Life-Catch-Up-Blog-Post-Part-Two/Three/Four/I know, I’m a Bad Blogger

Turkey Day:

My fam gave thanks with our typical festivities—my parents hosted all of my mom’s side of the family for a full day of food, drinks, laughter and lots of loud conversing (the Christensens are known for their voices that carry. They’re also notorious for mixing up names of family members of various age—Chelley, I mean Morgan, I mean Caitlin…). I may be biased, but my mom’s Turkey Day spread is the greatest meal of all time. And who doesn’t appreciate drinks before noon?? We toasted each other, gave thanks for our blessings, and took a moment to remember those who we missed. No matter how many years pass or how our family changes (we had several new faces in attendance this year), Thanksgiving remains a constant reminder of how amazing my family is and how blessed I am to have them.

 

Did I take any pics of the fam-bam? Not really. Oh, but I did make a homemade apple pie! I know, WHAT? My domestic pal Kelly gets all the credit for that one. A few pics to prove the homemade goodness:

 

Novy’s Birthday:

Speaking of very important family members, someone celebrated an inaugural birthday over Thanksgiving weekend. Miss Nova turned the big ONE! This little turkey baby is quite the ham (see what I did there??) these days. She is walking, talking, fake-coughing, singing; you name it, she’s doing it in the cutest little way. I might be biased, but I do believe that she is THE cutest one year old. Ever.

{Her first taste of chocolate, on her actual birthday...it went well. Notice how she's pulling her daddy-o's hand toward her...}

{CAKE! She was ready for round two at her party...I'd say her sweet tooth has come in.}

{Too adorbs, right? Love you, sweet girl!}

And the rest…

Andddd now Christmas has already come and gone, and New Year’s, too. A winter collage of the last holidays of 2013:

{Snow for Christmas}

{So blurry, but all the Christensen cousins (minus Drew) and Grandma in the middle.}

{With my cousins, Carolyn and Caitlin}

{New Year's! I didn't end up in Canada. (If you couldn't tell.)}

{Did you know the word of 2013 was "selfie"?
Aside from weeping for our culture and humanity (at least it wasn't "YOLO"),
I figured I should jump on board. Hence, my New Year's selfie.}

 Lots of family time, lots of friend time, lots of memories made. Hey 2013, you weren’t terrible. (You weren’t super great, either.) But 2014? I think it’s gonna be good. #2014isouryear, if you will. Yep, I hashtagged like it’s a word. I'm making my own rules in 2014. Cheers, friends! May the new year bring you many blessings and lots of love. XO!

Hooray for New Furniture

So, a week ago, after my delectable lunch with Crystal, I headed out to Nebraska Furniture Mart to see if I could find a few new pieces for my living room. First of all, let me tell you that most of my living room furniture was from my first apartment. My friend Erica and I lived together in a little two bedroom apartment in Overland Park. We were both first year teachers, so we put together what we could. Now, seven years later (geesh. I’m old), I have a few pieces that I’ve added along the way that are fairly new, some that are old but still in pretty good condition, and then a few that are were on their last leg.

 

Several months ago, I invested in a new couch. I had purchased a neutral creamy-beige couch and oversized chair set when I was in the first apartment, and they have followed me from home to home. This past August, I was ready for something new, so I picked out a dark grey-taupe-colored couch that I’ve been loving. It’s added some depth to a pretty much neutral room. Plus, it worked well with the chair from the original set that wasn’t as worn as the couch. I also added a few new brightly colored and patterned pillows to spruce things up.

 

Then, this past Monday, I picked out a new “TV table” (it was actually a behind-the-sofa table, I believe, but my TV looks just fine atop it!) and a new entryway cabinet.  I think I was most excited about the entryway cabinet—it was exactly what I was looking for! I had thought about going thrifting or to flea markets to try and find a vintage cabinet/bookshelf and refinish and repaint it, but this was so much easier. (I’m definitely one for instant gratification.) I love the white-wash and the refurbished wood. And the glass doors sold me—I wanted something you could look into, so I could store books or trinkets or whatever else I could cram in there. I also added new knobs from Anthropologie to add a little color.

 

{BEFORE...}

The original entryway table was put together by yours truly, circa 2007, so you know it was rickety and barely standing. My construction skills aren’t the greatest.

 

{AFTER!}

{Loving the glass and the patterned metal panels in the door. This is definitely more unique than the table. And much different than anything I had seen at NFM previously.}

Although I don't think the TV table was meant to actually hold a TV (I really didn’t think about all the connectors and cables running down the back), I think it looks fab. I love the shelves (I was able to get rid of my outdated DVD stand) and the drawers—extra storage is a bonus for this girl, since I don’t have a basement and my attic is unfinished and possibly haunted. (The sheer volume of cobwebs I've seen when I went up there that one time is enough to convince me that I don’t need to venture up there, EVER.) I also added new knobs to the drawers that I picked out at Anthro.

{BEFORE: This little guy was also "hand-constructed" (AKA pieced together) by me.
And yes, it bowed slightly in the middle.}

 

{AFTER: Ta-da!}

 

{This TV table is taller, which I like. I might need to rethink the art on that wall, though...}

{A view of my grown-up space. I know, I know...it's tiny! But I love it.}

I feel like I have a real, grown-up living room now! This furniture is definitely meant to last longer than what I had previously, and it looks so much nicer. And I have to give a HUGE shout out to my Daddy-o, who helped (and by "helped" I mean actually did most of the work) put the TV table together this weekend. Thanks, Dad! You're the best. Can’t wait to watch the next installment of my current TV obsession (The Bachelor, duh) tonight in my lovely space.

