Morning!

I hope all you moms had a wonderful (and sunny!) day yesterday…we managed to see lots of family in one busy day, and we are thankful we had the opportunity to celebrate the special ladies in our life.

Speaking of mommas, I’m currently helping a dear friend of mine decorate a room in her home for her two young daughters (the original mood board can be found here). It’s coming along rather nicely, and there will absolutely be some fun “after” photos to share this summer. But before we get to the finished room, I thought I’d share the rather busy design board with you. The theme is “vintage modern” and we ran with the colors in the vintage quilt that Jess purchased on etsy. You’ll see there’s no pink  - we stayed away from “predictable pink” and went with yellows, teals, and corals. It’s warm, bright and fun.

Also, the unique challenge I must mention about this room is that we are working with a crib and a twin bed, as opposed to two beds. So, in order to make those pieces work together, we are painting the furniture  (the crib and the bed) a beautiful Benjamin Moore teal and giving the girls very similiar bedding. I checked up on a few of the pieces that Jess has already purchased from the design board, and I’m happy to report things are looking rather darling. Here’s a quick iPhone photo I snapped of the goods…

The fabrics are the exact ones in the above mood board, and I love the color and boldness they bring to the room. The walls will be a soft grey, so we’re letting the fabric do most of the talking in this space. Kinda like this room…

The fun has just begun…I have 4 more fun posts scheduled this week!

If there’s one thing I’ve learned in this life, it’s that you don’t truly appreciate your parents and all they sacrificed for you until you become an adult. When you are an adult, you have a much better understanding of the demands and responsibilities of life, and I’ve begin to wonder, how did Mom do it all? Looking back, she really was wonder woman – she worked full-time, exercised every morning before work, prepared me and my brother for the day, drove us to numerous after school activities, planned fun trips for us during the summer, and she never once hired help to clean our house. And our house was clean. Always.

And it’s not just about what she did, it’s about how she taught, guided, and loved us. She did it with ease and she let us become who we wanted to be. She focused on what I wanted, and not what she wanted. The best gift you can give your kids is to let them make their own decisions, and my parents were (and still are!) really good at that.

And while we are on the topic of amazing Moms, did I mention I am a lucky girl when it comes to my mother-in-law? She’s rather terrific, and although I’ve only known her for 5 short years, I’m certain she’s one of the kindest, most thoughtful women around. She has the grandma thing down too – my niece and nephew simply adore their “nana” and it’s clear that Patti was made to be around little ones. She’s always giving me insight into Kyle and teaching me about marriage and life, and I am beyond thankful for her unwavering love and support.

Finally, I have one last lady I would be remiss if I didn’t mention. My Aunt Holly also falls into the Mom category, as she’s been by my side since I was a wee one. She’s the kind of person I aspire to be – patient, flexible, and totally unselfish. She puts others before herself. Every. Single. Time.  She keeps things in perspective, and on top of everything else, she’s a super smart and wordly lady.

Yippee for Mother’s Day – I am counting  my blessings for such wonderful ladies in my life! Cheers to celebrating Moms and all of their selfless acts of kindness.

Morning!

Our little living room was recently featured in the June 2012 issue of Cottages and Bungalows magazine and I just had to share the article and photos with you! It’s fun to see our cozy space in print and it’s nice to see another room in our home get a little love, as I feel like our kitchen has had its day in the sun.

It’s practically impossible to read the text, so I apologize for posting a totally impractical photo, but it gives you an idea of the photos and tips they included in the article.

I’m looking at my May calendar and for whatever reason, it’s jam-packed with blog goodies, including some incredible giveaways for our second blogoversary! Stay-tuned:)…