Charmingly Domestic

PB = Post Baby. and Pure Barre.

2012-02-12T15:53:00.007-06:00

As I type this, I am sitting in my cluttered living room with a baby sleeping on my lap, articles about dissociation following childhood trauma for my next class lecture strewn around me, a pile of unread Real Simple, Elle, and People Stylewatch magazines in the corner, and a not-quite-finished knitted baby sweater on my table, among many other things.

Life after Henry has been hectic. Being a mom is hard. Being a grad student is hard. Being both is...?? I'd say impossible, but I'm still here, right?

Just keep swimming.

One thing that has totally helped me survive is Pure Barre. I miiiiight be addicted. While I'm not entirely positive I'll ever be able to banish the flab away that settled nicely in the place that Henry called home for nine months, pb has helped me keep my energy and self-esteem up. I'm within 10 lbs of my pre-pregnancy weight. Granted that's a function of weight naturally coming off post-baby and maybe also to breastfeeding (although most moms tell me they were never able to shed the last of their weight until they stopped breastfeeding), it feels good to almost be back to my normal self. Pb is great - workouts involve working your muscles to fatigue using small isolated movements and then stretching them out. You do exercises on the floor as well as using a ballet barre. When I did my first workout I felt like such a slob because I couldn't even make it through the warm-up. I still struggle through the workouts now, but it's a good struggle. I love the burning feeling in my arms, thighs, and "seat," as they say in pb. And I can even almost do a full split now! Pb is uber pricey, but I invested in the Baby Bounce back and New Client specials. Been going 3-4 times a week. Totally worth it. And it helps that the Magazine St. location is about 4 blocks from my house. If you're local and wanna join me one of these days, please do. The first class is free!

The First of Many

2012-01-14T13:28:00.004-06:00

I'm working on a little sweater for Henry. I followed the 3 month variation in hopes of getting myself to finish it in time for my little baby to wear it. Look how big he's getting!

I wouldn't exactly call him a chunker but he is putting on weight. The sweater pattern kinda looks like a letterman's jacket, which is why I picked it. And I even checked my gauge which I'm usually too lazy to do. I'm finished with the back and the right side panel. I've got the left side to finish, then both sleeves, and a button placket. I'm trying to get through both sleeves this weekend. Sounds ambitious, but bear in mind this thing is pretty little. This is the year I become a better knitter. And I will do it by making lots of stuff for my little babe.

Booties (Not for Babies)

2012-01-14T12:57:00.002-06:00

I've always wanted to get a good pair of booties and have been on the lookout for a pair with the perfect silhouette for months. I finally settled on these from Matt Bernson, on sale at Piperlime. And they are perfect - sexy shape, heel at just the right height, and they somehow slim my ankles. I urge you to go to the Matt Bernson site and read the description. Reminds me why I like his brand so much.

12 in '12

2011-12-31T18:30:00.004-06:00

I attempted 11 goals in 2011. I succeeded in four. Granted that I succeeded in a few (and really big ones at that), my progress towards the ones that didn't pan out is downright laughable. Check it--

1.Buy a house
Yeah buddy.
2. Eat more vegetables
Yup - pregnancy and the well-being of your child is good motivation.
3. Weigh one hundred and twenty-something pounds
NO. Oh my lord, no. I went in the opposite direction of one hundred and twenty-something pounds.
4. Floss more
Suprisingly, nope.
5. Sew something significant
Not even close.
6. Propose and defend my thesis
Yes, yes, yes!! Proposed in the second trimester and defended at 39 weeks pregnant.
7. Read more.
Ugh, no.
8. Go to more shows
Nope.
9. Pay off credit card debt Not even close.
10. Wear more makeup I guess. 11. Scuba dive somewhere. Preferably in the Philippines.
Definitely not.

I like this multiple resolution thing, despite my 37% success rate. Shoot for the moon, right? So 12 in '12 it is. And here they are:

1. Floss more.
This remains important.
2. Exercise more.
I at least want to put to use the investments I made while pregnant: 4 months of Pure Barre membership, 4 home DVDs, and 5 yoga classes. None of those things were cheap.
3. Come up with an awesome dissertation idea.
If this can get done in the first half of the year I'll be very, very proud.
4. Go on dates with my husband.
This is muy importante, especially now that we have a little babe.
5. Take more family walks.
These must include Henry AND Gus. The handful we've taken have been so much fun. And they usually involve bubble tea, gelato, and other treats.
6. Make my house beautiful on a budget.
Pinterest will be integral for this one.
7. Spend more on clothes but buy less of them.
This is a tricky one and warrants explanation. I really only love the clothes and shoes and accessories for which I've shelled out a pretty penny. Nicer stuff lasts longer and I'm more proud and excited to wear it. So I'm gonna cut down on the mall shopping, not that I do much in the first place. Don't get me wrong -- I'll still look for deals, but I only want to get higher end stuff from clutch places online, boutiques, and vintage places. There's a great vintage shop around the corner from me (will blog later) that will be my new go-to. I'd just rather have one beautiful dress with a label I love than 4 from Banana Republic and the Gap that I'll wear once each.
8. Take sewing lessons.
Oh, what a sewing failure I am. Luckily, I live across the street from 504stitches. Check her out. Lessons are very reasonably priced and literally steps away.
9. Take a vacation that is not related to a wedding.
We had so many weddings to attend last summer! This left little in the travel budget for a vacation. So we're due.
10. Consign
I have way too many clothes. And I think my feet may have permanently grown. Time for an overhaul.
11. Take more pictures of Henry
We are so bad! We could be worse, but I want to be better. Henry is too cute to be under-documented.
12. Be crafty as hell.
Baby, new house, and having very little money should make this happen.

