Minimalist.

I finally found a word to better describe my style asthetic. Do you hate that word because of its's overuse on Project Runway? Me too! I was browsing some site on the internet - maybe AirBNB or something and one of the postings was described as "Minimalist" and that's when I knew. That is me!

Is it because

....I grew up in a household with a million little porcelin animal figurines?

....I never knew my own sense of style until my life became too cluttered with stuff?

....I freak out when things are messy or unorganized?

....I say I "lost" something although what I mean to say is that I simply "misplaced" it and then I find it approximately 30 seconds later with a HUGE sign of relief?

We'll never know how I came to be this way. All we know is that I am this way.  Sometimes it's just really exciting when you find your place in this gigantic world of ours. You, know?

I think I might want a pre-fab, sort of like this. And Jake is on board. So that is exciting news.

That is all.

ICELAND

So you may have heard that Jake and I are heading to none other than Iceland in early 2014. I have actually been curious about that destination for a long time but usually shy away from colder climates because, let's face it - I am a Hawaii girl at heart. A couple of months ago, I got an email from Travelzoo with an incredible deal that we could just not pass up - literally, a 1/4 of the cost of the Caribbean vacation we were planning for my 30th birthday.  So I thought about it for a couple days and then we booked it! 

Ever since we traveled to Italy in Summer 2012, I have the travel itch. I just want to go out and see the world and these past few months, I/we have traveled more than I ever have in my life. Since we moved to Charlotte in July 2013, I/we have gone on the following trips:

• Chapel Hill, NC
• Washington, DC
• San Francisco, CA
• Greenville, SC
• Topsail Beach, NC
• Asheville, NC (My 29th Birthday Weekend)
• Port Huron and Ann Arbor, MI (Thanksgiving)
• Las Vegas, NV (for work but it still counts)

Back on topic, here are the Iceland details:

• 6 days, 7 nights in Reykjavik, Iceland (CenterHotel Arnahvoll)
• Transportation to/from the hotel and airport (I heard this can be expensive)
• Blue Lagoon entry
• Northern Lights Boat Tour (cue the dramamine)

We are flying out of DC so the only thing we have to arrange is transportation to DC - we're thinking of flying, might be a little easier than the 6 hour drive. And the best part is that two of our friends and making the trip too! They are leaving from the West Coast a day before but we will all be in Iceland virtually the exact same days. How fun, right?!?! We seriously can't wait. I will say that I am lagging in the planning/research department this time partially due to my overkill on the Italy trip - I seriously had all of our days planned out from about 7 am to 6 pm. But it was Italy (!!!) and we had to see everything! I think this trip will be a lot different and more laid back.  I don't have anything booked outside of the activities that came with the package. I have heard about a couple of things we should do. So I think I will start working on that in January 2014.  If anyone has any recomendations, I would love to hear them.

Also, I am posting this from the airplane! Kind of cool, huh?

xoxo, Kim

#NWinSE

For my 29th Birthday Weekend, Jake and I had planned a weekend getaway to Asheville, NC {a short 2-hour drive from Charlotte}.  We had heard a lot about Asheville from Charlotte locals and even friends back in Seattle that said surprisingly that Asheville is a little like the Northwest. Really? All accounts sounded the same - hippies? check. foodies? check. amazing restaurants? check. a little rain? check {it is in the mountains after all}. The list goes on and on. We were a little skeptical but thought that we would see for ourselves and guess what folks?!?!? As usual - they. were. spot. on.  It is the craziest thing ever.

Back and Side of Biltmore

{1} There was a kind of major rain storm {not that bad} as we made the trek over and it hardly rains in Charlotte so that was the first odd thing that reminded us of Seattle. {2} We drove through the little downtown and saw a ton of restaurants, shops, etc and that reminded us a little of Portland - a little smaller city but a super cool vibe. {3} Fast forward to Sunday - several people singing in the streets with makeshift instruments. Where the eff????? OK, I'm getting ahead of myself like I usually do. Let's start where all good stories start.... from the beginning.

