Continuing with the house updates, I am very proud to (finally) show you all my finished kitchen remodel! A good, solid month was taken up by my big fat kitchen project, back in February/March (that was allotta tile hey!). Since then, I've been dragging my feet on tiresome little projects, finishing up caulking, replacing hardware, fixing broken things, and various miscellany. I still havent gotten around to changing out all of the doorknobs with period antique hardware in the house. And I still havent decided if I really want an electrician to come in and install another box for a pendant light over the kitchen table (thoughts?) But it's pretty much there! Phew.

Above is one set of comparable before and after pictures for comparison on how far its come since our inspection in July 2012. For more before pictures of the kitchen (and the whole house), you can visit my Flickr album, here!

Especially during this big project, I was getting all kinds of comments and questions on products and techniques I was using. You can always follow my progress on instagram, for those of you who follow me there, where I always try to respond to questions. I update there at least once a day, if not multiple times. Thank you all so much for the love and encouragement during this project you guys, it meant so much! This really has been one of the biggest projects I've undertaken to date (well, aside from the physical labor of installing the patio last year, of course! *shudder*). I am so proud of it and I still get that feeling of awe that I cant believe this is my own kitchen, every time I step foot in it, even now.

Sorry for the extra large photo dump, guys! I just had way too much fun fiddling with a nice camera for once, I made it way too hard to edit down. Scroll all the way to the bottom of the post for product information and etc!

You'll notice that I did actually forget to grout this column under the counter top (above), so I have to finish that too! Oh, how things stack up... *sigh*

wall paint: Ace Clark & Kensington in Whisper // subway tile: Daltile from Home Depot // sanded grout and caulk in Charcoal from Home Depot // kitchen island pendants: Ranarp pendant lights from IKEA // drawer cup pulls: Martha Stewart collection from Home Depot // vintage table: Craigslist // eamsey vintage swivel chairs: from a friend who was moving! // brass herb drying rack over the sink: made out of brass tubing, s-hooks, and twine from the hardware store // red stripe hand towels: Ikea // b&w chevron hand towels: Target // rug: Nate Berkus for Target // magnetic knife strip, towel bar and utensil racks (spray painted black): IKEA // vintage Kodak darkroom timer: antique store // cutting boards, macrame plant hanger, miscellaneous utensils: thrifted // framed hot dog print by artist Michael Aberman // framed scribble drawing: found (artist unknown)

You guys, I just realized why my blogging has been slacking lately (read: almost completely non-existent). It's totally because I've been replacing my blogging habit with my Instagram habit (read: micro-blogging). It makes total sense! What used to be wardrobe_remix photos taken in my house (I havent taken a single one in 2013), are similar, but are now just selfies I take at work. So in celebration of this discovery, I will give to you an officially blogged Instagram bathroom selfie roundup of some of the best from the past few months, haha! You can always follow me on Instagram if you dont already. And if you do, apologies for the redundancy!

PS: You can finally see the progress I've been making in growing my hair out in these pics. My favorite is the way it looks in the middle right photo, the one where I am wearing a beanie. I wish it could look like that all the time! The girl in this street style photo was my original inspiration (wah I cant find the original source now!). But I'm almost there! I can almost taste it.

Normally, I dont get into the Christmas spirit until after Thanksgiving (yes, I realize that it is now after Thanksgiving), but this year I found myself accidentally humming to the Christmas music playing on the speakers in Home Depots and Targets long before it was decent to do so. I found myself perusing google images for Christmas decoration inspiration and how-tos before I had even researched which apple pie recipe I was going to make for our Thanksgiving feast (ahem, the night before...)

I blame it, in part, on the fact that we have a house now and I am excited to decorate it for the first time! I am excited to try out these weird suction cups that claim to hold up a 20-lb wreath on a single window pane! And guys, I am so excited to try out getting my first ever real Christmas tree! It's the first time in my life I really feel that sense of pride in making my house look nice for the Holidays.

Also, I feel like I really need the extra Christmas cheer this year. Aside from the yearly seasonal depression I know to anticipate, and the annual work stress of putting on the nation's largest college Art Sale, we've both had a long year: celebrating our first year of marriage, mourning the deaths of two grandmas (one of each of ours), enduring the stress of house-hunting and putting in purchase offers, and elation in first-time homeownership. We've traveled to a state we've never been to before, Illinois, met some great new people, and helped make a wedding for our sister and brother-in-law.

Now I know we still have a month left of 2012, but I've been feeling thankful (tis the season) and pondering the future. And I thought this would be a good time to mention it.

Have a great rest of 2012, folks! And prepare yourself for Christmas decorations post PART DEUX, when we go pick out our Christmas tree! I am pumped.
xoxo

Hey peeps, I've had so much going on the past few weeks, and no time to blog! But I thought I'd share a little instagram round-up of what life looks like for us lately. Fortunately, we arent all work and no play (though we are definitely more biased towards the former)! We did have time to have a few people over for beers and hot dogs on our brand new Weber grill! And some taco night hang-out time with my sister and brother in law. I cant tell you how nice it feels to have family and friends rally around you when you're knee-deep in grown-up stuff like loans, cutting down trees, and general-first-time-homeownership.