I Hate Birds

2011-12-31T00:58:00.002-06:00

But I'm really feelin' feathers lately. And yes I hate birds - I find them dangerous, creepy, and weird. Anyway, feathers, or rather, interpretations of feathers, have been catching my eye. Take this necklace from Jewelmint, for example:I also like this little headband. Felt feathers - maybe a little too adorable, but still...something to consider.
And finally, this iphone case. Hot.

Nostalgia

2011-12-25T23:33:00.004-06:00

My bestie and I were flipping through some old yearbooks today and it only seemed fitting to post about these fun bracelets. Braced-lets, that is. She and I were definitely guilty of getting overly excited about our chosen braces colors. So silly.

Baby Santa Hat

2011-12-25T23:07:00.004-06:00

I knitted Henry a Santa hat for our holiday card. I wanted to make one that looked kinda like a sleeping cap. Henry had a super cute one until Gus got a hold of it. This hat was a quick knit and I was able to use scrap yarn from the blanket I knitted him while pregnant. I used the cream for the CC and cranberry for the MC (obviously). Pattern is as follows:

The hat is worked in stockinette and decreased using k2tog.

Rows 1-10 in cc: work in 2x2 rib
Rows 11-25 in mc: work in stockinette
Row 26: work in stockinette, k2tog every 5 stitches, k3
Rows 27-31: work in stockinette
Row 32: work in stockinette, k2tog every 4, k3
Row 33-36: work in stockinette
Row 37: work in stockinette, k2tog every 3, k3
Rows 38-40: work in stockinette
Row 41: k2tog every 2, k1
Rows 42-43: work in stockinette
Row 44: k2tog every other stitch
Row 45: work in stockinette
Row 46: k2tog all around
Row 47: k2tog all around

Make a pom pom and you're done!

Henry by Numbers

2011-12-08T16:41:00.015-06:00

I'm taking weekly pictures of Henry with the embroidered table numbers from my wedding. My little baby is growing up so fast. Check him out.I love him so much it hurts.

Holidaze

2011-12-06T14:32:00.005-06:00

Been a little busy these days. Just a little. B's family was over for Thanksgiving and we had a ball with them. Christmas is on the horizon and here's a bit of a shocker - I'm totally NOT decorating for Christmas. How sad is that?? The thing is, our renovation still isn't done, so even if I could dig up our decorations, the rest of our side of the house doesn't look homey to begin with. Plus we'll be out of town anyway. Okay, okay...so I may just be looking for an excuse to be lazy. But to be honest, no decorations for Christmas makes me feel slightly less stressed. And I will do some decorating, just as I did for Halloween:

Poor Henry. Oh, the things I'll make you wear...

Just Like Daddy

2011-11-15T13:03:00.003-06:00

If you know B, you know why we joked that Henry was going to come out with a full beard. He didn't, but B can keep the dream alive with Burlybeard. How ridiculous is this?

And by ridiculous, I mean awesome. This may make the perfect Christmas gift for Henry, as we plan on spending some of the holidays in wintry Michigan. Henry's whole little self will surely be nice and toasty.

That's a Wrap

2011-11-14T11:32:00.004-06:00

Except for a watch my wrists are typically bare. But I couldn't resist a La Mer Collection wrap watch, on sale at Ideeli a little while ago. I snagged this for about half off.

I really love the wrapped look. Wish I could afford a Chan Luu wrap bracelet, but I don't have $200 lying around...

So pretty. The good news is, there are tons of look alikes out there. Like this one from Blu Bijou-

And this one from Ettika. Both available at Max & Chloe.

Top Ten Things About Not Being Pregnant

2011-11-12T18:03:00.004-06:00

This won't turn into an exclusively mommy blog, swear. But there are a few things I am so happy about now that I've had Henry. He is obviously the best perk as a result of the end of the pregnancy, but even only two weeks later, my life has changed in little non baby-related ways that amount to me being very, very happy. They are, in no particular order:

