Three Checks on the Baby Front

As of yesterday I am officially 22 weeks along! 

Speaking of the baby, word on the street is babies like to have a place sleep once they are born and come home from the hospital.  Whoa! Who knew!? This whole parenting thing has surprises around every corner. Kids these days.....

Kidding...

Somewhere around 20 weeks, which is technically the half way point, it occurred to us we might need to get cranking on the baby's room. We figured if the second half of this pregnancy goes half as fast as the first half, December will be here before we know it. Of course we've been tossing ideas around for a few months, but we were a whole lot of talk and pretty much zero action. But that all changed once we decided to get at least a few balls rolling and before we knew it we had managed to get three decisions checked off our list...

1. The room:

We have decided to make the "Yellow Room" the babies room.

Ooooh the yellow room....don't we all have one? Please God say the answer to that question is yes. For anyone that has been to our house at any point in the 2 1/2 years we have lived here you know this room as the world's largest catch all AKA the junkiest room in our house. The room where the door is always shut and the contents are always partially unknown. This room was actually a child's room for the family that lived here before us (hence the yellow paint) and really just made the sense for a nursery. It's the smallest of the bedrooms in the house and is complete with  two windows that bring in great natural light and a tiny little closet that will look so cute holding tiny little clothes.

It's been a scary no mans land for long enough and we are excited to transform it in to a fun environment for our mini Shearer. We have already started cleaning it out by throwing away, putting items on Craigslist and in a few weeks we are headed to Rome with a giant load for a yard sale. Once we can see the floor in it's entirety I think we can really start making some traction.

2. The wall color:

With the room selected it was time to figure out a color scheme and vibe for the space. We are not finding out the sex of the baby which is SO fun and exciting but also a bit limiting when it comes to decorating a room. We both agree we want to create a fun, happy space that feels like a natural extension of our home; a room that can grow and evolve with the baby without us having to completely revamp the space in a year or two. So, instead of creating a nursery that is decidedly "baby" we want to create a kids room that a baby can live in and then grow into a toddler and so on. With all of that being said we have decided that no fun, happy room is complete without...... white walls!?!?

I know white may seem like a drab choice, but DON'T WORRY! We already have some plans rolling around in our heads to bring a whole lot of fun and color to the space. I just think a nice clean neutral backdrop is the perfect starting place to kick the yellow room to the curb and prepare the space for any and all colors that might come it's way.

3. The crib:

We are playing with the idea of using the crib Brent used when he was a baby which is the same crib Cindy, his mom used when she was a baby. Here is a picture of Brent in the crib a few years back....

He doesn't seem to love the crib, but we are hopeful the baby will give it a chance ;)

It came up from South Georgia a few weeks ago and we have been working on it. If we can ensure we can make it safe for a baby born in 2015 then we are really excited to use it and love the idea that we will get to give it new life and a fun fresh look.  

About.com - July Recap

Good Lord, time is going too fast! I can barely keep up! WE ARE IN AUGUST. HOW IS THIS POSSIBLE? July flew by and now it's like August 12th or something....oh wait, it's only the 10th. Whatever, anyways you get the point. July was a pretty good month for me over on About.com. I'm really starting to get in a rhythm with my posts and I'm enjoying this unique platform that allows me to talk about any and every little kitchen topic that pops into this weird little brain O' mine.

Here's what I had to say last month...

1. How I Styled My Kitchen Countertops

Did y'all know I've had my kitchen professionally photographed three times? For the longest time I just couldn't figure out why I loved the kitchen in person, but in photos the space came across flat and lifeless. Then, one day it hit me. STYLING...hello, it's how you put your personal stamp on any space, even a kitchen!

2. Knife Storage Solutions

Clever storage solutions are arguably the best part about re-doing your kitchen in 2015. There are so many cool inserts, concepts and custom elements just waiting to make your life more organized and functional. Even knife storage.....there are options folks, check them out in this article. 

3. Christmas in July

This article is a happy escape to the most wonderful time of the year. You know....December when the air is cool, people are jolly and houses and their kitchens are bursting with holiday flair. 

4. What is Quartzite?

Another day, another countertop option to consider. Quartzite....it's a beauty, but is it the right choice for your kitchen? Read to find out...

5. Red in the Kitchen

I have been obsessed with red as of late. So, naturally I went and wrote an article about it as a fun escape to research different ways to integrate this color into the kitchen. 

6. When Pendant Lights are a Bad Idea

Pendant lights are enticing no doubt, but some kitchens just don't need them. In fact they can be down right distracting to bigger, more expensive elements in the space. Before you go out and buy, buy, buy check out this article to see if pendant lights are the right choice for your space. 

7. The Benefits of Consulting a Kitchen Designer

Gosh, I could write a novel here. Oh wait, I did...well, not a novel but a pretty passionate article! :)

At Home with Bethenny Frankel

I really love getting to peek into a celebrities home. You know, see how the other side lives decorates. Sometimes I daydream about all the weird and fabulous things I would buy if I had a limitless amount of resources. I mean seriously, if money was no object one could go crazy (in a good way) and really let their freak flag fly. 

Because kitchens are my jam I'm always especially interested in seeing that space if a home tour pops up on the radar.  People Magazine recently had a feature on Bethenney Frankel's new Bridgehampton farmhouse which included THIS shot of her kitchen:  

How pretty is this kitchen? I love the classic white vibe with the bold pops of red. It's so fun and fresh!

For those of you unfamiliar Bethenney Frankel, she is the genius creator behind the Skinny Girl product line, in addition to an author and television personality on The Real Housewives of NYC. If you follow Bethenney at all you know that red has been her signature color in everything from her branding to her outfit choices. With that being said I was not at all surprised to see the red hue pop up in her space. What I was surprised about was how much I liked it! 

It's weird because for a few weeks now I've been into red. I've always loved the color in clothes, accessories and nail polish, but rarely ventured in that direction for interiors. However, as of late I've been drawn to spaces utilizing red and seeing this kitchen just solidifies my new found love for this accent color! I think red, especially a bold fiery red, is most impactful and pretty when surrounded by classic elements. In Bethenny's kitchen the red, while the definite eye-catcher in the space, is actually minimal. The barstools are the main red components in the space, and even they are mixed with two other colors - brown and white. This approach allows the accent color (red) to shine bright and add a fun layer of unexpected fun and flare to the space without totally overwhelming it and making the room as a whole feel wild and un-relatable. 

Red is in and I'm on board...and ready to jump on the train, what about you? Are you feeling it?

                         

Love celebrity house tours too? Check out the pads of Kourtney Kardashian and Tory Burch I've covered in the past. 

Photos from people.com.