With all these chilly days, my body has officially entered hibernation mode. I have been eyeing up some new throw pillows to give my living room a whole new look for all of those couch naps I plan on taking. These are my top picks to snuggle up in style. My favorite tip I have when it comes to coordinating throw pillows is to coordinate a solid, a geometric and a organic. That way your patterns compliment each other rather compete! Be sure to check out my Pinterest board for more pillow picks. Thanks for reading!

You guys we have reached the light at the end of the tunnel! Man does it feel good to be able to cook again. I have also never been so excited to do the dishes in my life. Week 6 of our kitchen remodel has officially come to a close and this week was a big one. The marble countertops were installed, all the light fixtures were hung and the sink now works. Hallelujah. All thats left to do it install the cabinet pulls, backsplash and crown moulding on the uppers. Thanks for following along on this crazy journey. It means the world to me to be able to share my designs with you all. And be sure to keep checking back to see pictures of the (hopefully) finished kitchen reveal!

I'm past due on a renovation update of our kitchen. Weeks 3 & 4 zoomed by and everything went exactly as scheduled so we were all set for cabinets delivery this week! And oh my gah I have never seen so many boxes in my life. The kids are enjoying themselves with this box utopia, I on the other hand and wondering how to heck we are going to install all of this and clean up in 5 days?! Oh and unpack, place and install all the appliances that are being delivered on Friday. I know I planned this to be completed by Christmas... but what the heck was I thinking?! Our Christmas tree actually looks ridiculous sitting on top of floor covering, surrounded by cardboard kingdom. So to distract myself from my sudden urge to purge ALL OF THESE BOXES, I wanted to share with you all the other fun details I have planned for the surrounding spaces. The whole first floor just feels so open now that wall is out, I added on some more design details to the front living room and back dining/playroom to make the whole house more harmonic. First up, paint colors! It's no secret that I have become smitten with the all white interiors popping up all over Instagram lately, but I always stayed away from white since my walls were so jacked up and white is not at all friendly with drywall bumps. (Think about how your 30 year old butt might look squeezed into those white jeggings you wore all the time in high school... the cellulite would have no where to hide!) But now that my walls are all smooth and toned (unlike my butt) I can totally paint them white because my walls no longer have flaws. The entire back of the house will be painted BM Chantilly Lace in Eggshell for the walls and Satin Pearl for the trim. Here are some similar looks in this color:

Week 2 of our semi DIY kitchen remodel has officially come to an end (well about a week ago). The wall between the old kitchen and dining room has come down along with all of the popcorn ceilings. We debated on keeping the old ceilings and scraping the stucco off but ultimately decided they had to go since we needed to get in there to run new school lighting. The floors on the other hand were a nightmare to take out!! The plywood underlay was screwed into the subfloor which made it impossible to get up without a fight. But Tom worked his magic until every last chard of ceramic tile was smashed and scraped. We are officially living with just subfloor and the kids think they are going to fall thru the ceiling every time they hear a squeak. Good times;) All has gone surprisingly well minus Niagra Falls coming through the basement when we tried to relocate a pipe. Len the Plumber came to the rescue on Black Friday which cost us a pretty penny, but luckily I am one smart cookie and factored those hiccups into the budget... dare I say we might be able to pull this off on time and on budget? Im still waiting on all of our lighting and other goodies to arrive so be sure to check Instagram on our progress! Here's a little behind the scenes action of all the demolition.

This week is the week. All of my kitchen obsessing is finally coming to life! We are currently in the process of ripping out our old kitchen and knocking down some walls! I wasn't going to blog about the whole process but when I was designing the kitchen the past few months I can't tell you how many little questions I had come up. I thought I had it all figured out design wise but I really needed help figuring out how to make all the details work. There were so many amazing blogs that I came across that made all of those tough decisions we had to make so much easier. So here comes the long winded design plans with some pretty (ugly) before pictures: Charli was kind enough to help take us on a tour of the house before we tore it up to help you visualize the changes we are making. And yes we are replacing all of the popcorn ceilings while we are at it. My heart couldn't be happier about it.

