Vegan Beauty & Body Care

Hi! So I know that not all of you are vegan... actually I'm 99.9% sure most of you are not! :) BUT, I do receive a lot of questions about what vegan/natural products I use and thought I would do a little (big) post about some of my favorites. I'm not trying to convert any of you guys to veganism or convince you that vegan products are better, in fact if you know me in real life then you know I do the exact opposite of that! ;) BUT if you've been shopping around for new body and beauty care products for you or your little ones, then hopefully this post will inspire you just a little bit to try some of the really wonderful cruelty-free products that are available! :)
***This is not a sponsored post. These are products that I go out and purchase for me, my daughter, and my home because I really love them.

NAILS

Sparitual

Honestly, I'm not sure how much a tube of nail polish costs... but for me, this is on the pricer side. Lucky for me, I hardly paint my nails. And lucky for me I only need a good red and deep purply-black in my life (oh, & I guess gold too). Anything colored red in the make-up world is difficult to find vegan. More often than not it will contain some type of carmine product. This red is amazing... and you can't (CANNOT) go wrong with a color named "hunk of burnin' love".

HAIR

Pureology& LUSH Solid Shampoo. 

Pureology is AH-MAZ-ING. Seriously. Yes, it's definitely an expensive running bottle of shampoo + conditioner, but it pays itself off. One bottle lasts forever. You need the tiniest amount to get a good lather and it leaves your hair feeling incredibly soft. My hair is no longer as long as it used to be, but it is still beyond incredibly thick and one dime sized amount goes a very long way. Before, I spent so much money buying bottle after bottle of shampoo and needing to use excessive amounts to get my head clean, but now I just buy one good quality bottle and it lasts forever and my hair looks a hell of a lot better. The LUSH solid shampoo is great for extra dirty and stinky hair. It's a life-saver when I get off the burger and fry smoke heaven that is food-truck work. It was actually gifted to me, I had never heard or tried it before, but now it's something I will want to invest in when it fits into my budget.

TEETH

Kiss My Face

Toothpaste may be one of the most questioned vegan products I use. I've tried a ton of different natural and vegan options and hated most of them. Most of them didn't lather well enough and left my mouth feeling blegh and dirty. This is great, it's natural, and it's fluoride free. I accidentally bought a weird flavor once that was gross.... it may have been a vanilla or lemon mint. Do not want. Cool mint all the way. Marlowe loves it too.

BODY

Jason'sbody wash: I'm addicted. I buy a huge bottle every few months. I stick with a tea-tree scent... not everyones favorite I'm sure, but it makes me feel like I'm doing something extra good for my body. I will say: I haven't tried many other soaps, but I really enjoyed this one from the beginning of my switch to vegan products and while trying other ones seems like a great and fun idea: why mess with something that works so well. And it's light enough where I feel more than comfortable using it on Marlowe.

Nature's Gate lotion: I'm sure there are a million better lotion options out there... but this one is vegan, natural, and cheap so it stays on my list.

Kiss My Face shaving cream: There are not a lot of natural shave cream options out there... or if there are I keep walking past the section. This one works up a pretty good lather, I'm not left with nasty razor burn, and I've loved every one of the scents I've tried, so it stays :) 

FACE

You can see a bit of a trend with Earth Science. I have loved each of their products I have tried. I'm especially found of: the facial scrub (I use it every shower), the skin peel (it's my newest go to face mask), and the moisturizer. (you can buy all of these at whole foods). And Desert Essence face wash: I love the way my face feels after I use it. It definitely burns if you get it near your eyes, but it burns so good on your face. There are a few different looking bottles and types, but my face approves all of them. 

MAKE-UP

Josie Maran tinted moisturizer: I'll be honest, I'm mixed about this one. The tinted moisturizer I was previously using got discontinued. This one works for now, but I'm looking forward to trying to new option once I run out. It covers the skin very nicely, but separates easily in the tube. 

Korrespowder. Covers nicely, not heavy, doesn't look cakey. 

Zuzu: I was running low on my other powder and figured I would try this one. I'm torn between the Korres and Zuzu. Zuzu covers flaws better, but is a bit heavier, and I hate to feel like I've got make-up on. 

Urban Decay
blush. Be cautious... not all of these are vegan. Urban Decay is not a vegan line, but they do have a fair amount of vegan options. This blush is creamy, not powder, and great to add a light tint or a full blast of color on your face. I love the color "crush": the brighter the better! 

