What's New

Two happy happenings in our lives:

Photo credits: 1,2,3

1. In three days we're leaving for France! Cole has a week long conference in Paris and I'm tagging along. On my birthday, we're taking a train down to Nice where we'll be spending a few day before heading home. We're both pretty psyched since this will be our first visit and I'm definitely looking forward to a change of scenery and exploring all the gorgeous sites.
2. Now, the big news...we're adopting! I've been vaguely hinting at this since February and I'm so happy to be finally sharing the good news. This has been (and will be) keeping us quite busy, hence my lack of finished project posts, but I've also started an adoption blog, Cole and Maria, where you can keep up with our journey.
Love to you all!

xxMaria

over the hills and far away

This past weekend was absolutely gorgeous. Cole and I captured every moment that we could of the sunshine and warmth. On Saturday we chased the sunset through our favorite park. Thanks so much for all the feedback and anniversary wishes on the last post.

Photos by Cole. Thanks, darling!

Vintage skirt: thrifted
Sandals and tee: target
Old locket: j crew
Vintage hat: so long ago can't remember etsy seller

P.S. I'm so lucky to have such a handsome photographer...




xxMaria

One Year Anniversary!

Whew. Sorry that I disappeared for a bit. As I mentioned in previous posts, life's been a bit hectic and I haven't had much time for blogging. And to be completely honest, this winter has been killer. It's just now, today, becoming spring in Minnesota. I know everyone warned me that Minnesota winters were brutal, but I guess knowing it and living it are two different things. Jeesh. And bear in mind that this is coming from someone who grew up in Michigan and lived six years in Massachusetts. It's not as if I've never experienced tough winters, but I can honestly say Minnesota takes the cake.

That's enough weather ranting. I'm looking ahead to this glorious weekend and the fun that awaits! This Saturday marks the one year anniversary of owning our first home! I'm a bit shocked that the anniversary arrived so fast, it sure doesn't feel like a year. It also feels as if we've completed so many house projects and yet have so many more to go. That said, we have a few waiting in the wings that are half finished or about to be started. Which means more project posts!! So in honor of this occasion, I've compiled a list of my most favorite house projects to date starting with my most popular post:

DIY: Vintage Army Cot:


The Great Kitchen Reveal:


Mid Century Modern Ikea Chair Hack No.1:


Bathroom Refresh:


Fireplace Makeover:


Did I leave out your favorite? Also, I'm curious to know what you would like to see more of on my blog?

tgif!

xxMaria

Lifestyle Changes

After I mentioned my weight loss on instagram, I had a few requests to go into further detail. It all started after the holidays. Cole and I were feeling pretty crummy from eating and drinking too much and gaining too much weight. We decided we wanted to change our eating habits by cutting out junk food and adding in more fruits and vegetables. After doing some research we decided that the paleo diet would be best. It was going to be tough cutting so much from our diet but we knew we could do it. When we found out two years ago that I had an autoimmune disorder (hashimoto's thyroiditis), we decided to cut gluten from our diets. We weren't strict during the first year but have been this past year and it's really become second nature for us. When we first got my diagnoises, Cole even suggested going paleo at the same time but I thought that would be too hard all at once.

Once we started eating paleo at the end of January it took only one month for me to lose ten pounds. I was incredibly shocked and couldn't believe it happened so fast. I wasn't even consistently working out during this time. About two weeks ago we decided to go one step further and bought a juicer. We knew this would be an even better way to get a good wallop of fruits and veggies. I never would've thought we would be able to stomach a juice filled with spinach but we love it!

-Breakfast smoothie: 8oz coconut milk, handful of sliced frozen strawberries, one banana, one tbsp of chia seeds.
-Lunch juice: one green apple, one cucumber, two celery stalks, one handful of kale, two handfuls of baby spinach.


-My daily meal routine is a fruit smoothie for breakfast, a juice for lunch and a paleo meal for dinner usually consisting of fish and veggies.
-My workout routine varies from day to day but I work out at the gym about four days a week doing 30 minutes of cardio (elliptical/cross ramp/treadmill) and twenty minutes of weights (low sets/high reps). About one day a week I'll do a Winsor Pilates dvd at home.

