Absolutely Exhausted

Alan and I have been working our tails off, let me tell you. Our kitchen is now just a room with a faucet on the wall, or where a wall formerly was. There are no walls, no ceiling, no floor, no sink, cabinets, no shelving, no appliances, no beautiful Fiestaware. So where to go from here? Well, that is one long list. A long list that hasn't exacted been written yet. Yikes! However, today I decided on the tiles for the floor, paint colors for the walls and cabinetry, and we have decided on an awesome, surprise upcycled counter top. So at least we have a little planned. We still need to get a couple things set in stone, such as the tile for the backsplash, placement of a microwave (which is much more involved than one would think), hardware for the cabinets, and where to hang the pendant lights. Whew!

Once we get the kitchen cleared out I will take some before pictures and post them, and then post pics as the kitchen progresses. I also need to find the cord that connects my camera and computer. Then I can really post the pics.

Would I Really Go To All That Trouble? Maybe

Living in campus housing the last four years, I have used a futon as my couch. Granted, it is a nicer style futon with a solid wood frame and a super deluxe mattress. However, it is still a futon. While it is nice and sturdy and there is nothing wrong with it...do I really want it in my new fancy home? Not really. Alan and I have decided to turn the dining room into the t.v. room, and the living room will be our entertainment room. We love having people over and listening to music and hanging out, so the living room will be where that happens. No television for distractions. So do I want the ol' futon in there? Not really.

My mom has offered us her couch, which is only a couple years old. It's beautiful, soft, and oh so comfy. Totally not my style, though. So do I want to go to the trouble of reupholstering an entire couch? I'm okay with small chairs and pillows and the like...but a whole couch? I wasn't really feeling up to the challenge until I found these pieces. It would take me forever to find enough different pieces of rocking fabric to put together like these, but I may just take the challenge. I. Am. Obsessed.

Peace, Love, and So Much Happiness

Tonight Alan and I celebrate our first anniversary. The last year has gone by so quickly, and it has easily been the happiest year of my life. This last year has encompassed so much with doing amazing internships, graduating college, seeing friends get married, and lots of other big events. I am so happy that I got to have him with me. Most of you know that I had to try a long time to get Alan to ask me out. A very. long. time. But I am now able to say that maybe the wait was worth it. He was my best friend, and then I got to have him as my boyfriend. Score.

We tested our relationship early on, with going on a trip to New Mexico the first month we were dating. Normally my buttons get pushed fairly easy when traveling. However, he is by far the BEST person to road trip with. We had a smashing time and now we look forward to the day we get to move to New Mexico and call it home someday. We have done more traveling together since then and they are my favorite times away from home. We have such an amazing time finding odd shops, old churches and zendos, horses on the side of the road, amazing Japanese fusion restaurants, and old town museums. All spectacular vacations.

I had to get used to Alan taking pictures like this.
This is his photo face. Seriously.
Taken in a petting zoo in New Mexico.

How about this photo face? He really does like me, I promise.
Taken at a friend's picnic wedding.
I'm not making this up, guys.
That's more like it.
Taken at the same picnic wedding.
Taken on more travels to Arkansas where we ran around the mountains and through old cemeteries. What a fun trip!

Last summer at a friend's birthday.
At my college graduation last month. And yes, that is a sweet blue wig I have on.

We are quite the pair, let me tell you. We go together like peas 'n carrots. Or peace 'n carrots. I love you Alan, to the moon and back!

Inspiration Board

I am constantly saving photos online of design details that I like in other people's homes so I can remember them later on, and maybe some day soon I will actually put together an Inspiration Board. I like having things set out and organized, so I think I really need to do this to stay focused and not go over board. Here are just a few photos that I have collected with bits in them that I would like to see in our home.

I am fairly good with wiring, and I think with some serious patience and some power tools, I could make this light fixture from antique golf ball baskets, lighting kits and wood.

Again, patience and lighting kits.

Once upon a time my parents owned and ran a newspaper. It was in the 70's, so this style type was used, where they hand pulled every single letter used to print one sheet of the newspaper. We have thousands of these letters in all different sizes and fonts. I need something good to do with them. I just haven't figured it out yet.


Being a practicing Buddhist, Alan tends to like Asian inspired design. Although I am not such a fan of backyard trinkets and what-nots, I really like this. I feel he would like one as well.

This lighting fixture is literally just a pendant lamp that has an old lamp shade frame with stuff on it. I have stuff. I have several old lamp shade bones. This would be the easiest lighting fixture out of all the ones I like.



I am such a sucker for Saris. They are such beautiful pieces of fabric, and are so colorful. I am always surprised how the pricing differs on them. There's a shop in town that sells them varying anywhere from $20 to $2,000 a Sari. Since I would just be decorating with them, my budget doesn't exactly allow me to purchase the really expensive ones, but I love them all.

I had previously planned on a checked kitchen floor...
but I found this striped flooring the other night. Oh, I love.


Just for kicks.

Last night Alan and I had a friend over for dinner. Mary had mentioned wanting to learn more about vegan foods, how to cook a few things, and wanted to learn more about what vitamins and other supplements would be good for her. She brought some wine and after we told her about foods and vitamins, she taught us about wine. We didn't know any of what she told us, so it was an educational exchange that was so much fun! Mary told us that White Zinfindel is like the soda or Kool-aid of the wine world. Its got hardly any wine and is more sweetners and extra junk to give it taste. So, now I know.

I showed her some of my tried-and-true vegan recipes: Mac & Cheez, Spinach Alfredo Pizza, and Avocado/Banana/Date pudding. I tried to take photos as I cooked, so I will be posting them with the recipes soon. Alan and I have been so busy with working on the house that we haven't had much time to cook or eat dinner for the last couple of weeks. It was nice getting back in the kitchen and eating good food, as opposed to our pb&j's that we've been enjoying at the house while covered in paint.

I've been meaning to try out some new recipes for a change of cooking scenery, and I think I've found just the recipe to try out. It looks so incredibly good, I must try to make these Fresh Spring Rolls. Living in the Asian District, there are several Asian grocery stores within walking distance that have all the ingredients listed. If you ever get the chance, stop into the Super Cao Nguyen or China Town Market. Both are a lot of fun to look through, and if you're lucky, Alan would happily go with you to tell you about all the exotic foods and what to do with them. I love going there with him. We always ending up buying the craziest foods, and sharing tons of laughs.