Hope's Nursery

I've dreamt of decorating a nursery for a little girl practically my whole life. I love bright colors, beautiful patterns and Lilly Pulitzer, so it was obvious where my inspiration would come from! Very happy to reveal Hope's Lilly Pulitzer-inspired nursery! 

I like the color pink and think all little girls deserve a good share of pink in their rooms, but I didn't want to overwhelm Hope's room with it. Blue is actually my favorite color, and this wall color - Tahitian Breeze by Behr - is feminine but not overpowering. I LOVE this color and am so happy with how it turned out! 

The ribbon mobile above the crib was a collaborative effort by me and my friend April (okay, she did 90%), and the fabric bunting across the window was made my my bestie Lesley for use at my baby shower - I just added a little yellow to tie in the rest of the room.  

I used Lilly prints to accent the room (above the bookcase, on the shelf and in the quilt made for Hope by my bestie's mama, on the back of the glider).

We stuck with a gender neutral custom glider/recliner and ottoman in case there are any baby boys down the road. Same for the crib: I wanted it to be appropriate for Hope but also for any little brothers she might one day have! But the dresser and bookcase (the Ava series from Pottery Barn Kids) are all hers.

I really love how it turned out and just can't wait to get her home and see her in that crib! It's now my favorite room in the house; sometimes I just go sit in there and feel so at peace. And it somehow already smells like a newborn! 

Hope, your mama had so much fun designing and decorating this room for you, baby girl! 

xo,

KH

Nursery Planning: Boy and Girl nursery themes

We find out on SATURDAY if our little babe is a handsome boy or a darling girl. I am kind of in disbelief that I'm already 20 weeks and will soon know if I'll have a son or a daughter. The fact that the envelope with the verdict is in my purse right now is really, super, extra tempting.

Our 20-week ultrasound was yesterday and to be honest, it was tough. I am not quite ready to share the details but we will be seeing a specialist next week to learn more. I covet your prayers as we find out more about our baby's health in the coming weeks.

For now, I'm going to focus on the good  and the fun, and what's more fun than nursery planning?!

To get myself geared up for our reveal on Saturday with our parents, I put the nursery plans that I've had in my head down on "paper" to get a visual. And to, oh I don't know, show the hubs how our kid's room might will be decorated. And I am so excited! I don't know which one is my favorite.

Baby boy nursery: Vintage Golf
I mean, this theme might be a little obvious for a golf coach's baby boy. But I couldn't resist! And Alex is on board. I plan to use some vintage golf posters, as well as pictures of Alex and his dad playing golf when they were young.

Golf-inspired baby boy nursery by klhamilton featuring a weave basket

Baby girl nursery: Lilly Pulitzer-inspired Chinoiserie 
Okay, so a Lilly-themed nursery might also be a little obvious for a girl from South Florida - ha! While pastels are sweet, I love bright colors in a baby's room. I want to get some vintage Lilly fabric scraps to make some wall hangings and pillows, and include some chinoiserie elements in the room as well.

Lilly Pulitzer-inspired Chinoiserie baby girl nursery by klhamilton featuring a pink rug

Notice that I used a gray glider in both mocks. I'm thinking I need to stay neutral with the glider, since they are such an investment and we plan on having more than one child, God-willing. But we might go the slip-covered route, which is more $ up front - but I can more easily change the look later. Any thoughts on a glider?

Let me know what you think! And again - please, please remember Baby H in your prayers.  

xo

KH

Friday, yay!

Friday is just the best day, isn't it? More than the fact that it's Friday, I'm happy August is here! Yes, I know we've still got some dog days of summer coming at us but the end of this cruel, cruel summer is near: I can't take many more 100+ degree days, y'all. I know Columbia is #FamouslyHot, but this is ridiculous!

ONE. 
In the spirit of continuing to make improvements to our home, we had our gutters replaced a few weeks ago on one side of our house, which happened to be the only place on our house that we had gutters, period. We decided to spring for LeafGuard, the kind you don't have to clean out, because we have a big scary tree over the gutter that drops all kinds of junk throughout the year and led to the previous gutter's demise. Well, when I got home the day they were installing the gutter, I was a little confused to see the sparkling new gutter...on the wrong side of the house. After a quick phone call, they told us they'd come and correct their mistake and they did within 2 days. Bonus for us? They left the mistaken gutter since it was already in place so we got Two for One gutters! I'll take that all day long! (Please excuse how excited I am over GUTTERS. I really am an adult.)

