post no. 193 -- What Inspires Me Wednesdays

Housewarming Party

Lately I've been thinking a lot about post move. ie... Housewarming Party! I've been toying around with Pinterest lately (my new best friend) compiling food, decor, and other fun images related to little housewarming party ideas. 

I'm thinking it would be a fun idea to put together a party around paint samples, floor plans, everything that comes to mind when you think new home. In the meantime I have a lot of packing to do to get ready to warm up the house. Back to work!

post no. 192 -- Sell Out

Over the last couple of days we've been selling off our belongings like mad men. Having to come up with a security deposit, first month's rent, and money to take care of professionally cleaning and painting our current place, have really left us in a bind. Fortunately we have stuff that other people want! Since Sunday we have sold about everything except our couch and my found chair, oh and the dining table that I'll be converting into an awesome kitchen island. So far it's been a success, we have a long way til moving day, but I know it'll be worth it as soon and we spend that first night in the apartment.

On top of selling all of our home goods we are also in attempts to weed through our closets to minimize the cramped quarters. I have decided to list some of my clothing for sale via Goodsie or eBay or something, as well as some home decorations. I need to get down and dirty and sort through it all in the mean time but that's what the "wardrobe" tab on the top panel of my navigation has meant to be dedicated to for quite some time.

On that happy note, I need to get back to work. Hope you all are having a fantastic Tuesday!

post no. 191 -- Moving Prep

So in honor of our upcoming move, I have decided to put together a little post on moving attire. So many times when doing housework or grungy activities I find myself dressing like a bum, but that doesn't have to be the case. Below are a few little ideas for outfits as you make your way through the stages of a move. Hope they're helpful! 

Day 1: Painting, painting, painting. Oh and painting. On the first several days of your move (which for style purposes I have condensed to 24 hours) you will be doing some heavy duty prep work. Packing, cleaning, painting, the works. Our house specifically needs some TLC before we move out as I have painted almost every wall at least half with some dark color or another. Style Tip #1 is nine times out of ten you will be painting your walls back to white... so throw on a slubby white tee and some distressed jeans and you're good to go. By wearing a white tee, even if you spill a drop or two you'll barely be able to notice. Tie the outfit off with a cute scarf around your hair to reduce white highlights and you're good to go. 

Day 2: The Day of the Move. The next couple of days involved in the moving process will actually be moving. Again, wear comfy clothes, a loose v-neck, some worn jeans to protect your legs from scratchy furniture and boxes, and don't forget some comfy sneakers to hike around in. Be sure to stay hydrated by bringing along a cute water bottle that you can fill up between stops. Bring the sunglasses if like me you're in a tropical climate, the back and forth between artificial and natural lights can be brutal on your eyes. 

Day 3: Settling In. The day after the move your house will most likely look like WWIII but with many more boxes. Today is the day to get to work. Throw on  some comfy shoes (or go barefoot!) and do a once through on your place with a vacuum or a mop. Loose dirt will most likely have gotten kicked up between all the people trekking in and out of your place during the move. Doing a once through before everything starts getting set up will also help you get a good feel for your new place and how you will like to have it cleaned. Wear a loose but cute dress as you never know what new neighbors might be stopping by to welcome you to the building or neighborhood. Take this time to invite them to your housewarming party, and if they want to see the house let them know that you will give them a grand tour at the party.  

Day 4: Housewarming Party. Today's the day to dress to impress. Your neighbors and friends might have gotten a sneak peek at your new pad within the few days of moving, but this is the night to truly let your place shine. A simply but elegant black dress will set a nice mood for your party and paired with some cute flats will make it casual at the same time. Avoid the heels tonight as you will most likely be running around, and the last thing you want to end up with are blisters on your toes. Depending on the date of your housewarming party (ours is July 4th), play it up with a theme. Having a roof top deck right above our place will be the perfect setting for fireworks and finger foods. 

Throughout the move remember to stay calm and keep breathing. Don't work yourself up too much over the details, and stay level headed when making decisions with a spouse or roommate. 

I would love to hear if anyone else out there will be moving soon! We're excited to get our little show on the road soon and head to the bigger part of the big city. 

Hope you are all having an exceptional Monday!

post no. 190 -- Penthouse Living

For those of you who were curious about my previous post on moving... we got the loft! We went and viewed it yesterday and are in love. We have decided to rent it partially furnished, keeping the bed, and a couple other tid bits, so keeping those pieces into account I am now faced with the task of designing our new place. I'm beyond excited.

I have been farting around on Pinterest compiling a board full of pictures that will serve as a little inspiration. The whole place is bright and airy and I would really like to place that up by keeping all of that walls a crispy clean white color. In the meantime, here are some pictures to show off what I'm envisioning.

For more pictures check out my Pinterest Board.

post no. 189 -- The Fever

Oh my word, if I didn't have the fever yet, I certainly have it now!!! My friend Tiffany, from That Girl Crochet just updated her Etsy shoppe with THE most adorable little baby sets ever!

