This Friday finds me thoughtful and inspired.  Earlier this week, I read Erin's articulate piece on minimalism.  It got me thinking about my own life and how over the years I have gradually become more and more of the "less is more" mindset.  In truth, I have the Army to thank for a lot of that (and those seven out of state moves in eight years)…..there's something about packing and unpacking repeatedly that makes you want to carry less around.  I also think a lot of it has to do with how I'm made- bottom line: clutter stresses me out.  I've always found that simple spaces make me feel peaceful and relaxed.  In reality, there's still progress to be made….areas in need of growth.  In a consumerist culture (and the blogosphere often isn't any help)  it's difficult to navigate between "need" and "want".  

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I'm not sure if I have talked about it much here, but when we bought our house our realtor mentioned that in our neighborhood, any remodeling we put into the house (such as floors/kitchen/bathroom) we would probably not make up in profit.  While I always imagined us buying our first house and completely making it our own by remodeling, the reality has been that since we don't plan on being in this house for more than a few years (and it's not our dream house), it really doesn't make sense to make expensive changes if there's no end profit.  My attitude (though it needed help at first) this whole time has been to make the best with what we have without any real structural changes.  It's been a challenge to make our newer home unique without remodeling, but it in a really good way.  I've found myself challenged creatively more than I ever have….which brings me to my next point- the nursery.

(When our kitchen nook was picked as one of the finalists in the Considered Design Awards, I laughed to myself when the judge mentioned the floor adding to the space.  Little did he know it has been a point of contention for me, being linoleum rather than real tile.  

Being pregnant with our second means we have all the necessities, what a blessing! However, as a second born myself, I knew right away that I still wanted to make a special place for this next girl. I've heard all the jokes about taking less pictures of your pregnancy the second time around and less pictures of the baby, and I felt determined to make as much a big deal of this little girl as I made of Reese. After all, most of her clothes and toys will have been her older sister's, so a special room prepared for her seems like a nice way to welcome her into the world without being excessive.  I started right away with a mood board, and the more I looked at it the more I realized how expensive it was becoming.  Not only that, but I was realizing that things we already owned I was going to need to replace just to work in that room….and then of course she and Reese would probably be sharing a room in a couple years, so all of those things would possibly be of no use in a while.  The more I thought of it, the more it didn't resonate with me. So the nursery is my next challenge to myself- to make it special and unique using mostly things from other parts of our house (with a couple extra smaller items).

Here is the start- I pulled the rug from the office and the Fiddle Leaf just wants to be in this room (it was on the verge of death in our living room).

This house tour

This work area (and the desk is an Ikea hack!)

and these links:

 5.  Super girly, but I love it

 6. Simple and sweet

 7. Another good one, so hard to choose!

1.  Not everyone knows that their awesome vintage piece is an antique, so you should look under both "furniture" and "antique" categories. I have found a number of awesome mid century finds by looking under the "furniture" category using generic search words like "dresser" or "bookcase".  Usually these are the best deals.  

2.  You should try specific word searches as well as general ones.  For example, if you're looking for a mid century desk try "mid century" and also try "desk". 

3.  Try search words by designer (i.e. Milo Baughman).

4.  Try search words by material (i.e. brass, rattan, etc.)

5. When going on a road trip check the local craigslist.  We love to travel….and probably do a lot more than the average person. If I've been on the lookout for a specific item, I check whenever we travel.  Lucky for me, Connor is (usually)more than willing to make a stop.  I also love that our furniture is from all over the map.

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(Remember my search for a big girl bed for Reese?  Well, we found a twin bed for $20!  Not to far off from the Oeuf bed I've been craving too…)  

6. Know what you're looking for…..very rarely do I look on craigslist unless there is something specific I'm on the hunt for.  It makes the process less time consuming.  I also don't want to buy something just because it's a deal.  After moving countless times, I've found that less is more when it comes to furniture/house things. So I force myself to have a specific place in mind before I buy an item, good deal or not.      

7.  Do your research.  Know what is a good price for that particular piece….and if you find a steal, jump on it before someone else does!  I prefer to deal with owners vs. antique dealers on craigslist because antique dealers need to make a profit and are usually not cheap.  Generally speaking, craigslist is for those of us looking for a deal, so don't be afraid to haggle (though I tend not to if it's a steal).

I dare you to show me a bed made out of pallets that looks cozier than this one:  

and these links: