Thursday, March 29, 2012

Riley's Nursery

The time is here for the long awaited nursery reveal.  This was truly a labor of love, and it's true that perhaps I enjoy the room more than Riley, although she does love to stare at the bright colors of the ceiling.  I wanted a sophisticated nursery that she could grow into and could be tweaked without having to start over when she becomes a toddler.  We kept the colors bold and made sure to include touches that are decidedly baby:







Sources:
Curtain and Bedding Fabric: Quadrille
Custom Bedding: Tuft Love Fabric
Crib & Changing Table: Pottery Barn Baby
Changing Cover, Pillow, Crib Sheet: Serena & Lily
Glider: Custom Made 
Shelves & Rug: Ikea
Mobile: Bla Bla (purchased at Baby Bliss)
Mirror: Gilt Groupe Sale
Pouf: Etsy
Zebra Art: Avalisa
Night Light: Jonathan Adler

Tuesday, March 27, 2012

Library Inspiration

We are hoping to tackle our next house project, which is built-in bookshelves for our study/office.  I have always dreamed of having my own library to house my book collection I have amassed over the years.  It will be a dream come true for this avid reader!

Here is the study now with an empty back wall:


And here are some inspiration photos I pulled to show the contractor starting off with this photo from last month's issue of House Beautiful, which is my major jumping off point:

I like the simplicity of the bookcase but also that the shelves are not uniform with different size spaces to accommodate not only books but anything else I choose to put in that space, adding visual interest.

Monique Lhuillier's library is gorgeous, which goes without saying:



I am also drawn to these black floor to ceiling bookcases that would add contrast to the room:





This one has an L-shape, which is also a consideration given that I have a window that sits awkwardly on the left hand side of the room to contend with making it so I can't take the bookshelves across the entire back wall:



I like the simplicity of these wooden bookshelves without a backing--this seems like an economical option, but probably won't work for me with the window problem I described above:



And a couple more examples of beautiful white bookshelves but with symmetrical shelves:




Another great inspiration photo of floor to ceiling white bookshelves:




If you noticed alot of these libraries had something in common: a ladder. So lastly, I think adding this Ikea ladder is a must!
Inreda Ladder via Ikea

Will keep you updated with progress along the way!

Friday, March 23, 2012

Design Darling Boutique

I have been admiring Mackenzie's blog Design Darling for some time.  Her feminine and preppy style is always an inspiration, so it's no surprise that I also think her recently opened online shop is a hit and inspiration too.  I adore the varied items that are affordable, cute, and on trend.  Anything in the shop would make a great gift for others or a treat for yourself.  Here is some of what the shop offers:



Ever since I saw this Michael Kor's ad I have been coveting an oversized gold link bracelet:


Lo and behold they have one with a very similar look at the Design Darling shop that I got as a 30th birthday gift from my husband (after maybe just a few hints):


You can check out the shop here.

Wednesday, March 21, 2012

Riley Harper's Baby Naming

Last week, my mother-in-law and sister-in-law threw a beautiful baby naming for Riley.  Riley was named after some very special family members, my Uncle Robert and Jason's late father Harry (honored via her middle name Harper) in addition to her Hebrew name (Havva), named after my great grandfather, which was given at the event.  The naming was followed by a luncheon with gorgeous flowers in all shades of pink!

It was wonderful to honor these special people who were so meaningful in our lives amongst family and friends:
The welcome sign matched the invitation and all of the other paper goods at the event.


At the naming ceremony.

Surprise Birthday Cake

With my parents.

Riley slept through most of the event and being passed around.


My Mom and Aunt

Beautiful flowers!


More details.


Had to get a photo of Riley in her adorable dress even though she seemed to be ready for another nap when we got home!

Monday, March 19, 2012

6 weeks

Hi!  I am trying to make my way back in to blogging after my 6 week hiatus, which still may be slow going, but I will be trying.  It has been challenging, as my daughter loves to be held 24/7, but also fun and rewarding being a new mom.

The holding part has led to a lot of one hand typing and blog reading on my new Kindle Fire (a 30th birthday present, a milestone I also celebrated this month) but unfortunately makes it very hard to comment.  So I apologize for not commenting, but I am reading (during the incessant feedings) even if not interacting.  This week I will be sharing what I have been up to these past whirlwind weeks and then it will be back to regular programming without it being all baby all the time (well at least on my blog.)

First up, some newborn shots taken by the talented Dallas area photographer Suzi Neely of Riley at 1 week:






You can see her blog on Riley's photo shoot and her portfolio here.