Crib Bedding for Our Baby Girl!

A lot of my time has been spent researching items for our registry, including cribs and strollers, and crib bedding. Before we knew the sex of the baby I looked online at Babys R Us, Target, Land of Nod, etc for cute, but affordable crib bedding. I wasn't sure if I wanted to stick with neutral bedding or if I wanted to buy boy/girl bedding. I particularly liked this bedding from Pottery Barn Kids, which can be neutral or for a boy or girl.

Pique Nursery Bedding in Light Blue (neutral):

Thinking I could add pops of hot pink for a girl, and keep it simple for a boy:

 The other colors are pretty, too. I like the scalloped edges for a baby girl:

I also love Land of Nod and found some cute boy/girl bedding sets on their website. When I found out we are having a girl I picked out these bedding sets:

With a Flourish Pink Bedding:

 With a Flourish Lavender Bedding:

 Puzzle Patch Bedding:

I love all of these sets, but my husband & I decided the lavender would look best with the light blue walls in the nursery. However, I wouldn't be able to add pops of hot pink without the room being overwhelmed with color.

I also love the white eyelet crib skirt ($49) paired with the above patchwork bedding:

What I love the most about Land of Nod's bedding sets are that they are modern and pretty and not as overwhelming to look at as I found Baby's R Us to be.

When previously browsing Target's Dwell Studio bedding I came across a set I thought was too cute for a girl and added it to my Amazon Wish List. When we found out we are having a girl, I went back to this set and realized that the price was too good to be true. The set was on clearance for $26! Not only did I love the price, but I love that this bedding has both light purple and hot pink and it will match the light blue walls perfectly. I also love the flower medallion print on 1 side and polkadots on the other. With the Land of Nod bedding sets costing approximately $200 this is definitely a deal. 

Here is our new crib bedding:

Dwell Studio for Target Flower Medallion Bedding

I love the pattern and the colors and can't wait to see how it looks in the crib. I hope it looks as good in the package (I ordered it and received it within a few days) than it does in the nursery. I will keep you posted once we buy a crib!

Decorating with Metallics

I love using gold, silver, and bronze with holiday decorating. They are festive and always add sparkle- perfect for the holidays. Below are some items I'm loving:

During a recent visit to Pier 1 I came across these fabulous glasses that are perfect for the holidays:

These ornaments can be hung on a tree, or fill them in a clear vase or apothecary jar or in a wide bowl as a centerpiece on your table. Last season I bought similar silver ball ornaments and filled them in an apothecary jar. I loved the look so much that I kept them out all year. Find these at Pier 1 for just $2.95 each.

I love these silver branches from Z Gallerie:

I also love this silver wreath from Z Gallerie. Hang inside or outside for a festive entrance:

These candle holders would add sparkle to any table or mantel, and come in a variety of colors. Only $3.50 each.

Crate & Barrel Antiqued Candle Holders: 

My mom gave me these Glitter Star Fillers last year and love the sparkle, especially when used with a burning candle, Pottery Barn:

Happy Decorating!

It's a GIRL!

My husband and I went for my 2nd ultrasound a couple of weeks ago and found out we are having a girl! She is an active baby and it was so amazing to see all of her tiny bones and body parts. We were also amazed to be able to see the blood pumping into her heart and kidneys. An exciting experience!

Not only do we now have to find a name- it's much harder to pick a name now that it has to be a perfect name for our daughter- but, we also have to register. We are still registering for gender-neutral items (no pink strollers) since we plan on having more kids down the road. I will be posting not only about home decorating, but also on decorating the nursery.

We surprised our families with silver gift bags and blue tissue paper filled with an "I love Grandmom" bib and a newborn onesie. We couldn't resist the onesie. It gives life to how little our baby will be and will be here in just 4 more months! We looked for a "grandparents" bib, but for girls all they had were "grandmom." Our dads didn't seem too disappointed. I think they were more excited about finding out they are having a granddaughter.

My husband and I are very excited to have a daughter and he knows it can be dangerous knowing that I love to shop for baby clothes, and more specifically, baby girl clothes. I may shop those after Christmas sales for next year and maybe I'll buy a few pretty dresses if I can't resist!

Check back for updates on our nursery!

Thanksgiving Centerpieces

If you're hosting Thanksgiving this year you want to make sure your guests can see everyone at the table. I don't like when I can't see the person across from me because a flower arrangement is in my way. If you prefer flowers, use a low arrangement instead of high. Cut the stems so just the flower is showing. I did this in a square vase:

I also like simple candlesticks on the table. They don't take up too much space, which is important with so many dishes on the table, and they are simple, but elegant. Or, group together candles of different heights on a plate or charger. You can also use a colored tablecloth to add color (I use a dark purple as shown above) or festive place mats. 

Below are some other options:

Short floral arrangements with elegant candlesticks paired with formal china. Love it!

(Martha Stewart)

Colored candles in stenciled glass holders:

(Martha Stewart)

Combination of fall vegetables in a ceramic bowl:

(Martha Stewart)

Cluster of vegetables and votive candles:

(Real Simple)

Fill a vase with fall fruit (apples, pears):

(Better Homes & Gardens)

Place a pillar candle inside a vase. This one is filled with dry corn, or try chestnuts, fake berries or fruit, marbles, pinecones, etc.

(Better Homes & Gardens)

Happy Thanksgiving!

DIY Projects

It's been a while since I've blogged, but that doesn't mean I haven't been doing any new projects around our house. These past few months have been busy and my time has been limited to blogging, but I've thought about it and have missed it!

I finally got around to doing something with the pieces of furniture in my garage that I bought from Craigslist (last spring!), mentioned here. I didn't know what color to paint the small dresser because I couldn't decide where I was going to put it. I finally decided on the dining room for the small dresser and the nursery for the wide dresser.

Within 3 days, I finished the small dresser. I decided on black paint to match our dining room table. So, I went to our local Benjamin Moore store (which I love because they are so knowledgeable and so helpful) and bought a dark gray primer, black semi-gloss paint, and some paint rollers. I already owned a paintbrush that would be used for smaller spaces. The rollers were a time saver!

Paint rollers & tray:

 Primer tinted to dark gray & Semi-Gloss black paint:

I first sanded the dresser with an electric sander for the large surfaces and a piece of fine sandpaper for the smaller surfaces:

After wiping it clean, I primed the dresser with 1 coat of the dark gray primer:

I let that dry overnight, then started with the black paint the following day. After 2 coats of paint, the dresser looked great! It's now in its perfect place in my dining room, and goes really well with our black dining room table. I am loving the result!

 Next DIY project: wide dresser for nursery. Coming soon!