Update According to my Camera Roll

Hello everyone! I know I've been MIA the past few days - sorry! We have been so busy with the BIG move. We are finally moved in, and (for the most part) unpacked...what a relief! I still have a ton on my 'to do' list, but am feeling good about the progress thus far. A huge thanks to my hubby, who has done 95% of the work along the way - as I am not much help at 38 weeks pregnant! He even coordinated my closet, cleaned out all of my handbags (a big job), and bought organizers for all of my accessories - what  a guy! I promise I'll be back very soon to share some exciting updates and photos of the house, but for now...a little life (and some 'house') update via my iPhone.

My gorgeous (first) nephew...Graham Reid

Remember when I posted about my glider? It's finally here - and I LOVE it! 

Unpacking and Organizing 

Reminiscing...looking through an old photo book 

Ready for the big move!

So glad this is over! 

The nursery has been repainted, and I am so happy with the result! The photos don't show the 'true' colors, but it's the perfect coraly pink! Hooray for no more NEON salmon! 

A much needed break from unpacking! 

Progress - still working on these. 

Stressful times wouldn't be complete without a trip to Sprinkes, right? 

Hope your week is going well! 

How Strapping!

I love photography - so much that I invested in  asked for a great camera for my birthday last year. After doing a lot of research (mostly asking photography friends), I decided on the Canon EOS 7D. I'm not sure it was the BEST idea...I feel like I could have started off with something a bit more 'beginner,' but I've had so much fun exploring this camera (I really need to take a class, but I'm pretty good at 'self teaching' - I think?). Go BIG or go home, right?

I want to start using this camera more often, but it's SO big and heavy, making it a chore to tote around, and take with me on a day-to-day basis (which is why most of my photos on the blog are from my iPhone - how sad!). Another reason the camera is difficult to grab on my way out the door, is due to the fact that: IT HAS NO STRAP! The camera came with a strap, but I had someone else put it on for me (tip: don't ever do this), and it was not connected correctly. One night, my poor mother picked up the camera by the strap and it fell to the ground (cement). Luckily, nothing was broken (great, study camera), but it made me realize I need to get a functional strap ASAP. I think it will be easier to use, and I will want to take it with me more often. 

Upon searching for a new strap, I came across so many fab options - who knew?! Not me! 

Here are a few of my favorites: 

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Which one should I get? 

A Pop of Pink

Sorry for my absence yesterday - I was busy running errands - heading to 2 doctors appointments, cleaning, and of course...p-a-c-k-i-n-g. I officially 'purged' for this first time in YEARS. I am usually the girl who holds on to every article of clothing and pair of shoes, because, 'I'll wear that again...' - yeah right. It felt so good - and I ended up with SIX huge garbage bags of full clothing/shoes that I no longer wear or need. The sad thing? A lot of the shoes have never been worn, and some of the clothing still has tags on it...ever happen to you? 

Although I was able to get rid of a ton, there are a few pieces I will probably never get rid of (feel free to call me a hoarder, like my husband does), like these shoes...

It was fun to 'rediscover' some of my shoes, and dream about wearing them again (I have not attempted to walk in 5+ inch heels in quite some time). For the past several months, I've been living in my flats...and I can't wait to get back to heels! There's just something about the way they make you feel, no? 

I am so ready to be moved - only a few more days! My living room currently looks like this, and it's driving me nuts! I hate clutter just as much as I hate 'the waiting game.' It's hard to believe Friday night we will be in our new home...I can't wait!

Enough about moving...let's get to what I really wanted to talk about today - PINK! Not just anything pink, pink in your home. I love decorating with pink, but it can be tricky, especially if your guy has anything to do with it! However, I'm here to prove to you, it's easy to add pops of this gorgeous hue to any room without making it look too feminine. A few perfect examples...

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Add PINK to your home with: 

candles

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art

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coffee table books (one of my favorites)

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fresh flowers

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throw pillows

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Do you have any pink in your home? 

37 Weeks & My Baby Items

Happy Monday, hope you had a great weekend! 37 weeks...welcome to 'full term!' Can't believe I'm saying that - as there is so much more to do before the arrival of this little one! I have been feeling pretty well for the most part - my hands have started to swell a tiny bit (not much, but enough for me to remove my rings), and everything involving physical movement (stairs, getting out of bed, rolling over at night, hauling in groceries, etc) seems a bit more difficult these days! I am getting very excited to get fully moved (this upcoming weekend), and n-e-s-t! I have been craving more and more sweets (not out of the ordinary for me), and discovered my new, favorite treat - carrot cream cheese cupcakes...yum. If you live near a Native Foods, you must try it! It's vegan, and you would never know (I've never had a vegan dessert before this, and it is one of the best carrot cake/cupcakes I've ever had)! 

Much of my weekend was spent running errands and testing paint...see what I mean? 

It's amazing how different the color looks once you get it on the wall - some of them look NOTHING like the color on the paint swatch! We have decided on a color, and I'll be sharing more on that soon! 

