ALERT! ALERT! I MOVED!

Because there hasn't been enough change and upheaval in my life this year... big exciting news:

I FINALLY UPDATED MY BLOG ADDRESS! (I mean, about time, right?)

So from now on, come follow me at www.rachelupshaw.com.

(I can't automatically re-direct you from this page through blogger so you will have to save the new link...sorry!)

Anyway, super excited and hopefully you like the new site!

Where The Magic Happens

Would you care to see another room in our house? What, no? Well, too bad! That's what we're serving up today. (Ha, serving, food pun, luckily the room is the kitchen!) 

When we first saw the house, I fell in love with the red paint and adorable black and white French-esque valances, and luckily the woman left them, hooray! (Also, fun fact, one of my many nicknames for Franklin is Francophile, which I totally am. Don't tell my Greek boyfriend.) 

Anyway, back to the valances aka tiny totally unnecessary curtains. They provide zero privacy between us and our next door neighbors' kitchen, but luckily our neighbor - who also wakes up at 6am - looks good shirtless. (According to Spiros. Seriously, it's so awkward. Also, maybe I should clarify it's a dude. If his wife was shirtless, that would be more awkward!) 

Ta da!

I have been eyeing that Texas cutting board for years. While it's not exactly "practical" (according to Spiros), I still love it.

I'm only showing you our silverware because Spiros chose them and they are his babies.
That shotty contact paper job is my baby. We are all one big happy family over here. 

Where else would we keep all our treasures? (For a visual, the fridge is in the laundry room directly off the L-shaped kitchen. Kind of weird, but it works!)

That wooden table came with the place. Scoreeeee.

I assume everyone has a lobster dish fruit bowl, right?

Chalk labels are way less beautiful when you have sociopath handwriting :/

My favorite worldly possessions. 

Want to come over for dinner and see it in person? (And my new blog-reader-turned-real-life-friend Jen who I met last week can tell you I'm totally being serious. You're all welcome.)

Gingerbread Mayhem

The last time I made a gingerbread house was probably almost twenty years ago with my friend Katelyn. And now that we've reunited in LA, I thought it was time for another round of confection construction. (Plus I'm insisting on Spiros' full immersion into American traditions. After he excelled at pumpkin carving, I knew he'd be great at this too.)

Also, since I cajoled him into getting a KitchenAid stand mixer, I felt like this would be a great opportunity to break in the investment piece. (It was. After four batches of gingerbread dough and three batches of royal icing I feel like I am one with the machine.) 

I won't sugar coat it (hahaha punz), it was a lot of work. It was the kind of "work" that you take on when you don't have a real job, a concept I hope to remind myself of in the new year. 

Anyway, it was a fun opportunity to have our first get together in the new place, complete with Greek feast courtesy of Spiros. And of course Franklin did his part by acting like the most precious gremlin baby you've ever seen.   

Here are a few pictures in case you want to live vicariously without having to get your hands (and kitchen, and dining room table) sticky in the process ... 

Practicing "following directions" which is a job in itself. 

Decidedly not a perfectionist. Glad I didn't waste the effort with straight lines, suckers. 

Let it be known that after this experience I can say food color is gross and quasi-evil. 

"Quick take a picture in case it all falls apart right now!"

Our masterpiece. Spiros constructed that "Addam's Family" fence out front.

Cheating with toothpicks. 

Katelyn and her husband Brian, who are perfectionists and they have the house to prove it. 

See what I mean? And yes, that is a manger on one side and Santa and his sleigh on the other. 

The other house on the block, complete with backyard. (And back story.)

Recreating memories for our mothers. (Best Christmas present ever, right??)

The ladies. (Sorry gents for not getting one of y'all.)

Mama's little helper ... or something like that.

This house was clearly not built up to code.

All in all it was a great success. And I think we can all agree Martha Stewart made a HUGE mistake in not hiring me, obviously, but I guess it all worked out in the long run. (Yes that was almost four years ago, and no I'm clearly not over it.)

A Message From My Pig Baby & A Piggy Bank

Happy Friday, 

Love Franklin

PS Why does my mama make me take so many pictures posing next to things my size? Next up, a tiny lemon tree. Wtf is wrong with her?

Keep In Mind My Bed Used To Be In The Living Room

We've had our first guests over this week now that things are finally settled, and I'll be honest, it was nice to hear their feedback about our place. The words, "OMG I hate you" is the reaction I was going for. 

(Let's be real for a second. It pays to be living with a real adult who gets a real relocation package. I can't pretend like I did anything to pay for these things. I'm just a bossy visionary.) 

Anyway, I've worked hard trying to make this place feel like home, and luckily Spiros has been on board with (most) of my suggestions. Bonus, being from Greece, he isn't afraid of bright blue colors. 

Here are a few pictures of the place where we spend most of our time. (I won't say because it's the only room with a TV, but let's be real again. Duh.):

Pillows and curtains mostly from World Market. I bought the infamous Elephant lamp this time last year in Berlin! 

The painting leaning against the wall was painted by Spiros' mom, currently hiding wires away from a baby gremlin. 

Is it creepy that when I first saw the couch and coffee table at Spiros' place in Berlin like the first week we were dating I thought, "I could totally work with those"?

Tray from Target, coasters on sale from Anthro & that Anthro vase was only $28 aka practically free from that store!

Vintage chair from One Kings Lane. Baby puppy courtesy of heaven.

 Keeping temptation at bay.

Table from One Kings Lane, mirror from Home Goods. 

And, last but not least:

Surprise anniversary cake ordered by someone who knows how much I love turquoise :)