Emmy's Nursery

by Laura Perkins

The past two months I've been in full on nesting mode and I'm excited to say that our nursery is finally complete! Yay! We're ready for Emmy to make her debut! She's fashionably late at the moment (takes after her mother!). Hah! But that's okay...gave me some time to post this! I wanted to share all the details in case this can help with anyone's decor inspiration. I know I had the hardest time choosing a color palette/theme, what type of crib to get, bedding, etc and looked to Pinterest to give me a ton of ideas. And now I'm so happy with how it turned out. I really love it! I also have to say, I'm just so thankful to have an extra bedroom for this little girl. It really is such a blessing! Especially in New York! God is so good and we are just so grateful for our new apartment.

I was debating whether or not I wanted to paint the room, but decided to keep it white and add my color scheme around it: I went with neutrals (white, beige, taupe) with gold and light pink accents. I guess I have a few themes going on but I knew I wanted a couple lambs (because I think they are so cute in nurseries and represent "The Lord is my Shepherd" which I have in her gallery wall). And then I've been loving the vintage floral look so incorporated that with the letter E, some of the framed prints and quilt. There's also a few elephants in the mix and a flamingo on the wall (to represent her Florida roots of course)!

Be sure to check all the credits to see where I got everything!

Crib:  Serta (Amazon) ||  Ruffle Crib Skirt: Target ||  Crib Sheet: Land of Nod  ||  Floral Crib Quilt: Land of Nod  ||  End of Crib Storage: Pottery Barn Kids  ||  Lamb Stuffed Animal: Handmade with love from my friend Bridgette ||  Faux Sheep Skin Rug: Overstock

From top left to right: "You Are So Loved" Print (Etsy)  ||  Gold Foil Sheep Card (Paper Source)  ||  Floral E (Michaels fake flowers and gold E)  ||  Cotton Candy Girl Card (Papyrus)  ||  "With Grace in Your Heart and Flowers in Your Hair" (Written by Hannah Noel)  ||  Frame: Zara Home (Pregnant picture of me from France)  ||  Gold Flamingo (from Home Goods)  || Pink Dress on Hanger Card (Papyrus)  ||  "The Lord is My Shepherd Psalm 23" (created by Hannah Noel)  ||  Gray Stripe and Floral Print (Etsy)  *All frames are from Home Goods except pregnancy picture frame

Initially, I thought I might do a really cool floral wallpaper as an accent wall behind the crib but realized very quickly how expensive it was. Especially when this was the one I had fallen in love with. Not really within out budget. So I decided to make this floral E my statement piece and build the gallery wall around it. In this recent blog post, I share all the details on how I made my letter E (it's super simple and I promise you I'm not a DIY person!).  I drew inspiration for this wall from Pinterest and executed it pretty cheaply. I got most of my frames from Home Goods, some of the prints for $5 from Etsy and framed some cards from Papyrus and Paper Source. My husband picked out the cotton candy girl card. It was really cute how much he loved it so I had to include it. :) My good friend, Hannah Noel, surprised me at my shower with creating the frame with, "The Lord is my Shepherd" (cutting out floral paper and drawing a little lamb in the picture! I'm completely obsessed with it!). I also asked her to write "With grace in your heart and flowers in your hair" which is a lyric from a Mumford & Sons song ("After the Storm") which I really liked because Grace is Emma's middle name and it went with my floral theme. Confession - I saw this lyric on Pinterest and totally stole the idea! Hannah has such beautiful handwriting and is so talented! If you're interested in any custom work, I'll put you in touch with her!

I had a tough time picking out crib bedding and actually went with separates vs a set. The fitted sheet has taupe/gold tinted dots that I thought was a great neutral. I'll admit, it's difficult for me sometimes with decor to put together a cohesive look because I'll find a bunch of individual pieces I like and then realize that sometimes they don't all go together. So I will say that decorating this nursery took a lot of effort and research. My friend, Courtney, gave me really good advice - she said to find one statement piece you really love and then build around that. For me I think that was my E...well and maybe both my quilts. :) When I found this textured pink floral quilt, I was completely obsessed. It reminded me of the Georgina Duvet bedding from Anthropologie. And don't worry everyone - I know to take the quilt off the rail along with the stuffed animals when she's actually in the crib. This is just for the picture! :)

Sweet card from my shower ||  Candle: Zara Home  ||  Frame: Home Goods|| "You Are Fearfully and Wonderfully Made" Print (Etsy)  ||  Lamb stuffed animal: Shower Gift ||  Gold Polka Dot Dress: Shower Gift||  Gold Shelf: Home Goods

