Let's Catch Up...

Wow, it has been a long time. My free time has seriously diminished and if I have any time that does not involve kids, work, or chores I am using it for quiet time reading mags, catching up on my DVR, or squeezing in a workout. I miss writing and hope that I can get back into a more regular schedule.

Baby girl is doing so great. She has slowly becoming more of a baby and less of a newborn, which is fun and a little sad. Smiles, cooing, and longer sleep are making everyone happy. The little man is totally mom obsessed right now. Flattering, but makes life a little difficult with two. Every day we are settling in more and more and it feels great.

I have made some updates around the house, starting with this gem I got on auction on Ebay.

 I totally recommend this vendor for anything kilim. Delivery was quick and the rug was clean and brand new.

We also sold our place in the city (grew out of it with our family of four) and moved all of our furniture out to the house. Still trying to find a place for some things, but we were able to fill up our living room (really, play room) with some pieces.

Decided to just give you the real version of what my house looks like right now instead of the staged one. Yikes. I got that black and white striped rug from Crate & Barrel on sale and love it. Thinking about just painting this room white and maybe the trim on the windows and above the fireplace black lacquer. I still need to hang art, accessorize, etc. but so far it has been fun to have another room to hang in. 

If you follow me on Instagram, you already saw my stair runner that was installed. I am OBSESSED with it.

Karastan runner in Leighland pattern

The pile is perfect for a runner and I made sure it was good for traffic heavy areas and stains. I can already see muddy little footprints in my future. 

I was able to do a little shopping over the last two months, but have still held off while I try to get back in shape. (all the pumpkin bread I made and have eaten has helped A LOT. ha) Mostly every day staples that have been fantastic.

1. How have I not gotten the Spanx leggings before? The waistband comes high and pulls you in and it makes your thighs instantly smaller. That is a bonus I can use right now. 

2. This feels like a fancy sweatshirt. It is lightweight, but cozy and has a longer length to wear with leggings. Plus, it has a zipper detail in the back. (J. Crew Tunic $118)

3. I usually do not wear peplums but this one is super flattering. The classic cable knit is updated with some waist cinching stitches and a zipper. It will be perfect with my coral skinny jeans and brown boots. (Anthro $118)

4. I LIVE in these dresses from Asos. Basically it is a super soft t-shirt dress. The top is super snug, so go up a size. Lots of colors and it can be dressed up or down. Love. (Asos $39)

I wish I was buying fancy dresses and sky high heels, but that really is not my reality right now and I have decided that those things can wait until actually needed before I dive in. 

I hope everything is fantastic with you. Trying to get some posts together for next week, so come back and visit. I missed you. xo Erin 

The Great Rug Debate

Thank you so much to all my Instagram followers for voting on my rug choices. To fill you in on where this is actually going to go, here is a visual. 

I LOVE my navy and blue rug, but it is not as plush as I would like for this space. It also is a bit too graphic for this area for me. The ikat pillows are gone and the ottoman has been moved to the basement family room. 

I want something more neutral, but with a fun pattern. The choices were narrowed to two options... 

This fantastic, super dense and thick, rug from Crate & Barrel has more brown tones with beiges and grays. 

The Tribal print is killer. 

Option number two is from Masland Carpet and Rug. I got the sample from my friend Kate from Kate Marker Interiors, who works with great vendors. 

This rug is also a beige tone, but with much more blue and gray. 

Ultimately, the winner is option number two. Because of the beige sofas in the room, I really need something with some color. Even if it is just a little bit. The light color makes me a bit nervous about stains, but I plan on treating it as soon as I receive it. 

Think I made the right choice? What is your favorite? 

xo

Erin 

Surprises, Sunrises and a Nursery

You might not be hearing from this girl for awhile. Last weekend the little babe I have been anticipating to come in three weeks decided to grace us with his presence early. He arrived just after dawn on Monday and has been filling up my days and nights with so much joy that I hardly (a bit of a stretch) notice how little sleep I am functioning on. Even with so little rest, sunrise with my little guy in his nursery is my favorite time. 


