How to make your mani last

Even though I'm in the beauty industry getting a manicure is a luxury for me.
Getting one at a salon, as a paying client, not squeezing in with some of the girls at mine when we have 5 minute break is an even bigger one.

It's so nice being the client. You just get to sit there, relax. Breathe.
Get pampered, feel important. It's nice to have others wait on you.

However I know how difficult it is to shell out the cash. I try to extend all my services to get the most bang for my buck. So here's my tip on how to make your mani last another week!

I like to get gel manicures. I'm a natural nail kinda gal. Simplicity is my friend.
Nothing against you acrylic lovers, it's just not for me. Anymore.. I had them in high school like it was my job, before I had a job to pay for the up keep haha. Funny how spending your own money on things makes you think twice on what you spend it on.

I got my nails done about a week ago now for Thanksgiving. I just got a navy color all over. I usually get 2 weeks out of my gel.
However, I don't know if this happens to any of you but after a week I notice the growth at my the base of my nail bed near my cuticle & it drives me crazy.

So I improvise..

All you need is a littler glitter polish & a super duper top coat.
My favorite top coat is the vinylux one, that I intermix with any polish no just the vinylux ones.
My favorite glitter polish line is anything by Morgan Taylor. They go on smooth & you don't need a million coats to make it look fab.

I dab the glitter polish along my cuticle line, sometimes it even gets on my cuticle. That's fine! You can pick it off, or go back with clippers and files later to clean it up. I then apply the top coat & BAM!

1. It looks like a brand new mani
2. You are going to be able to get another 2-3 week wear out of it!

How easy was that?
You're welcome :)

Happy Holidays Everyone!

xoxo,
Molly.

Simple Make Up Tips

The older I get, and the more active my almost 9 month old daughter becomes the less I spend worrying about my appearance. 

As a beauty professional, that's not okay! But as a human, it's acceptable in mommy hood. 

I have been trying to find a happy balance on my days off when I'm around town running errands or coaching cheer, to feel a little more put together. 

When you live and work in the same town as I do, I'm bound to run into clients occasionally.

As their go to beauty guru they have certain expectations of me, as they should. 

So lately I have starting with a clean fresh face. I'm beginning to realize how imports skin care is. I used to be that girl that never washed her make up off from the night before & didn't even own a cleanser. 

I'm slowly getting better about treating my skin good; to be a little more preventative as I age. 

I then only apply 2 products. 

1. Lipstick which helps bring some color to my face. I have been testing out new shades this fall. 

I'm typically a red lips kinda girl. However I have been playing with purples & pinks.. And I'm really falling in love with more tones & how they look on my skin. 

Your skin tone is something you want to take into consideration when choosing any makeup of course. 

Everyone has their "perfect shade"

You just have to get out of your comfort zone to experiment a little until you find it. 

I've been using the elf line's lipstick & love how smooth they go on. They last forever too. Hello $3??? Can't beat that!

2. Brows. I use a couple different things for my brows. 

Recently I have fallen in love with wet n' wild's brow pencil line. They also have this great high lighter pencil I've tried before to help enhance your brow bone. 

The pencil is only $2.99 I believe. 

I used the pencil first to outline & fill in my brow. And then I used my go to elf brow kit to fill in my brows with the powder from it. (Again $3!!!!)

I think just a brow pencil still looks a little too drawn on & believe a powder on top makes them look more natural. 

After I compete these 2 steps I instantly feel pulled together, and it barley took 10 minutes to apply ! 

Remember ladies in some cases, no most- LESS IS MORE!

Xoxo

Molly

Easy No Sew Tutu

Halloween is just around the corner. As my daughters first I knew this costume had to be over the top and of course include a tutu ! What's cuter than a tutu?

My daughter is obsessed with her "lamby" doll from doc mcstuffins. So we decided to make that her costume this year. We purchased a simple lamb costume online & knew we would have to come up with a bow & tutu to complete the look. 

I had always planned on making it. As  time escaped, I almost resorted to buying one instead. 

