Tate loves staring at the board in my office. I think he’s mesmerized by all the colors.

Speaking of my office, it’s a MESS. I need to clean it up before I return to work (I don’t want to!!!).

You can see there’s a stack of magazines on the floor–I have added some new titles for sale. I am also selling some on Amazon/eBay. However, PL readers automatically receive a 15% discount. AND, the same discount will apply to clothes/accessories…whenever I get those listed :-)

In any case, I have been adding my contributions here and there. I’d like to start hunting for unique platters and plates to stockpile props for food photography–I think I will start with Etsy!

Next to the stove I have a bunch of ramekins and small bowls. I like to have all of my ingredients sorted out before cooking (mis en place). Especially garlic. I can get it out of the way early and scrub my hands clean. I also keep a big bottle of olive oil and a cheap white wine for cooking adjacent to the stove. To the left of the ramekins/bowls are two wooden planters–this weekend I am going shopping for herbs to plant. I think they might survive, they’ll be right next to the window.

My good friend Kaitlin brought me that poster from Spain back in college, and I still love it. It has always lived in the kitchen. You can see that some of the trim is not completed, above the backsplash.

This is our little coffee area next to the fridge. I decided to buy some succulents as it’s in a darker corner of the kitchen. Hopefully they survive. I am not known for keeping plants healthy.

Yesterday I went to visit a daycare, which was located about halfway on my work commute. Since, obviously, I haven’t been commuting, I visited my favorite produce stand and went NUTS. I stocked up on grains, beans and nuts. And a huge bag of red peppers for roasting and broccoli crowns. And my favorite sour gummy bears! I will try to take some photos the next time I am there.

I have been leafing through cookbooks and magazines for recipes. I think I will need to become more organized, perhaps even planning for the week, because when I go back to work I am not going to be able to leisurely walk to the store every day!

The other night I made this amazing parsnip risotto with sage and pancetta, and paired it with garlic roasted mushrooms (Gourmet by way of Smitten Kitchen). I took some photos of the prep but got too busy to snap the finished product.

I look forward to sharing the entire kitchen…maybe next year ;-)

This print, from the super sweet London-based print shop Ruka-Ruka, will make its way into the halpence’s room. Fitting, as it’s very likely that he and I will be exploring London together sometime around his first birthday. I wonder what his favorite parts of the city will be?

Check out the shop’s other offerings, including their adorable baby Venn Diagram.

One thing is for certain, I want something with clean lines and a mid-century design. Those of you who’ve done any furniture shopping can attest to the fact that hunting for decent-looking modern pieces generally means one of three things–expensive as hell, thrifting or Ikea. Why the middle ground is a rarity is a mystery, to me.

Rockers

• Nurseryworks Sleepytime Rocker, $900 (1). This style is popular among new parents. It’s also expensive. I love the base and generous width of the chair. Pros: Clean design, good quality, roomy but compact, can sometimes be found on sale. Cons: Pricey.
• Monte Low-Rider Glider, $900 (3) and Alto Rocker, $800 (2). This company is a new discovery, and I am pretty impressed. It’s damn near impossible to find a glider that doesn’t look dumpy and traditional, but they managed to design a few clean-looking models. They also make adorable cube chairs and loveseats for kids. Pros: Beautifully designed gliders, great fabric options. Cons: Expensive.
• Blu Dot Buttercup Rocker, $850 (4). I love this chair as an alternative to the Eames rocker. Pros: Great design, good for lifetime use. Cons: Expensive, unsure of comfort level.
• Eames Molded Rocker, $480 (5). It’s a great chair, but it seems like everyone is buying this for their nursery. I’m not 100% convinced that it would work in our craftsman, and I think it looks best on hardwood or concrete flooring (the baby’s room has carpet). I’m also not sold on the price, but Overstock and other sites sell the knock-off version for $140-$200. Pros: Classic design, good for lifetime use, fabulous colors, knock-offs available. Cons: Expensive, cliché, major guilt associated with buying a knock-off model.
• EQ3 James Rocker, $400 (7). Okay, so I would never buy this for the baby’s room, but I still absolutely love it. Pros: Unique design, great fabric choices. Cons: Unrealistic for a nursery.
• Urban Outfitters Mid-Century Rocker, $300 (6). I’m loving most everything about this chair; the color, the frame, the price. However, I am a little nervous about the quality of the cushions (they look like patio furniture cushions). Pros: Great design, decent price. Cons: Unsure of quality.
• Ikea Poang Chair, $140 (8). Another style that’s very popular among new parents. Pros: Good price, great word-of-mouth, modern design. Cons: Bulky and casual-looking.

