Nursery Decoration Inspiration | Just Add Ginger

Preparing for Baby Ginger's arrival is a little strange at the moment. We have put in an offer on a new house and are in that incredibly annoying stage of having to sit around twiddling our thumbs whilst we wait for the date when we can finally...finally move out!

I'm trying to not let it stress me out. Sure, I mean there are only two months until we become parents. Sure we are practically falling over ourselves just with the amount of things the two of us have accumulated over the past four years. Sure it's not ideal. But at least we have a roof over our heads and space to house a baby (even though it is rather minimal). 

Should we still be in this house when we bring the baby home, I'm not going to bother decorating his room. Quite frankly, it's just too much effort to put in for somewhere he won't be properly living in... 

...But you can be certain I have big plans for the nursery in the new house. It's what I find myself daydreaming about constantly. And although the finer details do change daily, the concept is pretty much set in stone. A mixture of greys and blues and neutral tones, with lots of different textures to add extra touches...Ooo I get so excited just thinking about it.

The Cot

We are planning on "co-sleeping" with a Chicco Next To Me Crib for the first few months. This is all set to go at my in-laws' house. But after that, the cot I have my eye on is the Anna Dropside Cot from John Lewis. Having a dropside cot is going to be so much handier for me, and this one has three different levels for the mattress, which makes it ideal. Even though he won't be using it for a while, we still plan on getting this soon so I can practice with the mechanism. Finished with some beautiful bunting, this cot will definitely be totally Pinterest-worthy!

The Mobile

I am absolutely in love with this mobile from The Little White Company. It is just so pretty, and will definitely be appealing for a newborn. It will look lovely no matter where we are, and will fit in with whatever final décor we decide to go with. 

The Chair

As of yet, I'm undecided on whether I'm going to be bottle or breastfeeding. I'm going to leave it in the hands of fate and just see what Baby Ginger feels like doing, and what works best for us. However, a nursing chair is definitely something that will be a part of the nursery. The prefect little place for bonding with baby pre-bedtime, or sitting trying to soothe the teething tantrums. Fortunately we have a lovely one we are going to borrow from my sister-in-law, as I know these can be rather pricey. And what's better to throw over it for that extra bit of comfort than one of Dunelm's teddy bear throws in a lovely grey or duck egg blue!

The Walls 

My plan is to keep the majority of the walls as neutral as possible, to save us the hassle of redecorating when Baby Ginger is older and has more of an opinion. However, where the cot will go will be our main feature wall. I keep flitting between a wall sticker, mural, and an array of prints, but at the moment I am loving the idea of a mountain mural. This will tie in Ryan's love of walking, and will sow the seed in baby's mind about the great outdoors. It also means we can do this ourselves to save a little money, which, when you're having a baby is always a plus. 

Alongside the feature wall, I have also invested in two prints. One by Clinton Banbury and the other by Jazz Stan Artworks (you can check them both out on my Instagram). These will be going up on a wall opposite to the cot, and hopefully this is a collection that will expand. And let's not forget the two pieces of pottery Ryan and I painted at Center Parcs this Christmas, which will take pride of place on the windowsill. 

Finishing Touches

Keeping with the cosy elements, and as an extra source of light during nighttime feeds/nappy changes, there will definitely be some fairy lights draped somewhere. No nursery of my dreams would be complete without them. And the final feature comes in the form of a sweet Mamas and Papas fox soft toy we bought for Baby Ginger after our 12 week scan. It's the first thing we ever bought, and is officially Baby Ginger's first soft toy.

And of course, in terms of extra furniture, I intend to up-cycle a lot of the bits and bobs we already own. Where there's a chance for a little project that helps save some pennies, you can be sure I'm going to give it a go! 

Dear Santa... | Just Add Ginger

Christmas is a little anti-climactic this year. Normally, the house by now would be decorated top to toe in all things festive, but with a new baby on the way and a potential move on the cards, our priorities are elsewhere, and all my excitement, along with the Christmas tree, are still packed away in the loft.

Meaning I haven't really thought about what would go on my Christmas wishlist this year. To me, the baby and all the things he'll need come first, and any goodies I've been eyeing up take second place. However, there are of course a few little bits and pieces that I would be delighted to see under the tree (or receive for my birthday, which is two weeks after Christmas). It's impossible not to write a little dream list at this time of year, isn't it?

Beauty: With clothing items being firmly off the cards for the time being, over the past few months I have been a sucker for all things beauty related. The idea of an evening of pampering well overtakes even the thought of a night out on the town nowadays, and in the phase of being responsible for a child, having some little luxuries in which I can (hopefully) have time to indulge really fill me with joy. 

