The Apartment

So I know that everyone has wanted to see the apartment, but up until now it hasn't been anything special. Only now is it starting to take on personality.

It's hard to explain but when you walk into the front door you see this huge wall with built-in bookshelves, a fireplace, two large windows and a huge mantel. It's one of the reasons that I loved this place. So this is one side of the mantel. It's full of our pictures, family pictures, The Proclamation, The Living Christ and a digital picture frame that Bryan got me for my birthday. In the bookshelves are our movies and all those binders and books on the second shelf are Bryan's piano music.

Yes we hung up our ginormous picture of us above the fireplace. It's the perfect place! And everyone comments on it when they come over. And on the other side is our sign in book, our engagement photos book and my crystal bowl with my bouquet in it. What I love is that everything from the wedding works so well in our house too. AND, I'm just not willing to give it up yet.
This is on the opposite wall where our couch will hopefully go when we finally buy one. Our diplomas are on the left, our marriage certificates on the right and we are in the middle. Almost everything on this wall was a wedding gift, so thank you everyone for making our house more like a home.
I had to take a picture of this because this is a 21" clock that I wanted so much. I don't know what is with me a really big clocks, but I like them, I feel like they can be artwork in themselves. And yep, Bryan got we that for my birthday too. (He knew I really wanted it, plus he got me my own Reader's Digest Christmas music book which is very nostalgic in the family, and a bathrobe that I kept complaining I wish I had and he took me to P.F. Chang's which I love!! Obviously forgot to blog about the birthday.) Anyway, I love the clock. Plus I don't have to go all the way into the kitchen to see the time.
Our kitchen. For married college housing we think we hit the jackpot. Look at all that space! Plus there's more on the other side with the oven and microwave! And it's all new with granite counter tops. What I love most about the kitchen now is that everything MATCHES!! The plate, bowls, cups, silverware, measuring utensils, pots, pans.....everything!! It has been my dream since I first came to college and it's mine!!! (And yes, that is my love cooking dinner in the background! He was making stuffed mushrooms. Yum!)
And this was our latest addition. We had so many pots from Mom that they didn't really fit. I mean, we could make them fit, but then getting them in and out was a huge hassle. So we decided to hang them on the wall because we don't have one of those cool island light/pot hanger things like Larissa. But we thought we'd use the same concept. We had to make it up because they didn't sell anything what would work at Target (and we still had some gift card money, so we thought we might as well use it) so we used a window curtain rod, some wall hanger hooks and shower curtain hook. I think we are pretty ingenious and that it looks pretty good. And please, some one mention to Mom how good the copper-bottom pans look! Yes, I keep them that clean all the time!

So anyway, that's a little glimpse into our apartment. I couldn't get a good angle on the bathroom, but well, it's a bathroom and it all matches too. (And Heidi and Larissa, we have all new towels so feel free to come and shower in our clean bathroom and have a nice fluffy towel to dry off with. I think you'll be proud.) And the bedroom....well it's the least seen, so although it is picked-up and clean, it looks funny because it's a mattress on the ground and there are no dressers. But one day it too will look like the rest of the house. So yep, there you have it my friends (and family). Casa de Stiles.