A few nursery updates...

Even though I've been ridiculously busy at work, we've managed to get a few fun things done in the nursery over the past few weeks. I feel like the theme should be slowly but surely.

The rug from Pottery Barn came in, and I absolutely adore it. I love that it's neutral enough to grow with the room over time, and it's really soft. I was a little hesitant about the price, but I had a 10% off coupon so that helped a little bit. In the end I am really glad we invested in this rug because I think we'll have it for many years to come. The husband also kindly installed shelves on the wall, which you can sort of see. There is one smaller shelf above the visible shelf - I'll have to take a better picture at some point. I had to put something on them, though the stuff that's up there now won't stay forever.

And yes, that's a Boston Terrier stuffed animal on the couch. He comes from my childhood if you can believe that (I was like a little kid on Christmas morning when I discovered him in a box that's been packed for 10 years) - I guess it was a sign of things to come! He's been named Beaux. Mostly because that is one of my favorite names for a boy (well, without the "x") but it sounds horrible with our last name so we ruled it out.



And then, because I am a major dork, I am excited about the pile of stuffed animals that my mom brought over from my brother and I's childhood. My brother had an obsession with collecting the stuffed dogs from FAO Schwartz (he seriously asked for one EVERY Christmas and birthday), which I am thankful for now because I think they're so ridiculously cute. I thought he was weird at the time because he had a dog pound in his room, but they're actually really cool stuffed animals that I'd never buy for myself.



And to go along with the theme of childhood hobbies predicting a LOT about you, my mom also brought over all of my childhood books. Well, we actually weeded through them and these were the ones that were worth keeping, but it's so fun to think about reading to Thatcher from the same books that I read as a little girl. I pretty much loved reading from the minute I could say "book," so I am hoping to pass that on to our children.

The next projects on our list are getting a bookshelf to store the books and display picture frames, as well as a piece of furniture for next to the floor lamp. I am debating between a rocker and lower bookshelf or maybe even a console table (because there's a window on that wall that you can't see in the picture). Honestly it will probably be whatever I find first. I'd love to get older pieces that have character, especially since the dresser is an antique, but sadly money doesn't grow on trees in our backyard. If you know how to solve that, please let me know!

A wreath for every season

I am obsessed with wreaths. Well, let me rephrase that. I am obsessed with tasteful and cute wreaths. (I had to add that disclaimer because there are a lot of bad wreaths out there.) Nothing makes me happier than beautifully decorated doors during holiday season, particularly if they're adorned with fresh greens that have that perfect Christmas smell.

But why do wreaths have to be contained to a few weeks out of the year? There are so many other fun things to celebrate: seasons, other holidays, graduations, etc. I invested in a really fun Mardi Gras wreath a few years ago and it just makes the house feel more festive. One of my friends shared a picture of her house on game day, and she had the cutest UGA wreath ever (their season's not so cute right now, but that's a different story). She got it at this store, which appears to make wreaths (and lots of other really cute stuff) for a bunch of SEC schools. I love this for football season or even just days when you're hosting football parties.



When I was on the website I noticed that they also make adorable ornaments. I think these would make great gifts for a baby's first Christmas.



Sadly Coton Colors doesn't make a wreath in our alma mater, otherwise it'd already be in a box on its way to visit me. In the mean time, I am keeping my eyes out for a fun and tasteful Saints wreath that won't break the bank.



I am feeling a little better but still have a lingering headache and have napped every day this weekend. I am really hoping I am back to 100% by Tuesday because I have to fly out to Vegas for a work conference for the rest of the week. Hope everyone had a good weekend!

Football / Fall Food

One of my favorite parts about fall and football season is the opportunity to make some of our favorite recipes. Even though it's still a tad hot here today, we're making one of the classics, red beans and rice, and having friends over.

Red Beans and Rice

I use a recipe that's adapted from one of the Baton Rouge Junior League River Road Recipes cookbooks. My favorite part about this recipe is that it's SO easy.

--2 pounds dried kidney beans (camellia brand if possible)

--ham (I use the lean pre-cut cubes)

--sausage (I use turkey sausage to keep it lean)

--salt

--hot sauce

--worcestershire sauce

--onion powder

--bay leaf

--white rice

1. Soak beans overnight - this is a must, so don't skip this step!

2. Drain the beans in the morning. In a large pot, add everything together (told you this was easy) and bring to a boil, stirring frequently. This may be obvious, but include about 12 cups of water. There's no point in measuring the seasonings - just use your judgment and adjust based on smell.

3. Add water as necessary as the beans cook. We let the beans cook for a loooooong time because we like them super soft. It can take all afternoon.

4. Serve over rice. I love to add sherry vinegar to my plate, but that's a learned habit.

Sneak peek: the nursery

I thought it'd be fun to share the very beginnings of the nursery just for fun! I am sure this will be an ever evolving project, but it's exciting to envision the room with a baby.

Right now we have a chest (which we'll use as a changing table), a couch and a floor lamp. We're currently planning to keep the couch in the room because we definitely want a place to sit and I am not sure I can justify buying a glider. If anything I may try to find an antique rocking chair and get cushions made, as I think a stuffed chair would overpower the room. The couch is a khaki canvas, so whenever we find out if it's a girl or boy I am going to get some fun decorative pillows (at least one will be monogrammed!) to personalize it.

This is the chest, which we are going to use as the changing table. I am worried that it's a tad high, but we'll figure that out when the baby arrives I suppose! I love this chest because it belonged to my great grandparents, and I just adore furniture with a story and history behind it. Plus, the free price tag is nice!

This is the floor lamp, which belonged to my grandmother. What's cool is that I vividly remember this piece in my grandparents' home. I can't wait to put some accessories on it.

Last but not least, if it's a boy I am considering using this painting as inspiration for a color palette and fabrics. For anyone who may not be familiar, it's a painting of the roman candy man, which is a horse drawn wagon that sells candy similar to taffy. Not only do I love the connection to the husband and I's childhood (we both have fond memories of buying roman candy at the zoo as children), it has some great boy colors to pull out, like a subtle blue and red and then of course the various shades of brown. At this point I am leaning towards picking fabrics that are not necessarily intended for a nursery and having bedding made. For example, I love this nursery and would love to do something similar.

Totally switching gears, but I just had to share the flowers I planted outside our front door because they make me happy!

And then on another unrelated note, I asked Erin at Blue Eyed Bride where she finds cute football season clothes for kids because she has amazing taste in children's clothing and she sent along the most precious outfits ever.

This one is actually reversible: one side is for the Saints and the other is for LSU. Adorable and convenient!

(Image courtesy here)

The husband and I both went to UVA, and I think this outfit is way too cute for words.

(Image courtesy here)

Of course, both come in dress versions but since I am convinced it's a boy I only looked at those!