Well...

...nothing new really to report. And I don't want to seem whiney, so I'm going to keep this short and sweet. I'm feeling fat. And tired. And clumsy.

In other news, I've finished up my last two projects until baby gets here...one of which you can see here. 

When I finish a project, I always feel like I'm coming off a design high and if I don't have something to immediately delve back into. I go through a little design withdrawal. So I'll keep up with designerly-type things on my design blog for the weeks to come. 

But if you don't hear much from me here, it's probably because I'm trying not get too repetitive with the whole "I feel huge and am ready pop" stuff. 

Anyway, here I am at 34 weeks with my pretty friend Lindsey at her wedding last weekend, a lamp that I love in Eva's nursery (love that it looks like a little lady hat), and Mo. Just keeping the Cuddle Bunny warm for her for a couple weeks. How thoughtful of him. 

Scatter Brain

Oh boy...I can't believe we only have about eight more weeks until our little Eva Joy gets here! In some ways I feel like it was just yesterday that the faintest pink line appeared in the little window of the pregnancy test. Already, our lives have changed so much and it's only about to get crazier!

Brendan and I got a book called Baby 411...which by the way, we have no idea who sent it to us...so whoever you are, thanks!...and it's been super helpful in preparing us for what we're in for.

I'm starting to pack my hospital bag, just in case this little one decides to make an early debut. I can't believe I'm saying that! All of a sudden, time has flown!

And I know I'm a little all over the place...but here's a sneak peak of the nursery...

Can't wait to show you the finished room!

Little by little!

Well, things are starting to shape up around here! Slowly, our new house is starting to feel more homey. Obviously, more space means more things to fill it up...and more means, well more. More money to spend, more time to instal. And more is something that we don't necessarily have right now. So the little things get me really excited. And little by little we'll get there!

We've replaced the generic (aka ugly) chandelier in our dining area with this vintage-cool pendant (love the light bulb!), have a lot for the bathrooms, just need to find the time to paint, replace light fixtures and mirrors, etc., and we have curtains for our living room. But those won't go up for about another month when poor little Gigi gets declawed.

That's another story altogether. Last week, I took both cats to get declawed and got a call that Gigi has a mild infection and so her surgery has to be postponed while she's on antibiotics. Have you ever tried to give a cat a pill? Sometimes it's fine, other times it's miserable. And usually she just throws it up. So I'm just praying really hard that these antibiotics will work. Otherwise, I don't know what we're going to do.

If your friends with me on Facebook, you may have seen that I was thinking of giving her away. Well. I don't want to do that. But I can't have her with her claws around the baby. She's just a little too crazy.

In other news, I'm trying to take on a little bit of freelance editing work, so wish me luck on that!

Oh, and it's Leap Year Day! Which means if you're a lady, you can propose to your man. Whatever. Happy Leap Year Day!

Monday Miscellany

Happy Monday! This is truly a happy Monday for me because despite the mass amounts of random super bowl food I ate last night, I did not wake up feeling sick! Hooray! I will warn you ahead of time, this will be a random, incoherent post. I just have a lot things floating around in my mind, so welcome to the chaos that are my thoughts.

First, I know it's been a while since I've posted any baby bump pics. I feel like I don't look too much different. I feel a lot bigger, but I think I only look slightly bigger. I was in the fabric store the other day and a lady did comment, which made me feel good because up until now, I've felt like I look more like I've just eaten a big burrito or slung back one too many brewskies than like there's actually a baby in there.

Also, I'm sick of posting things with no visual interest at all, so today I share with you the plans for our second full bath.

Please excuse the low-res image of the vanity...that's really only to help me visualize what the existing vanity will look like painted, something Brendan is less than thrilled about. But I think he'll realize how good it will look when it all comes together. The yellow fabric will be the shower curtain, which I have to order, and I have to order the light fixture, but other than that, we have everything, so we should be able to knock this out soon!

At first I was going for a little more sophisticated design, but then I realized that this will ultimately be a kid's bathroom, so I wanted it to be something gender neutral, bright, and clean. There are sooo many little things to get done around here. I can't wait to see them all come together!

Additionally, I can't wait for watermelon season. I saw this on Pinterest recently and the craving is in full swing. Seriously, how delicious does this look??

