In my last post, I mentioned that Matt and I spent most of last weekend prettying up our patio for spring. Our apartment is pretty small, so we love when the weather warms up and we get to add another room to our house. Since we moved to Chicago two years ago, our patio has served its function, but once we decided that we're not quite ready to buy a house and are going to be renters for a bit longer, we decided to pretty up our patio to help us enjoy our place a little more. Here's a before picture of our cozy little patio...
Keep in mind, our patio has just been through a Chicago winter, also known as the kiss of death for anything green, living, or healthy :) And now for a few after pictures...
Much better, right? We weren't working with a big budget, so we tried to be strategic, adding pops of color with new seat cushions, fresh flowers from Home Depot, a few fun accessories throughout.
Though we've been known to get in a little over our heads at Home Depot, this year we kept it simple with single plant pots in bright and cheery colors. This orange and blue combo might be one of my favorites!
This cheapie plant stand houses our tiny, but efficient herb garden and our small supply of firewood. Usually the wood has emptied out by now, but given our pretty mild winter, we've still got a bit of our stash left over. And though the larger purple plant on the bottom left was our biggest Home Depot splurge ($15), I really love how full it is. A little different from the small blue bud, just below it. It still has some growing to do :)
If you're someone who enjoys cooking with fresh herbs, I strongly encourage you to grow your own, even if you have a tiny space like us. A small bunch of basil or rosemary can cost you several dollars at the store, and for the same price, you can plant your own that will keep you stocked all spring and summer long. I mentioned these signs last year, and I still love the detail they give to our small but mighty herb box. Oh the treasures that can be found inside the Target Dollar Bins :)
And for another before picture, check out this little chicken I snagged for $2 at a garage sale. (Ok, in truth, it was priced at $3, but I haggled the lady down to $2. I know, I am such a bargain hunter!) When I saw it, I thought it would be an adorable planter, with a few changes of course.
A few coats of spray paint and some fresh flowers later, this chickadee was loving his life as a new planter!
The wall art was one of the hardest things for us to find, and after looking at several predictable wrought iron pieces and not really liking them, we stumbled upon these textured metal pieces and fell in love. We actually found them in the table bowls and baskets section of Garden Ridge, but after a few screws and hooks, they were on the wall, adding just the right amount of affordable oomph to the space.
We added three hanging baskets to the space, creating interest by hanging them a bit unbalanced with two on one side, one on the other.
And given how much we love our new space, we couldn't bare the thought of only using it during the day light. So we added a string of globe lights that give off just the right amount of twinkle! And because I enjoy a good before and after, here's another before picture...
And of course, here's another after...
A definite improvement, don't you think? And for us, definite proof that you don't have to own a home to create and warm and cozy outdoor space. Sometimes, I think as renters, we have a tendency to constantly say, "One day, when we have a house..." blah blah blah. But sometimes, it's nice to just say, let's make the most of what we have, right here, right now. And last weekend, that's just what we did with our tiny but lovely little patio.
Anyone else out there readying your outdoor space for spring? If so, leave a comment or link in the comments; I'd love to pop over and check it out!
This year, when I pulled our our Christmas decorations, I made myself one promise. I was going to make do with what we already had. No running out to the store, no swearing I needed that "perfect" ribbon. Whatever we had is whatever I was going to use. That mentality seemed to push me to try a few options I may not have initially considered, and I'm so happy I stuck to my promise. Last month I showed you 
I filled three different glass canisters/vases with a mix of silver and red ornaments. A mix of big and small, glittered and shiny helped keep it from being too matchy matchy. I picked up the little silver bead wreaths after Christmas with my mom last year for 75% off. The garland was something I wasn't quite sure how it would work when I started it, but it ended up looking a little bit crazy, a little bit fun, which is always a good combo in my book. (I mean, isn't that what we all love about Anthropologie? A mix of crazy and fun that seems to look effortless.) The small glitter ornaments came from Target's dollar bin, and I strung them up with some ribbon I snagged at the end of the season last year.
