I'm glad the blog was renamed Pretty Real. It's a constant reminder to share the bad with the good--the real with the pretty.  Things are coming along and while I'm tempted to say 'slowly,' we've been in our home for less than 2 months. I've yet to share any photos of the house (other than the playroom) and it's because I don't want to share it in its imperfect state.  But that's where the 'real' comes in. I've had a few ask for pictures so here goes.


It's nothing special right now. In fact it's not only pretty real, it's pretty sad. ha. But it's going to be special.  Just wait. ;)

Almost our entire first floor is one big room.  When I said I wanted 'open concept' I wasn't kidding. The office, playroom, and bathroom are separate but the kitchen, living room, and what the builder calls "everyday eating" are all one space.  I'm eager to add rugs, drapes, accent furniture, and wall treatments to differentiate one space from the other.  But first. Paint.

You guys. I hate paint.  I'm so afraid to choose a color because I know myself and my husband and once it goes on that wall, it's never. being. replaced.  So the pressure of loving the color is huge.  I had an idea of what I wanted- a cool and airy gray which is displayed in nearly every living room on my Pinterest board.  But since we went with a very green gray for the cabinets (I discussed our kitchen plan here) the cool gray was looking gross beside the green gray cabinets.  A few other things were posing problems:

1. Our living area doesn't get much natural light.
2. The grayish floors have a cool brown tone.
3. The builder's paint was giving every swatch I put up, a neon hue.

Slowly, my dream of Benjamin Moore Gray Owl become more of a nightmare. The drama right? Luckily one of my best friends is an amazing interior designer and offered other suggestions that might work in the space.  She helped me choose Dax's nursery wall color which I adored so I trust her gut rather than my own (the girl who painted her first kitchen lime green).
Finally I went with Abby's initial suggestion which was Benjamin Moore Halo (color matched at Home Depot).  It's almost white.  I usually like cool, not warm and bold, not subtle.  But this color is perfect for the space.  It compliments the cabinets rather than bringing out the green, it looks great with the floors, and it's light and bright which is helpful with the lack of natural light.  I think the gray furniture will complement it beautifully. After an initial freak out that went something like "We spent 4 days painting our entire first floor beige!" and "Does this even look different than the builders paint?!" and "Did I seriously just paint my walls white?!" I'm in love.  Painting brings out the drama queen in me.

I could go on and on about my quest for the perfect gray sofa but I've already exhausted my word count with the paint drama.  So suffice it to say Abby and my friend Jessica deserve medals for helping me work through that decision-- i.e. answering and receiving a gajillion texts complete with photos, specs, and jubilation intertwined with panic.  On paper, I'm in love.  This is the plan Abby whipped up for us.  I love it so much.  The only reason we might go off grid, is if I come across a piece I love at a great price.  When it comes to decorating I have two personalities.  Abby nailed one with this plan. But the other is a bit more modern.  I love that the big pieces of furniture can go either way so time will tell if we lean rustic like her plan or modern (with a hint of glam) like some of my inspiration images. I should probably just stick to the plan. PS- I could totally get used to working with a designer.  Yikes.

Last year I took our family photos.  It was my second time taking them myself (the first was for our pregnancy announcement) so after a couple of semi-successful shoots, I want to share some things I've learned along the way. You might be asking why one would even consider DIY family photos.  Obviously it's not ideal.  But if any of these reasons apply to you, you might consider it!

Today I'm trying something new- offering you FREE printables. I love using scripture in a fresh and fun way in my home so I decided to create Valentine's printables featuring some of my favorite scriptures about love.  Once I did that, one thing lead to another and before I knew it I was tackling this DIY to pretty up my mantle.  The pom garland + pretty 'love' art + romantic candles is perfect for Valentine's Day.  Which printable is your favorite?  What other "Love" scriptures would you like to see?

rafflecopter giveaway Tiffany 2/02/16 Keep this message at the top of your inbox To: Tiffany a Rafflecopter giveaway

I can't get enough of all the marble accents I'm seeing lately.  When I first started dreaming of decorating our new home I had visions of marble and metallic dancing in my head.  In reality my choices have been surprisingly traditional but I'm determined to incorporate a few fancy marble accents.  I love that you can find real marble objects at affordable prices.  Here are some of my favorite marble finds for...wait for it... UNDER $25. In fact prices start at just $7.