Where I Have Been ||

Y'all! How in the heck is it going?????????

I can't believe the last time I posted was before christmas. So much for being pro-active about blogging. I think that I suffer from seasonal depression. I've never been diagnosed but I'm pretty sure my body and mind needs vitamin D to feel fully human. I would not make a very good vampire. 

Butt alas it's spring now. The weather has been warming up, the trees have leaves once again and I am almost comfortable wearing open toe shoes. Im really particular about when I bust out my sandals and hang up my sneaks. I just love sneakers so much. 

There has been a ton of change to the bungalow lately and I thought I would share the progress with you. After Christmas, I woke up one morning and wanted to detox the entire house. I should actually stop right here and share my 2016 resolutions with you. It's very simple: I want to be Simple. Live Simple. I've always been a pack rat. I can justify any purchase, anything, you name it, I somehow have to have it. It's gotten me into trouble so much over the years. This year, I want to strip down to the basics and only have what I need. So far, I'm kicking butt compared to my past life. 

I always add interior design and cookbooks to my christmas list. I was spoiled with both Emily Henderson's book "Styled" and Lauren Liess' book "Habitat". Two completely different styles when it comes to interiors but both filled with so much creativity and inspiration! Emily's book has a quiz you can take to determine your "style" which can be very helpful when you are swimming in a sea of inspiration and have zero idea what to do. Both books were exactly what I needed to feel inspired about our own home and my resolutions. 

I started with our living room. I wanted a relaxed and calming space after all the fun chaos the holidays brought. I had bright, white and simple on my brain. After assessing our living room, I knew the first thing that needed to change was our rug. I impulsively put it on Craigslist and after one day it was sold. I had major remorse when a cute couple came and hauled it off, but also excited to shop for its replacement. 

I seriously loved this rug

 Has anyone ever ordered a rug online before? It scares me half to death and I hate the idea of not returning it to a physical store if it didn't work out. I was all ready to take the risk when Costco had these fabulous shaggy rugs out on display and they were on sale! It's not exactly what I thought I would end up with but I freaking love it! It's so soft and plushy. We all play on the ground more because of it and there is no price tag for that!!

To me, it feels like a night and day difference. There was still a ton to be done on the detoxing of the house. What the rug offered was the bright, light effect I was going for. mmmmm....the plant in the corner had to go. Also the rocking horse. 

I picked up this piece of indigo fabric at the Long Beach Flea market right before we moved. I loved it instantly. I draped it over our bed forever. I thought I would make a bedspread out of it or something. Then I painted our room and it was to much pattern (surprise) and got the boot. When the white shag came along, I knew instantly what I wanted to do with the fabric. I tucked it over our couch cushions. I mean, call me crazy but I feel like it makes our couch look deeper and comfier. 

Stetson got a toy Kitchen for Christmas! I picked the Kid Kraft kitchen in white for several reasons, but mostly so it wouldn't overwhelm the space it ended up in. I of course had to ad my own flare to it, which I totes will write about in another post. I had originally thought to put the "toy kitchen" in our kitchen, but he wasn't really playing with it. So, I pushed the couch over, got rid of the end tables and WA-LA!, the perfect fit! I also added a book shelf for him because we're going for simple and organized. Adding a space for Stetsons and his toys was important. This is his home too! 

The buffalo check chair is also happy about the new arrangement. I feel like it doesn't have to compete against so much color and pattern. It's already such a statement piece that it should be complimented with neutral colors and fabulous pillows! PS. The plant has moved and that corner is looking brighter!

Our entryway also looks bigger and more welcoming. I ordered some frames off Framebridge and I'm blown away by them. I also will write about my experience with Framebridge because they ROCK! It sounds silly, but along with going simple, I also wanted to add just a touch of "home" to our walls. I'm not one to hang family photos on our walls, but I also have a delicious little boy that I can't stop staring at. Yes, I am that mom that can watch him sleep for hours. 

I love how open the room feels. Sticking with the same color palette for the entire house, has helped me so much in my quest to simplify! My next project is the backdoor. We desperately need a place to hang our stuff!

Ew!