A 25 in 25 update...

Today, I turn 25 years old...and I feel kind of old...I thought it would be good to keep ya'll updated (and keep myself accountable) on my 25 in 25 challenge. Go here for the original post...So here's what I've accomplished so far...and yes I realize it's cheating starting the challenge a month before my birthday...but guess what It's my birthday and I'll do what I want...
1. Join a wine club...Done!! This was actually a pretty great gift from the hubby!
2. Have a date night once a week....I think we've pretty much kept up with this one, but I think we should focus on the qualities of these dates...a netflix movie while eating dinner on the couch is not a date made. 

3. Go on a spontaneous trip.....Haven't even thought about this one yet...:(

4. Decide whether this is the year we will start a family....Haven't really decided on this yet either...there are many considerations...

5. Expand my design services.......Still thinking on this one...

6. Learn to really cook...I signed up for classes starting near Christmas!!!
7. Get organized, especially our ridiculously cluttered attic....We have started this process with our closets and hallway closets, but haven't gotten to the attic or garage yet. 

8. Finally decide on, and buy a new car...I think I'm getting closer to a decision on this one....we are trying to save up so we can put at least half down. 

9. Cut my hair...Nope, not yet..

10. Finally design my bedroom....Started the process...pictures to come. 

11. Finish my online design classes....Will be done in the early spring!!!

12. Purge...We have too much stuff...I would like to give away/sell/throw out 500 items out of our home. ..We are about halfway there...I actually think we will double the original number in donated items alone :)

13. Take more pictures...If you follow me on Instagram or Facebook, ya know I'm doing this one!

14. Create a budget...and actually stick to it...I'm proud to say we have done quite well on this one, and have been able to put a pretty nice chunk of change away already! We are using this method, and it's really working for us...the first month we realized that we had been spending over $1000 on stuff we didn't even realize we were buying and that's a good amount to put away each month towards a new car.

15. Do one random act of kindness a week...At least once a week, once you really think about it, it comes very easily.

16. Take a stay-cation...Hubby hasn't taken the time off work yet, but definitely will happen. 

17. Reach 100 followers..Not even close! If you're a reader become a follower!!!

18. See a broadway show during the holidays...Still have awhile on this one :)

19. Go to an apple orchard/pumpkin patch in the fall. It's planned!

20. Go on a hike...once again in the fall. Done! Once again, beautiful weather!

21. Try something new at least one weekend every month, a cool festival or new food maybe...We've kept this up so far, but it's only been a few weeks so we'll see how it goes!
22. Choose a color and finally paint my front door! Fail...Still thinking..
23.Get in shape...Another fail...still bike riding and going for walks/runs, but yet to find any type of routine.
24. Design my house freely... Definitely getting better with this one
25. Learn to breathe, enjoy life, and take each day as it comes....Definite fail...I've been way to overwhelmed to accomplish this goal lately, but still have a year so maybe...

A feminine and flirty office

Sara wanted a flirty and feminine office in her townhouse...A space that was only hers, where she could work and play. She had these three vintage paintings (similar to the ones in the mood board) that were her grandmothers, that she wanted the space to emulate. Here's what we came up with:

I completely fell in love with these vintage style brass bookcases, but unfortunately they were EXTREMELY expensive...read: out of our budget. So she ordered these at only $70 a pop

and sprayed them gold...

We found those garden stools at World Market (where else?) and lucky her, she got to spray them gold as well. We found the settee on overstock.com and it was over half our budget...completely worth it in my book though :). The pink chevron pillows are from Etsy (these exact ones are not available anymore, but you can find tons of pink chevron pillows on there).  The desk was a lucky find on her local Craigslist that I am obsessed with (it was actually a console table but was a fine size for a laptop and notebook...plus it was ... wait for it.....$60...can you believe it?). I was in love with the chair in the moodboard, but it was expensive with shipping, so we had to find a different option, so we ended up with this one:

The rug is the Luna Black and White chevron from Overstock.com found here...

and it was only $148.00.

In the end, I think we were both happy with this feminine space, and I think we did her grandmother's vintage floral paintings justice. I'm not generally a very feminine stylist, but I had a lot of fun with this space. What do you guys think?

It could be worse....

First off I would like to say thanks for reading...For whatever reason, my page views has more than doubled in the last week, so thanks for that. Second of all, this post has a lot of words (and no pictures) and is pretty serious so deal with it...
A couple of weeks ago I was having one of those days...One of those days where nothing fit right, nothing tasted good, everyone was annoying, and everything seemed to be going wrong for me. We all have these days, where our world revolves around the pettiness that in the end makes us feel guilty, or should. It was apparently one of those days for a lot of people, such as the woman making my latte at Panera that morning, who told me that several employees called in that morning and she was basically left to fend for herself...or our waiter at lunch, that told us she had a cold but wasn't able to go home...(BTW does anyone else think it's gross when the person that's bringing you food admits to being sick)...or the guy at the annex sitting next to me waiting who tells me he got a flat tire that morning...Like I said, it was one of those days...One of those days where we each said "me" too much, one of those days where we let the small things get to us. That evening on the way home I was listening to the radio, and heard Christina Symanski's story...You can read the full story here or here, or go to her own website here or get information about her book here. I only heard this story from others, and what I've read online, so please forgive me if any of my facts are misunderstood. Christina, an artist, was paralyzed from the chest down in a diving accident in 2005. After years as living as a quadriplegic, Christina chose to end her life by starving herself and refusing treatment. She did everything in her power, to make sure this was the right decision on her own, and to make sure after discussing it with family and friends, that the responsibility would lie on her alone. "I have come to a point in my own life where I’m struggling with the question, ‘Is this life worth living for ME, or am I just prolonging my own suffering?’"...A quote from her own blog. Christina felt that her quality of life was so little, that living had become a burden to her. This story has really stuck with me, and basically I have not been able to get Christina out of my mind. If you take nothing else away from this post today, please keep in mind that it could be worse.  Christina's story reminds me that, not only do I have a great life, but am blessed to have my health and the health of those around me and maybe we should all keep that in mind more often. I have never had to give up my way of life or had so little control over my own life. I'm not posting this story for any type of debate, so please don't start one, she chose what she thought was best or possibly what she thought was the only answer, when she felt she had little quality of life. I don't know enough about her story or her as a person and neither do you to make that judgment.... I posted this simply to remind myself (something I sometimes fail to remember) and maybe you that IT really could be worse....Before you complain about something today, think about all the good in your life and how blessed you are..because the things that you complain about, others are praying for....Happy Monday all!