Charlotte's first year

To keep record of Charlotte's first twelve months, I wanted something more than her little baby book. I really more blank space, free rein, a place to draw and write and include a few photos from each month, her birth announcement, handprints, lines from my journal, etc. Old-fashioned photo albums are beautiful, so I decided to buy a lovely handmade album from BlueRoofDesigns on Etsy.

A friend of mine wanted to see a little of what I had done with it, so here are a few photos. I apologize for the blurriness and the darkness!

This album was intended to feel sweet, romantic, and delicate. I wanted to use true materials and technique in the form of the handmade paper, photo corners, and calligraphy.

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Presto Chango part deux: Pink Meets Nest, cont'd

You may remember my previous post about ditching the nasty green paint and curtains in my dining room in favor of lovely, light shell pink walls. The change made that little square room seem so much bigger, and the pale color capitalizes on all the light that we get in there.


Here is the before:

And here is the after!

I thought long and hard about a new light fixture. Something industrial? Something with lots of glass? Logistics and budget got in the way or changing the entire fixture. I wanted to transform a wine jug into a hanging pendant, but trying to find an antique wine jug, having the bottom cut out, wiring it, and hanging it so that it didn't collapse on the table due to its own weight was like trying to learn how to perform brain surgery. Not to mention the fact that it's hard to find wine jugs locally, and to have one shipped is expensive! So I decided to let blue-green and glass have its presence in the room in another, more sentimental way, namely, in the form of my grandmother's little glass bottle, vase, and antique telephone insulator. A quick fix to the dark light fixture was a can of white glossy spray paint, and voila! A whole new lightness came into the room.

I spy ikat! Ikat is everywhere nowadays, and it's such a fresh, natural alternative to fussy florals. I loved this dreamy, watery Robert Allen Khanjali in Glacier and had to have it in my house somehow. My wonderful mother-in-law sewed these curtains for my birthday, and I love the way the pink walls bring out the warm barely-pink in the ikat. The hardware got a "lift" with Crate&Barrel cafe rods in matte bronze.

Luke and I first saw the artwork of Scott Raimondo on our babymoon in St. Augustine, where he lives and works. Love his fresh, colorful landscapes and views of the water and area. I ordered these white frames and matts from framesbymail.com. They don't have a huge selection, and it is a risk not seeing the matts and frames in person, but if you don't need a specific color matte or a certain tarnished gold finish on your frame, for instance, you can get a great deal. The frames come assembled and you simply matt the artwork, and place the glass, art, and backing in the frame and put the hardware on top. I got all these framed for about $175 (including glass)--probably 25-30% of what I would have paid at a frame shop.

The little ladies and their fans above the sideboard are vintage placecards that belonged to my great-grandmother. I matted them and put them in $2 frames from Hobby Lobby. Not a bad deal! They make the ceiling seem so much taller and make that sideboard more of a focal point.

Check out the way the curtains bring out all the beautiful colors in this antique door that we use as a coat rack in the living room. Loverly!

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