Making My Rental into a Home: A Small Living Room Update

Good evening, friends! I have wonderful news....
The updates have officially begun! You remember these lovely before photos from when I first got everything moved in... well, let's take a look at the small changes that have started already! Now I must apologize before we get started for some of the weird lighting in the photos. It's been getting increasingly dark much earlier during the gloomy days here, and most of the time I'm racing the sunlight home. I did my best to work with the light at hand :) Okay, let's get started!

The curtains are Threshold Light Blocking Basketweave Curtains in Cream, which admittedly, I had already installed before I put up the previous home post. The rental already had a curtain rod installed which made hanging these bad boys easy peasy! I do wish that the bar was for 96" curtains, instead of these 84" so that they'd fall from the ceiling, but hey... I'll take what I can get!

Onto the wall behind the couch... I ordered the Scrolling Live Laugh Love Wall Art and put up my trusty black and white tree painting that I bought at Michaels in 2011. Sorry friends, I tried to find this on the website, but no luck. However I am pretty sure I've seen the same photo in the store. It wouldn't hurt taking a look if it's something you're looking for. On the outside of the photo, I added these Koehler Lovestone Wall Sconces, which were so easy to put up and add a beautiful block candle to! I think it adds the perfect amount of a "romantic" feeling. Here's the after effect.

Next, for my poor, old, ugly and falling apart sectional... to be honest, I'd love to just get a new sofa, but that's not really in the financial cards at the moment if you catch my drift. My only other option was to make it as comfy and cozy as possible. Insert my love for throw pillows here!! I bought these 26" DreamHome Faux Suede Shams in Brown and Beige and packed them with 26" inserts that I bought at my local Ikea. These honestly would have been better with 28" inserts, just to make them fluffier... but another day another dollar. The effect was a perfect neutral color palette that makes my heart happy.

You remember my sad old entertainment stand I was using upon move in? Yeah... honest moment... that's actually an Ikea shoe rack that I got for free from the couple that sold me the tiny dining table on the cheap.

I definitely needed to find a replacement, and settled on the Sauder Edge Water Entertainment Credenza in Estate Black which would match my Ikea Hemnes Coffee Table in Black-Brown (which yes, still needs to be painted and fixed). I love this thing! It did take a grueling 3 hours or so to put it all together, but it's exactly what I was hoping for! I added the little lamp I got from my mama a while back which still needs a new shade, and on the opposite side a tray and topped it with Skimmer candle sticks and Lugga block candle set (if you haven't noticed by now... my style is the more candles the better). I backed the wall up with the Roman Numbers Frameless Wall Clock.

Next to this entertainment center of goodness, I put a gorgeous Byholma chest to hold my throw blankets and pillows, which I undoubtedly use every evening to snuggle up with while watching my shows, and at 4:15 every morning when I'm enjoying my coffee before work. Yes, you read that right... I said 4:15am. I then added the 18" White Faux Pillow Shams because I knew I wanted to lighten up the colors a bit, and stuffed these puppies with a 20" DreamHome Pillow Insert. Right now I have my throw blankets under the pillows for a quick grab in the late night and early hours. This thing is the best purchase of this list in my opinion. I HATE the cluttered throw blanket look, or putting my lovely pillows on the ground to make room. This is a miracle for a quick tidy!

My small condo has the style of a "great room" where there is no separated dining room and instead all of the living areas are connected. When I first moved in, I put my tiny marble top 24" x 36" dining table in the dining portion of the room and knew immediately it was going to need a little pizazz.

I added the Winsome Wood Jasper Buffet Storage unit (buyer beware - this was a nightmare to put together and I don't think it's the most sturdy piece, read my review on it before you buy), then added my giant $2 artwork piece and candle holders which I bought at Goodwill for $2 a few years ago, and topped it all off with some Ikea block candles to satisfy my candle addiction. On the other side on the floor, I put my faux flower arrangement, also bought at Goodwill for $7 and included my current wine glass cork holder and wonderful wooden owl I received as a gift for my birthday a few years back. Loving it! I'm so excited to use this area for holiday decorations! Table runners, figurines, Thanksgiving and Christmas printables.... oh my!

For the final touch in this area I added the 5x7 Garland Sparta Area Rug in Tan, which was originally bought for the living room area to keep the couch from sliding around, but I liked the "bare wood" look and instead opted for Shepherd Caster Cups to keep the sectional from becoming a slip-and-slid across the floor like it has been.

The small décor items included photo frames that I had purchased a while back at Walmart, as well as my lovely little white owls that I bought at the dollar store. I'll soon be adding some gorgeous fresh flowers from my local grocer on top of my beautiful recovered novels... but you'll have to wait and come back for that project update. What woman doesn't love flowers!

And there you have it! My little additions to make me feel more warm and fuzzy in the new home. So far I am loving the direction the place is taking. Have any comments or suggestions, I'd love the input! Now, excuse me while I go make my pillow fort on the couch of my inviting living space with Jackson.... I think he's looking for some cuddles.

30 Day Water Challenge: a Gallon a Day

Water. One of the four elements known to man. It makes up approximately 60% of our body composition. It covers 71% of the Earth. It's in the air around us. We breathe it in, bathe in it, drink it, praise it when it waters our lawns during a drought, and curse it when we receive too much. It's needed to survive. It's all around us. Yet it seems to be one of the most undervalued things in our lives.

We hear it time and time again. Feeling like you're getting sick? Drink more water. Just had a tough workout? Drink more water. Your skin is breaking out? Drink more water. Want to lose some weight? Drink more water. By now you would think this redundant phrase would have rubbed off on all of us. Yet I, like many of you probably do, sometimes fail at even drinking the proposed minimum amount of water a day. How much is this, do you ask? The "standard minimum" is taking your body weight in pounds, dividing it in half, and drinking that many ounces per day. This is assuming you're not running a marathon, or one of those awesome lift-girls that I follow on Instagram... which, if you are, you need to have a bit more, and you suck... but only because I want to look like you - Arnolda Schwarzenegger.

So here comes my genius idea that I am sure no one has ever thought of before... I'll drink more water! No, I'm serious, that's what this entire post is about. I've many times wondered, what benefits and changes would I go through at adding a gallon of water a day to my daily routine, and sticking to it? Well, ask myself and I shall receive. I'm making a personal challenge to drink a gallon of water every day for the next 30 days. I plan on completing this goal with the help of my handy-dandy beloved 40oz Hydroflask! 

I will say that since buying this thing, drinking more water has been a breeze. Not a gallon breeze... but a breeze none the less. Now we're just upping the anty and intake to a set amount. 128 ounces. Every. Single. Day.

I have a set plan. I will drink 8oz in the morning before work (at 4am... bleh.) Fill the bottle before I leave. I'll finish the bottle once before lunch at 11:00, once prior to leaving the office at 3:30, and then once more between getting home from work and going to sleep at night. I love that I can fill this bottle up with ice in the morning, and it lasts me through all 3 of my refills! My motivation and dedication is set... and I'm ready to go! Let's get this Day 1 going.... and begin with a fresh-faced "before" photo.

I'm hoping to see the most improvement in my energy level, and of course my skin! That's the main reason you get this lovely behind the scenes not-a-Halloween-mask of mine. Yikes! Let's get this show on the road; I'm hoping to give you a better one in 30 days. See you all on December 1st for the outcome! Goodness... December already.