Hey guys. So, I'm late, because I ran to Target for some diaper wipes, and I came home with this.

I actually did get the wipes. They're somewhere. This stuff is all - or almost all, and you can probably figure out which isn't - part of a huge overhaul the house is currently undergoing. We're basically playing a giant game of musical chairs in anticipation of the baby, with furniture shifting from the office and rugs hopping around and projects (!) in every room. Some of it is necessary - we do need to make room for the bug - but I'm not sure the extent to which some of the overhaul stems from the actual nesting instinct and which stems from a serious addiction to change and buying things. If you talk to Bret, go with the nesting theory, mkay?

But really, some of it is nesting. I am so excited to set up the nursery, even though the little guy won't actually live in it for months. But it's legit to want a place to change diapers and such from the getgo, and when I had Lou I often ended up sleeping on the pullout couch in her room, even though she had a bassinet in ours. That same pullout couch is now in the soon-to-be-nursery, so it's possible I'll want to do the same thing, and that argues for getting things in gear. So, with that firmly laid justification, want to see a little of what I'm thinking for the room?

As a side note, as I laid this all out, I had to laugh a bit; Lou's nursery was all bright green, and I had one friend who (seriously, deeply) hates green, who felt actively uncomfortable in there when I dragged her in to check it out. So I guess I've done it again. After a bit of a hiatus from green in the whole house, I'm so into bright, vibrant greens like Kelly green and chartreuse right now, and I've got an enduring love affair with the more subdued forest green. I've just been vacuuming up pieces I like that have meaning and that feature these exuberant greens, and partly owing to what we already had, it looks like there will be lots of black and white in the mix as well. And, although I don't plan to be super theme-y, I've definitely collected some animal-y things. Like that giraffe bowling set peeking in from the side. Have you ever seen anything so cute in your entire life? No. You haven't.

The bowling set and two pillow cases on the left are from our trip to Colombia; we've got a few more goodies from there as well, waiting in the wings. The zebra paper and ribbon are from Paper Source (on clearance right now, actually) and the crib sheet I just snagged at Burlington Coat Factory. I'm also going to look for a black and white one to interchange, and a black and white changing pad cover.

So that's the direction we're taking. I'm excited to see how it all shapes up. In the meantime, we also decided to give little Lou's room an overhaul. I think her room is great, but it's lacking some whimsy. I started planning to borrow a few elements for little man's room, which made me think we might be able to do Lou's room at the same time -- add in a little more whimsy, maybe some femininity, definitely some purple, and some softness. Lou is way into it. I think it's actually a really nice thing to do -- we're calling it her "big girl" room, even though her room is totally already big girl-y, and it'll be a special thing for her at the same time as the baby gets a new room. Using things we have and a teeny budget to supplement, here's what I'm thinking.

This is all pretty rudimentary, but I think it will come together! The gray and white blanket is a score from Anthropologie this fall, and I originally intended it for Lou. The gray polka dot and lavender fabrics are dollar store pillow cases, and the paper prints are gift bags I'm going to use as matting for some whimsical art. The purple and gray fabric is, I think, a runner, which I scored today at Marshall's. Lou requested darker purple, and I figure a mix of radiant orchid, lavender, and whatever else comes along, could be really pretty. Finally, that fluffy gray and white rug was at Burlington today, and I could not resist a little softness for Lou. She often sleeps on the floor - the bare floor - and I thought this would be really nice for her.

What I'm hoping is true for both rooms is that they have a little longevity and fit in the with rest of our house - no full on baby sets here, but instead a collection of cool and interesting patterns and textures that combine to look great. At least, that's the vision.

Of course, I want to not be absolutely nuts about this and not spend a ton of money, and I have a couple DIY ideas up my sleeve that I'm excited to try out. Like, right now. As soon as I'm done talking to y'all, I'm going to go start playing with some purple in Lou's room. Hooray!

And that is my Friday. What are you up to? Any inspiration happening? Any overhauls for spring? I know I have a special problem with all this, but there is something about the warmer weather that makes me want to make every room feel fresh and light and clean. Anyone else in that boat? I'll see you Monday!