This past weekend I had the opportunity once again to visit the Fall Ruffles and Rust  Vintage Market. You can read more about the show and what it offers here.

A girlfriend of mine and I drove up to Monroe, WA to the Evergreen State Fairgrounds to check out all of the vendors and their unique finds. There's always something to be found at R and R!

This year, admittedly, I didn't find as much as I did last year but there were plenty of great junkers and rusty offerings galore. I just think I am in a bit of a transition in style so while I admired plenty of the creative talents and visual merchandising, I was still quite purposeful in my buying.

I did manage to bring home a couple of grain sack pillows that I tossed onto the sofa. I just cannot seem to shake the farmhouse style...while I also love the contemporary.
So, I am learning to mix the two and make them meld into one complete look. Still working on that as you can see below.

 

 

Can you also see that I am REALLY into neutrals? Help me, Jesus. We live in Seattle. Lord knows I need some color in this room so I figure I will do that with just one more small bolster on the sofa 'cause I don't have enough pillows on the sofa right now.

Eh hmm.

 

And when I add my new side and coffee tables, I will add color there as well. It will all come together. Just such a slow process!

 

Anyhow, moving right along...

 

I bought this cool antique baby doll crib for only $20 from JohnBob Cool Junk. They have some COOL junk and they are pretty cool as well! If you're a local, you'll want to keep up with where they are! Always fun conversations and finds with those two.

 

I just love all the little, fun details and even the chippy dirty parts...just adds character.

 

I thought it would be fun for styling a baby shower or for infant, newborn photography. What do you think?

 

I think it's splendid!

 

 

I picked these little cuties up while antiquing for a bit on Sunday afternoon. Aren't they fun? I'll be adding them to the mantle or to the gallery wall. Can't really decide just yet but I do know I want t a few more.

Maybe my new collection?

 I think the kids and hubby would get quite a kick outta that!

And on to a new gallery wall project. This one is inspired by Life:Beautiful Magazine. I don't think I have blogged about that magazine in a long time.

I posted it on Instagram a few weeks back. It truly is one of the most inspiring, encouraging, empowering magazines I have EVER read. No joke. And they're not even paying me to say that! 

 

 

This is, of course, is a little sneak peak of a DIY project I'll be blogging about at the end of the week.  Any guesses as to what this will be?

You'll have to return on Friday to find out!

Wish me luck...hoping it turns out perfectly!

 

 



Happy Tuesday!



No projects or plans to share today, so I thought I'd share a few pictures of Hannah instead. She's a lot harder to photograph these days; she's too busy looking and moving around. And as much as I love still photos of her sweet smile, I think the "outtakes" will be my favourites when she's older. They seem to do the best job capturing her energetic, curious personality.

Happy Wednesday!

Hannah is three months old! She smiles, giggles, and "talks" constantly. She's getting stronger all the time (she's becoming an old pro at sitting - when propped against something, of course) and she recently discovered the joys of splashing in the tub (it's pretty much the cutest thing ever). She's also really paying attention to people and objects now, and she seems to get a kick out of seeing herself in the mirror. She's still sleeping through the night (knock on wood) and we're working on establishing a regular nap schedule. And as you can see, she just keeps getting bigger! I actually had to put some of her clothes into storage because she outgrew them (sniff, sniff). 
I know it's early, but she's showing all the signs of teething. We've started keeping her soothers in the freezer and last night she seemed to get a bit of relief from sucking on an ice cube wrapped in a cold washcloth (it was tied with an elastic and I held it the entire time). Any other tips for us?


I'm taking a photo of Hannah every month until she turns two. You can check out the rest of her monthly photos here. 

I took a little break from blogging last week so I could devote all my attention to moments like this one while my brother and his family were visiting. I told the girls that Hannah liked silly faces and noises, so they started jumping onto the bed and saying 'Boo!' to entertain her. So cute. The break wasn't planned, I just let it happen and I'm glad I did.

Unfortunately it was windy and rainy for most of their visit, but everyone made the best of it and we crammed in some fall activities wherever the weather would allow. Mostly it was just nice to spend time together, since we don't get to see each other nearly enough (and as great as Skype is, it can't possibly compete with real hugs and kisses from my nieces). There was also something special (and kind of crazy) about seeing my family's next generation together. Being so close in age, I can already imagine how much fun they're going to have together.

I'll be back with some house-related updates this week, but here are a few photos from last week :)

It's hard to believe that Hannah is already two months old! She's a little longer and a little chubbier than she was a month ago, she's smiling all the time (total heart-melter) and she's quite the chatterbox. She's also been sleeping through the night (in six to seven hour stretches) for a few weeks now. Just like her dad, she likes to stay up late and sleep in. I wonder if that means I have another musician on my hands...

We feel very, very lucky to be getting enough sleep - it makes dealing with those fussy moments so much easier. I've also started pumping, so Hannah gets the occasional bottle. I think Adam is really enjoying being able to feed her (even though she screamed her head off the first couple of times) and of course I'm enjoying the freedom it gives me to run errands or meet a friend for coffee or just have some time to myself. I think we're both feeling more confident as parents, or at least in our ability to keep Hannah alive and relatively well :)

We're off to the doctor for her two month needles this afternoon, so wish us luck :(


I'm taking a photo of Hannah every month until she turns two. You can check out the rest of her monthly photos here. 

