Recent Etsy Purchases

If you've been around for awhile, it's no secret how much I love Etsy for gifts and myself. I can't wait to bring you some Etsy exclusive gift guides this holiday season. 

I love when others share their Etsy favorites (because let's be honest, it can be super overwhelming with all of the choices) and wanted to share with you some of my most recent Etsy purchases.

If you're interested, you can follow me on Etsy here.

Blush pillow covers -- I purchased these for Sloane's playroom just this week. The fabric matches a small chair I had recovered as well as the seat of an heirloom rocking horse that my grandfather made when I was little. I love the sweet buffalo check in the soft blush tone. The price is fantastic. I always buy one size down from my insert size to give the pillows a fuller look. Flattened pillows make me crazy!

Applique linen tissue cover - I ordered this in pink and white for Sloane's bathroom and its adorable. Perfect gift for a new mama or housewarming!

Custom crest gift tag- Absolutely love these for our Christmas packages this year. You can print them at your local Kinkos!

Custom Silhouette - This may be one of my favorite items from Etsy. It's such a thoughtful gift or a classic way to remember your child's growth. We are all familiar with Sloane's hair (haha!) and I wanted a fun way to remember it by and have done every year or so. I can't wait to hang a series of these silhouette's in her playroom as she grows. The price makes it a no-brainer. 

Watercolor Home Portrait - I recently gifted as a housewarming gift and it truly turned out beautiful. 

Personalized Wooden Puzzle - Perfect for a child's birthday!

Monogrammed Baby Quilt - Friends of ours had a baby over the summer and this quilt turned out beautiful for their sweet baby boy.

Monogrammed Diaper Cover - We just love these for underneath Sloane's bishops.

Before and After: Sloane's Playroom

Excited to share some images of Sloane's playroom now that it is (semi) finished! Still on the hunt for child-friendly pillow covers and art for the walls, but it's about 90% of the way there. 

Let's start from the space when we first bought our house. Hello, red carpet. That was the first change to be made. Turned out, there were about 3 layers of uneven tile beneath, so in order to make a solid, safe and even floor for Sloane, we had to have all layers professionally removed before we could install new carpet. 

I went back and forth on how I wanted to address the walls. The room isn't massive and has a fair amount of windows for its size, so I knew I wanted to do some sort of custom trimwork, but wasn't entirely sure what. We decided over the summer that shiplap walls could be a fun, youthful approach to the space since it will be where Sloane spends a lot of time when she gets older. Initially, shiplap felt a little too "fixer upper" for our style, but ended up being exactly what I had in mind when I envisioned her playroom. 

Prior to Sloane's arrival, the space was a "catch-all" for baby gifts, toys, hand me downs, etc. Enter pure chaos. We knew we needed storage and we needed it BAD. We added custom built-ins made to hold baskets, books and toys on the opposite wall.

Can't believe I remembered to take a "during" photo. That never happens. I think that flushmount light was the most glaring item in this photo, haha! 

The original door (that leads to the backyard) also was high on my list to be replaced. I'm thrilled with the door we chose. It allows for SO much more light. I chose Benjamin Moore "stonington gray" for both the door an the builtins on the opposite wall. 

Sources:

storage baskets / sofa (similar) / stripe pillow (similar and on sale!) / monogram pillow

rug / blue and white garden stool (similar) / light fixture (on sale!)

Etsy Round Up

It's no secret my love for Etsy. Some of my most recent favorites linked below!

1 / 2 / 3 / 4

5 / 6 / 7 / 8

Fall Cravings

Call it having a newborn, but this summer flew.by.  How it is already September, I just can't understand! With the first day of fall later this month, I am sharing some things I have my eye on.

I've heard so many great things about this pullover and have had in my cart for quite some time. I think it'll be perfect for toting Sloane around this fall.  Can you really go wrong with dozens of 5 star reviews?

I've worn my camel v-neck cashmere sweater for years. This year, it's finally time for a new. It's such a closet staple and literally goes with everything. 

Ya'll know I love these pajamas. I am dying to try the poplin and see if I love as much as their pima cotton!

