With Mother’s Day quickly approaching, I’d like to share one of my favorite mom-related etsy shops this week. Mod momME is a shop that I have personally purchased from and love. The shop offers stylish handmade mom & baby accessories – everything from diaper bags to cosmetic bags – for those moms not wanting to sacrifice style for practicality. You can have both! Here are my favorite items.

This is the exact changing pad I have in my diaper bag. I prefer to use a roomy, good-looking tote as a non-traditional diaper bag so it’s applicable long after my baby-rearing years. When the tote is fulfilling its diaper bag duties, I toss in this lightweight roll up changing pad for on-the-go diaper changes. The brightly colored pattern makes it easy to spot in the diaper bag amongst all the other baby paraphernalia.

If you prefer having your changing pad, wipes and dipes together, I like this all-in-1 diaper clutch. Great for quick trips {it can’t hold a bunch of diapers} and quick changes. Both the roll up changing pad and diaper clutch have a wipeable TPU changing surface. TPU is non toxic, hypoallergenic, fungus resistant, PVC free, BPA free, lead free and phthalate free. Yesssssss.

I wish I had this wet bag. We use cloth diapers on Mabrey most of the time. I bought a different wet bag before she was born and after two washings a seam ripped and it started leaking. Um, yuck. The great thing about a wet bag is that it isn’t just for dirty cloth diapers. You can use it for wet swimsuits or stinky workout clothes after your baby is potty-trained. You know, that’s when you start wearing a swimsuit and working out again anyways, right? Ha! The inner layer of this wet bag is made of TPU like the changing surfaces above.

Kristin is the mastermind behind mod momME and I was amazed to learn about how her little etsy shop came to be. In her words…

When my youngest child was turning 1 I wanted to make her a dress for her party. I did not know how to sew nor did I own a sewing machine but I was not going to let that stop me. I was on a mission so I purchased a sewing machine, fabric and some patterns. Those purchases led me to etsy where I fell even more in love with handmade. It is also where I acquired my love of fabric.

Over the next few weeks I taught myself how to sew. I discovered 2 things: I was actually pretty good at sewing and I hated following sewing patterns. I became inspired by all the original designs from the artists on etsy and I decided that I was capable of creating my own designs.

I chose to create products for mom and baby. The products had to be innovative, practical and stylish. I prefer to steer clear of cheesy character prints and offer prints and designs geared more towards mom’s liking. As moms we often define ourselves by our children and we lose sight of who we are. I wanted my products to help moms ‘rediscover the ME in mommy!’

How awesome is it that Kristin didn’t let her shortcomings {not knowing how to sew & not owning a sewing machine} keep her from doing something she really wanted to do? Instead, she tried and learned something new and solved a problem in a creative way. I’m always inspired by moms who go after dreams – no matter how big or how small – with kids in tow. What great role models. For me and for their children.

Have you ever tried something new or something just for yourself with a family in the mix? Was it easier or more difficult than you thought it would be? How did you feel afterwards? I’d love to hear your thoughts.

images: mod momME

Mabrey scored a stash of new toys at Christmas. {I have yet to buy her one single toy myself. I find she’s just as amused with an empty paper towel roll as she is with sing-songy, seizure-inducing, light up toys.} After donating duplicates, I threw the new toys in metal baskets on a shelf in her room. Mabrey is pulling up, standing and cruising the furniture now so I decided it was time to store the toys down at her level for fear of her climbing to reach the toys.

That’s when I spied this canvas bin at Target.

Upon further inspection, the bin was sturdy yet collapsible and a good size – not too big, not too small. The three bands of color at the top reminded me of the ombre wall art I made for the nursery using an empty mirror frame, some leftover tongue-and-groove and craft paint.

On sale at $7 each, I bought two. I threw Mabrey’s toys in them and plopped them on the floor. It didn’t take her long to find them.

Now all of Mabrey’s favorites are at her disposal…although I wouldn’t put climbing shelves past her. But maybe this will deter her?

I absolutely love it when she disappears into her room and I find her playing. There’s something so simple yet miraculous about watching a baby play.

I laugh when I think back to when my oldest {now 8} was a baby. I would sit with him and show him how every toy worked and how he was supposed to play with it. Push this button, open this, shut this, match this shape to this shape. When it comes to playtime with Mabrey, I’m much more hands-off. I sit off to the side and just watch. I watch her figure things out on her own. Most times, she doesn’t play with the toys exactly how they are meant to be played with but that’s okay. She’s learning, experimenting, discovering. It’s really one of my favorite things to do right now. I could lie on the floor and watch her play all day.

See how the bins tie into the wall art above the crib? It’s not a perfect match but it works.

I also couldn’t resist adding this Hmong pillow cover to the nursery. It was an etsy purchase via From Past to Present.

It’s made from a vintage textile with hot pink embroidery detailing. It isn’t themed or babyish so it should follow Mabrey well into her teen years – maybe even beyond.

What about you? Any new additions to your house to help corral toys? Any new pillow covers you just couldn’t pass up? I’d love to hear about them.

images: Dana Miller for House*Tweaking

When we moved into our Underdog I didn’t give much thought to loading the kitchen cabinets and drawers. I had a two-month-old, a four-year-old and a seven-year-old at home and a traveling HH not at home. The goal was to just empty the moving boxes and be done with it all. Seven months later I’m finally coming up for air {through a straw, mind you, but it’s air nonetheless} and realizing that my kitchen could use some organization. To boost my self esteem, I’m starting small and easy.

