the table

pinsperation thursday

2012-02-09T13:26:00.002-05:00

Welcome to "Pinsperation Thursday!" Every day I question how I survived without Pinterest in my life until last summer? I wish I could get a do over in college just so I could have this amazing website at my disposal for inspiration. It get's my creative juices flowing every morning and brings out the artist in me that seemed dormant for a couple of years. It makes me want to pick up a paint brush or break out a glue gun. SO with all that praise said I know it's been a while since we've had a Pinsperation Thursday but I think I'll bring it back for now every week. Hope you enjoy what's been inspiring me lately!

This chippy blue buffet is just what I'd like so serve off of.

A sweet little blue felt crown- Lucy would love this!

I may need to take a cake decorating course in the future. It would be nice to learn how to replicate this sweet ruffle cake.

This space has the perfect touch of warmth and contrast for me!

A welcoming entrance.

It's obvious that this kitchen is out of this world, that french blue stove is magnifique!

I really dig the lighting in this dining space and did you notice the skylight?!

Since college I've dreamed of having my own set of flat file drawers, these blue ones are perfection!

You can find these images and many more *here* on my pinterest page.

Hope you have a beautiful Thursday!!!

our baby boys room tour

2012-02-08T07:48:00.001-05:00

Our baby boy will be joining his big sister Lucy(2) in just a few short weeks and for his nursery I knew I wanted something with a vintage feel and a little manly. I challenged myself to use mostly what we already had on hand to decorate and furnish it. The dresser was my husbands from college which got a fresh coat of red paint. The 1950's school house map of Europe was relocated from our family room and I built the large ribbon board from a frame I had in the garage. The walls got a coat of soft greige paint and pops of color were added to the room through accessories which were also mostly relocated from different rooms in our home. I totally "shopped the house" on this one baby!

In case you were wondering "where the heck is the changing table?" I'll tell you. Because the size of the room rather small we had to choose between dresser or changing table. Luckily his closet is well built (as well as lit) and was large enough to accommodate the changing table so that's where it lives. I'm pretty happy with it being in there and out of sight anyway.

Hope you enjoyed the tour, please feel free to leave a comment or send me a message if you have any questions. I think the only thing I have left I want to do is make fun little bunting to hang on his crib.

*Sources*
Bedding- Pottery Barn Kids
Rocker- "Dorel Rocking Chair" Wal-mart
Crib- Land of Nod
Side Table- Land of Nod
Table Lamp- Target
Globe- Goodwill find
Vintage Map- Lola Rue and Co., Bloomington, IN
Art Work- Etsy
Vintage Indiana Pennant Flag- Ebay
Solar System Mobile- Pottery Barn Kids
Knit Throw- Pottery Barn
Striped Linen Pillow Cover- Pottery Barn
Navy Black Out Curtains- Wal-Mart
Valance- made from "Harvest Plaid" fabric by Ralph Lauren
Wall Color- "Brevity" by Pratt and Lambert

Have a beautiful Wednesday, I'm off in search of some fun cupcake wrappers for L's party Saturday.

monday, monday

2012-02-06T15:41:00.001-05:00

It's Monday and Lucy can't be bothered with all my questioning. Sister was was into watching Toy Story. Rightfully so I guess since we took it out of rotation for a about a month. I thought I'd go crazy we watched it so much. Also- she totally knows and can say "brother" but I think the child is in denial about her impending sibling-lol. My sweetness will be two this Saturday so I've been having funning planning a little birthday brunch for her.

Did you guys watch the game? I love it when my team wins! {Sorry Patriots fans} I'll be back with a tour of Lucy's little brothers room- I know I promised last week but I had a just a few finishing touched to addand time just got away from me. I'll also show you the great new mirror I scored last week for the entry.

I hope you have a beautiful Monday.

super sunday

2012-02-04T21:05:00.000-05:00

*warning this is a football post- no pretty design this time.

Love me or leave me but I'm a sporty girl through and through. While I was born a Michigan girl I grew up in Indianapolis from age 2 on and we now live about 25 minutes outside the city. Basketball and racing have always been huge here and since Peyton Manning came along when I was in high school football has too. This city has been preparing to host the Super Bowl for the past few years and now that the time has come I can honestly say I didn't fully understand the magnitude of it until now. The past week around town has been insane. Everything from constant star sightings and photo updates from friends on facebook, to the Jimmy Fallon show taping all week here to random fun flash mobs- the energy has been amazing and so fun to be part of! This is Indiana folks- it's been totally surreal. You better believe if I weren't 35 weeks pregnant I'd be out hunting down Ryan Gosling and John Hamm too!

At any rate I'm just so proud to be a Hoosier and I just wanted to wish everyone a happy and safe Super Bowl Sunday!!!

valentine banner

2012-01-31T11:12:00.000-05:00

Lucy had been itching to get her paints out and I was longing for some Valentine decor so we came up with a plan for a little Valentine banner to hang in the sunroom.

