Fun Stop at The Found Cottage

Hudsonville, Michigan is the site of the cutest little shop, co-owned by one of my favorite bloggers, Liz of Liz Marie Blog. I've been following her blog now for a while, and I never miss any of her social media posts or Insta stories.

Liz just seems like the sweetest person. She's my age, and I remember following her blog as she was in the middle of taking interior design classes, and I became hooked. She has such a knack for making things look pretty, and I love following her new journey of life on a farm. Seriously, check her out if you haven't already.

Since I knew Liz was in Michigan and that's where we were going for our vacation this year, I had to look up where her shop was, so that we could hopefully stop there during our trip.

The Found Cottage is actually right outside of Grand Rapids, which was on our way to where we were staying in northern Michigan. We didn't have time to stop on the way up from Illinois, but luckily we had time on the way back home.

I was so excited to check out the store. It always looks so pretty from her photos, and after stopping and looking around, I was not disappointed.

There is a mix of antiques and home decor, along with some clothing and jewelry, too. I just snapped a couple of photos, but everything in the store is just so cute! There are so many unique vintage, rustic, and handmade items. It all looks so pretty, it's hard not to want everything!

I was of course wondering if Liz was going to be at the store working that day, and she was! I saw her there but didn't talk to her. I think she smiled at me, but I was too scared to say anything. I didn't want to make a fool out of myself! Haha. She did seem really nice though, and she sounded exactly like she sounds on her Insta stories. I was kind of star struck, I have to admit!

There was a necklace there that was so cute and I thought about getting it, and there were SO many other things I considered, too. In the end though, I ended up taking home this framed print, which we hung in the hallway:

And this throw pillow, which is now on the living room couch:

Are those not super cute?

I'm so glad that we had time to stop on our trip, and if we ever get back up there, you know I will be stopping there again!

Quick Update

Hey guys! Just popping in, I know it's been a little while! We took a short trip up to Chicago this past weekend, and I'm slowly but surely feeling more inspired now, and feeling like it's time for a re-design of the blog pretty soon. Not drastic, just an update on the design end of things..Will be coming soon hopefully!

You might also notice I have a new picture there on the top-right hand corner. It was taken from our pretty hotel room in Chicago this weekend.

I literally just whipped up this graphic, which is inspiring my new blog redesign. I think I need a little pink in my life, what about you?

I'll be sharing more about our trip soon, including pictures from the Dave Matthews and Tim Reynolds concert, and a few pictures of Lake Michigan. Stay tuned for more!

Four-Year Blogiversary

Today marks FOUR YEARS since I started blogging regularly on this little space on the web. In January of 2013, I decided to regularly document our progress with our century-old home, and from there, it turned into so much more than just a home renovation blog.

I've not just documented home improvement projects on here, but I've been able to document our lives. This blog has allowed me to share my thoughts on decor, along with some fun, inspirational and photo-filled posts, too. From travel posts to recipes, and even wedding planning - this is like my little creative exploration space, and I thank each and every person who has stopped by and checked this blog out or featured it on their own site.

I've had fun writing and putting posts together, but I think it's been the most fun being able to capture moments from our lives that we can now look back on and remember like they were yesterday.

I hope I can continue documenting our home and our lives for years to come! And maybe provide inspiration for someone else's next home project, craft, or future travel plans! So thanks everyone for reading and for your continued support. It's been a great four years. :)

Year In Review: 2016

So many people are saying that 2016 was one of the worst years they can remember. With multiple terrorist attacks, a vicious election, police bashing, a new emergence of racism, numerous celebrity deaths, endless memes, and so many annoying slang words like: "bae," "Killary," "dabbing," "goals," "squad," "fleek," "yaaasss," and "basic," taking over our social media feeds, people have officially had enough of this year.

I'm trying to look on the bright side, and think about all of the good things that have happened in our lives this year. Like the Cubs ending their 108 year losing streak and finally winning the World Series. Celebrating our first wedding anniversary. Getting our brand new sectional sofa. Finally finishing our hallway renovation. And our fun vacation to Colorado, where we saw the Rocky Mountain National Park for the first time, and rode to the very top of Pike's Peak. Now, that's what I call #goals.

Yes, some may say 2016 was a horrible year, but since it's New Year's, it's time to reflect on some good memories we've had and prepare for a fresh start in 2017.

Though I've blogged a little less than years' past and completed less crafty and home projects than I would have liked, it was still a pretty great year, and today I'm sharing some of my favorite blog posts from 2016. Click on a post below to view.