The biggest functionality problem in the kitchen actually had a very simple and inexpensive solution. What was that problem? Herb and spice storage.

Originally, I threw all of our dried herbs and cooking spices {+salt and pepper} into the recessed cabinet above the microwave. They were difficult to reach and required either a) a stool b) hoisting myself up onto the counter or c) “Steeeeeeeeve!”

Fun fact #1: Steve is HH’s real name. I don’t call him HH in person – only on the blog.

I finally got fed up one day during a sweat-inducing search for oregano.

“There’s got to be a better way and no one else is going to do it for you, Dana.”

Fun fact #2: When I’m home alone with the kids, I talk to myself. It’s my way of having an adult conversation.

So on a whirlwind trip to IKEA a few weeks ago, I purchased four packs of the magnetic GRUNDTAL six-ounce containers. {They come in a box of three and are $5 per box.} That meant I had 12 containers total. Why 12? There was no taking inventory of anything before I left the house. I just guessed and thought 12 sounded good. First, I edited my collection of herbs and spices down to about the top 16-18. I was trying really hard to get it down to 12 – just enough for my containers – but I wasn’t willing to give up items that I had used in the past three months.

Fun fact #3: Since quitting my job and becoming a SAHM, I’ve slowly grown to like – I wouldn’t say love – cooking. I even got pretty good at making up dairy-free recipes when I was still breastfeeding. But, let’s be honest, there’s no cookbook coming out anytime soon.

From the final 16-18, I picked my top 12. This is all starting to sound a bit American Idol-ish, isn’t it? I cleaned out the magnetic containers with soap and warm water then filled ‘em up with The Final Twelve. I did have a problem with one of the container’s lid not screwing on correctly but I made do. Can you guess where I stuck them?

On the side of my refrigerator.

I didn’t really want them in plain sight from the adjacent living room and I actually use this little corner {along with the island} for food prep so the fridge location is ideal. I just pluck my ingredient off the fridge when necessary and stick it back when I’m done.

For those of you who are wondering what made the cut, here’s my top 12 in no particular order:

chili powder

salt

oregano

cumin

pepper

cinnamon

rosemary

ginger

coriander

red pepper flakes

basil

curry

Thyme would have made the top 12 but I only had about four little pieces left. I labeled the back of each container with a permanent marker because I can’t tell the difference between cumin and coriander.

Next time I’m at IKEA, I’m grabbing one more three-pack to get my last few spices on the fridge. Then the only herb/spice-related ingredients in the cabinet above the microwave will be surplus.

No more gymnastics in the kitchen trying to reach my spices.

Next up? Knife drawer, I’m looking at you.

Fun fact #4: I’ll be back later today with some exciting news involving another Joss & Main event that I’ve been secretly working on. Stay tuned…

images: Dana Miller for House*Tweaking

Here’s the deal. A photo shoot will be taking place at our house right after the new year. I know. What?! Who in the world would want to come take pictures of our house in the state that it’s in?

Our front door doesn’t work properly. The garage is completely dysfunctional and in disarray so we have resorted to entering/exiting through the mudroom’s french doors at the back of the house. There are some baseboards still missing in the hallway from our water leak scare. One full bathroom is gutted and awaiting finishes. The TV area above the mantel is open to the cinder block walls. All of the interior doors are installed but need paint and a few still need hardware. The laundry nook looks like we stuck the washer and dryer in a corner. And I haven’t done any real decorating other than Mabrey’s room which I wouldn’t consider finished. Don’t even get me started on the outside of the house.

Luckily, the photo shoot will only focus on three rooms of the house. But even those rooms need a ton of work before they’re camera worthy. With the holiday season in full swing, we’re in a rush to check off a bunch of projects on our to-do list. Nothing like a photo shoot to light a fire under your tush!

The good news is I’ll have a bunch of decor-related posts to share in 2013 but the bad news is you have to wait until 2013. And since I can’t postpone Christmas or the photo shoot, the blog is pretty much taking a back seat to everything else in my life. Which sucks. Because I really enjoy blogging. I write mental posts in my head all day long. I have 4,188 unpublished posts just sitting in my brain taking up space. In fact, that’s why I started this blog. To empty my brain. Oh, my brain is so heavy right now. My neck can barely support it. THE AGONY.

We’ve been fortunate to have a little financial help in the way of a photo shoot budget. The money is going towards projects and decor that we had planned on funding already. We’re not doing or buying anything that we wouldn’t have done or bought otherwise…just getting to it sooner than we had anticipated. This ‘recent purchases’ installment includes some of those photo shoot items AND some other random stuff. I won’t tell you which is which. Because I like surprises. Especially when I’m the one doing the surprising.

1 – Endless Topography 4 I found this amazing original artwork via the Aldas Project on etsy. The plan is to hang it in the kitchen. HH and I are stoked about incorporating some real art into this house. We were drawn to the colors and movement of this abstract piece.

