This year for our anniversary, Brad and I decided to forego our traditional long-weekend trip and stay home to take care of the massive DIY project that is our house. I know, I know . . . maybe that sounds super-lame, but I was actually really excited at the prospect of crossing some things off our list that we haven't had time for lately due to our busy schedules.

As I mentioned in my previous post, we've had more than enough outdoor projects to keep us preoccupied, but I've really been itching to personalize the inside of our house. In particular, this means incorporating more Michigan and Detroit-themed items, something we've I've spent lots of time daydreaming about while browsing gift shops, antique shops, online shops . . . you name it.

Interestingly enough, in the midst of a mini “I-don't-know-what-else-we-can-do-to-make-our-home-feel-more-Michigan-y” brain drain, I was contacted by UncommonGoods about trying some items from their anniversary (view here) and wedding (view here) collections. Founded in 1999, this Brooklyn, New York-based company features unique and handmade items that are perfect for gift-giving or decorating (great for wedding season and my own current interior design dilemmas). Browsing the site, I was thrilled to see tons of Michigan-themed and Michigan-created products that conveyed the special/quirky/cool vibe we'd been looking for. Excited to find something that would fit into our new design challenge, I sat down with Brad and we set forth to pick out a belated anniversary treat for our home.