No, I’m not pregnant…but if I was expecting a little one, here’s an idea for a baby nursery! I’m working on my PhotoShop skills, so this is my first project; check below the mood board for where to purchase all of the items that I featured!

A little backstory: I recently began following On to Baby, an off-shoot of Wedding Chicks. It’s full of baby-related inspiration and design, and for a blog-obsessed, cute-baby-obsessed gal like me, I can’t resist the cuteness! So, here’s a taste of what I’m digging for nursery style right now.

[An aside: I'm totally digging the use of this crib - I wouldn't be surprised if it shows up in my house one day!]

I love the idea of using the Hemnes 3-drawer chest from IKEA for a changing table, and the black Jenny Lind crib is a modern twist on a classic favorite. If the baby was a boy or a girl, I think that the linens (pictured in the top right corner) would be a perfect gender neutral pick.

SOURCES (In Clockwise Order):

- Jenny Lind Crib – Ebony: SimplyBabyFurniture.com

- Fabric swatches (“Zig Zag Stripes,” “Solid Tangerine,” “Solid Robin’s Egg Blue” and “Cream Matelesse”) – BabyBedding.com

- Black picture frame: IKEA

- “You Make Me Happy” Print: Etsy seller AppleBlossomPrint

- Hemnes 3-drawer chest: IKEA

- LACK shelf: IKEA

- Sheepskin Rug: IKEA

- Black rocking chair: CSNstores.com

- Robot print: Art.com

- Abacus: cb2

- Egyptian pouf: Overstock.com

- Lime Green Lamp: Target.com

So, back in February 2010, I got this grand idea, thanks to a few bloggers who I found on Twitter (and, who, alas, I don’t remember – comment and let me know if you know who I’m talking about!), to make a giant list of goals. A list of goals that spanned the gamut of my brain and the depths of my (meager) wallet, no less.

Readers, meet my 101 in 1001 Goals List.

[Backstory: So the basic premise of the 101 in 1001 Goals Project is that a person makes a list of 101 goals that he/she would like to complete within 1001 days, which, to break it down for you, gives said person approximately 32 months to complete/achieve all goals. For example, I began my 101 in 1001 Goals Project on February 1, 2010, and my project will end on October 27, 2012.]

So, before I show you my (LONG) list, I don’t want to forget to mention: to learn more about making your own 101 in 1001 Goals List, visit this site right here.

Here’s my list!

Goals that I have already achieved: 32 GOALS!

- Get married! (Check – July 2010)

- Participate in pre-marital counseling. (April 2010 – June 2010)

- Teach someone how to do something. (Check: Became a Teaching Assistant in August of 2010!)

- Send my friend Jessica at least one care package at seminary. (Sent an Easter package to Jessica in March 2010.)

- Send flowers randomly to someone I care about. (Kristen – April 2010.)

- Start a new tradition with Jordan. (Check – New Year’s Reflection Worksheets, 2010.)

- Talk with Jordan about me changing my name. (Check: March 2010. NOTE: I decided to take his name, but hyphenate professionally, for those of you who are curious about that stuff.)

- Personal. (Check: March 2010. NOTE: Some goals are too personal to share with the blogosphere…)

- Talk with Jordan about his feelings regarding adoption. (Check: March 2010. NOTE: I’m open to it, and Jordan is as well, but we want to try to have our own children naturally first!)

- Take a trip overseas. (Check – July 2010. We went to Jamaica for our honeymoon!)

- Take a trip with my best gal pals. (Check – April 2010, October 2010 & May 2011.)

- Pay off my Chase credit card by the end of this experiment. (Check! September 2010.)

- Designate & use a loose-change jar. (Check – March 2010.)

- Get into graduate school. (Check – March 2010.)

- Become a tutor or mentor. (2010: Teaching Assistant!)

- Write down and store end-of-life wishes. (Check – March 2010. NOTE: How morbid – but totally important to me!)

