UPDATE: guest bedroom to NURSERY

Hello all! It seems wild that I just did an update post on Melrose's guest bedroom, and I all ready have another update to the room to share with you guys!  I knew all along that this room would eventually be a nursery so it shouldn't be that crazy to me.

I knew I would keep the same color palette of olive green, black & white, cream, white, and gold accents regardless of the sex, and then just add in touches of pink or orange if it was a girl or boy. As you all know, we are having a precious baby boy, so orange is the winner! Don't mind my crazy photoshop skills, but here is what I have mocked up so far for the nursery ...

We will leave one of the twin beds in the room and replace the other with a sitting nook and crib ...

I want to keep this side of the room simple and fuss free with all the focus on the crib and the hand knitted mobile. I know I am branching out and doing a pretty, accent chair rather than a rocker or glider, but this corner doesn't have much room and about 20 feet away in the den is a comfy recliner that rocks ... so I'm going for style points in the nursery!

This wall is opposite from the window and is sandwiched between two doors - a closest and entry. I want to hang a few of these acrylic book shelves on the back of each door since I don't have room for a bookshelf. We will use this dresser as a changing table and storage for all the baby goodies.

Here is an overall style board for the nursery. I want to hang this series of black of white vintage horse prints above the twin bed (opposite wall of the crib) and I'm still looking for a light cow hide rug to use. I'm really loving the direction of the room and I can't wait to see it all come together. 

check out all the sources on my nursery board

So, what do you think? I know it doesn't seem too "baby" but that also isn't my style. I want the room to be functional before and after the baby and not limited strictly to a nursery. I have updated the room a tad since the last pictures I posted -- I added the night stand and have made an attempt at bedside lighting ... but I'm not 100% sold on the lamps. I need your opinion! Here is a quick phone iphoto to give you an idea -

 [ignore the knick knacks on the table] 

I like how they are directional and don't occupy too much space on the table, but I can't decide on the darker brass finish or if they are too tall and slender. They are much daintier than I imagined which is good, but now I can't tell if the center post looks awkward next to the bed frames!? What's your opinion? I don't really have another idea except for maybe these gold task lamps, but I think they will definitely be shorter and chunkier. I'm leaving them for now and they are starting to grow on me.

That's what I have so far for Baby Owens' nursery! For so long I've had so many ideas running through my head, so now I'm super excited to have settled on a direction that I love. And now is the fun part, seeing it all come together! I'll be sure and keep ya'll posted ... 

LUSCIOUS SOFAS

Ever since we moved into Melrose I have dreamed of replacing Brandon's bachelor pad sofas (yes, he has a matching pair) with two vintage leather club chairs and a beautiful, luscious velvet sofa. The richness of the velvet would be a perfect contrast to our stark white walls and neutral decor. I am drawn to darker shades - olive, sienna, gray - and these rooms just influence me even more. 

sources via

Here are some sofas I have had my eye on:

This mink velvet with brass nailhead accents is gorgeous. The lines are simple and classic and you could always find a place for this sofa in your house. 

the balmoral sofa from jayson home

I love how full and comfy this sofa appears - and it is just as stylish without all the pillows! It looks fancy and sophisticated without being uptight and rigid. 

the holloway sofa by jayson home

I am head over heels for this sienna toned sofa - not too dark, not too light ... it's a nice neutral that still grabs your eye. Although I love the tufts, I think the husband would say it isn't "comfortable" enough ...

shoreditch sofa by jayson home

This olive green is amazing. I would bring this home right away and love it for forever. I doubt I could ever afford this exact one, but it gives me inspiration!

the highland sofa by cs post & co

the morgan sofa by jayson home

Currently, At Home in Homewood has a lovely gray velvet sofa that I sit on and lust over every time I'm in the store. I know it loves me too. I guess Baby Owens needs a crib and nursery before I decide to replace a sofa! Here's to dreaming ...

GENDER REVEAL PARTY

So, last Thursday night was Baby Owens' reveal party and it was an absolute blast. We had so many amazing friends join in on our excitement and it meant the world to us! The party couldn't have been any better! 

To our wonderful friends that attended, and especially the ones that drove just for the night -- thank you, thank you, thank you for being such a blessing to us! I can't even put into words how grateful we are, but please know how much we appreciate your support and kindness. 

On to the details! Here is the invitation I designed to email to our guests. I used the chalkboard background and elements throughout the rest of the party details. 

Here are some room shots before the party kicked off. I custom ordered the tassel banner and mini cake topper from Tuck & Bonte. I chose a gender neutral color palette of blush, cream gold, mint, and baby blue. I love the way it turned out and will definitely be saving it for future parties! We had the hot chocolate bar set up in the dining room, voting booth on the buffet, and chili bar in the kitchen. 

I designed ballots and stickers for the guests to participate in the reveal. Everyone loved submitting their vote and watching the Owens precinct develop. 

I left up some of my "wintery" Christmas decorations for the party and decided to clip baby pictures of Brandon and I on the garland. Brandon was one cute little boy!

We tallied the votes before cutting the cake and the leading candidate was BOY! Brandon sported a pink shirt in the beginning, although I think he was secretly hoping for a boy, and then changed to blue once the cake cutting was over. He is so silly!

How beautiful is the cake!? The talented Laura Burton from Uprising Cakes made it and I could not have been more impressed. The ombre with ruffles was gorgeous, not to mention mouth watering delicious!

Brandon and I are elated about having a precious baby boy! Now that we know the sex I can really get started on the nursery! But don't worry, I won't post only about baby stuff! Thanks for all the sweet wishes and congrats! 

SYLE ICON: blake lively

I've always been a huge fan of Gossip Girl - whether it was the trend setting high fashion, sexy scandals, exaggerating gossip, or beautiful cast - it will always hold a place in my heart. I'm so sad it is over, but like they say - all good things, must come to an end, right!? It was the most perfect, beautiful finale I could ever have imagined and am so glad it went out with a bang. These photos make me so jealous:

But my love of GG extends further into a fascination with Serena VanDerWoodsen ... also known as, Blake Lively. I think she is fabulous and I'm pretty sure we would be bff. I mean not only is she strikingly beautiful, confident, and bubbly, but she is married to Ryan Reynolds! Who to me, is the equivalent but in a male body ... plus absurdly funny. I love keeping an eye on Blake's style and pinning away any picture of her hoping some of her fashion sense will rub off on me! I've heard she is her own stylist = amazing! What do you think? Are you a fan of Blake?

TOO CUTE TEEPEES

Just for kicks, I was looking back at some of my "kid love" pinterest images and I noticed a common thread in a lot of the pictures - teepees. I guess the whimsical nature of these seem so fun to me. And their abstract shape is the perfect statement piece for a play room or nook. How fun would it be to escape from the real world and day dream, read, draw, lose yourself in one of these? It's the perfect hideaway for kids. 

Joanna Goddard from A Cup of Jo constructed her own fun teepee here. The open lace makes it so airy and dreamy! 

I'm sure there are dozens of DIY projects out there, but I also found these two lovely options from Amazon and Land of Nod. If you aren't the crafty type, then these two are too cute to pass up.