Projects and Pretty Things

With wedding preparations in full swing, and a continued obsession for a stylishly organized place, I've been a little busy! But in between all of that I've been thinking about our new place (wherever that will be) and satisfying my need to be creative with a painting project. And Tom has been busy trying to make sure I take a breath and enjoy all the little moments in between. I'll start with my project:

This is where I started...three blank canvases, grey and yellow paint, and a pack of paintbrushes.

And this is where I ended up. I used the inspiration of a digital scrapbooking kit that I found on Etsy.com. I love it. So much so that I bought more canvases of the same size and I'm going to add to the collection. I'm thinking it will be for our new bedroom possibly. Similar to this room found on http://pinterest.com/ (completely amazing...no way to describe it except to see it for yourself. It's a virtual way to keep all the things you love. No more ripping out magazine pages, or saving tons of pictures to your computer. I'm in love!)

Ok, so there's the project of the day. Now for something pretty (who am I kidding, my artistic skills are very pretty!)

Flowers that were delivered to my door a few weeks ago on my day off. Tom included a card with instructions for me to enjoy my day off. What a sweety!!! That's why I love him!

Happy Friday

Swoon

One of my favorite things to do is go browsing online at home decor items from stores I've never heard of. I've added many to my list thanks to my daily fix since they know all the best places to search for that kind of stuff. And today's swoon-worthy items came from an ad for Ballard Designs, I'm so looking forward to decorating our future home (even if it is just an apartment at first). So, without further adeu, feast your eyes on these:

This coffee table reminds me of a beach house, which as I'm sure you've gathered, is one of my favorite design styles.

I'm not usually a big fan of mirrors without frames, but the design of this one is just so cute. Guest/office/craft room addition? Perhaps....

LOVE! I think the simplicity mixed with the slight color of this pendant light is so adorable. It comes in clear and amber as well, but the green one is charming.

And finally, this bookshelf. I liked it because although I'd love to go all out with my semi-girly (meaning mostly white or light furniture and girly patterns) style, I do understand that there is a boy involved in this picture. So, every once in a while I have to think of him and the fact that he will be living there too. And that's what drew me to this darker piece of furniture.

Ok, that's all for today. And while I'd love to click "order" on those (and several more), they will just have to wait. Have a great day...and do some browsing.

Let them eat cake!

Today's wedding list agenda included a visit to The Sugar Suite. Owner/operator Jennyfer Mancino is a genious. Read all about her and how she got started in the "about us" page. With flavors from traditional red velvet to mint chocolate (which I've yet to taste...can't wait til May when we can get our wedding cake kit.)

Her bakery is this quaint little shop that is filled with creative ideas and beautiful pictures of previous cakes she's done. I'm so looking forward to seeing her sketches from the ideas we talked about today. Tom totally enjoyed this appointment considering it involved tasting! And another item can be (semi) checked off my list. Considering I loved her suggestions and previous cakes, I feel at ease leaving the cake in her hands.

And it's up, up, and away to the next thing on the list. For now I'll leave you with a picture of one of Jennyfer's beautiful sugar creations...

Pick a Place, Any Place

Here are a few snapshots of the wedding venue. It is The Manor in The Plantation neighborhood (Tom's mother's neighborhood) in Leesbrurg, FL.

This is on the drive up, it just looks like this big, southern house.

In the backyard there are stairways on either side that lead down to the aisle.

This is the staircase as you first walk in the front door.

And a view from the 2nd floor inside. Dance floor, tables, chairs included.

So there you have it, a tiny glimpse at the space. The ceremony will take palce in the backyard (the concrete slab already perfectly dictates the aisle and the front) and the reception will be inside. It's perfect for the price and the feel that I wanted: a not too stuffy atmostphere that will lend itself to some antique details and make for a beautiful backdrop for a fun wedding.

As I said earlier, more posts to come on both wedding and apartment design.

Decorating of a Different Sort

So, this blog was supposed to be about the adventures (and mis-adventures) of decorating, furnishing and living in my very first place. And I will continue that mission, however the design focus has shifted slightly. By shifted I mean it's gone from decorating my apartment to decorating and designing...MY WEDDING! Yes, that's right ladies and gentlemen, yours truly is getting married.

Remember the before pictured handy man/rose-giving boyfriend? That's the lucky guy! There are a few large details that are already decided or in the process of being ironed out, but many of the smaller and oh-so-fun details have yet to be determined. And that's ok, I think. I mean we do have 7 solid months left to organize, and finalize so I think I'm doing ok.

My plan is to continue blogging some of the design elements that have been in place in my apartment for some time now and I just never caught up to posting. And then I'll sprinkle in wedding info as well. (Hint: look for a post later today with pictures of our venue.) I'll also try to bring the camera along for outtings such as registering for gifts (one of Tom's most anticipated trips), cake/food tasting (also one of Tom's favorites) and finding decorating bargains. I'm also toying with the idea of posting tid bits about each vendor as I meet and sign with them. We'll see, it's still evolving.
In any case, happy Friday people.

What a Slacker!

I know, I know, I am a major slacker when it comes to blog posts. Sorry but as expected, life has been hectic. So, here is an overview with some highlights.

My not-so-hired help, Tom got recruited to put together the Ikea furniture.

My beautiful roses that Tom got me. They look so nice in my Craigslist vase which also came with...

These doorknob decorations that were yellow, red and the green that you see. I painted to yellow and green ones and added scrapbook paper to fit with my color scheme. I love them, and they look so cute in the dining room!

My new best friend, Raid for wasps! I'm starting a personal war with the wasps on my patio. But this is my secret weapon, kills on contact! In my defense I tried to go green and use a green bug spray but it took about half a bottle to kill one wasp (it ventured into my apartment...that was NOT happening). So I switched to traditional poison and it is awesome.

So there you have it, my all-in-one update. I promise more in-depth updates in the near future.

Chugging Along...slowly

The decorating is coming along. Still no couch or chairs, but I have faith that I'll have at least a couch next week. Again, these pictures aren't the best but you get the idea. And sorry for the short and sweet posts, I'll be more creative once I'm in my own space instead of the clubhouse.

The desk area in the kitchen