EYES

Josie Maran mascara. I very, very rarely wear eye make-up... especially mascara... so for eye make-up experts: I'm not sure how great this is compared to other eye products, but it suites me just fine. It doesn't look overly fake, it doesn't clump up, and it makes my lashes almost as long as Marlowes. 

Urban Decay liquid liner: love it. 

BABY

California Baby shampoo and body wash: you can see this bottle has seen better days. It's been around for over a year now. Like my shampoo, it's expensive, but lasts forever. You can buy this brand pretty much anywhere which makes it an incredibly convenient option.

Mild By Nature: the bottle pictured is the conditioner, because the soap is left at my dad's house for bath time there. The whole line is light and clean, without being overly scented. 

Live Clean Baby: I freakin' love this bubble bath. Marlowe smells like the most deliciously clean baby after a bath. This was actually sent to us, but the whole line really is great--- especially the "baby bath"-- Marlowe needs daily baths in it. It bubbles up pretty well (we've tried one or two other natural bubble bath products) and the lavender smell is great, you could not soap her, and she would still smell delicious after sitting in only bubbles.

BABY LOTIONS

Live Clean Baby lotion: big bottle, light scent, light feeling. Marlowe has become an expert at lotioning her tummy.

Baby Avalon Organics diaper cream. I did a quick google search while in Whole Foods to find out what of the products they sold were cloth-diapering friendly. This seemed like my only option (at least in my Whole Foods), but we like it. It's nice and thick so it doesn't slide off. 

SUNSCREEN

One of my other most asked about body-care products. Alba Kids Sunblock seems to work pretty well for us. I wish it was stronger, but even (or especially?) living in Florida we try to avoid too much direct sun. Marlowe hasn't had a sunburn yet *knock on wood* so it seems to be doing a pretty good job (it's also in her genes, I'm sure). I've tried a few other options, but I like this one a lot and have zero complaints. In the future, I still might try other, stronger options, but this still gets two non-sun burned thumbs up. Gotta protect that delicate baby skin! 

CRUELTY-FREE

There are a lot of ways to find out what products are vegan and cruelty-free. One of the most commonly used logos is the side profile of a bunny. Another is the face of a bunny. I've always seen a plant with a "V" for vegan. Some products will just state: "cruelty-free", "vegan", "not tested on animals and no animal bi-products". If you can't find any of these logos or statements, the best thing to do is: ASK! Both Whole Foods and Sephora (where many of these products have been purchased) have well trained staff that know their products pretty well, and have been great to help me find new products to try. And of course, I'm sure many other places will have equally as helpful staff. Most places will carry at the very least, a small selection of cruelty-free products. Smaller natural health-food stores are always a great option, Whole Foods has a ridiculous selection of natural products to try... and many of these baby and body care products (maybe not as many cosmetics) can even be purchased at chains such as: target, walmart, walgreens, and your neighborhood supermarket (publix here).

***************************

I unfortunately don't have any great recommendations for deodorant. I have no idea whether my deodorant is vegan or not.... and it is certainly far from natural, but that's just the way it is. I've tried a fair amount of natural options and was left disappointed with each and every one of them. It's the only non natural product left in my house that is used daily. It's Florida, it's April and 90 degrees, and oh boy do I sweat. But if you've got tried and true natural deodorant options, please do share! I'm always happy to try new vegan and natural products.... and hopefully this post will inspire you to try a new cruelty-free option when the product you are currently using runs out!

If you have (vegan, or even just natural) products you use and love, please share! It would be great to know and try out the items you and your body use daily and love! Please link up or comment to share :)

Beautiful Photos: Jones Photography

It's been an incredibly trying day over here trying to deal with child-sharing and lack of child support. INCREDIBLY TRYING. Let me tell you, I am going to throw my hands up in the air and rejoice on the date of my would-have-been-wedding. REJOICE. Okay, I am a bit extra angry today (I have good reason to be), and to be honest, sometimes I do feel a bit bummed at the *idea* of everything being lost and gone. You know, the idea of a beautiful wedding and one happy family... but (now) I know the reality of what my life would have been and I know Marlowe and I are much better off this way--- without all the problems (or with a lot less problems anyway). The problems aren't here present in my home, everyday--- and thats reason enough to be happy and grateful. But speaking of weddings, and rejoicing, and just being happy and grateful... I wanted to share with you some really, truly beautiful photos taken by some amazing people: The Jones. They had contacted me about photographing the wedding and after peeking onto their site I was really happy the universe had brought them my way. Well, I'm bummed I wont be working with these awesome people, but I thought I should share some of their photos, because the beauty in them is enough to put a little calm in anyones day, no matter how trying it may or may not be :)

And I promised if they were in ever in Florida they should come by so I can prepare a large feast for them :) 

(My favorite. I have a soft spot for Nepal)

You can check out their site HERE or scroll through their blog of beautiful photos HERE. 

