Exterior Entry - Before and Progress

While this might look like a simple before and progress (remember, it takes a while to truly be an "after"), this has evolved since we bought the house. First, I ripped off the storm door before I could even get a picture. And by "I ripped", I mean "I had someone rip". My excuse is that I was 7 months pregnant and in the midst of tax season.

Before I hosted a baby shower this summer (nothing like a deadline!), we had the front door painted and the little jail bars removed from the window.

Most recently, Dad popped off the shutters (yes, "pop" is the proper adjective as it turns out they were affixed with plastic screws), George, our resident electrician, removed the spotlight and put up a new light fixture, and Andy painstakingly put up new house numbers (there are 4 numbers in real life) and a new mailbox.

Kitchen Inspiration

Our plan with the kitchen was to make the best of what we had, but that was a tall order considering what the kitchen looked like. More details on the actual renovation later this week with some before and progress shots, but in the meantime, here are my inspiration images.


top left Tommy Smyth - Photographer: Michael Graydon // top right Coastal Living 2009 Idea House - Designer: Phillip Sides - Photographer: Tria Giovan - Stylist: Heather Chadduck // bottom left Renovator's Notebook: Stunning Kitchen Makeover - Homeowner: Isabella Cairess Favaro - Photographer: Jason Stickley - Featured on House & Home Blog // bottom right House & Home February 2012 - Designer: Stacy Begg - Photographer: Michael Graydon


top left Margot Austin - Photography: Donna Griffith - Via Newlywed Diaries // top right A Country Farmhouse // bottom left This & That Blog // bottom right House Beautiful - Ina Garten 2009 Kitchen of the Year in Rockefeller Center - Photography: Julian Wass

A Fireplace Update

Our sofa is centered on the fireplace in the living room, and we spend a lot of time on that sofa. Eventually we want to do built-in bookcases but that's a ways away, so we needed something in the interim because looking at what came with the house just wasn't going to do.

I already had some ideas but when I saw these two images, I knew we could give our little fireplace a nice and inexpensive facelift!



left Lonny June/July 2012 - Interior Design by Ron Marvin - Photography by Patrick Cline - Art Direction by Michelle Adams // right Erin Gates of Elements of Style

So this is what we had to start with...



And after a few coats of paint and some logs from Michigan (oh, the power of the internet), now we have...



The update was a bit of an evolution. First, Dad ripped up the white wood trim around the hearth. Then when the floors were stained and refinished, those guys patched the area to match. Also, Dad quickly popped off the decorative moulding that adorned the mantle. That's how the fireplace sat for a while. Then Andy took over and finished the job. He painted the mantle Benjamin Moore White Dove, the same color as the trim in our house. Then he painted the brick surround and hearth a glossy black and the firebox a matte black. The different blacks was kind of a happy accident. The interior paint is a super heat resistant paint since we plan to use the fireplace come winter and the glossy paint is also heat resistant but not to the same degree. The happy accident is that it looks great-- the glossy bricks pop while the matte interior just fades away. To finish it off, Mom found some birch logs online (straight from Michigan) and to the eye rolling of Dad & Andy, we ordered those and they look perfect!

Now that's something I can look at every night.

Baby Essentials

If babies aren't your thing, then I suggest you can skip right over this post! I wanted to write down my favorite baby items in hopes of maybe helping someone else and for my notes. When I was registering for Thomas, I read so many blog posts with suggestions and I always find it helpful to read why someone likes an item, so I've tried to include that in here as well. So here we go...



Car Seat - We have the Peg Perego Primo Viaggio SIP 30/30. I must admit that I didn't do much research on this. The horrors! It's only one of the most important safety items for the babe! But I have some friends that did the research so I just piggy backed on their work. Great seat but I will mention one thing that I didn't think about... pay attention to the weight of the carrier. The Peg apparently is on the heavy side of the spectrum and every pound matters once the babes get bigger.

Mirror Have the Brica Baby In-Sight Mirror which does the trick and is a must for driving around! Easy to install, works in both my car and Andy's (both SUVs) and is soft just in case it falls.

Sunshade - Jeep Sunshade (we don't have Jeeps) works perfectly. It's a cling style sunshade that sticks directly to the window. I like that you can cut it up to fit your window and the pack comes with two so you can customize accordingly.