2 – Seagrass runner This rug is for the hallway that leads back to the bathrooms and bedrooms. I wanted something durable and simple. Seagrass was the way to go.

3 – Navy linen I bought 7 yards of navy linen to DIY a slipcover for the petite sofa in the mudroom/dining room. I had an interesting conversation with the employee at the cutting table. Of course, they always ask what you’re planning on making with your purchase. I told her a slipcover. She said I was braver than she was then said she never sewed anything without a pattern. I told her I was the complete opposite. I have never sewn anything according to any pattern. Not because I’m a particularly expert sewer. It’s just that if I have a pattern then I see all the things I’m doing incorrectly. If I make it up as I go, there’s nothing to tell me I’m doing it wrong.

4 – Tulip side chair We actually bought four of these for the dining room. They’re modern, comfy, kid-friendly and easy to clean…everything we were looking for in a dining chair. They came with plain white seat cushions. I’ll recover them at some point.

5 – Moravian star mirror I found this gorge mirror on a whim while perusing a Joss & Main event last week. As soon as I saw it, I knew I wanted a pair to hang on either side of the TV above the mantel. They are just the right size and shape to work around HH’s boob speakers. I’ve decided the best way to deal with the orbs is to just decorate around them. We’ll see.

6 – Stainless steel containers I bought four 3-packs of these containers to organize our herbs and spices. When we moved in, I threw all of my cooking spices into the cabinet above the microwave. What was I thinking?! Obviously, I wasn’t. I have to get up on a stool every time I need my oregano. Which happens quite often. Because I love tomatoes. And nothing goes better with tomatoes than oregano. I’ll be editing my spices and what makes the cut will live in these round containers on the side of the fridge.

7 – Chevron runner Nate Berkus. Chevron. Dhurrie. ‘Nuf said. This handsome man lives in my kitchen now.

8 – Batik pillow cover Have you been over on etsy lately? Seriously. Is it just me or is etsy just getting better and better? I couldn’t get enough of this vintage Hmong textile cover. I added it to my favorites and visited it several times a day for a week or so until I decided to go for it. It’s one of those decor items that I would totally wear if it were in clothing form.

9 – Velvet pillow cover I have been wanting a velvet-covered something for a while now. I love the texture velvet brings to a room. The bright pop of chartreuse is unexpected and fun. I’m going to try pairing this velvet cover with the batik one on the leather couch in our family room. No matchy-matchy pillows here!

There it is. My bounty. Now if you’ll excuse me, I have some weekend warrioring to do. Yes. The weekend officially starts NOW. Go!

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

images: polyvore collage by Dana Miller for House*Tweaking

Currently, we’re living with one functional bathroom – the master bathroom. The other bathroom {the kid/guest bathroom} is completely gutted awaiting renovation. Hang in there lil’ bathroom! We’re coming to the rescue in a few months.

How are we making one bathroom work for our family of five? Easy.

1. We’ve given up on modesty.

2. We’ve perfected the bathroom shuffle.

3. We keep the vanity organized.

Numbers 1 & 2 are difficult to discuss online without being mistaken for an X-rated website. So I’ll skip right to #3.

Our vanity is IKEA’s GODMORGON in high gloss gray. I had wanted a floating vanity and HH wanted something with closed storage. This floating cabinet was the perfect compromise. With a little editing and organizing, we’ve made it functional for the entire family. When we moved in, I condensed our toiletries down to only the absolute necessities. I snapped some pics of the opened drawers and their contents, took a few measurements and made a quick trip to Target to pick up plastic caddies to organize the vanity.

The top drawer is divided into two sections.

The left side is all HH’s. {He doesn’t really use two toothbrushes. One is for cleaning his hair trimmer. We don’t dare put that one in our mouths.}

The right side is what I like to call the community section. Items here are used by more than one person. {Okay, I’m the only one who uses the eye makeup remover in the pink bottle and the Clarasonic Mia.}

The bottom drawer is divided into two sections as well with the left side being a smidge bigger than the right. {The vertical drawer dividers came with the vanity and are adjustable.} This drawer is a few inches deeper than the top drawer so it can house taller items.

The left {i.e., bigger} side is mine. It takes a little work to make me pretty, okay? The caddy I bought for my section was too long to fit all the way down into the drawer but it turned out to be a happy accident. It sits snug in the top half of the drawer, freeing up the bottom of the drawer for a hair dryer that I rarely use. Layne uses it more than I do. I think I’ve used it once since we moved in. In the middle section of the caddy is my hospital bracelet and Mabrey’s anklet from her birth nearly eight months ago. After we were discharged from the hospital, I snipped them off, threw them in with my toiletries and have kept them there ever since. I like seeing them in the morning and remembering her birth. It was a really wonderful experience. FYI – I’ve kept all of my kids’ birth ID anklets. Is that weird?

The right side of the bottom drawer is a catchall. I have backup rolls of toilet paper, sanitizing wipes for quick cleanings {because with two young boys and a bigger boy there are always messes in the bathroom, ifyaknowwhatimean} and chargers for HH’s electric razor and toothbrush. Now that I’m thinking about it, I should probably move the chargers up to HH’s section. Ahhhhhhh! I’m so Type A about these things. Reminds me of elementary school, organizing and reorganizing my school box. Whatever happened to school boxes anyways?

