Railing It Up

Wow, I can’t believe we are already setting up a crib! Of course I had to document Joey putting together the new bed for our baby. Even if he pretends to be camera shy, I know he secretly loves his candid photo opsJ

 

 

We went with the Davinci Jenny Lind Crib in white from Target. Honestly, I was a bit worried about the quality because the price was so affordable (under $200!), but so far I am really loving it. I have seen this exact same crib at specialty stores for more than double that price and its made by the same manufacturer and looks identical. So I am baffled as to why someone would pay the extra cost for it, but not I! My amazing sis gave the crib to us as a baby shower gift so I have her to thank for helping this nugget sleep in styleJ

It was super easy to put together- took us less than 20 minutes, and it felt really solid and sturdy.  The white is a nice crisp color and the wheels on the bottom make it easy to move around when I want to vacuum the dust bunnies from under there ( bahh- who am I kidding, I will never do that, but it sounds like something a good mom would do…).  I went with white because the gender of the baby is going to be a surprise, so I figured something clean and simple would be the way to go.

 

*Please note Joey's "If you don't stop taking pics of me I'm just going to make funny faces" face. The boy loves to model, just hates to admit it :)

 The space is pretty tight in the nursery/guestroom, but I was pleased to see that the crib fit right into the little nook that I imagined for it.

 

I ordered the mattress on Amazon that is specifically designed for this style of crib- The Davinci Twilight Ultra Firm Crib Mattress-6”. Apparently the crib is slightly longer than a standard crib, so this mattress is the best fit. At $68 plus free shipping (booya Amazon Prime!) I didn’t break a sweat like I thought I would. I thought the mattress would be relatively expensive since adult size ones can cost an arm and a leg. So under $70 was a pleasant surprise. It is totally waterproof for those lovely middle of the night accidents J

Time to start on the bedding! Of course I plan to DIY that because how hard could it be? If anyone can sew a few rectangles, its this girlJ

Anyone else enjoy the photo-op of their significant other putting together their crib? I feel like that is something I wanted to document for baby’s scrapbook, and thought you might too!

 

XOXO Katie

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Deal of the Day

Just in case you are like myself, and do a clean sweep off all of your emails without reading half of them, there was one that you might not want to miss.

This popped up on in my Livingsocial email the other day:

 

 

 

Love Rugs USA.

They have great rugs for super affordable prices. Here are a few on the site right now that I have been lusting over...

Homespun Inspire Navy Rug
 

 

Homespun Chevron Light Blue Rug
 

 

Overdye Jalsa Turquoise Rug
 

 

Santa Ana Verden Ikat Teal Rug

 

 

Tuscan Terali Moroccan Trellis Sunshine Rug

 

This deal ends on Monday so nab it up while you can!

 

XOXO Katie

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Going Neutral

A big "thank you!" to everyone that sent their kind words when I dropped the news about the baby on the way. We are so excited and I can't wait to share all of the fun things that this new chapter will bring!



We have decided that we are not going to find out the gender of our little nugget before his or her arrival. For the control freak planner in me this is going to be a little tricky, but I never walk away from a challenge :) Alas, people have done it for millions of years, and I don't think my baby will be any less bombarded with colorful and (probably) unnecessary accessories than the next on the block.

 

Honestly, I didn't really have to think twice about not finding out the sex of the baby. I just remember listening to the story of when I was born and how exciting it was for my parents when the doctor called out, "Its a girl!". My parents had been convinced I was a boy as they already had my brother and there had been a long string of boy cousins all born in a row. So when they realized that a tidal wave of pink and sparkles had just entered their life they were shocked and excited (or so they say...). I just want that same feeling when our own baby arrives!

 

 

Here are the challenges that I am going to be working with in the soon-to-be baby's room:

 

 

#1. It has to be a fully functional guest room as well as baby's room. My mom and sis are going to come and stay once the baby comes and I want it to be totally comfortable for them. Not like they are sleeping in a Toys-R-Us.

 

#2. We are on a VERY tight budget and I am determined to do this room for as close to $500 as I can get.

 

#3. Storage is a huge issue. Our closet in the guest room is already 3/4 full and we have no additional storage in our apartment or building. When it comes to "baby gear" we are going bare bone style. Like, "does a baby really need a crib?" bare bones style...

