SCENES FROM AROUND THE HOUSE.

So, our house is constantly evolving. We've owned this little casa for a year and a half now, and we had high hopes and giant to-do lists, only to have them both blundered by a lack of time and money. No one told me homeownership was expensive?! Kidding...kidding...they ALL did. Anyhow, Maple and I have made a tiny bit of progress (remember the befores?...scary.), so I thought I'd give you a little glimpse into how are little abode is coming along. It's an eclectic little place, filled with treasures we've picked up from our travels, pieces of furniture we happen upon, and family heirlooms...but it's super warm and cozy, and totally suited to me and my Maple:

A corner of our sofa...and therefore our living room. The bertoia chairs were my dad's, the lamps my grandmother's (same for vintage photo on wall), and the lasso was Maple's dad's. See the little ivory and black clay vase? I picked it up in Argentina on our honeymoon.

The entryway console is topped with little treasures, but perhaps my fav is the burled wood humidor I had engraved for Maple. It's gorgie. And that iron horse head tray came from an antique shop in Asheville--one of our favorite, well-frequented cities. The books are all vintage, and family heirlooms...and they're held together by gold horseshoe bookends I found at an estate sale. The artwork is a fav piece given to us for our wedding (it will get hung on wall, I just haven't done it yet), and the mirror behind it was a wedding gift to my grandmother in the 1940s.

Ahh, my beloved peacock chairs. They were purchased for the outdoors. I fell in love.

 I had to keep them in.

A corner shot of our dining room...and the other peacock...in all of its glory. That window will someday be french doors, as it goes right out to our *future* patio. The vintage Kilim rug is an absolute favorite find, and my Maple built that amazing farmhouse table you can sort of see.

Our dining room is long and narrow, so we constructed a built-in banquette for super-cozy eating.
That gorgeous cotton painting was an amazing gift from Maple's mama, and the horse shoes (kind of a thing of mine...long story) were picked up in Brooklyn, on a rendezvous to NYC.

A favorite painting pops off sultry, navy blue walls in the den/TV room.
Coveted books and treasures fill the built-in nook to the left. 

And lastly, a little peek at our kitchen...the very reason I fell in love with this house. It's fairly big (there's an entire wall of cabinets you aren't seeing), and the huge picture window and terracotta tile floors vaulted it to perfection in my book. We painted the cabinets a rich, bronzey-gray, and outfitted the plain-front doors with simple bronze hardware. She still needs some love, but she's getting there. Friends tell me it reminds them of an Italian-countryside kitchen. I kiss them when they tell me that. 

So there you have it...the slow (but sure) evolution of our casa. Our to-do list (more like renovation list...eek), is still four miles long, but I've learned to enjoy the process...and more importantly, be completely happy with where we are in that process.  Hmm...a life lesson, perhaps? :)

HAPPY MONDAY.

xoxo.