I found an "okay" one at Jo-Ann's for $15. A super cute one at target for $14. 

But I just couldn't bring myself to spend that much when I knew I could buy all the supplies I needed for under $5. 

I turned to Pinterest trying to find a tutorial to follow when making my tutu. However I couldn't find any worth my time or even worth "pinning" for that matter. 

All I could find was the "tie" tutu method  and I personally, am just not a fan of how the end result looks. I don't like how you can still see the elastic at the waist band. 

With my mothers help we came up with our own No Sew tutu tutorial

Talk about winging it. You should have seen us! What a hoot. But so easy took us 15-20 minutes & it turned out so cute.

 I love the gathered look you get at the waist band using this technique. 

All you need is:

Tulle 

Elastic 

Thread (or yarn, string etc.)

Hot glue gun 

Glue sticks 

Scissors 

I purchased 2 yards of tulle. 1 yard of each color.  We picked out a dark pink & a light pink to intermix. That cost 79 cents per yard. 

We just took the elastic and held it around my daughters waist to get a rough measurement. I cut it a little bigger than needed to leave room for her costume. (You can get elastic for a couple bucks a yard. I happen to have some laying around, next to my sewing machine.)

I hot glued the two ends of elastic  together. 

We then folded the pieces of tulle in half (hot dog style) & cut down the middle. 

We repeated this step by folding the tulle in half & cutting them again. Leaving us with 8 total pieces of tulle. 

I took the long pieces and cut about 4-5 rectangles from each. 

Like I mentioned, we had no plan or idea to follow. We were winging it. So simple, but all over the place lol. So stay with me! 

Once we had all these little rectangles cut out we just gathered an end and twisted it. 

We secured it with some thread and tied the gathered end together to secure it. 

I then hot glued the gathered end to the elastic waist band. We repeated this step alternating the colors until completed. 

I will confess the tulle only made its way 3/4 the way around the waist band. And since my daughter is 8 months old & only weighs 17 lbs you can imagine the elastic band wasn't very big. 

So of course the amount of tulle will depend on the size needed. 

But I couldn't love the end result more. So full, so cute & EASY!!  

Enjoy.

Happy crafting !!! 

& Happy Halloween!

Simple Fall Decor

I am like most of my fellow Midwestern girls when it comes to fall. I love all things pumpkin, and can't start decorating soon enough. As soon as I spot my first pumpkin patch, the hubby knows to pull on over! 

Fall is my favorite time of the year and it may be because I'm an October baby but I wish it lasted all 12 months! 

Each year my style changes slightly but I love to find new pieces to add to my fall decor. This year decided to keep things on the more simple side and am loving it! 

Below are some shots from our house this fall, & where I purchased some of the items.

(Light up pumpkin from big lots $12)

(Plastic pumpkins $3 target dollar bins)

(Turkey sign $3 target dollar bins)

This is my usual table decor, I just added some bundles of wheat to my centerpiece bring some fall into my kitchen. 

We got these pumpkins as well as all the corn stock & wheat bundles from a local pumpkin patch. 

We decided to do 3 pumpkins this year , for mommy, daddy & baby Hadley. 

We love mums! We can't get enough. I believe my husband got these at Home Depot in the lawn & garden department. We also have a huge yellow one out back. 

I know it's fall at the Ingrams when the corn stocks go up!! My hubby tied them up with some gingam ribbon & everything. 

We have been in the process of redecorating our front porch this month. We only have a couple more steps until it's complete & I have to take a moment and brag on my husband for a moment. 

He is always on board and loves mydecorating ideas. However, there are times when he really surprises me with his own. 

When we began looking for houses I always said that I wanted a house with a red door, so of course I loved his idea to paint ours barn red to match my "hey y'all" sign I bought before we even closed on the house hehe. 

Would love to see your fall decor now! Tag me on Instagram with the hashtag 

#batbfalldecor

Recipe Segment: Quick Mexican Casserole

If you are anything like me you're  always scrolling Pinterest at the end of the day while laying in bed, during down times at work & especially when a great idea pops into your head and you turn to Pinterest for a genius way to make it happen!! 

