Work In Progress

I would be remiss not to start this post with....

BOOMER SOONER!

Ah, yes- OU/TX weekend in the south. There's really nothing quite like it.

While the masses head south to Dallas for the game, I'm planning on having a quiet weekend at home in Tulsa. My 3-day weekend is off to a great start- drinks with friends Thursday night, coffee & a play date with my favorite kiddos this morning, a walk on the trail (and a really cute guy on a bike), and working on the house.

Today, I went window shopping at one of my favorite antique stores- River City Trading Post in Jenks.

I've decided I'm going back for this bench. It's just too cute not to have! It's a great size for my living room- and paired with the Tulsa skyline pillow I have my eye on at Dwelling Spaces- it will be the perfect addition to the house.

My guest room/office is a serious work-in-progress right now, but there's a definite gray theme going on. So of course, I adore the mirror on the right. I love the one on the left, too. But the gray one- love the shape, love the color. Have to have it.

And finally, this. I have an obsession with windows frames, door panels- odd pieces of a house that can be re-purposed into something cute. Every time I see one, I tell my sister- I know there's something there, something cute to make out of it. Well- this might be it. I love the black stenciling on the glass. Lindsay's Lounge, perhaps? Another great office addition.

The house is at an exciting milestone this month. My one-year anniversary is this week!  I can't believe I've lived here a year; what a fantastic, memorable year its been. This house already has so many memories- I feel like I've owned it for 30 years!

... even though the mortgage statements say I still have 29 years to go. :)

I'm planning a little anniversary happy hour in the coming weeks- and a big post with the most updated pictures of the house! Still a work in progress- I figure it may be that way for a while to come- but it's slowly taking shape and I wouldn't hurry the process along, even if I could (afford it!) It's a journey in finding my style, what constitutes "home", a little creativity (both DIY and financially) and a lot of fun.

Stay tuned in the coming weeks for more on my, as the local real estate shows call them, "Brookside Bungalow!"

Office Inspirations

Yep, here we go again... another Wednesday night post! What IS it about Wednesday that compels me to write a blog post?! Maybe it's a half-way-through-the-week kind of thing? There's no telling.

My post on Monday was all about my design "style" and my love of prints. And today... it's all things office related. (Well, and one thing alcohol related. Keep reading for that!)

I am currently revamping my office ever since I moved my cute Ikea cube cabinets from the office into the living room to serve as my TV stand.

It's a perfect fit for the living room.

But the bare wall, the scattered papers, the general disorder in my office? Not a perfect fit. It's time to make the ultimate investment: a desk.

Here's the one I have my eye on:

Adorable, huh? I have a perfect "L" shape in my guest room, and I love the way this West Elm desk curves perfectly into a little nook. Plus, I love the file drawers. I need those. Desperately.

Even Emily at Cupcakes and Cashmere has a cute desk from West Elm. If I didn't have so much... "stuff"... I would love the simplicity of this desk.

Jenn over at MadeByGirl is always featuring cute houses... and this office set-up is SO me. I love the cubes. Yeah, yeah, I have a thing for cubes.

Finally... let's get to the alcohol!

Emily at Cupcakes & Cashmere has this cute bar cart in her house. I know it's a little rustic (or rusted?)- I need something just a tad bit more refined- but it's definitely the sort of thing I want for my living room. With all of the company I have, it's nice to have a bottle of red and a couple of wine glasses within reaching distance. :)

So, there you go. Another Wednesday post for 'ya! I can't WAIT to post pictures of my house when it's "finished"!

(Homeowners... will I ever feel finished?!)

Reflections Of Me

Happy Monday, folks! I had a good, slow-paced, no drama, no tears, no stresses kind of day. Just the kind of Monday I needed. :)

I'm excited because I bought something new....

This adorable print by The Big Harumph. I absolutely love it.

If I had to come up with a mission statement for my home, this is what it would be:

To create a sanctuary that is cozy and eclectic with bohemian flair.

I used to tear pages from the Pottery Barn catalog and keep them as inspiration. I wanted a home with perfectly matched furniture. With well painted or papered walls and shelves that had just the right amount of knick-knacks. With kitchen tables adorned with my perfect party china. Picture perfect at all times.

