My Life

Taking Stock

Oh man, guys. I miss you. I’m lining up some good stuff for the blog, but I’ve got to get through this last week of the One Room Challenge first. I spotted Maggie’s ‘Taking Stock’ post, inspired by this one, and I’m in too. Old-school blogging fun! Huzzah!


Making: Progress on my One Room Challenge space. Wallpaper is going up! The stair runner is going in! Go, go, go!

Cooking: Pumpkin pancakes. Pumpkin muffins. Pumpkin everything.

Drinking: All the coffee.

Reading: Grace Bonney’s new book, In the Company of Women.

Trawling: I’m looking at all of the holiday decorations that have come out, thinking about how I’ll mix up some new pieces with what we already own.

Wanting: This brass laurel wreath.

Looking: For something special to hang in the hallway.

Deciding: Where the wallpaper should stop in the hall. Round the corner and up the stairs? Stop at the bedroom door?

Wishing: There were seven of me to finish everything on my to-do list.

Enjoying: The frantic pace of life right now. Kids! Home! Work! Everything is going in a million directions right now, but honestly, I like the frenzy of activity.

Waiting: To do a thorough fall cleanup outside. It’s gotta happen, but I have so much inside to take care of first, and then I’ll be going out of town next week.

Liking: My home. This old lady of a house is a lot to keep up with, but I’m so happy we’re here. It’s finally starting to look like I’ve wanted it to all along.

Wondering: What’s the next big project?

Loving: Halloween pictures of the kids. They look so serious! And Calvin is at cuteness level 1000.

Halloween 2016
Calvin, Halloween 2016

Pondering: How much pink is too much in a house?

Listening: The Chris Loves Julia Podcast w/ Preston Pugmire and Young House Love Has a Podcast.

Considering: The Making it Lovely Podcast. Kidding!

Buying: Fake flowers for a project.

Watching: The Cubs’ World Series parade!

Hoping: Hillary will be our next president.

Marveling: My house has been a mess for the past six weeks, but it’s finally shaping up. Quickly!

Cringing: How much damage are we going to cause when we go to fix the new leak upstairs?

Needing: New shoes for the kids. We like to keep rain/snow boots and two pairs of shoes in rotation for each of them.

Smelling: Wet paint. (I like it.)

Wearing: Old tee shirts and sweatpants. Work clothes.

Following: All of the other One Room Challenge spaces. There are some amazing transformations happening!

Noticing: Some of these are really hard to fill out. Attempting to do them all.

Knowing: Lots of people will skim over these anyway. ;)

Thinking: I’m going to skip, like five of these. Delete! Move on!

Disliking: Pop. I used to love it and drink a can of Diet Coke everyday, but I’ve been working on cutting back and now when I do have it, I don’t like it as much. That’s a good thing.

Opening: Roll after roll of wallpaper.

Wallpaper Going Up!

Giggling: While flipping through Reductress’ How to Win at Feminism.

Feeling: Tired and accomplished.

Hearing: Pounding. That carpet is being installed right now!

Celebrating: Chicago. We’ve been in the news for our faults, but this is a pretty happy city right now.

Pretending: I can pull off culottes. I can’t! I will continue to wear them anyway! So flowy.

Embracing: My age. I think 36 is my favorite yet.

Sources & Paint ColorsNeed design help? Let's work together.

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  • Jaclyn
    November 4, 2016 at 1:27 pm

    I love the update! Takes me back to the less serious/more fun blogging days. Nostalgia! Have a great weekend!

  • Michelle Ramsay
    November 4, 2016 at 1:48 pm

    I have also been listening to the Chris Loves Julia and Young House Love podcasts! If you started a podcast, I would definitely tune in! :) As a sidenote, I appreciate the inspiration I get from your home. I love CLJ and YHL but my home’s aesthetic is much more similar to yours (unpainted built-in cabinetry and woodwork, etc.) and I feel like there’s not much unpainted wood out there in blogland right now. To end on a more positive note… that blush wallpaper makes me so happy!

  • Laura
    November 5, 2016 at 12:27 am

    Love this! What a surprise, knowing how busy you are. Love seeing the kids. Too cute!

  • Vanessa Bailey
    November 5, 2016 at 8:57 am

    I like the smell of wet paint too. To heck with low VOCs!

  • Amanda
    November 5, 2016 at 9:42 am

    Love the post!

  • Janelle
    November 5, 2016 at 11:28 am

    I’ve been searching searching on your blog to find the name of the black paint color you used in the parlor. It’s beautiful!

    • Making it Lovely
      November 5, 2016 at 1:16 pm

      Thank you! It’s Benjamin Moore, Black Beauty.

  • Cat
    November 5, 2016 at 4:44 pm

    Oooooooh, wallpaper sneak peak! It’s far more beautiful than I could imagine. Enjoyed the list!

  • Lynnie
    November 5, 2016 at 9:59 pm

    Really enjoyed this post :) And as an avid Chicago lover I am delighted with the Cubs’ win, and with seeing my very favourite city bask in the global sporting spotlight!

  • Wendy
    November 5, 2016 at 11:24 pm

    Ugh. Now I want that brass wreath, too! I just can’t see any way to justify $200 on a wreath, but boy, is it gorgeous.

  • Mary
    November 6, 2016 at 9:59 am

    What a fun format. Pretty wallpaper, too.

  • A little bit of that, a little bit of this… | My Favourite Things
    November 6, 2016 at 8:34 pm

    […] to publish a short post from one of my many series today, but then chanced upon this post on “Taking Stock” on one of my all time favourite blogs, Making it Lovely. I loved reading it, and though I […]

  • Sarah
    November 7, 2016 at 3:32 pm

    God, let’s hope that Hillary wins. I don’t even know what to do if that bad hombre is our next president! I’m in college so I think it would be the perfect time to relocate to Europe :)

    • Sarah
      November 9, 2016 at 11:51 am

      Alright, Europe here I come! I was at the Javit Center last night and it was miserable. Tears everywhere. I was interviewed on camera a ton and all I could say was what an embarrassment and disappointment.

      Onward.

  • Emily
    November 9, 2016 at 1:09 am

    Reader from Sydney, Australia here. I’ve been watching the Election coverage all day while ‘working’ from home. I’m so disappointed and can only imagine how you must be feeling. Sincere commiserations.

  • Cathy
    November 20, 2016 at 2:37 pm

    Wow times flies. I stopped having any time to read blogs and now you and I have 3 kids! Crazy! Hopefully I’ll be able to catch up some time.

  • Pip Lincolne
    November 23, 2016 at 4:22 pm

    Aw hello!! Thank you for joining in with ‘Taking Stock’!! So lovely to hear more from the world of Nicole!
    xxx

  • Katja - A Home for Crafts
    December 1, 2016 at 12:48 pm

    I loved that brass leaf wreath too. So much I made myself one, but with cardstock :) I can’t wait to use it for my Christmas decor.