Also, if you're on instagram, they are obviously great people to follow there! paigefjones and michaeljones7 :) 

On some other notes...

I'm still convinced the universe is on my side. There is an organic cafe, two blocks from my house, that has been "opening soon" for about six months. They finally posted a menu on their door so I decided to run by and check it out today.... WELL, I had a bit of a hard time figuring out the menu, but I'm pretty sure I'm going to have vegan pizza two blocks from my house! TWO BLOCKS. VEGAN PIZZA. The fat kid in me is so freakin' happy. Seriously, the universe was just like "Sorry about the crappy things you're dealing with today, here is some fat kid happiness!". Thank you, universe!

Also, I want to say THANK YOU so much to all the people who voted for me for Apartment Therapy's The Homies. Ohdeardrea wont be making it to the finales, I think we are at least 40 away? I don't know, I haven't checked recently, but we're pretty far off. Either way: Thank you so much! Regardless of making it to the finales or not, it's such a good feeling just to be up there and see the votes coming in, so thank you!

If you haven't checked out our March sponsors yet, I suggest you do. There is some really awesome blogs up there. (Be sure to give a little extra love to Petite Biet, because I (again) forgot to add her up them on time. woops.) And if you didn't noticed the discount codes, they are still there, plus I added another one. Now by using the code "OHDEAR" you can receive:
20% off Green Your Air
20% off Barley & Birch
20% off Vintageshoelove
and free domestic shipping at Up a Tree Cup a Tea
Hooray!



Well, it's my dads birthday and M should be home any second now so I'm off to get ready! I can't wait to stuff my face with delicious foods with my family tonight!

Happy weekend everyone! &Thanks again for everything! 

Homies!

HEY! So... I just found out M and I (ohdeardrea!) has been nominated for "best family blog" over on Apartment Therapy! Umm... awesome? YES. We would LOVE (love love love love) if you could head over that way and send us a vote! I know... we (I) hate the voting thing, and if you're not registered for Apartment Therapy, then you have to sign up... (err pain, I know) but still... this is kind of a big thing ;) AND I think we can all agree... no matter what ups and downs there have been around here... M and I make a pretty damn good family of two :)

Honestly, I remember when I had more time to sit and read blogs (pregnancy/nursing), I would scroll through Apartment Therapy constantly (probably more than I'd like to admit) and one day I saw the post announcing the Homie Awards. I saw many blogs I loved and found many new blogs to love. I thought: "Wow. How awesome would it be to make it on that list one day?" Well, here we are... months and months later, on a very late thursday night... and I have found my way back to the internet after putting a very tired baby to bed. Out of the blue, and very much to my surprise, I have noticed that ohdeadrea has in fact been nominated for The Homies. What a trip. The whole take off of this blog has been a really incredibly trip.
Thank you guys.
If you could be ever-so-kind and take a minute from your time to support ohdeardrea with a vote, if would be VERY much appreciated :) :)

Voting ends Friday night... and you only need to vote ONCE. Just CLICK HERE, scroll down, and find us! (we're a bit on the lower end right now! I JUST opened my computer to find this amazing news! Eeep!) 

Help Support The Ride For Kids! {GIVEAWAY}

How about a little incentive to get more donations to a good cause... because sometimes if you give a little, you get a little (or a lot), right? Right. Well, I figured we should set up a little thing where each five dollars you donate to the ride for kids/pediatric brain tumor foundation (read more info HERE) gets you one entry to win this really spectacular giveaway worth over 200$

That's right: It's giveaway time ;)

PRIZES:
The winner of this giveaway will receive three organic shirts of their choice from Barley and Birch, two organic, handprinted shirts from Eric's new soon-to-be (nameless) shop (he owns this pretty awesome printshop where him and his partner create some really amazing designs and shirts), the itty bitty clip set and a headband from Up a Tree Cup a Tea, and a free month (or two) sponsorship space on this blog here (you know, ohdeardrea)!