Being able to bend over. It is so annoying having something two feet away from you while sitting on your bed and not being able to reach it. Or dropping something on the ground and saying to yourself, "Eh...oh well".
No more itchy hands and feet. Seriously...what is that. Why does it happen. It's the worst. It's like getting a mosquito bite on your ankle, only it's all over. Ugh.
Not constantly hearing, "You don't look pregnant" in the first trimester and "You're glowing" in the third. Do you not believe that I'm pregnant? And by glowing, do you mean abnormally sweaty?
Walking at a normal pace. I'm typically a fast walker, a la New York girl. But when I was pregnant I walked. so. slowly. Not so much walked, but plodded. And I couldn't help it. It was frustrating having everyone around me - old people, toddlers, cats - outpace me. But not anymore!
Not weighing three hundred pounds. Okay, that's an exaggeration. But I gained so much weight on account of eating whatever I wanted (which you're not supposed to do, by the way). I have magically lost 20 pounds in the last 15 days. I don't know how. But I'm grateful.
Having every dress I own not be obscenely short. It sure takes a lot of material to cover that bump. And since I more often opted to buy normal sized dresses instead of maternity wear (yay summer pregnancy), this was a problem. Often.
Not getting weird looks from parents of prospective students on campus tours of Tulane. Mind your own business, jerks. I'm 28. Not an unwed co-ed.
Not having an outie. Self-explanatory.
Being able to take care of myself again. You have to lay off so much while pregnant. And not just alcohol, but really weird random stuff. No beauty products with salicylic acid. No cold medicine. Yeesh.
No more random bodily functions. This is a fun one. And to save you from TMI, I'll just give you one anecdote. Once on my bike ride home I randomly vomited. Didn't have time to stop, barely had enough time to turn my head to the side. But I'm glad everyone in attendance of the Tulane baseball game that day got to see. And since I wasn't showing, they undoubtedly judged me as an undergrad doing the walk (ride?) of shame.

Like I said...love my Henry. And now that he's here and I'm getting my swagger back, life just keeps getting better and better.

Hey Henry, Can You Hear Me?

2011-11-01T22:03:00.007-06:00

Over the summer, I heard this story on NPR: Songs For The Delivery Room: One Woman's Playlist . Though my one show a week days are long gone (I lived in Philadelphia, Manhattan, and Brooklyn...I've pretty much seen every act I ever wanted - twice), music is still a big part of my life and I took great care in crafting my playlist for Henry's birth. The woman on NPR offers the following wise words:

Giving birth is athletic. It's intense. For some people, it's terrifying. For some, it's exhilarating. We don't often get the chance to compose a soundtrack for life's most profound moments. But given the opportunity, I did not see the point in calm, supposedly soothing music. I wanted a beat.

I wanted some songs with a beat, but I was more interested sentimental music that reminded me of fun, important times in my life. I wanted a nostalgic playlist, because I knew that for me, the best distraction from pain would be thinking of times when I was truly happy. The songs below remind me of the high school, old mix tapes (actual tapes, not playlists!), my first summer in New York when I met B, drives to the beach in NC, and college. I also threw in a few that are just plain good, like "Rise to Me," which you must listen to. After this played in the delivery room, how could we not name him Henry? I can't say my playlist was completely successful in blunting the pain, but it sure helped. Here's a smattering of the list (the full one was a bit longer).

"I Feel it All," Feist
"Falling for You," Weezer
"15 Step," Radiohead
"Rise," Eddie Vedder
"I Believe That the End of the Reign of Terror is Near," The Anniversary
"Nimrod's Son,"and "Something Against You," the Pixies
"The Weather," Built to Spill
"Rhineland (Heartland)," "Nantes," Beirut
"Sea of Love," "Metal Heart," Cat Power
"Family Tree," Ben Kweller
"The Funeral," Band of Horses
"1992," "Coffee and TV" Blur
"Fire," Augustana
"The Henney Buggy Band," Sufjan Stevens
"The Only Living Boy in New York," Simon and Garfunkel
"Yoshimi Battles the Pink Robots," The Flaming Lips
"Woe," Say Anything
"Wolf Like Me," TV on the Radio
"Don't Leave the Light on Baby," Belle and Sebastian
"Strange and Beautiful," Aqualung
"Go Places," The New Pornographers
"Turning Round" The Fiery Furnaces
"All These Things That I've Done," The Killers
"Want," originally by Jawbreaker, covered by Lagwagon
"Brand New Love," Sebadoh
"I and Love and You," the Avett Brothers
"My Body is a Cage," Arcade Fire

Henry Michael Sims

2011-11-01T21:10:00.004-06:00

B and I are proud to announce that our son was born last Thursday at 2:26 am in the morning, weighing just under 7 lbs and measuring 19.5 inches long. We settled on the name Henry, after characters from two of our favorite books (The Time Traveler's Wife and Papillon), Henry Street in Brooklyn, and, well, it's just the most awesome name ever. His middle name was passed from B's father, to B, and now to baby Henry. He is perfect. See?

Henry's birth alone has given me a few ideas for blog posts, one of which is decidedly NOT his birth story. Ya'll don't even wanna know. But here's a taste - I was in labor for about 48 hours. It's okay though. He is worth it. We're laying in at our home for the moment, though I have ventured out a bit here and there. For now, we're mostly just enjoying each other's company. Thank you to all our friends and family who have helped out by checking in, visiting us, and sending us all the love. We love you all.

Baby Tag Collage

2011-10-16T18:31:00.005-05:00

I am still hard at work on my baby book. Two of the pages will feature a tag college, which was meant to be a separate project as per Suzanne Stirling, but like I said, I'm running out of wall/display space. I like a lot of ideas featured in B is for Baby (see picture to the right), but need more. I have some old appointment slips but am trying to think of more ideas. Suggestions welcome! I made the tags below by taking leftover business cards from my wedding guestbook and experimenting with tag shapes until I made one I was happy with. I used the template on the cardstock I've been using throughout the baby book. I then punched a hole in the top of each and placed a hole reinforcer around the holes. I looped a piece of red thread through the holes and made a few extras in case I mess up (which I will). I really mean it about the suggestions...I have 24 tags to fill.