That’s how I stay somewhat sane in the bathroom with one husband, two boys and one baby. Thank goodness Mabrey doesn’t require toiletries yet. Hopefully, we finish the other bathroom before she starts into makeup and hair accessories. Which might be sooner rather than later. That girl’s got a headful of crazy hair!

I’m off to move HH’s chargers! And the answer is yes. Yes, I will sleep better knowing our toiletries are arranged properly.

P.S. – A few readers have asked for pictures of the vanity’s plumbing bits. Here you go. Damn. We in a tight spot. Name that movie.

Plumbing porn. De nada.

images: Dana Miller for House*Tweaking

Back in September D. Lawless Hardware sponsored a giveaway here on H*T. Leslie was the lucky winner of a $50 gift certificate to the online hardware store. She had just acquired an entertainment armoire and said she could use the prize to customize her new find.

Leslie was true to her word. Not only did she put the $50 towards sprucing up her armoire, she sent me pictures of her mini-makeover. Three cheers for a reader following up and sharing their project with us! Hip hip hooray. Hip hip hooray. Hip hip hooray!

Leslie had been searching for a piece of furniture to corral the flatscreen TV, electrical components and kid miscellaneous in her living room. She found the perfect entertainment armoire at an estate sale. The cabinet had been custom made by a local woodworker and was valued at $2,000. Leslie scored it for just $350!

There was just one tiny problem. The hardware that came with the cabinet was a tad ho-hum for Leslie’s taste. She knew it was something that could be switched out easily and for little money and was able to see past the boring nickel knobs. So when fate stepped in and Leslie won a gift certificate to D. Lawless Hardware, she knew exactly what she would spend it on.

Leslie traded in her plain Jane hardware for matte black pulls. She chose a straight pull to contrast with the traditional lines of the armoire and black to contrast with the lighter color of the cabinet.

How gorgeous is that cabinet?!

The fact that it works just as good as it looks has me panting over here. No more black rectangle on the wall. No more minuscule console. No more kid clutter.

And how adorable are Leslie’s fall decorations? The ‘happy fall’ sign on the front door and the pumpkins in hurricane vases on the coffee table are great subtle touches. Thanks Leslie for sharing your hardware makeover with us!

To read more about Leslie’s armoire transformation check out her blog.

images: Leslie Newcomb

I’m finally getting little snippets of time to tackle a few smaller projects around the house. Everything is taking me about ten times longer than it should with two kids and a baby around.

This is how the kitchen desk looked after we moved in. It remained that way for nearly four months. There was no thought in the placement of anything; I just threw everything in the cabinets and on the countertop to get it out of boxes. The stacks of papers in the far left upper cabinet are mine and HH’s mail. It’s all mail that we’ve gone through and need to either file away or act on. What a mess!

My goal in organizing the desk area was just that – to organize it. I wasn’t looking to style anything. That will come. We just need it to work first. Basically, I took an entire day to remove everything from the cabinets and drawers, clean the drawers and shelves, then put it all back in a better working order.

Here’s the desk area now…

Like I said, no styling. There are still plenty of empty shelves, baskets, bins and jars for growing. I tried to place things in a way that caters to our daily living.

The left side of the desk area holds items that we use in the kitchen and at the desk. The baskets in the upper cabinet hold our vitamins, batteries, flashlights and a bunch of inspiration images I’ve gathered over the years. And there’s an empty shelf! Yay! That’s gotta be good feng shui or something.

One drawer holds grilling utensils for when our grill lives on the future patio right outside the set of french doors in the kitchen. The other drawer just has my laptop bag in it for now. Eventually, I’ll hang it somewhere and have an empty drawer.

One of my favorite things about the desk area are the outlets that we wired into the backs of the lower cabinets. On the left side of the desk, we plugged in the printer/scanner. No ugly wires to wrangle! The accompanying baskets hold printer paper and computer/printer miscellaneous.

I designated the center desk area for less used kitchen serving ware. I was nervous about storing the heavy china plates on the glass shelves so they stayed on the wood bottom of the cabinet. I mixed in a warm wood utensil caddy to contrast against all the white and glass. The caddy is actually our ‘rainy day caddy.’ It holds pencils, a pencil sharpener, card games for the kids, *washable* markers, etc. I pull it down when the kids are bored and we end up drawing or playing for an hour.

Still no desk stool. I’ve been searching. I think I’m being too picky. I want something comfortable because I’ll use the desk for blogging, designing mood boards, making grocery lists and looking up recipes online. But, so far, all the stools I’ve found that are comfy and in my price range don’t look that great. It’s gotta look good too!

The right side of the desk houses more everyday items such as: my camera, mail, favorite magazine issues, drawing pads, file folders, coupons, note cards, etc. They’re not necessarily kitchen things.

I repurposed a few fabric covered bins as mailboxes for me and HH. My camera bag lives here where it’s easy to reach. My old recipe box {I can’t seem to let it go} and a stack of coasters camp out too. The wooden boxes on the top shelf hold kid puzzle pieces. I like storing toys and kid stuff in decor boxes, bins and baskets instead of the gaudy packaging they come in. They’re easier to live with that way.

