our little home

I have promised an apartment tour in our last two apartments, but have never felt like they were ever "done" to actually share. This apartment is actually no different - No more finished than its predecessors. But! A few of you have asked to see how we're making things work in our tiny city apartment, & I finally got around to taking pictures. I included some of the ways that we're stretching the space in this apartment to its full capacity. We've certainly learned (& are continuing to learn) a lot.

^^ This little landing pad has been a lifesaver. With such limited space, we've found it to be extremely helpful for things that we access daily to have a designated spot - Turns out, they have a much higher chance of being put away. I promise that Jared usually has a satchel here, too, & that there's a purpose for each of my bags displayed here ;) ^^

^^ We were determined to find storage for all of our kitchen needs without having to use the open space above the cabinets. With a lot of downsizing & a hallelujah that we bought this "occasional table" for our last kitchen, we have a beautifully organized kitchen space without anything being out in the open.

^^ After two unused years in our last apartment, Jared brought back the open shelving we used in our first kitchen, which seriously helped the fight to keep everything else behind closed cabinet doors. ^^

^^ Confession: I took some of these pictures back in October. That beautiful basil plant has since passed. But not without a final batch of pesto. ^^

^^ Sorry if it's weird to share a bathroom photo. I bought this shower curtain from Urban Outfitters over four years ago for way too much money, but seriously... It was so worth it. I have never once considered replacing it & it's brought a finesse to the "washroom" in each of our apartments. (similar) ^^

^^ Our current apartment has no linen closet or storage, so we used a mixture of three Ikea night stands (that we also used for storage in our Norfolk apartment's bathroom), a few pieces of pine from Lowe's & canvas bins from The Container Store to store everything from my makeup & hair items to towels & sheets. ^^

^^ Grateful for tall ceilings & linen curtains purchased with my college roommate back in 2008 ^^

^^ I can't even talk about how happy these string lights from La Case de Cousin Paul make me. It was a dream come true to visit their store in Montmartre during our trip to Paris in November. Jared hanging them in this corner & turning them on for the first time may have induced a little song & dance from me. ^^

^^ The color options are endless & I was completely overwhelmed when we walked into the store. After a near panic attack & about 30 minutes of pacing, I finally decided on these colors for our lights: white, cream, soft pink, sunshine yellow & olive green. ^^

^^ This rug was an impulse purchase while I was Christmas shopping in Georgetown in December. I wandered into American Holiday & stumbled upon it, discounted to an insanely low price. I had been pinning $$$ indigo rugs for months, so this guy was a super pleasant surprise. ^^

^^ Our tv stand is an Ikea dresser that we also use to store our extra bedding, DVDs, office supplies, air mattress & electronic boxes (Blu-ray player, cable box, etc.), so it shouldn't surprise you to know that inside this suitcase is unused polaroid film, my wacom tablet & miscellaneous cords. Sneaky storage is the way to go! ^^

^^ Again, an older picture, taken before I'd found our blessed rug. ^^

^^ Our decorative pieces have been relegated to open shelving in the family room, courtesy of our tall ceilings. These shelves are the same shelves seen in our 2012 Christmas video- Jared removed the majority of the small pieces & turned the shelves horizontal to get the most use out of something we already owned. ^^

^^ I inherited this patio furniture from a bakery I worked at in college, & gave it a fresh coat of mint green spray paint when I found out that our DC apartment had a balcony. We are certainly missing our fall mornings eating breakfast out there. ^^

^^ We wake up most mornings to the sounds of delivery trucks being unloaded & trash trucks reversing down the alley, but it's sort of calming - The sound of a city waking up; the beginning of the hustle & bustle. It's a good place to be. We're happy to call it home. ^^

it's christmas time in the city

Sharing our annual peek at Christmas in our little home because our Christmas cards are finally in the mail, & I'm free to move on with my life. I made our cards this year, rather than ordering them, & well... I'll just say that I'm really glad I have another 12 months before it's time to do that again.

We decided to take a more thrifty approach to our Christmas decor this year, & when I say we, I mean that I had to bottle my inner-Christmas elf while Jared talked me through it. & when I say a more thrifty approach, I mean that we didn't buy any new decorations & for the very first time in either of our lives, we didn't get a real Christmas tree. *GASP* It seems like the universe divides pretty evenly into real vs. artificial tree lovers, & we both fall on the real tree side of Christmas. I specifically remember when we first met & it dawned on me that I didn't know where this new beau stood on the Christmas tree spectrum. Spoiler: He answered correctly.

