Well... What can I say?!

So much for sticking to a schedule. Life has been pretty hectic lately. Between juggling school, work, and my home life I don't have as much time to devote to blogging. 

This past weekend we went to DC for my brother-in-laws wedding. It was beautiful and we had a great time. We flew out on Thursday and made are way to Tyson's Corner. I finally made to Z Gallerie and West Elm! 

I will have to do a more detailed weekend update soon. I just wanted to let you know that I'm alive and well.  

Lots of love!  

Catching up + Birthday recap

School started back up and that put this blog on the back burner. It's extremely difficult balancing my life as a student and a wife while maintaining a full time job. That means a lot of things just won't get done... like decorating the house for the fall. It's just not going to happen this year. Studying, getting the laundry done and spending time with my husband have been my first priority.

Even thought I'm super busy... I really would love to build my blog up a bit more and therefore, I'm going to start blogging more regularly and develop a schedule. I'm thinking Monday, Wednesday, and Friday would be perfect. I'm also going to try and keep things more concise, so it doesn't seem like such a taxing job.

Moving on... I wanted to share what we did for my birthday last month.

Last minute just before my birthday Jonathon got offered tickets to see Michael Buble! We actually looked into getting tickets for my birthday (he played the day before my actual birthday) a few months ago, but the tickets were just too expensive. We were so excited when one of Jonathon's clients offered us tickets to see Michael Buble in a suite!

If you ever get the opportunity to see Michael Buble in concert I urge you to go because he's truly talented and an awesome performer. I never knew how funny he was... he had the entire place cracking up. I was so thankful that we had the opportunity to see Michael Buble live.

My work gave me tickets for the Tiger's game that was playing on my actual birthday. The game was terribly boring and they didn't get any runs, but boy we were so drunk from carafe of margaritas that we didn't even care.

Then Jonathon surprised me with this delicious cake from the same lady who made our wedding cake.

 

 



I can't leave out all the love that I got from my coworkers. They hooked me up this year flowers, cupcakes, gifts, and sweet cards.

 

 

All in all it was a great birthday! 



First day of school

Today is my first day of school for the Fall semester. I did take a class during the Spring/Summer semester, but was incredibly fortunate to have a very easy going professor who only lectured for an hour to an hour and a half at best. I don't think my profs this semester will be quite as easy going.

I only have 30 credits left before I can graduate with my Bachelors. Accounting is my major and my dream has always been to be a college graduate. Unless one of my younger cousins beats me (which is possible) I will be the first girl on my moms side to graduate from college, but I know I won't be the last! 

Even though going to school at 30 years old and working full time is extremely difficult... I need to finish what I have started. So when my kids cry about how hard college is... I can say, "I know it is and it was really hard for me too, but I kept going." 

5 on Friday: Link Up

Today I'm linking up with a. liz adventures, carolina charm, hello! happiness, and the good life blog for 5 on Friday. 

<ONE>  On Wednesday, Jonathon’s firm invited us and bunch of his coworkers and their families to see the Detroit Tigers play the Minnesota Twins at Comerica Park. We love going to sporting events in The D, but we LOVE to drink and dine down there too! This time we decided to try two new places that we've both wanted to try for quite some time. We were fully expecting to eat something amazing and we were sadly disappointed, but we still managed to have a good time. I also got my hands on a giant frozen daiquiri that was in one of those obnoxiously ginormous souvenir cups at the game and that more than made up for the less than awesome dinner and bar experience from earlier in the night. Sadly, we left our cell phones in the car, so no pictures. :( The Tigers pulled out all the stops in the last two innings and won the game 7 - 1!

<TWO> TGIF! Every Friday has been a TGIF as of late. Work is becoming more and more demanding on both Jonathon and I. We’re considering going somewhere tropical in the very near future. I personally cannot wait to sip a pina colada while lounging on a beach somewhere! We’re highly considering going back to the Riviera Maya which is by far my favorite place I’ve ever been too.

Play Del Carmen 2011

<THREE> I bought this cute little pumpkin at Home Goods this week. I am getting so excited for the fall. I’m even more excited that after all these years of living in an apartment or a condo I finally have a front yard and porch to decorate for Halloween! I cannot wait to carve pumpkins, make my grandma’s famous caramel dip, buy cinnamon doughnuts at the cider mill, and bake apple pies! And of course, pass out candy to the little trick or treaters!