Baby Carrier - This saved me in the early days and is still great now. We decided on the Stokke My Carrier because it can be customized to fit different size people (I'm 5'4" and Andy's 6'3"); the baby can look in, out or be on your back; it has great weight distribution to make it comfy; ergonomically designed for the baby-- happy hips!; it can be used from birth (in Thomas' case at least... 7.7lbs & 21 inches); and it has pockets so you can stash your card case and cell phone for quick errands.

Stroller Toys - Thomas loves Freddie the Firefly but he also enjoys his mouse and his activity spiral along with plenty of other friends!

Stroller - We went with the UppaBaby Vista and I love it! Our plan was to have Thomas sleep in his crib from the get-go. He ended up staying in our room for the first 5 nights home from the hospital (just. too. tiny.) and he slept in his stroller! I popped the bassinet onto the UppaBaby and he slept right in there cozied up to our bed (it's approved for overnight sleep)... Bonus I could roll it back and forth to soothe him. It worked great! Also great for napping while out of the house and on strolls. Like the UppaBaby because of the various attachments. The stroller is a base and then different attachments... bassinet, "toddler seat", and optional carseat carrier attachments. The base easily folds up with the toddler seat or carseat attachment still snapped in which is one less step. Again, Andy and I are different heights and the UppaBaby handle adjusts accordingly.

Diaper Bag - I have the Kate Spade Stevie diaper bag and I love it. I actually have two because I scored a fabulous deal at the Kate Spade Outlet. Things I like-- doesn't scream diaper bag (I actually have the same bag in two smaller sizes), has a changing pad, has lots of pockets-- both exterior and interior, has stroller straps. I'm going to do a separate post on what I keep in our diaper bag.




Bath - Pretty much a necessity to have a baby bath tub when they're so small and can't sit up. We have the Primo Bath Tub which I love but it's big! It's exactly what we needed because we don't actually have a bath tub (just a stand-up shower) and Thomas can be in this for a while.

Towels & Wash Cloths - A hooded towel is great to keep their little heads warm after bath time. I love the Aden + Anais towel sets and the Peacock Alley towels. Both are big and soft. Some towels, while cute, are tiny and it's hard to wrap up the little wet one! Also love these bath puppets. They're cute, but they're also very functional because the mitt makes it easy to wipe down all the little baby folds and creases.

Bath Products - We love the California Baby products, especially the bath wash and the Mustela products, especially the foaming shampoo. And the Noodle and Boo products are great too and smell so precious (yes, when you're a baby, you can smell precious). And we diligently use our scalp brush to keep cradle crap (my name for cradle cap) at bay.

Health & Safety Kit - It's a good idea to have an infant safety kit. Are you going to use everything in it? Probably not. Could you buy just what you need separately? Probably so. But this is an easy way to have some essentials on hand, especially the nail clippers!

Etc - Skip Hop Dunks are cute and functional-- perfect for rinsing baby's head. The Skip Hop Moby Whale Kneeler literally saves my tush and knees every night. And then you have to have bath toys! Love the ones by Green Toys and Elegant Baby.




Changing Table - You definitely don't have to get something that's specifically designed as a changing table. Another piece of furniture will work and will probably last longer. Things to consider: Height- make sure it's a comfortable height so you're not leaning over and killing your back. You spend a lot of time changing diapers. A lot of time. Storage- babies have a lot of stuff. Surface Area- there's a lot of diapering gear that's good to have within reach. I love this Moda Dresser from Room and Board.

Diapers - I briefly considered cloth diapering, so brief that I didn't even mention it to Andy. We use the Pampers Sensitive Swaddlers and Pampers Sensitive Wipes at the suggestion of a wise friend. We've never had any rash issues so if it ain't broke...

Changing Pad - There are lots of them out there. We just have a basic one from Summer Infant.

Changing Pad Covers - As I quickly realized that one changing pad cover won't do. We have plenty of covers and love the Aden + Anais covers. The Boppy Changing Pad Liners are also a must so you're not washing the covers all the time (you already do that enough anyway).

Diaper Pail - We have the Diaper Dekor Plus. So far, no complaints. It's easy to use and never had any smell seeping into the room. That's all I can ask for!




