An attempt at design.

Task for new apartment:

Make own headboard.

I figure if I put it out there for the world to see (and by the world I mean the six people that actually read this) I will be more inclined to actually get it done.

Now ya'll. I am not crafty. AT ALL. But it is way way way way way cheaper to do things yourself. I found this awesome website that is most helpful with teaching how to go about this (http://www.bejane.com/headboard) So here is what I'm thinking...

Hopefully, my bedspread will look something like this (I'll let you know for sure after my birthday this saturday!)


I see my options as one of two things. Buy a cool iron bed like the one paired with the bedspread in the picture above, which are not just insanely expensive, or make my own headboard and "float" the bed frame I already have on these cool blocks from Bed, Bath, and Beyond. I really need some extra storage space under the bed. These things are plastic and look something like this. Plus they're super cheap.















For the headboard itself, I'm thinking something gray. We're going for sophisticated yet still young here, and so far I like this fabric a whole lot.













But I may need something darker, like this













Ideally, I would want to put my fabric on a headboard shaped something like this


Alright. Now I need opinions, people! Do we like the iron or something along the lines of the gray? I am stepping way out of my creativity comfort zone here. So don't hold back, leave some comments! I need the help!!




Images are from Anthropologie, SoHaute!, Duralee fabrics, and Odi Et Amo.

Hope you had a great weekend!

Ready, set, ASSIST!

Okay so we have all been hearing about the oil spill catastrophe for months now. I have grown increasingly more frustrated with each newscast I see. Like so many people around here, I grew up on these beaches, and now they're being destroyed every day. All that being said, I really hadn't gotten extremely upset about it all until I saw these pictures a friend of a friend took in Pensacola 2 days ago...







Seeing these pictures of our beautiful beaches being essentially eaten up by oil made me furious and heartbroken all at the same time. Now ya'll know I'm not a huge tree hugger kind of person, but come on BP, this is truly devastating. Then I remembered an article from the news about a small way we can give a little aid even from here. Check out this tshirt!



Now everybody can help save the coast by just buying one of these great looking tshirts for which the proceeds go to the rescue effort on the gulf! We got one for my dad for Father's Day, and he loved the shirt by itself, and the cause behind it only made it more special. Just a thought for anybody looking for a way to get proactive!

Happy Monday!

A catch-up post!

After a whirlwind past 3 weeks, here we are...

I had a beyond wonderful vacation with my family in Hilton Head. We did everything from bike riding, to great long runs, to shopping trips, to delicious food, to epic games of four square on the beach. I wish I had taken more pictures to display, but sadly, I just completely forgot. I hope that trip will continue even until I have my own family I can bring to experience the beauty of that place!

Upon returning from that trip, I had to buckle down for work and studying to pass the NCLEX. Those two weeks are a total blur. I haven't been quite that stressed in a while so my apologies to friends who I probably abandoned for a little while there, and to Hill who had to hear day after day how anxious and worried I was. Needless to say, God works all things together for our good, and I passed! He brought me through 2 and a 1/2 years of often terribly miserable school, but thanks to Him I have made it to the other side. I am officially a registered nurse with a big girl job! I can't say thank you enough to all the people who listened to me, helped me, and prayed for me throughout these past few years. I couldn't have made it this far without each and every single one of you!

So now, it is a Sunday afternoon, and I have FREE TIME. I'm able to blog again, with my sweet puppy asleep on the air vent beside me. I'm able to breathe again, really, as I sit and realize there is nothing I absolutely MUST get done today. That is a feeling so wonderful I really can't put it into words. I have, however, made myself a to-do list, but of things I'm more than happy to do. I actually have time to clean my room, paint my toenails, organize my calendar for the next few months, and get back to investing in my friends and loved ones who have poured so much into me.

Next on the agenda is work, of course, but also! Moving into my new apartment with Kmac!! Let the furniture shopping commence! I plan to become an antique store guru this month and find the perfect things for our attempt at a more grown-up apartment. If anyone has good suggestions on places, please leave a comment because at this point I literally have nothing except a bed frame and mattress.

