almost home, always home

Someday we’ll laugh about this. I wish today was that day. Yesterday we signed our lease. Yesterday we moved the first boxes into our new apartment. Yesterday I remembered why we have always said that love is an adventure.

This apartment might end up being a big mistake. It took ten hours to get our keys. And when we finally did, there were real problems with the place. The refrigerator light is burned out. We need a new smoke detector. The bedroom doors haven’t been put back on their hinges and so does the hardware in the bathtub. The linen closet is missing a door handle. The window blinds haven’t been hung. The water is still shut off. Oh, and I may or may not have seen MICE TURDS under the kitchen sink. At 8:30 last night, things were feeling a little bleak. We were scrubbing the kitchen cabinets when we both suddenly stopped and looked at each other. It was one of those looks that said a million things. Things like, I love you. I’m scared. I love you. Why did we sign that lease? I love you. I’m so tired. I love you. What are we doing? I love you. Your butt looks great in those jeans (okay, maybe only I was thinking that). Maybe the thing that look mostly said was, You’re home. Not here or in the other place but with me. You’re home.

I had been feeling the anxiety bubbling up inside of me all day but somehow that look made everything seem a little softer, a little easier, just for a few moments.

Then we took pictures because who wouldn’t want to remember a night like that?

More moving updates and pictures to come!

almost home, always home,

elizabeth

Five for Fall

The National Weather Service apparently doesn’t know this but…fall is officially just days away. I’m a big believer in the seasons and celebrating them but like a lot of you, I’m on a small budget so I’ve compiled a list of five free (or almost free) autumn-inspired things to get you in the mood for fall.

1. You can track fall foliage with The Weather Channel this autumn. Beginning in mid-September, you’ll be able to click on the U.S. map to find the best spots to see the changing leaves. Also check your state’s visitor or national park sites for fall foliage trackers. Some states even have apps for the smart phone crowd (you know you are). If you don’t live somewhere that gets a lot of fall color, be sure to check out some of these cool web-cams.

2. Mini candles at Bath and Body Works are just $3.50 or 2 for $5 right now and their fall scents are sooooo good. My favorites: Sweet Cinnamon Pumpkin and Farm Stand Apple.

3. This recipe for Brown Butter and Ginger Ale Apple Dumplings from Alli ‘n Sons.

4. The Dollar Tree, people. The Dollar Tree. I have not previously given this store due credit. Right now, they have snazzy fall decorations like these adorable ceramic pumpkins. Oh, and did I mention it’s The Dollar Tree so everything is, in fact ONE DOLLAR?

5. Want to start gearing up for Halloween? You can stream lots of scary movies online for free on sites like Crackle or Hulu. Check out Dracula or The Ape Man or Dracula vs. Frankenstein.
Bonus: Kristin over at Vignettes is hosting her annual Fall Friendship Swap and YOU can be a part of it.



I’m sharing my fall-inspired playlist with you. You are sooooooooooo lucky.




How is the internet helping you get excited for another fall?
love, elizabeth

If you build it, fall will come?

Remember this scene from Field of Dreams? Maybe if I decorate my house for fall, fall will come. Yes?

I mean…get it together, September. You have 17 days until it’s actually autumn, officially, and it is going to be 90 degrees today. That is not okay.

So in an effort to bring on the fall, I did a little bit of homemaking. I baked some bread. I lit some candles. I made a playlist. You get the idea.

Aaaaand the blogging dry spell continues. I’m still figuring out how to balance my schedule with my home life and the blog. So thanks for bearing with me.

I think I’m going to go turn up the air conditioning and put on a sweater. Summer, I cease to acknowledge you. I answer only to autumn.

love, elizabeth

Office Makeover

If you’ve missed me on the internet, this is one of the things that has kept me away. I’ve been working in the office for days and have finally surfaced for air (and pictures)! This was a makeover on a serious budget so I tried to make the most cost-effective purchases I could and use almost exclusively things I already had. That’s my mom’s trunk from her days in the Navy. It’s full of pictures and scrapbooks now and I’ve repurposed it as a coffee table.

