308 Skinny Pine House Tour

Well ladies and gents, I have finally found the time to upload some pictures of our very first home! Wow, teaching kindergarten, moving to a new state, hosting a lot of visitors, and buying a house in a matter of six months has been quite a rollercoaster ride for Mr. Reckman and I. We have laughed until water was coming from my nostrils to having a  breakdown in the garage because our parents live 2,000 miles away. In the end, we have everything we need plus some and we couldn't be more happier.

Now, these pictures reflect only what we've had time to do! There is a TON of renovations we want to complete, especially when it comes the kitchen and bathrooms. Those two things are what sell a house right?! It's funny thing when you buy a house....you are also thinking about resale! :)

So without further ado......

Hard Work on Skinny Pine Court

I just love the name of our cul-de-sac! Everyone laughs when they hear it....its brings a smile :)

This whole weekend was dedicated to the house. Shopping, painting, buying new furniture, more painting, organizing, and MORE painting. Our goal was to get the whole downstairs painted and WE DID IT! I always think painting is a piece of cake and we could whip out the whole house in a weekend. Not even close. So Jeff, being the guy he is and always putting things in perspective, made a goal of finishing the downstairs.

Picking out paint colors for the living room and dining room took me a month to do. I knew in my head what I wanted, but I kept second guessing myself. The living room is painted Whyte Blue by Sherman Williams and the Dining Room is painted Retreat by Benjamin Moore. These two colors are to die for. I'm absolutely in love with the way it turned out

On another note, buying furniture for a four bedroom house is expensive. We have company coming on October 11th and we must have a dining room table. Of course, I went straight to Craigslist. I found a beautiful antique table for on 300 bucks! It needs alot of work but I will love it. I'm going to paint it and re-upholstery the seat cushion. More on that later! :)



Living Room Before

Living Room Color After



Dining Room Before

Dining Room After. Craigslist table. Look at the structure of those chairs. Going to add 2 wicker chairs on the ends to make a table for six.

Making a statement.....

Every now and then, I find myself obsessing over one particular object. In the past its been, books, sandals, cookbooks, canvases, burlap, birds, birdcages, etc. Do you find yourself ever doing this or is it just me?

Well this week, it is NECKLACES! I really don't know where these random obsessions come from, but necklaces aren't a good choice. I never knew how expensive some pieces of jewelry could be. Growing up I never wore a lot of jewelry. My mother doesn't wear any, even a wedding ring, so I guess it rubbed off on me. Here are some necklaces I can purchases this week and some I have my eye on. (my birthday is coming up :)



bubble necklace by JCrew.....obviously mine isn't JCrew
PURCHASED! 




Gold major statement. Great with black dress or navy maxi




Turquoise never lets you down. BEAUTIFUL and lovely!



Lastly (as I model for you) my Arkansas one! Homemade
in the great state.
PURCHASED!

All of these necklaces are from two local boutiques in Fayetteville, AR. If you aren't shopping from these wonderful stores you MUST!
RIFFRAFF
SOMETHING URBAN

If you shop for gorgeous necklaces or any other jewelry....please let me know!

Have a wonderful Saturday!
-Ally

Update from the City of Oaks

Greetings from the east coast! The last four weeks have been full of trips and visits and I must say has been treating us pretty well. Recently for the 4th of July, our friends from ATL came and visited us for the first time. I loved having them here with us to celebrate this wonderful holiday. Before their arrival, I had to, of course, get the apartment looking festive. In Raleigh, there isn't a single Hobby Lobby. I know, I know, you are probably all thinking....HOW ARE YOU SURVIVING!? Haha. It's extremely hard! BUT we do have a store called AC Moore. Its pretty much just a craft store not a home decor store. Here are some of my projects.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY AMERICA!

Writing from Raleigh.....

Jeff, Lola and I have made it to Raleigh. Today was our first full day here together as a family and I have to admit I was lonely and missing home. Last night after hauling my new washer and dryer up 3 flights of stairs, we decided to head over to Red Lobster and have a nice dinner. As soon as I slid in the booth, big alligator tears welled up in my eyes and I was balling like a baby.  It all came crashing down on me.....we have moved, we don't know anyone, and I don't have a full time job. I know it takes time to meet new people and begin new friendships, but right now, I'm feel anxious and afraid.

So this morning, I woke up and started getting busy putting the apartment together. It was a disaster and everything needed to find a spot.  I always love decorating a new space. It's therapy for me and today I needed it. I spent the entire day organizing every room and storing away items we don't need while living in the apartment. After a couple of hours, the apartment looks like home. It's very homey and cozy, just like I like it. Of course to make the space even better, I purchased a few new items that I'm crazy about.



Mercury glass vases from Marshall's.
 Put these on my bathroom counter.



This picture doesn't do this new shower curtain justice.
It's the prettiest thing I have ever seen. Now if I could just paint my apartment walls. That would make this curtain pop!



New Lantern from PD's in Franklin, TN



Can you guest what this is? I don't want to spoil it yet. I need to do
some sewing before I reveal sometime this week.



Rockin the One-Piece

Well ladies, bathing suit season has arrived and with me living on the east coast and only 1.5 hours away from the beach, I'm tackling this situation head on. I haven't even arrived in Raleigh yet, but already have THREE trips planned to the beach in the month of June! :)

Normally I would buy a swim suit that was uncomfortable. One that I had to constantly suck my tummy in and when taking pictures, I would either need to be in the back or squeezed in the middle of the group. This year I'm going for comfort, age-appropriate, and a ONE PIECE!

I began my long search at Macy's.com. I love Macy's and I can always find exactly what I'm looking for. With the help of my husband and my best friend, Lauren we had it narrowed down to 5. I was constantly sending them both pictures because Jeff was in Raleigh and Lauren lives in ATL! (thanks guys....you guys helped so much)

Believe it or not, WE ALL PICKED THE SAME ONE! How does that happen? This is one of my swimsuits I'll be rocking on the beach all summer long. Of course I don't look like this 90lb model but I do feel comfortable in it and I LOVE IT. Isn't that all that matters?

Leaving Iowa.....

Only 3 days left in Iowa before making the move to Raleigh, NC. My heart is getting heavier every day.

This weekend my in-laws hosted a "Going Away" Party for Jeff and I. Before everyone arrived, Jeff and I had a moment in our bedroom. Of course, I was a basket case of emotions. When you leave your first home, it's so hard, but at the same time, you're so flipping excited to live somewhere else in the U.S. and have all these new adventures that you've been dreaming of your whole life. So when Jeff and I were talking, it was bittersweet. We cried and laughed. We went strolling down memory lane and talked about: moving from Chicago to the Quad Cities, the trials of finding new jobs, renting a house in the west end, raising our pup, not to mention the first year of marriage. When the first guest arrived, we were puffy eyed and ready to soak it all in. We wanted to truly cherish this time with all our friends and family. It was a wonderful time and we are so thankful for the relationships we've made over the last year and a half. To all the people who came out to see us off....THANK YOU! You all mean the world to us. Here are a few pictures of our friends and family.

Emily and Sara :)

Jeff and his brothers!

My precious God-daughter Addison Clare

Georgia and Scott Hanson.....the ultimate dog sitter.
Lola loves these guys so much.

Uncle Chuck and Aunt Nancy
Aunt Mary

The Evans.....two of the sweetest people I know.