• 3 Years of Blogging and 500 Posts
• Our Brand New Couch
• DIY Natural Home Cleaners
• Celebrating My 28th Birthday
• Wine Cork Coasters
• An Updated Living Room Tour
• Bubble Pizza Recipe
• Our Ancestry DNA Results
• Trent's 32nd Birthday
• The New Privacy Fence
• Strawberry Fluff Recipe
• Our Rockin' Columbus, Ohio Trip
• Wisconsin Fun: Summerfest and New Glarus
• One Year Anniversary
• Our Finished Hallway
• Colorado Vacation: Denver
• Colorado Vacation: Manitou Springs
• Colorado Vacation: Royal Gorge and Rocky Mountains
• Fall Front Porch 2016
• Cheesy Corn Casserole Recipe
• Our House, Fall 2016
• Chicago Trip, and Cubs Win the World Series
• 6 Year Housiversary
• DIY Christmas Gift Baskets

Happy New Year all, and on to 2017 and new memories made!

My Favorite Bloggers, Now in Podcast Form

Hey guys! If you haven't heard by now: Young House Love has a Podcast. And that's literally what said podcast is called.

My favorite home bloggers, John and Sherry, are at it again. And you know I endorse every new endeavor and product they come out with. They are partly what inspired me to start a home blog of my own! So when I found out about their new Podcast yesterday, I was immediately listening and subscribing. These two are the most fun and entertaining people.

Screenshot from here

I listened to the first episodes, and they are awesome! I laughed out loud, and learned some pretty interesting home-related facts, at that. I invite you all to check it out here. (It's free, and you can also find it and listen on the Podcast app if you have an iPhone - it comes pre-installed on most. Don't worry, I didn't know that app existed until now either.)

I'm now a first-time Podcast listener. :) Looking forward to hearing more of John and Sherry's entertaining banter and mad interviewing skillz in the future. 

3 Years of Blogging (and 500 Posts!)

Today marks a couple of occasions on the blog! First, I've been officially blogging regularly for 3 years now, so it's my Third Blogiversary. Second, this is also my 500th post. Seriously, you guys.

It's been a lot of fun these past three years, and I hope to continue sharing our home reno journey, and a little of our life along with way, for years to come. Lately it seems the winter blues has us staying inside being lazy and not working on a whole lot of projects these days. I guess we're enjoying not having a lot to do this year, since the busy year of wedding planning is over! I have to say, it is kind of nice to have all that wedding stuff behind us!

I do have a lot of plans for this summer though when the weather gets nice, and I'm looking forward to redecorating the living room when the new couch arrives, hopefully soon!

Today I'm just going to share a few Blogiversary and 'Blog recap' posts from the past, along with a few decor items that I'm loving right now, just for fun. 

So, first off, here are a few bloggy posts from the past:

• My First Blogiversary
• 2014 Blog Year in Review
• My Second Blogiversary
• 2015 Blog Year in Review

And here are a few cute decor items that I wouldn't mind adding to our home.  I'm feeling the silver theme today! (Sources at the bottom)

Hobnail jar - Target
Ikat pillow cover - West Elm
Sequin Pillow cover - West Elm
Wire figurine - Target
Trellis rug - Rugs USA
Cable Knit Throw - Wayfair

Maybe it's the winter season - hey, blizzard on the east coast! - but these silvery items are all looking pretty appealing to me right now.

And...that's a wrap! Now to work on my next 500 posts. :)

My Year in Review

With the New Year approaching, it's a time when we all look back at what we've done this year, and also look to the future and think about what we want to accomplish in the year to come. 2015 has been a year to remember, that's for sure. While it may have been full of wedding planning most of the time, the best part was when Trent and I became husband and wife, and had an amazing honeymoon in Jamaica that included zip lining and climbing a water fall! That was definitely my favorite highlight of the year.

So here's a little collection of some of my favorite posts from the past year. Usually I wait until January to post my year in review, but I thought, why not post it at the end of December? Same difference, right? :) Here are my yearly 2013 and 2014 review posts, and now, time for 2015:

• Bridal Expo and Wedding Shopping
• Testing our Water
• Work on the Walkway Begins (in March!)
• Selling on eBay, 2 Months In
• Trent's Birthday and New Kayaks
• Flower Garden and Walkway Progress
• Our Successful Yard Sale
• Spring Office Organization
• DIY Tassel Garland
• Trip to Cincinnati
• A Walk Through the Flower Garden
• Planning Reception Centerpieces
• Wedding Antiquing and DIYing
• Bathroom Floor Fix-up
• Our Wedding
• Our Honeymoon in Jamaica
• New Stove
• DIY Burlap Wreath
• Fall Front Porch
• Painted Pumpkins
• Trip to Haley and Dan's, and Decor Shopping
• Featured on HGTV.com
• Walkway Work Continues
• Christmas Decorating
• Sectional Shopping
• Rikki's Ugly Sweater Party
• Christmas 2015

Of course, as always this is just a sampling of our year. Not only did we get married and have an awesome honeymoon, (not to mention all the time I spent planning the wedding), I also grew my first flower garden, sold things on eBay for the first time and had our second yard sale ever. We visited Cincinnati, built our walkway out front, got a new stove, and bought a sectional sofa. We finally got a Keurig and Netflix, and I finally got a Fitbit. We had lots of fun visiting family and spending time with friends, too. Overall I think 2015 was a success! 

