And Baby Makes Three!!

Whew! What a whirlwind these last few months have been. In the midst of our renovations, we got the sweetest surprise. . . we're expecting a sweet little one in late October!
I'm not sure that I could adequately put into words how very excited and blessed we feel. You always hear of the miracle of it all, but I could never truly understand it until that little life began growing inside. I'm daily amazed at God's great design!

Needless to say, downstairs renovations took a backseat to nursery planning and all things baby. One of these days we'll finish that and I'll have a big celebratory post (quickly followed, I'm sure, by our next DIY plan). We can't quite manage to sit still for long around here.

For now, though, I'm nursery dreaming (and shopping!) Since we're not finding out the gender of this little one, the nursery will be mostly neutrals - grays, taupe's, and lots of texture! (Not at all surprising if you have seen our home.) The not finding out part goes against all of my natural planner (slightly OCD) instincts. It's driving me crazy not being able to buy those tiny little clothes that turn me to mush in Baby Gap! But far more important than that, it IS teaching me to remember that it doesn't do much good to plan anyways. This little one is in God's hands and his or her whole little life - the plans, dreams, talents he or she will have - are put there by a Master Designer.

So neutral it is!!
Recently I read a quote from Kate Spade about designing a beautiful nursery that is uniquely yours:
". . . a well-decorated nursery isn't always dictated by convention, but instead can speak to the diverse fashion sense and ideas in all of us."
I couldn't agree more!
Since Michael and I will undoubtedly spend many, MANY hours in this nursery, I really want it to be a place that feels like an extension of our home's style, a place where we love to be, surrounded by beauty, but also very peaceful and practical.

Here are some of my favorites from all over blogland: