Mixed Bedding

       Welcome back to the house of very slow progress. Kids are certainly a distraction from getting projects done, but throw summer into the mix and it's hard to stay inside to make things happen. So to be frank, we haven't been (although Jon spent the better part of today wiring a new light in our kitchen, but I'll spare you that very riveting play by play) getting too much accomplished as of late. I have been working on my bedding plan for our new bed, and I thought I would share.
       I am not a fan of bedding sets. If you are, this is absolutely not meant to offend. There is really nothing wrong with them, but I personally prefer less of a match-matchy style of bedding, and more of a casual layered/coordinated bed. But because mixing and matching patterns is not really my expertise (I hope to get better at it!), it has been taking me some time to gather all of the pieces that I want. So lets start from the beginning of my brain process.
       After we opened escrow on the first house that flooded, I started getting the shopping itch and I started with new bedding. We had been using hand me down bedding from my sisters guest room for the past five years or so, so I figured it was time that we got to choose some bedding of our own. For Christmas, my big item from Jonny was some high thread count white sheets that I had picked out. I found this paisley-esque print quilt over at WestElm (they just started selling it again!) and I loved it, so I bought it. The sheets and quilt sat in our closet for five months waiting for us to find a new house after the other one fell through. It's been the inspiration for everything else I've been on the hunt for.

A while after I purchased the quilt, 

the shams that they sell with the set were on super sale so I bought two of them.

While this goes against my matchy matchy plan, 

they were coordinated but not identical and I really liked them

(and they were at a steal of a price!).

       Then my hunt for a duvet cover began. For some reason I got the idea for a grey and white striped duvet cover. I've never met a stripe that I didn't like, and I figured the pattern would help to hide spots. When it's something you'll be looking at every day, I figured that I should pick a print that I know I won't tire of. One day I was perusing PotteryBarn.com and I found just what I was looking for. But things never go that easily, do they? It was already sold out.

(They still have the blue and white version on their site, 

but I was pining for the grey option).

       I even called them (which I never do), and they said there were no plans for it to become available again. That left me to continue my hunt and consider some different options. I thought about a textured white duvet cover, and I picked one up while I was at target. It seems like every retailer on the web is selling a version of this so I thought I would give it a spin (This one is from WestElm). After getting it home and trying it on for size I realized it just wasn't the best option for us. I didn't love it, and because we have a bed loving lazy lab, I figured ours would be a dingy yellow in no time. So it was back to the drawing board. 

I continued hunting for a striped grey duvet. 

Restoration Hardware had a nearly perfect option, the problem being...the price. 

Even though it was (and is) on sale, and I found this in their

baby & child shop (which means they charge a tad less), 

I just couldn't justify spending that much. 

Shipping alone was twenty bucks. 

So I had to pass on it.

Then I decided to give Amazon.com a try. 

My new theory is always give Amazon a go. 

You never know what is going to come up. 

And you know what came up...

A grey and white striped Ikea duvet (not available at Ikea.com),

at half the price of what I was probably going to spend with all other retailers. 

Done and Done.

So now, with all of that grey and white going on, it's time to add in a 

dash of color and fun don't you think?

I decided that I would tie in some additional colors in my pillows, 

and I settled on  yellow as my color of choice. 

For the most part, I'm waaaaay over the very overdone grey & yellow  

color combo, but in this case, because it will be just a peek of yellow,

I think it fits the bill.

So I've been hunting for just the right yellow sham. 

I want the right texture (Linen? Quilted?), the right shade,

and the right price. 

It's not always easy to come by all three. 

I still haven't settled on just the right one, but some options I've considered:

WestElm

More West Elm

Pottery Barns Rustic Luxe Line

The verdicts still out on what I'll go with,

 so you'll have to wait for the big reveal to see what I choose. 

(FYI- We're not even close to a reveal).

Okay, okay, okay, the funnest part of my mixed bedding is coming up next.

Months ago I bought a behemoth bolster style pillow insert that is 36" long.

Retailers don't generally sell cases that size, 

so you know what that means...I get to make one.

(Which means I have to sew, which is a crushing thought, 

but I think I can handle a pillow cover).

And it also means that I've been looking at fabric for just the right cover. 

And get this...I'm going floral (shh, do NOT tell Jon). 

I think.

I'm sure "floral" will make some people cringe, 

and I didn't even know I liked the idea myself

until I gave it a chance.

At first I was considering this one,

but when I went back and looked at again

 I knew that it wasn't quite right.

I found many other options that I loved

but most came with big price tags so they weren't realistic.

 I think in the end

 what I've settled on is this one:

It's affordable, it's pretty much exactly what I was looking for, 

and it's unexpected. 

I love something unexpected in a room.

I haven't yet ordered it (one thing at a time),

but I'm getting close.

       This past week was my first week at work and it was fine, but it was challenging. It's making me re-evaluate how we want to proceed living with two young kids, and it's made me really think about what our quality of life is with us both working full time.  I'm drained when I get home. House projects aren't even an option. I have limited energy to give the kids. So we are going to have to look at some things and decide if we value the comforts of two incomes or if we value low stress levels, more energy, and better time spent as a family. We will have to work to find that balance.