Decal Dilemma

2011-10-16T18:27:00.008-05:00

Months ago, Groupon featured $20 for $50 worth of Dali Decals . I figured it was such a good deal, I had to pounce. I made these stencil panels (top left corner) for my room in New York when I lived there, and am always searching for a way to do something similar, but neater. I love what Little Miss Momma did with her decals. Mounting the decals on canvas is great because you can move them around the room with ease and don't have to be as crazy about their initial placement. I covered two 18x24 canvases and one 22x28 one in White Linen acrylic paint by Martha Stewart and applied the decals according to the directions from Dali. Here's an (obvious) tip - don't affix the decals outside, even if it is a beautiful day. Any wind will make you crazy.

We aren't positive what we're painting the nursery yet, so I stuck with a white background. I did a custom order from Dali, which was super easy and relatively quick to arrive. All three of the athletes below are part of a series. And obviously, I used colors that will coordinate with all my nursery stuff. What's the dilemma? I've made and purchased so many things for the walls in my tiny nursery, I'm not going to have room for it all!

The Best Baby Mobile Ever

2011-10-12T09:44:00.008-05:00

I am obsessed with the baby mobile I made. It may not be built to last, made of paper and all, but it sure is pretty. I was inspired by this hot air balloon mobile. Arriving at the final product took a lot of trial and error, as I'll discuss below, but it was all worth it. Instructions below:

You'll need:

Circle cutter - I used this one from Martha Stewart
Spray adhesive
Regular glue stick
Self-healing cutting mat
Silver, red, and white paint pens or markers
Black pen
Xacto knife
bone folder
3.5 inch circle punch
White tape or mailing labels
2 sheets of 12x12 orange bumpy paper - you can find all the paper below at Michael's
6 sheets of 12x12 plain white paper
2 sheets of 12x12 lime green bumpy paper
1 sheet of 12x12 plain black paper
1 sheet of 12x12 vinyl black paper
Red spool of thread
Tape runner and a few refills
Huge quilting loop. Embroidery loop will do if you like
Red velcro ties from any hardware store
Three 2' long white chain - you can get this cut from Home Depot
One 6' long white chain (or whatever, depending on how tall your ceiling is)
One chain link
One hanging mounting kit, like for a plant

Sports balls
Make four 2-D versions of each ball. To make the mobile more sturdy, double the paper up.

Basketball

Use spray adhesive to glue the backs of the orange bumpy paper.
Use circle cutter to create four 5.5'' circles.
Use the background of the circles to create the lines on the basketballs using a black paint pen, as shown here, and set aside to dry. Vary the pattern on all four balls.

Baseball

Use spray adhesive to glue the backs of 2 sheets of the smooth white paper.
Use circle cutter to create 4.5'' circles.
Use the background of the circles to create the lines on the baseballs in red. Make little v's along the lines to look like stitches. Vary the pattern on all four balls.

Tennis ball

Use spray adhesive to glue the backs of the bumpy lime green paper.
Use circle cutter to create 4'' circles.
Use the background of the circles to create the lines. on the tennis balls in silver. Vary the pattern on all four balls.

Golf ball

Use spray adhesive to glue the backs of two sheets of the smooth white paper.
Use the 3.5'' punch to create circles.
Use the silver paint pen to make little dots on all four balls. Start with a line of dots in a smooth curve and fill in the lines above and below in between dots. Set aside to dry.

Hockey puck

This one is a little complicated and will take trial and error on your part. Because you're using vinyl, you don't have to double up.
Make one four inch circle out of scrap paper.
Then, using the 7'' setting on your circle cutter, swoop over the bottom of the circle to create a puck shape.
Use the background of the large circle to create the 3D effect using the silver marker. You may need to make more than one "trial run" puck. Note all your measurements.
Once you're done, make four pucks total.

Football

Use spray adhesive to glue the backs of the bumpy brown paper.
Make a template of a football, freehand, on cardboard. I made my husband do this.
Cut the template out using the xacto knife.
Use the xacto to make four footballs out of the brown bumpy paper.
Use the tape or labels to make a pattern of the grips on the football. Vary the pattern on the four balls.

Soccer ball

Use spray adhesive to glue two remaining white sheets of paper together.
Using the 5.5'' setting on your paper cutter, cut four circles out.
Also cut four 5.5'' circle out of plain black paper.
Cut a total of five isosceles triangles out of the edge of each of the black circles. Cut a pentagon out of the middle of the circle. Feel free to mess up here - you should have plenty of black paper. You'll end up with twenty little black triangles and four pentagons.
Using a glue stick, glue a pentagon to the middle of each circle. Glue a triangle to adjacent to each pentagon point at the edge of the circle.
Use a black pen and a ruler to connect the point to the top of each triangle.

