Our First Home: The Master Bedroom

A while back when I shared the exciting news that the boy and I had purchased a condo, I shared what I had in mind for the design our bathrooms (master bathroom will be straying from that initial plan - no Martinique wallpaper for me; tear).

I know I mentioned here that though I've been having issues (major understatement) in deciding on paint colors for the new place, but the one color I was confident about from day one was doing navy in the master bedroom. This was for two reasons: one, because the boor boy has been stuck with my very girly linens for the past year and two, the room has FOUR windows, so I knew the dark walls could hold up to it.

I have a very strong vision of what kind of feel I want the room to have; navy & white bedding, white furniture with accents of gold, and either apple green or coral - decidedly prep, erring on nautical but not too strongly. 

That said, aside from having decided on Benjamin Moore's Hale Navy for the walls, this room is a blank slate. We are upgrading to a king-sized bed (the boy is 6'4" so we need all the space we can get) and my existing bureau was $175 and breaks a little more every time I open  a drawer. We are going to push everything from our current bedroom into the guest bed and so, I am left with all the freedom in the world with this room, from the furniture to the bedding, lighting, wall art, and accents. Great? Maybe. Overwhelmed? Definitely.

Here are two options I've played around with for the room (so far):

Green accents (obviously).

And coral.

I am super, super undecided about which I like better; I'm tempted to go with the orangey-coral to make it a little more chinoiserie flair-friendly, but the pop of lime is so fresh and happy, and of course, a bit more manly. 

I haven't fully-decided on the bedding yet. I know part of the color pop will be in the sheets, so I am holding off on that search, but we'll need at least a duvet to start, and I am set on white with navy trim.

Top contenders:

Benjamin Moore: Color Me Overwhelmed.

I am losing sleep over paint. Yes, as in wall paint - the thing that is so NOT permanent and not costing me a dime out of pocket (aside from the massive price tag of a city condo, of course).

We went to see the progress on our new place on Saturday for the first time since we put in the offer, and were shocked to see the walls already going up. We were then notified that we owed them our 4 paint (+ trim - "You just HAVE to do White Dove - there is NO other choice!) colors by Friday of this week. Cue internal screams of "oh shit, oh shit, oh shit, oh SHIT!".

Realistically, I know that paint can always be changed after the fact if we don't like it. But let's face it we (I) are lazy, and the likelihood of us repainting the whole apartment, or even just one room, after all of our furniture has gone in is beyond unlikely. So, thus began my obsession withe Benjamin Moore's color board and thousands of Houzz searches for paint color after paint color.

I should note that this is my very first experience with selecting paint colors, and that because this is being done by contractors in a condo that is not yet complete (or even close to it), I don't have any opportunity to go in an test our a few paint choices on different walls to see how it meshes with the trim (will be White Dove if for no other reason than I CANNOT pick a white out of a pallette of 100+), how it works against cabinetry (there isn't any yet!), and I can't see how it will look at different times of day/in natural vs. electric light (none of that yet either!).

Suffice it to say that I am clueless. What I know is:

- We are going for New England/nautical (living 1.5 blocks from the ocean on Boston - how can I resist?)

- I need a very, very neutral white on the walls in the guest bed & in the entry hallway (guest bed will have these linens and pink walls are not an option - entry/hallway is going to end up being done up with navy stripes, like this)

- We are doing navy walls in the bedroom. We have 4 windows in the master (woop!) and I have been dying to give the boy a more masculine bedroom after being stuck with girly (not to mention that it's technically children's) bedding for the last year. Navy = nautical & masculine, and I mean, who wouldn't want to sleep in these glorious caves?

{via}

Right. 

(PS: I'll be sharing my ongoing navy bedroom design boards (yes, plural) soon!)

But that's all I've got. After about 18 hours of research, here's where I'm at:

TRIM:

 'Cause I mean, I 'have' to. 

But now - how do I decide what shade of white to paint the cabinets? The same? I think I want something more "pure white", if there even IS such a thing. Another problem for another day (hopefully).

MASTER:

It became clear pretty quickly that Hale Navy is the best/only option for the bedroom. All of the other Benjamin Moore dark blue/navy shades either err too much on the purple side or are too Crayola-y. This shade is super deep and pigmented but in every photo I've seen, has a dustiness to it that keeps it from reading anything but a gorgeous navy in every light.