We arrived on FRIDAY evening, hungry hangry and tired. I was proud of myself because we made it the whole way without having to stop for a bathroom break or for dinner. We didn't have any plans or reservations for dinner because we thought we would grab something on the way but it turns out that I held out and we were able to have our first meal of the trip actually in Asheville! Since we were starving, we didn't have much time to figure out a place and I decided that we would go to the hotel restaurant. Which, let's face it - is usually a snooze. But, this one was amazing. That's when we knew that we were onto something. We stayed at the Aloft Asheville which is barely 2 years old and ultra modern... are you surprised? We decided that as much as possible we are only going to stay at nicer {read: modern/minimalistic} hotels from now on. It was amazing and totally our style! 

Dinner was around 8:30 pm at Blackbird. We tried the meat and cheese board. Amazing. So fresh. Then we both got the Surf and Turf burger with fries. And we had to try some wine! Overall, a fab meal - quick, easy and delicious! After dinner, we headed back to the hotel cause we were exhausted and we're old like that.       

SATURDAY was the main event - The Biltmore! Do you know about this place? I was reading a book probably a year or so ago and that is where I first read about it. The book is called "At Home" and it is a very fascinating read. I highly recommend it! Anyway, The Biltmore was built in the late 1800's by George Vanderbilt II {he was 32 at the time and had $100 million dollars which was approximately 1/87th of US GDP}. The home remains to this day the largest privately owned home in America. It has 250 rooms and is over 175,000 square feet. When I found out that this was in North Carolina, I got super excited! Since we've been living in Charlotte, we've seen tons of Biltmore commercials on TV. Here is one of the commercials in case you want to bask in the gloriousness for 32 seconds.

View from the Porch

Side View

Details

Can you tell I took this? #selfie

Amazing Architecture

A few Fall Colors 

#selfie

My Fall Uniform. Chambray, Statement Necklace, f21 Coat… 

One of my favorite shots!

Gardens and Pools

Jake's version of the #selfie

When we arrived it was so foggy… but it did lift!

Anyway, we had to reserve a time since it's really busy on weekends and it's already decorated for Christmas so literally hundreds of people show up and it's just plain craziness. We arrived at our scheduled time {definitely pay the extra $10 for the audioguides} and spent 2.5 hours exploring the house. We didn't get to check out all 250 rooms, but we did get to see about 50 or so.  The bad news is that there are no photos allowed inside so you'll have to google it or go to their website for more real photos. As expected, the house was top notch. They seriously thought of everything. It was just an incredible spectacle and I couldn't even begin to describe it. You must go see it! It's pricey, but totally worth it!

After the tour, we checked out Cedric's Tavern {located on the Biltmore property} which is named after the beloved family Saint Bernard. Isn't that just the coolest thing ever? They had his actual collar on display in the restaurant and it looked ginormous! Even the lunch we had at this random (OK, well Biltmore) tavern was delicious! After lunch, we got ready for dinner and headed out to Curate {spanish tapas restaurant that was recommended to me} and it was the food highlight of our trip. We tried six different dishes from fried eggplant with honey and rosemary to sherry mushrooms and we loved every single one! We had such a good time. And this was "officially" my birthday dinner so it was a huge success! Yay! Sorry, no food photos - I actually stopped taking photos of my food after I read an article titled something like "Why I stopped Instagramming photos of food" and it was actually very poignant. So I will try not to post/write about/blog photos of food unless it's an emergency {say, I'm at Inn-N-Out or something of that nature}.  After dinner, we lounged again. I kind of like this new, I'm-29-thing-and-I-don't-have-to-go-out-clubbing-anymore. Well, technically I didn't actually turn 29 until Sunday…

SUNDAY was my actual birthday and the last day of our trip. We grabbed brunch at Chestnut - I had the special which involved stuffed french toast with cream and topped with apple compote. Trust me - anytime anything comes with a compote, it's good. After brunch, we walked around the town and actually wandered into an old church {Basilica of Saint Lawrence} which was really beautiful. We heard a couple people playing guitars on street corners but the weirdest thing we saw was a makeshift band on a street corner. Like they had homemade instruments. Kind of random and actually super cool. I made my way into Boutique Lp and picked up a lovely bracelet {actually Jake picked it up for me} … gotta love birthday presents! I found out it was handmade by an artist in Asheville which is pretty cool. I'm sure I will instagram a photo of it soon.  On our way out of town, we drove on the Blue Ridge Parkway for about 5 miles because I wanted to see it. The Fall colors were past their peak this year but we will be sure to catch them next year.  I  really loved Asheville so much and hope we go back again soon!

xoxo,
Kim 

Ballooning Around

Since relocating to Charlotte, NC in July 2013, Jake and I have taken every opportunity to explore new cities, events and food.  I read about a Hot Air Balloon Festival called The Carolina Balloonfest in a magazine called "Our State" which is a monthly publication all about North Carolina. The Hot Air Balloon event took place in Statesville, NC which is only a 45 minute drive from Charlotte so it wasn't a bad drive at all. And 2013 was the 40th Annual Fest! It can't get any better than that right???

We decided kind of last minute, impromptu that we would check it out and I am so glad we did! It was seriously the most fun I've had in a while. We first set up our viewing spot, then walked around the festival, drooling over all the delicious fair food but I am proud to say that we didn't indulge in it. Instead, we ate veggie tacos and they were amazing! We did share a fresh squeezed lemonade which was sweet and sour and tangy. The fresh baked donuts were calling my name, but I was able to resist them. MOTTO: Nothing tastes as good as skinny feels [repeat].

We knew they were going to start releasing the balloons between 4:00 and 6:00 pm. So, around that time, we headed to our spot and waited. It took a while for them to all get to their places but once they started, there was no stopping! It all happened so far.

So now, some photos to share:

Also, it seemed unseasonably warm and there was not a cloud in the sky. Pretty much the most perfect weather you could have. Which was crazy because I guess the day before there was a ton of rain and clouds and they had to postpone/cancel some of the flights. Next time -- riding in a hot air balloon, right, Jake???

The San Francisco Treat

You may have noticed that I was in San Francisco over the weekend. What's that, you say? I was blowin' up your Instagram feed, Facebook newsfeed,  and twitter with some of my favorite photos - Oh you know, just Pier 39, Golden Gate Bridge, Union Square... basically I'm a San Francisco-an now. Wait - let me back up.

Some friends from High School were planning a meet up in SF and I was lucky enough to be invited. I found an awesome deal on a Delta flight and scooped up a ticket! We also booked tickets for Alcatraz and a Hop on Hop off bus. 

SIDENOTE: If I was still working in public accounting, I would not have been able to take this lovely trip because, my friends... it was just days before the 10/15 extension deadline.  You may or may not know -- but when we moved to CLT, I gave up my life of working 60 hour weeks [yeah, yeah... only during tax season - but still, thats a quarter of the year!!!!] and opted to transition into a Finance position [which I absolutely LOVE, by the way].  

Well, I have been wanting to visit SF for as long as I can remember and in an ironic twist, I never went during the 6-ish years I lived in Seattle [which is less than a 2 hour flight away]. Total roundtrip travel time was 12+ hours with a layover in Cincinnati on the way there and SLC on the way back. But - it was all worth it to see the gorgeous city in the flesh.

THURSDAY: My friend Mel and I arrived at the airport almost at the same time so we met up and took the BART to Union Square. Then we took a cab to --- you guessed it! --- INN & OUT!

Then we checked into our Air BNB with this amazing view:
We rested up, did a little shopping [hello ZARA] and then walked to Little Italy for a delicious dinner at E Tutto Qua. I literally felt like I was back in Italy - that's how good the restaurant was. Mel and I both had homemade buffalo mozzarella, tomatoes, and basil. Then we tried the homemade pasta called Paccheri Golosi with prosciutto, Porcini mushrooms and truffle oil in a cream sauce.  To die for! Probably my favorite food of the whole trip! So delicious. Of course we had the panna cotta and pistachio gelato for dessert. Yum! My favorite part of the meal was how cheerful the servers were and they just made the environment so much fun to be in. Also, I asked one of them how we go about hailing a cab and our waiter said - here, I'll show you! And he literally walked outside and flagged a cab for us! I felt like I was in NYC. Coolest thing ever!

