New Camera Lens Photo Dump

I gave in and purchased the 51.8mm lens on my wish list for my Cannon T3i camera. It is quite possibly one of the best purchases I've made - no buyer's remorse here! :)  Here is a photo dump of the first pictures I took experimenting with my new lens.  I don't claim to be a photographer (even though I secretly would like to learn to be great at it) but I like the clarity, quality and the range of depth of field in these photos.  

Just so you know, I didn't edit any of these photos besides re-sizing them.

This is the very first picture I took... creative, huh?!

"Axe" makes an excellent subject.... for about 30 seconds.  Regardless, she is darn cute!

Meet our bull.  He doesn't really have an "official" name but I do know that he doesn't like me one bit.  Adam says it's because he knows I'm a girl.  Whatever...

This is "70." She is a sweetheart and has the best eyelashes ever.

Taking pictures is so tiring when you're a puppy that it was only appropriate to stop and take a drink out of the hydrant.  Apparently all of the cool dogs do this.  I think it's an evil trick to get me soaking wet while still maintaining her cuteness.

There you have it... my camera lens experimentation.  The lens definitely challenged me to look at things a little differently because there is no zoom on this particular lens so I quickly learned to re-position myself to get the shots. I love this lens and totally recommend one.  You can find one for about $100 on Amazon. 

Cheers to Thursday! 

Oh hey, don't forget about the giveaway going on here for a Starbucks gift card and other fall goodies! :) 

My Home Office Reveal

FINALLY I am showing off my home office! I've been hinting at it on Instagram and Facebook so it's about time that I give you the goods. This project has only been in the works for 2 years.  Mostly because I couldn't decide on the color to paint my cabinets until I learned to "Be Brave."

Before I show you the current state, I need to share the "before" picture with you.  It will add a little more shock value so hopefully you wont walk away from this post and say, "hmmph, I expected more..." :)

Yep, that is what we started with, an old Iowa farmhouse basement.  Thanks to my sweet husband for saying "Honey, you need a space for yourself and all of your creative work." Which probably really meant, if I fix up the basement she'll keep all of her crafty stuff out of the dining room. :)  Regardless, I am thankful that he had the basement painted for me and had a friend build custom cabinets as my Christmas present. 

Here you go... the after!

My new decorating motto is "Be Brave" I picked this up from ABChao, a blogger whose Design Camp I attended in Minneapolis.  For this project, being Brave meant painting my cabinets a blue/green color  (Slow Green by Sherwin Williams - SW6456) instead of painting them white or staining them which would have probably been the logical thing to do. :)

There are a few quirks that I wish we could fix like actually putting sheet rock on the walls but we have a small leak on days when we get a really  heavy rain.  I would also love to have the floor leveled but that would take a lot of money which means I would have to starting doing a lot more e-design work. (Feel free to ask, I would love to help you out!)

Regardless of the quirks that still exist, I have fallen in love my stone, farmhouse basement space, that still leaks every once-in-awhile. At least it didn't have dirt floors...

Featured on Tuesdays at Ten June!  Thanks Michelle!

Fall Giveaway!

Happy Monday!  Does it feel like fall yet?!  Crazy how quickly fall came around and to be honest, I'm all ready missing the longer summer days of sitting on our front porch having a few drinks with my husband.

However, there is some good news!  The sweet Laura Beth, author of the blog Mrs. Laura Beth, invited me to be part of a fall giveaway she is hosting along with 9 other bloggers - woot!! This girls is super sweet and I'm so happy that I've gotten to know her through her blog, twitter, and instagram.

Here is what's up for grabs:

Blogger Tee

$50 Starbucks Gift Card

Fall Warmer Scents

Get entered now!! And please let me know if you are new here - I would love to stop over and say hi!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

High Five For Friday

One. We have survived one month of being married! :)  I love being a wife, it's a pretty cool thing.
Two. It finally rained her x2! A little late for the crops in western Iowa but better late than never, right?
Three. I got new glasses last week.  So far I am loving them and that surprises me.
Four. As a sweet treat I made my Grandma Ele's Monster Cookie recipe.  They are divine.
Five. I updated my e-design page to make it easier to understand plus I added a new design offering - A virtual room consultation.  I'm excited to kick off that service.

I hope you all have had a good week and some fun plans for the weekend ahead!!  Thanks for being followers!

If you are new the Design Your Dwelling, please let me know.  I would love to have you stick around for awhile and return the favor.

