{Bedroom Tour}

Our bedroom is tiny.

There is exactly 1.5 places that a queen sized bed can fit in there. As a result, in order to maximize as much functional space as humanly possible in our bedroom built for ants, I broke my one of my golden rules:

never ever cover a window with furniture.

Oh the shame.

Our headboard covers half of one of the windows in the room. This left me with an awkward layout of wall space behind the bed. I've been playing around with that awkward wall for the last few months. I finally decided that the best thing to do was to throw as many frames as i could on the wall in an attempt to distract from my shameful rule breaking.

I have always loved the eclectic mix and max frame look on a blank wall, and I must say that it turned out pretty dang good considering the awkwardness I started with.

I tried to put things that felt like chris on his side- a brown letter "C", a photo from a local surf photographer, an old map, a photo taken during our time in florence, etc. I did the same the for my side.

Viola.

{Thankful}

Today I am thankful

for this man.

I am aware that it is not a novel idea to be thankful for your husband. But today, I feel especially thankful for mine.

I am by no means the picture perfect wife. I'm moody, stubborn, opinionated, and my inherent need to be right makes me less then lovable at times.

It was an emotional Monday for me. I am thankful that I am married to a man who knows me inside and out, loves me despite that, and gracefully carries my burdens with me. He is a delight.

It also doesn't hurt that he is a total babe.

End mushy emotional post.

{Closet Make-Over}

I'm sure some of you have heard me talk about the serious lack of storage space in our tiny little beach shack. But for those of you who haven't heard...

We have ONE closet in our house.

Literally one.

I counted.

Try fitting all the crap that you want to hide away from the world in one closet! I can assure you it is not an easy task. Especially for someone like me who hates all forms of clutter and knick-knacks sitting around the house.

Oh how i love good clean design.

This week I decided to take on a little closet make over project.

Step 1: I took off the cute but extremely non-functional slated double doors that used to hide my heaping mess from the eyes of others.

Step 2: I purged... Purses. Shoes. Old photos. Wedding cards. Clothes. See ya later.

Step 3: I picked up these white canvas curtains from World Market.

http://www.worldmarket.com/product/index.jsp?productId=3596617

Step 4: I spray painted 12 inch grey stripes on to the curtains.

Step 5: I enjoyed a clean closet with a new look.

{The past 6 months }

A lot of things have happened over the past 6 months...

1. I've re-arranged my house about 57 times (per usual).

2. I've crafted/sewn/assembled 3,005 different design projects, swearing to Chris that I will sell them all and make us instant millionaires (only to have given away every last project to a friend for free just before moving on to my next imaginary money maker).

3. I went dairy and gluten free (my stomach loves me for it).

4. I out ran a hurricane.

5. I bought a new (used) car.

but most importantly....

I got bangs.

{things my husband would want}

I have a fantastic loving husband, and his birthday happens to be this Sunday (Feb. 20). So, this week I've been shopping around town for a B-day gift for C. Dull- one that is as cool as he is. While pa-rousing, I couldn't help but appreciate what a fashion forward, style savvy guy I've got. I'm think I'm going to take the majority of the credit for this quality in him, and I believe it's safe to say that I've influenced his taste for the better. Yes, i think that's fair. Nevertheless, my husband is a trendy (and also very manly)dude, and i dig it. Here are some manly style items that make me think of Chris.

1. Apolis + Matteo linen scarf

2. SeaVees bamboo mocs

3. JoeMo stainless steel travel mug

4. Ray Ban aviator sunglasses

5. Filson briefcase

6. Expensive espresso machine (insert brand)

{words of wisdom}

True that.

found via simple blueprint.

{Quinoa}

I'm on a major quinoa kick right now. I LOVE it. I eat it nearly everyday. Quinoa a.k.a mana from heaven is a grain-like crop from South America. The Incas used to call it the 'mother of all grains'. The cool thing about Quinoa is that it's jam-packed with protein, unlike wheat or rice. What's even better is that Quinoa is a complete protein, it's gluten-free, and it's a great source of fiber. Alright, I promise I'm done geeking out on grain. I'll admit, I did just spent far too long caught up in a wikipedia adventure on ancient grain-like crops. Weird.

Anyways, ever since my friend Anna and I did the Clean Program (we ate lots 'o quinoa) my love for this ancient little grain has flourished. So you can only image the utterly pure geeky joy that came over me when i found a treasure trove of quinoa recipes today on whole living.

{Here they are }

Quinoa Muffins

Quinoa Pudding

Greek-Style Quinoa Burgers

Quinoa and Apple Salad with Curry Dressing

Quinoa-and- Turkey Patties in Pita with Tahini Sauce

Quinoa Spinach Bake

Quinoa-and-Corn Salad with Pumkin Seeds

Quinoa Salad With Toasted Almonds

Warm Quinoa, Spinach, and Shiitake Salad

Hello Deliciousness.

{S+R Photography}

My sister Sarah and her husband Ryan have started their very own photography company S+R Photography. They're doing pretty stinking well if you ask me. If you have an upcoming wedding, need a family photo, or just want some awesome pictures of your cute baby... then call em up, or visit their awesome little site.

Oh hey it's us...

{Valentine's Day Cards That Won't Make You Cringe}

I'll be the first to say that Valentine's Day can be a real cheese fest, but I promise these cards won't make you cringe. No sappy store bought love poems here. They're cute and simple with a cleaver twist.

I'm such a sucker for letter press... especially the ones over at Hellolucky. The other non pressed cards can be found at minted and tinyprints.

{Cheap and Chic}

Lately I've felt the need to add a sassy new accessory to my jewelry repertoire. So the answer is yes, I went to F21.... I said sassy not spency.

Here's what I bought

At $5.80 this baby hit my craving. It makes me think a of this fashionista girl.

{Face the Vase}

Chris went on a business trip to Pasadena last week and before he left he bought me an awesome bouquet of flowers. Which is super thoughtful and sweet, I know. What's not super sweet is that he left me with mountains of laundry and an overwhelmingly messy house to miss him in. The flowers were a peace offering, which I gladly accepted. This may not seem like a big deal to most, but in this egalitarian marriage- SHARING IS CARING... and that includes household chores. Anyways, those flowers got me thinking about VASES and how I’d really like to welcome more into my life.

Here are some I'd like to meet