Beckett's nursery is finally ready to share and I am so happy to finally share it with you!
Before he was born, we knew we wouldn't have a space for him when he arrived (we were in a 1 bedroom apartment for the first month or so of his life) so we had plenty of time to plan his space. Being an interior designer by education and profession I only changed my mind about a million times, so it was good that we waited!
We knew we wanted something boyish, but not too baby, and not too grown up. We went back and forth between elephants and whales, and eventually the whales came out front and I couldn't be happier! We stuck to a nautical-ish theme, and it really fits him! Since his bedding has lots of shades of blue, it was the perfect anchor to the design of his space! Nice, calming, and easy to find things that go together! Not to mention, its a space he can grow into for a few years!

My tips for creating the perfect nursery! DON'T FRET. If your baby's nursery isn't finished, or you won't be able to give them a space of their own, don't worry, they won't care. Seriously. It drives me nutty when expecting parents are like OMG THE NURSERY ISN'T DONE. The baby will more then likely be in your room for the first few months anyways.

We try and keep everything organized in plastic bins- diapers, burp cloths, bibs, and diaper creams and ointments. If all else fails, at least we know they are in there,organized or not!

Boppy cover by Little Owls Nest and that blue blanket? A birthday gift from my Momadear and Granddaddy. It. Is. DIVINE.

 Use what you have. We re-purposed two chairs and a side table (the leather Ikea Poang Armchair, the little Happy Chic Jonathan Adler side table, and the vintage side chair). While it would have been great to go buy a million dollars worth of nursery furniture, but we didn't have the space, or the million dollars.

Shop wisely. His bedding is from Restoration Hardware Baby & Child and was not cheap.. until it went on sale! If you have your heart set on something that is out of your budget, give it a few weeks. Chances are there will be a sale or a coupon you can use toward something.

  Pick up things as you go! Rome wasn't built in a day, and neither was this nursery. We literally got things in phases. We picked up the changing table (similar here) before Beckett was born. My grandparents sent us the bassinet and bassinet bedding (ours is blue and currently residing above Beckett's closet!) before he arrived too. Once we moved my in-laws gifted us the crib, mattress and bedding. Then my Dad gifted us the rug and dresser. And sprinkled throughout my Mom sent the mobile, bean bag chair, canvas wall organizer, books, small toy box, toys, clothes, shoes, you name it! (she literally sends stuff every week. she's the BEST Momadear, ever. She seriously spoils Beckett rotten!) I randomly picked up the driftwood anchor (similar here) at HomeGoods, CL ordered the Foscam (monitor) and I am still picking up things as we go!

Literacy starts early! CL reads 1-3 books to Beckett every night before bedtime! His favorite? 'I am a Bunny'

The artwork is actually a card, and that airplane is one of Beckett's favorite toys! Its Doodletown Toys- American Made since 1987!

  Add personal touches! Since Beckett is a baby (duh) he's not the only one hanging out in his room, its a family space. Personal family photos, framed artwork (it's actually a card from our friends!), a framed Tiny Prints birth announcement (see the post on them here!) and our awesome, large mounted prints from Tiny Prints were the perfect touch to his room. We took the photos at the beach, so they were the perfect addition! I also made his name banner and painted his book shelves to match! (Yes, the book shelves are an Ikea hack! Super easy and inexpensive!) And my favorite? Beckett's tiny feet prints on a small canvas at the head of his crib! (Yes, he can stand up and grab at it, it's since been removed along with the mobile...not to mention the cord for the Foscam has been moved as well.) My mom also ordered this precious zoo animal birth certificate from Baby Fable. It's so much nicer then framing the ugly, but official, one from the state!

  I hope you loved his nursery as much as we do! 

Before anyone calls CPS on us... there are clear plug covers on that outlet.. and every other outlet in our entire apartment. They are just hard to see!