Hanging and Spinning
The main trial and error occurred here. At first, I tried hanging the balls from dowels, but the balancing thing got to be too difficult. For each ball:

Use a bone folder to fold every ball in half, evenly.
Measure 8 pieces of thread the same length. I did an arms length every time - you don't have to be exact. You are going to trim, anyway.
Along the side of every fold, tape a piece of thread to the top of the ball. So, each ball will have two pieces of thread coming off it.
Use the tape runner to affix one half of one ball to another half of the ball, creating a 3-D effect.
Paint the embroidery loop whatever colors you want. Let it dry overnight.
Neatly wrap the 8 threads from each ball around the inner loop. You can hang all the balls at the same height or vary, like I did.
Place the outer loop around and tighten. Using so many threads will allow the balls to spin!

Mounting

In a triangle formation, wrap the velcro ties around the embroidery hoop and through a length on each of the three 2' chains. Adjust each arm around the loop for balance.
Use the chain length to attach the other side of the chains to the long chain
Mount the plant hook from the ceiling
Voila - done!

Excuse the crazy mounting job shown - I am just really anxious to get pics up, and you know I'm not moved into my new house yet. Also excuse the mess on our guest bed...but at least you know I'm packed for the hospital!

Oh, Boye

2011-10-08T22:05:00.007-05:00

Olsenboye, that is. Am I the last one to know about this collab? Apparently, the Olsen twins have a collection sold exclusively at JCPenney. And it's great! I [heart] Ronson isn't the only cutiepie label rising from the department store. The Olsens are known for their sense of fashion, and while their lines don't necessarily reflect their personal styles, I really dig em. I have only been able to afford one pair of Elizabeth and James shorts, but I love them. This line is affordable, obviously. And the boots are super cute. But they aren't leather or anything, and I can't personally speak to the quality of the line. Probably worth a try though...here are my favorites:

Pretty black ruffly dress:

Boho tunic-y dress:

Poppy red pants:

This would dress a plain tshirt up in the winter:

Sweet motorcycle boots:

My Baby's Blanket

2011-10-07T00:04:00.009-05:00

My baby's beautiful blanket is DONE! Ends woven in and everything! I am so proud. I think it came out beautifully. The pattern follows the pictures below:

I did not come up with this pattern on my own. I found something similar on Ravelry as an afghan worked in five panels and I just modified it by adding a border and making it one continuous piece. Please tell me if there are flaws in the pattern if you choose to make it yourself. Sorry I'm so verbose.

I incorporated the border into the pattern because I've added borders in the very end before and ended up with a weird puckering problem. So, in the pattern that follows, your first four and last four stitches of every row will be in white.
CO 149 stitches in white
Row 1: knit
Row 2: knit
Row 3: purl
Row 4: K2 *k2 yo K4 K2tog K2tog K4 yo K1 yo K4 k2tog k2tog k4 yo k2* x5 K2
Row 5: knit first four stitches in white, continue in blue without cutting white yarn. You will draw this piece of yarn up with you every time you come across it. This way, you end up finishing (sewing) up a lot less in the end. When you get to the end of the row, using a separate skein of white yarn, knit the last four stitches.
Row 6: K2 in white, P2 in white, P2 the rest in blue until the last four stitches, P2 in white, K2 in white
Row 7:K2 in white, K2 in blue *k2 yo K4 K2tog K2tog K4 yo K1 yo K4 k2tog k2tog k4 yo k2 in blue* x5 K2 in white (also knit the last 2 of sequence in white, so your last four stitches are white) From this point on, I'm not going to go into detail as above, but follow the same principles with the border. When I say "in [color]," I'm referring to the body of the blanket and am assuming you're knit the first and last four in white.
Using the existing white skein on the side you are on:
Row 8: knit
Row 9: knit
Row 10: purl
Row 11: In white, K2 *k2 yo K4 K2tog K2tog K4 yo K1 yo K4 k2tog k2tog k4 yo k2* x5 K2
Yellow:
Row 12: knit
Row 13: purl
Row 14: K2 *k2 yo K4 K2tog K2tog K4 yo K1 yo K4 k2tog k2tog k4 yo k2* x5 K2
White:
Row 15: knit
Row 16: knit
Row 17: purl
Row 18: K2 *k2 yo K4 K2tog K2tog K4 yo K1 yo K4 k2tog k2tog k4 yo k2* x5 K2
Red:
Row 19: knit
Row 20: purl Row 21: K2 *k2 yo K4 K2tog K2tog K4 yo K1 yo K4 k2tog k2tog k4 yo k2* x5 K2

Repeat four times or to desired length.

To end-
White:
knit row
knit row
purl row K2 *k2 yo K4 K2tog K2tog K4 yo K1 yo K4 k2tog k2tog k4 yo k2* x5 K2
Blue:
knit row
purl row
K2 *k2 yo K4 K2tog K2tog K4 yo K1 yo K4 k2tog k2tog k4 yo k2* x5 K2
White:
knit row
knit row
purl row
K2 *k2 yo K4 K2tog K2tog K4 yo K1 yo K4 k2tog k2tog k4 yo k2* x5 K2
Knit row
BO

Just like VH1

2011-09-30T21:27:00.013-05:00

I love the 70's. They still do that show, right? This summer introduced a few trends hinting to decades past, and I totally bought into the whole clog and wedge thing. I spent most of the summer in these crossover clogs from Anthropologie. More 70's era type stuff has been cropping on everywhere, and I'm pretty jazzed. So glad I never got this American Apparel floppy hat I was eyeing (left) - the same one can be found at JCPenney for next to nothing. Also loving the midi length skirt trend. Not sure how well this will work for us short girls, and am even less confident that I'll be able to pull them off in my post-baby body. But I can admire, right? Check out this cute button-up one from ASOS and this gorgeous silk one from Madewell.

