Commitment issues

People of the Internet; I need your help!

Wayyyy back in 2013 when I started blogging about our home adventure, I mentioned how excited I was for a fresh, crisp white bed and this cute orange throw. I have loved the simplicity of it over the past year (I know! a whole year!) but unfortunately my husband has not. We are horrible animal parents and our dog is "mistreated" (to steal the words out of my former neighbors mouth - yes, I'm still bitter) so much so that she sleeps in our bed, usually between us and curled up as close as possible up next to/on us. She lives a double life and spends her days as an outside dog so you do the math. Dirty dog + white bedding = grungy, not crisp. It's not HORRIBLE since I bleach it every now and then, but it's not pretty.

Anyway, Mark has muttered his disdain so here I am, trying to find new bedding. We've been using the comforter shown here, which is fine and hides the dirt well, but I know deep down its by Steve Madden "teen' and I can't get over the somewhat immature feeling it gives off.

I've brought home 2 comforters/duvet covers and since returned them, and even had one in my cart until the very last minute, but I'm pretty sure shopping for duvets is the hardest thing EVER. Worse than childbirth.

I'm going for a grown up eclectic look in our house, with some layering and relaxation thrown in. I want something that doesn't overpower the room but that will also hide some of the dirt that the dog brings in. I also love having a throw at the bottom to break up the giant piece of furniture in our small room, as well as lots of different throw pillows at the head of the bed.

Here are some that I'm liking:

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See why I went with white in the first place?

I actually have some new favorites after putting these all in one place. Hopefully I can make a decision ASAP! Unfortunately a couple of these are on final sale, so I'm super hesitant to make a purchase, especially considering my duvet commitment issues!

Please lend me your thoughts on what you think I should do! Thanks!

Details: a work in progress

Not much to talk about today, so I wanted to share some 'work in progress' details with you. Maybe you can help inspire my next project! (cross your fingers its kitchen counters!!!)

After my Wednesday post last week, my friend and former roommate Kelly commented that I should use this typography quote for my next chalkboard wall inspiration:

So I did!

I used the format and the text as a guide and just copied it onto my wall with a little freehand action. I took Christa's advice this time and wet the chalk. It made for a more solid line and an easier time in general, but the texture on the wall is still my nemesis! 

(you can see why I want new counters so bad, right?!)

Emily already shared a few detail shots (much better with her pro camera!) but here are some more that I have taken along the way...

I might have already said this, but fresh flowers are one of my favorite things! Especially in big bunches. (coughmarkcough) I also love to have a candle lit at night. Try it! It automatically helps you de-stress, as well as turning down the overhead lights!

This table has followed me around a lot. I first got it for my room re-do at my parent's house my sophomore year in college. I bought it for $20 on sale at Ross, and it was a weird silvery-gold color. I spray painted it silver before it went it my room. Then, I took it with me when I moved into a house with my friend Jody in Lubbock. I brought it back with me to Dallas and it was in my first apartment. When Kelly and I moved in, we had a little fun and sprayed it a bright royal blue for our living room. It stayed that way for the apartment in Oak Cliff, and when I got it here I just used some leftover ORB and sprayed it again! Its the perfect little lightweight side table. The top used to have a mirror on it, but it broke somewhere down the line (I blame kitty cat paws and a strong jump) so I painted it with chalkboard paint when I painted the kitchen and I just drew a scalloped detail on it for now. Here it is in it's current state! Quite a story it has, right?

This bookshelf has been extremely useful, too. Its the LACK shelf from Ikea and I bought it when Kelly and I lived in our duplex to serve as a shoe compartment in my fun 'office/closet' space. I then used it as a bookshelf/room divider in the apartment and got a few comments on how useful it was that way. As soon as we brought it into the new house, we set it on the ground next to the window and voila! it is now a window seat and bookshelf. It's where people drop their items when they come in the door and many people have sat on it. It was a great buy!

Again with the flowers! I saved the mason jars and vases from our wedding, too. This one has gold glitter on the upper half, and it's one of my favorite flower vases!

Emily took a similar photo, but this is our dresser in our bedroom. I'm glad that I don't have too much cluttering the top, I want the bedroom to be more sparse than the rest of the house.

I've shown this detail before, but I'm still really loving this side table!

I bought a little grey rug just like this a couple of years ago from World Market and it rests in Mark's bathroom now. I always loved it, so I went back and got this wine colored one for my bathroom!

I've been holding off on showing more bathroom pictures because I've been on the search for the perfect window treatment fabric, but I'm coming up empty so far. I had Mark hang this Ikea bookshelf to hold some items that bring more color into the room (like our postcards from our honeymoon in Hawaii), plus its a convenient spot for my jewelry. I love it!

So, what are your favorite details in your house? Do the little things make you happy, or is it more about a large piece of furniture or a new appliance?

Happy Hump Day!

Trickery and Target

First I just want to recognize that while I'm so happy that my fave bloggers (Young House Love) are enjoying some vacay time in Destin, I am already missing their in-depth, consistent blog posts! Come back sooooon!!!

