Living Room- Updated...

I had no idea when I decided that 2010 was a good time to update our living room that it was going to take me on such unexpected adventures!

I went to IKEA a few weeks ago and bought the cabinet on the other side of the loveseat as a place to store the Wii accessories. It is actually a bedside table that I decided to use as a side table. It also makes a great place to put our "spidey" plant since I took down his home that was an old decorators table over in the opposite corner. The Wii accessories had previously been "hiding" under the decorator table cloth!
Since I removed the decorators table (which was where our Christmas tree went), I had an open space to play with. It now houses a big basket for our blankies, since people hate how we used to drape them over the back of the sofas). Now we also have the matching ottoman which was finally ready for us to pick up today. Since they called me this morning, I ran out to pick it up out by the airport while Steven worked. No sooner had I arrived in the truck (which worked FINE) then they asked me to move the truck closer to the loading dock. I tried, but the truck wouldn't start. A kind employee came out, popped the hood and discovered the battery grounding things were cracked through and thus the engine wouldn't start. Also- we needed a new battery! He jump started the truck and I got it to Les Schwab and they are so great! Finally, everything was fixed and I got home. Steven met me at Les Schwab and we had lunch while they worked on the car.

Yesterday I spent several hours driving around town trying to find a piece/part for our lamps upstairs in our bedroom that NO ONE carried. I tried Home Depot and nearly got lost just trying to get to Home Depot, when the guy said that they normally don't carry lamp shades so they don't carry lamp shade parts but he had just given one away! However, I could go try a lamp place on 82nd. So I drove to 82nd and they don't carry parts either but had also just given one away! Now I'm really upset! So the lamp place gives me a list of "parts" places and she wants to direct me to Lombard street OR 33rd and Division, neither of which I really wanted to drive to!

At the bottom of the list was a little shop in Lake O, when I asked about it- the lady replied "Well I didn't think you'd want to drive over there...", so I took the list from her and headed there. The ladies at Naomi's were SO nice to me! They gave me the part I was looking for since I was in the market for a new shade for my Eiffel Tower lamp!! So I got the perfect shade I was looking for and the part I was looking for and I'll go back there again! Success! You can see the new shade in the above photo.Aside from all this kerfluffle, I am very glad to have updates made! All I'm looking for now are some new pillows for the main sofa- a really dark red silk pillow. Perhaps from Crate and Barrel? I've had my eye on them, but I need to be sure they are what I want... And also- I'll need to replace the two other lamps. They are old and worn out. They at least need new shades, so we'll see how that goes! I don't know if I have the strength in me for another lamp adventure...Finally- a New Year's resolution was to eat at the table more! So I made it appealing by cleaning up the lone place mat with stains on it (Thank You Oxiclean!) and setting the table with coordinating paper napkins from IKEA (I LOVE YOU!) and that is my Valentine's Day centerpiece (also IKEA, a cookie tin!)... I'm very happy with the progress, and of course, all photos take with the new camera on AUTO setting. I'm not as good as Steven!

Getting Creative.

Steven's been playing with his new toy! He's getting very good at using the manual settings! A look at some of his handy work. This is a shot of our bedroom, my vanity and my favorite pillow!

This is one of my framed art I brought back from Paris. This is a sketch of me on my 17th birthday up at Sacre Couer.

Here is a beautiful sunrise one morning last week.

He's so talented!

Best Action Shot Ever?

Penni, Tara and I karaoke at the Howard Family Christmas 2009.

You decide!

Testing 1, 2, 3...

Steven and I decided a while ago that we needed a nice new camera. Well, we finally got one! We had to wait for UPS to drop it off on Tuesday and then we had somewhere to be, so we didn't get to play with our new "toy" until yesterday. Of course, I wasn't feeling all that great, so I spent the majority of the day in bed. In the late afternoon, after work, Steven came in with the camera and we were able to try testing it out a bit.

We have two very different learning styles. Steven's already read most of the book that came with the camera and will likely watch both DVDs as well. He's slowly learning all about the manual settings and how to manipulate them. In fact, this is his first manual shot of me... Of course, my style is to use all the auto features until Steven learns manual and then shows me one-on-one how to do it! As possibly the worst photography student ever, I took this shot of him, not realizing he'd done manual settings and I was still using them!This is Ghost Steven.

Where's Slimer??

New Look. About time.

If you are looking for Steven and Julie, don't worry. We're still here, just been making a few changes and tweaks to our surroundings.

Just as Steven will tell you that I've been messing with our living room and bedroom (and space in general)... updating the placement of things, making it more functional, more livable... I've been doing likewise with the blog!

I hope you all like my changes. I promised myself that I'd learn how to make my space less generic and more specific. I'd say mission accomplished.

Also- I put together IKEA furniture (almost) all by myself yesterday! Now on to combat the dust bunnies hiding under our bed...