the not-so extreme makeover.

i'm a bargain shopper through and through. and when i find a deal, i change my mind about ten times before i decide to buy it. well, lately, daniel and i have been wanting to get a new tv stand. we shopped at crate and barrel, pottery barn, and antique stores. and we couldn't quite find that perfect item. today on my lunch break, that all changed. i was walking through the local tj maxx-homegoods store, and find a gem. we had found something here before, but decided against it because of its price. well, today i didn't want to change my mind. i courteously called my husband (after snapping a picture on my phone and emailing it to him) and asked what he thought. he liked it. i liked it. and i liked something else too. and as stated earlier, i changed my mind roughly ten times, and decided to take this baby home! it fit in my car perfectly, pretty meant to be if you ask me. and took it home. at first it didn't feel right(you'll see why). i think it's merely getting used to. but who knows. we kept the receipt, and will keep it in prime condition. and if we don't like it by Friday, we have a new errand on our list.
here is the "before" livingroom conditions:

here is the "after" newly-improved livingroom conditions:

changes: new television stand, new couch-side table.
feedback: greatly appreciated.

xoxo

dedicated to gramma.

if you should know anything about me, it is that i adore my grandparents. joe and luci shepard have touched my life. i spent many a day at their house while growing up. spring breaks, summer days, and the annual disneyland trip. whenever i visited, my gramma always made our favorite foods: Macaroni and Cheese, Fresh Salads, Fruit Salads, Gramma's Stew and BBQ Beef Sandwiches! Well tonight's dinner was right from Gramma's summer day menu.

i enjoyed dinner. brought back memories. it was fun to share this meal with my husband. now i have to just my hands on gramma's stew recipe...

xoxo

update much?

wow. i'm pretty pathetic at this whole blogging thing. being consistent i mean. how on earth do i expect people to read my blog if i'm lousy at updating? let me clue you in. in november i got engaged. this month i got married. yep, for the most part that's been the biggest things going on in my life. here is proof i got engaged.
here is proof i got married.




needless to say, being married has been great. it's been so fun getting to know my best friend and husband more. and not having to leave every night. even though it took me a few days to get used to that.
some other things i've been enjoying: cooking, decorating (and re-decorating) and living next to all of my best friends.
the things i plan on doing with my blog: at least posting one day a week--if not more. sharing my recipes/dinner extravaganzas. sharing my decorating projects. sharing my interests. thrilling, i know. get excited!

xoxo

books.

one of the things i love to do, aside from the general (hang out with daniel, hang out with maggie, etc.) is to read. and this summer, i've been busier than normal to get the chance to read a lot. but below is the list of books that have had the attention of the right side of my brain, with a little commentary from myself.

i just finished this book. and honestly, if i wasn't an OCD reader, and have this obsessive tendency to finish books, i would have put this book down way before i got to the last page. and to just fill you in on a little secret...i didn't finish the book. i stopped 3 pages before the end. that's sign enough of how it barely kept my interest. so much so that i don't even know how it ended.

i loved "the shack". this book was given to me by my boss, a great gift, hands down. it kept me captivated the entire time. and i loved the symbolism that was intertwined in depicting characters in a way that you wouldn't imagine them. great book! i've already recommended it to many.

as a graduation gift, daniel's mom, sandy, gave me this book. i couldn't put it down. i would read it diligently every lunch break. i've lent it to a friend, and it now holds place on her bookshelf. because one, she still has yet to read it. and two, the cover is just so cute.

this is the book that started off my summer. it joined danielle and i as we went to Maui in June. i couldn't put it down during the trip. post trip i lent it to danielle. and she gave it really good reviews. and now it's in the hands of another friend. the book is really heavy, and weighs on your thoughts, but it kept me intrigued the entire journey through.

so there it is, a little glimpse into my summer reading list.

xoxo

summer.

work.

vegas.

friends.

bbqs.

misc.

sorry i haven't been keeping your attention lately, other things have been occupying my mind.

xoxo