This dresser is from our bedroom (due to the size of the rooms we had to split up our furniture) but we are having it double as a changing table. My little corner of the vanity has some of my jewelry on it (at least for now!) since all of my clothes are in her closet (which is amazing - my first walk-in closet in New York!). This gliding recliner chair was a little bigger than I had anticipated for the space but it is so comfy and I just love it. It's really soft and the recliner makes all the difference! I'm a little nervous that the beige color might get dirty so stay tuned on that! But for now, it's perfect and I'm really happy with it! I had originally wanted the sheep quilt for the crib as my statement piece but after I put it on the chair, I realized that was the place for it. Plus it has a little orange thread in it which went better with the books than with the pink accents over the crib. There's a part of me that wants to paint, "Once upon a time" on the wall over the reading nook which I saw on Pinterest (that still might happen down the road - we'll see). My changing pad cover is also super cute - it's little sheep (actually goes with the set for the quilt).

Pink Flower Paper Pom Poms: My friend, Jenny, made these for my shower! :)

Emma Grace Banner: My friend, Hannah Noel, made this for my shower! And this is my closet! :)

Becoming a Mother

by Laura Perkins

As I approach my due date today, I wanted to take some time to reflect on the past 9 months. Disclaimer - this is not a fashion post. I want to share some of my struggles, joys and what the Lord has taught me over the course of this pregnancy. I hope that my honesty and vulnerability can bring encouragement to someone and I hope this is something that Emma Grace can look back on one day.

Being a mother is something I've always desired. And I don't take it for granted. I've had friends struggle with fertility and it has reminded me of how much of a gift this is, not something we are owed but a blessing. It took my husband and I 11 months to get pregnant (which I know couples who have waited much longer) but I remember during the time of waiting there were always moments where I questioned if this was ever going to happen for us. But I continued to put my trust in God's plan for us and His timing. Not knowing what the future would hold but placing it in God's hands.

Last summer, back in June 2015, we found out that my mother, at the age of 61, was diagnosed with Alzheimer's. My whole life was shattered. I'm not sure there are words to fully explain the amount of overwhelming sadness or heartache I felt. Maybe even a little depression. It was hard to not let it consume me. It was a time of hoping and praying for the best but yet still preparing for the worst. And to say that is a tough place to be is an understatement.  At the time, I remember thinking - I need some good news for mom. Well maybe for us too. And just hoping each month that we would find out we were pregnant. And each month that passed, brought more discouragement. But the Lord reminded me to put my hope in Him and not in the outcome. And He was merciful. In November, when we were about to start doing special testing to see if there was a fertility problem, we found out we were pregnant! And I was overjoyed! The hope of becoming a mother, what I've always wanted, seemed more real. All the while, I was starting to lose my own mother. Something you're never ready for. And while I thought this good news would somehow help my mom's condition, I can't say that it has. I know that it has brought her joy. And I'm grateful for that. Moments like telling her I was pregnant or having her feel Emmy kicking when I was home for a shower, those are times I'll never forget. But it has been hard. And there have been moments of mourning an incredible loss. I realized pretty quickly that I was going through this journey of becoming a mother without my own mother. And while it's been so exciting for my husband and I, to have this baby girl growing inside me that would soon be ours, it has also been really emotional and heartbreaking at times. I always imagined having my mom be a part of this - from helping me pick out items for my registry to sharing pregnancy advice or being there in the hospital with me to hold my hand and helping me take care of this little girl once she was born, teaching me everything I needed to know about being a mother. But I've kind of had to go through this process without her. And that reality was hard to accept. My heart breaks for her because I know that she would have wanted nothing more than to be there for me. That's something she used to always talk about. But the Lord has been reminding me that He did not leave me as an orphan. That I am not alone. He has been a father and a mother to me during this time. And He has surrounded me with a strong community, friends and extended family like my dear mother-in-law and sister-in-laws who have helped to fill that void and flood me with love, encouragement and support. Checking in on me and caring about things I know my mother would have cared about. My broken relationship with my father of 9 years after my parents divorce has finally started to heal. And I'm so incredibly grateful for that. God has brought a lot of beauty out of darkness. And of course for my husband, who has been my rock. And during the moments when I just need to cry about not having my mom through all of this, he steps in and just holds me.

