Special Pictures Documenting Life in our First Apartment

In your first year of marriage, there are a lot of firsts.   Some memorable firsts are our first meal together after our wedding (which happened to be at a Burger King in a gas station, which I think is hilarious).  I remember the first few times I used "my husband" when talking about Tyler to someone who didn't know him, and how new it seemed when it rolled off the tongue.   Probably the most memorable thing that was "ours" in our first year, however, was our first apartment together.

 

To remember our first year of marriage, I made a yearbook compiled of pictures of us and things we'd done between May 18th of 2013 until May 18th of 2014.

A special project for just one page of that yearbook were these photos documenting us in our first apartment together.

I wanted to portray our apartment itself, but I also wanted to show how we decorated, what furniture we had, how we used those rooms, and us in those rooms.  We just set up the tripod and tried to get an angle of each space to define what it means to us.

Blogging was a big part of my free time during our first year of marriage, and I spent most of my time writing and editing pictures at our dining table.

 Tyler's favorite "spot" in the leather recliner, and the infamous blue couch with lumpy pillows in the background.  

I'd like to think in the future we'll remember good times on that lumpy, uncomfortable, style inhibiting blue couch: our many nights spent watching LOST, Breaking Bad, Sons of Anarchy, and The Walking Dead, watching the ducks sit and waddle on a frozen pond out the window in the winter, and the zooming hummingbird in the summer.

I will always remember cooking and cleaning in our cramped little kitchen with the red curtain to hide the trash can, washer, dryer, and makeshift pantry shelf.  Where we first used so many wedding gifts, learned more about each other's food preferences, and how to stack a million dishes in one cupboard so that all your wedding gifts fit and can be used.

In our bedroom, we'll remember the places we got ready for work.

A few of Tyler's decorations and sentimental pieces are a backdrop to every morning, as well as the wall quilt his family gave me upon our engagement.

On my dresser and the decor near it are many of my favorite things:  a clock for my birthday from my sweetest roommate in college, a picture of my favorite thing - a ladybug - from Tyler in a frame, several tins that I adore, my necklaces, and a wooden box from my grandma where I store my makeup.

Also in our bedroom is our precious wedding quilt, made by Tyler's mother.  The standing mirror is one I found at a yard sale, which is an interesting hobby of ours as well.

Finally, at my craft table is where it happens.  Or more like where the storage happens...because as my sweet husband fully knows, most of my crafts end up in the living room floor rather than on the craft table.   I couldn't be happy without creating something, so as full as my very full table is with the storage of many different supplies, it means my heart is full from all the fun things there are to create!

Moe and Picasso, our pet fish, also inhabited our office/craft room.  We enjoyed their cute wiggles in our first year!

I edited the photos so that they were all black and white and would look cohesive on the page in our photo yearbook.  

Although it is merely one page of our photobook this year, I know in years to come we will appreciate this glimpse into our past at our first apartment - even just seeing how our decor and belongings evolve as we evolve.  

How have you captured and presented memories of some of your firsts?