I love having a word mixed in with my decorations. Matt wanted to use wrapping paper in the frame (ok, I don't give him enough credit, he does care a little bit) which we tried for a few days. But then I got my way and switched it up for a word. "Believe" is so fitting for Christmas, and I love the glittered Santa hanging close by. (I picked up several twin Santas from the dollar bin at Target to use as finishing touches on presents, but when I hung him here on a whim, I loved it!) The garland came from the bottom of our Christmas tree, which had to be cut down to fit into our tiny apartment. I asked the guys at the tree place to tie up the scraps and though there weren't a lot left over, it was just the right amount for our little mantel.
I saw a feather wreath last year in a magazine and have been wanting one ever since. I found the styrofoam wreath form at a garage sale for 10 cents and the feather boa for 25 cents. (Big spender I tell you.) I wrapped it around the form, secured it with a few straight pins, and voila, fun feather wreath. I added a few silver ornaments from our tree as well as some of the butterfly clips that we use on our tree. PS: After I wrapped the wreath and tied it to the mirror, Matt made a face. You know, a scrunched up, what the heck is that face. "What?" I asked. His reply? "That looks like Big Bird's butt." To which I maturely said, "Your face looks like Big Bird's butt!" Total maturity around here people :)
So there you have it, our Christmas mantel! I love the way it turned out, and for free no less. PS: If you've decorated for the holidays and posted about it, leave me a link in the comments so I can come check it out! Have a great Wednesday yall!
Blazer: The Limited
This is the wall opposite the mirror in my bathroom.
Here is one of the three ways I store earrings. These are for earrings that have a hook back. I’ll show you how to make this earring frame later in the post. It’s super simple.
These hooks are for my necklaces. There are 3 different “fixtures” here, and I’ll show you each one individually. I should also mention that every hook, container, and peg you see was purchased secondhand at a flea market, thrift store, or garage sale. Their are two exceptions which I’ll point out when I show them.
The top part of the necklace organization is some odd accordion hook thing I found for 50 cents at Goodwill. I think its original purpose had something to do with laundry drying, though I’m not entirely certain. It can be stretched or squeezed to almost any length you need, and I wanted mine so I could fit short necklaces on the top row without having them drape too far over the third row of pegs. This was originally a yucky brown wood color which I spray painted white.
The second part of the necklace wall is this long row of pegs, which my mom snagged for me at a garage sale for 25 cents. The wood color was a honey color, so I sprayed it white to match the one above it. I had originally wanted to hang one necklace per peg, but given my insane amount of jewelry, that idea quickly went out the window, and its been fine doubling and tripling up.
The third and final part of the necklace storage were these 4 bumblebee hooks, which I found for $1 at a garage sale. They were too cute to pass up, and I’m so glad I didn’t. I just staggered them and screwed them into the wall. Easy peasy. Originally, I had planned to stop there, but I thought the whole thing looked a little too scattered. So Matt had a great idea to border the whole thing with this oversized frame I got at a flea market for $1. It really helped tie the whole thing together, though if you don’t have as many hooks as I do, I think you could skip this step.
For me, this wall is function and beauty, a rare but fabulous combination! PS: can I tell you how much I adore that little owl necklace towards the top right corner. I got it at a market in London with my mom, and it instantly makes me happy when I wear it :) Another perk of this wall is that I can see it while I’m putting my makeup on and drying my hair. Therefore, I can think about what I’m wearing that day and what accessories I want to pair with it as I get ready.
Here is the right side of my bathroom counter. Like I said above, I believe in storing ordinary things in pretty containers, so my cotton balls and q-tips are stored in glass canisters, my bobby pins and cuticle scissors in a votive holder, and my makeup brushes in a glass beaker (like at the MAC store.) All of these glass pretties came from Goodwill for under $2. The ceramic fleur-de-lis holds my hair ties and was purchased from the clearance shelf at Steinmart. The fleur-de-lis is my sorority’s symbol, so I love finding ways to incorporate it into my stuff. And of course, I have to have a picture with my fabulous little brother :)
My cocktail rings are in a vintage ice cream dish found at a flea market, and my “real” jewelry (aka wedding ring, Yurman, diamond studs from Matt, etc.) sits in this crystal ring holder which I picked up for $3 at a consignment show. My Forever 21 flower bobby pins make a fun little bouquet in a 99 cent Goodwill votive holder.