Who knows what 2016 will hold. Maybe a vacation to Colorado or even Canada? And I'm definitely looking forward to actually getting our sectional delivered and seeing it in the living room! Good things to come, for sure. :)

The Time I Was Featured on HGTV.com

You guys. One of my organizing ideas is on HGTV.com right now! I can barely hold in my excitement. Here's what happened. This summer, amid planning a wedding and a bazillion emails in my inbox, I got a message from a writer for HGTV.com that she wanted to feature my portable holiday gift wrap station for a Holiday Organization article she was working on. At first I kind of questioned whether it was even legitimate (I mean, it's not every day that you get featured on the website of one of your favorite TV stations), but I signed the release and sent her a hi-res image of my gift wrapping cart, and now it's live on the HGTV website!

Here's my lovely little gift wrapping station that was featured, and that I still use to this day:

The idea seemed so simple to me at the time and I had a need for it, but I never imagined someone else would see it and think it's a great idea, too. I guess that's one of the cool things about blogging. You never know who else is going to see your projects and ideas and want to share them as well.

Here's the link to the photo and the little blurb about my gift wrapping cart on the HGTV website. I love it! The full article / gallery is: 12 Clever Christmas Decor Storage Ideas. You should definitely check the full gallery out. There are tons of good ideas in there, and with the holidays coming up, some of them could definitely be useful.

Ok, please excuse me now while I pinch myself again... :)

Two Years of Blogging

Today marks two years that I've been blogging regularly here on my little blogspace of the world. Just recently, I shared my favorite posts from this past year. And last year I shared 2013's posts here. It is crazy to me that I've posted a total of 376 blog posts since I've started! And I hope to post hundreds more.

Of course I actually started this blog in 2010, when the reality and excitement of moving into this house began to set in. I wanted to share my thoughts about moving in and share all of the renovations that we were so ready and excited to take on. But I was still in school and was busy with that, work, and everything else, so I didn't blog much! Only two to three times a year, in fact. But two years ago, I made it my goal to post about all of the renovation projects, the DIY projects, crafts, decor ideas, and all of the other random thoughts I have along the way! And I am so glad I did.

I have really come to enjoy blogging as a way to get all my thoughts "on paper", or on the web I suppose! Whether people read it or not is not my main goal, though of course I love hearing from people when they do. I think I just enjoy coming up with post ideas, and being creative. And although the focus of my blog is our home and decor, it definitely strays sometimes to crafts, recipes, wedding planning, travel, and just random life events, which is perfectly fine to me. I love the flexibility I have with this blog being my own little piece of the web. Life happens all the time and there's always something new going on, so why not share those moments?

I've been a fan of a lot of home blogs since I was in college, Young House Love being my first and favorite blog I followed. It was definitely a huge inspiration, and I was sad and a little disappointed to see them stop blogging this year, along with several other blogs recently, I've heard. I don't plan on stopping anytime soon, though. I have a lot more to blog about in the years ahead.

Not only have I been able to document all of the little and big changes with our house, but in the past year, I've gotten engaged, my little sister got married, I've gotten to travel to several new places, and I've been able to blog all about it here. I wouldn't have it any other way.

Blog Highlights from the Past Year

Last January 26th was my first Blogiversary. I shared all of the highlights in the way of house projects, crafts, tutorials, etc. that I blogged about over my first full year of blogging. This year I am not going to wait until my second blogiversary to roundup my highlights from the past year. I thought I'd start the year off with a recap!

I didn't blog as much in 2014 - only 131 posts compared to the 226 posts in 2013. But although we didn't get as many house projects done this year, I got several little projects done - and I started wedding planning. Here's a list of some of my best life, house, project, decor, craft, and inspiration posts from 2014.

