Anxiety, Pinning + Waiting For Baby
Hello everyone! I was so thrilled by the response from all of you about our baby's finished nursery project. It's been unreal to feel such overwhelming joy and support - thank you. It's certainly made my final days of pregnancy so nice as I typically being to get really anxious right before something big is about to happen. Our sweet son is due tomorrow! Sadly, I get quite sick the night before any "big" happens in my life - my wedding, my book launch parties, flying, the first day of school... I even get sick before I teach online or in-person workshops! Funny thing is that the moment I have to, "step onto the stage", the fright is completely gone and I'm 100% myself, happy and you would have thought I was lying if I told you that the night before I was running a fever and had broken out into a cold sweat! This anxiety has griped me since I was 3 or 4 years old, and though I'm "used" to it, it's definitely not something I enjoy. After all of these months of being pregnant and worry-free, I finally got a massive dose of anxiety and felt really, really overwhelmed and stuck in my bed this morning. I was up at 5am feeling anxious. I sat in my bed eating clementines trying to distract myself by thinking about my career and some of the fun plans I have for this summer. I also reviewed (again) all of your comments on the nursery tour post over the past few days, which calmed me down. I have to thank each one of you for leaving a little note of encouragement and love because I really, really needed that this morning. I also dragged myself to my acupuncture appointment and then my lady doctor and the little guy is thriving and I finally started having contractions. I stayed outdoors as long as I could (it's freezing here now) so my husband and I walked over to a favorite spot for a lingering lunch. I felt so good after that. Anxiety is officially gone now. Between my loving doctor and husband, bumping into friends with their new baby on the street, and relaxing with a massive healthy salad, I felt a bit like a superwoman. You know, like we women can really do anything. A day before the due date and I'm out having lunch. How cool is THAT? Once I came back home, I wanted to continue the good mood so to distract myself, I jumped on Pinterest and down the rabbit's hole I fell. Pinterest can be quite therapeutic sometimes, can't it? Here are some pins that inspire me today and why. I hope that they inspire you, too.
This kitchen from Australian Home Beautiful magazine via Birch & Bird. What I love: Open and Bright feeling, minty green stools with natural wood seats, big basket style lighting. I'm hoping to put lights like these in my new hallway. Stay tuned for that before and after post!
This gorgeous tray design, the minty cup and of course, flowers. Always flowers. I can't get enough. This came from The Glitter Guide.
A lovely cactus hanging out with some succulent friends, styled beautifully on a small desk to create a very sweet nook in gray, orange, green and black. I keep telling everyone neon orange is the new neon pink. Photography by Marij Hessel from Enter My Attic.
I really love all of the texture and warmth in this space. That rustic coffee table is lovely and I like the styling on the fireplace - the paintings are all divine! The only thing I would add is my Beni Ourain rug in cream and black and if the fireplace isn't being used, I'd stack hundreds of magazines inside OR create a few shelves and put books there. Do you do this too? See a photo and imagine the tweaks you'd make to the space to make it your own? If you don't naturally do that already, try to train yourself to do it vs. just mindlessly pinning as we are usually inclined to do. You can really begin to develop your "look", your sense of style, through these seemingly simply exercises. Really. This photo came from Blood and Champagne.
These pretty patterns, very subdued against natural linen, actually look quite nice if you imagine them in the living room I just shared above. Lots of times we think of something as fitting a very country style cottage but if you use your imagination, often country prints can look really edgy in certain environments or even take on a new life altogether if you pair them with neons - like imagine the first two patterns to the left - the dotty one and the roses, as a big throw pillow on the floor for lounging, one pattern on one side, one on the other. The piping would be in hot neon pink or neon orange or even neon yellow. The zipper you've sewn in could be exposed and in gold so there is some flash. See what I mean about taking on a new life? Photo from Ignite Light.
This dining room in Seattle gave me such a cozy feeling the moment I saw it, but beyond that, the wallpaper! Oh my! That is one fantastic pattern isn't it? I see so many black and white spaces these days that really lack warmth and character but this space is different with it's warm wood tones and more traditional pieces of furniture. In fact, I think this could be a great alternative, especially if you're into the current black and white Scandinavian trend that you see so commonly on blogs but like me, feel like it's still a bit too cold and industrial for your liking. This dining room has a very rustic appeal. Imagine a midpoint? Something in between the stark, clean Scandi b/w rooms and this one? How would I design a room like that? With this wallpaper above, a natural rug like the one shown, those same chairs only with a more graphic seat cushion in black and white and a table with metal legs and a wooden top that looks a bit industrial. I'd also swap out the pendant for someone more modern and graphic in either black or white - or perhaps go with all glass orbs like this one or something similar. Photo from issue #22 of Rue Magazine, via Lark & Linen, showing the home of designer Brian Paquette as photographed by Belathee.
I was so impressed this morning when I spotted this image on Pinterest and then tracked it down to San Francisco creative director Suzanne Shade who made it by hand for her kitchen. It's so funky! It's like London meets Copenhagen style - I can see wallpaper like this selling well at a store like Liberty. I love the mix of photography, toile and solid geometrics. It didn't hurt that the image contains some air plants and the Tom Dixon "London" candle that I've been DYING to own for months now. Photography by sfgirlbybay. And yes, I would hang that wallpaper in my home without hesitation, it would be amazing in my guest bathroom or in my entryway. Drooling over here...
I love photos featuring a nicely styled messy bed! My bed in the morning is rarely disheveled stylishly and camera-ready but then again, I've also don't typically awake to gorgeous Victoria's Secret bed-head either. Anyway, beyond the bed, I love the rich walls and the grouping of tiny vintage frames and mini paintings. Definitely a great look to try if you want to do something a little different than the typical large-picture-above-bed look. Photo via Merrilee Liddiard.
Are you slightly obsessed too by Kate Moss? I grew up with Kate as the "face" of my generation, she is nearly 40 now and still looks wonderful... In fact, I think age suits her quite well. I really want the Kate Moss Book to display on my coffee table - I bet it's so interesting to flip through and bask in her often breathless photos from year to year. Photo from Kate Moss Daily.
I know it's quite a switch to go from Kate Moss to French textiles, but wow I just can't help myself. I loved seeing this page from a sample book showing French textiles dating around the 1862 from the Metropolitan Museum of Art. I was so taken in when we studied the history of textiles in college and today I'm no different, I eat this stuff up. What an inspiring glimpse!
I'm hoping you are all doing just great! I'm writing this post with a huge heart full of love for you all as we wait for our little baby boy - his due date is tomorrow and we couldn't be MORE excited to soon welcome him to our life and to yours, too! xo Holly
(images linked to their sources above)