Tis the season for everything to be sparkly!

My last post [which was over a month ago, sorry about that...] showed the finished nursery for my soon-to-be baby girl. Well, two days after that post, she arrived! Isn't she cute?!

So life has been hectic in a completely new and unfamiliar way, to say the least.  But I still have to put up Christmas decor! Maybe not to the extent that I did last year [or every previous year since hubs and I have had our own place], and maybe with a lot of help from my mom, but it's up!  And sparkly and gold.
This year I just decorated the living room.  No extra wreaths and glass ornaments around the fireplace off the kitchen, no kitschy banner in the dining room [though I do love that thing...maybe I'll go dig it out], and no wreaths on the front door.  Just the room that matters most, the one that I spend most of my time in these days.  Because that's all that matters - for a warm Christmas-y feeling, I just want the glow of the lights on the tree at night, when I'm nodding off on the couch at 8pm.

This year I added a faux pine garland around the fireplace [which I bought for about $12 total from Joann's last January.  And when I pulled it out of the decorations box, it took me about half an hour to remember why I bought it and where it was supposed to go.  I should really write these kinds of things down.] AND - the teeny tiny little stocking!  It was only $5 at Target, so I had to get it to match our others :)  It's just so. damn. cute!

Definitely going to be the last year I put these blown glass thingies on the hearth, since next Christmas we'll have a toddler.  An idea is brewing on how to make it sparkly and festive AND toddler-friendly though!  [excuse me while I go write that down so I don't forget...]  Stay tuned next December!

I didn't put near as much stuff on the hearth this year [a combination of not a ton of time to style it, and the fact that I was just plain tired.]  All I really did was add a few silver glass things and a coupla reindeer to the stuff that was already there.  Still festive, but won't take as much time to put away ;)

And the tree!  Still smitten with my gold tree, btw.  And she got a new topper this year!  It's hard to see because the extra 5 minutes I stole to take these photos happened to be during the day, but it's made of capiz shell and it's lovely [and only $29 from Lowe's]
Another addition this year is Bea's first ornament, a 50s-looking ceramic reindeer [which, eventually, I'll paint her name and '2015' on it.  Some day.]

And keeping with the woodland theme I established last year, a new little squirrel, fox and hedgehog [Target pretty much kills it every year, right?]

TIME TO GET REAL.  Bloggers often portray a super-perfect existence that's far from reality [and even though I'm far from perfect, I still would clean up and move clutter, arrange books and plants, and hide cords before photographing the Haus for posts].  However, I appreciate when things are true, and when bloggers get real, and you can see that everyone has to *live* in their house, not just photograph it.  So while this shot here looks pretty good [except for the remotes, notebook & pen, and iphone on the coffee table].....

Pan out a bit, and this is how it really looks: 

[hello, baby gear.  I never thought I'd buy you, much less let you hang out in my living room every day for all to see]

And this shot here:

Was zoomed in just enough to hide this view:

[Hello, little one!  Hope you're enjoying your snooze!]

So!  If you're still reading, thank you for hanging in there during my sporadic posts and long breaks!  I hope you enjoyed this little update!

My Favorite Part of the Nursery

[still no baby, and I'm caught up with work, so here's another nursery post! Because I know you haven't had enough.]

 When starting the planning of the nursery's decor, I knew the walnut wall was where the crib was going to be, and it had have some fun personality and be the absolute focal point of the room. Of course I consulted Pinterest and mulled over lots of ideas, as one does any time you're planning something.  Or if you're just procrastinating.