I've seen other bloggers take monthly, even weekly, photos of their children to document their rapid growth during those first few years and I knew I wanted to do something similar. I regret not taking more photos of my growing belly while I was pregnant and I know I'll enjoy looking back on these photos when Hannah's older (maybe she'll enjoy it too). I'm not sure I'd be able to keep up with weekly photos, so I've decided to take a photo of Hannah each month until she's at least one.

Her one month check up was yesterday and she's doing great! She's steadily gaining weight (she now weighs 9 lbs. 7 oz.) and sleeping well, although she's getting a little fussier now that she's awake more. We've definitely seen a change in her ability to focus her eyes (she loves light) and she's a little less of a bobblehead these days :)

Oh, and I couldn't resist turning a couple of outtakes into an animated gif. Check out that punch!

Thanks everyone for your sweet comments about Hannah's nursery feature on Apartment Therapy!

The past two weeks have flown by and, at the same time, it's hard to believe that Hannah's only been with us for two weeks. These are just some of the photos we've snapped over the past fourteen days. Hannah's had lots of visits from family and friends, and lots of firsts - her first walk, first party, first wedding, first pair of pants, even her first trip to Home Depot ;)

We've been incredibly lucky so far. Hannah is such a good baby - it's been all sleeping, eating and pooping, with very little crying in between. For my part, I've had a few weepy moments, mostly when tired or sore or just lonely during another long, late-night breastfeeding session. But that's nothing compared to looking into Hannah's sweet face or feeling her sleeping against my chest.

We've been warned that things start to get hairy after two weeks, so we're keeping our fingers crossed that her mellow personality sticks around!

She arrived a little early, but she's perfectly perfect all the same. Adam and I became first-time parents on Sunday afternoon with the arrival of this beautiful girl, Hannah Elizabeth. We're home from the hospital and everyone is doing well, just a little tired ;)

I'll be posting sporadically over the next two weeks while we enjoy some time as a family of three - thanks so much in advance for your patience and understanding!

Amelia xox

Like many of you (I assume, I hope), I 'pin' projects and other DIY inspiration to my Pinterest boards with the best of intentions, only to forget about them later. This time I even bought some of the necessary supplies, then let them sit in a bag next to my dining room table for a couple of months. Oops.

I first spotted the idea HERE and immediately knew I wanted to DIY my own version - I just needed to find the perfect vintage floral fabric. Weeks Months went by until I found it: a floral bedsheet from Value Village. Then, over the weekend, I bought a yellow, polka dot fabric and finally made my own vintage baby blanket.

The steps are pretty easy (Andrea's tutorial includes some great step-by-step photos if you need more detail):

1. Cut your fabric and batting to your desired size (most tutorials I read recommended a 45" or 1 1/4-yard square).
2. Place one layer of your fabric on top of your batting (right-side facing out), fold over the edges and pin to create a 1/2-inch seam. I found it helpful to then iron the edges to define my seam.
3. Place your second layer of fabric on top of the batting (again, right-side facing out), fold under your edges and pin around all four sides.
4. Now that you've basically got your blanket, open each side, layer in your trim and re-pin. Then run all four sides through the sewing machine, stitching as close to the edges as possible.
5. Finally, mark the spots for your yarn ties - mine are all 4.5" apart - with pins, thread your yarn through each pin mark, cut and knot. Check out this tutorial for the very easy how-to.

And that's it! I have a few friends who either recently had babies or are expecting, and I think this would make a great handmade gift.

A big thanks to Andrea at Strawberry Chic for the inspiration!

Linked up here

This is a just because post. Just because I realize I haven't shared a picture of my growing belly yet. And just because I have a really sweet husband story to tell (sometimes it's the little things that remind me how incredibly lucky I am).

Adam occassionally works at a home for adults with intellectual disabilities and sometimes he works overnight. Last night was one of those nights, and because my BB - which doubles as my alarm clock - was nearly dead and my charger was at work, I asked Adam to give me a 6:30am wake-up call. He didn't need to be awake at 6:30am, but he called me anyway.

Me: "Can you call me back in 15 minutes?"
Adam: "Like a snooze button?"
Me: "Yes."
Adam: "OK."

It's just one of the countless, slightly obnoxious things that I ask him to do for me on a regular basis, which he does, without complaint. He is awesome. I am lucky. That is all.

A couple of weekends ago, Adam and I went to pick up our latest Kijiji purchase - a crib. No, it's not to pamper the dog (pet cribs actually exist, I looked it up). We're having a baby!

via Pinterest (source unknown)

That's why it's been a little quieter than usual around here lately. I can honestly say I've never been more tired in my life (for awhile there, it was all I could do to stay awake for dinner). There are also a few projects I had planned that I couldn't do when I found out I was pregnant (like staining our interior doors). Luckily Adam has really stepped it up and he assures me that he'll stain the doors as soon as the basement's finished (we're at the trim painting stage, which I can totally help out with).


via apartmenttherapy.com

I'm a little more than 12 weeks along (we're having an August baby) and starting to get my energy back. My stomach is also feeling better - I was never throwing up, I just felt like I had a month and a half long hangover (you know, when you feel hungry but everything you eat makes you feel sick?). I also managed to faint on the bus on the way to work one day (hello, embarrassing), but I've been carrying a water bottle around since then and that seems to be working.

via DwellStudio

My sister-in-law and a friend have already loaned me a bunch of maternity clothes and books, so for now I'm focusing on the fun stuff, like daydreaming about our future nursery (which also helps me cope with the exciting but totally terrifying reality that I'm going to be responsible for a living, breathing human). Oh, and the crib is a future DIY project, so if you have any tips on crib painting (like what kind of paint is safe to use) please share!