School days...

Like many of you, my daughter started school this week.  First grade. 

Clearly, she was excited.

Last year? Not so much.

 It is also her first year riding the bus. 

Even more excitement.

Time seems to being going by at warped speed, but it is pretty amazing to watch her read and learn and to see her confidence start to soar as she does.

I hope all of your kiddos had a fantastic start to their new school year. Here's to one filled with great leaps and bounds and lots of good memories!

Erin

P.S. You may have spied this star burst pencil wreath I made last year in one of the shots above. Last week I linked it up to Hubby Made Me's Throwback Thursday Link Party. Stop by and check out Britni's blog and the other fantastic creations  fellow bloggers have whipped up.

Have a great weekend!

Nesting

Six years ago today, I was nesting in a big way. Neve was scheduled to arrive via c-section early the next morning and I was insistent upon scrubbing and polishing my hardwood floors. I do believe that may have been the last time those floors have seen such attention. In my very pregnant mind, it made total sense and one event could not happen without the other.

Needless to say, the moment she arrived into this world heinie first, our lives and hearts grew and changed immeasurably. In six short years she has taught us so much.

Happy almost Birthday to our sweet, sensitive, generous, silly, smart, determined and 

beautiful Neve girl. You have blessed our lives more than you will ever know.

 

We love you more than anything.

Have a great weekend everyone!

Erin

Mood Board Monday: Etsy Artwork

I hope everyone had a great weekend. Today I'm participating in my second Moodboard Monday Challenge, hosted by Sarah of Pewter + Sage. For those of you unfamiliar with the challenge, Sarah 

offers three visual inspirations to create a room around. Today's inspiration was three different pieces of art created and sold by artists found on Etsy. 

In the last challenge, I designed a "dream" dining room around a beautiful set of china. I went big and didn't worry about budget whatsoever. This time around, I used the artwork as a springboard to update my daughter Neve's bedroom, much more realistically.  I focused on using the fixed elements already in her room and adding small updates inspired by the artwork below. She even helped me with this challenge a bit, making selections from a host of things I considered for the board.

Bird Art Community Tree by Cori Dantini/

Here are the fixed items in Neve's room that I'll be working with:

And here are some ideas for updating the space:

1. Inspired by the colors of the artwork and the existing paint color , I began to build the palette with these fabrics: Tonic Living's Spa Geo Coral, Tonic Living's Solid Leaf flannel and Caitlin Wilson's Coral Tall Chevron

2.I chose simple white Ikea Vivan curtains, embellished with a border using one of the two bolder fabrics to replace her little girl toile valances.

3. Antonina Vella wallpaper to give some subtle interest to a slanted wall that is difficult to hang anything on. Neve was adamant that it had to be blue.

4. A new bedside lamp from Target to grow with. Less baby, more big girl, but it still works for an almost six year old.

5. Neve spied this image that I had pinned and asked for a bed just like this.  Currently she has no headboard, but I've seen ones similar to this image at a local second-hand furniture store for less than $50.  I love the idea of giving new life to one with a vibrant color that ties into the palette. For minimal investment, I'm okay with having to change out the color or replace it when she's a little older.

6. We're blessed with two closets in Neve's room. Currently her toys are housed in one in an old toy bin.  Shelves like these are on the agenda.

7.I pinned this piece of Etsy typography months ago for Neve. I love the quote and hope I can instill this message in both of my kids.

8. Neve requested chalkboard paint on the back of her bedroom door. She loved this hot pink variety.

Realistically, I don't know when any of this will happen as we're in the midst of finishing our basement and updating our bathroom, but it's good to have a plan, and now I have a very doable one!

Thanks to Sarah for hosting. Stop by Pewter + Sage and check out the other boards!

Have a great Monday.

Erin