And the last thing I can't wait for (well, at least as far as this post is concerned)? Running! I know that's totally weird and random, but lately I've just had these random ridiculous urges to go running and I'm just not so sure that's a good idea right now. I even dream about it. I'm not a huge runner, and would run here and there before getting preggo, but nothing too hardcore. I guess absence makes the heart grow founder.

Welp. This has been sufficiently random. Hope your week's off to a great start!

Little Updates

Well...

• I got my maternity jeans in the mail. One word: disappointment. Really, Old Navy?? That's the size I ordered?? The "baby band" which was disproportionally tight compared to the rest of the sagging "skinny" jeans was so low that they might as well have just been ill-constructed elastic waist jeans that I don't think anyone would be caught dead in. Not to mention that the charcoal cowl neck sweater I also ordered was somehow confused by the same geniuses for a hideously pleated bazar black sweat shirt that looks nothing short of amish. And to add to my madness?? I drive 25 minutes to Mt. Pleasant to return the horrendous items only to be told that they don't accept maternity items in the store.

Thanks. For. Nothin.

• In more uplifting news, since I was at the Towne Centre, I stopped in Pea in a Pod, which I should have done all along, and got some much more satisfactory jeans. Thank ya Jesus for well-fitting preggo jeans.

• Brendan and I went to the wedding of our good friends Jeffery and Ashleigh this weekend and I had Brendan take a baby bump picture before we left, but after further review, I hate it, and therefore will not be sharing. Maybe now that I got some better jeans, I'll post one soon.

• 16 weeks was Sunday...and the roller coaster continues. Many more ups than downs, but still, Monday was rough.

• First house project complete: blinds for the downstairs! Yay! So now when I'm working, I don't share awkward glances with people walking by outside. Next step, blinds for the second and third floor and the bathrooms/half baths!

This is what we're doing in the second floor half bath. I'm still scouting out the mirror, just the version that doesn't cost $300. I know I can find it cheaper. And so the hunt is on.

Mmk, friends. I'm off make brownies for our Code Orange viewing party tonight. What's that, you ask? Elevation Church in Charlotte is hosting a 12-night event where speakers, pastors, and musicians from all over the country (and the world) are taking the stage and our very own Pastor P will be speaking tonight. So if you can, check it out! It's streaming live tonight at 6PM here.

Ciao!

Big Apple Love

{As Promised}

So two weekends ago, I went here:

You might find it bit odd that I would go to NYC right after a blizzard, but if you really know me, you'd know that it's not odd at all. I love this city.

It wasn't nearly as cold as it looks. In fact, thanks to some awesome rain boots we bought at Tertorn in SoHo and these amazing fur hats, we were totally toasty.

Here's a look at our trip:

Red Velvet + Dulce de Leche {Crumbs}

CP ♥

Purl Soho {love this place}

Washington Square {The Village}

Park Ave. {flowers} | Bryant Park {snowmen}

Tretorn saved our lives! {and our feet}

Do as ze Russians do.

CP

SoHo

Hello, Kate Spade.


The Rug Company | SoHo



Ze Pod.


{taxicab yellow} the accent color of the city

Every Day

Sorry for the lack of blogging lately. Life is crazy. I have a lot to say, but not much time to say it. So for now I leave you with this. I want!

While I'm At It

Re: the below post...

I might as well tell you that one of the first {and more fun} steps I've taken is starting a new blog dedicated to interior design. I'm keeping mum on it for now until I have a solid portfolio that I'm confident in. It's very much a work in progress, so you can expect to see a lot of changes, tweaks, and additions within the next few months, but it's a good way to keep my creativity flowing and one day I hope to show case my own work on it.

So no- I'm not advertising any services really {right now}, but I've already written 13 posts, some of which you've seen here, and I feel kinda weird feeling like I'm writing to no one. So check it out if you want to!

Amen Interiors Life + Style Blog

Wednesday Whimsy: Not So Hob-Nobs

Hello, lovely.

To me, there's nothing more charming than good hardware. It's like a the cherry on top of a terrific sunday or the sprinkles on a perfectly iced cupcake. Whether it's a desk drawer, dresser, armor, cabinetry, thoughtful hardware is essential to pulling off the intended look. Not only is a great eye candy, it really expresses an attention to detail that can turn an ordinary piece into a unique manifestation of style and personality.

