#27

who knew that #27 of my "30 before 30" list would be checked off so soon this year?? :) i'm not going to share too many details, but let me tell you...i'm a happy girl right now! Here's a little blurb from my journal...
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January 19, 2011

I know I need to write this down while it is still so fresh in my head :) And while I’m so giddy/ happy/ excited!

I went on a first date tonight. I was nervous and excited, b/c I don’t go on dates. Ever. Well except for one last summer. But before that, it had been THREE years. Nervous b/c what if I say something dumb or awkward or I don’t know what to say. But really I had nothing to worry about. I was relaxed the entire time. I didn’t feel nervous talking to him and when it was silent, it was okay! It was SO good. He made me laugh and that was important to me. He also complimented me on my brown boots. Bonus points for him! He said they reminded him of pirate boots. Funny. And then at the end, he asked me out for next week. :)

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so to sum up life right now.
contentment.
joy.
BIG smile.

custom canvas for baby Connor

This past summer my newest nephew was born and my sister asked me to paint a canvas to match his bedding. I happily agreed to paint something for the newest love in my life :)

A detail shot of the canvas edge...I have to work on getting my edges a little cleaner :)

Here is the canvas with the bedding. I based the colors off one picture I had of the quilt. I was quite happy with how well I was able to match and coordinate the colors!

The light/bright green matched perfectly! I'd love to make some more animal canvases...might have to add to Connor's collection for his 1st birthday. The great thing is that they are gender neutral so my sister and her husband can use them for future children :)

dream house continued...bedrooms

So continuing on the long drawn-out series on my dream house :)

Tonight I bring you some inspiration for bedrooms. Velvet and Linen has stolen my heart with this bedroom featured on their blog.

I love the colors...not too bold, but not too plain. Just perfect for a master bedroom retreat. And it even has a sitting area, which I've also thought was a great idea for a master bedroom. A perfect place for morning coffee or a late night talk, in your own private space. And a few more views of the same room...

LOVE that lamp. The shape and color are a perfect compliment to the room. And doesn't that bed look so comfortable?

Moving on to a bedroom idea for an teen/ high schooler. Wish I had this room when I was in high school! Actually I'd still take this room for my own :)How awesome is the desk and built-in storage? The bright colors make it young and hip, but it also looks sophisticated and not over-the-top...perfect for a teen!

And now for the last bedroom inspiration picture...I love the idea of a built-in bed and actually my brother did this for my niece and it is a great idea!

This would be perfect for siblings sharing a room or even for having a sleepover with friends and great use of space with the desk in the middle.

Hope you've enjoyed seeing just a glimpse into the bedrooms that would inspire my dream house!

change of plans

Well apparently I'm not so good at this blogging thing because already I'm not keeping up with my "30 before 30" once a week blogging! I will admit the week after my birthday was thrown off with the death of my Grandpa, followed by graduating from college and then Christmas! It was a busy December for me!
Back to my grandpa...our family knew he was not doing well and so we waited...and waiting is the hardest part. He was suffering so much here on earth and was ready to meet God in heaven. Thankfully, he went peacefully in his sleep. As much as I'm thankful that he is in heaven...his presence here will be missed so much!! It was very hard to see him laying in the casket. Makes death a reality.

There is much to look forward to this year! Can't wait to see what God has planned for my life!

Here is a picture of the tulips my sister gave me for graduation. I took them home for Christmas so I could enjoy them longer :)

My "30 before 30" List

I had this idea in September to create a list of 30 things to do/ accomplish/ etc before I turn 30 years old. I decided to start on my 25th birthday in December so I will have 5 years to check off my list. When I was thinking about turning 25 and looking back at my life so far, all that I've done and realized how much more I want to do! There are things I want to accomplish in my life and what I want my life to be...some are out of my control, but a simple wish on my part. :) So here we go! I'm using this as a documentation of achieving items on my list...and my everyday life too. Hopefully I'm better at this blogging thing than when I tried this before :)


