Ankara Updates

It's been a while since my last post and it's for good reason. We've been apartment hunting and within a week of looking we found our home. Yay!

There are so many things to love about it, first off its brand new so we would be the first tennants to live there. Such a relief after living in Boston's 100 year old Back Bay apartments. It's a bright, sunny, happy unit facing West, it has a well-landscaped view, generous kitchen cabinets, plenty of storage overall, I could go on forever. I was telling a friend that in Boston the city was my haven, in Ankara, our home is my haven. Says a lot about how much I love the new casa.

Here are a few pictures taken my phone's camera. Can't wait to make it feel homey! This probably means my postings will slow down a little. I plan on doing some DIY projects instead of purchasing items, if the results are good I will be blogging about it soon enough.

The entry

Having the apt cleaned

Corner I plan on using as a dining room

View from our future dining room

Teething Tip for Moms

Here's an unexpected teether.



We were in a cab yesterday and Noah was being irritable due to his upper teeth coming in. The cab driver noticed and advised us to use the white parts of a scallion / spring onion to help ease the pain. Said it worked for his 3 daughters.

My husband wanted to try it but I was dubious. I wasn't about to traumatize my son by stuffing scallions in his mouth, and the truth is I don't want my baby smelling like green onions, who does?

Since we've heard the same tip from other parents I thought I would check online to verify. I wasn't able to find scientific proof that scallions have a natural pain-relieving effect, but I did come accross a few forums in which moms confirmed that it worked for their babies.

While I'm not prepared to let Noah gnaw on scallions, maybe other moms are more willing to try than me, or perhaps some of you have already tried it, and if you did, did it work on your baby?

What other remedies have you used to help ease the pain for your little one?

Design your own fabric!

Best discovery of the day - Spoonflower.

In my hunt for design inspiration for my little man's nursery I came accross the above website which allows you to design your own fabric and then have it printed. To quote my hubby "Where have you been all my life???"

This website has opened all kinds of options for DIY'ers or aspiring ones like myself. I'm no longer limited to the monotonous options available at fabric stores in Ulus, this discovery means I can design bold prints, bright prints, any print! I can customize the upholstery for our sofa, pillows, drapes, bedding, and create harmonious looking rooms. Spoonflower also offers international shipping which puts the icing on the cake. And if I am feeling too lazy to design my own fabric I can purchase designs previously submitted by others. How fantastic is that.



Right off the bat this robot print stood out for me. Last year owls were big in nurseries, this year vintage robots seem to be making a comeback.

My dilemna for Noah's room is what design element to feature. Do I want objects found in nature (trees, plants...animals?), or man-made/mechanical objects (robots, cars, trains), or what about something educational (letters, numbers)? Hmm....

Noah's Nursery

We've only just started apartment hunting but I'm already bursting with excitement for Noah's room. In our last apartment we shared our one bedroom with Noah. In our next apartment our baby will be getting his own room and I finally get the chance to decorate a nursery.

I've been pulling inspiration from different websites and TV shows. I love, love, love Sarah Richardson's HGTV show called "Sarah's House". In one of the seasons she designed a simple nursery and added visual interest by use of patterned fabrics.







I cannot express how much I am in love with this room. The furniture is simple, the color palette soothing, she manages to make all the magic happen with the combination of fun fabric patterns on the drapery, chairs and ottomans. Let me not forget to acknowledge the creative use of the alphabet on the walls and the split wall colors. I am almost tempted to duplicate this exact room, but that would be shameful considering my "design" background.

I'm going to continue pulling inspiration from other sources. My next target is to sift through Ohdeedoh's website (Apartment Therapy's sister site). I've already taken a sneak peak at the nursery tours and am already tickled with excitement. Noah's room, here I come!

What about you, if you could design a nursery what would it look like?

Buying Things in Multiples

Do you have a favorite piece of clothing you love so much you just had to purchase it in several colors? This summer every time I hit the J Crew outlet in Wrentham, I left the store with a different color of J Crew's corsage t-shirt. I now own it in Breeze (minty green), Dark Mushroom (Khaki), Charcoal, and Ivory (more on the white side). These tees are so versatile and can be worn with almost anything, the splash of florals on the neckline add a little bit of interest, it's comfortable and fits perfectly. I have gotten so much use out of these shirts, no regrets in buying it in 4 other colors.


This is the second time that I've had a lot of luck with purchasing the same item in multiple colors. Two years ago I purchased two pairs of Nine West sandals in 2 different colors. I wore them until the soles disappeared and the straps came off (and I used tape to keep them in place).

Tell me about your experiences in buying the same item in several colors.

Arrived!

Landed in Ankara yesterday. The flights were smooth sailing from A to Z. No lost luggages, no delayed flights. We waited in Munich for only 30 minutes. Noah slept through the longest leg of our flight, and he was in his best behaviour. Here's a photo of Noah on his first flight ever!

Family portrait after getting settled on the plane.