Enjoy these super ugly before images...

In the spirit of politics I thought I'd host my own little debate on the blog today. The topic? Marble countertops vs Quartz. We are deep in the throes of selecting finishes for our kitchen remodel that will begin in November and we just keep coming back to this topic. Which countertop is best? Marble has been getting a lot of backlash for its high maintenance nature, so much so that a lot of companies like Cambria have manufactured their own "marble look" countertops in quartz. These options replicate the natural beauty of marble but as a non-porous material they do not stain or etch like marble can. They come in a variety of options with deep grey veins or all white backgrounds with just a spot of grey. Here are some of my favorite quartz looks.

Now that I am back into my blogging grove I wanted to introduce a new mini series called Trend Watch Wednesday. I'm always watching trends in the home and fashion and now I have a spot where I can share all of my latest obsessions. Right now I'm obsessing pretty hard over cement tiles. On the floor, on the fireplace or as a backsplash. I can not get enough of these beauties. I have a few samples picked out already for my new mudroom space. Which by the way did you know Wayfair sends free samples? Like 12'x12' Cement Tile Shop samples for zero dollars! You can never have enough samples when your in design school. Anyway, here is a round up of my favorite spaces with this latest design trend. I think I would tire quickly of a whole wall in a vibrant pattern but on the floors the look is a but more subtle as a base. I hope you enjoy these drool worthy spaces as much as I do!

We all know the art of perfecting the selfie by now. Eyes wide, natural light behind us, camera pointed down with a little pink filter please. But how about the art of perfecting my new favorite... the #shelfie? Floating shelves are hands down my favorite 2016 Kitchen Trend. I cannot wait to incorporate some floating shelves into my own kitchen design. So many people are intimidated by having all of their dishes on display and honestly I get it. Things get messy fast. But the kitchen should have just as much personality as the rest of your home, if not more, since we spend a majority of our time in this space. There's not an exact science behind styling your shelves, just put your pretties on display! And if your kitchen is designed well you should still have plenty of storage to hide your all of your ugly dishes you still have from college. (Please tell me I'm not the only one who still has them?) There are so many beautifully styled shelves I have been pinning lately that I just had to share! Make sure to check out my tips and picks to add some style to your space.

Summer might not be over just yet, but I can't help but get excited for fall and the fresh beginnings the season brings. Back to school time is my absolute favorites, add in some falling leaves and a pumpkin spice latte and I'm one happy Mommy. And now that the kids are in school I can finally focus more on those changes that I was talking about last post! I am going to be taking on several interior design projects this year and I can not wait to share them all with you! Tracy and I initially started this blog to share our journey in Mamahood while our kids were little and we spent our days at home. And lets be honest, I just needed the creative outlet and blogging was the perfect way to feel like me again! But Tracy's photography business has been kicking major girl boss ass and she has to step away from being a part of Olde Town Style. I really couldn't be more proud of her and all of her hard work. The girl takes some amazing pictures that you can drool all over here.

As for me, as I wrap up my final year in design school and start making moves to start my own Interior Design firm, I'm going to be testing the waters with some E-Design projects as well as my own home renovations. I wanted to share with you my latest home project I have been working on because I'm just too excited to wait for the final reveal!

This space is bright and airy and will be opening up into a newly remodeled kitchen. The natural light in here is so good that I want the design to be consistent with that bright aesthetic. I'm so inspired by Monika Hibb's home and all of her neutral rooms. Especially her dining nook here:

Happy Friday and April Fools Day! I've already had one fake pregnancy announcment from a good friend of mine, and while my baby making days may be over, nurseries like these always leave me thinking one more baby wouldn't be so bad. Especially if I could spend my sleepless nights in a dreamy nursery like this one. A special thanks to Cate from Ivy & Ivy &Honor and Lisa Marie with Sweet Tea Photography for sharing their beautiful work!