Here is my official 30 before 30 List!
1. Visit Maine, preferably in the fall
2. Go on a mission trip
3. Sell something that I have made- such as a painted canvas, homemade cards, etc
4. Visit Sarah in Denver and go hiking in the Rockies
5. Attend a concert, preferably country!
6. Read through the Bible 2x
7. Get married (this one is pretty much out of my control, but it still makes the list!)
8. Have a baby
9. Road trip to the Grand Canyon
10. Visit Harold and Arlene in Idaho
11. Stay at the Netten Campout the whole week
12. Travel to Honduras to visit Christa
13. Start a retirement plan
14. Mail a card one time a month, every month
15. Spend 2 weekends a year unplugged from internet, email, TV, and phone
16. Go camping in the Boundary Waters
17. Pay off loan from Mom and Dad
18. Finish scrapbooks of Rachel's wedding and Sara's wedding
19. Try a new recipe 6x each year
20. Tithe every month
21. Volunteer at a food bank or something similar
22. Devotional time 4x a week
23. Have a girls' weekend: at least 3 out of the 5 years
24. 30 days of no clothes shopping 3x a year
25. Blog once a week all 5 years
26. Go to a zoo
27. Go on at least 1 date a year
28. Travel to Canada
29. Re-finish/ re-do a piece of furniture
30. Buy a new car


I'm looking forward to crossing things off my list!! It's a good mix of easy things to accomplish and good goals to reach for myself.

getting into the swing of things

Well it's been awhile since I last posted! Life got really busy, and I didn't make time for blogging. I graduate in 3 weeks and couldn't be more excited!! I have a lot to finish for my portfolio book before then, but I'll get it done :) You would think that after 6+ years of college, I would be better at the procrastination thing...

A quick update, I moved out of my sister's house in September and into a condo with 2other girls. We get along great and I love living on my own! It has been fun decorating the place...especially now in the Christmas season. I'm not sure where life will take me after I graduate, but since my lease goes until next September I'm hoping for a job in the cities.

In a couple of days, it is my 25th birthday...I never thought I would be a person scared of my age, but I think I feel "behind on life" since most people my age have already been working for a couple years and I'm just graduating from college. I'm really excited for this next stage of life and where God will take me! Look forward to my "30 before 30" list coming later this week!

dream house continued...

Finals are done!!! Now I can breathe again for 3 wks before going back for the summer quarter!

Continuing on with my "dream house" ideas :) I'll show my favorite inspirational dining and living room spaces...I have quite a few! I just couldn't narrow them down :) All of them have a calming mix of creams, blues, and browns.

I love the idea of having a built-in bench for a kitchen nook eating area. The pendants are also what caught my eye.

Candice Olson is one of my favorite designers. Always adds a little sparkle to the spaces she designs! This would be great for a more formal eating area...lots of room for my big family! Plus, I love the built-in buffet and how it contrasts with the wood floor and blue paint on the wall. And the fireplace looks like you could make the space feel cozy and romantic :)

This living space was designed by John Willey. Love the blue sofas and the bold blue and brown drapes too! It's a good mix of clean lines and texture.

All of the beautiful light coming in from the large windows and french doors are what first attracted me to this living room. I also like the colors and the variety of chairs. (Found at House Beautiful.com)

Those textural old doors are what my eyes always travel to first! I also love the chandelier and rugged coffee and they are the perfect compliment to the clean lines of the sofa and neutral surroundings. (Designed by Kay Douglass)

The striped floors are what I like about this living room, plus the accents of blue :). And I've always wanted to have that star light fixture! I'm determined to have one in my house someday! (Designed by Ginger Barber)

I love the exposed beams, fireplace, and the bright pop of the turquoise chairs in this room! Turquoise is definitely my favorite color and I like all colors that are in its family too :) (From Country Living)

This living room just makes me swoon. Walls of windows, exposed beams, paneled ceiling, simple clean lines that give a sense of comfort...yep I love it! (Designed by Susan Tully)