Living Room Inspiration

Our new kitchen is a pretty big project that will be a little more intensive, so in the meantime I'm focusing on breathing new life into our living room.  It's already changed a ton since the image below was taken (what it looked like when we moved in), mostly just because our furniture and artwork is in there now, but I really want to give it a fresh coat of white paint (especially on the dark, heavy fireplace), some pops of color and pattern, and lots of plants!

We've got a door with a window similar to the one second to last in this post, and I've already got yellow paint to brighten it up.  I think the other walls will end up with white, but I might do a fun statement wall on one of the smaller walls.  Since we don't live here permanently I can't do super crazy stuff, so I may end up using removable wallpaper from Walls Need Love like I did in our last house, which was a really great way to update without the pressure of committing to a crazy paint job (or committing to a crazy paint job that takes months to finish.  Walls Need Love actually made that pattern into a wallpaper so you don't have to become a crazy person like me).

Images sources (except before image below): 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10

Mostly I just want the space to feel inspiring, bright, and happy.  I want lots more plants (I need a snake plant and super tall cactus, like, yesterday), and I have a couple of vintage chairs that my parents got at a garage sale that I really would love to reupholster to bring them into the vibes of the space I have envisioned.  Luckily their upholstery is super simple (basically just 4 rectangular pads), so I think I can DIY that!  

A super big project that will probably be down the line is putting built-in cabinets/shelving on either side of the fireplace.  As you can see, that whole side of the room has a sort of weird step up that makes it virtually non-functional for furniture, so building in some shelving (much like Elsie's white shelving) would make that space much more useful and I would even love to put some upholstered pads in front of the shelving next to the fireplace for reading nook seating!  Like I said, that's a huge project that probably won't happen in the next few months, but who knows, maybe I'll get a huge burst of nesting energy and go for it before the baby comes!  Now to convince my dad to help me build this cabinetry...

Maternity Style // Week 12

We're in the last few weeks of summer up here in Anchorage, but these photos were taken back at the beginning of summer in Washington!  I will miss this spot for photos, and driving this car around town.  Well, there are lots of things, and people, I will miss about Tacoma and Seattle, but I'll be back at least once before the babe arrives.  It's nice that it's only a short flight away (well, 3.5 hours might not seem short, but from Anchorage it's about the shortest flight you can take and be in the Lower 48).

I'm definitely feeling more "curvalicious," if you will, these days.  After the couple of months during my first trimester where I wanted to just sleep all day every day, I tried to stay active, but with the big move, I've fallen off of pretty much every single wagon there is.  Now that we're settled I'm focusing on getting back into a routine, bringing some fitness activities back into my life, and eating healthy and whole foods.

Top + Skirt : c/o Lulu's | Shoes : Betsey Johnson c/o Modcloth | Bag : c/o Fossil
Shades : UrbanXChange

Maternity Style | Week 10 + 11

Still not showing much, and by now I'm jealous of my ability to wear a belt around my waist!  At this point in my pregnancy the only thing that had really grown was my boobs!  And whoa, that was (and still is) quite a change!  As someone who has always had very small breasts, suddenly having them is pretty odd!  How do you people walk around with these things on your chests?  Just kidding (sort of).  It's a bit fun to see what it's like to actually have something sizable up there, and I'm glad they aren't bigger because I know things will change again once my milk comes in!  So bizarre how your body just all of a sudden flips a switch and starts making a bunch of changes! 

I've kept this dress in my closet because it's super stretchy and the fabric is soft and comfy.  I haven't worn it recently, but I think it'd still be cute, belted above the bump this time! I might break it out in the next few weeks for another styling attempt.

Cardigan + Dress : c/o Modcloth | Belt + Hat : Thrifted | Necklace : c/o Tribe Jewelry
Boots : c/o Kensie Girl

During week 11 we were in Iceland and I didn't really take any outfit photos.  We were living out of the back of a Nissan Pathfinder, which meant that I mostly wore the same outfit every day.  Getting dressed in the back of a car isn't really cute-outfit conducive, and I was more interested in being comfortable and exploring anyway.  I wore black jeans, boots, a plaid flannel top, scarf, and jacket pretty much the whole trip.

Jeans : c/o For Elyse | Coat : c/o Modcloth (2+ years old) | Scarf : H&M | Boots : Keens via REI | 
Hat : c/o The North Face | photos by Dan

Kitchen Reno Inspiration

If you follow over on Pinterest, you've probably noticed an uptick in decor-related pins.  Moving into a new space always coincides with a search for new inspiration.  I loved our house, but I also had rearranged and decorated it so many different ways already, it will be refreshing (and a fun new challenge) to re-do a whole new space.

The biggest room I'm looking forward to freshening up is our new kitchen.  It has new wood laminate flooring, but the rest of the kitchen is sorely in need of an update.  Old, dated oak cabinets, off-white formica counters, and an ivory fridge that was probably born in the 80's.  It's nice and perfectly functional, but with a few updates I feel like the kitchen could be amazing.  We've got an open layout, so the living area and kitchen are all essentially one big space, so updating the kitchen will make a huge impact on the feel of the space.  

Overall I feel like it's got a nice layout and plenty of space.  My vision is white cabinets (I'd love to remove some of the uppers and replace with open shelving, but logistically I don't think that's do-able), maybe a new countertop (I love a wood butcher block counter, but also maybe something like a light white/grey marble look?), white walls with white subway tile backsplash, cover the fridge in some cool removeable wallpaper, and possibly give the island a colorful base (I'm loving the yellow island in my inspiration below!).  There's also some dead space next to the fridge which I'd love to utilize as either pantry open shelving, or maybe a place for organizing/admin stuff: a little desk, a calendar, cubbies for mail, etc. 

I've also learned that plants can completely transform the feel of a space, so I'd love to add lots of greenery, though definitely something low-light friendly and hardy to make it through the dark Alaskan winters!

Check out some of my favorite inspiration images below, or if you need more inspiration, head over to my Pinterest!

photo sources (in order): The Brauns | Hannah Blackmore | Nine + Sixteen | The Brauns | Mariloubiz | Planete Deco | Lingered Upon | Sycamore Street Press | Design*Sponge | Jas Design Build | Design*Sponge

Maternity Style | Week 8 + 9

Part of me feels a little silly sharing these super early on "maternity" outfits because I most certainly was not showing, but I was pregnant, so I suppose it counts? Either way, it was nice enjoying the last few weeks of having a waist and being able to wear high-waisted things.  All of my clothes that are tight and un-stretchy around the waist are now in storage waiting to be retrieved some time next year.

Dress : Forever 21 | Sheer top : c/o Modcloth | Necklace : Free People
Ring : c/o Moorea Seal | Shoes : c/o Seychelles

During week 9 I was up in Sitka, AK for my cousin's wedding, so I had my mom grab a couple shots of my wedding attire.  I always feel a bit like a wizard in this dress with its crazy bell sleeves.

Dress : Free People | Necklaces : c/o Tribe Jewelry | Shoes : c/o Seychelles