A little junk in the...closet?

Lonnie and I have been in our new apartment since late May...and there's STILL junk sitting around that I haven't opened, put away, or gotten rid of.  But how am I supposed to know if we are going to need these things later or not?  We have downsized quite a bit, but we still have way too much...JUNK! And for some reason I just can't throw it away.  

I was searching for inspirational images this morning for our MIZ at work (Mobile Idea Zone). If you know me well, you will know that I can be a little OCD about organizing and list making. Ask Lonnie.  He just complained about finding my sticky notes all over the apartment last night.  So as I was searching I came across these shipping container homes.  They are some of the coolest things I have ever seen! Then I started to wonder if we could fit all of our crap into one shipping container AND live in it too! I'm not so sure.  

I'm not a minimalist, but I do find calm and happiness when everything has a place to live and when you need it...you know EXACTLY where it is!

This realization puts me in the mood for some good healthy cleanin! I don't know when it is going to happen but it must happen soon. And it might give me some room for my new fall wardrobe that Lonnie has promised me for my birthday! 

Below are some pictures of spaces that utilize every opportunity for storage and display. As you can see some still have trinkets.  They aren't barren and cold, but warm and inviting.  Some of these are a little to modern for my person taste of a space I would want to live in, but they get the idea across that space is precious. Small spaces can be some of the most creative, beautiful, and just plain coolest space you have ever been in! 

I love built-ins...one of my favorite features of older craftsman homes.

I LOVE the pop of color! And it kind of draws your eye away from the fact that this kitchen is tiny.

Reminds me of a treehouse

I love the glass wall separating the kitchen from the bedroom.  Adds a fun graphic with some privacy too!

This is probably one of the coolest things EVER! 

I love the reflection in the water! Water homes are the new deal.

This one looks like a treehouse mansion or something.  I really like the angles, shapes, and size of protrusions. 

This just reminds me of Le Corbusier La Villa Savoye.  Modern day style.

I love the turquoise and the fancy ceiling! Shipping unit going high fashion.

So chic! who would have thought you could have this kind of kitchen in an old shipping unit.

Stack 'em, turn 'em, punch holes in 'em...get creative!

Such a cool idea for a guest house! Just buy a shipping unit and plop it in your back yard.

Such a tight space but with large windows and making the space look "designed" rather than things just crammed...it makes this shipping unit look pretty spacious.

I hope these creative homes might inspire you too! Maybe not to clean and reorganize but maybe with design...or they will just be some really cool pictures for you to look at!

Meet Sadie

It feels like everyone is getting married these days.  So many of our friends are engaged, just married, or have been married for a year. It's like a domino effect! God has been doing a lot of match making lately.  

What's even more interesting is the furry "child" that appears not too long after the wedding.  It seems like the next thing to do in the journey of life is to get a puppy.  Lonnie and I kind of did this backwards.  We got a puppy a couple of years ago...soon after we got engaged actually! She is our pride and joy!  I thought I would introduce the blogging world to the cutest dog in the world!  

SADIE

We found Sadie after I had searched for days on petfinder.com.  Since I was young we have always had a small dog in the house.  When I moved into my apartment my junior year of college I was really missing that companionship that only a dog can give you. I begged Lonnie and finally he gave in. 

I found Sadie on the site and we made the trip to Fort Smith, Arkansas to an animal shelter. Of course, it was love at first sight.  We had to have her.  But we left that evening without her, needing to talk it through with each other and our parents first.  The next day, Lonnie made the 45 minute drive and picked her up on July 17, 2009.  I spent the rest of the summer potting training and teaching her how to sit, stay, lay down, roll over, shake, and high five.  She can do all of these with Grace and speed.  Anything for a treat!  

She goes by many names from Taco to Yoda. Some say she looks like a rat and that she's ugly. But we think she is adorable!  She's kind of thinning on her head (she takes after Lonnie) and has a few speckles around her chin. She's our little old man.  She loves to sleep in (spoiled rotten) but when she's up she go go goes!  She tends to favor me..but Lonnie refuses to believe this. She loves to play with other dogs, especially those of her own size.  When we lived in Fayetteville we would take her to the dog park almost daily to play with her friends.  

At first my family wasn't so sure.... but now...let's just say she is known as the "grand-puppy" around both of our families and my Nana has been known to invite her over for a "sleep-over".  Lonnie's family welcomed her with open arms. They even babysat her while we did our summer internships. They have also spoiled her rotten...just like grandparents are supposed to!  You can't say she isn't loved.  

She's our baby

Stories

I have begun to notice that everyone seems to have a blog these days. And I LOVE reading them!  It's like sitting down with a thick book full of different stories. Except these stories are of people I love and care about. 

So I thought I would take the plunge and join the blogging world...or the Blogosphere as they call it. I will warn you now, I don't consider myself a great writer, in fact I hate writing. Hence the reason I am an Interior Designer and not a journalist or an author of any kind. But I love stories and I want to share our story with you because so far, it has been pretty amazing. 

So I hope you enjoy these snapshots of our life as husband and wife, becoming "grown-ups", and following God's plan for our life together.