It's Really been {SIX} Months!?!

Yes, you read that right. My last post was on January 26th. My how time flies when you are changing diapers, playing peek a boo and rocking babies to sleep. Can you believe the twins are now 15 months old!? My babies are now turning into toddlers. We have waited for these two miracles for so long and you better believe I have been soaking up the time being a mama to M & J. Time is fleeting and I must capture our moments together both in memory and pictures.

 I so have missed all of you and know that some of my long time readers are still there and if I hear crickets, well then so be it! This blog was meant to be a fun outlet from my days in the business world. I am in the mama world and need this blog just as much now, if not more. So I'm back! Will I post weekly? (Not Sure.) Do I have lots of great ideas up my sleeves? (Maybe). I am just going to post when I feel lead and have a moment of inspiration to share with you all. Thank you for sticking with me!

photo via Simply Genuine Photography

{Twins} Neutral Nursery Reveal

I sure have promised this post for quite sometime. It has been finished for months, but have been waiting to have it photographed by my photographer (my dad) and then have more than 5 minutes to write this post to all of you!

If you have been following along for a while, then you know that this room is rather small for placing two cribs. We made it work perfectly with these low profile cribs which helped the room feel a bit more spacious than it really is. I might be just a tad bit bias, but this could be my favorite room in our home as of late. So much love went into creating this precious space.

Hope you enjoyed this sweet little tour. I promise to share all the details and sources in an upcoming post! 

To play catch up click below:
Nursery Plans
Nursery Peek and Maternity Photos
Nursery lighting for Less
A "Spotted" Nursery Closet

{Five Months} Where I've Been

I last posted on April 3rd.... two days before Easter and three days before my life changed forever.

If you have been following me on Instagram, then you know that the twins were born on April 6th. It was a day that will forever be etched in my memory. They were born at 35 weeks and were perfectly healthy at 4lbs 6oz and 4lbs 10oz. They were able to come right into our room that night. God has surely blessed our family. We are so thrilled to introduce you to Jackson Hamlin and Magnolia Joy!

Many of you have been following our journey of adoption and infertility. Thank you all for your kind words, support and love. I have been blogging for four years and feel like I have been sharing this journey with old friends. So Thank You from the bottom of my heart.

I will resume writing my blog as soon as we are on some sort of schedule over here! I would love to have time to at least share DIY's and Ideas with all of you once a week. That is my goal for now! So thank you for sticking around! Next post will be the Twin's Nursery Reveal...Finally!

Maternity Photos & Nursery Sneak Peek

We are surely counting down till the big day!  I wanted to make sure I captured this pregnancy in some way. I have really felt amazing and feel very blessed to be carrying two miracles inside of me. I can't wait to meet them and kiss their sweet faces.

Thanks to my amazing father, he was able to capture a few shots of my bump last week. I wanted to save money and splurge on a photographer when the babies arrive, but still wanted to make sure I documented this moment and journey. My dad is one talented guy!

We have also finished the nursery and I just need to edit the photos and then I can share the reveal with all of you. It really turned out quite adorable and I can't wait for our peanuts to occupy this space.

Here are just a couple of sneak peeks!

Sorry for the teaser! Hope to show you all this space next week.

Have an amazing Thursday friends! xoxo

My Top {5} Spaces That Have Stayed Organized

Well hello and welcome to a new week! I hope you are all staying safe and warm as storms roll through the Northeast. Thinking of all of you Northerner's today!

I am now in nesting mode. I have been cleaning closets, the garage and organizing piles. All of this organizing has got me thinking about the spaces in my home that I really don't have to touch. The "Organized" spaces, the ones that have pretty much stayed organized from the time I bought some baskets or slapped on some labels.

I wanted to share with you my top 5 spaces that have stayed organized over the past couple of years and a few tips and tricks that have helped keep those spaces looking great!

1. Master Closet: For the most part this closet stays the way it looks in the picture below. There are days of tantrums when I can't find anything to wear and the clothes hit the floor, but most of the time everything has its place and stays organized. The cubby shelves above the hanging clothes have really helped with that. There use to be piles of clothes that would fall on us! I am also in love with my shoe organization. Those Home Depot shelves were the best thing I added to the closet! I have also enjoyed having the ikea dresser in this space to house my unmentionables :) This little walk-in closet has really helped us keep only clothes that we will wear over and over. We have a box in the corner (which you can't see) that is designated for donating. When we no longer wear a certain shirt or pair of pants for a year....it is time to donate! This helps cut down on the amount of clothing in this tiny closet.

2. Organized Media: Two years ago I was on a organizing rampage. One of the first spaces I tackled was our media storage. The cases to the DVD's just took up way to much space. So I decided to take them out of their cases and organize them A-Z. I found the plastic DVD sleeves and media box at target. You can see more of the details Here. It was a pain, but so worth it. Now these are stored in our new TV dresser in the living room. They don't take up too much space and I can actually find a movie I want...while singing the ABC's of course.

