New PremierPrints Fabrics

I thought I would show you a few of my favorite fabrics from the new PremierPrints' line that was just released.... so beautiful! (and no, I am not changing the nursery fabrics again - just maybe adding to them!)


$7.48 - Fabric.Com


$7.48 - Fabric.Com


$7.48 - Fabric.Com


$7.48 - Fabric.Com


$7.48 - Fabric.Com


$7.48 - Fabric.Com

Halfway to MommyVille!

Today marks the half way point through my pregnancy - and it is wonderful! Reassurance that baby is doing great, knowledge that I am at LEAST half way through my morning sickness (that's right, everyday still), and comfort in the fact that baby is growing like a weed despite my non-baby belly.

Along with these wonderful thoughts and feelings comes Erin's overactive brain - "only 5 months until baby is here!" Ahh! Maybe I should start working on getting that nursery together. I am still torn with what fabrics to choose, but I think I am narrowing down my list. There is 'wants' and 'lets-be-realistic' choices for the nursery, so I'll show you how I plan on getting lots of highs on a low budget. Hopefully.

For drapes - all along I have been pining for this fabric.


$7.48 - Fabric.Com

At just $7.48/yard (steal!) 5 yards for drapes will only cost $37.40. I won't have to line them either, as I want to install black-out-blinds as well (mothers of little ones keep telling me this is a must if I want to sleep at all past 5am. Which I do)

And look how lovely the fabric looks as drapes! The genius Rachel from SouthernExposure had the same idea as me. Great minds, eh?


SouthernExposure

For the wing back chair I have to recover, I was thinking of this cheerful pattern from PaulThomas:


$31.98 - Fabric.Com

But at $31.98/yard, 7 yards will come to $223.86. Yikes! Way out of my "Hunny, you won't even notice the transation in the account" budget.

Instead, I found this fabric from PremierPrints (same designer as the drape fabric):


$8.48 - Fabric.Com

At only $8.48 - 7 yards will only be $59.36. Sah-weet. At a savings of $164.50, I can easily do without birdies on my chair. BUT, if I still can't live without that cute fabric, I can always spurge for 1/2 a yard in the brown for a toss cushion:


$31.98 - Fabric.Com

And to recap the final choices (okay, final for today, until Fabric.Com releases some cute fabrics and makes me second guess myself).

So Awesome, it's Spooky

TheBloggess is not only one of the funniest people in the world, but apparently she is amazingly diverse as well! For the past 11 years she has been slowly working on a haunted doll house. And it is even more impressive than it sounds.

I would love to make one of these, if I thought I could do it without spooking myself too much.

Check out tons of photos of this amazing doll house here!

Baby -ville Ideas

Since I have clearly given up on the 31 Day Challenge (a combination of debilitating morning sickness and the fact that my computer is not playing nice at all) , I thought I would move on and get back to what I really feel like posting about. Baby rooms progress.

The room is slowly starting to look like the clean slate I was hoping for, so we're getting to the point where I can start adding some fun ideas back into the room. Yay for the fun part! Here are some items that have or will make there way into Bean's room in the next little while:


I bought a faux-sheepskin from Ikea for $9.99 - but here is the more luxurious real one


A table I bought on UsedVictoria for $10! I have since painted the top white (updated photo to come) - originally seen here


Free Printable Flashcards from TheHandmadeHome


At $25.00 a piece, it is killing me that I may need 6 of these for by the crib - TheAnimalPrintShop


And this hideously upholstered chair - which still needs to be recovered. I found this chair on UsedVictoria for FREE!! Original post here

We still have a long way to go - but soon I will have some progress photos for you (assuming I actually make some progress).

I am still fighting with myself over what fabric scheme to go for. Mostly neutral, yes. But with a hit of navy and lime? Orange? Grey and yellow? Too many to decide between, so instead I think I will procrastinate some more.

What colours do you think I should add?

