Bedroom progress is still under way but let’s talk about my bed, shall we? Seeing as how there were a bunch of questions about it on the recent update post.

The bed itself is West Elm’s chunky wood bed frame {no longer available} in queen. When HH and I first got married we bought a cheap metal four poster bed from JCPenney. It was white and had intricate swirly designs that we soon realized weren’t our style. at. all. As you do when you’re 24 and making mistakes in your first house. We lived with the bed for 7+ years. A few years back, it was time to upgrade our mattress and we decided to shop for a bed frame that better suited our taste. We fell in love with this chunky platform frame and never looked back. We use a low profile 5″ box spring to give it a little more height and support but it isn’t necessary. We love this bed frame. It has been with us in two houses and one apartment now and has held up really well. I don’t know that we’ll ever buy another bed.

In our previous home, we crafted a reclaimed wood headboard from old fence boards. Within weeks, that headboard was plastered all over the internet and it’s weird to see it pop up on pinterest from time to time when I’m browsing. Some say it even sparked the reclaimed wood headboard trend. The headboard held a lot of meaning for us but it wasn’t quite wide enough for our queen bed and it wasn’t all that comfortable to lean back on for nighttime reading. Last summer it was auctioned off {along with a slew of other decor-related items} to help raise money for cancer treatment for a friend from high school.

Before we moved into our current home, I snatched up a curvy leather headboard for cheap from Ballard Designs outlet in West Chester, Ohio. It was a lovely headboard but once it was in place under the bedroom window, it was clear that it didn’t belong in the space. We needed something with cleaner lines. I was happy to discover that West Elm still offered headboards compatible with our chunky bed frame. I chose the nailhead upholstered headboard in brushed heather cotton, grey haze. It wasn’t cheap but if I’ve learned anything over the last 10+ years it’s that having a cozy, cushy spot to rest your head at night really does make you happier. {If you’re up for it – clearly, I wasn’t – upholstered headboards are totally DIYable as a less expensive option.} The headboard attaches directly to our bed frame so there’s no wobbling. It’s very sturdy and the brushed cotton has a luxe, soft feel. The nailhead trim is a classic touch. I don’t know that we’ll ever buy another headboard.

With our forever bed in place, it was time to consider bedding. For the past 5 years, we’ve had an inexpensive white IKEA duvet on our bed. It wasn’t bad; it wasn’t great. I’ve always been a fan of Dwell Studio bedding. When I came across the ash draper stripe duvet, I thought the horizontal stripes would help our narrow bedroom look wider. And if not, well, I’ve never met a stripe I didn’t like.

HH and I are smitten with the duvet set. It’s a high quality brushed cotton that looks and feels better and better with each washing – sort of like good linen. The duvet holds our down comforter snugly which is something the IKEA duvet didn’t do. With our old duvet, the comforter was constantly shifting and bunching. The buttoned opening is concealed under the saffron border so there aren’t any gaping holes in plain sight. Speaking of the saffron border, the product pics online portray it as more citron than saffron but it’s definitely saffron / gold in person. I didn’t edit any of the images in this post so you can see the true colors. The stripes are heathered brown / taupe and ivory.

We use our same white sheets we’ve always had but I sandwiched an organic blanket between the top sheet and duvet. On mild nights, I fold the duvet up at the foot of the bed and we just use the blanket and sheet to sleep. This knit blanket is awesome. {Yes, it’s Threshold and, no, this isn’t a plug for Threshold. I really do buy their stuff!} Like the duvet, it gets softer every time I wash it. For the quality, I expected a higher price but it was only $40.

Do you recognize the throw pillow from last week’s etsy crush? It’s hemp with vintage embroidery. It has a great nubby texture but isn’t scratchy or coarse.

Apparently, the embroidered detail was part of a tribal skirt from North Vietnam. I love that it adds subtle pattern, color and texture to the bedding but doesn’t “match.”  The black lines pick up on the slate windowsills and ribbon detail of the ceiling light.

