FEAR

So I am a new a dedicated fan of Justin & Mary-Photography. If you have never heard of them or gone to their website, I suggest you do. Even if photography isn't your thing, their website is incredibly inspirational on all levels and subject matters. They definitely support following your dream and never giving up.
Check them out:
http://www.justinmarantz.com/index.cfm?m=2&y=2013&StartRow=6

So Kevin and I are in a slump. Not with each other, but with just where things are in our lives. Which is ironic because in about four months exactly, we will be getting MARRIED. I am beyond thrilled for that moment in our lives but to be honest, otherwise, we are in a slump. We desperately want to move forward with our lives but feel an overwhelming sense of frustration on not being able to move forward.

So I read Justin & Mary's website and was instantly inspired. Man, are they good at it! So read this:

1. Who sacrificed for you? Who gave up something in their own lives so that you could one day have more? And when you settle, when you play small, what does that do to honor that sacrifice? And...

2. Who are you setting an example for? Who is looking to you to pave the way and show by your actions what they are capable of doing in their own lives? (I'm talking to you moms & dads out there!)
  (courtesy of: http://www.justinmarantz.com)

 So think about those 2 questions and ask yourself: are you settling, instead of taking a leap of faith? I know I often don't take enough risks and I often find myself looking back at times when I have made mistakes, instead of remembering the times I took leaps of faith and everything turned out wonderfully (ie: being scared of relationship failure and by staring into fear and saying "NOT THIS TIME," meeting the love of my life). So my goal for the next four months leading up to our wedding, is to face fear head on and say, "NOT THIS TIME." Let's see where this journey takes us and know that we will rise above this slump, Kev, we will tell the world, we are capable of so much more!!

Adding touches...

As Kevin and I get more and more settled into our new living space I have taken it upon myself to add cheap but creative touches to our apartment. I had a gift certificate to Anthropolgie and found these super cute letters to hang on the wall.

I used a K and an M for us and put them on our kitchen wall. We painted our walls a unique color. Much like this....

So if you can imagine, the letters above, on green walls, look awesome! I also found curtains to hang in the door opening from our living room to kitchen that add a nice Bohemian touch. I pulled them back by placing those 3M hooks horizontally on either side of the doorway to hold back the curtains. I got the kind that look like brushed stainless steel.

Our bedroom had very cheap plastic mini-blinds that let in sooo much sunlight in the morning. I sleep so hard that often I wouldn't even notice but soon I started to notice a little more and Kevin was really bothered by it. It truly made sleeping in...nearly impossible. So I found these awesome, cheap curtains at Target for $10 each!

All in all things are coming together...slowly, but surely. Try your hand at your own creative devices and re-decorate on a budget.

Outdoor Spaces

Speaking of outdoor bedrooms...thought I would share some of my favorite images of outdoor spaces.

Stunning!

Have you ever had a dream that seemed so real and cool that you woke up disappointed and curious? I did! In my dream,

My parents had purchased a new home. It was huge and full of nooks and crannies and unusual spaces. It seemed very old and paint was chipped along the walls and near the ceiling. There was a door, about 1/3 way up the wall. I pushed on it and it creaked open to this room with only two walls. The other two spaces where walls should have been was open to the outside. Only pillars held the ceiling up. I asked if it could be my room and my dad said okay. We started analyzing how to decorate and keep the elements out but keep it airy. My dad quickly told me to hurry we had dinner plans to get to. I didn't have time to do my makeup or hair and in the rush....I woke up.

I'm Back!

Hey all!

I am back after moving into a new apartment. Kevin and I spent a good day and a half, along with every night this week, either moving or painting. We painted our living room a blue/gray and did a great job (if i do say so myself)! It really feels like home to me and I love it! Here are some pictures to show everyone.

Here is an example of the awful paint color it was before. The picture really doesn't even do it justice....it was sort of a mustardy, yellowy, boogery color. Now its the light gray/blue and it looks fabulous!

The finished result. Lovely ain't it?

I'm not a huge fan of gold but the unusual styling of these earrings and the bright color add a very funky touch.

Leather cuffs are comfortable (especially for writers like me) and come in a variety of widths and colors.