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Reminder...

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I needed this reminder yesterday, so very badly. 
I thought some of you might, too.

Today I vow to treat myself by giving myself a pretty manicure,
curling my hair and dressing up even with no place to go.
Sometimes that's all it takes. 

Have a beautiful Sunday, friends! xo

Pink Truffle

I'm normally not really into pink, black + white combinations (I feel like I've said this before?!) but this poofy little number is kind of a new favorite. I snagged this dress during ModCloth's Cabin Fever Sale a few weeks ago for literally pennies on the dollar. I was so excited to open it up and see the petticoat and lining underneath were briiiight yellow! I should've photographed it! The cardigan is one from Forever 21 a few weeks ago and the bag, too. The bag is seriously the most perfect size for me. I can fit practically everything in it! Plus, black + studs = awesome. The black velvet shoes are Jeffrey Campbell, and they match the blue ones I wore here! I really want to get my hands on the wine colored pair again! But only if I can get them for $30 like I did these.

Nothing too exciting has happened in my world lately. Mike and I built a coffee table on Thursday night. It was rainy and gross outside but we headed to Home Depot anyway. We took an old reclaimed window we snagged at the flea market and decided to get crafty with it. We put the legs on it yesterday and painted it, too. Today we just need to touch up the paint in a few places and she'll be ready to use! You can see what it looked like before the paint here. We're thinking about scouring for a smaller window to make a taller side table, too. If we do that then I'll definitely photograph the process for a DIY. It's so painfully easy! I'm slowly but surely winning the "shabby chic vs. modern" war in our house! Just don't tell him I said that!

What are y'all up to this weekend?!

Forever 21 cardigan (also available at ModCloth)
Target belt via Goodwill
Forever 21 bag


Going With Your Gut...

I mentioned a few times this week on the blog that we were playing the waiting game, waiting to hear back about the little tan cottage from a few posts ago. That raised some questions with some as they wondered what happened with the green bungalow that we applied for + got. By now I forget what day all of this happened, but we found out from our neighbor (whose friends lived in the green bungalow until just recently) that they moved out because a neighbor had broken into the house while they were out of town. She went on to tell us that the house directly across the street is a halfway house and while that's all fine and good, one of the tenants was the one who broke in through the back window. (Cue me to remember seeing all of the dirt and scratched on the window sill of that window, too!) I already had my reservations about East Nashville simply because it's still far from the best part of town. It's "hip and fun" but it's still on the upswing. Anyway, our neighbor put Mike in touch with the girl who just moved out and while she was a little less than friendly, the wheels started turning in our heads. And by our I mean mostly mine. We laid in bed and all of a sudden I started having these crazy thoughts of what if someone broke in while we were home, what if they had a gun (then a totally craaaaazy senario played out. I'll save you the details, even though it would be totally possible.). It got to the point to where I almost started having a panic attack. We were set to sign the lease the next day. I told Mike to call the landlord in the morning and reschedule while we talked it through. I was terrified that something might happen to the girls while we were out and about or gone for work. It just started to feel like more trouble than it was worth. Other little things popped up here and there that gave me the feeling that perhaps the bungalow wasn't the best choice for us. Had it been the same rental price as the cottage, I may have overlooked most of them, but it was a huge (!!!) house with little insulation and a hefty price tag. I didn't want to stress about gas bills, our security alarm going off or if that sketchy neighbor still lived there. Something in my gut told me to keep looking.

We scheduled another showing of the 1920's cottage on Wednesday and we realized how much we loved the inside. It's a lot smaller than the bungalow, and it doesn't have quite the curb appeal or fenced yard, but we liked it. We liked it a lot. So we applied, was approved, and signed the lease last night. We're going to build a chainlink fence in the backyard for the girls, and we're going to manicure the bejeezus out of the front. It's going to be our little pet project. We're giving up a ton of room, but we're getting a sense of peace. The cottage is less than a stones throw from the bungalow, so things can still happen. They can happen anywhere. But at least now I don't have this overwhelming feeling in my stomach that it's wrong. 

We took measurements and laid out the house in our heads. I'll have my own studio/office which will be so nice for my productivity. We'll also have an entire room for Honeybean/Hive + Honey. We're on the hunt for a washer and dryer to paint pink (yep!) and we've already started delving into the other projects around the house. We'll be moving in in just 2 weeks (!!!) so that should give us plenty of time to cart our Xterra back and forth filled to the brim with boxes before saying so long to the loft. I'm really looking forward to it.

If anything, this experience has simply taught me that sometimes it really is best to just go with your gut instinct. We fell in love with the bungalow's charm but the inside left a bit to be desired. The cottage is cute on the outside, but the inside is beyond adorable. So many people pointed out that we should go with the house that's nicest on the inside as that's the part that'll be our home. Never thought I'd actually look forward to having walls and no brick in my house! We'll miss this little loft so much, but we're ready to move into a family home!

