Step by Step

After having my parents down all last week, I am starting to see the light! I know it takes time for a house to become a home, but it feels like everytime my mom comes and helps me organize or points out a better way to clean, I get closer to feeling like my house is "mine" - that it's not run by clutter or stuff, but it's run by me, suits me, serves my family.

Last week, it was the nursery.

I couldn't really decide on a theme - and I'm not much of a strict theme person anyway - so I just decided to pick out things I found beautiful and put them together. It should work, right? Oh yes, it has...! My mom helped me find the perfect paint color (Behr Periwinkle?) - not too purple, not too blue, just perfect, and we spent hours in the fabric store finding the perfect pink for window valances to make it feminine. I adore the above fabric - I bought out all they had!

Then we polished up and found some new knobs for the lovely dresser we inherited from Grandma Mary:

Hung a favorite character on the wall...

And called ourselves almost done. I'm still looking for a glider that won't break the bank, but that's fashionable enough for her room, and a rug with some pink in it. But we're almost there!!

Making my house over, room by room, is more tedious than I thought it would be. I think because of my obsession with fantasy (Pinterest, Southern Living...) I get these grand notions that I'll wave a magic wand and my house will be painted, furniture recovered, pictures framed and hung...perfect. But it takes time to build a home: a relationship with a house is no less work and no less time-consuming than a relationship with a person. Room by room, little by little, step by step, my house and I are becoming closer friends.

With the help of a great antique store (the Mother Lode - check it out! It's in Bonita, for any locals out there) that boasts a big fluffy dog, I am finding bits and pieces that suit us, suit our budget, bring some happy into the house. (Hanging lantern for Baby O's room, only $12.50? Yes please!)

I hope y'all are hitting your groove at the end of the summer...with any luck, Fall will be here before we know it - and Lil' Missy Miss too!!