But really, what better way to start off your weekend than with this fresh space?

Easter is such a beautiful holiday in so many ways. This year we wanted to do something extra fun with our little people to help remind them of why we celebrate Easter. Gorgeous florals, personalized eggs, and a touch of the beloved bunny come together to make this Easter one to remember. We’re celebrating Jesus, the risen King and the beautiful spring that makes all things around us new!

I'm having a major art moment lately. Like as in all of my walls are way too blank and I need to add artwork to them immediately. The girlier the better. Since I am still in the hand me down phase of life, dropping two grand on one stunning piece just isn't in the picture. Thank god for Etsy. These pieces have stolen my heart and I will not stop obsessing until they are mine. All mine. Be sure to check out these artist shops this weekend!

Happy New Year from OTS! How is it already 2016? Last year was a complete blur, I really think the more children you have the quicker time flies so I thought it would be fun to do a little recap of the blog the past year to help jog my memory! It has been such a fun year learning how to blog, branding and learning to balance it all with motherhood. Sometimes it all seems so overwhelming, but when I look back I have to say I'm pretty proud of how far we have come from dreaming about starting this blog over wine in the backyard, to actually making it happen! From styled shoots to room features here is the best of OTS in 2015! And as always thanks for reading, it truly means the world to both of us to have so many people love and support us in all that we do.

First up is the original style shoot we did for Valentines Day called Love Notes

Happy Thanksgiving!! I've been in the Christmas spirit for weeks now so Thanksgiving seemed like the perfect time to share our family's Christmas photoshoot this year. To be honest this years look happened by chance... I had to rent a gown for a black tie wedding from Rent the Runway this past weekend, so I decided I would save ourself some time and money and just use those outfits for our Christmas card! Tracy thought of taking the pictures at a tree farm and coincidentally she picked our very favorite spot. Pine Valley Farms is not only 15 minutes from where Tom and I grew up, but it is the same place that we went to get our first Christmas tree together 6 years ago when we had baby Charli in my belly. My how things have changed since then! I'll keep it short and sweet so you can get back to eating your turkey so I hope you all enjoy a little bit of rustic glamour brought from my family to yours. I am so thankful for all of our readers and especially grateful for Tracy Marshall for capturing so many special moments for us. She really is a wonder. Thanks for reading and Happy Thanksgiving from Olde Town Style!

During the One Room Challenge USA Rug Pad had reached out to me asking if I would review one of their pads on the blog. Being a brand new blogger I was beyond thrilled that they found me let alone wanted me to review product! And the timing really could not have been more perfect. I just ordered THE RUG. You know that show stopper of a Surya Zahara that I can't stop talking about... the kids were doing their usual laps around the house. I swear 5:00 hits and its like our own mini version of the traveling circus. The ring leader, Charli rounded the corner of the playroom, caught the rug corner that folded up beneath her, and BOMB. Face plant. That was the moment when I thought "Man I guess I need a rug pad."

As if on cue, USA Rug Pad contacted me that very same week to try out one of their pads and I must say there have been no more face plants ever since! But in all seriousness, it may be a tiny detail that most people over look, but rug pads are so important in not only making your space safe, but more comfortable beneath those tiny toes. USA Rug Pad is not only super affordable but made of all natural materials. Which is always a win- win in my book. Right now USA Rug Pad is holding a Holiday Sale for 20% off all rug pads. There are tons of options to choose from depending on your flooring types and needs, so be sure to head to their site to check out all of those options. Thanks for reading and thank you to USARugpads for sponsoring this post.

