When Steve and I started the house hunting process a few years ago, I had steeled myself for a long, arduous process.  Amazingly enough, it only took us about a month to find this house and while it didn’t meet all of our criteria, it had enough of what we wanted for us to be able to make it a home.

And I think that’s why I love this place so much.  Because we have made it our home.  Of course, there’s always room for improvement but overall, it is beautiful.  It’s comfortable.  It’s welcoming.  And it’s ours.

When I was picking up this weekend, I realized that there are a lot of things here that I truly love so I thought I’d share them with you.  These are a few of my favorite things.

Photo Wall: I created this setup initially when we were in the apartment but it really shined when we moved into the house.  I think it’s the fact that the wall it’s on is the perfect size for the frames, the wall color complements the frames nicely and the photos are displayed right in our living room/entryway.  But it’s something I’m proud of because it not only looks beautiful but it’s a collection of what I think are my best photos of local sites.  And I’m constantly switching them out so there’s always something new and fresh available.

Kitchen Windowsill & Plants: I have a nice window above my kitchen sink and while the view is mediocre, it at least allows some natural light in and gives me something to look at while I’m slaving over the dishes.  Plus, it allows for storage of my dish stuff because I don’t have any space behind the sink itself and it lets me put pretty plants like these up.  And I love these plants!  I got them on our last trip to Ikea and to this day, they still make me smile when I walk in the kitchen.

Fuzzy white rug: This was another find at IKEA that we originally bought for Sammy because we thought he would like something soft to lay on.  Well, two years later and he barely even acknowledges it.  Thankfully, though, it looks beautiful draped over the fireplace brick and really works to tie the whole area together.  And since we rarely burn real wood in the fireplace, there’s not much of a fire hazard (we move it when we do burn real wood).  It also makes for a nice comfy place to sit when you want to warm your back at the fire.

Sand dollars: We have many of these around the house pristine as the day they came out of the ocean.  They serve as perfect ambient decorations and they’re amazingly budget friendly since we can go right down to the water and pull them out.  Let them dry out and then soak the shell in bleach and you have what some souvenir shops would charge quite a few dollars for.

Plumeria box: I got this in Hawaii last year and fell in love with it because it had the plumeria flowers on it.  I use it to store my daily jewelry in, the necklace Steve bought me and the medical ID bracelet I have to wear.  It’s on my dresser right by my bedroom door so it’s easily accessible and the yellow really stands out against the black dresser.

Axe: When I asked Steve what he wanted me to bring him from Hawaii, he said something cool.  Well, this was his something cool and it’s been on our dresser ever since.  I love that it’s strong and sturdy and it goes nicely with our decor.  I’m thinking about hanging it up but still not sure about it.

Inlaid Wood Jewelry Box: My dad brought this back from Italy quite a few years ago and I have always loved it.  I love the deep blue and the swirls in the wood.  I love the image on the top and the sturdiness of the box.  It even plays the Godfather theme when you open it.  I typically store small trinkets in here – flattened pennies, bobby pins, etc.  But it also stands out beautifully against the black wood of my dresser and matches our decor beautifully as well.

Hawaii Souvenirs: I love every single one of these because they remind me of Hawaii.  From the painted kukui beads to the koa wood bowl to the coconut shell hair clip (which is possibly the best hair accessory I have ever purchased), they all remind of the glorious week I spent on vacation in paradise last year.  The flash doesn’t do the laughing Buddha justice either as it’s made of a deep coppery substance with sparkles embedded all over.  And the Hula girl I bought for Steve but he doesn’t really have a dash, so we keep her around because she’s funny.  But all of these, I absolutely love because it reminds me of a place that I will get back to someday.

Monkey candle holder: I got this at Target well before I moved and long before I knew I would adopt black/dark wood as my unofficial color scheme.  I loved it because it was kitschy but classy.  Dark enough to where it wouldn’t jump out at you but it’s a monkey!  So when people got a look at it they’d be like, “Holy shit, it’s a monkey!  Holding a candle.”  And I think it’s perfect for our home because it’s not obvious but it’s still pretty hilarious.

Wall-E: There’s still a part of me that likes to be a kid and I loved the Wall-E movie so when I saw this toy, I knew he’d be perfect on my bookshelf.  It breaks it up enough to where it doesn’t look so serious and when I turn him on, he dances.  How could you not love that?

Bookshelf: I love my bookshelves.  They are decorative and functional and just contain all sorts of knowledge and entertainment value for me.  And yes, I have read pretty much every book on those shelves.

Wallflowers: I like my house to smell good and the Wallflowers from Bath and Body Works are amazing with as much scent as they can put out.  It’s strong enough to where you can smell it but not overbearing.  And since there’s such a variety, you can change it up for every season.  Plus, they come in night lights so I can see when I’m up hunting for water in the middle of the night.

Amalfi landscape: This is something else my dad brought me from Italy and it’s a sort of 3-D landscape of the Amalfi coast.  It’s small but pretty and is a nice personal touch to our kitchen.  It has come with me through all of my apartments, even when I was living on my own and now it has a home in my very own kitchen.  Next to the Benadryl, of course.

My Bed: I love my bed! It’s super comfy.  It’s spacious.  It’s the first really nice wood bed that I picked out and paid for myself.  It’s where I spend most of my time and where we as a family cuddle at night and in the morning.  It is my sanctuary. (Sammy likes it too, if you can’t tell!)

Finally, two things that my house would not be complete without.

Diet Dr. Pepper: I need it.  Gotta have it.  I’m completely addicted.  There is usually a constant supply of this in my house and if I’m out, I’m not out for long.  It’s how I function.  I wish they gave discounts if you buy in bulk because I’ve probably bought enough to own half the company.

And finally ….

My Sammy: My love, my puppy, my child.  How could you have a place without a guy like this?