For those of you still in the midst of crazy stress (definitely not Sarah, Anna, and Ben at TFA institute...), Psalm 139 was a game-changer for me. Oh and the last paragraph of Psalm 138 too. I'm sure ya'll probably already know it, but it is just nice to be reminded of God's unfailing love for each of us.

Stay tuned for pics of furniture shopping, pup, and friends because I'm determined to start bringing my camera with me everywhere. Pictures really do spice this thing up a little! Thanks for reading!

Family vacation.

More on my wonderful trip in the next post. Today is an unpack and prepare for the week kind of day.

For now, this...







This is what happens in the back of a truck with three adult sized "kids" piled in together during an 8 hour car ride. And yes, I almost always sleep with my mouth open.

Breaktime.

I am NOT a slacker blogger. Really! Just on vacation for a week with the fam. In a place the oil hasn't touched, thank you Lord! Here's what I'll be staring at all week...



Hope you all enjoy your weeks too!



Until next week,

Kate

Post inspired by Lyla.

a Lyla update:

-Lyla has learned "Sit," "Down," "Come," "Fetch," and just yesterday she started understanding "Stay." I'd say that's progress for a 16 week old little one!

-Her favorite things of the moment are shoe boxes that can she tear to shreds and ice. I do believe she's teething. She also really hearts air vents. She will lay on them and sleep most of the day, and she looks pretty stinkin' cute doing it.

-Her biggest struggles are sleeping late and an occasional slip up in housebreaking. She knows to go outside, but if you're not by the door when she heads that way she's going to go anyway. Sleeping is interesting. She started out waking up at 5. That has now moved to 7, praise the Lord. AND! Huge breakthrough. She will now go back in her crate as long as you take her out to pee at 7 and sleep till 10. Whoa, and, as a result, I feel like a totally new person!

-She came to me weighing 18 lbs at 13 weeks. We are now at 16 weeks, and she's up to 25 lbs. Yikes.

-Right now she is sitting next to me chewing her dental hygiene rope. Such a good girl!

Anyway, overall I'd say great strides. I definitely was not prepared for how much work this would be (oh yesterday...thanks for listening to my complaints, Anna), despite all my research, but she is growing into a pretty great dog. Here are a few pics of us. Lyla did not understand the beeps the computer made when it counted down to take a picture, hence her confused expression in several of these...







That's all folks.

Pick a style, any style...

Okay so I have the somewhat daunting task of decorating my first real grown up apartment rapidly approaching (with the help of Kmac, of course). That being said, I have spent way too much time on the internet looking for things that I like and would be willing to spend my hard earned, grownup money on. The conclusion I have reached: I have on idea whatsoever as to my design aesthetic. I am writing this hoping for a little help from the world o blogs.

Here are things I have found and LOVE...

The perfect non-traditional coffee table:


An old-timey coat/hat rack. How perfect for by your door? Hang your cutest most wearable coats (and maybe a dog's leash) and make it a statement in the room, not just a functional piece.


This room is a little too square for me, but look at the huge awesome lamp, yes please!


Lanterns. To decorate a long wooden table in a hallway or even place with some greenery as a center piece on a dining room table?


Yeah I could definitely work with this vanity.


This bed is pretty traditional, but with white linens and beautiful colorful pillows, i.e. something like the second and third pictures below, i think so!






I love this rustic-inspired mirror collage too.


Love the shelf in the middle of this anitquey bookshelf.


And, finally, wallpaper. A word I never though I would utter as a part of my "design aesthetic," and yet, here I am. But seriously, how cool would it be to have one wall of a living room with one of these patterns...




So, those are pics of lots of things that I like and would be THRILLED to have in my house/apt one day. What does that make my style? I have no idea. If you have pieced it together from my pics, please leave a comment. Shopping for this stuff is so overwhelming, so maybe if I had a direction I'd feel more prepared. Thanks bloggy peeps.




More on two fantastic wedding weekends and Lyla in the next post coming soon!

Pics in this post are from Pottery Barn, Anthropologie, and Elle Decor, to name a few.