Sound Machine - Andy and I keep a white noise sound machine in our room, so I just got the same one for Thomas. The Marpac Dohm-DS Dual Speed Sound Conditioner is just enough white noise to drown out other sounds.

Pacifiers - For the first three months, Thomas loved his wub-a-nubs. They were essential to him (and us!) getting sleep. Great thing about the wubbanubs is that they can rest on top of the baby's chest so they stay put for longer instead of toppling off. Now that he's found his thumb, he's not so interested in them any more but I'm sure that will change again soon.

Swaddles - I think this is definitely a baby preference thing. I was convinced that Thomas would love the Woombie but he hated that thing more than anything, despite me trying at least 5 times (non-stop crying) before I gave up. For the first few weeks, I just swaddled him in the Aden + Anais Swaddle Blankets but by about 6 weeks, those no longer kept him snuggled up. Then we transitioned into the Summer Infant SwaddleMe which we liked and the Halo Sleepsack Swaddle. What's great about the Halo Sleepsack Swaddle is that you can continue to use it after it's time to stop swaddling the baby's arms. Thomas still sleeps in his Halo Sleepsack Swaddles with just his belly swaddled. One more note about the A + A blankets-- there's a reason you see them everywhere! They're great for swaddling, a light breatheable blanket, a carseat or stroller cover, a burp cloth, a nursing/pumping cover.

Crib & Travel Crib - I think the crib for the nursery is definitely a personal preference thing. You obviously have to be mindful of safety concerns but if you're buying from a reputable company and it's a new crib, then you're probably good to go. We have the Moda Crib from Room & Board and I love it. Adjusts to different heights (think all cribs do?), can convert to a toddler bed (this by no means was a necessity for me but I guess it's a bonus), looks great with or without a crib skirt. Then we got the BabyBjorn Travel Crib which is great. It is lightweight and packs up into a small case and is actually easy to assemble and disassemble. We've used it as a second crib when we have baby sleepovers and for T when he's at his grandparents' places. One thing to note, the mattress is on the floor level so it can be challenging to lay the baby down when he's asleep. Not a problem for me and Andy but just something to consider.

UPDATE
Video Monitor - Not three days later and I already have an update. Actually a gross oversight! I can't believe I left off the video monitor. Maybe I'm just so used to it always by my side that I don't even notice it any more! We have the Motorola MBP36 Video Monitor. Totally spoiled by having a video monitor and now we're hooked. It is really useful if he's fussing and we can watch to see if he's just fussing and will go back to sleep or if we need to go get him. Like the Motorola version because it has the temperature of the room on there, it's easy to use, you can remotely pan the camera (very useful for our little wiggle worm) and you can talk to him!




Bottles - We started with Dr. Brown's and have never had any problems so they seem to work for T. I read complaints that it's a lot of parts to wash but I don't know any differently so it doesn't bother me. The starter set was good for a while, but I did order three additional 8oz bottles. Then there's the drying rack for all the stuff and the bottle brush for washing. After using both, I prefer the munchkin bottle brush over the Dr. Brown's.

Bibs and Burp Cloths - I didn't really understand the need for bibs until Thomas was a bit older. When he was a newborn, he rarely spit up or drooled (oh, those were the days!). I like the Aden + Anais Burby Bibs because they double duty as a bib that snaps around the baby's neck or as a burp cloth over your shoulder. I don't think you can ever have enough burp cloths. My favorite ones have been discontinued but there are plenty of "cute" ones out there. But also make sure to have on hand, the inexpensive cloth diapers for the really dirty clean-ups.

Breast Feeding - I nursed Thomas until about 12 weeks and then started exclusively pumping and giving him bottles. This wasn't a planned out decision but just sort of happened. During those few early weeks, the My Breast Friend was a lifesaver. I have the MBF and the Boppy and much preferred the MBF while nursing. The Boppy was great for propping up T and keeping him cozy although he's now outgrown that phase. This Hellobee blog post sums up my feelings on the Boppy vs MBF. Pumping and washing bottles and parts is probably double the work, but it does provide more flexibility for me and I don't feel any less bonded with T. Because I spend a lot of time with my pump, I am so glad I went ahead and invested in the Medela Freestyle Breast Pump at the suggestion of a dear friend. The Freestyle combined with the Simple Wishes Hands Free Breastpump Bra (a gift from another dear friend) are the only reason I can keep my sanity while pumping. I haven't tried it, but I've read good things about the Arden All-in-One Bra.




