Same Story, New Chapter

Sorry for going MIA on you here for a while, but I’ve been busy working two jobs and buying a condo.

Wait what??! Buying a condo!

It’s real. We moved in a week ago and already put most of our stuff away. My desire to make things look nice and Doug’s type-A “get it done now” personality really make moving in and making things look put together a fast job.

The Front Room

But first, some “empties.” I almost didn’t get a chance to take them. I felt weirdly self-conscious about taking these on the day we got the keys. I don’t know why, it was just Doug and I, but it was weird walking around and taking pictures of “nothing.” But I’m glad I did it. It’s already so different! Funny how furniture can do that, right?

Above, you see the entrance. The living room has a long sliding door that buts up against a little mini-wall. It juts out a couple of feet creating a tiny vestibule. What a grand foyer, right? Just enough room to store shoes and the dog’s leash. Already working on getting cute and functional items set up in that zone. To the left of Doug is the dining room, which leads to the kitchen…

The Empty Kitchen

The Empty Kitchen

Overall, the original 60s cabinets are in great shape, so before tearing them out and starting from scratch (like so many bloggers tend to do ASAP,) I am going to see what we can do to make them seem retro, which is fitting in our 1960s complex, but crisp and modern at the same time. Spoilers: It probably involves painting the yellow walls a brilliant white).

On to the bedrooms. The master bedroom is very large, and impossible to photograph well until I invest in a wider-angle lens. I did my best:

Bedroom, Angle 1

This shot is from the main door into the room. Immediately when walking through the door, a closet is to the right. It’s a standard sized clothes closet with two sliding doors. You’ll be able to tell better what I’m talking about in the next picture.

Bedroom, Angle 2

A second closet backs up onto the first closet and across from it is a little vanity. Quite fancy indeed! Naturally, Doug was kind enough to let me have that vanity and closet area, while he took the one near the door. I certainly got a keeper! He does have an ulterior motive: We both hope that it helps me keep my clothes, shoes, makeup, and hair stuff orderly. Only time will tell…

Bedroom, Angle 3

One thing I already know is that having this vanity area definitely makes this one-bathroom place seem less personal. Often in a one-bathroom home the people who live there have to toe the line between “I get ready in this bathroom every day” and “my guests don’t need to see all my toiletries.” I get to hide all my stuff in my vanity area!

The bathroom has one door that opens to the vanity (above) and one that opens to the hallway. This will be a really nice feature when we have guests. This shot shows the room from both doors:

Bathroom, Two Angles

Last but not least, the guest room “slash” office “slash” whatever we’re feeling like calling it at the time.

Guest Room

Guest Room

I am so excited to use this room as my blogging HQ, since I fully intend of making it a part of my weekly routine as it has been in the past. It also gets phenomenal afternoon light, making it perfect for photographing items for my Etsy store. The puzzling part is my intention of fitting a guest bed in here. What to do? How can I incorporate the storage I want while also accommodating a desk and a bed?

We’ll see how things progress… I am so glad to be living among a work in progress again–I love having projects! So many things to do, and now that our place is ours, the possibilities are almost endless!

Somebody Else’s Vacation: The UK

vacation pictures header UK

This time, the pictures come from my hubby! During his senior year in college (2010) he took a school trip to Engand, Ireland, and Scotland. I certainly wish I could have gone along on this extensive journey! Instead, I spent my time getting to know my new roommate who I’d only met once before relocating to Kansas. I would say rooming with her was a gamble that paid off big time…. But enough about me. England! Ireland! Scotland! I love the contrast of the old and the new evident in a country like this with strong ties to its past.

UK Ireland 2010 266

UK Ireland 2010 282

UK Ireland 2010 171

UK Ireland 2010 159

UK Ireland 2010 225

There’s something especially interesting about peeking in on a friend’s vacation pictures when compared to looking through a collection of curated professional shots. Yes, the “Must Sees” are present, but also random other shots that really give you a glimpse of what they thought was interesting or compelling.

UK Ireland 2010 337

UK Ireland 2010 507

UK Ireland 2010 513

UK Ireland 2010 505 copy

UK Ireland 2010 475

UK Ireland 2010 525

UK Ireland 2010 422

Somebody Else’s Vacation is a series I started that was born from constantly getting the travel itch. Just because it’s not realistic for all of us to travel as much as we would like to, that’s no reason not to travel with our imaginations and dream of new places to visit. View the first in this series: shots from Mongolia.

Life, Lately

Happy St Paddy’s Day, everyone! This post has nothing do to with today’s pseudo holiday but I figured I would at least mention it. Hope you all find a pot of gold or a four-leaf clover somewhere today! Has it been a month since my last post? I’m so sorry, you guys! I have a lot of things swirling around in my head but no time to put pen to paper fingers to keyboard and squeak out a blog post for you all.

I got a new gig–it’s an honest-to-goodness desk job, Monday through Friday, PTO, the works. I’ve worked two weeks and I really like my coworkers and my office. The super old building is covered inside with pressed tin: the walls and the ceiling, and the bathroom too! I steal moments to gaze up at it, I’m sure my coworkers think I’m bonkers.

photo 1

I haven’t quite left the old gig yet which lends to my blog silence. Playing the balancing act has been doable the past two weeks but I sure am tired. The extra money will help out since…

We’re really getting serious about buying a house. Well, a condo. It is so scary to type out for the world to read! It’s one thing to think about it, tour places, stash away money, draw out budgets and dream about decorating the inside, but it’s another thing to make the announcement to people knowing that home-buying has been a rocky road for many in the past five years.

I have some good posts outlined in my head but I haven’t been able to write and photograph for them. I do want to make it a priority though especially with the prospect of a new home. I hope you keep me accountable! When someone says to me “I hope to see a post from you soon,” or “I’ve started following you,” it’s just the right nudge I need to sit down and create!

Paris shirt

Thanks, guys. I’ll be back later this week!