3. Laundry Closet: I can't believe that this picture below is still the Number One pinned picture on my blog to date. Who knew that taking a Saturday to organize my laundry closet would go viral? This space has stayed organized thanks to bins, baskets and labels! I can't say anymore good things about these plastic woven baskets from Target. They are great for cleaners and detergent because they can be wiped down if messes arise. These Free printable labels have been a time saver too! Now the Hubs knows where everything is suppose to be put away and I don't have to hear him ask me Where is.....? I can't find it? HA!
I laminated those labels with 3M Laminating pouches. They come in many sizes OR you could just use some contact paper to add a bit of thickness to your labels. You can see my ugly before Here.

4. Master Bathroom Vanity Organizing: The key for keeping our vanity organized were these wonderful drawer containers that snap together. Each drawer has a different configuration based on the contents. You can find these at Target or The Container Store. Everything has its place and that makes me very happy!
I have also kept our counter top pretty organized by corralling my everyday facial products with a thrift store tray. I have also placed a small bowl on the tray for jewelry. A little vase with decorative stones displays my makeup brushes. This helps with getting ready in the morning as well. Everything is at an arms length.

5. Under the Kitchen Sink: This is one place that I had a really hard time keeping organized. Cleaners and just plain ole "stuff" would get shoved in this black hole and never again come out! A couple of plastic bins, a small round lazy susan and extension rod did the trick. Now my most frequent used cleaners are hanging on the rod ready for immediate use. The Lazy Susan helps me see all the products without digging far in the back of the cabinet. These plastic bins are perfect for housing cleaning products and are easy to wipe after a spill.

Most of these organization ideas are easy and cheap! All you need is to take a little time going through each space and make it more useful for you and your family.

Now....ahem.... there are a few areas of our home that WERE organized and have no longer stayed that way. Like my Pantry and my linen closet. Those two areas are in need of another purge and organizational session. Will show you those scary spaces soon! Do you have any tricks for me on how to keep your linen closet organized? Help!

Have a wonderful start to your week my friends!

A Plan {Our Twin Nursery}

I will be 25 weeks pregnant tomorrow! Yahoo! Getting closer to meeting my babies. While counting down the days gets me excited, I am also a bit anxious when I think about getting everything done before their arrival. Especially because twins are known to come early. Yikes!
So we have been in the works cleaning, purging, organizing...you know, full nesting mode! I think I am wearing John down already and little does he know we still have so much left to do. Buckle up Hubs!

A while back I shared with you the previous floor plan of our tiny nursery. It was used for an extra guest room. Well at only 11'x10' we have had to be very creative when trying to fit TWO cribs, a dresser, glider and storage into this precious space.

Here is the layout we are hoping for:

It will be a bit cramped, but the sweet babies aren't going to care! We have really tried to create as much storage as possible with slide out drawers under the cribs, a six drawer dresser and two hanging bars for clothes in the closet. We are also re-doing one of our downstairs utility closets to create more storage for the big stuff that babies need like bouncers, bumbos, playmats, etc.

I want this room to feel calming with just little touches of color here and there. The walls are painted Shoji White by Sherwin Williams and the ceiling is Amazing Gray by Sherwin Williams. I really love the color palette that is going on so far!

Here are my design plans for the Twin's Neutral Nursery:

1. Round Mirror- I love this one, but have found a much cheaper version at Ikea that I think I am going to go with. There is so much white in the room that I wanted to add touches of gold to make the room feel a bit more sophisticated and put together.
2. Yellow Lamp- I needed a little pop of color and found a similar lamp at HomeGoods a while back. Its quite adorable.
3. Etsy Artwork- I love the balloons over the city as well as the merry-go round in Paris for a bit of whimsy.
4. Mid Century Dresser- I found an almost identical dresser to the West Elm one at a local antique/consignment shop. It is perfect and I can't wait to get it into the space!
5.Naps Fix Everything- Again I love supporting small business and Etsy is a great place to find artwork.
6. Floor Lamp- I am thinking that since I don't have a lot of room for a side table next to the glider, that I am in need of a floor lamp to give me the space I need.
7. Side Table- this Nate Berkus table just took to our local Target stores and I am thinking this is just what I need next to the glider.
8. Glider/Rocker- this glider is almost identical to one I found for around $200 at HomeGoods a couple of months ago. Such a steal and so so comfortable.
9. Pouf- I am in need of a pouf or ottoman to place my feet while rocking and feeding. I liked the pattern and colors in the one above. Target to save the day again!
10. Striped Fabric- this striped fabric will be used on the roman shade as well as the crib skirts. You can't go wrong with stripes in any room!

1. Pendant Light Fixture- This light has already been hung and is currently at an amazing price! You can see the lighting details in the nursery here.
2. Floating Shelves- I am so excited about my Lucite shelves that are going to be hung on the wall near the glider to organize books.
3. Color Scheme- These pillows that use to be on the guest bed have become my color inspiration. Yellow, Gray, Navy, Turquoise & a Flamingo Pink!
4. Bright Lab Lights- I love the looks of these string of lights. I think they would add a bit of fun to the room and come in such a variety of colors. This strand has white, gold, pink, coral, indigo and turquoise. I think the colors would be perfect!
5 & 6. Unexpected Artwork- I have been in love with Ricardo Solis art for quite sometime. I am so so excited that these prints should be here sometime later this week. I ordered 11x14 prints for above each crib. Can't wait to share a bit more about this artist in a couple of weeks.
7. Throw Rug- Even though the room has wall to wall carpeting, I am thinking a small rug would add another element to the room. Maybe even a possible sheep hide for near the dresser/changing table.
8. Baby Mod Crib {x2}- I absolutely love these cribs! We have just started setting them up and I dig the low profile and space that they save in our small room. They also have a drawer that pulls out underneath for storage. Perfection! And...can you believe they are from Walmart!?



