Thoughts from Alice W.

my heart...

I can hardly believe how quickly time is going by. 

{And that I haven't posted anything since February 17th! Sorry for being such a bad blogger these days.}

I have been keeping very busy and enjoying the second trimester {a lot more than the first}...

As we speak, I am 20 1/2 weeks...and halfway along...

In a little more than 19 weeks a new life will enter our world.

And we could not be happier.

It seems theses days that my heart has moved a bit lower.

Reality sunk in for me when we had our last ultrasound and we heard the words...

Little Girl

Now I spend my days dreaming about my daughter.

Wondering what she will be like, who she will look like, what will she love? Will she be like me? Will she be like Joshua?

So many beautiful things await us as we wait for her to come and join us.

But while I wait for these questions {and so many more} to be answered, I spend my days planning and preparing.

With regained energy this trimester, I have been able to start cleaning, organizing, and even do a little decorating {and redecorating} here and there.

We even purchased our daughter's first piece of furniture.

An antique oak dresser that will be used as the changing table in her nursery.

For now it resides in our living room, and I have enjoyed dressing it up a bit.

Joshua brought me home these beautiful dried hydrangeas last week.

He sure loves me.

And I have been enjoying cooking and baking {now that I have an appetite again}...

I made these chocolate chip pecan cookies a few weeks ago...they went pretty fast.

Well, there is still lots to do before our baby girl gets here...so I guess I should go get to it!

Till next time...

nursery inspiration

I must confess, my previous post was mostly all shot in my dining room...not the baby's room. 

When I set up the vignettes for showing off my baby collections, I didn't realize people might think I was way ahead of the game and already had things set up and ready to go.

Far from it actually.

The room that will be the baby's room is currently mine and Josh's bedroom...and it is still loaded with boxes and piles of clothes from when we moved in.

Not very inspiring let me tell you.

But hopefully in a few months time...it will be.

Today, I thought I would share some images found on various websites that are inspiring me.

And which will hopefully motivate me to get things going on that nursery once we know what little Baby W. is.

I thought I died and went to heaven when my sister shared this nursery with me from Baby Lifestyles...

I scoured the internet trying to find this crib...only to find it came with a $7,145 price tag at Petit Tresor.

It is part of the Notte Fatata Collection.

I asked Josh if we could get it. He said, "sure, just as long as it turns into a bed that we can use for the rest of our lives." 

{He was kidding of course}

The rest of the collection is just as stunning {and just as pricey}, so while we won't be getting anything from it, it does serve as some amazing inspiration.

Another source of great {but also pricey} inspiration is Restoration Hardware. I am always enamored when the newest catalog arrives in the mail...

I love the soothing neutral palette above, as well as the iron crib.

But I think I love this collection even more {minus all of the pink}...

I love this furniture set. The color is "French Gray"...so dreamy...

This crib is more "reasonable" if you will, at $899 plus shipping. Still a little too steep for me though.

Love this changing table...as well as the adorable gray baskets.

Will definitely try replicating this somehow in our nursery {only hopefully for a lot less}.

Restoration Hardware has tons of fabulous storage solutions including several industrial style baskets which I love.

They also have some cute toys too...

Another inspiring online shop, I continually find myself drawn to is Layla Grayce...where I found the crib and bedding that I desperately want...

I will admit, I spent several weeks contemplating this Vintage Iron Crib.

I have been desperate for one for the nursery and really tried to convince myself that $1540 plus free shipping was a good deal.

And it is...if you have a lot of money you want to spend.

I like to stick to a tighter budget though whenever possible.

I tossed and turned a few nights trying to decide about this crib. I am also in love with the bedding {it is the best to fit my style that I can find}, but comes with a price tag of $705 if I get it in the color I want with the pillow and blanket.

Which got me thinking: Linen fabric at our local craft store is about $14.99 a yard.

Plus, I have an aunt who is an expert with the sewing machine.

In conclusion: I am hopeful that she will help me create my own unique vintage inspired bedding for our nursery and save us a ton of money.

Yet, I still couldn't get that iron crib out of mind...

That was until I found a forum of other mothers who wanted one desperately also but didn't like the prices they were finding.

One of them mentioned she got a wooden Jenny Lind crib for far less money and even was on to her second child and planning to use it again.

I instantly searched to find what it looked like...and much to my surprise, I really came to like it.

Now, mind you, this one does require a bit of an imagination...

This crib comes in a few different finishes, and is available at a variety of stores including Target and Wal-Mart.

I ended up finding it at an online store for only $169 with free shipping.

We could even get the matching changing table with it for about $260 also with free shipping.

My plan is to get the set in white and hopefully find a non-toxic antique glaze to coat them in for an aged look and to dull the bright white color.

{If anyone has tips on that I would welcome them - never done it before myself}.

I think Josh was fairly relieved.

Even though I know he wants me to have what I really, really want.

Which is one reason why I love him so much.

But again, I am a budget conscious girl, and if I can save without sacrificing style, I will certainly do it.

