Sweetly simple

I recently had the opportunity to create a special room for 2 little girls (big sis is 14 months and little sis will arrive in June).  We started with a tiny nursery......

and a spare room that was just quietly waiting for its moment to shine.

Since 2 little girls would be sharing the room it was crucial to have furniture that offered excellent storage for current organizational needs and that would be just as practical in 5 years.   Take out the toddler bed and crib and you've got plenty of room for bunk beds and plenty of room to grow!

 The Dottie bedding from the Company Store was the perfect starting point!  It set the tone for the whole room and it was such a joy to obsess over this room for the past few weeks.  I love the Morgan bookcase and bench from Pottery Barn.  Durable, practical and pretty- what more could a girl want?  

 I opted to remove the closet door and paint the closet a complementary color so the fun didn't have to end.  Toys are housed in the closet right now but as the girls get older and need more room for clothes they can transition the toys into the bins on the bookcase.

Right now the bins on the bookcase are full of burp cloths, receiving blankets, washcloths, towels and bedding.  Two plastic bins on the top shelf hold shoes.   It is organized but still flexible to accommodate changing needs.

Precious pictures over the crib just make me smile.  That little girl is too cute!

Simple shelves over the dresser provide easy access to diapers, wipes, ointments and meds.  Easy for mom and dad to reach but out of reach of little ones.  

Two of my favorite details in the room are the ruffles on the curtains (sewn by yours truly, amazingly enough!) and the chandelier!  The little things have the chance to take center stage when the bones of the room are in perfect balance and fade into the background... smiling smugly to themselves because they know that there would be no center stage without the stage.  

 I think she likes it!  

Do you have a decorating dilemma that you would rather not spend valuable brain space on?  Let me help!  I love obsessing over organizing and decorating and would be more than thrilled to save you the mental energy.

living room update!

As you know, I have been searching for the right artwork over my couch.  I was trying to be cheap and create my own artwork but since I'm not an artist I was not accomplishing my vision.  You may remember, the room look like this

 Not bad but the circle artwork just felt too bright to me and the size was almost exactly the same size as a bamboo mirror I have hanging up on the next wall.  I wasn't in a rush to find something but it was definitely in the back of my mind.  Then, a couple weeks ago I was out shopping for something to wear to my sister's wedding when I happened upon a couple art prints.  They are supposed to be hung vertically but I immediately saw that they would be fabulous hung horizontally over my couch.  Here we are now!

I hung them right next to each other like one big art piece and flipped one upside down to vary up the pattern.  I found pillows at Kohl's that are pretty much the same color as the middle paint stripe and they have circles in varying sizes.  Not quite sure if I'm going to keep them so the tags are still on until I make up my mind.  Love my artwork, though!

Here it is as it stands now. Put the Kohl's pillows on the basement couch. I like to switch things around pretty often! 

bridal hair accessory

My younger sister is getting married!  I'm so thrilled for her and can't wait to go to the wedding this weekend.

Last month she asked if I would make hair clips for her because (in her own words), "You are good at that sort of thing."  Me?  Augh!  The pressure!  I don't know how to make hair clips so -of course- I agreed and then recommended she order something from Etsy and then I felt guilty so I put something together today.  I haven't actually seen the wedding dress besides what Sis sent me from her cell phone so I don't know if the hair clips are going to work but at least I did what I said I would do!

I found a gorgeous ribbon at JoAnn and cut it at about 10 inches in length.  Turned it into a rosette and added a fabulous brooch in the middle.  I think it's awesome, but it IS my first bridal hair accessory so I'm going easy on myself.  :)

I took this picture in bright sunlight but the ribbon is a nice soft white, not a stark crisp white.

Sis's plan is to curl her hair and pull it back on each side.  I think the clips will be a wonderful romantic detail!