-Paleo meals: sausage and eggs, raspberries with coconut milk and fresh squeezed orange juice; eggs with sriracha and avocado; taco salad with ground beef, romain lettuce, veggies, taco sauce and ranch.

I firmly believe that the way to succeed with any diet is to give yourself one or two free days a week. On the weekends Cole and I will have gluten free pizza or chipotle burrito bowls which satisfy our cravings and helps us to keep eating healthy all week long. I also believe it's best not to weigh yourself too much, instead base your progress on how your clothes feel. I only happened to know how much weight I had lost from two doctor visits, one before we started the diet and one a month later. Above all else, it's about feeling good, being healthy and making positive lifestyle changes!

xxMaria

P.S. I'm in San Francisco visiting my sister and nephew and getting a break from the freezing Minnesota winter. I'll be back on Sunday.

Go Your Own Way

Two outfit posts in a row! What? Haha, this is quite rare and fortuitous. Since the weather was a balmy 30 degrees, I didn't completely cringe at the idea of being outside. Instead I enjoyed the warmth of the sun and the thought that spring is right around the bend. It also doesn't hurt to have such a pretty spot. This park is near our house and is my favorite place to go for hikes and to snap outfit photos. Speaking of outfits, mine has a decided 70s vibe that seems to be inspired by my recent vinyl purchases, one of which was the epic, Rumours. I even tried to make my hair as Stevie as possible. She is my current hair idol. I'm thinking come spring I'll get some more highlights (mine are all but gone) and grow my hair a bit longer.

Photos by Cole. Thanks, darling!

Coat, bag and boots: vintage
Silk blouse: JCrew
High waist jeans: UO


xxMaria

Into the Woods

This is my winter wardrobe, just simply rotate between chambray shirts, striped tops and thick sweaters. I kid you not. It's been too cold of a winter to consider wearing anything else. That said, I don't mind wearing basics, but you can understand why I'm not posting more outfit photos. You would all die of boredom. In other news, Cole and I have been busy this month working really hard on something very near to our hearts, which has left little time for my blog. I can't quite talk about it yet (don't worry it's something good, not bad), but it would mean a lot to me if you would please keep us in your thoughts and prayers.

Photos by Cole. Thanks, darling!

Bedale jacket: Barbour
Logger boots: Chippewa, gift from inlaws
Knit hat: asos
Chambray shirt: thrifted
Jeans: UO
Camp socks: JCrew

xxMaria

Master Bedroom

Sometimes I can't believe I waited so long to paint our bedroom. The gold paint drove me nuts the minute we did our first walk through but paint was desperately needed elsewhere first. Now that it's done, I can sigh a contented sigh and relish in the quiet calm of our white bedroom. I'm also quite excited about our little reading nook. I found the mid century chair on craigslist when we first moved in and then found an upholsterer (also on craigslist) to update the fabric. The fabric is so lovely but I'm still not sure it was the right choice for the chair. I've come to the conclusion that picking fabric is darn tricky. The nightstands are temporary stand-ins (the one on the left will go in the guest bedroom and the one on the right belongs in the living room) till I can find some vintage beauties on the cheap. The only cloud in my blue sky is the ugly carpet. Since the master bedroom was once an attic it never had hardwood floors and when the previous owner added the dormer addition, she chose the cheapest carpet ever. It's rough and pills and I'm always finding loose fibers all over the place. It's not in our budget at the moment, but I dream about the day when we can have gorgeous hardwood floors. Oh and I almost forgot- even though I love the look of them, after sleeping one night under them and fearing they would fall and gore me, the antlers have been moved elsewhere. Something more appropriate, like a dream catcher, will take their place.

View of the lake across the street. See the little ice fishing shanty?!

Shopping List:
-Wall and ceiling paint: Powdered Snow, Behr
-King bed frame: Overstock, xmas gift from parents
-Quilt: Orla Kiely, Bed Bath and Beyond
-Fox lamp: Patch NYC for Target
-Red and coral pillow: Target
-Vintage dresser: thrifted
-Spoonflower chair fabric: Peony watercolor by Holli Zollinger
-Nook side table, reading lamp, faux sheepskin: Ikea

xxMaria