When Teddy Bears Won't Suffice:

Lately, I've been daydreaming a lot about our "Future Life," as I like to call it, and a subject that I get really excited thinking about: Pets!

Our current rental situation doesn't allow for animals of any kind. My landlady even went as far as saying that if she found a pet in any of her apartments, she would shoot the pet, then the owner. I wish I was kidding (and I hope that she was kidding... about the shooting the pets part, at least).

I am a serious animal lover. Serious. I've had pets ever since I was born, and have a great deal of trouble living without them now. I've always been a cat person, and James is a dog person. It's not that I'm not a dog person, I'm just unfamiliar with dogs, so I get a bit nervous around them at times... I think that this would change if I had the chance to raise my own puppy, though. Anyway, when we finally get our dream house (or any house, for that matter), I'd like to get some pets. Two cats and a dog, maybe two. I know. It sounds like a lot. Especially when you hear which kinds of dogs we would like!

My picks:

Maine Coon Cat

image from here.


image from here.

i seriously love this cat and his story.

I had an orange and white Maine Coon growing up. He was the best cat. I know that all people say that about their cats, but he was seriously the funniest. He was friendly and lovable. He could definitely be a huge pain in the ass at times, but his lovable nature made up for it. For example, he would do things like climb up the screen door, which would cause my dad or mom to yell at him, and as soon as he knew he was in trouble, he would come over and try to sit in your lap. It was funnier than I'm making it sound. I promise. Anyway, I'd love one. I can't say that I've ever met a Maine Coon owner who isn't addicted to them (oh, but not in the snorting-addicted sense... no cat snorters, please).

Newfoundland

image from here.


image from here.

image from here.

I know. They're huge dogs. I just can't help it though... I love the idea of a giant, fluffy, friendly, swimming dog! :o) I'm more attracted to big dogs than little dogs for some reason, and it's been a dream of mine for a long time to have a Newfoundland.

Egyptian Mau


image from here (but the website is in Japanese, so good luck reading it).

image from here.

I don't know much about these cats, other than they're beautiful. I wouldn't be crushed if I didn't own one, but I still think they're pretty.

James' Picks:

Irish Wolfhound

image from here.


image from here.

Yes, I know. He wants a horse. The tallest dog in the world. They're not as fluffy as I'd like, but the big dog thing is covered.

Saint Bernard


image from here.


image from here.

Fluffy? Check. Big? Check. Newfoundland-like? Check. James had a St. Bernard that died suddenly (he still gets upset talking about it), so I'm not sure whether he'd actually want to go ahead and get another one... but it's still a pick on his list.

The Maine Coon is a definite for me. I must have one. No discussions about it, and I'm pretty sure that James understands this. Maybe even two Maine Coon Cats would suffice. I think I'd prefer to have a shelter cat, even if it wasn't purebred, since there are so many cats in need of help. It's always been my dream to go into a shelter and take home the cat that's been there the longest. So, in all likelyhood, I'll have a mixed breed American Short Hair (from a shelter) and a Maine Coon pure or mixed breed. I wouldn't mind a stray either... all of our cats growing up were strays. I think they have so much character -- that survival instinct that never really leaves them!

I have my heart set on a Newfie, but I'd settle for a St. Bernard. When looking for these specific breeds, I would obviously like a puppy (due to the aforementioned unfamiliarity with dogs), but we would most likely start our search with a breed-specific rescue organization, as with the Maine Coon Cat.

Are we crazy? Maybe. At least we both agree that we like really big dogs. :o)

i have a thing for kitchens...

I am a huge fan of taking images from magazines and the internet and stuffing them all into my "future home" binder. I pictures of collect rooms, lighting fixtures, carpets, furniture, bedding, anything that would fit into the decor of my ideal home, and put them all in one place.

James has made it very clear to me that he will have creative control over the kitchen when we finally have our own house. Our styles are a little different, but I've come to love a lot of the things that he wants in there, like industrial kitchen equipment, a gigantic hood system, black and white checkered floors... My requirements include: white cabinets with paned glass windows so you can see all the dishes, a dropped sink (farmhouse style), or a sink in the center island, and mossy green accents. Here are a few of my favorite kitchens...

image from here.

image from here.

image from here.

image from here.

image from here.


image from here.

image from here.

