WhatIWore: Over the weekend Adam and I got out of the house for a whole eight hours without the kids to celebrate our friends’ wedding in Indy. I wore my go-to wedding guest dress - a midi length navy number that’s in a stretch fabric and layered over a lace camisole for a little extra coverage. This has been a great dress for me. I first wore it about a year after Felix was born for our fifth wedding anniversary trip to Nashville. When I look at those photos I have hope that I’ll get my pre-baby bod back one of these days! Damn girl! The second time I wore it (and also to a wedding) I had just announced my pregnancy with Bea and I think it looks equally cute there! So if anything, this dress proves the case that a pretty stretch fabric goes a long way to accommodate before, during and after pregnancy! That’s my favorite kind of dress!
When: June 9, 2017
What: Shades: Karen Walker Dress: ModCloth (from a few years ago) Shoes: Rockport (gift from previous partnership) On Adam: Banana Republic Suit, Vintage Tie
We’ve official owned our little farmhouse in the country for an entire month! We love living out here and we’ve had a lot of fun making updates to the property. We’ve dug over 1000 square feet of gardens, removed an entire 1970s addition to the house (a sunroom that will now be a patio) and have freshened up two rooms in the house. Today I’m excited to show you photos of my “new” bathroom.
We started off with a nice raw space. It had been enlarged, retiled, and drywalled by the second owner and outfitted with a new vanity and storage area. I kept almost all of the hardware and fixtures, like toilet, tub and surround, hooks and faucets too. Are you scratching your head and wondering what the heck I actually changed? Ok! It’s time for some before photos and a rundown of the sources!
VANITY
We kept the existing vanity, but I changed the knobs and pulls. I also swapped out the lighting for a trio of barn style goose neck lights and added Edison bulbs (all from Lowes). I also changed the mirror to a more industrial style with a shelf, perfect for a vase of my hydrangeas!
All of the glassware was thrifted at Goodwill, but the soap and lotion pumps are available at Target (I have two in my shower as well!) I also treated myself to a pretty white hand towel with pale yellow stripe to bring in the slightest hint of color (similar).
PAINT
Green is my favorite color, but I thought the space would look bright and fresh with a neutral light grey. To save myself time on cutting in the many edges, I did both ceiling and walls the same (Benjamin Moore ‘Marilyn’s Dress’) in a semi gloss finish.
One of my favorite improvements - the painted (gasp!) grout! I did a lot of research online and had seen success stories, so I decided to say buh bye to the creamish-brown existing grout with a medium toned grey. I was aiming for something lighter, but this is what Adam picked up for me, so I tried it and liked it (Pearl Grey MAPEI Grout Refresh) What a huge difference!
Around the tub I pulled out all of the stained silicone and re-applied it. I also did new caulk between the trim and walls. I LOVE THAT PART!
Finally I spray painted the floor grate (originally an orangish metal) to rubbed oil bronze. While I had that out, I also sprayed the pulled on the storage armoire as well. I love the spray paint I used! (Rustoleum in Metallic Paint and Primer in One - Rubbed Oil Bronze)
Between the nook for the storage cabinetry and the tub/shower was a spot I missed when I filled in the nail holes. Luckily, I scored this vintage print (with Tulip Trees and birds - we have so many of both on our property!) I kept it in it’s original frame and it was an awesome one buck finishing touch on the space. I also got a one dollar silver toned trash bucket/trash can that I love! (Possible to love a trash can? Why not!)
One of my favorite parts of pulling together a new space is the big trip to Target. You know what i mean, right? I picked out a new shower curtain and rug. I can’t put my finger on why I like them so much, but I think they have the right vibe for the room and for our farmhouse in general.
Over the toilet, I hung a window shaped mirror that was in Bea’s room at the old house. Over it, I used a white wreath hanger to display a new white, green and yellow wreath I made last week (here’s a tutorial if you want to make one yourself!). I felt like the space was incredibly neutral and some flowers would brighten things up. I am crazy obsessed with faux flowers in wreaths!
Finally, we hung a toilet paper holder (which we never got around to in our old house!) and added some baskets we already had here and there for storage/decoration.
I’m really pumped with the results. The bathroom is a much used part of the home and it feels great to start and end my day in that lovely space!
WhatIWore: Here’s what I’m wearing to run tons of errands around town with my kids today. When I saw this dress at Target, my initial reaction was: CUTE! My second thought was - don’t you already have a lot of black and white polka dot dresses? I decided to try it on anyway and loved the look of it. It’s probably supposed to be an off the shoulder thing, but that makes me look a little too broad up top. I was saving it for a date night but I could be waiting way too long for that to happen. So ta da! Here it is!
I always like to let you know if a top/dress is nursing friendly. This one is, if you’re ok with a full boob reveal or if you use a cover. I’ll just stick to nursing in the car or at home with this dress, but there’s plenty of elastic to make it comfortable for me and baby!
WhatIWore: Greetings from sunny Southern Indiana. I can’t believe it, but we all slept in until 7:45 this morning when the sun shining through our windows finally woke us up. That just might be a record! So needless to say, we’re all in good moods and currently hanging out on the front porch while I type up this post.
Where: So far just chillen with my kids on the porch (probably Goodwill and craft store later!)
I don’t know if it’s the summertime, the country air, the inspiration of a new house or just spending so much good time with my children, but I have been happier lately than I have in a very long time. I’ve also made a huge shift in the way I see this blog (a money making occupation vs. a fun way to share the thing I love) and that’s been so freeing.
Take this outfit for example - something homemade (my hat), something fancy (my designer sunglasses), something vintage/thrifted (blouse and belt) with something from Target. These are the kinds of outfits that used to excite me so much, and I’m really really happy to wear more of them!
Studio Quirk
Hello! I’m Jessica Quirk!
Voted most likely to say “I could make that!”
Sewing & knitting obsessed, loves baking, making and spending time with my family.
I love shopping secondhand first and upcycling fabric into new creations. Check out all of my sewing projects here.