Highlights from above: OUR BACKYARD, finally free of trees, vines and debris! Our friend Chance, being classy in said new backyard! Our beautiful neighborhood, on the first particularly beautiful fall evening. Herbs on the kitchen sill. And our light filled living room (now that it is painted white)!

You were so good to me. And I will miss you, dearly. But I am confident that MPR appreciates the donation! Soon I hope I'll have a new little car to get me around St. Paul and Minneapolis.

My college friends and I have an Easter Tradition. An elaborate brunch at the home of Chance's parents' on Summit Avenue. I think it all started since most of my friends are from out of state and dont have family to celebrate the holiday with, and my family never really celebrated it. And so we all get together instead, I think we've been doing it for 4 (5?) years now, and it is probably my favorite tradition of all time.

This years brunch was delicious, as always! There was Baked Buttermilk French Toast, obligatory glazed ham, Party Potatoes, Sweet Potato biscuits with Sage and Shallot butter, Spinach and Egg Strata, Grilled Sugared Grapefruit, coffee cake, punch, and for dessert, pound cake with fruit and chocolate ganache, easter sugar cookies and a FAMOUS Ben's Homemade Ice Cream: Sesame and Orange!

Here are some images from that day, since I just couldnt stop taking them (most are Instagram, some are photoshopped)! Afterwards, we went for a walk and to the park to shoot some hoops and work off all of those pounds of food we ate, it was such a lovely day to be outside!

Sorry I've been pretty MIA from the blog lately. I have nothing very exciting to report. I have however, been eating some great food, hanging with great friends, and other boring stuff like that. So here's a little instagram round-up of what my life has looked like these past few weeks. A Handsome Husband, some rollerskating (or lack-there-of), manicures, a little thrifting here and there, and beers from India, oh my!

PS: I've also started doing Ballet Beautiful (that's another thing off of my new year's checklist, woo-hoo!). Has anyone else tried it? (except you, Miss Carla) It is really kicking my ass. Seriously, the first two days I could barely walk, my butt hurt so much. I hate that I knew I was out of shape, but I didnt realize I was that out of shape. The exercises have been getting gradually easier though, which is so cool!

Though it's not equally represented on this blog, in addition to loving fashion, thrifting, homewares, photography and design, I am a total (though I hate the word) foodie. There's a part of me that cannot (and most times, will not) go to the same bar or restaurant twice because I just know that there are so many great places I left left on my list to try! There are new places opening up all the time, and getting great reviews too. The Minneapolis/St Paul restaurant scene really is booming, if you can believe such a thing in this dreadful economy.

I have been dreaming (no really, in my actual dreams too) of the day when the empty building on 26th and Nicollet was going to finally replace Thom Pham's AZIA with some new places to wine and dine. Every day I drive by there on my way home from work, and I cant even tell you the amount of gossip I've shared about the topic with Heavy Table, my coworkers and the owners of nearby restaurants Jasmine Deli and The Bad Waitress.

Calamari with spicy Harissa dressing!

Finally, Eat Street Social (owned by the same peeps as Northeast Social) announced their opening night, and my good friend Ben (also a foodie) and I decided we had to check it out! I dont have very good pictures of the experience (I rarely do when it comes to food!), but suffice it to say, it was wonderful. And it was so heart-warming to see the place packed, on opening night, with photographers taking peoples pictures, and everyone seeming so jazzed that this place is finally here. Every hour, the bartenders rang a large bell and cheersed everyone! It was so festive, and it goes perfectly with the "social house" aspect. It is definitely going to be the new meeting place in the Whittier area after a show at CTC, an opening at the MIA or after class at MCAD.

They give you the extra drink from the shaker in a little caraffe! This was an egg creme of some sort.

There is a really great in-depth description and review by DeRusha here (glowing, in fact). Go there and read all about it. It also talks about Pat's Tap and the virtues of great neighborhood pubs, newly opened in South Minneapolis, which I also really loved (they have skee-ball!).

In addition to Eat Street Social, a Dunn Brothers + Provisions opened this summer in the anemone sushi space, and just the other day, I saw them installing a mysterious new bright orange AZIA Market Restaurant + Bar sign in the old AZIA space on the corner. WHAT DOES IT MEAN?! AND WHEN WILL IT BE HERE??

Stay Tuned.

You guys,

My hideous pile of thrifted/vintaged/swapped stuff has grown (I have a spot for that kind of thing, right inside the door to our apartment), and I can't wait to show them off. Actually, I walk by the pile everyday when I get home from work, and I really just cant wait to wear all of them! I've even got some outfit inspiration pins for ideas. I have just been so busy lately, so much so that in the evenings I just dont want to do anything that requires getting up off of my warm spot on the couch. Which is too bad, because it really has been so nice outside lately (40s?!?). However, tonight I'm going out to a girls happy hour at Sweeney's, so I cant wait for that! Maybe I'll even whip out some new swapped items for the occasion. We'll see...

I know I've been a lazy blogger, but I will hopefully be back to my regularly-scheduled posting soon. Heart you guys! Oh and if you're new here, I really suggest you follow me on Bloglovin (I just cant sing the praises enough)!