Junk drawer no more! I used some plastic drawer organizers I already had to divvy up the junk drawer into more manageable compartments. There are pens, a stapler, scissors, 3M adhesive hooks, packing tape {I hope I never use it again!}, fishing line {for invisibly hanging things}, furniture pads and other common junk drawer oddities. I saved the right drawer for HH’s smaller tools that are hanging out in the house resting from a recent project and waiting to be taken back out to the garage. There’s always something going on around here so tools deserve a kitchen drawer.

The lower cabinet has drawing pads and crayons for the kids {i.e. things I don’t mind them getting out themselves}, a 3-hole punch, note cards, envelopes, our filing system, a coupon folder and a tray of HH’s portable tool batteries and chargers. Again, LOVE the outlet in the cabinet!

With everything in its place, I can breathe a little easier. Now if I could only muster up the energy to tackle the rest of the kitchen. Ha!

Some things I still want to do with the desk area are:

*find a stool already!

*DIY one or more cork/fabric boards to pin notes, inspirational images, fabrics, etc. onto

*set up a charging station for our phones, iPad and laptop

*use a rug to make it feel homier…hopefully not homelier

*style things a bit once it’s all functional

I’ll probably shuffle items around for a while before they find their final resting spot. That’s okay. Tweaking is fun. What corners of your home have you been tweaking lately?

Check here to see who won this week’s Scribbles & Stripes giveaway! If you weren’t the winner, there’s no need to pout. You can still score a 10% discount until October 24th by entering the code ‘HOUSETWEAKING’ at checkout. Need a custom case for your new iPhone? Scribbles & Stripes is now taking pre-orders for iPhone 5 cases!

images: Dana Miller for House*Tweaking

It was this time last year that we learned we were unexpectedly expecting. Wouldn’t you say it’s about time Mabrey had a proper nursery?

Mabrey’s room is teeny – not even 10′x10′. Normally, I wouldn’t think of painting a small room a dark color but it felt right and the room faces south so it gets a fair amount of natural light. I absolutely love the dark walls. It feels like a cozy cocoon in there. The enveloping mood is fitting. I like the idea of this being her little cocoon. A place for her to rest, prepare and grow her wings before she turns into a busy butterfly.

There’s something not quite right about sharing a nursery minus the baby, so I made sure to include Mabrey. Don’t worry. The pillow comes out of the crib when Mabrey is sleeping.

The paint color is a chameleon. It changes throughout the day and even from wall to wall depending on where you look. Sometimes it’s charcoal, sometimes navy, sometimes black, sometimes a tint of green. I adore colors with this trait. There’s less risk of me becoming bored with the wall color if it’s always changing. It’s a great defense mechanism for paint in our house!

To brighten the room and add contrast, I kept most of the furnishings white.

Floor space is limited so I enlisted the help of popular wall shelves for open storage and display.

Opposite the crib is the changing table and closet. The placement of the changing table near the closet is convenient.

Now that you’ve had a brief tour around the room, let me divulge more details.

The crib is new. Our old crib – one of the only baby things we didn’t get rid of in the midst of downsizing – had a totally different aesthetic. It was curvy and large and screamed country. It was obvious it would hog a lot of room in the nursery, so I bit the bullet and bought a white replacement with cleaner lines and a slimmer profile. It converts into a toddler bed {the old crib didn’t} so we’ll use it longer, too.

I DIY’d the art above the crib. It’s actually an old frame that I had in the guest/playroom of our previous home. {I bought it as a mirror but when it arrived, the mirror was shattered. The company sent me a replacement right away and told me to keep the mirror-less frame because return shipping would have cost them more than what they would get out of the repaired mirror. Seven years of bad luck? Myth debunked.}

I had HH put together six small scraps of tongue and groove leftover from our mudroom and screw them to the back of the frame. Then I painted them ombre ranging from white to light pink to coral to raspberry. I used two bottles of craft paint {a coral and a berry} and simply mixed them with the white trim paint leftover from painting our baseboards to get the various shades. I brushed the paint on with small foam brushes and left the tongue and groove seams exposed – partly for an imperfect look but mostly because I was in a rush. I love the raw pine seams. They make the art look rustic and handmade.

Before I brainstormed the ombre idea, I tried painting ‘I hope you dance’ on the pine boards but it didn’t turn out so well. I painted over it. You can see the faint cursive writing in the pink and coral boards. Thank goodness for Plan B’s. The ombre turned out way better than I had envisioned. I think it looks like an abstract sunset.

The cradle rocking chair is new. It arrived missing the assembly instructions but after contacting the seller I had directions emailed to me within minutes. Assembly was quick and easy. No tools {other than the included wrenches} required and I had it together in 10 minutes.

Until recently, I used a thrift wing chair for night feedings and while it was super comfy it took up too much space. The cradle rocker is perfect for the small room and surprisingly cozy with a pillow for back support. It probably wouldn’t be a good choice for long newborn feeding sessions – say, longer than 25-30 minutes – but it’s great for quick feedings and bedtime stories with older babies and kids.

Even after the baby phase, I see this chair growing with our family. It could easily become Mabrey’s go-to chair when she’s a toddler climbing up and rocking herself. Maybe it will follow her to college since it’s so light. Maybe it will make its way to the family room. The possibilities are endless.