J.Crew

also has a really pretty pleated one.

Love the variation you can get with this length. On second thought, this might be an excellent alternative to pants post-baby.

The thought of putting these

thighs in anything restrictive makes me want to cry. On to tops...I can't quite get down with the whole tie front thing. But I do love sheers and these wonderful fall tones. These mushroom-colored top from LA Made is sheer, flowy, and beautiful. On sale right now from Hautelook. Could be paired over a nice nursing tank and no one would be the wiser. Last comes this one from LL Bean Signature - nice and tailored without being restrictive. All this looking and no touching kinda sucks. This trend will probably come and go by the time my baby is born. And after he's born, I'm sure I won't care! Oh well...maybe one of my readers can take advantage of my gawking and trolling the internet for cute clothes. In fact...please do!

Crazy Bag Lady

2011-09-28T09:13:00.005-05:00

I guess not so much bag (this time), but dress...Missoni for Target dresses, that is. Yes, on the morning of September 13th, I woke up and scooted over to Target like a good little (broke) fashionista. Almost every time Target has done a collab, I've bought something. Skipped out on McQ, as well as Calypso, but love my Erin Featherson blouse, my Temperley London vest, and am semi-obsessed with my Rodarte for Target raincoat. Who doesn't like design for cheap? And you don't wear the stuff enough to have to worry about quality and it wearing out. Anyway...I've never gotten up early to go to Target on days when these collabs debut, but now that I don't live in New York, where throngs of other crazy twenty and thirty-something grabby women are emininent, I figured I'd compete. And what a smart decision that was. I totally scored. Got these dresses:

Aaaaaand since there was somewhat of a mini-throng, I grabbed what I could before I headed to the dressing room. When I left the dressing room, there were no clothes left except for this robe:

Obvs, I swiped it up, since I've been looking for something to recieve guests in post-baby. So I ended up leaving the store with some extra stuff. Yes, I am one of those girls. Sold my extras on ebay. Haters gonna hate, but I don't care -- I got some dresses I love that are flattering EVEN at 9 months pregnant (they're fully lined, guys...fully. lined.) And I also offered some pieces to friends (and even have some extra - black and white zigzag strappy dress and a pair of tights...will probably return...you know how I do...but email me if you are interested). The only problem I have is too much Missoni - I mean, how many zigzag stuff does a girl need?? But whatevs...it's cute stuff and I'll wear everything. Total win.

Buying (Baby) Stuff

2011-09-26T22:05:00.004-05:00

For the record, I should put it out there that I return at least half the stuff I buy. Is that weird? Probably a little...but I take a lot of comfort in knowing I can take clothes, decor, etc. to my house, sit with it for a few days, and decide whether or not I want it to be permanently mine. I tend to return stuff if it's gone on sale after I bought it, which just makes me mad. If I really like the item, I'll re-purchase. I'm the worst with returning clothes. I just really love to LOVE the clothes I own. Anyway, I digress...this baby stuff has taken returning and exchanging to a whole new level. Let's just say I returned my carseat twice. And that's because it went on sale, and then I got a coupon. In the end, returning saves me a boatload of money. Is it worth the effort? Maybe not. But I'm used to keeping myself busy and feeling like I got a deal keeps me happy for days. I've recently discovered some baby daily deal sites that are akin to some of the fashion and daily deal sites I check daily. I'm new to most of them, and I really only like a few. Baby Steals is a fantastic non-membership site, meaning you can just check it every day instead of getting the emails if you like, and you don't have to give them your info. Did I mention the bangin' Lindsay Brin deal I got?? They also feature great brands like Ergo, Aden + Anais, and Skip Hop. Babyhalfoff is okay, but doesn't touch Baby Steals with the brand names. Decent membership sites include Zulilly, Totsy, and the Mini Social. Email me for an invite. I'm too new to these to really review them, but they've been fun to browse. Definitely don't underestimate the children and baby section of Gilt, Ideeli, Hautelook, and Fab - great for both kid room stuff and kid clothing. Obvsies, the only problem with all these sites are that you often can't return - it kills me! But at least they are good deals, and a good trick is to buy stuff you've had on y our mind BEFORE you saw it on sale. This usually works for me. Usually.