I always use it to help me plan my weekly meals and make out my grocery list. 

I like to find ideas and build on them to make them work for my family. 

The hubby and I have been on a Mexican kick. For a while there, I was making this dish we called "Molly's mex mix" that was basically like an at home chipotle bowl, but a girl can only have the same thing so many times before she gets bored. 

So here is a great Mexican casserole recipe using all our favorites. I encourage you to take it, tweak it & make it work for your or your family! 

The original recipe I found was a vegan recipe. I am in no way shape or form a vegan. Nothing against them, but I like my meat!

This is a very hearty meal that you really can't tell the meat is missing, however next time I plan on adding chicken to mine! 

  

This dish made up a lot and we ate on it all week! I would say about 8-10 servings. 

Ingredients:

(Let me clarify-I don't measure anything I cook, only when I bake lol. I'll do my best with the portions here.) 

2 cans of whole kernel corn

2 cans of black beans 

2 small cans of green chilies

2 cans of Refried beans

1 onion 

2 gloves of garlic

3 peppers (green & red, I added orange)

1 bag of shredded Mexican blend cheese

1 1/2 tsb of cumin 

2 tsb of chili powder 

1 tsp of black pepper 

Salt to taste 

Whole wheat tortilla's 

Chopped cilantro 

Olive oil 

Sour cream (optional)

Step 1: 

Pre heat oven to 350 , mean while...

Toss the corn, beans, chilies, peppers, onion, & garlic in a skillet coated in olive oil until it's all heated up. 

Step 2: 

Add in the chilli powder, cumin, cilantro, salt & pepper until blended. 

Step 4:

I used a 13x9 casserole dish to bake it in.

So for this part I used 4 whole tortillas to lay on the bottom of the dish. Then spread a thick layer of the Refried beans on top of the tortillas. 

Step 5: 

Pour the skillet mixture over the bottom layer in the baking dish , layer the shredded cheese on top & bake for 40 mins at 350. 

Once finished top with fresh cilantro & optional sour cream ! 

It was as good as it looks! 

Later in the week to spice it up, I even added lettuce and smashed up tortilla chips to make it into a taco salad. 

Like I mentioned, I will probably add chicken the next time & I like my Mexican spicy, so I may add more chilli powder! So be sure to take this recipe & tweak it so it fits your desires.  

Enjoy & dig in! 

Sneak Peak House Tour

Check out my snapchat if you haven't already! This will be the week you want to add me! I'm giving all my followers a sneak peak into my home, with a tour. 

Each day I will post a new section of the house we have completed in our renovation process! 

Monday: Front Porch

Tuesday: Living Room 

Wednesday: Bathroom 

Thursday: Master Bedroom

Friday: Nursery 

Saturday: Guest Room & Mancave

Sunday: Backyard 

Snap ya later 😘

Memory Lane

Before I became a mom, 

an obsessed crafter, 

an experienced stylist, 

a home owner or a blogger..

I met this man, 

Levi yes like the jeans. 

We met on an online dating website 6 years ago. 

The week my profile was made, was the week he planned on deleting his. 

Levi was ready to throw in the towel. 

I however was just beginning my journey into the dating world 

after spending a summer single.

I was always that girl that jumped from one serious relationship to the next. 

Everyone told me, and deep down I knew I needed "me" time to find myself before I could find 

THE ONE.

So that summer before I met him I forced myself to stay single and just mingle. 

I learned so much about life, love and what I wanted for my future.

I was in hair school at the time, and had met some of my forever friends..

life seemed great. I was still young and had my whole life to live for

but something kept pulling on my heart when it came to dating. 

I took those mixed signals as signs to rekindle old flames, 

yeah that didn't work out. What was I thinking? Haha

I knew there was no one for me in my hometown.

I wasn't one who went to bars, or party's so 

I knew that wasn't the way I was going to  meet my soul mate.

& A girl can only attend so many country concerts 

before all the guys start looking the same, am I right?

Which lead me to online dating.