And finally I'll leave you with this picture (because it's the only one I have!)... It's the closet (!!!) in my office! It's ten feet wide! A whole 2 feet wider than my current wardrobe bar! The shoe shelves will fill the walls, but can I just tell you how excited I am to have French doors to my closet?! I'll miss my hanging wardrobe that we built, no doubt, but this is the perfect mix of function and style! Eep! Alrighty, emails are calling! Happy Friday! xo

Things I Love Thursday



these piranha plant wine glasses... what! ♥
♥ this amazing hair dryer! ♥
this fantastic quote + illustration ♥

these rollerskates (holy- you can buy them in pink/leopard, zebra, purple, etc!) ♥

this cute drawing ♥
these crafty hot dog sugar cookies! ♥
♥ these gloves. ♥
this incredibly inspiring workspace ♥
♥ these unicorn cookies... c'mon! ♥
♥ this amazing dreamy-worthy ombre cake... ah! birthday cake plz?! ♥

Other Awesome Things:
♥ // Valentine's Day is my favorite holiday (I know, I know) but I'm trying really hard not to turn our entire loft into this... Fighting the urge, y'all!

♥ // Speaking of fighting the urge... I'm suppressing my need to sand and paint absolutely every piece of furniture we own after seeing this awesome makeover. We did some major work to 2 dressers and a side table in summer '10 and I think we're still recuperating! (But man alive it looks gorgeous!)

♥ // Since we're moving in the next 2-2.5 weeks (hopefully!), I've been glued to Pinterest in my down time and I can't help but find a million and seven things I want to do. We're going to try and procure a cheapo stackable washer + dryer for the new house for the time being and I kind of want to give this a go. The dials are really shoddy, but it could be so cool! $10 appliance makeover?! Nice!

♥ // Penny over at Poorly Drawn Things just released new silk screened pouches in her shop! Proooobbbbably worth checking out. Just sayin'.

♥ // This DIY postcard calendar journal on Design*Sponge has got me wanting to make something soon! It's such a fun and minimalist approach to journaling. It'd be fun to look back and see what I was doing (in a jiffy) several years ago. 

♥ // I'm going crazy with wood pallet DIYs and I'm already dreaming up a headboard, bed platform, coffee table and maybe even this if I'm feeling reallll crazy. We want a raised bed garden in the backyard but this could be rad for some herbs maybe?

♥ // Things I'd really like to add to my closet: these (SWOON!), these (!!!, and in black... and maybe aztec). And even though I never wear watches, I'd totally give in for this black + gold lion watch or the white + gold skull watch from Betsey Johnson. Srsly... I'll take both.

♥ // I'm totally loving the prospect of moving into an actual house in a couple of weeks and I'm hoping today brings us good news about the little cottage. Cross your fingers! I promise to delve more into our decision later if we're able to rent it! (but I'm totally not loving the waiting part!)

What are you loving this week?

Like Day... and Night

This outfit post contains two "versions"... one meant more for day time wear and the other for a night out on the town... if that's your idea of a good time. (Spoiler alert: They're actually the exact same outfit with a different coverup... Whoops!) Enjoy! xo
For the day...
I picked up this pretty lace + tulle dress at Pangea one day in Hillsboro Village because I seriously couldn't pass it up. (It's by Moon Collection, if you're wondering!) It reminded me of a childlike faerie dress or something. Like everything else white/off white I own, I may have put a hole or two in the skirt upon it's first wearing. Still, tulle is one of those materials where a rip here and there is easy to hide. I knew I wanted to pair it with my new Senso Diffusion shoes as soon as they came in the mail! I kept it casual with a cotton ruffle cardigan (one of my trusty favorites) and an off white zipper-embellished clutch. I never would've carried a clutch in the past.. I'm one of those girls who needs a purse that would break someone's back! I've been really digging how lightweight and minimalist a clutch can be! 

For the night...
I have to admit the "night" version is definitely my favorite. I felt so classy wearing this! I wore this version yesterday to meet with the landlord on the green Victorian bungalow! It's not all that often I dress in really classic pieces like a blazer. The boyfriend cuffs on this one is my favorite though! The peeking pinstripes are so fun. I opted for a black leather + gold stud fold-over clutch with this ensemble. I'd feel confident wearing this out to dinner + drinks with some girlfriends on a weekday evening... not that that ever happens haha! I'm more of a mid-day coffee shop type of gal, but still! The nipped waist of the buttoned blazer helps show that I actually do have a waist. That's one flaw with full tulle skirts... they definitely balloon out! I have so many black + silver studded belts but none with gold... that's officially going to the top of my "must have" list! Maybe Goodwill will turn up something awesome soon! (Please ignore my awkward lapel! I didn't realize it was acting up until the very end!)

Moon Collection dress via Pangea Nashville
Target cardigan
Assets by Spanx tights via Target (favorite tights EVER!)
Senso Diffusion ankle boots (similar)
Urban Expressions ivory zipper clutch 
Charlotte Russe boyfriend blazer (similar)
Akira leather studded clutch (similar)

What would you wear these shoes with? (Srsly... I need some inspiration!)