A Few Of My Favorite Things (Condo Style!)

Chase and I moved into our condo back in December. They call our "home" a condo because it has a certain type of insulation and thick windows. Really though, it is just a nice apartment. We love the location. It is close to where I go to school currently, and it is just a few minutes drive to both my job and Chase's job.

 I personally wanted to buy a house. However with my graduation coming up in December, and my place of chaplain residency still up in the air, home ownership was the not the best choice for us as husband and wife right now. Hopefully around this time next year we will be moving into a home of our own. Waiting is really hard. Seeing other friends and family moving into their own houses makes Chase and I want to buy a home of our own right this second. We both know deep down though that this upcoming year of living together in this small space will draw us closer to one another, and it will allow us to save money for the starter home that we have always dreamed about.

In the mean time we both wanted to make our new place as husband and wife as cozy and home-like as possible. We shopped thrift stores, consignment stores, discount shops, and antique malls for the perfect pieces. We also were very lucky that the items that we placed on our wedding registry were gifted to us to tie everything all together. With the help of our parents we were able to settle right in.

At the moment, everything is in place in our apartment except for pictures in all of our picture frames. We are patiently (well not really) waiting to receive our wedding photos back from our photographer so we can proudly display the happiest day of our lives all over our walls. Chase and I wanted to share a few of our favorite things and places within our apartment. I know that some of our friends and family have been curious about we have decorated things, so this is the perfect way to show it off.


The entryway to our apartment is kind of small, but we were able to spice it up with an antique storage unit and some pictures on the wall.

Side note: our walls are not white and that is a blessing. They are more of a taupe color and it makes the entire apartment seem more like a home. Our previous apartments had stark white walls and it was so hard to make the space feel cozy.

 Our favorite entryway decoration has to be our family welcome sign. Chase bought this for us as a Christmas present this past year. I smile every single time that I walk into the door and see this. After more than six years together, we are finally the Smith family.

Our kitchen is also small, but it has a plethora of cabinet space! It makes my heart happy to be able to fit all of our kitchen stuff in our tiny kitchen. We have so much kitchen equipment. It is seriously a problem. But Chase and I both love being in the kitchen so we would not have it any other way. Our favorite spot in the kitchen has to be the baking corner.

It is the perfect space to fit my kitchen-aid mixer and to whip up some yummy treats. The sweets sign was given to us by my sister and brother-in-law. It matches perfectly with our red theme.

The cake stand was passed down to me from my grandmother, and the baking containers were a wholesale purchase spiced up with some chalk board stickers. I am in love with them.

And while I am talking about our kitchen I just had to share these new towels that I picked up from HomeGoods. They were super duper on sale and I just could not pass them up!

The master bedroom is one of my favorite rooms in the house. It is a sanctuary from the craziness of life and we have a huge window on one wall that lets in a ton of natural light. Our favorite thing about the master bedroom is our monogram above our headboard. I picked up the monogram at a cute boutique in the local mall right after Christmas, and the frame around it came from my parent's antique shop. It just brings the whole room together and makes a bold statement. We love it.

We have both a master bathroom and a guest bathroom. Out of the two of them our favorite thing has to be the master bathroom color scheme. Yellow and grey has always been a favorite of mine. So to be able to use those colors somewhere in our new home together was a great thing. We found these beauties at Target. I can spend some serious cash in there. It really is dangerous.

Because of the open floor plan of our "condo", the dining room and the office are in the same area. Honestly, Chase and I don't use our dining room table too often. We normally end up around our big antique coffee table when dinner time arrives shouting out answers to Jeopardy, or watching something on Netflix. But we do love our office desk. It was a furniture consignment find and it is perfect for us. Not to mention it matches the bookshelves that we already owned perfectly.

I mentioned before that my parents own their own antique shop. Well part of that shop is architectural  salvage. When we realized that we were not going to buy a house I was a little bit bummed because I was really wanting to live in a space with a fire place so I could have a mantle to decorate. When we moved into our condo my parents gifted us with this fake mantle so we would still have a space to decorate. I seriously love this part of our home. With the recliner and the basket of blankets in this corner, it is the perfect reading nook. I could spend hours curled up there with no cares in the world.

One more thing about our living room. See that pillow in the picture above? It was a gift to Chase and I from a super awesome camp friend. They are monogrammed with our family monogram and wedding date. I want more of these for every room of the place. Gosh how awesome they are!