Something I may splurge on however, is this light fixture...

 

It is $270 {would end up being more than the crib and changing table!}, but I think it would look adorable in the room.

The ceiling is low, however, so we may have to look around for one even smaller.

Josh is worried he will hit his head when he goes to get the baby at 2 in the morning....

If I could find a reasonably priced vintage/antique one, that would be ideal, but would prefer to find a flush mount crystal fixture which seems hard to come by.

Another source I will of course be spending some money on is Etsy.

It is filled with lots of vintage touches that will be perfect for the nursery as well as unique handmade items for the baby...

I created this vintage inspired nursery treasury showcasing some of my favorite items and ideas for the baby's room.

So there you have it, what has been inspiring.

I am eager to get my energy back {which I am happy to say I have actually started having the past few days!}, so that I can share more with you as we prepare for Baby W.

Till next time...

 

{p.s. thanks for the tips on checking Craigslist...I definitely have been looking but the style I am looking for just doesn't seem to be popular in this area. sigh...}

baby w.

Just two days before Christmas this past December, Joshua and I received the best gift ever.

The one we had hoped and prayed for. 

The news of course being that we are expecting our first child.

I am currently 11 weeks along and only have one week to go before finishing up the grueling first trimester.

And it has been a bit grueling. But I am surviving it. Somehow.

My energy level has never been this low, so everything around here has slowed down along with me. But thankfully, I am blessed to have a career {if 3 Etsy shops constitute a career?} where I make the rules and can 'call in sick' when needed.

Little "Baby W." {as we have come to affectionately call our little one} and I have spent many a day resting and relaxing these past few weeks.

While I scour stacks of old magazines and decorating books, getting inspiration for our home...

and now...

a nursery.

We of course don't know what we are having yet {hopefully by the beginning of April}, but the nursery will be neutral shades either way...with lots of vintage touches that I have collected through the years...

 

Whenever I go to sales, thrift stores, flea markets, and even online shops, I can't help but add to my vintage baby collection...

I have wanted to be a mother for so long, that I even had a whole collection of baby items before I got married. {My mother and sister aided and abetted with that I will have you know}.

Including a very extensive Beatrix Potter collection.

I adore my little collection of characters...

And am especially fond of those from my favorite tale, The Tailor of Gloucester.

And this 1951 Hunca Munca is from my other favorite, The Tale of Two Bad Mice.

I have several other Beatrix Potter items including tins, photo albums, picture frames, cups, bowls, toys, stuffed animals, and all of the books of course {see I told you it was extensive}.

And even though I have grown quite a collection over the past 10 to 15 years, now that the time is actually here, I don't want the baby's room to be  too "themed", but instead, have nods here and there to the lovely Ms. Potter and her friends.

If the room were to have any theme at all...I am sure you could guess...it will be vintage.

So yet another exciting adventure awaits us as we welcome a new little life into our world...

I do hope you will join us along the journey.

Till next time...

 

christmas 2010

It's hard to believe that Christmas has already come and gone.

This month has certainly been a busy one around the Wingerden household. We hosted Christmas this year for the first time in our new home.  Events like this are usually just the pressure I need to get things whipped into shape.

So, for those of you who have found your way here to get a taste of our Christmas in 2010, I hope you are in for the long haul since there is much to share...

We'll start with picking out the Christmas tree...

It was  a misty afternoon and not too cold....perfect for finding our tree...

We found a family run Christmas tree market just a little ways from our house.

After some debate {I am very picky when it comes to trees}, we chose one from the group above. I had big plans for this tree...and was very excited to get it home.

Only to realized it was about 2 1/2 feet too tall! After Josh sawed a good portion off of the bottom, it was the perfect size.

Then the next project was to flock it. Neither of us had ever done that before, but I have always loved the look of flocked trees. I found a kit online and Josh rigged up a way for us to use it {turned out we didn't have the right equipment which I didn't realize when I purchased it}.

And away we flocked...must have looked like a site to our neighbors with all of the white powder flying in the air as we sprayed the tree in our backyard.

We didn't have enough flocking to heavily coat it, just enough though to add a  soft, lighter coloring to it.

Then it was on to decorating!

Only silver, white, and cream ornaments this year...with burlap garland.

White lights of course...as well as several religious inspired  and handmade ornaments...

I purchased the beautiful ex-voto "Mary Did You Know" tags from Ozma of Odds on Etsyand adore them. They were a perfect addition to our tree.

A favorite 'Merry Christmas' tag from sweet Sandi, and I purchased a set of two sheet music rosette ornaments from the lovely Susan of Paper Hill.

Some old favorites....

Some new additions...

As you might notice if you are a regular here, we have made some changes in the living room...like painting the walls {finally! The color is now "puff" gray. I was so sick of that 'macaroni and cheese' yellow - still have the office to do as you can see in the background}.

And we hung our chandelier...{haven't found the crystals yet...still lots of unpacking to do!}.

Another new addition this year was the mantel next to our tree. As I mentioned in my previous birthday post, Josh had planned on purchasing one as my gift.

