Meet Emily & Chris.

{ em and her pups }

Meet Emily. She truly is as sweet as she looks. Emily and I met my freshman year at Western Carolina and I have been blessed to call her a friend ever since. You can imagine how excited I was when I found out I would be moving to Gastonia... because Em lives about four minutes down the road! There's nothing like having friends close by. So, when Emily and Chris asked me to take their engagement pictures I was thrilled.  {but didn't yet have a camera!}  Emily and Chris have been dating ever since I've known them. They're like peas and carrots. They're so in love, so happy, so comfortable. I love it. Our photo shoot took place at their sweet home off Helen Drive. Unfortunately, the sun didn't peep out to say hello... but in the end, after looking at all the pictures - Emily and Chris were happy with what we got. And that makes me extra happy. Take a look-see!

 

I just love them!!

-C

pinky.

{{ click pic to go to etsy photographer, heather }}

reminds me of the story grandpa langhorne

tells of the day i was born.

sweet memories.

happy weekend, enjoy the warm weather!

-C

note to self:

make curtains. after five months, sheets are not acceptable.my favorite thing that i do every morning before school starts, is to open the blinds...

the line up.

Promising a house decor inspired by Mid Century Danish pieces has been a difficult task. It has taken a certain determination to start seeing this style unfold in our house.  Since October, the shed is still empty and - no danish woodworking elf is to be found on the premises.  Oh if only, but I am blogging seated at a desk right now.. so we've been making some strides!

Below is a list of avenues I've taken to find Mid Century pieces for our home:

1. Craigslist. Search: furniture. Keywords: mid century, danish, retro, 1960, modern.(i'll even go as far to search surrounding cities that would be just a days drive)

2. Yard Sales. Some of the BEST finds are to be found at a yard sale.(to find yard sales in your area. Google: your city , yard sales)Wake up early, write down all the addresses and pop 'em in your GPS!

3. Antique Malls / Stores / Hole in the Walls. Usually more expensive than the first two options.Search these places out. Find them and go there. Once, on my way to a yard sale.. I found this "hole in the wall" (old house w/ a bunch a junk sitting outside of it & quite small) I'm still in cahoots with Jack Winchester over this amazing Danish style hutch I want for under our new TV... The people who collect and sell antiques are great AND if you get to know them and tell them what you're looking for, they can usually point you in the right direction. 

4. Metrolina Tradeshow Expo. Now this isn't fair to you, because it is a local treasure. If you so decide you can travel to Charlotte on the first weekend of every month for this extravaganza. It's basically everything you want in one place... and has been quite the provider of goods for this household.

Now, I have bought a couple different tables and lamps, but I have come to my collections end in one genre. CHAIRS. After this month's trip to the Metrolina Expo, I no longer have it in me to purchase another chair. However, this chair streak I have been on has been a fun one and I LOVE what I have found. Sooo, in keeping with my promise of a modern Danish style of living. I would like to share with you the line up of chairs I have collected. 

pair of barstools :: metrolina tradeshow expo :: $25

single chair :: neighbor's trash pile :: free

fixer upper chair for craft :: "hole in the wall" jack winchester's :: he gave it to me

the last chair i bought :: metrolina tradeshow expo :: $189  $125  $50!

set of four chairs with dining room table :: craigslist :: $100

my favorite chair (ottoman not pictured) :: yard sale :: $25

pair of chairs :: office discount furniture store :: $40

 And those are my chairs, friends! I hope you enjoyed them!

your Danish elf,

Christina

p.s. michael wanted me to say he is starting to like hunting antiques :)

pretty.fun!

                               {click to enlarge}

happy 2011: be inspired!

NYC.

{this is my hat} 

I ended up making the trip to NYC for my first time EVER over the holidays! I was so excited that I just had to follow through with our original plans. I drove from my sister's house in Waldorf, MD to D.C. where I caught a four hour bus ride into the city. Before I boarded, I bought a coffee and a New York Times newspaper. I had to. 

Below is a list of places Danielle so graciously took me on my visit:

**Gemma, an Italian Restaurant in the Bowery Hotel

**Elba, for drinks by mixologists

**Park Slope - Brooklyn, this is where Dani lives (rooftop pics!)

**Soho, for a little window shopping & lunch

**Cafe de la Esquina, delish mexican-ish food.

**Central Park

**The Plaza Hotel

**Bergdorf Goodman 

**Rockafellar Center

**NBC Studios

**Time Square

Am I missing something? It was a whirlwind of a trip, as I was there for less than 24hrs, but I'm so glad I made it! It was great to spend time with Danielle and also a high school friend of mine, Katie. Props to my strong lady friends who are making it happen in the big city! Love you. &. 

I <3 NY. 

I hope you enjoy the pictures.

-Christina 

Take a hat.

Sooo, my sisters and I have been planning a trip New York City over the holidays. But as it turns out, Megan and Amanda have opted for a shorter trip to DC... and now I am left with the decision of either riding the bus by myself to NYC and visiting a dear friend Danielle (on her 25th birthday!) ~or~  just going with the flow and exploring the DC area. I love having a plan, but sometimes... plans just don't work out.

Either way, I will need a hat. 

I love wearing one + it is going to be quite chilly compared to what I'm used to.

I've already purchased mine at Belk. It is black and will go with anything... but oh la la, did my eyes stumble upon something magnificent this afternoon... on etsy!

Hats By Behida Dolic

talk about a hat.

 

About the Artist: "Behida Dolić was born in a small village in northern Bosnia in 1982. Behida was raised by a community of crafters, kilim makers, furniture builders. It was here where her hands begin to learn the importance of craftsmanship and attention to detail. After the war, Behida moved to America to start a new life. While traveling in Italy, Behida first encountered & fell in love with early 20th Century American fashion, and began making hand-draped cloche hats. In 2003, she moved to San Francisco to finish her degree at San Francisco Art Institute. She currently lives and works in her millinery studio in Berkeley CA."

Are they not lovely?

I thought so. 

But my Belk hat will do for now ...

whether it be NYC or DC... we shall.. C.

Christina :)

Nursery Mural Painting

This whole project started very casually one day at school. Stacy was like, "hey! could you paint a tree in my nursery?" I thought about it for a second, sure, I've never done it before, but I knew I could. We went to etsy for inspiration, and the rest is history. We borrowed an overhead projector from our school, I blew up the picture of the tree that Stacy wanted, put it on an overhead and the work began. After the very first day, which consisted of only taping off the tree, I knew this project was a big one. All in all it took me about six, five hour days to complete it... I think. I really enjoyed the whole process.  With a minor in Art from Western Carolina, I was excited to get back to a hobby of mine that sometimes can get pushed aside with our busy day to day lives. It was a relaxing and enjoyable process that I would love to do again.  What made this whole process even more special is that Stacy and Bryan are waiting on a phone call any day now to hear that their child has been born. They are on a special adoption journey.. and what a luck baby to have the two of them as parents. Seriously, Stacy is going to be the best Momma. The two of us were almost in tears a couple of times, just thinking about it. The smile on her face when we put all the furniture back in the nursery was priceless. Keep up with Stacy's blog to see their adoption journey unfold. And if you want a mural painted somewhere in your house. Let me know!

email me: christina.spatharos@gmail.com

Step, by step, Stacy and Bryan's new nursery!!

{professional} amateur fotographer.

back from the holidays, with a new toy! I hope everyone had a lovely Thanksgiving.. and if you like a deal as much as i do.. a lovely black friday, too! thanks to my new hhgregg credit card, i purchased an 18mp Canon Rebel T2i digital SLR camera. i LOVE it. since that day, i've been reading up on all the buttons and do-dads. in addition to teaching 6th graders, i'm hoping to start a little side job as a {professional} amateur photographer. the hope is that i will at least get enough jobs to pay for the camera. i love taking pictures, and when you love what you're doing... you can end up with something truly special. that is my goal. Soooo, spread the word to all of your friends and family. i would love to be a part of all their special moments!

I'm ready to start.
-Christina

Please feel free to email me with any questions.
christina.spatharos@gmail.com

the most random post ever.

lately i cannot seem to help my obsession with the 1960s. our house is being taken over by it.
when editing pictures on picnik, my mouse could find the "1960s button" with my eyes closed. i may be taking this thing overboard, but i love it. everything becomes more nostalgic.
above is a beach picture that i've always loved... and now ~ i love it even more with a 1960s twist. if you love pictures as much as i do and you don't have picnik yet, you should.
there are gillions of different editing combinations...
but once you find your favorite, you'll never go back.

{our yellow house: bits and pieces are coming together}

{hoping we have a green thumb}

this house has a story.
{i wish i knew it}

the only story that i know... is that everytime michael and i drive from his parents house back to charlotte: we pass this house. AND every time i would say, "michael! pleaaaseee can we stop and take pictures of that house?" AND not wanting to turn back around, we would pass it everytime. SO! We went into this one really old antique place we had been before looking for 1960s furniture. {I managed to find a nice looking hutch, but he wanted $425 for it.. and that was not my kind of deal} I asked the man where he got it and he said, "the old house with the pink shutters," as he pointed down the road. He said, "yeah they're gonna burn it down soon, so we emptied it out."

okay ~ long story, but that is how i FINALLY got michael to stop and take pictures of this place. because they're going to burn it. apparently the family who used to live here owned a lot of land.
i think it's magical.

appreciating the fall colors on the blue ridge parkway...
after wcu homecoming!

our bulbs that we hope bloom!

im not sure michael likes so much attention on my blog.
but he's real cool.

{ we got out some black and
white photography to hang soon }

love a random post,
christina

halloween.

our halloween in charlotte was not spent going to gravediggers ball. no, no... we were too broke for that, but some how managed to scrape enough pennies together to make a weekend trip to lowes :) i've been debating over paint chips for weeks! finally we decided on pebblestone with a flat finish. it's a much needed improvement from our once light yellow living room walls (that color is ALL over the house). we put the first coat of paint on the walls on hallow's eve. halloween was spent doing the trim and second coat. by the time trick-or-treaters started arriving, it was time to peel the tape off and see our finished work... that's when i got the bright idea for my halloween costume :P i have to say, we did a great job AND had fun doing it... watching football and hanging around in sweatpants all day... next project recover the couches.

just a little halloween diy.
- christina