The Home Stretch

2011-09-26T21:10:00.003-05:00

I hit 36 weeks tomorrow. 1 week after that means full-term which translates to the fact that the baby can legitimately come anytime after that and it wouldn't be weird. Wild. I have a million thoughts going through my head and one of them is my ever-expanding body. I've been told I'm going to blow up in this past month, and that's scary, seeing as I already feel quite large. My feet have started to swell like whoa. I definitely feel like Fiona (a la Shrek). I just had a wonderful conversation with a friend of mine, also pregnant, about feeling like a large Marge during pregnancy, and how frustrating it is to talk to non-pregnant people about feeling big, apprehensions about post-baby body, etc. Don't get me wrong, this isn't my #1 worry by any means. But it's one of the more in-my-face ones, seeing as I can't get around feeling sluggish, inflexible, and at times, helpless (e.g. needing B's help to put on shoes, sit up, etc.) So, the bright star of my day was to find Lindsay Brin's Moms into Fitness 60 Day Slimdown System and Core package for 50% off on Baby Steals. You know I love me some home dvds. Yay! I won't even start it until at least a month after the baby. And who knows, maybe it'll lay around even longer than that. But these days, feeling motivated and hopeful is really important. It helps to know that all these insecurities will vanish once the baby comes, but until then, it's the little things, right?

My New Desktop

2011-09-26T17:39:00.004-05:00

Neat, huh?

Shedding a Little Light

2011-09-24T18:40:00.011-05:00

I'm now starting to resign myself to the fact that our renovation might not be done by the time baby comes around, especially if he's even a little bit early. But that hasn't stopped me from starting (and actually finishing!) some little projects. Finishing some, that is. I made this little night light in a day. Once again, it was inspired by B is for Baby, although I didn't follow any exact project - this is a combination of Suzanne Stirling's fabric wrapped full-sized shade and the ribbon night light.

You'll need:

A night light kit - I got mine from Factory Direct Craft - ridiculously fast shipping
8 (or so) strips of coordinating fabric
Rotary cutter
Self-healing mat
Coordinating bias tape
Yes! paste
Brush to apply glue

Don't take the night light shade out of the package until you're ready to start the project. Detach the light from the shade and dust off the shade completely. In fact, keep dusting it throughout the project.
Cut strips straight to start using a rotary cutter on top of a self-healing mat, making the length a little long on the bottom. You can eyeball both the length and the width if you want the lamp to look homemade and not super-perfect. Otherwise, you'll have to do some math by dividing the width of the fattest part of the shade by however many strips you have. Obviously, all the strips will be about the same length. The one or two strips in the middle will be the most triangle shaped.
Using Yes! paste, glue the middle strips down first and work your way out. Whatever you choose to do, perfectly measured or not, cut the excess bottom part off with small scissors. The sides don't have to look perfect because you're covering them up with bias tape.
Measure how much bias tape you need for each side by holding the tape to the outside of the shade so that half is hanging off. Apply glue to one edge at a time, and press the tape down. Let the side dry, apply Yes! paste to the the edge and inside of the shade, and glue down the extra bias tape. Do this for all four sides, and voila! Customized baby night light.

FINISH HIM.

2011-09-12T15:52:00.015-05:00

Maybe crafting isn't as brutal as Mortal Kombat but the time it's taken to finish some of these crafting projects has been excruciating. But I see the light at the end of the tunnel for a couple things. All I have to do is finish my blanket by weaving in the ends. I'll post the pattern when I'm done. The ultrasound frame is almost finished - just need to get one final pic from my 35 week appointment which is next week. Yup...35 weeks. Bananas. I only have a couple pages of my scrapbook/baby book. And I have yet to purchase the actual book. I'm looking for some good templates for the written baby book-y pages. I want the thing all set up before the baby comes. I'm sure all craftiness will slow exponentially at that point...

So Cute It Hurts

2011-09-10T22:06:00.003-05:00

I love In God We Trust. You know this. I wasn't living in New York when their Ludlow Street location closed and it's probably a good thing because I'd have gone into a mini mourning. I love how Shana Tabor meshes sassy, snippy, and unrefined with prim, proper, and tailored. Well, maybe more on the sassy and snippy side. Anyway, did I mention how Fab is slowly becoming my most favorite thing ever? IGWT is featured on the site this weekend, and I just have to snatch up a sweet nothings necklace - I never bought one, but have been lusting after them for a while. I'm trying to decide between "bless this mess" and "really f*ckin' cute". The latter could be taken in a couple ways; this phrase often runs through my head after someone does something obnoxious or stupid. But if thinking of the necklace as a reference to myself, I'm probably more of a mess than cute these days, and will undoubtedly be even more so after baby comes. So we'll see. I'll sleep on it.

U is for Ultrasound

2011-09-03T17:16:00.002-05:00

My bestie got me a great baby craft book full of ideas. It's what made me decide to make my own mobile (even though I went a completely different route than the book suggestion, but still...). The book is B is for Baby by Suzanne Stirling.

I'm in the middle of crafting a few other things, including this framed ultrasound display. I don't like the way my handwriting looks on such a nice matte, so I think I'll print the week labels out. I'm pretty excited about how it's coming along...

What To Do With All Those Cards

2011-09-03T16:50:00.006-05:00

We got some really beautiful cards for our wedding, but let's face it - how often do you go back and read those messages? It took me a while to let go and recycle them, but not before keeping a little piece of each and making this simple frame.

I punched a circular button shape from each card using a Martha Stewart punch. I then separated the buttons into color groups, just to keep things even. I started out clumping the buttons haphazardly, being careful not too have too much of one color group in any one place. But I ended up hating it, pulling up all the buttons, and arranging them neatly. It took a while to arrange them perfectly, but I got it eventually. I'm pleased :o)

Indie Rock Poster Book!

