17 December 2012

Holiday Decorating 2012


My holiday decorating has been rather lackluster, unmotivated, this year.  I had spent a share of this holiday season disappointed because I couldn't find affordable evergreen or balsam garland or even white Christmas lights, both of which I believed necessary to complete my holiday mantel.

Then this evening I went to Walgreens for something unrelated and found some cheap evergreen garland and white lights both!  So tonight I put in my new Netflix dvd and set about putting together my holiday mantel!  I am very happy with the results!

My holiday decorating of the livingroom, dining area, and kitchen area in a nutshell:





And this is my stocking.  My aunt made this for me when I was about 8 years old and I of course have kept it all these years.



26 October 2012

More red!

Continuing with the red theme, I have introduced more red into my living room.  The red pillows were 2 for $20 at Target during back to school shopping days and the red rug cost somewhere around $70 at Target.  (Unfortunately last night I introduced unwanted red into it, wet red nail polish landing on my beige microfiber sofa!)





17 October 2012

My first decorating project!


I spend much of my time in the living room, since my boisterous pup is not yet allowed on the bed and there isn't much else to this small apartment.

When I made plans to adopt a large breed dog I knew I had to make more room for a dog somehow.  I had limited space in my living room before the dog, so I had quite a challenge ahead of me.

Since the coffee table took up so much space in the living room, I moved the coffee table to the wall.  Then I purchased an outdoor porch cushion at Walmart for around $59, attached velcro to the cushion and the table so the two would stick together properly.  I did learn that regular velcro does not stick well to fabric.  When I either find a coupon for Command-brand products or find some extra money and will purchase the Command-brand rug anchors  since it evidently works better with upholstery and try that instead.

My little project led to more space in the room and more seating!  I admit I'm pretty proud of myself for coming up with this.  *smile*


Starring the king of the castle, Jasper.

12 October 2012

A new addition!


On July 28th I visited APA of MO to look for a nice Labrador Retriever or Labrador Retriever mix to bring into my home.  This is where I met Boo.

His name was Moe then.  He was one of the prettiest dogs I had ever seen.  He was seven months old and already 56 lbs. (!) They brought him to a room for me to visit him and when I taught him sit in just ten minutes I decided I could handle this puppy.  I had, you see, intended to adopt a dog that was at least a year old.  Adult dogs are after all calmer and easier to train after all.  I couldn't resist this face though.



Well... It has been more challenging than Boo initially led me to believe.  He has been "all puppy" since I brought him home.  He continues to chase the cat no matter what I do, which has been quite frustrating. We're still working on his pulling on the leash too.  When he is around other dogs he tends to hump them, so we are going to wait to make doggy friends until he's hopefully calmer in a couple of months.

We did make it relatively successfully through obedience training in spite of these challenges, though.  We worked through potty training and he is doing awesome with that.  He is doing better at entertaining himself when I am tired after work and just want to watch something on Netflix and surf on Pinterest, which makes for a happier mommy.  Of course most of the time his entertaining himself means playing with one of his four chew bones for five minutes and then lying looking bored while surrounded by toys.  Go figure.  Silly dog.

Boo is nine months now, as of the 28th of last month.  He must weigh close to 60 or 65 pounds now.  He's much taller and longer than when I adopted him.  He may get even bigger than this too.

Evidently he is a Labrador - Catahoula Leopard mix and the Catahoula Leopard breed of dog can get up to 90 lbs.  I sure hope he doesn't get that big!  Though he & I are making our way through puppy chaos together and he is a sweet boy I would not have necessarily adopted him if I had known of the traits of a Catahoula Leopard dog .  He might not be the best match for my lifestyle and I may not be the best match for his needs.  All the same, he really is a good dog, a very sweet dog, and I'm glad to have him in my life.

10 October 2012

Getting organized

I found some cute bins and baskets along the way and organized my kitchen cupboards.  I will show pics of the rest of the organized cupboards some other time, but here are a few I organized:





07 October 2012

Red is my favorite color after all.

I continued with the red theme in the kitchen and this is what I came up with:


That's Jasper on the left, the King of the castle. The magnets, no matter how I arrange them, clutter up the front of the fridge, but I really like them so I keep them anyway.

I really like how the red planters look on the bar.  I think they finish the space up rather nicely.

I'm back!


It’s been a long time since I have blogged.  During my time away I have done a lot with my apartment and it’s looking pretty good, I must say!  Target and the Family Dollar have been my best friends for decorating on a tight budget. 

In the coming posts I will share photos of my updated décor, organization, and projects.  I will post about other things too, of course! 

I am not currently crafting and haven’t had the energy for it since I moved back to St. Louis; however, it is my plan to return to it soon.  I need to do more than just post awesome new pins to my Pinterest boardsPinterest really is addictive! I dare you to try it and then stop!

Well look for new posts in coming days and if you’re still a reader, thank you!