The Long Goodbye.

{Baby G., about 6 weeks ago}

I suppose in some ways this post was inevitably, but I wanted to delay it until I was absolutely sure. I didn't want to lead you on or risk saying something I didn't mean.

I've decided I'm going to pack it in here at Odi et Amo. While I thoroughly enjoyed the 2+ years of blogging (and reading blogs), between juggling more responsibilities at work and a new baby, I just don't have time anymore. Beyond that, I'll confess that I've lost a lot of interest. Sure, the first few weeks of not blogging were a bit tough (something akin I'd imagine to going withdrawal), but as the weeks flew by, I've found myself missing this less and less. What time I have free I simply no longer wish to spend blogging. Perhaps even more importantly, my design mojo is all but gone. I'm just kind of...over it. (Sorry!) Might I change my mind? Of course, but I suspect that will require a serious change in my circumstances (like not working).

All that being said, I do miss my blogging buddies -- and I think of you often. You were wonderfully supportive during my various and sundry home renovation and home decor projects and so understanding during my pregnancy and Graham's first few weeks when I went all but AWOL. I wish you all the very best and hope sincerely to keep in touch (and get back in touch) very soon.

Much love,

Averill

PS - For the time being, I'll be leaving my blog up and publicly available. As far as I'm concerned, I spent way too much time on this blog to simply let it go into oblivion. It was a labor of love and, like all loves, even when over still stays with you.

Back to Work/Back to Reality....

{Baby G. loves his play mat!}

Today was my first day back at work following a 12-week maternity leave. It was both easier and harder than I had expected. On the one hand, I felt as though I'd simply picked up right where I'd left off; my time away felt more like days rather than weeks. And yet…everything felt different as Baby G. continued to dominate my thoughts as I struggled to make it through a sleepy afternoon without the benefit of a nap.


The idea of leaving him with our nanny (whom I like very much) does not distress me nor do I feel overcome by guilt, convinced I am betraying him by not spending every waking moment taking care of him. And yet...I do feel some regret, some sadness in the knowledge of how much I’ll be missing in the coming weeks and months. I’ve spent the past 12 weeks witnessing every milestone, no matter how trivial and I’ve loved seeing Baby G. develop into a much more alert and interactive being than he was just weeks ago. But I also know that prior to Baby G.’s arrival, I loved my job and a large part of me is excited at the prospect of returning to my professional life, ready to conquer new challenges. I know many of you out there are also working mothers (and fathers) and share these mixed feelings with me.

{...And his mobile!}

I am sure you've also noticed the drop off in my posting (and commenting!) over the past few weeks -- and my absence is simply the byproduct of my cherishing what was left of my time at home with my son. Unfortunately, as I adjust to my new role as a working mom, I expect my blogging to remain sporadic, as my priorities have by necessity shifted to accommodate this new addition to our family. In the coming weeks and months, I hope to find my way back here to the design blogosphere, but in the meantime recognize that my reality currently does not allow for the level of involvement that I'd had the luxury of having up until 3 months ago. I ask that you bear with me during this transition and I hope we are able to reconnect soon once I’ve figured out how to fit my passions for design and blogging around my new duties as mother.


Know though that I do miss reading many of your blogs on a daily basis, living vicariously through your renovations and DIY projects and sharing your day dreams and fantasies of beautiful design. I firmly believe that blogging has revolutionized and democratized the interior design world and I’ve loved being a (small) part of that shift. I hope to see you all back here soon for more of what I love, hate and hate to love in the worlds of design, fashion and style.


Until then,
Averill

Baby G. Update: Two Months

Tomorrow Baby G. will be two months old -- man, does time fly! In many ways it feels like he's only been with us for a few days and, yet, I can't really imagine my life without him now. With each passing week he's getting bigger, more alert, more expressive and definitely more fun. This weekend we discovered how much he liked sitting up against one of us, looking out at the world (surveying his domain, as we like to joke). His serious demeanor continues, and he still spends much of his awake time quietly watching everything and everyone.