Design Client - Before and After Photos

On Sunday afternoon I got one of the best emails ever from Stephanie, one of the design clients I worked with over the summer, that was packed with after photos of the two rooms I helped her decorate!  She said that I was more than welcome to share the before and afters so that is exactly what I am doing - yay!

Stephanie's story...

Stephanie and her husband moved into their house about a year ago and hand taken the time to make it "theirs." Stephanie described their whole house as tan so she wanted to add some color.  She wanted their home to feel welcoming and have some character while keeping an clutter-free space. 

Stephanie's home was so beautiful to start with, so the space was fun to decorate!

Here is a look at Stephanie's before and after pictures as well as the design boards I created for her bedroom and living room. 

Living Room

Before and After

Stephanie had pinned this mirror and the rug in on the design board to her Pinterest boards. It was fun to incorporate decor that I already knew she liked!

She also wanted her room to have some character so I recommended painting the back of the cabinets a teal color.  I love how they pop! She also repainted her living space to get rid of the tan.

Bedroom

We changed up the color of the room to a light blue to eliminate the tans and to create the relaxing space that Stephanie wanted in their master bedroom.  

Stephanie has done such a great job using the recommendations from the design boards to pull together her bedroom and living room! I love her beautiful home. (It makes me just a little jealous to live in a small farm house...) I am so thankful that Stephanie got in touch with me and asked me to help her out. - it was a fun project!

If you are interested in a custom mood board for your home, check out my design services page.  I would love to help you out! 

High Five For Friday

One. I made all of the thank you cards for our wedding! Super simple. Super fun.

Two. Last weekend we went to one of the most beautiful, out-of-a-magazine weddings I have ever been too.  It was the perfect mix of country and vintage!  Loved it!

Three. I met this fella last Friday. I tried to be a good neighbor and let the owner know his steer was out.  Unfortunately they weren't home... I assume he got back to the inside of the fence safely?

Four.  This little puppy makes me laugh every day! 'Axe' is growing like a weed and full of personality.  Plus, I think she likes her picture taken. :)

Five. Adam and I made our television debut this last weekend.  We were on the CMT Hot 20 countdown - right in the front row! Awesome! :)  Plus the hosts, Cody Allan & Alecia Davis, are pretty cool people.

Have a super weekend my friends! I hope your weeks were filled with a lot of happiness!

Black & White Bedroom - Free Design + Source List

Lately, I have been falling in love with the simplicity of black and white.  These two colors look so clean and crisp and always classic - at least in my opinion! Yesterday my mind started to wander and before I knew it, I had a vision for a black and white bedroom perfect for a young woman starting out on her own. Sorry guys, I doubt the splash of pink in this design will make you fall in love with it...  What I love most about this bedroom design is the pattern and texture that are brought together!

Because I love seeing a vision coming together (and my husband wont allow me to re-decorate... again) here is the design board and source list for you to bring to life!

1. Drum Shade

2. Enjoy the Little Things (FREE)

3. Faux Deer head

4. Duvet

5. Floral Bedding

6. Mirror

7. Fushia Chair

8. Nightstand

9. Stripe Rug

10. Black lumbar pillow

11. Heart pillow

12. Mirror table lamp

Finish off the look with a metal headboard (I like this one) and fresh peonies on your nightstand!

As always, I do offer custom design services, check out my E-Design page!  This month I am offering 25% off of all custom mood boards!

6 Ways to Re-decorate For Free!

I am learning to be frugal when it comes to decorating because this little hobby of mine can get expensive... I also believe that everyone should be able to live in a beautiful space no matter what your budget is so I've come up with 6 FREE (and easy) ways to re-decorate your home!

1. Clean. Anything can look beautiful as long as it is clean.  That means get out your dust rag, sweep, swiffer, mop your floors and clear the clutter!  Seriously, clearing out your clutter will change your life!

Pro Tip: Hide your ugly things inside of pretty things like baskets!

2. Paint. I bet that you have extra paint sitting around your house so I encourage you to use it!  (If not, a trial size from the paint store is right around $5) You can paint anything; vases, lamps, light fixtures, rugs, a wall, jars, furniture... the list goes on and on!

3. Change Your Artwork. You have two options here.  You can physically move your artwork to a new place in your house and re-hang it or you can change out the art in your frames.  The beauty of this is that you can frame anything!

4. Re-Arrange Your Furniture. When I was little I think I re-arranged the furniture in my bedroom at least once a month (it would have been more if my mom would have let me).  A new furniture layout will rock your world.

