Cute Find!

I was perusing Apartment Therapy, again this evening and came across this super cute find! This is a hand made invitation by Bryn Chernoff I will post the link to her website at the bottom of the post.

I think I like this so much because it reminds me of my childhood. My mom would always doodle on napkins whenever we went out to eat. I loved looking at the things she would draw, and I find myself doing the same thing. I write notes on them, draw flowers and design dresses. This is a perfect invitation. So sweet. I adore them so much! Enjoy:)

Isn't it lovely?

www.paperfinger.com

Alyssa

Interior Decorating

Hello All!

This last week has proven to be a very stressful week. First we were buying a house, then we weren't, then we were, now we might. The house I wanted, Josh didn't want, and while that was a huge bummer, I was okay with the other one. Then we decided that we didn't want to make that big of a payment. We are already poor, we're young, who isn't? But Josh says house poor is different. And the anxiety got worse. There were tears on my part, stress on my part, stress on Josh's part. Alot of, "what ifs, and I don't knows, and I think we can do it. And, maybe we can't."

Should it really be that stressful? I know buying your first home is going to be stressful, but should I really feel this bad about it? I don't know. I'm too young to die of a heart attack! So right now things are up in the air, and hopefully soon I will get some sign from God about where we are supposed to be, because I've been continually praying for some guidance.

In the meantime, I'm trying to think on the positive side as much as I can, and I will still dream about my interior decor, and paint colors. Here are a few things I love! (Even if they don't all go together). Like I've said before I like a mix of things. I need to hire someone to help me with what works.

A few photos of my own that I want to finally hang on the walls.

This beauty I own! I got a copy of it for our First Anniversary from my wonderful husband.

Do all of these go together? No. Do I care? No. Will I put them all on my walls. Yes. I'm going to surround myself with things I love. And these are the things I love. Have a wonderful day!

Alyssa

House Hunting

It's a truth universally acknowledged that men and women are completely different. Yes, yes, we are all humans, and all function pretty much the same way, but there are huge glaring differences. This is so true in just about everything Josh and I come across in our marriage. We have differing opinions on most things. The things that really matter we agree on, but some times I really do wonder what's up! Sometimes I swear we disagree on something just to disagree.

When I was little I always dreamed of living in an old house with coved ceilings, and hardwood floors. I wanted a huge colonial style house with long tree lined driveway (I should have grown up in the south). Dreams of an enormous house gave way to a more practical way of thinking: more space means more crap to fill the space, and like I've said before, while in Germany, I learned the value of streamlining. I've decided I don't need a house, just something that I love and is cozy.

So going with the statement made earlier, Josh and I disagree on what we want from a house. Ultimately we want the same thing. I'm pretty sure he's all for the colonial, old style house, he just doesn't want the house to be located near the lake like all the the older homes are.

Josh wants a yard, I want to be in the middle of everything, and with that comes limited space. Josh wants spread out, I'd like two stories. I want to live by the lake, Josh wants to live out further. I'm looking for character, built ins, and secret hiding spaces, and Josh is looking for practicality. And practical I am usually not.

So we after looking at some real doozies, with horrendous smelling carpets, and awful floor plans, one with countless rooms that had linoleum flooring, jungles for yards, and scary neighborhoods with homemade signs claiming there will be justice and punishment for crimes, we found two that we like, and hope to put an offer down on one within the next couple of days.

And they couldn't be more different... Of course...

Both houses are great. They even each other out well, what one house doesn't have the other does, it's just deciding what we can live without, and what we have to have. Mine has amazing curb appeal, it has my coved ceilings, hardwood floors, and its next to the lake.

Josh's pick has 4 bedrooms 2.5 baths, an a two car garage.

But mine would look so awesome with Christmas lights, and a little Christmas tree by the fireplace. And it would look WAY better with the whole decor idea I've got going. I'm really, really into aesthetics... I'm stressed to the max, slowly accepting the fact that I won't be getting the house that I prefer, and succumbing to the fact that we will choose practicality over attractiveness. One good thing about being completely two different personalities, we even each other out. Where Josh is laid back, I'm more passionate, and where I'm more stressed, he is the voice of confidence. And where I am idealistic, he brings in a little realism.

