4.28.2017

Mama's Day Favorites


Mother's Day is one of the most special days to me since becoming a mama, now you might say that every day is mother's day, since we're mother's every day, but there's just something special to about it to me. I've been a mom to our sweet little Bella for almost 3 and a half years, it's hard to believe that it's been that long because it's flown by so (alarmingly fast); There have been joyous days, difficult days, lovely days, exhausting days, crying days, cuddle days... but they've all been the sweetest and best of days. Being a mama is my greatest joy in life, it's what I was created and called to do and it's the best thing that I could ever imagine. Having a little one to call my own, a little one that I grew inside my womb and birthed into this world, a little one that calls me mama and calls me her best friend and a little one that already loves Jesus and her family with all her sweet little heart. The mama life is the one for me, the best life.

I'm so excited to be bringing you a list of some of my favorite items for this mother's day. Some are sentimental, some are practical, some are for pretty, some are for wearing and they're all things I love so I knew they were the perfect items to add to my mama's day favorites gift guide list this year! Read all about them below! Happy Mother's Day!


We've been using a Fawn Design bag for months now (we've had the Fawn Design Black bag since last year) and we absolutely LOVE it! It looks so classy, much better than carrying around a traditional diaper bag (especially any kind with characters on them lol), and looks more like a good sized purse (or backpack, depending on how you carry it) that a diaper bag as well. Even though Bella is potty trained now, I still like to be the ultra prepared mom who always has everything on hand that we might need (it's better to have it and not need it than to need it and not have it I'm always telling my husband), a change of clothing if she has an accident, snacks, band-aids, a hairbrush (as much for me as for her lol), a little blanket for her, hairbows, essential oils, you name it, I got it. It fits sooooo much, probably the thing I love most about it, it just seems to go on forever once you stat putting things inside and you have so much room! I absolutely fell in love with this new "Bloom" color from the Fawn Design spring release this year, it's the perfect shade of cream? Pink? Flax? not really sure what color it is haha, to almost seems to change colors slightly depending on the light and colors around it and I absolutely love it! Seriously the prettiest color ever!


Oh this necklace, I fell so in love with it when I first seen it and I love it even more now that I own it. It's such a special piece to me because the date stamped on there is the date that I became a mama to the sweetest little girl. The disc comes in at around 3/4, (such a pretty size) so not too big and not too small and has the prettiest tiny little font used for the numbering (or lettering if you choose). Though I chose gold (because let's face it, gold is the absolute prettiest and I'm completely obsessed) it also comes in rose gold (which came in as a solid second choice for me) and silver. Your numbers can be regular numbers or roman numerals depending on which look you love best and comes in 5 different lengths so you can choose whichever length you love most! You can also add on a few items like a chain extender, a lobster clasp or a cubic zirconia diamond, and choose whether you'd like the finish of the disc to be shiny (mirrored) or brushed (matte). This is something I'll be wearing daily, such a special reminder of the day my little one was brought earth-side and placed in my arms, one of the most special dates on the calendar to me.


You know I have a thing for tea towels, I can't say that I ever collected anything as an adult... until last year, when I realized my deep love for tea towels (thanks mom, it's your fault haha). I'm always looking for the cutest tea towels and this one is such a sweet one. It's made from 100% cotton and has the most beautiful black calligraphy hand-lettering for the "home sweet home phrase written on it. I just love this phrase because home is the sweetest place and I'm really such a homebody, it can be used as decor and hung over your towel rack, an oven handle, laid on a table, used as a photo prop, or if you're really brave, actually used. Though I'm sure mine will be more for looks than anything lol, it's just so pretty! This makes an absolutely perfect housewarming gift, or a gift for your mom, or if you know someone who is getting married soon and will have their own home. There's no place like home, home sweet home.


f o u r | Felt Letterboard from Letter Poet
I just love these felt letterboards from Letter Poet, they have such a vintage charm to them and they're absolutely perfect for displaying your favorite quote on, making announcements, for holidays and also for monthly photos when expecting a little one and after your little one arrives. This particular felt letterboard is the perfect size for a starter felt letterboard, it measures 10" by 10" and also comes with a full set of 3/4" letters, numbers and symbols (as the Letter Poet website states, more than enough characters for all your most favorite quotes). I'm seriously thrilled for this little letterboard because I'm always finding such sweet, inspirational and thought provoking quotes on Pinterest and never have any way to keep them around on a daily basis, with this felt letterboard, I'll be able to do just that! The frame of this letterboard is crafted from oak wood, the felt is made from black felt, and the letter set is white, simply perfect and minimal.



