@evelynandtheodore

Discovering My Style (and other long drawn out excuses as to why I've been gone)

Hello all,

After an unexpected long hiatus, I am back (and this time for good)! And before you roll your eyes and think Sure, okay, whatever you say.... I have legitimate reasons for the lack of posts lately.

You see, I looked around the house recently and said to myself:


"What in the hell are you doing?"

I had far too many things that I liked, but didn't love. I had half finished projects everywhere, supplies galore, furniture for days, and yet I couldn't make sense of any of it & make it all fit together into one cohesive unit. I had gotten into the directionless rut of generic decor.



So for the past month or two, I slowed way down on projects & began focusing on honing in on my style (before implementing it). I didn't really have a direction that I wanted to go in when everything started- I just picked up cheap furniture & random decor items that I enjoyed and threw it all over the place expecting it to work. Well, clearly, it didn't.

Embarrassing admission of the day: for the entire time I hadn't been writing posts, I also hadn't been organizing or cleaning much, and our living room had quickly become this mess:


Whoa gross. Boxes & bags of donation items, painting supplies, Aaron's beer (wth), and 8 million other things of mine that didn't belong anywhere near where they were.

I ditched a lot of extra furniture & clothes, weeded through my Sterilite tubs full of decor items, and read a lot of blogs. Pinterest became an addiction, HGTV a necessity, and slowly but surely I began to realize what I wanted our home to look and feel like.

I didn't do much (or any really) DIY projects in fear that I would hate the result a few months later, as I had begun to do with fairly recent projects. Why do a piece four times in one month when you can do it one time in four months & then never do it again?


But I discovered one blog & one HGTV show in particular that encompassed everything I wanted our home to look and feel like during this time, and they helped tremendously when it came to simplifying my stash.

If you're into Modern Farmhouse style with traditional elements & a cozy, welcoming feel, you need to check these links out. They really helped me figure out what I wanted, and how I could achieve it while being cheap (and looking great for cheap is a super win in my book):

  • Bless'er House: Lauren is my spirit animal of the decor world. She gets high end style with a cheap budget, and so many of her posts are for DIY projects! She really speaks my language. Watching her update her house throughout the seasons, and following her room makeovers start-to-finish has really inspired me.

    I highly recommend checking her blog out, her house is beautiful- take her virtual tour and fall in love like I did. It's for your own good, I swear. Heart-eyed emoji's describe every. single. post.
    Source
  • Fixer Upper: Not only do Chip & Joanna have the cutest marriage on the planet, they have the cutest style to go with it. And in addition to their show, they have a full fledged blog & several of their own projects and stores down in Waco, TX (oh, such a shame to be so far away).

    If you haven't heard of these guys, you've been either avoiding social media like the plague or haven't been "in the loop" for quite some time. My Pinterest feed is flooded with Fixer Upper inspired pins, and I couldn't be happier (well maybe if they came to help me decorate I'd me happier, but....).

    These guys are seriously my favorite. There may be a trip to Waco in the future just to experience it all in person.

    Source

So here is a list of goals for our house this year:

  • More personalized decor & less generic store bought junk- think store bought style with personal touches or sentimental elements
  • Cohesive style- we'll call it Modern Farmhouse with a little Mid-Century Modern flair
  • More organized & cleanly- AKA "having an assigned place for everything & actually keeping it there when it isn't being used"
  • Mature look & feel- gravitating towards a home that looks lived in by adults, not college students or teenagers
  • Outdoor entertaining space- a full sized patio dining set & solar lighting for twilight dinners in the yard & cocktails by the fire
  • Quality before quantity- replacing our sub-par items with higher quality ones that'll last for years to come (furniture, towels, dishes, etc.)
I've already made good progress on a few of these by commissioning more art from Hannah & finding replacements for certain items. And while Ikea may not be of the highest quality, it did help a lot in finding the perfect bathroom mirror to replace the over-sized monstrosity that is in there now (more on that later), and their faux foliage can't be beat to help liven up a room.

Just look at all these cuties I picked up earlier this week! When you have a black thumb, Ikea is the place to go for plants. No watering = no skill needed.



I also plan to start actually building small things this summer. I have a long list of ideas, and I hope to find it enjoyable instead of a monstrous paint in the butt. Here are a few things I'd like to try to tackle this summer:
  • Potting bench/front porch bench
  • Door changed into a bench
  • Storage bench?
  • Hairpin leg table
  • Trashcan disguise & countertop
  • Tabletop flower box

I'll probably start small and work my way up, but the porch/potting bench is the ultimate goal this summer.

So that's the game plan, folks. I'm hoping to have everything done by the end of the year so that our house really feels like a home for the holidays. I'll keep you updated as things progress!

I've almost finished the gallery wall in the living room, so all we should be waiting on is the art from Hannah to fill the frames! She's already done this feather after I saw a set at Target that I loved the style of, but not the size or the price (still get kind of tempted to buy them every time I see them though). That feather has inspired the entire wall layout, and I'm so excited for it to be done.


Stay tuned for updates on room makeovers, storage solutions, more Quick 'n' Easy projects (a fan favorite according to the view counts!), and home decor tips & mistakes (because no one's perfect).

You can also expect some design changes on the blog as well! The name will be the same, but it might start looking a little different to match the feel of the house. Less loud colors and more clean, bright, and airy neutrals & blues. I'm still working on the new logo, but we'll be revamped before you know it!

See you soon!



Comments

  1. Aw thanks for the blog love, Alexis! You are too sweet!!! Best of luck in your home adventures. I was right in your shoes 3 years ago. It doesn't take long with lots of determination. ;)

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    Replies
    1. Absolutely! I came across your blog when I was looking for bathroom ideas & Pinterest suggested Olivia's bathroom, and then again when I was looking for ideas for a dining set I have that's almost exactly like your knock-off chairs. I'm really excited to try out our new jig saw for my own ;)
      Thanks for the encouragement, it's greatly appreciated!

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