The main indulgence being a new foundation. My skin at the moment is a nightmare when it comes to oxidising my base, and after having a few hormone-induced breakouts, I think the time is here to make a splurge and sort the situation out. And it's the Nars Sheer Glow foundation that's been on my radar of late. I've heard a lot of good things about it, and am hopeful there'll be a colour out there that really matches my skin. It's been a constant on my wishlist, and something which I plan to treat myself to once January comes around. With dark circles and sleepless nights on the horizon, I don't just owe it to myself, but to the rest of the world! 

Alongside foundation, maintaining a sense of normalcy when it comes to complexion also comes in the form of lipstick. Every time I walk past the Charlotte Tilbury counter in John Lewis, my beauty blogger senses go crazy. The packaging alone is the stuff dreams are made of, and being able to slip one of those shiny lipstick bullets into my handbag would be the ultimate in #bloggergoals as well as the answer to my flawless complexion dreams. 

I haven't had a roasting hot bath in months. Literally. Long hot soaks in the tub seem like a distant memory, along with super-splurgy bath products. The Laura Mercier Coconut Milk Honey Bath is just the epitome of bath time luxury in my eyes. From the packaging to the scent this has been something I've dreamt of having for ages and ages and ages. I can just envisage myself handing over parental duties for am hour to Ryan, running the hot water to roasting, and languishing with this in the bath for as long as I can. Not much to some, but as an avid bath fan, this is what dreams are made of for me right now. 

Fragrance: If you follow me on Instagram then you will know our house is undergoing a makeover. Downstairs the walls are now 90% brilliant white. It was a choice made to brighten up the space, and it has really worked. However, the crisp cleanliness has now meant Ryan has forbade me to burn candles anywhere than the bathroom for fear of getting soot marks everywhere. Well, in the new house, I want to go candle mad. And both the Jo Malone Peony and Blush Suede and The White Company Winter candles are first on the list. I cannot and will not go all year without cracking out some of the scents I just love and filling the house with a cosy comforting smell that just makes you want to stay snuggled up in your pyjamas all day. 

Miscellaneous: I'm so late to jump on this wagon, but with a new house on the cards, I am totally lusting after a set of Ikea Alex drawers to house my beauty stash. I've pruned it down quite a lot, and the thought of my own little place to store all my favourite products, with a cute little Pinterest-worthy display housed on top is just really setting my heart a-flutter! 

No wishlist of mine would be complete without featuring my favourite chocolates. When the sleepless nights, hair-tearing moments and stressful situations arise, what better way to alleviate the tension than knowing there's a box of my fave Charbonnel et Walker Strawberry Truffles in the cupboard?

Master Bedroom Revamp | Just Add Ginger

As you would expect, alongside being a bride-to-be comes inescapable and incredibly exciting thoughts about married life and the future. I have lived in the house I am in now for seven years this year, and it has been perfect for me. Bur it's not really the house I see me and Boyfriend living in until our golden years.

We have no plans - no matter how much MG protests - to move yet. Not until after the wedding. I don't think any of us could handle the stress (and we couldn't afford it either.) But to make our home seem a little bit more grown up and family friendly, we are looking to revamp our master bedroom and just generally have a re-jig of things so that our house works better for us.

I love the thought of having a fresh, clean, white bedroom. Because the house has limited light, dark colours make everything seem more enclosed, and the bedroom constantly looks like a cave. In an ideal world, I would have a new crisp, white chest of drawers (our one is broken - we can't even open the bottom drawer any more,) and bright walls. Because our bedroom also acts as my filming room for my videos, I want to create as much airiness as possible, and have little sprinkles of decorative and slightly feminine elements....a few plants here...some woodland creature ornaments there....and a collage of photos of our loved ones. Nothing too OTT, but just enough to add some colour back in.

The only other thing I want to change is my make-up storage and "blogger station." Currently, my make up, beauty stash, and products that I am yet to review are scattered everywhere. Earlier in the year, we did buy a beautiful sea grass until from Dunelm Mill, but it doesn't work any more. Dave uses it as a scratching post too much, and once, actually got stuck in the gap where one of the drawers goes. It was a disaster trying to get him out. The Alex drawer unit from Ikea has recently caught my eye again. I know it's the storage unit that most bloggers have, but now I'm really starting to understand why. I can have it in our little "box office" room and keep everything I need in it.

It'll be a work in progress, but hopefully by the end of the summer, we will have a brand new master bedroom, and we'll be taking the first step forward in to having a marital home we can be really proud of.

#Blogtember Day Five: University Decor

Because university is around the corner for some of you, and because it has been on my mind, I wanted to carry on the theme and talk about university decor.

