one project at a time

This weekend James worked during the day so I didn't have any major distractions, well... other than Abe, to keep me from getting some cleaning done on the apartment. We have been there for 2 months already and it still feels like we just moved in yesterday. While I took time off work to unpack and get settled, which did happen with the necessities, I ended up spending pretty much every waking moment with Abe since he was so very little and brand new to us.

Progress has been slow and it is driving me crazy. We are still downsizing piece by piece. We have made lots headway but still have a bit more to go before we are comfortable in the new size of our home. You can only hold onto things for so many years that never actually leave the box after each move before you begin to realize you should really just toss it or donate it. I think this is really starting to settle in for both of us. So while it may look fairly similar to this picture in the apartment still I definitely got a lot of unpacking, organizing and laundry finished. It's coming along :)

xoxohannah

JCKHMR moves again

It feels like just yesterday we were looking online for apartments closer to work and it wasn't long before we fell in love with this place. Now it's been 4 days since move in and life is just a little bit brighter. I just can't wait to finish unpacking. That has to be my least favorite part about moving. It will help us finish downsizing though which is ALWAYS a good thing.

I wanted to share a few snapshots. The natural lighting in this place is out of control. I've got almost a whole house of IKEA furniture to put together so I'm going to go get snappin' on that. Let's all keep our fingers crossed that Wednesday ends up being a snow day so I have some extra time to unpack. Selfish, I know. But I'll be honest... growing up in Vegas, we didn't have snow days and they are kind of awesome :)

xoxohannah

big swoon, tiny house

IMAGES VIA [ Lincoln Barbour ]

 
For me home isn't a place, it's people. My dad, my younger brother and James. They are home to me. I hope that when James and I settle down and buy a house we are able to build a home where we can stay throughout the majority (if not all) of our children's lives. I want them to have that sense of home. I imagine it would be an amazing thing and I think we need it just as much as they would.

I lived in small houses growing up. It was more out of necessity than desire, at least I don't think my dad ever had a desire to have a gigantic house. It wasn't until we spent a year in this house that I realized how much I seriously dislike large homes. Don't get me wrong... they can be gorgeous, extravagant and full of wonder but for me, that is best left for vacations and special occasions. I want a home. A decent sized, easy to clean HOME.

Over the past 6-12 months I've noticed the "tiny house" movement. If you think they are crazy I don't blame you. I used to think it was nuts too. Granted, I highly doubt I could ever fit James, myself and children in a 540 sq ft home like the one pictured in this post but I could be very happy with 1000 sq ft if it was designed correctly.

So when scrolling through Tiny House Swoon I came across this quaint yet perfect little bungalow, owned and designed by Jessica Helgerson, just outside of Portland. I fell head over heels in love with the layout of this house and the large windows throughout each room. Seriously, modeling my dream home after something like this. Just wait (5-10 years) and you'll see! lol

 If you love Cabin Porn and Bookshelf Porn then you should probably check this site out. If nothing else the houses are just beautiful on the eyes!

Have you already decided on your dream home? Would you consider living small or do you love maximum square footage?

xoxohannah

couch inspiration

[images via: 1 / 2 / 3 / 4 / 5 / 6 / 7 / 8 ]
Couches, oh couches. I have never bought a couch before. Is that surprising? For me it isn't. Buying one from a thrift store would have been a good upgrade at any point in my life. When James and I moved in together we inherited the broken couch from his parent's house. It is big. Big, like really hard to move big. It has to be pushing 10 years old. That ol' geezer. Seeing how we are moving into a 6th floor apartment next the idea of dragging that bad boy with us is REALLY not enticing to either of us. Not at all really. So we are finally in the market for new seating. *does a happy dance*

There is just one problem... we can't decide if we want another couch. Couches are awesome. You can lounge, seat more than two people if you like and cuddle. Cuddle is definitely the most important one. But couches are big. Take up a ton of space and well, expensive. So these are my wish list couches. Next I'll have to show you my real life options that both James and I agree on. Our other dilemma... what about doing 2 chairs instead? Yes, like in UP. Oh decisions. I'm so not good at you!