Non-Rockers

• Jonathan Adler Mrs. Godfrey Chair, $1500 (1). Never, in a million years, could I afford this chair. But I am still in love with it. Pros: Perfect color, clean and whimsical design. Cons: Way out of my price range.
• CB2 Parlour Chair, $700 (3). If I were to splurge on a chair, this would likely be the model I’d choose. It seems to provide the best in design/quality for the price, and I love that it’s substantial but not overpowering. Pros: Great color, perfect design. Cons: On the pricey side.
• Chiasso Firenze Chair, $640 (2). I’m not entirely sold on this chair for a nursery, but I am not opposed to it, either. Pros: Excellent design. Cons: Pricey.
• Target Lucy Chair, $430 (4). I was pretty shocked to find a chair this cute at Target. But I am not sold on the price. Pros: Fun, great color, good design. Cons: Seems expensive for a Target chair, not sold on the quality.
• Scandinavian Designs Enzo Swivel, $350 (5) and Gilmore, $375 (7) chairs. I always think that Scandinavian Designs is my family’s little secret, even though it’s clearly not. For years my parents have bought their desks, bookshelves…and I believe a couch or two from this company. The quality is stellar for the price. Pros: Good quality. Cons: Designs are only so-so, not sure of comfort levels.
• Urban Outfitters Parker Chair, $300 (6). Like the mid-century rocker shown above, I am loving this chair. Again, just worried about the quality. Pros: Nice design, good color, price is right. Cons: Concenred about quality.
• Ikea Tullsta Chair, $100 (8). You can’t get much better than this for the price (with the exception of thrift finds). The chair is simple, comfortable and inexpensive. Pros: Comfy (I always test it out when I am at Ikea), great red color, price is right, compact. Cons: Likely cheap quality, kind of boring.

She does not like people pulling photos from her site, but I encourage you to pay her blog a visit and peruse her wonderful photography.

In her shop, she sells a selection of “wrist worms,” knitted dolls and prints. I am thinking of buying her Moka print for our kitchen. I think it would be adorable stationed next to our espresso machine.

We’ve agreed on the bones of the space. Details and first-round inspirations below!

Cabinetry & Flooring

I have been sold on Ikea cabinetry since day one, but Todd took some convincing. After collecting bids for custom cabinetry (independent contractors) and pre-fab (Home Depot, Lowe’s), it became clear that Ikea was our best option. Given the solid quality, the price simply cannot be beat. We quickly agreed on the simple, shaker-style cabinets (Adel) in white. I was very unsure about white given the sheer volume of pet hair floating around our house. But, Todd convinced me that the era of our home and size of the kitchen would benefit from white cabinetry.

We knew from the start that we’d opt for wood (or wood-like) flooring, but did not land on a type/color until recently. I was finding myself very turned off by warm-toned woods like Cherry, and felt that lighter woods like Oak were too modern for our house. After briefly toying with the idea of black wood flooring we decided on Walnut.

Countertops & Sink

There were many disagreements about the countertops, as I really dislike most granite or granite-like materials (what’s with all the speckles and sparkles?). I had my heart set on butcher block, but apparently this material is not recommended with an undermount sink (which Todd is insisting on). I also love concrete but it’s very expensive. We’ve compromised on a quartz material in a mid-tone cooler-gray, matte with no “embellishments.” It’s called…concrete :-)

Todd splurged on our sink, as we were struggling to find an undermount style in the smaller size we need. We then discovered that Ikea does, in fact, sell an undermount style…in our needed dimensions. At this time we’re choosing between the two options (there’s a $300 price difference). Our faucet is a simple goose-neck style with a pull down spout.

• Cabinetry: Ikea Adel
• Hardware: Ikea Hedra
• Subway Tile: Lowe’s
• Oven: Whirlpool Gold
• Microwave: Whirlpool
• Fridge: KichenAid Architect II
• Dishwasher: Whirlpool
• Pendant Lighting: Barn Light Electric
• Faucet: Kohler Simplice
• Flooring: Armstrong
• Countertop: CaesarStone
• Paint: Valspar (Travertine, Hazy Stratus, Tempered Gray, Beige Shadow, Vintage Gray, Urban Sunrise, Oyster)

Appliances

We chose to upgrade to stainless steel appliances, for a few reasons. We’ve been living with white appliances for four years, I hate black appliances and stainless steel seems to be the best choice for resale. We’re also adding two appliances that we do not have currently, a dishwasher and a garbage disposal (and, I must say, I am ten times more excited about the latter).