I've tried not to get too attached to the idea of a cute little house (not so little 4 bedrooms), but its just so exciting! I've picked out paint colors for the master bedroom, which could really go in any type of house, it would just look cuter (is that a word?) in my pick!

So what would you choose? Attractiveness both inside and out, downtown, or practicality with more bathrooms and a little more elbow room?

Oh the dilemma

have a great rest of the week!

And This Is Where We'll Be Living

Okay, so no I won't, but a girl can dream right. I saw these photos in a magazine a few months ago. I want to say Country Living, but I'm not really sure where I actually saw this wonderful home. It was love at first sight. I don't believe in love at first sight between two people, but I DO believe in falling in love with a place at first sight. Does that me a love cynic? MAYBE. I found the article again today while hunting Apartment Therapy for a little inspiration. It's awesome where you can find a little inspiration, Apartment Therapy is a regular visit for me. I dream about houses and apartments, and how I will decorate them all through the day.

Josh and I are headed out with his Uncle tonight to house hunt. Our price range is higher than we expected, but because business has been super slow for me this year so far, so we are shooting about for about $25,000-30,000 below our top limit. This leaves us with a house that needs some work, and lacks the things that I want most in a house. I.E. a separate room for an office. I've been hoping for 4 bedrooms, but there is only one house we are looking at tonight with 4 bedrooms. Sure I can use one of the other two bedrooms for awhile as an office before we have kids, but Josh and I are planning on having kids in the future. No, this isn't an announcement for those of you who know me and have asked if babies are on the way.

#2. Of importance on the list for the inside of the house. A dining room. You would be surprised at how many houses don't have a dining room. Our dark wood, pub like dining room table is too pretty to be shoved in back of the living room behind our non- existent couch. Even our small apartment has a dining area. This will be especially important when we have children. Because it's a rare day right now that we eat at the table, but instead balance our plates on our laps in front of the t.v. riveted by an episode of Cash Cab, or another crazy story about octo-mom and how she lost her kid one day and had to call 911.

Location is a really big deal to us to. We think we've found a house, and then the next door neighbors have 14 broken down cars with bullet holes in the sides, which are haphazardly strewn about the yard. Blah.

So, this is where I have decided we should move! It's tiny, no room for an office I'm sure, no room for kids really. But it would be a wonderful place to hole up and vacation for awhile.

The house was $30,000, and had to be gutted, but it had great bones, and now look at it! Enjoy the pictures!

Have a wonderufl day!

Alyssa

Love

I was looking for some inspiration today. Some days I just need to take a little more time to search through images. I find peace in these photos. They fill me with so much joy! I came across this photo on another blog, and stopped to stare for quite awhile. It's stunning.There are no words for me to describe it, so I will leave you to look for yourself.

Photo by: Britta Trygstad

Take a look at her work: brittatrygstad.com

Alyssa

Chairs

So I'm on the hunt for some awesome furniture to use for pictures, but I have not a clue where to find them. I'm poor, so that rules out alot of places I would love to shop, i.e. Anthropologie. I'm in love with their leather couch! And I don't like leather couches, obviously Anthropologie has some power over me. I'm thinking I will have to just keep an eye out for something that I think has potential, and maybe.... Reupholster it. I'm sure that would end up being disastrous. I never thought as an adult I would be IN LOVE with furniture and home decor.

I remember walking through Levitz and La-Z Boy Furniture nearly in tears due to the unimaginable torture my mom and dad put me through. We would spend hours perusing the couches and the recliners. Every once in awhile, Kyle and I would find something we thought was interesting. But did we ever purchase what we picked? NO. We NEVER purchased anything. So why were we there? I'm sure as punishment for arguing in the back of the car that, "You crossed the invisible line! MOM, HE CROSSED THE INVISIBLE LINE!" I can't wait to have kids and have that continual shriek of whiny voices drone on and on in the car on a trip to absolutely anywhere. That's a different story.

We usually got in trouble for sitting on the furniture with our sticky child fingers. DON'T bring a kid in a store where nothing can be touched. You know we are just aching to knock over that hideous Japanese vase in the corner next to that chair. One of us usually left crying... Usually due to exhaustion from making 357 laps around the store, sitting in every recliner that struck my fathers fancy. Then in turn my father would do that awful lip curl that signaled we were going to get it either in the car, or when we got home.

