Baby's better afters

Happy Saturday!

Charlie's up-cycled changing table, along with a few other really cool baby-related DIY makeovers, was recently featured on Better After.

Read all about it here.

His changing table is one of my favorite DIY projects that we did in his nursery.

In case you missed them the first time, here's a recap of some of the other DIY projects we did in his room:

DIY bookshelves

DIY heart art

DIY swivel rocker

DIY curtains and clock

DIY pillowcase hamper

 Have a great weekend!

- Caitlin

Ikea for the kiddies

On a recent beach weekend away with family, our cousin had this adorable ticking stripe play blanket for her baby and Charlie to roll (and drool) on:

LEKA play mat $24.99

When I learned that it was from Ikea, I headed over to the website and checked out some other stuff they have to offer for babies and kids. What I found was a lot of cute stuff with prices that are pretty unbeatable.

Here are a few of my picks:

SKAMSTAM crib duvet cover/pillowcase $9.99

LEKA snuggle blanket with soft toy $3.99

LEKA mobile $9.99

SUNDVIK crib $119

VISSLA bench pad $14.99

STANKA baby towel with hood $7.99

AGEN children's armchair $19.99

DUKTIG play kitchen $99.99

SKYLTA children's market stand $14.99

A quick thank you to my very talented friend Tara for designing the blog's new header!

- Caitlin

Month 3 with Charlie

Charlie recently hit the three month mark (yay!) and I documented it with his monthly picture that I posted about here:

You can see a big difference in his size and overall contentment compared to month one!

It was also less stressful taking the month three picture thanks to some more neck stability.

I've also been filling this frame in his room that I posted about here with his monthly photo.

It's been fun documenting his first year this way and I'm looking forward to the months to come!

- Caitlin

Project porch

It's been a while since I've shown what's going on our porch.

The last look was this one below, when the temperatures were a bit more frosty than they are today.

Brrrr. 

Winter can wait as far as I'm concerned.

Anyway, these days this space is looking a little different as we recently scored this Pier 1 set below (similar here and on sale) off of Craigslist for a deal way too good to pass up (everything for just $150!!):

The cushions were a little dirty but all it took was some spot cleaning and a run through the washing machine.

I picked up a couple of these Serena & Lily pillows (same print as our DIY cornice) on sale.

I figure the orange/coral color can carry the porch into fall.

The space isn't quite complete just yet.

Chris is working on a coffee table to go in front of the settee. 

Will share as soon as it's complete!

Thanks for stopping by!

- Caitlin

Friday Fashion Fix: wedding dress edition

With my sister's big day quickly approaching (you can read about her shower here), I can't help but have weddings on the brain.

And while getting married once was plenty for me (you can check out my wedding here), it's still fun to look at other wedding dresses.

When it was my turn to dress shop, it was hard to find one that didn't break the bank, especially with all the other crazy costs that come along with weddings.

So, today I'm sharing a few dresses that, like my wedding dress, cost under $1000.

J. Crew has a bunch of affordable dresses, including these two:

J. Crew

J. Crew

It's a little hard to see in this picture but this dress has an illusion neckline, which I love.

Overall, I think the dress is so soft and ethereal.

BHLDN

I love the cap sleeves on this one and the back of the dress is pretty special as well.

David's Bridal

Sometimes simple is the way to go.
But this dress could easily be dressed up with a pretty belt like this one.

Nordstroms

Jenny Yoo also makes a lot of affordable and beautiful dresses, like this one:

Jenny Yoo

Wishing you a wonderful weekend :)

- Caitlin

Clean it up

I don't know about you but I find it way too daunting to clean our entire house in one day.

And now that baby Charlie is here, I don't always have a few hours to get it done in one fell swoop.

So, the A-type in me created a manageable weekly cleaning schedule that helps keep our house clean enough.

So far, the schedule has been working. 

Would I advise eating off our floors?

Definitely not.

Do I freak out if I miss a day?

No. A little dirt and disorganization never hurt anyone.

And if all else fails, I can just put out this dish towel:

Have a great day :)
- Caitlin

Just add water

Warning: this is highly addictive!

I recently downloaded Waterlogue, an app that only costs a couple of bucks, and turns your iPhone pictures into watercolor works of art.

It's so easy to use.

 I just scrolled through my camera roll and chose a few pictures that I wanted to turn into watercolor.

Here they are...

An afternoon this weekend at the beach here in Connecticut:

Our springer Rosie shaking the water off and saluting the sun:

Charlie snuggled in our bed:

A vacation in Martha's Vineyard from a couple of years ago: 

A trip to Montauk last year:

Chris walking the beach with the dog last winter:

Our home when we moved in: 

My grandmother holding Charlie:

Since there are some blank frames and walls in our house that need filling, I'm thinking that I can just get some of these printed and I'll have art that I had a part in creating.

A quick thank you to Jen from City Farmhouse for sharing the art in our bedroom!

Check it out here.

Have a great Labor Day!
- Caitlin