Birthday Trip to California

On May 4th I turned 35!!! My sister recently moved to southern California, so we decided the perfect way to celebrate my birthday would be to fly out there with the boys and spend a week in the surf, sand, and sun! (And do some shopping, of course!) It was WONDERFUL! The trip exceeded my expectations in every single way. We had amazing weather, the boys were great, the beaches were beautiful, we got in some awesome family time, Disney was a blast, and it was just all round the best trip ever. I didn't want it to end! In fact I find myself questioning why I live in Ohio and not California ;) 

I'll post more pictures of my favorite shops throughout the week, but here are some of my favorite pictures from the week! 

Graham and I topside at the Lido House Hotel in Newport Beach. 

Newport Beach

Love his spikey hair!

Crystal Cove Beach

The Lido House pool 

Castaways Park in Newport Beach

Obsessed with these beach houses!

Newport Beach

I'm already dreaming of my next trip back, as well as how I can incorporate more California style into my midwest home! 

Master Bedroom Refresh

If you follow my blog, you know I've mentioned several times that our master bedroom is beyond neglected! It is the least inspiring room in our house. I basically discovered several years ago that the bed I really wanted wouldn't fit up the stairs, and I've been mourning and in a decorating rut for this room ever since- ha! 

Anyway, one of my goals for 2018 is to redo this room. I'm starting from SCRATCH! This room needs a complete overhaul in every single way from the wall color, to the bed, to the furniture, to the bedding. It is boring and bland!

Without further ado, here is what I'm thinking for the room. Along with the rest of my house, I'm thinking light and bright!  This is different than my typical philosophy for bedrooms, which is to paint the walls dark because I totally believe it helps facilitate a deeper sleep. (But let's be real, with a teething 5-month old and an ornery 2-year old,  I'm not getting much sleep these days anyway!)  I just need a change! Anyway, my vision is to put board and batten along the walls and paint them white. I will also invest in some good black-out curtains :)

I also desperately want closed nightstands that can hide the cords from my cell phone charger and three baby-monitors! The open nightstands I currently have, that we made here, are just not cutting it! 

Sources:

• Serena & Lily Tall Fillmore Bed in Salt Washed Belgian Linen (sky blue)
• Crate and Barrel Morris Ash Grey Dresser
• Crate and Barrel Morris Ash Grey Nightstand
• Pottery Barn Tercel Ruffle Duvet Cover & Shams 
• Serena and Lily Calypso Table Lamp
• Serena and Lily Border Frame Shame in Navy
• Serena and Lily Rope Baskets in White

Here are a few before pictures:

What do you think? :)

White Dining Room Reveal

Our dining room transformation is finally DONE! 

What a difference a couple of months can make! New paint, new curtains, painted chairs, rearranging the table, removing the shelves. It feels so different and so refreshing! 

The paint color can be found here, it is my go-to white from Sherwin Williams. 

You can read about the chair transformation here.

The drapes are the Pottery Barn Riviera Stripe Drape in Navy. 

What do you think? Do you love it as much as I do? Totally goes with the Nantucket Farmhouse vibe I'm going for! :)

February Paint Color of the Month: Benjamin Moore Lake Placid

Here it is! The February paint color of the month is Benjamin Moore's Lake Placid. A calming, tranquil, beautiful light blue. 

I think it would be beautiful on the walls of a bathroom or a guest bedroom, but even more so on mudroom cabinets, a piece of accent furniture, or picked up in fabrics/accessories. I kind of have my eye on a light blue headboard for my master bedroom makeover. We'll see!! :)

One tip I have for selecting paint colors for your home is to paint it on a medium sized canvas. That way you can see it in the space without actually having to put any paint on the walls. (I do this constantly to test out new colors!) You can usually find canvases like this on sale at Michaels for like $5-$10. 

What do you think? Yay or nay?