 

#4.  Since we won't know the gender, the color pallet needs to appeal to both a boy or girl. It can be somewhat adapted later, but I would like all the main components to be in place before I'm working on 2 hours of sleep a night.

 

#5. I already have some of the components of the room in place because it was already a functioning guest room (light gray walls, rug, chair, drapes, comforter, bookcases) so whatever I do needs to be in line with those elements. I really don't want to buy anything new if we already have something that is in good shape.

 

 

Below is the inspiration board that I am going to be working from. I am sure some things will change but so far I am loving the look!

 

The color pallet will be tan, cream, white, and pale blue. I will add in pops of pink if the nugget ends up being a girl, but I think that baby will be happy with the room no matter what!

 

Crib / Rug / Lamp / Dresser / Basket / Fabric / Chair

 

XOXO Katie

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Flaunt Your Feathers

The moons collided with the great find that I had this weekend. I was walking around the block to our local market to buy an ingredient for my latest Pinterest inspired meal, and I stumbled upon small and somewhat...ahhem informal flea market on the lawn of our neighborhood recreation center. I have seen this group of characters there before and usually take a quick glance, but never find anything good. Unless you want a crude oil painting of JFK wearing clown costume to go above your fireplace. If so, then this flea market is for you.

 

Please note the bed pan in this pic- true gems here for sure :)

 

Well, after taking in the "interesting" array of goodies I came across a set of  gold aluminum peacocks that I knew just had to be mine. I knew the vendor was desperate when I had asked the price and she just replied with, "Well, make me an offer." Game on, Lady. And after pretending to look concerned about the flaking paint and one bent feather I blurted out, "Well, I have $5 dollars in my purse. So that's the best I can do....for both" And guess what?! She said "Then I guess I have no choice- $5 it is." Dunzo! These boys were mine!

 

They are now perched above the side table in our living room, which was screaming for some kind of sculptural work because another piece of art would have been too close to the botanical series above the couch.

 

 

 

I love the way the peacock image in carried out through interior design. It can go from traditional, to bohemian, to art deco so seamlessly. Considering the peacock represents rebirth, immortality, and love I am happy to have these statement pieces in my home.

 

Here are some other uses of the image that I just love...

 

I have been on the hunt for the last 2 years for a brass screen like the one above. I think it would look amazeballs in front of my faux fireplace that I installed forever ago! I am thinking that I need to suck it up and just order it on Ebay.

XOXO Katie

**Just a reminder the leg warmer giveaway still open for entries- so enter now because there are only 2 days left until the winner is announced!**

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Clean Slate

We are staying at my parents new house this week, and I am having fun with my mom trying to help her choose what direction she wants to go in with her decor. They are essentially starting with a clean slate in the living room so I put together this inspiration board based on what colors she is looking to incorporate : washed blue/ aqua, red, beige, a darker wood tone, and gold.

Lamp / Coffee Table / Pillows / Chair / Rug / Sofa

Paint Colors:

SW Dover White & SW Rainwashed Blue

The only pieces that are for sure going to be in the room are the sofa (x2), a mahogany secretary, and my grandmother's painting. You saw another one of her paintings a while back when I did my clay flower vase project - isn't she talented?! That lady has skillzzz :)

The new house does not having a formal living room, so my mom wants to go for an "in-between" style; nice enough to have company over for a dinner party, and comfortable enough for everyday lounging and TV watching.

I am sure my mom will change her mind 50 times over, but so far so good!

XOXO Katie

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Oh Jackie

When vintage fashion and home decor combine its like hearing angels sing :)

Eight years ago there was an exhibit at the Field Museum in Chicago featuring Jackie Kennedy and what she wore during her time in at the White House. The pieces were stunning yet simple with clean lines and classic cuts.

As my mom and I were heading out I saw this poster in the gift shop and had to nab it up.

It was the perfect combination of vintage femininity with a modern vibe in the photography of the pieces.

Well, after I spent the weekend helping my parents go through our old house I decided that I could not bare to let go of this poster, and that it needed its due respect with a proper frame.

I am trying to decide what kind of frame and matte I should go with, so please help me out!

Here it is with a few different framing options. I am kind of loving it with either the the thin gold one (middle left) or the black one with white matte and back trim (bottom left). But what do you think???

Joey does not love the poster because it is too "girly", but I am thinking that for a powder room or little girl's room it might be perfect. Or for that giant walk-in closet of my dreams...but back to reality!

XOXO Katie

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