What’s the first thing I thought of when I found out I’m pregnant? I’m going to be totally vulnerable and tell you that among my first thoughts were possible color schemes for the new kiddo’s room. You know, the important stuff. The interior designer side of me stayed up late dreaming of cute color combinations and mentally space planning our spare room for a crib and baby furniture. But one morning I had a redeeming thought pop into my head: Why redecorate a room for a baby who could care less, when I have a toddler who would find the whole process as exciting as I do?

I scratched my plans to makeover our spare room for the new babe and decided to ask Lucy about what she would want for the room instead. And what did my little firecracker tell me? “BOOOOO!” What color do you want the walls to be? “Boooo!” What color do you want your bed to be? “Boooo!” What color does mommy like least out of all the other colors? Bluuuuuue! But I set out to find a fun and fresh color scheme that was Lucy approved and wouldn’t require too many new purchases. I prefer shopping for home furnishings and accessories in our storage shed in the backyard.

Well, as our little girl ran around yelling “Booo woom! Boo wooom!” this week, we got to work at clearing out the spare bedroom and painting it a beautiful shade of light blue. Now we’re just wrapping up the painting, and I’m getting excited to paint and instal moulding this week. But first I thought I’d stop and take inventory of the things I’ve collected to far for Miss Lucy’s new room.

 5 yards for $5.50 from Etsy
 $41.07 for a pair from Amazon
 $29.00 from Urban Outfitters
 Valspar’s La Fonda Mirage #5003-5B
 $14.99 from Target
 $69.00 from Land of Nod
 $14.99 from Amazon
 $354.76 for 8×10 from Amazon

Lucy’s furniture was either found or given to us, but we’re still looking for a dresser. Her headboard is a beautiful royal blue ironwork piece that will add a nice feminine touch to her room, though I would’ve never chosen that color had it been up to me. Lucky for Lucy, we found it that way and I didn’t feel like undertaking a big stripping and refinishing job, so it sort of forced me to bring royal blue into the mix. Now I’m kind of loving it!

I’m planning on adding a picture rail moulding strip to the spot where the color changes on the wall. I’m hoping it will add a nice classic touch to the room, while helping a fickle girl like me keep from making nail holes in the walls as I change out the artwork from time to time. So far we’re loving the changes, but Lucy’s actually been the most excited. I’m just so glad we decided to give her the new room instead of the baby, because that gal sure is enjoying watching the transformation!

This week we’re heading out to my favorite inexpensive antique shops to look for an old dresser with lots of character. If all else fails, we’ll go for Ikea (cheap!), but I’m keeping my fingers crossed that I can find something used. Wish me luck!

For the past four years, sleeping in our bedroom has been a bit like camping out in the dusty storage room of a department store. Or maybe living in an episode of Hoarders. I’ve covered the walls with clothing racks and shelves, because our closet situation has been always less than ideal. I’ve enjoyed reminiscing about the last time we’d had a decorated bedroom to speak of (when we live with my brother— see pics of our bedroom here), but finally the time has come that I’ve thrown up my arms and cried ENOUGH! I’ve got to figure this out.

Part of the issue is that I have way too much clothes. I’d thought about selling some online because I know some gals who probably would’ve loved to have some, but just the thought of photographing, packaging, shipping, etc, really stressed me out. So I packaged up most of my clothes and sent them off to the thrift stores. I think I’m in for some good thrifty karma, though the goal is not to keep perpetuating the problem of too much stuff. It felt good to finally let go and simplify my wardrobe.

But still, our bedroom is disjointed, cluttered, and feels like a junky space. Certainly not a place to go to escape stress. But now that I’ve begun to declutter my possessions and let go of things that were only causing stress in my life, I’m ready to get ahold of the situation. My parents have given us their old bed (finally— a headboard!), and I have plans to build out a couple of wardrobes on one wall, or at least to buy something from Ikea, so my clothing storage can finally be behind doors.

I also want to repaint (we never did after buying our house) and finally put up curtains. I ordered these teal curtains but I’m stuck on a paint color. Should I go with something that contrasts the teal curtains— something more green than blue? Or do I pick something with more of a blue tone to coordinate nicely with the curtains. I can’t decide! Should we get sample cans and try them all out on the wall? I have no idea how expensive something like that even is to do.

So, I thought I’d ask you all what you thought! That’s what blogs are for, right? And since I’ve been trying to keep things more personal and true-to-life around these parts, I thought I’d let you in on my decision making process. I’m leaning towards the top color pictured above:  Old Money. What do you think?

Black and white photography is such a great addition to a colorful home. It adds an element of neutrality amidst the creative chaos of an artistic home— or just a home full of crazy color, kids, and plastic toys. I’ve been keeping my eyes open for some black and white photography to frame and display in our dining room, but nothing I found really felt like “me.” Too stuffy. Too try hard (which is ironic considering how hard I was looking). Or just too boring and hotelesque.

Needless to say, as internet searches usually go, my quest turned into an obssession. I ended up finding not one, not two, but just seven pieces I loved, but only purchased one. Can you guess which one? (Check my Twitter for hints!)

CLICK AN IMAGE TO BUY A PRINT OR CANVAS