So what do you think? Even though the room has to be fairly gender neutral since a boy and girl will be sharing the space, I have added some feminine and some masculine touches that I think will be perfect!

If you want to follow along with bits and pieces of the nursery as I add furniture and accessories to the space, head on over to Instagram! I am hoping to be able to share a tour of the room in just a few weeks. Wish me luck!

House & Personal Goals for 2015

Now that all of the decorations are put away and company has left, I have had some time to reflect on the past year and create some goals for 2015. I am more of a goal setter rather than a resolution maker. For one, I feel as though I can never keep my resolutions and then I feel discouraged and quit. A goal seems more achievable for some reason. So here we go...you must keep me accountable this year my friends!





1. Continue on a Path of Healthy Eating:
John and I really eat pretty healthy and try to create a healthy routine around here. It has been a bit hard since being pregnant because of my lack of energy. I know that I will continue to feel more and more tired and have even less energy when the babies are finally here. So I would like to put aside a couple of weekends to create some healthy freezer meals for those days when I am not in the mood to cook. This will alleviate the impulse to run out and grab fast food. Do any of you have some great tasting freezer meals to share? Do Tell!

2. Breathe:
This past year has been a crazy one and this year is going to get even crazier by doubling the size of our family. I couldn't feel any more blessed and excited, but with more responsibility comes more anxiety. I have approximately four months (maybe less) to get everything done before babies arrive. I need to put life into perspective. I may not get EVERYTHING finished that I would like. Do babies really care? No. Are they going to live in a happy and healthy environment? Yes.
So one of my goals is to take time to Breathe. To sit down in the mornings and start my day with daily devotions and prayer. To stop and smile every time I feel those babies moving. To look around my home and see the good things...the things that bring me joy. To meet friends for lunch dates. To rest when I feel I need a rest. To spend quality time with my husband. To be present and Laugh!

3. Learn Something New:
Besides diving into "how-to" baby books, I want to learn something new! John got me some online interior design/decorating classes for Christmas and I can't wait to dive in and start learning some new tips and tricks to share with all of you. I would also like to up my game when it comes to taking pictures. I will soon have two models to practice on daily, so I want to put my learning cap on before they arrive. Oh and this might sound a little funny....but I have always wanted to learn how to use some serious power tools. I am determined to take some lessons from my dad and brother on using an electric saw so I can build something...anything! So here's to a year of new endeavors!

1. Baby Nursery:
Well if this one isn't obvious! Ha! Since we were on the waiting list for adoption a year ago, we have already started working on the nursery a bit. The walls are painted, light fixture hung, closet stenciled and organized and dresser bought.
With the surprising news of being pregnant with twins, we have had to revamp a little. This room is quite small at only 11'x10', but we were able to figure out a layout that will work with two cribs, a dresser and glider. Can't wait to share the plan and updates with you all next week!

2. Office/Guest Room Revamp:
So since we are going to have quite a few visitors over the next year, I wanted to update our guest room and give it a fresh vibe. I am thinking new paint on the walls, some wall sconces, new bedding and a bench at the end of the bed. The walls are still builder's grade and I really haven't done much to create a cozy guest space over the past few years. Time for a change!

Guest room in the current state:

On the other side of the room is my little office nook. I have enjoyed having this space to write my posts, get a little real estate work done and have plenty of space for organizing files, etc. Now that I have slowed down a bit with real estate, I don't need quite as much shelving space, but I am finding I need more desk space. It would be great to spread out my projects and get a possible second screen for creating mood boards and editing photos.

Here is the current state of my small office space:

I recently bought this desk and can't wait to get it set up and put to good use! I am envisioning something like this with some skinny shelves against the smaller wall and a large mood board for ideas and organization:

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3. Finish Master Bathroom Projects:

Last year was the start of updating our bathroom with just a bit of lipstick. In other words we painted the walls and vanity to update the builder grade space. We added a large piece of artwork and an oriental rug to give it a bit of character. This year it is time to finish adding some touches! 

Current State of Bathroom:

First up....adding some floating shelves behind the toilet. I am thinking some industrial looking shelves like these from restoration hardware. The only difference....dad and I are going to DIY them!

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I would also like to frame the plain mirror and add a window treatment to give the room a little color and texture. I found this tutorial on how to make a faux relaxed roman shade. I might have to try my hand at this as well!

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As you all can see I have just a few projects to finish as well as take on motherhood x2 this year! I am trying to be realistic and know that not everything will be accomplished in 2015, but am looking forward to trying to reach some of these goals. 

Do you make New Years Resolutions or Goals? What is one thing you are hoping to accomplish in 2015?