TWO.
I have baby tomatoes in my garden! This is crazy, guys - I've NEVER grown actual fruit or veggies all by myself! It will be a small harvest but it's a start. (And clearly I have something eating the leaves - better check into that.)

THREE. 
We enjoyed a few days at Edisto Beach, SC last weekend. Alex has been traveling SO MUCH for work this summer that it was nice to have a few days to relax with him and just let time slow down. We had some pics taken on the beach with the pups while we were there and I can't wait to share!!

FOUR.
THIS. Pumpkin and fall scents are back at B&BW. Enough said.

FIVE.
Big announcement coming tomorrow so check back! Eeeeeek!  :)

Happy weekending!

xo, 

KH

Linking up with

 April, Christina, Natasha and Darci! 

Review: IKEA Ektorp Sectional (after 4 years of daily use)

Lately I've been thinking a lot about our couch. This guy has been with us now for a full 4 years, dealing with a daily dose of two dogs and two adults. It's been at two homes, gone through one move and is on its second slipcover. As I was going through my periodic ritual of washing the sofa over the weekend, I thought it might be helpful to write an honest review of it after 4 years of intense use.

Our decision to get the IKEA Ektorp sectional back in 2011 was primarily cost-driven. When we were engaged and building our first house (read: strapped for cash), we began furniture shopping for our new life together. Finding ourselves often at the site of one of our registries, the one and only Pottery Barn, we would lounge on the super comfy, beautiful, overstuffed and overpriced PB sofas in the store. Gosh, how I wanted one of those! But I could not justify the price when we could get the same look from IKEA for literally thousands less. Plus, this was our first home and we planned to get a puppy and probably have a baby while we owned this first couch of ours. In the end, the washable slipcovers (that don't look like slipcovers), PB style, and amazing price of $999 including our preferred slipcover won us over. To put it in perspective, we were able to furnish our living room, bedroom and dining room for the same cost as ONE Pottery Barn sectional. No lie. 

When we decided on the Ektorp couch, we ended up ordering online and having the couch delivered. Our closest IKEA was only about 90 minutes away at the time, but we didn't have a vehicle large enough to transport it and we wanted it to arrive before we got married so it would be there by the time we got back from our honeymoon. It came 2 days before our wedding in two giant boxes and one smaller box (the slipcover) on a freight truck. I was out getting my pre-wedding mani/pedi when it arrived, but Alex, my brother, my stepdad and my bestie's hubby were at the house and assembled it in about 10 minutes. I was told it was very easy. (Since then, we've also purchased an Ektorp sofa that I assembled on my own in about 30 minutes, so I can attest to the simplicity. It's just easier with two sets of hands.)

I mentioned two slipcovers: the first, the one we ordered with the couch itself, was Svanby Beige, a color that is not offered anymore. It was a premium fabric and had a nicer texture - a thicker, lineny blend - than the some of the other options, and cost about $200 more than the cheapest option. I was THRILLED with how much it looked like Pottery Barn! The color was beautiful.

Here's the couch at our first house, at about 2 years old, with the Svanby Beige slipcover.

This Svanby Beige fabric was allegedly dry clean only, but I popped the cushion covers in the washer and hung them to dry when they got dirty. I never had the guts to wash the whole base cover though, so by the time we moved (and our golden, Ellie, had learned to make herself at home on the couch) it was looking a little dingy. We decided that after we moved we'd get a new slipcover. 

The cover we currently have is Tygelsjo Beige, which is only $99. It's machine washable, but I will say that the fabric quality isn't as nice as our first, more "premium" cover. It's starting to get some pilling in areas of high touch, and we've had this cover on for about 18 months. 

As for a dog-friendly couch: Penny and Ellie both take their toll on this couch, but I don't sweat it because at this point, we're at a cost of $250 a YEAR for this thing and that's only doing to decrease the longer we have it. To get a PB couch down to this annual rate, you'd need to hold on to it for at least 12 years. Woof. The girls definitely like to lounge on it and Ellie especially puts it to the test with her favorite pastime of lying on the top of the backrest cushions. But yes, the dog hair and bits of dirt add up - enter the ability to wash and dry! 