TO ENTER: 
As mentioned, each five dollars you donate to The Ride For Kids gets you one chance to win. All you have to do is go to the donate page, decide your amount, and make your donation. Then come back here and leave ONE comment for EACH five dollars you donate. Makes sense, right? Lets say you donate five dollars, then you leave one comment. If you donate fifteen dollars, then you come back and leave three separate comments. Fifty dollars? Ten separate comments for ten chances to win! Easy enough, right? Just be sure you leave your name and email address with your comment(s). This way, not only can I reach you, but I can also link your donation and your comment to keep things fair.

End Date:
This charity giveaway will be open until the day of the actual ride (second week of April). That's a long time right? Well, I want to be sure to collect as much as possible since this is such a really important cause. A lot of us are moms here and most of us are lucky enough to never have to experience anything even half as scary as watching our child suffer through a brain tumor, but unfortunately, there are many moms/families out there who aren't so lucky... and that donation, however big or small it may be, can really affect their life in a positive way. So let's help out, donate, and possibly win some really awesome stuff, okay?

More Info:
You can read more about The Ride For Kids HERE.
100% of the proceeds for The Ride For Kids goes to The Pediatric Brain Tumor Foundation.

A Big Thank You To:
Barley & Birch
ID Ink
Up A Tree Cup a Tea

More: 
If you have any more questions or want to help out in anyway just send an email my way: ohdeardrea@gmail.com


**forgive me if this doesn't make a lot of sense. It's been a looong (but good) weekend. It was street painting festival weekend here which means my front yard turns into a massive valet parking zone and the streets get covered with people and chalk. You can see pictures from last year HERE and HERE. Anyway, thanks for your support and don't forget to share the word! There may or may not (may may may) be more prizes added the more people donate. ;)

Ride For Kids

(my dad and little brother, christopher, a few years ago)

I like to poke fun at my dad for his motorcycle riding, mostly because if you look at him he doesn't scream motorcyclist... unless of course you are looking at a picture of him from his youth/teenage years, then you understand: it all kinda makes sense. It kinda just fits him.
Well, my dad and his motorcycle team? gang? group? club? Um, team... (besides my love for motorcycle boots, I obviously do not fit into this world) The Southern Cruisers, are taking part in The South Florida Ride For Kids. The Ride For Kids, is like any other great charity event... like a "Walk For..." or a race of some sort but with HUNDREDS (or thousands?) of motorcycles parading down the street. I'm really proud of my dad and the efforts he puts in to this cause. I know him, and his team, donate A LOT of money and time. This year, with the help of the internet (you guys), I'm trying to help out and raise as much money as I can to also help donate and support this event.
So what exactly is The Ride For Kids and where does the money go to? Well, The Ride For Kids supports The Pediatric Brain Tumor Foundation. 100% of the proceeds will be donated to The PBTF, to aid in medical research, to find a cause and cure for brain tumors, to help families affected, and even, for college scholarships of brain tumor survivors. Yeah, it's a pretty good cause.
I would love (so so much) if you could take a second and spare any amount, even five dollars, to donate to the Ride For Kids. It would mean so much to me, my dad's team, and most importantly: children, families, and survivors, of brain tumors.

For whatever reason, the widget wont work on this post.... but you can find a donate widget on the top right side of my blog, up until the day of the event, to donate there. Or CLICK HERE to find the donate page :)

And of course, here's a video if you'd like to learn even more about the event and program:

Thank you guys. Every little bit helps, please donate, and share. 

Happy Friday :)

Just Because..

Just because it's valentines day... (well... midnight of the night before and I'm deliriously tired, but still up..... ) here's a card for you lovely people ;)

And of course, like last year, I am still giggling endlessly at someecards ;) 

All of last years cards still hold true. You can see them: HERE.

I don't know what all you lovers out there plan on doing for Valentine's day, but Im perfectly content doing as little as possible! After all, it is tuesday, and that's Alex's day to watch Marlowe. Relax mode: on. ;)  Happy Valentines day!

Nice Gifts From Nice People

I just wanted to share some of the recent gifts Marlowe and I have received that have been making me especially happy lately ;) ;) ;)

Salt! An extra nice gift I received from Mallory today! UPS came and I had no idea what it was or who it was from, but it was extra exciting to start unwrapping amazing little jars of salt. 

Books! Sarah actually wrote and illustrated these amazingly beautiful books. Marlowe is especially fond of Batty. 