When Thomas arrived, I had no "toys" for him. I mean, don't babies just eat, sleep and poop a lot? Thankfully some kind friends and family sent along some and once Thomas was a few weeks old, these were invaluable for little distractions!

Activities - The Wee Gallery Art Cards could entertain Thomas for a bit (long time in the life of a baby). The black and white seemed to be his favorite for the first three months. Also love the Wimmer-Ferguson black and white toys... activity mat and travel toy.

Play Mat - The great thing about the playmat (we have the Skip Hop Treetop Friends version) is that you can use it from the get go. When Thomas was a newborn, he would snooze on his playmat, completely unaware of all his friends around him. Slowly he became interested in all the friends and now just wants to eat them all. He's practiced tummy time on the playmat and now loves to sit in his Bumbo and bat at his friends.

Music - I quickly became annoyed by the made for kids music while I still wanted something geared towards a lullaby. A friend told me about Rockabye Baby and I quickly downloaded a few albums. It's lullaby versions (not just instrumentals) of popular music. We love the Rolling Stones album and some of the Journey songs. Also, now Thomas is loving his Take-a-Long Tunes for music on the go!

Books - I love reading to Thomas and can't wait for him to be more into the stories! We really don't have favorite books right now since Thomas has no idea what's going on but I love the Sandra Boynton books because they remind me of growing up and they're short and silly for when T starts to understand them.

Videos - I really don't like Thomas watching the TV. He just gets transfixed and it kind of freaks me out. I'm sure soon I'll be loving some TV shows for him (break for me) but for now, I definitely keep it at a minimum. We haven't watched any episodes recently but there were a few weeks when Thomas was around 10 weeks old that he had a serious late afternoon melt-down and the Mickey Mouse Clubhouse definitely helped me from losing my cool! Also, he loved to watch this Newborn Visual Stimulator video on my iPad.

Nursery Inspiration

Back in July when we first found out we were expecting, I was all about decorating the nursery! That was before we started house hunting, house buying and house renovating. My decorating budget and time was quickly consumed by our renovations. Oops! When I thought we'd still be in the apartment, this is what I had planned.


chandelier Serena Chandelier by Stray Dog Designs // fabrics Gray Line Linen and Alan Campbell for Quadrille // glider Crate & Barrel Hathaway Glider // table lamp Meurice Floor Lamp by Jonathan Adler // art Animals Alphabet and Numbered Animals at Minted, Heart Party by hillarybird via Etsy, and Love You to the Moon by Gus and Lula via Etsy // lamp Robert Abbey Isis Lamp // rug Wild Chev Rugs by Genevieve Gorder for Carpel Rugs // crib Room & Board Moda Crib

While the nursery is completely functional, it's definitely not decorated. I'm rethinking a few things based on the new house (can't hang a chandelier in the middle of the room because of the low ceilings) but a few things will be the same... we have the crib, glider and floor lamp. Currently gathering ideas for round two of the inspiration. Maybe I'll have Thomas' nursery complete before his first birthday...

Master Bath - Before & Progress

More than one person have mentioned that the "before" pics of the hall bath "aren't that bad". My dad told me "you're never going to be hired to take 'before' pictures because they look too good". See, I was so excited about the new house, and making sure I documented this transformation that I got really into the before pics. I rented a wide angle lens for my camera, used my tripod and took my time taking the pictures. Well since then, my tripod is covered in dust, the rental lens was returned, and day to day life is consumed by moving, tax season, getting settled and now baby! So the progress shots definitely aren't shining! I guess that will have to wait until the "afters".

In the meantime, let's take a look into our master bath. While it is our master bath since it's off the master bedroom, it's hardly the size of what you'd consider a master bath at a whopping 4' x 7' (that's tiny, FYI). We removed what I called the "torture tub" as it was less than 4' long yet quite deep. Just bizarre. Yes, in a true "what's right for the space" decision, we would have gone with a pedestal sink for space and visual purposes, but we needed a vanity so we squeezed one in. Ok, enough with the chatter...


I could go on and on about this bathroom and I certainly will when I share "afters" but I could spend all day in that shower.