5. Make Your Bed a Different Way.  Get over the same old way you make your bed - step out of your traditional comfort zone and try something new! For example, fold your your comforter halfway back and show your pretty sheets to the world!  And, while your at it - mix and match patterns and colors.

Pro Tip: Iron your pillow cases and the top of your flat sheet for a clean, crisp, hotel-like look.  It's ok, spoil yourself a little!

6. Create a Vignette. Vignettes are probably the easiest thing you can create because you can use any objects you have around the house. Just find 3-4 objects and put them together on a shelf, nightstand, dresser, counter top, buffet or anywhere else that could use a little spruce up!

Pro Tip: When creating your vignette, think "skyline" - add a range of heights and sizes to your vignette so your eye doesn't settle on just one object.

There you go - 6 ways to re-decorate your home for FREE!  Any others that you would add?  If you plan to use any of these ideas, let me know and send me a picture if you would.  I would love to show off your free home updates! :)

By the way.... if you want a quick free virtual room consult, mention you read this post and send me 4 pictures of your space - one of each wall and I'll send back a few ideas for you within a day or two!  Send your pictures to designyourdwellingblog (at) gmail.com

High Five For Friday!

Since my last High Five For Friday post...

One. We got married! :) (for a few wedding highlights, check out this post.)

Two. One our honeymoon to Nashville we visited the Jack Daniels distillery.  It was an awesome tour and we highly recommend it.

Three. After nearly two years I finally painted my home office cabinets. (Reveal to come soon)

Four. Since I am done with wedding planning I've picked up an old hobby - creating greeting cards.

Five. I love hanging out with my sweet little family.  Couldn't be happier!

Cheers to a great weekend ahead!

Client Home Office Design + Reader Offer!

The week before our wedding I designed one of my favorite spaces yet - this home office for a client in California!

This client already had a few items selected for the space including the desk, the office chair, and the big leather chair!  The space was really in need of a new paint color too - it was a bright teal!

I love the dark walls with the contrasting colors that give this space a modern look with a traditional twist!  You may see dark walls appear in my home in the near future.

Now that I'm back into the swing of things and without a wedding to plan I am ready to take on more design clients!  This means I have a offer specifically for you!

Anyone who purchases a custom mood board from me during the month of September will receive 25% off each mood board you purchase!!

To get started send me an email at designyourdwellingblog (at) gmail.com with the subject line "September Mood Board"

September Wish List

Do you all ever have those few things that you would love to have and you just can't seem to get them out of your head?  I do and these are it!  Introducing my September wish list...

One. 14x20 Gold Polka Dot Pillow | Goods By Grinn

Two. Cannon EF 50mm f/1.8 lens | Amazon

Three. Caitlin Wilson Petals Pillow | Waiting on Martha

Four. Hairbrush, Comb, & Bobby Pins Print | Rifle Paper Co.

I believe that if these items are on my mind, I should probably have them, right?!  What items do you want that you just can't get out of your mind?! Let me know in the comments - I want to know so I can check them out and add them my wish list. :)

Our Wedding In Snap Shots!

I'm back! And it feels good to be back in the blog world.  I have missed my blog friends and readers!

Since I'm sure you are just a little curious about our wedding, I thought I would come back with some snap shots from our wedding weekend.  But, first of all, let me tell you that I (Adam too) could never have dreamed of how awesome and wonderful our wedding was.  Everything from the planning to the rehearsal to the ceremony and reception - I would have not changed a thing.  We are truly one lucky couple!

Throughout the weekend my sweet bridesmaids kept snapping pictures and posting them to Instagram.  Here are a few of the pictures that they took over the weekend.  To see more search #abkohlerwedding on Instagram!

The Rehearsal Dinner...
Adam's parents hosted the rehearsal dinner at the local winery in town.  It's such a beautiful place with great food.  It really set the stage for the fun we were going to have throughout the weekend.  Plus, we had a private dining room so all of our friends and family got to know each other.  We had quite the group... :)

The Wedding Day...

The wedding day was such a fun day!  We hosted our wedding in the community we live in, which was a perfect choice because our friends and family got to take part in our lives to see where we live, work, and play! My bridesmaids looked beautiful, the groomsmen looked handsome, everyone had fun, and I got to marry my best friend.

Do you see how perfectly the bridesmaids dresses match?! I think I mentioned in a Wedding Wednesday post that I had my bridesmaids choose their own pink dress.  They complimented each other perfectly!

Finally, here are some of my favorites from the day that a friend of mine took!

I can't wait to share some of our professional photos and share more about the story of our day through those photos.  I promise I will.... 

So happy to be back with you all!  Cheers!!