f i v e | Minimalist MOTHER Pocket Tee from Deck & Oar
This tee from Deck & Oar is just the perfect amount of everything. The perfect color, the perfect amount of minimalism, the perfect word, the perfect fit, and the perfect amount of softness. It's seriously my absolute favorite now and I find myself wearing it constantly. This shirt is a reminder to keep it simply, yet classy. Simplicity and minimalism is something I've found myself drawn to and a way of life I've tried to adapt since becoming a mama in the last few years for sure. It's printed with water based, non-toxic dyes and has such a nice modern slouchy fit (the brand owner, Nyssa, recommends sizing down one size from your usual size for a proper fit), the absolute perfect tee for these lovely spring and summer days (I have a feeling it's going to get a lot of wear this summer), and it's even cute layered with a simple cardigan to make it wearable for the fall and winter! Definitely a staple in my mama closet.


4.27.2017

Farmhouse Dining Room Reveal

This blog post was sponsored by Bed Bath & Beyond, AllModern, Devine Color & A Cottage In The City, and I have received product in exchange for this post. All expressed opinions are 100% my own. As always, I only work with brands that we love and write about products that we actually love and use in our home.


This room reveal has been in the works for what feels like forever and I am so excited to finally be able to share the details of the whole room with you all! Last year our dining room started rather bare, all white walls, a laminate wood table, and wooden chairs. You could definitely say that it's taken on a different look these days, but we are also really loving all of this change!


The first addition to the room was our handmade farmhouse table. I knew that I for sure wanted a white painted wood plank farmhouse table with black hairpin legs but I couldn't find one for sale anywhere. I seriously searched the entire internet and then searched it two or three times more, I googled everything and not one ever came up, so I finally decided the only option was to have one made! Last year at a local center for the arts (it's almost like a little art museum but with art classes as well, seriously the coolest place) I came across a wooden cutting board in the gift shop one day and decided to snap a photo of the carpenter's info  thinking it might come in handy if I ever wanted to get something built one day. I was glad I did seeing as how I ended up contacting him a few months later and before we knew it, our custom table was being built! 30 inches wide, 60 inches long, hand crafted from solid oak, distressed like crazy and painted white. It's the prettiest little table and my husband and I (and Bella of course too) just love it. It's the first piece of furniture we've ever had custom built just for us, so it's a pretty special table that I know will last us for years to come. Down the road, when we eventually purchase a house, we'll probably have a larger dining room and will have a bigger table built, and then this one will either be a desk or a crafting table, but it's the perfect fit for our little dining room right now. If you're ever needing anything built and you live in Pennsylvania or Ohio, we definitely recommend chatting with Ben from Springfield Woodworks to create your custom piece!


Next up: Chairs, our old wood chairs just weren't cutting it with the new table. I mean, suppose I could have made them work if I had to (and if I had chalk painted them) but a new table needs new chairs. I think so anyway haha. I'd had my heart set on these white Walker Edison brand distressed metal cafe chairs from over at Bed Bath & Beyond for practically forever and the nice team over at Bed Bath & Beyond were kind enough to send some our way! Talk about excited, when they arrived it was pretty much the best day ever! They were so easy to screw together, we got 6 of them altogether (5 for the table and 1 for the computer in the other room) and it took me less than an hour to bolt the backs on all 6 of them by myself. They completely changed the atmosphere of the room and they're really sturdy! I was originally planning on going with Eames style chairs (you know, the kind that are white plastic on top and have wooden legs) and though I still like those kind, I'm really glad I decided to go with these metal cafe chairs instead, they match so nicely and the farmhouse style just flows with them.


Now I mean I love white walls, but I felt that the walls were a little lacking in our dining room, I knew I wanted to keep it light, airy, fresh and simple, but it needed something to make it pop and give it a little wow factor. So that's where wallpaper came in to play. Devine Color Stick and peel wallpaper that is (available at Target),I mean what's better than subway tile? I might be just a liiiiitle obsessed with this wall now that it's covered in white subway tile. Not only did it give the room that wow factor (it's one of the first things that people notice and always comment on when they walk into our home) but since the pattern goes all the way to the ceiling it brings the eye up and actually makes the room feel larger! We just love the texture and dimension it brings to the room.