Here is the left side of my bathroom counter. My most worn bracelets sit on this velvet lined bracelet holder. My mom snagged this for me at a garage sale, and I’ve never seen another one since, though my eyes are forever peeled for one. As you can see, this one is getting a little full :)
This silver earring frame is made just like the other one I showed you, but this one is for earrings with post backs. It doesn’t hang on the wall, because you need easy access to the back of the frame to put the earrings on and off the holder. If you don’t have a ton of earrings, you can totally put post back and hook back earrings on one frame, you just have to deal with a couple of falling hook back earrings every now and then. The frame is actually plastic and is from the dollar store.
I got this vintage ashtray from my grandma, though I’ve seen them countless times at thrift stores. These are for earrings with loop backs. You know, the ones that hook in and then close shut to form a complete oval. (Who knew earring terminology was so advanced?) These have to lay loose because the backs won’t close in the frames I have my other earrings on. I stuck a candle in the middle, though I don’t light it too often. I learned my lesson about that 
Ever wonder what to do with all those extra buttons that come with sweaters, blazers, etc? I place mine in this pretty glass container found at Goodwill. Easy access when I buy the article of clothing, and easy access should I need the button. I put this little heart from my mom around the top to make me smile every morning :) And of course a picture with my bestie is tucked away in the corner!
Ok…here is what you need. Frames of whatever shape and size you desire. These are super cheap at Goodwill and you may even have some laying around your house. You do NOT need the glass or a mat, so don’t bother paying for that. And don’t worry about color either, they make paint for that :) I started out with this leftover can of Gripper paint, but I later switched to spray paint. I’m inpatient like that. The key thing you’ll need to buy is the “netting.” I don’t know what this stuff is really called, but it can be found at your local home improvement mega store in the screen door aisle. It looks like a giant roll of graph paper, only made out of wire/metal. They sell it by the roll, but if you’re lucky, you can find a roll that is already open and barter with the guys at the store who wonder what the hell you’re gonna do with it. I got my already opened and half used roll for $2. You’ll also need a glue gun, and if you’re working at your kitchen table like me, you’ll need a dropcloth. (Note: this is NOT our table cloth, it is our ugly drop cloth. Matt paints a lot and therefore ours has a lot of use.)
Step 1 (which I failed to photograph): Paint the frame. Step 2: Trace the frame opening onto the mesh/metal screen door stuff. If your frame doesn’t have the back to it, no worries, just trace the opening to the frame. When unsure, go a little bigger and trim down as necessary.
Step 3: Push the mesh/metal screen door stuff into the backside of the frame. Step 4 (which I did not photograph): Hot glue the shiz out of it. Lol, I know there are crafty bloggers out there who will hate my directions, but its the best I’ve got. You won’t see the back so don’t bother making it pretty. Mine have gobs of glue all over the back and not a soul can tell :)
Step 5: Hang the newly finished jewelry frame on the wall or leave it free standing like my silver one. Whichever you prefer and whichever fits with the type of earrings you have.
Step 6: Hang your favorite jewels from it and enjoy your fabulous pretties!
Here we are with our diagonal driving U-Haul, ready to head out of town early on Friday morning! The truck was a 26 footer, made to move a family in a four bedroom house. We have a 2 bedroom and packed the thing to the brim. What can I say? We have a lot of 
Last skinny vanilla latte in my old home!
Aaaaaand we’re off! And yes, I realize this picture is both dorky and dangerous, and well, I’m embracing both. (But for realz, there wasn’t anyone near me on the road, it was 7 am, and I had a ten hour day one drive ahead of me. I mean, what else was I supposed to do?!)
Day 2 (hence the hand signal, not to be mistaken for a peace sign.) After a night stop off in Springfield, Missouri, we finished the second leg of our journey with an eight hour drive. Here I am following behind Matt/our diagonal driving semi truck and taking self portrait pictures. (Yes Mom, I know this was not smart, I won’t do if again!) We arrived in Chicago early Saturday evening, found a hotel close to our apartment (we moved in the next morning), and grabbed wings while watching the NBA playoffs. (Poor Phoenix.) The next morning, we got the keys to our new home, turned the lock, and moved in. Eeek! I had planned to snap a key turning video, but between my exhaustion and the fact that I looked ten times more mousy and scary than in the photo above, the key turning video and move in day photos were a no go.