After everything was dry I glued on some hearts and strung it all up. Lucy looked so proud when she saw it. I'm so excited she's getting old enough to do little projects like this with me.

Hope you have a fantastic Tuesday!

slow cooker buffalo chicken sandwiches

2012-01-30T07:35:00.002-05:00

In honor of my hometown hosting the Super Bowl this year I thought I'd share with you a great game day recipe. I made these tasty buffalo chicken sandwiches for dinner the other night. This could quite possibly be the easiest and simplest recipe for the crock pot I've ever used. It only uses 3 ingredients people, THREE! And the best part is you can just throw the chicken in right out of the freezer.

Ingredients:

1- 2.5 lb. bag of boneless skinless frozen chicken breast or chicken tenders

1- packet of Hidden Valley Ranch mix

1- 12 ounce bottle of Franks Hot Sauce

Empty your bag of frozen chicken breast into the crock pot and add the entire bottle of of hot sauce {3/4 of the bottle if you like it little less hot} and top with the packet of Hidden Valley Ranch mix. {no water needed} Set your crock pot to low and let it cook for 6-7 hours. After that using two forks separate and shred your chicken and place it back into the crock pot to simmer for another hour or so. Ta-da! It's done.

This recipe will make 6 generous sized sandwiches. I like to serve mine on french bread hoagies with shredded swiss cheese and a side of ranch for dipping. They're a big hit with my husband every time I make them!

linking up to:
my uncommon slice of suburbia

puddin'

2012-01-27T07:48:00.001-05:00

It makes my toes curl under it's so stinkin' cute to watch a little girl "cook" pudding and then sit down with a bowl still wearing her tiny apron. The apron that she got for Christmas and refuses to take off some days because she loves wearing one just like her momma so much.

Sweet girl you make my heart so full it feels like it could burst some days.

Happy Friday! Here's to a beautiful weekend full of rest and happiness!

I'll see you next week with a yummy super bowl friendly recipe and a tour of our little mister's nursery!

light with dark

2012-01-26T07:39:00.000-05:00

I've been really drawn to mostly light interiors with pops of dark and/or natural elements lately. There is just something about the little hits of warmth that make me able to justify such a light interior with out it feeling stark and cold.

Have beautiful Thursday!

*all images via

ruler growth chart

2012-01-19T07:27:00.009-05:00

I had been really wanting to make one of these ruler growth charts for several months and we finally got around to it last weekend. I'm loving the way it turned out and it's the perfect addition to our hallway.

I used my silhouette that I got for Christmas to cut out the numbers with card stock to use as stencils. The lines and numbers are done with a sharpie which worked perfectly- no bleeding.

Finished and all hung up. We used the biggest anchors I've ever seen to secure it to the wall.

I transfered Lucy's height markings from the door frame in the playroom where we had been keeping track. I love the idea of if we ever move someday we can take it down and bring it with us.

Special thanks to this guy for doing such a great job!

Supplies we used:

1- 6 ft. board

walnut stain

sandpaper

wall anchors and screws

package of fine point sharpies

tape measurer

level

ruler

drill

Message me if you have any questions on the specifics and I'd be happy to share them with you!

Hope you have a beautiful day! How did we get to Thursday already?

linking up to:
french country cottage
my romantic home
the shabby nest
tatertots and jello
six sisters' stuff
i heart nap time
a simply klassic home
my uncommon slice of suburbia

ruffles abound

2012-01-18T07:37:00.000-05:00

I feel a bit like Oprah lately walking around my house and informing inanimate objects "YOU GET A RUFFLE AND YOU GET A RUFFLE!!!"

I think I've got a serious case of the girlies...

Always have though.

Can't help it. Luckily I married a guy who doesn't mind.

Have a beautiful day!

hello dolly

2012-01-17T07:39:00.010-05:00

Lucy's birthday is in a few weeks and I can't believe she's going to be two already. I knew I wanted to make her a little doll- one she'd hopefully hold on to forever and would become well loved and worn over time. It was quite and adventure seeing as how this was my first foray into the doll making world but I'm glad I made the effort. So here she is. I can't wait to give it to her.

I chose the pattern for it's sweet simplicity and timelessness.

You can find the pattern I used {here.} Now we're looking for an antique or vintage doll cradle to fix up and include with the doll. The hunt is on, I love a good search and a new project.

linking up to:
my uncommon slice of suburbia
french country cottage
my romantic home
the shabby nest
tatertots and jello
six sisters' stuff
i heart nap time
a simply klassic home

the ruffled nest wreath

2012-01-16T07:10:00.008-05:00

I started itching to make a new wreath for our entry over the weekend. I used a straw form to start and wrapped it in a linen blend fabric. Next I ripped a couple of strips of the same fabric and ruffled them using my sewing machine and then wrapped those around the wreath.