Of course you already know what I settled on, and how it looks:

So while deep into research, I came across this pin, I knew it was exactly IT:

 original post here

I loved the boho feel of a macrame hanging and the texture it lent to the wall, but it was still clean and modern.  A perfect mixture of all the aspects I love of my house :)

So like any self-respecting crafter [and after pricing large pieces on etsy], I set about learning how to macrame.  I can knit, which means I can loop yarn together using sticks to make pretty things, so surely I can tie knots, right? [spoiler alert: I can.]  And I happened to have a library of how-to booklets from the 70s, courtesy of my Grandma Thiele:

A trip to Lowes secured the things I'd need to get it on the wall: a 4 foot dowel rod that's 1" diameter [$4] a couple of hooks to secure it to the wall on both ends, so it's not just hanging on one nail, willy nilly [$3].  A quick test in the store showed me that the 1" dowel fit just about perfectly in the hook, and then I figured with the thickness of the cording, it would fit nice and snug against the wall.
I settled on this clothesline for the cord.  I really wanted natural cotton, but in the weight I was looking for, it was still crazy expensive [and, honestly, hard to find online, which means impossible to find in stores where the Haus is].  But even though it's synthetic, it's not really shiny at all [which, anything plastic-y and shiny would have been a hard pass.]  Plus it's white, so it still straddles that line between boho 70's - the macrame - and modern - clean white.  Done!
It was hard to judge how much to buy, though.  I figured the hanging would be 4 feet wide by about 3 feet long [my goal, anyway], which is kind of a lot.  Each hank of clothesline was 200 feet, and that seemed like a fair amount, so I got two just to be sure.  Totally winged it.  [$18 each]

At home, I set about marking out evenly-spaces marks to tie the cords onto, and the amount of overhang I wanted on the sides:

Then, the worst part:  cutting all of the lengths of cord.  Oy.  I came up with 30 [I think] spots, spaced 1.5" apart.  And since I wanted the finished piece to be 3' long, I figured I would need about 6' to work with for the knots.  I doubled that [because you attach it to the rod doubled over and with a lark's head knot].  So I set about cutting 30 pieces of 12' long pieces. 

[as a seasoned knitter, I know that you do every. thing. you. can. to keep that shit from tangling, or your life becomes a tedious hell of untying wads of knots.  So, as I do with yarn, I kept them in tidy rolls so as to keep my sanity intact]

And then I tied them all on, on the lines!

I consulted my favorite of Grandma's booklets, this one from 1976, and studied some knots.

I decided just to keep it super simple, and just do basically one knot, just artfully arranged in a fun pattern.  The Left Square Knot was my winner.  I like all kinds of macrame, and something more involved would be super cool, but I just had a whole nursery to work on [and work was going to get crazy in September] so I just didn't feel like devoting the time to learning every single thing.  Plus, there are a ton of lovely macrame pieces on Pinterest that are simple and stunning.  So.  Off I went!

I securely screwed the hooks in the middle of the wall, and put the dowel in there to make sure everything was level.  These screws are super tight in dense walnut - I'm pretty sure I can hang on it, even in my super-pregnant, extra heavy, current state.

Tied on the pieces:

Decided it looked a little sparse, and added a couple extra, and smooshed them a little closer together:

And set about the knots, just starting on one end, working to the other:

[and once I got to the end, I had an extra cord that couldn't be tied to another, so off to the floor it went.  Trial and error.]

Then once I got going, it was just fun to tie some knots, stand back and decide what should come next, and tie more knots! Check out the fun gif of the process, and watch for Maltese cameos! 

[sorry if it's wonky - every time I decide to take a series to turn into a gif, I hit the stupid tripod]

After it was all done, ends secured with hot glue, everything trimmed to the same level, I decided it was too low; the tips of the strings were kissing the top of the crib.  So I re-drilled holes 6 inches higher, and it looks muuuch better [even though I hate putting unnecessary holes in my wood walls]

So after 400 feet of the cord, I only had scraps left.  No. Joke.  And some of the lengths at the bottom are shorter than others, because that line just plain ran out [and where it ran out, the cord stuck out, since it didn't have any weight to make it hang down.  Hence the hot glue.] 
So - start out with an obscene amount of cording if you want to macrame a wall hanging - it takes a shocking amount!

