Oh...it's because you're pregnant!

Mollie and Maverick at 22 weeks.

"Your hair is getting lighter. Is that because you're pregnant?"
No. It's because I haven't had my hair colored since February and it's just going back to its natural color.

"This coffee does not taste right!" - Me
"It's because you're pregnant."
No, (insert not-pregnant-person) tried the same coffee five minutes ago and also thought it tasted weird.

"Are you getting warm? It's because you're pregnant."
No. It's because it's 80 degrees outside and I've been sitting inside a super-hot/stuffy office all day. This morning when it was chilly out, I was cold and needed a cardigan.

"I think I'm getting a headache." - Me
"Ohhh is that because you're pregnant?"
No. Unfortunately, I got plenty of headaches pre-pregnancy. I sit in a desk and stare at a computer screen all day. My headaches got a little more frequent when I got pregnant, so I would MAYBE say these two things are related...but I'm NOT saying they ALWAYS DEFINITLEY ARE.

"What is that smell?- Me
"It's because you're pregnant. Your senses are heightened."
No, actually (insert not-pregnant-person) just confirmed that it does, in fact, smell bad in here.

"Your hair is getting so long! One of the perks of pregnancy!"
Actually I've been waiting around for these 'perks' to start and they just haven't...which I don't really mind since I traded getting thick hair and beautiful nails for no morning sickness...so it's whatever. My hair is getting long because I only get a trim about twice a year and Erin Hood and I have been working on making my hair long for four years now. So I hate to tell everyone, but it has nothing to do with being pregnant.

"We just really need to get this bathroom and kitchen finished before August." - Me
"I think they call that...uhhhh...nesting."
This one, came from OUR PLUMBER, bless his heart. Now, I LOVE our plumber. I text him pictures when we have toilet/dishwasher/water heater/shower problems when Josh is busy with work AND HE REPLIES AND THEN STOPS OVER TO CHECK THINGS OUT. Anyway...I feel like I need to point out, I'm a habitual nester. Have been for years. Just ask Josh. There hasn't been a day that's gone by in the past five years where I haven't spent at least a few minutes each day cleaning/crafting/organizing/rearranging/painting, etc. Actually, prior to that I spent an unhealthy amount of time and money 'nesting' each time I moved in and out of a new dorm room or apartment. Just leave Maverick out of this one...I was this crazy long before he came around.

I am not so naïve as to think pregnancy hasn't affected me at all, just read this blog post from a couple months ago. But I think I have a pretty good handle on what is Maverick-related and what's good-old, typical, Mollie.

I know there are some people who spend every waking second for 40 weeks thinking about the fact that THEY'RE PREGNANT. And there is nothing wrong with that! But I am not one of those people. I really don't think it's necessary to 'get serious' about things until AT LEAST 30 weeks. I might even put it off until week 32. At which point, I'll hopefully be able to spend some time relaxing, enjoying baby showers, making freezer meals, finishing up things at work, and adding the finishing touches to the baby room since the first 29 weeks of this thing have been absolutely insane (remind me to write a blog about that explaining how BLC exploded this year, unlike any other spring before...and not necessarily in a good way).

When I tell people we really haven't had much time to even think about being pregnant, I'm not kidding. Sure I've posted about it a lot on here since it seems to be a funny and popular topic of conversation...but in our regular day-to-day life...Josh and I really have too many other things going on to even think about it! And I think that's probably what has made the past 22 weeks go by SO FAST, which is equal parts awesome and scary. We have the rest of our lives to freak out about being parents...why waste the 40 weeks before that freaking out??

So, contrary to popular belief...not everything I say/question/comment on throughout my day in regular conversations with family/friends/acquaintances/plumbers directly relates to my being pregnant. In fact 95% of what I talk about doesn't relate at all. Just thought everyone should know. ;)

-------------------------------------------------

In other news...

I did come up with an OFFICIAL BIRTH PLAN the other day, thanks to a sweet friend over on this blog. Some health problems limited her when it came time to create one of those 'birth plans' that everyone talks about, but I'm copying hers anyway because it's genius:

HAVE A BABY.

