Why? a little boy is awaiting new siblings from overseas.  In fact, his mom is visiting the orphanage this week.  Andrew will likely be blessed with a brother soon, maybe TWO brothers or an entire sibling group. (Let’s just say mom has bunkbeds and a crib ready just in case)  So his mom and I wanted to make a fun and colorful bath for the new family members to share with Andrew but not TOO colorful and crazy. This new life will be an adjustment for everyone after all.

This is the before.

Above are the elements of the room as its coming together…mom painted the old wood cabinets and doors and we added ONE colorful piece of art and towels. 

Art is from land of nod and towels from garnet hill.

She also found the cutest numbered hooks! The chevron shower curtain is from West Elm and of course the metal letters spelling BATH from Anthropologie. The mason jar soap dispenser is from Delta girl! The light is the Pullman light from Shades of Light..i just love this light!.  We planned to replace the mirrors but dad thought the big sheet of mirror would be good for multiple little faces crowding in the bath…good thinking Dad!

The paint colors are (1). Benjamin Moore’s Kendall Charcoal on cabinets, (2.) Martha Stewart’s Bedford Gray on walls from Home Depot, and (3) good ol’ Benjamin Moore Chelsea Gray on the doors!

So it may seem strange i am mentioning adoption and a kids bath in the same post but I am thrilled to be a part of this project…I can’t wait for these little people to meet their new family and crowd into this fun bath to brush their teeth and giggle..it may be a long road before those fun times but a mama and family have been preparing/nesting and waiting for the littles to arrive home! 

God bless you Gerbig family!

 I love this bellacor lantern…It looks great “as is” or painted, the possibilities are endless!

its only $89 (the small version)and i have had clients get it (the smaller version, fyi there are two sizes) for $60 with coupons…I had another client paint it black for over her kitchen table recently..turned out so cute though she broke a pane in the process.  She said it was easy to replace and worth the hassle. I think Tessa is the person to turn me on to this lantern.  She used it in their playroom, in the original color and it looks so great I started recommending it to clients..THANKS TESSA!

This fun green lantern is for a little boys room..two brothers and the walls are navy and they will have big orange on white monogrammed shams atop their navy stripe serena and lily duvets!

  The mom color-matched the green on these chairs from Land of Nod (the parker chair) to get the perfect preppy green!

{the Land of Nod chair is more true Kelly green like the lantern and not as it appears in this photo}

The lantern will be hung tomorrow and i promise to share photos next week! Just had to share!

Poor Drew..he was born in October and he is boy so that means every party i throw for him includes burlap, orange and pumpkins…actually the first party was vintage cowboy and blue and brown..darling and he doesn’t even remember.  Good thing i have an entire mini scrapbook devoted to the “event”..nowadays mommy doesnt even print photos..what things i do have printed of henry are in a paper bag waiting to be put into a baby book..hey at least i ordered the baby book right?!

{He is growing and changing way to fast, i can hardly stand it}

So this year we are doing an army party because…it is what Drew wants…he wanted to re-enact a Civil War OR Vietnam battle but neither feel particularly festive to me so we are sticking to general “army” he is cool with that…here is some inspiration from Pinterest..not exactly army but the onstacle course/boot camp feel although i know he has a “battle” in mind..mercy!

from Ashley Ann Photography

HE LOVES i cannot stress how much he loves army men…they are on his invitation

SO the take home for each kid will be a  little kraft box full of army men…the moms will love me when they step on the long guns in the middle of the night!

Frankly all of this violence and army stuff makes me a little uncomfortable..my stomach drops everytime he says “mom i am gonna be a soldier” BUT boys are boys and we have to let them be little wild men..i firmly believe this..you know the whole peanut butter and jelly sandwich thing…in fact when he was two i saw him take a small easel (like for a small frame or plate) and turn it on its side and go “pow”… so natural. I hate to encourage violence but also dont want to emasculate him before he is ten!

So we are having an army party complete with this nailed to a tree..his idea.

frankly now that i have two sons i am a bit uneasy with this poster it makes me nervous.  see how conflicted i am.