I have to say that after 10+ years of not giving our bedroom the same attention as the rest of the house {until recently, our bedroom was mostly made up of displaced furniture & cheap decor}, it literally feels good to have a respectable place to retreat to at the end of the day. After the kids are in bed, we find ourselves running to our bedroom to read and talk and HH and I have both noticed improved sleep since sprucing up our room. It doesn’t seem to matter that there are minor details left to tackle. It’s becoming one of our favorite rooms in the house.

I think in the past we neglected or took the cheap way out on our bedroom because it wasn’t a space that others saw as prominently as, say, our living room or kitchen. What we’re learning is that a room’s worth shouldn’t be based on how many visitors see it. {Um, we don’t have a lot of bedroom visitors.} Instead, a room that we spend a third of our day in – even if the majority of that time is spent sleeping – is totally worthy of decorating. We are worthy of a nice bedroom. How have we missed this over the last decade?! Oh, right, “the kids” excuse. No more excuses!

Thanks to Wayfair for supporting my habit.

Click to see who won last week’s MADHOUSE giveaway.

images: Dana Miller for House*Tweaking

This week I couldn’t resist sharing a pillow shop. I recently purchased a pillow cover from Oriental Tribe 11 for our master bedroom and I’m so happy with it! Take a gander at which one lives on my bed now…

Oriental Tribe 11 features pillow covers made from tribal textiles – many of them from traditional Hmong batiks. I love all the unique patterns, colors and embroidery work. They have a casual vibe with a playful, bohemian look. I can’t help but think of Amber’s design aesthetic. These are definitely pillows that could carry a room.

So now tell me, are you a pillow researcher too? I can’t be the only one.

images: Oriental Tribe 11

Last week was my kids’ first full week of summer break which happened to coincide with one of HH’s business trips. I decided it would also be a good time to sort through the mess that was our attic. After herding the kids and staying up well past 1:00 a.m. every night for the past week to wrestle the attic into submission, my brain is mush. But the attic is looking fantastic! As far as attics go.

Thank goodness the nearest IKEA is only 25 minutes away. I took advantage of IKEA’s kids-eat-free-horse-meat-Tuesdays amidst the chaos and a few things {that cost less than $20!} caught my eye while we were there.

SNIKA boxes // Seriously considering these for storage in my boys’ bedroom.

TOLSBY frame // You guys, these are only 99¢! They are made of plastic {i.e. super kid-friendly} but look ceramic and I think they would look way more grown up with a coat or two of gold spray paint.

KVISSLE steel & cork box // Visible, tangled cords drive me bonkers. This sleek box hides all that. Great for a desk or charging station.

FARKOST wall lamp // I’m loving the new swing arm lamps flanking our bed but they were a splurge. For an inexpensive version, you could spray paint these bad boys gold. I love that they are adjustable so you can direct light where you need it.

SKÄRBLAD pillow cover // It’s a 20″x 20″ pillow cover and it’s $5. Why wouldn’t I love it?! I tried really hard to think up a place in my house for one or two of these pillows but, sadly, could not.

While we were at IKEA, I did grab a few things for mine and HH’s bedroom and the boys’ bedroom. Can’t wait to show you!

Here‘s your Mod MomME winner!

images: IKEA

BAM. Five things on my dresser. But, first, let’s cut to the chase. I repainted our bedroom. I really, really, REALLY wanted to go for Benjamin Moore’s anchor gray – a dark, moody navy-gray. Alas, when it came down to it, our north-facing bedroom couldn’t handle it. It just would have been too dark. I’m not scared of dark walls {I have some in my mudroom and my daughter’s nursery} but I like them in rooms that receive a fair amount of natural light to begin with.

Instead, I opted for Benjamin Moore’s half moon crest. I first saw it in Orlando’s apartment. He described it as a warm gray but in our dim Ohio room it reads much cooler. Especially on wet and dreary days like today. {I have fantasies of moving to California just for the good natural light.} HH loves it. I like it. It really is the best wall color for this room which is infamous for casting strange dingy green shadows. Half moon crest is elusive and ever-changing. I like my paint colors that way. Sometimes it’s a cool gray, sometimes a warm gray, sometimes a blue-gray. My dream bedroom would have natural light flooding in all day but this is not my dream bedroom. I’m working with what I’ve got.

