We closed on our old house and moved into our new house this week and that came with a lot of emotions and trials and triumphs. “Bittersweet” is a phrase that is thrown around a lot, and I’ve even said it myself many times–but this week was the first week I can honestly say I experienced what that felt like. So extremely happy and overjoyed to be in our new home–one that we see ourselves raising our girls in. But also so overwhelmingly sad to be closing a chapter that meant so much to us and moving away from the familiar. Not to say I’m not completely grateful to be moving forward, or to have found this home–it’s just that I’m also filled with gratitude for our last one and I think all of this emotions are warranted.

Fortunately, our girls are adjusting extremely well (Willow is getting there) despite the chaos and move away from their routine this week. The first day we moved in, we took time to set up their bedrooms (they each have their own room now and although we were nervous Faye wouldn’t be up for it, she is in heaven in her “queen room.” I called it her very own princess room (hers is the one with the pitched ceiling and large arched window)–she corrected me that it was a queen room because we got her a queen-sized bed. Haha! I took her to Target (which is now a mere 5 minutes away, instead of 40–guys, this is life changing!) and let her get this pretty starry nightlight and every night she can barely wait to settle in for sleep because she wants to be next to her nightlight.

Greta has taken after me. She has spent every minute of her days organizing her room and closet and feels very grown up with her space. She’s planning  a reading nook and asked for a bookcase and chair. She spread a rug over her really busy carpet and lined the whole wall with pillows. It’s heart warming really. We’d love to give them both the rooms we envision in our heads immediately, but now that we’re here, we see how happy they are and we know it’s best to not interrupt their lives anymore. We’re holding off on any renovations upstairs now since they all seem to be thriving in their current conditions. We brought Polly’s entire room with us and that alone settled her into her normal routine and sleep schedule–thankfully!

Other notes from this week!

• I’ve been in decision paralysis when it comes to purchasing any furniture for our new home. I just haven’t been able to pull the trigger on much. But! I’m happy to report, I bought these bar stools for our kitchen island and they are fantastic. Very sturdy and I love the adjustable height and classic style.

• Email like a boss. 

• Did you catch the reveal of Jenny’s Evergreen kitchen on Juniper Home? This photo stopped me in my tracks. I am taking notes of everything from the styling, fresh sconces, mixed hardware, the tiled window bench, layered brackets–ugh! It’s all so good!

• This Etsy Shop melted me into a puddle.

• There’s lots of dialogue in this instagram post about defining architectural home styles–specifically ours. There was a lot of suggestions to hashtag our home #cljcottage and some didn’t agree with the definition. There was also some pushback on the idea that we would like to channel a Tudor style through the renovation. I love that our community is passionate about all things home. You’re in the right place. I also really believe in listening to your home when designing and decorating it. If your home is a 1920s colonial, mid-century modern furniture might feel out of place–but it’s not against the law. If your home was built in the 80s, 90s or 2000s (which is the vast majority) and the style isn’t clear or it has no style (our last house) and you aren’t sure of the direction but it feelllls _______. You get to decide! Lean into that feeling and go for it! Fall in love with your home. In my mind, I can already see peeks of our new home 10 years from now and it excites me soooo much. We can’t wait to put our own modern spin on the cottage/tudor style.

• This bedroom by Jake Alexander Arnold is a mood! (Future bedroom vibes for sure!)

• Fork calligraphy. Here for it.

• Lastly, ALLLLLL I WANT TO WEAR IS MOM JEANS these days. I rounded up all my favorites below, at a bunch of different price points.

1. $118 | 2. $59 | 3. $98 | 4. $49 | 5. $115 | 6. $158 | 7. $98 | 8. $38 | 9. $115 | 10. $37 | 11. $98 | 12. $79 | 13. $34 | 14. $49 | 15. $105

Can’t wait to chat about the first space we’re tackling and dive into our new home more next week!