Our guest bedroom is pretty sweet. Part of our wedding vows to one another was to promise to make our home one of hospitality. Knowing that we both wanted a second bedroom to accommodate whoever was in need of a place to crash. We are excited that in a couple of weeks will be welcoming one of our sweetest and closest friends to stay with us for the entire summer while she completes a summer internship for her graduate school program. We have been wanting to put this room to good use for a while now. Our favorite part has to be this cute shag rug. It is so soft and cozy.

Our favorite picture that is hung and ready to be displayed is our wedding canvas. We both love this picture because you can see the rolling mountains in the background, and the love on our faces is radiant. We hope that that love continues to be held in our hearts for years and years.

 

The last space that we wanted to share with you is our deck space. The only thing I told chase that I wanted if we were going to live in an apartment was a deck. He really did great finding this one. We have a great view and tons of green space right at our fingertips. 

Our favorite thing however is our NC State theme. Because lets face it, who does not like a little bit of red and white? The weather is just starting to get warm enough to begin having dinner and late breakfasts out on the deck. It is so peaceful and we could not be happier.

So come on by and hang out for a little while. I am sure we will have some sort of sweet treat ready for you to eat, and there is always room if you need to crash. Enjoy this warm weather my friends!

- S & C

Luna's Adoption Story

This week Chase and I will celebrate having our fur baby for an entire month. Raising a puppy is hard work. It takes a ton of time and attention. Sometimes it is frustrating not sleeping in, or having to go on walks in the rain. However each puppy kiss and cute look makes it all worth it. We would not trade Luna for anything. 

Luna's adoption story is one that we wanted to share with y'all. It is a true story of being in the right pace at the right time and trusting that the right furry family member was waiting for us. 

Chase and I have always wanted to have a dog together. We understood how much time and attention went into having a pet, so we made the mutual decision to wait until one month after our wedding to get a pet. So on March 7th Chase and I headed out to search for our third family member. Our first stop was a private organization called AARF. This is an incredible organization. To adopt a pet you must go through an application and screening process and answer a ton of interview questions. They really do their part in making sure that pets go to a good and loving home. When we visited AARF that day we fell in love with a tiny little puppy named Buster. We wanted to scoop him up and take him home on the spot. However we were told that 4-6 other families had already put in an application for Buster. We filled out an application for Buster, but we left that day with a heavy heart knowing that being newly married and living in a condo would probably not stand up to the other more established families who wanted to be Buster's parents. 

Chase and I talked it over and decided to swing by the county's animal control. We knew that it was a long shot, but we thought that maybe they would have a puppy that was right for us. When we walked into the shelter there were rows of dogs in cages all vying for attention. But this sweet face just kept calling out to us. 

Her name was Wilma and she had a brother Fred in the cage beside of her who had just been adopted. She had curly ears and was whimpering softly. Chase and I looked at one another and we both kind of knew what was happening. We asked the volunteers if we could spend some one on one time with her. They led us to a room where we could play. 

 At first, she sat quietly in our laps. She just looked around at us with her big brown eyes. Her fur was soon fluffy and her ears were so curly. The volunteers told us that she was a border collie mix and that her owner surrendered her and her brother because he could not afford to take care of them.

Chase and I spent about an hour with her before we decided that this sweet girl was meant to be a part of our family. As the time went by in the play room she really opened up and showed us glimpses of her personality. She had spunk and loved to follow you around. We did not like the name Wilma, and we decided that Luna was the perfect name for our new future family member. After we filled out the adoption papers we were told that we could pick her up from the vet in 48 hours (she had to vet vaccinated and spayed). We went home with joy in our hearts. Our dreams were finally coming true. 

We took a trip a little later to the pet supply store to get stocked up on puppy supplies. We were like little kids in a candy store. Luna was spoiled before she even arrived into our home. Check out her collar. Bows and a personalized name tag. That is just how we roll in the Smith family. 

Luna made the transition to her new home like a champ! She crate trained within just a couple of days, slept through the night from the very beginning, and is currently 99% house trained. We are working on getting her to lay in her bed in the living room. Most of the time she does not stay still. When she does though, she is the cutest thing ever. 

Luna loves being outside. She is not too fond of her leash, but she is getting better. At the start she would just sit down and look at you when you tried to go for a walk. How can you say no to that face?!?!?!?

Luna also has a weird habit. She will only use the bathroom in the pine straw. We are not sure why, but we are thankful that are condo complex has a plethora of pine straw for her disposal. 

One great thing we have figured out is that Luna loves to ride in the car. She just stares out the window until she finally falls asleep. This is great because some dogs our families have had in the past have gotten car sick. We travel so much and did not want her to have to be sick when we travel. She is a rock star travel buddy and we are looking forward to many adventures with her. 