Kristen is so amazingly sweet and sent me a bunch of vegan LUSH products :) This stuff seriously still has me excited to shower everyday... even two weeks after receiving it :) 

Our love will never fade print from the very artistic Miss Igs.

*** I actually received this print forever ago as a sweet engagement gift. I was in the process of making that "Love is Here" piece as a banner for the wedding... and wanted to wait to snap a picture until the banner was done. I put A LOT of work, love, and time in that banner. More time than I'd like to admit, but I never finished it, obviously. There's no need or hurry now. But either way, one day I will. Love is still here. 

Vintage rain shoes! Perfect for the hot Florida rain days-- no boots needed ;) c/o vintageshoelove

And lastly, I opened my inbox a few weeks ago to find a Modcloth gift certificate from the seriously-more-than-thoughtful, Nicolle. Of course I went for new shade and an organizer for all my crap :)

Thank you thank you thank you again to you lovely, thoughtful ladies. And happy weekend to everyone! It's going to be a cozy one for Marlowe and I. Lots of rain, cuddles, cooking, and maybe a craft show. ;)

Truckin' Work

Hey guys! If you follow me on twitter or instagram, then you already this post is a bit of old news and you already know a bit of what I'm up to on... but incase you don't... here's a little update for you :) Michelle and I have been toying with the idea of starting our own small business in the future. For the past few months, it's mostly been fun ideas and daydreams (I am guilty of being the BIGGEST daydreamer EVER), but because of the current events and changes that are going on in both our lives... we've been working on more ways to turn our dreams into a possible reality. Because if not now, then when? Life is short and I'm tired of sitting and waiting on other people. It's my time, remember? ;) As mentioned, the universe has decided to throw some opportunities in my direction... Not too long ago, I went up to the main foodtruck in our area (a spot we eat at once in a while and this time too) to poke and pry with questions I had. I got answers. I walked away. I laughed with friends. Well, it turns out the women in the window was also the chef and owner of the truck and within a few minutes (or seconds): I was offered a job at Curbside Gourmet to "test out the foodtruck world". Bam. Thank you, universe. Thank you Chef MB. ;)

So yeah, I've been spending a few days being the newest member of the foodtruckin' world over at Curbside Gourmet. It's been pretty great. I spend my mornings prepping food for the day in the kitchen and spend my afternoons in the foodtruck window serving customers. The owner is great, the two chefs are great, the food (okay, I'm living off fries... the truck isn't vegan, but the food is fresh and great) is great, and the customers are even great too. I'm pretty pleased to have this opportunity to just kinda show up in front of me.... very pleased actually. Not only am I making the extra income I need, but also: I'm doing something I enjoy and I feel incredibly lucky to only have to spend a very few short hours away from M each day. --->Wake up. Work. Come home to a napping Marlowe. I shower. I make dinner. I make lunch for her for the next day. Dinner. Bath time. Books books books. Play play play. Bedtime. Clean house. Blog (when internet is working). ---> The end of a good day. 

I've been figuring out scheduling babysitting and whatnot as best as I can. I never really had to do it before since I'm so used to spending 24/7 with M. It's not exactly fun or easy, but it's been working out and she seems pretty content with my friends and family... which is great cause it's super important to me to have M as happy as can be when I'm away... even if she's napping for a quarter of it. And sometimes if I'm really lucky I have a cranky, french fry eating babycakes visiting me ;)

In case you're a bit more curious about the truck... you can check out their site: HERE or you can follow them on twitter to peek in on daily specials and find out where we'll be ;) 

Guest Post - Corner Blog {Room Tour}

Hey guys! Life has been crazy around here. Lots of curve balls and things.... nothing I can't handle though. Seriously, I don't like to boast, but I really feel like a super mama... and papa. I've got a few more minutes to myself before the kiddo wakes up and then it's go go go time again, but in the meantime, I thought I would leave with you a guest post from one of my wonderful sponsors, Tiffanie over at Corner Blog. She's a pretty awesome woman with some really amazing talents. Her works has even been featured on Ohdeedoh/Apartment Therapy a few times :) If you haven't checked out her blog already, please make sure you do. Today she'll be sharing with you a tour of one of the rooms she designed in her home. It's beautifully done and is great inspiration for smaller homes with kiddos. Have a wonderful weekend everyone and don't forget to stop by and check out Corner Blog :)

Hi there! My name is Tiffanie. I'm a reader, sponsor and big fan of Ohdeardrea. I'm also an architect, dancer, and mother of two gorgeous children (if I do say so myself) living in the center of San Francisco, and I have a blog called "corner blog". I love to write about the little projects I create for and with the kids, our life in San Francisco, some of my old and new artwork, and how lucky we are to all be here, together, right now.

