baby girl's nursery

when i started thinking about decorating emma grace's nursery, i realized that honestly, her nursery is really for me. other than looking through photos, she would have no recollection of the adorable crib skirt and bedding i picked out for her.  i started thinking of the things that were important to me (especially during 3 am feedings...) and i decided i wanted it to be calm, happy, and comfortable.  

bub-hub gave me a camera strap last christmas that had the most beautiful floral pattern on it and i just became obsessed. after searching the internet and calling hundreds of fabric stores, i found the amy butler fabric and started buying up as much as i could find.  i loved the bright colors and i thought the balance of pinks and blues and bright greens were just perfect. 

we painted the walls the calmest shade of pink we could find, and filled the room with white furniture and accents to keep the focus on the fun colors in her bedding. 

i also tried really hard to stick to our budget.  pinterest and etsy are fabulous dangerous places, but after many pro/con/do i really need the crystal chandelier conversations with myself (and bub-hub...), i chose the things that were most important to me.  i knew i wanted to do a hoop wall collage, and have a few elements for her name.  but i also knew that I would probably want to add things later on as she grew up and we started making family memories together. 

i'm pretty sure baby girl loves her room...at least, she loves having her diaper changed on her changing table! :)  

crib - pottery barn kids
lamp, night stand, dresser/changing table - ikea
quilt and crib sheet - shelly akerly
crib skirt - caden lane, etsy

photos by sarah carpenter photography

pregostyle // feeling stripey

i'm definitely not a fashion blogger, and i definitely wouldn't consider myself a fashionista, but i do appreciate fun clothes! and if i'm being completely honestly, i've been struggling with learning how to dress this sweet little baby bump of mine. so when i feel like i hit a win, i'm going to celebrate it by getting out of my comfort zone and snapping some selfies.

darcy swing tunic from anthropologie // love the structure of this shirt. it's fitted on top and flowy where it needs to be. i love that it's long enough to be worn with leggings or jeans, and that it can easily transition from a casual to cute. also, since this isn't a maternity top, i'll be able to wear it after baby arrives. yay for multipurpose-pieces!

black skinny maternity jeans from gap // i love leggings as much as the next girl, but some days, i just need a little bit more structure. these are really comfortable and have just enough structure to make me feel productive. plus i found them on final clearance. #forthewin

nude patent flats from target // let's be real. i own these in about half a dozen shades.

hampton necklace from crave jewels // i won this little beauty in a giveaway a few months back. she probably thought i was a stalker because i entered EVERY giveaway she was doing, but it paid off and i eventually won! :) a little miracle worker to help perk up an outfit.

p.s. let's be instafriends please and thank you! :) @mrschastain_gmd

instagram // etsy // pinterest // twitter

budgeting isn't a dirty word.

i have a strange relationship with money. i feel uncomfortable talking about it. i try not to think about it. and i really don't like when people tell me what to do with it. but i love target. as long as i have a basic understanding about what's going on in my accounts, i'm happy.

doesn't this make me a perfect fit for my financial planner husband? just like gourmet peanut butter and 99cent store jelly.

with all of our grown up decisions coming up in the next year, i have definitely been trying to get over my awkwardness. babies are expensive, buying a house is expensive, buying a new car to keep baby safe is expensive. so we're starting to stick to our budget. for real this time...

we started taking the dave ramsey "financial peace university" course, and so far, i've been learning a lot. one of the main themes that has been sticking with me is that it all comes down to my attitude and my motives. what do i truly value and why do i value it?

i've been trying to get over my little issue, not only to work on my personal contentment and lower my need for more stuff, but to support bub-hub as he tries to lead our family. being the road block speed bump in his plans gets a little old after a while. if only i could learn to love and appreciate the word budget as much as he does.

here are a few things i've been trying lately:
*click unsubscribe on all of my daily shopping emails // in my current pregnant state, i may not be able to wear the cute spring clothes, but that doesn't mean i can't indulge in accessories and shoes! cutting out that daily temptation definitely helps decrease the number of "but it's so cute!" thoughts i have each day.

*subscribe to budget-focused lifestyle blogs for tips and encouragement // i really enjoy reading about individuals and families who work hard and succeed. it's so inspiring to me and i feel encouraged knowing that if they can do it, so can i.

*apply the 24 hour rule // if you love something in the store, or think you really need something, give it 24 hours and see if you still love it as much as you did before. my mom taught me this in high school, and usually, i completely forget about it, so it seems to be a pretty good trick!

*shop on the weekends and with a budget-buddy // my budget buddy is bub-hub. and i'm not gonna lie, i thoroughly dislike shopping with him. this is really hard for me, but i definitely make better choices when he's with me.

am i the only one who's awkward about money?

any tips for staying on a budget?