 I love little luxuries for our guests. This soap is perfect for our guest bath.

I've heard rave reviews about this concealer and let's be real, having an infant that is sleep averse warrants the strongest under-eye concealer you can find ;-)

I have a couple other pairs of earrings by this designer and I'm telling you the quality is next level. They are so well made without being too heavy to wear. I absolutely love the versatility of these hoops!

Absolutely love this color for fall, and pretty sure my husband would approve (Go Redskins)

3 Months with Sloane

It's hard to put into words the last 3 months! Time has felt like it has flown by, yet at the same time it feels like ages ago we brought her home from the hospital. In that time, we've learned A LOT. Isn't it crazy all of the things they DON'T tell you?! Whew. 

Keeping in mind all babies are different, I wanted to share with you all our "must haves" from across the board in the last 3 months. Whether they were Sloane's favorites, or mine, I've listed them below. A handful are repeats from previous favorite posts, just because we've loved them that much. 

Bouncer - This has been one of Sloane's favorite places to sit! It's perfect for travel, too! It flattens down so slim and has a toy bar that slides easily on for entertainment! 

Baby Shusher - I absolutely swear by this! At first, I will be honest and thought it was rather gimmicky, but jokes on me! It's perfect for her bassinet, stroller and travel in the car. It helps soothe her fussiness so quickly! 

Look Look Book- Sloane loved the contrast in her first couple of months as her eyes worked to develop! 

Shortie - Perfect for the summer heat and SO soft! 

Toy - The best $12 you'll ever spend. Trust me on this.

Bottles - These really helped cut Sloane's gassiness! 

Play Gym - You know those big bright play gyms you swear will never grace your home?! Yeah, she loves it. Ha!

Pacifiers - The perfect size!

Tote Insert - I swear by this! It transforms any bag into a diaper bag in a second! Perfect for her tote or my previous totes. 

Swaddle - We tried over a dozen swaddles before it landed us here. She loves having her hands by her face to self soothe and actually enjoys being zipped up! We will size up to the transition swaddle soon! 

Favorite Baby Toys

Sloane is still quite young to really know much about toys, but we have seen her show much more interest in some items than others! They are developing so fast at this age, so we want to be sure we expose her to toys that will assist in her rapid development.

Here are a few toys we've loved in her first six weeks! 

1 / 2 / 3

4 (we also have this linen cover) / 5 / 6

Our First Month: Most Loved Baby Items

Impossible to believe a month with our sweet girl has come and gone! It has been such a special month. We've already learned so much about our girl and wanted to share some items that both she (and we!) love! 

I wouldn't be lying if I said that these items helped us survive those first 30 days (and even still!) A handful of items are the same from our first week because we have loved them that much!

The best part is that all of these items are available through Prime, getting your way in just a day or two!

1 - Hands down, a true life saver.  This calms Sloane every single time.  We use it every night in her bassinet as well as her stroller walks to soothe any fussiness. Makes the best gift ever for a new mama! 

2 - These pacifiers are top recommended for breastfed babies. She's started with the newborn size and also has a glow in the dark set that makes it easy to find in the middle of the night :) 

3- I recommend all parents have these drops on hand for the first month or two! Our pediatrician recommended these as newborns systems are still very much developing and gas is incredibly common, causing fussiness. These drops work incredibly fast and help soothe an upset tummy. Get the two pack ;-) 

4 - Not so much for Sloane, but this manual pump has been great to use while Sloane feeds on the opposite side. I can easily pump enough for her evening bottle that Austin can give her, and even allowed for our first date night away last night. Plus, its so light and small -- much less overwhelming than an electric pump. 

5 - I could sing all of the praises for this swaddle. The material is so light and stretchy and perfect for nap swaddling.

6 - With temps in the 90's lately, this stroller fan has been the real MVP. 

7 - Converter gowns are what Sloane wears 99% of the time. Diaper changes are a breeze and they easily snap on and off. We love this brand because the material is so soft! 

8 - I wish I had known how many diapers and wipes you truly go through that first month. I love how gentle these wipes are on their soft skin and even double for me for those long days where I may not have had the chance to even wash my face. A win win!