Harder Family Christmas {2016}

Someone recently asked me why I love Christmas so much. Is it the decorating with bright colors and pretty dishes?  Is it the christmas trees and gingerbread cookies?  Maybe it's the advent stories and Christmas cards on the fridge?  Or my favorite sermons of a King coming down to save the world? For sure, it could be singing Silent Night with my church family and holding my children as I watch Christmas unfold in their eyes.  I love it y'all.  All. Of. It.  There are two things you can be sure of.  I will teach my babies that Jesus is Lord and that He loves them dearly.  And I will show them how to turn up the Christmas music, dance in their Christmas socks while they bake, and decorate every inch of their home with Christmas cheer!!  

Our family room doesn't have a great spot for a tree so I put an all white, flocked beauty in our dining room.  It was a perfect spot because I could enjoy it while I wrapped presents and baked cookies with the girls!  

Our living room in the front of the house has a little more space for actual presents and Christmas morning fun, so we put our sweet kid friendly tree with all their precious, handmade ornaments in that room!  

I have several pieces of furniture that belonged to my great grandmother and they are so special to me. My first memories of gathering for Christmas meals are in her dining room.  I am so thankful that I have these antique pieces and that I will be able to share their story with my girls.  

I started this little family blog six years ago and though it's a creative outlet for me and a fun way to document and share pictures with our friends and family, I love that I can put a picture with a memory and show our children one day.  I love looking back over the years and seeing the traditions we have slowly made as a family.  One of my favorite has become visiting the Christmas Tree Farm in Murfreesboro.  Country Cove is adorable!  After we snap a few pictures of the girls, we stop in at the little store where they serve hot chocolate and apple cider.  Out back, you can hear kids warming their hands by a fire pit before taking a trip around the farm on a hayride.  This year, it was freezing but Abigail and Violet were happy as could be with their sweet little flushed cheeks and pink noses!

~My sweet Abigail~

 ~And of course, little miss personality~

I have been on maternity leave since October, so I've been able to spend so much time this Christmas season with my sweet babies.  I am so thankful that I got to spend a day with each of them at school for their Christmas parties.  Abigail and I decorated a gingerbread house together.  She's almost five, but for that short hour, she crawled in my lap and held on to me so tightly.  I know she's getting big and kindergarten is right around the corner, so I really cherish my last year with her at home.

Violet couldn't wait for me to come to her party at school, especially after she saw me visiting Abigail's class.  I promised her I would be there for her party too, and her reaction made my day!  Her little hands flew in the air and she looked around at her friends saying " my mommy, my mommy"! Love her big!  

And of course, nothing has been sweeter this Christmas, than welcoming sweet Georgia Mae into our family.  I could go on and on about how in love with that baby I am, but I'll just leave this picture instead.  I mean, how adorable is this sweet hat?!

Mike and I have special ornaments on our tree for each of our girls.  On their first Christmas, we write a note and leave it inside.  This year, we left Georgia a special note in her ornament. One day, we hope our girls will read them and know how dearly loved and prayed over they are. 

After lots of wonderful food and quality time with family this week, we placed the presents for our girls under the tree and went to bed with full hearts.  Seeing their joy on Christmas morning is magical!  

Their big gift this year was this adorable pillow fort tee pee that I found on Amazon.  It fits perfectly in the corner of their room and helps balance out the space.  I'm almost finished with their room and I think it's SO cute.  I'm still looking for curtains and I'd love to make a book shelf for between their windows.  Also, their room is NEVER this clean.  I snapped a quick picture right before the tornado of Christmas day play began! 