Mark hoodwinked me into another trip to the house last night. We went to look at a craigslist fridge ($300 and in good condition, score!) that happened to be just 2 miles from our house, so we swung by to pick up/drop off a few things. Turns out Mark had plans to continue the work on the trim when all the while I was looking forward to a night off watching trashy TV (of the Real Housewives/Bachelorette variety). So we stayed at the house for about an hour and a half and I took advantage of some Instagram worthy photo ops, seen below.

Here's Mark multi-tasking talking on the phone and trying to pry the old trim off the wall.

I also realized I didn't have any pics of Motley in the backyard, so I snapped a few (dozen).

crazy dog!

We had thrown a couple boxes of stuff in the car so I did my best unloading those and straightening up the aftermath of the weekend, and then I mostly relaxed in our $5 outdoor chair from Wal-Mart and pitched in on the trim when Mark needed my help. I also snapped these photos of some new bedding I snagged at Target yesterday that I'm WAY too excited about:

We aren't really planning on completely overhauling our furnishings for this house due to our lack of lottery winnings, but we do need some new bedding so I picked up the most cost effective white duvet cover I could find. There is just something about a white bed I have always loved. Plus, with a backyard, we now plan to NOT let Motley sleep with us, so this might last more than a week without needing to be washed. 

I also got this fun but muted orange and taupe herringbone 'organic' blanket to go at the bottom of our bed for some color. I've been a little into orange lately but don't want to go crazy and paint any walls that I might regret later, so I'm happy to satisfy my orange cravings with this throw. I think it will look super sharp against the white duvet and dark grey walls. Can't wait to start putting it all together!

After cruising around the aisles at target, I came across a few things that I would love to use in my house and things that are just good design in general. I decided to document these items so I could remember them later, and then I figured I would share them with you guys! This may be the beginning of a "Target Tuesday" post, but lets see if I make it to next week before I declare that.

Nate Berkus is all over Target right now and most of his items are pretty spot on with trends of the moment. I love these chevron/herringbone patterned sheets, especially the neutral. I'm not sure I would use the orange anywhere except a super neutral room, but I like how fun they are!

These side tables are exactly what I would want for our room. We don't have any proper side tables as of yet, but I'll have my eyes on these (or some like it) when the time comes. The footprint isn't too bulky yet there is plenty of table top space and the drawer always comes in handy. I just wish they had them in other colors!

Have you found anything fun at Target lately? Do you get sucked in like I do and roam the aisles or end up spending more than you had in mind? 

My vision: Master Bedroom

Happy Monday to you all!

We are two days away from closing on our house and we only have two more rooms to cover! I really cannot believe we are this close!

Today I'll share a bit about what we are thinking for the master bedroom. Here is a photo:

The room is pretty straightforward. Like the other rooms in the house, it isn't massive so we will keep it pretty simple in here. All of the closets in the bedrooms are the same size, so one of us will probably have to use closet space from the next room over. There are built-in cabinets to the left of the door when you walk in. I have to admit it is a little odd but I think maybe they were intended as a linen closet or something? Anyway, we will find a good use for them, I'm sure!

I want to continue the grey theme in here but get a little darker, maybe like this:

I just love the peaceful feel of grey walls! This room above has a little bit of a Restoration Hardware vibe going on, which is sweet, but it's not what is going on with our current bedroom decor. I think of myself as more of an Anthropologie-styled person. Here are some of their vignettes to give you an idea of which way I lean:

As you can see, Anthropologie is very 'eclectic'. This has quickly become my preferred design style, because it has a layering effect that makes it super easy to add on new trends and antiques alike. My budget doesn't allow me to buy ACTUAL Anthropologie items, but it is easy to recreate the look with things I find at thrift stores and places like Homegoods and Target.

Other stylish stores I like are Crate & Barrel....

 ...and also West Elm. Both of these have modern furnishings in a nice range of prices. If you ever need inspiration, just pick up a catalog and drool over their products and ideas. 

Here is the bed we currently own that is making the trip up to Richardson:

This bed is from Ikea but I couldn't find it on their website. I bought this when I moved into our duplex with my friend Kelly and I LOVE it. It's super simple yet makes a statement because of the tall headboard and footboard. By the way, Ikea is known for their styling and room transformations using their price friendly furniture and they have plenty of resources on their website. If you want to make a small change and need ideas, check it out!

We also have an Ikea Hemnes dresser that will be moving over with us, along with multiple small items. We are in need of a new comforter, so that might make it on the 'to buy' list sooner rather than later. Here are some items that have made me stop at Target recently:

Of course I'll have to get Mark's opinion on these, so stay tuned for our final choice!

As you can tell, my ideas for this room are almost non-existent except for the grey walls, but I will definitely share photos and tips as I start to decorate. I tend to go with the flow and use what I have to decorate, so my thoughts and ideas will start to perk up around that time. Until then, we continue the wait! 2 days until close!