Let Me Take a #Shelfie!

Styling bookshelves is one of the biggest home decor trends right now.  It also happens to be one of my favorite things to do! Bookshelves aren't just the best place to store your library of books, but they're also the perfect place to show off your personal style!

I purchased two galvanized metal shelves from IKEA, called the HYLLIS for $15 a piece (deal of the century!) They reside on either side of my entertainment shelf (that my dad made for me.)  The shelves are pretty sturdy considering how inexpensive they were, and  can hold a decent amount of weight, though I probably wouldn't put anything super heavy on the top shelves just in case.

The color scheme of my living room involves multiple shades of grey, mixed with gold and silver metallics and touches of white and black.  I added pops of brighter colors with flowers and books (since they are bookshelves, of course.)  There are plenty of pictures of friends and family, as I like to be surrounded by my loved ones, but any kind of art to add interest is always a good idea.  You'll find plenty of knick-knacks scattered about my house, especially on shelves.  Growing up, my grandmother collected hundreds of tiny figurines, which I guess is a trait that I inherited (though I'm not quite to her level, yet.)

The most important thing to remember when styling shelves is balance.  I like to use books to create platforms that create visual interest, and also add color and personality.  On my shelves, you'll find books ranging from street style anthologies to great American novels.  Creating different levels on each shelf allow the eyes to naturally move across the display, which is a big rule in visual merchandising.  

I hope you like my shelves, and I would love to see your #shelfies! What do you like to store on your shelves?  Do you have a special collection that you like to display?  Lemme see them!

xo, Jodi

Becoming a Homeowner

If you would've told me a year ago that I would be a homeowner now, I would have laughed in your face.  But here I am, sitting on my couch in the home that I own typing away on my little blog! Buying a house was the craziest thing I've ever done.  I'm only 26 (I was 25 when I purchased).  The house is in my name only.  If anything goes wrong, it's all on me.  No landlord to call, just my bank account and my insurance agency to fall back on.  Scary right? I love owning my own home, though. Any decisions are my own, including if I would to rip fixtures off of the wall, fill a wall up with nail holes, and paint whatever I want. (Also, I can have as many pets as I want! CAT LADY ALERT)

My homeowner journey started randomly.  I was living in a small, old apartment by myself.  I had been dating my boyfriend for a while, and knew that I wanted to live with him eventually.  However, I was tired of small apartments and I wanted to move ASAP! So, I got this crazy idea that I would download a house hunting app (I chose Zillow; would recommend) and began my search.  I started seeing how affordable owning a home could be, and got serious about it.  I would search for at least an hour every day on the app.  Then, I got word that a friend had become a certified real estate agent. I contacted her and she started to help me set up visits to all of the homes I was interested in.  That is the fun part of house hunting.  Some of the homes were great, but the neighborhoods weren't.  Some neighborhoods were wonderful, but the homes were falling apart.  After a month of searching and visiting I was starting to lose hope.  I was searching in the fall, which is not peak home buying season, so there weren't a ton of homes on the market to chose from. But, the biggest tip I picked up from searching during that time period is that people are motivated to move then, meaning they are willing to make deals to get out quickly (i.e. they need to relocate for work and sell quickly) so if you can find something in the fall/winter I would say it is a great time to buy.

One day,  I opened my app and saw the perfect house.  It was in a part of town that I was familiar with and knew was safe, it had great hardwood floors, central air, classic fixtures, and a great yard.  I instantly sent the link to my realtor and was scheduled for a visit within the next few days.  When I finally was able to visit, I knew it was the right house immediately.  I was in love with the layout and the room it provided.  Before leaving, I told my agent that it was the one and wanted her to put in an offer ASAP!

Fast forward to now, where I'm sitting in the living room of that house.  Is the house perfect? No.  The basement is leaky and I'll probably need a new roof soon, but I don't regret purchasing it.  Those things can be fixed, and I'll be able to make all of the decisions.  I've already remodeled the living room/dining area, master bedroom, and bathroom.  I plan on tackling the kitchen next, which I'm the most excited for.

My home will be an ongoing focus of posts for this blog.  Stay tuned if you love home decor! I'll do some posts documenting the room transformations I've already completed, and I'll document the ones to come, too! I'll also post helpful tips on saving money for a down payment and renovations.

xo, Jodi