August's Room Double Parlor Kitchen My Life The Victorian House

Life (and Projects) Lately

Oh hai there! Train of thought post, coming your way.

I feel like I’ve been running around doing a million things, but I have as yet to document them all here. So here goes! Stuff that has been going on and will continue to go on and that will make it here in the form of photos and words and whatnot. Ready? Ready!

My coffee table was styled up and shot three ways for Make it Better magazine. I have some outtakes and different angles that are super pretty, so I’ll put that together as a post for next week.

One Coffee Table, Styled Three Ways

• The wallpaper in August’s bedroom has been stripped and the room has been painted green. I am not in love with the green, but it is an improvement over peeling wallpaper.

Green in August's Room

• Speaking of wallpaper, two rolls of the stuff are en route for the upstairs bathroom. Also, art has been chosen and ordered for the downstairs bathroom. I get all weird about not sharing things until they’re done, but sometimes I think back to the random little updates I used to post ages ago when I first started this blog. I mean, seriously? My Pinterest and Instagram kind of replaced all of that, didn’t they? I’m digressing here. Blogging is weird, and so is this post.

No photo! Unless you want a screenshot of my receipts?

• Some new art went up! Here’s a preview.

Art for the Hallway

:)

• Not too terribly long ago, I setup the prettiest dang Easter brunch. (I know, we’re nearing summer now. Hush. I’m proud of the way this turned out and I’m sharing. We also decorated eggs, if you’re inclined to see.)

Juice and Coffee
Paper Lanterns and Pinwheels
Easter Decorations: Paper Lanterns and Pinwheels, Garland, and Easter Bunnies

• I visited another designer showhouse, the Merchandise Mart’s DreamHome 2015. Do we want pictures? I have some pictures. These were from my favorite room, designed by Anne Coyle.

Merchandise Mart DreamHome 2015 Dining Room, Designed by Anne Coyle
Merchandise Mart DreamHome 2015 Dining Room, Designed by Anne Coyle

• I spent some time in San Francisco last month with a few of Target’s Made to Matter brands (Soma, Olly, and Suja) and a bunch of fellow bloggers. Always nice to be back in one of my favorite places, and in such good company. (I love this picture of us, taken by Thayer Allyson Gowdy.) I’ll be seeing some of these fine folks again in a couple of weeks in Salt Lake City when I’m back there to speak at Alt Summit.

#sunrisesf photo by Thayer Allyson Gowdy

• We had a birthday party for Eleanor, not at our house. (First time!) She loved it. At the last minute though, she asked for a science theme, so I went to the nerd store (ahem, science surplus store) to buy favors and decorations. Flowers in beakers and flasks, and voila: science theme! Kids are easy to please. Me too, judging by the amount of happiness these signs brought me.

Science Store Humor

• Two new additions joined our household after Eleanor’s birthday, bringing our total of living beings here to ten. Meet our guinea pigs, Speedy (the white one, so named because she is quick), and Gingerbread (named in advance, so we tried to find one that matched the moniker). They squeal and make little noises and are cute, and I like to pet and pick them up as much if not more than the kids do.

Guinea Pigs

• The pantry closet in the kitchen got organized. The old man on the oatmeal box no longer stares at me each morning as I make my breakfast and I’m not sure how I feel about it. I miss you, oatmeal man! I do like the matching containers and colorful bins that have replaced him though. I wrote about the whole thing on Crate & Barrel’s new blog.

Wrapping Paper Sheets and Clear Shelf Liner
Pantry Shelves with New Liners

• I’ve been fattening up a baby all day everyday. I know this is not news, but dammit it takes up a lot of time!

Calvin

• This happened between the time I went from upstairs to down, and back up again. Every stuffed animal (and daughter) in the house had a party on our bed.

So many stuffed animals.

And with that, I think we’re all caught up. Phew!

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  • Kathryn
    May 28, 2015 at 4:24 pm

    Rubber Wallace is the best (as is everything in the nerd store). And is that the table we strapped to my car?

    • Making it Lovely
      May 28, 2015 at 4:36 pm

      It is! Also, play spot the Chemex.

      • Kathryn
        May 28, 2015 at 5:18 pm

        ha!

  • Lindy
    May 28, 2015 at 4:27 pm

    I actually loved this post! I’m excited to see your future posts in regards to all of the small updates you are doing.

    I’m curious as to what August’s room looks like now. My son is the same age and we are getting ready to put him into a full size bed. We’ve let him him put his own touch on the room but how do you go about letting it be their room but still make it look pretty? We live in a one story ranch so the bedrooms are always visible. I want it to be his room and for him to feel comfortable in it but I don’t want it to look like the Justice League threw up in there.

  • Stephanie
    May 28, 2015 at 5:51 pm

    Is that Orla Kiely contact paper? fo’ rerl- up in her’? Great post btw!

  • Erin @ the honey home
    May 28, 2015 at 8:09 pm

    This is the best post ever.

    Also, I LOVE little update posts. I guess Pinterest/Instagram does kind of take place of that a bit, but I still like them.

  • Katie
    May 28, 2015 at 9:08 pm

    The old man on the oatmeal box is called Larry (affectionately named by the people who work there, my husband being one of them)!

  • Kristene
    May 29, 2015 at 8:49 am

    Hi Nicole! Loved this post. Instagram is great, but this was better because it was all at once.

    Can you tell us where you found that awesome black horse sculpture? I must have one!

    • JB
      May 29, 2015 at 10:46 am

      Yes please! I adore that horse!

  • Sarah
    May 29, 2015 at 10:28 am

    That text print in the Easter series looks awesome! Do you have a bigger picture or a link for purchase?

  • Kristi Craig
    May 29, 2015 at 12:59 pm

    I love the Orla Kiely paper!

    Kristi
    beloverly.com

  • Bridget
    May 29, 2015 at 2:07 pm

    I want Orla Keily paper too… where did you find it?

  • Marcee ... ILLINOIS
    May 29, 2015 at 2:15 pm

    That baby is gorgeous!!! Calvin, you gotta be in pictures!!! Just look at that profile. Beauty. Dig those sockies. Ha! Sooo cute. Nicole, I sent my niece this post. Hope she has time to read it. Wanted her to see Eleanor’s lovies. Every time we visit I’m always bringing her kiddos new stuffies. They really love them all. Growing up, we did not have them. Nothing like these. Just Tiny Tears + other plastic dollies. That’s about it.

  • brittney
    May 29, 2015 at 3:01 pm

    Love your yellow top in the Easter post. Where did you get it. It looks nursing friendly and it’s a great color on you.

  • judy
    May 29, 2015 at 8:07 pm

    I loved loved loved this post! Could you tell? I have followed you since before the first adorable Baby arrived and this seemed most like you. Relaxed,happy,busy,busy,busy but very much a creative artist with lots of information to impart to your readers. I still follow and love your blog but I think (naturally) it became a very serious business and less of a Lark that was just pure enjoyment on your part. Hope that observation didn’t offend.

  • Laurel
    May 30, 2015 at 9:55 pm

    Yes; please the horse!!

  • Arati Devasher
    May 31, 2015 at 5:10 am

    I adore the ikat style cushions in the first photograph!

  • Zinnia
    May 31, 2015 at 8:16 am

    I love this post! This is real life captured in lovely photos and genuine comments. So real. Love it!

  • Brenda
    June 3, 2015 at 2:42 pm

    I also will join the ranks of loving this post. Funny, down to earth and a little snarky. Keep these up!