FRIDAY: I tried dim sum for the first time EVER. So good. I highly recommend! We tried Yank Sing in the Financial District.

The rest of the group arrived after lunch and we jumped on the "Hop On Hop Off Bus" -- pun intended. We thought about it and decided -- YOLO! We should sit on the top decker so we did. Let me just say that riding on the top deck while driving over the Golden Gate bridge was freezing!!!!!! Other than that, I had a blast up top.


Seeing the Golden Gate Bridge in person was probably one of the highlights of my life. For real.

We decided to walk across it. Little did we know it was 1.7 miles.    Now I can cross that off my bucket list! Such a gorgeous view.

And finally... you knew there would be one! A selfie!

We had dinner at House of Prime Rib and it was delicious! I highly recommend it if you are in the area.

SATURDAY: We were supposed to go to Alcatraz but needless to say, that was cancelled [read: government shutdown]. So we grabbed a quick breakfast at Starbucks and headed back to the Golden Gate Bridge via our Hop On Hop Off bus. Actually, this is when we walked over it. Friday we just did a real quick "drive by"... Then we headed to the Wharf for some seafood and clam chowder at Boudin. It was tasty! This is where they have those cute sourdough shaped animals such as bears and alligators, etc. What, alligators aren't cute? After lunch we checked out the Sea Lions at Pier 39. That was really fun [and stinky and loud] but still fun! We also checked out Ghirardelli Square which is where duh! ghirardelli squares are made! I'm not a huge chocolate person but that was fun to see. I loved the big sign too.

We went back to the condo to freshen up nap and by the time we woke up, it was about 7 pm and we didn't feel like getting all dolled up so we just ordered some Thai food and ate dinner at the condo. That was fun and cozy. We did end up going out for drinks shots and I stayed up until almost 2 am PST [read 5 am EST] so that was an adventure. Let's just say I'm not 21 anymore. Good night, SF!

SUNDAY: We woke up and headed straight to Tartine Bakery for our last meal in the city. To get there, we tried the car service Lyft! I really liked how streamlined and easy it was. If they have this service in your city, you should check it out and let me know what you think. What did I get from Tartine? A chocolate croissant, coconut tart and slice of quiche. I had to sample a few things! Unfortunately for you, everything was so amazingly delicious that I didn't take any photos.  Sorry, blog-ers! Then, it was a quick shuttle ride back to the airport and 2 flights back home. I didn't get into CLT until 11 pm EST but it was all worth it! Love you, ladies & SF ... I can't wait until we meet again!

Ombre Dreams

I have been slowing inching my way towards getting my hair colored ombre [brown fading to blonde] and I finally pulled the trigger! I have loved the style for a year or so but wasn't sure I was ready to commit.  I decided that since we moved to a new place, no one knows my style and I can make beauty  and/or style routine changes as I pleased. 

Wear red lipstick to work? Check. 

Benefit lipstick

Purchase 2 camo shirts* in less than a week? Check. 

Via Target / Men's Section - that's what's up! 

My first camo purchase ever. Via jcrew.

Color my hair ombre? Check. 

See how I did a sad/serious face in the before pic?

It's pretty easy, right? Anyway... I feel like my style is constantly evolving and that is what makes me unique.  I know some people that only wear classic pieces, would wear black everyday if they could or  they try ever single fashion trend. I try to constantly edit my wardrobe and mix and match things differently.  I remember a girl in high school who never wore the same outfit twice. Some people were so impressed with that -- but I always prefer quality over quantity - unless it's something super trendy that I won't wear much. Then I'm okay with forever 21-ing it up.  

