Nashville Nesting

So when will my posts stop rambling on and on about the move to Nashville? Well probably when it finally hits me that I'm a Tennessee resident. A metropolitan dweller. An urban girl, if you will. I have been living here for a week and a half and it still hasn't quite set in that I won't be "going home"... this is my home now.

Get ready Nashville!

(image via)

Well really more like this:

This is really a view from our apartment! We live in the foothills slightly west of the downtown area, but believe you me, we are still in Nashville. This post is dedicated to a few more views from inside the apartment. I'm not ready to give the whole tour, yet.

Above is my little backsplash project. Instead of hanging each cookie cutter letter individually (thus more holes in the wall), I just hot-glued them to a cutting board. I like that it is all cut up and worn. You can't really tell from the picture, but there is an "M" monogram engraved on the board. Below it are my new(ish) salt and pepper shakers and my chicken/rooster kitchen timer from Everyday Gourmet in Jackson. (I really really wish it would cock-a-doodle-doo instead of ding! or at least bock) I found the shakers at Harpeth Antique Mall near Franklin. They match my wedding china really well... talk about luck. The twine marks the salt because I can never remember which is in which shaker and they look exactly the same, so I always ended up smelling the little holes or pouring a little into my hand. It got old.  A little bow of twine and problem solved.

Here is what the backsplash looked like in Hattiesburg:

Here is our coffee table project:

Josh picked these skinny pallets up behind a Mexican restaurant in Hattiesburg about a week before we moved after I had showed him this project.

 Our plan is to sand it (we just bought an orbital sander -yay new toys!), stain it using the method Sherry from Young House Love demonstrated here to bring out the grain and texture. The middle pallet will be removed and cut up to make separators so there is some storage. Add some little legs to lift it off the floor slightly and BAM... one sexy repurposed coffee table. 

Next we have our plate display:

This hangs above the brand new couch. I made that mirror with my mom and Sis several years ago out of an old window pane they found somewhere. I'm going to sand it down some to make it show it's age (at the time we made it, I didn't like the "aged" look... I was like 14, don't judge) The plates belonged to Josh's great-grandmother, Mamaw Creel. The bird plates are mine from Pier One. They show up elsewhere in the house also.

Here is a close up of the sweet yellow flowers:

Here is a pic of the plate display "in progress." I probably rearranged them a dozen times (notice the yellow one on top that didn't make the cut?). I wanted it to focus more on Mamaw's plates. What spawned the idea was that I wanted to display them since they are so special to us, but we were low on dining room space. And it hit me. Hadn't even thought about it before that moment. I was so set on having a buffet and hutch.

 But the real reason for the following pic is because you can see our beautiful new sofa! We are so proud of it. 

It may not look like much, but it is deep and comfy as if it were made from down [as in goose feathers. semantically weird sentence, sorry],  sleek, clean lines, and once we get some cooler throw pillows (Maybe a soft blue? Buttons will probably be involved. Or lace. I'm on a lace kick), it will change the whole mood of the room. The in-yo-face green isn't really vibe-ing with the subdued color scheme.

We ended up having a very cream/yellow/green color scheme in the living room and I'm digging it. Here is a pic my rosebud end table lamp:

I found these beauts (I have two) at Cracker Barrel of all places. I had a hankering for mashed potatoes one day, and it seemed my options were Cracker Barrel or KFC, so we went to CB. What d'ya know, that little store actually had some really neat home decor items in an "all-white" display area {sounds racist}. I genuinely freaked out when I saw it. They only had one and I really wanted a matching pair so my sweet adoring husband asked if there were any more in the store and there was one more! Hidden in the back those sneaky b-words. Hooray.  They will be getting a shade upgrade. Maybe a linen or burlap drum shade?

Here are is a little serves-no-purpose-other-than-to-look-pretty action:

I picked these crates up at Magnolia Flea Market on Highway 49. I've been eyeing wooden crates at flea markets for ages waiting for my perfect opportunity to pounce. They run anywhere from $25-50 each but I got these guys 50% off. Meaning both of them for 25! 

