Category Archives: Brazil

Apartment Tour: Dining Room

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Continuing the tour with the dining room!  

In our San Francisco apartment, Michael and I didn’t have space for a full dining table so we just had a bar-height 4 top.  Although it was the right thing for our space, we were constantly wishing that we were able to seat more people.  Furthermore, since it was bar-height, it was impossible to pull additional chairs up to the table.  I hosted a girl’s Bible study group every week (MISS YOU ALL SO MUCH!!) and it was like musical chairs – people constantly trading places depending on who was eating dinner or standing up eating in the kitchen…

Knowing that we wanted to be able to host people better in São Paulo, prior to leaving San Francisco, we sold our dining set on Craigslist and went hunting for something else.  Since we didn’t know what kind of space we would have in Brazil, it was a little challenging to know what to get, so we thought that an extendable table would be ideal.  That being said, both of us have had experiences with extendable tables that were clunky, difficult, heavy, etc. so we were kind of nervous about the idea.  However, we got lucky when we wandered into a random furniture store in Emeryville one day and described what we were looking for.  Right away, the owner of the shop took us to our table.  It has a really simple, attached, pull-out leaf that easily just pops into place.  Michael was fascinated / immediately sold so we went for it.

Pull table at both ends. Flip the extra leaf over & unfold. Push together. So easy I can do it by myself — which is saying a lot.

Obviously though, we needed chairs to go with it.  I really like upholstered dining chairs and think they are super comfortable, but we learned with our previous set that we cannot be trusted with food & light fabrics so I decided to go for charcoal gray to disguise any/all stains.  What I like about this too is that – while we normally have 6 chairs around the table – if we want to extend it to seat 8, we can always pull up the two gray side chairs that are in the living room.

Dinner party?  Visitors?  We must utilize this.

More of the dining area:

Mini wine fridge (thanks BWad!) with Michael’s mini “bar” on top. The two Tiffany’s boxes in the back are totally empty — I just can’t seem to get rid of them… Looking the picture though I realize I should at least move them elsewhere…

The first door on the left goes into our kitchen. The next door in the corner is the main entrance into the apartment.

**Coming soon: Post on my first ever DIY project — redoing the bookshelves on the right** 

Although I do think the table could really use some fresh flowers to brighten things up, it’s really not as dark as it looks in these photos since the space is all open and the walls are bright white.

So…when are you coming for dinner?!

Some credits: 
Table & Chairs: Decorium Furniture & Rugs
Buffet: Crate & Barrel
Vintage Tin Tiles: Pottery Barn
Mini Wine Fridge: Wedding gift from our dear friend, Bradley Walbridge
Crystal Decanter & Cocktail Glasses: Wedding gift from Tiffany & Co (hence the boxes…)

Apartment Tour: “Office”

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So, I think it’s pretty clear why “office” is in quotation marks.  It’s obviously not a real office.  It’s a wall in between the door into our apartment and our living room with a desk and mini filing cabinet.  And while I dream about having an office like this one day, this is my office for now.  🙂

a little OCD…  does anyone else do this or am I the only crazy one???Some credits:
Stationary: Gadabout (displayed in an antique toast holder!)
Monogrammed Mug: Gift from my sweet friend, Christie Bienemann, from Anthropology
Desk: Pottery Barn
Cow Hide Rug: Wedding gift from Eric Chamberlin – purchased in Argentina!

Things I still want to do in here:
1) Since this is connected to the living room, I would love to paint the entire room a pale gray to give it a little more character / definition.
2) Originally I thought I would make the space above the desk a little gallery-wall of sorts but since the space is generally so small I have tended towards less-is-more.  Sometimes I think it looks too plain but I think that painting the walls might be just what it needs…

*** Any Ideas or Suggestions are Welcome! ***

Apartment Tour: Living Room

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In response to requests from my girlfriends (and let’s be honest, who doesn’t love checking out other people’s places), I’ll be posting pictures from our apartment to give you a mini apartment-tour!

