Long time, no see.

THIS:

IS ENTIRELY HOW I'M FEELING TODAY.
(IS THIS LITTLE SQUIRT NOT THE CUTEST?!)

SO SORRY I'VE BEEN MIA. I GUESS THAT'S WHAT HAPPENS THE FIRST WEEK YOU OWN A NEW HOUSE. THE PARENTS ARE IN TOWN...PAINTING, FIXING, RAKING, MOWING...AS ARE WE. SO WE'VE BEEN BUSY BEES WITHOUT MUCH BLOGGING TIME. AND, ON TOP OF THAT, OUR INTERNET HASN'T BEEN HOOKED UP YET AND DANGIT IF ALL THE NEIGHBORS ARE SMART AND HAVE LOCKED THEIR CONNECTIONS (NO MORE *AHEM* "BORROWING" THE INTERNET FOR US). BUT, THAT SHOULD BE FIXED SOON, AND OHHH DO I HAVE PHOTOS TO SHARE...SO LOOK FOR ME SOON :) HOPEFULLY WE'LL HAVE THE INTERNET INSTALLED AND I CAN RESUME MORNING BLOGGING (VERSUS STRUGGLING THROUGH IT ON DAD'S IPAD).

OKAY, LOVELIES. HAPPIEST MONDAY!!

THE CLOSING.

HAPPENS TODAY.

YEP. THAT KEY WILL BE OURS.

WISH US LUCK THIS AFTERNOON!

WE'LL FINALLY BE OFFICIAL HOMEOWNERS.

AND THAT IS TERRIFYING...BUT AWESOME.

HAPPY WEEKEND, Y'ALL.

CAN'T WAIT TO SHOW YOU THE "BEFORE" PICS.

XOXO.

Currently craving:

SIMPLE, RUSTIC, INDUSTRIAL NEUTRALS

 MIXED WITH

BOLD, PLAYFUL, INTERESTING POPS OF COLOR, PATTERN AND TEXTURE.

Yes...this is what our house will be...or so we hope... :)

*Crazy* week...not much time for blogging...BUT...on an exciting note: we close on our house this Friday! Ahh...to have that key...but, at the same time, I know how banks operate: there's always a chance it could get pushed back. So, my hopes aren't too terribly high...but fingers crossed, please :)

Can't wait to show y'all the before pics!

HAPPY WEDNESDAY.

And so it begins: picking the paint.

So--I have no idea where this week went...it flew by! But such a good one it's been. AND...our closing date is a week away! Well...we think. It's interesting that the bank really doesn't like to tell you if you're going to close on time, and wow...I am ready for this process to be over. The things we've had to do to prove we're capable of making a monthly payment! Stressful, indeed...but so worth it. Can't wait to have that key in our hands. Anyway--fingers crossed that a week from today we'll officially be homeowners. And, you know what that means:

PAINTING.

I've, of course, been perusing the web, picking out photos that depict the style we're after: calm, masculine, cozy, yet a bit edgy. I know...a lot to wrap up in a paint color. But, I'm sure as heck going to try. We know what the kitchen cabinets will be: a dark, earthy mix of green and brown (my hubby has a sweater that I swear I'm going to have them match). The living room? We're thinking a rich brown/gray--something warm and inviting that will pull together the accumulation of furniture we have. And the bedroom? Oh, I am lost on the bedroom. It's so hard trying to decorate your own house (especially when you haven't seen it in well over a month). So many things that I love!

Anyway, thought I'd share some of the inspiration photos I've been pulling. I've mostly been focusing on paint colors and the "feel" of the room versus the actual furnishings and decor. Love Nate Berkus, by the way, and the industrial/masculine design he so often gravitates toward--several of these designs are his.

 

{photos via xJavierx}

So, there you have it. Just a tidbit of the inspiring photos Maple and I are using to determine the look and feel of our interior. Can't wait til we get that key so I can really start giving you a glimpse into the process. Be forewarned: there will be lots of photo sharing on my part. We very much want to do this house on a pretty tight budget--to save money--but also because that, to me, is more fun: really being challenged to make a space look good. That task is easy with lots of mulah on hand.

Okay, pretties: HAPPY FRIDAY.

Enjoy this weekend of yours :)

 

Hope + Union.

As most of you could probably guess, I'm a pretty avid Design * Sponge reader. They've certainly rocked this design-blog world and created quite the niche for themselves...and a pretty extensive following. So, you can only imagine the excitement I was trying so hard to contain when I did my daily D*S perusing and stumbled across my very favorite downtown Charleston coffee shop, Hope + Union. It's a bit off the beaten path (by that I mean a sitting gem in an "up and coming" neighborhood...aka...mmm...a bit sketchy), but it's beyond amazing. The architecture (both exterior and interior)...the simplicity...the fact that they brew the very best coffee (Stumptown and Intelligentsia...shipped in daily) by the cup and serve their water and cream in brilliant glass bottles. I. LOVE. THIS. PLACE:

{images via design*sponge}

Gorgeous...right?

