Valentine’s Day is this weekend, a “Hallmark holiday” the Mr. hates. Actually, I think it just annoys him that he has to get me a present and/or card in November (my birthday), December (Christmas), and February (the dreaded Cupid Day), with only the month of January that is gift shop-free.
When I was single, I dreaded V-Day to the point of extreme bitterness. I wanted to like it. After all, a holiday dedicated to love and all things pink and red should be nice.
So if you’re single, or think that V-Day is lame, show your house some love instead with these accessories that would make Cupid smile.
Z Gallerie rose pillow - $50
Z Gallerie candle - $25
Uncommon Goods vase - $28
Ballard Designs pillows - $75
Anthropologie Tuxedo bedding - $58-$298
Anthropologie "Vernal Cusp" rug - $78-$1098
WS Home cashmere throws - $198
I’m watching my mailbox for a few fabric swatches that I ordered last week from Lewis & Sherron:
Khandar Indigo - lsfabrics.com
Niso Cobalt - lsfabrics.com
…and one other one that seems to have gone missing from their site. Hmm…Hope I get it – I was most hopeful about that particular small-scale print and would love to show it to you!
The goal is to choose a fabric to make a faux roman shade for our powder room. The powder room is immediately off the dining room, a location I will avoid when purchasing our next home. Nothing’s more awkward than a guest needing to use the facilities while everyone is around the dining table!
The slightly open door is the powder room.
If the door is wide open, the window in the powder room is visible. However, I don’t want the new roman shade to match the valances exactly. Instead, I’d prefer to leverage the navy in the dining room’s rug. You can also see a hint of bright blue in the dining room’s valance:
Detail of dining room valance
Inside the powder room I plan to accessorize with the brown, green, and bright blue of these valances to tie the two rooms together. I think we’ll use the powder room as a “testing ground” for a new kitchen/dining room paint color as well.
Over the weekend I spied this adorable nursery. The hubs and I have traveled all over the place, so this design is particularly appropriate for our family. I love the argyle bumper, and that the blue is more of a sky-blue than a baby blue.
via christinemills.net
Good thing I spotted this inspirational design, because I can kiss my dreams of a raspberry-pink and yellow nursery goodbye for now, because this baby is a BOY!
When I first found out I was preggo, my gut instinct was that there was a little man cooking in there. When the hubs mentioned he thought it was a girl I fell in love with that idea. I found myself only looking at girl clothes, accessories, decor, and even birth announcements.
When we saw him on the screen and my deep-seeded suspicions were confirmed, I felt a little let down. Not upset, mind you – just a bit bummed.
However, as the day progressed and I told more people “It’s a boy!” the more I started to like the idea. I’m a girly-girl only child. I’m not athletic, and I don’t like bugs or playing in the mud. I’m not a natural risk-taker. To be honest, I think this little boy is exactly what I need. I will be forced to try things that are out of my comfort zone because he’ll want to try them. He’ll bring bugs and mud into the house and I’ll have to learn to laugh about it. God, I may even have to go camping or something horrific like that! Yet somehow I know that he’ll make it fun for me, because I will want to make it fun for him.
The best part, though, is that I have made my father the happiest man on the planet. He’s even more excited than Mr. JC and is already talking about building his grandson a go-cart! I guess my dollhouse rehab project will have to wait. 
For now, I’m letting it all sink in and batting around ideas for a nursery inspired by our travels – one that will be both fun and educational for our little boy. Over the weekend I thought up a craft project that lines up very well with this piece of art that landed in my inbox yesterday:
Art by Oopsy Daisy via projectnursery.com
We’ve been looking for a map to mark all of our travels, and what better place to put it than in the nursery? This one is from Crate & Barrel’s outlet, and comes with pushpins. Perfect!
crateandbarrel.com
If you spy ideas for my little journeyman, pass them along!
