…err I mean SERIOUS come to Jesus talk with myself. I go through these stints of eating really well and being so diligent, only to get bored and “fall off the wagon”. I mean this happens to everyone right?

The last round of weight I lost and the desire to put on muscle didn’t outweigh my desire for those delicious Reese’s Christmas Trees and ALL of the cookies, wine…You name it. I haven’t necessarily gained a bunch back as far as the scale is concerned, but aesthetically and cardio wise I can tell a difference. And lets face it, deep down we’re all that vapid narcissist that cares about how we look.

I guess I just remember it being so much easier last time to eat healthy and be consistent with my workouts. I remember being so elated that I was in a size I hadn’t seen in a while. The parts I forgot were the hours of prepping food, telling people no thank you to overindulging, the effort it took to get up every morning at 4:30 and go to the gym and the fact that I overcame every reason I’d try to give myself to not go that day. But what changed? You want me to answer truthfully? Nothing. Honestly nothing changed.

We’re taught at a young age that food is a reward for good behavior. Lets face it everyone has their specific comfort food. Mine have always been mashed potatoes and cheese, hell who am I kidding any kind of cheese or potato will do lol. It doesn’t mean every day is a free-for-all, but it does mean letting yourself (sensibly) enjoy the foods you love, and enjoying every morsel of them. I guess my point is you don’t have to give up what you love, but for the love of god next time you see me with a giant bowl of potatoes smack it outta my hand!

I’ve always had an unhealthy relationship with food. It seems as though I had gone from the yo-yo diet pattern to the binge eating, which led to the radical dieting. There has to be a balance right?! I mean don’t get me wrong I love me some veggies, but I won’t be caught dead in one of those “Kale Yeah” t-shirts to proclaim said love. Just don’t even try it. The world now is full of Yelp reviews on the new It eatery, Self proclaimed “foodies” and every fad diet you can think of. So what’s the answer? It’s different for everyone, myself included.

I’ve recently talked to a friend about the RP diet (Renaissance Periodization Diet) and am easing in little by little. I’ve been trying to make subtle changes so that instead of teetering off because I go in full swing/balls to the wall with a meal plan, that maybe this time I will make smarter choices because I want to. Having a support system has helped tremendously. I don’t have the fear that my husband or friends will judge me if I choose not to indulge my every whim. I never in a million years will completely give up the food and drinks I sincerely enjoy, but I will cut back those portions and the excess to get to where I want to be.

Success is a hard road to pave, but one that is worth it.

M.I.A.

I told myself I’d be better about consistently writing. Well…oh well life happens.

It has been a crazy year so far. Lots of ups and downs. You know the normal fun “adulting” as they call it.

Anyway on to more fun things. We recently went on a family trip to Yellowstone National Park and Grand Teton National Park. And since yesterday was the Centennial I found it necessary to share with you a glimpse of our time there.

Like I said things have been a little hectic and unruly lately with our jobs, friends, schedules, etc. We just needed time to relax and get away from it all. Most people think awesome I’ll go to a beach. Nope send me to the mountains, the raw untouched wilderness. Give me the dirt, trees, wild animals, ALL of it. I’m that girl. I mean don’t get me wrong if you want to send me on a all expenses paid trip to the beach I’ll gladly accept and sip that fruity cocktail while I sit my happy butt on the sand and take a nap. 🙂

They say if you take people out of the rat race, out of their stress-filled environments and put them in a more peaceful or simple one grounded in nature, they can’t help but to adapt to their surroundings. So if you are beyond stressed maybe it isn’t you that needs changing, maybe it’s your environment.

I learned so much about myself on that trip. Call it sappy if you want, but I’m not much of a spiritual person and I felt so much more at peace with my life and reflective when I was there. It’s like I had my AHA moment. I figured out that every now and then you need to disconnect and get outside and just do something. Put your phone down (it was pretty much useless other than to take pictures while we were there, was not sad about that one lol), assess the life you are currently living (Is this the direction I want to go in?  Am I truly happy with my career? Am I happy with the person I am becoming?), go on a hike and REALLY talk to your significant other. Being out there and making that connection made me tear up several times, hell I still do. I can’t describe that feeling to someone. You have to experience it for yourself. Now on to the pictures!!

The saying on the North entrance couldn’t be any more indicative of what everyone who founded and works for the park believes. “For the benefit and enjoyment of the people”.

Seeing the bison in Lamar and Hayden Valley’s was breathtaking.