But as I've started to decorate my own home... I'm realizing perfect isn't me. Matchy-matchy isn't my thing.

And instead... I want a home that's unique. That has character and charm and yes- a bit of bohemian flair.

I want people to walk inside my home and feel cozy and warm. To see what's important to me. I want them to read it on the walls, see it in pictures of family and travel. To see my love of God, of books, of writing. I can't think of a better way to express me than through prints.

Remember this print by MadeByGirl, hanging in my kitchen?

And this map of NYC in my bedroom? I love them both.

Here are two more prints by The Big Harumph I'm loving for my guest room/office....

And yes, my love of maps lives on... I love seeing how my home reflects "me" more and more every day.

What about your home truly reflects who you are?

House Tour: Master Bedroom

Happy Saturday! I've spent the day cooped up indoors. I'm dying to get outside before winter finally makes an appearance here in Oklahoma on Monday with teen temperatures and snow. But... aches and a particularly pesky cough is keeping me couch-bound. Boo.

So... what better time than to show off pictures of my priso- I mean, beautiful new house!

To be honest... I could spend all day every day in this house. I'm absolutely in love with it. If someone told me how wonderful being a homeowner is, I would have ditched the apartment years ago.

I know all of the creaks and noises. I kill bugs fearlessly. (Ha!)

And I spend waaaaay too much money at the flea market. Like, waaaay too much.

(Don't worry, dad! I'm being responsible with my finances! Sorta!)

As I complete various rooms of my house, I will post pictures. As of now... my bedroom and kitchen are "done." My biggest projects? My office/guest room and my living room.

I think I'll do a "before" and "after" of my office/guest room... starting tomorrow with my inspirations.

So without further ado, let's start in the master suite, shall we?

This is my room from the hallway. The walls are what I consider a light coffee color. My decor colors are purple and green... two of my favorites!

As you can see, I have a window directly behind my bed. At first I wasn't sure how I would like this but I love it. Especially since it's such a pretty, white-boxed window. The bedding is new from Target- and eventually I'll be buying some purple accent pillows/blankets for it, as well.

Off to the side, you can see this tree branch mural on the wall. I had (and still have) a slight obsession with birds and leaves and trees, so when I first toured this house and walked into the master bedroom and saw it- I knew this house was meant to be mine!

Here's a shot from the other side of the room. You can see the mural, my closet door (no tours of the closet today!) and then my small dresser.

My newest addition is this purple NYC map from Made By Girl. I've had my eye on it for months and I was quite happy to find it under the tree from Santa!

This is another Santa gift from Pier 1- a perfect dresser accessory.

And this darling little bird jewelry holder was a Christmas gift from Leah! Another great dresser item.

There are a few things I didn't show you from my bedroom- my desk, and my big dresser. I will show you those a bit later as I continue to spruce things up.

So, there you go! Room #1 of the house tour.

Since I'm constantly looking for new ideas and inspiration, I'd LOVE to see what your bedrooms look like! Write a post about it, then include a link in the comments section below.

If you're cooped up sick like me (and I think a lot of people are!) than this is the weekend perfect project!

DIY Projects

Happy Bachelor Monday! I'm currently vegged out on the couch watching poor Brad get grilled by the two girls he didn't pick when he was the bachelor for the first time years ago.

I'm slightly annoyed. They are both engaged, they have both clearly moved on... but they are so hard on him! And why do we hate Brad, again? Because he didn't propose to a girl only to break it off weeks later?

Ahem. Clearly I'm way too invested in reality TV. I'm rooting for you, Brad! And you are really hot!

Ok, moving on. Do it yourself projects! I love 'em. Lately, I've been in a major house-sprucing mood. Things are being hung on the walls, new furniture is being purchased.

One of my biggest house-do-it-yourself projects is going to be an "inspiration wall" in my office. I've seen them popping up more and more lately. Basically, a collection of prints, pictures, knick-knacks, frames, mirrors- whatever you like, really- that are grouped together on a wall. Things that, obviously, inspire you.

That's a little example posted by Ashley Ann- she did this inspiration wall in her daughter's nursery.