The open shelves hold baskets that store extra blankets and clothes that Mabrey doesn’t fit into yet. They’re a little sparse but I’m sure I’ll fill them up with more pictures and plants as time goes on.

And baby makes 5. The little basket behind the frame is original to the house. I bought it at the estate sale. I put Mabrey’s hair clips and bows in it.

The wire baskets hold board books and burp cloths within arm’s reach from the rocking chair.

I know owls in nurseries are totally cliché but I couldn’t resist this guy. I put a mini pot of aloe in him. His spiky succulent hair reminds me of Mabrey’s crazy ‘do.

For a feminine touch, I added a pair of gold vintage-looking flower hooks. The lightweight blankets are perfect for warmer weather.

The changing table used to live in our previous home’s playroom {as toy storage} and in our previous apartment’s family room {as a media console}. It gets around. I’m working on a handmade mobile to hang above the changing table. Hopefully, it will add some much needed color to this side of the room. As soon as it’s done, I’ll share it.

Baskets and bins corral baby clothes that currently fit, diapers {cloth and disposable} and swaddling blankets. Three of the bottom baskets are empty. Plenty of room to grow!

The basket on top of the changer holds wipes, lotion, cornstarch powder and diaper rash ointment. I’m not much of a scrapper {and by scrapper, I mean scrapbooker} so pinning Mabrey’s hospital bassinet tag to the basket is a fun way to show it off.

I hung a large mirror above the changing pad to bounce light around the room. Mabrey loves smiling at and talking to her reflection after a diaper change. {Not to worry. Big brother Everett was spotting Mabrey.} This is another piece – like the cradle rocker – that I can see following Mabrey around into her teen years and beyond. At some point, we’ll probably rehang it vertically so she can primp.

I love looking back into the room. The mirror gives the nursery another dimension and makes it feel bigger than it really is.

In the bottom corner of the mirror I used stickers to spell out ‘I hope you dance.’ Like I said, I had originally tried painting this phrase on the frame above the crib but it looked awful. Still wanting to incorporate it into the room somehow, I thought adding it to the mirror would be a subtle personal touch. The phrase holds a lot of meaning for me:

*It was the song I danced to with my dad at mine and HH’s wedding reception. I love my dad. We’re really close.

*Literally, I hope Mabrey dances and appreciates her body.

*I studied ballet for 10 years and was really good. Then one year, under peer pressure, I suddenly quit to take on cheerleading. My parents could only afford one activity so I had to choose. I wish I would have stuck with ballet. Cheerleading wasn’t all it was cracked up to be. I hope Mabrey doesn’t crumble under peer pressure and sticks to what she wants and enjoys – whether it’s dancing or conducting science experiments.

*In a broader sense, I hope Mabrey is active in living her life. I hope she tries new things, scary things. I hope she takes chances and risks failing in order to find her passion. I hope she chooses to dance through life instead of sitting it out.

I’m not sure how well the stickers will hold up to regular cleanings but I think the meanings behind them are worth giving it a go.

On the floor next to the changing table is a dirty clothes basket. I hang the wet bag for dirty cloth diapers in it too.

I was going to write ‘wash me’ in chalk but I couldn’t find any in the house. {I know it’s here somewhere.} Instead, I used more stickers to spell it out.

The door to Mabrey’s room opens up right onto the closet. We removed the closet door and I hung a curtain to make things less cumbersome. I still need to hem it. The only things in the closet right now are a box of disposable diapers, a babywearing wrap and sleep sacks for winter. Again, room to grow!

The trunk under the window was a wedding gift from my parents. It’s empty but I think it will make a nice toy chest in the future.

For the life of me, I can’t take good pictures of windows so forgive me for reusing the first photo to talk about the window treatments.

One of the first things we did when we moved in was add room darkening roll-up shades to all the bedroom windows. This was purely for function. In Mabrey’s room, I added long white curtain panels with a subtle chain pattern and textured wood blinds. The roll-up shade is still there, mounted within the window frame, for function but you can’t see it unless it’s down. By contrast, the bamboo shade and curtains are purely for aesthetic – although you could close the curtains or lower the shade if you wanted. Hung high and wide, they make the window appear much larger and the ceiling appear much higher.

To soften the wood floor, I bought a jute chenille rug in a chevron pattern. It has color variations throughout – from ivory to beige to tan to brown – and it makes a world of difference against the dark floors and walls. It’s soft, too. I layered a small sheepskin right in front of the crib for added texture. It’s also a good landmark in the dark when I go in to get Mabrey for her night feeding {or feedings, depending on the night}. I don’t have to turn on the light.

I think that just about covers everything. Many items we already had on hand but here’s a source list if you’re interested:

paint – Benjamin Moore dark pewter

ceiling light – IKEA {discontinued}

floor lamp – gift

curtain rod – Target

curtains – West Elm {discontinued}

bamboo shade – Overstock

trunk – gift

jute rug – West Elm

sheepskin rug – IKEA

crib – IKEA

ombre art – DIY’d from a broken mirror

cradle rocking chair – Amazon

wall shelves – IKEA

ceramic owl, wall hooks – Kirkland’s

hanging blankets – gift, Amazon

changing table – IKEA

mirror – IKEA

changing table bins & baskets – IKEA

laundry basket – gift, Target

red stripe pillow – West Elm {discontinued}

other pillows – etsy {discontinued from here, here and here}

stickers – JoAnn Fabric

all other accessories – from our attic!