After that I enlisted the help of my favorite apprentice to help me roll the wooden robin eggs in glitter.

Meanwhile while the eggs were drying and after putting Lucy down for her nap I ripped off a piece of moss and glued it to a notecard. {I wanted it to be removable in case I ever want to switch it out but you could glue it right on the the fabric if you want} Next I glued the little nest onto the moss and pinned the card onto the wreath.

The scene unfolding looked something like this mess...

My eggs were dry and ready to be glued into the nest.

And that's it! It took way less time than I had anticipated which is always nice and was relatively inexpensive to create. I already had the wreath form, fabric, and moss. Everything else was purchased at Michaels.

I hope you have a beautiful Monday and a super inspiring week ahead!

linking up to:
my uncommon slice of suburbia
french country cottage
my romantic home
the shabby nest
tatertots and jello
six sisters' stuff
i heart nap time
a simply klassic home

Tomato Basil Parmesan Soup- Yes, please!

2012-01-13T07:51:00.000-05:00

I made this Tomato-Basil Parmesan Soup earlier in the week. Per the usual lately I found the recipe on Pinterest. I wonder if anyone has started a blog like "365 days of cooking on Pinterest" or something to that effect. I would read it. Lord knows it's pulled me out of my share of menu slumps since last summer.

Anyway back to the soup. I will confess I had never made a "roux" before and was slightly intimidated by it's fancy sounding name but it wasn't a big deal. I served it with toasted french bread for dinner and it was plenty hearty even for the hubs. Best of all it was a crock pot meal! I will definitely be adding this to my list of go-to cold/rainy day meals. You can find the link to the recipe I used here.

Happy Friday, I hope you have a beautiful weekend!

happy feet

2012-01-12T07:59:00.000-05:00

There is something about tiny feet.

Clean, dirty, chubby or slender I love them all.

On this particular day I had a willing model happily indulging her momma.

happy, happy, happy feet

Have a beautiful Thursday, can you believe it's almost Friday already?!

Still so much I'd like to get done this week...

its wed-nes-day

2012-01-11T07:37:00.000-05:00

Hey it's "hump day!" I always hated that saying it makes me cringe for some reason. I'm going to work on a birthday gift for Lucy while she naps and do some knitting for the baby.

What are you up to? I'd love to hear!

martha's lemon cookies

2012-01-10T07:42:00.000-05:00

After spending yesterday afternoon in the kitchen, here's what I have to show for it...

in addition to the mess, I also made these...

glazed lemon cookies.

They are every bit as good as they look too. A little crisp on the bottom and soft on top. Just the right amount of lemony goodness. Lucy gobbled her's up and asked for seconds. I followed this recipe to a T. So thank you Martha for a new keeper!

new year, a little organization

2012-01-09T07:57:00.009-05:00

I have a small space in the house reserved just for "my stuff." It's located in the closet of the kids playroom. {pssst I can't wait to one day take over the whole room} But since that's years and years away I figured I may as well make the most of what I've got for now. As you can see from the before photo I had the whole back wall that was screaming for some storage.

I started by painting the wall "ballet white" by Benjamin Moore. I also took a trip to Lowes and bought three wood brackets and a stair tread of all things for the shelf. {the tread was the perfect size and I liked it's finished rounded front edge} After whitewashing all the pieces they were hung and more storage was born!

I picked up a small linen ribbon board from Michaels.

Pens, pencils, brushes and cutting instruments found their way up high safely away from tiny hands.

The new shelf space above the desk helped to unclog my side shelves.

The white boxes from IKEA hold things like glitter, glues, stamps, punches, ribbons and paints. The white can on the floor is filled with fabric remnants and yarn.

All in all it feels like a fresh start and I can actually find the things I need a little bit faster. It cost me around $50 including the shelf and items from IKEA.

Happy Monday and cheers to a new week!

linking up to:
my uncommon slice of suburbia
the shabby creek cottage
french country cottage
my romantic home
the shabby nest
tatertots and jello
six sisters' stuff
cottage and vine

sunday beds

2012-01-08T13:28:00.000-05:00

There's something about

our Sunday beds...

that make us want to linger in them a little longer...

I hope you have a beautiful day.

don't forget...

2012-01-07T15:02:00.000-05:00

Downton Abbey returns to PBS this Sunday, January 8th.

