I could not have pulled everything together without the help from my two co-hosts–thank you Christy and Kelly! And thank you to my friend, Sally, for taking these amazing pictures. You captured my favorite details perfectly.

I kept meaning to get this post up sooner. The timing seems appropriate right now because Baby B was due yesterday and I have a feeling she will be gracing us with her presence any day now…any hour? Come on, Baby B!

I posted the invitations what seems to be a very long time ago. And now, here are the vintage-feminine details { almost completely inspired by Pinterest discoveries }:

Ross had to drink a LOT of Starbucks frappuccinos for the glass milk bottles to be a success. I had to use a LOT of Goo Gone, which during my first trimester become one of the scents I could not stand anymore! We will use these for many parties to come, I think!

Flowers were done by a local flower shop using blue Ball jars as the vase. It’s a fact that I am a horrible flower arranger.

Aside from the bowl of pita chips, the food was completely gluten-free and included some of K’s favorites. The cake balls were done by my co-hosts and were delicious. They followed this informative, but hilarious video tutorial.

K introduced me to white chocolate drizzled popcorn. It’s amazing. A dash of sea salt over the melted chocolate is essential.

Also on the menu: fruit salad drizzled with coconut balsamic vinegar, peppers and chips with hummus, and three different flavors of cake balls. Drinks included water with lemons and limes, decaf sweet iced tea, decaf coffee and Laura’s hot apple cider.

These amazing { and stackable } metal tins came from Ross’s mom. She was an invaluable resource for me as I planned this shower.

She let me borrow all of the old boxes, too. The antique pink dishes also came from her stash, but I get to keep those!

Don’t you just love a good baby bump?

Once plates were full of food, guests came down to the family room for some mama wisdom, a few games, and gift opening. Although, the shower was held at someone else’s house, I brought almost all of my throw pillows from home to add to the decor. I have many. The window frames were borrowed from a friend–thank you, Jenni!

I had my heart set on creating a fabric strip banner from the very beginning. Actually, it’s this photo that inspired the “sugar & spice” theme, too.

There were many other mamas of new babies at the shower. I love this picture. Little Allie { on the left } is awake here, but all three of them slept just like this for a long time!

Praying for you, K! You are going to rock your labor. Can’t wait to meet your sweet little girl!

A few months ago, my mom fell in love with a piece of art from Home Goods. Unfortunately, it just doesn’t go with anything in their house. I shared this thought with her, but she insisted on buying it. Since then, it has taken up residence in a closet…somewhere. I know how much my mom likes the piece of art and I know she’d love to update the master bedroom and bathroom at some point, but things like that always seem to take a back seat to other priorities (who can’t relate to that?). So, I thought it would be a fun inspiration piece to use for a design board. Maybe they’ll use it some day. If not, it was still fun (and somewhat of a challenge, to be honest) to create this for her.

My mom has mentioned that she’d like to repaint their whole house. Based on my own experience, I’m suggesting Benjamin Moore’s ever-popular Coastal Fog throughout, including in their bedroom and bathroom. If they wanted to do something fun and unique in their room, they could paint the ceiling a very light blue like Farrow & Ball’s Borrowed Light.

