Polka Dotty

So here it is, my vision for our room for two. And it's dotty.

Since we're not sure if Baby 2 is a boy or girl, I'll be de-girlifying the room initially to make way for some gender neutrality. We'll keep the same pale blue for the walls (Benjamin Moore Sea Foam, a colour I just love), bring back our white Bloom Alma Mini crib for the baby and maintain lots of the pieces we already have. 

The biggest project is going to be making the back wall the focal point of the room, using polka dot decals to create what looks like wallpaper. We'll move things around to give Eloise and baby a bit of their own 'space' and I'll build Eloise a reading nook on the opposite wall using lots of pillows (darling pillow; fox pillow)and the mosquito net currently hanging above her bed. An inexpensive polka dot rug from IKEA and a rolling utility cart in turquoise will give the room some pop and I'll try (I really will) not to overdo the polka dot thing with linens. Those Kate Spade pom poms though might be a must. 

The vibe for the space will be "fresh new baby, fresh new room", and I think crisp black & white with pale blue is just perfect. We can always add more colour in later but right now I'm ready for a change and more than anything, I want to scale back on visual clutter. It doesn't help that toddlers and children are basically hoarders but this is where under-bed storage comes in.

Baby It's Cold Outside

Indigo is a holiday wonderland this year. Their holiday collection is fabulous with so many home decor pieces and gift ideas (hello, look at that gold E!) to inspire the holiday spirit. Sequined throw pillows, gilded trays, effervescent glassware, and Kate Spade paper goods, I want it all!

Since I can't bring everything home I'll settle for sharing the items I'm coveting most.

{1} {2} {3} {4} {5} {6} {7} {8} {9}

PS. In case you're wondering, Christmas is just 37 days away!

Insta-shams

Here's the thing - I'm crafty but I'm a lazy crafter. I am impatient and not very good at following instructions. Most of all, I like instant gratification. This is why I'm not a very good painter.

What I do like making are pillow shams, or Insta-shams as I call them, the easiest decor project. Give me a few metres of fabric and I can whip up a several shams, have them stuffed and on the bed/couch in around an hour. I can sew of course, but I don't sew very well. My mom will tell you this because I skip steps (ahem, pinning) and didn't have the same strict instruction she did, and you know what, she's absolutely right. But I also attribute my questionable sewing partly to laziness. I may not be able to draft a pattern or drape a dress but I can roll out some mighty pretty pillow shams and a fleece bathrobe no problem. I'll leave the tough stuff to my Mom (love ya!)

I got home around eight last night with a plan to head straight to bed but was lured to the dining room table by the sewing machine which I had set up earlier today. And so I made four new pillow shams out of some gorgeous striped fabric I  have been hanging onto for years and they turned out beautifully.

Think you can't make a pillow sham? I challenge you to give my Insta-shams a try with these four simple steps:

And... TA-DA!