Balcony lounge space

The toddler friendly balcony turned out very different from my original inspiration board but I'm still pleased with how it came together. This set of bistro chairs were an old set that we had when we lived in our apartment 4 years ago. They've basically been sitting in the garage because they didn't really match the modern feel of our backyard.

I did get the fabulous gold wire accent table from Target, which appears to be sold out now. 

...and a darling pink bistro chair for the little one - perfect for future tea parties and such. 

This azalea was a gift from my mom for my first mother's day. Apparently you are considered a mother when you're 9 months pregnant. I already feel like one so it was nice to be honored. I'm hoping I can keep this beauty alive. I don't have the greenest thumb.

Details/Buying info:

Outdoor runners ($10 each), plant pot ($8), pink lantern ($5) - Ikea

Bistro chairs, Threshold accent table ($59), orange lantern - Target

Pink bistro chair ($30), chair cushions - Home Goods

Currently Coveting: Girly 50s style

Have you seen the new video from She & Him - I Could've Been Your Girl? Being a long-time Zooey Deschanel fan I have to admit I've gotten a bit sick of her. I think the existence of the show New Girl is to blame. Not to sound all hipster, but once her bright blue eyed face was plastered all over the mainstream media with iPhone & Pantene commercials it was all too much for me to appreciate the once indie princess. 

All that said, my love for her style has been once renewed after watching this video. Like seriously, I'll take one of each dress from the dancers in the front row. I especially love the bow tie dress. I knew it was a Kate Spade design the moment I saw it. If you're a size 6 and have $286 to spare you can nab it right here. 

Watch the entire video below...

Chevron memo board + DIY gold confetti magnets

I've been on the hunt for a magnetic memo board for my home office for a while. I had considered just making one myself but found this one at Hobby Lobby for $15! Score. 

I also added a dry erase weekly agenda board, found in the Target dollar bin. As far as scheduling goes, I'm old school like that.

Even though I didn't craft the memo board, I did make some gold confetti magnets. This was a 2 minute DIY. I simply applied these self-adhesive gold dots to magnets. Super easy, super cute and very Kate Spade! Supplies found at Michaels. 

DIY gilded washi tape switch covers

A's nursery has finally been painted. I'm absolutely in love with how it came out. More on that later...

But first, a super simple DIY project. Have you ever used washi tape? For those who aren't familiar it's patterned Japanese masking tape. It's my first time using it and I have to say I love it! I ordered gold polka dot and stripe rolls from Pretty Tape on Etsy.

I followed this tutorial from Crab + Fish (great DIYs, by the way). I used a few more of her tutorials to create some fun decor items for the nursery. Basically you just line up the tape up strip by strip until the whole plate is covered, then cut out the spots where the switches and sockets go. Easy mode. What I like about the washi tape is that it is thin and doesn't leave sticky residue, yet it's stretchy and sticks wonderfully when you need it to. It's magic I tell you.

The gold patterns are feeling very Kate Spade, don't you think?

Life Lately...

1 - Loving these adorable patterned disposable cameras from Michaels

2 - Pretty packaging always steals my heart

3 - The best way to start your 32nd birthday is with a donut

4 - Sunshine breakfast

5 - Crafted some himmeli ornaments

6 - Paper pom poms & lanterns for the nursery

7 - Chopped a few inches off my hair

8 - Pattern mixing my dinnerware

9 - Baked some mini blueberry pies

Follow me on Instagram to see more of what I've been up to lately. 

instagram.com/itsstephaniedarling

Strawberry coconut frozen yogurt

I've been on a serious Greek yogurt kick lately and with the weather getting warmer I've been craving smoothies & frozen yogurt. Sadly, pregnant women are advised to skip any frozen yogurt that comes out of a dispenser (risk of bacteria and illness if the machines are not properly cleaned) so I've been making my own!

This recipe doesn't require an ice cream maker, but I'm thinking of getting one eventually. Perhaps this highly versatile one from Cuisinart. 

24oz Greek yogurt (I used vanilla honey flavor)

10-15 medium/large strawberries, trimmed & pureed

Zest from (1) lemon

1/2 cup sweetened coconut

 ...if sweeter variation is desired, add 2 tbsn white granulated sugar

Mix all ingredients in a large bowl and transfer to freezer safe container or popsicle molds. Let freeze for 45 minutes for scooped frozen yogurt or 1 hour+ for popsicles.

Growth chart inspiration

image left: DIY oversized ruler growth chart by Matt Nicolosi // image right: Pink & gold books by Fanciful Designs

Often times I'll see something pretty on Pinterest and become completely obsessed with it, yet have no need for it. That is the case with these gorgeous blush & gold books above. I have enough journals & stationary to  pen several novels by hand.

But then I thought...How lovely would this be as a growth chart in the nursery? I stumbled across this easy DIY which involves painting a 6 ft wood molding board and attaching metal numbers. I think I could easily knock this DIY out well before our little darling is walking. Stay tuned...

