John told me a while back that I could decorate his apartment.  I've wanted for some time to decorate a guy's apartment.  We'd done a few small things here and there so far but not much.  Just in time for us to get serious about it - he found a new apartment. :)  He wasn't sure how serious he was about moving, but I lined up a few places for us to check out last weekend and the second one we saw was a huge steal.  And still close enough to his work for him to walk each day.  He decided he wanted it, and luckily we were some of the very first to see it.  He filled out the forms and signed the check before the rest ever showed up for the open house.  Tomorrow he'll be signing the lease. 

I've already created a new Pinterest board.  :)  His new lease will overlap for an entire month with his current one, so we have time to paint, clean and decorate.  It's probably close to 3 times the size of his current place (okay, maybe only 2x, but the King of Hyperbole will forgive me for the gross exaggeration), with plenty of windows and good lighting, old hardwood floors and thick white trim.  It's going to be a very handsome manly abode.  And it's going to be a blast getting it there!

For those of you I've mentioned it to, and for those of you I haven't, check out the incredible decorating and baking my big sister Kimberly did for her friend's baby shower last weekend!  She blows me away with her creativity - and with what she can do with sugar and flour. ;) 

So grateful for FaceTime, so I could get a nice little tutorial of it all the night before.

I have this fantastic old dresser.  It was my mom's as a little girl.  She'd painted it cream and written her name on the back in giant paint strokes along with a friend.  In Junior High, Elise and I painted it blue and added our own names to the back.  The wall paper inside is peeling off around the edges.  I sometimes have saw dust on my clothes, and the drawers are tiny, but I love it.  I love that it was my mom's.  I love that it has our names on the back, along with our childhood friends from down the street.  I love the little old wheels on the bottom.  And I love that it's blue.  I love the shape of it.  And its impracticality.

The only thing I don't love is the knobs.  I never have.   And at some point, my mom decided to surprise me and paint them silver.  But, I was never a big silver girl.  I didn't love the surprise.  And I then loved the knobs even less.  (Don't worry, I knew it was well-intended and once I finished crying, we worked it out. Yes, sadly, true story.  I know I was a brat to cry over it.  Jet-lagged and homesick are my only excuses.)

Changing the knobs has been one of those things I've always meant to do, and I've scanned the knobs section at Anthropologie every time I've gone in for the past 5 years.  But the expense didn't ever seem worth it.  Yesterday, mom took to me a giant craft/ home decorating/ party type store.  I knew I'd end up spending money.  But, I have to say, I'm pretty proud of the purchases I limited myself to.  Here are my brand new knobs.

The photos don't do them perfect justice, but I love them.  And I even love how they reveal the old cream layer of paint beneath.  It's probably tacky and looks lazy to some, but to me it's more than just "looking" vintage, it's sharing a little secret about the life it lived before me.  It's reminding me it once sat in another girl's room and held her (mini) skirts and t-shirts.  I love it and I don't think I'm going to bother to hide them.  I will however paint those key holes something other than silver. ;)

Since you can't really see them, there are three different types of knobs.  The majority look like keys in a key hole.  I left one turned the wrong direction, as if turned in the lock.  I just liked it. :)  The second to bottom drawer has it's own unique two knobs.  Which truthfully, is because I was two short of the key-ish ones.  I planned to put them on the bottom drawer, but ended up liking them right out of place second to the bottom.  I think they just match this quirky blue dresser full of sawdust and secrets.

(yeah, sorry, those are kind of terrible photos of them.  You'll just have to see them in person.)

I LOVE this.  I even find the chosen words fitting. ;)

I love the ink splatter - it seems perfect for the wall of a writer's living space.
A freedom to create, to make mistakes, to do re-writes. :)

BEAUTIFUL!

I would like this mirror.... when I have a space big enough for it to even fit in. ;) I haven't really been pining after any mirrors, but I'm in love with the frame, and I do love how mirrors multiply the 'space' in a room.  This would be lovely against a wall in a flat (right Megs?!). 

I like this. :) I especially like what looks like a ladder, turned into a bathtub organizer/desk/shelf. (Not really sure what you call those things!) .

A few more amazing images that inspire me and make me dream...

Beautiful bedrooms

Inspiring Living Spaces that make you want to grow, not whither away.




I'd like a loft bookshelf. :)

A couple more dream images for designing my one day home.

This kitchen is a dream! Granted, I know those floors would be a nightmare for cleaning... but this look is incredible! And I LOVE the spiral stairs. And I DREAM of having some massive brick wall in my home, add large windows and it's a done deal.
(But I could do without the blue floors- and the entire interior decoration really)

I'd love this chair-- right now. (I'd take the light too!)