Our mail slot is through our front door. This is the first house I've lived in like that and it's always a little bizarre to come home with your mail scattered all over your living room floor.

Yesterday when Jeremy and I got home this was laying on the floor.

Department of Defense, Office of Civil Defense: Personal and Family Survival. ©1966.





Bizarre, right? This was either a total mistake or someone knows me really well because I love it. And I love even more that it's a mystery who dropped it in our mail.

Oh and I googled mapped the address on the back of the book and there isn't a house there - just an empty lot.

• Labels:
• Inspiration


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A couple new things!

First, my sister picked up this mirror on sale at Target for Jeremy and I. It won't be making a permanent home here on the mantle - we're still trying to decide where it should go. I'm thinking in our bedroom behind my jewelry cluster.


Second, a friend of mine (and I won't name names but her name rhymes with Shliz) obtains marquee letters (and I won't say how) and I LOVE them. So the other night after celebrating Mardi Gras she got me this letter K.

Now we just need a J.

• Labels:
• House Stuff
• Interior Design


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I just saw this image on sfgirlbybay of a lighter airy kitchen with stainless steel appliances.


They pulled it off nicely! It looks like their solution to the sides issue was to add a cabinet facing to the side. We just don't have the time or patience.

Oh! And I should add that Jeremy and I are going to look into seeing what it will take to hook up gas to the kitchen so we can get a gas stove.

• Labels:
• Inspiration
• Interior Design
• Kitchen


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First off, thank you everyone for your kitchen comments. Keep 'em coming because I'm still completely torn.

Yesterday I was browsing for "vintage typography" on Etsy and stumbled across this lot.

Vintage diner black and white restaurant menu board sign display cards
For $5.50 you get three random 12 X 1 1/4 inches cardstock prints. These would go great on our chalkboard wall in the kitchen.

• Labels:
• etsy
• Interior Design
• Kitchen


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Jeremy and I need some serious kitchen advice. Stainless steel appliances or not?




We are getting a new stove and dishwasher.

Should we stick with white? Or go with stainless steel?

Here's the case for stainless steel:
• instant modern/chic wow factor
• matches the fridge

Here is the case for white:
• matches the cabinets for a more seamless look
• lighter / airy
• sweeter - less industrial than steel

Also - I should mention that all the images online that show a 3/4 view of stainless steel appliances have BLACK sides. That will totally break up the visual flow of our kitchen.

If we go for a white stove should we definitely get a white dishwasher?

Help!

• Labels:
• appliances
• Interior Design
• Kitchen


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There is a shop downtown called Story of Hope - and all proceeds go to benefit Feed the Children.

I made a visit to this boutique and found more than a couple things I loved.


I love this jar.

They have something for everyone (that likes to shop) there.

Cute baby toys.

It's not really my style but their signature item throughout the store is framed butterfly wing art from West Africa.

A West African resident picks the wings from dead butterflies and creates one of a kind artwork with it. The proceeds go to feed the children in the Darfur region.

Story of Hope
120 N. Robinson, Downtown OKC

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Jeremy and I have inherited a black filing cabinet - leftover from the new Third Degree work space we worked on this weekend.



I'm thinking it will fit in nicely in our office with the black chalkboard wall and my retro metal work desk. But I want to dress it up a little - to make it unique and fun.


Blik Decals, a vinyl cut-out peel and stick decals, are the easiest thing I can think of to help dress it up.


Classic open dots


Eames circles


Flocking

Which one is your favorite?

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This weekend Jeremy and I put together the work space at my office.

This space was previously "the diner" before a coworker and I designed a new diner space.

Here is my original moodboard for this space.


Here is the layout.

A little bit of planning goes a long way.

Jeremy put together all of those tables and stools while I laid the FLOR carpet tile. We moved the filing cabinets into the nook that used to hold our fridge and coffee. It took us all day but it feels nice to get it done. And a few of you might think I'm crazy for working on a space like this on my day off but that's just how much I love my job. And Jeremy helping out? That's just how much he loves me.

• Labels:
• Interior Design
• office
• Organization
• Work


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So this is where my jewelry hangs out.


It's kind of a mess but I love it. It reminds me of this garage sale jewelry chandelier.


I got most of my favorite costume jewelry from my grandma. One day she opened her jewelry box and let me have at it.


My mom claims that I got my sense of style and love of shopping from my grandma, pictured above.

This frame (aside from a couple oversized pillows for our couch) is the only thing I wound up with from the big Target Design Event. And I got it for $3.58! What a steal. Jeremy placed it here by my jewelry to get it out of the way and I thought it looked great - and it was only appropriate to put a photo of my grandma in it. A little shrine, if you will.

And no worries, I will be making a jewelry chandelier one day.

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I think old typewriters are romantic.


1951 Underwood Typewriter with carrying case.

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The other day I discovered a short cut to my office and along the way saw these condos going up.


