“You know what I figured out, mom? A book is always better than the movie. With a movie, it’s all there. With books, you get to use your imagination and see things the way you want to. When I was reading A New Hope the other day, I was thinking about the movie, too, and I said to myself ‘Nope! Chewbacca is going to look like this,’ and I pictured in my head him doing what I want.”

How true. When I read, I’m allowed to say, Hey! I’m the boss! I can create a bajillon dollar movie in my head for the cost of the book. Take that, Hollywood.

Now time to rush off to the bookstore to get the rest of the Hunger Games before the  movie comes out to ruin my interpretation (don’t get me wrong I’m stoked for it).

I’ve been fortunate to travel to many places and visited so many new airports that I had to create a list. This doesn’t include every airport- just the new ones and new places this year.

New States/Countries/Places
- Pennsylvania
- North Carolina
- South Carolina
- Ohio
- New Zealand
- New Mexico
- Texas
- Oklahoma
- Tennessee
- Georgia
- Missouri
- Cape Cod
- Flagstaff
- Savannah
- Oxford (Ohio)
- St.Louis



New Airports
- Cincinnati
- Atlanta
- Melbourne
- Sydney
- Auckland
- Raleigh
- Detroit
- Philadelphia
- Baltimore
- Washington Dulles
- Greenville
- Midway
- Charlotte
- St. Louis
- Las Vegas

Here’s to a year of many more new adventures!!

xoxo Neen

[Actions=Louder than Words]

[Equation for Compassion]

[We learn nothing without mistakes]

[This is just too funny (and true- shit)].

and while this isn’t a sign, this concept is SUPER cool. This company sells books on posters. This print is the entire Pride and Predjuice story. They make them for all the classics. Kind of expensive- but ridiculously cool for us book worms

[Novel on the Wall]

xoxo

Neen

The Cinematic Orchestra: To Build a Home

once you make a decision the universe conspires to make it happen. – Ralph Waldo Emerson

That reminder goes along nicely with a quote I randomly selected in a staff meeting yesterday…

if things start happening, don’t worry, don’t stew, just go right along and you’ll start happening too. – Dr. Seuss

Also, here’s some required listening while carrying out intention-setting: Waste by Foster the People

“Dum Spiro Spero” or “While I breathe, I hope”

A shot of my new pad via my Dad.

For about half of what I paid in San Francisco in rent, I have a HUGE space to redecorate (or re-purpose my existing decor in the new space).I still need to pick up a dining table (I have my eye on the farm-table style) but am waiting for that first paycheck! I also want to find a kitchen island/cart of some kind for the kitchen area to use my bar stools and for extra prep space. Below are some photos of the place when I first checked it out and then with my worldly possessions included.

Shot from the front door

Living Room Wall

Now with the Casa de Cristina magic…

After view from the front door

View from the kitchen

From the bedroom

The large floor area next to the front door is where the kitchen table will go.

Bedroom

My closet (which is AMAZING btw)

That’s all for now y’all. More pics to come once I find the table I’ve been searching for!

[Print: HomeGoods, Wine Glasses: Not all finished by me]

I love my old table that was my grandparent’s – it has the sweet saddle-style backs and seats. I followed some inspiration from Pinterest and made my own candle/wine glass centerpiece. Super easy – soak the glasses and peel the labels off! I found that awesome poppy print at HomeGoods on the clearance rack. It took some serious fanagling to get in my Mom’s car but we did it!

[Custom Print: via street artist in Madrid, Spain]

[Frames: vintage, HomeGoods, Marshalls, Art: Self Portrait(s), class project]

[Fave Sign from Grandma: "Everyone who visits this place brings happiness. Some by Coming In, Some by Going Out"]

Making our way upstairs, I love to use collections from my Grandma that I’ve pilfered. This space below is the shelf of the linen closet and the pictures below transition colors into my room.

[Books: Vintage Reader's Digest Road Runner: Grandma's, Guest Book: Gift from friends]

A guest book is probably one of THE BEST hostess gifts I’ve ever received. My pals from SF gave me this cute notebook that I leave out on the hallway and make people sign before they leave after staying with me. I think they picked it up at Papyrus. I love looking back through and seeing what people wrote (especially if it was after we got home from the bars!).

[Botanical Prints: HomeGoods]

Next up my former bedroom!

xox

Neen

I’m lucky to live in my Grandparent’s house (where my Dad and Uncle grew up) as a “caretaker” of sorts while I finished Grad School. My rents redid all the floors, paint and added molding before I moved in so I could jump right in as a wanna-be HGTV designer.

So first we’ll start with the living room. I recently rearranged it to make it more conversational. The couch used to be under the window and seemed too far away and I had the rugs separated in different parts of the room.

[Club Chairs: Grandma's, Rugs: Ikea (2 put together), Couch: Aunt's w/a Slipcover, Ottoman: Marshalls]

If I could find one – I would totally put a brass bar cart in that far corner, or maybe a white lacquer desk. And I knowwwww- drapes would kill if I could find ones I liked.

The coffee table was my grandmother’s – she got in when she was overseas in Japan for the Coast Guard. I found that sweet, ginormous vase for only $10 on clearance at Marshalls, and decided to show off my collection of Elle and Elle Decor (thank you neighbor kid with the magazine drive). p.s. The gladiolus (orange flowers) are only $2.99 right now! Such a steal.

[tray: West Elm, Globe: HomeGoods, Bird: Grandma's, Bowl: Anthro, Rose Quartz: South American Imports, Candle: Ross, Books: Border's sale]

I got some tips on styling coffee tables from my fave HGTV designer, Emily Henderson (seriously, Secrets from a Stylist is such a good show!).

[Bookcase: Ikea, Floor Pillows & Flowers: HomeGoods]

[Lamp: HomeGoods, Baskets: Ikea]

Want to know what a HGTV-aholic asks for Christmas? Bookcases. Yup I got the pair as my gift from Santa this year. I die. Love them. Pretty easy to put together, average sturdiness of Ikea furniture, and the perfect home for my books and treasures. I like to mix up the shelfs by stacking books in different directions and layering them things I’ve collected.

[Painting by VanRiper: HomeGoods]

This painting is probably my most FAVORITE painting in my whole house. I love the colors and the layers. In real life the paint is 3-D. Sweet.

[Prints: Etsy here, here, & here, Frames: Ikea]

I also love this little wall of prints I collected from Etsy. Enough living room action for today. Up next kitchen/dining room!

xox

Neen