There is nothing like nesting in a new-ish home. We have been knocking out home projects left and right and I’m excited to say that some parts of our casa are really starting to take shape and feel like it’s our space and not just a VRBO that we’ve squatted in. Much to my delight, my thoughtful husband recently asked if there were projects we could or should prioritize in advance of the babe’s arrival.

Most of these places are in some sort of phase 1 purgatory where we’ve gotten the wheels moving but there are minimal design elements. Which is fine by me, Eric’s less interested in that stage anyway and it will give me something to play around with for my 3-ish months of maternity leave.

One of the first things we tackled was our front porch. The sellers had Japanese and Jewish heritage and had left Japanese art, vases, bamboo and a mezuzah in the entryway. They were lovely pieces but with no meaning to us, it didn’t feel like home and pulling up each day I was reminded that this wasn’t “our space” yet. Our stage one upgrades for the summer have included the addition of a lime tree, a wrought iron bench and outdoor throw pillow but we’re about to get a fall upgrade so I wanted to share this in the meantime. A little goes a long way for me in terms of making things feel like home.

Getting Luke’s room situated was another critical phase 1 project but we’re going to be swapping out the changing table and rocking chair and upgrading him to some other furniture before too long so this won’t be the state of things for much longer. I will say that he at least has decorations on the walls unlike 90% of the rest of the house.

This past weekend we finally secured a dining room set that will let me get started filling in the first official dining space we’ve had in more than 12 years of living together. This table expands to seat 8 and is a nesting must for me as I think about our growing family and the guests we’ll have in town for holidays this year. In the right of the picture is actually a matching bench that we can pull up to the table when guests are over.

You’ll probably remember that we had sketched out a DIY farmhouse table and, in the end, the time/energy/effort alignment with all of the things on our plate just felt like it wasn’t the right time. When this beautiful set showed up in a Craigslist ad for the cost of our building supplies, I knew it was worth just moving right along. It didn’t hurt that the seller knocked off $50 when she found out I was knocked up. She even tossed in 3 table clothes that won’t fit the new set she purchased. Score! Plus, I’m not going to worry as much if marker, claws or other wear and tear of our daily life give this a beating for the next few years.

Other quick changes around the house are adding up:

Our den is slowly but surely becoming ours. My sister Megan painted us this picture for our wedding and just now, 8 years later, did I finally get my booty in gear to get it framed. The nook where the chairs are now sitting will be my workspace and the family computer area — just as soon as I find a desk I love.

Our bedroom is getting minor adjustments because we’ll plan on having the baby sleep there with us for the first several months. That’s why this picture is not center over the bed…as we shifted everything to accommodate for the bassinet. We’re also downsizing — fine, I’m downsizing — the amount of clothing in my life and think that it will allow us to get rid of some furniture that we have but don’t love and invest in some long-term pieces that are more meaningful.

Getting some of these areas squared away even left me some inspiration to decorate for fall. The glass hightop the sellers left in our kitchen just isn’t quite my style so until we have the energy and interest to grab a new one, a Halloween table cloth and some decorations we have had around the house make it feel a touch more like ours.

Lots of work to come in the nursery, living room and master bath but all in due time. We’re all settling in to what really feels like it will be home for quite some time — Foxy included.

Do you have any upcoming DIY projects you’re itching to crank out Country Mama?