Present. Here. Now.

Hi Hi!!!

It's been quite the hiatus here on the ol' blog.

I am HERE in Denver - the long awaited destination!!!

SO much has occurred in the past 2 1/2 months.

A lot of changes

Saying goodbye to Chicago, my home for the last 6 years

Bidding farewell to the closest friendships I have ever experienced

Leaving behind all that is familiar

for a brand new city,

new adventure,

a new season

The Lord has been so good to provide for me every step of the way.

I have been able to get my humble apartment set up and I finally feel all settled in.

I have a job that I enjoy to help pay the bills.

I assign myself multiple points for being able to navigate this new city sans a GPS.

Sorry Chicago, but the coffee shops here in Denver leave you in the dust. I am loving all the cafes within walking/biking distance!!

The sun here is doing wonders for my disposition. It is so strange to wake up to it every single day. I don't think Denver knows what a gloomy day is. Perhaps I will one day miss the rain days/weeks of Chicago. I have met my match here! Still in the honeymoon stage as you can see.

Not to mention the culture! People are so laid back - so genuinely kind! It does not take long to feel at home and like a local. I find this city positively refreshing.

I am for the most part settled at a church (I am swaying between two presently - oh, Lord, guidance!)

I am in the third week of classes already and loving every minute of it. The homework is a bit heftier than what I imagined, so I am still learning how to live a life that has more than the two dimensions of reading and working that I presently find myself existing in.

It is such a treasure to yet again be in an academic environment where people are just as excited to be studying the same nerdy things that I can't get enough of!

I am making some dear friends. I am amazed at how the Lord brings people into our lives at just the right time. Even now, I am taking a (brief, I promise) study break while at a coffee shop with a kindred spirit that I am so thankful for!

Well, as I said - a brief study break is all I can afford. Forgive me for this all to incomplete attempt at an update.

Back to the books.

More to come soon, I hope.

Forgive me

I broke the rules!!

Can you find it in your heart to forgive me??

I bought a clock.

From Target!!

I have been scouring high and low for just the right clock, to no avail. I have found several retro beauties, but all are out of commission. It's not just for decoration, I actually need to know what time it is in my kitchen.

Here is the beauty I found for under $10.

At least it's vintage inspired...

Please find it in your heart to grant me pardon!

Goodwill - an ode to thee!

I am in love with the Goodwill just down the street from me.

A few weeks ago, I arrived at 7:45, armed with a travel mug of coffee to stand in line with many others for the doors to open at 8:00.

Everything in the store was on sale for 50% off!

This was welcome news as I had just moved in and needed a few lamps.

Here are the before and after photos of my lamp makeovers

The ugly lamps ready to be transformed.

One coat of paint does a world of good!!

Plain shade that could use a few frills

All you need to make these ruffles are ribbon and a straight stitch down the middle. Then gather, gather, gather til you have all the ruffles you can stand!!

Plain Jane shade

Not quite sure if you can see, but all along the bottom are sheer ribbon rosettes. Still deciding if I like how it turned out. Definitely better than the before...

Just needs a simple touch

Just a touch of sweetness. Better!

No girl should be without a staple gun

Here is my brand, spanking new one!!

I felt so heavy duty when I was in line at Wal Mart with only these 2 items. Never mind the pink T, rosette earrings and ballet flats - this chic is about to get down to some serious business.

I am pleased to say that this was one of the easiest projects I have attempted in quite awhile. No sanding, no painting, no sewing!! Just a screwdriver, scissors and this beautiful new tool is all that was required.

The Boulder flea market find!!

I decided to go with this sweet green fabric to match my kitchen table - my Craigslist treasure of a kitchen table!!

Voila!!
Done and done!

Boulder Boulder, you did me right.

My dear friend Leah took me around Boulder last weekend. Such a charming place! Definitely a new favorite. I can't wait to go back soon and explore all of the book shops, cafes and overwhelming beauty of the mountains!!

I had a hay day in the Lafayette flea market.

It just went on and on.

Here are the treasures that I found while I was there.

Thank you Leah for convincing me to get this sweet bird cage. I was thankful to have her there with me to bounce ideas off of and have her insight. She has such wonderful, unique taste. She truly has quite an eye for finding sweet treasures!

I fell in love with all of the small jars. At $1 each, it was so hard to choose which ones to bring home with me.

I am incredibly thankful for these chairs! I got a set of 4 for only $40! Sturdy, sweet, shabby chic - Yes, oh yes, please!!

I decided to recover the seats, so stay tuned to see that update.

I also found a sweet iced tea pitcher and a small basket (to be the home of my new glass vases when not in use) and a fancy glass bottle for water to keep in the fridge. Makes drinking water seem luxurious.

Ode to Craigslist

The other day I was certain that I was finally going to buy a lovely kitchen table I have had my eye on for a month or two at my favorite vintage shop in Logan Square. It had all the right details and was just what I have been looking for. The prefect vintage table with shabby chic details. It was a bit pricey (for me, anyway), but I decided I was going to go ahead and buy it and just be done with it. And I could leave my old table to someone who needs it here in Chicago.

With much excitement, I drove to the shop and looked the table over. It was a bit rougher than what I remembered from window shopping. It would require sanding, painting, reinforcing the wood in a place or two. Don't get me wrong, this is what I love to do - create beauty from a disaster. BUT, that's why you pay garage sale prices. So you can do all the work. I just could not bring myself to spend that much on something that I was going spend time rehabbing.

Sigh.
Leave the store.
Perhaps Denver will provide just the thing.

Fast forward to 24 hours later. My roomie is looking on Craigslist for a folding table for her new place. Lo and behold! She stumbles upon the most lovely drop leaf table that is on sale for a mere $30 dollars (The owner originally spent $175 on it at an antique shop in TN...)!!! Not just any old drop leaf table. This one is near identical to the one I had my eye on and decided not to buy. BUT it's in much better condition and has even more lovely details.

What in the world??

I proceed to write in haste an e mail to the owner expressing just how interested I am and that I can swing by to pick it up at any time.

After re-reading my first e mail, I realize it is near incoherent from how excited I was.

Let's try this again... I send another e mail telling her I am a legitimate buyer (despite my rough English in the first e mail).

I get to pick it up TONIGHT!!!

Pictures to come.

Many more pictures to come when I arrive in Denver and get to set up home sweet shabby home.

Words to Live By

Do what you can,
with what you have,
where you are.

-Theodore Roosevelt