How to dress for success at home

Today we are going to talk about our wardrobes after baby...I haven't completely figured it out, but I wanted to share with you some things I think about when shopping.

1. Is this item comfortable enough to be a mom. (aka- pick a baby up, bend down, play on the floor, run if needed) I think about how it feels on my skin, if its pulling, if I can wear a normal bra. I also like the fabrics to be something that doesn't feel too dressy. I want to feel good doing my daily errands and not like I have a fancy party to attend later.

2. Is this item really cute and versatile. I need to love it in order to buy it. This goes with buying a rug or a dress. I like to think about the outfit and wear it might go. Can I rock this at a playdate? A BBQ? Target? Just hanging in my living room?

And that's literally it, maybe you thought it would be a long list? But its not.

My favorite items to buy this season

- Dresses. Its the no brainer outfit that takes 1 minute to throw on but always feels dressed up and cute. This dress actually looks like 2 piece but is not.

- Skirts- whether they are long or short, the important thing is comfort. I plan to mostly wear a tank or v neck with most skirts, maybe a scarf because that's also my go to item. I like to get colorful skirts so that my shirts are really easy to figure out, so I can do it quickly.

- Jewelery- I have bought so many cute necklaces this season because they dress up anything!! I'm a skinny jean, v-neck every day kind of gal.

But with a big chunky necklace and a boyfriend jacket, I go from plain to hip. Its OK to be hip as mommy's, I promise! I'm still young at 27 and I want to feel 27, I want to look cute and be a stay at home mom. Jewelry helps me make a statement, when really its like a no brainier to make an outfit pop.

Wednesday Wishes

Hello again!  I am so excited to be here for my second installation of Wednesday Wishes. Last week I shared my love of toadstools.  Today I wanted to share 5 things I can't stop thinking about. 

 1. Kilim rugs.  I really want one for my master bedroom.  Check out these fine examples.  I love the old worn out colorful ones! 

 

(Both found here) 

 2. Herringbone wood floors.  Oh, if I could!

found here

found here

found here

3. This song:

   

 4. Emerald Green.  I painted a piece this color almost 2 years ago.  And I would love to do it again! I am obsessed with this image (I found on pinterest, but cannot find original source)

5.  I am really digging unique planters right now.  Part of Spring fever, I guess!  My pal Tracy just shared how to make your own concrete planters.  Here is hers. That's all!  See you next week!

I hope you all enjoyed Cassie and her series here Wednesday Wishes. I don't know about you, but I am crushing pretty hard on a couple of these things, my favs are the herringbone floors, and those gorgeous green painted chairs.  Thanks for sharing Cassie, see you next week!

Do it now

With a baby around, there really isn't too many opportunities for the right time to get things done.

When Kennedy was younger I tried to get everything done while she napped, but now that she naps less, I dont want to use all my alone time doing menial house work.

I find including her in the projects is usually pretty successful.

Of course including a 16 month old baby into the situation will make the process go longer. But longer is better than not getting it done at all.

The reasons I like to include her:

1. Teach your child whatever you are doing. cleaning, organizing, decluttering, even decorating. Your child will be happy to be involved, and you are teaching them new skills. Sure they might not get it when they are only 1, but done over years they will absolutely pick up these skills. Not to mention so many adults struggle with some of these issues, so showing your child how to do these and the importance will only be a great life skill.

source

2. Variation is the key when you have small children. My daughter likes to be upstairs because we spend so much time downstairs and shes looking for a change of pace. If I want to work on something, she absolutely wants to help.

3. Alone time is precious try to do something you enjoy. I really try hard to get things done with my daughter so I can enjoy a little me-time. So I try to involve her as much as possible so that when she naps or goes to bed I'm done or pretty much done with all the house work.

4. No time is really good, so why not now? I'm doing more stuff right when I notice it lately. Case in point her drawers were filled with clothes that were too small, and I had to weed out all the small clothes and organize her new bigger clothes into them. It really wasn't hard at all. I closed her bedroom door, looked around to make sure the area was safe and then let her play as I did it.

There are 2 schools of thought, people who do things when they see they need to be done, and others who see it needs to be done and adds it to their to do list. Both work, and I fall somewhere in between, probably closer or more often to the list person. But doing items right when you see them takes a lot less mental effort than doing it later. Try it out, tell me how it goes!


Have a fabulous day!
  - Jen

Be sentimental....sort of.

Happy Friday the 13th everyone!

I have a new client, we are working on her kitchen. Her kitchen is like many older kitchens, the space is used poorly and the cabinet space is very little.

She also doesn't have a dishwasher. So all of her plates and cups and glasses end up sitting on the drying rack. Instead of putting things away, like many people she just recycles whatever she needs from the clean drying rack pile. Sound familiar?