Contemporary Bathroom design by San Francisco Interior Designer Holly Bender Interiors

Eclectic Bedroom design by Other Metro Media And Blogs Michelle Hinckley

Contemporary Kitchen design by Los Angeles Interior Designer Erica Islas / EMI Interior Design, Inc.

Eclectic Bedroom design by Portland Maine Interior Designer Landing Design & Development

See? Lovely.

Moving on...

Note to Self: One Step at a Time

Radio silence again, I know. No excuse is a good excuse, but (I'd like to think) there is a good reason this time.

Word to the wise (and myself, for future reference): do not purchase property (condo, house, office space, what have you) while actively looking/interviewing for a new job. Just don't do it.

(Be forewarned - this post is somewhat for my own personal documentation purposes and is absurdly long (I'm a memory hoarder). Jump down to the end to get a first peek at the new place and the first of MANY design boards!)

For starters, #1 - you read that right, we bought a condo! But more on that later...

Classing Up the Party

As if moving into a new (and more importantly, bigger) place, the #2 thing on my mind after unpacking and decorating is undoubtedly throwing a party.

I received an e-vite from a friend the other day that, while it was inviting me to something with a ticket pricetag of $30, made me instantly reply, "Yes".

After RSVPing, I immediate started poking around the Paperless Post site at the gorgeous selection of (mostly free!) customizable email invites. And of course, promptly emailed the boy to let him know that we WILL be hosting a housewarming, whether he likes it or not.

I mean, this is too adorable not use, right?

And then I got to thinking about Halloween...

And my birthday...

And football, cause then there's an excuse for every weekend!

But if we're going that far - why not just have a fall party?

Very Rifle Paper, no?

Once I finally decide on a design, it's on to coming up with a menu, some decor, and of course a signature cocktail (or two) to serve on my new bamboo bar cart/table, if it ever arrives...

Have you ever used e-vites? Which one is your favorite?

Take it Personal.

It’s no secret that I love a good monogram. At this point, I have collected 2 monogrammed iPhone cases, a monogrammed ring (that I wear daily), but I have been trying to curb my purchases to just non-permanent, inexpensive items. There’s no sense in monogramming everything I own with initials that may no longer be my initials in a relatively short period of time…

Yes, I am counting my chickens before they hatch – or my fingers before they have a ring? Regardless, moving in with the boy solidifies this future change, no matter when it might come, so investing in a new glass cutting board and a welcome mat with my initials doesn’t exactly make sense.

Speaking of moving in – you know what’s not permanent? Apartment rentals. Therefore, completely fair game for monogrammary (coined it!). When I moved into my old place (my first apartment!) I had a custom return address stamp made, and I absolutely loved it.

It made me want to send snail mail – ALL the time – and it definitely was a huge motivation to not be lazy about sending handwritten thank you notes. The only sad thing about moving is that I can’t use this cute little bugger anymore!

Being the crazy person I am, I have been hunting around for a new design to use with my new address. I’ve found plenty that I’ve liked, of course, but the $50-ish pricetag was a bit much to stomach after a recent move (hello, insane moving company fees).

Enter One Kings Lane to save the day (again) with a Three Designing Women sale today. I got a certificate for a custom stamp of my choosing for $26.95 – including shipping! Now all I have to do is actually make a final decision on a design – which is proving to be rather difficult with the amount of lovely choices they have!  My top picks at the moment are:

More on the Move

While the move was an insanely busy, hectic, anxiety-filled and SWEATY day, we wanted to document as much of it as possible. Neither of us has ever lived with a significant other, and as far as we're concerned, this is a one-shot deal and a pretty big milestone in our relationship and  both of our lives.

Unfortunately, moving is not even remotely conducive to picture taking, but before I share some of our progress in putting the place together, how about a peek at the hot mess where it all began?

First trip up into the new place with my stuff, circa 10:30 AM. Little do I know what I have in store for me once the movers actually show up...as evidenced by my happy face.

Flash forward to 5 AM, finally done with the movers, some unpacking, and got the kitchen table out of the living room. Clearly a call for celebration. 

