Dining Room Makeover Reveal

August 16, 2016

We moved into our new home at the beginning of the summer, and started our first home project a few weeks later. It would seem we are chaos addicts. This dining room makeover however was something I was so looking forward to because it was a Trading Spaces challenge with my dear friend Lesley Graham. I got to help tackle her living room space, and she helped me dream up our dining area which basically meant I didn’t have to make all the decisions for my own home! (This was wonderfully refreshing.) Not only that, I got to partner with Home Decorators Collection to make it happen. This made the choices we faced a little easier considering all the great pieces we found were in one place.

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My design process and the start of our living room refresh.

August 12, 2016

Well nesting has officially taken over. Poor Gabe.

Suddenly I am tearing through every room like a woman on an IV of caffeine. I kind of love this energy though as it doesn’t come till the very end of a pregnancy for me! I am working on our living room layout since that is where we spend a good deal of time, and I’ve got so many ideas bursting. Here’s how I usually start a design process…

I will always prefer print and paper and tearing up mags and comparing textile samples. It fuels me creatively way differently than pinterest and social media, as those always feel slightly vague and out of reach, ya know? I put together images that I’m drawn to, and usually can pick up a pattern of color or style aesthetic from a visual board I assemble.

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August Desktop Download: Botanicals + Beach

August 11, 2016

I am so thrilled to be able to continue to share talented artists here, and am so grateful to Straley Paper for designing August’s Desktop downloads just for IHOD. We hope you enjoy these free downloads for your tech devices!

Check out more of Laura’s work on Straley Paper (you have to see her wardrobe illustrations!), and be sure to follow her on instagram for a really cool mix of daily graphics.

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A date with my daughter.

August 10, 2016

Me: Denim, tank top, Field Jacket (another similar option), Tie-up flats, Necklace
Veronica: Denim, Top, Jacket, Flats

With the summer wrapping up, and my little ones going back to school this week, things have been spinning around here! I have realized that since it’s so easy to get caught up in juggling our family routines, we need to make more of a conscious effort to have some one on one time with each of our kids when we get an opportunity. Over the weekend Gabe and I got to have some time with just little miss Veronica. We were not short on entertainment. We laughed so hard over how much the girl can chat! She told us every thought that ran through her head and we got to listen, uninterrupted, throughout dinner and an adventure around the city. She sang, skipped, and asked many questions as she has quite a spunky spirit.

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Sunday Suppers

August 8, 2016

Now that we have had some of my family move back to Atlanta, we take every advantage of Sunday Suppers or brunch together. It’s a chance for us to stay connected no matter how different our schedules are. We celebrated my brother’s birthday this weekend and for dinner, I took advantage of our overflowing vegetable garden. Here is an easy way to feed 10 people…

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Organization for the Home + Business Life

August 4, 2016

(Home Office)

I have addressed the topic of balance multiple times here on IHOD, and think it is something that is ever evolving for me! If you want to go even deeper on some of the points we address today there is a post I wrote about Time Management Hacks. I receive the most questions on this topic but feel limited in my ability to offer advice as my situation may be very different from the next person’s. I thought I would have my communication manager Megan weigh in with me today because she is super skilled on organization. In fact, she wouldn’t mind being a professional organizer for a living! Here are a few questions we have answered on organization for the home + business in hopes of helping those of you who are juggling both right now.
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Fringe + Frill and all that Jazz

August 3, 2016

I’ll be honest, I usually root for an endless summer, but considering the additional bun in the oven I am toting around, these 90+ temps are taking a toll on me. I actually couldn’t be more anxious for fall. Don’t worry, you won’t get a mention of the “p” word here (starts with a p, ends with spiced latte), because I also don’t understand the pumpkins that are trying to make their way to the front of every grocery store I’ve walked through. I do believe in giving seasons their due! Okay, moving along…

Fringe Shorts // Frill edged blouse // Support Tank // Backpack // Sunnies // Sandals (similar)

Here’s a look I wore out for a day date with Gabe, which by the way, is such a good time to get out for a date. Maybe because we aren’t fried and can think straight and have decent conversations? Also might have to do with the fact brunch and coffee feels so novel these days! Below are a few budget friendly finds from the last few days of the Nordstrom sale that work for end of summer and through fall: