Random Thursday

Happy Thursday! These maternity-leave days are going by oh-so-fast. I'm eating up every minute of being home with my adorable Mackenzie who may or may not have smiled this morning. Jury's still out.

First off I'm obsessed with my new bracelet. Gotta keep the faith and I love that all the pieces from this company are made in the USA. 

Alex and Ani Bracelet

I started painting our entryway coral but it's turning into a big disaster. Aka - it's halfway painted and I hate the color at night. Doug's given me until this weekend to figure out what my next move is. The pressure! So a coral entryway is not in my future but isn't this entryway by Mary McDonald amazing? 

FYI, if you're going for coral paint in your home, keep it more pink so it doesn't look orange at night. Lesson learned.

I've given up dairy because Mackenzie has been a little fussy which means NO CHEESE (and if you know me then you know that I love my cheese). So we've been scouring our cookbooks and the internet for some non-dairy recipes. This Sweet, Sticky and Spicy Chicken recipe was delicious and almost too simple.

My sister got me a Lululemon gift card for Christmas and while I'd love to waltz in their and buy the pants that I want, it's just not going to happen until I lose the rest of this baby weight. So that being said, I found some amazing workout pants at Old Navy. I'm slightly in love with them. They are perfect for walks and running errands with the little.

Compression Zip Leggings

We're in dire need of some color in this house! For some reason, navy and grays have become neutrals in my life which is why I'm turning to corals and pinks as accents. This Trina Turk pillow needs to come and stay here. Plus, it's on sale! 

Trina Turk Santorini Square Supreme Pillow

Lastly happy pre-Friday! 

We get our newborn pictures back today and I can't wait to stare at them and share them with you. They are incredible but I may be just a little bias. Just a little.

Leopard Love

It's raining and the weather is oh-so-weird down here in Atlanta. We went from the crazy snow that shutdown this city last week and left me and Mackenzie inside for days (without internet or cable may I add) to a beautiful weekend where we went for a walk in a short sleeve shirt to this stuff. Figure it out, Atlanta. 

I'm also halfway through my maternity leave and now have a six week old baby. I've tried to start some projects around the house but they are all half finished. But that's a post for another day.

Today, I can't help but look at these tasteful uses of leopard. Leopard can cheer up any overcast day. It's a neutral in my book that can easily add some visual interest into a room. But it has to be the right kind of leopard in a good pattern!

1 / 2 / 3 / 4 / 5 / 6 / 7 / 8 / 9 / 10

My all-time favorite leopard fabric is Jamil Natural... I'm looking around my house and trying to find a spot for it since there's always room for a little leopard.

A Little Update

A very (belated) little update.

We welcomed our beautiful daughter just in time for Christmas. Mackenzie was born December 22 and everyone in this house is just smitten.

Mackenzie will be one month old this week!?? I can't believe it. I need someone to come over and take away all the sweets in this house since apparently I think I'm still pregnant. 

In other news, we celebrated Thanksgiving early with our friends and then with Doug's family.

The living room got a new rug, x benches, and bamboo shades. 

Christmas came and went and now this corner in our living room is looking very empty and sad. 

But we are starting to get into our routine as a family and enjoying every single cry-induced, sleep-lacking, baby-filled minute. 

One Room Challenge: Baby Girl's Nursery

Welcome. Today's a big day. It's the final day of the One Room Challenge and I'm so excited to show you our nursery for our little girl who is due at the end of the year. You can see the past few weeks here:

• Week 1
• Week 2
• Week 3
• Week 4
• Week 5

ORC was created by Linda at Calling It Home and I'm very grateful for this little challenge. So, thank you Linda and thank you to everyone who stopped by and commented, motivating me to cross the finish line. And happy birthday today to my beautiful mom! She's the best cheerleader I have.

Today is all about the photos, but first... the before. 

Before

After

Jenny Lind Crib with an adjustable crib skirt (it ties to the springs so it will always kiss the ground as the mattress drops) in Navy Fleur Chinoise by Caitlin Wilson Textiles. Walls and striped floors are Behr Silver Drop. 
During week 4, I decided that this room definitely needed some Brunschwig & fils Les Touches. Glider is from Home Decorators Collection, side table is from Target, and bunny blanket is from Baby Braithwaite.
Baby girl's first pair of shoes.
Fairytale plates were given to me as a child from my grandmother. You can read more about them here. (And yes, the plates will be either be taken down or the crib will move to the other side of the room when she's old enough to reach them.)
Bookcase from Home Decorators. Baskets from HomeGoods.
Since we have family and friends scattered across the globe, we put a heart on the major cities where everyone is so she knows that she is loved.

The turtle was made by an amazing artist outside of Clemson, SC (where Doug and I both went to school). I have her name at my office and will update asap! Update: the turtle is by Robin Anne Cooper of End of the Road Studios. 
Growing up, my grandma got my sister and me started with a collection of tea cups. This is the start of a new collection. Blabla finger puppets.
My mother-in-law just returned from China with these beautiful red (tiger!) shoes. The white and pink ones are from my sister-in-law and her 6-month old has a matching pair. The elephant is from India and was a gift from my friend Whitney who just got back. 
The book initials were a gift from my best friend Jenna and they're sitting on Doug's dresser from childhood (more about that here). The paintings are by Katherine Day, my great aunt who I was named after but never met. She painted in France a lot during the 1920s and I have quite a few of her pieces throughout my home and they mean so much to me. 
Hand-embroidered bunny by Sam Kay Designs.  
The monogrammed frame is from our friend Lea, the lamp and shade are from Target, and that is one of my first shoes. 
The rain boots belonged to me and my sister. They're from my aunt Carole who brought them back from England for us.

So there you have it. I love how cozy this room is. Sunday morning, I sat on the glider with my coffee and it was very peaceful. But we're not done yet! Missing? This beauty of a chandelier that is sitting in its box in our living room. It finally came in this week and we just haven't had the time to get it up so you'll have to check back to see its reveal.

Now, go check out all the other amazing participants who are taking place in the ORC and the link up. There is some major talent in this group! Click below to see them all.