Enough talk of paint. Back to five things on my dresser…

Sources: Threshold gold decorative bowl // Robert Abbey Delta Lily lamp // Threshold decorative ball // Threshold glass & acacia server // Threshold square tabletop frame

I partnered with the good people at Target to bring you this tabletop styling.

It all started with those industrial spheres. They were the literal balls that got the metaphorical ball rolling. I like decorative pieces that are sculptural. I bought the lamp per Emily’s recommendation. She is right. It has the perfect scale. I added a brass bowl to corral pens. {The plan is to convert this dresser into a workstation…stay tuned!} I planted a trio of jade plants in a dip server. A DIP SERVER! Call me crazy. It proves that, indeed, you can plant succulents in anything. On a whim, I drew a quirky little geometric piece of art and framed it up.

This little corner is the last thing I see before I fall asleep at night.

It melts me.

There are still finishing touches to put on this corner and the rest of the bedroom but it’s coming along! This weekend’s plans include hanging swing arm lamps on either side of the bed and installing hardware on the top dresser drawer so it can be used as a keyboard pull out.

This is my final post in the Threshold series. Maybe that makes some of you happy. But my honest hope for this series was to inspire you to tweak your home. Play around. Have fun. Try something new. Even if you have kids running around. Even if it’s just one corner or one table. Even if you end up not liking it and redo it. Even if you don’t buy any Threshold products.

That’s all.

This post brought to you by Threshold, a Target collection. The Threshold collection focuses on specialized design techniques including hand-painted accents and artisanal touches to make each piece unique yet affordable. What differentiates Target’s new Threshold collection is its unprecedented style coupled with its high quality and affordability. Thank you Tar-jay!

images: Dana Miller for House*Tweaking

The items offered by this etsy shop are made with a polyresin material, making them animal-friendly and lightweight. You can choose from various animals, sizes and finishes. I like the white and gold pieces above for a neutral and sophisticated living room. Glitter bison horns anyone?

Don’t let the word “white” in the shop’s name fool you. There are colorful options that would be charming in a nursery, child’s bedroom or playroom.

One of the best things about WFT is they have a pinterest board showcasing many of their items in clients’ spaces. Do you spy the silver tabletop skull?

How precious is this nursery with the deer head? And that belly button!

In terms of taxidermy, would you go faux?

Check in later today for a sneak peek of my bedroom!

images: White Faux Taxidermy

I came across this brass himmeli hanging planter on etsy. Isn’t the design perfection at its simplest? The modern style is a nod to Finnish tradition. The Swedish word “himmel” means “sky” or “heaven.” Prism-like ornaments were originally created to celebrate the winter solstice and bring good fortune but they’ve grown in popularity and now you’ll find them all over the world any time of year.

I want air plants. Like, bad. How adorable is this beaded planter? Each bead is dyed and strung by hand. It’s sort of the modern version of macrame hangers. I could see it hanging out in a small office or nursery.

Speaking of nursery…this mobile is would be perfect for a baby’s room. It’s so delicate and dainty.

Each of the items above is available through HRUSKAA, an etsy shop specializing in Scandinavian decor. The shop’s owner, Melissa, says that all of her designs are created keeping small space living in mind. She believes everyone – even those of us not living in McMansions – deserves beautiful pieces to display in their home. True!

Do you have any hanging plants in your home? Any suggestions for me plant-wise?

images: HRUSKAA

I have not been a very good pinner. My pinterest account was lacking. But if I had to choose one thing to fall by the wayside, I would choose pinterest over my kids, piles of laundry, blogging, a DIY project, sleep, New Girl and wine. Yes, those are things that have been preoccupying my pinterest time. Sorry pinterest.

A little over a year after welcoming #3, I finally feel like I am starting the slow return to normal. Whatever normal is. Is it just me or does it take longer to find “normal” with each sequential kid? #3 was a doozie for me. My worst sleeper by far. But the good news is she’s developed into a great little sleeper {hallelujah!} and she’s pretty much the cutest thing ever {I might be biased}. And, yes, those two things go hand-in-hand. The better she sleeps, the cuter she gets. So keep sleeping, pretty girl.