Levi was the first guy I really talked to on there 

& I remember that week of getting to know each other like it was yesterday. 

We spent most nights staying up late chatting back and forth in emails, 

msn messenger (yes I am dating myself) and eventually just texting 24/7. 

He was 5 years older than me, from a small country town, & was in school for nursing. 

In my heart I knew I had to meet this man.

I was doing my best to take things slow, as I normally fall to fast. 

However the next Sunday after church, he had asked if he could take me to dinner that evening if he came to Columbus. I actually had plans with a girlfriend that night but told him he was more than welcome to join us. 

I always joke, looking back now by saying

 I was just being precautions in case he was a serial killer by bringing a friend along haha.        

But we all went to dinner and hung out downtown for the evening.

With the midnight hour drawing near we both knew we didn't want this date to end..

So we went back to my friends and stayed up talking all night in her living room.

Looking back on that next morning we both knew we would eventually get married.

You could say it was love at first sight, we just didn't know it then. 

Fast forward a year and a half, we were strolling the mall one day and we decided

to go into a jewelry store so he could get "an idea" of the of ring I wanted. 

Every girls dream when they are dating the man they know they want to marry, 

is when they start asking "what kind of ring do you like?"

This was the first step to the NEXT step.

We had so much fun picking out diamonds and we actually designed our own

that was hands down my dream ring. 

It was stunning. The clerk looked at us and asked if we would be purchasing it today..

I nervously laughed thinking "yeah right?!" and before I could even get the word NO out

Levi had said YES! 

I was stunned. I remember leaving the store that day calling my mom saying

" I think I'm engaged, I'm not sure??"

Fast forward again to four years ago TODAY!

9.10.11

In front of God, and 75 of our closest friends & family members we said I  DO!

I can not imagine life without him, and that's because I'm not supposed to.

He is my person. The one God made for me. 

Every year that passes just confirms that as we grow closer, 

keep learning more and more about each other and now raising our daughter together. 

In honor of our anniversary I thought I would share this video we put together of all our wedding photos to reminisce on all those wonderful memories. 

BATB Summer/Fall 2015 Product Recommendations

As a beauty professional I feel it is my duty to supply my clients on a day to day basis with the very best products for their hair and lifestyles.

I have clients, friends and follows message and ask me about drug store products all the time, yes even what is sold at Sally's (though its better quality and some professional lines are sold there) I still consider it a drug store in my hair world.

I can never offer up any advice when it comes to the usual pantiene, suave, and other generic product lines (especially box colors) and it's not because I don't want it. Its because I am only educated on professional grade products. That's what I went to school, spent  18,000 & 1500 hours on; is to become a professional.

I have complied a top 10 list of my favorite current products from this summer going into fall.

It was hard, since I love so many. These are my go to, and I felt they needed some sharing.

Let me start with two words, BUMBLE & BUMBLE!

That's what the majority of them are, and if you haven't heard of the brand you are missing out and I am about to change your life.

I had heard of it and used some random products of them myself while in school, however my salon recently started carrying the entire product line this summer and I instantly fell in love. I replaced 90% of my daily products with ones from their line.

1. SUNDAY SHAMPOO 

I am in loveeeeeeee with this clarifying shampoo. For about a million reasons. First being the name. As a weekly clarifying shampoo I don't think it gets much cuter than calling it after a day of the week.  It really gets ALL the build up from products, natural oils, and if you are anything like me.. days without washing out in the first wash.

Most clarifying shampoos have to be used a couple times to get this effect. This shampoo is powerful in the sense that it lathers and cleanses immediately. However, it is so gentle on your hair. It doesn't leave it dry and straw like.

And no, you don't have to only use it on Sunday's!

2. THICKENING MOUSE

This product changes the game when it comes to thin hair. All my life I have had super fine hair that has been pretty lifeless. Of course being a stylist I can counter act this with multiple products. However since I have been introduced to this gem, I only need one thickening product to get the job done.

It gives you so much volume an literally expands each individual hair follicle to appear and feel thicker. Every client I've used it on, couldn't leave my salon without it.