This week we will take down ALL our trees :)  I'll put all the Christmas decor back in the boxes until next year, but I will hold on to the beautiful memories we made as a family this Christmas.  2016 was a pretty rough year for me.  Pregnancy and I are not friends.  After spending the majority of the year nauseous, hypoglycemic, and hypotensive - I really appreciated November and December!  I finally felt like myself and was actually present for my family.  I could not have made it through this year without my dear husband.  I try to brag on him every chance I get.  With me feeling sick and struggling with my blood pressure being so low, I feel like I missed so much.  He picked up the slack as he always does and took care of our family.  Somehow, he was able to take care of all of us while leading our church and working on his PhD.  He's a keeper and I love him so much!  He even let me put live garland across our mantle even though it makes him sneeze.  He tolerates me and all my Christmas decorating so well!  There's no one else I would rather snuggle up to at night by a cozy fire with twinkling lights than my dear husband. He makes my Christmas extra special! (Not pictured is Pastor Mike in his super snazzy elf slippers...)

{Harder Family Christmas 2016}

Georgia Mae {Two Months} and {Nursery}

Maternity leave has been a dream.  I am so in love with my little Georgia Mae and since we thought our newborn days had passed, I am really soaking in every snuggle and sniff of her little head that I can.  I am a few weeks away from having to go back to work so I've found myself trying to remember every detail from the moment they handed her to me.  

Maternity leave is always a bit of a foggy period because your days blend together and before you know it weeks have passed.  Georgia is already changing so much.  I've tried to snap pictures with my phone as often as I can to freeze each little moment.  This is probably my favorite picture to date from our sweet time together.  Most of my days have been spent holding her just like this and watching her sleep.  

Here is what sweet Georgia is doing at two months:

* starting to coo and "talk" to us
* she weighs 10 lbs and is 23 inches long.  trending just like her sisters!
* she smiles at me and melts my heart.  
* she is sleeping 5-7 hours straight at night.  Thank you Babywise!!
* she is very interested in what her sisters are doing and when they are in the room
* she has outgrown her 0-3 month outfits already!

Sweet baby.  This Christmas will be so special with you here!  

I am still working on her nursery, but I think it is the sweetest most peaceful room in our house!  I'm waiting to find a lamp for her table and I'm having a hand painted sign made for her, but this is a preview.  Hopefully I'll have this room done before she switches to a toddler bed and I rearrange it...

A few details for my design friends out there!

Paint: Benjamin Moore Wickham Gray 

Rug: Wayfair
Ottoman: TJMAXX 

Curtains and Mini Chandelier: Amazon

Crib: Once Upon a Child
Side table: Pottery Barn
Blue chalk painted dresser: random college piece of Mikes, Paint is Annie Sloan duck egg blue
Frameless mirror: At Home 

Welcome Georgia Mae { One Month}

My sweet Georgia, 

This blog post is all about you.  I hope I can show you this one day and watch you smile as you see your pictures and I read you all the words that flooded my heart when you were born.  I have done this with your big sisters and now it's your turn.  

You are very special sweet girl, because we thought our family was complete.  The Lord spoke very clearly to your daddy and I that someone was missing in our family and we began to hope and pray about you.  And what a sweet blessing and breath of fresh air you are!  We love you so much already.  

As I write this particular post, I am flooded with so much emotion.  Joy.  I laugh at myself that I declared our family complete and sold all our baby items two years ago.  After feeling so miserable through two pregnancies, I was certain I couldn't possibly endure it again.  I am joyful because the Lord in his kindness to me answered every prayer I poured out to him over the last year.  

I feared financial stress with Mike starting his Phd and our family needing a new car.  And God provided in big ways for our family.  

I feared being sick all over again and missing so much quality time with my family, but somehow it seemed to pass quickly.  Also, praise the good Lord for diclegis!  

I feared labor and delivery.  I was able to deliver both Abigail and Violet naturally and unmedicated but for some reason, I was so anxious that I wouldn't be able to do it again.  I prayed for a short labor and boy did the Lord hear me on that one!  My labor transitioned so quickly that I didn't have time to be scared - six hours and she was in my arms.  In fact, we arrived at the hospital a short twenty minutes before she was born.  Praise God we made it in time! 

