A New Season

Happy April, friends!

There is something so hopeful, so fresh about the start of a new month and a new season. The start of the change from winter to spring feels like a breath of fresh air. On this first day of April, I am thankful for both the new season, and for the new opportunities it brings along with it.

Pausing to reflect back, I am so grateful for moments shared and memories made, both big and small. My goal for this new season is to create more white space in my daily schedule so I can enjoy these moments more fully. I see this including more walks with the pups, more cooking with my husband, more connecting with friends and family; less distraction, fewer time restraints.

Here are a few of my favorite March moments, all captured on my iphone:

Matthew and Rachel's beautiful wedding

...and dancing to awesome 90's music with friends :)

enjoying our local farmer's market

delicious!

meeting sweet baby Haven 

still can't get over how tiny she is!

finding the perfect mirrored chest for the living room

having my toes in the atlantic ocean for the first time this year

taking my neice to the st. patrick's day parade

...and forgetting to wear green...oops!

first spring time walk with my pups 

I love his smile after a good walk!

 

taking our cousin on his first tour of UNC-Chapel Hill

...and reminiscing about our time as students :)

dinner and dessert with my oldest friends

...love Dewey's!

celebrating a wonderful friend before her upcoming move

...and feeling like we're on the Bachelor with our red roses ;)

 quality time with my BFF

learning  to rely on His strength when mine fails

throwing a very special baby shower with two dear friends

birthday celebrations

...including a live choir serenade!

special time with my mom and niece 

late night Cheesecake Factory date with my love 

Happy April 1st, friends. Let's make this a month to remember :)

Dining Room Lighting Options

When we moved into our home three years ago, I immediately knew I wanted to replace the builder-grade light in the dining room. It works fine, it just isn't my cup of tea! ;) We spend a good amount of time around the dining room table and I'd love a fixture that better fits with the feel of the room. In addition to eating meals, this room also sees its fair share of late night law studies, fierce board game matches, craft projects, and is the center of lots of fun get togethers!

Here is the dining room in its current state:

Over the past few months, I've been on the hunt for a option that is both budget friendly and one that I am confident will stand the test of time. Since the light is in a prominent place, I definitely want to get it right! One thing I have noticed is that budget-friendly lighting is hard to find. I've narrowed down our choices and hope y’all might be able to shed some *light* on the situation! ;)

Here are a few inspiration photos I keep coming back to:

source: New England Home

source: Pinterest

source: A Thoughtful Place Blog

source: Dear Lillie

source: Pinterest 

Using these rooms as inspiration, I have narrowed down the list to a few options: 

Option A: Nataline Chandelier by Restoration Hardware

Option B: Mia Crystal Pendant by Pottery Barn

 Option C: Circlet Lantern by Shades of Light

 Option D: Je T'aime Chandelier by Shades of Light

Option E: French Empire Chandelier by Restoration Hardware

The favorite contender that I keep going back to is the Nataline Chandelier. I think it's classic and timeless yet I love the vintage inspired look. I also think it could fit in with different decor which is a plus! 

Any favorite lighting resources that you think I should check out? Would love to hear your thoughts!

White & Gold Mail Center

In the age of going paperless, we still get a lot of mail at our house. When we moved into our home a few years ago, I placed a simple white tray on the kitchen bar to collect all the mail, but everything  tended to just piled up. We needed a better system to keep organized. We usually enter the house from the garage, which leads straight into the kitchen. There is a small little nook off the garage entry which I thought would be perfect for a mail center. Here is the nook after it got all dressed up and organized!

I am thrilled with how this little nook turned out. I also love how it helps to maximize every inch of space in our house! We've been using the organization system for a few months now, and it has helped to keep all the mail and loose papers simplified and organized.

I found the Nate Burkus file folders on clearance at Target. I think the gold adds a little touch of glam :)

Eddie added a second wooden shelf to give more storage space. After sanding and painting, he installed the shelves using strips of shoe molding underneath.

The white box from HomeGoods holds magazines waiting to be thumbed through. The black and white pad is for our grocery list and was found at the dollar section at Target. Every good grocery list needs some form of chocolate, right? ;)

My favorite part of the little mail nook is the framed print by Emily Ley. I love having these beautiful words serve as a daily reminder to try to choose a standard of grace in place of perfection (sometimes hard for this type A girl!)

So that's our little mail nook! Now we just have to stay with the system and keep organized :)

Sources: 

paint: behr ashes

wall filing system, mail divider, key ring: the container store

pens, pad, journal, folders: target

white box: homegoods

print: emily ley

frame: hobby lobby (a couple of years ago)

Turning Photos into Watercolor Prints!

Everyone loves to use photos to decorate their home, myself included. Last week when I found out about the new waterlogue app that transforms your photos into watercolor prints, I had to give it a try.  Want to know what is even more fun than actually painting? Letting an app do it for you! ;)

If you hang out on Instagram, I shared a photo of the Old Well at UNC-Chapel Hill that was the first photo I changed using the app. I am amazed at how pretty and realistic the results are! The app sketches the photo, applies a filter, and then "paints" it into a charming rendition that looks both authentic and unique.

The app allows you to save the watercolor image as a high quality image, and I was curious to see how they looked printed. I used white cardstock to print them since I had it on hand. I converted two of our favorite travel photos, printed at home, and popped them into my favorite Z Gallerie frames. I love how well they turned out...instant art! :)

How unique this would be as a housewarming, birthday, thank you gift...the possibilities are endless! Here are a few other prints that I think turned out well:
 

If you want a little DIY artwork for your home, check out the waterlogue app (sells for $2.99). I would love to hear your thoughts if you've tried it!