Phase one....

And so phase one begins......

Joey has promised me that we will put curtains up FOR GOOD in the house next month (minus the guest bedrooms - they keep IKEA for a bit). This totals to be 10 panels, one extremely long rod, and 2 regulars. OUCH. It's definitely time though, so onward we march :)

To something similar to this in the dining room I hope. One long rod over two. I think it adds so much to a room - especially a dining room).

And while he's feeling handy, maybe just MAYBE we can get him to bust out the paint clothes and give me something in this shade of grey. If he gets tired, he can just keep to the bedroom and bathroom for now. I'll understand.

But if he REALLY loves me - and something tells me my dad would love me enough (inserted for effect/guilt/you name it) he would build me bookshelves like these on the left side of our mantle.

Next stop? Couch, rug, coffee table, & putting one of my mother's handy "hide the huge tv" practices into place. Wish me luck (and pray I find a money tree in the backyard).

Xx

images via:
the inspired room
benjamin moore

something new for everyone

Oh the excitement!! Mom and Dad are about to break ground on their new home (only 5 minutes away btw....WOOP). We are SO incredibly excited about having them closer to us & even more thrilled for them as this has been a LONG time waiting. The home was already a stunning plan done by Signature Homes, but with a daddy that's an architect, they took something good and made it breath-taking! Mr Jones & I headed out to the neighborhood today to see the "sold" sign and share in my parents' excitement. Think about it, in 3 months we'll have the opportunity to steal from their fridge again......AND to lose all of our furniture (she'll want most of it back I'm sure).....DRATS

SO, since she will be taking her coffee table first, I've decided to re-vamp the entire living room to make it a bit more cozy. Joey and I found this little gem @ At Home this weekend and stuck it in the trunk to take home. Finally! A spot to hold my pretty books and magazines - & Mr. Jones'  condensation - drenched glasses he leaves around the house. Bring on the windex! 

HAPPY SUNDAY! We are so thankful for the many blessings we have and can't wait to see what the next few months hold. 

Ps 37:4 // Delight yourself in the Lord and He will give you the desires of your heart

Let me begin this post with a quick "shout out" to my MIL.....

" I AM NOT PREGNANT:) "

Now, becomming a wifey has brought out a few things in me.

For starters, I love to cook even more than before. Curtains are things I spend my money on rather than a new dress for Friday. I LOVE things like movie nights and scrabble, & I often pick out things for a child I dont have, and am not attempting to have at the moment......

I can NOT explain why I like to, but it is probably similar to my husband searching for his next 7 series BMW or our first lake house....haha

So after seeing my friend's new nursery, I decided to decorate one of my own through a little internet browsing. Because my imaginary baby has no sex, I decided to keep things neutral (imagine that)

I saw this and loved it. Well, most of it. It is such a peaceful picture isn't it?

& I AM OBSSESSED with this bedding. It looks like it would be so super duper soft.

A little modern for me, but still kinda dig this lighting as an alternative to a mobile

& the dorky chic romantic in me finds this to be pretty sweet as well..... a little fru fru for me, but close.

This has definitely been on a post in the past. Not sure when, but I remember it. I liked it then and I like it now.... however, I'm thinking this imaginary baby has ZERO personality since everything I like lacks color

Happy Hump Day Xx

decortoadore//ilovemybaby//alistbaby

gray

Okay....bare with me for a moment while I go off on a random spill about the wall color in our house. Technically, the best choice for the builders. Neutral. I'll take it. However, it has some yellow to it in the bedroom, and I'm not so much loving it. Is paint the most necessary purchase for us right now? nope. BUT I really think a different color in the bedroom would help pull everything together for me. You can see the post below with some photos of it, and it's obvious that the yellow is coming out more and more as we roll along with decorating it. It also has caused some issues picking out fabrics to upholster a cushion for the antique bench.
SO, I'm torn thinking back to my dream room and pondering the possibility of lightening it up with the wall color. Remember THIS?

These are a soft cool gray that would hopefully compliment the shades already in play.

Restoration is selling paints now, so I pulled some samples of their silver/neutral shades and found these. Maybe the top center?

Or the shade, Mediterranean featured in the bottom left.

This one looks an awful lot like the first room now doesn't it? I think I've centered in on what I like.
I guess the next step is a little bit of buttering up Joey for the job, followed by a little saving for the paint. Maybe I can occupy my time with swatches and constant battling in my head whether or not slate truly IS better than Mediterranean.

