vine

like a lot of folks, i jumped on the vine bandwagon.  made my first little video yesterday while out thrift shopping.  i think this is gonna be fun :)

find me as 'amandromeda'

two step

a few weeks ago, i shared some pics of home improvement projects i wanted to tackle this year.  well, this weekend we managed to cross one off the list!  matt and i spent our saturday night staining the wooden steps in our stairwell that lead up to our front door.  we went with a blueish tinted stain just for something a bit different.  and sunday afternoon, i wrote lyrics to an all time favorite song of mine on the stairs so you can read it as you head into the house.  i really love how they turned out!  and i can't wait to finish up the other projects we have planned!



'two step' by dave matthews
celebrate we will
because life is short but sweet for certain
we're climbing two by two
to be sure these days continue
things we cannot change
oh my love you came to me
like wine comes to this mouth
grown tired of water all the time
you quench my heart and you quench my mind

puffer

i wore this outfit on a day that seems right now a lifetime ago.  it was a saturday and a cold wind whipped through the alley that is adjacent to my shop.  and while i totally dig this puffer vest (made for a much larger, burly man) it didn't do that much to keep me warm.  nor did my shoes, as a matter of fact.  but sometimes you just wear what you feel.  
details:
all thrifted items :)

heartfelt thanks

i want to thank you all so very much for the sweet comments, tweets, texts, and calls about my mom.  these last few days have been tough, but i have never before felt so blessed and loved.  i wish i could respond to each one of you personally, but i just can't. and i can't even put into words how much i truly cherish your prayers and encouragement.  
the funeral service yesterday was beautiful.  it wasn't about sadness, but rather a celebration of life and hope.  we shared sweet memories and pictures and songs.  it was one of the hardest yet most wonderful days of my life.  i know that in the coming days and months, i'll realize just how much i miss her.  but really, i was so blessed to have been her daughter.  and i can't wait to see her again!

goodbye

yesterday at 6:15pm, we said goodbye to the most amazing woman i've ever known.  my mom passed peacefully from this life to the next after suffering a ruptured aneurysm.  it's surreal, it hasn't fully set in that she's gone.  but i am at peace.  two years ago, my mom had a stroke that severely affected her left side.  she was unable to use that hand or walk without a cane.  i know that now she has a perfect body, one that will never see fatigue or blemish.  
i'm so thankful for the legacy she leaves behind.  she taught me how to love my husband and my son, how to cook, to sew.  she always encouraged me and gave me advice about kids, business, and driving in bad weather.  she was an incredibly independent and strong woman, but always with gentleness and compassion.  
i miss her.
and i'm sad.
but that's okay.

interior plans

as i've been thinking about my plans for 2013, i've decided it's about time i do a little domestic TLC.  i love this place and over the last year, it's become much more than a home to me.  kinda like an extension of our family.  i've made and cultivated friendships here that will last a lifetime.  we've lived in this loft four years now and it's about time she gets some new digs.

there's just so much about this photo that i love, but what i'm focusing on here is the inspiration wall of magazine tearouts and photographs.  as much as i'd love to wallpaper my tiny watercloset in my bathroom, it doesn't make much sense to spend the time and money on a room that frankly only me and matt see.  but this could be fun.
       
i want a new rug in the living area and i'd like something bold and graphic.  
via desire to inspire
           
we have a boring black metal door leading into the house from our stairwell.  great for security reasons, pretty ugly on the eyes.  but how fabulous would it be to paint something bright and cheery to greet our guests?!  yep.  totally doing this.
                 
our bedroom is pretty plain.  i want to bring more color and pattern into that room like i have everywhere else in the house.  using different layers and textures to make it warm and inviting and relaxing.  first step is a new duvet.

i love books.  and i really love stacks of books everywhere.  i've already got a pretty good one started by my bed, but my idea is to just start collecting and stacking them all over the house.  then, when i need a new book to read, i've got my very own library to choose from.
via desire to inspire

we have wooden stairs leading up to our front door that are looking kinda sad after four years of stomping up and down.  i'd love to clean them up a bit and then write an inspirational quote up the steps.  
via desire to inspire
i took these images from my pinterest folder and a lot of them sadly don't have original sources :(