A Darling Nursery: Gallery Wall

There are no "bare walls" in our house. I've always had a need to fill every patch of wall with something. Perhaps it's a sickness...Perhaps I learned it from my Dad who does the same thing...

So naturally the nursery will have a fabulous gallery wall in shades of pink and gold with crisp white art ledges. I'm thinking it will go over the dresser / changing station in the right corner of the room...

All photos snapped by me. Buying info:
1 - Painted wood wall art - Home Goods; $17
2 & 6 - Love canvas & custom monogram letter - House of Creative Designs Market; $30, $12
3 - DIY shadowbox - Frame - Ikea. Shoes  - Old Navy baby. Blocks - Tuesday Morning. Gold polka dot paper - Michaels
4- DIY framed wall art made from baby shower gift bag
5- DIY framed wall art made from gift bag found in the Target store dollar bin

Other posts about this space:
A Darling Nursery Inspiration Board
DIY Chevron Closet Dividers

Breakfast at Tiffany's Baby Shower recap

The mister & I hosted our 2nd baby shower with friends last weekend. As you may recall from my inspiration board, it was "Breakfast at Tiffany's" themed. I really had a lot of fun planning this party, although party execution while in your 3rd trimester presents its own set of challenges. Luckily my mom was there to help with the hostess duties. I seriously don't know how I would have managed without her and my husband's help on this one. 

We set up the baby gifts under the fireplace, which I decorated with my DIY banner from this post and a few of the lovely outfits we received from our family shower. 

I hung paper chandeliers and poms over the bar, where we served non-alcoholic Tiffany Punch (equal parts of lemonade and blue Gatorade) and an assortment bubbly cocktails.

We set up a guest book for people to sign on the coffee table. It's part of a keepsake baby book that I'm putting together for our little darling to have later. I created a "Baby Mad Libs" game too. That was the only shower game that we played. I'm not super into games.

We served our guests a rather impressive spread of brunch favorites, most of which I was crazy enough to cook from scratch. On the menu...

Baked Orange-Pecan French Toast

Mini Chicken & Waffles served with country gravy

Mini Pancakes served with blueberry sauce

Mini Quiches (cheddar-bacon and spinach-mushroom)

Fruit Salad

Donut holes, cupcakes & assorted pastries

The hottest item were the mini quiches. There wasn't a single one left! My mom baked these gorgeous cupcakes with edible pearls.

Details:

Paper plates, napkins, streamers - Target

Plastic cutlery, pom poms, pearl strings - Party City

Chandeliers, signage frames, paper stripe straws, candy favor boxes - Michaels

I didn't get a chance to shoot a full Style Parade post, but here's a snapshot of my Audrey-inspired look! I figured there's really only a few instances in life when you can get away wearing a tiara, so I went for it. 

A last minute detail was the photobooth. I used blue damask wrapping paper as the backdrop and put my fancy camera on a tripod outside.

It was a great time celebrating with all our friends.

DIY Baby Closet Dividers

The nursery progress is going the speed of a slow freight train. My original goal to have the room painted by the shower has come and gone, leaving us with a garage full of baby stuff! Oh well. It will all get done eventually.

One area I was able to tackle was organizing her new wardrobe. Important stuff you know, for the little  fashionista in training. I found the concept of closet tags to be very useful. I've seen a few shops on Etsy that sells cute ones for $15-$20, but I didn't really want to spend money on them when I knew I could whip some up on my own using scavenged supplies from around the house. Since I went through the trouble of designing them, I thought I'd share the template. Click here to download my free template from Google Drive. 

DIY Baby Closet Dividers

Supplies:
Template
White card stock or paper.
Recycled gift box lid or cardboard
Scissors
Glue stick

Instructions:

1. Print out the template.Trim around the circles. No need to be precise.

2. Glue the trimmed template circles to a recycled gift box or cardboard. Let dry 5 minutes

3. Using your scissors, trim around the circles as neatly as possible. Cut a slit on the bottom all the way through to the white center circle, then cut around the inner circle. The slit makes it easy to slide the dividers onto your closet rod.

Maternity Style Parade 3.29.13

This is what I wore to our family baby shower. As much as I love mixing colors, sometimes it's fun to go all matchy-matchy. My inspiration? Think Pink!

I scored this dress on sale at the Gap for $35. It's not maternity but the stretchy waistline is perfectly comfortable. I love that I'll be able to wear this after the baby arrives.  

I've had this American Eagle Outfitters charm bracelet for years. I removed the "E" and "O" charms, leaving me with an "A" for baby's monogram. I added a cute little cupcake charm that my mom gifted me. In hindsight, it was totally appropriate because many of the shower gifts had cupcakes on them. Too cute!