This week Baby G. managed to find his hand...and he's currently obsessed! In fact, I've been having trouble getting it out of his mouth so I can feed him.

Another change over the past few weeks is how interested he is now in mobiles, toys, etc. He's getting pretty good at batting them and even grabbing the ring on that bird hanging in the foreground. Today I set up a mobile over his crib that plays Bach and Chopin and he was absolutely mesmerized...well, for 15 minutes or so until he got tired of it. But, hey, I figure 15 minutes is about the max attention span you could possible expect at his age!

Of course, the big milestone at two months is the first round of immunizations. I'm actually excited at the prospect of Baby G. getting his first round of shots tomorrow, as it means I'll be taking him out more without worrying so much over every passing sneeze or sniffle. At the end of the month, we're headed to Florida to visit Dave's family and while I don't relish the thought of loading all of Baby G.'s gear onto a plane, I am very much looking forward to seeing everyone (and getting out of the house!).

Tilda has adjusted well to having Baby G. around. Indeed, she's incredibly protective of him and treats him like a member of our pack.

Of course, she's still a puppy herself, which means she can sometimes be a bit overly enthusiastic. I figure once Baby G. is mobile, he'll more than get her back though.

Happy Easter!

Baby G. Update: Week 5

On Monday Baby G. turned one month old and I have to say it both feels like he's been around forever and that he was just born yesterday. What makes me happiest is that I feel like I'm starting to get more back every day: he's more alert, more active, and even starting to coo and verbalize some! Even better, we're starting to get more sleep as he's been sleeping 5-7 hours straight at night for the past 10 days or so.   I know, I know...I shouldn't brag and it's likely to come back to bite me in the behind in a few weeks or months (or with the next child), but for now I'm eternally grateful for the rest.

So far, his favorite activity (apart from eating, of course!) seems to be laying on my bed, staring at the ceiling fan, but he also loves car rides and walks in his stroller. He's a pretty serious baby, perhaps due to Dave's habit of discussing news and politics with him every night, and is already showing signs of being very independent. He tends to prefer sleeping in his bassinet to in someone's arms and is already good at falling asleep on his own (provided he doesn't get himself too worked up first!).

As you can tell from those chubby cheeks, he's also putting on weight like a champ. At his one month check-up last week, he weighed in at 10 pounds, 8 ounces and based on our inexact weigh-in at home, he's now over 11! I certainly hope he's an early walker because at this rate, I won't be able to carry him for long!

Baby G. gets his portrait taken

Last weekend my college roommate (who married my cousin!) came over to take pictures of Baby G. for his birth announcement. I went with an announcement from Pear Tree Greetings, which has a great selection of modern stationery that's highly customizable. Of course, I had to do an aqua and orange color theme to go with his nursery. Here are a few of the gorgeous pictures Lisa took:

Baby G. Update: Week 2

In some ways, it feels like an eternity since we brought Graham home from the hospital; in others, it feels like the blink of an eye. So far, we have been blessed with a healthy, generally happy baby who's been growing like a weed (an inch and 1 lb, 6 oz. in a mere 13 days!) and even giving us some (relative) rest. This week, we've seen a decrease in the quantity and increase in the quality of his naps; he's even been sleeping for 4 or 5 hour stretches at night! I chalk this up to the benefit of having a larger, full-term baby as well as our continued efforts to put him down at the first signs of sleepiness rather than waiting for him to get overtired and fussy.

On Monday Dave returned to work and I've been adjusting to playing a stay-at-home-mom. I'm off work through May and starting to get into the rhythms of my new life. The first few days I felt very panicky and my anxiety translated to some difficulties breast feeding (largely now resolved thanks to the invaluable help of a wonderful lactation consultant). Physically, I'm feeling better and more like myself every day and am thrilled to be back down to my pre-pregnancy weight already (which, admittedly, is about 10 to 15 lbs heavier than my preferred weight, but we'll worry about that later...).