I am not super creative and most of what we have is a combination of what we had individually before we got married & stuff we bought immediately into our marriage – since which time my tastes have significantly changed.  Also, there are a lot of weird things about apartments in Brazil, so…not the easiest canvas either.  That being said, we have more than we need or could ask for and are thankful for all of it.  🙂

First up on the tour is the Living Room:
Some credits: 
Pillows: Layla Grace (multi-colored) and Furbish Studio
SF Print: Ikea
Couch: Pottery Barn
Gray Side Chairs: Home Goods
Brazilian Cowhide Rug: purchased in Columbia, South Carolina 🙂
Chunky Knit Throw Blanket: Made by my Aunt Sheryl!

Things I still want to do in here:
1) I would love to paint the room a pale gray to give it a little more character / definition.
2) I am in debate about putting up drapes.  I usually love them but the space is so small I’m not sure if it would crowd it too much…?  If I did anything I think they would need to be light / sheer.
3) The floor lamp…should I paint it??  I’m not a fan but am trying not to buy much home stuff until we move into an actual HOME one day, at which point I’ll want to get a lot.  🙂
4) If you are wondering about the “coffee table,” it’s an Ikea coffee table and side table pushed together.  We bought them right after getting married as a temporary solution until we found something we loved, but never found the right thing and kind of forgot about it…

*** Any Ideas or Suggestions are Welcome! ***

Keeping up w/ the Harpers

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Hi friends!  Here’s the deal:

We truly love sharing our life with you through this blog and bringing you all on our little adventure with us, but because I am getting a little sick of seeing my Facebook page flooded with Jeans & A T-Shirt updates (seriously, it’s just too much), I have decided to make it a Facebook page of it’s own, and only update there. 

SO – if you like keeping up with us but usually only remember to check-in when I post it on Facebook, you now have 3 options:

1) Like the new Facebook page and then I assume you’ll get updates in your newsfeed, right??  I think that’s how this works…  (*Note* If you are my Facebook friend, I have probably already “invited” you to Like it.  It was just a blanket invitation that went out when I started the page.)

2) Sign up for email updates by entering your email address into the box on the top right (just under the header).  I think this requires clicking on a link in a confirmation email but then you will receive the posts to your inbox every time I post.  Then, you don’t even need to click on the blog – you can read the entire thing in your email or on your phone!

You will get emails that should look like this

3) If you like to manage your blog-reading on your own, then bookmark it or mark it as a favorite so that you can come back whenever you feel like it.

Let me know if you have any questions.  Thanks for going through life with us!!
xoxo ashley

What’s Up?

Posted in Brazil, Friends by

There has been so much traveling lately that I haven’t had a chance to post pictures of our everyday stuff in a while.  So, here’s a little catch-up:

July:

The view of SP from Paige & Trent’s apartment never gets old…

Out with friends at Terraço Itália — best view in the city!

The group at Terraço Itália. Brazilians are awesome photographers.

My sweet cousin, Chloe Lewis, came to Brazil to visit her boyfriend, Jon, who recently moved to São Paulo for work!

Jon, Chloe, me & Michael out at Espirito Santo

Best chopp in the hood.

Chloe joining in on a girls’ lunch,

Expat girls at Oba!

where we sampled the cricket appetizer

Crickets — tasted a little like bacon…

August…

BOS*BBQ – out to dinner with friends after a beautiful day and a free concert in Parque Ibirapuera

Date night!

Michael’s friend from BC, Jon Lennon, came to visit.  The boys first met up in Rio:

Out at the Santa Teresa Hotel bar in Rio where the whole Harper family had been in April!

Loving the Acai at Polis Sucos in Rio.

Jon in SP!  Cheers!

Bos BBQ

Out with Joe (plus Jon & Michael) at Nagayama for amazing sushi

Mercadão!

Mercadão!

FAQ: Safety

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Question: You live in SOUTH AMERICA.  Is it really dangerous?  

Short Answer:  I feel totally safe, although I half expect to get robbed while we live here.  🙂

Long Answer:  We live in a big city, and just like in any big city, you have to be careful.   Although I never feel like I’m in danger of getting assaulted or hurt, robberies are definitely the most common crime where I am.  That being said, I follow a few simple rules that I think will serve me well while I’m here.

