Birthday Trip Down Memory Lane

That title really draws you in, right? Oh the nostalgia. The oozing sentimentality. If you're scared already, you're really going to hate the rest of this post. If not, read on brave souls.

So today is my 36th birthday, and -- not to put too fine a point on it -- that sucks balls. How did I get so old? When Karly and I started this blog four (yes, FOUR) years ago, we were two young(ish) and carefree girls out on the town, boozing our way through shelter mags and thumbing our noses at chintz.

Well, chintz and Ruthie Sommers would like to know who's laughing now... oh, how times have changed. Acid Wasp is back.

So I may have trolled the DC archives and come up with a "Where Was Erin On Her Birthday Back Then?" compendium of posts from days of old.

Check it.

In a fit of tortured self examination, four years ago I was lusting/questioning my lust for Julian Schnabel's Gramercy Park Hotel.

So pretty! So full of amazing art!

So unbelievably pretentious. A friend and I made it to NY a year or so ago and checked in at the Gramercy for $50 drinks and terrible service. Blech.

And of course three years ago in July, I had Sweet Baby Ike. Apparently October is a special time for me and the hubs...

There he is, all of one week old. Cute as a button. Can't believe I'm doing this again...

Luckily kids get older and the job becomes more rewarding, and also there are endless opportunities to redecorate their rooms.

At least that's my overlong mantra for now.

And this did not happen on my birthday, but it did happen when I had some extra time whilst nursing tiny Ike and watching football movies (creepy baby hormones!), plus it's still one of my favorite posts ever so you must read it:

I love moodboards, and just figured David Bowie's labyrinth needed some sprucing up. Nothing special. Maybe I will redecorate the forests of Legend when I feed #2? You never know what might happen around here.

Anyhow, back to my timeline: two years ago we were still on the endless house hunt, perhaps thinking we may have found the one.

Oh it looks pretty, but don't be fooled. Way out in the middle of nowhere, weird labyrinth of rooms on the ground floor (one of which opened into a real life CAVE), and then there were the worms in the toilets... broken septic line apparently. Eeeeeewwwww!

Have I ever mentioned that Austin real estate is murder?

Kinda like this house:

Oh yes, there is a tree in the middle of the kitchen.

And merely one year ago we were still in our old house and I was busy buying and selling beds.

Goodbye, old bed. I kinda sorta miss you, but you were really too much for me. I think I like the setup in our new house better:

Man, I really still need new lampshades. Can't believe that craptacular whip stitch has survived as long as it has...

Trite though it may be, I suppose the more things change, the more they stay the same.

And that's it for Nostalgia Cruise 2012.

Hope you didn't get too seasick.

Greetings From Cloud Nine

Wow... I don't really know what to say about all your kind comments about our bedroom, except thank you! I was maybe probably a little bowled over by the niceness, and definitely a lot grateful to Naomi for linking me up to her fabulous readers. All the comments truly made my day a little more bearable, by which I mean I was able to waddle upstairs to decide if I really wanted to buy this hot Ebay number for the baby's nursery:

What with all the extra vim and vigor I had laying around, I then waddled downstairs and plugged that guy into the Olio Moodboard 3000, and this is what came out:

Yes, uber cool vintage fixture just got boughten. And while I was at it, I snagged those vintage sconces for a song:

Oh so cute with the little stars, but maybe a trifle dangereuse for a baby's room? What if my little dude turns into a climber and impales himself on those pointy edges? Maybe I should hold out for these dumb Ikea PS sconces which I am convinced will never be released in the US?

Pretty dope, and I like the Bauhausy shape. I do not like that it takes LED lights. I know that's not very environmentally conscious of me, but uggggghhhhhh. LED is gross.

So anyway, the nursery is humming along except for a few key details.

#1. My chair still isn't done.

Maybe today? I need to see it in situ before I make any more $$$ decisions.

#2. I am so on the fence about window treatments.

Invest in spendy roman shades and have my MIL trim them in black? Buy some cheapo Ikea linen curtains and trim them in black or maybe royal blue to fill out the wall space?

Because it feels a little blank in there... maybe it's the rug?

I kept trying to harness the amazingness of this neutral room:

But for whatever reason I am incapable of that kind of subtle layer action. Wendy Schwartz, you are just better than me.

And that brings me to the next key detail that must be addressed:

#3. The Baby.

Hey sucker, when are you coming out? How about July 31? That would give me the weekend to finish up some things, and it would allow you the glory and majesty of having a birthday during the best month of the year...

(full disclosure: my birthday may or may not be tomorrow)

So that's what's going on at my house. Thank you for all your positive feedback! You are solely responsible for powering the feeble engine of late stage pregnancy.

Together, we will make it through the finish line.

Well, you know what I mean...

Our Slutty Master Bedroom -- Now With Pictures (But Not Those Kind)

Yesterday I had dreams of meticulously cataloging our bedroom with my camera. To that end I hid all the extra pillows required to comfort a huge pregnant belly to sleep. I stuffed the cardboard boxes full of maternity clothes into the bathroom (I patently refuse to integrate that disgusting crap into my actual wardrobe). I made up the bed. And then... I was tired. Exhausted, actually. Apparently I only have about 30 good minutes left in a day before I start getting shaky and weird.

But I am a warrior, so I took a few pictures anyway -- just not as many (or as mind bendingly awesome) as I had hoped for. But pictures, nonetheless. Let's do this.

First of all, THANK YOU SANDERS! for enduring sample harvest 2012, in which I set out to try every Benjamin Moore color ever made. I'm actually really happy with Dior Gray. Sometimes it's purple, sometimes bluish, sometimes just gray. Always soothing and comforting.

So, this is not the ultimate configuration for our tiny bedroom... the rocker will probably get switched out and I need new lampshades and I did not style the space at all.

But you know what? I don't like a lot of shit cluttering up my space. It makes me nervous. And while I've been in a mad rush to acquire big basic pieces before baby arrives, I do believe in slowly collecting only accessories that you really really love. So it will all get there. Someday.

But let's talk about that ho-tastic bedding. You know, I don't buy a lot of brand spanking new stuff. I like vintage, thrift, antiques. But I draw the line at undies and bedding. I mean, if you want to get crabs and bedbugs that's your decision. Me, I like the delicious feeling of unconquered territory when I lay me down to sleep.

That meant new bedding, because my old linens were looking pretty haggard. I'm not sure how I feel about those crazy coral sheets -- I did order a new set in "blush," hoping they might be a little less HEY STRIPPER!. And then there is the giant faux lynx blankie. Practical? Yes. It will hide a multitude of sins, like leaves and maybe even baby vomit.

But maybe I like it better without?

Or with? I'm on the fence. It's twin size so I could always use it to cover Ike's new big boy bed or a sofa.

Anyway, that's what I have going on so far. I didn't really buy anything except for paint, Ikea linen curtains and bedding, so it wasn't an exorbitant makeover. I painted the frame around the Pop Chalee print... I think that's it. Minimal effort sans the endless repainting.

Ok, so maybe not minimal effort.

In case you're wondering, all the bedding came from Overstock and it was super cheap. I think I got a bedskirt, sheets, new pillows and the fur blanket for $200. Not bad.

What's bad is that our bed looked like this for five minutes before Ike came in and tore everything up in a mad frenzy of trampoline inspired gymnastics.

And that's why I can't have anything extra nice. So this will have to do.

I'm off to cut mats and other unfun stuff.

Hope you enjoyed the tour!

*** UPDATE ***

I forgot to include a before pic...

My eyes!