On to the board…

1. I actually saw this piece of art pop up on apartment therapy a few weeks after my mom purchased it. I immediately thought, “that is a LOT of flowers” and it may not be the best piece for my parent’s master bedroom afterall. But as I started clicking away to find more inspiration, everything started coming together. Ultimately, I think the piece of art would be best in their bathroom, above the bath tub.
2. I love this rug from West Elm and think it would be perfect in their bathroom in front of their double vanity. They’ve always had two small rugs, but there’s definitely space for a larger rug like this one. I think the mustard color would compliment the art nicely.
3. The mirror in the bathroom is one of those enormous rectangular ones that doesn’t have a frame. I saw something unique on pinterest a while ago where two of these Ikea mirrors were placed on top of the big mirror. Of course, I can’t find it now. I liked how it looked and thought it might be a solution to such an overwhelmingly large, and boring mirror.
4. A tray in between the two sinks is a must for color and organization. This one from Crate and Barrel would do the trick. Of course, it should be accompanied with a few other bathroom organizing must haves.
5. How cool. A wine rack for storing towels. They have the perfect place for this – in between two doors. This is something to keep an eye out for at stores like Home Goods, Tuesday Morning, etc.
6. White towels!
7. White bedding! Down comforter + white duvet + white sheets = perfection. With color being brought into the room by way of art and other fabrics, white bedding is easy on the eyes and easy to clean. They have a king-sized bed and have struggled to find king-sized pillows that they actually like. I’m not exaggerating when I say that they have eight king-sized pillows floating around the house that no one uses because they aren’t comfortable. They seem comfortable in the store, but fall short once they’re home. I think hotels have the right solution: 3-4 standard-sized pillows versus 2 king-sized pillows.
8. White curtains! I’ve always loved this look, but they are a bit pricey. My go-to curtains are these from Ikea. They are inexpensive and look lovely when hung. I prefer to cut off the tabs, hem the top and use ring clips instead. I think they would be perfect to create these fun ruffled curtain panels I found via pinterest.
9. A solid colored bedspread like this chocolate one from Ikea would be a good addition to the foot of the bed. It’s also handy for chilly nights.
10. A few 18×18 throw pillows in this Vintage Plumes fabric would add depth and interest to the bed. Ikea’s down pillow inserts are cheap and comfy!
11. My dad gave my mom a cushioned bench for her birthday a few years ago. Recovering the cushion in this Maze Work Brindle fabric would give it a nice face lift and be perfect at the foot of the bed or under the window. I think an additional throw pillow in this fabric would tie everything in.
12. Although I don’t think it needs to be this big, an upholstered headboard using this Vintage Blossom fabric would be sa-weet! The size and color would mimic the rug in the bathroom, too.
13. Cavallini paper and calendars are a great source for really cheap art. This Flora & Fauna calendar would be great to cut, mat and frame in a series. The bright colors would pair well with those of the piece of art in the bathroom.
14. And what shall you frame it with, Dear Liza, Dear Liza? My go-to frames are Ikea’s Ribba frames. I heart them as evidenced by the fact that they are all over our house.
15. An oversized, gold initial from Hobby Lobby on the wall or leaning on a dresser along with some framed family photos would add a bit of personalization to the room.
16. I love using trays to organize and group things. This tray from West Elm is a beauty and adds a bit of sophistication to the overall look of the room. One on each night stand would make the everything look like it’s supposed to be there even if it’s not. It also wouldn’t hurt to check out the selection of trays at Hobby Lobby and JoAnn Fabric. I’ve been impressed with their Home Accent section lately.
17. Who doesn’t want a set of bird bookends? Details like this help tie the room together.
18. I think the biggest thing that this large room lacks is overhead lighting. A black chandelier like this one over the bed would look amazing and draw your eyes up to the faintly colored ceiling.

The event planner, perfectionist and task master in me LOVES to see months of brainstorming, planning and creating finally come together. It’s like a mini-wedding of sorts. When we began planning, we threw out a lot of ideas and eventually came up with an ABC theme with a vintage/modern feel. I think we accomplished what we had envisioned and Katie loved it which is what was most important.