So the ORC is over... but I still have a wicked case of design insomnia. Only this time its not so personal. It's for design school. I figured if I'm going to be working around the clock to get it all done before finals week then I might as well share with my readers. So welcome to Designer Files. Hopefully one day this will be a place where I share my inspiration and installations. But for the next 18 months it will be where I share my homework. LOL. I feel a little too old to be saying that. This weeks images are the storyboards I have been sourcing for my latest project. I have to design one kitchen 4 ways. Here is what I came up with so far. First up is Blogger Style, followed by French Country, Boho Modern and Retro. I'm really digging the Boho Navy Cabinets but Caitlin Wilson's Kitchen of the Year stole my heart years ago when it was featured in House Beautiful back in 2014. What kitchen do you prefer?

Welcome to Week 6 of the One Room Challenge! Can I just say how good it feels to not only have finished playroom but my first official design challenge completed?! For those of you jut joining in in the fun, the One Room Challenge was started by Linda from Calling it Home. She basically gives 20 designers 6 weeks to transform a room from start to finish.... and the results are just well AMAZING! Olde Town Style might be a brand new baby blog but mark my words this will be the first of many more design challenges to come. It was just so much freaking fun! And my kiddos actually love this space. Its so gratifying to see the people you love most enjoying the home you've created for them. I wanted this room to flow with the rest of the house with neutral walls and rustic touches. My designs tend to read super femme with causal elegance and I think this room achieves just that. So without further ado here is my One Room Challenge Final Reveal! Wahoo!

How is it Thursday already? And how are we almost finished up with the One Room Challenge?! So last week was a flop on my ORC post, between design midterms, witnessing childbirth and throwing a kindergarten Halloween party, lets just say that life got in the way. But the good news is we got stuff done this week! The accent wall is finally completed and I couldn't be more thrilled with how it turned out. Here is our step by step on how we went from blah to tah dah.

Step 1: Measure & CutWe knew that we only wanted our accent moulding to be 3/4 height of the wall itself. We have this weird little HVAC drop down interfering on the wall you can't see in this picture. It really drives me crazy and I didn't want to draw more attention to it, so we measured accordingly. Our squares are 24"x 24" and I think what makes them look so seamless is the longest cuts being continuous and the horizontal cuts setting flush in between. I tried to get Tom to take his shirt off for these pictures, but unfortunately he just ate a rather larger cheesesteak and was not in the mood for shirtless DIY pictures. Bummer

Happy Thursday! I can't believe its already time for this weeks #ORC post. With all of the pumpkin patch trips and design school projects this week seriously flew by. I wanted to have a tutorial on our DIY wall this week but since it STILL didn't get done well thats just going to have to wait until next week. This week I wanted to share our progress. All of our furniture has come in by now and I'm getting seriously excited about it! Here are some sneak peaks of the playroom thus far…

Hello! Welcome to week 2 of the One Room Challenge...I am participating as a guest this Fall and I have to say this is exactly the kick in the butt I needed to get my half finished playroom finished! For those of you just joining in, the One Room Challenge was started when Linda of Calling it Home asked 20 design bloggers to completely transform in just 6 weeks. Every Wednesday they post their progress and/or hold ups and give you a inside look at what designing a room with a tight deadline really looks like. Have you ever heard the saying "Great design takes time?" Well these bloggers seriously put that phrase to the test, head on over to Calling it Home to see for yourself!Ok so this week I wanted to post about my changes in the original design plan. When I first started dreaming up this space I wanted it to be very gender neutral so my poor middle child Leo could escape the pink that seems to creep into every aspect of his life... Sorry bud I tried but I just couldn't keep with my original monochromatic plan. I need some color in my life!! Plus I found my dream rug for 70% off last week on Rugs Direct and well that just means it was meant to be. I also picked up the perfect pair of play chairs from RH Baby & Child. I love the idea of moroccan poufs for seating but if I'm going to be completely honest with myself, the kids would like them way too much and then the old chairs would never get used. And I have to keep them in the design for budget purposes. Now all thats missing is storage, new curtains, artwork and accessories. Here is what I am thinking as far as that goes…