Well, friends, it’s been about a year and a half, but the blog is back.

If you’ve been following along on Instagram, you already know it’s been an unexpected few years. But we’ve settled in, and are loving life in our Charleston home.

Ok, friends. Here it is. The room I so desperately wanted to wallpaper against Phil’s wishes.
In the end, I gave in; and we opted for a glossy light yellow over the floral prints I was so drawn to. And I have to say, I think he was right.

It’s officially fall and it’s almost starting to feel like it down here in Charleston. The mornings are crisp, with a slight bite in the air, but the temperatures still inch their way up by the end of the day. Alas, I embrace those bundled up moments in the early hours, and I’ve started to bring out a bit of fall decor here and there.

It’s here folks: The Most Wonderful Time of the Year.

And I’m not sure about you, but I’ve been looking forward to it since early March. In fact, if you follow along on Instagram you might recall we had not one, but two {much needed} impromptu “Christmas” celebrations earlier this year to lift our spirits during quarantine. Nothing like a little fir tree, red and green garland, matching family PJs and a Christmas puzzle to put a smile on your face.

Valentine’s Day is in just a few weeks, so to celebrate I teamed up with some of my favorite local entrepreneurs to create a little Valentine’s brunch tablescape to get us in the spirit.

As always, I looked to Winston Flowers for the florals- I love how all the different pops of pink came together, and how the designers created a romantic feel with these whimsical stems.

It’s beginning to look a lot like Christmas- meaning entertaining and holiday parties are in full swing. For the last few years we’ve celebrated the season with dinner and drinks on the town with some of our best friends- a tradition we’ve affectionately named “Friendsmas.”

Happy Friday, kids!

This week was a short one for us- or at least I made it that way. Phil was off on Monday, and for the third year in a row I accidentally kept MM home, thinking she was off too. I would blame it on all the moving parts around here these days; but, if I’m being honest, I’m pretty sure I would have kept her home had I remembered. There’s really nothing better than these rare days when we can be together just us four , and I would feel weird sending her to school while Dad gets the day off to play.

Last week I shared a few of my tried and true tips to freshen up your home- simple tweaks that can make the space feel like new without breaking the bank.

Then, a few days later, I took a trip to Home Goods and remembered another favorite way to spruce up a room- throw pillows.

Every now and then I get the bug to update the feel of our home- to freshen up the space and bring new energy into our well-loved rooms.

Thankfully, for our wallets, this rarely requires a major overhaul like swapping out furniture. Instead, I’ve found there are a few simple, inexpensive tweaks that can easily update our space- and most of them are free- woohoo.

Madeline's room has transformed a few times over the last two and a half years. 

If you recall, it started as a neutral nursery {here} and I vowed never to include too much pink or frill. Famous last words. And I'm sure glad I had a change of heart, because in hindsight, that little grey room looks sort of sad.

Schedule

This Connecticut summer has been a tricky one- weeks of sweltering heat and then, suddenly, it feels like fall. And while some members of my family wish that summer lasted all year long, this mama loves that sweet sweater weather more than cake. Which I love. A lot.

Schedule

A few months ago I was perusing Pinterest {as I often do} and stumbled upon the most gorgeous photo of a woodsy outdoor dinner party. The photo was moody in the most charming way- a lone rustic farm table in the woods; lit by candlelight, set with mismatched tableware, and accented with assorted blankets to fight any chill. I showed the image to my husband in passing, mentioning that I would love to recreate the scene one cozy fall night.

This past weekend wasn't necessarily ideal- my husband worked most of Saturday and Sunday, and the weather was predominately rainy and dreary.  Despite the odds being stacked against it, the rainy weekend wasn't a total bust.

Even before I found out we were pregnant, I knew I wanted a non-traditional nursery- no race cars or airplanes for baby boy, no hearts or princess tiaras for a girl. So when we found out we are having a baby girl (YAY!) I set out on a minimalistic grey-and-white themed nursery. I've never been too girly, and I tend to avoid most pink tones in general, and I wanted something sophisticated for our little lady.  However, as the nursery progressed it became clear we needed to incorporate some color into the space. My husband, being more traditional than I,  advocated for the use of at least some pink from the beginning.  "It's too girly," I would argue. To which he always responded, "Well, she IS a girl."

Hello, hello! After a very long hiatus, I've decided to leave my former blog, mvsees, behind and begin anew- new site, new look, new year, new perspective.  I'm looking forward to posting about the things I've always loved- recipes, decor, fashion... our bulldog.  And now sporting a growing baby bump, I'm thrilled to incorporate glimpses into the big changes going on around here- maternity style, nursery inspo, teeny tiny baby clothes, lullabies + little lambs. Check back for daily posts, and be sure to follow my IG account @lilies_and_lambs for more pics!