Snippets of our new place!

We love it up here! 

Below are some shots of our home, and then some of our neighborhood!

We live in the most beautiful area filled with huge old trees that line the streets and we're surrounded by houses that are a hundred years old and full of character, I love them so much!

^^^ JP bought me these gorgeous sunflowers to celebrate our 3-year anniversary!

We've been married for three years, but it seriously feels like we should still be classified as 'newly weds.'

Every day with him is so fun, and I truly don't think I could be doing this whole med-school thing without his support! Oh I love you to moon and back JP! 

Here's to three fabulous years, and a whole lot more to come.

Paris vs New York

Since I've been all graduated since December and homework isn't consuming all my free time... I don't know what to do with myself when JP has to write papers all night or read massive case studies. 
So I've been decorating and re-decorating our apartment haha 

It seems a little silly I know, considering we're moving in a few months, but I figured I could try out some new ideas here, and if I like them then carry them over into our new space! 

(Wherever that ends up being... Keep your fingers crossed for us please! Apartment/duplex/basement shopping is hard.)

My newest project consisted of a total re-vamp of our picture wall, and I am quite a fan of how it turned out, mostly because it revolves around two of my favorite places:

Paris vs New York

Designed by a french-based graphic designer, these prints depict juxtapositional images side-by-side that capture the similar yet varied cultural phenomenons of the two cities.  

I am absolutely in love with them!

Total disclaimer -- the lighting in my apartment is terrible, so these pictures definitely don't do the project justice, please bear with me.

Old picture wall:

 New picture wall!

some of my favorite prints:

(although if we're being honest they're all my favorite so... It was really hard to pick just a few to photograph)

A Party Trick: Salad Jars

This spring has really been packed full of baby showers and bridal showers (we're talking pretty much at least one a week, and this week I have 2!). But let's be honest, I've loved every minute of it haha.

This last weekend, my mom threw an engagement party for my cousin Caroline who is getting married at the end of April. All of my aunts, uncles, and cousins were there along with the groom-to-be and his family! And we had the absolute best time chatting, eating, and playing a hilarious version of Family Feud. 

I was so busy enjoying the party that I didn't manage to get pictures of any of the "during" but I did snap some before everyone got there!

My ultra-creative mom came with up the most brilliant and fun idea for the dinner: we had salads-in-a-jar! There were three different kinds to choose from, and inside the jar was everything the salad needed + the dressing. 

When it was time to eat, you shook the jar up and dumped out all the contents onto the lettuce leaves that were already on your plate! 

The dinner salads were supplemented with fruit and homemade bread and it was one of the most delicious (and so healthy!) meals I've had in a while!

What's been filling my time lately:

Well first of all, because of this little announcement I made a while back, JP and I need to find a new place to live up in Salt Lake City!

So I have been making spreadsheets, scouring the classifieds online, comparing prices and locations, asking for opinions on facebook, following up with referrals and contacts, etc etc and hopefully we end up living somewhere we love! 

It's very exciting, this whole moving business and also bittersweet because we really like where we live now. But the allure of a fresh start in a new city is pretty intoxicating, so the house-hunt is on!

<<<<<<<<<<>>>>>>>>>

Second of all, we attended The Barrister's Ball aka Law School Prom again! Remember last year?

Well this year was even better, they added a photo booth AND italian sodas! haha

But seriously, JP has made such good friends during these last two years at law school, we feel very lucky to know and spend time with such wonderful hilarious people!

And last, but not least, a few links of things that I have been loving and showing everyone lately! Enjoy!

>>> If you've read Divergent or seen the movie, (or even if you haven't) you definitely should read this article! I loved it, so much. 

>>> Also, I've watched this video five times and still am almost crying laughing by the end.

>>> Have you heard about this movement? It's the most amazing innovative idea and such an easy way to make a huge impact. Join me and do it!!

Resolving:

I mentioned in this post how a few of my new year's resolutions included updating and refreshing our little apartment, and those resolutions are well underway!

We've lived here for about 2.5 years now, and nothing has changed much (from an interior design perspective) since we moved in. 

So, over these last few weeks I've been brainstorming and rearranging, and then re-rearranging, until finally voilá! 

The bookshelves are color coordinated and my coffee table is finally realizing its full potential. 

What do you think?

^^^ a christmas present this year from my sister serving her mission in New Jersey! ^^^

^^^ Our apartment is also hosting its very first live plant! Isn't she a beaut? ^^^

See how the bookshelves used to look here. 

Working Woman

Well I should probably clarify, I've worked through all of college but it's only been part time, so now that I'm working full time, WHOA. 

I got to Friday and was exhausted! I fell asleep at 11 PM and didn't wake up until 11 the next morning! 

But I love having this little break from homework. I get off work at 5 and head right to the gym (I'm terrible at maintaining a good workout schedule when I am in school! I'll be good for a week, and then I'll have a couple tests to study for, and then somehow it's been 3 months and I haven't been back to the gym haha), then I come home and actually make dinner! 

I love it. Having time for all this homemaking stuff is awesome.

A few of my new year's resolutions include some big apartment projects that I'm excited to have time to do, and I'll most definitely share on here as I complete them, like:

- reorganizing and cleaning out all my kitchen cupboards (I probably won't share pics of this one haha boring!)

- redesigning my bookshelves (still toying with a few ideas on how I want to do this one!)

- replacing and rearranging my picture wall! I am so excited about this one.