HOWEVER. We have this totally beautiful and completely evil flokati rug in our family room that makes me feel like we live in a magazine, & yet also makes me want to set it on fire. Last year was our first year with a tree & the flokati, & we are still picking pine needles out of the rug. EVIL, I tell you. So, when a white Christmas tree came our way this year (thanks, Amelia!), we both jumped at the opportunity. We totally miss the Christmas tree smell, but there's like garlands & candles for that.

So, we broke our real Christmas tree tradition, but! We're in our third year of the Christmas Movie Stack, which I think officially qualifies it as a tradition. The first week of December, we pull out all of the Christmas movie "must sees" that we own, shuffle them into a stack (although Elf & the Jim Carrey's Grinch are always the first two) & watch whatever movie is on top whenever we are both at home for a cold evening in. We don't own a few of our other favorites, like A Christmas Story, It's A Wonderful Life (Jared's favorite) & Home Alone... But our collection steadily grows every year. We're getting there. & before anyone questions what When Harry Met Sally is doing in this stack, know that I just simply adore this movie & it's New Years-Eve-y, so it stays.

It's day three of freezing temperatures & yet, rain instead of snow here in Norfolk. I'm currently avoiding Instagram because my heart can't take all the pictures people are posting of their snow. I WANT SNOW. WHY NOT ME. So enjoy it, friends. Send some snowy thoughts our direction!


p.s. See our Christmas' past!
2012
2011

valentine's eve

Little bits & pieces of the rest of Valentine's Day around our abode on this Valentine's Eve. Including, but not limited to: Leftover felt hearts from my front door project, Anna Rifle Bond goodies from Amelia & a wrapping paper heart to let the neighbors know that there is love in this apartment. I won't insult you with a DIY on that last one.

We're celebrating my two younger sisters' birthdays this week, so our Valentine's Day date is happening on Sunday. Guess what - The heart in the window ain't comin' down until then. Sorry/not sorry. 

I told myself I'd be in bed by 11:00 tonight & I'm already two minutes past that. DRAT. It's just so much cozier on this couch with my Jared. *happy sigh*

Have a happy day tomorrow, friends.

first home

someday: 

I won't be able to tell people to "look for the green apartments - that's where we live." we may have a door that opens to the hallway instead of the smell of cedar & spring. we may not live at a complex that plants sweet flora that sometimes begs to be plucked on the way in from the car. we may have neighbors that actually participate in my door decoration competition... & beat me. we may not have a balcony, or at least one that over looks a pond with trees & very noisy bullfrogs. I may actually think fondly of those ridiculous bullfrogs. we'll have a yard instead of a wooden patio to call our own. our tree may get so faded that we actually replace our first welcome mat with a new, less worn one. this little home will be a sweet memory.

feeling sentimental. don't mind me.

canon in d

a nearly-spring evening on the patio,

with white wine & windchimes tuned to canon in d.

these are surely the moments that we'll remember when we think back to our first apartment.

the first place we made a home.

[some photos taken on our slr with my dad's old minolta lenses - totally sweeeet!]

a tale of four succulents

the word succulent actually gives me goosebumps,

& not a watching-"angels in the outfield"-scene-when-everyone-starts-flapping-their-arms sorta goosebump.

it just sounds icky.

but I do love succulents, & don't let the two that I killed last year come back from the grave to tell you otherwise.

I actually love them so much that I start feeling bad when picking them out,

& I end up with an armful of succulents & teary eyes, looking at Jared

(who is shaking his head telling me no, we can't take them all home)

& saying, "but little petal blossom needs a home too, & I already put her in my arms,

so she thinks I love her! I CAN'T PUT HER BACK NOWWWW."

& that's how we ended up with four succulents.

& no potting soil. so they're sitting on a plate.

I wrote a lonnggggg post for today,

then the screen sorta flickered & it was gone.

so instead, you get a story about succulents,

& outtakes from our sunday best "shoot,"

which should reassure you that I'm not taking this whole style post thing toooooooo seriously.

there's basically three times as many pictures of me than there are of Jared.

shocking. I know.

xo, kelsey

just like grandmother

remember back when I told you that my parents & younger sisters were visiting my grandparents

& taking pictures of their absolutely incredible 1950-60's furniture?

well, I finally got the pictures from my sister.

& you know, it's all actually even better than I remember.

I mean, does my grandma have great taste or WHAT?

dying. I am dyyyyying to have these chairs in my house.

not pictured is a formica kitchen table, more kitchen chairs & who even knows what else.

every time I fall more & more in love with the oven,

my grandma issues warnings about it...

but I can't remember what they are,

which means I'm just seeing it with rose colored glasses.

& it's just sitting there in my grandparents' basement.

 waiting for us.

OHHHHH, it's just so beautiful.

xo, kelsey