These are some of my favs, all hailing from the mothership of whimsy, the beloved Anthropologie.

Love!

Wednesday Whimsy

I wouldn't necessarily describe my design style as completely whimsy all the time, but I do believe in a little whimsical goodness peppered in with more classic and/or clean elements.

Particularly relating to kitchens, I think open shelving is a lovely element that does lend itself to being whimsical and colorful, adding instant interest and even a little bit of warm fuzzies.

This yummy eye candy says it all:

Hello, Autumn!

The official first day has passed, but it's just starting to feel like fall. Mornings are crisp, days are overcast, and we've actually been getting a lot of rain here in the lowcountry. I'm not complaining though, because this is what the weather looks like next week:

So looking forward to it.

So with little whims of autumn creeping in all around, I can't help but be inspired. Here are some of my favorite fall things....

{click image to see stuff in all it's splendor}

All of this eye candy makes me want to go outside take in a deep breath of crisp air, and jump into a pile of leaves- of course while staying cozy in that black and white wool cape or that rust-colored silk-cashmere wrap. I am so ready for some Wellies and oyster roasts and toasty red wine and cuddling up with a good book on an overcast day. The Gardiner Heist is one I'm really looking forward to. And speaking of cuddling up, I could really use a pair of those sock slippers. And that Fire Side Wood Wick candle, and those maple marshmallows...and...all of it!!!

Oh fall, I'm so glad you've made it. You're just in time.

From top left:

• Vintage Herringbone Pillow High Street Market (etsy store)
• Continuum: Music by John Mayer Amazon.com
• Gold Stackable Rings Stella & Dot
• Passion Flower Plate Crate & Barrel
  
• East Hampton Cottage Flannel Shirt Shopruche.com
• Natural Draw-String Sweat Shirt Gap {no link available}
• Sam Adams Octoberfest Beer
• Decorative Pumpkins and Gourds (set of five) Pottery Barn
  
• Snow Leopard Cocoon Cardi-Cape Leilanni (etsy store)
• Warm Slipper Socks Forever 21
• "I Love!" Copper Notebook Oh Joy!
  
• Heritage Badge Mug Starbucks
  
• The Gardener Heist by Ulrich Boser Amazon.com
  
• Facetted Jewel Necklace Forever 21
• Nail Color in Velvet Voyer Essie
• Frilly Sweater in Oatmeal Shopruche.com {out of stock}]
• WoodWick 10 oz. Candle in Fireside Wood Wick
  
• Studded Leather Wrap Bracelets Lori's
  
• Sculptural Birds Pottery Barn
  
• Weathered Leather Boots Forever 21 {yes...F21. I didn't believe it either. Please don't let them sell out, please don't let them sell out!}
• Beauty Basics Scarves in Olive, Dusty Pink, and Eggplant Shopruche.com
• Trasforming Wool Cape Lex M (etsy store)
• Pumpkin Ginger Sandwich Cookies and Brown Sugar Ginger Spice Cookies Whimsey & Spice
  
• Fuzzy Plaid Scarf Forever 21
• Gray Pearl Cocktail Ring Ann Taylor
  
• Maple Marshmallows Whimsy & Spice
  
• The Emerson Clutch EmersonMade
  
• Silk Posy Tee in Moroccan Spice, Jeweled Dream Cardigan in Rope, and Refined Silk-Cashmere Wrap in Vintage Rosewood J.Crew
• Gossip in the Grain: Ray Lamontagne Amazon.com
  
• BDG Sholder-Stripe Cardigan Urban Outfitters
• Pumpkin Pie Spice Coffee Creamer International Delight
  
• Women's Pelican Tall Boot Lug in Tan Plaid Sperry Top-Sider
  
• Escudo Rojo Chilean Bordeaux Blend

Drooling.

Drooling. That's what I'm doing as I'm looking at these Cenedese Glass Opaline vases. They set my heart all aflutter.

Of course they are ridonkulously expensive and of course they are on sale at gilt.com. But of course they are still too expensive :(

Too bad. They remind me of little jewels of magical sherbet loveliness.

I told you the internet is a heartless witch.