My Little Haven

A couple of weeks ago in anticipation of house guests, my husband painted our guest room.  It originally was a very ugly yellow color.  I chose BM White Dove to paint it.  Partly because, I prefer a neutral background which will allow me to add pops or hints of color.

I also plan to use the guest room as my office. Hopefully, it'll provide a space where I can sit down in the wee hours of the morning and be inspired!

In progress...

This snapshot houses some of my favorite things - a vintage painting from etsy (love Amy's shop), a victorian antique chair my husband's great grandfather carved, a blue and white porcelain lamp, bamboo pens gifted by a friend, a sliver plated footed bowl found antiquing, etc.  

When I first inherited the victorian chair, I wasn't a big fan, but I knew how much it meant to my husband.  Now, I really like it.  Isn't it funny how your style changes over the years? Personally, I think the chair makes this little space come to life.

Not only did my husband's great grandfather make the chair, but his great grandmother needlepointed the seat. There is so much more to do to this room (isn't that always the case?), but at least I have my little work space set-up!  Happy Monday!

Easter

I hope your Easter was lovely!  Our day started off bright and early!  I thought I'd share a couple of pictures of our first Easter in Louisville.

It was a small Easter this year, as just last week we had a house full of family in town for Luke's birthday (more on that in another post).

A perfect day for egg hunting.  Still in their PJs, the kids ran around the backyard trying to find all the easter eggs that the Easter bunny hid.

After egg hunting, we had had a nice breakfast of mostly jelly beans, scrambled eggs and cinnamon buns.  Nothing like dosing the kids up on sugar before we head to Mass.  After Mass, we strolled a bit through Cherokee Park and took some pictures.

Here, the kids are saying, "Mom, why are you taking the picture so the sun is directly in our eyes?"  Or Luke is thinking, "Mom, when can we go home so I can get out of my church clothes?"

The rest of the day was spent hanging out at home playing, relaxing and cooking!  We had a nice family Easter dinner and Luke's favorite dessert - lemon pound cake.

I hope you all had a blessed Easter and celebrated it with the ones you love and hold dear to your heart.

Some Great AFFORDABLE Buys

The month of April is a crazy one for us - family visiting from out of town, baseball/swimming/tennis starting, Luke's birthday, Easter, etc.  So, the past couple of weeks, I have been working hard to get the house somewhat presentable.  I'm happy to report progress is being made (slowly, but surely).  I promise I will have some reveals soon.  At any rate, I wanted to highlight a few purchases I've made that have hit the mark (from a style perspective) and have been real easy on the wallet.

First, E's rug.  The great thing is that it is soft (chenille) even though it is part jute.  I would definitely feel comfortable using in a nursery/children's room.  And, I got a 5x8 for $114.00.

Next up, have you checked out Ikea's bedding lately?  They have some very cute options.  I picked up the Emmie Land Duvet and Shams for $19.99!   Plan to use it in our guest room.  

I love how this blogger used it in her bedroom.  

And, this blogger.

Next up, new lamps I purchased for our family room.  They are SO much better in person.  And, I got them more than 60% off at the outlet so it was a no brainer.  

Suzanne Kasler's gourd lamps in Camel.  They are beautiful - I've bought a lot of lamps in my life and these just scream high quality.  I know I will have these a long time and I love the neutral color.  Ballard Designs is holding a 20% everything sale right now.  

Do you see Luke's artwork in the background above?  I have a budding artist on my hands.  

Excuse the wrinkled linen pillow and the non-existent drapes.  One thing at a time…..:)  Hope you have a wonderful start to your week!