To name a few. 

Ooh I've also started back into my shopping fast! 

Starting Jan 1  and ending May 1. 

Remember it from last year? 

Feel free to join me! It's so refreshing to exercise that self control and really makes you realize wants vs needs in a way I was never able to before. 

Plus come May 1 shopping is suddenly so much more fun. 

via

Christmas Snippets:

Here are a few glimpses of our Christmas decorations!

Oh I am such a sucker for Christmas decorations. 

There is nothing more magical to me than christmas lights, honest. 

In fact, it has pained for me for 3 years now that I don't have a mantle to decorate. 

That is definitely a requirement for our next apartment.

Enjoy!

 ^^^ these little guys are my favorite! please pardon the dusty bookshelves. It's finals week. 

^^^ the best/worst ornament on our tree for sure. We got it as a gift when we were first married and it's so gaudy and hideous and wonderful all at the same time haha. 

^^^ brown paper packages tied up with string

(catch the refererence? ;)

^^^ Advent calendar!

O Christmas Tree!

I really don't know if I was more excited for Thanksgiving... or the day after Thanksgiving so I could finally Christmas-tize mine and JP's apartment! 

I may or may not have planned out exactly how and what I was going to decorate a week ago... it's fine. 

Here's a glimpse of our tree! We haven't quite graduated to a real tree yet, maybe when we have a real front door... (currently living in a basement we access through a garaged, and *full disclosure* we feel incredibly lucky to live here! The lack of a front door is my only complaint. Also maybe covered parking would be nice in the winter. Tangent over.)

But until then, this little fakey works just fine. I've grown rather fond of it actually. JP on the other hand always takes a bit of warming up to the Christmas decorations, but after a few days he inevitably will start to express enjoyment at the fact that our apartment looks and smells like Christmastown ;) 

 As I was setting it all up I could hardly believe this is the third Christmas JP and I will be celebrating together married! 

Sick & Tired

Whoa. 

This week hit me like a ton of bricks. 

I was dreading the first day of school (did anyone else not feel ready AT ALL to go back yet? Just me?) and my desire to stay home on Monday was granted when I woke up in the wee hours of the morning with the FLU. 

And I was furious about it. 

I haven't gotten sick in... I don't know, 8 years?? I can't even remember. And I mean sick at all -- no colds or anything. And then I go and get the flu and have to miss the first day of classes. 

Thankfully it was just a 24-hour reign of terror but it completely wiped me out and rendered me pretty useless for the rest of the week. 

And JP has been hovering on the fringes of catching it, poor guy. I tried to sanitize absolutely everything in our home but when you live in a one bedroom apartment and sleep in the same bed, you're kind of fighting a losing battle on the whole not-getting-each-others-germs front.

*keeping our fingers crossed*

But there's a faint light at the end of this sickness tunnel and this second-to-last semester of my college career is shaping up to be a crazy one again, so bring it on!

Oh Christmas Tree

CHRISTMAS SEASON IS OFFICIALLY HERE!!

& here I am putting the last ornament on our Christmas tree!

Having ornaments on our tree is a pretty big deal, because last year we had a grand total of two ornaments. And now one year later we've upped the numbers a little! 

I love decorating for Christmas, I grew up with a mom who always made our home so wonderful during Christmas time, and I want to try to recreate it now that I've got my own home!

However, I live with a little bit of a Scrooge, who happens to think decorations are a little bit of a waste of time.

 BUT, even he can't resist the Christmas magic. There is nothing better than when I get the tree all put up with the lights and he comes home and sees it for the first time. 

A little bit of that Scrooge-ness melts away.  :)

Happy Christmas Season! Woohoo!

The one & only thanksgiving decoration gracing our home...

aww... festive isn't it?

Okay not really. But hey, don't I deserve a few points for trying? These past few weeks have flown by and suddenly Thanksgiving is a mere two days away. And the motivation to decorate our tiny apartment that doesn't even have a fireplace mantle (oh! the injustice!) is seriously lacking. 

So three cheers for free printables off the internet!  

This particular beauty is from here.

And I hope everyone has a wonderful Thanksgiving! 

I am in charge of baking the rolls for our feast, can you say stress? Crossing my fingers that they rise properly and I don't burn them...

The Best DIY Project Ever

When we got married Mr JP brought quite a bit to the marriage. 

You know, things like love, support, his mattress, and a floor lamp. 

That I hated. 

It was ugly and didn't match anything in our apartment. 

Soooo I finally got around to making it cute and matchy to the rest of our apartment decor, and let me tell you, I really had to pull out my DIY skills for this one. 

I had to:

1) go to Lowe's

2) pick out the precise color of paint

3) have a worker mix it up for me

4) have a worker help me get all the other painting supplies I need

And then voila!

Before & After

This project is almost pinterest worthy don't you think? :) 

Family Dinner

Mr JP and I have discovered recently that our favorite dinner to make is taco salad. 

It only takes like 15 minutes to prepare, is so delicious, we can both make it how we want it (we both have pretty different tastes because someone is quite picky even though he claims not to be), and did I mention it takes less than 20 minutes to get ready? 

Yeah, that's obviously a plus in our book. 

Last night we invited my 2 siblings over and made dinner a family affair, which ended up being pretty hilarious as stories and jokes were told - some from Mr JP that I didn't even know! 

(we all think we are pretty funny)

Oh and I forgot to mention, this was for dessert because it's one of the greatest things on the planet.