And to celebrate our first night as official 
We were so lucky to be able to stay with our friends, Matt and Christie (smiling above), in Chicago who have a chic little brownstone in Lincoln Park. They are so generous in letting us shack up with them when we visit, particularly because my suitcase tends to explode in their dining room the minute we arrive. (Read about our last shack up with them 
The next day Matt and I went apartment hunting, and though we’d allotted three full days to find a place, we were so blessed to find our new home after only 5 stops! We absolutely ADORE it, and we were so lucky because it came with an extra cherry on top. We were scheduled to have our current apartment through August, so were planning to pay double rent for a few months once we’d moved to Chicago. Matt random noticed a familiar logo on the door of the office when we walked it, and it turns out that they are owned by the same company who owns our current apartment. So what’s the cherry on top? Because its the same company, we were able to get out of our lease early, no penalties! Woo hoo, hooray! It literally could not have worked out better. (And don’t be fooled by the picture above, our apartment isn’t downtown, I just snapped this pic while we were out in the city.)
I am beyond excited to decorate a new space, and I will post tons of pictures as we move and transform our new little home. If it were up to me, it would be a shabby chic wonderland, but I have a husband who cares about the space he lives in, so we’ll go for more of a hotel chic look. At least that’s my plan :) The kitchen might be my favorite part of the apartment due to the stainless steel appliances. The place we’re in now has appliances from the stone age, so I am thrilled with these babies. Other bonuses include a wood burning fireplace, a stackable washer/dryer, giant walk in closets, a patio, 2 bathrooms (a relationship saver), and a big storage locker for all my Christmas decorations :)
That night we went to Goose Island Brewery with our friends Matt and Christie to celebrate our new home. (The picture I posted in my blazer post is from there as well.) Please excuse my gigantic self in this pic, lol. I had on my mega tall boots that night, which apparently make me look like a woman capable of making it into the Guinness Book of World Records for world’s tallest 
The next day Matt and I went downtown to check out the green river. Every Saturday before St. Patrick’s Day, the city of Chicago dyes the Chicago River green. We didn’t make it there till the Wednesday after, so to me, it just looked dirty. But next year, we’ll make sure to see it on its unveiling day. (Since we’ll be living in Chicago and all!) I don’t ever get sick of saying that :)
We headed to Lou Malnatis for some famous deep dish pizza. This is known to be one of the best places for deep dish pizza, and it did not disappoint. It was also completely fat free ;)
That night we headed to Tarantino’s for appetizers and drinks. They had off the chart kind-of-martinis (they weren’t as strong as typical martinis, thankfully) and these delicious fried oysters. Though this blog might not seem like it, I swear I do more with my life than eat. 
Christie made a lovely toast cheersing (is that a word?) to Chicago, our newest home. I can’t wait see what the windy city brings us!
Buuuut our trip didn’t end there. We flew into Houston, grabbed lunch with my mom, and then headed up to Dallas for my best friend, Jordan, and her fiancé's engagement party. Matt and I arrived feeling a bit like travel-crazed, sleep deprived zombies, but we wouldn’t have missed this party for anything! Jordan and I are obsessed with getting our makeup done at MAC, and the engagement party was the perfect excuse to stop in and get our makeup done (and take picture while doing so.) 
Sweet Matt and I at the party. I really have an incredible husband :)
I am so excited to stand next to Jordan as she marries her man next year. Oh and ps, just call me the friendly ghost :)
Me and my almost-mommy friend, 
My best friend Steven finally arrived and our high school group was complete (minus Adrienne, we missed you Adge!) I seriously adore these people for who they are and all the joy the bring into my life.
The party was tons of fun, and by the end of the night, my stomach hurt from laughing so much. I have really cool friends. It’s a fact. They’re really cool.
After I posted this post (redundant much?) this picture was emailed to me and I love it too much not to share it!
The next morning Matt and I got up bright and early to drive back home. This is what we were greeted with. I swear, only in Texas is it 70 degrees on a Friday, then mid blizzard on Saturday night. Pathetically, I didn’t have an ice scraper, so I used a neon green, disposable, foam flip flop from my pedicure the day before. Hahahhhaha, it was so sad and so funny at the same time. I died laughing at myself (in the cold, while scraping snow and ice with a foam flip flop.) I am going to struggle in Chicago :)