This couch has been through it. We are NOT easy on this thing!

Now I've read posts by some who have the white slipcovers, and they say keeping it clean is a snap because they wash their slipcover from top to bottom every WEEK. Not sure about you, but ain't nobody got time for that. I'm doing good if I wash my bath towels once a week, let's be honest. The disassembling of the slipcover, stripping off all the cushion covers, washing, drying and then reassembling is a royal pain in the butt. It's my least favorite household chore other than ironing or vacuuming the stairs (which we don't even have in this house, PTL). I get around to it every few months. When I do, I plan on washing 3 loads: one for the base cover, one for the seat cushion covers and one for the back cushion covers. 

It's a fun day when it's couch washing day. Not. 

Once the covers come out of the wash, you can throw them in the dryer on low heat but only until they're about 75% dry. This is especially important for the base slipcover. When it's still a little damp, you can more easily stretch it over the frame and the wrinkles will mostly fall out. 

Putting the cushion covers back on it its own kind of torture. I hate that part. But you've got to do what you've got to do. 

So fresh and so clean, clean.

Once everything is clean and smells like Tide, the couch looks almost as good as new! 

So here are my bottom line Pros and Cons: 

Pros: 

• Price! You cannot beat it. The Ektorp sectionals start at $799. 
• Replacement slipcovers start at $99. That's amazing. Cheap enough to replace annually if you wanted. 
• Easy assembly. Don't be intimidated by the thought of putting a couch together. IKEA makes it pretty foolproof.
• It's lightweight and easy to move around the room, or move from house to house (as easy as it is assembled, you can disassemble for moves). 
• You can wash every bit of the fabric on this thing - great for pets and kids. And if only one cushion gets dirty, you can throw that in without the fuss of a total wash. 
• It comes with a 10-Year Limited Warranty (keep that receipt!)
• The style is classic and goes with just about everything. 
• And yes, it looks like Pottery Barn. 

Cons: 

• IKEA furniture in general is made for small spaces. So this couch is a little smaller than its Pottery Barn equivalent. The seats are not as deep, the backrests are not as high. Sometimes I wish it was a little bit bigger, especially the height of the backrests. 
• The fabric, especially that of our second slipcover, isn't the highest of quality and I've noticed some pilling 18 months in. I'd spring for one of the premium covers OR be okay with replacing the slipcover every 12-18 months.
• The cushions, especially the back cushions, have lost some of their shape and have become a little slouchy. Though this could have a lot to do with the fact that a golden retriever routinely sleeps on ours...
• I have not had to try to replace anything with the included Warranty, but I've read that it can be tricky to get repairs or replacements covered by it. 
• While you can purchase a replacement slipcover, you can't buy replacement cushions (which we totally thought you could when we bought this). I've heard you can usually find some in the As Is/Bent and Dent section at your local IKEA, however. 

So: would I buy this couch again? 

YES. I would. I'm not saying I will literally buy the same couch in a year or two (or more) to replace this one, but I am SO GLAD we bought this couch four years ago. It has given me the look I wanted at a price that cannot be beat, period. And the ability to wash it all or one cushion at a time has saved my sanity when Ellie comes back inside on a rainy day.

If you've been considering one of the Ektorp series sofas or armchairs, I highly recommend it. As I said, we have a regular Ektorp sofa in our front room in the same fabric (Tygelsjo Beige) and I love that I got a nice looking, classic upholstered sofa for $399. That's just insane.

If you're up for a little maintenance - which honestly comes with any upholstered sofa - this sectional is an incredible value! Good luck!

xo
KH

It's a Friday in the summer - what more could you want?

Whew, another week down! I'm still lucky enough to not be working on Fridays, which has been lifechanging. It is so nice to wake up on Friday morning and not do anything other than think about what errands I need to run, what household tasks I need to do, or what show on Netflix I'm going to watch next. But enough bragging ;)

ONE.
We got our foundation fixed last week and lemme tell ya, the cost is NOT one of the things I'm happy about this Friday! However, the fact that the two doors to our two guest bedrooms easily open and close might have been worth the exorbitant cost. Or at least half of it. No more sticking doors!! And the house doesn't sound like a giant is walking across the floor anymore, either. Still - sometimes being an adult is hard. There are a lot of other things I'd have liked to spend that money on!