Anyways, I found some time last week to update my pinterest boards. I deleted some {goodbye pregnancy} and added others {hello shelf styling}. They are by no means a done deal but they reflect my style much better. I want to keep curating and adding as I discover inspiration online and now I have a good foundation to do it. Here are five things I added to my pinterest boards.

Sources: design*sponge // Olson Kundig Architects // Emily Henderson // Miles & May // Chez Larsson

I love the feel of that living room. Simple and laid back. The modern cabin on stilts is HH’s and my dream abode. Emily is so good a creating little moments within rooms. I wouldn’t be upset if that wood and wenge bench decided to take up residence at the foot of my bed. And the literal indoor/outdoor mat puts a whole new spin on “cuttin’ a rug”.

What have you been pinning lately? If you want, you can follow my continued pinning efforts here.

Whilst browsing etsy this week, I came across TRIMleather. The shop offers quality handmade leather accessories – everything from belts to phone cases. The craftsmanship is impeccable. The pieces are constructed using vegetable tanned vintage leather. The stitching, embossing and metal details give a luxe look.

Whenever I come across a new {to me} creative shop, I’m always interested in the story behind it. It turns out, the creator of TRIMleather is Corey Le Me, an interior designer by trade who quit his day job and decided to teach himself how to craft with leather. He says his very first coin purse was a disaster but he kept at it until he reached the high standard of quality that his shop is known for today.

Corey keeps three things in mind when designing new pieces: user friendliness, environmental friendliness and minimal design. “Easy isn’t interesting” is one of his favorite mottos.

Personally, I would love to own a piece of Corey’s work. I think the leather phone cases would be a hit with guys {father’s day gift?} as well. Leather is so versatile and durable.

P.S. – I have received a few emails from House*Tweaking RSS subscribers saying they are having trouble receiving posts via the feed. Anyone else having problems? If you wouldn’t mind letting me know what you use to read your blog feeds, I’d appreciate it. I’m trying to figure out what the problem might be. So far, everything looks okay on my end. Sorry for the inconvenience!

images: TRIMleather

During week 34 of my pregnancy with Mabrey, I suddenly became fearful.

My last pregnancy {with Everett} had ended with an intense precipitous labor and delivery. 48 minutes start to finish. It might sound desirable but I wouldn’t wish that kind of labor on my worst enemy. I had no control, no down time, no vision – literally, I couldn’t see. What I did have was a hellacious kind of pain that makes my uterus itself curl up in the fetal position just thinking about it now. Fortunately, everything turned out okay even though babies born precipitously are at risk of complications from moving through the birth canal so rapidly. Everett was healthy, perfect.

When I unexpectedly found myself pregnant three years later, I was told I was at risk for another precipitous labor. I figured I had nine months until I needed to worry about it so I filed the idea of precipitous labor away in the back of my mind behind “holy cow! we’re having another baby.”

But by week 34, the fear of precipitous labor had climbed its way to the forefront of my thoughts. What if I’m home alone with the boys? Will I scare/scar them? What if Steve is at work? What if I don’t make it to the hospital on time? {Everett was ten minutes shy of being an in-the-car, on-the-highway birth.} What if this baby doesn’t fare so well? All of these what if’s.

I mentioned something about it on the blog and asked for suggestions to help me mentally during labor. I received many comments and appreciated them all but one really stuck with me. It was Kara Sue {Kara Sue, if you are reading this, you are my hero} who said:

Have you read Ina May Gaskin’s Guide to Childbirth? I don’t remember taking specific breathing exercises from it, but the overall positive tone on unmedicated births, especially in the personal stories, greatly helped me through mine. The book made me feel very empowered, much more so than any hospital birthing class did.

Could reading a book – as opposed to actually learning a coping method – really get me through an unmedicated birth? I like any excuse to read so the next day I checked out the book from my local library. The librarian said “oh, this is about the midwife who delivers babies on a farm in Tennessee.” I froze. WTF? I am not giving birth in a barn stall.

It took several chapters to shake that WTF feeling. The majority of the book is a compilation of true birth stories attended by Ina May. Yes, the births take place on a farm in Tennessee but there are proper accommodations for delivery. Usually small cabins. No barn stalls. There are graphic pictures. It all felt a little hippie-ish and free-spirited to me at first. But by the end, I was empowered. I can’t explain it. Somewhere between page 1 and page 368, I discovered confidence. Confidence in myself as a woman. Confidence in my body. Confidence in nature. Confidence in the birthing process.