Next on my to-do list was finding the perfect rug for under the table. Who'd have thought that would be such a tough job. I knew I definitely wanted a jute rug for the space (they're just so simple and pretty), something that was lighter in color but not too light (since we'll be eating above it so often), and something that fit just right. Since most jute rugs only come in size 5x8, none of those were options for us, seeing as our space only allows for a 5x7.5 size rug at most. Finally, after months of searching I came across this beauty of a rug (the Loloi Edge Ivory Area Rug) from over at AllModern! It's the perfect rug, I really love the feel and look of the jute, and was actually (pleasantly) surprised to find once it arrived that it also had strips of leather woven in as well! It really gives off a farmhousey, yet beachy feel which just love, and my husband says he likes the way it feels on his feet, so I guess it's a win-win, haha. This rug is so unique and would also be great for a loving room or bedroom (if we ever decide to move it), for the moment we're loving it in the dining room. AllModern has so many cute rugs to choose from that you'll have no problem finding the perfect rug for your space over there.


The scalloped zinc side table is a piece that I've loved ever since I spied it on Fixer Upper quite awhile back, and then my friend Megan (from A Blessed Nest Blog) furthered my obsession even more. This piece is from the sweetest little shop, A Cottage In The City, located in New York and also online. The boutique is filled with curated goods that fit perfectly into a farmhouse or cottage style home, or even if you just like unique finds for your home, they simply have so many pretty items to offer. I'm fairly certain I startled the UPS delivery man a little bit with how fast I ran  outside to get this the day if arrived haha. It was super easy to put together, it only took Frank and I (along with Bella helping of course) less than 30 minutes! This scalloped side table from A Cottage In The City is nice and sturdy and can go in practically any room, dining room, kitchen, living room, entryway, used as a nightstand in a master bedroom, or even in a large bathroom. It just adds such a sweet (and really unique) touch to any room and we love it. It's definitely a statement piece and a conversation starter, everyone always wants to know where it's from! I'm planning on decorating it op top for all the different seasons and holidays, it's quite perfect for that.


Lastly, a large chalkboard is something that has been on my wishlist for a very long time, so naturally I was thrilled when I ran the idea by Frank and he was on board with it too! Originally we planned on making one ourselves, but let's be honest, who has the time lol. I scoured Etsy (and world market and Anthropologie) for the perfect chalkboard (that didn't also cost an arm and a leg) for quite awhile until I eventually (abit accidentally) found this one through a shop on Instagram! Mandi from over at Rustic Scraps is seriously the sweetest and custom made this chalkboard in the exact specifications I needed for our dining room wall and we're absolutely loving it. It's so much fun to write on and I love waking up to sweet notes from Frank on it, those are always so special and one of my favorite things. Another reason I love this chalkboard is that it kind of matches our table, and well, you know that white is pretty much my most favorite color.


Another small touch that always makes a room seem more special to me are fresh flowers, I love to try and always have some on the table, I feel that they just make a room so fresh and filled with a homey warmth. I also picked up some little white planters not too long ago (they were less than $1 apiece at IKEA) and filled them with some tiny plants I bought during our recent trip to the greenhouse, I plan to eventually fill them with herbs that I can also use when I'm cooking in the kitchen (basil and parsley are two of my favorites to always have on hand), but for the time being, I'm loving these little fairy plants. And then who doesn't love a big basket of fresh fruit to snack from during the day (this basket was actually Bella's Easter basket and we've re-purposed it), we've only recently started keeping a fruit basket and I'm really liking always having fresh fruit on hand (and the clementines are Bella's absolute favorite). The seasonal fruits and vegetables poster from Young America Creative, the candle from Wax & Wool Etc., the heirloom recipe box from Rifle Paper Co., the floral tea towel from Anthropologie, and the measuring spoon set from Magnolia Market are a few other favorites that we've picked up over the last year or so and are loving.


This was such a fun room to work on these past 6 months (wow, I can't believe it's been that long since I first started on it) and I'm thrilled to finally have it done. It's become one of my favorite spaces in our home (I think I say that a lot, since all of our home has become my favorite but this room especially), there's nothing like gathering the family around the table for a delicious dinner and family time. There has already been so much laughter and love gathered around our table, good food eaten and special moments shared in this room, and I'm sure countless ones in the future. Happy Thursday Friends!