Babymoon

What a month it has been! I am seriously looking forward to a few months at home with no travel plans! My sweet husband shared a wonderful babymoon with me in Cannes, France, on the back end of his business trip.

It was exactly what I  needed after my own business trip out in Vegas the week before. We had the most beautiful weather, food, drinks, ambiance and company! I think our little Charlotte enjoyed it just as much as her mama! Get ready for serious photo overload. I will be impressed if you make it through all of them, unless you're my mother.

First view from the cab ride into Cannes. Gorgeous!

Thank goodness one of my favorite coworkers of K's was on the trip. Jen is seriously the best shopping partner, laying out companion and fashion advice giver. I love all our European adventures together!

Beautiful Cannes sunset

On our way to THE venue where the Cannes Film Festival is held!

I couldn't believe Lenovo was going to take photos on the red carpet where some of my celebrity idols have walked!

Gorgeous view from the Film Festival

Business and Pleasure!

Walking the red carpet!

Awe struck!

Checking into the Carlton for our extended weekend!

At train station on the way to the French Perfume factory, Fragonard in Grasse! We are hydrated and ready to spend some $$$ on French perfume

Love my mother dearly, but she literally had me walking up HILLS to get her French perfume

Getting our shop on!

Outside Fragonard!

With our Mother's Day purchases! We love you, Grammy!

Before happy hour at the Carlton

My handsome Daddy to-be on the Carlton's veranda.

The most delicious meal at the Grandmother's Wheelbarrow.  Seriously the best meal we had all week. No menu at all - you get there, sit down, eat and choose from a couple of entrees they are cooking that night.

Khaner ordered the quail!

Leisurely breakfast before beach

My own version of heaven on earth.

The French know how to do everything better! They took ice cubes and swirled them around in these wine glasses before serving white wine in them. You don't even have to specify what kind of wine in France, it's all delicious.

Beautiful view of the Mediterranean.

View of our hotel from the beach. It really is an iconic fixture in Cannes.

My hard working husband relaxing in between his two business trips!

I actually got surprisingly burned that day - I didn't expect the Mediterranean sun to be quite so strong!

K approves of the snacks and beverages. 

Delicious club sandwiches, served with mesculine salad rather than fries! Delicious!

Jen and I getting our shop on in the market stalls near the harbor.

My poor child was walked up so many hills and stairs - I would not recommend this babymoon destination later in your pregnancy when you are getting bigger and more uncomfortable!

Bump and I at the top of the hill

We had gorgeous weather for a walk and hike.

So happy to be together here!

The Barefoot Contessa in me had to swing by a fromage shop!

Khaner was a fairly good sport, but I definitely picked up my little princess some French clothes at some of the boutiques.

I found these sweet elephant and carriage pajamas while in Grasse and instantly snatched them off the rack. They are thin, airy and will be perfect for summer time when she is older.

Selfie at the Croissette 72 Brasserie

Dinner with my favorite travel and shopping partner!

Escargot skills.

Arrival in Monaco!

I wasn't feeling the walk or the rain. As usual.

It was hard to remember being here 11 years ago and my mother having a fit the palace was closed. 

Beautiful view of Monaco

We joked that Jen was going to find a new French husband on a yacht because her fiance couldn't make the trip.

Waiting for the changing of the guard!

My good sport. He was so happy to have found the Monaco Grand Prix while we there. He even got to see firsthand the infamous "hairpin" turn.

Panoramic shot of  Prince's Palace of Monaco.

Outside St. Nicholas Cathedral where Princess Grace was married and later buried with her husband.

Delicious Italian lunch by the harbor. We figured we were now officially "neighboring" Italy so the food had to be good, and boy, was it!

Jen and I outside the Hotel de Paris near the Monte Carlos Casino. Sun was finally out!

Babymoonerrs in Monaco.

Back at Croissette 72 for a non alcoholic beer!

And of course, what's a babymoon without a cheeseburger, coke, and chocolate cake your last night for room service?

When I finally arrived home, my little girl felt all the more real when I got my sweet invitation to her baby shower. I have the sweetest friends for rallying together and hosting this for us.

And my two training wheel babies were happy their Mama was finally home.

I told Khaner while we were away that I know we are about to embark on a fun and also scary adventure. I am so grateful and blessed to have had this time, just us, before we make room for an even bigger family! We will always look back and fondly remember these trips and time in our lives.

And, it's a...

GIRL!

It only took 97397493 shots to take this, but my two rebels are going to be First Class Gentlemen by the time their baby sister arrives in late August (early September if you ask me)! We are absolutely overjoyed and in shock at how quickly this pregnancy is moving along. Here's to hoping we keep her alive, happy, healthy and don't ruin her life when she's 16.

Nursery Plans

YES! We are welcoming a sweet addition to our family, due August, 2016! Of course, my type A personality has been in full force planning the nursery (and staying within a budget).

I have to admit, with both our families out of town, I am grateful we moved when we did and have more space to house all the family when Baby W arrives! Having a "nursery nook" off the master will be very convenient, as well.

With planning the nursery, I really wanted all the investment pieces to remain neutral should we have both a boy and a girl, and if that ends up being the case, changing out smaller items like bedding and pillows.

Get ready for online shopping overload:

Crib:

After poring through online stores, this was definitely the most affordable, attractive-looking, and several of my friends swear by it. I do not plan on using the wheels. They look like part of  an office chair.

Mobile:

This was the first item I ordered for the nursery, and I was pleasantly surprised by the price point from Restoration Hardware. These exact mobiles were twice as much on Etsy and shipped from overseas. I love that the mobile is gender-neutral, simple, and has sweet bunnies for a boy or girl in the future.