As in...that's it. That's our plan. Step one: Have a baby..........................There is no step two. I don't know if I've read or heard a single birth-story where everything went according to the lovely typed-up plan discussed for hours on end prior to having a baby...and that usually leaves mom distraught and upset because what she pictured in her mind isn't what ended up happening and this results in a birth story posted to the World Wide Web about all the ways the plan didn't pan out.

So thanks for the head's up, veteran moms.
Not sarcasm...I'm being serious. Thanks for the head's up that nothing about pregnancy or childbirth will go according to plan...I get it. I'm embracing it. Woohoo look at me being laid back!

And you all know how I get with plans. If I have a plan, that's exactly how said plan is executed and panic and chaos ensue if things go awry...so I've decided to just head into this baby-havin' thing without one. Having zero expectations means there's nothing I can do to control anything or be upset or disappointed when things don't go according to THE PLAN.

LeeAnn, you are a wise woman and I apologize for plagiarizing your birth plan. Let's make our boys be friends.

MmB

BOYS BOYS BOYS

Oh my goodness. These four are just the loves of my life. But they are as handsome as they were a handful growing up...specifically the Boersma-breeds. Praying everyday Maverick Wesley James Boersma turns out half as amazing as his uncles did...but in the meantime...PRAY FOR US.

I'll be the first to admit, pregnancy so far has been a breeze. It's actually not fair how easy it's been, since I know there are some of you out there who are miserable every minute of every day for nine whole months. And for that I am so sorry. But I think God is giving me these easy 22 weeks (so far) because He knows the next 18 years with a second Boermsa male under our roof...will likely NOT be a breeze. I'm no idiot.

And at the end of nine months, you girls will leave the hospital with precious bundles of joy.

I, on the other hand, will be leaving the hospital with A BOERSMA BOY.

Don't get me wrong...while Boersma boys are some of the most incredible men I know...it is by the GRACE OF GOD they are even all here to tell about their potato-gun/van-drifting/wilderness-hiking/firework-lighting stories.

Some of these stories would shock and appall you.
Josh wants me to point out...these stories might also amaze you.

But not me...ohhhhhhh no. I've been listening, observing these boys in their natural habitat, and PREPARING.

Yes, I've been mentally preparing myself for a lethal combination of Josh, Nathan, and Caleb Boersma all combined into our precious Maverick. This way, I'm prepared for pretty much anything...these three have testimonies they would openly share with anyone, and you guys...they are the reason I will spend the next 18+ years TERRIFIED. And that doesn't even begin to cover the aforementioned fireworks, guns, or jumping from the trampoline to the roof of 1605 NW Beechwood St at midnight...all of which are just the Recognized Standard in ridiculous Boersma-Boy shenanigans.

These three put their poor parents through the ringer. When they say, "Patti Boersma is a saint!" They're not just quoting a movie...SHE IS LITERALLY A SAINT.

The chances of us getting a perfect child like...I don't know...lets say, Brecken Fisher are SLIM TO NONE. I think I've seen him spanked less than ten times in his six years of life (because he's nearly perfect). However...I cannot even tell you the number of stories I've heard about Josh, Nathan, and Caleb being spanked for their naughtiness. Hilarious stories today, yes...but probably not so hilarious in 1994, amiright Patti?

He sure is a sweetie. 

Because I didn't have brothers, I find my mind wandering daily to the boys in my life who I know and love the best, imagining what our lil' Mav might be like...and these brothers of mine...are...a handful. Even to this day. The things they pulled when their parents thought they were playing nicely outside...OH MY WORD. I understand forts by the creek and hockey in the street and Big Wheels up and down the driveway (Mary Jo's had these same wonderful amenities...that's a healthy, SAFE childhood), but throwing gas in the firepit directly behind the shed; selling snakes in a bucket to the neighbors; lighting fireworks off in the street (Josh lost his eyebrows on this one); and launching a potato gun down the street accidentally pointed at house (luckily it was just a muffin Patti had burned to oblivion)...these are the stories I have gained priceless knowledge from.