All this notwithstanding, I'm not going to say it's been all roses. The idea of someone being so utterly dependent on me still scares me to death and the thought of not getting an uninterrupted night's sleep for at least another few months is utterly depressing. I also long for the time when he's able to interact more (though he is becoming more and more alert every day). But...I have to remind myself that babies are newborns for such a short period of time and that I need to savor what he can offer now; namely, being utterly adorable. And yes, I'm a bit biased...but shouldn't I be?

Graham Kirk

Graham Kirk arrived on Friday morning at 11:08 am at a hearty 8 pounds and 10 ounces, 20.5 inches. After checking into the hospital Thursday evening with regular contractions, we ended up having to kick-start my labor with Pitocin around 3 am (don't worry, I caught some solid sleep from 10 pm on). Once my doctor broke my water at 8 am, things quickly accelerated (as did the pain!) and we were pushing by 10.  Dave was fantastic throughout, as were the nurses -- all in all, much less scary than I expected.

We got back home last night and it's definitely been an adjustment to our schedules and our lives. Family and friends have been fantastic though, cooking and cleaning and changing diapers while I work on nursing and healing (unfortunately, I lost a significant amount of blood so I'm working on getting my strength back as well). I'll be taking a few weeks off from blogging while we adjust to this new addition to the family.

Many thanks for all the well wishes late last week! Y'all definitely gave me the extra encouragement I needed to get through the last few days.

Plannin' and Dreamin'...

Wishin' and hopin' and thinkin' and prayin'
Plannin' and dreamin' each night of his charms
That won't get him into my arms

Okay, so I may be taking some liberties with the old Dionne Warwick song, but the essential message is the same: if wishes were horses, beggars would ride. I'm 39 weeks pregnant today, 4 cm dilated and waiting for everything to start. I went to see my OB/GYN yesterday and she expressed surprise that I was still pregnant. Trust me, after several false starts over the past 3 weeks, I'm surprised, too. Even my Gmail seems surprised, as these past two weeks I've ceased receiving my weekly prenatal updates from various and sundry websites that I've been perusing during pregnancy.

Yes, I know, I'm not even technically at my due date yet, but with everyone in my family delivering early (even with the first one), I half expected to be in a similar boat. After weeks of co-workers marveling "you're still here?!" and daily texts from family and friends alike "just checking in," I can't help but feel a bit of pressure to get on with things -- as if I had any control of it!

Well, I suppose I have some control of it. These days an induction after 39 weeks is offered up as an option without any required medical need whatsoever. And that makes me a bit nervous. Shouldn't we wait until the baby is good and ready? Isn't it also true that the average pregnancy actually runs longer than the 40 weeks allocated to women by their doctors? The answer to both is "yes"...and yet....

Now that I find myself at this late stage of pregnancy, I'm suddenly very sympathetic with women who elect to make this decision. Indeed, there's some comfort in having a firm deadline, in being able to wrap up things at the office in a definitive manner without the vague (and often unhelpful) "I'll be here 'til the baby comes...whenever that is" response. A response, by the way, that my clients have not been particularly receptive of. Everybody likes a due date, a deadline, a goal. Letting nature take its course is so antithetical to modern life, where we attempt to control everything. Patience and flexibility just don't seem to jive with our schedules.

So what have I decided to do? Well, I've currently got an induction scheduled for Friday, which would require Dave and I to show up at the hospital at the unholy hour of 4 am in the hopes of having a baby sometime before COB (close of business) on Friday. Very convenient for my doctor, yes? I'm justifying this decision on account of my (normally very low) blood pressure having creeped up in the past few weeks. While not at dangerous levels, this upward trend is somewhat worrisome. In the interim, I'm working from home, walking twice a day and praying to God that he'll come of his own volition. If not? Then I suppose I'll let Science take his course and pray that I'm not making the wrong decision.

The Nursery Reveal!

