Master Bedroom Makeover

Our master bedroom makeover began due to our desire for a new bed. The bed and mattress that we were sleeping on may have been in its 20s (believe me, I know how gross this is). 

Interior design projects tend to snowball for me, so the new bed lead to new bedding and accessories to match (am I the only person whose heart skips a beat in the Homegoods lamp section?). 

I was never happy with the color of the walls -- the chip looked taupe but the color read very green and too dark for my liking.  We decided to go with a light grey which really brightened things up.

One of my favorite additions to our new bedroom is the sign that hangs above the bed. I think it speaks to our relationship. I had it custom made from a talented lady that has an Etsy shop that you can find here.

There are still a few things that I'd like to change but overall I'm really happy with our new and improved boudoir!

Before:

After:

Nephew

Welcome to the world, sweet August!

Our family has been anxiously awaiting your arrival.

Uncle Jake can't wait to take you to your first Packers game.

I'm looking forward to dressing you up in bow ties and suspenders.

Most of all,  I'm counting the days until we meet you and can

hold you close &  b r e a t h e   y o u   i n.

Stay small and keep your fresh baby smell until Aunt B makes it into town.

Love you so much, little man :)

Happy Fall!

Things have been a little crazy around these parts but I wanted to drop in and wish you all a happy fall! It's my favorite time of year. We're doing our best to soak it all in.

We took the girls to the pumpkin patch a couple of weeks ago and lots of adorableness ensued. Wishing you a beautiful weekend full of all things fall.

Madelynn Turns Two

Recently, Jake and I went on an incredible road trip. We started in North Carolina, made our way up to Wisconsin for a family wedding and our niece's second birthday, continued on to Colorado for a work event and then made our way back home. There were lots of stops a long the way and I hope to share some photos here soon.

One of the highlights of our trip was seeing our niece, Madelynn. We don't get to see her very often so we were excited to spend some time with her. She's getting so big and is talking quite a bit now. She loves all things Dora and is pretty fearless when it comes to playing and jumping around. Also, she's beyond beautiful -- we really hit the jackpot in the gorgeous niece department!

Wisconsin, NYC and S.C. visit N.C.

There's nothing quite like a visit from out of town family to make you fall in love all over again with the place that you live.

My sister-in-law, Sarah and her fiance, JJ visited this past week from Wisconsin. They are newly engaged, so there was lots to celebrate!

Sarah and JJ's visit lined up with a visit from my sister, Brittany's in-laws from NYC (Addie & Ellie's grandparents) and a visit from Sarah's friend, Tiffany from Charleston, S.C. 

We had a total blast and were able to squeeze in lots of what North Carolina has to offer, including: authentic Carolina BBQ, a night out on the town, French macaroons from our favorite bakery, a family dinner at my sister's house, a visit to an apple orchard complete with hard cider and apple cider donuts, a trip to some nearby wineries, whiskey fueled pajama dance parties and an engagement photoshoot!


Prepare for major photo overload in 3... 2... 1...

Last but not least, a sneak peek of the engagment photos that I snapped for Sarah and JJ (more coming soon)...

There is Beauty All Around Us

I suggest playing this song while you read along

 

This past week, my maternal grandmother passed away. There's been a lot of confusion and sadness surrounding her death. 

Through this mix of emotions, I've been thinking a lot about mother-daughter relationships. 

So much of who I am is a result of my mother's love. Selfless, pure and unwavering love. My mom's joy for life is infectious. She's the type of person that leaves each place that she visits a little better off than when she arrived. 

Something that I admire most about my mother is her appreciation for the beauty of nature. She seems to notice every budding tree and blossoming flower in sight. On several occasions, I've seen her nearly drive off of the road just to point out hanging wisteria.

While my mom is struggling with the loss of her mother, I wanted to share some of the beauty that I've captured with my camera this summer. I always think, "Mom would love this!" when I see things so beautiful that they stop me in my tracks. 

I hope that these images can serve as a reminder that even in the most difficult of times, there is still beauty all around us.