Mav will be made up of equal parts Josh and Mollie, and on the off-chance he isn't a little carbon copy of his daddy, perhaps his namesake will kick in and he'll have a personality like Wes Keil? Might not be so bad right? WRONG. Recently some news has surfaced about my dad's childhood and he has not always been the even-KEILed (see what I did there?), calm, wonderful guy we all know and love today. Ask him about his renegade childhood in Thompson and the broken arm he had to live with for a few days when he jumped off the back of some bleachers at the county fairgrounds with a naughty neighborhood boy (who coincidentally ended up in jail years later)...yea,the odds of us getting a well-behaved child just keep dropping. But the odds of us getting a basketball star are looking pretty good on both sides of the table, I'd say.

There isn't a story they tell anymore that scares me. In the past five years I've been to the Emergency Room THREE TIMES, each time for a different reason with a different boy. The infamous chainsaw-pinky incident with Josh; the motorcycle crash of 2011 with Ben (the only non-Boersma in this blog); and this past Christmas, a giant forehead gash on Caleb when wrestling one of his buddies got out of hand. I've conquered the ER thing and we don't even have kids yet! And every time we leave with the boys in one piece, I can't help but think..."Wow. As long as we live at 422 13th St. having the hospital this close is going to be REALLY HANDY."

Thanks to his dad and uncles...Maverick's chances of getting away with beer cans hidden in luggage under the basement stairs or cigarettes tucked under the seat of the car...please. Those will be the FIRST places I look for evidence. I recognize that there is a time and a place for guns and fireworks to be handled safely (and with these "mature" uncles close by) but I don't think the time of place for those things is during your older sister's grad party...which is when that gasoline-on-the-fire-behind-the-shed-thing happened.

We start the Gun-Slinging-Conservative-American-First-Amendment-Training pretty young in this family. This is how Brecken's fifth birthday party started.

Oh yes, I've learned a thing or two from Josh, Nathan, and Caleb over the years (Kurt too :)...but I've also learned that those memories and stories are absolutely priceless. With amazing, Godly examples like his G'pas and his uncles...I'm significantly less terrified.

But also - still a little terrified.

MmB

Our Quest to Become Morning People

The clock is ticking...in approximately 19 weeks, we will have an infant and we are just going to have to grow up. So we've decided we might as well try and start now. This morning we were up at 7, Josh showered, I cleaned, made coffee AT HOME, made his lunch, and met the appliance guy who is currently in my kitchen fixing the leak in our fridge. This is all very un-Josh-and-Mollie-like. I feel like a real grown-up person.

Very weird.

For most people this probably seems totally ridiculous...but for Josh and Mollie, titans of the lawn care industry...our year looks a little different than the regular couple.

January-March: Late nights...bedtime is between 11 and midnight. We get up between 8 and 9.
April-May: Bedtime is between 10:30 and 11:30...we try and get up a little closer to 8 but sometimes accidentally snooze?
June-August: Bedtime gets REAL...some nights absolutely no later than 10. Josh has asked to go to bed WHEN IT'S STILL LIGHT OUT. Wake up call is between 5:30 and 7...though usually I get away with an extra half hour while Josh showers before I get up to make his lunch. I get ample amounts of The Today Show during these months. Every year I think to myself, 'Maybe this is the year I'll become a morning person!" It's never stuck.
September-October: Back to staying up a little later. Lawn care is slower so Josh has more freedom with his schedule. We head to bed between 10:30 and 11:30, and are up around 8...However since we know winter is coming, occasionally we have wild nights where we stay up late, order pizza at midnight with college kids (I'm looking at you Ellyn, Alyssa, and Jamie).
November-December: Okay this is when things REALLY fly off the rails. As many of you know, we love Thanksgiving and Christmas. The Hallmark Christmas movie lineup just MURDERS our ability to establish a normal adult schedule. Oh, "The Magical Christmas Tree" is on until 1am? LET'S WATCH IT BECAUSE CHRISTMAS! There are days we sleep until obscene hours I won't even reveal in this blog post.

Not that any of you cared about our yearly schedule...but does anyone else just throw their inhibitions and responsibility to the wind and pull crap like this? I mean, we're 26 years old and in February we went to London Underground together on a Sunday, and ended the night at LaFuente for chips and salsa and a virgin daiquiri. WHAT IS WRONG WITH US? I think getting married so young while in college might have actually jointly crippled us when it came time to grow up. WE JUST WANT TO HAVE FUN WITH EACH OTHER ALL THE TIME.