- Purchase a new computer. (Check – June 2010)

- Get an eye exam & glasses. (Check – March 2010.)

- Get a passport. (Check – March 2010.)

- Investigate international adoption. (Check – March 2010. NOTE: What a process…)

- Cut bangs into my hair…again. (Check – July 2010.)

- Go on a hike. (Check – April 2010 with Wyatt the dog!)

- Keep a food journal every day for one month. (Check – March 2010.)

- Do not wear make-up for an entire month. (Check – May 2011. It’s been glorious.)

- Purchase a new camera. (Check – February 2011!)

- Buy a pair of wellies. (Check – January 2011!)

- Buy high-thread-count sheets for our bed. (Check – May 2011.)

- Have a marathon movie-watching session of all of the “Lord of the Rings” series with Jordan. (Check – April 2010. One of the best weekends EVER – Viggo Mortenson is HOTT.)

- Learn how to drive a stick shift/manual vehicle. (Check – May 2010)

- Go bowling…and actually try to bowl well. (May 2010; May 2011. NOTE: Both of these days = my Dad’s birthdays!)

- Go to a winery. (Check – October 2010 in Minneapolis.)

- Finish fantasy baseball with a better record in 2010 than in 2009. (Check!)

And now, on to the list of goals that I have yet to achieve, or the goals that are currently in process: 69 GOALS!

- Take dance lessons with Jordan.

- Write and mail at least ten handwritten letters. (6/10: 1 to Jessica in March 2010, 3 to Aunts in April 2010; 2 to Kristen and Jessica in June 2011)

- Spend time with or talk on the phone with my Grandma at least one time per month. (Check!)

- Mail out holiday cards/letters to friends and family members each year. (Check: 2010!)

- Send my brother Brian at least one care package at college. (I’m a bad sister…)

- Befriend someone from another country.

- Write gift ideas for family and friends down as ideas arise, and keep this list in a safe place. (Check!)

- Complete at least one finger-painting project with Jordan.

- Go on a mission trip.

- Go on a camping trip with Jordan and Wyatt the dog.

- Visit 3 states I’ve never been to before. (NOTE: In August 2011, we’re headed to Washington state!)

- Visit a Spanish-speaking country.

- Visit Washington, D.C.

- Hide out in the winter in a cabin for one weekend with Jordan.

- Visit a zoo I’ve never been to before.

- Take a mother-daughter trip.

- Save $100.00 per month for an entire year. (We’ve saved money for an entire year, just not always monthly; sometimes it’s every other month, sometimes it’s every month…it varies, so I’m not sure that I’ve accomplished this goal yet!)

- Learn how to make at least one type of fish, and make at least one fish-related meal for Jordan.

- Make or bake at least one Rachael Ray recipe.

- Be a member of (or start) a book club.

- Continue to post regularly on my wedding blog post-nuptials. (Check, yet the definition of “regularly” sure has changed…)

- Learn how to use at least one Adobe design program, and make a project.

- Write at least one poem per year. (0/1 – no poems written in 2010!) :(

- Read for at least 15 minutes every day for one month.

- Re-design Eco-Vintage Weddings web site. (Redesigned What About Sara in 2011…)

- Get a recycling bin and recycle at least cans and paper.

- Spend an entire day at the spa.

- Volunteer at least once on behalf of disadvantaged kids.

- Volunteer at least once on behalf of animals.

- Participate at least once in the “Drive-Thru Difference,” or, in other words, pay for someone’s order behind me in the drive-thru.

- Continue to read Meg from A Practical Wedding & Holly from Nothing but Bonfires. (Check!)

- Find and recite a prayer to say with Jordan before dinner each evening.

- Keep and update a personal journal at least three times per week for six months.

- Purchase flowers for myself at least one time per year. (0/1 – I didn’t do this in 2010!)

- Personal.

- Personal.

- Take Wyatt the dog on a walk every day for one entire month.

- Work out at least 3 times per week for 6 months.

