Evelyn’s Nursery

For me, there is not much more I enjoy than putting a nursery together for my little one as I anticipate their arrival.  It helps me to connect with them by creating a little oasis where I know they will create amazing memories. Evelyn’s nursery is something I have been dreaming about for some time, but it also posed a huge challenge for me since we were in the middle of moving and relocating during most of my pregnancy.  As soon as I found out we were having a girl, I started piecing together some of my favorite things.  I wanted a room that is soft and feminine and slightly sophisticated….but most of all, somewhere that she can dream and be inspired to imagine. Considering everything was sort of piece-mealed together over a few months of living out of boxes, it actually all came together better than I could have imagined.

There are so many personal and meaningful touches in her room, and I can’t wait for her to discover them as she grows.  The antique light fixtures were repurposed and custom-made by my parents–they were actually used at my baby shower for Grady originally as custom pieces there as well.  My husband and father-in-law personally built out the wainscoting in her room, which adds the perfect amount of white to go with her girly pink walls. The antique shadow-box shelf was built by my mom and my sister handmade the beautiful dream catcher that hangs on her bookshelf….I mean, how lucky can this little girl get?!  Then of course, there’s the Icelandic sheepskin I bought for my ‘future little girl’ during my trip to Iceland before I even conceived her.  So many things that all came together perfectly to envelope her with pure love.

Since the space is fairly small, it was a bit challenging to accomplish everything I wanted, but I think it has just what she needs during the first few years of her life.   I wanted to incorporate lots of beautiful texture along with several shades of pink/rose and cream/gold. I set up a cozy little sitting area where I hope she will read and learn, daydream and imagine, and simply discover what it is to be a little girl.  I love how soft it feels in there….and I have a feeling it will perfectly match her personality.  I can’t wait to find out and discover who she is within her own little sanctuary!

Links/Resources 

Crib

Changing Cabinet (RH Baby Brigitte Wide Cabinet)  – sold out similar here

Bookshelf

Side Table

Pink Stool

Bedding

Reading Nook Floor Pillow

Wall Tapestry

Wooden Name (we sewed/glued the name to the wall tapestry and hid the strings to create the final look I wanted)

Rug

Crystal Table Lamp

Giraffe

Llama Bookends

Dolls and Bunny

Gold cups/vases

Heart-shaped clock

Bow Hooks

Baby Photo Frame (received as a gift)

Bow Holder

Flamingo Plush

Large Cat Plush

Assorted Pillows from Home Goods and Target

Books from Amazon!  (girl/pink books are hard to find! These titles are some that I scoured the internet for)

Gold Baskets from Target

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A Pretty Little Sprinkle

Yay! I am so excited to have the pics back from the Baby Sprinkle my mom and sister hosted for us.  We are so thrilled to have these beautiful images to capture the day we spent celebrating our little girl.  It was really important to all of us to have a family-friendly affair with girly flair….and I’d say we accomplished just that!  Grady did not enjoy the event as much as we would have hoped and was extremely anxious the entire time, so that made it difficult for John and I to thoroughly relax with our family and friends….but we made the most of it and had a fabulous time!

My mom of course took it to the next level (as she does), but my sister and I were sure to help with the details along the way ( you guys know I can’t keep my fingers out of these sorts of things hahaha).  We went with simplistic — feminine pinks, touches of gold, natural greenery, and lots of bright lighting thanks to the beautiful venue.  Some of my favorite things that helped make the day extra special included a Balloon artist for the kids (and adults!); an activity area set up for the kids to keep them entertained (equipped with mess-free Crayola markers, jumbo faux wood blocks, a teepee, and a magnetic board with the alphabet); beautiful pink and gold dresses lining the fabric-tufted walls of the venue (so excited for these beauties to be added to her closet thanks to my mom and dad); hand-sewn gold strands of hearts as the back-drop to the dessert table (all hand-made by my amazing mom!); and gold and pink heart balloons lining the perimeter. Every single detail came together so beautifully and we feel so blessed to continually be showered with such love from family and friends.

After such a gorgeous day, we are reminded of the perfect blessing we have in this baby girl. We cannot wait to meet her and to share her beauty with the rest of you.

Links:

Venue:  The Addison 

Photography: Thompson Photography Group

Balloon Artist: Balloon Masterz 

Cotton Candy Favors: Cotton Candy Confectionery

Eucalyptus Garland: Fifty Flowers 

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Our Last Few Weeks of a Family of 3

With Evelyn’s due date right around the corner (July 6th), we are counting the limited days we have left as a family three. It’s definitely bittersweet…I’m sure it’s going to be hard to see Grady go from my baby to the big boy of the family.  But we are also so excited to meet this little angel and watch him fully embrace his new role as a big brother.

As I look back over these past 9 months and all of the heavy decisions we made along the way, I can honestly say that I am so happy with where we are.  The decision to stay at home with Grady was never an easy one, but it is the best decision of my life.  I have learned so much about myself, motherhood, and happiness over these past few months. And while we have faced plenty of challenges along the way with selling the house and preparing our new home, we have also seized our opportunity to fully relish our time together.  Grady and I have developed a bond even stronger than I ever thought possible…and there is absolutely nothing in this world that can replace that.  He continues to push me and to teach me on a daily basis, and I only expect for him to challenge me further as the days progress.  Obviously, I wouldn’t have it any other way!

I often get asked about the status of starting my business.  And honestly, I just have not had the time to concentrate on that at this point.  While it is still very much a goal of mine, it is not my primary focus at the moment and will likely take a back seat until after we settle into our new home with our newest addition and I have the chance to evaluate any true opportunities.  The interesting thing is that I don’t feel a huge urge to dive right into something….I am perfectly fulfilled staying at home with my babies. If you had told me that 5 years ago, I would have said you are crazy.  But this journey has taught me to expect the unexpected and to truly appreciate the quiet and fleeting moments in life.

I have been working on some fun projects in our new home like the new Playroom and Evelyn’s nursery, so I will share that here soon!  But I wanted to just give a quick update on what has been keeping us so busy these past few months.  We are finally settled and counting down the days to being a Family of Four!

It has been a long few months and we are so thankful to our family for all of their support and of course our friends who have helped to keep us sane along the way!

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