Apologies for being a week late in getting pictures of the nursery up on the blog, but I was waylayed a bit by work and weather last week and couldn't get the finishing touches put in the nursery until this weekend. Last Friday I showed you a photo of the finished window seat, complete with cushions (which I ordered in Sunbrella fabric for maximum stain-resistance/durability). While I stuck with a neutral off-white cushion, I had a contrast welt done in orange to inject a bit of fun and pick up on the orange grosgrain trim on the pillows and pelmet box. 

Dave and I made the pelmet box from some thin pieces of MDF, glued and screwed together and then thickened by Styrofoam (adds a nice visual heft without any extra weight). I then wrapped the three sided box in batting and used a staple gun to affix the fabric. Orange grosgrain ribbon in two thicknesses was then added with some simple fabric glue. My mom and I then made two throw pillows with leftover fabric and trim. The pillows are a simple envelope style, which eliminates the annoyance of sewing in a zipper, but still allows for removal for washing (essential in a kid's room, I'd imagine).

But you've seen this photo already. Time for some new eye candy, right? Before we get to that though, a reminder of what the room looked like before (think storage room):

Inauspicious start, yes? Well, after cleaning the room out (and several trips to Goodwill), I was able to finally get to work on the nursery in December. After several weekends of smaller DIY projects (the crib skirt, pelmet box and pillows), waiting around on painters (didn't have the energy this time around to paint the room myself) and assembling quite a bit of furniture, it's finally finished (well, mostly!):

Of course, the room really won't be finished until Baby G. makes his debut and it gets crammed full of photographs, toys, clothes, diapers....in short, the room really starts to live. But I'm really happy with how the bones of the room have turned out. There's plenty of room to grow, but it's also cozy enough to feel like home straight away.

I'm still in love with my schoolhouse-inspired ceiling fan. I've decided to forgo a mobile over the crib for now because I hear many babies are more enraptured by a ceiling fan than any mobile...and hopefully Baby G. will fall into that group! Besides, it was impossible finding one in my color scheme (and right now I'm not up to the task of making on myself!).

I ordered the glider back in November, but only just received it a few weeks ago. While I loved the aqua-on-blue polka dot fabric in the store, I had some serious reservations almost as soon as I came home: would the polka dots be too loud? Would I regret not going with a solid color? Would the blues work with the wall paint? Fortunately, when the glider finally arrived, I was relieved to see that it wasn't nearly the disaster that I'd built it up in my head to be; in fact, I rather like it and the polka dots are a playful, fun addition to the room without being overly loud.

My mom made a nice lap quilt with more of the O&L fabric. The back and binding is a multicolored polka dot print, which picks up on the polka dot print on the glider and around the monogram.

The "g" monogram and was my first real attempt at wall stickers. I must say, it was easier to apply than I feared and the end result looks like I painstakingly and meticulously painted the monogram on the wall. I gussied up the white Jonathan Adler-knock off floor lamp with some spare grosgrain ribbon (again, affixed with simple fabric glue).

The rug is from DwellStudio and a great buy at $200. At 5'x8' it fits the room nicely and will be a great play area for Baby G. when he gets a little older. I intentionally left a lot of floor space in the room for tummy time, playing, crawling etc. I think all kids' rooms need that extra space for creativity and play.

With little wall space left, Dave and I installed the bookrack from Pottery Barn Kids. I went with an ultraslim rack over a traditional bookcase both because I love how it shows off the colorful kids' books, but also because I had little wall space left that wasn't near a door (and I didn't want to crowd the room out). Currently, it houses my collection of Roald Dahl books as well as some cute board books I received as shower gifts. The top shelf has baby pictures of Dave and I in fab zigzag frames I scored at Furbish Studio (because not everything in a kid's room needs to be from a kid's store!).