{ it all started with the invitation i made–masculine, but with a touch of chic. }

{ we used pages from vintage children’s books and different sized white frames to create multiple vignettes around the room. jackie did a great job with picking out the right images to frame. i love the penant garland that she made, too. }

{ i liked the penant banner so much, i decided to create mini ones to decorate the game prize bags. }

{ katie registered for these ABC cards from Abes Market. they are SO adorable and fit into our color scheme perfectly. i ordered the mini clothes pins from Open Stock Party. }

{ i volunteered to make the pom poms. because i loe pom poms. so pretty. }

{ these were part of my gift to katie. the numbers 6:24-26 may look familiar and is also for sale in my Etsy shop, pipe|up. the cards and clips on the table were given to guests when they arrived. the cards asked everyone to share their favorite thing to do with their mom or kids. we used this as an introduction once we were all seated. the clips were part of a game where you couldn’t say the word “baby” or else you had to give away your clip to whoever caught you. katie’s nieces were at the shower and they loved playing this game! we also played a game where you had to match the celebrity to her little one with a crazy name and used yarn to guess the size of katie’s belly…a crowd favorite. }

{ gifts! }

{ jackie made the ABC cupcakes – yum! we cut strips of paper to go around the bottom to match the rest of the decor. }

{ another vignette of framed children’s book pages by the punch bowl. }

{ katie, elisabeth and i have been best friends for a long time. we’ve thrown each other wedding showers and now we’re onto baby showers. it’s so fun to share life with these girls. i miss them and wish we were closer! }

{ this might have been my favorite decor piece. jackie’s mom had these amazing, giant branches that she placed in a large glass vase with some neutral colored potpourri. jackie and elisabeth made the letters as favors–each guest took home their last name initial–and tied them to the branches with twine. we all loved the idea, but once the letters started going up, the branches started falling over. we knew that even if we got it to balance just right, it would be trouble once guests started taking their letters off. so, we had to improvise. jackie called her husband to see what they might have that could weigh the vase and branches down. the solution? grass seed. the color worked perfectly and it held the branches much better. the other thing we didn’t think about was the mirror behind the display. it was reflecting the backs of the letters, which weren’t as pretty as the front. so, we covered the mirror with a patchwork of scrapbook paper. good thing we built in some extra set up time! }

{ guests were asked to replace their letter with a piece of advice to katie. unfortunately, not too many people did this, but it was a nice thought, right? }

{ analiese made a short appearance at the end of the shower. she had been napping in another room for most of it, but woke up in time to see some familiar faces. she’s saying hi to baby z. }

I’m so looking forward to meeting the little guy!

The truth is, I had a list (surprising, right?) of things I wanted to finish before I could say that her room was completely done. One of those said things was to remove those pesky extra slats in her blinds. I know that sounds crazy to some people. But, if I hadn’t done it, they would have driven me absolutely batty. And it seems like something that should be pretty easy to do. It is, but for some reason, it was never a priority. Until I remembered that I had yet to post this post.  And now that the blinds are shortened to the right height I can finally say that our daughter’s room is finished! (Well, at least until she has an opinion and wants to change it. Ross is hoping that isn’t for a very long time.)

My original inspiration for the nursery came from a fabric designer named Heather Bailey. She has a blog and an a very girly studio. Love. I could definitely get lost in a room like that. However, the main piece of inspiration for me was a turquoise mirror featured in her daughter’s room makeover (pictured to the right). Ironically enough, a turquoise mirror never made it to Analiese’s room. Nevertheless, I’m really happy (and proud!) with how everything turned out.

So, without further ado, I present to you…

I might as well start with my favorite part of the room. I purchased the frames for the asymmetrical photo collage long before I had pictures for them. But I had always planned on using them just like this. It’s a perfect wall–centered between two doors–to display our little girl. I’m sure she won’t always want pictures of herself covering an entire wall in her room, however. I envision family photos and favorite pieces of art being switched out over time. Jenn Webber did Analiese’s “newborn” photo shoot when she was 8 weeks old . I just love that she was able to capture Analiese in such a beautiful way. (Those Ribba frames from IKEA are tricky to hang with precision. I have a system that I’ll post at a later time. Works like a charm.)