I've got my popcorn ready and I can't wait!

my favorite go-to breakfast

2012-01-05T07:49:00.000-05:00

Call me a creature of habit- I don't mind. I have to eat breakfast and have a cup a coffee every morning to get going and I've usually made myself the same egg sandwich ever since college. Sometimes I shake things up with some strawberries and cream oatmeal instead but its usually the egg sandwich. I find it keeps me fullest longest and I've become so efficient at making these it only take me about 5 minutes from start to finish.

what you'll need:
2 eggs (one whole and one white)
1 whole wheat bagel thin
1 slice of colby cheese
a frozen turkey sausage patty or two
butter
cracked pepper
dried chives

heat up a small skillet on low and toss in one whole egg and then one egg white and blend. Add a dash of cracked pepper and a pinch of dried chives (in summer I like to use fresh chives from the herb garden). While thats cooking toss your bagel thin in the toaster and microwave your turkey sausage for about 1 minute. Check on your eggs and when they are ready remove from heat and place a slice of colby cheese on top. Butter your bagel thin and place your eggs and cheese on the bottom slice. Top with turkey sausage and sandwich together- you're good to go! This always lasts me until lunch time.

bon appetit!

play time

2012-01-04T07:48:00.000-05:00

Watching Lucy grow up feels like one of my biggest privileges in life. She's almost two and every day we see more and more of her little personality shining through. We were at the playground inside the mall on Sunday and as Nick and I sat and watched her interact with the other little kids I couldn't have been prouder. I love that she's fearless and will run up to others and smile or share a toy. I also love that she'll fight for her turn on the slide if need be. She's not with out her toddler challenges but they only make her her to me.

Some days I wish I could freeze time.

On some of her more "challenging" days we're counting down the minutes until bed time but it never fails that as soon as she's sleeping we joke about getting her up to play with her because we miss her already.

I can hardly wait to watch her be a big sister. That will be the next chapter- something I never had so I'm so excited for her. I love you Lucy!

being intentional

2012-01-03T07:40:00.001-05:00

I've never been one to make resolutions. If I had to though this year I'd just like to live more from intention and less from habit- especially with the everyday little mundane things. I want to eat out a little less and cook more. If Lucy hands me a book I want to stop what I'm doing to read it to her. I want to make sure Nick leaves the house with his coffee and breakfast in hand every morning even if it's just a bowl of instant oatmeal. I want to make more things to give as gifts and shop less online and at stores. I want to allow myself the time to shut out the world for a while after our son is born this March and focus on nothing but our little family and not feel bad about neglecting the blog or other daily structured activities we schedule for ourselves. I want to leave the mess in the sink for a while after dinner to spend time with Nick and Lucy before she goes to bed. I want to give myself permission to continue to "check out" for a half hour or so every couple days on the treadmill- it's a habit that I formed last summer that I really like. I want to rid our home of "stuff" we don't love or need starting with purging the totes of Christmas decorations I haven't put up in years that clutter up our attic and only keep the ones we use. I think you can start to see a theme developing here...

*source

Here's a fun list to rev your engine if need be...

So cheer's to a fresh start and I hope your 2012 is filled with all the beauty and creativity you can handle!

linking up to:

the lettered cottage

rewind

2012-01-02T09:26:00.000-05:00

I had been so under the weather ever since the Thursday before Christmas that I didn't even upload any of our Christmas photos until last night- that's how Nick knew I really wasn't feeling well lol.

does anyone else geek out as much as I do over playing "Santa" and arranging the gifts?

Nick and I cracked up that her best and biggest reactions came from a package of Tinkerbell stickers that were in her stocking, a big box of fresh play dough and all the books. I love this age!

after opening gifts at home it was on to Grandma and Grandpa's A's house for more fun.

A couple of days after Christmas we finally got the snow I'd been waiting for. I was so thrilled I ran outside as the sun was coming up and snapped a few pictures of our back yard in my slippers.

I hope you have a beautiful first Monday of your new year!

midnight in paris

2012-01-01T22:38:00.000-05:00

Nick and I sat down tonight to watch the movie Midnight in Paris. I had only read the description on the back of the Netflix sleeve so I really didn't know much going in other than it was directed by Woody Allen who I must admit I'm not usually a huge fan of.

I was hooked from the opening montage of scenes from around the city. It was visually stunning and the characters were fun to follow. If you haven't seen it and have any sort of interest in Paris, art, or writing I really recommend it!

blink and you missed it

2011-12-31T23:53:00.001-05:00

Happy New Year to all! We began the last day of 2011 picking up some delicious treats for tonight. Pink champagne, Neapolitan, and chocolate peanut butter to be exact.

After a productive day of hanging out and not doing much but relaxing we headed out to watch a hockey game with Nick's family. It was tons of fun and Lucy had a blast dancing around our suite to the music that played during the breaks.

I snapped this picture on our way out. We stayed the first two periods but then it became wayyy past a certain 22 month old's bedtime.

I even broke out my fancy "party" TOMS.

Back to those cupcakes. Here we are with 9 minutes left in the year.

I'm always astonished looking back at how fast the years ticked by.

We can't wait to meet our new baby boy soon and continue to watch our sweet Lucy grow and learn new things every day. I hope you enjoy your evening and CHEERS to a fresh start and a clean slate.