Saturday's Simply Sweet Space

Over the last year and a half I have lived in a simply sweet studio apartment where I have had the opportunity to decorate, cook, invent, and create... I have decided to do a little blogging mini-series, Saturday's Simply Sweet Space. This week it will feature ten things I simply sweet about my kitchen! 

1. My soap. 

Hand and dish because I love it so. 

J.R. Watkins Lemon scented soap.

Not only is it environmentally friendly, but it smells wondrous and makes things shiny and clean!

2. My cock olive oil canister.

I started this ridiculous joke with my mom when she bought me this giant Hershey's kiss shaped rooster. 

I called it The Cock and it looks over my kitchen a top my fridge. 

Well, we couldn't stop with just one. 

I have gifted her many and she has gifted me some in return. 

We both have this little cocky number and it makes me happy to oil anything up! 

3. My cookbooks. 

Aren't these just school binders? 

Yep, they are. 

But you know what, they hold all my recipes. 

I love that about them. 

And the pink floral and green go so well with my whole apartment's colors. 

4. My pink apron. 

A dear friend gave me this. 

I love it. 

The pink, the little ball things, the pattern, the pockets. 

It's amazing. 

And makes cooking more fun! 

5. My tea mug. 

My gramcracker had one just like this and now my mom has it. 

I'm a copy cat. 

It was cheap, it's simple, but I love it. 

And the tea inside, yum pure delish! 

6. My knife set. 

Well, technically J's. 

I am marrying a man of utility... What does that matter?

You see, this knife set was what J asked for for Christmas. 

It's in my kitchen. 

7. This is a lamp burger. 

(It looks like burger but has a funny French accent thing that sounds like brojae)

Not only is it pink and antique looking... 

But it has an oil wick inside and when you light the stone on fire 

it emits the most wondrous smells! 

8. Fresh cotton in Mama Bird's vase with my journal. 

I leave this sitting on my counter to remind me of the months to come. 

J and I are having a very unique wedding. 

Cotton, unbleached, seeds in tact, sitting in the boll is going to be our "flower". 

Isn't it pretty?

You should feel it. 

And the quote on my journal is fabulous: 

"Just when the caterpillar thought life was over, it became a butterfly." 

9. Pictures! 

I love pictures of the ones I love. 

I keep them all over my apartment... Even in my kitchen! 

They aren't all lined up like this, but you get the point! 

(Please excuse the counter covered in papers... It is finals season)

10. My pretty pink princess Kitchenaid mixer.

Santa brought me this. 

What a sweet man he is! 

He must realize that Mrs. Klaus can only make great cookies 

and cakes and muffins and bread with the help of this little machine. 

What's your simply sweet space? 

And what makes it so simply sweet?

Please share! 

Daily Confession: I am a creator.

I don't really have a single way I like to express myself. I blog (as you all know!), I sew, I paint, I draw, I write, I decorate, I run. While it's all so different, I realize one thing. I am a creator.

So, for the first time ever, I am sharing the paintings I have created in my short time as an artist.

A self portrait done for one of my first studio arts classes. 

Make-up and Photo editing done by me! 

Showered with Kisses. Mixed media.

A wall mural above my bed in my parents' house. I can't wait to paint this again in my little house one day!

Hanging in my kitchen above my sweet little stove.

Cherry blossoms blooming on trees above my bed. 

I just love the birds on the wire idea... If you couldn't tell. :) And the color of this is my favorite!

The color on this got so odd when I imported the pictures and added them to my post... Please imagine them more vibrant and beautiful! 

How and what do you create?

Daily Confession: I was the Coochi-Snorcher.

I have never liked speaking in front of large crowds. But my RA my second year was the director of a play, The Vagina Monologues, and asked me to please audition. I had no intention to try out... Then my best friend dared me to. Not one to refuse a dare I auditioned AND got the part! 

It was such a growing experience and I ended up loving the women involved with the show and having a chance to shine. 

My parents came and watched the show along with the rest of my family and some close family friends. And, of course, my dear J was there. 

*Funny note: J and I had just started dating when this was all going down and I can't tell you how embarrassed I was to tell him that I was going to be acting in The Vagina Monologues, but he was so proud of me and he went to two of the shows to help calm my nerves! 

Forgetful Me!

And in all of the planning of my future I forgot to share this with you!

Here is the first of the engagement pictures that my fiance and I got done this weekend!

Our photographer was such a sport and so amazing... We climbed into this abandoned boat that was in a little bit of water and she got all wet and didn't complain a lick! Amazing! (Check her out here) She blogs too... And teaches kindergarten... And takes pictures... I don't know how she balances it all! And I promise to post more when they are done!

charlie the cheez-it

i introduced you all to my dear little friend marcell the shell, who was quite precious and i wrote a couple little post on him. well, this little man, charlie the cheez-it, is marcell's friend. but it's the story behind charlie that i truly love!

an eight-year-old girl saw the marcell the shell video and loved it so much that she decided to make her own. her aunts helped her get it all together.

i truly appreciate the sweetness in it all. and i'm thinking maybe i should try my hand at making one of these little critters for all to adore.

song of the day:

trademark

by: relient k

watch out for my trade marked little buddy for charlie and marcell. it's not going to be right away, but it'll be. maybe later this month on my break from school for thanksgiving?

oh, and, just for everyone's peace of mind, the bugs are dead and all blocked out. whooooo what a close call!

i will be grateful for this day.

creating is one of my favorite things to do. i love to paint and see everything hanging on walls (whether they are mine or walls of people i love most!) today i was looking through some of the art on etsy and this caught my eye.

i will be grateful for this day (in a storm). sometimes we need something to remind us that we have things to be grateful for... this does just that but in a sweet understated way. it's a homeowner's WWJD? bracelet! so wonderful!

so on this day, i am grateful for...

1. my amazing, loving, dynamic family

2. my best friend, mama bird

3. my strong man, j

4. my proximity to home, but my life as an "adult" (debatable if adult is the right word)

5. my bright future

6. my faith in an unshakable God

of course, the last of these is the greatest, but most importantly,

i am grateful.

song of the day:

how great is our God

by: chris tomlin.

boom it's simple.