What do you think? I have to admit…HH isn’t a fan of the wall color. He keeps asking me when I’m going to repaint. He can have his surround sound; I’ll keep the dark nursery thankyouverymuch. ;)

Lauren Liess wrote something that spoke to me when I was decorating Mabrey’s room. I don’t recall her exact words but it was something to the effect of a nursery really being a room for the parents, especially mom, since babies spend most of their time in there sleeping and eating – not paying much attention to the decor. When I’m in Mabrey’s room, it feels right to me. Like a room I would have if I had a house all to myself. I don’t know if Mabrey likes it as much as I do.

But she sure seems happy. Love you babygirl.

images: Dana Miller for House*Tweaking

We added open shelving in the kitchen. I love open shelves in any room so deciding to add some in the kitchen was easy. Finding the perfect shelves wasn’t so easy.

Originally, I wanted a chunky wood shelf with black brackets. Similar to this reclaimed wood shelf from West Elm. HH said we could totally DIY wood shelving BUT with all the other projects we have going on {installing & painting the rest of the interior doors, fixing the front door, painting the french doors, maybe some landscaping??, etc.} the shelves would quickly slip to the bottom of the to-do list. He thought white shelves would be the way to go anyway since we already have white upper cabinets in the rest of the kitchen. So, I started searching for readily available white shelves that would need no or little tweaking to work in our kitchen. They had to be at least 10 1/2″ deep to accommodate our dinner plates. Another stipulation was that the shelves had to have a hefty maximum capacity load because our everyday plates are thick and heavy.

It took me a while but I finally found the perfect shelf in the form of IKEA’s 11″ deep EKBY JARPEN/EKBY BJARNUM wall shelf. I bought two of the 46 7/8″ shelves and four sets of brackets for $90. We knew we wanted two smaller shelves on either side of the range, so one long shelf could be cut into two smaller shelves. Two long shelves = four short shelves. Oh! And the max load capacity for these shelves is 33 lbs {once cut in half} – strong enough to hold our heavy plates.

HH was careful not to drill into the gas line that supplies the range. He pulled out the range to double check the gas line placement. During renovation, he was thinking ahead and marked off the gas line with an emphatic ‘NO!’ Gotta love his attention to detail…especially when it comes to not blowing up the house.

We were restricted in the placement of the shelving: 1) We couldn’t drill into the gas line. 2) We wanted to tie into a stud. 3) We wanted the lowest shelf just above the wall outlet. To the left of the range, the shelves tie into a stud around the window.

On the right, the shelves tie into s stud just left of the french doors. The shelves on the right are actually about an inch longer than the shelves on the left but it isn’t noticeable unless I tell you. All shelves sit about an inch and half away from the hood to allow for proper ventilation.

For now, the shelves hold everyday plates, bowls, glasses and a kitchen timer. There’s no rhyme or reason to the styling. I just threw everything up there for function but I actually think it doesn’t look half-bad. It’s so easy to grab a plate off the shelf and fill it for dinnertime. Or to snag the little glasses for water for the boys when they’re thirsty. Everything is right at my fingertips. It works for me. I live for stuff like this. Stuff that looks great and works even better.

At first, I was a little worried about the projection of the shelves over the countertops. Surprisingly, the 11″ deep shelves don’t obstruct the countertops at all. The lower shelves sit 12″ above the countertops and it’s plenty of space to place things on the counter and move around without a shelf knocking me in the face.

As far as cleaning goes, I wipe the shelves down with my dish drying towel when I’m unloading the dishwasher and reloading the shelves. I don’t know if that’s kosher but that’s what I’m doing. And since I don’t buy paper products to eat off of {we use real plates, bowls and glasses for all meals}, I’m reloading those shelves on a daily basis, so they’re getting dusted on a daily basis. It helps that our dishwasher is located just below the shelves {it’s in between the sink and range}. I don’t have to walk to the other side of the kitchen to put the dishes away.

I’m loving the function of these open shelves so much that I bought another one to hang under the cabinets in the microwave nook. I’m planning on moving our glasses to this longer shelf since it’s closer to the fridge where we get our drinking water. I’ll add coffee mugs as well. I don’t drink coffee on a daily basis {just a few times a month} but when I do, it’s nice to have everything in one place ready and waiting. This corner of the kitchen has become somewhat of a catchall and it really needs to be addressed. I’m going to tackle it {and the rest of the kitchen’s organization} after Everett starts preschool in a few weeks. You know, when I have more time.

The best thing about the shelves is that they have allowed me to empty out one huge drawer in the island and an upper cabinet. More room for storage! Yay!

The shelves are the newest additions to our IKEA kitchen. I was leery of using yet another IKEA product in the kitchen for fear of it looking too IKEA but I think they work well. The brackets pick up on the stainless steel appliances and lend an industrial feel. We still need to add a backsplash and accessories; hopefully those things will make the kitchen feel a little more custom and a little less store-bought.