Here is one of the set of two matching glass lamps I found thrifting. They’re so beautiful and were a legitimate bargain at just $6.99 each. Kyle found shades at a big box store and I love the coppery warmth they add to the room.

I decided to brave the clearance paint aisle at a certain large store that sells things for a very low price and discovered a heatherish-gray color and a pinkish-tan for just $4.86 a pint. Kyle sanded down my grandmother’s old desk and I repainted it. I took some sand paper to the edges to make look a little more worn…I can’t decide it that was a good move or not but the color is a great improvement overall.

Oh, and yeah…hi, I’m Elizabeth and I’m a big ol’ copy cat. I no-apologies, straight-up stole this from Jenni over at Story of My Life. I justify it by saying simply that I have in my possession pictures from our childhood together that she may or may not want made public. Just kidding. ….or am I? No, I’m totally joking. I’m not. I am. No, not really. …..

I seriously love what she did to the wall in their master bedroom and will go ahead and admit that this is like one of those off-brand knock-off versions. The real thing is much, much better.

I used a combination of frames from my closet, my favorite thrift store, and the Dollar Tree. The prints are mostly clippings or postcards or photographs I’d saved, along with a couple prints from CAPow! Along the top left, you can see what my row of handsome daguerreotype boyfriends collected from flea markets and thrift stores. 

One of my favorite things I framed was a necktie-tying tutorial I had clipped out of Reader’s Digest years ago and stuck in a box. I smiled when I re-discovered it in a box of memorabilia.

I rescued the little loveseat from my neighbor Melissa who was going to throw it out when she moved. It has a couple muddy stains from where her dogs ran over it on a rainy day but other than that, it’s in great shape.

The wall-hanging is a bamboo shade that’s too small to fit any of our windows. Anyone who rents knows that leases don’t always allow you to paint a room so it’s great when I can find other ways to bring color and texture to the walls.

What do you think? And what summer project has kept you busy?

love, elizabeth

The Tuxedo of Spaghettis

I call this Tuxedo Spaghetti because it’s so fancy you need to put on a tuxedo to eat it.

….

Not really. But this spaghetti sauce is a healthy, veggie-rich crowd pleaser and super easy!

I realize Italian grandmas everywhere are throwing up their hands in horror but I like to start with an inexpensive can of           pre-made spaghetti sauce as a base. You can think of this recipe as putting a tuxedo on a $1.04 can of sauce.

I like to go crazy with the vegetables. You can put almost anything in a pasta sauce and this time I added mushrooms, red bell pepper, yellow onion, zucchini, and tomatoes. (You can also try eggplant, carrots, squash, asparagus, and other peppers.) I have a finicky husband so I chopped the zucchini super fine and he swears he didn’t even taste it so if you’re feeding non-veggie-lovers you can sneak extra vitamins and nutrients in easily.

I’m a garlic fiend so I diced up four cloves but you can edit this to taste. If you’re feeling EXTRA adventurous, you can stir in a few tablespoons of an inexpensive table wine, too.

I stirred all the veggies together with about 2 tablespoons of olive oil and stir-fried until tender. TIP: I kept the tomatoes separate and added them right before serving for a less stew-like texture.

I added two cans of sauce to make what Kyle likes to call “a vat of spaghetti.” He could seriously eat this for the next three or four meals and be totally happy. It’s his favorite kind of leftovers and it also freezes well (although some vegetables hold up better than others at subzero). If you’re feeding carnivores, you can add browned ground beef, chicken, or meatballs to this recipe. TIP: For the extra health-conscious, switch to a whole-grain pasta for extra fiber and watch the portion sizes. I overdid it a tad here.

Serve with a mozzarella or parmesan garnish and a little black dress wine and presto, digito, minuto, delicios-o, you’ve made Tuxedo Spaghetti.