TWO.
Figs, figs everywhere! Our tree is exploding with tiny ripe fruit. I'm sharing with neighbors, coworkers and friends as fast as I can before they all fall off! 

THREE. 

My mom sent me the BEST care package of gluten free goodies this week!  (Gotta love Amazon PrimePantry!). Crackers, wannabe pop tarts, cake and brownie mixes, mac and cheese, pasta - you name it! She is the best :) 

FOUR. 

I just love heckling out library books! There's something's very old school about it, and I love the way a plastic-wrapped hardback creaks when you open it. Diving into and old classic and a new find this week! Go Set A Watchman is next! 

FIVE. 

Getting ready for another girls weekend this weekend and this is just a portion of the food and bevvies I'm bringing. There is never a shortage of food on a girls' weekend!  Looking forward to a weekend of laughs, catching up and lotsa good with some good girlfriends! 

Linking up with

 April, Christina, Natasha and Darci! 

Christmas Tour of Our Home

2014 is the second Christmas in our home in Columbia. This year, I had it down: I knew what I wanted to put where. It's hard to think that we only had 2 Christmases in our first home before we move: will this house beat the first one and host 3+ Christmastimes? Or will we be in another city next year? I don't know and I can't think about it right now! All I know is that I love this home and I love decorating it for Christmas!

Here's a quick Christmas tour of our home, 2014.

The big tree in the family room

Is there anything better than soaking up the glow of the Christmas tree?

Advent calendar: an ornament is added each day to the tiny Advent tree (below)

Family portrait!

I just love this little pillow...scored for $2.50 after Christmas last year at TJ Maxx!

Dining room

Even the bar in the dining room got some Christmas flair. 

I keep things pretty simple in the kitchen...too much other stuff is going on in there!

Front living room. Finally have furniture in there this year!

Our smaller tree in the sunroom. The best thing about it is you can see it from the street!

The girls are clearly thrilled with the decor!

Merry, merry Christmas!

xo

KH

Falling for autumn

I know, I know. I'm late to the "I love Fall" party and I've all but disappeared over the last few weeks. What can I say: I've been busy! 

Now that it's nearly Halloween, I figured I'd better share my Fall decorations before it's time to bust out the Christmas boxes. Last year, I did very minimal decorating for Fall, since we moved into our house last August. Because we'd just unpacked all the normal decor and gotten that situated, I didn't want to take it all down and decorate for fall. So I was soooo excited to get out ALL of my fall stuff this year, some of which I haven't seen since fall of 2012! 

ONE. Living Room
I took down most of my everyday decor and replaced with autumnal lovelies. Those little raffia pumpkins are some of my absolutely favorite decorations: my mom gave them to me years ago when I was in college, and she'd had them for years then! I made the bunting a few years ago, and I love how it looks on our mantle in this house. 

mantle decor + bunting

pumpkins in the fireplace (because it will be awhile before we light a fire in there!)

new pillows! I made the orange pillow covers to fit my Pottery Barn inserts

TWO. Dining Room

We don't eat in our dining room much, which is one reason I can set the table like this and it won't get messed up very often! 

burlap + candles + pinecones/leaves

just a few leaves on the mantle add some fall color

THREE. Front Door
The front door is probably my favorite thing to decorate seasonally. I made the burlap wreath a few months ago and had planned to swap it for a fall wreath, but I thought it looked so cute with the fall stuff that it stayed. And what's fall without mums and pumpkins on the doorstep, amiright? 

love coming home to this! 

burlap for the win 

FOUR. Kitchen
I keep things simple in the kitchen: a few candles, candy corn, fall dish towels, and a leaf-shaped candy dish (that I shouldn't fill, EVER, because I'll eat it all). 

candles and candy corn on the island

FIVE. Back Door
We don't really use the front door, so I had to do something at the back door to greet us with fall fanfare when we come home. I'll trade out the Halloween door hanger after the 31st for a grapevine wreath with fall leaves. 

protected by CPI Security and Ellie :)

In addition to this stuff, we have a few more decorations scattered throughout the house (and enough pumpkin candles to make it smell like Thanksgiving). Happy fall, y'all.

xo
KH

Linking up with

 April, Christina, Natasha and Darci!