Master Floor Lamp

I look around and I am loving how the house is shaping up. I want to share, but it is a lot of rooms, and therefore, a lot of pictures. Instead of a whole house tour now, I will simply focus on my latest addition to my new space.

My new master bedroom has a tall, vaulted ceiling. The room feels big without being unnecessarily large...if that makes sense. The old floor lamp I had previously in our room instantly felt shrunken and out of place. I told myself I could get a new lamp if I found one that wasn't too dense, wasn't too short, and wasn't too expensive.

I have to say, I love creating home spaces. I am going to be all nerdy and interior-designery for a minute: I love adding in different textures, colors, materials, and using things in unusual ways. Nothing too crazy, just a bit of interest and creativity...developing an accent (and room) that is unlike anyone else's. Wrought iron, steel, cedar, pine, canvas, paint, glazing, fabric print, and subtle transitions in color. I love forming my home, the place my life happens, the place my family is rooted.

Ok, so back to the lamp. :P

Here is my gem. It's simple, yet quirky. Black metal and neutral canvas. Perfect. It's inexpensive (and I had multiple coupons!) and it doesn't take away from anything in the room, it adds subtle character. I do plan to take a picture of my lamp in my space (at some point), but for now here is the picture I saw and decided to go for it.

If you are interested, here is the link to purchase. Hooray Target!  

M.LEWIS

Settling Avenida

Well, it's been a little while, but we've been busy. We moved into our house!

It was stressful, loud, hectic, and well worth it. We spent the last 2 weeks unpacking, organizing, situating everything big and small, and with a couple extra purchases (more to come) we are settled in and loving it.

The kids and dogs are loving more space, their own space, and not living out of boxes. This is mainly the kids, but you know...a big backyard goes a long way.

It's amazing how much stuff we have...and it's amazing how we had it in a much smaller house. I don't know how to keep from collecting too much, but it is definitely a goal of ours.

I am happy to report no major issues with the house. We had a ac pipe drip (just condensation), a plug above the front door not finished (it's finished now), and we still have a leaky faucet...but none of these are big issues. Seeing as we have been homeowners for several years now, these things are completely manageable. I feel like some people in the neighborhood are less forgiving...but I'm not focusing on others' problems. We love our home, and that's all that matters.

Hard to believe we're almost half way through October...but to be honest, this year has been a blur. I refer to it as our lost year, mainly because of the prepping and selling of our first house, then moving first to the apartment, then finishing the new house, then moving again into our second house. People look at me funny when I say "I never want to move again" but I think they are the ones that are crazy. I am not a good mover. I grew up in 2 houses in my life. The first house from ages 1-4, and then the house my family still lives in from ages 4-23. My parents don't plan to move, so I can plan the same, right? ;) Lorelai is 4 now, it seems fitting. I plan to get things polished and post pictures later...hopefully when things finally cool off. 95 in mid October is not ok. :(

Halloween is approaching quickly. Addy had trouble settling on one costume, so I choose for her. Adalaide will be Tinkerbell...a perfect fit if you ask me. She bounced around a witch for awhile, but never wanted to wear the witch costume. She found an old bee costume at Grandma's...but it's too big. I figured Tinkerbell is a good fit of wings, wand, tulle, and sparkles. I am making it, so I can tailor it to her tiny body better. ;)

Lorelai is going to be a Fairy Pirate Princess...it was once a Fairy Robot Pirate Princess, but she has since dropped the robot factor. She'll have mainly fairy princess elements, but with a pirate hat and an eye patch...it shall be interesting. I'm just telling people she is dressed up as her imagination. :P

More to come later, farewell from Avenida Ln! :D

M.LEWIS

Apartment Days are Numbered

Wednesday is our closing!

That means packing, planning, sorting, organizing, and lots of patience. That's right, it's "the move: part 2."

Not a whole lot else to update you on. The next post should be from the new house (and hopefully with a lot of pictures!)

I cannot wait to get out of this apartment! AH!


M.LEWIS

Ikea Dresser Hack

A little weekend project turned into an less than perfect transformation, but now that it's all done, it was worth it.

Here is a little Ikea hack of my own.

Here is our dresser. We have two, placed side-by-side to make a mega dresser. It was inexpensive and it had a lot of storage space, great for a newlywed couple on a budget.

Well, the look of them never thrilled me and years later, I have finally done something about it.

After applying a stencil with chalk paint (and antique glaze) I added a a custom fit wood top and I feel it looks so much better.

(Ignore the pile of pillows in the corner.) Collectively, I invested about $95 in paint, stain, wood, stencil, screws, glue, wood filler, etc. I really like the look now, well worth it.

No "how to" here...just a picture and an idea to share. :)


M.LEWIS

Kitchen Bench

I decided to add a bench to our kitchen table. Easy for kids to use, extra seating, space saver. I was sold on the idea pretty early on, but I now got around to doing it.

Not much use in showing a picture. A bench is a bench; but I left Lorelai help assemble it, and I let both girls sign the bottom.

While I plan to keep this bench for quite some time, I wanted to snap some pictures and preserve their little mark on building something for our home.

M.LEWIS

Countdown to Avenida

5 weeks out from Avenida move. I cannot wait. Seriously, this apartment is shrinking by the day. Each week the house is getting better and better. I am so in love with it, and we still have a lot of love to put into it.

Not much else to report really. I am just prepping with furniture and textiles for the new house. The goal is to have a lot of it purchased and ready to set up so we don't have a mad rush of "Oh shoot! Adalaide doesn't have bed!"...right now she is still in the crib. I know, 2.5 years and in a crib. But she is crazy and tiny...so the crib works best for us in the apartment.

Oh to have a yard again...with trees! I can't wait!

Now to make the next 5 weeks pass quickly and smoothly. Hmmm....

M.LEWIS

Waiting Game

We're still waiting here in apartment land. I'm trying to be proactive while waiting; thinking ahead to what I will need to buy for the new house, how I want to set up the rooms, etc. Our latest purchase with this in mind is a new tv. It was a big purchase, but one that was probably overdue. Of course, with a new, big tv, comes a new appropriately-sized tv stand. So that's 2 new things accomplished.

I am thinking about changing the bed situation for the girls. Our current one is not working well and was not meant to be long-term. Addy climbs out of her crib now, and rather sleep in Lorelai's bed, so I might go ahead and switch around a few things to keep the peace at bed/naptime better.

I am itching for a yard, and more importantly, so are my dogs. It's a scorching 106° outside (and that's before the heat index), so the kids aren't missing the backyard too much yet, but the dogs are crazy...mainly Nora.
Leashing them up all the time is getting old, and Nora misses sitting and surveying the yard...so she tries to do so from inside, which doesn't work too well.

Our upstairs neighbors are by-far the loudest, most frustrating people to share a ceiling/floor with. They have a toddler son who, by the sound of things, has full reign of their apartment. Stomping, jumping, crying, screaming...the usual sounds of a child, but at midnight, or 3 am? That's not ok! I am being woken up, or kept awake by someone else's child, and that's frustrating. I have been quite tired lately due to this, yet I can't really change anything about it.

At least there has been great progress at the house lately. Drywall, stone, brick, and stair work have all made great strides this past week. I hope this continues. I so want that September 30 closing date to stick...though we have decided to rent the apartment through October just in case hiccups pop up along the way. A pricey, but needed, safety net.

More stone and brick since accomplished

Stair railings in, and drywall/texturing almost complete!

One month into our lease, and I am so ready to move out! It's like taking a vacation, but removing all the fun parts of a trip and just focusing on the "live out of a suitcase" displacement side of it. A little over 7 weeks left...in theory. FINGERS CROSSED!