3. CITY SCAPE

Personally, for someone with super thin "BLAH" hair I like how this product adds a piecey texture to my style. I usually only use it when I've curled it but I like it on my clients who have shorter styles, or are stacked in the back.

I just spray it on, mess it up & it's another way to get that lived in, "I just woke up like this" look.

4. DRY SHAMPOO'S: 

BUMBLE & BUMBLE vs MOROCCAN OIL

My true love. Dry shampoo's are my life savor and are what get me from one week to the next. If we are being honest here I really only shampoo my hair once a week.

Dry shampoo in general helps to absorb those natural oils that feel you leaving greasy in between shampooing, however these two go above and beyond.

As you can see I couldn't pick just one. I have an obsession, seriously. 

The Moroccan oil ones are an aresole spray that you spray at the root and then massage in. They come in a light version and a dark version depending on the color of your hair. They add a decent amount of volume, and as a blonde I'm in LOVE with the light option. It makes my blonde look even blonder, if that's possible!!!

Bumble & Bumble has a couple options. The ones pictured above are actually pigmented. There is even a red color that isn't in the photo. These are great for my gray haired clients. It's a nice fix in between color services to conceal those sparkling hairs. There is a blonde, brunette & red to accommodate all needs. 

This Bumble & Bumble dry shampoo is a powder that you shake onto the hair. It's a 2 for 1 deal however. It functions like a dry shampoo absorbing any oils and leaving the hair looking fresh, as well as a volumizing powder that many other lines carry.

I have used, and talked about Dust It by Swarzkophf on my blog before, and it is a fantastic product. Dust it does have a texture to it that leaves the hair feeling very product (if that's a word) and the Bumble & Bumble brand does not!

You can't go wrong with  any of these!

Not shampooing your hair gives it a break and allows those natural oils (that are good for your hair and scalp) to have time to work! Washing them away every day just makes them work hard producing more and more oils. This is why most people shampoo everyday, they feel like their hair is "too greasy" not to. News flash, you are making your hair greasy!

Not to mention the break from heat applications are key when achieving healthy colored hair.

5. DON'T BLOW IT

This is the lazy girl product.

The mom on the go.

The natural curly client who just can't tame that mane!

I suggest this to many of my clients who prefer low maintenance styles, but still like a soft touchable look. This is a NEW product to the B&B line. You literally do what it says & DON'T BLOW DRY YOUR HAIR!

You apply it to damp towel dried hair & let it air dry! It's fantastic. I have actually talked about it before in this blog post over the summer when I first discovered it.

6.  SURF SPRAY

I have no natural wave or curl to my hair but I know many who do and live for this product. There is actually an entire SURF line with shampoo and conditioner that is amazing for the beachy wave look. I love it and use them on my clients who I am planning to curl out at the end of their service. Which is 90% of my clients, because unless they state otherwise they are leaving with beachy curls! Its my trademark.

There are two Surf Spray's. One is more oil based than the other. Both add great texture and give you that lived in, next day, messy curl look when applied to natural or heat induced waves.

7. COLOR CONDITIONER

AH-MA-ZINGGGGG conditioner. I love the shampoo too and majority of my color clients are washed with this first after their color service, but this conditioner ....

I can't even come up with the words to describe how much I LOVE it! It leaves EVERY single person's hair feeling silky, smooth and add a little shine to it. It is so rich and moisturizing while protecting your color at the same time. What more could a girl ask for?

8. PRIMER

This makes so much sense, and I can't believe more lines haven't come up with this. Primer for your hair! B&B has multiple versions depending on your hair needs. Just like make-up every ones face is different. Using a primer before you apply your foundation is key! Same goes for your hair. You want to use some type of leave in on your hair FIRST before any other styling products so that it evens out the surface, and is penetrated into the hair follicle first so that it is able to add moisture and repair any damage.

A lot of you probably do this step without realizing it if you use these next product...

9. IT'S A 10

It's not Bumble & Bumble, but it will always be on my product recommendation list no matter what!

