Month: September 2018

Snapshots

Hello and happy Wednesday! Just popping in to share some snapshots from my life lately.

Fall flower arrangement with pumpkin candle for fall decor

I started to decorate our house for fall, but realized my decorations are a little sparse. I think I went on a declutter spree a few months ago and may have donated more than I thought 😉 I’m liking the simplicity, though!

Glade Cozy Autumn Cuddle fall candle limited edition scent Bear Naked granola pumpkin spice granola for fall

Speaking of fall, I picked up this candle and this granola and give them both a 10 out of 10! The candle smells wonderful and the granola is the perfect blend of spices, oats, and white chocolate.

I had some of the granola the other night mixed into in pumpkin yogurt with a cut up apple and it was fall on fall on fall!

Strawberry cake with vanilla buttercream and rosettes with silver sprinkles Strawberry cake with vanilla buttercream decorated with roses and sprinkles

The cake I made for my mother-in-law’s birthday party went well! I ended up doing exactly what I thought I would (for once, haha): a strawberry cake with strawberry filling, vanilla buttercream, rosettes, and sprinkles.

What was even better than the cake was the company that evening.

Puggle and cocker spaniel

Mavis and my sister-in-law’s dog, Dixie!

Hair twins girls with curly dark blonde hair

My sis-in-law and I were hair twins!

Jimmy and I brought Mavis over to my sister-in-law’s house and we all had dinner and hung out celebrating my mother-in-law! It was a lovely evening and so fun watching Mavis interact with her “cousin” lol!

American cocker spaniel sitting on chair

Mavis paid a visit to the vet over the weekend to get her yearly shots, plus a few extra shots so she can go to doggy daycare. I’m taking her for an interview at Camp Bow Wow today to see if she likes it.

Jimmy and I figure it will be good to have doggy daycare as an option for our little energizer bunny to get her energy out from time to time once her little sister arrives!

And rolling right into the topic of Mavis’ little sister, I’m happy to report that she and I had our last iron infusion!

Pregnant IV iron infusion for anemia

I can’t say enough good things about the doctors, nurses, and staff a the Hillman Cancer Center at Mercy Hospital here in Pittsburgh. I felt so well cared for and had great experiences each time baby and I went in for our infusions. My hematologist (and pretty much everyone) was a little nervous baby and I wouldn’t make it to all four infusions before delivery, but by the grace of God we did!

I’m still anemic, but my hemoglobin levels have risen, which is such a huge blessing! I’ll head back to the hospital in November for more blood work and infusions as needed.

Okay, two more snapshots because I love sharing pictures of our pets!

Cocker spaniel and pit bull Black cat with yellow eyes sitting on blanket

Lola and Mavis went to the groomer and got matching bandanas and Malcolm decided to camp out on our blanket and look adorably handsome.

What would a snapshot of your life lately look like?

Baby Zottola’s Nursery

I have a feeling Jimmy and I will never truly be “done” working on Baby Z’s nursery, and I’m totally okay with that! As I mentioned in a post about overhauling our master bedroom, I feel like a room becomes stagnant when you consider it fully decorated. I think we’ll always be changing things as our little chicka grows and we find a rhythm with how we use her space.

With that said, there are some things we want to add to her room–a mirror, more shelving, blinds, some art, etc., but I’ve put off sharing pictures long enough! As I mentioned in a previous post about the nursery, our daughter’s room was our home office. We cleared everything out and this is what it looked like before we got started.

Nursery before picture

And here’s what it looks like now.

Baby girl nursery

Jimmy did so, so much work in here! He installed new flooring, painted the walls and ceiling, installed new baseboards, put in a new door and painted it, installed a ceiling fan, put together all the furniture, and painted and designed the closet space. He continually impresses me with his skills, handiness, and creativity.

All I had to do was come up with design ideas, wash and put away her clothes, and organize all the wonderful gifts we were so generously given at our baby shower.

Here’s a little tour of the space!

Baby girl crib and bedding from TargetFuzzy gray Nicole Miller rug on wood floorBaby girl crib bedding from Target Cloud Island

One of my favorite details of our daughter’s room is the gray rug above. I just love the texture and how cozy it makes the space feel. I can’t wait to see her crawling around on it in a few months!

Our pets love it, too. So much so that Mavis has already peed on it. Gotta keep it real here on the blog 😉

Gray rocking chair and white side table in baby girl nurseryWood changing table from Target Baby Relax Ridgeline with Burt's Bees changing pad cover in Blossom stripeDrawer filled with Pampers diapers, Seventh Generation free and clear wipes and Babyganics foaming hand sanitizer

We have a little rocking chair nook all set up for nighttime feedings, and one whole drawer of her dresser/changing table is devoted to diapers, wipes, and hand sanitizer–you know, the essentials.

The rocking chair is another favorite item of mine in the nursery! It’s super comfy and everyone who visits loves sitting in it and rocking.

Baby girl bookshelf in nursery from IkeaBaby girl pacifiers and headbandsBaby girl nursery bookshelf from Ikea with fabric and steel baskets

Baby girl’s bookshelf is stocked with a random assortment of toys, blankets, books, bibs, swaddles, pacifiers, headbands, burp cloths, a play mat, and her diaper bag. We kept her toys up a few shelves because the pets are very interested in her rattles and balls!

Also, I can’t wait to see her using the “I ❤ Daddy” pacifier if she likes pacifiers (apparently my siblings and I would spit them out… sorry mom and dad!), lol.

Baby girl nursery closetBaby girl closet with clothes and wood barsBaby girl nursery closet clothing dividers

The closet looks so different now! It was previously a dingy shade of blue with a metal rod and random shelving at the top.

Jimmy built and installed shelving and rods and painted it a fresh coat of paint. My mom bought us these little closet dividers which are such a cool invention for keeping Baby Girl’s wardrobe organized.

Blue and white painted door in baby nurseryCoral painted ceiling with food ceiling fan and blue and white painted door in baby girl nurseryCacti art from Hobby Lobby watercolor in wood frame with cactus and succulent and coral color

Last but not least, we have the door, new ceiling fan, and some artwork! The door was 100% Jimmy’s idea (as was painting the ceiling; he’s so creative!) and I think it looks great. The cacti watercolor is actually something I’ve had for a few years now, back when I wanted to paint our office a peachy-coral color. It’s still one of my favorite pieces of artwork in our house.

I think that about wraps up the little tour of our daughter’s nursery. As I mentioned above, we have a few finishing touches to add, but it’s pretty much ready for our little one! We feel so blessed to have this sweet space for her and cannot wait to meet her soon, Lord Willing!