When the one we really wanted ended up being sold before we got there, we decided to get creative with what was available.

I never thought we would go with a brown mantel, but the TV fits in it perfectly {which was one of my main goals}.  We plan on mounting the TV on the wall inside the mantel and then I want to make up some linen curtains to go inside, so I can "tuck" it away whenever I don't want to look at it.

This year we had to improvise, however, so I was happy when I found the 'yule log' on cable, so we can enjoy a nice 'crackling fire' in the new mantel.

 

A fresh Boxwood wreath adorned our front door this year, and an old chalkware Jesus, found on the side of the road, rested by the mantel - to remind us of the true meaning for our celebration.

After the  tree and mantel were situated, we had a lot of work to do in the dinning room to get it ready for serving 11 people.

First thing I wanted put up was the chandelier I purchased last spring on Craigslist. It has been stored away since we purchased it, and I have been dying to see it up with all the crystals on it...

Josh painstakingly cleaned each strand and put it up for me. I sure do love that man.

I also worked hard decorating and cleaning up our hutch {but that really was the fun part}...

I filled it with greenery, antique white pottery and other special touches...

 

Our new vintage dining set, that we also purchased last spring and had in storage until we moved in, thankfully came with three leaves. We felt like royalty with how long it was, as I set the table and got it prepared for our guests.

I got to put out my new butter dish given to me for my birthday from my Aunt Maureen, and Josh picked up the bouquet of flocked branches at Wegmans. I split it in two for one bouquet on each end of the table.

Thankfully my mother helped me with the cooking and many of our guests brought hors d'oeuvres and desserts.

For dinner we served cranberry stuffed turkey breasts, ham and lasagna rolls, along with a cranberry vinaigrette salad and several side dishes. It was quite a production, but overall came together wonderfully and all seemed to have a good time.

Earlier that day we exchanged gifts between the three of us {Josh, myself and Renoir of course}. Renoir went first and was quite the spoiled guy that day.

Even got a new gray bed for the floor in the living room {although he is still preferring his "romantic" bed}...

Josh got me an old clothes wringer that I spotted at the antique shop down the road from us awhile back...not sure what I will do with it yet but it sure looks cute!

And I got Josh an old printing press box to store his jewelry and supplies in...

We were also blessed to receive several other wonderful gifts from our family and cards sent in from some of you lovely Ladies...thank you so much! We cherished them dearly and have them displayed in our dining room.

I even received a special gift in the mail from Maren of Maren's Hus a few days before Christmas. A beautiful handmade Christmas ornament...

It's beautiful and even has images on both sides. Thank you so much Maren for your thoughtfulness! :)

We have been truly blessed this year in so many ways and are so grateful for all of our family and friends.

I wish all of you a very Happy New Year ahead and can't wait to share more exciting news from our home and life in 2011!

Till next time...

 

under the weather...but on the mend

Well, I certainly hope these past couple of weeks have treated you better than me.

Last Wednesday, I came down with what I thought was just a slight cough. By Thursday, I realized I had the full on flu. My entire body ached, I had a fever and felt extremely sick. I quickly set up camp on our new sofa - of which you have a glimps above.

{Can't show you the rest yet, as it is completely covered in old sheets, blankets and pillows, since I have barely left that spot for the last several days.}

Well, the flu lasted long enough...and just when I thought it couldn't get any worse, it did.

My symptoms changed, and I came down with the most unbearable cough {which has kept me up very late, even into the early morning hours, ever since}.

I finally got myself to the doctor where it was confirmed that I now had bronchitis. Thankfully, I received some meds, and have been on them for a few days now and am hoping to recover soon. Now my sides are aching something fierce, but my cough seems to be subsiding a little.

Josh recently brought me home a beautiful bouquet of hydrangeas, which brightened my day when he walked in with them.

With being sick and keeping up with Etsy, I haven't had much time for decorating, which has made me a little depressed.

I so love decorating for the holidays.

I did start placing some items around that make me happy when I look at them...some recent acquisitions like this transferware dish. I just love it...

And I was delighted when I unpacked my ironstone pottery...haven't seen these in about 10 months!

And Josh found this great little covered dish recently with faces on both sides and the lid...

So, I have all the works to decorate beautifully...now just need the time and strength to do it! Sigh...

Yesterday, after basically being able to accomplish nothing for 8 straight days, I got restless and started creating again. It felt good to get things made and not just sit and watch Hallmark Christmas movies all day {although I am still enjoying those as I create}.

Here are few of the new items I came up with during my time on the sofa...

Last year, my rag ball ornaments were my most popular seller so those are back in burlap, white linen and natural linen...

And they are now available in several new styles...including white burlap, red ticking and pink cotton...

I have also whipped up some vintage inspired holiday banners...with more coming soon...

And have some other holiday items up my sleeve that will be coming in the next few days. I do hope you will stop by my Etsy shop to check them all out! Just click below to view the full Holiday Collection...

 

Till next time...I'll just be on the mend ;)