I recently made some custom book ledges for my daughter’s room and both she and I couldn’t be more thrilled! Best of all? They couldn’t have been any easier. Read on to see what a couple of craft boards and some wood glue can get you!
Here is an update on how the nursery came together, with all the linkable sources in one place!
We are into Week 3 of the One Room Challenge where we are turning our guest room into a nursery for our baby girl due in January!
Before we started this Nursery adventure, I had already planned on this week being a bit of an easy one, because we snuck in a little babymoon in Los Angeles! We relaxed, saw some sites, and ate very well! Now, back to the Nursery ORC! Knowing that we were going to be out of town this week, we planned to spend this week placing orders. This way, we could be sure that nothing arrived while we were out of town!
Week 2 of the One Room Challenge is upon us and I’ve been getting. stuff. done. (Or at least as much as my 6-month-pregnant body will allow!
My mind has been on overdrive recently, and as a result, I’ve been revising my original nursery design plan and truly diving into exactly how I envision each piece functioning. First, let’s talk about this pivot in design…
This fall I am transforming one of our guest rooms into a nursery, as Baby Girl is due in January! The overall mood I’m going for in here is elevated neutral with pops of soft color. I’m not looking for an overly baby-themed room…let’s be honest, the baby won’t care what this room looks like! But if I’m going to possibly be spending late nights rocking her to sleep in there, I want it to be pleasing to me and my overall aesthetic! As she gets older and develops her own little personality, I’m sure this room will transform along with her evolving tastes, so I’ll be making design changes with that in mind.
We have big plans for 2019; to live intentionally while spending time with the people who matter, and cooking more adventurously! I don’t know about you, but good friends and good food help keep me grounded, especially when going through big transitions.
With such big plans for the year, we have been thinking about how to set ourselves up for success in the new year. Read on to find out what some of our favorite things are for achieving our best year yet…
Word about the best sandwich in all of Florence is out.
I’m writing this while drooling in line with about 518,491,153 of my closest friends (give or take a few million…)
It’s been about 20 minutes. Am I any closer to the door? Questionable. Is it ridiculous that I’m waiting this long for a sandwich at 8pm on a Saturday? Probably.
Is it worth it? Why yes, yes it is.
We set off from our downtown Florence apartment around 9:15 am for a day of wine touring. We crossed the Orno River, got a snap or two of the Ponte Vecchio, and in no time arrived at the Grape Tours storefront. We checked in, grabbed some coffee, and soon met our tour guide, Katherine.
We got in our big white van and headed South, into Tuscany! Our first stop was Corzano e Paterno, a fully-operational farm, that is a 40 minute drive from Florence. They make their own wine, olive oil, and sheep cheese, all of which are exquisite! The farm's name comes from the two surrounding hills — Corzano, where the grapes are grown, and Paterno, where the sheep graze.
Vermont has always been a destination we sneak away to any chance we can. From our home in DC, it is a drive that can take around nine hours, so it takes some planning to make the trip! But, oh my, is it ever worth it! We seem to eat and drink REALLY well every single time we visit. If it’s not ridiculously delicious home cooked meals with family, then it’s heading into Woodstock for some tasty bites. Here’s a list of some of our favorite spots to eat while visiting family in Woodstock, Vermont
Of all the culinary magic that Italy does well, I’m going to go ahead and say that breakfast isn’t one of them. Don’t get me wrong — Italian food is multo multo bene, and a large part of the reason we return to Italy year after year. I swear that I dream about the paper thin pizza and Chianti Classicos on the regular. But you know what foods aren’t particularly memorable? The breakfast foods. And because of that, I encourage you to conserve your caloric intake for all the glorious Italian food and drink that come later in the day! Those Italians know how to do lunch and dinner.
Where to get the best taste of Italy without even needing to show your passport? The answer, without a doubt, is Eataly.
Eataly had been on my list of places to visit for a while. It is a huge marketplace devoted to Italian food and culture. It includes markets, restaurants, a bakery, retail, and even a cooking school. Basically all the things I love, and all devoted to Italy! There are just a few locations in the US, so when we were planning our mother-daughter trip to New York City it was a the top of the must-see list!
The first rule of visiting Eataly? Go hungry!
While in New York, we wanted to have some tasty food that would be a bit off the beaten track -- stuff we don't eat every day, and stuff that our significant others may not always enjoy.
For dinner our first night, Mom and I ate at Mexicue, a cute Mexican place just a few blocks from Times Square (I told you, it was freezing the weekend we were there, so close spots were key!)
I loved the atmosphere here -- trendy, buzzy, and we could still hear each other over the music and din of the restaurant. I heard the place is a spin-off from a popular food truck, and has a few locations scattered across the city. It didn't feel like a chain though, which was great.
While we were traveling in Italy, we fell in love with the Italian coffee culture. It is refreshing to step up to any coffee bar anywhere in the country, knowing that the espresso served to you will be of the highest quality.
There are two very different ways to enjoy the coffee in Italy. The fast way is to step on up to the bar and order an espresso. You drink it while standing, throw down your euro or two, and you're on your way, delightfully caffeinated.
Truth be told, we came to La Pizzeria Sud last year the day after some intense (and amazing) Tuscan wine tasting. At that time, we devoured pizza at this restaurant on the second floor of Mercato Centrale, thinking it was the best thing ever.
Upon our return this year, we decided to try it again, wondering if our, ahem, hangovers skewed our view last year.
Well folks, the results are in: this pizza is amazing no matter your previous day's activities!
After our cooking class in Florence where we learned all the secrets of Italian cuisine, AND after investing in the bible of Italian cooking, we decided to throw a small dinner party with a few friends as a reason to put our skills to use. (That, and we had a great bottle of champagne that we wanted to share!)
This is our menu plan for an exquisitely Italian al fresco feast with friends that you can make, too!
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