Some were a little close for comfort lol, but still cool nonetheless.

The grizzly sow and cub were on our bucket list and we missed the opportunity once, but it came through towards the end of the trip. *Note: we either stayed in our vehicles and rolled down the windows or stayed at the recommended safe distances. They are wild animals remember. Also see my husband comparing the grizzly scrape to his not so small hands.

Elk, mule deer and pronghorn were everywhere!! They are amazing beasts as well.

While hiking around Jenny Lake in Grand Teton we heard this squeaking noise and couldn’t figure out what it was. This little guy called a yellow bellied marmot was some nice entertainment. Jenny Lake was quite stunning and one of our longer hikes. The scenery was worth it though.

Climbing up and down 328 stairs on Uncle Tom’s Trail in Yellowstone while your 60+ year old dad and 5 year old nephew are along the way is not only a great workout, but inspiring to say the least.

The Cathedral group in Grand Teton was just amazing. How can that not take your breath away?!

 

The fact that Old Faithful was still erupting on a mostly accurate schedule made me realize that won’t be happening the rest of our lives and you should go see it before it ends up just abruptly stopping.

By far one of my favorites and has been on my bucket list since I was 5 was Grand Prismatic Spring. It is as breathtaking and stunning in real life as it is in pictures. This will be hung in our house from here on out and I might’ve been a real big nerd and redesigned our whole bathroom around it lol.

Everything we saw here made me feel so small, but in a good way. It’s not often or maybe even ever that you get to feel that. I believe that when we as humans don’t put ourselves out there in nature and reflect upon our place in it all, our perspective is skewed and not in a good way.
Being in nature, sensing the grandeur of the earth, and reflecting on how small we are is a necessary part of the human experience. Plus waking up to these views isn’t too bad if I do say so myself. 😉

Until next time mountains!  Hope to be living near you sooner than later. 😉

*You can also follow my happenings over at : <a href=”https://www.bloglovin.com/blog/18385323/?claim=xy5rbuf4m4h”>Follow my blog with Bloglovin</a>

Why I Like My 30’s

Turning 30, 40, 50, etc. comes with this huge stereotype, why I’m not really sure. Maybe it is the whole holy shit I’m a full-fledged adult thing and people are just then realizing it. My teenage and “pre-adult” years as I like to call them were this crazy, hard, wild, but amazing time. I realized not all “dreams” are meant to happen, like becoming a fashion designer, unless of course you’re Lauren Conrad and Kohl’s scoops you up. Working retail is GOD awful and people suck the nice right out of you. Sometimes you fall in love with a few, okay a ton of assholes before you get to the good one. I realized what it was like to really truly be on my own, be responsible for other adults in a work setting, and pulled all nighters more than I’d like to admit. I feel like I have honestly experienced a full life. From the utter lows to the soaring highs.

In 72 days I will be 32. When I was younger I thought that was SO old. Now that I am approaching my, GASP, mid thirties faster and faster I have realized I really do like myself and the person I have become. I mean I’ve gone from a size 0 to a 14 back to a 6 and still don’t have that Christmas Abbott six-pack I desire yet. I’ve become worse with my poker face in awkward situations, and I still haven’t figured out that word vomit will get you in trouble every now and again.  However, I am a great friend, a hard worker, and I can make a mean gluten-free chicken parm.

I’ve learned to not feel guilty about literally rushing home just to change into my pajamas and sit on the couch watching mind numbing TV. That sometimes it’s okay to not want to go out on a Saturday night and get shit faced just because you can. That not everyone enjoys 10 hour Law and Order Netflix binges like I do. That every person isn’t going to like you, and that’s okay. You can’t please the masses and you’ll die miserable trying. That I actually do have a pretty good sense of style. Sometimes I like to go from dressing like a sullen emo teenager or an Ann Taylor wearing business woman. I don’t feel bad about not having one distinct style and neither should you. That every now and again I can still hang till 4am. I might regret it that next day and guzzle down as much coffee as humanly possible, but I will rally and lose my voice in the process. I will always use the phrase “when I grow up…” I will never stop growing up. I want to learn it, see  it, do it all.

So next time you’re all sad about aging, just remember it could be worse, you could be pushing up daisies.

