Change.

Starting fresh in this new year means some change.

For me, I have a little more free time, I have made a serious commitment to setting up an online shop, and I'm gonna buy my first car (with no parental help, well...not much at least).  Change for my blog of course is natural and I am going to use it as an inspiration tool.  I will post projects whenever they come up along with other whats-its and oddities.  This week amongst a somewhat busy timeline, I made room for a quick makeover.

Along with the makeover we did some Buffalo exploring, we had friends visit for a couple of nights, and we took Addie to her first trip to Niagara Falls!

When I say quick makeover, I mean that very loosely because all and all the project took us about 5 hours...  It did pay off though.  It looks SO much better.  See?

Before Kitchen Window.

Ta- Da.

After Kitchen Window!

  

Pardon the dirty dishes.

We have the luxury in living in an old Buffalo house that I adore, but it certainly looks better with a fresh coat of paint over some of the beat up bits.  Just this whitewash makes the whole kitchen lighter.  Of course we now have to do the cabinets.....ugh.  Painting is so bitter sweet.  

Some other highlights;

Our walk through Delaware Park.

I love this Buffalo mansion.  Lions live here.

Our friends, Alex & Addie getting misted.

Exploring Niagara Falls Park.

Always beautiful.

I'm a happy bear.

Red.

"When you're feeling blue, wear red." - said the american designer Pauline Trigere.

I couldn't agree more.

Being that it is the first cold day we've had in Buffalo, this is the time of year when everyone starts to hibernate and perhaps feel a little blue.  Not that blue isn't just fine, but red is to needless to say, fabulous.

Take it from some of my favorite style icons.

Bridget Bardot - Somehow makes pigtails look sexy - Playful Red.

Jackie O - Somehow makes smoking/balancing/taking a picture look adorable- Casual Red.

Elizabeth Taylor - Loved love, and diamonds - Girl Next Door Red.

Daphne Guinness - Wearing 10 yards of fabric look effortless - Avant-Garde Red.

Grace Kelly - Nothing to say other than beautiful - Classic Red.

Greta Garbo - Just Plain Romantic Red.

Don't these ladies make you wanna wear red?

2012 Manifesto.

In the spirit of resolutions and all the New Year stuff, I present this!

Made by Aileen of CreatingClever.com - Here is the Post!

I didn't make this but I absolutely love it.  I'm thinking I might make one like it.  

Sometimes all you need is a little inspiration.  

Happy 2012!

Another year has slipped by, and I'm somehow always caught off guard.  This was an amazing year with some definite highs and lows, but I think I'm ready for a fresh start.

About a year ago I started this blog, and it definitely served its purpose.  I have created so many various things over the course of 2011 and I'm happy to say I think I did a pretty good job.  So I may have slacked off recently, but only with the posting, definitely not with the creating (I tried to make every Christmas gift, and almost did it successfully!).  And maybe there were some other lulls in the year....but these things are hard....

This year I plan to do a bunch more projects, and incorporate more inspiration pieces/anything else I find and like into this blog.  And of course pictures of my dog and kitties, cause I'm sure everyone is just dying to see them.  They are all just sooo cute.

I hope everyone else had as good of a New Year's Eve as I did, and also a very good year in general.  Let's hope that 2012 brings more good things for us.

Here are some (overdue) pictures of our new baby girl Addie.

She loves Christmas sweaters.  You can tell, right?

Dog.

Alex and I got a dog!

She is beautiful, and wonderful and I will post pictures soon!

I'm in love.

Bathroom = Done.

I have once again finished a small piece of the puzzle that is our apartment.  Little by little, it's happening.

Bathroom Before = Sterile, Lame.

Bathroom After - Project #41

Inside of the Medicine Cabinet - Before.

Clean White Medicine Cabinet - After.

Gross Rusty Old Heat Grate - Before.

New White Heat Grate - After.

Yucky Metal Shower Rod - Before.

Painted White Shower Rod - After.

Now it looks like a totally new bathroom.  Nothing a few coats of blue paint and white Rust-oleum couldn't fix.  

And in other news, my wonderful Dad brought me more of my things from home, so now we have MORE unpacking to do.  Although, remembering things that I haven't had in two months, is kind of like Christmas morning, and I do LOVE Christmas.  So I suppose that is the silver lining.  The fun just never ends around here.

Gray Kitty #2 - A.K.A. Anza.

This has picture has nothing to do with anything except for that she is cute, and always helpful with my projects.  (And by helpful, I mean that she does not help in any way shape or form and almost always gets in the way, needs attention, knocks something over, or dips her paws in paint just to leave kitty prints everywhere.)  

What a little cutie.

Dining Room - Check.

In this seemingly never ending quest to get our apartment together, another step is now complete.

This past week I had 2 FULL days off, and I spent them finding the perfect dining room table and chairs, and then of course changing them.

I was looking for an old picnic table, and with wonderful luck the last place I went to look for one, I found one!  And it came with 4 benches!  Woot.

Before - Sad Dining Room and Picnic Table

After - Completed Dining Room - Project #40

It took about a dozen coats of paint, but I did it.  And in the end it cost about $60 for everything too, so I think it was an all around win.  

Also, when I was painting one of the thousands of coats, it started to snow!  

Our First Snowfall From our Porch.

I am a stupidly excited about this snow, which makes absolutely no sense because I guarantee in two months I will be cursing this very thing.  But, for now, I love it.  I might have started listening to Christmas music too......I can't help myself.

Getting There.

The apartment is coming along, verrrrrrrrrry slowly.  But, there are small improvements every day (probably more like once a week).

Well, here it is!

Curtains - Project #39

I have to admit, that these were already curtains when I picked them up at the thrift store.  However, the length was all wrong, and they needed a new sleeve at the top.  It was an easy fix, but now we have the luxury of a little bit of privacy from the neighbors.  Hooray!

In other news, we also have a new (temporary) kitty.  

Meet Lily.

She is our friend's who is going on a travel adventure for a little bit, and seeing as how we love gray kitties that look exactly the same, we just couldn't say no.  So, now we have three.  And nobody can tell them apart.  It's perfect.

Tea Time.

Today was such a beautiful warm fall day, it's hard to imagine that winter is just around the corner.  But, anyone in NY knows that it definitely is coming.  And soon.

Of course I am a little excited, everyone likes winter for a little.  In preparation for the cold- today I made a tea shelf!

Tea Shelf - Project #38

I thrifted this shelf for $4, painted it white, added some mug hooks, screwed on a jar, and hung the shelf.  It was easy, and now it keeps all of our tea stuff organized and ready for the winter.  Eventually the jar will probably hold loose leaf tea, but until then it's holding a few random teabags.  I'm getting one step closer to getting our new apartment organized as well.....it's a work in progress of course.

Rabbit Rabbit Day.

Happy November First!
October flew by, but of course I am beyond ready for Thanksgiving and Christmas season!  I love this time of year.

But before I get ahead of myself, I thought I would post some Halloween pictures.

Prom of the Dead

My Prom Date and Myself 

Dead Chicks.

Then for Friday night Halloween festivities I was Rosie the Riveter.

You Can Do It.

With the Sexy Brawny Man.

And for Saturday night....

Blondie & Dagwood.

So much fun.  Best of all, I've already got my costume idea ready for next Halloween.  Hope everyone had as much fun as I did.