And I'm breaking a major rule of blogging with this picture- I have no idea who to credit it to. But it's another amazing inspiration wall. I especially love the "W" initial letter. I'm actually on the hunt for the perfect "L" for my wall.

Which brings me to a something I found today at my favorite local antique store....

LOVE it! This piece will really make a statement on the wall, and I of course love that it says Tulsa. One of my favorite inpirations. :)

The office/guest room already has a lot of red and black... and I'm thinking of adding turquoise to the mix for that extra "pop."

Which, obviously, will perfectly compliment this white and teal vintage Oklahoma map I want- no, need- from Etsy.

Another DIY project? This darling calendar/journal, also inspired by Ashley Ann via Design Sponge.

I worked long and hard this weekend on my own version, and it turned out cute!




I may need to trim the postcards down a bit more to look more like hers- but I hate cutting them. I found them at that antique store that I need to stay far, far away from. Most of them were written on and mailed, and some date back to the early 1900's!

One postcard was actually mailed right here in Oklahoma to a soldier named Roe Austin. I googled him and found out he's buried in Noble, Oklahoma. His name is on a memorial, and I have a postcard addressed to him, right here in my little old house.

Small, small world.

Anyway- share links with me! What DIY are you working on?

Feeling Gray

As I start to plan colors and themes for each room in the new house, there's one color I just adore....

gray!

Purple has always been one of my favorite colors, and I just think purple and gray look so pretty together.

Eventually, I'd love to get a new couch. This gray couch would look awesome with a couple of purple pillows.

Obviously, since I love all things bird-related and have a couple of bird cages... I adore this branch side table.

I love these gray-striped sheets. And how cute would they look with a solid purple duvet cover in my bedroom?


... and, yes it's not gray, but I adore this little bar cart for my backyard.

I found all of this over at West Elm.

What colors are you falling for this time of year?

Home: Going Global

I hope everyone is having a fantastic weekend!

After a little karaoke last night (no singing for me, just judging my co-workers!) I am having a laid back Saturday

I checked out The Vintage Pearl's new Tulsa store. If you live nearby, you should definitely go browsing! If not, click the link to see their adorable website full of goodies.

I also did a little vintage/antique shopping and found some CUTE finds for an upcoming baby shower. Check back tomorrow for more details!

But today...

I'm going global.

I love traveling and I find myself drawn to travel "memorabilia"- from postcards and posters to maps and pictures.

And, in my new house- I'm thinking my guest room/office may have a travel "theme" to it.

Some of my favorite Spain pictures are currently in my apartment living room. I visited seven cities and picked one picture from each city to blow up in black and white and frame.

Technically, there are 8 pictures hanging. Granada, oh wonderful Granada, got two.

The other three picutres not shown are in my dining area, and I'm thinking about putting all 8 in the office.

I also love this map print of NYC found at Made By Girl. It's a little edgy, which I like.

I also love the idea of putting a few globes in there. This adorable desk set-up is brought to you by Cupcakes and Cashmere.


And Ashley Ann Photography has a few globes in her kitchen.

I saw one today at the antique store, and I'm already regretting not buying it.

What is your office "theme" or style?

Home: Office Spaces

If there's one room I can't stop thinking about in my new house... 

it's the guest bedroom/office.

Things I want out of an office:

*aesthetically appealing

*comfortable

*inspiring

*affordable

Have you ever browsed around Apartment Therapy?  It's a great website full of all kinds of decorating ideas... especially for smaller spaces.

Here are a few Apartment Therapy office spaces I'm inspired by:

This, to me, is absolutely genius.  An office space created right there in a closet.  You know, that closet that's way too small for anything...

This is a little modern for my taste, and not exactly "inspiring"... but Type-A Lindsay loves it because it's so practical and organized.

This is just adorable.  A little corner nook desk. I like the use of the wall to hang folders and files.  And, who isn't inspired by a window view?

This is pretty plain jane.  But there's something very chic about it, too.  I love the clear chair and the fact that since this desk is so small... you have to stay organized.

Any ideas for small office spaces?  Where do you go to look for inspiration?