Changing Table:

This piece from Restoration Hardware was definitely more than I had planned to spend, but the sad truth is, everything else on the market seemed like plastic, cheap, wobbly furniture.  Since I was SO good with the other items, I took the plunge. I was torn between the heirloom white and warm grey, but ended up going with white. It was actually less expensive and will be a classic addition for years to come. I even think using this on the patio for outdoor entertaining in the future will be useful.

Mirror:

I absolutely adore a French Louis Phillipe-style mirror, but some of these are costly. Tried and true Ballard Designs came through for me at a fraction of the cost.

Glider:

I had originally planned to purchase a less expensive glider, but I decided having  micro fiber material may not be comfortable in the dead of summer. We chose to bite the bullet on this Pottery Barn, 100% cotton glider. I know it's on the top end price-point wise, but even K agreed to pay a bit more for quality materials. 

Foot stool:

This beautiful foot stool was my inspiration from RH. I was able to re-create the look by finding a similar french footstool at a local antique store and plan on having it recovered for a fraction of the price. Stay tuned for the before and after.

Bassinet:

This was another long-awaited find. Bassinets can run up to thousands of dollars and you'll only get a few years' use out of them until you pass them down to your kids. As with all the major items in the nursery, I wanted the ability to re-purpose this, and the ivory seemed suitable for a boy or girl.

Chippendale Whatnot Shelf:

These small Chippendale shelves can run you some big bucks but I scored a great deal off Etsy and knew I had to move quickly for its price point. I can't wait to place little trinkets and cups on the shelves.

Chandeliers:

I like this chandelier for a boy or girl because it's not as frilly. My husband refuses to have chandeliers but I will ask for forgiveness later.

If we end up with a little girl, I think these are really cute and I like them for even later on when the room reverts back to an extra closet/dressing room.

Giraffe Rocker:

This was the second item I bought for the nursery from My Habit. I love that throws in some color to the white and neutral palette of the room.

Storage Baskets:

Animal Prints:

Aren't these animal prints precious? Plan is to frame them each in gold frames at the flea market and hang above the crib.

I originally saw these ticking baskets on Wayfair and then Joss and Main (owned by Wayfair) ran an incredible sale on them with free shipping, as well! I originally was going to wait to get them in blue or pink, but I find the yellow different and more versatile. If we plan to use them elsewhere in the house, they are neutral enough and don't scream a baby's nursery.

High Chair:

One of my favorite clothing stores also has a home line, and I fell in LOVE with this high chair from Zara!

I still need to find a rug (probably from Eatmans) and change out the heinous drapes that are in there now.

Sources
Crib:
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B002T1HH1I?psc=1&redirect=true&ref_=ox_sc_act_title_1&smid=ATVPDKIKX0DER
Mobile:
https://www.rhbabyandchild.com/catalog/product/product.jsp?productId=rhbc_prod482172&categoryId=rhbc_cat377281
Mirror:
http://www.ballarddesigns.com/louis-mirror-wall/292563
Glider:
http://www.potterybarnkids.com/products/pb-kids-comfort-small-round-arm-glider/?cm_src=B%3Aproductsearch&lineid=1&catalogId=9
Footstool Inspiration:
https://www.rhbabyandchild.com/catalog/product/product.jsp?productId=rhbc_prod395412&categoryId=search
Bassinet:
http://www.ababy.com/itempage.asp?CategoryID=&mirid=&itemno=18870
Whatnot shelf: Vintage from Etsy
Chandieliers: 
http://www.houzz.com/photos/38790051/Crown-Jewel-Chandelier-farmhouse-chandeliers
http://www.myhabit.com/#page=d&dept=home&asin=B012ELDDTM&cAsin=B012ELDDTM&qid=aps-12HSV2BM55HHFAJ96F89-1453749889806&sindex=468&discovery=search&ref=qd_home_sr_10_36
Rocker:
http://www.myhabit.com/#page=d&asin=B000UE16DQ&cAsin=B000UE16DQ&qid=aps-0JWWHZXD14K2H63FM7E0-1451834453399&sindex=0&discovery=search&ref=qd_sr_1_0
Animal Prints: 
https://www.etsy.com/listing/232640419/animal-nursery-art-baby-animal-nursery?ref=related-3
Baskets:
http://www.wayfair.com/Colonial-Mills-Solid-Ticking-Storage-Basket-CV13100-CV13100.html
Highchair:
http://www.zarahome.com/gb/en/decoration/furniture-%26-lamps/convertible-high-chair-c1294067p6910581-zhkidsgb.html

Zara Bedding

Literally, my favorite home trend and European fashion chain have collided.

Feast your eyes on these puppies, courtesy of Zara Home. If only I had seen these before sending Santa my list. 

Merry and Bright

Though we will be out of town for Christmas, I love getting into the spirit of the holiday and celebrating the season.

With a new house to decorate this year, I wanted to feel like we were somewhat "home" for Christmas even if we wouldn't be there the day of.

I love  using fresh greenery this time of year, especially with its heavenly scent that fills the house.

We hosted four couples for a dinner party Saturday and it was so fun working on the tablescape.

I can't tell you how nice it is to use your full leaves all year round in your dining room and not have to store them.

A little dark, but a gold pine cone wreath I purchased after the holidays last year from Home Goods. Our nutcrackers are collected from Germany and given to us by my in-laws.

Fresh greenery is gorgeous and delicious-smelling, but an absolute pain to keep still.

One of my favorite things about our new house is having a banister.Sadly, my domestic skills are limited to bow-making, but my sweet husband was determined to YouTube these things and I have to say, they came out beautiful. 

Our mantle needs some tweaking but it's getting there.

Blurry, but a peaceful and serene morning with my cup of coffee by the tree.

Our poor neighbor Mary Lou got stuck taking our Christmas card photo and Carter did not want his photo taken. Thank God we got a halfway decent one out of the 9495947 we took!