Until then, I’m the most recent open shelf convert. I will always have some sort of open shelving in my kitchen from here on out, no matter where I live. Love it!

Do you have open shelving somewhere in your home that has freed up space or made your home more functional?

images: all except #2, Dana Miller for House*Tweaking 2) IKEA

This is the newest furnished {far from finished} corner of our house.

Actually, it might be the only somewhat furnished corner in the Underdog. ‘Taking our time’ is our motto. We’re living it to the fullest!

I bought our couch {Is it okay if I go with ‘couch’ for this post? I’m not feeling much like a ‘sofa’ person today.} online without seeing it in person beforehand. Some might call that risky but I did a lot of virtual window shopping {I like to refer to it as research} before ordering this one. We are so happy with it! It’s almost like my favorite saddle leather belt reincarnated as a couch. It’s the soho leather sofa from Elements Fine Home Furnishings if you want to google for the best price.

We chose to buy a high quality, long-lasting leather couch knowing that it would most likely outlive three cotton couches in its lifetime. {A white slipcovered couch was my second choice.} It’s constructed of top grain leather which is a step up from the bonded sectional we had in our previous house. If you didn’t know it already, there are different grades of leather…bonded/bi-cast, genuine, top grain and full grain. Top grain is more durable than bonded, bi-cast and genuine but not as strong as full grain leather. Also, top grain won’t age naturally like full grain leather will but it will patina with ‘scars.’ If you can afford full grain, it’s the way to go. We couldn’t afford a couch made of full grain leather. We bought the best our money could buy.

The top grain is much more supple and way less vinyl-ish than than our old sectional. I keep telling HH it’s smooth like butter. I wasn’t expecting such a big difference. I think so many items nowadays are made from split and polyurethaned leathers that I’ve become accustomed to thinking that leather is supposed to resemble vinyl. It’s not! I read somewhere recently that bi-cast is to natural leather what particle board is to hardwood.

And I’m sorry if you are anti-leather. I fully understand your position and opinion. You are entitled to them as I am to mine. We can agree to disagree. You are free to leave informative, non-hateful comments below. Now, moving on.

The matching bolster pillows came with the couch. I love the look of them. My boys pretend they are bazookas or pugil sticks. They are rarely ever on the couch and that drives me insane. But they look just as good as the day we received them and are holding up well to the kid version of American Gladiators.

The couch itself is super comfy. With deep seats, it’s prime real estate for watching a movie, reading or napping…not that those things are happening all that often here. It’s definitely a curl-up-on couch.

I finally put together the tripod lamp I bought from Target. Basically, it consisted of screwing the three legs together {each leg is made up of three sections} then plopping the shade on top. It was so easy a four-year-old could do it. Literally. Everett helped me screw the legs in.

I’m really surprised by the quality for the $50 I spent on it. It’s not crooked and the shade is a generous size. The electric cord is snaked through one leg so that it comes out near the floor instead of a black tampon-esque string hanging from the lamp. {Did I just say that?! Yes. Yes, I did. Forgive me. It was the best description I could come up with.} I kept the box in case it ended up being too flimsy for our rowdy house but, so far, I don’t see any reason to return it. Most of the other tripod floor lamps I had been eyeing were at least $200, so I’m glad to have found a less expensive option. If I want to dress it up, I can always cover the shade with another fabric or switch it out all together.

It’s really nice having a single reading light to turn on in the evenings. Before this floor lamp came to live with us, I was turning on the track lighting that runs along the ridge beam in the vaulted great room just to look at a magazine or read a book. The floor lamp also has a 3-way dimmer switch so I can adjust the intensity of the light.

Another new item is the alpaca throw. Love everything about this petite blanket. The heather gray/ivory color scheme is right up my alley and the half geometric/half adorable duck print is lovely. I use it on the couch to break up all the leather.

I found this woven basket at Target a few months ago on sale. I’m thinking it was around $20?? For now, I’ve placed it beside the couch a la end table style. I tossed all the Wii paraphernalia in it. Video games have never looked so posh at our house.

The family room seating area floats within the great room {we’ve got the whole room within a room thing going on} and is grounded by a durable sisal rug. It’s light in color and heavy on texture. I absolutely love it. The backside is latex so there’s no need for a pad underneath. While we have no problem walking around barefoot on it, it’s definitely not suitable for dad vs. son wrestling matches. HH and the boys take their wrestling matches to the boys’ room where there’s a softer rug to play on. I’d say its feel is similar to that of a seagrass rug. I want to channel my inner Lauren Liess and layer a softer, smaller rug on top of the sisal in front of the couch. It would give Mabrey somewhere soft to roll and crawl around plus I’ve always liked the look of layered rugs.

So that’s a peek at a corner of my home. It’s by no means done and it probably won’t stay like this forever but it’s cozy and functional. It’s a start in the more masculine direction I’ve been wanting to take. You may have noticed the white cabinet behind the floor lamp. It’s actually a shoe organizer for when we are able to use our front door on a regular basis. We still have some door jamb issues to address there. And the speaker on the wall? Well, that’s a topic for an entirely different post.

Is there a corner of your home that makes you smile? Even if the rest of the house is a disaster.

images: Dana Miller for House*Tweaking