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. :)