I think this incident happened to be around Spring Break when Ames was a ghost town. While we were paying and leaving LaFuente, the employees asked if we went somewhere fun for SB and were shocked when we told them we weren't in college. This led to questions like, 'Oh, but did you go to college here?' 'What do you do now?' 'So you live in Ames and you're not in college?' 'You've been married for five years?!' 'You don't look old enough to be married for that long and having a baby.' BLESS THOSE EMPLOYEES. BEST SPRING BREAK EVER.

And as many of you know, we wouldn't have traded these past five years and our 20's 'growing pains' for anything. Late night thunderstorms; falling asleep by the Christmas tree; dollar theater movies on a whim;16-hour road trips to Wisconsin and back in one weekend...all reasons we don't regret spending the first five years of our marriage childless. Why some marriages fail in the first five years because, 'we got married too young,' and 'we grew into different people,' and 'my spouse changed,' are all THE DUMBEST excuses I've ever heard. I've had the time of my life 'growing up' with Josh Boersma by my side. And there is no one else I would rather tackle this parenting gig with.

Side note: Ya get married, it's a done deal. I frequently remind Josh that he's stuck with me forever. MUAAAAHAHAHA.

I feel like I see two distinct styles when it comes to parenting...parents who live like their lives are OVER and proclaim this to me on a regular basis. Their whole world stops and revolves around new baby. Baby can only eat at a certain time in a certain environment and sleep with a certain sound machine and at a certain temperature. I've observed this and it seems...unhealthy? The other side I see are parents who refuse to believe a baby will change their life and do everything they can to maintain the life they lived before...which...as I've observed...also seems unhealthy? And downright impossible at times. Babies change everything, end of story.

Then there are the parents who fall into the middle somewhere, which is where we will try to land. Of course we know 16-hour road trips with an infant aren't possible. We would be idiots to think otherwise. But also - occasional fun, late nights watching Indiana Jones won't cease to exist as we know them. Kids raised in environments today where parents bow at their feet and move mountains just to keep them happy...not our style ya'll. At the same time we realize we're entering a phase of life where insane trips and parties and schedules will just not be feasible. I've prepared certain family members to expect some changes when it comes to Christmas sleeping arrangements and family 'vacations'...but my goal is to balance everything out in the middle where Josh and I can still pull some shenanigans (in moderation since...you know...we're parents and stuff).

So the growing up is starting with our quest to consistently become, Josh and Mollie Boersma, THE MORNING PEOPLE...with many more changes to follow. ;) Now it's springtime and we are back to bedtimes no later than 11:30...lately much closer to 11. This year our chipper-morning-adult schedule HAS to stick because soon we will have a baby who will become a toddler who will become a preschooler who will eventually become a kindergartener and real parents can't take their kids to school at 10am. So here goes nothing...

EARLY MORNINGS HERE WE COME!

MmB

What I've Learned After 3 Years in Real Estate

Tami hired my replacement this week and I'm feeling a little...weird. Hence the reflective blog post about my amazing 'day job.' I know not everyone is lucky enough to have a job that they love this much...a job that just feels more like a fun hobby most of the time (except when Tami goes on vacation...it's DEFINITLEY hard work when Tami goes on vacation ;).

So here are just a few of the fun/quirky/interesting/ridiculous things I've learned over the past three and a half years...

• Being equal parts sass and professional is acceptable. At least I seem to get away with it in this office. ;)

• I think I've learned more valuable life skills while working in real estate than I ever learned in college. Interest rates, market stats, home values, the rental market...waaaaay more important stuff to be familiar with for 'real life' than endless nonsense group projects.

• There are crazy people EVERYWHERE. And the crazy comes in many different forms. So always beware.

• Being early for certain meetings/events is overrated. It's my new 'thing' to be exactly ON time...perhaps 2-3 minutes fashionably late. There's a realtor in our office who purposely shows up 5-10 minutes late for meetings every week because she knows they don't start on time and the first 10 minutes are usually just chatting and fluff anyway...so what's the harm?

• Sometimes people will come into your office with conflicts/frustrations/questions and it's okay to be calm, blunt, and to-the-point...yet respectful and professional. It's spring in real estate, ain't nobody got time for hurt feelings.