So much love for my new 50mm lens. 

 

 Being goobers with self timer.

 

He was probably saying something obnoxious about me using this for the blog - or I was laughing at his horrendous hat hair. You decide.

On a much more somber note...

Rise From the Dead

I'm alive and back on the interweb!

Between the move, work, family parties, and all of the subsequent fallout from the aforementioned, I have been a terrible blogger. In my defense, I did not have internet in my apartment for an entire SIX DAYS (travesty, I know) and with the short week following the Monday holiday, blogging at work was out of the question.

Here's what my last week has looked like, in a few, totally hot mess photos:

All three of these are full of shoes. Not okay - until you see my now totally organized closet situation!

One of my biggest fears (OCD moments) of moving was things breaking; I drove over 3 carfulls of items I was convinced would break if I packed them for the movers. Clearly my new gold-rimmed champagne flutes from the SoWa market were at the top of the list and therefore were packed delicately in my Serena & Lily duvet. They made it!

This was our first, sad-looking dinner in our new place at approximately 1 AM, complete with delivery and the table in the middle of the living room. On the bright side, I found out the sushi place in Southie is actually pretty good - AND delivers late night.

Then, circa 5 AM, we FINALLY called it quits on unpacking and organizing (and were not even close to finished) to take a much-needed pre-bedtime bubbly break (obviously with aforementioned champagne flutes). Veuve never felt so good.

Flash forward just one week, and I come home yesterday to find THIS situation in our living room ("I rearranged the furniture while you were at the gym!"), plus our first visitor in honor of the start to the NFL season.

Despite my high anxiety around the place not being totally perfected and organized yet, I wanted to break in the kitchen with some football Sunday treats for the boys (pepperoni bread and buff wings above) - which then somehow warped into me cooking dinner (buffalo turkey burgers, raw veggies and freshly-baked chocolate chip cookies) for my parents later last night. I'm crazy, I know.

Now that my spending  freeze is over (and mostly to try to calm my anxiety), I have started in on a little shopping for fall basics. While I am often one for a great accessory or a really unique or loud print, there's nothing better than finding the perfect basic to fill a hole in your wardrobe - and it's even better when you get a good deal!

The LBD

This ponte knit a-line dress is made of the same material as my beloved Pixie pants (I have them in 3 colors) so I couldn't wait to try this on. When it sold out online I almost shed a tear, but was fortunate enough to stumble on one in-store in my size - at which point it became clear why this stunner sold out so quickly. I legitimately said WHA-BAM out loud (okay, in a whisper) to myself in the dressing room mirror when I got it on; it is outrageously comfortable and incredibly flattering (despite being a stretch knit, which is usually much too clingly for my not-so-toned tummy). I also got to exercise my "student" discount on the in-store purchase - and I know it will be worth every penny when I'm throwing this on once a week with ballets or tights & boots for work.

The Boyfriend Jean

I have been on the search for the perfect pair of boyfriend jeans for months now after seeing countless gorgeous and effortlessly styled outfits by the likes of Blair, Kendi and Jules. I finally met my match with the Gap Sexy Boyfriend Jean; they're much more reasonably-priced than the ever-popular Current Elliott pair (though now that I have officially fallen in love with the cut I may invest down the road), but I also scored at 30% off during their sale last week). I wore them on Friday and did not put anything else on my body (aside from PJs) until this morning. They are out-of-this-world comfortable but don't make you look like you're just wearing 2-sizes-too-big jeans. And I wasn't even wearing heels.

What are you top picks for fall so far?

Down to the Wire, and a Belated Tuesday Tuneday: Autumn Leaves

I know, I know. I’ve been a bad little blogger this week.

With the move on Friday (OMG!) I have been legitimately losing my mind. Also, note to self: do not schedule a long weekend trip to Atlantic City the weeks before you move (or ever, for that matter…3 days is two too long…). I haven’t slept more than 4 hours in a night since last Thursday and even as I sit “calmly” in my cubicle trying to cram a week’s worth of work into 2.5 days (dumb, Carolyn, dumb), my heart is racing and my head is nowhere else but “You forgot to pack up the shit under your bed” and “How the hell do you plan on getting that 150-bottle nail polish collection into packaging?”.

