{Decorating} Baby Girl Nursery

On November 13, 2012 my husband and I welcomed our second child, Drew Rebecca. A little girl. A daughter of my very own. A healthy and beautiful baby. We are soooo BLESSED!

Her nursery is complete for the most part, and I thought I'd share. We moved Drew into my son's old nursery and basically kept it almost exactly as it was. I chose a soft blue and white for Dean's nursery almost three years ago now, and I figured if I had a girl, I would add in some light and dark pinks and if I had a boy, I would freshen it up by adding in some celery green. I know I will be doing a "big girl" room in a few years and changing it all again, so it just made sense to make minimal changes at this point.

Here are the details...

Let's start with bedding. I kept my son's simple pique white and pale blue bedding from Pottery Barn Kids and changed out the sheet for something with a little pink {also from PBK}. I found the dark pink chevron lumbar pillow at HomeGoods and snatched it up.

Drew just had her newborn pictures taken last weekend by Karen Carpenter Photography, so once I place my order, I will swap out the newborn pics of her brother that are currently there ;-} I hung a super simple mini crystal chandelier over the shelf, and I just love it. I've had this chandelier for a long time and used it in my office/craft room, and even in the bedroom of my first apartment. I knew it would be sweet in a nursery one day if I had a little girl.

I hung a fabric bunting I made from the old windows that serve as a backdrop for the picture frames. And I found a pink fan at HomeGoods that I added to the shelf.

The leaning ladder shelf holds my sprinkle invitation, an owl and the initial "D" which I spray painted pink, and some personalized nursery art. I have to finish up Drew's stats and once complete, it will fill the empty frame.

I also bought Drew's big brother a new navy airplane piggy bank for Christmas, so she could keep the pale blue piggy in her room ;-}

I purchased a new pale pink changing table cover from Target and recovered the four canvases above the changing table/dresser with the same inexpensive fabric I used to make the bunting.

My favorite part of the entire nursery is the butterfly and crystal mobile hanging just beyond the crib. I ordered this from PBK, and it's STUNNING in person. I wanted it to hang over the crib; however, it's quite large and hangs down pretty low. Baby girl would have this ripped to pieces as soon as she could stand if it was over the crib and within her reach ;-}

The entire mobile is made of white and pink butterflies with little crystals -- so girly and pretty! The picture does not do it justice at all. My niece, Maura Kate, will also have one of these hanging in her soon-to-be bedroom. Did I mention my sister and her family moved home from Virginia in August and just bought a house less than five minutes from me?! We are practically neighbors!

That's a wrap! I addeded some pretty pink details into my girl's new room for less than $200, and I am actually loving the pale blue with pinks incorporated. Now I better get saving for a big girl room ;-}

{Home} A Few Updates on the Home Front...

Hello there! It's been quite a while since I've updated my blog, so I thought it might be fun to give ya'll a little peak at some of the projects/home updates we've accomplished in the last few months.

Let's start with the framed chalkboard that now sits on my dining room buffet {not so much a project but more of a purchase ;-}. I spotted this framed chalkboard in PB and had been admiring it for a long time, BUT it was $100 :-( That's a lot more than I wanted to spend, so I started keeping my eyes peeled every time I went to TJ Maxx and/or Home Goods. Thankfully, last week I found one for...$25. SCORE!

Next up...curtains. I contemplated buying all new curtains for my family and dining rooms; however, I wasn't really finding anything that I loved all that much. So, I decided to simply move the curtain rods up above the trim {a major design fopa I made upon installing the rods was they were much too low} and adding curtain rings to give them a little more length and change their overall look just a tad.

Moving the rods up above the trim made a huge difference in our family room especially! I also updated the pillows on the bench by nixing the turquoise and incorporating gray.

Next: simple upstairs gallery wall. I recently added a big, thick stripe on the wall with some of my favorite IKEA frames. I can't wait to fill these with pics of my son and new baby GIRL after Karen Carpenter Photography takes their pictures this weekend!

This summer my hubby added two small frames in our kitchen to display some of our son's artwork. I would love to have more space for a larger "kiddie art gallery" but not in this house ;-}

Lastly, I finished my son's little book nook in his big boy bedroom by adding the word READ to a small space on the wall. Complete! Now it's time to work on my daughter's nursery!