Oh be still my puppy loving heart. Sleeping car puppies are just the best! 

Condo living with a pet has its downsides. Getting exercise can be a challenge. Thankfully the green way is right across the street from us. We have been going on a few walks here and there and Luna LOVES it!!! We cannot wait until she gets a little bit older so we can go on longer walks and even hikes up the nearby mountains. 

Luna has brought so much joy to our lives. We love her to the moon and back and can't imagine our lives without her. 

We cannot wait to share more stories of our new fur baby. I am sure we will be going on many family adventures together. She is the perfect addition to our little family. Welcome home Luna Smith!!!!! 

-S & C

a BIG thank-you!

Chase and I are still in the newlywed phase. Even though our time has been filled recently with the addition of a furry friend (a whole post about that to come later), we have still been surrounded with the wonder and amazement that was our wedding day. 

So many people played a part in making our day so incredibly special and we wanted to be able to publicly thank them for their talents and love that they payed forward. To have grown up in such a small town and to be married there, there sure are some big talent and hidden gems that everyone needs to know about if you are going to be having a wedding, a party, or any kind of life milestone. 

Photographer: SNAP by ANG

Angelia Shepherd is a fabulous photographer who is just an absolute blast to be around! She takes the time to get to know you and your family to be sure that your pictures turn out exactly how you imagined. She also has a wonderful crew that she brings with her to your wedding so that every moment can be captured. Ang did our engagement pictures, our bridal shots, and all of our wedding day coverage. I would recommend her 100% to anyone looking for a fun and professional photographer. And she does not only do weddings. She also photographs babies, families, and grads just to name a few. You can check out her Facebook page here, and her website here. 

Event Coordinator: Kaitlin Carpenter at Bella Bliss Events

I knew Kaitlin in high school when we played softball together, and when I was the manager of the basketball team that she played on. Kaitlin is also a fellow NC State Wolfpack Alumni who loves a good sporting event. She is sweet new mama, and also runs a top-notch event coordinating and design business. Kaitlin was our day-of wedding coordinator and she did such a fantastic job. I felt completely relaxed the entire day of the wedding because I knew that Kaitlin had everything under control. She met with us multiple times in advance to go over all of the details and she was very organized. Kaitlin is not limited to day of coordinating however. She can also plan and design your entire wedding if that is what you are wanting. Her newest and coolest endeavor though are her custom made party boxes. I am patiently waiting for an excuse to call her up and order one of these boxes. Seriously y'all, they are amazing. Go check out her Facebook page here, and her business website here.  

Florist: Four Gals and A Florist 

I am not the biggest fan of flowers. I just never have been and I am not sure why. So when my mom and started talking about what kind of flowers I wanted to have in the wedding I was completely lost. The women at Four Gals and A Florist were recommend to us by my sister-in-law and they were such a blessing to have in our corner. They were able to see our vision and give us recommendations based on the time of year that we were getting married. They also were creative and made our flowers unique to our taste. The day that our bridal shots were being taken, the flower truck broke down on the side of the interstate and my flowers were just not going to make it to the photo shoot on time. Four Gals and A Florist drove to the truck, picked up the flowers, and hand delivered them to us so that we could still have our bridal photos turn out perfect. They are the perfect florist for any occasion. Check out their Facebook page here, and their business page here.

Videographer: Divine Treasures Wedding Cinematography 

One of the things that Chase and I really wanted for our wedding day was a video to remember it by. We wanted to be able to live in the moment of love and happiness for many years to come. Divine Treasures was the perfect for us. They are professional, discrete at getting the best shots without being the star of the show, and abundantly creative. I know know without a doubt that our wedding video will be a keepsake that we share with our family and friends for many many years to come. If you want to see some samples of their work you should definitely check out their Facebook page here, and their business page here. 

Venue: Blue Ridge Dinner Theater

Since Chase and I decided to get married in the middle of the mountain winter, our options for venues were limited. Most people just have their wedding receptions outside since the warmer mountain days are so beautiful. We looked around a few options and just did not find the right fit for our wedding vision until we checked out Blue Ridge Dinner Theater. The space is HUGE, and they allow you to have a whole entire week before your wedding to decorate the space however you want to. We were able make our reception just how we envisioned and it was perfect. The catering is also included in the venue space, which makes the deal even more worth it. Speaking of food, they offer southern comfort food with is our favorite. I just loved that on my wedding day I was able to have biscuits and chicken and lemonade. They have a DJ available, or you can bring in your own depending on what kind of atmosphere that you want. Go see what they have to offer by looking at their Facebook page here, and their business page here. 