One of Ina May’s suggestions for pregnant women is to have a doula present during labor and delivery. Is a doula really necessary? I thought. I mean, Steve can rub my back and tell me I’m doing great. I’ll handle everything else. But the personal birth stories in the book kept coming back to me. Then I realized something profound. At nearly every single birth, the birthing mother was surrounded by other women. The women talked with her, laughed with her, breathed with her, pushed with her, sweat with her, swayed with her. The woman’s partner was usually in attendance as well for support but I couldn’t get over the women.

It wasn’t the same as having a mother, a sister or an aunt in the delivery room. No one crying and holding a leg. No one in charge of taking pictures. No one posting updates on social media. Okay, maybe social media didn’t exist when the book was written but you catch my drift.

That’s when I decided I needed a doula. I told Steve and he was a little weirded out but totally supportive, like always. Here’s the thing. Men {even male obstetricians} can read every book on pregnancy, labor and delivery but they will always lack personal experience. They do not and will not ever know what it is like to give birth. And my man isn’t all that comfortable with blood and pain {he once *almost* fainted at the podiatrist} and the fear of childbirth shows on his face no matter how hard he is squeezing my hand. That’s why I needed a doula.

The next day I found a certified doula on DONA.org. Her name was Janet. She was local. I told her my fear of another precipitous labor. She reassured me she would be present even if I couldn’t make it to the hospital. We met several times during those last few weeks of my pregnancy. Sometimes she came to our apartment. Sometimes we went to the park. Sometimes we met for lunch. She shared her own birth stories with me {one of which was a stillbirth}, recommended more books chronicling real life birth stories, helped me nail down a birth plan with my OB and gave me things to keep in mind during labor.

On Thursday, March 29th, 2012, I had a checkup with my OB. I was 4cm dilated but baby’s head was still high. I was due in one week. I had never made it to my due date with my previous children and I had an inkling that this baby would make an appearance over the weekend. The boys’ spring break started the next day so Steve and I decided to let them spend the weekend at my dad’s just in case it was the weekend. We drove them out to my dad’s, stayed for dinner and a movie then returned to our apartment.

At midnight I was wide awake in bed. Steve was sound asleep. I was waiting. Waiting for something. Anything. Then a mild contraction hit me. Then another. And another. They weren’t awful but I could tell they weren’t Braxton-Hicks either. I muffled my labored breathing during contractions with my pillow. I didn’t want to wake up Steve. By 1:00 a.m., I was contracting regularly but I could tell this labor wasn’t like my last one. It had already lasted fifteen minutes longer, the contractions weren’t as intense early on and I had down time in between them. While my doula wasn’t particularly worried about a precipitous labor again, she did think I would progress quickly and thought we should play it safe as far as leaving for the hospital. So I woke up Steve and told him I was in labor. I thought we should call Janet.

Janet arrived at our apartment at 1:30 a.m. My contractions were getting stronger. I was sitting on the bed with my legs bent under me. When I felt a contraction coming on, I instinctively raised up onto my knees, bent at the waist and buried my head down in my pillow. It felt so good to be on my knees blowing into my pillow during the contractions. Steve pressed into my lower back.

I was having a lot of back pain like I did with my very first labor. My first baby was posterior, pushing up against my spine and tailbone. This pain was familiar. I got a little worried because after 15 hours of labor my first time around the labor & delivery block, my baby was literally stuck. He was facing the wrong way for his head to properly maneuver through the birth canal. He was under distress. My OB had suggested a “walking epidural” to help relax my uterus and get me on my hands and knees. One hour later, Layne was born vaginally sunny side up with a huge purple cone head and a low Apgar score. But he ended up being just fine. {I put a hat on him until he was a few weeks old and his head was no longer molded and bruised.} Still, I worried about delivering another posterior baby.