And while searching for paint shades, I found EXACTLY what I've been looking for. What a shame that they are not featured in a store, but rather in someone else's home. Pity. The prints are beautiful and I adore the frames. Just what I need/WANT
HAPPY WEEKEND! Mr Jones & I plan to have a date @ the gym after work (we slept in....shocker) then head for a dinner date then home for wine and a puzzle. "Wine and a puzzle?" you might ask. Well, our church has 21 days of fasting. I was the bright one who gave up TV. I am reading a LOT of books, analyzing the entire house (hence these posts), and re-organizing every nook and cranny of the house. One week to go. Wish me luck.

Images via

Door Sixteen

Decor

< align="center">Pad

Sunny Xx

Around the house update.....

I've been busy working on one thing at a time, and growing more and more frustrated at the "one at a time" part.....I'm the type who wants it all NOW. Who isn't?

Our most recent purchase was one of my favorites so far! After living with the linen white curtains inherited from my old house, we took the plunge and purchased these charcoal vintage velvet drapes. I couldn't be happier to sleep in our new cave thanks to the light it so lovingly shuts out while we slumber.

My office got the old bedroom curtains. Nope, not happy, however once we stick the third row of frames back (according to Denise, they were "much too high".....I have SO much to learn she says) and I get my new acid splattered cow hide (oh yeah, I'm pretty much stoked about that) then hopefully I'll find it a little less sterile in there. Those darn french doors will cost mucho dinero so I've decided to make myself content with what I have for now. (ps: Dear husband, what an AMAZING way to say happy 2nd anniversary or happy Valentine's, or happy YOU ROCK day.......but I digress.....)

And I've finally decided to officially call one room in the house complete. The guest bath has been a doosy for me to figure out what to do with, so as usual, I kept things white :) Only problem being I'd like to replace the bath rug with a stark white fresh one so that guests can get mud on it and I'll have something to "stress" over. I set myself up for disaster sometimes I think.




And 2 of my favorite things to come home to this evening? Why a handsome man in my kitchen cooking grilled chicken topped with roma tomatoes, feta, and basil. I taught him well :)
And on a totally random side note, how cute is this letter we got in the mail from my brother in law and his lady friend? They gave every one little scratch off lottery tickets from Texas (where they live) attached to the Christmas gifts they brought. Lucky Mr and Mrs Jones scratched off $50.00 :) These crazy kids mailed us the money! We would have TOTALLY kept it....I kid, but not really.

Happy Happy Friday Eve.
Xx

In LOVE

That would best describe my feeling towards the newest addition to our coffee table....

Did you read Domino before "the crash"? It was pretty upsetting after growing quite fond of the beautiful pictures and fabulous ideas the magazine offered. My sister turned me onto it and I was smitten. Then, they up and stop making it. Pretty big bummer. While checking out at the store with Christmas gifts, I spotted this hardback Domino book and immediately put back the things I had for others so I could buy this for myself.....I know, I know, I'll go back and get their things, don't worry. This was an emergency.

The pages boast not only images of the rooms of my dreams, but also detailed descriptions of furniture styles and pieces, and where they fit in best. It even gives a history of the designs which is pretty amazing to see.

This was my favorite room in the book. The colors are similar to our bedroom, and with a lighter shade of gray thrown in and this wall color, I think that it could be a new inspirational photo as well.
And just for a giggle, this guy was thrown in. I'll bet he never knew he'd be famous.
Now I will only grow more envyous of other people's spaces, and ruin my mind with things like want, desire, and I gotta haves.....bless me

Xx

Tis the season

I am so far past excited to decorate for Christmas this year that I can hardly stand it!

Having a new home, I'm sure I'll find a way to squander all of my extra money on senseless Christmas decor that I'm know I'll more than likely be "over it" by next year. Due to my fickle-ness (yes, it's a word), I have decided to integrate my new life theory (see definition below) into Christmas decor as well this year. This photo entailed everything I love )minus that rug): white, crisp, a little life from the outdoors, and warmth. I shall copy the plants for sure. Wish me luck!

Life theory (bee.ing.smart.fur.a.ch.ay.nge): the idea that b/c Sunny Jones tends to change her favorite "shade of blue" or "look" each year she will now learn to stick with classic looks that can easily be "updated" with a simple throw or pillow whenever the mood changes, without causing the need to purchase an entire new set of furniture each time. This also means buying one nice piece at a time that will last for years rather than running to buy something cheap everything the mood hits her.

Photo via house and home

Getting Prepared

Aspyn has been helping us get the house ready for an engagement party we're throwing for some sweet friends next month....