• 'Working By Referral' is a super annoying catch phrase that gets thrown around in this office approx. 219 times per week. But there's actually something to it...guess who else works solely by referral now? Boersma Lawn Care. Cold calls and door signs? Nothanks.

(*COUGH*COUGH*SHAMELESS PLUG)

If  you or anyone you know is looking to buy or sell a home, give Tami a call at 515.290.4067 or email at tami@c21sre.com

• Not everyone signs their emails with exclamation marks and smiley faces...and it doesn't mean that they're mad at you. Who knew?!

• I never considered myself to be 'tech savvy' but after these three years, I think I've earned that title (thanks to our former tech slave, Sarah Harrison). I've learned so many new shortcuts, Google tricks, and apps that are really handy and make life easier. Of course, being out of this real estate world for a half a second will mean my knowledge is instantly outdated...so there's that.

• Tami Hicks is the best boss ever. She's also one of the smartest people I know. And based on the number of people who come to our office to ask her questions all day...I'd say I'm not the only person who thinks that.

• Professionalism is different than what my 'college textbook definition' would have read...last week Baba and Sarah were killing each other in a real estate transaction and today they're joking around the water cooler. They work hard for their clients, but they can still be friends. I love it.

• Most people don't know this, but when you've built a relationship with a certain realtor...it's kind of like cheating on them if you switch to another realtor for no reason...without telling your original realtor why...I think I get more defensive about this than Tami does...and they're not even my clients.

• Now everyone knows I can boss and lead and talk louder than anyone else to command immediate attention...but turns out, I really love being an assistant! And I haven't just spent all these years assisting Tami Hicks. Assistant cheer coach - check. Assistant to Josh and Boersma Lawn Care - check. Assistant to countless brides - check. Working hard behind the scenes is sort of my calling...which is odd because a few years ago I would have claimed to only love being the STAR OF THE SHOW.

I'll be the first to admit, I've been unbelievably blessed to work for Tami at Century 21. There are days when I spend most of my time shopping and crafting for her...I know, I can't believe it's real life either. I'm excited to stay home and 'play house' for the next few years but I've loved working at C21 with just...THE BEST people. Which is why I think someday I'll be seduced into coming back...perhaps with a license...who knows. ;)

MmB

My Mom Opinions

Happy Easter! And happy 19 weeks!

Being a mom is soooooo much different in 2015 than it was in 1988. I started thinking about this when I was at church on Easter Sunday surrounded by wonderful moms at my home-church. As I looked around, I didn't for the life of me CARE one way or another if they homeschooled, worked full-time, breastfed, had an epidural, or stayed-at-home. And I feel like today, it's ALL. ANYONE. TALKS. ABOUT. Jenny didn't let Katy play with Barbie's, Jeanne homeschooled, my mom sent us to a baby-sitter 2-3 times a week, Beth worked full-time, Donna stayed at home...and guess what...NO ONE FELT THE NEED TO DISCUSS AN OPINON ABOUT ANY OF THOSE DECISIONS. And these are all some of the most incredible moms I know! Maybe it's because I was raised in a small town...all I know is that today with the blogs and the books and the Facebook 'support groups' for Breastfeeding and Sleep Training and BabyWise and Baby WEARING and blahblahblah...it certainly feels a lot different than it did when I was being raised by a mom in the 90's. A mom who didn't have a single one of those 'tools' and made it through just. fine.

(When I sarcastically mentioned that no one 'does' rice cereal or jars of baby food anymore and there's this new approach called Baby Led Weaning, I got a complete blank stare from my mom...so she fed me rice cereal...I SURVIVED)

And at the end of the day...those mom's I just listed have wonderful, adorable, grown kid's who love Jesus (and also happen to be some of my best friends! ;)...which is what matters INFINITLEY more than if they were breastfed for a year or were never breastfed at all.

So now that I'm headed into this judgmental mom-war realm of 2015...I wanted to share a comprehensive list of all the things that most mommies aggressively share their opinions on...but these are things that don't annoy this mommy. Not one. little. bit.

Moms who work full-time.

Moms who stay-at-home.

Moms who breast feed.

Moms who don't breast feed.

Moms who cloth diaper.

Moms who don't cloth diaper.

Moms who feed their kids McDonald's Happy Meals.

Moms who feed their kids 100% healthy food.

Moms who get epidurals.