If this baby doesn't come soon, I may even post another DIY project I did for the nursery when I couldn't find what I wanted - the furry footstool :)

The Nursery - revealed!

It's finished!  And juuuuust in time - little lady should be making her debut any day now.

It's been a few months since I checked in with the progress, but honestly there wasn't much to show - the big changes [carpet, paint, a vague idea of what goes where] I showed you in the last post, and then it was pretty much just finishing everything.  Which took a long time.  But it's finished!

Before I get to the pics, I thought I'd share the idea behind the design.  So basically, babies could not care less about what their room looks like, so they're always just filled with things that the parents think babies like.  But since I don't think Bea is even going to look twice at anything, I filled the room with things that I like.  Stuff that makes me [and to a little extent, Brandon] happy.  So: inside you'll find midcentury furniture/art, some boho textures, random decor & brass things I got from an antique store, pretty colors & patterns.  Pretty much what you'll find in the rest of the house.

Also, since babies could give a rip about their room, we also decided it's not worth going crazy overboard.  No need to spend thousands, because in the next few years she'll just want a 'big girl room' anyway.  So aside from getting carpet [obviously an expense, but it's definitely way better to have new carpet rather than old, especially with a crawling baby], our budget was $1000.  Oh, I should probably also add that my mom gifted us the crib & mattress.  Without that, I guess our budget would have been closer to $1500 [thanks, Mom!]  And for the most part, I did it!  I went a *teeny* bit over, but it was for a really good reason.  You'll see why in a bit.  But all in all, it ended up being a pretty happy little room :)

 The dresser was a hand-me-down on Brandon's side, and I adore it - it's midcentury, slightly feminine, and had some interesting hardware [which was originally pewter, but I sprayed brass.  Because everything must be gold, you know.] 

**note: design blogs would hide the wipes holder, diaper genie, baby monitor - basically any of the necessary evils that exist in a modern working baby room.  I left them all in, because I'm real and I intend to put a real human baby in this room.  She'll have a dirty butt sometimes, and dirty diapers, and she'll need to be monitored while she sleeps.**

 The mirror was a great score from South County Antique Mall for a whole $25!

Brandon built me this little shelf from red oak, which I stained dark walnut [and I'm still surprised how well it blends into the rest of the woods in room].  It's the perfect spot for a little lamp and some lovely Beatrice-inspired things: the vintage bee print, the Rifle Paper Co. rose print [her middle name is Rose], and the cool gold B.

I just happened to see these happy little elephants this spring at my favorite antique store in Farmington, MO, for $6 total.  Shined them up with Brasso, and they're among my favorite things in the room :)

 I've been obsessed with these Eames elephants forever - and my awesome mom got one for me Bea!

 [I know you're not supposed to have animals and pillows in the crib, but she's not in the crib yet.  So for now, they're bringing some color to that side of the room]

THIS.  This mobile is why I went over the [very arbitrary] budget.  Can you see why?!  It's a gorgeous Calder-inspired beauty, and from an etsy seller in Columbia, MO - perfect for these two Mizzou grads.  Plus, it'll look pretty in any room in the house - we can have this thing forever!

 The rocking chair belonged to my great grandma, who must have been my exact size - this chair fits me like a glove! [fellow short people probably know my problem of most chairs' arms being too big and tall for my elbows to hit correctly, and not having my feet on the floor when sitting all the way in the chair].  AND the fur footstool!  Also a DIY, with a little tutorial coming your way soon :)

I came up with a plan of a little bench to put in here, and Brandon skillfully built it!  The hairpin legs [from Amazon] make me happy :)  PLUS - we can do stuff like add an upholstered cushion for the top, or get fabric bins to slide into the cubbies - the squares are 11x11, the size of the colorful fabric storage drawers from Target.  Pretty happy about that thought! What else makes me happy?  The woven basket hamper that my Grandma made in 1984, and the happy little liner I sewed for it :)

 The MCM brass lamp has been in my parents' possession for about a decade I think - Dad picked it up at an auction.  It's legit brass - it weighs a ton!  It's extra sweet because he cleaned it up a long time ago - all I had to do was put it on the table and plug it in.