First on her agenda? Welcoming committee of course!
Showing me that maybe the plunge should be made in the curtain department....at about 200 a panel it isn't going to be fun (I thought tall ceilings and high windows was a plus)
She'll tell everyone goodbye when they leave, thanking them for coming and insisting that they come again
And hopefully we'll find a way to clean things up and get back to taking our time with the rest. I love that an event is speeding the house "project" along, but at the same time I am all about taking our time and saving some money while we're at it for the fun things in life.

Speaking of cleaning, this is what I came home to after a wedding shoot recently.....
I knew immediately that either someone died or Mr Jones was surprising me with dinner. Thank goodness Jamie Cullum playing our wedding music loud and clear signaled to me that it was, in fact, the latter.

Things are moving along

Well, the office space is coming right along.....
here's a little peak from the hallway.....
I am happy to say I stole mom's antlers......not her antlers, technically they belonged to a deer but Restoration gather them up and my mom gave them a home. Now they have a new one until she notices it and realizes what's happened.

A gift from my sister.....shipped overnight from NYC just in time for my 25th

>and a little wall art with photos from my family's past........
Joey painted my mirror and hung it while I was working hard. He really is helping make this house a home.
and my little Chloe. A birth announcement I did for a friend's little one.
Hope your weekends were fabulous. We spent Friday evening @ home, I shot a wedding saturday, went to a friend's lingerie shower, and today we had some fun pics taken by an amazing friend to celebrate our one year of marriage and first home. I'm EXHAUSTED and can't see this next week being any less tiring. I'll chose to see it as a blessing that I have so much going on in my life, but I think I'll head to bed and pray that Jesus holds the sun down a few extra hours.......can't I dream?

If I married an architect....

Growing up with an architect for a dad, I am no stranger to modern furnishings. He always stuck to his Eames chair and Herman Miller decor, but with the track lighting strung across the ceilings, or his crazy rubber band chairs as the only available seating, I quickly grew a taste in the opposite direction.

I learned to dislike the "trying to look modern" feel after seeing it done well for so long, but even with my appreciation for modern done well, it doesn't make me feel anything but stressed. I immediately feel my butt in that rubber band chair, explaining to my father under the hot light of a pendant why my car's rearview mirror is no longer in tact, or flustering my brain trying to explain why I, in fact, NEED that new coat even though he bought me one the prior month. Bottom line, I prefer light, cool colors in warm fabrics that make you feel like snuggling up with a blanket, a dog, and a husband who has just shaved and gargled minty scope only moments before.

Thank goodness Mr. Jones was a blank slate. No personal "this is my style" kinda guy. He simply trusts me to do what I'm working on and in the end is always in awe of how it turns out. Thanks goodness!

HAD I married someone like my father, I think this image I stumbled apon earlier in lonny would have been the perfect compromise between my desire for light, clean spaces and Edwardo's (thats the modern imaginary man I speak of) need for modern crisp clean edges.
come to think of it...we would fight over the rug.........I'm NOT a fan of the rug. I feel like it should come in a package deal with a glass ash tray and a lady named Flo who never married but has a huge selection of cats just roaming around her home. Many of whom she is unaware of.

This little light of mine

Well on my last monday off ( a most favorite occasion to have) I visited a few of my favorite home stores in Homewood and found this beauty in At Home. After a 10 minute discussion with myself, I decided that it was absolutely necessary and financially splendid so we left together to head to the ceiling in the master bedroom.

Mr. Jones (quite the electrician) immediately set to work, but the wiring in our house was confusing his brain a bit since it was not something he was familiar with. Replacing a fan with a single light left a few stones unturned....like "What the heck is this hard box keeping me from screwing the light in?" The box answered him that he was simply a ceiling joist. . .unfortunately we didnt have the tool needed, so hanging was put on hold for a day.

we thought it was funny when the next night there was yet another issue with the wiring. Colors that usually mean one thing were seeming to mean another in this new house of ours

My electrician works in business attire.....

But he'll take off his nice clothes once I tell him that he'll most likely ruin them (as he has in the past)

we watched a little longer....

and waited ever so patiently.....

hopes were high

and after the 18th big reveal attempt, we had light!!!

I couldnt be happier to welcome another step to a complete bedroom into our lives. I promise to show the entire room (its a rather large one which proved to be difficult) as soon as a few more things get completed. New bedside table and a cushion upholstered for our antique prayer bench. I'm also hoping to have an antique bench repaired for the foot of the bed. Can anyone lend me a few hundred to speed this stuff along?

OH! I almost forgot! With some inspiration @ Leslie's and a few pointers from my mom, I painted something for our living room.

Happy Sunday!