a wild shower

it feels like a year ago we were throwing this shower for my best friend Courtney...her bridal shower in August 2012.

then just a few months later (but actually almost 2 years later) another bridal shower, this time for my other best friend Arielle.

fast forward almost a year later to Valentine's Day 2015- being shown an ultrasound picture and me bursting into tears because the baby Tyler and Courtney had wanted and prayed for was a reality! as the first of my closest friends to have a baby, it has been such a joy and blessing to her about the bad times (and experience them by not being able to eat pizza around Courtney for a few months) and the good times (going from feeling Gage kicking to being able to WATCH him roll around her belly these past few weeks).

as much as they prayed for a healthy baby, I knew they really wanted a boy- so I was thrilled when they announced the gender to our friend group. a little too thrilled, as I cut this video short by accident.

the outfit I bought for them to open if it was a boy :)

there are so many people who love Courtney and Tyler, so we had a lot of minds working on ideas and hands creating this great shower! without further ado, here's some of my favorite pictures of Gage's "Where the Wild Things Are" shower.

Tami, Courtney's brother's wife/sister-in-law, made this cute outfit garland! including some personalized onesies for Gage.

Lisa, Courtney's mother-in-law, is a wizard with some nature and decorating simply but gorgeously.

the food table- Mary & Lisa did a great job coordinating all the food, especially the cute watermelon boat Mary made!

looking at this beautiful cake makes me giggle, because it was a Pinterest find that Tyler sister/Courtney's sister-in-law Lacey worked for a long time on and then the first attempt literally fell over inside the fridge. cake and frosting everywhere. it was so frustrating for her but all she could do was laugh! we ate cake as we decorated and they managed to make and decorate a new cake by the time of the shower and it all turned out great. delicious chocolate cake with buttercream and salted caramel frosting.

crown cookies baked by Arielle, decorated by me ;)

the proud grandmas, Mary & Lisa! featuring the great banner Courtney's sister-in-law Meggan made.

ladies on Tyler's side of the family

opening her many wonderful gifts for Gage!

ladies on Courtney's side of the family

Uncle Tyler- the soon to be dad1

Aunt Arielle & Aunt Lexi love you Gage!

I can't wait for this little boy to make his appearance any day now. I know he will have a lot of aunts and uncles in his life who love him, and I'm so grateful I get to be one even if it's not "blood" ;) 

a {tiny} home tour

I love looking at people's home tours on blogs. I find them on Pinterest, by way of other people's blogs, or wherever. these are some of my favorites- San Francisco styling  ; Florida sunshine ; & a Chicago apartment.

as I'm in the process of looking for a home to buy (ahhhh!), I wanted to remember & appreciate my apartment for what it is- a homey, simple, & beautiful place I love calling my own and filling with things that make me happy.

one of my favorite things- an old desk my brother abandoned after college works out perfectly as a coffee bar with storage space for mugs and room for all the important beverages. in winter nights, I keep the twinkly lights on & turn off most all other lights. makes for the coziest setting.

my small kitchen table covered with the contents of my first Downtown Toledo Farmer's Market trip. love these colors! I honestly only use my kitchen table when I have people over, a downside of my limited dining space. 

my gallery corner. it's changed from time to time whether it's a chair or this desk there. I love having my memories in one spot rather than scattered around the room. the frames add just enough color to my living room without being overwhelming. I've loved having my grandma's school desk in my apartment, & Chloe loves curling up behind it.

my bedroom is probably the 2nd least decorated room in my apartment, after my office/ catch-all room, but it's soothing & I like it. I kept my bouquet from my best friend's wedding and it's (faded but still) purple ties in with my bedding, which is both purple & gray. my only complaint about this room is the window being so high up. but I am lucky to have a good sized bedroom in an apartment.

 my major problem with jewelry, scarves & purses is I have SO many- I forget to wear/ use them. I solved this problem for my necklaces by hanging a curtain rod on the wall by my bedroom door, so they're displayed.

  

I didn't have a closet in my last 2 residences, so I got this cheap hanging rack from Ikea. now, it's a lifesaver as I plan my outfits a week ahead of time. it makes it much easier to get up at 6:30 in the morning when I know my clothes are all laid out & ready for me to just grab & go. I look at the forecast for the week ahead & go from there. may seem a bit too much, but organization makes my life way easier.

& my favorite- my living room. I spend most of my time out here. I love having people over, & am always trying to add to my seating so I can have more spaces for people. while I parted ways badly from my previous roommate, she left me with the beautiful gift of transforming my hand-me-down dresser (once white- then black) into a brilliant red that ties my whole room together. I love you chalk paint. 

& that's basically it. aside from my not-worthy-of-photographing office, bathroom & copious amounts of closets, that's my home. I love living here, I love being able to walk to downtown Perrysburg in 2 minutes, & I love the safety I feel here. but I'm definitely excited to find a house & make it into my home.