All of her plates are mismatched sets, hand me downs, and scattered around her precious cabinet space completely unused. So part of our makeover is going to be open storage and new plates. Probably something clean,white, timeless.

source

She pointed out her grandmothers plates. I asked her if she wanted to keep them and use them, if it was important to her, it would be important to my design. She said she wasn't sentimental and she would pack them up and store them in the basement.

source

How many of us have said that? Done that? Regretted that? Thought about it for years as a burden? Later needed to clean the space, unwrapped the item and then didn't know what to do with it? 

Well that's pretty much what I told her. I think it's better to offer the plates to someone else in the family, in this case her mother or aunt and to  keep one tea cup. Use the tea cup, think of her grandmother when she does, see the tea cup, let the memories visit her on a daily or weekly basis. That is a better way to honor her grandmother.

source

There is a way to be sentimental and have beautiful design.


What do you think? Have you ever been in this position? Have you stored something only to regret it?

Whimsy from Primitive and Proper

Hello friends of A Place to Call Home!  I am so excited to be starting a fun new series here, sharing all sorts of fun, whimsy, design, craftiness.... you name it.  I am Cassie from Primitive and Proper, and I will be here every Wednesday with some fun for your soul. Today I want to share a little infatuation of my own... toadstools!  I love them!  I painted my own daughter's table to look like a toadstool.  Check it out!  

And today, I am even over on my blog sharing a fun toadstool craft...

But I want to share with you some more toadstool cuteness from around the internet. How adorable is this pillow?  I would love to have it on my porch, as a happy greeting to guests or gnomes.

I might have to find a need for these lanterns....  

These DIY toadstool pencils would be a fun end of the year teacher gift.

Now that I have figured out how to make clay toadstools, this wreath is on my to-craft list! And I know this is a little girl's dress, but I would totally rock this as a top.  Might have to find that fabric and beg my mom to make me one!

So how bout it?  If you didn't love toadstools before, do you now?  Aren't they the cutest? Thanks Jen, for having me here today to share some toadstool love!  Happy Spring!

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Toadstools are super cute, my favorites are both of Cassie's creations, that table in Emmy's room is to die for! So I am super excited that Cassie will be joining us every week on Wednesdays to share cool things that shes found on blogland, pinterest, etsy, or anywhere she's found inspiration. I'm super excited about what she's going to share!

Gazebo Curtains

Well I seem to be all about outdoor stuff recently, I guess I'm just excited about spring and summer. There seems to be so much to look forward too, and its just such a happy time of year.

Today I'd like to share with you some scrumptious indoor/outdoor fabrics that I could use potentially on my gazebo. The table is tan and brown, and the gazebo is tan and brown.

And this is what my house looks like on the outside to give you an idea of colors.

That being said I would definitely like to use some color, probably in the way of pillows and plant pots and flowers, and maybe curtains?

So let me know which one is your favorite.

1. 

2. 

3. 

4. 

5. 

Brown & Cream

6. 

7. 

8. 

9. 

10. 

11. 

So what do you think? Which one is your favorite?

Guest Blogging Today at Primitive & Proper

Hi everybody

Today I'll be over writing for Cassie at Primitive & Proper

I'll be sharing the before & after pictures of our home. Here's a sneak peak

  

It honestly still amazes me that our home used to look like the before, it always surprises me and makes me feel proud to live in this beautiful 122 year old Victorian.

The rest of the pictures are over at primitive and proper. There's also plenty to see at Cassies site, shes like the furniture whisperer!


HAVE A FABULOUS DAY!

Dreaming about gardening

So for anyone who read yesterdays post. I'll let you know that I bought the ikea gazebo that I loved. Love so doesn't compare to like. If there has been 1 rule that I take very very seriously is to buy what you love. Don't try to talk yourself into something, you either love it, or you don't.

I am so excited to start building. We are going to build the table on Wednesday night, the chairs on Thursday night, and then the gazebo maybe late Saturday?

I'm feeling so inspired by these pictures

I love this grouping and how this paved area feels still outdoorsy

I wish I could come here for the quiet and beauty

wow. Talk about a statement

I'm in love with the clock or thermometer. But I also love how lush this feels 

This would be my dream

I'll take 2 please 

Or this, if I had time and money

Pics from gardening pinterest board

Overall I promise my yard will look nothing like these spaces. I hope you wont feel too disappointed. Our yard is actually pretty tiny and awkward, but I hope to make it:

1. Usable
2. Enjoyable
3. Pretty
4. and usable again, because honestly we haven't used it at all in the two and 1/2 years we've been here

I'll be planting on the 14th and the 15th, so expect an after post soon after that. 

What are you all planting? Do you plant only certain colors so it all looks cohesive? I've only planted 1 year so far, so any tips would be helpful!! I did really well keeping my flowers alive last year, so I am so excited for this year!