Lol. All the actual blog cooks who are reading this: “So…you added some vegetables to your sauce and heated it up. It’s a freaking spaghetti revolution in here.”

Do you have a dressed-up version of a simple recipe?

love, elizabeth

Girl Confessions

Alright, Sunday. I have a confession to make…I have been trying to write this blog post in my head since yesterday and stuff’s just not flowing like it should.

1. My to-do list keeps getting longer without ever getting shorter. This does not speak well of my productivity or motivation.

2. Never watch Mad Men when you’re trying to fall asleep. Last night I dreamt about an ad campaign that combined perfume and eating by the pool that Betty Draper was somehow running. And then I turned into Betty Draper. Yeesh.

3. I’m nervous to be going home. I haven’t been back to Colorado since we moved out here and I am anxious about it. I’m nervous to see people. I want them to be proud of me, to think I’ve done well, that I haven’t let myself go or changed too much or not enough. I don’t know. It’s freaking me out a little.

4. I’m on a quest to like my hair again and trying really hard not to just be sad every time I look at how short it is. So I’m experimenting to find something to love about this haircut. Any tips?

5. I really need to be reading faster. My candidacy exam is going to be here faster than I can possibly imagine and I am so not ready.

6. My neighbor Melissa is moving to South Carolina in a few weeks and I am so freaking sad about that. I am reallyreallyreally going to miss her.

Also, she would be super mad if she knew I posted this picture. So…Melissa…if you’re reading this…hi.

7. I’ve had less desire to blog this month than normal. Maybe it’s the lack of stress I suddenly feel. Maybe it’s the lack of structure in my summer days. Maybe I’m feeling reluctant to be vulnerable lately. I’m looking for my spark. Maybe I’ll find it in Colorado somewhere.

So what’s your girl confession this week?

love, elizabeth

Knick-Knack Paddy Whack

I can’t remember the last time we bought furniture. Pretty much everything in our apartment (with the exception of our couch and armchair) is secondhand. I’m a big proponent of dumpster-diving and also of having friends with great taste. So when our friends Andy and Chelsea agreed to trade our antique croquet set for this adorable shelf…this happened.

Originally, it was made to hold CDs but since the blistering dawn of the iPod, our albums have mostly been relegated to a storage closet. So instead I decided to fill it with all the little curios I have hoarded for the past seven years.

1. Brass alarm clock that belonged to my mother in high school.

2. Beach Grass candle from Bath & Body Works. (You’d think they were paying me to talk about them this much.)

3. Crooked blue vase from Rainbow’s End, the local thrift store where Kyle and I went to college.

4. Wind-up toy bird from my parents’ house.

5. Painted owl I found in a box that had belonged to my mother as a teenager.

6. Miniature working slot machine (and pencil sharpener) that Kyle found in high school.

7. Hand-blown glass piano and bench from Silverton, Colorado.

8. Painted wooden cat wearing a dress. I found her in a box of things headed for a garage sale and saved her.

9. Russian nesting dolls from my mom.

10. and 15. Ceramic salt and pepper bowls from Paulova. Sarah gave them to me for my birthday last year.

11. Red elephant from Emily. Elephants with their trunks pointing up are good luck.

12. Myrtle Beach snow globe from the Gay Dolphin Gift Cove.

13. Beatles trading cards passed down from my Aunt Joanne.

14. Painted floral vase from Beth.

16. Wooden trolley car from our trip to San Francisco.

17. A jar of pens. Yes.

18. Medicine balls from my parents.

19. An elephant from Kyle.

20. Hand-painted dish from South Korea.

21. Clay pot my mother made in school, circa 1962.

22. Sea shell from somewhere in the Carolinas.

23. The rubber chicken my friend Em and her mom hung from the rearview mirror of our car on our wedding day.

24. A final elephant.

How do you display your favorite knick-knacks? Are you a knick-knacks kind of person?

love, elizabeth

Spring Cleaning

I don’t know about you but it’s like a drug to me. A really spiffy, shiny, well-organized drug. With a great floral print.