Anywho... Back to hair.  One thing that I was literally terrified of was finding a new hair stylist. I had been going to my previous stylist for 3+ years in Seattle and we really had a great relationship. Moving to a new place is always intimidating and it's hard to try someone new, especially when it's my precious hair!!! {shallow, much???} I spent some A LOT of time researching salons on Yelp and finally settled on Orange Olive Hair Gallery in the hip neighborhood of NoDA [North Davidson, if you're curious.] I emailed them and told them what I was looking for and they paired me up with the lovely Jess {@jessthehairstylist on insta} who met me for a consultation beforehand to discuss my ombre dreams. 

MAKING THE DREAM A REALITY..... Then, on Saturday, 9/28, I went in and BAM! My hair is a lovely blended ombre.  I love it! Now the hard part is figuring out which shampoo to use. My hair is now like, 3 different colors. And I am no fan of brassy yellow. So I bit the bullet and picked up some Kerastase $40-a-bottle shampoo and hopefully it will work wonders. I am also thinking about getting a purple/toning shampoo to use weekly or bi-weekly.  Any recommendations from my naturally or not so naturally blonde friends?

[Footnote] *Don't worry. I won't wear the camo shirts to work.  Not even on Casual Friday. 

Mixed Metals

A year or so ago, we were at one of our friend's homes and they were giving us a little tour since they had just moved in. They were talking about how they meshed their style to decorate their new place.

And I remember someone saying, she is silver and I am gold. Which he said meant that she is more old fashioned and liked vintage decor. And he liked simple, modern style. I had never heard that expression before - maybe it's not an expression - but I liked it! It made me think of this blog -- VintageMODERN and how I've recently started to mix wearing silver and gold jewelry at the same time.

I've gone through phases in my life where I've only worn silver or gold.   But I can honestly say, I have recently been on a gold kick.   

A few of my recent favorites include:

Dogeared Karma Necklace

 

 Chevron necklace from F21 (I bought this in both gold and silver)

Tiny gold rings from etsy 

 

When I was trying to decide what type of metal to use for my wedding and engagement rings, it was tough. I thought about gold for a while but decided I would go with the more modern platinum.  I read a lot about the different metals and their properties and ultimately am very happy with my decision to go with platinum.  I wondered for a bit if that meant that I couldn't wear gold rings and actually avoided wearing them for probably a year. I noticed that really tiny gold rings started to be very on trend so I ordered a couple from etsy and have been rocking them on the regular. I even have worn them on the finger next to my platinum stacked ring finger.  {{gasp}} And no, the world didn't end.      

I don't think you have to exclusively be silver or gold... you can be both! Do you like to mix metals? 

Truth: Fall is here, people! It's only 73 degrees and that's the high for the day. I was actually cold and had to wear a sweater outside earlier. You're welcome.    

#Limsanity

Disclaimer - I didn't come up with that #Limsanity thing.  But I think it's pretty spot on.  Since today is still so fresh in my mind, I thought I would write up my Phillip Lim for Target experience now.  This is actually my first time participating in a a Target collab on launch day. I literally had dreams all night about waiting in line outside the store and not getting anything. I have been waiting for this day for at least 6 months. I remember hearing about the collab in early Spring and knowing that I had to get my hands on one of his signature bags!

Last night I thought, why don't I just order online like I did when the iPhone 5 came out??? No waiting in line or dealing with crazy women. But there was no clear time posted about when the pieces would be available online.  I checked before I went to bed and the website still looked the same - nothing available for sale yet. I kept waking up throughout the night and finally woke up around 6 am EST.  I checked the website on my phone and all the purses I wanted were sold out online. I kept refreshing my page and finally "The Large Tote in Black" showed up as available. I had to act quickly! I should have put my credit card info ahead of time.  By the time I signed in, punched in my credit card number as fast and humanly possible and clicked "Checkout"! Noooo... it said the item was unavailable.  I waited a few more minutes and tried again.. Success! I knew I struck gold when I got my email confirmation. 

It's in stock!