A huge thanks to Tiny Prints for sponsoring the mounted prints, we LOVE them! So easy to order and they are beautiful! Not to mention, they were the perfect finishing touch!

Fall 2014 Must Haves

I know it's technically not fall just yet, but that hasn't stopped the pumpkin spice latte lover in me from getting ready for my most favorite time of the year! College football, crisp cool weather, pumpkin flavored everything, and cozy evenings in! Here are a few of my favorite fall must haves!

1- An over-sized, vintage feel collegiate sweatshirt. Nothing says comfy Saturday football watching attire like a worn in sweatshirt with your Alma Mater's logo on it. I have a Baylor one that I just adore, and this one from State Vintage is just perfect with its cut neck. Pair it with some skinny jeans, a tank and some converse or boots and you're all set! 
2- A great pair of boots (or two). Now, if you're like me, you're always on the lookout for a tried and true, budget friendly pair of boots and these Steve Madden Intyce are my faves. My first pair lasted 2+ years and CL literally made me trash them because they were falling apart. I was lucky to pick up both the cognac and black pairs last year while I was pregnant and I LIVED in them. They have a small wedge so they give you a little lift without being uncomfy. And for $129 you can get both colors for under $300, which is coincidentally the starting cost of one pair of Frye's or Tory Burch's. Just sayin'. 
3- An infinity scarf. If you live in the Bay Area, you know that layering is key, so you are never without a good scarf. And if you're a breast feeding mom, you know a good infinity scarf doubles as a good hooter hider. I have a few, but I really love my Popcorn Space Dyed Lurex Infinity Scarf by Simply Vera Vera Wang from Kohl's. Mine is cornflower blue and it matches just about everything. It's full of texture, is light & breathable, and super cozy. Bonus? I picked it up on clearance for less than $10 a while back!
4- Crabtree & Evelyn's Hand Therapy in Pear and Magnolia. I walked in the store randomly a few months back, and tried this, and was hooked almost immediately. With cooler temps, your skin begins to dry out, and if you wash your hands as much as I do (#momproblems), you really need a good moisturizer. This hand cream smells yummy, but not overpowering, is super luxurious feeling, doesn't dry greasy, and keeps your hands super soft. I use it every night before bed and my hands feel amazing. I only purchased the .9oz tube and it's lasted for at least 3 months. Totally worth the $8 if you ask me!
5- Animal Print is going to be huge this fall. Whether you like cheetah, leopard or zebra, adding some print to your wardobe is key! Im loving these Tory Burch Reva Printed Ballet Flats, and this Old Navy Cardigan. You can add a lot (cardigan) if you love wearing bold prints, or a little (shoes, scarf, etc.) if you're more conservative. The cardigan with a fun graphic tee (like this one from Forever21) would be super chic!
6- Clutches are on trend for the fall, and this adorable Kate Spade indigo Denim Clutch is just perfect. Oversized, durable, and a bow detail, this clutch can go from work, errands, and playgroup to cocktails and dinner without ever skipping a beat! And for $78 you can't go wrong!

oh, hello.

holy moly. where has the time gone?! i seriously blinked and its the middle of June. wow. 
So much has happened in the last month-- and I promise to fill you in on everything! Basically the only thing worth sharing is our Hawaiian vacation, and my best friends engagement! (!!!) Those posts will be coming up soon-- or as soon as I get the CD from our underwater camera!
But since your here I may as leave you with some funnies! Happy Friday!

Have a great weekend!

Saw It. Pinned It. Did It.

This has got to be one of my favorite/most hated  pinterest crafts! I love the way it came out, but BOY was it tedious! Not to mention, I had some black and blue fingers from hammering all those tiny nails!
This is the original pin! (click the photo to take you there!)

I decided to take a step farther, and went for a simple monogram for above our bed!   Here's what you'll need!