**My baby girl, Drew Rebecca, was born on November 13th. She is PRECIOUS, and we are feeling so blessed! Pics and nursery details soon!

{Decorating} Fall Touches

Good Morning and Happy Monday to you ;-} Although I'm not super excited to be starting yet another work week, I am excited that we are in the midst of a beautiful fall season. A few weeks ago I did some fall decorating {simple of course} and thought I'd share.

First up...my mantle. It's rather small, but I'm happy to have one at all. I threw together a combo of twigs and berries, white pumkins, sparkly black spiders, and some other Halloween odds and ends. My favorite? The black crow my MIL bought for me a few years ago. I also love the framed Halloween art my friend Alyssa of Flourish Designs made for me a few years ago.

The old bookcase in my dining received some of the same treatment as my mantle with the twigs and berries.

I was all about pumpkins for my dining room buffet this fall season. Different colors, sizes, textures, etc. I also hung some sparkly black spiders {hard to see} from the different pumpkins. I purchased a pack of spiders {maybe 12 per pack or so} last fall season from Pottery Barn, and I love them. They give me just a touch of sparkle, which I always love, and are a perfect size and Halloween touch.

I couldn't forget about my front porch ;-} I took the outdoor pillows I had purchased for my bench this summer and covered them with inexpensive fabric from Joann's. I had planned on having my grandmom help me with this, but her sewing machine was on the fritz, so I had to handstitch them both myself. UGH -- much more time than I had wanted to devote to these little guys, but I am pleased with the final product.

What's fall without pumpkins? And mums? I love the hogpodge of shapes and sizes up there.

So, that's what fall looks like at my home. What about yours?

**36 weeks pregnant today AND feeling very ready to be finished work and do a little relaxing. Relaxing? What's that? ;-}

{Random} Babymoon to Baltimore

This past weekend my hubby and I escaped for a little getaway. Some call it a babymoon, others call it a mini-vaca. Whatever your preference, it was simply wonderful.

You see, we felt the need for this little break from reality because I'm 34 weeks pregnant with our second baby, and we have a feeling that life as we know it is basically going to end come November...just kidding ;-}

{Recipes} Meatball Sub Casserole

I recently made this yummy little game day meal when I had my parents over for dinner and to watch a Sunday football game. I'd pinned it on Pinterest a while ago but was saving it for a game night dinner.

It was pretty darn good and the absolute best part? Soooooo sooo easy. You know me...if it's not easy, I'm not making it ;-}

I paired my casserole with potato salad and a big green salad.

::Meatball Sub Casserole::

Ingredients:
- 1 package frozen meatballs, bite sized
- 1 package onion and bell pepper frozen stirfry mix, thawed and drained
- 1 1/2 cups spaghetti sauce
- 1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
- 1 French baguette, thinly sliced
- EVOO

Directions:
1. Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees.
2. Slice baguette and brush each piece with EVOO. Line baguette (oil side up) in the bottom and sides of your casserole dish (okay to overlap a little).
3. Bake bread for about 5-10 minutes or until golden brown.
4. In a separate bowl, mix meatballs, pepper and onion mix, and spaghetti sauce.
5. Remove bread from oven and spoon meatball mixture into dish and on top of bread.
6. Bake for 25-30 minutes or until throughly heated through center.
7. At 25 minutes, pull casserole out and add mozzarella cheese and bake for another 5 minutes or so.
8. ENJOY!

**Check out my Game Day board on Pinterest for more food and party inspiration for your football Sundays this fall.
**LOVE the fall but it's already flying by. We have lots to accomplish on our Fall Bucket List & To Do List before baby #2 arrives mid-November ;-}

{Random} OBX

Ohhh, OBX. I just adore you. My family has been vacationing in Corolla, North Carolina for a week in the summer since I was in high school. The vacation has grown to include my mom's two brothers and their families as well. When all three families are there, we're talking around 40 plus people. Nothing better.

We were fortunate this year to have amazing weather during the last week of August, which is prime time for hurricanes to sweep up the east coast and wreck major havoc. Every single day was gorgeous complete with blue skies and brillant sunshine.