Source List:

Crib: Oeuf

Dresser/Changing Table: Oeuf

Glider: Little Castle

Window Seat Cushions: CushionSource.com

Rug: DwellStudio

Bookrack: Pottery Barn Kids
Floor Lamp: ZGallerie

Fitted Crib Sheet: Giggle

Fabric for crib skirt, pelmet box, pillows and throw: Osborne & Little

Ribbon Trim: M+J Trimming

Wall Decal: Elephannie

Letterpress Prints: Sycamore Street Press

Alphabet Poster: Binth
Chevron Frames: Furbish Studio
Ceiling Fan: The Period Arts Fan Company
Wall Paint: Forget Me Not by Benjamin Moore
Ceiling Paint: Icing on the Cake by Benjamin Moore

Baby Shower Recap

I wanted to share some photos of my baby shower to show off how amazingly talented, creative and generous my friends (and sister) are. While I love design, party planning is definitely not my forte. My go-to formula is to book a private or semi-private room at a fun restaurant, get my friend Natalie to make invitations and then just show up! In contrast though, my friend Jess (blogger behind Jackson's Lane) is an amateur party planner (who should maybe consider going pro!). She turned my friend Christina's beautiful home into the perfect spot for a shower with beautiful, tasteful decorations, thoughtful details and some really great food (much of which I have my sister Chef Babs to thank for).

The theme of the shower was "feather the nest," so of course the primary decorations were birds and feathers. I loved the feather wreath over the fireplace decorated with BB Conn's initial and a glittery bird. The colors are very "Martha Stewart" to me and then blend in perfectly with the home's more traditional decor, softer color palette and soft gold touches. I think that's a huge part of decorating for a party: the theme and decorations really need to work with your home's existing decor.

Simple white roses and blue hydrangea are scattered throughout the downstairs in small clusters. I think this is a great way to get a lot of bang for your buck and you can be guaranteed to get a sophisticated look when you keep arrangements simple, tight and petite.

Large manzanita branches in a tall vase (filled with feathers, of course!) create a fanciful tree for more glittery birds. Guests were asked to write notes and advice on pretty paper ornaments and hang them on the tree. I thought this was a great touch and a wonderful keepsake for the honoree -- and it would work equally well at a bridal shower.

A close up of the tags. I thought the paper was absolutely lovely and the tiny birds nests brought texture and a bit of color.

The ladies show that even paper plates and plastic cutlery can look chic with the right presentation. I also love the mint julep cup for the floral arrangement.

Jess decorated the dessert buffet with arrangements featuring baby/toddler pictures of Dave and I. The height of the arrangements work perfectly with the tall mirror and the pictures add the perfect personal touch. Again, this would work equally well at a bridal shower or engagement party.

The dessert spread. Don't you love the cupcakes decorated to look like bird nests? My sister made them with toasted coconut and candied eggs. My sister and I joked that I'd get gestational diabetes from my shower! Given that she insisted I take the leftover cake home, I'm starting to fear that there may have been some truth in our jests!

The favors were cookies made by Jess's sister-in-law, who turns out to be (in addition to an OB/GYN) a fabulous baker/decorator. I love how they incorporate my nursery colors as well as the shower's avian theme. They tasted as good as they look, I can assure you.

The lovely hostesses. Thanks ladies for a very memorable baby shower!

Nursery Sneak Peek

The nursery is almost done! While the big reveal will have to wait until next week as I put the final touches on the room over the weekend, I thought I'd whet your appetite with a sneak peek of the window seat, complete with cushions and my DIY pillows and pelmet box (more on both next week). 

In other baby news, my shower is this weekend and I'm really looking forward to catching up with my favorite girlfriends, several of whom are coming down from Dallas for the event. Happy weekend!

Nursery: Quick Midweek Update

I came home today to find a completely painted nursery; what a wonderful midweek pick-me-up! I'm loving how bright and clear the pale aqua is. Now all that's left is to starting loading in the room. Stay tuned!

{I should note that I didn't have a surprise visit from the painting fairies. Dave and I decided to bring in the professionals for this paint job given the fact that I'm 32 weeks pregnant and time is of the essence. I have to say though that I could get used to this; so much better than spending my weekend taping, painting and then cleaning it all up!}

In case you've missed out, you can catch up on this nursery design project by clicking HERE and HERE. Also, don't forget to enter for your chance to win a Binth Baby Book! I'll be announcing the winner Friday morning.