changes

All of my New Year's resolutions can be summed up in this quote...

[source]

I mentioned briefly in this post and this post that things were changing, and I've decided to make 2013 my year to begin doing what I want with my life. The first thing I did to work towards this goal is register to take classes towards a certification in interior design, and sign up for local classes to help me learn Photoshop and InDesign. I actually start one of these on Monday! I'm sure I'll be posting a lot about my journey, and hopefully I'll also figure out what I want to do along the way. I'm excited but also quite a bit nervous. I'm not one to step outside of my comfort zone, and by leaving my current career path to pursue a completely different career I've definitely stepped way outside of my zone. Thankfully Charlie has been my number one supporter through all of this, and without him pushing for me to make the change, I'm not sure that any of this would be happening.

dining room update

Here is a look at our current dining room situation. It is constantly changing, but I feel like I'm finally almost finished. Even though let's be honest, I'll probably be changing something else in a few months.

I had originally planned on buying these stools from World Market, but after creating the design board below, I ended up purchasing these iron swivel stools which I felt fit in with our current decor a little better.

I'm in some serious need of storage space for our "special" dishes and serving pieces, so I'm planning to replace our current console with this sideboard. I really love its sort of distressed/mismatched look.

I've also been thinking about adding a rug to define the space. Our living room and dining room are just one long room, so I think it might help to separate the two.

 [source]

[source]

Thoughts?

instagram updates christmas edition

 I just loved this label. Bear + Deer = Beer

Sean and Caroline sent us our favorite pizza fresh from Chicago. It was delicious!

I spent my first day (and the past 6 days) of Christmas break miserably sick. Watching Christmas Vacation in the glow of Christmas lights helped make it more tolerable.

I had a Christmas movie marathon, and loved every minute of it.

 This is what makes days when I can barely drag myself out of bed worth it. I love my kiddos.

 We went to see one of my students perform in the Nutcracker. This was my first time!

 Our little man in his slightly too small Buzz Lightyear Jammies. 

Santa brought him some new ones for Christmas. They are adorable and I will post pictures soon. 

 We had a white Christmas! It was barely white, but it still counts.

 Nestled all snug in his bed.