Take a look:

These are so far beyond precious I don't even know what to do with myself. Anything baby meets crochet is just bound for success in my mind. Keep up the great work Tiff!

post no. 188 -- Things I Want Thursdays

Things I Want Thursdays... where do I begin? This loft. Kris and I have been debating now for quite some time on quantity vs. quality. Do we pay more for a gorgeous loft, or get more money to play with while living in a dive? After much discussion, quality won out. I have been speaking with the owner/architect of this 29th floor penthouse for quite some time now about negotiating my way into this place. He's listing it now, yet we're not set to move for another month plus. It comes furnished but we would take it un. I really think this is going to be a great place to call home if I can just get us to the finish line of signing the lease!!

I know exactly how to lay out the furniture, the decorate the walls, everything! I do believe this place is my dream apartment! I'm remaining positive, praying a lot, and keeping my fingers crossed that we can make this into a reality. We're like the Little Engine that could, and we will.

I have been so nervous to put this out into the blogworld, afraid that things might not work out or that someone might nab it before we're able to sign some papers, but you know what, damn the torpedoes! Full speed ahead! If someone gets it before us, then it wasn't meant to be, but I want this so bad I can taste it! Please keep your fingers crossed for us, we're really hoping this pans out. It's got a rain shower for goodness sakes!!!

post no. 187 -- What Inspires Me Wednesdays

This workout to tone up my flabs.

This makes me want to cry, in a happy way.

I need to do this. 

This old shutter turned mail organizer. 

This whole kitchen...

This funny little letter. 

This greenhouse!

post no. 186 -- Recap

I've been meaning to post here for quite some time now. (Since Monday morning...) I know, bad blogger. There has been a lot going on at the Pearson's place. It seems every other day Kris has been MIA with work and I've been swamped with thoughts. We're attempting to move by the end of June. Specifically June 30th, as that's when our lease expires with our current place, and the last thing in the world we want to do is renew that. We've been looking around Waikiki (the big city of Oahu) for a one bedroom place to fit us all, and so far the only place I've found is this gorgeous loft/penthouse that requires a pretty hefty deposit and first month's rent. With the move dependent upon the sale of the Jeep (it's totally unpractical to have 3 modes of transportation while living in the city) I've become more and more impatient with it's lack of movement. I don't know if we're pricing it too high or what, but seriously, the thing has everything. Tinted windows, custom wheels, DVD, the works. Granted, the thug life isn't for everyone, but I'd at least like one bite!! I broke down this morning and spent $55 on an AutoTrader listing with a "Til it Sells" guarantee. 90 days is more time than I would like to see it on the market, but esta vida. I hate the feeling of just wanting to be rid of something, yet have it linger. It's like breaking up with your lab partner, the first week of the semester. You get the drift. Hopefully things will start to get moving, and if it's meant to be it's meant to be. In the meantime, we'll just have to wait and see.

Lately I've been exploring a lot of DIY and crafting potential. A friend from Kris' last command in Virginia messaged me over the weekend asking about some tattoo ideas for her daughter's name. I put together a little sketch that she loved so for the last few nights I've been working on getting the color filled in on it. It's just your typical design for a traditional rose tattoo piece, with a tattoo script style font for her daughter's name. She wanted to throw in some tangled thorns below the roses to represent strength and perseverance. I think so far it is coming along great and I am excited to get her the finished product!

Yesterday my friend Megan and I went over to Aiea to check out Fabric Mart. We were a little skeptical at first mainly due to the fact that all they advertised was Hawaiian prints, but after rifling through over 100 bolts of fabric we were a little dumbfounded. I found a couple of patterns I'd like to try but have decided since that first I need to get my hands on a decent sewing machine, since as of now all I have is my hands, and I don't think they're going to cut it. I want my new sectional, as soon as that arrives I can really get to work redesigning our place, or the future one, if we get to that point.

I am vowing to remain positive though. The girls have been extremely good the last few days they've spent together and the time Kris and I have spent together while he's home has been chock full of quality movie watching and picnics in the park.

How has everyone else's week been going so far?? I need some motivation, and what's better than hearing from all of you!

post no. 184 -- Apartment Therapy

Kris and I have become resolute in our quest to get out of military housing. There are a lot of variables associated with the move, but we're trying with all of our might to get the means necessary to pick up and start fresh. All of this thought on moving has given me a new fire to explore decorating our place (future, not present). In the meantime, this house in the burbs will be getting a fresh coat of white paint on all the walls and will start to be boxed up over the next few weeks. 

I threw this together last night thinking about what to keep and what to bring in new or Craigslisted. I feel like I have so many ideas and now I just can't wait to start bringing them into play!