Cake Designer: Hallmark Cakes 

Our cake designer was also recommended to us by my sister-in-law. While Hallmark Cakes certainly makes cakes that are "normal" flavored, they also offer many off-beat and creative options. Chase and I wanted to be creative with our wedding cake and were more than willing to take some chances. Hallmark Cakes is based out of a home, and the professional and personal treatment that is given to clients is outstanding. You are able to taste many different options, and look at many different designs to make sure that your wedding cake is just right for you. Chase and I ended up deciding to have three different cake flavors (lemon blueberry, lemon creme, and chocolate raspberry) and to have a square polka dotted wedding cake. Hallmark Cakes was able to make our vision look vintage and elegant and simply perfect. They also were able to do our groom's cake for the rehearsal dinner. Since Chase and I are both NC State grads, they were able to make us a Mr. Wolf head sheet cake. It was beautiful and just what we asked for. Check them out on Facebook here, and on their business page here. 

Hair/Nails/Make-up: Becky & Company 

I don't get my hair cut very often. Once, maybe twice a year. I also do not live in my hometown anymore so I did not have a hairstylist lined up in my mind for the wedding. There is a cute little boutique in town though that offers hair, nails, make-up, and shopping all in one place. It is where I had my hair done for both years that I went to prom, and I knew some of the hair dressers really well. The girls at Becky's are out of this world. They make your day so special, and they are there to make you and your wedding party beautiful. We all left the salon feeling pampered and ready for the wedding day. My nails looked great, my make-up was flawless, and my hair was what I had dreamed about since I was a little girl. Check out what they have to offer on their Facebook page here.

Well that is all for now! Seriously check these vendors out. They are all fabulous and are perfect to work with. 

-S & C

A Romantic Escape

The weeks following our wedding have been hectic and filled with activities and appointments. We honestly have not been able to catch our breaths since we got back from our honeymoon. From catching up with school and work, to setting up our new apartment, Chase and I really needed some time to just be husband and wife. 

Our prayers were answered with a surprise in the mail one day. A family friend of ours sent us free tickets to the Biltmore House. Chase and I have both been to the Biltmore House in the past, but we were in elementary/middle school and have been wanting to go back there together. So we marked off a date on our calendar and set off down the road. 

The weather was nasty when we left home. Like 32 degrees and freezing rain nasty. We were scared that the weather at the BH was going to be just as nasty and that our reservation and one chance for a getaway would be ruined. Luckily, the day was perfect! When we arrived in Asheville it was overcast and 55. 

The day was just what we needed. We ate brunch at the BH bakery before we toured the house. The quiche that I chose was delicious, and Chase's turkey sandwich hit the spot. The tour of the house was beautiful. We wished that we were able to spend more time inside and see more of the house. My favorite part were all of the kitchens. I think that Chase really enjoyed the architecture. Such an engineer. 

After the tour of the house we walked around the gardens (well the plots where the gardens will be in a couple of months) and enjoyed the views of the mountains. We then drove over to the village for a little bit of wine tasting. We found one that we liked and took a bottle home with us to celebrate in the future. On our way we cashed in one of our gift cards and had dinner together at Outback. It is one of our favorites that we don't get to enjoy a whole bunch because 20 bucks for a steak is just crazy when you can make your own at home for 8. 

All in all it was the best day. We were able to relax, explore, talk one on one with each other, and just be husband and wife for the day with no distractions. We learned that at least once a month we need a date day or date night to truly reconnect with one another and catch up on life with one another. Married life is beautiful and wonderful and we cannot wait to continue to build more memories together. 

Much Love

S & C 

Pinterest Challenge

So here is the deal. I was recently going through one of my Pinterest pinning binges and realized that I had pinned over 300 food items to my various food boards. My first reaction was WHOA! Then I began looking at all of the different items that I had pinned and thought, YUM!!! 

So I pitched an idea to Chase. What if we tried to make one or two new Pinterest recipes each week? It would be a great way to try new foods and add new recipes to our newlywed recipe box. Needless to say he was all for it. 

We are starting our challenge this upcoming week, but I wanted to share a pin that Chase and I tried about a month ago. I posted about it on social media and it was a big hit so I thought that I would share it here in the blogosphere. They are cinnamon roll waffles :)

First grab your ingredients and equipment. We used canned cinnamon rolls and our new portable waffle maker. 

Put the cinnamon rolls in the waffle maker. We put two in at a time, but you can put however many you want  in together. Probably not more than four though. 

Then let the waffle maker do its magic. It really is just that simple. They come out crispy and smelling so amazing. Just remember to spray your waffle maker with oil between each use so no sticking occurs. 