Hanging from the ceiling is a blue chandelier! I wanted so badly to hang a chandelier in her room, but even the “cheap” ones seemed fairly pricey. My mother-in-law found this one at a garage sale in it’s original, very brown state. The tag said $10, but something tells me she may have paid even less for it. We had it in mind as a possible fixture for somewhere else in our house, but when our search for a new chandelier came up dry, we decided to spray paint this one bright aqua. I think it’s such a playful addition to the room. Ross installed a dimmer, too, which is really nice in the early mornings and evenings.

The curtains, ruffle pillow, pleated dust ruffle, bumper ties, chain cover and mobile were made by me, using Heather Bailey’s Pop Garden fabric line. I never thought I would have been so attracted to such a bright and colorful combination of prints for Analiese’s room, but I feel so happy when I’m in her room and I hope she does, too! I didn’t use any patterns–just made it up as I went along–but found a few tutorials that were helpful in making the ruffles on the pillow and the mobile.

You may recall this extremely boring post discussing our thoughts on cribs at the time. We eventually decided to get the Gulliver crib from IKEA and have been really happy with it. It’s very simple (and cheap!), but works great. However, it posed a few interesting quirks to work with when making the dust ruffle and tying the bumper. (I hope to post tutorials for both of these sewing projects soon.)

We opted for a larger dresser to double as a changing area. The Hemnes dresser from IKEA is taller than most dressers and perfect for two tall parents to change their baby’s diapers. The small drawer to the left houses her diapers and a tub of wipes, making it very convenient for quick and safe changes. There’s also plenty of room to display a few other items like a piggy bank, jewelry stand and art by Analiese’s mama!

We wanted to keep her crib toy-free–for sleeping only. So, I opted to put the mobile in the corner where I nurse her. I made the mobile as well using this as inspiration and this tutorial. Whimsical and pretty!

Confession: I may have posted the fabrics I was going to use so that a very talented nursery boutique artist would make me custom letters. She may have caught on and done just that. Aren’t they great? I was nervous about making 8 holes in the wall to hang the letters, so I used 3M hooks. I’ve already moved them twice, so it’s a good thing I didn’t use nails! The hooks works great and the ribbon hides them fairly well.

We underestimated how long it would take to receive the glider chair. So, for the first few weeks (months?) I nursed Analiese in a chair that I love to look at, but not sit in for hours, hunched over a newborn who is trying to learn how to latch on. I couldn’t wait for this chair to arrive. When it did, nursing became so much more enjoyable. It’s situated in the corner and faces that lovely photo collage wall. The nightstand, lamp, iPod and books are all conveniently nearby. For the most part, the chair is used for nursing. But we’re starting to read books there, too. Analiese has never been one to be “rocked to sleep” in a chair. We learned early on that she prefers to “sway.” We hope, though, that a lot of pre-bedtime cuddling will happen here at some point.

Of course, I can’t forget to mention the crown molding and bead board. The additional wood work adds so much to the room. It makes it feel complete. Ross and my dad worked really hard on this and I think it turned out beautifully. Perfect for a nursery.

So there it is!

And just in case you’re interested, here’s the list of resources (this is why I love blogs!):

• Paint – “Light Yellow” by Benjamin Moore
• Crib – IKEA, Gulliver
• Dresser – IKEA, Hemnes
• Nightstand – IKEA, Hemnes
• Book case  - IKEA, Expedit
• Rug – IKEA – no longer on the website :(
• Frames – IKEA, Ribba in white and beech
• Fabric – Heather Bailey, Pop Garden
• Lamp base – Target – no longer on the website :(
• Clock – Target
• Art (“I am a Child of God” and “Number 6:24-26″ prints) – pipe|up
• “Analiese” painted letters – wessysmom – see email info in the comments
• “A” – Home Goods
• Chair – Little Castle
• iPod speaker – Boston Acoustics
• Chandelier – garage sale via the Garage Sale Queen
• Mirror – garage sale
• Jewelry stand – purchased at Plymouth’s Art in the Park, 2010

• Analiese and I made our second solo trip to Bloomington, Indiana to visit some of my housemates from college. Ten of us lived together in a big old house within a very short walking distance to campus. We were the “707 girls”. We had so much fun together. It was a bit surreal to be back on IU’s campus with my 6 month old daughter. Her first college visit.