It's a 10 does 10 different things for your hair. Such as:

*Enhances Brilliance

*Reduces fading/extends vibrancy

*Adds Shine

*Retores moisture

*Detangles and defrizzes

*Seals the cuticle

*Thermal protector

*UV protectant

*Designed for all hair types

The one with a pink cap is the original, the yellow one is for blondes and actually tones out un wanted brassy tones, the orange one is a heavier one with extra keratin in it to help restore damage, and there is even another not pictured that is white & blue and is the "lite" version, I like to use it for the client who doesn't like to feel product in their hair or those with fine hair textures.

I can't imagine not having this product. It has helped my hair so much in those summer months when it is so dried out. Going into the cooler times it helps with static. I don't know about you but my hair gets soooooo static during fall. I look like I stuck my hand in a socket.

10. HAIRDRESSER'S INVISIBLE OIL

This is my holy grail. I use it on almost every client and I haven't met a person who shouldn't own it. This entire line is infused with 6 featherlight oils to help soften, detangle, de-frizz and protect. Sounds similar to It's a 10, I know. Let me put it this way, it would be the child of It's a 10 & Moroccan oil's treatment. I know everyone has heard of Moroccan or argon oil. Its wonderful. But unlike this line, its extremely heavy and it is also colored so you have to be careful applying too much to blonde or lighter colored hair. This line is colorless and so lightweight that you literally can't use "too much" 

I love this shampoo and conditioner on clients with lots of frizz or whom have recently gotten highlights. The primer in this line has a great Uv protectant and should accompany any of you to the beach or vaca where your hair is going to be over exposed to the sun, chlorine or salt water. 

While I am on the topic, if you don't do this already .. you should be applying a leave in conditioner or something like this to your hair (especially the ends) before diving into the pool or swimming in the ocean. It will act as a barrier and fight off those chemicals and substances to keep your hair feeling silky and smooth and not dry and like straw. 

Now that you want to go run out and buy all these fantastic products I should probably tell you there are only two place you are going to find them (aside from the It's A 10, you can find it in most stores).

The Bumble & Bumble is only sold in specific salons, and at sephora. It's so exclusive that I can not even purchase it at my professional supply places. Normally this would upset me, however I respect any brand that is strictly made for professionals by professionals. Maybe because I was brought up in this industry using Paul Mitchell, and that's what they taught us. But I love being able to supply my clients with THE best quality of products that is perfect for them and their needs. 

The Moroccan oil can also only be found in salons. 

All of these products range from $19.00- $40. 

With each that I listed they are very concentrated and last a long time. 

Less is more with most products. A little goes a long way. 

Let me know if you have any questions, I hope you enjoy this post & are able to try some out yourself. If you live local and would like to try some before purchasing come into my salon Ireland's II and schedule a blowout. I would love to show you which ones work best for you while giving you a great style for a night out, or just to pamper your self!

Lastly, sorry some of the products were used in the photos but they are literally what us girls at the salon use EVERY DAY on every client!

xoxo, 

Molly. 

Maternity & Nursery Photos

I can't say enough amazing things about Justine Linn Photography.

Justine is a dear friend of mine. We went to high school together, but recently reconnected. 

And by recently, I mean a few years ago now that I think about it just from all the photo sessions we have done together... 

I feel like when you pass 25 your mind freezes life in time! I still can't believe I've almost been out of high school for 10 years. That sounds weird to say, and makes me feel so old. Almost as old as one of my little cheerleaders saying "Oh I love this song, old music is the best!" while humming along to N*Sync Bye Bye Bye! Haha

Okay back to Justine...(squirrel!)

She has been able to capture ever aspect of my life post marriage. 

She documented our new home with a photo shoot of the hubby and I when we purchased our first home last March!

As well as our pregnancy announcement photos, that we used to tell the world we were expecting. She has captured events since then such as our gender reveal party & my baby shower. 

So of course I couldn't imagine anyone else taking my maternity photos. 

We wanted to do a really laid back, simple, lifestyle like photo shoot.