This is one of my favorite pics of my little man on vaca this year. He doesn't stay still for very long and rarely will look at the camera and smile on cue, so it was absolutely wonderful to have an opportunity where he was smiling and stationary for a minute to snap his sweet face. Plus, it captures what summer vacations are all about -- sun, sand, and carefree fun.


Our family attempted family pics on the beach again this year. We were missing three family members so there were some holes :-{ My brother and wife were unable to be there and my sister's hubby as well. We still had fun taking the pics, but it's not quite the same when some of your peeps are missing.


My sister snapped this pic of me at 28 weeks pregnant with baby #2. Other than being a little tired from chasing after my on-the-move 2 1/2 year old, I'm feeling really good and having another great pregnancy. Blessed!


Some of the vacation highlights included:

- Ghost crab hunting with the kids {pic above}. They were sooo cute & excited!
- Family pics on the beach
- Pool pizza party with the entire clan
- Beautiful beach days with cousins
- Family dinners
- Nap time {which meant a few hours of relaxation for us adults ;-}

**Back to REALITY on Tuesday. It doesn't seem quite so overwhelming this year because I'm only working until the first week of November. Then I'm off until the following September to be home with my little boy and new baby boy/girl!
**ENJOY your Labor Day weekend!

{Invitations} Emily's Baptism

I created these baptism invitations for my friend Lauren's little girl, Emily. Lauren requested something simple and pink, so I decided on a pink ombre stripe with all the verbiage inside a pretty frame. I think they turned out cute!

**I do not accept custom design orders {although I do try to accommodate my closest friends and family}, but I sell many of my collections digitally. I've gotten a ton of requests for the Little Mister Collection. Please do not hesitate to contact me if you would like to purchase a digital party collection!

**TGIF -- ENJOY!

{Decorating} Big Boy Bedroom

The BIG BOY room is finally complete! We originally had a goal of finishing and getting our son settled in his new room and bed by early July. We soon realized that was not going to happen and settled on mid August -- haha. It took a lot longer to move the entire office up to the third floor, which is not nearly as big of a space. There was a lot of purging and organizing of the office materials, and I still feel like we have too much stuff! It felt like an episode of Hoarders over here...


Dean's bedroom set has been in my mom's family for years and years. It was her grandmother's sister's furniture as a young girl, then was passed on to my grandmother, my mother, and myself, who all slept in that bed {the dresser is part of the set too as well as a vanity, which I will use one day if I have a little girl}. I painted the dresser and vanity white when I was in high school, and my husband painted the bed just this summer before we put Dean's room together.

I kept the wall color exactly the same and just touched up where there were marks or holes from pictures taken down and moved. It's a neutral color and it worked, so why bother repainting? The curtains and rods also stayed from the office. Again, the white worked just fine and is probably what I would have purchased anyway.


I have wanted to do a little book nook in Dean's new room for the longest time. I found a lot of inspiration from Pinterest and because this room is much bigger than the nursery, there was plenty of room to do one. I bought the shelves at IKEA -- they are actually photo ledges that I just sat some of his books on. The little table and chairs were hand-me-downs from my friend Mary. The top of the table was originally yellow, which was adorable, but just wouldn't have quite fit in with the color scheme, so I spray painted it navy.

I will also be adding the letters "R.E.A.D" on the small angled wall next to the shelves -- just haven't gotten around to that yet!


I added two navy knobs to the top drawer of the dresser and some fabric in an IKEA frame on top.


On the wall opposite his bed, I kept a small bookcase that was already there from the office. I filled it with leftover books and some toys. My dad also gave me a map of Philadelphia that he had framed in his home office....my hubby still has to hang it above the bookcase.

The closet is bigger in Dean's new room than in the nursery, so he has half, and I have half -- lol. For now, he has plenty of space for his clothes, shoes, etc.


My little boy LOVES tractors, diggers, mowers, trains, etc. so I created this fabric wall art of a tractor for above his bed. Again, my inspiration was Pinterest. All I did was purchase a canvas from Michaels and find some tractor clipart on Google Images. Then I hand drew a pattern, cut it out, and traced it on the fabric. Pretty simple.


