We moved into our little cottage house weeks before we got married. It was in total disarray through the wedding week, then as we traveled around overseas for our honeymoon, then for most of the remaining months of 2013. Such is the chaos of a new life together in a new space. In the last two-plus years however we have made this space into our own. We got our furniture and tchotchkes, books (but still no bookshelves somehow; it’s one of my greatest failings), framed a few photos, and settled in for the adventures ahead.

I love it in this home. It’s warm, simple, we get all sorts of pretty window light, and have just enough space to have some people over for chili and Scrabble parties. But, as with all good things, eventually, one day we will head off to new horizons. The horizon that harkens a move from our sweet rental is not yet upon us, but I decided that while we’re still kicking it here I would photograph a few pockets around the house. A pocket, a still life, small scenes from our abode that one day we can look back at and recall this first home we shared.

But first, here are my fellow 10-on-10 pals.

OK, here we go.

One thing about us, we embrace the realities of a little clutter. We don’t live in the glossy pages of a magazine, let’s not pretend otherwise. For several of these photos I thought about stashing some items out of the frame in an attempt to make it all clean and tidy and “styled” but then decided to keep it real.

We keep champagne corks from special occasions, then write what that event was on the side. One day maybe I’ll organize and make some kind of avant-garde sculpture out these suckers, but for now they sit in our kitchen.

I take coffee into the bathroom when I’m drying my hair and putting on the war paint. Dan thinks this is weird behavior, but it’s either bring the coffee to the bathroom windowsill or the makeup to the kitchen counter. One has to keep the coffee close first thing in the morning and I can’t very well hit the road without a foundation of coffee propelling me into the world. Because safety first.

Let the record show that 2016 is the year of the smoothie. This monster showed up on the doorstep a few weeks ago and now we take 20 minutes each morning to liquefy things. What a time to be alive.