A Couch Extravaganza! (Days 1 & 2)

My sister, Kathleen, is moving out of her studio apartment - & she is going to have a living room in her new place!

More square-footage inspired a search for a new couch - & she found an antique one that she loves!

Unfortunately, her "dream" couch wasn't in tip-top condition. In fact, the last two days, we've had to rip, tear, lysol, vacuum, sew, and staple - But the transformation of her new-Antique couch is pretty sweet!

There's still more to come, but this is what we've accomplished in the last two days:

Before any of the recovering could begin, we went fabric shopping...

The decision was hard with so many fun choices, but we decided on a golden-yellow with small spirals - it's a bright, cheerful fabric, but still simple and versatile. (Well, as versatile as bright yellow can be!)

Day 1...


Before the work began... My aunt's cat, Annie, wasn't quite sure what to think!


First things first - Lysol, and lots of it! We ended up using the entire can...


Next, we got rid of the old piping.


Not long into the restoration process, the thought of a slip cover was seeming awfully nice! A fitted sheet should do the trick, right?

We had to cover the original pattern with white so that the old pattern wouldn't show through. However, by the time we got ready to begin stapling, we realized I had bought "heavy duty" staples for our "light duty" staple gun -this dilemma called for a midnight run to Wal-Mart --- and, of course some Ben & Jerry's!



The end of the first day resulted in a fairly cute - & most importantly, very clean! - ensemble. I actually had to convince my sister that she didn't want to leave it looking like this!

Day 2...

I woke up and finished covering the arms in white while my sister was at work...


...and the fun started when she got home!

Very, very tedious! But the outcome was so worth it!


This picture shows all the layers - greenish-blue on the bottom, covered with white, and finally the yellow!

My handiwork...and I never even stapled my finger.


And so at the end of the second day:


Unfortunately I had to come back to Springfield, so the couch renovations will be put on hold for the next few days. I'll post more pictures once they're complete!

In the meantime, here are some decorating inspirations for yellow couches - Enjoy!

Cute, cute, cute. Especially the blue vase.

This one has a fun bookcase & wood stove, oh, and a cute couch.

Pillows are one of my favorite accents. How cute are all of these?

Perhaps my favorite of them all.

Yellow really can go with anything. Brown (look at the beautiful sliding doors), black, or pink!

Telephone Kiosks Galore

I seem to be reminded of my trip everywhere I go…I’ve seen a surprising amount of red telephone booths since I got to Tulsa last night. “Booth” is a little too American though – according the Museum of London, they are Red Telephone Kiosks. Designed by Sir Giles Gilbert Scott, the iconic red kiosks were first seen in London during the 1920s.

Here are some that I’ve come across:


An old kiosk on Peoria Avenue.


My aunt modeling one of several "booths" in Utica Square.

Fun in the Sun...& Moonlight

I seem to have been struck with a bout of "blog fever." I am constantly searching for a unique way of capturing life's simple moments...

Seeing as summer is a season of little tidbits, here are a few of mine from the past couple weeks:


A friend, Erica, invited to me to a Jeremy Larson concert at Q Enoteca on Commercial Street in Springfield. It was a fun night of music, not to mention the lovely venue.

Notice the shadows above the bar - the room's chic design was topped of with several elegant chandeliers, making for a nice ambiance.

I saw these beautiful flowers just off the path while walking at the Nature Center. I had to capture their little sunbursts - they just seem to be the epitome of summer.

Back to chandeliers - This is the deck of some church friends who live just out of Springfield. Alaina decorated their back deck area for a Hawaiian Luau. How cool and creative is her christmas light/chandelier combo?

Not to mention the deck that her husband, Shane, built - the perfect setting for an evening of old-school fun (volleyball and water fights) and good conversation!

It was such a perfect time, in fact that we sat under the stars by a bonfire until 3am! Glad to have such wonderful (& creative) friends!

And finally, what is the point of summer if not to eat ice cream!



Springfield has a new self-serve yogurt bar called Orange Leaf located on Republic Road. Erica, Derek, Kathleen (my sister), and I found that it's the perfect treat to counter a heat index that is off the charts!

My question is whether ice cream flavors determine personality types?

With so many choices, each personality can truly be represented!

Even with only 4 of us, the different preferences are obvious!

This is for you, Pam & Kylee...

As exciting as London is, I'm not entirely sure how I will get all of THIS into ONE suitcase.

It obviously doesn't even fit in my dresser...Well, maybe it would if I tried a little harder.

(Picking up clothes has never been my strong point!)

With Summer Halfway Over...

My arrival in London continues drawing closer - I fly out of the Springfield Regional airport August 31st.

With 5 1/2 weeks to go, I decided it might be fun to start up a blog as a way of documenting my travels (and I guess some studies too!) abroad. I hope you enjoy reading along as I post!

I'm not entirely sure how often I will be able to post, but hopefully I can find some interesting things to share with you all back home.

That's all for now. Have a wonderful 5 1/2 weeks...

Here's a little taste of what is to come!


View of Regent's College in Regent's Park, London