Archive for the ‘Home Decorating’ Category

One of my favorite things,…

July 27, 2010

It was our first year of marriage, our first apartment together, and, because my birthday falls on on of the most celebrated holidays of the year (yes, my birthday is on christmas day!), it was the first christmas and birthday we celebrated as husband and wife.

My husband, of just a few months at that time, already knew me so well. He knew just what I’d love for a birthday and Christmas present. Walking a block down the street, he went straight to Architectural Salvage and bought me this:

An old stained glass window, salvaged from some random building (who know’s from where exactly!), paint chipped and all. THAT is what I wanted most,…not a designer hand bag or a gift certificate to the most posh spa in Southern California (not that either of those are terrible, by any means),… but no what I most wanted was a dingy old window (at least that’s how some may see this).

But, ah! To me,…it is history, beauty,… it has character, it tells a story, it MAKES my home. It’s the most central piece in our home that I love.

One of my favorite things,…so favorite that each time we moved, I transferred this window by car, the window being the only thing in the car besides me, wrapped in towels and cushioned with numerous pillows, so that it would travel safely. It’s my baby,…and I love it.

Ruby’s Room

June 24, 2010

We now have a home. Which means I was able to put together Ruby’s room, for the final time, with no fears of having to pack it all up again for another move. Whoo hoo!

This was our third and final move since Ruby came into existence. Our first move being when I found out I was pregnant with her. Our second move to an apartment for short term living, while we hunted for a home. And our final move to our new home! Ahhh….the relief of being in a place for as long as we desire. To decorate how we choose. To nail holes wherever we like. To live. So nice.

So, my first item on the agenda was Ruby’s room. I had decorated her room before she was born, but then packed everything away when we moved the second time, knowing it wasn’t worth it to hang everything up, just to pack it back up a few months down the road.

So, here is a view of her room now. Settled. Unpacked. Mostly complete.

Play area- This is actually a closet with sliding doors. For some reason there were electrical outlets in the closet , which seemed totally random, but I ended up making use of the space turning it into another little nook, with a cute lamp, hanging lanterns (which we used at her baby shower), and alphabet cards to decorate the inside closet walls.

The sweet little measuring tape was given by J’s aunt, which we’ve already started using to record Ruby’s height! And, the precious little feet above are Ruby’s at 6 months, made at our local ceramic shop.

Another view of Ruby’s play area. The alphabet mat was given to us, as well as the glider (which is holding a blanket of mine from when I was a baby!). The artwork behind the rocking chair was done by me way back in high school. And the handprints above Ruby’s foot plaque are J’s from when he was 2 and 5 years old… his mom was AMAZING at saving things from when he was a child!

Ruby’s Dresser- This is one of my favorites! We just purchased this dresser and attached beveled mirror at an antique store while my parents were visiting last month. Before that, we had all of Ruby’s clothing in baskets. It was starting to get ridiculous, especially with her pulling them out every time I turned my back on her! Cute little stinker!! Needless to say, it’s wonderful to be able to organize her clothing in drawers. And I just love the old, shabby chic look of it, as well as the glass knobs and little girl feel. So precious!

Framed photos of sweet baby Ruby, as well as a few preggo pics of me. Gorgeous photography above the mirror was done by Ginette Sundin of Sundin Photography. Look her up! She is A-M-A-Z-I-N-G!

When I was pregnant and nesting with Ruby in my belly, I made these curtains. I love them. I love the black, white, and hot pink colors. Sweet and girly, but still not your typical pale baby pink.

I even went crazy and sewed a few pillows. The one placed in the glider (previous picture) matches the curtains and these above are fun polka dots patterns with pink shades of grosgrain ribbon sewed on. Sweet polka dot chair purchased at Pottery Barn Kids.

Ruby’s Changing Area- hooks to the left purchased on sale at Anthropologie, shelves from Aaron Brothers using the 40% off coupons, and changing table from craigslist! Her framed invitations made their debut on the wall, as well as the letters I made while pregnant with her. Cute, random trinkets given by various family and friends.