Add some icing to make them like cinnamon rolls, or you could add syrup to make them more like waffles. If you are feeling adventurous...add both! 

Finally, add some protein such as eggs and bacon and some good fruit and you have yourself a wonderful meal to share with family and friends.

Keep coming back to see what other yummy goodies we have come up with from the wonderful world of Pinterest. Stay warm y'all.

S & C

A Crazy Little Thing Called Love

Photo Credit: SNAP by Ang

So this happened about a week and a half ago. It was beautiful, it was everything that we had dreamed of, it was the best day of our lives thus far.

Give us a few weeks to get back into the swing of things, to unwrap gifts and write thank-you notes, to catch up on work, to get back pictures and videos, and to reflect on married life.

In the next month or so we will post a wedding and honeymoon blog series so stay tuned.

In the mean time I have a couple of great recipes to share with you all that Chase and I have stumbled upon and fell in love in with. Chase and I also want to show off our new place, and just give you a rundown of "life lately".

Keep checking in! We love when you visit.

- S&C

Wrapping Up 2014...Looking Forward to 2015

Christmas 2014 in the Bum-Smith household was a whirlwind. There is just something about being engaged, planning a wedding, and celebrating one last round of holidays with different last names that makes each family gathering a bit more special and a little bit more crazy and wonderful. We still have not come up with a plan of what the holidays are going to look like next year. However the love and affection that our families have shown to us this year make us feel certain that our first married Christmas is going to be fantastic. 

Our Christmas celebrations lasted 3 full days. We ate a lot. We opened a lot of presents. We laughed until our bellies hurt. I actually remembered to take out my camera and take some pictures. It was the perfect break from work and school. 

Two days before Christmas Chase and I decided to open our stockings together and have our own mini Christmas with just the two of us. At the time we had literally just moved into our new apartment together (a post about that later). Boxes were still everywhere and we did not have time or space for a Christmas tree. But we bought a few decorations and made one little corner of our new place festive. It made it feel more like home which was much needed. 

We drank hot chocolate and opened our stockings in our pajamas. I think that this may be a new Smith family Christmas tradition. It was so much fun! My favorite thing in my stocking was my new red and white scarf. It is the perfect touch of NC State pride. Chase's stocking was full of map things. Chase loves maps, geography, and anything to do with foreign countries. So of course his new map mousepad was a big hit. 

Chase and I came home for Christmas Eve. My niece and nephew spent a couple of days with my parents and me, and on Christmas Eve morning I decided to make them a special Christmas treat. I found this cute idea of making a Christmas tree out of cinnamon rolls on the Internet and I decided to give it a try. It came out really cute and everyone enjoyed every single bite. I wonder what other things Chase and I could make out of cinnamon rolls for other holidays?

After Christmas Eve service at church, my family and Chase's family came together for our annual Christmas Eve dinner and present opening. We have been doing this for about four years now and it is something that we all look forward too. During this time Chase and I open the presents that we got for each other since we will not see each other on Christmas day. Then we both open the gifts that our future in-laws bought for us, and then our parents exchange gifts. 

My favorite and most thoughtful gift that Chase got for me this year was a black diamond sideways cross. He picked it out all by himself and he did such a wonderful job. Chase's favorite gift this year was a large colored globe. He searched high and low for a globe that he absolutely wanted and this one was the one. I didn't know how I felt about it at first, but since we have found a place for it in the apartment, it is growing on me fast. It is what my mother would call a statement piece. One last gift that is worth mentioning is a sign that Chase decided to get for the both of us. It is solid wood and hand engraved with our new last name on it and our wedding date. I cannot wait to use it in our wedding and to hang it up in our new home together. 

On Christmas day Chase and I spent time with our respective families. It was restful, beautiful, and just what we both needed. One highlight of the day was getting a family picture with my dad's parents. Mama normally doesn't have her eyes open and Papa Joe had just recovered from the flu. Seeing the both of them so awake and so in love on Christmas day was a blessing to all of us.

Flash forward to New Years day and...not much happened. Every year I say that I am going to stay up to see the ball drop, and every year I fall asleep and Chase wakes me up 5 minutes before it happens. For breakfast new years morning though we did go out for a special treat. We both are Bojangles addicts and they just came out with a new cheddar biscuit. We braved the cold and filled our tummies with this yummy goodness. We will be going back and getting more of them. They were that good!

School and work is kicking back into high gear for the both of us. So is wedding planning. 19 more days until "I Do". So much left to do, but every minute of planning is going to be completely worth it. Come back for more life updates!

S & C