When I first started thinking about writing this, I wasn't sure how much I'd share about my mom. In fact, I thought I would write about other things. Like- I'll admit, it hasn't been an easy pregnancy (and I'm not just talking about bad morning sickness or back pain). But we had some challenges along the way - like a scare of a genetic disorder (in the first trimester I was told I was a carrier of Spinal Muscular Atrophy but praise God we later found out that my husband is not a carrier) or that I was diagnosed with Gestational Diabetes (which by the way has given me such a heart for those who live with diabetes every day) or that during my second trimester my husband lost his job and everything seemed to be falling apart. It was like the enemy was trying to attack me with fear, worry and anxiety. But the Lord continued to remind me to not be fearful and to trust in Him. That He is good, that He is for me and not against me, that He is with us, that He loves this baby girl so much and is protecting her and that I can find peace as I put my hope in Him. And God has shown us so much mercy and faithfulness, answering our prayers along the way and looking after this baby.  I remember even getting my 20 week ultrasound (the big one where you get to see everything for the first time) and it was this mix of emotions, I struggled with fear, hoping there was nothing wrong with what I was looking at but in the same breath also full of so much joy that we were getting to see our daughter! The Lord taught me that fear really does steal our joy. And He wants us to find peace as we trust Him, letting go of all our fears.

Through all of these ups and downs, it has still been an incredible 9 months. And any day now we will get to meet this baby girl. I still can't wrap my head around the fact that she is going to be ours. It still seems so surreal. My husband and I have dreams about what she'll be like, what she'll look like. We really just can't wait to get to know her. And love her. There's this song from one of my favorite new Broadway musicals that sadly just closed (Bright Star) but it's called, "I Can't Wait." The song is about a mother singing to her baby boy who is about to be born and she sings about how she can't wait to see his face. That their love is meant to be. That she hopes he's just like his daddy. It's such a sweet song. And has been on my heart throughout this pregnancy, imaging that it's about a little girl, but the lyric, "I can't wait to see you" has been playing over and over in my head. And I do hope she's just like her daddy!

I really can't wait to be this little girl's mom. I just love her so much already and am so excited to hold her in my arms for the first time and to have her join our family, to be a part of our lives. And as I reflect, I'm just so humbled and grateful for how the Lord has blessed us with this amazing gift. The same gift that I know I was to my mom. She always told me that one of her greatest joys was being the mother to my brother and me. I'm thankful for the example my mom was to me growing up, showing me what it looks like to be such a loving mother, to be so selfless, kind and compassionate. And I know that God will continue to prepare me for this path of motherhood and will be with me all along the way. I'm not alone.

So Emma Grace, we'll see you soon! I can't wait!

Old Navy to the Rescue

by Laura Perkins

Dress: Old Navy  ||  Shoes: Bernardo

Dress: Old Navy  ||  Shoes: Bernardo

You guys might think I'm crazy but in my last month of pregnancy, I just felt like I was in such an outfit rut. I felt like I was wearing the same 6 dresses on rotation to work. The few non-maternity dresses that I had in my closet before I got pregnant no longer fit me and were all way too short with the bump. And it's just been too hot for jeans. But I didn't really want to spend any more money on maternity clothes with only 4-5 weeks to go. Although I really wanted tank dresses to stay cool in this heat wave that I could dress up or down. And thankfully Old Navy came to the rescue! I found 3 dresses (2 maternity and 1 body con non-maternity) that were all under $20! So my husband couldn't yell at me! Hah! This dress is currently only $15.99!! You're practically losing money by not getting it! :) I actually wish I would have gone to Old Navy earlier in my pregnancy, they really do have some great basics for super cheap!

Off the Shoulder Ruffles

by Laura Perkins

Top: Zara (actually a dress!)  ||  Jeans: AG Skinny Ripped Jeans   ||    Sandals: Target (old) 

Top: Zara (actually a dress!)  ||  Jeans: AG Skinny Ripped Jeans   

Top: Zara (actually a dress!)  ||  Jeans: AG Skinny Ripped Jeans   ||    Sandals: Target (old)  ||  Clutch: J.Crew (old, now available at J.Crew Factory)

Okay, if you girls don't own an off-the-shoulder top or dress, you seriously need one! They have been a summer essential for me and are just so flattering. I'm excited to tell you that this blouse is actually a non-maternity DRESS from Zara that I bought to wear as a top! Haha! Back in the spring, I had been on the hunt for an off-the-shoulder top with oversized ruffles (which was hard to find that would fit this bump) but when I saw this one, I fell in love. The dress looked pretty short so I knew I could make it work as a tunic. The little light blue and white pinstripes are so cute. And the ruffles just make it really fun and flirty. I'll definitely be wearing this after the baby is born! With my red lipstick and basket clutch, some girl told me I looked like a modern day Dorothy from The Wizard of Oz! Hah! I'll take it! :)