The only things pulling me through right now are:

1.      There was a decidedly autumnal chill in the air this morning, and my iPod seemed to know it. She and I have this sort of telepathy thing going – and even though she was shuffling through 25K songs (yes, I’m serious), I got to hear 3 of my go-to fall songs and I think I am officially ready to let summer go.

2.     After two more nights, I will be sleeping in a bed with my best friend in the entire world. I’ll be putting on my makeup in OUR apartment every morning. I won’t be packing up a bag 3-4 nights a week and trying to figure out how to fit in my grocery shopping and gym sessions around our nights together. I’ll be cooking with my best friend every night. I’ll be lounging with him watching How I Met Your Mother on OUR couch. I’ll be waking up every morning in OUR bed (which, sadly for my 6’ 3” bestie, is still a queen). And I’ll be doing this forever. I realize that’s something that most people say when they get married, but for us – this is decidedly it (no, really, we had a conversation to decide it). Neither of us has ever imagined living with more than one person, ever – and I can’t bear the thought of splitting furniture and pots and lamps and the age-old “album collection” (all of the vinyl is mine, thank ya very much) in addition to a heart-wrenching breakup. We knew we were ready when we knew that this was IT. For good. This should give me at least a tinge of anxiety, but the boxes barricading my kitchen and the 3 rolls of packing tape I’ve killed already aren’t allowing for it yet – only room for excitement. Check back with me at week 2 when I’m already stuck doing all of his laundry…

Both are equally keeping me afloat. If that doesn’t give you an insight into how much I love autumn, I don’t know what will.

And with that said, I know I missed Tuesday Tuneday – but how about a Wednesday Whistleday (cause there’s Andrew Bird on the playlist – get it? No? Sounds like you need to listen to more Andrew Bird)?

These are the songs that always, always, always make me feel the first chill down to my bones and bring back images of the trees turning along the roads I drove every day and the fallen ones swirling around my car. And picking apples at home and the smell of nutmeg when they’re baking. And above all else, absolutely everything pumpkin-flavored. All while wearing these comfy buggers below:

How good is that tortoise ring?!

Juvenile Schmuvenile

A very mature title for a very mature post.

As the move-in date gets closer and closer, I have (almost) abandoned my clothes shopping fetish (sorry, fall collections) for all things interiors. And while looking at lovely rugs, couches, lamps, mirror...you name it - is exciting and I have 893405689340 different plans for our new place in my head, the reality is: furniture/decor is more expensive AND more permanent than a pair of heels (for me, anyway).

So I'm being forced to make more thought-through and carefully planned decisions about the our soon-to-be home, many of which unfortunately revolve around my (sad) financial situation. The absolutely #1 on my list for the new place is a rug. The one in my current apartment is not only not mine, but it is high-pile and therefore perpetually disgusting, no matter how much vacuuming I do.

I've been lusting after Jill Rosenwald rugs for MONTHS now, but they are pricey, even when they're on sale. I just know that I need a low-pile or dhurrie to complete a few of our (all hardwood) rooms, but purchasing multiples is out of the question.

Enter Land of Nod. Yes, it's a children's decor store. Am I embarassed? You tell me if I should be after you see these prices.

I mean, right? The rugs are gorgeous - and of course I stumbled upon equally amazing accents like that nautical curtain panel and adorable finial. They'd be perfect with that navy chevron rug in the nautically-inspired office I've created in my head (to appease the male half of my living situation). Don't even get me started on that gold hex lamp. $69, bam. I've paid more for lamps at Target.

So tell me: are there really children out there with impeccable taste? Or did is this an amazing hidden gem for adult accents? 

...or am I an 8 year old stuck in a 26 year old's body trying to decorate a Boston apartment? Really, judge me. I need it.