Mad for Missoni

{Want!}

My fall issues (books, really) of Vogue and Harpers Bazaar came last week, and as I was flipping through the hundreds of glossy pages, I saw a particular spread that made me very, very happy. I have always been a fan of the GO International program at Target, and have purchased several pieces from these “emerging designers at affordable prices” (thank you, Target Pressroom). Notable finds have included a winter-white cropped wool jacket with brass buttons from Temperly London (for under $50!) and a darling Libertine navy and kelly green striped cotton mini-dress that I wore on St. Patty’s this past year (with my cowboy boots…I was stylin’!). However, I think I am MOST excited for the upcoming looks from Italian fashion house Missoni. The iconic zig-zag patterns and bright colors will soon be gracing the aisles of a Target store near you in the form of clothing, accessories, shoes and housewears. I am already making a list of pieces I plan on snapping up. Come September 13, you will find me loading up my red cart with colorful knitwear and home accessories (I’m obsessing over the stackable coffee cups at the top), all at prices that are easy on my wallet.

*Thanks to Fashionista.com for the Missoni for Target preview pics!

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{How cute are these knitted flats? Another want.}

{Bright patterned candles. Perf for adding a pop of color in my kitchen!}

{Another must-have for the rapidly approaching crisply cool fall weather.}

Light Me Up

{So darling. I want!}

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I have been enchanted with chandeliers since I first visited the Kansas City-owned The Curious Sofa in The Village Shops a while back.  The Curious Sofa was a lovely store that had unique furniture and home décor. My favorite visit was around Halloween, when they had decorated the entire store with stylish, scary decorations. We’re not talking about cheesy witches and pumpkin cutouts; instead, they had transformed their setting into a haunting yet elegant space with crystallized cobwebs, glittering black skulls, and an array of furry dark bats and spiders placed strategically among the sheet music on the piano and the duvets lining the shelves on the back wall. (Between this mention and the notes on Nell Hill's, anyone care to guess my fav holiday? What can I say...I heart Halloweeny!) I think it was on that autumn visit when I first noticed the sparkling chandeliers that were hanging from various spots from the ceiling. Some were an opaque white or black ceramic; some were shiny and sparkly crystal; some were constructed of a mixture of materials. I decided I needed one for my own dwelling (hopefully, minus the cobwebs).

(Side note: unfortunately, The Curious Sofa had to close its doors, and to my knowledge, has not reopened at a different location. Such a bummer, as the venue not only had some delightful pieces but also inspired ideas for my own home décor. However, the owner still sells on her website here. Be sure to check out the "Store" pictures…you’ll see some of the fabulous macabre decorations I was talking about.)

Ever since that day, I’ve been looking for the perfect hanging light structure for my home. While many are pretty pricy, the bigger question for me is where to put it. My little bungalow’s layout does not include a separate dining room; instead, the dining area is lumped in with the living area in one big ol’ room, right when you walk in. Therefore, the lighting fixture in this room isn’t directly over the dining table, and I’m not sure if a random chandelier would look just right in this space. My other option would be to find a more whimsical fixture to hang in the spare room I currently use as an “office” (though very little work gets done in that room; I really only go back there to dig through my second closet, which is stuffed to the gills).  While I do think this little space would look even more darling with some bling hanging from the ceiling, should I really invest in something for a room I’m rarely in?

While I debate, I found these other examples of inspiration. The images I’ve included are from domino magazine, and I am seriously obsessed with the chandelier in the top picture. How gorgeous and playful, with the glass beads and brightly-colored balls strung throughout. Charming!

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{This fixture is so unique. Looks like a sparkling snowflake!}

{A different twist--mini-shades mixed with dangling crystals.}

{Loving everything about this kitchen--the powder blue walls, the sleek stainless appliances,
and the opaque black sparkler smack dab in the middle.}

Fairy Lights

{Nell Hill's}

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My mom and I visited Nell Hill’s in Atchison recently, and my oh my, did we have a fabulous time. I’ve heard nothing but glowing things about this décor boutique, and it did not disappoint. This delightful space is crammed full of little treasures, and most are at quite affordable prices, even for teachers decorating their homes on a budget. As I wandered from room to room, taking in all of the furniture and home décor pieces, I not only found several items I just had to have, but I also came away with some lovely ideas I could incorporate into my own space. One particular look that grabbed my attention was multiple antique mirrors used in place of a headboard in a bedroom. The mirrors were different sizes and appeared aged and a bit tarnished, which gave the room a charming feel. Since I currently have been debating what to do with my own makeshift “headboard” (a plain white mirror with hooks under it that I’ve had since my college years) in my bedroom, I definitely took a mental picture to remember for a later date. However, when we made our way back to the garden section, I had an epiphany in creating my own enchantment for my otherwise lacking boudoir: I could hang tiny glass votive holders from the hooks of the mirror, just above my pillows. Voila! Bedroom instantly updated. I think they look like little fairy lights, all above my bed. (And don’t worry…I’m saving the mirror idea for a different project.)

On a sidenote, I also picked up several colorful ceramic pieces to brighten up the kitchen, but had the most fun in the Halloween-themed rooms. I loved how they had found dark, morbidly charming decorations (rats and ravens, spiders and skulls) with a twist—glittery black skulls, bejeweled skeleton hands and feet, and brightly colored “witch’s potion” bottles were mixed in with typical non-scary décor. I scored probably the best Halloween decoration I’ve ever owned…but I’ll wait to debut this whimsical ghoul a little closer to when the Great Pumpkin arrives (that’s Halloween, for all you non-Charlie Brown fans).

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{One of my favorite displays at Nell Hill's}

{My new and improved headboard}