setting a table

As a real, live adult (with a son due in a matter of days!?), I've been worried about knowing how to do, well, stuff.

As a soon-to-be parent, I want to be able to share sage life advice on everything from how address an envelope to how not to interrupt people in conversation. Perhaps that's why I've been enjoying sites like 1,001 Rules for Unborn Son and Advice for Boys (check out my handsome husband featured here). Can we just say THANK YOU to the internet for existing?

It is in this sentiment that I stumbled across the most handy cheat sheet for setting a table on Pinterest. Pulled originally from the blog Waiting on Martha, these handy (and pretty!) pics are sure to make dinner prep for a casual family meal or a fancy dinner party a breeze.

Bookmarked.

(images via Pinterest, originally from Waiting on Martha)

office nook

One of the most perplexing sections of our little cottage is the back room. It's part mudroom, part laundry area, part reading nook...it's got a lot of names...and a ton of potential! One thing S and I agree on is that we could totally use this space in a better way. We could also totally use a home office. Decision? Made (Amy Poehler voice).

After living in a cramped one bedroom apartment in NYC for years, we are pretty proud of our ability to make the most of a small space. With that in mind, here are a few of the prettiest little office nooks I've come across on Pinterest.  Filing these away for inspiration!

black and white sheets

Sleep has become more important than ever before. Being pregnant has made me ready for a nap pretty much all day, everyday. Combined with a long, gray February and jam packed schedules, S and I have been taking our sleep quarters very seriously. After all, it won't be long before our little one is keeping us up all hours, right?

One of our favorite new bedroom additions are the gorgeous black and white sheets above. Gifted to us by my thoughtful mother, they came from West Elm (purchase link here). They are soft, fun and put me in a good mood every morning when I wake up in them.

The top images are from the blog House Tweaking. Dana Miller has major style. Check it out for serious home inspiration. 

flowers make you happier...and healthier?

Between the new house and the pregnancy, I've been non-stop nesting. When my energy level doesn't let me "keep on going," I give in to my current obsession: Pinterest. Virtual nesting is my my newest jam.

While pinning away last week, I came across this article from Apartment Therapy. It speaks not only to the emotional upside of keeping fresh flowers in the home, but also to the health benefits.

According to the article, researchers found that hospital patients who stayed in rooms with fresh plants and flowers had lower blood pressure, felt less anxious and less tired. The article also points out that flowers in the workspace increase efficiency. Very interesting indeed...

rustic wood details

Perhaps it's my overwhelming need to nest lately or a weekend spent in a cabin in the Mississippi countryside, but I'm finding really drawn to rustic wood details for the home.

Our Victorian cottage here in Nashville is hardly "rustic," but I love the cozy feeling that these rough around the edges details can inspire.

Here are a few favorite inspiration pics from Pinterest (beginning with that gorgeous, statement-making headboard above)...

This rough wooden table with the prettiest sloping legs paired with modern chairs looks like a gorgeous spot for intimate dinner conversation.

oversized photography

What say you guys to decorating with large scale photos?

Our new house has incredibly high ceilings which makes for some amazing wall space. While our aesthetic usually gravitates toward painting and sketch works, the crisp, modern feel of these oversized images has me interested.

Here are a few other cool examples:

vintage globe lights

Aren't these vintage globe lights amazing? 

Our little family has been up to our eyeballs opening a restaurant over the past months and one of the fun tasks on our lists was combing Etsy and other vintage sites for colorful globe lighting to complete the interior.

Through this process, I've found myself yearning for a toned down version of these lights for our new house.

Pinterest has a limited offering of the look above so let's just drool over a few more images of this rad kitchen shall we?

{me}longings studio pillows

Setting up house can be feel like a daunting experience. Deciding where to hang a favorite mirror takes back seat to locating those day to day necessities like shampoo and work clothes.

Slowly but surely we've begun to chip away at the seemingly endless task of getting settled. We ordered a new white sofa, but are still in the market for the perfect throw pillows. After all, aren't the details the best part?

{me}longings studio's "organic modern textiles" are printed by hand and oh so lovely.

Here are a few of our favorites of their designs (above and below) that are more than welcome to come and live at our house.