Home Improvements

Maintaining a blog is a lot harder than I expected!  This last week was pretty busy with the kick off of boot camp and a week of national training, so in the evenings I came home and stayed away from the computer.  The weekend was great, it included a trip to my parents home in Burleson, and today we finished hanging up wall decor that has been sitting around the house for weeks.  I attached some pictures below:

Entry Way (First Level)

After walking by our neighboring townhomes I noticed a few with decorated entry ways and loved the look from outside at night.  We have a glass front door, so it is easy to see in when passing.  Adding the lamps and console table helped to give the entry way a warmer feel at night when walking into the house.  Even better we set the lamps on a timer so now when I come home to a dark house (which is very normal during the work week) I don't walk into a dark entry.  Additionally we decided to hang the mirrors vertically to lengthen the wall.  I am pretty happy with the way the look and feel turned out on the first level.  Our townhome has a modern build out, so it is a challenge mixing traditional into modern.

Stairwell Wall (First Level)

Right around from the corner of the entry way is the base of the stairwell to the second level.  For Christmas Stephanie (Matt's Mom) gave me these cute coat/key/purse hangers from Pier One.  We decided to hang them on the wall downstairs by the base of the stairs to add a little color and provide a good location for coats, which will be awhile considering we are entering Spring in Texas.  I am debating adding something above them such as a small picture or floating shelf to help build out the wall.  The ceiling is pretty tall given that it is the stairwell.

Living Room (Second Level)

Finally we have a picture on the wall in the living room!  It looks small, however it is one of the largest ones I could find.  The ceilings and walls are so large on the second floor because of the "loft" concept that it makes it difficult to build them out with pictures.  The art is a softer modern feel, and what I loved about it is grey tones are incorporated into it.  I plan to find some grey accent pillows to add to the couches and replace the red/orange/yellow toned pillows.  Additionally pictured above is my favorite find from shopping a few weeks ago.  I have seen a lot of mercury glass in catalogues, however the prices have been a little steep.  I found this candle holder at Garden Ridge for $9.99 and absolutely love it.  The glow it emits with a tealight is so pretty!

Stairwell Wall (Second Level)

Lastly is a picture we hung at the bottom of the second story stairwell to break up the wall.  Stephanie took a picture Matt had taken in London a few years ago, had it made into a customized picture, and framed it as a Christmas gift.  I like it because you can kind of see it from the second floor, and it decorates the plain stairwell.

The last two rooms in the house are the upstairs bedroom/bath -- after some painting and textile buying they will be complete!  Also we are going to start buying flowers/plants to decorate the second story balcony and roof top.  Summer time is just around the corner so we have to get the rooftop patio ready.  We are ready for summer nights on the roof with a good cold beverage in hand...

Blogging Virgin

Welcome to my blog!  I never thought I would be a "blogger" and assumed it would be something I picked up later in life when I had a baby and wanted to share pictures and moments with friends and family (which there is nothing wrong with, I love living vicariously through my friends with kids).  Recently though I have noticed many girls are blogging about great shopping finds, crafts they have made, events, etc. I have really enjoyed reading these and decided I would give blogging a chance.  Additionally I figured this is a great way for me to communicate with my family (especially you Mom) about what I am up to.  I promise to try to post interesting things and not my daily rants running through my head.  I want to be the blog you read that makes you laugh or inspires you with something.  My only request is you don't take anything I say as "offensive" or judge me. If one chooses to read someones blog you are electing to enter their territory.

So this past weekend was fabulous - it included having my hair highlighted, shopping, a family dinner, going out for a few drinks, and a hockey game.  I could write a lot about each activity but won't bore you with the details.  The reason this weekend was even better is I got to spend more time with my boyfriend Matt (who I promised I wouldn't mention much on my blog, so yes I do have a boyfriend, but you won't really hear anything about him).  He is at the peak of Audit busy season, therefore most weekends he is at the office working and we don't go out.


My favorite purchase from the weekend:

I have become obsessed with Tory Burch flats.  I bought my first pair last July, and after this week I finally had to retire them.  After a blowout on each shoe their life was over.  The leopard is slightly out there for me, but I love them because they will match anything.  I am the typical Auditor who wears a lot of black/grey (and a few pieces of light pink), but bought these to make my outfits a little more fun.  I have realized it is worth splurging a little on shoes, especially on those days I throw my hair up in a pony and feel dressed down at work.  A pair of nice shoes makes you feel slightly better.

Well that is it for tonight, I need to clean the house and my shoes.  I have been sitting here smelling something foul, and realized I stepped in a treat left by a dog in the park while I was running.  At least the day went great overall for a Monday!