Hope you all are having a great Saturday!

post no. 183 -- The Weekly Detox v. 1

As I'm sitting here writing this "Button Up Your Overcoat" by Ruth Etting is playing on Pandora. If you don't know it, I suggest you look it up, it ties in quite well with this post.

It seems a lot of bloggers have been lately resolving to take better care of themselves, their homes, and their families. Kaelah has started a 30 Day Detox campaign to tidy up things with herself, and this little pea is no exception. For the last week or so, Kris and I have both been slacking off on getting over to the gym. I honestly forget the last time we sat down and talked, had a meal at home, and connected. Most of the time we just tune out on the computer, head out to a busy restaurant, or plug into a movie. Working out was our little thing to do together, not that the whole time we'd even be in contact with each other, but still, it was a step in the right direction.

For the last couple of days around here we've been extremely busy, and immensely exhausted as a result of that. What else is new, right? But we need to get back into our routine. Today I did some snooping around on line in between our new marketing campaign at work and rumaged up some great little posters to help on the workout quest.

(Just in case you're not up to jumping straight into Level One)

There are two more pages of the plan to this little series, but as you can see in the post's title, this is just part one. Now, just working out isn't going to cut it. After reading Danielle's blog a week or so ago I saw she was on to something. Danielle has created a 8 week long post series based around week long goals to focus on for fitness, nutrition, relationships, creativity, and personal time. After giving it a little thought, I figured I's spread my goals over the course of a week as well, having the short attention span that I do, I thought it was just the right amount of time to dedicate before losing interest again. My goals for the week (through next Friday) are:

Fitness: To get through the first week of the Level One Exercise Plan. 

Nutrition: Include at least two of the following in every meal. 

Relationships: Spend more quality time with Kris every day. Instead of listening to the radio in the car, use the time to catch up about life. 

Creativity: Develop more sketches, and finish more art projects. 

Personal Time: Charge up my Nook and remember to read. Learn to decompress before jumping straight into bed. 

Have any of you started your own weekly challenges?? Would love to hear what you've been working on and what improvements you've made in your own life!

post no. 182 -- In the Works

I kind of needed this poster this morning, because right about now, we have a lot in the works. 

Since right after we moved into housing Kris and I knew that this wasn't for us. Through his last deployment, it seemed as though everything was going wrong with the neighborhood and our house. Things were being stolen, breaking, the works, it just wasn't going smoothly.

When he got back, we discussed moving but were forced to sign a lease before we were able to process moving very much. Our lease was supposedly up in June, so we would be able to reassess things then. Well folks, yesterday I realized it was already May! Kris and I are going back and forth with a lot on our minds right now, from housing, to cars, to jobs, to life in general. What would be most convenient, both when he's here and away. What do we need, what are we just wasting money on. Hopefully we'll be figuring some things out in terms of a potential move that has presented itself by the weekend. A course of action at least. A lot of things seem to be contingent upon others, so if everything were to fall into place, it would one be a sign, and two be a miracle.

Bear with me for a few more days. I know I haven't been posting all too regularly recently, but I will get my groove back. Pinky promise.

In the meantime, sit back and smell the real life roses. Enjoy your family, your friends, and your stuff. 

post no. 181 -- Matrimony Mondays v. 7

For this morning Matrimony Monday I just wanted to share with you this one wedding in particular that made my day seem to sparkle a little bit more. This beautiful couple look great together, and their wedding seems to piece together the casual yet rustically refined sense of elegance I love. I browsed over these pictures this monring after getting into the office and needless to say I feel inspired as I head into my next pre-bridal meeting... Enjoy!

post no. 180 -- Momma Mia & Week in Pictures

First off, I would like to extend a big thank you to all the mother's out in the world. We truly couldn't do this without you. I know my life especially would not be the same without my mother, and the honorary mothers that have come to reside in our little circle of family. 

Last night there were talks of extending our little circle of a family out just a tad bit more to include a brother for Jack. As of now, it's just Jack and us and we feel a bit bad leaving her home by herself without a friend in the world (or yard) to play with. This afternoon we headed over the a no kill animal shelter to meet some friendly pups, and think we might have just found the one. We haven't gotten to meet her yet, but just by pictures and personality description she sounds like the perfect little addition to our household. I don't want to jump the gun just yet so I am going to hold off on giving too much detail, but hopefully I will be able to share some fun news tomorrow. 

Tonight, as like most nights this week, was spent indoors with yummy dinner, candle light and RedBox rentals.  I didn't take down a picture by picture recap of my dinner creation for the night as I wanted to try it out first to see how it turned out, but it was great. I've been taking a lot of recipes from Whole Food's iPhone App and tweaking them just a bit to tailor to our little family. They've been turning out wonderfully as far as I can tell by the stuffed tummies and clean plates after dinner. 

Here are some photos I snapped over the last couple of days to give you all a glimpse into our crazy little weekend.

Ice Skating // Yogurtland Adventures

Guesstures Game Night // Grumpy Mornings