The Crib is Up!

And just as cute as I'd imagined it would be. :)

From closing the Craigslist deal, to surprising me with exactly the crib I wanted, to assembling it. 

Thanks, Mr., you done good. 

Surreal moment, let me tell you...

Now all we need is a mattress and bedding. 
Oh, and a baby...

Pst! Hey Baby, I'm dying to meet you, dying to kiss you, dying to love you for the rest of my life. Come quick!!!

Mustard Tree Photog

For anyone who may not have noticed, I have a New Blog! Follow the link to check it out and see where my photos now reside. The blog itself remains a work in progress because I'm no web designer, just a girl with a camera and a love for all things bright and beautiful. :)

Be sure to note the

Photo Shoot Steal of a Deal 

and pass it along to those you know!

Cheers to some upcoming Photo Fun!

Duvet Dilemma

So I bought this duvet on sale from West Elm... I very rarely buy things online. Go ahead and call me "old school," but this purchase has reminded me why. The washed out gold [pictured below] looked mustard, (mustard!), in the picture on the website. 

As I'm sure you know by now, I love mustard. So when I saw it, I was sold.

But it's far from mustard. 

In it's defense, it is pretty, and subtle, and slightly earthy, (all good things) but it isn't bold (AKA It's not very 'Meganville.') I love dressing my home in drama with loud colors and prints, chunky photo frames, distinct textures...etc. Overall, I like the duvet but somehow because it's not bright and bold, I'm at a loss. It looks good in our room, yet to me it is bland. 

Nothing about it screams anything to me. Now that's a problem. 

It is my habit to pick something bold for each room and usually, the rest of my inspiration flows easily from that one piece. My living room curtains are a prime example.

This duvet dilemma is an odd one for me, considering my love for color and that I normally know just how I want things to look. Therefore, this is my plea... 

Help me, help this room, to find it's voice.

Here's what you need to know/see before offering your ideas...

Wall Color: Golden Bronze

Wall Color: Graceful Gray

Trim Color: Cream

Doors: White

Our bed is placed at an angle into the corner with a backdrop of one gray wall and one bronze wall. We're currently headboard-less, but don't mind that, I foresee beautiful updates soon to come.

I think this green armoire will be finding its way into another corner of our bedroom...

Other things going on in our room...

Also, I plan to cut up and re-purpose my favorite cami. It's gotten tired but I can't bear to throw it out, so I'm going to give it a second life. Perhaps I'll use it to embellish a pillow, or a pellet board/picture wall hanging...maybe both!

What color will best transform our bedroom 

from blah to bold? 

My best thought thus far: Fuchsia.

I want to hear your ideas! I know many of you who read my blog and never, ever, ever comment...Just this once, won't you leave me some comment love? :)

Our Helpers, my Confession, and a Monster

Our house projects continue to move along with more than a little help from our friends and fam. My dad and mom and Grandpa Lawrence continue to come and go, each equipped with their own expertise and skill. 
My dad is an incredible man with a very high pain tolerance, working construction with one hand while his other [dominant] hand heals from an accident that nearly left him lacking several digits. My mom is an impressive woman who maintains cleanliness to the most Dutch of standards and manages extreme organization not every once in a while, but all the time. (It's crazy, I don't know how she avoids making messes?!) Together, my parents accomplish a lot. My Grandpa is hands down, the best fix-it guy I know. From broken lampshades and picture frames to plumbing and electrical, there doesn't seem to be a problem he can't solve.

Without our crew of helpers, this house would be simply mediocre. 

Confession: Sometimes, okay often times, when I come up with a new DIY idea, what I really mean is, "Dad and/or Grandpa, can you pretty please do this for me?!" 

I grew up with a dad who always told me, 

"If you can draw it, I can build it." 

Which is a handy situation for a dreamer such as myself. I've always thought it empowering, even though it was he who did the work, not me. My dad's ability to build whatever it was I wanted "needed" may, however, have created a monster within me...A beast that's hard to smother...A will that's hard to beat. And that's where my mom returns to the story. My mom has a work ethic that puts many of the rest of us to shame and she lives by the phrase, 

"Where there is a will, there is a way." 

So we purchased this house and alas, we had an abode that was all our own. Since getting the keys and walking through the front door I've clung to my thinking that anything I imagine can [and should] become a reality and I've embraced my mom's voice echoing in my head, urging me to press forward.
Therefore, my DIY monster has been and continues to be on a rampage...

Stay tuned! More pics of our progress (and less words about it) are soon to come!

Update from our Winter Wonderland

The missing link in last night's fireside fun lingered in my mind all day today. We had no option but to remedy the problem...

All you need is a marshmallow...

...an adorable dog to share with...

(Don't mind the paint on his left ear. He's been reeeal busy helping on the house. ;)

...and a Reese's peanut butter cup.

We're in it for the good stuff, no time to waste on graham crackers. 

Mm-mmm, Good! 

Problem: Resolved 

Tummy: [more than]Satisfied

Mind: blank

Wishing you, my friends, happy tummies and the sweetest of dreams!

