Feels Like Home: Master Bedroom Progress

Well, we're here! Apparently I'm really good at writing posts and then taking long breaks, but we've had a pretty good excuse. We are all moved in and settled at our brand new home, and with as many questions as I've had for our master bedroom and furniture and decor used, I thought now was the perfect time to share with y'all. 

I loved our bedroom in our first home. It had three giant windows that overlooked a beautiful park, and the natural light was to die for. The first thing that I noticed when we walked through our new home, was that the master was beige. It's not that beige is bad [it's not!] it's just that it isn't me. I take a LOT of lifestyle photography in our bedroom, as well as boudoir, and I'm trusted by a lot of people and clients to use the space to produce great photos. So, the day after we moved in, our trusty painter came early in the morning and got started. He used Sherwin William's Snowbound, and three coats later, it looks exactly as I had dreamt it would. 

I wouldn't call the room 'complete' by any means. But it's at a great point that I can show you what we've done thus far, and I'll continue to update you as time goes on. High on my next must have, are matching and modern lamps. The one on the left is an antique Aladdin lamp that my dad has had since he was in his twenties; the one on the right is my great grandmothers. Both are beautiful, but I think they could be used elsewhere in the home (once we get new ones). 

The photo above was taken shortly after our Golden Elsa was home from minor surgery. She had a wart and small tumor removed (ouch!) and she was so tired, I decided not to finish making the entire bed. Ha, I'm a sucker for these fur kids. Anyway. Let me show you some more! 

We had a house warming party this weekend (yesterday!) and so many people said, "You bought a new dresser" when they walked in our bedroom. Nope!! We didn't. We've had this dresser our entire marriage, it's been in my husband's family forever. Before we moved out of our first home, he said, "What if we painted it with the exterior paint that's here?" At first I was skeptical, first of all, the paint was pretty old (probably a big no no in professionals worlds?) but I am thrilled with how it turned out. We purchased new knobs from Lowe's, and their finish is just beautiful.

The round mirror is something that I have wanted for years. Thank God for Instagram and the saving ability; I have had SO many photos saved of this mirror and as soon as the bedroom was painted, the rest of the room just started to flow. It's a Target find, of course, and I went to two different stores across town just to get it. It's currently 5% off now and you can get it online, so for all you who've asked, grab yours quick! 

 The I Choose You print is completely custom and from Dear Lily Mae. The quote is near and dear to my heart, and means a lot to my husband and I. We have it tattooed on our arms, so having it over our bed just made perfect sense. 

The curtains we actually switched with Reese, they used to be in her old room. I love how the gray and white simple design goes with the space. The bedding currently on the bed is from Boll and Branch, by far one of the greatest companies I've been blessed to partner with. The duvet is so soft, (Elsa clearly agrees) and we love using it.

Currently the room is simple, yet elegant, which is exactly how I had envisioned. I think there's some room to tweak and re-arrange, and over time we may get some accent chairs for some extra sitting space. Every day I wake up and open the curtains and my heart is so happy. My husband hung a hummingbird feeder and bird feeder on the deck which is right outside one of the windows, so often while I get ready I see my new bird friends enjoying their treats. It feels like home, and I feel abundantly blessed. 

**Thanks for following along, y'all! If you have any other questions, feel free to shoot me an email or leave a comment in the space below! Happy designing!**
 

Feel Great While You Sleep: Featuring Boll and Branch

My husband and I have joked that sometimes we don't feel like we have a real grown-up bedroom...however, I think we're getting there and finally making progress, and let me just tell you how much of a part Boll and Branch had in helping with this. Previously, we, probably much like many of you, tried to simply shop for affordable bedding sets, instead of really looking at true quality. Our lives were changed when we got our set from Boll and Branch and now I just want to go and buy ten more sets of everything! 

This company sells directly online to the consumer, saving money and eliminating the cost of a middleman or retail space. They also know the exact origin where their cotton comes from, and guarantee that their products are completely pure and chemical free. You can check out their incredibly inspiring story here to read further and get to know them a little better! 

My husband feels so antsy when furniture or rooms stay the same over consecutive months, so we have two ways in which we always rearrange our bedroom. From the photos above, that's usually my preference lighting wise; I love the white wall and the I Choose You poster that hangs above our bed. It also gives more walking space when you first enter the bedroom, but it also leaves us with no access to bedside tables, which can be a pain. If you're curious what the bedding you see above is called, let me help you out a little: 

Hemmed Pewter Duvet Cover
Hemmed White Sheet Set
Hemmed White Pillowcases
Antique White Cable Knit Throw

Our bedroom, believe it or not (ha!), is also the favorite hang out place for the kids AND our zoo of a pet family. The kids love to read in mama's bed and the dogs [and cats] obviously know as soon as fresh bedding is on and can tell a significant difference in the quality as WELL--getting them OFF has been a challenge. We arranged the room for another set of photos, and I'll tell you below what's different in these! 