A.) Don’t make myself a target.  This means I don’t go into bad areas.  I don’t walk alone at night.  I carry a small purse.  I don’t wear flashy jewelry or use my iPhone in public.  (In fact, Michael and I left my engagement ring and some other valuable, potentially flashy items with our families back in the states.)

B.) Stay Alert.  I am always on alert when I am walking around outside.  I am always looking to be sure that no one is following me or getting too close.  I always know where I am going and I walk with a purpose.  If I get turned around, I PRETEND I know what I’m doing until I feel like I’m in a safe place to ask someone or check my phone.

C.) Stay Calm.  Even with all of these safety precautions, I realize that I still might get robbed.  Robberies are fairly common, and the key is to not freak out and just hand over my stuff.  Once they see a phone and a little cash, I will be free to go.  I hear of plenty of robberies but almost no “horror stories” because the idea is really not to hurt anyone.  So, if I can stay calm, I think all will be well.

All that being said, I really do feel ABOUT as safe as I did living in San Francisco or DC.  You just have to be smart.

FAQ: Things I miss

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Question: What do you miss the most from home?

Short Answer: People, my job and our church.

Long Answer: Here is my Top 5!

1) Friends and Family.  Although we are SUPER thankful for the new friends that we are making AND for the blessing of having family in São Paulo (we love you Joe!), there are still so many people who we miss tremendously.  And not only do we miss them, but sometimes we feel really far away.  Like when something tough happens and we can’t be there.  Or when friends get engaged and have babies and I can’t just hop on a flight to see them.  Or the fact that my sweet niece is growing up so quickly and I feel like I am missing it.  That is the hard stuff.  So, we treasure our visits home and welcome visitors at any time.  🙂  Seriously.

Our families (just missing Brad, Suzanne & now AC!) – Thanksgiving 2010 – Hidden Valley Ranch, AZ.  And yes, we are all wearing custom-made, matching vests.  So what?

2) My job.  I have said it before, but emotionally, this has been one of the toughest parts of moving to Brazil for me.  I don’t have a work visa and therefore the process of getting a job is VERY difficult.  Thankfully I have been finding some cool things to do that keep me out & about and busy, and I am feeling pretty adjusted to this new phase of life, but I do miss having a career.  Plus, I worked with some pretty awesome people in SF (FM shout out!) and I miss it!

3) Our church.  City Church.  We miss you!  We have been really blessed by some of our Christian friends here who have brought us to a really cool, international, primarily English-speaking church called Sampa, and we think that this is where God has us for now.  We also continue to go (about once/month) to our neighborhood Portuguese Catholic mass that has an awesome priest who is super fired up about the gospel (as much as I can tell since he is preaching in another language).  And so we are thankful to be so blessed here.  Thankful to have Christian friends and community. Thankful to be in a country where we are free to worship the Lord.  But our hearts still miss City Church.  It is the community in which Michael and I started our married life and where we made some very dear friends.  It is where God taught and fed us as a couple.  And so while we are thankful for His provision here, we are still missing City Church.

We miss you friends!

4) Conveniences — sort of.  I would be lying if I said I didn’t miss having a dryer, a big dishwasher, heat and AC, a car (although we do hope to get one at some point), online bill-pay, and oh yeah – speaking the language.  So, yes, I miss these things.  But at the same time, they are all reminders that we are here.  We are doing this.  We are not just recreating the life we had in the US.  We are making a new life here in Brazil.  And that makes me happy. 

5) Peanut Butter.  OK, so not really peanut butter per se, but that is almost like the expat code word for all food American that you can’t really buy here.  My list in this category includes: Safeway Salsa (it’s amazing), brownie, cookie and muffin mixes (don’t judge me for using mixes!), tortilla chips, easy mac, good oatmeal, fruit snacks, etc. etc. etc.  That being said, we have been pretty good about loading up on these types of things when we go home so we have a pretty good stock-pile and would, of course, survive just fine without any/all of them (I think).  AND, I have an equally long list of Brazilian things that I have fallen in love with and now cannot live without, too.  🙂

Treasures.  Don’t judge me.