<FOUR>  Who Do You Think You Are? I've always been interested in genealogy, so I guess it's only natural that I would enjoy this show. I've been watching it On Demand, but you can watch it Tuesday at 9 pm on TLC. I was especially touched by Christina Applegate's episode. It wasn't a super interesting episode, but I was brought to tears several times. I don't want to give the story away in case you're interested in watching the show, but I was really touched.

 

 

 

<FIVE> I don't care what anyone says... I love to shop at Forever 21! It's the one place I walk into and have a hard time not finding at least one item that I want to purchase. I bought this cute little maxi last weekend with the intention to wear it at a birthday party, but didn't. It's super flattering and was less than $18!

 

It's much prettier in person

 

PS- please ignore the state of my blog! I'm currently working on changing some things around. Thank you!

Living Room Inspiration

living room by Sprinklesandkisses.blogspot.com featuring Pottery Barn, Zgallaeie, CrateandBarrel, Ethan Allen

We purchased our sofa and chair for the living room some time ago, but we've had a difficult time trying to find a coffee table and end tables that aren't insanely expensive. I see so many things that I just love but when I look at the price tag I quickly fall out of love, well actually I'm still in love but I just can't afford to make it love me back. Jonathon always jokes that even if there were two identical items in front of me I would instantly gravitate towards the one that was more expensive. What can I say, I have great taste! 

Moving on, this is my initial inspiration board for the living room. I want to keep the living room somewhat neutral and maybe even a little monochromatic. I don't want too much color going on. 

Part of my inspiration comes from the restaurant Villa Blanca in Beverly Hills.  We ate there when we were in California visiting with Jonathon's aunt and uncle. I loved the decor. Everything felt very peaceful and natural yet was absolutely chic at the same time. 

I have also considered putting a rug in the living room, but I'm still undecided whether it is or isn't an interior decorating faux pas to put a rug over wall to wall carpeting. What do you think?

 

Happy 34th Birthday

We celebrated Jonathon's 34th birthday last Wednesday. Unfortunately I had a final exam that day, so the celebration really didn't begin until I got home with the Pizza which wasn't until 8 PM! I left school at a quarter after 6 pm and it took me over an hour and a half to get home! Normally it only takes me 40 minutes to get home from school!

I ordered him a cake from Trifles, the same place we got our wedding cake from. I couldn't get a better picture because Jonathon had already waited until 9 PM to eat it! He requested the Peanut Butter and Jelly Cake and that's exactly what I got him. It was delicious and we've been having a small slice of cake everyday since last Wednesday. I ordered the smallest cake. I would say it's slightly bigger than the top tier of a wedding cake. It was perfect size for just two people.

His birthday gift was a gift certificate to the Dollar Shave Club. I gave it to him earlier in the month and seems to be enjoying it so far.

Jonathon mentioned that he wanted to go see the movie, Meet the Millers, so I'm thinking I might surprise him with movie tickets tonight since his actual birthday celebration was kind of lame. I feel like a bad wifey!

Link Up: 5 on Friday

Today I'm linking up with  A. Liz Adventures, Caroline Charm, Hello! Happiness, and The Good Life Blog for 5 on Friday. 

<ONE> My favorite YouTube beauty guru, Talia Joy Castellano earned her wings Tuesday morning at the young age of 13 years old. Despite battling cancer for 6 years of her young life she was able to leave behind a legacy, a story that has personally inspired me.. Talia has taught me that no matter what life throws at you, you always have the choice to be happy, to make your dreams come true and watching her has been amazing. I will always be thankful to Talia for sharing her life with me through her YouTube videos and other social media sites. Thank you Talia for all that you've taught me. Rest In Peace Sweet Angel! 

<TWO> I can't believe Intervention on A&E had it's series finale last night. I've been watching this show since Season 1 and each time I cry. Sometimes I cry tears of joy and other times tears of sadness. If you've ever had an addict in your life you can relate to the people in this show. The tears start flowing the most when the song starts playing and the show the person clean and sober. It's so touching. I know the show has run it's course... you would have to live under a rock not to know that you're on Intervention, but I will still miss it. 

<THREE> I finally sent in the paperwork to get a new passport, since I got married and have a new last name. Jonathon told me last night that he's been looking at places to go on vacation! So, hopefully that means we'll be going somewhere out of the country very soon!

<FOUR> I'm having the hardest time trying to find a coffee table and end tables to go with my sofa and chair. Everything I see is either way too expensive or doesn't look chic enough. I'm at a loss. I don't want to settle for something unless I absolutely love it. Jonathon and I both would like to have a cocktail ottoman for our coffee table, but I am having a hard time finding one. Any advice would be greatly appreciated!

