You Might be Wondering where I've been...

No I haven't quit the blog... but I have been on a break... it's not you... it's me...

No really.

This happened...

WOOOOOOOOOOOOO HOOOOOOOOOO!!  We're engaged!!!!

It's been SO exciting, and SOOO fun, and we literally could not be happier.  Kris has already taken to calling me wifey which makes me laugh every time, and I've been trying to remember to introduce him to people as my FIANCE (so fancy) -  not my "boyfriend".

A gratuitous ring shot for you guys...

While the excitement around being newly engaged is reason in itself for me to be taking a little break from the blog world... this is also happening...

No... not a baby - despite what the box says - our apartment has become a little storage facility, filling up slowly with boxes on top of boxes.

We're moving.

Soon

I'm a stressed out little bunny.

With every box that gets packed, I look around and feel like I've hardly made a dent.  I mean, seriously??  How did we get SO MUCH stuff?!

To add to the excitement of the engagement, and the craziness surrounding our impending move, I also had to head to this hideous place for work last week...

The weather was terrible too.  85 and sunny - how can people in LA live like that?!

No but really, it was pretty incredible, I'm not going to lie - this was the view from my hotel room. You have permission to be jealous for a minute.

So to recap my travel schedule for you this month, it's SF >> LA >> SF >> NY >> SF.  Yep, next week I'll be here....

Freezing my patootie off most likely, but for New York I'll make an exception...

So in between celebrating, packing, traveling, and of course coming to grips with the fact that in less than a month, my best friend moves to Chicago, I've been trying to do as much actual living (and not blogging) as possible, with as many afternoons as possible spent like this...

I'll be back after the move - I promise.

But until then, one more shameless hand-selfie that I can't seem to stop snapping.  It's bad.

I'll be back soon my dears... with more projects and more inspiration soon.

xoxo

2013 in Review

Happy New Years Eve my friends!!

I know I've been completely absent for the past few weeks, but I have to say... it felt GOOD to completely check out like that.  It's been all about enjoying family, friends, and recovering from the worst cold/flu that is still lingering after almost three full weeks.

While this blog is a little pet project of mine, my favorite thing about it (aside from seeing it grow, and making all sorts of fun blog friends) is the self reflection.  The ability to document our life, and look back at the end of each year.  Without getting all ooey-gooey, I wanted to look back at some of the most popular posts from 2013...

My DIY Roman Shade is at the top of that list... not just for this year but for all time on my little blog.  I still get emails and comments from readers about how I sewed on the loops, or what brackets I used to mount.  I'm happy to say that this little roman shade is still going strong in our hallway, and it's still one of the projects I'm most proud of.

A close runner up was the Dresser turned TV Stand.  And I mean... I can't be surprised!! Who DOESN'T love a good Ikea hack??

We love everything about this dresser - it's super functional, hiding a TON of stuff that hoarders like me can't part with, it has cute little lion heads for the pulls, and the ultra-marine blue paint is so rich and pretty.

Oh yeah... and we can see our TV when we're laying in bed now.  LOVE!

You guys also loved The X-bench Makeover... possibly the easiest and most satisfying DIY I worked on this year because it took me maybe an hour to complete.  There is something to be said for instant gratification my friends!

The benches are super functional and have added additional seating to our living room; they are super solid, and have been holding up well, and I am still absolutely loving the grey chevron fabric I went with.

I'd say that's a win!

If the x-benches were the easiest and least labor intensive DIY of 2013, my next project was just the opposite.  The post I get privately emailed about most often is the Upholstered Headboard with Nailhead Trim which took me and my parents a full weekend, and quite a few curse words to complete.

Regardless of the time it took, it was well worth it to me - it's perhaps my favorite project I've worked on to date.  I am so thrilled with how it turned out, and I think about it every day when we make the bed, or when we lean back against it to read or watch TV at night.

It's mainly laziness that keeps me from writing up the full DIY, but that's a goal I'll be carrying with me into 2014...

I SWEAR... it's coming!

And finally, my Cheap-o Wine Rack Makeover rounds out the list of most popular posts of 2013.

Things got real when I my best friend called me and said that my house showed up on Google as she was searching for a wine rack.

It got even more real when I was on Pinterest and saw my wine rack in our living room "pinned" from some random woman.

I was so excited I just had to screen shot it and send it to everyone I knew...

All in all it's been a really great year, but I'm ready to say goodbye to 2013.

It started out rough with Kris' accident, but got better as it went. It was hard watching my love be hurt and sick - lots of late nights, lots of hospital and ER visits, and lots of stress.  Thankfully he's well again, and the long nights are just memories now.

It was a year of new beginnings... starting a new job, getting out of my comfort zone, and working harder than I knew I could. Again, lots of late nights, travel, and stress... a few tears and weak moments when I feared I'd made the wrong decision, but I've come out stronger and happier than I thought I could be.

This year didn't have any big exciting moments - no huge vacations, or big life changes.  I was talking with girlfriends the other day about 2013, and I think we all agreed that it was a year of transition.  A year with heartache, and new - sometimes scary - beginnings.  My theory is that 2013 was the year to set up 2014... a year that is going to be filled with big changes, like learning to live with my best friend on the other side of the country, a year of making another house our home, and another year with the love of my life.

Sayonara 2013... I'm ready for 2014.

Cheers to a year of health and happiness.  Be safe tonight my loves
xoxo