Kate Spade's Manhattan kitchen, from here.

Pottery Barn likes, loves, etc.

Here are some things that I'm loving from Pottery Barn this minute:

Newport Double Sink Console

I really like the shelf on the bottom and the contrast of the dark counter top. This is probably weird to say this, but aren't those faucets gorgeous?

Black & White Apothecary Bath Accessories

I started collecting these and absolutely love them. I especially love the calligraphic font used.

Farmhouse Bed in espresso and Voyager Trunk (now on sale)

And, here's my love of all furniture loves again. I really cannot wait until I have this bed. The trunk isn't too bad either. I really like the antique brass plackets on it.

Expedition Trunk

I have a thing for antique (looking) trunks... can't you tell? My parents inherited two antique trunks from my great uncle that have been sitting in our musty basement for years. I'm going to attempt to refurbish them this spring summer... we'll see how that goes.

Seaport Lanterns

I have a couple of these and love them! You can stick them anywhere, really, and they add a really nice, beachy touch to any room. I currently use lanterns on my bedside tables instead of reading lamps, and I love the way they give the room a different, more relaxing feel.

Wood & Glass Wall-Mount Candle Holders

Tiberon Planters (I prefer the blue)

I bought a few of the painted cachepots from Pottery Barn last season and planted my gardenia, hibiscus, and poppy in them. They're so bright and cheery! I was grateful to have them in my living room during the past snowy winter.

Wall Mount Bells

I already have these in my bedroom, but I still love them (that's a good sign, right?) I hung them vertically in stead of horizontally.

Map Coffee Table

I have wanted this coffee table for so very long, but it doesn't match my living room furniture. We decided to go with black, painted wood furniture in the living room to match the bookcases. It used to come in black, but I guess they did away with that color. I prefer it in black, but think that this chestnut color is pretty too.

That's all for now...

Champagne Wishes and Pottery Barn Dreams...

Here are a few items that I hope to have... eventually.... when we have a house... eventually...

from here.

This is kind of exactly how I imagine our future bedroom in our future house in our future life. I love the dark wood against the light blue walls (p.s. i love blue walls and blue anything). And I think that the billowy fabric on top of the canopy is relaxing, but not too girly. I even like the sconces, even though the cords are not internally wired and are hanging down the wall all messy-like... ok, maybe I don't like the sconces entirely.

Right now, our bedroom is a gigantic embarrassment, which consists of a mattress and box spring on a California frame. I don't even want to say this out loud, but it's even a full size mattress... UGH the horror. I do, however, love the bedding I picked out:

from here.

Which is one of the only things that is keeping me sane. I have the Matine Toile quilt with a Classic Stripe duvet cover in porcelain blue. I bought these great sheets at Target from the Waverly Metro Collection (the sheets have been discontinued) that are ivory with a black Queen Anne's Lace silhouette pattern. The other thing I love about our bedroom is the artwork. When we were on our honeymoon, we stopped at a gallery in downtown Bar Harbor and bought some really pretty prints. We recently had them framed along with a hand-drawn map of the Outer Banks, NC (my favorite place for vacation), and a watercolor we received as a wedding gift, and hung them up to make it more "grown up" looking, and less "college" looking. We don't even have curtains up. gross.

And, speaking of offices... this is what I am coveting most of all right now (the pictures are all of the same desk):

from here.

I would be so much more productive if I had this work station. I would just sit there, even when I didn't have anything to do. I am hoping that my father-in-law, who is an unbelievable carpenter in his spare time, will make one for me someday.

The thing is, that I could definitely have all, or most, of these things right now (or maybe in a few months), but we're currently saving for a house to put all of these things in. So, I'm trying to figure out which should come first... the chicken or the egg? The nice furniture or the house to put them in?

Part of me says buy the furniture now, because it's not going to be in stock forever, and buying the house, while sill far off, will prolong buying the nice furniture even further...

The other part of me says, buy the house first, because maybe your wonderful, sweet, talented father-in-law will build you the furniture someday.

Someday.

I say that a lot, considering I am the ultimate pessimist. I guess I'm trying to turn over a new leaf...

we'll see.