You are lucky sweet Georgia Mae because your daddy is going to spoil you with hugs and kisses.  Your sisters are going to smother you with giggles and adventure.  And I am going to pray that the Lord will show me how to be the best mom for you I can be.  I will pray for patience to juggle a family of five and that He will teach me to shepherd your heart well.  We love you so much.  

Here is what I hope to remember about your first month of life: 

* You have the sweetest little cry.  I have joked that it is the most polite little baby cry I have ever heard 
* You are sleeping good so far giving me 4-5 hour stretches at night- momma thanks you!
* You are starting to wake up and you raise your little eyebrows when your sisters play in the same room 
* You are so long!  You skipped newborn clothes and moved out of newborn diapers in two weeks 
* You love to be held and we love to hold you

Happy Birthday Violet {THREE}!!

I love being a mom to little girls!  The costumes, the tutus, the giggles...I love it all!  I love seeing their imaginations soar when they get to dress up and play with their friends and I especially love seeing the joy on their sweet little faces when they get to have a special birthday party!  

Last year we didn't get to celebrate Violet because we were mid renovation and living with family, so I promised that when she turned three she would get to have a very special birthday party.  She has seen her sister have a tea party birthday and she's been a guest to all of her friends fun little parties, so all year long she asked when it would be her turn.  This past weekend, it was finally her turn!!  

We started her birthday off with special birthday pancakes!  

On Saturday, we invited a few of her friends over to celebrate her mermaid birthday!  She skipped around the house and giggled all morning as she saw me decorating and getting things set up for her special party!  

When Abigail turned three, we had Elsa the princess come to her party and she was amazing!!  I made a mental note then that when Violet turned three we would have her come back.  This time she was Ariel!  If you are looking for a princess for a birthday party, Jennifer from The Learning Express is perfect!  She made our little birthday girl feel so special and we have the sweetest memories from this day! Violet's face as she watched Ariel walk up our sidewalk was the sweetest! And then, she declared Violet a princess for the day. 

Here is what Violet is doing at three years old:

* She loves to snuggle, play with my hair, have me play with her hair.  Bless her, she is definitely my child!
* She is a bit strong willed but I love her spunk and I think she will be a leader!
* She loves to sing and dance!
* She is excited about having a little sister and tries to kiss her at every chance
* Her favorite food is watermelon
* She loves mermaids, princess Sofia, and Doc McStuffins
* She sings " Rocky Top in the Sea" and it melts my heart 
* When she hugs you, she means it.  

Happy Third Birthday sweet Violet! 

For Georgia {Maternity}

I love gallery walls!  I look at our family photos every time I walk through our house and it makes me smile to see all the memories we have made over the years displayed throughout our home.  That being said, I need to step up my game before little Georgia arrives!  

Recently, Violet started asking me where her pictures were.  I have more recent photos of this sweet girl, but I haven't had the energy this pregnancy to actually order them and get them in the frames on my wall.  Bless her, there is one picture of her little hand on my den wall and she points it out to anyone that comes in our house! 

With baby Georgia's due date quickly approaching, it dawned on me that I did not even book a maternity photo shoot this time.  I love the maternity photos I have of Abigail and Violet, but we just don't have the time, energy, or budget right now to book a professional shoot.  And so plan B it is!!

Nashville has so many cute spots to take pictures throughout the city, and I recently ran across the cutest photo op location in the 12 South district.  Five Daughters Bakery not only has amazing donuts, but they may have the cutest wall I've seen in a while!  

So even though we didn't get professional photos this time around, I'm hoping the cuteness of this wall will make Georgia smile one day!  

Not pictured here.  The sadness known as " SOLD OUT"... We will be back for those donuts!

New Post: Our Den Renovation - Dark and Dated to Light, Bright, and Airy

You know those Fixer Upper Reveals where they pull the canvas back and let you see the beautifully, finished home before the family moves in?  Yeah, that won't be our home project!  Seven months later, we have finally finished our second room!  It takes time to paint, buy furniture, and decorate, but I am so proud of our den and I'm excited to share before and afters photos!  