I love my baby girls room. And even if she is no longer a baby but now a toddler, I do believe she is enjoying it too!

Brandywine Summit: The home of bright colors and gaudy lawn ornaments….LOVE

June 3, 2010

I promise this is my last post on Brandywine Summit! But, check it out… the most wonderfully, gaudy lawn ornaments you’ve ever seen and the brightest cottages you’ll ever lay eyes on.

Love the purple and orange cottages. Have you EVER seen a home painted purple or orange? I have not. Divine!!

Adorable shutters.

“L” is for Lydia! Or “L” is for Ladies,…which marks the bathroom at Brandywine Summit.

Where’s the gnome? I feel like a gnome belongs here…

This totally looks like my parents beagle, Chance. Except it’s a wood carving stuck in the grass. Wooo!

Love the red dinner bell at Biddle Dining Hall. We used to walk to the dining hall, as a family, on Saturday evenings for potlucks. With 5 kids, my family always arrived late and all I remember were the cold baked beans and dried up hotdogs being the ONLY stuff left when we finally got there. YUM! Not. Ha! BUT, I do remember ice cream socials at night and there being blackberry ice cream (my dad’s favorite). YUM to that, for sure!

I might want to copy this quote. I found it hanging on the outside of someones cottage.

And lastly, “Christ in you, the hope of glory”. LOVE this verse, Colossians 1:27…reminds me especially of my older brother, Luke, who is known to write this everywhere.

And this completes the edition of Nostalgia: Brandywine Summit. Thanks for going down memory lane with me!

Nostalgia: Brandywine Summit

May 25, 2010

Oh man,… nostalgia just hit me BIG time.

This is Brandywine Summit: home to many of my childhood memories. Every summer growing up, we’d pack our family van full and drive the 45 minutes (which seemed SO incredibly far back then…hilarious, I know!) and head up to Brandywine Summit Camp Meeting Ground. Sometimes we’d stay for just a weekend, other times it’d be for a week at a time.

My immediate family of 7, YES 7!, came up here often to relax and get away from regular life.  My dad also grew up going to Brandywine Summit and stayed in this same cottage when he was a kid, along with his 2 older brothers. He used to tell stories of his great aunts, my great, GREAT aunts, who owned the place in the early 1900′s and lived here throughout the hot and humid east coast summer months.

When my dad and his brothers got older, they took over the cottage and brought along their children during the summers to hang out. It was a pretty cozy place.

Honestly, I’m sure you’re looking at these pictures and thinking, cozy?! What are you talking about?! More like creepy, you’re thinking! But, oh my,…it was cozy, so fun, we used to love it up there! See the HUGE tree trunk in the picture above? The cottage was built around that tree. Meaning: part of the wall INSIDE the cottage was home to the other side of that tree trunk! Crazy, huh?!

My sister, Ruby, and I drove up last summer to check it out while Ruby, J, and I were out for an East Coast trip. We walked through and relived the memories of our childhood tromps around Brandywine Summit. I admit it was ghostlike being up there,…not many people were around, but it brought back SO many fond, happy, and hilarious memories. Memories only my family could appreciate and understand.

I was flipping through my photo library earlier this evening and even though these pics are over a year old, I HAD to post them. I plan to make a couple of more posts in the next few days on sweet, old Brandywine Summit. I have to. For old times sake.

Easter tulips

April 9, 2010

We had a few family and friends over for easter sunday dinner. It was a great day and the first big celebration in our new home. The sad thing is, I didn’t take many photos of the day. The casseroles, the desserts, the easter candy,… ah well.

BUT, the day after Easter, I did take a few photos of these gorgeous tulips our sweet friends brought along when they arrived for dinner.

How pretty are they?!

Love them,…my friend knows the way to my heart. Pretty flowers=one of my favorites things.

Someone needs to paint a picture of these…


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