Janet was reassuring. She was vocally encouraging during contractions, her voice soft and kind. Knowing. In between contractions, she smiled and talked. An hour later, I started whimpering during the contractions. Janet reminded me to keep my mouth open and my voice deep. She suggested we head for the hospital. Part of me wanted to stay at the apartment in my bed. I was leery of my labor petering out and slowing at the hospital because of its cold rooms, hard beds, bright lights and constant prodding.

Steve dropped me off at the emergency entrance. I waited leaning against a wall while Steve and Janet parked their cars. The receptionist offered me a chair or a wheelchair. I declined. Sitting was the last thing I wanted to do. I wanted to move.

We all made it to the delivery room. It was 2:30 a.m. I was 6-7cm. I had the best nurse. She upheld my birth plan without criticism and I was able to move around without being hooked up to an I.V. or fetal monitors. She even turned off the bright lights. I worked through more contractions and more positions. I circled my hips on a birthing ball. I got on my knees in the bed. I stood and wrapped my arms around Steve’s neck, swaying. If I stopped moving my body, my mind would take over. This is what you wanted? This hurts. It’s going to get a lot harder you know. You can’t do this.

And then I would hear Janet. “You are so strong. You are doing good work. You have progressed so well. It won’t be much longer. Baby will be here soon.”

I was still having intense back pain. I asked the nurse if the baby was posterior. She said it was a possibility. I took that as a yes. At 4:00 a.m., I was nearing the end. I was tired. Really tired. I was having doubts. I was having trouble staying on top of the powerful contractions. The OB on duty came in and introduced himself. He was from my OB’s office but I had never met him before. He was short and reminded me of the dad on Honey, I Shrunk the Kids. He asked if I wanted to have my water bag broken to speed things up. He was on his way to an emergency D&C in 15 minutes and wouldn’t be able to deliver me until after that if I waited.

I thought he was an asshole and secretly hoped the baby would come during the D&C. I nearly got my wish.

Everyone says there is so much pressure at the end of labor but I say there is pain and burning and PAIN. Maybe a little pressure. My younger sister who is a marathon runner and not a mother once asked me about natural childbirth. I told her if she could run marathons, she could have a baby. She replied, “Yeah, but it’s not like I’m running marathons with my vagina.” So, I guess natural childbirth is like a triathlon for your vagina. And I was about to cross the finish line sounding like a dying cow.

I felt like the baby was coming any minute whether I pushed or not. I told Janet. Then my water broke. On its own. Not ten minutes after the OB had asked to rupture my membranes. Take that Rick Moranis wannabe. I was getting feisty. More nurses had set up shop in the room. Somehow I had missed all that while my vagina was sprinting. The new nurses were telling me not to push. To wait for the doctor.

Wayne Szalinski entered the room. I could barely see him over the delivery bed. I was already pushing. I couldn’t help it. It was the first time my back had touched the bed. It was so uncomfortable. The OB told me to move down towards him. In my head – not out loud – I cursed him. It wasn’t my fault he had short arms. I was squeezing Steve’s arm so tight. Janet said the baby had lots of dark hair.

Instant relief. The OB laid the baby on me with its crotch right in my face. “Congratulations, it’s a girl!” Well, yes, I can see that. Thank you, Mr. Obvious. I looked up at Steve. I will never, ever forget the puddles he had for eyes at that very moment. Janet was beaming.

I couldn’t get over how cute, calm and alert our babygirl was. She didn’t cry. She was taking it all in – even lifting up her head to look around. I had always envisioned myself surrounded by a family of boys – big and little – and here was this girl. What in the world do I do with a girl?

Talk with her. Laugh with her. Breathe with her. Sweat with her. Push with her. Share with her.

Let her move freely. Remind her of her strength. Encourage her and tell her she is doing good work. Reassure her when she is scared.

Because even non-girly women need women.

images: Dana Miller

…and here’s where we ended up…

The goal was to create an outdoor dining space that jives with our simple, modern, cozy style. To see more pictures {day and night!} and hear all the details, check out my post over on The Apron. Bonus: There are many great ideas from other bloggers over there, too, to get your creative juices flowing.

Sprucing up the back patio jumpstarted more outdoor projects. Stay tuned…

Click here to see who won last week’s giveaway.

images: Dana Miller for House*Tweaking