So with all that tragedy, I'm really surprised at how much I adore home decor. There are so many horrendous memories. But I LOVE it. It makes me so happy! So here are some chairs, and couches that I'm keeping in mind on my hunt for the perfect chair to use for my photo sessions!

morewaystowastetime.blogspot.com

morewaystowastetime.blogspot.com

Interior Dynamics

The one on the right is similiar to one I found in a shop window in Paris I took a picture of the chair because I wanted it so much, but because it was taken through a window, the photo didn't come out well.

freddyandma.blogs.com

I would take any of these chairs in a heartbeat.

stylehive.com

javajune.wordpress.com

My favorite. I want this living room. I'm pretty sure this photo was in Domino at one time.

There are more, but I won't torture everyone!

Have a WONDERFUL weekend. Enjoy the sun if you have it!

Alyssa

Things I've Done, and Some I'd Like To Do...

Just a little tid bit about me:) Things I've done are in pink, things I haven't done, but want to are in gray, and things I DONT want to do are in purple.


1. started your own blog
2. slept under the stars
3. played in a band
4. visited hawaii
5. watched a meteor shower
6. given more than you can afford to charity
7. been to disneyland/world
8. climbed a mountain (climbing isn't my thing)
9. held a praying mantis (no bugs for me)
10. sang a solo
11. bungee jumped
12. visited paris
13. watched a lightning storm at sea (we weren't on the sea, but the lightning storm was)
14. taught yourself an art from scratch (does teaching yourself photography count?)
15. adopted a child
16. had food poisoning
17. walked to the top of the statue of liberty
18. grown your own vegetables
19. seen the mona lisa in france (sadly, when we went, we didn't go to the Louvre)
20. slept on an overnight train
21. had a pillow fight
22. hitch hiked
23. taken a sick day when you’re not ill
24. built a snow fort
25. held a lamb
26. gone skinny dipping (in the Mediterranean, when we were on vacation. I put my bottoms back on when we went to the beach. Everyone else was topless, why not me to?)
27. run a marathon
28. ridden a gondola in venice
29. seen a total eclipse
30. watched a sunrise or sunset
31. hit a home run
32. been on a cruise
33. seen niagara falls in person
34. visited the birthplace of your ancestors (I would love to do this!)
35. seen an amish community
36. taught yourself a new language
37. had enough money to be truly satisfied
38. seen the leaning tower of pisa in person
39. gone rock climbing
40. seen michelangelo's david in person
41. sung karaoke
42. seen old faithful geyser erupt
43. bought a stranger a meal in a restaurant
44. visited africa
45. walked on a beach by moonlight
t46. been transported in an ambulance
47. had your portrait painted
48. gone deep sea fishing
49. seen the sistene chapel in person
50. been to the top of the eiffel tower in paris (we thought about it, but the line was way too long)
51. gone scuba diving or snorkelling
52. kissed in the rain
53. played in the mud
54. gone to a drive-in theatre
55. been in a movie
56. visited the great wall of china
57. started a business
58. taken a martial arts class
59. visited russia
60. served at a soup kitchen
61. sold girl scout cookies.
62. gone whale watching
63. gotten flowers for no reason
64. donated blood (either too anemic, or just got a tattoo)
65. gone sky diving (not really something I want to do)
66. visited a nazi concentration camp
67. bounced a cheque
68. flown in a helicopter (I drove a tugboat once, though)
69. saved a favorite childhood toy
70. visited the lincoln memorial
71. eaten caviar
72. pieced a quilt
73. stood in times square
74. toured the everglades
75. been fired from a job
76. seen the changing of the guard in london (I have in other countries)
77. broken a bone
78. been on a speeding motorcycle (sadly, no)
79. seen the grand canyon in person
80. published a book
81. visited the vatican
82. bought a brand new car
83. walked in jerusalem
84. had your picture in the newspaper
85. read the entire bible (read alot of it)
86. visited the white house
87. killed and prepared an animal for eating
88. had chickenpox
89. saved someone’s life
90. sat on a jury (almost)
91. met someone famous
92. joined a book club
93. lost a loved one
94. had a baby
95. seen the alamo in person.
96. swum in the great salt lake.
97. been involved in a law suit
98. owned a cell phone
99. been stung by a bee

I don't know why there aren't 100?

Oh well, have a wonderful Thursday!

Alyssa