Wednesday, July 15, 2015

NORDSTROM ANNIVERSARY SALE: NEW MOM PICKS

Having a baby in the fall is making me feel very lucky to be able to rock leggings until I'm comfortable in my own skin again, but that doesn't mean I'm not hoping to stock up on some staple pieces. 

This year, I'd like to grab items I feel comfortable in, but that also help me look put together when out on the town with my babe or hubby. 

Here are some of the things I've been eying at the anniversary sale:


This tunic will help cover my bum, and looks super comfy. Add a gold necklace, jeans or leggings and some flats and I am set. 

Speaking of flats, I am really digging these t-strap flats for the fall with some jeans and a tunic. I love the snakeskin print and the red ones! 


This Free People sweater has a tulip back and looks super comfy. I'm skeptical about the fit, but the great thing about Nordstrom is the free shipping and easy returns so I am grabbing it in the red or green!


I'm hoping this parka doesn't sell out before the sale opens to all customers! It's only available in one size now and looks like the perfect fall jacket.


This tunic looks super comfy and extra long to cover your hips and bum. I'm going to snag it in the olive and white. 


I'm on the fence about buying these booties since I know I can snag some for cheaper, but I love the braided detail and fringe. 


Some new workout leggings are a must for the fall walks. These have great reviews!

NORDSTROM ANNIVERSARY SALE: BABY PICKS


Nordstrom's Anniversary sale is here and while I'm not a card holder, that doesn't stop me from grabbing staple items each year at a great price. 

Last year I saw the Skip Hop diaper bag on major sale and scooped it up before even being pregnant. I knew friends who had and loved the bag, so knowing we were going to be trying soon it was a no-brainer!

Check out my affordable picks this year below!

 Nordstrom has their Skip Hop Duo bag exclusive on sale again this year - and I am totally digging the black stripes! At almost $24 cheaper than you will find elsewhere, it is a total investment whether you are trying for a babe, pregnant or looking for a new diaper bag. I LOVE mine!



Print Swaddling Cloths (3-Pack) At $30, this is a great item to snag since they are typically between $45-50. We received several of these blankets for our babe and they are highly recommended. 

This CozyChic® Heathered Blanket looks so comfy. If I were a baby, I would totally reach for this blanky every time.

Although it's a little expensive for a baby sweater that will get only 3 months wear out of, the color can easily be used for boy or girl. At $24, I think it's a great purchase for a fall/winter/spring babe. I'm hoping for lots of fall outings with Ben, and this little sweater is too cute!

I registered for these floor tiles, and at almost $25 cheaper I can snag them at the anniversary sale. SOLD! I love that the tiles are neutral and will fit in with our home. This will be my favorite baby buy this year!

Tuesday, January 20, 2015

UNFINISHED PROJECTS

Our house has come VERY far from where we started and I have been extremely thankful that most of our huge projects are over and done with. BUT, there are still a ton of little finishing touches that our rooms are missing and I thought I would document them to help get some steam under my butt. :)

Swap current rug with this one.

First up is our living room: This room has pretty much been done for awhile now. I want to swap the current rug with the rug in our office since it won't shed as much and we have to repaint an area of one wall. I'd also like to get one more piece of art for the wall between the two windows.

New rug

 New loveseat
 
Next is our family room: We just purchased a new love seat for this room so we can sit and watch TV next to the fireplace during the colder months. I also just purchased a rug. This room needs to be rearranged and eventually we will purchase two chairs, but I want to feel out the room for a couple months before that happens. I'd love to paint it a lighter color and I need to patch some paint on the fireplace. I need to look at how the frames are situated once the loveseat comes in to see if they will stay.

 Three counter height stools in a patterned fabric

White IKEA island with butcher block countertop.

Kitchen: I would love to replace the fan and update the light over the sink, but to be honest those are so far down on my list of things to do. The only thing I really want in here is to add an IKEA peninsula/island which we have already sourced and priced out.


Basement: The basement has been finished for a little over a year now and I am so happy we finished this space. We use the area all the time for movie watching and it's been great re-locating our sectional to the basement. I bought two stair runners for the stairs so they aren't as slippery that I need to install. I'm not as thrilled with the color, but I am going to live with it. We also really need to install a railing eventually when we have kids. I want to paint our existing coffee table and purchase two matching side tables. The stairwell also needs to be painted since we couldn't reach it when we were painting.

Office: The office french doors have been primed for months now. I need to finish painting them white and add hardware. I also need to touch up some paint where we had a few frames fall. The room layout is still being figured out. Our existing living room rug is going to be relocated into this room since it will stay cleaner and shed less in there. 

 Example of trim for the curtains.