This weekend, I also finished buying all of the 'newborn essentials' I will need - at least for the first few weeks...I would much rather figure out I need something and buy it after the baby is here, than stock up on 100 items I don't need/will never use. This isn't everything (obviously), and not all of these are among my 'essentials' list ... just a few items I am most excited about! 

Did you do anything fun this weekend? 

A House Update ((and a paint FAIL))

It's Friday! I am SO happy it's the weekend...how about you? As I mentioned earlier this week, we will most likely spend the majority of our weekend organizing and packing (one of my least favorite things in the world!), but it will be nice to have a bit of downtime as well. My husband will be heading to 'Daddy Boot Camp' tomorrow - can't wait to hear how it goes, I just laugh every time I think of it!

I will leave you today with a few updates on the house - some of the painting is complete, and I love it all most of it. The one epic fail occurred in the nursery - oh joy! But let's start off with something a little more pleasing to the eye...a sneak peek of the kitchen! I am very happy with the way the it's turning out...we're almost there!

Ok...back to the nursery. I ended up going with a Benjamin Moore color (instead of Valspar, which I originally wrote about) for quality and VOC reasons. Anyway, the color I chose looks absolutely hideous - like a pink highlighter! I know neon is 'in' and all, but somehow I just don't think it works for a wall color. I was so shocked when I walked into the room, and kept trying to talk myself into liking it, but it wasn't working (I was up for 3 hours in the middle of the night thinking about how much I hated it). It was simply NOT what I had in mind for the room. This morning, I caved. We are changing it (hallelujah!). I ordered three new samples to be tested in the room over the weekend, and will let the painters know the decision so they can 'fix' the room on Monday. Oops. Without further adieu, I present: the NEON PINK NURSERY.

*please note, these photos don't even do it justice

The color is Benjamin Moore's 'Mixed Fruit.' - don't. do. it. 

It almost glows in the dark - seriously. 

Let's move on to some of my better color choices, shall we? For the majority of the house, we chose BM's 'Revere Pewter,' and to say I love it is an understatement! I was having the most difficult time choosing a color, and couldn't be more thrilled with the way this gray looks on our walls - love! 

I wanted something a bit more dramatic in my office, and decided on BM's 'Stormy Monday.'

Do you like the colors I chose (besides the obvious neon nursery disaster)? 

In other exciting news, I am an auntie again to a beautiful baby boy - Graham Reid! This is my first nephew, and I am so happy for the (now) family of 4! Congratulations you guys! xo 

Have a great weekend! 

Good Things Happening...In The Form Of Mail

Hello, lassies! How is your day going? I have had such a busy week, I am looking forward to the weekend (although, that will probably be even busier). Sometimes I hate the mail (like when they lose all of my mailed letters, thank yous, and birthday cards), but other times I love it (like when I get unexpected letters or packages)!

Today was a very exciting day for me (in terms of the mail). I received the lamp I have been lusting after (ever since I spotted it on Alex Berlin's home tour), and it's just as pretty in person as I had hoped!

I also received two packages of gifts for baby girl - full of the sweetest, most precious items! Thank you Aunties Sara & Meredith - swoon! 

Have you received anything good in the mail lately? 

Renovation Realities

So far, the renovation process has been fairly simple (my husband may tell you a different story). We haven't had any major issues, and each project is turning out better than we had anticipated, which is very exciting. I think this is one of those situations where you're hoping for the best, but preparing for the worst. You never know what you're going to get when you hire someone else to do the job, but we feel that doing research and making expectations clear have really helped us (along with getting more than one bid for each project). In addition to those details, not having to live WITH the renovations has definitely kept stress to a minimum - our lease isn't up until September, so the timing couldn't be better!  I can't imagine living in home that is somewhat 'under construction' - especially a kitchen...props to the people who do that!

The kitchen is coming along extremely well, and I am loving all of the changes - SO happy we decided to go for it! The look and feel of the room have already changed so much, I can't wait for the final reveal!

Again - I apologize, as you'll have to live with the photos from my iPhone for the time being. I need to take my camera over there to get some better shots...but for now, these will have to do!

New countertops & sink installed, backsplash demo complete, and cabinet boxes painted white (terrible lighting, making everything look yellow-ish, which it isn't...well, except the old paint color which is now covered up by subway tile). 

Subway tile going up! Again, terrible lighting, but with the shade removed from the window, this was the best I could do. You can see the subway tile on it's way to the ceiling...no grout yet (we decided on bright white grout). Also seen here - new faucet. 

And here is the kitchen from the same view BEFORE: 

Old backsplash:




New backsplash: detail is a little better in this photo - no grout yet.




We are having roman shades made (to replace the bamboo shades) out of this fabric:

I can't wait for the cabinet doors to be replaced, complete with new hardware. This will (almost) complete the project! We chose cup pulls for the drawers, and chrome knobs for the cabinets. 

On to the master bedroom! We had a built-in made for this awkward HOLE in the wall, and I love the way it turned out (still needs to be painted). It makes the space so much prettier and more functional.

Before:


After: 

Hardware: 

Today, painting begins! We are repainting every room, and I am anxious to see how this will change the look of everything...more on that to come. SO close, yet so far! Happy hump day!