We’ve already purchased our fridge, which was delivered this past weekend and is currently housed adjacent to our couch. It is by far our biggest appliance expenditure, but it was a great deal for the value (we found it at a local Sears outlet for over 50% off its original retail) and I love it. We had initially planned on a slide-in range, but we’ve since changed our minds and are opting for a freestanding range with a double oven. The two styles run roughly the same price, and we decided that having some additional oven space trumped the integrated look of a slide-in.

Accents

We agreed on subway tile for our backsplash long ago, but were waffling on the color and struggling to find an affordable vendor. I had read online (somewhere) that Lowe’s sold cheap tile, which we confirmed (23 cents apiece) during our scouting visit a few weeks ago. We ordered samples of various colors, but decided to keep it simple with white and no accents.

Because we’ve chosen a concrete-colored countertop, I want to pair it with a lighter gray wall. I am still researching colors!

I was, again, insistent on integrating some open shelving into the space. Even though the kitchen is relatively small, I didn’t want it to look as though it’d been swallowed by cabinet uppers. Small sections of open shelving will be added by the oven, and adjacent to our fridge, where our espresso machine will live. More details, and a floorplan, to come.

Lighting

We currently have an overhead fan/light in the kitchen that we’re going to ditch. I love the idea of replacing it with something unique and a bit modern. I have done zero research on this particular item.

I would love to do pendant lighting somewhere in the space, but we haven’t landed on where. There are three options:

• In front of south-facing windows.
• Over the sink/dishwasher.
• At the coffee machine.

I like the look of industrial pendant lighting and am loving the offering at Barn Light Electric

We’re still undecided on integrated cabinet lighting. If we opt for under-cabinet lighting, it will have to be exposed cans, which I am unsure of.

That’s it for the moment, all thoughts/opinions/advice are, of course, welcome!

Stretch canvas art is an easy DIY, and I haven’t started thinking of how I will re-decorate the spare room/nursery, but I am still seriously considering buying from Avalisa in the 18 x 18 size. I am thinking a series of three would look fabulous.

Here are some of my favorites:

The 12 x 12 canvases are priced at $59. 18 x 18 are $99, and 28 x 28 are $159. Select styles are currently on sale for $30, $50 and $100, respectively. The company also sells fine art prints, rugs, and custom color canvases.

My paternal grandmother, Priscilla. If I have a girl I want this to be her middle name.

Mom and dad at prom. Aged approximately 16/18, respectively.

My dad used to play the guitar for me a lot. I remember Stairway to Heaven was a favorite.

Dad and I. I didn’t have a normal head of hair until I was 3.

Waiting for my dad to come home.

Easter eggs!

Feeding one of my twin cousins, I am going to guess Nicole. I was 7 when they were born.

Thanks dad.

Big news for those of you who are not aware…I’ve got an itty-bitty halfpence brewing in my belly!

I am about 7 and a half weeks along, which means I have a kidney bean-sized alien fetus residing in my uterus. Weird.

A few weeks ago Todd and I were in a state of limbo as my first ultrasound showed a gestational sac of 5 weeks but no baby (or zygote…whatever they’re called at that stage).  My doctor told me that it was either too early to see anything or I had miscarried; there was a 50/50 chance. After some blood work to check my hormone levels, we went in for a second ultrasound this past week and, there it was.  A tiny clump of cells with a rapidly beating speck of a heart, just over 7 weeks old.  Apparently it had been hiding during my previous ultrasound, my doctor said she’d never seen that happen in her 20 years.  I think the halfpence wasn’t quite ready to show its fins yet.

So, there it is, lovelies.  We’re having a baby :-)

7 WEEKS, 1 DAY

How much do I love model Shannon Click for owning the very same maxi dress as me? It was my favorite 2009 summer dress–I can wear it sans undies and bra!

($15 on sale at Target this past summer, BTW)

Photo via The Selby. See all the photos of Shannon and her boyfriend Dan Martensen’s beautiful upstate NY home here.