a collection of moments for the soul

We’ve done it! After 8 months of marriage & 6 months of living in our first apartment, we finally bought our first dining room table.

I have never owned a dining room table that belonged to me. I lived out of the house on one other occasion and even then we were so poor that we didn’t have a dining room table, so this is a huge milestone for us. To some, it may just be a table, much less a used table bought via an estate sale on Facebook Marketplace.

To me, this is the beginning of the creation of a home. We’ve gone 6 months so far in this apartment, our first apartment together after being married, without a dining room table. For 6 months we ate our meals standing at our tiny kitchen counter, on the floor of the living room, or awkwardly on the couch. (And no, we don’t have a coffee table either… That’s next on our to-do list.)

Ever since we planned our wedding, I’ve dreamt of what our lives would look like: our home, our kids (aka pets), our goals and dreams and aspirations. I’m a chronic list-maker, scheduler, planner-filler-outer, all that jazz. I LIVE for writing things down, making lists, keeping track of all of my thoughts somehow. I have so many random notebooks lying about the place with random pieces of information for random, unrelated topics. It’s a totally unorganized process, which is totally unlike me, but it’s a system that works for my brain (surprisingly). I love to draw floor plans, take pictures of empty spaces and edit furniture onto them, plan out outfits in advance. Ask my mother, I was notorious for reorganizing my room constantly when I was younger. I just love all the possibilities there are to make this space reflect the life that my husband and I have with our cats, and I’ve written down so many ideas and gave space to so many thoughts that are related to creating the life —this life—that I want.

We’re embracing the stage that we’re in (that frugal-newly-wed-just-starting-out stage). Slowly but surely, we are creating the home and the life that we want. The more I see it coming together, the more eager I am to finish all of my other plans and projects. But I am also LOVING the process. I’m having fun with it and taking my time to truly find home pieces that capture the feel that I want. (I’ve been finding a LOT of these pieces on Facebook Marketplace, Goodwill, TJ Maxx, or Marshall’s.)

Why did it take us so long to find a dining room table? Well, it’s not that we’re picky (God knows I am the pickiest person ever), but that we’re ballin’ on a budget. I fully expected to be purchasing the majority of our home stuff from FBM and thrift stores/hand-me-downs. Since we eloped and didn’t provide a registry, we are starting from scratch.

I had been searching Facebook Marketplace for weeks upon weeks for the perfect table. I knew what I wanted, the challenge was finding it (and at an appealing price point, too): something round and wood, antique-style, sturdy, but also fits in a small space. COZY! I knew what I wanted was going to be a project piece, but that was the goal.

I stumbled across this one, fell in love instantly, messaged the seller, and within 24 hours we had the chair in our apartment. I’m happy with our purchase and stoked for when we (eventually) sand it down and stain it. The current color of the table and chairs isn’t totally cohesive, so that will be a fun project for the future. It ties this space together so perfectly; it was empty and bare before. Now our apartment actually feels like an apartment. (And just in time, too, because fall is on its way and it’s already time to replace these place mats with festive ones!)

I have a vision for how I want to style this table, and I’m not sure where it’s headed but I like where it’s going: it starts with candlesticks. Black, maybe brass. But tall, with no more and no less than 3 candles… That’s all for now, it’s a work in progress. The overall vibes for our apartment (which will probably definitely change later on because I can never make up my mind) is mid-century modern with a minimal twist. I like the minimalist look but without the bare bits. I want our home to SHOW that we live here!

All in all, she’s a job and a half. But I love her, and she has a great personality, and it’s going to be even greater once we get her all fixed up and add a matching coffee table.

My excitement is uncontainable! Not only do we finally have place to eat our meals, but we finally have a place to put together puzzles, play games with family and friends, and host dinners for our loved ones. My top love language is quality time, so you can imagine what this means for me: I’m one step closer to my dream! I’m sitting here at said table writing this and feeling so bubbly inside while Austin is spreading his baseball cards all over the table and sorting them.

This dining room table is only the beginning. I have so many more ideas and projects in the works and things to learn that I can’t wait to share with you all! Ultimately, the end goal is a sustainable homestead where we grow and make our own food, have fresh flowers to brighten up the space every day, and the freedom to make our home as we wish. Mrs. American aka ballerinafarms? My hero. I want a garden full of herbs and vegetables and flowers and citrus trees and lots of land to roam. I want to make my own bread and butter and milk and grow my own produce and be able to sustain a house and a life for my family for the rest of our lives. I want to feng shui the sh*t out of my house because after all, that’s the place that I spend the most of my time. I want it to be cozy, comfortable, familiar, and mine. And the more I wish for this and work for this dream to become a reality, the more I’m motivated by how much progress we will have made in 1, 5, 10 years.

It’s so much fun looking back at where I’ve been to see how far I’ve come. (Just try not to get in the habit of doing that too often because then your progress seems less, even though it’s not. Trust the process!)

My dream is to create a welcoming environment in my home. I want people to know that this is a place they can come to when they have nowhere else to go. I want people to know that it is a safe space for them, where they will be nurtured and fed and taken care of. We all had those friends when we were younger whose house was THE house: snacks galore, cool movie room, no rules, you know the vibes. That’s the goal, and that’s my house for each and every one of you. You’re welcome anytime.

I can’t wait for the memories that will be made at this table, and I can’t wait to share them here with you. :)

Don’t forget to like and comment and subscribe and let me know your thoughts! When did you get your first dining room table and how did you style it?