31 Days {Day 11} 5 Must Have’s for the Perfect Bar Cart

Just because I have giant can’t-drink-for-6-more-months sign on my tummy right now (in the form of a quickly developing baby bump), doesn’t mean that I’m not going to be a good hostess this holiday season. Drinking is the key to holiday fun – okay, okay, but it is important to make your guests feel welcome, and here at Casa Morgan that revolves around booze. I have always loved the idea of a beautiful chrome bar cart.

Sarah Richardson

But since we don’t share SarahRichardson’s budget, I hunted down a $10 version at a garage sale last spring.

MorganDesignInc

But, I always prefer a well stocked bar to one that looks pretty. Here are 5 must have’s for your bar this holiday season:

1. Glasses

Although I have lots of glasses stashed in kitchen cupboards, I make sure to keep a few wine glasses and some tumblers right on my bar cart. This way I’m ready to serve at all times for a small crowd, and can run to the kitchen if the party gets bigger than expected.

2. Wine

Red and white! Although I drink both red and white, I would keep a few bottles of each handy even if I didn’t. It’s nice to be able to serve someone what they really will enjoy. And don’t think you have to spend a fortune to get your wine count up, either. I have a ‘under $15’ rule, and in sticking to it the past few years, I have discovered many wonderful wines that I might have over looked next to their pricier cousin. When in doubt ‘EverythingWine’ is my go to when I’m unsure – their knowledgeable staff always is able to find me just the bottle I’m looking for (even when I don’t know what I’m looking for)

3. Hard Bar

We don’t drink a lot of hard bar in our house, but I tend to keep it all corralled on the bar cart. Close to the holidays, I stock up on a few essentials (rum, vodka, whiskey, Amerato, and Baileys) so that there is a little bit of a selection for guests. When in doubt, rum and vodka are great when mixed with soda or fruit juice, so these are always a versatile choice.

4. Beer

Come on, keep the boys happy.

5. Supplies

I make sure to keep things like napkins, cork screw, reusable cork and a good cocktail mixing book right on my bar cart. This way it is all there for when I need it – no rooting threw the kitchen drawers every time someone asks for a little red.

31 Days {Day 10} Quilts – Done Right

Although I would never describe my style as country, I do like a relaxed look in my spaces from time to time. And fall is the perfect time to bring in those cosy comforts that make a room seem more homey. Quilts are one great way to mellow out a room. Sarah Richardson is queen of making quilts look posh and keeping the country out of homey chic. Here are some of her rooms in which she used quilts in the perfect way.

Sarah Richardson

Sarah Richardson

Sarah Richardson

Sarah Richardson

And for those of you that make quilts (applause!) – or like me are tempted to make a quilt, here is a link to a fabulous DIY quilt. Although I have yet to try it, she explains things very well, and the finished product is nothing short of amazing.

Don’t Look Now – Quilt Along!

31 Days {Day 9} Neat Pumpkin Ideas

What will you be trying this year on your Halloween pumpkins? Are you a tried and true pumpkin-carver? Or will you be taking the woossie way out (a la moi) and doing something that doesn’t require inevitable band aids?

I am all for neat pumpkin ideas that don’t require me to get my hands too messy – and here are some great ideas that I will be trying out this year!

Puff Paint – only Sherry from YoungHouseLove would have the guts to try something so risky, yet have it turn out beautifully. She used puff paint to draw dot designs on her pumpkins, and then spray painted them in white and yellow (a woman after my own heart)

Pumpkin Meets Doily – putting a doily on the top of a pumpkin and penning in the details with a black marker. Genius! And it looks so pretty!

Unknown

Painting Your Pumpkin – Great idea for me since I’m handy with a paint brush, but not so great yielding a sharp knife. Paint your pumpkin white or ivory, and then paint decorations on them with black paint. I very much am in love with the zebra print one.

Young House Love

Martha Stewart

Will you be doing pumpkins this year? I really like the painting idea, so I may opt out of the traditional look for something a little more Erin. (plus, I'm not really allowed to use the big girl knives anymore...)