Moms who don't get epidurals.

Moms who like video baby monitors.

Moms who don't like video baby monitors.

Moms who use safe/organic cleaning products.

Moms who use bleach and Lysol.

Moms who let their kids eat dirt.

Moms who keep their kids constantly clean.

Moms who send their kids to 3-yr-old preschool.

Moms who send their kids to 4-yr-old preschool.

Moms who send their kids to kindergarten without preschool.

Moms who homeschool.

Moms who send their kids to private school.

Moms who are crafty.

Moms who aren't crafty at all.

Mom's who don't allow any TV-watching.

Moms who don't mind Nick Jr. and Sesame Street and Disney Channel.

Moms who demand a rigid schedule.

Moms who go with the flow.

Moms who read a lot of research/books.

Moms who don't read anything.

Moms who research on Google.

Moms who can wear their regular jeans at 36 weeks (fine I hate them a little ;).

Moms who wear maternity jeans at week 6.

Moms who let their kid's play on their iPad.

Moms who are against all electronics.

Moms who stick their infant straight in the crib.

Moms who have a cradle in their room.

Moms who carry a designer diaper bag.

Moms who carry a backpack.

Moms who only shop at consignment stores.

Moms who only shop at Baby Gap.

Moms who shop everywhere.

I feel like some of the things on this list need a small 'disclaimer'...as in...moms who breastfeed don't bother me at all...HOWEVER, mom's who sit in church or at the pool or shop at Target completely uncovered with their entire chest hanging out while they breastfeed because it's 'beautiful and natural'...NOT. COOL. Cover those puppies up. Perhaps this post deserves a follow-up. ;)

I'll leave you with the name announcement we made last week. And for those of you who  were apparently confused by the name (because some of you read from right to left?)...I'll set the record straight.

NAME IS: MAVERICK WESLEY JAMES BOERSMA (Mav for short).

MmB

Room Reveal: Guest Bed/Laundry Room

You all wish you had a Guest/Craft/Painting/Laundry/Sewing/Storage room this awesome.

That's right...this room functions for all of those things and MORE. I spent about three years being frustrated by this room but then I decided to get over it and make it awesome. So here it is, fresh from it's spring deep cleaning, in all its glory.

This room was confusing for me because it's where our laundry is hooked up. So for a few years we had some messy craft shelves and a desk in here because...how else were we supposed to use this space? It was a huge waste even after I re-arranged it approximately 17 times. I can't stand unorganized inefficiency!

Toward the end of summer 2012 (fact check me if I'm wrong Carley) we bought this double bed from some friends who were upgrading all the beds in their house. I'm not one for buying mattresses from strangers or Facebook swap sites...but buying this mattress, box spring, frame, and AMAZING MEMORY FOAM MATTRESS PAD from some friends is A-OK with me. For a few weeks Josh and I had sleepovers in the guest bedroom because this bed was more comfortable than ours (hence the memory foam purchase in our bedroom). After that, this room finally started to come together.

Originally, all four of this room's walls were painted pink...apparently I had a weak moment in the paint swatch aisle when I chose the color. The neutral tan on the walls makes this room feel warmer since it IS still functioning as a laundry room and is the only room in the house that's still stuck with linoleum (a rug is on my list of wants for this room). Earlier this year I moved these black curtains from the future baby room to this room to try and give it a more 'bed-roomy' feel and I think it worked (and even if you don't think it did, please just play along).

I try and keep things in here clean and tidy most of the time since I never know who will be dropping in, but it is prone to dust bunnies since...you know...dryers tend to make everything dusty and produce lint at an alarming rate. It's not always ideal for guests since there isn't a ton of room for luggage, etc...but it's what we have and it works great for what we need.

For example, when my parents come spend the weekend, Jamie is trying to do a huge basket of her laundry, I'm trying to finish sewing a blanket for my G'ma, and my mom is up until midnight tying royal blue pew boys for a wedding I'm helping plan...things can get pretty interesting in here. Luckily that only happens...like...once every few months. ;)

Here's a brief list of some of the decor in this room and what we paid for it:

Paint: FREE!
Re-used from other rooms in the house!

Double-Bed and Mattress Pad: Bought from friends - $100.

Quilt: Wedding gift.