Can you tell my daughter didn't want to be away from me the day these photos were taken? God love my husband and his patience. I also love the arrangement of our bed like this, our windows overlook the beautiful park, and we're able to use our bedside tables without tripping over them. The duvet and sheets are the same in these pictures, but we added Euro Pillows and used the throw a little more. 

Banded White/Pewter Euro Shams
 

Now that I have a new laptop (my old one hasn't functioned properly at ALL in the last few years!) and I'm no longer confined to my dining room office nook; I am LOVING using the bed to write, edit, and Pinterest all the live long day!  

Really and truly, I am honored to have found and worked with Boll and Branch. We spent some time talking on the phone and I learned so many great details of the back story behind the brand. The owners and founders, Missy and Scott Tannen, are incredible people, and their employees are just as great. If you're on the hunt for new bedding (or even towels and bath linens!!) do not look ANY further. And if you have questions about this post, PLEASE e-mail me. I can't stress the authenticity behind this post enough, we now LOVE our bed! 

How to Fully Enjoy YOUR Adult Space: A Review for Tuft + Needle

As a mom, our bedroom has become one of my favorite places in our very old home. Our large windows face a gorgeous park and the sunlight is always on-point, beaming off the white walls and our over-sized bed. Our two kids' bedrooms are directly across from ours and since they were teeny tiny, they've always known that their room is THEIR room--just like Mommy and Daddy's room is OUR room. It's not that my bedroom has ever been off limits to them, but we work hard to ensure that we always have a nice and cleaned up adult space that we can escape to as needed. 

When the seasons shift, I typically get in the mood to go on a re-arranging spree. Thank God my husband not only tolerates it, but loves it equally, and he's always the muscles behind it all. So this fall, as soon as the temperatures dropped below eighty-degrees, our windows were opened, the curtains came down to be washed, and we started to move things around. I grabbed my DoTerra diffuser and put in some drops of cinnamon and orange, turned that baby on and voila, fall scented room! 

For years though, my husband has voiced his discomfort in our old bed. It had served us pretty well for the last seven years of marriage, but his snoring was getting out of control and it was getting much harder for him to sleep on his sides when I would whisper, "Asa, roll over!" As an avid Instagram lover, I saw a ton of my online friends using a mattress from a U.S. store called Tuft and Needle. I decided to shoot them an e-mail and inquire, and it's complete thanks to THEM that we have a brand new mattress AND that my husband (and I) are sleeping SO much better. 

Let me get sidetracked just a little and tell you about this mattress, may I? 

-This mattress is made of a soft and comfortable foam, and it has two layers of pliable give, offering a HUGE remedy for sleepers who struggle with back pain. 

-The layers of engineered foam (created by makers of Tuft and Needle themselves!) are designed to improve cooling while sleeping--I don't know about you, but I am a HOT sleeper and so is my husband. This is a HUGE perk for us and one we can seriously tell a difference from our previous box-spring mattress. 

-The mattress was SUPER easy to set-up (though it does take two people, regardless of what my stubborn "do it himself" husband says); we just opened the box, cut open the vacuum sealed liner and bam, it rolled and stretched itself out! 

-Tuft and Needle has a 100-day trial period and you can send it back with a 100% refund should you have any qualms with it--we DON'T, and we've been enjoying it for several weeks now. However, if this product ISN'T for you, rest assured that you'll be taken care of! 

-There is a 10-year warranty on this mattress and to me, that's just amazing. If there's one thing that I know for certain in talking with representatives from this company, it's that they CARE about you and your sleep. 

-Both my husband and I are sleeping a lot better. Honestly, I never had too much issue from our old mattress, but he did. So he tells me that he wakes less groggy and that his joints and back are not in ANY pain. For a 6'4'' dude, that's a big deal. So I'm super grateful! 

SO! Recently we put freshly cleaned bedding on our brand new bed (gray tones are my favorite, no matter the season), I ordered a new print from Luminous Prints with our tattooed phrase, "I Choose You," and I put a few pumpkins scattered around. We have a Bath and Body Works Pumpkin Pie candle burning often, the curtains open all day everyday, and we love to curl up under a fuzzy blanket and unwind after the kiddos are in their beds for the night.

Having an adult space? It's important. Our room is always the place that I go when I need a moment to recharge. It's always where my Golden Retriever and orange cat Alfredo like to rest; there's almost nothing I love more than to plop down beside them to just take a moment to unwind and breathe. Thank you, Tuft and Needle for our gifted mattress! 

How do YOU all cozy-ify your bedroom? [That's a word, right?] And what are some seasonal switches that you like to do when the temps start to change?