Tales of the Brick Beauty: Be Our Guest

We had our 1st overnight guest this weekend - my almost-14-year-old-sister, Kelli. Parents were out of town, so Luke and I played mom and dad - which basically meant being a taxi driver and cheering obnoxiously loud at soccer games. Isn't she adorable?

Luckily one of our guest bedrooms was ready for her - the pink room, as we call it. A good cleaning, furniture moving, curtain removing, and decorating is all it required - yet it wasn't finally finished until last weekend. #toomanythingstodo

I have grown to love the wallpaper in this room. I imagine our first daughter growing up here.

I love that the closets in the bedrooms are wallpapered. Even if we remove it in the bedroom - the closet will stay, so we'll always remember what it used to be.

When Luke and I first moved in, this was the only bed in the house. We bought it from the previous owners. We spent our first month and a half of marriage sleeping in this beaut - something only newlyweds would do! Grateful for our new king ;)

I love decor that has a story. Luke gave me this frame the day we were engaged. After the elaborate-amazing-insane proposal, we went back to the house I lived in my senior year of college with all our friends and family to continue the celebration and watch the ISU/Iowa game. In the kitchen, was this sign. It is our motto - and couldn't have been more perfect in that moment. From our engagement, to our wedding, to our honeymoon, to married life - it keeps getting better - and I know the best is still coming.

Started a goodie basket for our guests. Yes, those are hotel shampoos. I'm not the only one who takes them, right?

Another piece of artwork with a story - I went through a faze when I wanted a meaningful tattoo in memory of my friend Emily Joy who passed away. My mom convinced me a piece of art would be cooler than inking my body so.... one of my amazingly talented sorority sisters, Claire Roesler, took my idea and turned it into a beautiful painting. My sign from Emily is butterflies - whenever I see a butterfly, I know it's her visiting me reminding me to always find joy in life. Claire painted a butterfly within the letters of joy in the phrase 'find joy'. It is perfect and a great reminder!