around the house

(1) sunny living room (2) summer polaroids (3) austrian heart (4) cactus babies (5) record corner

around the house

i can't believe we've been in our home for a year now.  it seems like the time has flown by and there are still days where i sit back and look around and think, i am so lucky to live here.  here are some shots of some of my favorite spots around the house...

new friends

some new friends have moved into the house...

a nursery for an elephant

internet, meet howard. 

howard, believe it or not, is 30+ years old.  he looks good for his age, doesn't he?  my aunt bern made howard for me when i was a little girl and he's grown up with me.  someday, when i have a little boy or girl, howard is going to be the inspiration for his/her nursery.

so, does it surprise anyone that the same girl who started reading wedding blogs 2 years before she was engaged already has an inspiration board for a nursery?  it should not.  and no internet, i am not pregnant.

still, i give you howard's nursery:

loving | west elm

i don't know why it's taken me so long to get on board with the west elm brand.  it was only once we bought our new place that i started to see the joy that is the west elm catalog.  our move coincided with a big bath sale, which coincidently needed the most updating.  so, we splurged and decorated with these items:

clockwise from top:  stripe shower curtain, fez bath mat, hammam stripe handtowel, modern stripe tumbler, menswear trays, variegated stripe tassel hand towel  

 the only problem with west elm is the cost associated with it - especially for a public school teacher & a corporate drudge.  i will say that the quality of many of their items is actually worth the high price, but we just don't have the type of budget that allows for splurging there all the time.  of course, this doesn't stop me from fantasizing about redecorating my home with $900 rugs and $400 nightstands.  just look at some of the to-die-for items:

clockwise from top: perch glass lamp, mini pebble wool jute rug, hand blocked pillow cover, wooden ombre vases, hand blocked quilt, kite kilim floor pouf

 in our most recent trip to the store, i fell in love with one particular kantha quilted throw.  they are supposedly one of a kind and handmade so, if you fall in love with one, you can't exactly order that specific one online. earlier this week and i came home to an amazing surprise from my husband.

 i think he's discovered it's always a win when he buys presents from west elm. :)

new project

since i have yet to kill the other plants we have around the house, i decided it was time for a few more.  i'm happy with the end result, but i don't know that i'll be planting cactuses again anytime soon.  i tried gardening gloves, oven mitts and finally metal tongs, but i still ended up with cactus barbs in my hands.  anyone have a good solution or is the pain just a necessary evil? 





i also got this little guy for 25 cents from ikea!  i love the shape and the pretty peachy pink color.  now...what to do with it?

green thumb

hoping to actually keep some plants alive this year!

our first home

2011 was a big year for us - we got married in june, my husband got a new job in july, i got a new job in october, and just before christmas we bought our first house.  we're still working on getting settled, but our little house is starting to feel like a home.

friday favorites | from pinterest

here are some of my favorite pins from this week!

to make:

t-shirt headband










rope welcome mat


























heart cozy




























to wear:

Bottega Veneta shoes



wool coat from FM



Land's End Scarf (also in red)



























To eat:

French Onion Grilled Cheese








Zucchini Fritters (via smitten kitchen)



Arugula Sandwich (via eat-drink-garden)

















to buy:

geometrical throw



modern credenza





















susyjack 2012 calendar



loving | olive manna

sporting homey textiles and supplies with a vintage bent, olive manna provides pretty things that serve a purpose.  and you can feel good about shopping there - a percent of the sales goes to Samaritan's Purse. i can't wait to order some things for crafting.


vintage fabric ribbon spool $22 - 30


















vintage office accessories $28 - 74



wooden buttons 10 for $8



hand-dyed jute twine $6 (on sale)

















wire basket $24


















gray quilted throw $119

















vintage calico fabric $12-20