So we will try to encourage adventure and play…and IN the meantime, this is about as army as i get…that is right..i want a swiss army pillow or blanket!  crazy i can weave a pillow into a post huh?!

I can’t believe all of camo junk i bought from Oriental Trading..with all of the good money i spent on that stuff i could have bought the swiss army pillow!

The things we do for our kids right!? Lucky Tessa is doing an adorable Woodland party for her little guy..she even created these tents..check it out.. Enjoy the woodland owls and vintage cowboys while you can moms of boys…

It’s all Star Wars and guns and butter down the road!;;  But don’t feel too bad for me..I am sure i will work in some chalkboards, burlap, kraft paper and twine somewhere!;;;

What is your fave boy party idea??? 

 I LOVE the hoops, especially the silhouette..i did this once in a nursery (just various fabrics)..so fun and cute and inexpensive but these are embellished so pretty! MUST. Do. next. time. (or find someone on etsy to do..or hello, great GRANDMA project) And did you see that mushroom seat?! I love that the room is colorful but no blinding, still soft and girly!

And you MUST see the dollhouse! notice the glimpse of the bed..shabby but the room isnt too shabby..its the perfect balance to me, there is restraint but fun too, its not overwhelming or too much like i tend to do!! 

Want to see more?? I know i always do, see more of the bedroom here…and check out the charming schoolroom below!

So who is this Mandylynne who takes these beautiful photographs and styles these darling rooms..well this her below, maybe you have seen her stuff at TARGET..that is right..i instantly recognized this print..Now what girl can i buy this for??? maybe mE!  Thanks Mandy for letting me share your images and talent!

Check out more about her photography, cards, etsy shop and blog here.

Stacked cones so cute!

from the Navy Bean online blog

This image shows using cupcake liners..didnt work for me…but clever idea if you can get it to work.

I think it required more styling time than i had or had need of but it was fun to play with the cones…

You might want to get cone holders if you try this at home…

I really wanted to do this with homemade ice cream and jars but it is so hard to keep frozen and serve, i could see a mess in my future so i didn’ t do it!

From shepaperieblog.com

okay so back to my homemade photography + party (enough of those well lit professional shots from pinterest) and what I did do…

AND

Have any of you tried the fruit/cone thing???  Has anyone served a dessert in a jar, or any other silly presentation idea similar because you saw it on a blog or pinterest????

Here is the link..enjoy.  And i have to say this sort of funny considering the complete wreck their room is right now..they are both growing like WEEDS (cute weeds) and in need to cull and organize boys clothes in a bad bad way..it is constant isn’t it!? Especially when your closet is three feet wide!

Have a great day! and THANKS Apartment Therapy!

This was to be a nursery nook for MY little girl, just a little area of the master bedroom for a new baby.  I thought I would section the area off with some Aina drapes from IKEA.  See we recently found out we were expecting number three, total shock since we weren’t trying and number one was so hard to conceive, in fact he took years…so suddenly seeing two lines on the home pregnancy test was quite a shock..scary and exciting..Since it wasn’t planned surely God really wanted this little one to be a part of our family. I knew better than to fantasize it was a girl but I indulged myself knowing that God already had the baby’s life planned regardless of my thoughts or target purchases..I couldn’t jinx it, He is sovereign.  Little did i know it wasn’t meant to be.  I miscarried last weekend.

I hadn’t announced on the blog yet, have only told a few friends and clients and family of course. Wishing i had not told big brother. But of course he has taken it in stride.

I could go on and on, i know many of you have experienced this and I am so sorry for your loss and if even just reading this post brings any pain. I know some of you might be going through this and don’t have two children at home to comfort you like i do…just watching my boys right now is sweet balm to my soul.  So for all of you who have been through this, some of you many times, i pray you will have your babies soon and the grace to go on if you don not…my experience has me thinking about you and lots of other things.

