Hooray At Home: Patio Makeover

For the last two days I have been working my butt off cleaning up our yard, getting it prepped for the new decor I am bringing in. Until now our back porch has been a little bit of an afterthought. Then our neighbors gave us their old occasional set and it kind of set the project on fire. All of a sudden I had this vision for what I wanted the space to look like: really colorful, a little boho and nature inspired.

I'm still in the middle of purchasing some of the pieces and switching up the layout, so for now I'll leave you with a quick look at our new rug, pillows and lantern. I love how the textures and patterns are different, yet all play well together and help brighten/dress up the patio. More to come!

Here's where you can find the RUG + PILLOWS. Similar Lantern, HERE

Xo,
T

#thebabebungalow

Let me begin by explaining how I ended up calling our home "The Babe Bungalow" around Instagram. If you've ever been to our house, you know we lack a little in the square footage department. It's been a welcomed challenge to fit our growing family in this space; emphasis on "challenge."

 In search of small living inspiration I did what I always do best. Stalked Instagram. And Pinterest.  Somewhere along the way I came across Whitney Leigh Morris' profile and fell in love with her space. Her vibe is simple, yet totally stylish with a touch of boho. Plus, she makes living in 362 sq. ft. look down right luxurious which is impressive all in itself. Finding her profile is what led me to name our space. It seemed like such a fun idea to give a home a life and personality of its own, all while allowing people to follow along via hashtag. 

Having our own place has actually breathed new life into how much I truly dig interior design. I want to explore my creative side through different passion projects, especially while I am home with the babes. And who knows where #thebabebungalow could lead? 

As for the actual name: "babe" is the term I've always used to describe my two loves. Since most of our house is focused around their little lives it felt right to include it. And "bungalow" seemed like a clever way to describe our small-ish living space, which is another important feature of our home. So many decision in the remodel process were born out of these two aspects, so it made sense to include them both. 

I hope you enjoy following along on our adventures, and more recently around our home. Now where to put this thing...

Xo,

T.

Target Haul | Spring

 Have you noticed how other Target store locations (Hey La Habra! What up Irvine Spectrum!) offer different items than your home Target? Maybe it's just a matter of items selling out, or maybe it truly does vary. I do know I'm not the only Target enthusiast who feels this way, since I bump into some of you when I venture out. I found so many fresh accessories on my last trip (HERE) and I can wait to style them for Spring! 

Acacia serving tray | Clear serving tray | Vase filler: similar HERE | Candle | 'Hello Spring' sign 

Gold dipped hanging planter | White ceramic hanging planter 

(Treat bags can be found in the dollar spot)

Xo,

T.

Labor of Love | Dining 'Nook' Reveal

Welcome to our new dining nook! I say 'nook' because we don't actually have a room dedicated to dining. So in our #babebungalow our living room does double duty. Having said that, it was really important for me to source pieces that gave us visual space since we are low on actual space. Open back, low profile chairs and a round white table fit the bill. Originally, I wanted a glass table with a  wooden base, but after realizing the glass just sat on top, unsecured, I got nervous. At the end of the day I want my home to be safe and functional above all else. I am completely obsessed with the combo we finally ended up with. I think what I love most about this set, beside it's cool mid century feel, is it's ability to grow with us. When we eventually move to a bigger place we can put these wishbone chairs at a full size dining table with two upholstered chairs at either end. Or we can repurpose this tulip style Ikea table as an eat in kitchen set by adding four more casual chairs.

 Seeing as this is our, count 'em, fourth set in seven years (yikes) I knew I had to really take some time coming up with something that would last. If you're planning on making any furniture or big home purchases, I highly recommend creating a vision board (virtual works best for me) to gather both your practical choices, a.k.a - the stuff you can actually afford, and a wish list, a.k.a - the pieces you wish you could. When you're done you'll feel organized enough so you're not tempted to make any impulse purchases.

It's also important to wait for a sale. I almost always get furniture on sale because I pin it and wait. In this case, I scored 25% off. Signing up for the store's email blasts can help with this. You should also consider asking for the floor sample if you don't mind minor wear and tear. Most places will give you an additional percentage off, and with kids you know it's not going to remain out of the box perfect for long anyway. 

Finally, don't be afraid to mix and match. Not everything has to come from one place, and if you've done your homework you can source out the best deal or a killer knock off for a fraction of the cost. Keep in mind the items you want to splurge on (for me it was the chairs) and hit up more affordable spots for the rest. I am also a huge proponent of Craigslist and vintage/second hand stores if you have the balls. And believe me, those routes aren't for the faint of heart. 

 Look at this beautiful detailing.

 The table top is 41 inches in diameter.

Love the variation in the wood!

I hope you love our new space as much as I do and feel inspired for your next home purchase.

Natural Bowen Wishbone chair | Ikea Docksta table

Xo,

T.

Hooray At Home

Welcome back. The title of this post is also going to be the official hashtag (what's a project without a hashtag anyway?) of my slow reveal of all things home. As I've mentioned before, our house is still a work in progress...so for now it will be snapshots here and there of new purchases and projects. I really hope you enjoy!

Speaking of new purchases, I recently found this cool and colorful rug which I think makes the perfect addition to our living room. For a girl who was anti-rug for quite a while, I now feel ready to bring back this grounding element to our space. Plus, there is no arguing the instant style vibe a rug lends to any room. My anti-rug tendencies were all based on upkeep. A handwoven option like this one is really nice because you can literally roll it up and shake it out or throw it in the washing machine if need be. I think I'm in love. 

Xo,

T.