Life Update

So on Saturday, March 23 I started this post...
I'm currently sitting in bed, watching HGTV and blogging! This used to be such a normal part of my routine but geez, it's been a while! I've missed blogging and look forward to getting back into the routine but these past few months I've just had to be self-absorbed and focused or else I'm sure I would have had an epic meltdown (or 12). While we have so. much. to. do. it's important to remind ourselves of how much we've accomplished... 2013 has been a big year-- buy the house, substantially renovate the house into our home, move out of the apartment where I've lived for 5 years (with Andy for 2.5), prepare for baby (who will be here no later than April 2) and all of this during tax season which is usually enough to cause epic meltdowns in and of itself!

We're getting settled into our new place and each day, I'm happier and happier to be here. We lucked into an amazing neighborhood. We currently have lasagna in the toaster oven (kitchen is still in progress literally as I type) that a neighbor brought us the other day. Then our across the street neighbor saw the appliance delivery truck in the driveway and realized we didn't have a kitchen so he brought over some BBQ chicken from his grill. The kids across the street have been playing basketball all afternoon and the sounds of all the other kids riding bikes just makes me smile.

Flash forward two days to Monday, March 25...
Thomas Joseph arrived! He was a couple of days early and a surprise to me as I was convinced he was staying put!


We are totally smitten! It's amazing how much he's already grown up in just two weeks! He's packing on the pounds nicely and his doctor gave him the thumbs up at his 2 week check-up. We are slowly adjusting to life as a family of three and the only reason we're not complete zombies is because of the very generous amount of help we've received from the grandmommies! I hope to be back blogging soon as I truly do miss the creative outlet!

Hall Bath - Before & Progress

You're supposed to do "before and afters" right? Well, if I waited for the "afters" to share of the house, it would never happen. So I think it's going to be before and progress shots with follow up progress shots for a while. Andy said the other night "so when we move in, our living room will have a sofa and a TV on the floor?" Yep, that's about right.

But onto the hall bath. I think my "befores" are a little too kind. This bathroom was just down right bizarre (but not as bizarre as the master!) and ugly, so it all had to go!



And that's just what happened. We ripped it all out to the studs. Since our total renovation was originally a fairly small scope, we did not move any plumbing, not that there are that many options in a 5'x7' bathroom (although the master bath is even smaller!).



It was amazing how fast they built it back. The original plan was for a tub but as we got into the renovation, it became apparent that there just wasn't room. I was a little concerned for a bit that the babe would have a deprived childhood of a life without a tub, but I got over that pretty quickly-- he can just go to his grandparents house!



Sources and more pictures to come as we finish up the bathroom. This is one room that might just get finished! But in the meantime, you can find me going gaga over the plumbing fixtures.

Hall Bathroom Inspiration

Our original "cut-off date" was before Thanksgiving. If we didn't find a house before Thanksgiving, we were going to put the house hunt on the back burner and focus on how to rearrange the apartment to make it perfect for our soon-to-be family of 3.

Well that was the plan but that's not what happened. Oops! Realistically, would I really be able to put the house hunt on the back burner if the perfect place came on the market? Nope. So instead we went under contract a few days before Christmas with a closing date in mid-January. Knowing that the beginning of the year is already the busiest time for me with work and add to that planning for the arrival of the babe, it was going to be a tight schedule, especially because we had renovations to do before we move in. So I started gathering inspiration ideas and here are what I had in mind for the hall bath.

Stay tuned for later this week for the before and progress shots of the hall bath!

first row, left Editor Zim Loy's Master Bath featured in House Beautiful's Unique Bathrooms - Cool and Creative Bathroom Design Ideas - Photo by Jonny Valiant // right Real Estate Listing for 305 Sea Lane in La Jolla featured on House of Turquoise // second row, left Liz Caan Interiors // right Bailey McCarthy's Austin Home via Design Sponge - Photos by Paige Newton // third row, left b.home interior design by Tracey Butler // right Kohler's Tresham Collection

Simplifying My Make-Up Routine

I have always loved make-up. I still remember my first "real" make-up. On a trip to New Orleans, mom took me to the Bobbi Brown counter at Saks and after a make-over, she bought me a few eye shadows, a blush and some brushes. That planted the seed and I've loved make-up ever since. I've never been able to stick to a particular "look". I've always liked to do different things, try new things, and generally do something different every day. This hasn't always been a good thing as I have pictures to prove.