The Final Coutndown

The count to move-in with the boy is officially at 2 weeks as of today. I am incredibly excited but completely beyond stressed at the same time. Packing has officially started - but barely. I am making little to no progress because I just feel completely overwhelmed and don't know where to begin. Right now, I'm wishing my life looked like this:

I'd even settle for this - which is what I'm sure I'll feel like as we depart for a 3-day weekend in Ocean City, NJ - the weekend before we move (smart choice, right? Ugh.):

So what's the logical solution for this weekend? Avoid and deny? Sounds great. Remember that time I was supposed to go peach picking? Welp, it never happened (peaches are late this year, apparently - who knew that could happen when it's been so hot?). And as you can tell by just glancing at my Pinterest-ed recipes, I can't get them off my mind; they may just be the new figs!

We're off to my parents' house tomorrow morning to grab brunch at our favorite diner, drop off a few things from my place that I don't want to move myself (thanks, mom and dad!) and weather permitting, pick some fresh peaches. 

I plan to get my bake on on Sunday...while I simultaneously force myself to start packing, since it's my only full day off before the move...but I've resolved to just not think about it :).

Happy weekend!

Serena & Lily on One Kings Lane

I had a much more somber and frankly pretty emo post in the works for this morning, but something MUCH more timely and exciting has liften my spirits on this gloomy Monday. Upon returning from my weekly Monday morning meeting, I found a Serena & Lily sale at One Kings Lane in my inbox.

It's no secret that I'm on a spending freeze at the moment, since I complain about it in basically every post,  so I can't be completely devastated that most of these items are sold out. At the very least, this sale gives me hope that there are more to come from OKL in the future and I can scoop up some of my favorites for the new apartment.

But in the meantime, check out these goodies.

This shower curtain would be perfect in our new sandstone bathroom. Womp womp.

 

I have loved the Catalina collection for a while now, and this duvet really would have been the perfect jumping point for my new male-friendly nautical styled apartment. 

 

I mean, RIGHT?!

Don't even get me started on this nautical chevron perfection.

And then there's this adorable handwoven rug that would have been perfect in my already Serena & Lily-ed out room. 

Yeah, I'm 25 and I have this green & pink bedding - get over it. Unfortunately this gorgeous set is likely going to be retired to the guest room come September since this is pretty much the complete opposite of gender-neutral bedding.

Are you a Serena & Lily fan? What kind of bedding do you usually go for?

 

 

Finance Frenzy.

This is probably going to come as a bit of a shock considering that my last post very strongly outed me as a crazed shopaholic, but the time has come to take control.

Besides my obviously intense shopping habits, the boy and I both greatly enjoy our dinners and nights out on the town, as well as frequent weekend (and longer) jaunts outside of Boston (often traveling by air). And while I was given a promotion last week (woo!), I am certainly NOT making nearly enough to be living that lifestyle while also scooping up every item I love on a blog, see on a mannequin, or is on HUGE discount.

On top of all that, the surprise birthday weekend destroyed my bank account, we have two quickly-upcoming mini vacations (and flights), and just sunk a TON of dough into securing our new (first) place together (first, last, security and fee...the thought of which makes me dizzy...). Needless to say, my funds are at an all-time low and it has forced me to take a step back.

via http://girlyme.tumblr.com/post/12028980461

I have known my shopping was a problem for some time now. I have always loved to shop, but a whole new world was opened up to me when I started following blogs, and the problem has only been exacerbated. The boy and I had a talk after his birthday weekend and decided we were both taking charge of our spending (for me that meant no buying clothes, nail polish, etc etc), but it wasn't until I saw Morgan's post that I truly started to believe I could do this.


I have never not shopped for more than two weeks, probably, in the last 18 months. While the thought of that sickens me, I also know that I have tried to calm down my spending in the past and have failed. This needs to be a cold turkey operation - and by documenting it here, in the public realm (mainly my inevitable cheating and downfalls) - I can hopefully start to take responsibility and hold myself accountable for my eff ups. 


At the end of the day, I know my money is best spent having fun, maintaining friendships and making memories, not outfits (as much as I might love them). I have PLENTY of things to wear, and probably have unintentionally avoided being creative with my clothes because I just keep adding more. My money is hard-earned (believe me) and in hindsight, it seems insanely frivolous to spend it without thinking twice about what I'm getting. 


So here's to not spending on any unnecessary (a girl needs underwear!) wearables until September 1st. If nothing else, I'll be making up for the exorbitant amount I spent on getting into the new place - and once I'm in, I'll have some funds to draw from in order to make it feel like our home.