- Try beets…again.

- Buy a pair of moccasins.

- Purchase products from the Aquagene Spa at the Pink Shell Resort in Fort Myers, Florida. (Seriously, if you have the chance to go here, DO IT.)

- Build my vintage-inspired wardrobe by purchasing at least one item from ModCloth per month for an entire year.

- Go garage-saling at least one time per year. (Check – 2010)

- Make at least one piece of jewelry.

- Read Pride & Prejudice.

- Watch “Animal House.”

- Conduct and record an interview with my Dad about his life.

- See the Backstreet Boys in concert…again. (Guess where I’m headed in July 2011 – to see NKOTBSB in Minneapolis!)

- Try at least one new wine per month for one year. (5/12)

- Learn how to draw a star shape…freehand.

- Build a gingerbread house from scratch.

- Ride a scary roller coaster.

- Go kayaking.

- Learn how to make a quilt.

- Donate blood one time.

- Take one shot of tequila.

- Go to the circus & confront my fear of clowns.

- Complete at least six creative projects per year. (Check: 2010. NOTE: This was an easy one to check off when we were planning our wedding, but now that it’s 2011, I’ll have to try harder!)

- Attend at least one cultural or artistic event per month for an entire year.

- Keep an indoor plant alive for at least one entire year. (I’m like 0/3.)

- Personal.

- Be more diligent about writing in my wine journal. (Check!)

- Build a snowman.

- Go ice-skating.

- Find 5 new musicians/bands that I like & add them to my ipod. (2/5: Wakey!Wakey! in September 2010; City and Colour in February 2011)

- Go to an amusement park.

- Play piano for five minutes per day for one month.

- Try skiing…again.

So, there you have it! My list of goals. I’ll post another update later this year to let you know how I’m doing!

Are you working on a list of goals? What’s on your “Bucket List”? Share in the comments!

For those who haven’t heard of Polyvore before, it’s pretty much the greatest thing ever (along with Pinterest, Etsy, babies, puppies, and true love, of course). Using Polyvore, I selected all of these goodies below for my take on what to wear if you’re itching to run away and elope! Check out my style board below, and see the bottom of this post for the sources of the images, and where you can purchase them! All styles are from ModCloth, my absolute favorite place to shop.

Summer dress, $85
One shoulder cocktail dress, $53
Long evening dress, $90
Lace wedding dress, $50
Seychelles high heels, $120
Stiletto high heels, $35
Vintage beaded clutch, $25
Wallet, $12
Studded bracelet, $12
Beaded hair accessory, $20
Vintage glove, $20
Iced Coffee Wedge, $35

Lots of love! -Sara

NOTE: I wasn’t paid or perk’d to showcase these picks from ModCloth, or to promote Polyvore; I’m just a crazy fashion lover who had fun putting together a style board!

Next up on my tour of our one-bedroom apartment in South Dakota is our bedroom and bathroom! Our apartment, admittedly, is quite small, but we’ve tried our best to make it homey and to make it “us.”

First up: the bedroom! (See the picture at the top of this post.) As I mentioned, we’re living in an apartment, so unfortunately, painting the walls isn’t a real possibility, so we’ve tried to make due with what we have. Our bedroom is actually full of IKEA purchases, so let’s get started!

All of the bedding is from IKEA, with the exception of the black Euro shams and the black and white throw pillow, all of which came from Target. We purchased the sheer white “Matilda” curtains from IKEA as well.

Apart from the tiny peek that you get into our laundry basket (ha!), we’ve placed a black-brown nightstand and dresser on the right side of the bed. My brother actually built the dresser for us – he’s an engineering student who was totally up for the challenge! We purchased both of these at IKEA as well right after we were married (gotta love IKEA!); these are the “Hemnes” design in black-brown. The ornate, vintage-inspired frame in the corner (which was also an IKEA purchase) holds one of our favorite wedding photos, but again, will certainly be able to be changed out easily. Lastly, both of the lime green lamps are from Target.