I really wanted this piece of art for my baby girl’s nursery nook..I was already praying she would be a little girl not afraid of the monkey bars, unlike her mama… It’s from Lisa Golightly and was on the Sebastian Foster gallery page here but its gone…just like the little baby. {edited to say, i found a numbered print and was able to order it!}

I don’t understand all of this..i just know our world and bodies are broken and things don’t work seamlessly on earth…but someday they will..in the meantime all of these sweet babies are in beautiful places, even more peaceful and wonderful than i can dream up on a design board.  A place where expensive cribs and linen don’t even matter.  I am really longing for that place.  Maybe that is why God allows us to experience these hardships, so we desire him and his promises more than what this world has to offer.

So goodbye Sweet baby Caroline, if you were  even a girl.  I had dreams of buying you dresses and what your face and hair might be like..how wonderful it would be to have a daughter to watch get married and become a mother and one day take care of me when I was old and sick. Your brothers will have to do it all now..and i know they will..they are good boys so you can just rest and go be in the most beautiful nursery ever created with a Heavenly father that loves you even more than i could…goodbye baby.

And if you any of you readers want to use these baby room ideas please enjoy, they were pulled together with much love and inspiration. I will post all of the sources later…or you can email me for specific information..

love, Holly

Two sisters are going to share this room..they are now little girls but mom is hoping it will last them a while with tweeks here and there..i think this is a brilliant idea!

It was mom’s idea to do a accent wallpaper on the bed wall, love this idea…With bold paper, even on just this one wall, the bedding can be very simple but chair upholstery and maybe drapes will be more bold (pink fabric from Lewis & Sheron)..i think by changing out accessories and art over time this room will grow with the girls for many years.

LOVE this wallpaper by Graham & Brown (mom is not sure but i hope when she sees a sample she falls in love), linens from Pine Cone Hill including the pink check maybe for a duvet at the end of bed, monogram shams now, ruffle accent pillow from Layla Grace later, monograms by yours truly..! I think the flax color linen either on drapes or the table between the bed is really a nice contrast to all of the pink and color, you dont want it to be too “shelby from Steel Magnolias”!  Peacock print  by Sugarfresh of course. Linen banner inspiration from Olive Manna. Beds and chandelier from Restoration Hardware kids and the amazing bunny lamp is from Shades of Light! Dolls from Bla Bla of course.

Girly stuff is so fun..i love my job!

It was really fun and immediately my clients and friends that had never met instantly clicked, HOW..by talking about blogs and bloggers!  The instant ice breaker..so fun! And the kids had fun even though i must say the parks are already hot in Texas, even in a shady beautiful park.  Oh and I guess we can discuss on blogs since its already happened..ha!  Notice my safety warning on the invite!;;

Oh how i love that cowboy!

We had a yummy box lunch from PICNIC! And Zachary and Henry hit it right off! 

And precious Jack with his curls…lots of boys!

{I didn’t get many pictures because i was busy chatting and keeping an eye on a busy boy!}

I love the old vintage playground equipment at this park! And the gorgeous trees.

Henry ran and ran and was so sweaty but tired for the long ride home!! Which was great!

It was so nice to see everyone, I got to see one client’s twins for the first time, and meet a FUN blog reader from Friendswood, and even this creative girl came, and she doesnt even have kids but she was such a good sport and even let Henry eat her chips! Those that didn’t make it, we missed you!  Maybe we will do this again sometime!

Some of you may have seen this blog or heard about it on other blogs, well today Sugarfresh is here at Holly Mathis Interiors. Lindsay, the force behind Sugarfresh, contacted me about advertising and doing a giveaway and instantly remembered her work..i have admired it for quite a while and I am thrilled to have it here!

A few of my favorite prints from Sugarfresh:

I just love her taste in color..this is the best pink in my opinion!

In fact, she has an amazing color chart..i love when printers give this flexibility!

Which one did i get for my boys??? This one..so cute..and so them! It’s called “Mr Numbers” love the gray of course!

And of course i love this one too..love the font. Very craftsmany/art deco.

And the cool thing is i get to do a $25 giveaway today for Sugarfresh, go look at her etsy store and come back here and tell me your fave!  I will announce the winner on Wednesday!

Have a great weekend!