So she came to our home, and did her magic. 

I wanted some of Levi and I, not just myself as Hadley will be able to look back on these

and see how we both appeared at this point in our life, while waiting for her arrival. 

I also had her take some boudoir like photos of myself, that won't be shared here! Sorry ya'll! lol but they were fantastic and probably some of my faves! 

Enjoy ! & Contact her for all your photo needs!

She just did a shoot for me this week actually for Hadley's Half Birthday

which I'm sure most of you saw :)

You think while pregnant, oh I can't wait to get rid of this belly!

Then you do, and then you miss that bump so much!

I also had her snap some shots of Hadley's nursery.

If you have been following this blog for some time now, you know we have been renovating every room in our house little by little, and this one was no exception. 

The boys tore up the carpet displaying the gorgeous original hardwood floors. 

When we first moved in we actually used this room as our master. 

The walls were a dark chocolate brown. 

We decided to switch, and wanted to brighten it up. 

At the time we picked the paint we didn't know if it was a 

boy or a girl so keeping it gender neutral we went with a light tan. 

Once we discovered it was a girl, and back then I wasn't a fan of pink ( haha, its my world now)

I strayed away from the typical choices and went with gold, coral & gray accents. 

We painted her closets (yes she has two) coral & took the doors off and put up curtains to give it a 

softer, more open look. 

The house came with these amazinggggggg built in valance boxes, that we painted coral

and my husband accented with this adorable printed burlap. He is so proud of his find and addition, so I gotta give credit where credit is due. 

I just bought her letters at walmart and painted the coral. 

But the wings, lemme tell you about these wings. 

There is a store I talk about all the time here in Canal called Georgie Emerson Vintage that is like heaven on earth. Levi and I have a full size hanging above our bed in our new master.. 

and we found out it was a girl I knew I had to have a mini pair hanging above her crib. So I asked the owner to see if the girl who made them could do a special order, and she did!!!!

The very talented woman and her daughter are now dear clients of mine & they are the sweetest. 

Most of her wall decor is from that store as well. Polly, the owner always has the best quotes and when thinking of Hadley's room, I wanted it to be able to evolve with her style and life as she grew. 

I am a VERY positive person and am a firm believer in the law of attraction so I loved nothing more than the thought of Hadley being surrounded by lots of positive and inspiring words. 

 We made in little wall in between her two closets a chalkboard. I know she will love it when she gets older, and I will probably regret it as I'm sure she will think every wall should be written on (hehe) 

But I use it now to track her monthly milestones & it will be fun to document school days when we get there.... 

 The little vanity in her one closet is vintage and from another store here locally, It actually opens up and has drawers on one side & shelves on the other. I know as she gets into make up & hair (It's inevitable right? I mean momma is a stylist....) she will love it... But I also thought it would make an adorable homework station in her early school years, ya know before boys!

I love that Justine captured this little frame. I tracked Hadley's growth every week during my pregnancy. I looked forward to Saturdays when my what to expecting app would update with the new weeks info! I would run in there and change the board. 

This was actually the last one I did I believe.. 

Since I was induced the following week. 

I have to comment on this stunning "H"

Anyone who knows me , or follows me can clearly see my obsession for all things monogram...

(Which come to think of it, I'm kinda slacking on & should probably go monogram crazy soon)

Hadley's cousin Maguire, on daddy's side had this made for her. Its perfect, the detail is amazing. 

If I couldn't find Tyson, this is where he would be. Animals have such a sense about them. 

It's like he knew he was waiting for an angel.

He may have been a daddy's boy, but that was before he met mommy. Since we moved him in with us, he hasn't left my side. Especially during my pregnancy. He was so protective of me. 

Hadley's nursery has changed so much since this.. 

Almost all the furniture has been re-arranged for what actually works better for us. 

More decor has been added...and stuff. Lots of stuff. 

It's funny when planning for your first, all the things you think you'll need that you never use & then all the things you should have been stocking up on that you never even thought of. 

Everything always works out, somehow, and always for the best.