a little photo organization

Ever since my little one was born I have been worried about not capturing and correctly organizing pictures of her. I take way too many iphone pictures and not enough SLR pictures. I have always organized my photos by year but with the way babies change so much I wanted to break it down more than that.

A few weeks ago I decided that on the same day each month, the day that my babe becomes a month older, that I would upload all my pictures from my camera and phone to my iphoto library and title each event by the month. 

This will also help make sure when I sit down to make her baby book that the timeline is correct. Doing it once a month takes away my back up of never getting around to it. I always find you need to take a little extra time to do something often otherwise it's a big headache a year from now.

How do you all organize your photos?

it's been a while...

I decided to fall off the face of the blog earth for a while friends. I was spending too much time in my day on the computer and worrying too much about my internet life and not enough about my real life. I was measuring my outfits, photography, thoughts, weekends and outings based on what would look best in a blog. Trying to keep up and make it better all of the time wasn't for me.

Also, I've been doing this...

...growing a sweet girl inside of me. My daughter. These last 27 weeks have been an incredible journey. God is teaching me so much about His control on our lives from before we were born and how He desires the reigns for the rest of it. I'm merely the vessel that He is using to form my sweet Reese Katherine inside of me. He is making her perfect, not her, not me, not Brian, He is.

Here's to letting Him have that kind of control forever  on her life and mine as He is better at it than I ever could be.

Sometimes I miss blogging so maybe I'll be back every once in a while to share about how an ordinary person can be organized or with thoughts on what I'm learning in this life.

xoxo

spring cleaning // make up brushes

I never think to clean my make up brushes because I just assume I'm using the same make up on them right? But when I start to think about all of the places I've set them down, bacteria on my face, sweat etc, it started to gross me out. I bought this Laura Mercier brush cleaner for $18 because I'm pretty sure this bottle will last me the rest of my life.

Step 1 // Lay out your brushes and throw away any that are too old or that you don't have a specific use for anymore

Step 2 // Take out your brushes one by one, spray on the cleaner, wipe it on a towel or tissue until you don't see anything coming off 

Step 3 // lay out to dry

Step 4 // Put back in a cute container

a DIY

Love this idea! This is great for any drawer that needs things to stay in place. I love drawer organizers but sometimes you can't find the right sizes for what you want and let's be honest they aren't always cheap for what they are.

Step 1: Measure the depth of your drawer
Step 2: Find any box top, measure & cut
Step 3: cover with cute paper or paint it or use magazine by gluing it down
Step 4: arrange and enjoy!

Source: iheartorganizing.blogspot.com via Olivia on Pinterest

office alternatives

We all need a space for "office stuff"- bills, calendar, mail etc. but we all don't have an extra room to hold that in our homes. I love these alternatives that hold everything necessary but don't take up a lot of space! Would you ever try something like this? I love how you can make it these also look decorative as well.

Source: realsimple.com via Olivia on Pinterest

Source: iheartorganizing.blogspot.com via Olivia on Pinterest

Source: marthastewart.com via Olivia on Pinterest

Source: Uploaded by user via Olivia on Pinterest

organize my day

If you work part time or are a stay at home mom, like a lot of my friends, you have a lot to accomplish in a week around your home. Some days you have too little and some days too much time to do it in. How do you get everything done in a week without feeling overwhelmed and give up?

Step 1: Make a list of all of the items you have to complete in a week
EX:  laundry, fold & put away, clean bathrooms, pick up & organize, vacuum, pay bills, mop (etc.)

Step 2: Make a list of the things you'd like to do in a week
EX: work out, crafting, read a book, blog

Step 3: Write out your current schedule to find the holes
EX:   8:30-12:30 Work
          12:30-1:30 Lunch
          1:30-3 Free Time
          3-5  Social Time

The holes I've created are  1:30-3 and 3-5 - what makes the most sense to me would be to have the "have to do's" 1:30-3 and the "want to do's" 3-5

Step 4: Make a schedule for each day of the week so you get everything done but it's spread out and doesn't feel like an overwhelming task.

                                                 1:30-3                            3-5
DAY OF THE WEEK           HAVE                          WANT
Sunday                                   Laundry                        time with husband
Monday                                  Fold & Put Away          work out
Tuesday                                  Clean Bathrooms          read & blog
Wednesday                             Pick Up House             work out
Thursday                                Vacuum                        see a friend
Friday                                     Mop                              work out
Saturday                                 Pay Bills                       craft

Step 5: Display this somewhere in your home to motivate you. Stick to it but give yourself grace if it doesn't work every single day!

Source: mochithings.com via Scarlet on Pinterest

Do you struggle organizing your day or getting things done?
Take 20 minutes to do this for yourself and see what you can come up with!

Christmas tree hunt

one of my favorite things about living in Oregon is cutting down our Christmas tree every year. There are a ton of farms just 15 minutes from our house out in the country. The last few years we have gone with some of our best friends and made a fun day out of it! 

Do you get to cut down your Christmas tree? 

warning: shallow post-needed a change

I decided on a whim last week that I needed a hair change. I've had the same cut for a few years now and was ready to try something different. I love short hair on other people but have always hated it on myself because I feel like I look like I'm 10. I was inspired by these pictures of Olivia Palermo and her long bob and thought I'd try it.

Source: hairstylesolution.net via Olivia on Pinterest

Source: stylebistro.com via Olivia on Pinterest

Source: andredavishairstylist.com via Olivia on Pinterest

here is a little before and after from yesterday. I look super tired but that's ok.