This is where we started back in November 2015. 

We were so fortunate to buy this home from a wonderful family that we knew.  They let me have a key months before we actually closed on this property and allowed me to bring contractors, designer friends, and family in to dream with me about the vision I had for this space.  The house had been well taken care of.  It just need to be updated.  From this angle, I'll share a few things that were on my mind.  

I decided to remove the built in shelf dividing the rooms.  We actually painted it and repurposed it as our TV stand!  The hardwood floors were original and in great shape so we added wood to the kitchen and had the floors refinished.  Next, lighting was on the list.  We removed the ceiling fan and my dad helped me add recessed lights. Then, we removed the door from the foyer and created a cased opening and replaced the door leading to the hallway with a glass paned door.  All of these changes allowed us to brighten this room dramatically.  Finally, we painted the brick fireplace and the wood paneling to give us the light and airy feel we were hoping for.  Here are a few more before photos.  

Let me just tell you, painting is hard work.  I had no idea what we were in for, but the finished product was worth it!  We primed our paneling twice and then added two coats of paint.  The paint for the paneling is Benjamin Moore Gray Owl.  I am a big fan of Sherwin Williams so they color matched it for me and it was much cheaper.  I used their Duration Paint which is not user friendly and requires more coating, but with small kids that color on the wall...this is an amazing product.  Duration paint in a matte finish is super kid friendly and will allow you to scrub and clean without ruining your paint job!  The fireplace also required a lot of prep.  We spray painted the doors, chipped away messy areas of mortar, primed two coats with a masonry primer, and then finally painted it white.  White is tough so I'll share the color that has been a winner for me.  Benjamin Moore Cloud White is what we used for the fireplace and our TV shelf.  Its a nice clean warm white.  

After weeks of painting and long nights of remodeling, we admired our lovely paint job and realized we actually love the texture of wood paneling!  I'm also very happy with how bright the room feels with the glass door and the recessed lights.  

I can not take all the credit for how the room is designed.  I have a hard time seeing shapes and how to correctly fill a space, but after all my design savvy friends as well as the nice lady at Sprintz advised me to put a sectional in this den and create a gallery wall of eclectic shapes and photos, I decided to give it a shot.  Turns out, they were all right and I love this room.  I was initially worried that the room was too small to have enough seating, but the sectional actually fit the space really well and balanced the room perfectly!  Here is another angle.  

A lot of friends usually ask me how I am brave enough to choose such a light color pallet and have any white furniture with small kids.  So here are all my secrets, because obviously I love white! 

* buy matte paint that is durable and washable

* fabric protectant.  I scotch guard small things.  We bought our couch from Sprintz and they spray their fabric with a professional grade protectant that has a warranty

* Buy slip cover pillow cases that you can wash or use outdoor weather resistant pillows.  

* we don't let the kids eat and drink on the couch.  Having an open floor plan makes it easier to keep them at the island.  

My window seat in the kitchen also has light colored pillows.  All of them have fabric protectant on it except one which is actually an outdoor pillow. 

My couch looks whiter in my pictures than it really is, but here is a close up of the fabric and color.  We were very pleased with Sprintz.  They will send a designer to your home for free to make decisions regarding size, color, and fabric.  

The journey has been worth it and even though we only have two rooms finished in our renovation, we love our new home.  I am learning to be patient and I often look back at our before photos to remember how far this house has already come.  For my friends that are starting their own renovations, my advice is to stay on budget and take your time.  Invite people into your home even though it isn't a "finished product".  Allow others to be a part of the journey with you and remember that your home is not suppose to be perfect.  My home is NEVER this clean and staged unless I am taking pretty pictures.  I have developed a love for interior design, staging, and editing photography.  It's a creative outlet and a fun hobby for me, but I promise we do not live in a perfectly staged house.  I guarantee you as I publish this post and my two adorable tornados wake up from their nap it will be destroyed in less than two minutes!  

One last before and after: