Who says blue is only for boys?

Here is the long overdue post about Sadie's nursery. I knew right away I wanted to do a blue/red nursery, regardless of the baby's gender. I think my obsession with this color combo stems from my obsession with "The Wizard of Oz", since Dorothy is wearing kick ass ruby slippers with a cornflower blue gingham dress. The room took a decidedly girly turn though, with lots of vintage touches and feminine fabrics. I absolutely adore this room...it's pretty and feminine without the usual pink/purple suspects which is nice. I've caught both Mr. Val and Jake just sitting in this room a few times, which is just about the cutest thing ever. So, without further ado, I give you "Casa de Sadie":





















Although Mr. Val and I never really sat down with a "budget" for the nursery, we actually wound up doing it all for a pretty reasonable amount of money. Mr. Val pretty much lets me do/have whatever I want, so I wanted to try to be somewhat restrained. I must preface that we saved a significant amount of money on the crib set up, since my father & stepmother bought it & the mattress and my husband's mother & stepfather bought our linens. So here are the details:

Paint: Valspar "Simply Seafoam" & supplies - $50
Rug: Overstock.com - $165
Glider: used/gift - FREE
Crib: Graco Lauren (gift) - FREE
Crib/Glider Fabrics: Waverly "Seafarer Stripe" in Crimson & "Mini Muse" in Sorbet (gifts) - FREE
Throw pillows for crib/glider: Etsy $15/$20/$15
Vinyl Wall Decal: Etsy - $50
Curtain Rod: Ikea - $10
Red Ticking Stripe Curtains: Amazon - $40
French Market poster: already had - FREE
Strawberry Photograph: Etsy - $25
Frames for wall art: $8-10 at Hobby Lobby
Skeleton Keys: Pottery Barn - $30 for set
Ribbon: JoAnn's - $1
Dresser: Craigslist - $65
Paint/supplies to refinish dresser: $30 at Home Depot
Hardware for dresser: $20 at Hobby Lobby
Wall shelves: Ikea - $30
Bookshelves: Craigslist - $85 for 3
Lamps: Target - $15-30
Changing pad/tray: Land of Nod (we are still waiting for the tray) $129
Changing pad cover: Caden Lane - $16 (sale)

So, I don't have the patience to add that all up, but I know we did a pretty kick ass job for the money. Using some creativity, elbow grease, re-purposing objects we already owned and accepting hand-me-downs & gifts enabled us to create this beautiful room. Now the only thing missing is our beautiful baby girl!

XOXO,

Fromage Friday (recession edition)

In the throws of a massive economic breakdown, we tend to resort to a simpler way of life. Take the bus instead of driving. Brown bag lunch instead of takeout. Steve Maddens in lieu of Jimmy Choos.

With the exception of a maddening pay freeze, Mr. Valentine & I have remained largely unscathed by the current economy which is an incredible blessing that we do not take for granted. Like many people though, we realized that we need to be more prepared should that change. To that end we've changed some spending habits to be a bit more frugal.

When we were talking about where to cut back, we happened upon some hilarious "Mars vs. Venus" conversations. Here is an example:

Me: We could cancel the cable. We don't really need all those channels.
Him: I'll cancel the cable if you stop buying throw pillows.
Me: Ok. The cable stays.

All kidding aside, we've been much more conscious than usual, which is good. Not having children or a mortgage can lure you into a false sense of security when it comes to ancillary income.

Anyhoo - back to the matter at hand: CHEESE. As you are all aware, I pink puffy heart cheese. Unfortunately, once your cheese palette ventures beyond cheddar and pepper jack it can get pretty spendy. Since Mr. Valentine INSISTED I was NOT allowed to have a portion of the budget dedicated to the Whole Foods Cheese counter, I've been looking for more affordable ways to feed my habit. To that end I give you:



Cranberry Chevre. This sweet & creamy goat cheese is covered in tart cranberries for a delicious combination. This cheese is a delicious addition to a cheese & cracker plate and also fantastic on toast in the morning. (Yep, I eat cheese all day.) This particular picture is courtesy of www.dedrickscheese.com but can also be found at Trader Joe's for a mere $5! That makes it delicious and frugal; perfect for the cheese monger on a budget.

Try it. Eat it. Make your friends eat it and tell them all about the crazy cheese lady that lives on the interwebz.

XOXO,