i’m really glad i took these photos last week because since then our house has been turned upside down, inside out, and looks like clothes and boxes threw up everywhere.  we are in the middle of packing and ouy, it’s one big mess over here.

anyways, i’m excited to finally share some pics of our [very] humble abode since it will no longer be ours in less than 2 short weeks (so sad!).  our place is tiny, but i love it so much…mostly because it’s been our first place as husband and wife and making a home together has been so much fun!  we live underneath the main house in a one bedroom and have an incredible view of the ocean.  this house for sure has its quirks (i.e. our bedroom is actually just a giant hallway from the living room to the kitchen), but it also has so much charm (those windows!!!).  we’ve definitely had to get creative with the layout.  we have way more furniture than what comfortably fits in this space for practical reasons as well as the fact that my office is also our dining room and our living room.  i’m not really sure what our style is…kind of an eclectic mix i guess?  most everything in this house is a random find from a garage sale, craigslist, or it was picked up for free on the side of the road (like my desk and our dresser!).  while i’m excited that we are purging or selling just about everything and starting with a clean slate in california, i’ve grown a bit attached to our home and its quirky character.  it breeds the homebody in me because i just love being at home.

our bedroom gets the best natural light and wakes me up every morning!  our pillow is also special because we got it on our honeymoon in italy.we’re not big drinkers and cute bar carts are hard to come by, so i decided to utilize an industrial cart as a beverage cart and for more storage (we barely have any counter space)!  we get so much use out of this little corner whether we are blending smoothies, storing sparkling water for dinner parties, or making our morning coffee.

i will miss you, little cottage.  you’ve been so good to us!

yesterday was a pretty big day.  reis gained a few new letters after his name…M.D.!!!  we started dating in college before he even took the mcat so i’ve gotten to share in the [long] journey for the past 5+ years.  lots and lots and lots of studying was involved combined with hours upon hours spent working in the hospital.  it’s been his dream to be a doctor since age 5 and seeing him work extremely hard in pursuit of that goal has been pretty incredible.  i couldn’t be more proud of him and i am so excited for our next adventure!

congrats, DOC!  i love you with my whole heart.

i featured morning glass a few weeks ago on walls and today i’m showing you their  ”sister shop” (at least that’s what i call it), R+D.  i’ve been coming here with my friend nicky once a week for the past month or so to work since we both work from home.  i love coming here for the rad atmosphere, free wifi, and delicious food and drinks (which are the same as morning glass…their scones + sandwiches + stumptown = YUM).  plus, they have a bookstore at the front of the shop that sells the best kitchen and coffee table books ever.  i would probably buy almost every book on the shelves if my wallet would allow for it.  the whole cafe is a pretty hipster little joint and has abundant tables for working and good lighting (very important!).  i give it two thumbs up and encourage you to check out the rest of kaka’ako while you are visiting!  so many of the surrounding shops are new and really neat so you should take a little looksie!

[night time view from our little house on a hill]

i can’t believe we are SIX days into may already!  ay yi yi.  the past six months have flown by and i’m positive the next month will too.  things are about to get reeeaaalll crazy up in here.  reis is graduating this weekend and i’m busy planning a little celebration shin dig for him, my parents are coming into town for a week, we are selling most of our belongings and packing up the few things we are keeping, i’m finishing up quite a bit of work, ANDDD we are trying to enjoy our last few weeks in hawaii before we MOVE across the pacific in 22 days.  eeeks!  it’s all really exciting and we’re so excited for our next adventure, but it’s also bittersweet leaving hawaii.  the good news is that we found a place to live in LA!  i’ve been scouring craigslist since match day and found the perfect place a few weeks ago.  it’s an old 1930s bungalow a few blocks from the ocean and we can’t wait to make it our own.  here’s to hoping for a fun (and not stressful) next few weeks!

i’ve been waiting a really long time to share lauren and david’s apartment for a reason i really don’t know.  i kind of equate it to when i was little and i would save all of the red skittles to eat last because they were the best!

well, this isn’t the last WALLS feature by any means, but i’ve been holding on to this one to share because it is the red skittles of apartments.  every square inch is SO amazing and i feel unworthy to even show it on my little blog.  this thing belongs on design sponge or apartment therapy!!

this incredible apartment located in oakland, california (rockridge, specifically) belongs to one of my best friends, lauren, and her boyfriend david (who, by the way, is an insanely talented journalist and just did a piece for this american life!).  lauren and i got placed together in the dorms our freshman year at ucsb and i am so glad i lived with her throughout college because 1) she was the best roommate/friend + i love her a whole lot and 2) we always had the cutest apartments thanks to her.  she is ridiculously crafty and UBER talented at interior decorating as you can see.  i am most definitely recruiting her to help us decorate our next place in LA.

she has curated such a beautiful space (equal parts feminine and masculine!) with knick knacks and furniture from thrift stores, the alameda flea market, craigslist, west elm, anthropologie, and some hand-me-downs.  lauren even used wrapping paper from paper source as wallpaper for an accent wall!  they’ve lived here for three years and i’m so glad i’ve had the chance to visit multiple times.  we recently stayed with them when reis was interviewing for residency in the bay area this past january.  not only is the interior perfection, but their neighborhood is so charming and quaint!  you can walk to coffee shops, markets, and restaurants in about 3 mintues or BART in about 10 minutes.  they are actually moving into the city so sadly, this space will no longer be their home!  but this just means that their new place will get another feature on WALLS!  thanks laur and ferr for letting me share your oh so beautiful apartment!  love you guys.