Kyle and I try to save condiment jars, especially anything that’s an unusual shape and size. We have a drawer full of recycled jars. They make great vases and organizers!

My new favorite spring smell…the Poppy Sunshine candle from Bath & Body Works.

Over the kitchen sink, the bottle in the middle is an antique passed down to me from my mother. The darker green candlesticks are thrifted and the lighter green candlesticks are made out of old recycled Coca-Cola bottles.

The refrigerator, freshly scrubbed and organized. I tried to make us look healthier by putting vegetables in plain sight. But you can see the salted butter in this picture. We’re not fooling anyone. Looking at a picture of my refrigerator is a good reminder of all the things I have and take for granted. Even the menu plan reminds me that we have more than a huge portion of the world’s population. Wow.

Lucky bamboo shoots…I have no idea how they’re still alive because I keep forgetting to water them.

I decided to pack away most of our knick-knacks for the warmer months…but I left this guy out…he’s full of Carolina sand and driftwood and old wine corks and other things.

I finally got around to making my own magnetic make-up board. I take zero credit for this idea. You’ve probably seen it all over Pinterest. Here’s an example and another one. It’s definitely made it easier to keep my make-up off the bathroom sink.

What about you? Tell me about your spring cleaning projects!

love, elizabeth

Breakfast is an Occasion

Sunday made me long for luxurious mornings every day when one might rise and set the table and light candles and serve fresh blackberries and eggs on toast instead of what usually happens (I wake up late and stuff a handful of Life cereal in my purse.

These little guys were a gift from Sarah courtesy of Paulova Ceramics, available on Etsy here. They make me happy.

Fresh blackberries…

And a pot of my new favorite coffee, the Starbucks blonde roast, Veranda Blend. One of the many perks of being married to a barista.

The point is…breakfast should be an occasion and I just rush over it to all the rest of the stuff in my day. Maybe this will be the motivation I need to wake up earlier?

What about you? What’s your favorite meal of the day?

love, elizabeth

In-Auspiciousness

This may or may not be a real word. Whatever. It goes with the rest of this inauspicious New Year’s Day. Decided to stay in today and I’m really glad I did.

Tomorrow, the blogging and the real world begin again in earnest. Blog topics coming this week: a new filing system for the endless paperwork that sneaks into our apartment, seasonal depresison, a big pre-New Year’s fight Kyle and I had, and more…you heard me…MUCH more.

I know, I know. Riveting.

I’ll be checking in with all of you, blog-town so keep a look out!

Happy New Year’s Day!

love, elizabeth

I’ll Be Home For Christmas

“Are you going home for the holidays?” I don’t know even know how many times I’ve been asked this question this year. Actually, people ask every year. And the second I tell them that, no, Kyle and I plan to spend Christmas here in Columbus and not back in Colorado, everyone is sympathetic, sad for us. They mean this in kindness, our many friends.

I think what most people don’t know is that we are home. I realized this year that I have stopped defining ‘home’ by geography, that it has been seven Christmases since I have thought of home this way. I have started thinking of it as the place I am with Kyle. I don’t think of my parent’s house as my home anymore or even the state of Colorado. I think of Kyle as my home. It doesn’t really bother me that I am far away from my family on most holidays. Home is in the lights of our own Christmas tree, the smell of coffee grounds in the collar of Kyle’s shirt, in burying my toes under Madigan’s furry tummy, in our tiny red tea kettle, in the scratchy sound of vinyl records, and in the knowledge that home is where you keep your heart. Kyle is driving home from work even as I type this. I can’t wait till he gets here. Because after all, I am a homebody. 

What about you? How do you define home?

love, elizabeth

Sometimes a Girl Just Needs a Break

You know how it is…the laundry, the ironing, the dishes, the dusting…it’s never ending…

Sometimes a girl just needs a break.

What?

Don’t judge me!

love,

elizabeth via Madigan