Displayed are... ('cause I know you care)

• {Starting from the bottom}: a basket with a ceramic birdie from Marshalls or Ross (it looks like a nest... get it? tee-hee), a couple of small glass bottles I've had for so long I couldn't tell you where they are from, a tall candle I got at Hobby Lobby on sale a long time ago, all on a yellow and while place mat from Target. 
• {On top of the crate}: on the corner by the fireplace is our Willowtree wedding cake topper. 
• {In the top crate} are three blue glass jar (also been eyeing these waiting for a good price. They can be pricey if they are on sale at an antique mall/flea market) and the dried bouquet of flowers Josh had for me when he proposed [cue collective awwww]. 
• {On top} are three classic novels, an iron trivet with a picture of us on top, and a wire gold leaf tree from... you guessed it... a flea market. Those suckers seem to be everywhere. 
• {And leaning along the left side} is a cinnamon stick broom from Publix.

Moving on.

 I found this fantastic bed skirt at the Franklin Antique Mall. (Catching the pattern?) I usually only buy from flea markets because antique stores are so pricey, but I go there for ideas. This bed skirt was so unique and reasonably priced I just couldn't pass it up. Especially since we don't have one and I was tired of seeing that tacky box spring. 

Lovely.

Also in our bedroom the jewelry cabinet I made from a wooden Coke tray.

Maybe I'll do a step-by-step post later if anyone really wants to know... But basically it is a Coke tray with a picture frame hinged to it with screen door netting hot-glued to the inside of the frame and little cup hooks screwed in the top of the tray. I still want to put a drawer or something at the bottom for my rings. 

Well that's about all I've taken a picture of so far. There are still lots of pictures to be hung, projects to complete, and stuff to settle. 

So stay tuned,

Haley

Plans are taking shape

Alright, so here it goes. We have, as of yesterday, applied for an apartment in Nashville and are moving July 14th.

As in, three weeks from now?   YEP!

It is hard to believe that this is actually happening. We are having a yard sale in two weeks to get rid of all our old hand-me-down stuff we no longer want (keeping basically the beds, antique chairs, new rug and lamps, and kitchen stuff). New city, new life, new style = new furniture (or thrifted, but new to us). This makes Haley a very happy wife.

I have been scowering the blogosphere for ideas and inspiration. There are some amazing DIYers out there who are so gracious to share their awesome ideas. Maybe I can be one, too? There will be much DIYing and renovating in my futer (which also makes me very happy). We are stipiing out "stuff" down to the bones and simplifying our life while simutaneously creating the life and lifestyle we have been putting off. Its funny how "stuff" can weigh you down from accomplishing the things you want to do.

Maybe I will post some pics of our current apartment in all its "before the purge" glory.

Nashville on the horizon

So here's the skinny:

Josh and I have been working really hard these past 4 or 5 months since the shock of the wedding and holidays wore off and we have been planning to move. We have paid off two lines of debt and all we have left are one student loan and the car. We were considering waiting until we at least got the loan paid off to move, but why? Our payments are manageable right now and we aren't getting any younger. Besides, we are kinda at a financial dead end in Hattiesburg. We are stuck in part-time jobs, I can't for the life of me find a full-time position, and moreover, I have no idea what my long-term career will be. I need to get my feet wet and learn HOW to work full-time. I'm really looking forward to it though.

I'm starting to consider ESL (English as a second language) as a career. I would teach English to non-native speaker. That way my Spanish can still be put into use, but I like the idea teaching English better. Maybe that will open the doors for Josh and me to live abroad for a period of time. Maybe after Nashville. There is a certification program in Nashville that is offered twice a year (conveniently enough in August) for three consecutive weekends. It would be quicker (and cheaper) than a Master's program in TESOL, that way if I decide it isn't for me, I won't have spent so much time and money into that career option. I just wonder how much luck I'll have finding a job in ESL.

Josh has a plan: music. When we move, the biggest factor is finding a job for me. He will work at a coffee shop or restaurant to start off and hopefully after some networking and God's favor, he will be able to either a)go back to school at Mid Tenn and get a better education of the recording industry or b) make a viable connection that shuffles him in the biz.

We are thinking Nashville will be a 5-7 year home, probably not a forever home. However, that is long enough to buy a home. Home buying in my mind is a huge marker of adulthood. I think we will be great homeowners though. We have some many plans for "when we someday have a house." That and all my HGTV skills. The first year or so we will probably rent so that we can find jobs, have a steady income to impress the banks, and so we can find what part of the Nashville area we like best. I really want to live in a studio or loft apartment. Now would be the time for that, but we'll just have to see what is available in a few months. We are planning our first trip to nashville in the next couple of weeks to do a preliminary search for apartments/rental homes and jobs.

Wish us luck!
H+J