Black Comforter: FREE!
Still using the same one from college!

Jersey Sheets: Target Clearance - $15
Note: Jersey sheets are hard for some people to sleep in...yes they are soft, but the tend to be a little 'sticky'...so bring slippery jammies if you come stay. ;)

Throw Pillows: Gifts.

Side-Table/Drawers: Garage sale - $10.
These drawers are PERFECT for a guest room...it's not the most beautiful thing I've ever purchased but darnit, it's functional. Inside are guest towels and extra blankets.

Lamp: Base from leftovers - Donation, Shade from Lowe's - Approx. $10?, Spray paint I had on hand - FREE!

Black Curtains: FREE!
I've been re-using these since college! I had dreams of sewing something spectacular in here, but decided to wait and just get more use out of these.

White Door/Headboard: Garage Sale - $10.
Yes I said $10. I still can't even believe it. This door is a twin to the door we found on our farm right down to the etched glass. It just props up against the wall so guests can't get to crazy in here. ;)

Silver Wire Shelf: FREE!
Josh bought this at some point in college...it may be the only 'furniture' item he's ever shopped for. So it was his contribution when we got married, along with some great curbside finds over the years. ;)

Desk: FREE!
Re-using this from college still. Again, it's not the most gorgeous thing I've ever laid eyes on, but it used to be brown with gold hardware, and now it's white with silver hardware, so that counts for something, right? Plus it's super functional and the drawers give me soooo much storage for stationary, spray paint, mod podge, all of our old phones and boxes, sewing supplies...you name it...it has a nice organized home in this desk.

White Chair: FREE!
Found this beaut in a dumpster and painted it white.

Filing Cabinet: FREE!
From our beloved friend Winston, who I think of every time I file something.

Closet Storage: FREE!
The wrapping paper bin, the plastic drawers, the black cabinet...all gathered over the years from college and curbs. It's a beautiful thing.

Organizing Bins: Thirty-One - $25/each, IKEA - $16/each
Probably done buying from Thirty-One when Ikea is soooooooo much cheaper. And I like their look better. I was suckered into a cheer fundraiser that included a free t-shirt...what can I say?

Hanging Mirror: Birthday gift card from Bed Bath and Beyond - $20?

Hanging Shoe Storage: Target - $12
Again, not adorable (are you sensing a theme?) but functional and necessary at our house where the closet space is a tragedy.

Wall Decor: Approx. $5?
This room is a hodge podge of things I like but don't 'fit' anywhere else in the house...so they end up all being adorable misfits in here. I haven't paid more than $5 for anything hanging on the wall, except that black framed and matted drawing from college...because it's the only thing I have for proof that I once was a sleep-deprived, irritable design student.

My organizing mantra for our house is, "ALIKE THINGS TOGETHER." I found that the way we moved in and initially arranged the house frustrated me because it didn't make sense. Does anyone else move into a new place and because something went in a certain spot at their old place, they just automatically put it in that same bottom left-hand drawer at their new place...even though that doesn't make ANY sense?

It took me a long time to figure this phenomenon out. Why was the vacuum always in the other bedroom closet and the broom and Swiffer were in this closet? Both are used for cleaning, so why not give them hooks, move the vacuum and store them all in the same closet? Why are winter coats in one room and winter mittens and gloves in a bin in another room? ALIKE THINGS TOGETHER.

Here's a peek into the closet in the house that gives me anxiety, but recently I spent three nights working to make it functional, efficient, and also...cute. Which isn't important to everyone, but it's important to me. Seasonal clothes move back and forth from our closet to this one. Awkward cleaning supplies like the vacuum, it's accessories, the Dirt Devil, broom, dust pan, Swiffer, and mop all have homes in here. Along with weird things like the tool kit, cords, power strips, light bulbs, and odds and ends 'house stuff' are organized into the plastic drawers. This is the closet where I also keep gifts on hand for weddings and showers so I can pull them out and wrap them in five minutes or less if I have to. The filing cabinet is where all of our rental/house/BLC/bills are organized and it's a lifesaver. 

Not a super-exciting post but I can finally check it off my cleaning list...so just humor me. And in case you think I'm slacking...I deep cleaned my bathroom last week, but it already got a room reveal here, so I won't be boring you with a second one. ;)