Dress: Gap; on sale $35

Necklace: For Love 21; $12

Charm bracelet: American Eagle

Heels: Lela Rose for Payless

Baby Suite Bathroom Makeover Reveal

We completed Phase II of the upstairs bathroom makeover. Phase III (refinishing the wood cabinets, framing the vanity mirror) won't be done until after the baby is born.

Before:

After:

Naturally, I designed some of the artwork for this space. I wanted the artwork to inspire. I loved this quote from Coco Chanel "A girl should be two things: Classy and Fabulous" which I incorporated into the print on the right. Another fun piece I crafted was this gold confetti print. I simply printed the words on the computer then applied metallic and glitter dots to the paper with a glue stick.

I crafted this lucite tray using a box photo frame from Michael's, scrapbook paper and Mod Podge. I applied a single coat to the front of the paper and firmly pressed it on the bottom side of the frame. After an hour I added 2 coats of the Mod Podge to the back of the paper to seal it. I added felt circle backings to lift it a bit in case the counter top gets wet. 

Details & Sources:
Room paint - Lowes Valspar paint in Cosmic Green
Vanity light - Lowes
Soap pump - Target
Cotton swab holder (repurposed candle jar) - Kohl's
Wall frames, Milk bath candle, linens - Home Goods/Marshalls 
Fabric letter from Michaels

Bath mat & Keep Calm print from World Market

Pendant light from Ikea

Shower curtain (converted from curtain panel) from Target.

Je T'aime print from Made By Girl
Gold Confetti print (designed by me, inspired by Kate Spade + this print)
Good Morning Gorgeous mirror DIY (coming soon), inspired by this print. 
Feather curtain tie-back from Urban Outfitters
Breakfast at Tiffany's mini canvas print from Michaels
Customized monogram found here. Frame from Home Goods
Heart toothbrush holder from Urban Outfitters
Medicine Cabinet: DIY project. Instructions here.

Other posts about this space:
Inspiration Board
Phase I progress
DIY Typography Medicine Cabinet

Closet Organization with My Fashion Assistant

Do you remember that scene from Clueless where Cher has a computer program that virtually catalogs her wardrobe? Of course you do. 

Perhaps my favorite part of upgrading my phone was the ability to have Cher's closet program in a real-life app. I was so excited about this that I had to share and write a little review. The My Fashion Assistant app (available for Android + iPhone users) lets you catalog, track and pair items from your wardrobe. You can also create shopping lists for key pieces you might be missing. 

While the thought of taking photos of my entire wardrobe sounds absolutely daunting, I think the benefits will be worth it. If you have a massive collection of clothing and you don't have a closet to properly showcase it like a Hollywood starlet, you know how easy it is to forget what you have. Also, if you take the time to track each piece, Spring cleaning will be a breeze. Haven't worn those uncomfortable pumps in 2 years? Time to donate. 

I started with the seemingly small (yet large) task of cataloging my shoes. I own 96 pairs of freaking shoes. Whaaat?! ... How did that happen? haha. As you can imagine, with 96 pairs of shoes in a dimly lit closet, many of them get forgotten and rarely worn. What's the point of that?

The whole endeavor took about 3 hours. The app has great instructions for taking photos too. I set up my tripod and camera pointing downward on a roll of white butcher paper. I lit the sides with small task lights, which made for even lighting for cropping out the white background. The app also has a cropping tool.

While the app is not perfect, it's user-friendly and has good menu aesthetics. I like that you can access your account on your computer. It was much easier to upload my photos that way. I would love some additional functionality to the catalog portion though...like adding Ratings, Material, Style and Comfort. I think if Chictopia and this app had a baby I'd be satisfied.

Family baby shower recap

The mister & I attended our family baby shower last weekend. It was such a lovely day. My parents were so busy the days leading up, getting the house party perfect. I loved all the little touches my mom put together. I think when you're having a baby girl it's the one time you can really go crazy with pink things.

The red velvet cupcakes were divine. I may or may not have eaten 3 of them in 24 hours. Since the shower was co-ed the food wasn't too fussy. There was chicken salad croissant sandwiches, BBQ pork & baked beans and an assortment of salads. Total crowd pleasers! 

These were my baby clothes as a child. I love that my mom had the foresight to keep them all these years. Clearly I'm a child from the 80's with my Strawberry Shortcake and Care Bear prints. She gifted us a whole box of my outfits. I love that our little girl will be wearing vintage, especially since my Grandmother made some of the outfits.

Speaking of vintage, this is a very special piece that my auntie gifted us. This child is going to be so fashionable. I joked that "baby will be going to the Opera" in this velvet and chiffon dress. 

My heart melted with the opening of each gift. I'm really glad we decided on a co-ed shower. It was great to share in the excitement together. My dad, being the model train enthusiast that he is, even got her a pink train set. Total throwback to my childhood when my dad tried to get me into his hobby. Luckily, my little brother was born and he was "bitten by the train bug."

It was such a special day. It's amazing how loved this little one is already. So many people are excited to meet her!