That window seat is the perfect, sunny little spot to cozy-up in for a delicious cup of brew and a few hours of uninterrupted work. Or a Saturday afternoon date with the hubby.

And...speaking of coffee...

Don't forget about KeepCup and the amazing 10% discount they're giving you maple and shaders! Head on over to their site and enter the unique code MAPLE when prompted and watch those dollars detract from your order :) Offer ends next Monday the 14th...so hurry and get it while you can. You really won't be sorry.

Off to work.

HAPPIEST WEDNESDAY.

Contest: Cooking With Brew.

Do you like cooking?

Do you like beer?

Do you like cooking with beer?

If so, Pearlstine Distributers (here in Charles) is hosting a recipe contest that calls for good fare made with good brew. Interested in submitting your very own concoction? Check out the rules and regulations. Oh, did I mention the winner will receive a $500, an amazing grill and the opportunity for their recipe to be featured in a local Charleston restaurant?  And, who says you actually have to live in Charleston to enter? Winning would certainly be a good excuse for a Holy City visit... :)

Give-a-way: winner announced!

Hello + happy Monday! Hope your weekend was perfectly perfect. Mine pretty much was :) I'm running out the door to work, but had to clue you in on the winner of the give-a-way (thank you again to KeepCup and their amazing product...not to mention the company's generosity)!

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A huge congrats to  M+S reader Christy, the randomly selected winner of the oh-so-pretty (and functional) turquoise KeepCup. Send me an email (mapleandshade@gmail.com) with your mailing address to claim your prize!

OHH...I almost forgot...the most amazing part! Sad that you won't be toting around your coffee in such a pretty canister? Listen to just how amazing KeepCup is: they're offering all you M+S readers 10% off until next Monday! Take advantage: visit KeepCup.com and type the unique discount code MAPLE when it prompts you at checkout. 

ARGH.

So...yeah...this pretty much sums up everything inside of me at the moment:

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We've had a hiccup with the house. A pretty big one, at least from my perspective. I won't go into detail, but it's definitely thrown a curve ball at Maple and me, causing huge feelings of doubt and wonder to surface. But, it's a scary process, and I will sum it up with that. I'm learning that it's okay to be scared--that we aren't really intended to curl up in a ball and never outstep the bounds of our comfort zone. So, with that said, we're taking a leap. And yes, I'm still scared. But...the excitement returns...thanks to lots of prayer and words of wisdom from those we love and trust. This is where we're supposed to be...so...time to get excited and change things. It may not be easy, but I'm now entirely confident it will be totally worth it.

TGIF + HAPPY WEEKEND.

Your chance to win the awesomely fantastic KeepCup ends tomorrow.

Afternoon delights:

Getting geared up for spring and feeling inspired by this pretty, warm weather. Maybe it's the flowering trees and their bright pops of pink and gorgeous white blooms, but ultra-girly things are suddenly on my radar: chic, effortlessly-messy hair, neon pink lips, delicate, gold-speckled drinking glasses (umm...yes, please), and a rustic display of trinkets off-set by delicate feathers and a hint of pink...and...and...those shoes...those gorgie leather shoes.

Feeling so inspired that I'm making a mental note to clean out my closet--to really edit the pieces that are in there...especially since I have so many that just hang and are never worn. And, I'm vowing to only replace those things with pieces that I really, super love and are classic essentials I can hang onto for a while.

Okay, enough about me and my surge of springtime to-dos.
What's on your list?

HAPPY WEDNESDAY (YAY!)
Oh...and check out my current give-a-way if you haven't yet done so.

Eye spy: North Carolina.

My to-do list is ever-growing. Checking off that box is supposed to be rewarding--instead--I feel like I'm keeping a running tally of all the things I don't accomplish. Anyway, a priority on that list is to take more photos. Afterall, I have a camera that I love--why not utilize it more often?

Well...the perfect opportunity presented itself: a weekend escape to North Carolina. We met up with Maple's fam on this little gem of a farm in the foothills of the Smoky Mountains. So, when that rooster crowed oh-so early (yes, that really happened...19 times in a row...my mother-in-law kept tally), I awoke to the perfect morning light to snap a few photos:

I still don't have my dream lens (sigh), but I've taken a vow to work with what I have. That's the key to being happy, I think. And happy I am...with dusting off my camera again. Just wait til we move into this new house of ours (in 16 days...we think!)...that's when the eye candy will really begin :)

HAPPY TUESDAY.

Oh, and don't you forget about the KeepCup give-a-way! 
You need it.
Your coffee needs it.