One of the little projects I worked on recently was renovating my daughter's bedroom. The room was featured at Apartment Therapy, but I'd love to give you a quick personal tour of it myself. We rent a flat in an old Victorian building, so we were limited in what we could do. I did manage to rip out the old, gnarly carpet and replace it myself (with a six-month-old baby strapped to my back, I might add)!

Here's what happened: 

Our daughter Stella was a champion breastfeeder and co-sleeper. When she finally weaned herself at 31 months, we transitioned her out of our bed and into her own bed in our room. When Stella was almost four, her brother Oliver came along. Our bedroom became WAY too crowded, and at the same time her father started a job out of the home and didn't need his office/studio anymore. So I embarked on the renovation. The goal was to give Stella a room to call her own, while maintaining a decent work area for her dad, a sound designer, producer and engineer, who works from home once a week. And if we ever needed to use the desk at night, I wanted to protect Stella from the glare of the computer. 

Here's the final product:

To see the rest of the gorgeous space....

Here's her kitchen: 

Building Stella's kitchen was really fun. She had been accumulating these pieces since she was a about two-and-a-half, and they were all hanging out in our living room. I was so happy to get them out of our living space. I built the counter out of her dad's old keyboard tray, cantilevered off the top of an old crate. I found the vintage Coca Cola crate on Etsy, which holds all of her cups and little trinkets for the kitchen. After this photo was taken I installed a little curtain below the red stove to cover up the storage area.

An Ikea kitchen storage unit mounted under the stove (and above mentioned curtain):

The stuff we store:

The stuff we cook!:

Stella is six now, and we still love playing in that kitchen. I must admit, half the reason her kitchen is so robust is to encourage me to get in there and play. I love this sort of thing!

Moving on, the way I was able to separate Stella's bed and playspace from her dad's workspace was to build a crate divider. I found several vintage fruit crates on Etsy and attached them together (and cabled them to the ceiling, etc. etc.) so that they will not topple in a quake. They are in between her dad's desk and her bed. All but one of the crates are open on the desk side, used as bookshelves, but one opening faces Stella's bed, so she can keep photos and knickknacks and such nearby while in bed. Natural light comes over the top of the crates to the desk area, while protecting Stella from computer glare at night.

Office on the left/bedroom on the right:

Dad's side, painted in a darker tone to delineate it a little more:

Stella's side:

We removed and stored the ugly mirrored closet doors over in the office area and hung this birch tree tapestry over the closet. Stella's small dresser and all of dad's hanging clothes are in that closet. I found that mid-century looking pendent lamp at Goodwill for, like, eight bucks. Yay!

What else? The space under Stella's bed is now a great little library, pretend camper, and where Oliver will sleep when he finally weans and leaves our bed!

No, it's never this clean. I overstaged:

Oliver in a hedgehog costume. I just guaranteed Drea thousands more hits to her blog. You don't know how much traffic I get from people googling "hedgehog costume". Strange!

The view from below the bed.

Which brings me to one of my favorite parts of Stella's room: the tree! Pretty much the day I started thinking about hanging a tree in her room, one walked right past me! Her preschool was removing a tree from the back play garden as I was dropping Stella off one morning, and I grabbed it. It's so beautiful. I had these wonderful red bird lights I had purchased at Ikea years ago and finally they found a great home. 

The tree:

Here are some other nice things from about the room: 

A banner from The Conservatory of Flowers in Golden Gate Park, from an exhibit showing during the time of Stella's birth. I collect these banners, by the way (see here).

Depression-era dresser, for Oliver and dad's clothes.

The view from her window.

Collections in jars.

The last photos I want to share with you are the "before" photos, meaning before we did the work, and also before Oliver gets in there and rips it up. He can put that room in a state of utter disrepair in a matter of minutes! 

Before, when Stella and her dad used to share the space:

Before, during the transition out of the room:

Before Oliver:

Aaaand, after! 

Thank you so much for reading! I loved sharing this post here, I'm pretty pleased with how the room turned out. You can see the Apartment Therapy article here, and I hope to see you again over at corner blog! Thank you, Drea, for letting me share this on your wonderful blog!