House dreaming: stripes

So, now that Garret and I have found our rent house (that cute lil gal above), I am SO excited about planning the decor for it and picking out DIY projects for us to tackle. My creativity and "take on way too much at one time"-ness + Garret's mechanical ingenuity and determination could equal either homey awesomeness or (really fun) trouble. (I'm voting for the former, mostly.)

Consequently, I have a new found addiction to HGTV and Apartment Therapy. I can't tell you how many AT posts I have starred in my reader. Because it would be outrageous.

Anyways, today I was enchanted by this gallery of rooms with painted stripes. So dang fun! Can I paint some stripes? Please, Garret!? I mean, no I can't necessarily think of a room in our will-be home where stripes could work, but they're just so pretty to look at! (Ooh! Maybe the office/craft room!?!)

My favorites are the really wide horizontal stripes across just one wall of a room. I think it adds nice visual interest and movement to a space. (And yes, that's me pretending like I know what I'm talking about.)


And, who wouldn't want a circus tent-esque bathroom!?! I'm on board with it. Too bad the bathroom in our quirky lil house has piiink tile. (I'm going to try to play up other, more neutral colors in there so that Garret doesn't throw up every morning.) Anyways... striped bathroom dream officially shot down... for now.

my office

I've been meaning to post this for a while. I guess it's a little late since I've been at my job for 4.5 months! I like my individual office - I have lots of privacy, and freedom to decorate how I want. And although I do sometimes miss having more interaction with people throughout the day, it's easy to get up and go talk to some of the sweet ladies I work with. I am very grateful for my job and the kind people I work with! Anyhoo, I've decorated my office some, and since most of you probably won't ever come visit me - which is a shame since I'm just in Research park! - here are a few photos of it. I've added a few things since I took these, but you get the idea.

This bookshelf is very functional, but also randomly light blue and unattached the the wall it is beside. I took all of my teal and red things up to my office, and I like the mix of pictures from London with ceramics from China (and home).

I found this cute little tiny bus from Panama in my office and it is seriously now one of my favorite things ever. (It probably was left behind by our old director, who traveled a lot.) It's just so cute! I like to look at the tiny little people and vegetables in it, and then drive it across the top of my monitor. :)

Lots of knick knacks, including: my Mary Englebreit tear-off calendar, the box of scripture Mag gave me for my bday, Garret and I from our 5-year mark, phone charms from China, and Mongolian leather products.

Clockwise: Lonely old red bridge columns in the Thames - one of my favorite sights in London, plum (I think?) tree at the farm, awesome desert in China (sorry about the finger prints), and the view through a window in the Great Wall.

I like my desk :)

This is the view from my desk. If I open the blinds of the window in the hallway (to the right in this photo) then I can see a little sunlight, so that's nice!

In conclusion, even though you just got a glimpse of my office, you should still come visit me some time! :)