• New Living Room Arrangement
• Dave Matthews Band Inspired Painting
• Hanging Curtain Pull-Backs
• We're Engaged!
• Pretzel Kisses Recipe
• Travel Post Round-Up
• Firepit Redo
• Planter Box Update
• Haley and Dan Tie the Knot
• Planting Hostas
• DIY Chalkboards
• DIY Bedroom Storage Unit
• Grill Makeover
• Wedding Cake Inspiration
• Replacing the Basement Door
• Wedding Flower Inspiration
• DIY Card Box Banner
• Homemade Thanksgiving Art
• Gift Wrapping Organization
• Christmas in the Living Room
• Holiday Table for Two
• Christmas Porch Decorating Ideas
• Our Christmas Porch
• No-Sew Burlap Garland
• Astrological Decor Post Round-Up

Just a little sampling of what I blogged about in the past year. Lots of fun little projects and wedding planning going on. It's been a crazy year - getting engaged, my sister getting married, traveling to Texas, California and Portland. Hope this year is just as great!

My First "Blogiversary"

I know I actually started this blog as we were renovating the living room in 2010 - back then I posted once, and maybe a couple of times 6 months or so later. But January 26th, 2013, exactly a year ago today, is when I started regularly blogging for the first time. So I'm calling this my real Blogiversary! 

I'm happy to report that one year later, although not as frequent as when I first started, I'm still keeping up with this blog and posting the renovations and memories we make in this little house of ours. I've really come to enjoy blogging, especially being able to document everything we're doing with the house, and share all of the projects we take on.

It's already been fun looking back at all of these projects, so I can't wait to do many more and have even more years to look back on! Here are just a few highlights from the 235 posts I've shared in the past year (Click on the links to view each post):

• Our Living Room Renovation
• Our Bedroom Makeover
• Our Kitchen Remodel (Phase 1)
• How We Upped Our Curb Appeal
• Our Stairway Makeover
• Hallway Renovation Progress
• Hanging a Frame Wall
• Backyard Improvements
• DIY Earring Holder
• Making a Fabric Memo Board
• Skeleton Key Art
• Painting Abstract Art
• My Bookcase Makeover
• Repurposing a Cigar Box
• Summer Porch Inspiration
• DIY "Dipped" Votives
• Planting our Vegetable Garden
• Installing the Doggie Gate
• Nail Polish Storage
• Our First Yard Sale
• Wire Plant Stand Makeover
• Painted Wine Bottles and Jars
• Creative Pumpkin Decorating Ideas
• Fallifying the House
• Painted "Welcome" Pumpkin
• Landscaping the Side Yard
• Burlap Frame Mat
• Drilled Pumpkins
• The Aftermath of our Foundation Work
• Sentimental House Art
• DIY Necklace Holder

For more of our renovation projects, my crafty projects or general life happenings, check out the Popular Posts, Archives or Labels sections on my sidebar. Can't wait to see what this year has in store for us!

Thoughts on Blogging

Hello all and happy weekend! Now that I've been blogging regularly for about 5 months now, I decided I would share my thoughts on the subject and answer a few questions that people might have about blogging - from the mind of a Beginner Blogger! First I have to say that I've been in this "blog world" long enough to see a lot of amazing bloggers out there who blog for a living and actually earn money doing it. I couldn't imagine how much work it must be with sponsors and giveaways and all that, but I'm sure it is mostly fun work if you love it. Blogging is not my job, though. I have a regular, 9 to 5 full time job, where I go to an office everyday and work 40 hours a week for a small company. I currently don't make any money off of this blog, I do it for fun as a hobby, mostly because I've found it to be a great creative outlet for me that I really like! I don't know if I will ever be a full time blogger, but right now that's not really why I blog. Which kind of leads me to the first question...

1. Why did you start this blog?
Technically I started this blog back in 2010 when I was getting ready to move into this house with Trent. I planned on writing about all of these new adventures I would have moving in, documenting all of the renovation projects we undertook...I thought it would be awesome to look back on in the future. Plus, I used to religiously read Young House Love (who am I kidding, I still do!), and they inspired me sooo much to start my own home blog! They were a young couple in their first house too back then, and I got so many ideas from them, including the idea to create Mood Boards for each room I decided to tackle.

Unfortunately, I wrote a few posts here and there and never really got into it, or had the time to devote to a blog. I was still going to school full time while working part-time, then trying to find a job. So even though the house projects continued, this blog didn't.

Working on our kitchen remodel in 2011

In January of this year, I decided to devote time to regularly blogging, I guess because I was itching for a new hobby and something creative to do after I got off work every night. I'm more comfortable in my 9-5 job now, and I feel like I'm at a place where I have more spare time and can share what I've learned so far about home renovation and decorating. I also felt like maybe this blog would be my motivation to complete more projects and get more done with the house! With that said, I'm SO glad I started blogging again! It felt good to be able to backtrack and share the progress on the house so far, and of course now that I've caught up on the last couple of years' progress, I'm happy to share all of the other little projects in between!

