The Nursery Chronicles...Part 2

I kept my word!! It's been quite awhile since I have updated about the nursery progress...don't fret, just because I took a sabbatical doesn't mean we've halted in any sense of the word--little miss will be here in just over 2 months so I am diligently trying to get things knocked out little by little as not to overwhelm myself near the end. You can take a look at our initial "nursery inspiration" post here.

Our contractor completed the home improvements and I am so pleased with the end result...gorgeous 4' high white painted beadboard coupled with built-in closet shelving for the utmost of baby organization, and of course, the furniture.

Here is where the nursery currently stands:

daddy jeff taping to prime the walls--see, he does love pink

 as you walk into the space...the walls are now primed and ready to paint!

a shot of the crib...more detailed shots to come once we have the bedding 

 the dresser/changing table

the side nook...we've got our contractor coming back to
install a built-in bookcase very soon!

 someone's brand new hamper

 a sampling of some of the pieces to adorn the walls

my favorite part...caroline's closet! 

 this child is going to be dressed to impressed...
Mimi and I may have gone a little overboard already ;)

custom clothing dividers were a must 

 

I am in LOVE with the crib and the dresser--classicly chic with a hint of glamour. I am still waiting for the bedding to arrive and then painting the walls will commence--Jeff is ecstatic about a blush pink room for his little princess ;).  

After that, we'll be decorating with all sorts of fun new decor and I'll be assembling a gallery wall with frames, printed quotes, art, mirrors, and such to "cozy up" the room. Other odds and ends on my plate:

• Buy window treatments--maybe a pattern if I find the right one!
• Install floor rug
• Insert upholstered chair--just waiting on the custom piece to be delivered
• Buy a moveable ottoman/pouf for the floor
• Find and install a mobile for the crib
• Organize all of the little one's necessities {oh how I heart organizing!}

So there you have it. Progress made indeed, yet still so much to accomplish in a short amount of time so we'll be adding little details here and there until I can reveal the final nursery, hopefully by mid-to-late February. Hope you all enjoyed this little peak into Caroline's boudoir.

Christmas At Our House...Decor Time!

By no means did I have ample time {or energy, let's be honest} to devote endless amounts of holiday decorating around the abode this year, though I did manage to get most of our decorations out to make the house festive. There is just something about coming home, turning on the Christmas lights, lighting some candles, and snuggling on the couch to watch classic holiday movies...doesn't get much better than that.
You will notice very quickly that I love any and all nutcrackers...something my Mom has a fascination with as well--must be from all those years when my parents would take me to see The Nutcracker at the Ballet!
Here is a little peak at our house, all decorated for Christmas!

The entryway...ho ho ho!

The favorite silver reindeer...courtesy of none
other than Pottery Barn {surprise!}

 Our new nativty set...I have been on the hunt for a small,
simple one for years and I finally found it

 Our gold and silver tree...the real frasier fir!

 Our sentimental tree...filled with ornaments from
our travels and our childhood heirloom ornaments

That was all I could manage to do this year...outside we did simple white Christmas lights wrapped around our columns and on our landscaping and trees paired with fun and festive berry wreaths and a burlap nutcracker. Now I just have to remind myself to take pictures of the outside so you can see ;)

The Nursery Chronicles...The Inspiration

Ahhh...the real fun begins. We’re currently in the process of designing our nursery—obviously a big undertaking for such a small little wee one who will soon occupy the space {March is just around the corner after all}. Contrary to some, I am looking for a calming, relaxing atmosphere for Miss Caroline…no bright colors, no baby-ish themes, only simple and serene for our little peanut. So, I wanted to post some of my favorite nursery looks to show you a little more about how we’re “envisioning” the perfect baby room.

love the mostly white space with hints of pastel colors

 timeless and classic

such a calm and gorgeous space

 adorable chair with feminine accents all around

 my favorite inspiration picture

Progress has been made, as we checked off one huge component from our to-do list last week…we ordered Caroline’s nursery furniture and bedding! I had been anxiously awaiting Restoration Hardware Baby and Child’s Friends and Family Sale and when I got the email saying it was coming, Jeff knew it was time to hand over the money so I could get down to business! I'm not going to lie, it was a bit difficult for me to order furniture I’ve not seen in person, though I did order wood swatches beforehand to get an idea of the coloring—here is an inspiration board I created with some of the items we've purchased so far, which will hopefully help us through the rest of our shopping adventures and what we hope the nursery to look like once it's all finished:

Caroline's furniture is the Emelia Collection from RH Baby and Child in French Grey
and the bedding is the Europen Flax Stripe Colection in Petal