 

 

 

 

 

We’re Finally Married!!! (pic heavy)

After 10 years together and almost a year and a half of planning, our wedding is over! Well for a over a month or so now lol. In the end, there was such a satisfaction seeing that our big day, which we planned all on our own, all go according to plan. Of course, we are most grateful to our dearest family and closest friends for making it all happen. We couldn’t have done it without all of their love, support and laughter over the years. Our wedding was truly us, one that defines who we are by infusing our own style into it and having the people that matter to us most there to share in it.  Most importantly though, we didn’t overspend (compared to most) nor did we go into debt; so that’s an achievement all in its own.

We have so many amazing pictures from our photographer Colby from (See Through) Photography. If you don’t already have one check her out because she is AMAZING!! She is someone who we have known for a couple of years and just adore her. She loves what she does and just…”gets it”.

Getting ready I kept having people say “aren’t you nervous”? My reply, “no way man I’ve waited long enough for this”. One of my dearest friends and hairstylist April did my hair, while Cindy did makeup. I feel prettiest when I just have a little makeup aka mascara, eyeliner and bronzer on and just my normal flat ironed hair. The end result of their work was spectacular. I was kind of flabbergasted that it was me staring back in the mirror.

 

 

I loved my wedding dress. Okay I won’t lie I was obsessed with it. If I could wear it every day I probably would. Maggie Sottero does wonders for a girl and her ahem…girls. 🙂 Here she is in all her alencon lace glory.

And of course my coveted shoes that will forever be on display.

I am not a big flower person and ended up making a brooch bouquet. You want to talk about painstaking dedication. This beast ended up weighing about 8 pounds and took god knows how many hours to make. I stuck myself so many times with floral wire that my fingers were so bloody. And I wouldn’t change a thing.

Our first look was exactly how we thought it would be. We had a private one just us two and the photographers at the Gardens at SIUE. I will never forget the look on his face. You think you know how it all will play out, but sometimes it is better than you expected. He is pretty damn handsome if I say so myself.

Our wedding party are all pretty special to us. My sisters, best friends, nieces, nephew, godson and his best friends were all there for us. It’s not often everyone can just get together, but it meant the world to have the people who have helped us along the way in the decade we’ve been together there for our special day.

Now on to the wedding festivities!! 

The little guys did so well that day and of course they look adorable in their little tuxes.

And then it was official. 🙂

Our first dance as Mr. & Mrs. at the LeClaire Room in Edwardsville. This place is a hidden gem. It is a college extension campus and has so man y wonderful details. I could stare at those restored soaring ceilings and the glass atrium all day. SWOON!! 

 

Our cupcakes were pretty much the best thing I’ve ever had. If you’re on the IL side check out Honeydip Cupcakes. Jen is phenomenal and will leave you beyond satisfied. 

The end of the night came so fast. It felt so good to finally be able to call you my husband. I love you more than you will ever know Patrick Jon.

 

 

 

The Father Daughter Dance…

I come from a family of emotional women. We’ll honestly cry or yell about almost anything and as a response to almost any emotion lol. So I’ve been surprised at how calm I’ve been about our wedding. I mean I might’ve cried once or twice imagining our vows (we’re writing our own), but for the most part I’ve been pretty levelheaded and overall completely ecstatic.

Except when I think about the dance with my dad. That thought has made me cry (happy tears), every time without fail. For years now, I’ve thought about my choice for this special dance. And I haven’t been able to choose a song, because the whole process has been so much, and the song needs to be PERFECT. Nothing seemed right.

Here’s what you should know about my dad:

He is THE most kind and genuine person you will meet, but he was really hard on my “boyfriends”. When my vast array of suitors would come trouncing up to our front door, or stay in their car (my southern families least favorite lack of manners lol), my father would stare silently at them, and then walk back into the living room.

It wasn’t much better with any of the other semi serious guys I brought home to meet my family. My dad was pretty stellar at the silent stare-down and the hard adult/life plan questions. I understood my father’s hesitation as his expression of love. I knew Patrick and I would be okay when I saw my dad taking a genuine interest in him and engaging him in family activities.

I’ve been thinking a lot lately about how my marriage will change my relationship with my parents, especially with my dad. Getting married does feel like a significant rupture, although it’s hard to articulate why. I guess it goes back to all those years of staring, my dad tried, in his way, to protect me from the other men who “loved” me. And when I dated these men and my heart got broken or I became disinterested with their annoying habits, my dad was there while I cried or moved on to the next. My marriage means my dad won’t have to do that anymore; his role as the silent guardian of my heart—old-fashioned or not—is done.