I wanted to share pictures of the nursery so you can see what I put together for the little man. This being one of the few posts you will see from me for awhile, I wanted to make it a good one. 


We always knew it was going to be a boy and I wanted to create a modern, yet cozy space that would be inviting for him and comfortable for us. The room started as an extra room used only a few times for overnight guests. 

I loathe that fan. It was the first thing to go. 

It is a good thing that I went through that whole nesting phase early, as the room has been done and it was so nice to come home to a finished room. 

The walls are painted Bunny Gray from Benjamin Moore, which is a pale gray but also changes to a light blue in certain light. The chevron rug is from Dwell Studio, which along with the glider from Room & Board, is one of the first pieces I picked out. What is great about the glider is that is wide and deep and covered in a soft, short velvet. Big enough to stretch out and super comfortable for Dad. The brown leather Moroccan pouf is from a store on Ebay and the initial pillow is from Jonathan Adler. We already had this twin bed from Crate & Barrel and turned it into a day bed with lots of pillows. 

The white furry pillow and the navy corded pillows are from Crate & Barrel. The white pillows and soft gray pillows are from Ikea. The chevron pillows are from WillaSkyeHome and the striped pillow is from ModernMarvelousHome, both on Etsy. 

I am completely obsessed with the animal prints from The Animal Print Shop by Sharon Montrose. 

The black out curtains are from Pottery Barn Kids and do a really great job of getting the room dark during nap time. The curtain rod is from West Elm. 

The dresser is from West Elm, shelves are form The Container Store and the changing pad is by Nook. The glass containers filled with pacifiers and toys was something I had seen on Pinterest and loved. I also love that I found a place for my White Sox bobble heads on the top shelf and a mini version of the trucks used in the family business.   

The crib is Sparrow by Oeuf and the bedding is Pottery Barn Kids. I love the modern crib with the simple, preppy stars and stripes. The Love poster is by MadebyGirl, one of my favorite print shops and blogs. 

It is so fun to share this project with you and a great send off for me into a nice long break to take care of my son. 

Thomas Michael is the new love of my life and hopefully I will be back soon to share more about life after baby and how my world has changed. 

Until then, lots of love. 

xo

Erin 

Weekend Wishes

Today has to be the coldest, dampest day in a long time. It is one of those days you just want to lie in bed, pile the blankets all over you, and watch reruns on Bravo. This is not the way to start a weekend. Hopefully, these will happen to make it better.

1. The ability to put away the umbrella  at least until Monday.

2. To make massive amounts of truffle parmesan popcorn.

3. Take a nap in my new cute romper from Target.

4. That a nice, big, cold, vodka martini
is how I top off my day.

5. To try a new recipe from Tyler Florence's first book (my chef-celeb crush).

xo
Erin

Stocking the Guest Room

When guests come to visit it is always hard to know exactly what makes someone feel at ease and comfortable. No matter what, you want them to have fun, enjoy their space, and get a good night's rest. I have people stay quite often and know that a few bottles of water on the nightstand and a couple of good books on the shelf go a long way. I also love the idea of mints on pillow at night, just like at a hotel. And although I do not go to the lengths of actually doing that, I keep a big jar of peppermint lifesavers on the side table. I found a few great things to make your guest's next experience a thoughtful one inspired by my guest room. In addition, I would stock the bathroom with essentials, keep a bucket or vase filled with bottles of water, add some sort of flowers to the room, and make sure there are plenty of hangers in the closet. Nice ones.

1. A fluffy unisex robe from Overstock
2. An eye mask is functional and can be a great gift
3. Fun colored and great smelling soaps from Lush
4. A cheeky candy jar to fill with Lemonheads or gumballs from Jonathan Adler
5. An English pear and freesia scented candle from Jo Malone
6. Bedside water carafe from Crate & Barrel
7. Bright orange tray for them to stash their stuff from Z Gallerie

xo
Erin