diy cutting board to art piece

Slowly, we're building a collection of gallery wall art to hang in the living room. Similar to the pillow I repurposed in a frame, I took another home product and turned it into "art," as well.

While browsing Bed, Bath & Beyond for some wedding gifts, I came across this Indiana cutting board. We don't need a cutting board, but I had another idea in mind (Pinterest inspired, of course) and had several coupons to make it worth it. With a self-made stamp, red paint, a paint pen and Modge Podge, I made a little piece of "art" to add to the collection for the  much-anticipated gallery wall I'm dying to get up.

The heart is placed over Bloomington, Ind. - where we met, dated through college and then got married. Love.

get fit gear i love

What goes along with a workout kick? A shopping kick for workout gear. It's true that if you feel better in what you wear, you can be more motivated to workout more effectively. 

With the help of several coupons and sales, I've rounded up some purchases that have proven to be well worth the investment:

Ultimate X-Training Capri (Lucy)

I've found that I'm most comfortable working out in cropped pants like these. Everything is held together and they also are slimming, so you feel great. I have a few different pairs of crops, but this style is my favorite so far. 

Sand To Savasana Duffel (lululemon athletica)

After starting morning workouts, I needed a duffel bag to hold all my stuff each morning. I have several totes, but none of them worked well in terms of hauling everything in an organized way. This duffel from lululemon has all the pockets you need, short and long straps, a netted compartment for yoga mats or wet towels, and more.

Nike Free Run (Lady Foot Locker)

I've always been a Nike girl. Currently, my Nike Free shoes are just perfect for support, comfort and circulation. They've been great and adapt well to a variety of workouts (running, strength training, biking, etc.).

T1 Flow (Nike)

I drink far more water with this water bottle than any other. I like that I can see the water as I sip on it, and I love that it's easy to take a drink without much coordination as I sit at my desk or workout on a machine (the straw is key, here).

Women's Charged Cotton Capri (Under Armour)

Post-workout, these babies are the perfect thing to slip into. Thick band around the waist, loose fit past the knees and finished off with an elastic cuff. The fabric, by the way, is crazy soft, too.

Workout Racerback (Lucy)

Considering I have three of these, I'd say Lucy's Workout Racerback tanks are my absolute favorite thing to wear to the gym. They are super lightweight, soak the sweat just like a dri-fit shirt and have a nice cut for comfort and style. Done and done.

Fly Away Tamer Headband (lululemon athletica)

 I have a lot of hair -  a lot of curly, frizzy hair - so, I take my headbands seriously. These Fly Away Tamer Headbands are as good as it gets. No slip and a couple inches in width makes them perfect for me. lululemon also has some thinner and thicker ones, both of which I'm wanting to try.

What are your favorite workout products?

10 things for 20-somethings (re-blog)

A friend shared this on her blog - Sometimes, Always, Never - earlier this week, and I couldn't help but share it again. Her short and sweet points are all spot on.

Our twenties are a decade for becoming, and these "10 things for 20-somethings" definitely resonated with me. All of them are things I've gradually realized and started finding ways to figure them out through my own personal life. 

Check it out: http://whitneybiber.blogspot.com/2013/08/ten-things-id-tell-someone-starting.html.

What's your advice for 20-somethings?

h&m goes home goods

H&M ... you have my heart. 

I've been dreaming of shopping online at H&M for years, and now, not only can I do that, I can ALSO shop for home goods. Say what?! Say, yes.

Just look at some of these amazing looks:

Bedroom

Living Room

Kitchen

Bathroom

So clean, yet also very vintage-y. Count me in!

With that discovery, I fully plan to incorporate H&M goodies into our home at some point. 

diy: pillow to art

So our perfect little boxer pup chewed the pillow corner just enough one day to ruin the zipper closure (thankfully, the pillow itself is still fully capable of being recovered!). I bought the pillow for sale at Urban Outfitters back in college, and it served its original purpose for nearly five years. While, I could have fixed the pillow cover, I felt it might be time to give it a new life. 

So, art it became. It will make its way onto our gallery wall in the living room once I get around to it. I have a few more pieces to DIY or frame up before I start visualizing it and all its glory.

How have you turned something old into something new?

bidding farewell to our furry friend, juno

Today, we bid farewell to our family pet, Juno! This furry friend is headed to Germany on a new adventure with our family friends. Their two kids just love her to pieces, so I'm more than positive Juno will be well taken care of in her new home.

I must say, dogs are indeed the best medicine. And while not everyone will admit it, Juno most certainly counts. She's the sweetest pup - despite her crazy tendencies to run away or mount other dogs during play - and deserves to be walked, played with and snuggled with on a daily basis.

Who would have thought that this little girl from the pound would be such a world traveler?

4 snacks i can't stop eating

As always, I'm finding ways to get what I want in a better way. In this case, in a little more healthy of a way. 

I'm a big snacker and would much rather graze on food than go into a food coma after an oversized meal. So, in an effort to snack without eating too unhealthy, I've gravated toward these few snacks. I'd call it a success since now I crave these instead of salty, high-fat chips or sugary candy.