2. Is it hard to find topics to blog about?
At times - when we don't have a big project going on with the house (like right now), I might feel like I'm forced to think of a topic I want to write about. Sometimes I draw a blank. Or I don't feel motivated or don't have the time to write. So I just don't blog that day. I only blog when I'm inspired to take on a new project (ex: Painting wine bottles), when I'm itching to be inspired (ex: Gathering summer porch inspiration or Abstract paintings I'm loving at the moment), when I want to share home improvements we're tackling (ex: Hallway renovation), or when I'm really passionate about a topic (ex: Ceramic animal decor).

A couple of my crafty "in between" projects - Bookcase makeover and DIY Earring holder

I always thought I would run out of ideas - that we would go months without making any progress on a project and I would be stalled. But life happens everyday. New projects come up, I find something new at Target or at a thrift store that I didn't expect and that I get excited about and want to share...it always continues. And when I want to share my weekend happenings or something random that happened that day, I do. Because it's my blog so I can share it if I want to, right? Heck, I just decided to write this post on a whim because I had some thoughts going on in my head, so I just started typing. And out came this LONG post!!

Sometimes, I'll be doing the dishes or getting ready for work, and a blog post idea will pop into my head. I have a running list of blog post topics on my iPad that I think would be fun to write about. Some have been sitting there for quite a while - projects I have yet to tackle but would like to, recipe posts (I have always wanted to write a recipe post but have yet to do this. Maybe because I don't cook or bake. Like ever.)...The most important thing I'm trying to say about this is - I don't want my blog posts to be forced. If I'm writing about something, it's because I'm excited to share it. That's all. It's not my job. It's my happy place.

3. Does it take up a lot of time?
I can honestly say I never used to think I could find the time to blog. I thought it would be so time-consuming and that I had so many other things I needed to do instead. Like I said before, I work full-time, so I didn't want to spend the little spare time I have when I'm not at work, doing one hobby and nothing else. I'm happy to say now that I'm glad I faced my fears and gave it a try again. Because I seem to always find time to pop in at least a few times a week, which is enough for me. When I started I felt like I should write every single day. I had a lot of topics to cover, and I wanted to make sure I was constantly updating and didn't slack like I did when I first started a few years ago. Maybe that was a good thing, because I'm still keeping it up - maybe not every single day, but most.

Like any hobby, if you really love doing it, you find the time to do it. And you still have time to do laundry and make dinner and go grocery shopping and everything else that life requires. Keep in mind, though - I don't have kids! If you do, I'm sure it's a lot harder to find balance. I enjoy blogging though, so I will continue to do it in my free time. The little time it takes up is worth it for me. I get to be creative, and I feel like I'm being productive, getting projects done around the house, and sharing my story. So maybe others can relate and gain inspiration from it.

4. Is blogging hard?
I used to journal all the time when I was younger, so the writing part is totally natural for me, and not hard at all. I think I've always needed that creative outlet my whole life. I used to draw constantly, I've always enjoyed writing, art, crafts, decorating...anything creative really. And I always seem to have lots of ideas floating around in this brain of mine. So, no, it's not hard. As long as you have something you want to share and feel passionate about, it's quite easy! Think of a topic, type it up, maybe complete a project while you're at it, and have fun. Anyone can start a blog. There's no pressure if you're doing it for yourself. It's just a bonus if others join you for the ride. Probably the most awkward and time-consuming part for me is taking photos of all of my projects (especially if I'm outside by myself...it's weird having to take pictures of all of my projects that I work on!) Then uploading all of the photos and editing them all for the blog..that's probably the worst part, for me anyway!

My recent bottle and jar painting project 

5. Are you worried you won't have followers or no one will read your blog?
This seems like such a weird thing to worry about, but before I started this blog, I was scared I would be doing it "for nothing." That nobody would read it. Soon after though, I realized that I could easily feel all of the pressures of blogland that are out there to have 500,000 followers and be the top home blog, or whatever, but I don't care about all that. I love when people read my blog, comment, follow me, and I thank the few people who have done just that!! But I really just blog because I enjoy it, and for all of the reasons I've stated above. I know a few family and friends read it, and that's more than enough for me.

All in all I'm so glad I started blogging again, and I'm really just glad to be sharing all of our life experiences in our first house. We will always have these stories to look back on and can say, "Remember when we did this?," or "Look how far this room has come since then!" Even if our progress isn't as fast as I would like sometimes, it's best to just enjoy the ride and each little craft, project, life event, and random thought that fills the space in between.