Regardless of how traditional my relationship is with my dad, I don’t want a song that screams that. I can’t deal with “Butterfly Kisses” or any of those other “daddy’s little girl” songs. I mean I am my dads little girl, but he means so much more to me than that. And how do you thank someone for loving you unconditionally even when you’ve been a hormonal teenage little bitch for several years?! The older I get the more I realize how hard it must have been for both of my parents, but they never let on. Songs like “Butterfly Kisses” don’t say thank you enough.

There really aren’t that many times in our adult lives when we get to honor our parents publicly. We want to take advantage of our wedding to do that for our parents. This dance with my father seems a small way to say thank you to the man who, along with my mother, showed me how to grow up and be an independent, fun-loving and outspoken woman. So forgive me when I weep like a baby.

Because Who Doesn’t Need More purses :)

Feast your eyes on this little beauty!!!!! This is the GiGi New York “All In One Bag”. I have been mildly obsessed with these bags for some time, among others of course. They finally decided to put some on Clearance and I jumped at the chance to get one for myself.

Since I am getting married in 2 months I decided I would get my “new” initials monogrammed. And I absolutely LOVE it! Move over Louis a new lady is in town.

If you haven’t heard of this company it’s GiGi New York. They produce all of their cute handmade goodies in the USA and offer monogramming for that ever so special touch.  Click Here For Their Website

The smell of leather from this little gem makes my heart swell. Yes I know I am a huge nerd, but new beauts like this are amazing. Plus I have to replenish my bag collection after the last purge.

And Then There Were These <3

I always loved the idea of colored shoes on a bride. I think it just adds that little pop and sparkle to the mostly stark white there generally is. Being that I’m an avid owner of over roughly 200 pairs, who wouldn’t want more right?! I’m a mini Imelda Marcos, or at least according to my mother. I wish I could say that most of them were Christian Louboutin or Gucci, but we don’t have all the dead presidents for that and dammit sometimes I just like a good flip flop that I wouldn’t mind someones dog gnawing on.

I knew I had to have shoes for our wedding that “spoke” to me. That were special. Different than my every day work type heels. I mean duh they’re for my wedding! It’s a weird thing to say you fell in love with a pair of shoes, but I did. It’s not for everyone and that is okay.

I found them years ago, but never thought I’d buy them until I decided to finally just treat myself. Most women know these as the Sex & The City shoe. Don’t get me wrong I love Carrie Bradshaw and the series, but I loved these long before she rocked them.

Look at them in all their glory!!

You Never Know Who You Inspire…

I have been doing Crossfit for a little over a year and half now. I never thought I would be in to something like this, much less love it. Don’t get me wrong there are days where I think why the hell do I do this to myself, but the results and passion I have for it remind me why. I was THAT person that gawked at others who were throwing around weights and kettle-bells or when they’d grunt loudly during a strenuous lift. I couldn’t understand why people talked about it so much or what these crazy words meant.

Flash forward to now. I usually go 4-5 days a week pretty regularly and have done the 2015 Open, MURPH, a fun competition Festivus and a charity one Barbells for Boobs. While I may not be competing with the big dogs, I am proud that I am putting myself out there and working on my weaknesses.

In the past few months we have seen an influx of new members and I love it. It is refreshing to see people get that confidence in themselves. To see what their bodies are capable of doing. Not too long ago I was there. I still am some days.

I was that uncoordinated girl who couldn’t do a push up to save her life. Who didn’t quite understand the notion of how important your hips and extension were in lifting. Now I can rock out some push ups (some days better than others) and lifting has become a passion and therapy of mine.

Even after doing Crossfit for a little while there are still things I have not mastered yet. I still have those awful moments of self-doubt. Moments where I think I should be better at this, or that I should be lifting heavier than I was a month ago, I should be able to do this movement. It’s like all of my enthusiasm of the sport had dwindled. I was left with these crazy high expectations of myself and it was no longer about doing new things, but about measuring up to some irrational numbers that I had in my head that I should be hitting. I see other girls snatching heavier, clean & jerking more, getting their pull-ups. But at the same time, those girls want to snatch even heavier, clean & jerk even more, and link more pull-ups. Not one person is ever truly content. I’m not alone!

Sports/activities are supposed to be fun. Seeing these new people is helping me to reignite my own fire. I’m starting to remember how it was when I first started and how far I REALLY have come. Some of the newbies strive to do even a fraction of what the veterans can and I need to remember that. They inspire me…