(1) Dark Chocolate Pomegranates

My grandma introduced these to me when she visited a couple weekends ago. The day we got home, I bought two bags from the grocery. So delicious and so worth it. About 1/4 of a cup is 180 calories, which isn't all that bad, right? (I could be wrong, but don't tell me otherwise. It's better than candy! ;)

(2) Sliced Almonds

I've read on multiple occasions that almonds are a power food. I wasn't ever a big nut person, but after putting some almonds on salads for awhile, they've grown on me. I prefer to eat sliced almond, so I buy the big bags at Trader Joe's and snack on those at work. Delightful!

(3) Veggies and Ranch Greek Yogurt

After discovering you can make faux ranch dip with Greek yogurt, I've been hooked. I've started making it quite often and dipping all sorts of veggies into it for snacks. Since I'm a sucker for dips (and most of them aren't healthy), this was the perfect combination to get what I want, but get it in a better way. Bravo!

(4) Avocados

Whether it's mixed as a dip or just eaten plain, avocados seem to always do the trick. Oh, and they're a power food too. Win-win.

What are you favorite snacks? 

new workout obsession: barre classes

Thanks to a LivingSocial deal for Barre Bee Fit, I was prompted to try out the new barre fitness studio here in Indy (or Fishers, rather). I've heard all the wonderful things about these workout classes, so to say I was excited was an understatement. 

At Barre Bee Fit, they offer group fitness classes that provide intensive cardiovascular conditioning, toning and restoration all in one. 

I've been to one class so far - Interval Barre - and already am ready to go back to try another one. Interval Barre was 60 minutes long, and this particular class focused on "abs and seat." The two toning sessions (aka abs and seat) were enclosed with high-intensity cardio intervals.

I'm sure we looked silly at times doing some of the exercises, BUT I'm serious people... this is really good stuff! Depending on the class, you use a variety of "props" (weights, bands, balls and more) to complete certain exercises. 

I've already registered for two more different classes - Barre Burn (Hot) and the class Barre Bee classes - and certainly intrigued by all the options!

Have you tried barre fitness classes? Have a favorite class? 

recipe: sesame seed ahi tuna steaks

We are suckers for sushi-grade ahi tuna steaks, and this is our favorite way to make it: marinaded, seeded and seared. 

Step 1: Marinade in a mixture of soy sauce, honey, rice wine vinegar, sweet white wine, wasabi and sesame seed oil. 

Step 2: Heat the stove stop and skillet on high, high heat.

Step 3: Press each side of the tuna steaks onto a plate with a mixture of both white and black sesame seeds. 

Step 4: Sear each side for :30 seconds or so! 

Step 5: Eat, of course. Duh.

styling shelves

Oh, the sweet, sweet reward of nesting. 

It's been exciting through the whole process of re-doing the family room. From demolition to painting to hanging to styling... and there's still more to go! 

Here's a full shot of the new shelves and their decor all put into place: 

Before, the built-ins were cluttered with more frames, sports items, books, knick-knacks and more. This time around, though, I wanted to clear it up a bit. The living room should be a more calming space in the house.

Here's the left side close up:

It's complete with home design books, a few picture frames, a vase and a few empty bottles. Perfecto!

And, now for the left side:

My favorite part? The elephant, of course (thanks Home Goods!). This has a few knick-knack books (like Secrets of Longevity) and fashion books, as well as candles, frames and a sentimental plaque stating, "May you always be in an atmosphere of greatness." Again, perfecto!

I'm sure I'll make several changes throughout the next several weeks, months and even years. But this is a great start. My tips?

(1) Consider horizontal and vertical items when placing them on the shelf. To many of one make it look and feel imbalanced. 

(2) Mix and match items to avoid too much of one type of thing on one shelf. For example, mixing books, a statue and picture frame(s) instead of all picture frames.

(3) Stack! I love stacking books and adding something on top to give it more height. 

Next up for the living room re-do? The gallery wall of art!

summer vacation: road trip to perdido key, fla.

We spent the last week of July soaking in the sun with friends on the Florida-Alabama line. Sam and I had been craving a vacation for quite some time and were searching for options around our first anniversary. 

Luckily, two spots opened up on a trip we originally had to decline, and we found ourselves in a 10-person condo with great friends for an entire week.

Here are a few (of many!) pictures from the trip:

Now, my only question is, "why don't I live on a beach!?"

one down, a lifetime to go

It's official! Sam and I have been married (more than) one year, and I can hardly believe it. 

As always, a lot has happened in the last year since we said, "I do." But, I can honestly say, it's all been wonderful. They say the first year is the hardest. I don't know who "they" are, but if I did, I'd tell them it's not necessarily true. 

Going on six years together, Sam and I's first year of marriage was amazing. It was eventful - both with obvious ups and downs - but all wonderful.

He's the love of my life and always will be.

Since we were traveling the day of our anniversary, we "officially" celebrated just one day later with a nice dinner, a trip to Tiffany's (yes, I'm spoiled) and a toast with a bottle of (extremely nice) champagne from a sweet family friend. 

If you haven't ever been to Ocean Prime, you're truly missing out. This was our first trip, and I'm sure we'll be back when we're in a position to splurge on a really nice meal again. From the tuna appetizer to the steak dinners and cocktails, we were impressed.

Isn't he handsome?!

And, to my surprise, we made a pitstop at the Fashion Mall to do a little shopping, and we walked out with a gorgeous little necklace with one single pearl. Definitely a classic piece that I can wear forever and ever. Thanks to my sweet hubby.

Cheers to MANY more with this guy.