The complex is called "The Hill". Of all the condos going up downtown (and there are A LOT) I think these are my favorite. There are still some elements that make it seem cheap and apartment complex-ish - like the building on the far left - that little alcove seems bleh and "cracker-jack box" to me. But details like the doors and light sconces (that don't all match) are really nice and interesting.

I can imagine living in a place like this either as a student or retiree.

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I'm still loving origami cranes.

via Oh Joy!

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First off - Happy Birthday, Jeremy! Today he's 31 and so far has celebrated with Cinnamon Life cereal for breakfast, and a few presents from me.

But what I want to talk about is Jeremy's rad tattoo.

David Bruehl did this tattoo of the Great Owl from the Secret of NIMH for Jeremy. The cool thing about David is he's actual a fine artist as well as a tattoo artist.


owl, part of a series of five, 5x7, watercolor on paper, david bruehl

You can check out more of his work here.

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Jeremy and I celebrated Valentine's Day at the 2009 Annual ADDYS Awards, an awards show that recognizes the creative talent in advertising.


We kept on winning golds. Our big project, Buck the Norm, was doing really well. And then it won Best in Show!


We continued to celebrate late into the evening. It was the best Valentine's Day ever.

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I feel like our living room is a constant work in progress. I'm always thinking of what we need to do to make it the best space in the house.





It's getting there.

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This is NOT what I wanted to be posting about on Sunday morning after Valentine's Day. But in the effort of full house remodel disclosure I thought I owe it to you all to let you know that our basement flooded last week.

Thursday evening after doing a load of laundry the washer dumped a load of soapy water all over the basement floor. We tried Drain-o but quickly realized we were going to have to call in the pros.

The plumbers (Leon's - if you're in the OKC metro area I HIGHLY recommend them. Good prices, excellent service) came out and spent HOURS working down there.

They got this out of the pipes.

It's just roots. But it's gross. Click on the pic if you want a larger view.

Everything is in working order now but I have a feeling that we're going to have some major plumbing overhaul to do in the not-so-distant future - with both this drain line and our tar-paper sewer line.

I will get to our fun Valentine's Day post tomorrow!

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I love vintage perfume bottles and old-fashioned medicine cabinet things - like antique prescription bottles and shaving creams.


I got this perfume at Anthropologie years ago. I like the smell but I love the packaging even more.

It broke a while back (over a year ago) and because I like the way it looks I've hung onto it. It sits nicely in the back of our medicine cabinet and adds to the overall atmosphere in there.

However, for the sake of being organized I've been throwing a lot of stuff away. I should throw this away - or should I?

Where do I draw the line? Any advice? When should I hang on to cool things and when should I toss?

• Labels:
• Organization


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I'm a little superstitious. Because it's fun.

But today is Friday the 13th and our basement is flooded and everyone is feeling a little blah.

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This last weekend a few of us gals got together and saw the movie He's Just Not That Into You. And we're not ashamed (okay, maybe a little ashamed).

But, in the movie the main guy has this really fabulous apartment and in his apartment he has a backsplash area filled with Polaroids.

Then this morning as I was going through my blog roll I saw this photo.

via sfgirlbybay.
I love how these photos are on hanging on the wall - no frames required - making it feel a little more spontaneous and unpolished. I think something like this could be rad in our bedroom.

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Recently, Liz and I hit up Cuppies & Joe (okay, I won't lie, we deserved a little treat after a very intense photoshoot).

Photo by Rachel via Pencil Shavings.

After seeing this mantle in real life I decided that this kind of treatment would be perfect (and inexpensive) to recreate in our home.

And as far as Cuppies & Joe goes - it was very cozy and friendly. I'm always unnecessarily intimidated by new places but it's easy to feel like you're at home in C&J. The dishes are all mismatched, and a hodge podge of antique furniture creating a very quaint environment. I would definitely recommend it.

But if you ever need an order of delicious cupcakes for a party I've got just the girl for you.

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Our power was out when I got home this evening. The whole neighborhood was without electricity.


And you bet our little fireplace was a blazin.

After about an our of gabbing and eating cereal the electricity came back on. It was then that I realized I was kind of having fun in the dark.

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My favorite part of our mini-vacation to Tulsa this weekend was visiting the Philbrook Museum.


I kept daydreaming about living in a mansion like that. I would pretend to be Marie Antoinette every day. The Sofia Coppola version, of course.


These images were taken one right after the other. My new camera has a "creepy" setting.


I imagine the garden is beautiful in the spring.


The interior has some amazing architectural details that I wasn't able to capture quite well enough.


This video installation was completely unexpected and mesmerizing.


I thought the information graphics were more interesting than the actual art being shown in one section.

There was a photography exhibit showing. They had a free photobooth set outside of it!


I love this. Typography that isn't trying too hard.


Shades of cream and black.


Gold leaf and hand written details made me want to take this home.


Barbara Kruger is a badass.


I like this presentation.

I got a lot of practical inspiration from this museum visit. And Jeremy said he had never appreciated art so much in his life.

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