The giant macrame is one of my favorite things, and a complete DIY.  Have you looked on etsy for a big one?!  We're talking $300-400.  So I did what I do best - made one to save money.  It's just knots, for Pete's sake. I can tie knots.

I'll have another little tutorial up soon!  [Maybe.  Depends on when she gets here ;)]

 I love this happy little cluster of art! From the left: the giraffe should look very familiar to all of you [and if it's not familiar, we can't be friends anymore.]; the fun Starchild painting I did was in reference to the fact that we called her 'Starchild' before we knew her gender [rather than saying 'the nugget' or 'the bean' or something like that]; Rocky & and miss Sadie in ink & watercolor.

 I also designed a little poster for above the rocking chair, which is Kiss reference #2 for the room [how many nurseries have Kiss references?  Ours does, of course.]

So!  A year ago we had a sad, dark, beige guest room that looked like this:

 And now, after several big life changes, we have us a sweet little MidCentury, boho, eclectic and happy nursery:

Sources of stuff:
Crib: AllModern | Honeycomb Rug: Society6 | Eames Elephant knockoff: Amazon | Sheet & Crib Skirt: Land of Nod | Lambskin rug: TJMaxx [not online, but occasionally in store] | Dresser: vintage | Mirror: vintage | Badass Brass Mobile: etsy | Mint Floor Lamp: Crate & Barrel | Elephant lamp: Target [not online] | Gold B on shelf: Hobby Lobby | White side table: Target [also not online] | Book ledges: IKEA

I think that's it.... if anyone is dying to know where I got something and I didn't mention it already, just hit me up in the comments!

We have really good imaginations.

When we watch House Hunters, we're constantly baffled by people who walk into a house and say "oh I hate that paint color" or "that dining room table is so cluttered" Don't people know those are things that can be changed?!  So weird that that's what they're looking at! But I guess Brandon and I are a different breed; we've never been known to utter the phrase "Hmmmm..... I can't really picture that." 
Case in point: the online listing photos for the Haus.  In larger cities, realty photos are actually pretty good - they showcase a house well.  But when you get into a more rural area, some realtors haven't quite caught on.  They do their best, sure, but you rarely see professional staging companies who know how best to show off a home's architecture & style, or pro photographers to best show a room's layout and size.  Good for us, though, because it kept the price of the Haus down, and on the market long enough for us to get our shit together and decide to move ;)  Partly because this house is so unique, and partly because the photos didn't really do it proper justice.  The choice of furniture and where to put said furniture were a bit....off....when it came to the design of the home, and since it has a unique layout, it was hard to get a feel of what it *actually* looked like.
So when my mom told me she saw this house listing [on the local newspaper's website, no less] and checked it out, we were able to see right past the odd lighting/angles/furniture to the gorgeous structure, and we. were. IN.
 
Despite the paint color.

On to the photos!  There weren't a ton on the site, and there are a few of rooms that are still basically the same [like, um, the master bathroom that I still haven't touched] so I didn't include those pics. These are just the photos of the rooms with the most change [and really, the prettiest rooms]
When I look at the 'before' listing photos compared to my photos of the 'after', I can only assume this lovely old girl is happy with her new colors, furniture, and fixtures - she's been brought back to life :)

[I didn't really feel like taking new photos - that involves more cleaning than I care to do right now, so picture that mustard chair in black leather.  Because that's what it looks like.]

 [side note: this looks like a photo trying to sell bar stools.  ...And does this kitchen have a counter top?  We'll never know for sure.]

Also, the nursery is trucking right along!  Not completely finished just yet, but nearly there!  I'll have a few posts to show it off very soon, along with a couple of DIY tutorials.  Baby will be here before we know it!