Our new floor length mirror.

Master Bedroom: Our master bedroom needs some work. We got new bedding not too long ago and I bought a floor length mirror I love. I want to switch out the curtain rod for a thicker one, hang art over the bed and dresser, eventually sell and replace the dressers and the trim needs to be painted bright white. I would also like to add trim to the white curtain panels. Our closet will eventually turn into a bathroom so I won't be painting in there and the wall on Chris' side will eventually have a wall closet system.


Spare Bedroom: I'd like to buy an inexpensive upholstered headboard for the bed and maybe move the tall dresser into the closet. I'd love to repaint the dresser, but I have no motivation for that. We also need to install a ceiling light. 

Upstairs Bathroom: The vanity will be repainted, new lighting and mirror need to be purchased and installed and I want to replace the floor and toilet. Add a coat of fresh paint and I think we can update the bathroom for not a ton of money.

Thursday, December 4, 2014

THE FREDERICK FAMILY | CHRISTMAS MINI SESSION

Christmas mini sessions are in full swing! For the entire month of December I am offering mini sessions for only $75! This include 30-45 minutes of shooting time at a tree farm in Sykesville, MD and a minimum of 15 edited photos for you to keep. 

It's baby Frederick's first Christmas and he couldn't be cuter!




Message me to set up your holiday mini session!

Tuesday, December 2, 2014

NIKKI + JR | PINE VALLEY TREE FARM MATERNITY SESSION

This past weekend I spent the afternoon with Nikki and JR at Pine Valley Tree Farm in Sykesville, Maryland taking their maternity photos. The leftover snow of the ground and the love these two share made some swoon-worthy images. Baby Geld will be making  her appearance next month! I can't wait to meet her. 












Visit my Facebook page to contact me for a photo session.

Wednesday, October 29, 2014

OUR FALL 2014 DINING ROOM

I've really been slacking this year on holiday decorations. Our dining room is one of my favorite rooms in the house. The color of the walls is so calming and gorgeous when the sun (which this room gets a lot of) comes shining through and I have a collection of orchids on the window sills. The orchid on the table is a rebloom of the first one I bought for this house. They are my all time fav and I am so thankful I haven't been killing them!

I've been taking my time collecting pieces for this room - the buffet and wine rack styling still needs some work, but the table never disappoints.


On each place setting I cut a eucalyptus stem and placed a simple miniature white pumpkin.


I saw online the idea of using a cake stand to add height to your table and I rarely don't have one on this table. It really makes a statement and I love setting our salt and pepper shakers on top.


The birch wood pieces are waiting to be made into tea light holders. We cut some birch wood from Chris' grandmother's home in Maine. I love that it reminds us of all the memories we have had there.


I love the colors of the plates and napkins. It really ties in all of the creamy white, greys and blues I have in the room and conjoining rooms.


This table was a hand-me-down from my sister and the first project I completed for this house. My mom and I sanded it down and stained the top and repainted the bottom a creamy white. I used a satin poly on top which gives it an extra pretty sheen.


Happy Halloween!

Tuesday, March 4, 2014

REFINISHING BASEMENT STAIRS - PART 1

This past weekend was a busy weekend for us with wrapping up a few projects and it feels good to have things nearing the finish line!

Chris installed all of our quarter round on the first floor and I taped the baseboards and caulked to prep for painting them with a fresh coat of bright white paint. Bright white trim can make a house feel brand new!

Luckily, the only items left for the basement include paint - painting our office french doors white and painting the closet doors a bright white/installing the door knobs. The stairs were begging to be finished - they are the original builder grade stairs that led to our basement.


The above image was my inspiration photo for the project. 



The first thing we had to do was remove the top bull-nose from the stairs that was installed with the upstairs carpet. We had to add an extra piece of wood when installing our upstairs flooring and a new bull-nose transition that matches the new floor.


The next step was priming the risers and trim. I started this project backwards - all of the tutorials I have read say stain, then paint. So trust them! I didn't find a lot of trouble doing it backwards since I was super careful when staining, but I do have a few spots to touch up because of it!


You can see our new top transition in this photo. 


After priming, I sanded and taped off each of the steps so when painting I would get nice lines. Trust me, sanding paint on the edges of your steps is a pain!



After painting the risers and trim with two coats I was ready to call it a night!


The next day I removed the painters tape and started preconditioning the risers. I would condition every other step so I could easily work my way back down.


I did the same method when staining the stairs. I carefully stained the steps- trying not to get any on the risers or trim. After 15 minutes, I wiped the remaining stain off.


You can see after one coat the stairs match pretty perfectly with the new floors! I'll share the finished results later this week.