One of our favorite parts of the bedroom: en suite laundry!

As you can see, we’ve added storage above the washer and dryer by hanging two shelves that we purchased at our local hardware store. It’s great to be able to add additional storage, and there’s room to store even more in here if we add another shelf above the two we’ve already purchased! We also have room to add storage on the two interior sides of this laundry closet as well.

The final part of the bedroom is our cheap-o bookshelf that we’ve filled to the brim! This bookshelf is located opposite the bed.

We hope to replace the bookshelf with something a bit more sturdy/secure in the future, but it’s a fun touch to the room thus far.

Up next: our TINY bathroom! The bathroom has a pocket door, which is nice for saving space. We chose a white waffle shower curtain to try to open up the space, and our linens are aqua blue and brown, purchased from Macy’s. Since this picture has been taken, we’ve also updated the bathroom by purchasing a bronze-colored shelf to hold our linens – goodbye, white crate shelves!

Well, that’s it for the second leg of our tour! The final stop on our tour, coming up next: our living room! Stay tuned.

Greetings, all! I apologize for the drought in posting; I think that I was in need of a longer summer break than I originally thought – after teaching and taking my own classes (as part of my master’s degree in English literature) for the past nine months, when the semester ended in May, I was ready to lounge on the couch and relax! But, here I am , ready to work on posting more regularly.

I figured that a good start to introducing myself to you was by introducing my readers to my husband, Jordan, and our puppy, Wyatt. Now, I’d love to show you another part of our lives: our home!

I wanted to start the home tour in the kitchen because that’s the room that is most “finished” decorating-wise, so here goes!

We live in an apartment in South Dakota. As many a renter knows, it can be difficult to make an apartment feel like home, but we’ve tried hard to inject our personal tastes and touches into our apartment. It’s still a work in progress!

As you enter the door to our one-bedroom apartment, this is what you see! Our kitchen (see picture at the top of the post) is one of my favorite parts in the house, because my husband, as the resident chef in our home (that’s right – I lucked out with a husband who likes to cook!), always makes yummy meals for us to enjoy together.

Our apartment was brand new when we moved in, so it’s nice and modern. We chose to decorate the kitchen using accents of yellow, one of my favorite colors (and one of our wedding colors!). We love the black appliances, though if my husband were doing the writing, he’d share how much of a drag our stovetop is, as it’s ceramic and, thus, very difficult to keep clean. But, we tried to make our rental feel homey, since we’ll be here for at least another year, as I finish my master’s program!

Above our sink, we purchased and hung a Grundtal wall shelf from IKEA to anchor the wall. As you can see, we keep our dish soap on top of the shelf, as well as kleenexes for easy access. The shelf also came with these S-hooks to hang from the shelf, which is perfect for our potholders!

Above the shelf, we hung a nine-picture brown frame that we received as a wedding gift. It’s currently full of wedding photos, but I’m sure that as our life changes and grows (hopefully including children someday!), we’ll enjoy switching out the pictures at whim.

In this close-up of our kitchen, you see the various canisters that we utilize in our kitchen, primarily for pasta noodles. The canisters were a gift from my Mom, and we love them! The smallest one has been filled with wine corks since this picture was taken; we enjoy tasting different kinds of wine, and keeping the corks has been fun for us.

In the corner of the kitchen is a chalkboard that we utilized in our wedding decor; I finally purchased some chalk so that we can write messages, recipes, or shopping lists in a centralized location, which sounds like a great idea to me!

The last part of the kitchen that I want to show you is our wine racks, which we also purchased at IKEA. I love these racks so much – they have so much character! Right now, seven out of eight slots are filled with bottles of wine that we received as Christmas gifts from Jordan’s parents. We love trying new wines, and since Jordan’s parents are quite the wine connoisseurs, their recommendations are always great!

So, that’s a tour of our kitchen. Next up: our bedroom and bathroom!

[All photos by me]