Phew! From my confirmation email 

I was way too excited to go back to sleep. I had a huge adrenaline rush from knowing that I had at least one bag in the bag (pun intended).  I knew that I should just get ready, go to Starbucks and head to the store to try and get the other purse I wanted "Top Handle Crossbody".  My next problem was figuring out what color I wanted to get. I was obsessed with the yellow but thought maybe it was too bright for a 28 year old... I told myself I would just grab a yellow and black one to compare and HECK - If I liked both, I could get both. They were only $35 each for goodness sakes. 

6:30 Left the house and headed to Starbucks. Grande skinny vanilla latte, thankyouverymuch.

6:55 Arrive at Target. Look around, don't see anyone outside the door... So I figured I would wait in my car. It was a cold 66 degrees, people. 

7:10 A van pulls up and a bunch of kids and their parents get out and head to the door. Oh no, I thought. I'm not gonna let these people buy up all the stuff and sell it on eBay for ridiculous prices. So I jump out of the car and notice a couple other people trying to make their way to the door. 

7:15 Turns out the family was just looking for Starbucks. Whew! They are gone, and now there are about 4 of us waiting in line at the door.  We thing the Target workers probably think we are currazy.  We are. 

7:30 A couple more people join us. We wait in anticipation, trying to figure out where the purses are.  We find out later that they are mixed in with the clothing section... Whaaat?

7:50 A big buff guy comes to the door and opens it a tiny bit. He goes, "you guys aren't waiting for the Phillip Lim stuff are you? Cause we didn't get any of it in". I go - "Yeah Right!" He smiles... and closes the door.

7:58 Security guard gets in place near the merchandise.  My heart is racing! The hype!  

8:00 The doors open slowly. I am the 2nd one in. They are yelling at us not to run and the Target employees are taking pictures of us fools. The guy points us in the direction of the bags. I grab the first yellow crossbody bag I see! Whew! The 2 other yellow bags are swiped in seconds. I also grad a black one since I can't decide! 

Safely in my hands! 

8:15 The adrenaline is pumping! I got everything I wanted but I wouldn't have if I didn't get there exactly when I did. What a fun shopping experience.  I tried on a couple tops but ultimately didn't like how they fit. Plus, in the end, I really only cared about the bags. 

I think I'm keeping both! Can't resist a good handbag!

Did you score anything from this line? Someone posted a few pics of the men's tshirts and I gotta say I am interested! I think I'm going back for round 2 later today. Gotta love it! 

              

Fall is the New Black

Can you believe it's September??? I seriously can't. 

Everyone is blogging about Fall {and NY Fashion Week} and all I can think of is... wait, is Summer over? Living in sunny North Carolina, it still feels very much like Summer.  And I was worried that the pool at our apartment would close for the Fall -- but I saw people there today so I'm hoping that it stays open year round... well, maybe not year round but at least while it's still super hot and sunny. I'm pretty sure my car said it was 94 degrees today with a 0% chance of rain. 

Ok - back on topic. Last year I purchased this amazing Pumpkin candle from... guess where? Target! 

I'm thinking that I need to make another trip to Target as soon as possible to snap up any and all delicious Fall candles before they get sold out.... and.... it's only a week until Phillip Lim for Target arrives in stores - I don't think I've been so excited about a Target Collaboration EVER.  New clothes  {and accessories} seriously get me super excited for Fall. I am planning to purchase the Tote in Black - it's $60! I can't decide if a want the Grey/Taupe color too. Just pure craziness. I'm hoping my fellow Charlotteans aren't as stylish as I am ;) but I'm still planning to be there when it opens next Sunday 9/15! 

Some of my other favorite candles of all time are at Anthropologie. One is called Capri Blue in Volcano - it smells like fresh peeled oranges.  Another favorite is Voluspa in Santiago Huckleberry.  

Well, friends - I'm out.. hopefully to make a quick run to everyone's favorite...Target! 

P.S. I have seriously found so many great, affordable finds there in the past year - I should do a blog post on Target. Chambray shirt. Bib statement necklace. Lace Dresses. Glitter Flats. Two tone black and brown wedges.  The list goes on and on!             