This shelf was also something we transitioned from the office to the big boy room. I decorated with some simple decor:

~Old-fashioned clock radio -- HomeGoods
~Lantern -- Pottery Barn Kids
~L.A.U.G.H letters -- Target
~Suitcases -- Land of Nod


I found this airplane at HomeGoods for a steal this spring and put it away for Dean's new bedroom. I just noticed in the new catalog that Pottery Barn Kids is also selling wire hanging airplanes that are adorable but a lot more expensive than what I paid. Gotta love HomeGoods.

SHOPPING SOURCES:
Navy & white rugby bedding -- Pottery Barn Kids {I just spotted this SAME bedding at Target yesterday and for about 1/2 the cost of PBK....grrr. They also had it in a light gray & white...very cute.}
Lime sheets -- Target
Decorative green bed pillow -- HomeGoods
Jute & navy stripe rug -- Pottery Barn Kids
Baskets -- HomeGoods
Lamps -- Target
Navy dresser knobs -- Pottery Barn Kids
Bedside table -- IKEA {a few years ago}


So where did the office/craft room go? I introduce you to my third floor attic. We had this finished when we moved in, and I'm thankful we did now. It's not really a usable space because it's not heated or air conditioned but it's a place to store our overflow. There are two small rooms with clipped ceilings. One holds my craft table among other things.


It's a little tight, but it works for now {or until we move into a more spacious home}.


The other room is my closet. It's nothing fancy but thank goodness we {my hubby & father-in-law built this} decided to convert it into a closet because I have NO IDEA where all these clothes would go!

**Dean's had FOUR successful nights in his bed so far...PHEW. Naps? Not going so well, but we're working on it and it's getting a little better. I have a few weeks left to get this boy of mine straightened out before returning to work....BOOHOO.

{Parties} 60 & Citrusy Sweet

Last Friday night our family celebrated my parents turning sixty by hosting a dinner party for them. It was a really fun night and so nice to be able to do something for the two individuals who have served my siblings and me for our entire lives {and continue to do so in many many ways}.

Here are some of the details from the night:

The restaurant had the table set for us when we arrived, and all we had to do was add some personal touches. It was a simple tablescape, but I really liked the way it turned out.

**Please excuse the poor quality of some of my pictures as they turned out a little blurry....I guess that's what happens when you're rushing to snap pics of everything before the guests arrive :-/


My sister-in-law made these beautiful centerpieces. She works for a florist and is very talented with her floral creations, so I enlisted her help for this party. The sunflowers and citrus slices were perfect and complimented the table nicely.


I created little menus, place cards, and favors for each guest, and my sister helped me set those up before the guests arrived.


To stay in keeping with the citrus theme, I attached the place cards to toothpicks and stuck them each in limes. For a favor, each couple received a set of citrus notecards personalized with their last name. My mom had seen notecard favors a long time ago in a magazine and mentioned that she thought they were a cute favor. I tucked that idea away and thought this was a perfect time to use it since it was her party.


The dinner menu was simple and listed the sips, eats, and sweets for the night.


The owner of the restaurant set up a little cake table for me, and I added some pretty fabric from JoAnn's, a Happy Birthday banner, the cake, some adult beverages and an open frame with old pictures of my parents. The frame I pulled from my basement and was something I used for the photo booth set-up at my son's first birthday party. It was already spray painted a lime green, so all my hubby had to do was attach three wire strands for me to hang pictures from. I used mini clothespins to attach the pictures.


The ribbon bunting for the cake was made with scraps of ribbon and attached to stripey straws. Very simple!


I also wanted to tie in our citrus theme with the cake so I asked the baker to keep it simple with the icing and add candied fruit slices around the base of the cake. I found the fruit slices at a local Hallmark store, and thought they looked so cute.


I did not serenade my parents ;-} The entire party sang "Happy Birthday" as I walked the cake over to them.


We were able to get a picture of our entire family {minus babies} at the end of the night. My brother-in-law Mark is rarely in family pictures because of his former job as a college football coach in Virginia. We are sooooo happy he made a career switch and moved my sister and their family back to New Jersey as of two weeks ago. Truly an answer to many prayers for their homecoming!


These two people were the ENTIRE reason for the party. We LOVE and appreciate them and feel beyond blessed to have them as our Mom and Dad.