be yourself..

'Everyone's unique, and that's what makes people exciting to watch, I think. So, just savor what you are and not what everyone else wants you to be' -Sandra Bullock

This made me smile.. feeling a little more confident today..

Why we love Rufus

Reason #256:

He's not usually a stick chasing type of dog, but if he sees another dog enjoying the activity, he'll either get in there and ruin the fun or find an even bigger stick to chew and show off.

Sunday was just one of those days.

He's such a Diva.

Taking a moment...

After a little pre-spring cleaning on the Mac tonight, I found these pics from a selfy session us ladies did during our trip to NYC last feb '09..

these make me smile..

Favorite part about our Keurig coffee maker?

How it makes the perfect cup…
everytime.

Bedroom Exposed: The Nook

We have a pretty huge master bedroom compared to most townhouses in our area. I believe the measurements are about 15x13 with a very large window and double doors to enter the room. Since we don't have a private bathroom ensuite, the floor plan made for a very generous walk in closet and a makeup/vanity area.. which my better half said 'added' value to the room...

Here's the thing... I HATED that vanity/mirror/makeup counter and lighting fixture combo with a passion. The counter height was so awkward and deep that it made the space pretty much unusable. This happens to be my least favorite spot in the room..

So here is a glimpse of what it looked like before we purchased the house.. I don't think the previous owners knew what to do with it either.. also note, the TV sitting on the vanity isn't plugged into the wall.. Kind of a space waster don't you think?

Don't mind the mess in this next picture.. we made a huge mess of the place when we first moved in, as you can see, but this is just shows you how deep the nook is..

After a couple years of junk piling up on the vanity I got a little 'makeover' happy and took my hammer to it. The counter and mirror are no longer there and holes in the wall have been shellacked over with plaster. The beige square on the wall gives you an idea where that mirror used to hang! Brilliant!

I also had to smear the plaster on pretty thick since the holes in the wall were pretty ginormous. I think part of the dry wall came apart when I knocked the counter down.. my bad!!



The next thing on the "To Go" list is the 'Hollywood' dressing room like vanity light fixture. We are planning on taking all three, yes three, similar lighting fixtures out of the house, but for now the others can stay. Quite simply put, this one has to go.


This is where things get a little tricky.. The plan for the nook was to make it a dressing area with a full floor to ceiling (or close to it) mirror, possibly like the Mongstad mirror from Ikea. But after taking a few measurements, we hit a snag. The mirror seems to be on the taller side and would overlap the existing lighting fixture by a couple inches.. If we wanted a sleek and balanced look, the lighting fixture would either have to be moved higher or completely removed from the wall. To be honest, I wasn't planning on having that as an additional expense. But if it's going to be done, may as well do it right the first time. Right kids?

Now the fun part will be to figure out if we want to purchase a similar lighting fixture to save a few $$$, or have the electrician move the junction box from the wall to the ceiling and have a gorgeous Capiz chandelier or Moravian hanging star to add a little sass..


Kind of like so..

Come to think about it, maybe having the electrician come in for a morning of work might be a blessing in disguise! We were eventually planning to install a ceiling fan in our bedroom and neither one of us is brave enough to do this ourselves. May as well hit 2 birds with one stone, right?

hmmm.. Lots to think about..

Bedroom inspired..

I was inspired by a couple finds on west elm this morning...

I think I've found our colors...

"Dos cervezas por favor.."

After spending 7 days in paradise, coming back to reality this morning was a little hard.. I really wasn't looking forward to trekking it into work in below zero temperatures.. after all, we had just spent a week in +30 degree weather!


After winning (oh yes, you heard me) a trip for 4 to Cuba last November, we finally got on a plane last week, waved our very cold friends goodbye and headed South for a week of sand and sea adventures. Since the resort is a little secluded from the world, we spent a lot of time lounging by the pool, took a catamaran day trip where we went snorkeling and got to play with dolphins, spent a couple days quarantined in our rooms due to some mysterious illness %50 of the resort contracted (minor details really.. no need to worry... all is well now!) and after that little set back we were as good as new and spent our last full day by the ocean..


Another thing we really enjoyed on the trip were the live shows.. couldn't get enough of the shows...



But one thing is for sure... as great and eventful as this trip was, it sure is nice to finally be at home in our own beds...

Putting the pieces together..

It feels like it's been a long time since we've had a completely clean house. Sure, it's clean when we're entertaining friends or when the pizza guy drops off an order.. don't get me wrong, it's clean.. just not organized clean. This is where we need some major mojo in the motivation department.

Every week, I read design blog after design blog and long for the perfect home makeovers. But the problem with dreaming is we don't have the attention span it takes to undergo a HUGE reno from start to finish. As sad as that is, it is the truth.

But what these design blogs have taught me, if anything, is that styling your home will always be a work in progress. I've finally decided that this year, I will put my nose to the ground and get at least 1 project finished before the end of the year.

The room with the most TLC needed right now is our Master Suite. Before Christmas, I started plastering walls and sanding down bits, but I got stuck at the colors stage. Couldn't figure out what I wanted to do with the space or what we could afford. I have ideas.. it's time to put them to action. First thing is first.. inspiration board to come..

365 days of Rufus

Starting Monday I will be posting daily pictures of my dog on our new blog baby, 365 days of Rufus .. He gets himself into a lot of trouble and I fear that my forgetful mind won't remember all the wonderful things we do with our pup on a daily basis.

This will be his Dog-ography if you will.

Will you be checking in?

"What did you do New Years Eve?"

My mom asked me this questions on the 1st of January 2010...
This was my reply...

The better half and I spent the day in Central Park..

Took goofy photos...

Stumbled upon a late night dance party..

Then at the stroke of midnight over looking fireworks at Strawberry fields in Central Park, the better half got down on one knee and asked me to marry him.

Not a bad way to start the new year, right?