Soup for my Soul

Some things work just because, 

no rhyme or reason.

Some things fix symptoms 

in ways we can't really understand

(brownies always cure bad days). 

And some things fix ailments

we don't even realize we had until they've passed. 

This past weekend I headed home with the boyfriend 

 for a brief couple days with my family.

We didn't go out to eat, we didn't visit with anyone else, 

we stayed simple, 

chatting about silly things

and just soaking up each others company. 

I made the hike home 

after a conversation only a couple weeks prior, 

my parents tired from the chaos of a house under construction 

and life with two aging parents of their own,

and a simple request for Tom and I to visit soon. 

And this weekend worked out, 

no events, weddings, or showers to attend, 

just a drive westward to the green fields of upstate New York. 

Last week was a good week, 

June arriving with much more enthusiasm and positivity

than how May departed. 

But sitting on my family's couch 

I realized how badly I had needed that little respite, 

how much the visit meant to my loved ones

and how much my soul had needed it too. 

And the really great strawberry shortcake 
was pretty fantastic as well.
 

photo via my Instagram

Diving Into Decor

I've always been passionate about style and beauty, and since college, my interest in food has grown quickly, becoming a prominent factor in my life. But more recently, my interest in home decor and design has been emerging, creeping in, catching my eye more and more.

While I've enjoyed decorating in the past, helping my Mom choose wallpaper and paint colors, collecting swatches at Home Depot, giving my opinion on what item to place where, it has been as I've matured, developing my own sense of style, and as I've moved into my own apartments that I've had the opportunity to create something that truly represents me. 

Most recently, with my current apartment, my eagerness to create an authentic sense of home, one that reflects my personal style meshed with that of my (good sport of a) boyfriend, has grabbed ahold of me. Moving in together was a chance to take stock of the odd assortment of items we've each collected over the years, and since we weren't able purchase new versions of each and every item of furniture and appliance, it's taking time as I continue to streamline our aesthetic, slowly replacing old items from college with newer, better standing, more mature counterparts (goodbye plastic bins.)  

I'm eagerly diving into the depth of decor and design inspiration available, replying on my classic resources that arrive in my Inbox (One Kings Lane, Joss & Main) and excited to discover new sources (Pine Cone Hill and their gorgeous linens) and the endless amount of glorious design sites and blogs (Apartment Therapy, Elements of Style, Things That Sparkle & more.)

But as much as I'd love to dive into the deep end and start a full redecoration project in my little humble abode, it truly is one step at a time, one purchase at a time, and first up on my list is a new table lamp for our living room, one with adequate light for reading when the main ceiling lamp is off but nothing that takes attention away from our big, beautiful built-in window shelf unit.

Here are a few that caught my eye during a recent online browsing session, but I'm not ready to settle with just one yet...the searching continues, but I'm finding out that that is half the fun. 

Lamps sourced from:

Top Row, L to R: Pottery Barn for left and center images, Restoration Hardware

Bottom Row, L to R: One Kings Lane, Restoration Hardware, Ones Kings Lane

Top photo via Pinterest 

Pinning & Planning

My Mom recently became introduced to, and by introduced I mean has become quite smitten with, Pinterest.

As I’ve helped instruct her on the ins and outs of creating boards, pinning, re-pinning and learning about the ability to completely lose track of time as you scroll down the Pinterest pages, I quickly realized how much I have been missing this site in my life (my productivity may disagree but you can’t win all your battles).

I quickly jumped on the Pinterest wagon in its infancy but over the past few months barely frequented the site, my boards left stagnant, my time online spent reading blogs, articles and Twitter.

Wow, I’ve been missing out.

I forgot how inspiring and motivated you can feel as you browse through the images and ideas. I may even go as far as to say Pinterest has seemed to have improved since my last tenure. 

The boy and I have been in my new apartment since September and while we’ve been 99% moved in for awhile now, its those final details that are driving me nuts. That random box of frames, the blank walls in the dining room, I’ve been racking my brain on how to distribute/store/organize/decorate, how to add some finishing touches on this apartment that I love so much, one that I plan on staying in for at least a couple years. 

And now Pinterest has re-entered my life and along with it, the hope and promise of fresh ideas, DIY-projects to consider, ways to transform my apartment into my home. 

Thank you Mom for reminding me of this gem and with your new passion for pinning, I’m thinking we can put together some pretty fantastic plans. 

Here are some photos that are currently getting me excited and eager to work on my interior design and make our living quarters really feel like ours: 

more of my Pinterest boards & photos can be viewed here

Recovering

I’m hibernating.

For the past few weekends, 

I’ve veered away from most social activities, 

I’ve passed on going-out opportunities, 

in favor of staying home. 

Which is not to say, 

I haven’t been busy on these weekends.

I’ve done laundry, 

I’ve cleaned and tidied my apartment.

I’ve had wonderful meals with the boy 

and we’ve ran errands.

I’ve started into my never-ending pile of magazines, 

we’ve watched movies. 

I started a new workout routine

 and dived into organizational goals I have for myself.

But overall, I’ve been pretty anti-social. 

I’ve chosen my couch over bars and parties. 

And it has been wonderful.

My work weeks tend to be busy, 

tend to be scheduled to the brim. 

And I was started to break, 

to feel like I wasn’t on solid ground any more. 

After the holidays, 

I was worn out.

The new year is for fresh starts, 

and I wanted, 

I needed, 

to make one, 

to really take care of me. 

I don’t currently even have much desire to go out on a Friday night, 

but I know that I will again, 

when there is actually something worthwhile,

 to get dressed up for and head out on the town. 

So until then, 

my weekends are for recovery, 

recovery from my hectic work week, 

recovery from too little sleep, 

from too much stimulation and stress, 

my weekends are for physical, mental and emotional recovery.

With this recovery time, 

I’m hoping my creativity will grow, will renew, 

will inspire me for future projects and new ideas.

So on that note, 

I’m off to make a good dinner, 

and enjoy my favorite tv shows, 

as the boy is out of town tonight

and the remote and DVR is all mine.

And I don’t feel one bit guilty about it, 

because it’s going to be great.

I’ll let you know when I’m ready to come out of my hibernation.

It’s bound to be for something pretty fabulous.

photo courtesy of Glitter Guide’s Pinterest