Now it's going to be a challenge styling it in a way everyday that makes me look mature as opposed to immature. This morning I used my Hana flat iron to curl a few pieces. Any short hair styling advice?

a different christmas

Source: spreadhisword.tumblr.com via Olivia on Pinterest

Our family has decided to do Christmas a little different this year. The burden has been on my heart for the last few years but I haven't quite had the courage to stand up and say it. The stress of buying presents for so many family members around the holidays has me feeling a little bit insane. The need to find just the perfect gift, make sure I'm spending the same amount on them that they are on me, spending money that I don't have  to spend all takes away from the real reason Christmas is celebrated.

God gave us a gift, a sacrifice of himself, when we are rushing around we miss the biggest detail of it all. This year we've decided with some of our family members to not purchase gifts for each other but to just be together. Christmas is a time to celebrate what God has done for us by sending His one and only Son to be humbly born into this dark world to pay a price for us so that we could live. He wants us to live our life as a blessing to others and slowing down to spend quality time with those around us is just that.

How do you keep yourself focused on the Creator?

wish I was here wednesday

I started "wish I was here wednesday" back when I was working a desk job that I hated. I would dream, mid-week, about being somewhere else. It's been a fun thing to look back at all the beautiful pictures I've found or from my actual life. If you'd like to play along, link back here and put your url in a comment, I love to look at where you all wish that you were on a wednesday, it's fun to dream right!?

Source: turbotwister.ru via Olivia on Pinterest

ode to nate

kind of love most everything he does.
his decor inspires me.
see anything you love??

Source: Uploaded by user via Olivia on Pinterest

Source: target.com via Olivia on Pinterest

Source: nateberkus.com via Olivia on Pinterest

Source: styledesignlife.blogspot.com via Olivia on Pinterest

Source: shopsweetthings.com via Olivia on Pinterest

Source: nateberkus.com via Olivia on Pinterest

Source: home-decor.hsn.com via Olivia on Pinterest

who are you inspired by in interior design?

the holiday spirit

Thank you all so much for your kind, sweet and encouraging comments on Friday. Glad a lot of you can relate and that we encourage each other towards authenticity always!


 I'm really getting in the holiday spirit after seeing the Nutcracker and dressing up fun this weekend. How are you getting into the spirit?!

Source: odessamay.blogspot.com via Olivia on Pinterest

Source: elleandblair.com via Olivia on Pinterest

Source: limilee.tumblr.com via Olivia on Pinterest

Source: odessamay.blogspot.com via Olivia on Pinterest

Source: lunalighting.co.uk via Olivia on Pinterest

Some of my plans include:

blast Christmas music
watch Home Alone (&2)
make hot chocolate
watch Christmas Vacation
see the tree in Pioneer Square
watch Elf
cut down & decorate our tree
drive around and look at Christmas lights
bake a holiday treat
watch White Christmas
decorate the house
watch Nativity Story
buy a new holiday dress
get some holiday fuzzy socks & pjs
watch A Christmas Story
walk around down town bundled up with a warm drink

why my blog is for me

I started this blog almost 3 years ago out of a need to create and to have a voice. I titled it 'For Me' as a constant reminder that I shouldn't blog just for others. I blog stalked for a few months before I started mine and it made me sad to see people write things like "I'm sorry for not posting lately..." as if they were not enjoying it and being forced to post. I also wanted to always remind myself to stay true to who I was.

For blog success, I've been told to do many things, but I don't necessarily want blog success, I want to be me, isn't that why most of us start blogs? So that we can share a bit of ourselves with the world? Learn from each other? Grow together? I never wanted to do otherwise. I'm writing this post for myself right now as another reminder.

Lately I have been bored with my blog, over it, not feeling it. I don't really know if anyone is still reading, I don't get a lot of comments, I haven't had new followers in months, my photos aren't done very well because I don't have photoshop, I don't take pictures all of the time because my life is really busy and hectic. I realized that this list of things was the reason that I wasn't "feeling it" when really all of those things shouldn't matter if I'm blogging just for me.

I have an audience of One that I'm trying to please, Galatians 1:10 and I shouldn't let those things make me not want to blog.

Part of the beauty of this world of blogging is the community made within it. I delight so much in comments on my posts and interacting with readers as well as being inspired by content on the blogs of others. However, if I don't get comments or new readers, I don't want to think that I am failing. Or if one blog has grown a lot in the last year and mine hasn't, I don't want to feel any ounce of jealousy in it. I am not going to stop blogging, I just want to remind myself the reason I started in the first place. Thank you to all who have been following along in my journey, I hope we continue to inspire one another.

Do any of you struggle with comparison, jealousy, blogging for others and not yourself? I hope this is an encouragement to keep blogging things you love, share your heart and personality and if people enjoy it and find value in it, that is just a bonus!

the room we live the most in

the before:



the after:



couch & pillows : Pacific Lifestyle Furniture // standing lamp: target but found at goodwill // black lamp: target // coffee table: Potterybarn (from our old house)



mirrior: Crate & Barrel // black frames: Potterybarn with instagram artwork printed using Prinstagram // silver frames: Crate & Barrel // love sign: thrifted



fire basket: Home Goods // Map: Urban Outfitters // Frame: ikea





end table: home goods



ottoman: target but found at goodwill // chair: hand-me-down // lamp: target // gray shade: ikea




still need to:
//get another end table
//get a new coffee table
//possibly get different seating than that white chair


my inspirations:

Source: nfinteriordesign.com via Olivia on Pinterest

Source: apartmenttherapy.com via Olivia on Pinterest

Source: ikeafamilylive.com via Olivia on Pinterest

Source: tumblr.com via Olivia on Pinterest

Source: restoredstyle.com via Olivia on Pinterest