• I started an Etsy shop! I’ve been wanting to do this for so long and I finally picked a name, set up my shop policies and started listing items. Most of the items that are in the shop now are ones that I already had done for us or friends and just tweaked the information to protect their privacy. The last name I’ve chosen for any samples that include a picture of our family is “Westen” – a reference to our favorite burned spy, Michael Westen.

• I have been in a habit of rearranging rooms lately. Like almost on a daily basis. I blame it on the amount of time I spend in our house these days. It’s usually a small change, but sometimes it can be a major room overhaul like the night I decided to completely take apart and put back together our guest room/office without Ross knowing. He was upstairs and I had just put Analiese down for the night. I am a master at doing things quietly. Ross is not. I guess it’s a good thing that Analiese gets a little of both extremes. However, I’m always stumped at how she can sleep through major road construction right outside her window and wake up to Ross sneezing. Then again, have you heard him sneeze?!
• I’ve been on a sewing kick. Part of that room rearrangement I mentioned above allowed me to bring my sewing machine up from the basement so I have easy access to it when I want to work on a project. (It also meant that Ross moved the computer into his closet. Yes, you read that right. His closet. This guy has more quirks than you may have known about.) Anyway, these projects are finally getting done thanks to our new guest room/craft room. It feels so good to be so productive. Pictures coming soon. :)
• I really love breastfeeding Analiese and I can see how it’s hard for some moms to let go of the intimate bonding time with their baby which can lead to breastfeeding well beyond a year. I’m pretty sure that’s as long as I’ll go, but I will miss it. One thing I will not miss is pumping every morning and every night. Now that solids are in Analiese’s diet, she’s not eating as much from me, so I need to pump to keep the supply going. But it is SO BORING! And so, I’ve gotten into this awful habit of watching tv shows on Hulu to pass the time. I actually enjoy some of them, but when I started watching The Bachelor Pad recently, I knew something had to change. While I’m pretty limited to what I can do during these 20-30 minute time periods, there are other things I could spend my time doing. I could pray. And I could listen to a sermon on iTunes. I decided to listen to a sermon from The Village Church this morning instead of watching the fourth episode of Bachelor Pad. And even though I only got 5 hours of sleep last night, I feel so much more refreshed than if I had watched a trashy, drama-induced reality show.
• One of my favorite things about college was how my involvement with Campus Crusade for Christ fostered such a unique community with other believers. I was challenged in my faith, learned how to pray to and trust God with big things. I grew a lot over those four years. In particular, I loved getting together with other women who asked hard questions and kept me accountable in various areas of my life. While I have many wonderful women in my life now, I’ve missed the one-on-one fellowship I was spoiled with in college. Needless to say, I’m going to start meeting with another woman from church. She’s been such an important part of our lives as parents and I love and respect the way she’s raised her own daughters. I’m really looking forward to reading the Word with her and talking about life with a Biblical perspective.

charm…energy…romantic…vintage…quirky…

These are just some of the words that Heather Bailey uses to describe her Freshcut collection of fabrics. I’m enchanted with all of them. I love how Heather Bailey designed these fabrics to ‘cross-pollinate’ with each other. She makes it so easy to pick multiple designs and make them work together. I may have a creative side, but I consider myself challenged when it comes to things like this. As much as I enjoy the eclectic look, I am so not eclectic. I just need to accept it. I try to make things match way too much.

As we embark on the purchase of our first house – a home we can actually paint…with colors…oh, imagine the possibilities! – I’m quickly shifting into domestic-goddess mode. Kitchen curtains, throw pillows…and so help me if we have a girl!

More to come!