Have any of you had 2 chairs vs a couch? Did you like it? Did it get old quickly?

xoxohannah

shelving inspiration

[images via: 1 / 2 / 3 / 4 / 5 ]
James and I have a few books. Okay that's an understatement. We actually have 4 full bookcases in the living room. It's one of those things we just love about a house, being filled with books. So when looking into furniture for the new apartment we really wanted something that would be a. cheap (duh!), b. a style we love and c. it can hold all our books.

Are you at all surprised that we are thinking of going the DIY route? I mean, we've already made a kitchen island. What's shelving units for a whole house? lol Yea, we are nuts. It's okay though. James and I love doing projects together and the apartment already has an industrial feel so if we can pull it off, this could actually go really well!

xoxohannah

household changes

[image via] I've got the itch. The weirdest itch I've ever had...

I bet you thought this was about to get weird huh? lol Don't worry, it's not.

I've got an itch to downsize. Belongs, house square footage, city size. You name it. When we first moved near DC we had 7 days to find an affordable and mildly convenient house. Somehow that landed us in a 3-story 1,800 sq. ft town home. I had no idea what I was getting myself into but this place has not only been way too big for two people but it has turned out to be far more out of the way than I expected.

James and I have already taken the first step in downsizing by choosing a smaller place to live next. Although it is a bit more expensive to live closer to the city even in a smaller, 700 sq. ft. apartment but I know that our quality of life will definitely improve. Luckily we have had the time to properly plan our move so we can actually do the downsizing we've been talking about since our first move together in 2011.

With that being said, we've got a ton of work to do to make some big plans for our new place come true. I have no doubt that my eyes are big than my stomach, so to speak... but I can't wait to see it come together. I definitely don't want to live out of boxes for the first 6 months again so I plan to actually make some roots and taking the time to decorate.

Have you had any experience downsizing? Any great tips on apartment living (it will be our first time!)?

xoxohannah

herriott grace & project 'feels like home'

[ALL IMAGES FROM THE HERRIOTT GRACE SHOP]

Herriott Grace is beautiful. I love everything about this shop, from it's products to it's back story.  Father and daughter duo, Lance and Nikole. He crafts these beautiful wooden pieces and she helps him share them with the world. It is pieces like this that I want to incorporate into my home someday. Growing up with a quasi-pack rat and vintage/antique die hard meant that wooden bowls, rusted metal and well-loved materials were always around. They make me think of home. (I'll have to share my vintage story someday, you'll have to remind me.) I think it is only fitting that these beautiful pieces are the intro to our news!

If you've been reading for a little while you know how much James and I move. In the last 2 years we've moved 4 times. In the last 5 years I have moved 7 times. Needless to say, I we are sick of moving. So naturally, after moving to Northern Virginia we realized that we live light-years away from my office in the DC traffic time continuum.Add a less than wonderful relationship with our landlord (yet again) and lack of pet approval, we have made the decision to move again. (I know, insert moans and groans here)

Luckily, it isn't until our lease is up so we can say we lived in one place for a whole year. (okay, 11 months. the new lease starts 30 days before the current expires. but who's counting.) We have found a charming little (770 sq. ft.) apartment in Fairfax/Vienna that we will be calling home come February 28th. I find it charming, but that word in no way implies historic or old. You see, we will be the first people to ever live in this new industrial style apartment of ours. I'll save all the excitement for when we can actually see our finished unit. But I am just so excited to live down the street from work, in a cozy space, where we can have a pup (FINALLY) and call someplace home.

Moving as much as we have (especially on our own, on the opposite side of the country from family and friends) makes it hard to feel "at home". Home is always where we can be together, but it will be nice to live somewhere for an extended time period (we are hoping a couple years) and to really decorate and create the first space that really feels like "us" as a couple. We are scrapping most of our furniture and starting on a decorating journey that I can't wait to share.

Needless to say, I've been obsessed with home decor since we found out. I've probably only redesigned the whole apartment, eh... 2 times. Okay, maybe it's more like 4. lol

xoxohannah