Bedroom Arrangement

I've been struggling to figure out how to rearrange our bedroom.  We only have one long wall (the other walls have a closet, windows, and sliding doors).  I had been toying with the idea of centering our bed and using our long dresser as a nightstand.  I wasn't sure how I'd feel about it until I saw a few pictures on Little Green Notebook.  I think it might work!

And here's the image that really helped convince me it could work...

{images via LGN}

I have to do some measuring because I have a few other furniture arrangement ideas in mind, but I really thinking I'm leaning towards something like the above pictures.

I'm also looking for a duvet cover to use during the winter months.  I love our Pottery Barn duvet but I like the idea of bringing it out in the spring since it's so bright and cheery.  I found this West Elm duvet on clearance and I think I'm going to order it.  At $49.99, it's a steal!  It's just plain white but I think some textured pillows and a nice throw could really winterize the bedding.

Busy weekend ahead but lots of fun mixed in!  Happy Friday!

Jess Puck and Josie

We just got back from spending some time with these guys in St. George.  We had a blast eating too much food, playing Funglish and Buzz Word, shopping and laughing at our kids trying to play together.  These guys are some of our favorite friends!

I took these a few weeks ago a couple blocks from my house.  Jess is expecting baby girl #2 in January!

Jess and Puck call this next one "the evolution" photo.  This was totally unplanned!

Ikea Styling

Melanie (whose website just launched) reminded me of a Decor8 post featuring designer Lo Bjurulf's take on Ikea products.  The styling is just beautiful and I love how it displays Ikea products in a whole new way.

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DIY Ironing Board Cover

Adam was just lamenting that we needed a new ironing board cover.  Ours is just the generic board cover and it hardly stays on.  I was actually going to purchase a whole new board when I happened to stumble upon this easy cover tutorial.

{via Say Yes to Hoboken via Momtastic}

I feel as though I've been posting a whole slew of projects and not actually completing them.  I should have a bunch of projects to share in the next few weeks.  Our lawn makeover, a quick living room revamp, a bedroom restyle, our kitchen overhaul and a handful of other sewing/crafty projects.  I finally am feeling settled and back into a routine.  Thanks for sticking around!

Mini-Vacation

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We had a great weekend and are still enjoying the "weekend".  We're with friends down in St. George for the next couple of days.  Regular posting should start up tomorrow!

Suprise Industries

Back when we visited California, we went to lunch with one of Adam's friends (hi Mano!).  She told us about this awesome company called Surprise Industries.  After filling out a survey about your interests, likes and dislikes, Surprise Industries plans out, well, a surprise.  They show up and often blindfold you and take you to your adventure.  From their site, "It could be anything from a fire eating class to an ice sculpting lesson, but you won't know what to expect till you get there."  Amanda, Adam's friend, got to learn how to swing on a trapeze (which is something I've always wanted to do) for her mini-surprise.  Doesn't this sound like the most fun idea?  They keep most of their surprises a secret but they did share a few photos from a surprise hunt they arranged over the summer.

They are based out of New York City...next time I'm in the area I am 100% going to go on a surprise adventure.  I can't think of a better way to try out something new!

Happy Friday!  We have a busy but fun weekend ahead of us...a charity race, work parties, meeting our new little niece Opal and heading down to St. George to spend a few days with friends!  

Fifth & Hazel Design Tips

My dear friend Melanie is an amazing graphic designer.  She is getting ready to launch her website, full of the best cards, stationary and invitations that I promise you will love.  She brought over some of her stuff to check out and I couldn't put them down I loved them so much!  Melanie will also be sharing her wealth of graphic design knowledge on her blog.  She is starting out with some of the basics and will go into further detail on lots of different aspects of design.  I think one of the reasons Melanie and I get along well because we both happen to be design nerds.  You know I will be checking out her blog daily to catch up on her design tips!  I just love people who are so willing to share what they know!

Melanie has recently been working on the Altitude Design Summit site.  I mean, how much more design cred does she need?!

Post-Halloween 2010

Adam came up with the brilliant idea for our costumes a few months ago.  We wanted to do something coordinated and while brainstorming, Adam thought of one of the super popular YouTube videos of the summer.  If you haven't seen the Double Rainbow video, you can check it out here.

I picked up some felt, styrofoam and sequins and that was about it!  We had everything else for the costumes so they ended up being pretty inexpensive.  I can't believe I didn't take any of my own pictures of our costumes! Saturday we went to an adorable birthday party for sweet Olivia, followed by a fun party hosted by the fantastic Nicole.  Here we are in dim light at Nicole's party:

The sun, the rain and a double rainbow!  What's funny is we ran into Melissa at the birthday party and saw her family's cute double rainbow t-shirts.  Great minds think alike!

Adam and I were laughing because this was Adam's third time as a raindrop!  Two years ago, we went as Rihanna and a raindrop (you know, standing under my umbrella...ella, ella. eh).  The other time was in high school.  In southern California students get together and create these elaborate airband perfomances.  Adam's group was the triple crown winner and won states!  The whole airband concept is pretty hilarious to me.  It seems so fun but so much work!  If you want a good laugh, watch the video below.  (Adam is in the red during the "Rock You Like a Hurricane" segment and then later gets tossed in the air as a raindrop on the left)

The Kitchen Remodel

While our kitchen may not be the ugliest kitchen (believe me, we lived in an apartment with the most hideous kitchen I've ever seen), but has to be one of the least functional kitchens out there.  We have dirty, old cabinets that were never intended for this house.  They must have gotten them from a showroom, or a different house or something.  I have one very small drawer in my whole kitchen.  We have our utensils in an upper cabinet because of it.  Two of the cabinet doors had to come off because they forgot to factor in the bump-out in the wall.  The doors wouldn't even open because they hit each other.  My pantry is a joke!  It's next to the fridge and extremely hard to get anything from there.  Needless to say, we can't wait to start working on our new kitchen!

Here are some before pictures:

If you're thinking there are a million things on the counter...you're right!

Yep, check out that awesome little drawer that is missing a drawer front.  Or how about checking out the corner cabinet that has a Lazy Susan that you can't get to because the doors open into the oven and side cabinet.

Just reach your hand next to the fridge to get to the back of the pantry...it's very convenient!

And here is what my Dad has come up with to make our kitchen ten billion times better!

This section stays mostly the same, except there is a nice corner upper cabinet that will actually function. 

Now here's where it gets exciting, for me anyways.  An island!  With drawers!!  We'll also have a little space for 2 stools.  Plus our fridge will be rotated and we will have an actual pantry cabinet that I can easily reach and organize!

Kitchen Countertops

We're getting so close to redoing our kitchen.  My Dad sent over the final drawings of how our kitchen will look!  Once I take some before pictures for reference, I'll share what he came up with.  Adam and I have been looking at countertops and we have been leaning towards black or gray.  We'll have white cabinets and will keep the yellow paint color for now.  Here are some kitchens with white cabinets and black/gray countertops.

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I'll post our Halloween pictures as soon as I can.  We forgot to take some of our own, but luckily Nicole snapped some of us!