Dear 16 Year Old Me

There was a campaign going around in 2011 called "Dear 16 year old me". The campaign was about serious business - skin cancer. It's here if you want to watch the youtube video. 

And while we're on that topic.. For me, growing up in Hawaii, the beach {and the sun} were everything. I can't think of a period of time of more than a couple weeks where I didn't make it to the beach. I wore sunscreen for the most part. But probably not every single time. It's crazy - seeing older people get skin cancer from mistakes they made in their teens.  Really puts things into perspective for me. But, it's not too late to start. Since moving to a generally sunnier place {Charlotte, NC} it's important for me to wear sunscreen again... daily. I think the thing I hate most about sunscreen is that it's sticky, gloopy and just makes my skin not feel great. I have read about some new formulas out there. So I will keep you updated if I find anything that I don't mind wearing on a daily basis. Things to think about.... I'm not getting any younger .... 30 next year!!! Yikes. 

Anyway, the "Dear 16 year old me" thing inspired me to actually write a letter to my 16 year old self.. and it goes something like this

Dear 16 Year Old Me....

1. You will get the occasional pimple in your 20's. Even though you thought taking accutane in High School would prevent you from ever getting a pimple again.... not the case. Anyone in their 30's care to share if this fun trend continues?

2. Being a grown up isn't as fun as you thought it would be. There are things you just have to do - like wake up and go to work everyday. Go grocery shopping. Exercise. Pay bills. That is probably the worst of them all.

3. You are, however, in charge of your own happiness. It's really quite simple - If you don't like your life, change it. That is a hard and fast rule, no exceptions.

4. Sometimes things don't always go as planned. Life isn't fair. Things don't turn out how you expected them to. But that, is the beauty of life. 

Signing off.

Your loving 28 year old self 

CLT Apartment Tour

You've been waiting for this day and it's finally here! A little over a month after we arrived on Plymouth Rock in Charlotte, the magical day is finally upon us. I hesitated a bit before actually going through with this - pictures of the inside of our apartment for all the world to see??? But it's all part of being a blogger. So, sit tight, grab some cookie butter from Trader Joe's -- have you tried that stuff? There are no words. It is probably the most delicious thing I have EVER eaten.... and watch the show!

Also - this is my first time blogging from Jake's new Macbook Pro (actual photo below taken as I was writing this blog. Wait for it. Mind blow right? Matrix/Inception style.... a blog within a blog within a blog). 

Do you ever pay attention to airport codes? I seriously love them! I refer to Portland as PDX, Detroit as DTW and now... Charlotte as CLT. I also like CLE (Cleveland) and ATL (Atlanta). Anyway, I was talking to my dad the other day and he was asking me what the airport code is for Charlotte and I had to laugh.  Like father, like daughter, right?!?!

OK, OK... without further ado - I present to you our CLT Pad!

Kitchen (it's a one butt kitchen)

Island - yes, I was having some lighting problems...ignore that.

Living room view from bedroom door

Close up of my first real grown up collage. As put together by my lovely husby. 

Close up of our new ottoman via Crate & Barrel

View of living room from TV Stand (porch door to the left)

Close up on my infamous bookshelf decor. 

AND Now.... onto the BEDROOM.... 

The Master (and only) Bedroom!!!!!

A close up of the details

Loving my new full length mirror!

Jake's desk for school (as styled by me) in our bedroom

Who doesn't have a full size front loading washer and dryer in their bedroom???? 

Bathroom off of bedroom  

Storage shelves 

I'm digging the dark wood

Can you spot the Target knock off? 

The end! ... Wait...no, I forgot the walk in closet! How could I forget? It's my favorite part of the whole place... well, aside from the pool, that is. 

Don't worry... Jake's clothes are off to the left

The sunset tonight was a beauty (photo taken from porch)

There you have it! Now you have seen it all... well, except the pool, and the gym and the mailboxes but you get the picture right?