Hello Old Friends - Life Update

Well Hello Old Friends!

My dress (wearing xs $95) // Lily’s dress (similar $19)

It has been a LOOOOONG time. Life looks a whole lot different than when we last talked. A little more chaotic, but oh-so beautiful! I am not going to lie. Sitting down to write this first post since my long hiatus from my blog has been so hard for me. I have been avoiding it for weeks. Lie - months (annnnd months!). The more I have avoided it, the harder it has gotten. Do you all have anything that you are avoiding? Working out? Laundry? Also two things I have not been great at lately- yikes (new mom life)!

To be honest, I have missed sharing and connecting with you guys…. but as you can imagine, things got a little crazy starting a new business a few months before the arrival of our first baby. How many of you thought I was nuts to open a store when I was 6 months pregnant, but were kind enough to not say anything, raise your hand?! Well thank you all for supporting us these first 6 months we have been in business at Denver Darling Boutique. It has been a whirlwind. And these first (almost 4) months of motherhood have been nothing short of magical. Exhausting. Educational. Sweet. Sometimes scary, but so beautiful.

I can’t believe that almost a year ago we were just finding out that we were going to be parents. I had never shared with you all, but we weren’t sure if it was even in the cards for us. After getting off of birth control in 2016 it took me almost 8 months to have a period and after a ruptured ovarian cyst I finally had another cycle a few months later, but never anything regular. Jonny and I were starting to wonder if something was really wrong (I guess 1 in 8 couples is affected with infertility). I talked to my doctor and they suggested that I start taking a medication called Clomid to increase my chances of getting pregnant faster. Jonny and I decided that we wanted to instead look into the root of the issue before I started taking medication too quickly.

Luckily we live near one of the leading fertility clinics in the North America CCRM which I had heard great things about from several friends so we decided to make an appointment. After filling out an extensive medical history for both Jonny and me we had our consultation (on our anniversary coincidentally). CCRM developed a custom tailored plan for us to help ensure the best outcome possible. CCRM is known for offering prospective parents the fastest path to the healthiest baby.

If you know me personally, you know that I am a big time worrier. So after leaving our consultation, in addition to our plan with CCRM, I told Jonny that I wanted to exhaust other areas of medicine (I hate taking medicine if I don’t need to) so I made another appointment with an acupuncturist that another friend had suggested True Mind Center for Traditional Chinese Medicine. I went to three acupuncture appointments and the day before my next scheduled appointment at CCRM (on my Papa’s 92nd birthday) I found out I was pregnant!! I love acupuncture - will be sharing more about how it helped me with pregnancy and after soon!

We were shocked! Since I was not having regular cycles, it was impossible to tell how far along I was so I immediately called CCRM to discuss next steps. They got me in for an appointment immediately and held our hands until they knew that it was safe for me to move on to my normal OB/GYN.

For women and couples experiencing infertility I recommend contacting CCRM. It can be a scary and complex topic and CCRM aims to empower individuals and couples to make informed decisions that can positively impact their future. Right now, Colorado residents can take advantage of CCRM Colorado’s Fertility First package which is a 15% off discount on a fresh or frozen IVF cycle to first-time IVF patients at its fertility center in Lone Tree, CO. More details can be found here.

Thanks to Jenna Sparks for some of my all time favorite pictures!! Would love to hear what you all would like to hear more about. I am an open book and can’t wait to share more with you all.

xo

Master Bedroom Update PT. 2

Hi Guys!! Happy Saturday!

Jonny and I have been away from home A LOT recently... and him even more than me since his job has him traveling frequently during the week.  As I mentioned last week, we decided to make some updates to our home to make it... more homey.  And our bedroom has become such a cozy and relaxing retreat for us to come home to.

After living together for 7 years and in our current home for 4 we decided it was about time we upgraded our furniture.  I know, what you are thinking... about time, right?  However, the bedroom furniture we had was... fine(ish).  But we have been so happy with the change and I actually understand the people that say their bedroom feels like a sanctuary because their is literally no place I would rather spend my time than our updated bedroom.

When I posted this picture on instagram - I got a lot of questions about the specifics of our bed, and bedding so wanted to be sure to share them with you!  Our bed is the Regina from Joss and Main it also comes in 5 other colors (including pink!) and they carry the same style at  Wayfair.  I love the tufted style and searched all over the perfect one.  I do also love this canopy style, this taller frame, and this pink bed!  

We got our bedding as a wedding gift almost over two years ago, but we are just now able to use it because we ordered everything in a King and our old frame was a queen.  Going from a queen to a king... O.M.G. its the best!  And it is so nice to finally use our bedding that we have been saving.  Also, we chose to register for colors that were timeless and gender neutral and still available here almost three years later!! I love that our quilt that we keep folded at the end of our bed, it has such pretty detail and is so soft! We chose to accent with this paisley pattern and linen Euro shams.

We are heading to the mountains today for the holiday and I am already a little homesick, but excited for some fresh mountain air!! What plans do you have the holiday?!!

Master Bedroom Update and DIY Shoe Wall pt. 1

Hi Guys!!

I am finally feeling rested after our four days at the Aspen Food and Wine Classic today.  It was one of the funnest experiences I have had and can't wait to give you the full recap later this week, but it is always nice get home!  As I mentioned last week, Jonny and I are traveling quite a bit this summer and our master bedroom update has made for such a relaxing (and organized) space to come home to!

Until recently, for the last four years that Jonny and I have lived in our house, my shoes scattered our closet floor and various areas of our house.  Obviously not his favorite thing about me.  Now I (almost) look forward to unpacking because our home looks and feels so much more organized with the addition of some extra storage.

When I posted this photo of our new shoe wall on instagram a few weeks ago, I got a lot of questions about the specifics.  And I wanted to share exactly what we got because we did this update for a fraction of what I thought was possible.

I figured a ceiling high, book shelf would have to be custom built, which means $$$, but after a little research I found that this would be perfect! And we purchased and installed ours for under $200.  We bought the $69 Billy Bookshelf from Ikea, with the $35 extender for an extra shelf and 3 extra shelves $10 each.  I paid $80 for Ikea to deliver and assemble (so worth it!).  If you do not have an Ikea near you, it is also available on Amazon for a bit more!  I almost purchased this one originally (love the detail!), but I love the versatility of the Billy.

I added 3 extra shelves in addition to the extender on top which gives me plenty of storage.  I love that you we were able to move the shelves around and have space for heels, boots, and flats.  And we also made a shelf for that fits several baskets for my flip flops and slippers.  These are the baskets that I have, but I LOVE these and this 3 pack is great too.

Along with this $12 clothing rack I purchased that day to help with planning outfits for upcoming trips and shoots, our bedroom was instantly more organized and I can't believe that we have gone as long as we did without the extra storage (especially since it can be done so affordably!).  

I will be sharing the details from the rest of our bedroom update next week.  And as always please feel free to send along your questions!!