House Dreaming

My husband and I have the goal of moving to a bigger house sooner than later.  Our motivation is to be  closer to my family and to our jobs,  but also in an effort to omit a high-traffic bridge commute with an infant.  However, due to some unforeseen expenses, medical and otherwise, we're putting our move plans on hold temporarily until we can resume our down-payment saving schedule.  In the meantime, I find myself perusing redfin, pouring over desirable neighborhoods, bookmarking my "favorite" houses, daydreaming that one day we'll live there.

My ideal house wish list...

* open kitchen (ideally newer features/design, but that's not a deal breaker)

* on a safe street, part of a kid-friendly neighborhood with families

* a spacious yard

* a bathtub

* built in bookshelves

* natural light

 * hardwood floors

* a bay window with window seat

While our house is cozy and cute for now, I'm eager to relocate to cut out a commute and to add extra space to accommodate our baby's stuff, and provide her with ample room for crawling and exploring as she grows.

What are you looking for in your dream house?

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Laundry Chic

My laundry room could look a lot classier if I used this approach. Tall glass jars with chalkboard tags, and enamel handled scoops...so simple and yet so lovely.

Somehow my spout-pour Target brand liquid detergent in an oversized plastic container doesn't have the same aesthetic appeal. Curious...

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Going Gray

I've decided to paint our bedroom. Now this poses a challenge when you live in a house that's already bold with color. When I bought this house last year, part of what drew me to the place was the color within. While I've always liked bold colors in theory, I didn't know if I'd ever have to guts to paint a wall such a statement color myself. But, as it turned out, I moved into a house already cloaked in deep reds and greens.

Initially I had thought we'd paint the bedroom with a cream or light tan color. Casual and cozy, right? I taped color swatches to the wall for a few weeks, but nothing looked just right. So instead in an effort to keep up with our unique house, we decided on a pale gray with blue and white accents. I haven't seen many gray bedrooms but I found some inspiring photos (see above) that give me hope!

Funky Vases

I'm kind of digging these funky, whimsical vases by Chive. Most of the vases I own are tall and sleek, which may serve as a beautiful centerpiece, but doesn't lend itself to good conversation across a dinner table. Trying to dodge a vase full of flowers to talk to your guests is never ideal. One of these low vases would be a perfect alternative. The best of both; flora and fauna and great conversation.

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Playing House

I've been playing house with my new roomie for a week and it's been so much fun! This weekend, we made the trek down to Ikea to pick up some new furniture to accommodate the incredible amount of combined stuff we have. We did have some testing trials with one certain beaudoir that just didn't want to fit through the doorway. For most of the weekend, our living room was cluttered with cardboard boxes, random odds & ends, tools, and finally, it's starting to materialize as furniture (to house all of our stuff)!

It's been a fun transition, having him here everyday. I've enjoyed all the little things we now do together everyday; making dinner, watching our favorite shows, and setting up house. I'll keep you posted as we continue to settle into this new chapter.

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Lilacs

One of the perks of having a yard is the beautiful Spring flowers! I have the good fortune of having two lovely lilac trees in my backyard that have been bursting with blooms. Lilacs are my fave for several reasons. One, they are purple and green (my favorite colors), and two, they are unbelievably fragrant! Just one of those flowers you can't help but dive your nose into to inhale the sweet scent. I picked a bunch of lilacs from my tree a few days ago and am still smiling at the sweet Spring fragrance that's filling my living room.

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Move-In...Check!

It's official - I have a roommate! My boyfriend moved in Sunday afternoon and we spent the evening getting settled and relaxing in our digs. It's a big milestone for me, I've never lived with a boy before, so this is a big deal! I'm excited for this new chapter in our lives.

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Weekend of Brides

I'm so glad it's Friday! This week has been an odd one, see-sawing back and forth, some days go by so fast, others incredibly slow. And my weekend is literally a weekend of brides: wedding reception + bridal shower.

I guess most weekends are pretty busy, but this one seems jam-packed. Tonight, I'm attending a friend and co-worker's wedding reception tonight (the lovely pair wed in Hawaii in mid-February) and we're toasting to their newlywed bliss this evening.

Saturday is moving day. Yes, it's official, the boyfriend is moving in! It kind of feels like he already lives with me, but moving the furniture makes it extra-official! We'll be loading and unloading for most of the morning/afternoon, followed by a low-key evening.

On Sunday, I have yet another bridal shower, for my friend and sorority sister Carol of Everyday Delights. This is the 'Round the Clock shower I've been asking y'all for advice on, so I'll be sure to update you with my 1:00am gift!

Any big weekend plans?

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Green Thumb

I'm so proud of my newly acquired green thumb. In the past I haven't had great success with plants thriving. Yet since my new house boasts several window boxes I've become a gardening guru - okay...well maybe not a guru, but I'm working on it! So far, I've planted poppies, sedums, a few succulent varieties, and herbs: thyme, oregano, rosemary, and sage. I was so proud of my window boxes I even made my best friends go outside and thoroughly admire and appreciate my hard work (they were not amused).

Are you into gardening? What are your favorite plants: I'm a newbie so any recommendations are helpful and encouraged!

Sweet Succulents

Can you tell I've got a thing for succulents? I forgot to mention, I made a trip to my local nursery last week and picked up a handful of lovely little succulents for my window boxes in addition to some other pretties like herbs and pansies.

Seattle's "faux Spring" has lent us some warm weather which allowed me to plant these little guys earlier than usual, since they're typically not a cold weather plant. Now I'm just hoping they live to see Spring. Anyone have any experience planting succulents?

via/erineverafter

Chair Personality

I thought these were adorable, especially as an owner of hardwood floors - Chair Socks! A clever, creative way to dress up your furniture and resist scratching the floor. My fave is the argyle pattern. My chairs would be so chic!

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In Case You Were Wondering...

I named her Jenga... I decided it was the most fitting name considering in the first week I had her she chased her tail, attempted to scale my living room wall (no joke), and managed to toss a toy mouse 3 feet in the air by batting her paws. Since Jenga's a game, and considering how much my new girl loves to play, I thought the name was simply meant to be.

Succulents

Now that I'm responsible for tending to my new houses's window boxes, I have a renewed interest in plants and flowers. One plant I've been recently digging is succulents - the leafy cactus look-alike plants known for their superb water retention. I think these would be a perfect addition to my window boxes, seeing as they're fairly low maintence.

I was recently introduced to this unusual but sensible plant by a former colleague who used them as the "flowers" both in her bouquet and in her bridal party's updos at her wedding.

While it's not your traditional wedding flower, I thought the choice was extremely unique, and perfect for a summer wedding that took place in a forest clearing in rural Washington.

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Moving Day!

It's official - the house is mine! All is right in the land of closing, and today is Moving Day! I move into MY new house today - pretty exciting, woot woot! Can't wait to finish the moving process and begin unpacking and getting settled.

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Cookbook Crushing

I'm hoping to expand my cooking library in my new house. Somehow the idea of cooking in my very own kitchen inspires a new wave of culinary inspiration. Here are the next few cookbooks I've been eyeballing...

1. Baked: New Frontiers in Baking
2. Hot Sour Salty Sweet - (a culinary journey through Southeast Asia)
3. Martha Stewart's Cupcakes
4. The Ski House Cookbook - (warm weather dishes for cold weather fun)

Any others you might recommend for my cookbook shelf?

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1 More Week!

Officially one more week 'til moving day! My apartment is a jumbled mess of boxes, piles, and random stuff! Hopefully I'll get it all sorted out before Moving Day. Wish me luck!

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