Recently I've settled into a routine and have no desire to change things up. I guess after 18 years of experimenting, I've finally hit a groove. It's nice, because I've been able to simplify. Good timing since I'm sure my mornings aren't going to be quite as leisurely once the little one arrives! I'm sure some would not consider the following "simple" but it is for me! And really, I can get through the whole routine in 5 minutes on a work morning.


The Beauty Blender-- this is a must have. Another mom influence in my make-up routine. I think it was a stocking stuffer one year and it's been the first step in my make-up routine ever since. A tip-- make sure you get it damp first. It plumps it up and gives you a sheer coverage of foundation. And the perfect foundation is Laura Mercier's Crème Smooth Foundation. Then Laura Mercier's Translucent Loose Setting Powder with Elizabeth Arden's Face Powder Brush sets everything so it stays on all day.

To finish the foundation, I add a little color... Laura Mercier's Brow Powder Duo and Trish McEvoy Natural Blush.

Then it's time for the eyes-- my favorite part. I feel like this is where I can change things up. Covergirl Liquiline is the best eyeliner... goes on smooth, stays in place and it's from the drugstore! Or sometimes I like to use a smudge brush, like Trish McEvoy's Brush 54 Va Va Voom Smudge and a dark eyeshadow. So eyeshadow. I've never liked a set palette. There are usually a few colors that I like but the rest are wasted. That was until I received the Urban Decay Naked Palette as a birthday present from a dear friend. It's perfect. Finish off the eyes with L'Oreal Voluminous® Carbon Black Mascara and I'm ready to go!

Where's the lipstick, you might ask? That's an area where I still haven't found my stride. I usually just put on some aquaphor and I'm done. Maybe this should be the next thing I work on... Have any lipstick recommendations? Other make-up favorites?

Home Inspiration

Babies and house renovations have been on the brain constantly (oh and taxes but I won't bore you with that!). We closed on the house on a Friday in mid-January and the renovation started the following Tuesday and has been going full speed ever since. Due to the condensed timeline with a firm end date (baby's going to come whether we're ready or not!), we had to do a lot of planning before we even closed (made me a nervous wreck! I don't like to count my chickens before they hatch.). One thing I tried to do was come up with an overall tone for the house. It's not a big house, so I wanted a cohesive look and these are some of the images that inspired me.

first row, left James Michael Howard // right Lonny Magazine Jul-Aug 2011 - Photography by Patrick Cline - Interior Design by Lauren Gold - Art Direction by Michelle Adams // second row, left House Beautiful April 2007 - Designer by Barbara Westbrook - Photography by Pieter Estersohn // right Thom Filicia Inc - Vogue Living // third row Design by Lauren Liess - Photography by Helen Norman & her assistant, F.J. Hughes // fourth row, left Justin Bishop via Desire to Inspire // right Mara Roszak and Alex Polillo's Home featured on Apartment Therapy

And I'm back!

So where have I been the past 2 (err, 4) months?! Riding the emotional rollercoaster of life! Let me preface this by saying, I am incredibly blessed and these are wonderful problems to have. I understand that, but it doesn't mean it hasn't been an emotion filled couple of months! I'm not really not into rollercoasters... we went to the MS State Fair every year growing up, family tradition, but this girl rode 0 rides... instead I ate for 5 people!

Let's catch up... we started the house hunt, found a house we loved, didn't get that one, found another one we loved even more which made us thankful we didn't get the first one, had some overseas negotiations and then got it! It needed some work, just a little cosmetic work before we move in. Well that turned into a whole house renovation (oops!). Oh and I'm pregnant! In 5 short weeks, Baby P should be here and we couldn't be more excited to meet him (yep, a little boy). And all of this during tax season. Andy suggested that since we don't have enough going on, it's probably time to get the puppy we've been talking about.

Even though I haven't done much of anything else, I have missed the blog but what is that commercial? A body in motion, stays in motion? Well, a blogger not blogging, stays quiet. Not quite as catchy but it's true. The more days between blog posts, the harder it was to get things rolling again. But now's the time. I can't promise I'll be here every day but my goal is three times a week. Let's see how that goes, ok?

I know a post with no pictures is pretty lame, sorry. Come back tomorrow for some pretties!