ikea hack plan

Joe and I have been talking about transitioning Emmy's nursery into a toddler room. As in, removing the side bars on her crib, taking out the changing table and making more play space. I've even had miniature fantasies of Christmas morning- imagining her room glowing with the little fairy lights hanging in her play house,  she'd hop down out of her bed and run in to our room to wake us up for Santa, too excited to sleep and begging us to take her downstairs so she can open her presents. 

Okay, I realize this isn't going to happen this year but I'm still so excited about Christmas. This is likely the last year we get to pick all of her gifts so I'm focusing on what she needs but will also love.

She doesn't really need "toys" anyway. She plays with toys all day at school and when she's home she really only has a few favorite stuffies and toys that she chooses to play with. One thing she definitely loves is coloring and toddler-sized furniture. Have I mentioned how much I love her Pottery Barn anywhere chair? It's still one of my favorite purchases of all time and will probably last much longer than I originally thought. 

 Emmy spends almost an hour every night playing in her room. Most of the time she plays by herself. I felt a little guilty about it at first but then I realized that it's great that she can entertain herself and I don't have to watch her every minute, she'll be okay (plus I keep the monitor on).

So, here's the plan...

The Ikea "latt" table and chairs are only $19.99 as a set (available online too!). I plan to paint the top of the table with black chalkboard paint. Then I will paint the table and chairs a combination of white and gray. I picked out these fabrics from www.hawthornefabrics.com - confetti dots in shell and charcoal at $20 for 2 yards. I'm hoping to cover the seats with the pink shell and then make a bag or satchel of some kind with the charcoal print to hold all the chalk. 

I'm just so excited to see her reaction when she comes downstairs on Christmas morning and sees her own art table with new little stuffies sitting in the chairs with books and lots of art supplies for her to try out.

I'll post the pictures of the complete project on Christmas Eve!

  

7 classy gift ideas

Let's be honest... This isn't just for any "classy" lady, this is my own Christmas wish list. I have started to notice my style getting more refined, more feminine.  I am completely obsessed with mixing silver, gold and blue and I want to see myself in what I wear, where I work and what I do.  
The shirt, watch, wallet and ring remind me to take care of myself, lose some weight and eat healthy so I can feel beautiful inside and out.  I have this candle already but it will likely fill my home for the rest of my life.  I think the scent embodies warmth and home and I absolutely love it. Plus, it's made in Misissippi just like me! 
The recipe cars box has been on my want list for months, only becoming available for sale in December. I have no interest in keeping recipes though.  This box will be in my living room, holding all the printsagram square matte photos I have. Our family's beachside condo always had a basket full of family photos.  Every year we would pass them around in a circle, laughing and reminiscing. I want this box to hold those photos, to be easily accessible and often opened. I'll type up a "family" card to replace the recipes and keep it up to date monthly. 
1. White Blouse 2. Michael Kors watch 3. Hobo Lauren wallet 4. Capri Blue Volcano candle 5. Recipe Box 6. Polka Dot Journal 7. Monogram Ring

a little coffee nook

I've admittedly become a little obsessed with our house. Once I realized that we wouldn't be moving anytime soon, I started to look at our house as a more permanent home. More than ever before, I wanted to spend the time and money on making it more reflective of my style.
Unlike the home and garden television shows, these things take time. I've been slowly but surely making changes since March of this year. Every now and then I do something small that I just love. 

This little coffee nook just makes me so happy.

Joe bought the Nespresso espresso machine and milk frother for me on Mother's Day.  We had a Keurig but I prefer lattes and he actually prefers old-fashioned coffee so I took the Keurig to the office and lined up our machines on the counter. It wasn't very pretty. We picked up a huge bag of coffee from Costco and didn't have a place to put it. I needed an air-tight container that I wouldn't be embarrassed to have on the counter all the time. 

A quick trip to Target and I came out with this tray (clearance for $14), a 1 gallon mason jar ($17) and a brand new little tea cup ($10 for 2). 
I know it's a silly little coffee nook but sometimes that's all it takes to make your home a little bit cozier. And, I might be slowly but surely sneaking in the Christmas decorations. I know, it's early but I can't help myself. Emmy pointed at this reindeer, threw her head back and said "MOOOOOOO". It was hilarious so I let her hold it. She cuddled it and loved on it like a baby. So obviously, it was hers and now it's on the mantle.  

zoo date

Emmy and I got to spend the first half of our Wednesday (last week) together at the zoo. I appreciated the animals a little more than Emmy but she definitely enjoyed lots of my attention and making monkey sounds at every animal.

She walked over to this wall and turned around to smile at me. I started laughing because she looked like she was modeling for me, turning her body at an angle and looking back at me. I think the wall was warm and the sun felt good on her face. She was definitely happy there.

I got so excited about the elephants. Pictures can't do them justice. They are so big and powerful yet gentle and even a little silly. We got to watch this one walk up and down the side and drink water with it's trunk. I was holding Emmy up saying "Do you see? Watch him! He's an elephant! Oh wow! What does an elephant say? Roll tide!" She was clutching her snack and looking at me like I was crazy.

The first time we visited the gorilla, he was sitting in his hut picking his nose but the second time we went through he was taking a nap. It turns out most animals take lunch-time naps. The next time we go, we are going to get to the zoo as early as possible to catch the animals awake.

Emmy had fun climbing up and down these steps. Even though the drop is small, she would throw her hands up in the air as if she was jumping a long distance. She was thrilled every time.

We were running late and I had to hurry through the African Safari portion. That was a shame because really Africa has most of my favorite animals including the giraffe! It just feels amazing to stand so close to something that's living and is so large yet not threatening. Two hours wasn't enough time at the zoo. Luckily, the Birmingham Zoo only costs $8 so it's completely worth going again!

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