Our very own Winter Wonderland

It's been snowing like crazy at our house for almost a week and it truly has become a winter wonderland.

View out the front bedroom window.

Heavy laden Trees

Backyard

Garden Shed Snuggled up under the trees

Brian doesn't love the snow quite like I do. What was a simple, predictable 35 minute commute has turned treacherous and left my SoCal husband spooked after a near head-on collision. Thankfully however, he continues getting to and from work safely each day. 

Yesterday our neighborhood had three separate power outages and Brian came home to a very dark home. He was hungry and a cold meal didn't appeal to either of us so our options were limited. For dinner we toasted Everything Bagel Thins topped with canned chicken and cheese over the fire. We have yet to organize our camping gear so instead of traditional roasting sticks, it was the Cutco BBQ set to the rescue! After dinner the power came back on, but we kept the lights off. Our whole house was twinkling with candle light, the fire was roaring and we were cozy! 

The only thing missing...marshmallows and Hershey bars. :)

A [not so] Beautiful Mess

Grandpa Lawrence and Grandma Bertha came to help out yet again today. We had a bit of a catastrophe. But we'll get to that... (You've gotta stick around for the good stuff. ;)
Grandma and I started our day with a doily and lace washing party. 

Then Grandma moved onto washing all my glassware. She noticed that there were still paint remainders from our first week in the house. So, of course, she went to town scrubbing my sink with nail polish remover. :)

My garbage disposal has been out of order for at least a week. 

The culprit: 8 Screws 

As of today, it is back in working order!

After the guys conquered the garbage disposal and Brian and Grandpa fixed some outdoor light fixtures, we went out for a delicious lunch.

Following a quick hardware stop, we returned home and Grandpa went to work beautifying my entryway with this cute little chandelier. I had lovingly tucked it away in the garage back in Vancouver, "for someday when we bought a house." :)

Brian headed into the attic to check out the electrical so that he and Grandpa could determine what would be needed in order to install can lighting sometime soon.

Up he went...

...and before we knew it after a minute or two of creaking heard overhead, 

down he came 

through the ceiling.

Grandma ran from the kitchen, Grandpa and I jumped from the entry and I exclaimed, "AREYOUOK?!!!!" The Mr. let out a quiet, slow, regretful, "Ye---ah" and me, being who I am, [prior to helping my dangling-from-the-attic-hubs down from his accidental perch] sprinted for my camera and began snapping. 

Here goes the craziness, as we were able to document it...

How handy, a chair back for standing on!

Insulation. 

Itchy, smelly, dreadful.

Make-you-sneeze, make-you-cough, make-you-wheeze. 

Insulation. 

Everywhere.

Note: my little chandy, abandoned, forgotten, hanging haphazardly, blocking the front door. (We had bigger fish to fry.)

Once we'd determined that Brian was fine it was absolutely hilarious.

Grandma and I erupted into constant fits of laughter for an hour following "the incident," until she left to head for home! Besides scooping dustpan after dustpan of insulation and hacking up a storm, there wasn't much else to do. 

Sweet, Comforting Grandma

Here we are. There's a 4x6 foot gaping hole in our ceiling. But don't worry, we just covered it with some cardboard. No big deal. :)

My living room was the one room in my house that I felt was complete, hence yesterday's blog post. Ironically, today my husband came crashing through the ceiling into what was formerly my 'completed' living room, bringing with him a huge box full of insulation and enough dust that there's a grey haze in each of the pictures. Now my living room looks like this...

Amy, thank you, thank you, thank you for giving Brian a ShopVac for Christmas! 

It came in reeeal handy today.

My antique end table is officially a goner. Who knew it wouldn't be able to support the weight and force of my husband falling from the attic, through the ceiling, onto it's ancient, cute little legs?!

Far more important than old tables,

HURRAY! My husband is okay!!!

...but my ceiling, it's gonna take some work...

Oh! I almost forgot! 
My Grandpa did manage to finish installing the chandy.
All night, when tempted to look over at this...

...instead I chose to gaze at this...

I talked to my dad on the phone today. He told me a story about the recovery of his recently injured hand and referred to having taken two steps forward and one step back. You know, Dad, after today, we know just what you were talking about.

Now I am going to close my tired eyes and end this very odd day.

Here's to taking two steps forward and no steps back tomorrow.

Also, thank God for laughter. 

Without it, today would have totally sucked.

Living Room Sneak Peak

Today brought SUNSHINE!!!
Although most rooms in my house remain unfinished, my living room is getting cute and thanks to today's afternoon rays, it is glowing! 

Here it is, in all it's green glory.

I love how the sun plays off of my decor, making my scrap re-purposed newspaper sparkle, green walls glow, and curtains come to life!

These are the things putting a smile on my face today.

Cute, yummy-smelling candles left behind by the previous owner.

New pillow from my soul friend, purchased from Etcetera, an adorable new shop in St. Johns, Portland, OR. 

Sam, I love it!

Funky Shadows!