…and soon after made a quick design board, which really was just a visual Ikea shopping list. Andie had recently paged through an Ikea catalog and knew she wanted to do most of her shopping there. She loved the Alvina Flora pillow, so we used that as our color palette inspiration.

Once the room started coming together and we were making more decisions about things, I made a pretty design board and realized how much fun it is to do this. I’d like to make it a feature of the blog. Ross has already asked me when we’ll have a design board for the basement. I have so many ideas for that space, so it would be great to start pulling it together. (I’m already in that I-can’t-wait-until-the-basement-is-finished mind-set. Having a visual will only make it worse, I’m sure!)

So, anyway, here is the design board that was inspired by the work done in the family room (usually it will be the other way around…):

1. Ikea Lenda Curtains | 2. Ikea Ektorp Sofa | 3. Ikea Byholma Chair | 4. Ikea Hemnes TV Unit | 5. Ikea Hemnes Side Table | 6. Ikea Hemnes Shoe Cabinet | 7. Ikea Hemnes Mirror | 8. West Elm Andalusia Rug | 9. Joshua 24:15 Wood Slat Sign | 10. Live Laugh Love | 11. Side Ruffles Pillow | 12. Ikea Alvine Flora Pillow | 13. Potted Plant | 14. Ikea Tindra Mys Candles | 15. Target Candle Wall Sconce | 16. Ikea Ribba Frame

And here is the family room now:

Would you believe that the house sold the very first day it was on the market!?

A few notes:

• Although the family purchased a lot of new furniture with plans to use it in their new house, the main goal here was to make a good impression to potential buyers. So, instead of buying a new couch for this space, they decided to use a couch from another room in the house and wait to purchase a new couch once they know what they’ll need for their new house.
• A rug would have really tied this room together nicely, but again, it wasn’t worth the cost given that they were trying to sell this house. I just LOVE this rug from West Elm, though! I think it would have tied the solid mustard pillows, the napkins on the side tables, and and yellow from the floral pillow in nicely. Really though, who cares?…the house sold in ONE day!
• There was a thought of painting the coffee table as seen here, but there just wasn’t enough time to get it done before the house was listed.
• We repainted the living room and hallway in Sherwin Williams Kilim Beige. It was a color that was already in a few other areas of the house and I’ll almost always advise to minimize the number of paint colors in a house. The consistency helps the decor to flow throughout the home better. (Thanks Bev Chasey as well as John and Sherry for that bit of insight! If you recall, I’ve already taken some of my own medicine.)
• Potted plants can make a huge difference in any room. I do not have a green thumb at all, but I’ve managed to keep our green plants alive and kicking around the house. The pop of green is refreshing, especially against a fairly neutral palette.
• Ikea’s LENDA curtains are my absolute favorite curtain to use in our house and recommend to others. I’ve used them as curtains as well as fabric for pillows and a crib bumper. At $14.99 per pack of two…it’s just a great deal for a lot of fabric.
• Andie had few brushed nickel floor lamps that were in good condition and could be re-used in the space, so we didn’t have to buy new ones. We did, however, replace one of the lampshades with a crisp white drum shade. Other brushed nickel accents around the room would have looked great, too.
• The “Live Laugh Love” print was something I created on the whim to put into one of the frames. It’s now available in my Etsy shop and can be customized to say anything! :)

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.

Before

After

Here’s are a few shots taken from the same angles: 

We can’t wait to move upstairs!

This isn’t the traditional pose for the “Belly Bump” photo. My mother-in-law took this yesterday while we were MOVING INTO OUR NEW HOUSE! More on that later! (Those are treats in the bag…not poop…in case you were wondering…)

This weekend we had two extra sets of hands to help with the first of many projects to come with our new house. Thanks to Mommy and Daddy O, we got so much done (here are some before and after pictures):

• Freshly painted ceilings in the living and dining room
• Primer in the living and dining room (the living room has a few sections left since we ran out)
• Kitchen “degreased” (I worked on the stove and microwave while my mom scrubbed the walls and ceiling – all ready for paint now!)
• Carpet removed upstairs (almost done with that one!)

• Crown molding in two rooms (nursery and guest room/office)
• Wainscoting and chair rail installed in the nursery (still need to prime and paint)

Thanks for your help, Mom and Dad! (How do you like my mask? Just keeping Missy Miss safe!)

I’m tired. And thankful.

We bought a house! And today, August 28, we closed the deal. Looking at the picture above you may think that it is brick, but it’s not. Needless to say, we have a few projects to do before moving, and I am sure that you’ll hear about some of them here.

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!

When can the landlord and a plumber make it over to check things out? Parker is home during the days while we’re at work…not sure that would work out well for people to come over with him there…would one of us need to take a half day?…we’ll be away this weekend…what if something happens while we’re gone without it being looked at?

Ross stayed home and ran instead of going to the gym this morning so I asked him (in my very groggy state) if he still heard that sound in the bathroom. He said “on and off”. Hmm…weird.

So, I get up (Ross has left at this point) and take a shower. He was right…on and off, every now and then I’d hear that sound. Then…

I grab my Venus razor (yes…again…is it pregnancy that causes your hairs to grow twice as fast??). The vibrating culprit. With a dying battery. Are you kidding me?

Did you know that buying a house is a process?! Well, it is. And that’s what we’ve been doing. The early months of our summer were spent looking at houses within our beloved Plymouth city limits. We just couldn’t even think about looking elsewhere. We love the atmosphere that Plymouth offers. So, long story short…we think we found one, but as mentioned before it’s been a process. Especially since most houses in Plymouth are OLD and are a house inspector’s playground. Hopefully, we’ll have this whole buying your first house thing wrapped up soon – pictures and potential projects coming soon!

Oh, yeah and there’s one more tiny bit of news we’d like to share with you…we’re pregnant! Say your prayers for a healthy Baby Chasey to arrive on February 5th! We were able to hear the heartbeat today…there is a living thing inside of me! God is so good!

This is our 8 week ultrasound. Baby Chasey has grown quite a bit since then. I’m now at 14 weeks!