 - A piece of wood (I got mine at Home Depot for $5) -Spray paint or acrylic paint to cover the wood -LOTS of nails! I used two packs! Use a short nail- less than 1" tall, and with a wide nail head so the string wont slip off! -Crochet thread of your color of choice! Yarn would work too, but yarn fuzzes! -A paper print out of your design! -Atrusty hammer -Ruler for spacing  -Super glue -Picture hanging wire and clips -TIME and lots of it!
Step 1

 First Paint your wood. I painted mine a metallic slate color that matches everything else I've spray painted in our apartment. It has a little shimmer, which really makes the string pop!
Step 2

Measure out your border. Since I did my design backwards, I needed a border AND letters to be outlined so that the letters were open. I placed and nailed a nail every 1/2 inch so that it would be close enough to be tight but not too spread out. This is the most time consuming part.
*Make sure you nail in the nails enough. Wiggle them a little to make sure, or else you'll be sorry later when they pop out when your in the middle of stringing them!*

Step 3

 

 

 Once you have your border completed, its time to add your design. In my case, it was 3 letters. I printed them out, then cut them out, and pinned them to the board where I wanted them. Once you have the design where you want, just like the border, nail the design in 1/2" at a time! 

And voila! You have all your nails done and are ready to string!
Step 4

  Start stringing! (I totally forgot to take photos of this part, oops!) I started the string in the bottom corner and knotted it on the corner nail. I super glued the knot, just in case!

Then go wild! There is NO rhyme or reason to the stringing! I took mine and looped it around 2x each nail so that it stayed taught. I was able to complete the entire stringing (except the inside of the 'A' with one continuous piece of string! You just criss and cross til your done!

Step 5

 Once your done, just flip the board over and measure out a couple inches on each side to mount the hanging wire! Super easy!
Step 6

Sorry for the crappy iPhone pic, but you get the idea! Also, I know, I haven't purchased pillows for our bed and it looks naked!

Hang away! We put ours over our bed and it is the perfect over-the-bed artwork! Not too girly and catches the light! (You just can't tell with this crap-tastic photo I took!)
This was such an easy project, it just took a lot of time nailing in all the nails. Once you get the hang of it, it goes really fast, but beware of smashing your fingers! It will happen!
Let me know if you try this and how it comes out! Be sure to link up and share!

saw it. pinned it. did it.

I've got a ton of Pinterest quests to share with you! I've been stockpiling them, and im ready to start sharing! this has been one of my FAVORITE pins! Im on a health and fitness kick, and I love to cook, so this was a no brainer! And it's delish! Here's the original pin

Breakfast Quinoa Quinoa is a high-protien seed that fills you up, and is good for you! You can make it savory, and in this instance, sweet! Here's what you'll need!

 -2 cups whole or low-fat milk, plus more for serving -1 cup quinoa, rinsed (you'll need a mesh strainer; I didn't have one as you'll see!) -3 tablespoons light-brown sugar, plus more for serving -1/8 teaspoon ground cinnamon, plus more for serving -1 cup (1/2 pint) fresh blueberries, plus more for serving rinse your quinoa- use a mesh strainer, if you have one! I don't have one (currently) so I used a couple paper towels. It worked ok- a lot of the seeds stuck to the wet paper towel so yeah.

bring the milk to a boil in a sauce pan. remember that milk gets frothy (aka expands) when boiled, so be aware when choosing the size of your pan! add the quinoa, and bring to a boil.

reduce heat to low and simmer COVERED for about 15 minutes or until the 3/4 of the milk has been absorbed. stir in sugar and cinnamon. cook covered until all the liquid has been absorbed. Stir in blueberries! and cook for about 30 seconds (I used frozen berries, so there was a little cooking and a little extra liquid to cook off. )

 

Transfer to a pyrex dish to store! It's super easy to portion out!

You can serve it with extra milk, cinnamon, sugar and blueberries, but it tasted just fine without it!

Enjoy! Let me know if you try this! It was so easy and a great breakfast! You can eat it before or after working out and you don't feel weighted down!   Link up!