I really wanted furniture that she could grow with, as the crib converts into an adorable toddler bed, and the dresser is a piece we will mopst certainly keep forever…elegant, simple lines with classic details—swoon! More shopping to be done in the near future, including ordering art for the walls, window treatments, new lighting, as well as an upholstered glider. And of course, painting the nursery--doubtful that this will remain a "neutral" colored space, for my husband was fully aware once they confirmed girl it was going to be endless amounts of blush and bashful in our future. Cannot wait to see the progress of what promises to be my favorite new room in the house and I promise to update as we go! ;)

Wednesday Loveables

We watched Crazy Stupid Love last night and I have to rate it a solid B. The story line was good, the actors were perfectly cast, the mix of humor and drama was adequate, and the eye candy on Ryan Gosling practically naked for a good portion of the movie, score!

I’ve already knocked out Christmas shopping for almost ½ my list… thankful for being able to order online, as this is making a BIG difference in my shopping experience.

The home renovations are going to be done Friday…thank heavens! Not that I don’t love having people in my house all hours of the day, but it’s going to be wonderful to come home to a normal house—and more decorating to be done to put finishing touches on the spaces. Above is a little sneak peak at some of what has been going on in the downstairs family room and kitchen/dining room!

Christmas Village—need I say this again? Mom and I are set to go Friday afternoon, and I’ve  taken off work early…yes, it’s that important to beat the “evening crowd” and avoid the screaming babies and Moms with strollers that come in the mornings {and no, next year that won’t be me…that is what Jeff is for} ;)

For our Junior League provisional project, we are working with two local charities—the Oasis Center as well as the McNeilly Infant and Toddler Center. We’re gathering all sorts of goods so the centers will be fully stocked for winter months and it feels so good to give help others.

It's official...I'm a holiday crazy person. Since next week is crazy with appointments, Junior League meetings, and Tis the Season shifts to work, and we'll be out of town for Thanksgiving, I am going to start decorating for Christmas this weekend--I know it's early, but I can't fathom waiting until December to get everything done, so I'm starting early...and yes, I do feel as though I have to defend myself on this decision--haha. Don't judge.

Our Home...The Before and After Tour

Ask and you shall receive! I had loads of comments and messages asking for a home tour of our little cottage...a lot has changed since the 1.5 years ago we moved in--my how time flies! Though my before and afters aren't as drastic as hoards of homeowner DIYers out there, it's crazy to see just how many little details {and a lot of paint} go a very long way. Check out how our house looked when we bought it here.
Note: The before pictures are when we bought the house in January 2010 and the after pictures are as of September 2011.

Our master bedroom...my favorite place

 My side of the bed...bookshelf with some of my favorites--coffee table books from our travels, my seashell jewelry box from my grandparents when I was little, and countless books and pictures

 Jeff's favorite...the TV ;)

 Every girl MUST have a full length mirror in her room!

 The master bathroom...still work to be done, mostly art on the walls

 Le toilet...obviously nothing glamorous

 The kitchen and dining room...my favorite room and I'm obsessed with the paint color

 The buffet...cocktail concoctions galore! {for everyone, but me right now}

 My refrigerator...I should've taken a picture to let
you see how organized it is--OCD people!

The foyer into the house...the armoire is one of my favorite pieces!!

 The oppostite side of the entryway looking into the formal living room

 Formal living room...

 Where Jeff spends most of his time...the downstairs family/man room

 I've started my fall decorating...little pieces here and there, but more to come!

 The little crafting nook {or food area for football season eating}...and yes, those are the moss letters from our wedding! I just had to use them somewhere

 The main level guest bathroom

 The upstairs full bathroom

 The small guest bedroom

 {notice the painting that needs to be hung ASAP!}

 Larger guest bedroom...see all the closet storage that has now been moved
to make way for the contractors starting this week!!

And the office AKA the new nursery! This room is in for the biggest transformation and I am really excited about it...different paint and new furniture, addition of beadboard to the bottom half of the walls, built-in bookcase and custom closet design--can't wait to show off lots of before, during, and after pictures!

It may not be the perfect home, but it's the perfect home for us and we couldn't love it anymore...it's got our personalities wrapped into it and suits our lifestyle perfectly--even better, it's great for entertaining, too! Much more work to be done in the coming years, but I hope you enjoyed the fun little tour and showed you a bit more into our home and overall style.
And P.S. though I know some of you will ask where certain items are from, before you email or comment, to be honest...it may just be easier to check the pages of the Pottery Barn catalog and website first ;)