Our Happy Place

A few months ago I posted this picture of Brad and me just putting the first few possessions in what would soon be our new home. We even had a picnic on our rug! We were SO excited.



Then, after the honeymoon, the real moving in began and our excitement grew... finding the perfect place for each little thing. Arranging and rearranging...



Brad did a brilliant job of making our itty bitty kitchen incredibly functional. He's a born organizer!



We worked hard, painting, sewing, hammering... the list goes on... but it was so worth it. Now that everything is pretty done and we have settled in - I can't even explain how much I love this place.



It is so warm and cozy and peaceful... I love decorating with Brad. I tend to be more antiquey/ vintage, with a peppering of tchotchkys and Brad is more modern and clean with very little around him that doesn't serve a specific purpose.



You would think that might be a difficult match to make but somehow I think it improves both of our styles! His clean lines mixed with my weathered pieces have really created a fun vibe...we balance each other out! I really love being in our little apartment.



We put sand from our honeymoon in that cut glass container on the steamer-trunk-turned-coffee-table that I bought a few years ago - it turned out really neat! And as a side-note, in a 500sf apartment, any piece of furniture that can also double as storage - is a winner.



Another tip for small-space living: use the space available to you, no matter how unconventional. Can you find our microwave in this picture??



I have become as dependent on fresh flowers in the apartment as I am on coffee... It's a problem. But Trader Joe's generally has some pretty good deals on their flowers. Six bucks every couple weeks is a small price to pay for the joy it brings, right?



I am soo in love with this pillow our friend Johnny made for us. So fantastic.



There's our little kitchen all put together. I even made a miniature curtain for the window! You can't see it very well but Brad and I brought home a coffee bag from Hawaii and mounted it on the wall - love it! It has pretty much set the tone for the rest of our kitchen. :)



Brad and I both love to cook. I took this picture of Brad after my first day at Anthropologie... when I came home he had made me Chicken Marsala and a latte! What a guy.



We love having people over! Scott and Heidi were our first dinner guests and we had SO much fun! I made my Mom's Honey Mustard Chicken and asparagus. Yum!



After dinner Brad put his skills to work and made a round of yummy drinks for our guests. I believe Scott is enjoying a Carmel Apple Cider here and Heidi has a Cinnamon Dolce Latte. So much fun.


Nothing makes a place your home like filling it with family and friends. Just because your home is small doesn't mean you can't have people over! This was the biggest crowd by far - Mom, Dad, Scott, Heidi and Kirstie - and it was great!! I might have underestimated how much food I would need but other than that... perfect!

I'll try to start doing shorter, more frequent blogs from now on. I love sharing with everyone! Life is good. :)