If you are going into halls this year, it can be quite restricting in what you can do to make your room feel a bit more homey. I know in my uni halls we weren't allowed to put anything up on the walls, and personal kettles, and electricity-run fairy lights were a definite no-no (battery operated didn't seem so available back then.) I had two designated pinboard type things where I could pin up photos, pictures, and little bits and bobs, but the rest of the room had to remain clean. Room inspections happened once or twice a term, and if your room was a bit messy, you'd get a note telling you to sort it out.

There are way to make a uni room your own though. And it's all about the simple things. Choose a bedding set that you would have in your room at home, and accompany it with a warm, snuggly throw blanket that can double up as warmth-giver, and an awesome accessory. A row of scatter pillows will turn your bed from a place to sleep in to sofa for when you have friends over, and, although you may not be allowed naked flames, LED candles are a great option to bring some serenity and calm in to your room if you are pulling an all-nighter trying to finish off that essay before the deadline in the morning. A rug can also be a great addition, and make your room even cosier, and add a bit of colour of pattern (especially if you have walls that are a completely uninspiring colour.

Scattering pre-made vases filled with silk flowers, ornaments and photo frames around amidst all your books and files can be a gorgeous touch, especially if you're planning on bringing pictures so that you can remember friends and family back home. Moving out can be so hard (I know, I moved 3.5 hours away from where I grew up to go to university,) and if you start to feel a bit homesick, or miss your friends, seeing them dotted around your room will definitely pick you up.

And let's not neglect your choice of crockery. Now while you don't want to spend an arm and a leg on plates, bowls and mugs (things will more than likely do a disappearing act on you,) if you can find a cute set of plates, or a cool novelty mug, then this will really let you show your personality and provide a bit of a pick-me-up too.

And remember. Don't go overboard. Moving in to halls can be a really exciting time, but you are not moving in to a mansion. I remember my uni room was tiny. Between the bed and the desk there was barely room to swing a cat so bear this in mind and keep decor to a minimum. Stick to items that you love, and leave space to add to your collection. As you explore your uni and new local town, you may spot things that you want to get to brighten up your living space.

How did you/would you decorate your university room?

Ps: Here is me during my first year of uni in my room....Ahhh the good old days of grainy webcam selfies!

Blogtember 2013: Life Lately

A "life lately" post. What you're up to, how you're feeling, how you're doing on your goals, etc. Bonus points for great photos!

I'm not going to lie....

I am SO happy right now. 

For a long time I felt really unsettled. I felt as though I was stuck in a bit of a rut, but lately, I have really gotten myself out of it. I feel like I don't stop now. I work Monday to Friday in a job that I absolutely love, I'm going to college to gain my Playwork Level 3, I'm really involved in my blogging, and I've been spending loads of time (probably too much time) re-organising, re-designing, and generally giving my house a bit of much needed TLC and sorting. 

Boyfriend has been & is super-busy at the moment, which means that we only really have been spending time together at the weekend. It makes it really special, and come Thursday, I start to get really excited that it's nearly the weekend and that I'll be seeing him. 

I'm not really one to usually get overly-gushy in public, but he is the main reason I am so content and at ease right now. I am one very lucky Ginger to have found him. 

I've also been spending lots more time with my friends. Because I don't live near my family, having a really strong circle of friends is really important to me because they are my family up here, and more recently, my Northern "family" have become so much stronger. Whether it's mine and Saloca's Pudding Clubs (which have recently become filled with excitable talk about blogging and decorating discussion,) spending time with Boyfriend's family, or going to visit Spotto, time I spend with my friends - which always was so important to me - has now become even more special!

I also feel that my style has really come in to its own. I have become a lot more experimental with fashions over the past year, and now I think I've found a style that I really like and works well for me. Stering away from jeans, which have a habit of not fitting me properly (I have a really hollow back,) I've been going for skater skirts, dresses, and fit and flare styles a lot. I've also not been buying so much, but instead, going for clothes I know I can wear for both day and night events. This means that I can save more money for the home improvements I'm planning....

....which has also been on my mind a lot lately. 

I've finally almost moved things in to my office. My DVDs are nicely arranged on a stand, all my stationary is collated in one place, as are my technological gear for blogging/vlogging, and my loft is empty of everything that isn't mine (finally!) I have a proper place to store all my beauty products and jewellery, and I've put all of my clothes into categories and they now have their own areas in my wardrobe/chest of drawers. My bedroom is almost unrecognisable! Here are the things on my "To-Do" List: 

• Buy wall sticker for bedroom.
• Find storage boxes to categorise my make up 
• Source wood to build bar in living room. 

Yes. That's right. I'm going to have a BAR downstairs. I really enjoy having people round, so a bar would be a perfect addition to my living space. It probably won't happen until the end of the year/next year, but I am so excited! I'm going to call it 

"The Ginger Bear" 

What do you think?