<FIVE> Stir fry! This is our easy to make, go-to meal. We've made it a few times and I think we finally have the stir fry perfected! The hardest part is waiting 20 minutes for the rice to cook. Does anyone know if it's easier to use a rice maker versus cooking it in a pot on the stove top? Let me know!

Have a safe and fabulous weekend my friends!

RIP TaliaJoy18

I was truly heartbroken to hear of Talia's passing yesterday. This little girl has inspired millions of people around the world including me. Even though I never personally met Talia she captured my heart with her spunky personality and ability to live life to the fullest despite battling cancer. I adored every minute I spent watching Talia in her YouTube videos. Thank you Talia for all that you've taught me and for allowing me to get to know you through YouTube. I'll forever hold you in my heart and always remember to "just keep swimming".

Dining Room Wish List

I long to have a beautiful dining room filled with my precious little treasures. Unfortunately, those precious little treasures are oh so expensive! Here are a few items that I would love to own someday:

One I inherited the most charming fine china from Jonathon’s grandmother, but if I could buy another set of china I would most definitely get this set by Kate Spade.

Two I really LOVE the Kelsey Waterford crystal glasses. If I ever have money to blow it will most definitely be on this set!. I love how feminine and elegant they look. I know my future daughter or granddaughter will love to inherit these… now I just need to convince Jonathon that these would make the perfect heirloom!

Three Again, if I fall into money I will purchase this most elegant pitcher by Arthur Court. Isn’t it just beautiful?

Four Everyone needs a soup tureen right? I registered for the Flutes and Pearls Wilton Armetale serveware and sadly did not receive this, but I do love the other pieces I own. The thing that I love about the Wilton Armetale serveware is that it is really quite functional unlike many other serveware with the same look. You can put Wilton Armetale on the stove or in the oven to warm your food and you can even put in the fridge… all the while the pieces still look fabulous. If you’re getting married, I would highly recommend registering for this item. You won’t regret it!

What are your favorite dining room treasures?

Wilton Armetale Serveware, Flutes and Pearls Soup Tureen
macys.com

kate spade new york June Lane Five-Piece Place Setting
katespade.com

Arthur Court Grape Pitcher
macys.com

Waterford Kelsey Goblet
scullyandscully.com

Weekend Update

Happy Monday! Boy did this weekend really fly by! It felt like the weekend was here and then gone all in a split second. I so wish I didn’t have to go back to work today.

Friday night we went to the Barenaked Ladies concert. Ben Folds Five and Guster were the openers. I had never seen any of these bands live before and wasn’t sure what to expect, especially considering they were much more popular in the late 90s, but I can honestly say that I was pleasantly surprised. These bands put on a great show! I love it when bands engage with their audience and Barenaked Ladies were great at it. Everyone in the crowd was cracking up and having a good time. This was probably one of the most entertaining concerts I’ve been to in quite a while. I highly recommend checking them out if you get the chance.

We had so much fun Friday night… we forgot to take pictures. Bummer! We also had so much fun that we slept in until 1030 am on Saturday which is reeeaaaallllly late for us. It was great being able to sleep in, but when you sleep in that late it feels like you’ve already missed half the day. Other than the concert we had a fairly laid back weekend and didn’t do much else.

How was your weekend? 

Turkey Stuffed Peppers

We recently tried a new recipe that I found on Life with Elizabeth. Although this recipe was a little time consuming it was delicious. My advice to you would be to cut the peppers and everything the night before instead of doing it all at once like we did.

All in all this recipe was great and  we will definitely make it again. 

5 on Friday: Link Up

Today I'm linking up with A. Liz Adventures, Carolina Charm, Hello! Happiness, and The Good Life Blog for 5 on Friday.

<ONE> Our new sofa and chair have finally arrived! I am so obsessed with them and can't wait to fill up the rest of the room!

<TWO> We saw This Is the End on our anniversary (which I forgot to mention in our Anniversary Weekend post). It was so hilarious! We were laughing nonstop and even after the movie was over we were still laughing. 

<THREE> My southern monogram that I ordered from GroopDealz finally arrived. Should I paint it white or give it a punch of color?

<FOUR> I discovered TedTalks on Netflix after a recommendation from a YouTube video. The videos are educational yet interesting and sometimes inspirational. I highly recommend it. I think you can watch some of the videos on www.ted.com. The videos can sometimes be so moving that I find myself crying. Check it out!

<FIVE> I also discovered Pretty Little Liars on Netflix. I'm already on season 3. I know this show is probably for teenagers, but I just can't help myself. I must give you this warning... since I've started watching this show I've been a little more jumpy than usual and panic anytime I get text message. So you've been warned this show may make you a little paranoid. Ha!

I hope everyone is having a fabulous day.

Lots of love,

Melissa

Anniversary Weekend

We kicked off our anniversary weekend by attending our dear friend Zhi's baby shower. That's right! Jonathon went to a baby shower! Co-ed baby showers are becoming more and more popular, but this was the first one we've ever attended and we honestly had a great time. It was cute how some of the guys got excited when Zhi opened their gifts.

For our anniversary we went to dinner at Michael Symon's Roast at the Westin Book Cadillac in Downtown Detroit. 

I had the Walleye with bacon, potato, peas, herb salad. 

Jonathon had the Smoked Pork Chop with polenta, pickled chilies, and BBQ onions. 

For dessert we had Blueberry and Peach Crisp with ice cream.

The food was truly amazing! It's rare that I'll eat and entire plate of food, but this place made it easy. We literally had nothing left on our plates. 

After dinner, we cut into our one year old wedding cake. Neither of us couldn't believe how well it had held up over the course of a year. Surprisingly it still tasted pretty darn good too. Jonathon actually had a second helping the next day. Ha! 

Overall it was a wonderful anniversary spent with my favorite person ever. Life can't get much better than that. 

Our First Anniversary

June 30, 2013: 365 days later
Jonathon…
It's here, our 1 year anniversary! My how time flies. I feel like it was just yesterday we were getting ready to tie the knot and I had a stomach full of butterflies in anticipation of seeing you that day-I couldn't wait to walk down that aisle. If someone had told me what all would transpire during our first year of marriage, I would laugh at them and tell them no way! These past 12 months have been an absolute whirlwind.Though I may not say it all the time and I might drive you crazy sometimes, just know that I thank my lucky stars each and everyday for you... as long as we have each other, there is nothing we can't overcome. Cheers to our first year of marriage and I hope we have 50 more just as exciting as this one.
I love you. 

Letting my freak flag fly!

I found the Freak Flag Quiz some time ago and thought it would be fun to share my answers with you all. Let me know what you think!

1. What's a nickname only your family calls you?

Most of my family members and close friends exclusively call me Missy while everyone calls me Melissa. My grandfather used to call me Missy Moo until I was in middle school.

2. What's a weird habit of yours?

When I’m sitting at my desk at work, I like to sit with one hand over my mouth while I’m holding a tissue or napkin in my hand. When I’m at home laying on the couch I will hold a corner of the blanket over my mouth.

3. Do you have any weird phobias?

I am afraid of rodents. Like deathly afraid of all rodents of any size. Even pictures of mice make my skin crawl.

4. What's a song you secretly LOVE to blast & belt out when you're alone?

This is such a hard one to answer, but I love to sing  “Free Falling” by Tom Petty or “Higher Love” by Steve Winwood (that’s only slightly embarrassing).

5. What's one of your biggest pet peeves?

Any repeated sound will drive me nuts, like whistling, tapping, chewing loudly, anything that is a repeating sound.

6. What's one of your nervous habits?

I talk like a complete moron when I’m nervous. I say “um” and smack my lips a hundred times.

7. What side of the bed do you sleep on?

I always sleep on the right side of the bed, but my husband would say I sleep in the middle. If my husband is out of town on business, I almost always sleep in his spot. I don’t know why, but it just seems comforting.

8. What was your first stuffed animal & its name?

The first stuffed animal that I can recall having was my glowworm. I’m not sure if I ever named him. I remember having a stuffed Gizmo that I absolutely cherished when I was about 3 years old.

9. What's the drink you ALWAYS order at Starbucks?

Chai Tea Latte with nonfat milk and sugar free caramel

10. What's the beauty rule you preach… but never ACTUALLY practice?

Always use moisturizer! I almost always use moisturizer, but occasionally I’ll skip it at night.

11. Which way do you face in the shower?

I face away from the shower head.

12. Do you have any 'weird' body 'skills'?

None that I know of

13. What's your favorite 'comfort food'/food that’s 'bad' but you love to eat it anyways?

Salsa and chips

14. What's a phrase or exclamation you always say?

Are you kidding me?!

15. Time to sleep—what are you ACTUALLY wearing?

Tank top and shorts or pajama bottoms

We are all moved in!

Hey guys we are all moved in! They finally finished putting the sod in yesterday. We love our new home and I can't wait to share more if our life with you all! 

This was before the sod! Please keep checking back there is so much more to come. 

Lots of love my beautiful friends! 

Oops!... I Did It Again

Sorry my beautiful friends! I won't give you any excuses for my absence, but I hope I can make it up to you in the next few weeks.

We will be closing on our house this Thursday!  We are so excited. I promise I will post a home tour as soon as we fill up the rooms.

Last night we purchased a rug for the foyer, a runner for the hallway leading to the kitchen area, and another rug to go under our kitchen table. All of these were purchased on Overstock.

This is the pattern we chose for the rugs in the foyer and hallway.

This is the rug we chose for the kitchen. I love this rug! 

I can't wait to share more pictures of our new house with you all!

By the way, I'm currently working on designing our moving announcements! I know they're completely unnecessary because of modern technology, but my love of paperie told me otherwise.  

I hope you all are having a wonderful Mother's Day filled with lots of love!

A Slight Case of Blogger's Block

I’ve been struggling to come up with things to blog about. I think the blogger's block stems from the fact that things have been pretty stressful tying up some of the loose ends before we close on the house (in just a few short weeks).

 

On the upside, we purchased a new couch and chair from Macy’s yesterday. We’ve been eyeing this set for some time. When the color we wanted went on sale with an additional 10% off we had to jump the gun and get it.

 

via

 

I just love this couch and chair and I know it’s going to look fabulous in my new living room. Plus, now that we have our biggest pieces of furniture for the living room I can start planning out the rest of the room! So keep checking this blog for my design ideas!

via

 

 

 

I also want to share this new place that Jonathon and I went to breakfast at last Saturday when we had to be out of our house by 10 am for a showing (our landlords are trying to sell the house we’re renting). Since we had to be out early and because things have been so stressful lately, Jonathon decided he wanted to surprise me and take me somewhere fun for breakfast. We ended up at The Fly Trap, a cute little place in Ferndale that Jonathon saw on the show Diners, Drive-ins, and Dives (he watches it all the time) and thought it would be fun to try it out.

 

 

 

 

Their menu was really unique yet very concise, so it was easier to narrow down what to eat. Everything on the menu sounded delicious and most of their items are made with organic products so that was a plus. It didn’t even occur to me to take pictures of the food until we were halfway through with our plates, so you will just have to take my word that the food was delish.

 

I hope everyone’s week is going fabulous!

 

P.S. - Please leave a comment if you’re reading! Be sure to let me know what you’d like to see more of on here. J

Our hearts are with you Boston.

When I was a young boy and I would see scary things in the news, my mother would say to me, "Look for the helpers. You will always find people who are helping." To this day, especially in times of "disaster," I remember my mother's words and I am always comforted by realizing that there are still so many helpers - so many caring people in this world.

- Mister Rogers

Have I told you lately...

how much I love Pottery Barn?!

Each time I visit Pottery Barn I find new things that I love and absolutely have to have. I would buy up the whole store if Jonathon would let me.

I love this living room layout. I've been thinking a lot about how I want to layout our living room furniture and after scouring the internet and various furniture stores this layout seems to be our best option. Given the scale of our living room and where the TV will be mounted I think set up would the work best. We will discuss the layout in a future post when begin to the furnish the new place.

Picture taken at Pottery Barn

This is the tissue box from the Tava Bath Accessories line. I would love to have the Tava Bath Accessories in our master bathroom.

Via

I'm loving these burlap lamp shades. They're so cute and I definitely plan on having these shades somewhere in my new house!

Via

I can't wait to buy this soap and lotion pumps and caddy for my new kitchen! It will look perfect.

Via

What a charming little accessory err... utensil for the kitchen.

Via

This is so pretty! I think this might look good in our dining room.

Unable to find link- from Pottery Barn

This would also look great in our dining room. Oh I cannot wait to start decorating!

Via

I think I might put some of these lanterns around the Jacuzzi in our master bathroom.

Via

These would be so cute for outdoor entertaining! After living in a condo it will be great to be able to invite people over for a barbecue.

Tiered Stand, Fish, Servers, Bowl, and Tray

Hmm... blue or white? I love this charger!!!

Plates and Charger

Isn't this drink dispenser stand just adorable?

Via

Not sure where I would put these frames, but they're definitely going somewhere!

Unable to find a link - from Pottery Barn

These colorful drink dispenser stands are just adorable...

Via

but I like this stand just a wee bit more!

Via

I could totally see me lounging in my backyard in this. Hmm... wonder what it would take to convince Jonathon that this thing is completely necessary?! HAHA!

Via

Do you love these items as much as I do?