2011-09-01T22:16:00.004-05:00

Okay, okay, this is old news. The Indie Rock Poster Book, successor to the very popular Indie Rock Coloring Book released by the Yellowbird project, came out early this year. But now that I'm looking for cool stuff to put on the walls in our new house, this purchase has become inevitable. It's awesome because it's cheap and features really cool prints that are frame-worthy, and did I mention they're all artists' renderings of really good indie rock songs? "Your Ex-Lover is Dead" is one of my favorite Stars songs. Love this interpretation (best picture I could find).

Not the biggest fan of The National, but this print by Frank Chimero is pretty cool.

I certainly won't have a place for all 30 prints, but I think I can put a few to good use...

Love the Product

2011-08-29T09:40:00.003-05:00

Hate the name. For those of you who have never been pregnant and have never had the joy of spending all your money on crazy baby and mama products you aren't entirely sure you need, you may not be aware of the ridiculously named products out there. Many seem helpful, but the names...good lord. Here are a few faves:

Udder Covers. Whoa. As if I didn't already feel like a cow, I get to formalize it, too. These breastfeeding covers seem like they'll be helpful for when family and close friends are over, as baby and I won't have to go into complete isolation everytime he's hungry. I've seen a couple ladies use something like this. You could easily make it, but a few weeks ago this company had a great promo and I got one with paying shipping only.

Itzbeen. This reminds me of lolcats. This little thing tells you the last time the baby did everything you can think of. Five words: There's an app for that. Check out Baby Timer on iTunes.

Undercover Mama. Now this product does seem very helpful. But I can't help but think of that Eddie Griffin movie that came out a few years back...

Milkies. Now that's just a sin. And these pads that you're supposed to use while the baby nurses on the other side seem a little extraneous. I'll pass.

Caving In

2011-08-28T23:48:00.005-05:00

I tried to hold out and not buy any more maternity clothes. But it's been several weeks since I made any significant purchases and let's just say that in this last month I've definitely "popped". But now, at 32 weeks, there are other things to consider. For instance, are these clothes worth buying now that I have 8 weeks of the pregnancy left at most? I'm rationalizing that yes, they are worth it, seeing as I'll still be a large lady at least a few weeks post-pregnancy. But now I also have to stick to buying that are, um, accessible. For nursing. I ordered three dresses from ASOS . Love the black and coral maxi dresses- they'll wear well into the fall here in New Orleans, especially under a cardigan. Also got a patterned dress to mix up all the solids I have.

ASOS has great maternity clothes, even in their outlet/clearance section. All three dresses and a belt for less than $90. I also picked up this boring one from Gap Maternity.

I have a few upcoming work/school stuff where I have to look semi-professional and the I'm-pregnant-and-can-wear-whatever-I-want excuse only lasts for so long...

It's Never Too Early to Learn Geography

2011-08-28T22:42:00.004-05:00

I'm loving this new map I got from Fab! It's from These Are Things and I love it. It absolutely matches what I have in mind for my nursery, color-wise. What is Fab, you might ask? It's like Gilt, Rue La La, and Hautelook except they exclusively feature home stuff. They have jewelry sometimes, too. Think of Fab as a sophisticated and wide-ranging Fred Flare online sample sale. I'm not linking them here because if you want an invite, you should email me so I get the credit! They feature everything from kitchen tools from brands like Zyliss, frames and other home stuff, from brands like from Umbra, and furniture and other bigger items, like Public Bikes. I am a big fan. Sign up now (by emailing me or leaving a comment asking for an invite :o)

Pregnant Lady Style Tips

2011-08-23T20:01:00.002-05:00

Love Refinery 29 and their slideshow of ways to look cute whilst pregnant, hate the lady whose legs haven't changed throughout her pregnancy. That brat. Check out the slideshow here.

Cute Ways to Count

2011-08-23T19:48:00.003-05:00

I've recently discovered Binth - the company makes beautiful modern prints for the home, and their baby stuff is gorgeous. I love their baby book, though I have no intention of buying it, as I'm crafting my own, scrapbook style. But still, you can get a sense of their style...

I love this numbers poster. It matches what I have in mind for my nursery perfectly.

I'd jump on it, however, I'm still toying with the idea of doing something with my embroidered table numbers. Not sure yet, though. What do you think?

Healthy Blueberry Muffins

2011-08-21T14:09:00.004-05:00

B's mom and sister came to see us recently and brought us, among many other things, some delicious Michigan blueberries. I haven't baked anything too substantial in our new house and figured I'd give some blueberry muffins a go. I used a healthy recipe (er, as healthy as muffins can be, anyway) from Simple Daily Recipes.

You'll need:

3/4 cups low fat milk
1/2 cup natural applesauce
1 egg
1 cup all purpose flour
1 cup whole wheat flour
1/2 cup sugar
3 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
1 cup fresh blueberries

Preheat the oven to 400.
Mix the milk, applesauce, and egg in a small bowl.
Mix the rest of the ingredients (except for the blueberries) in a bigger bowl.
Make a well in the middle of the latter mixture and pour the wet ingredients into it. Mix.
Fold in the blueberries. I used more than a cup.
If you like crumbly top muffins, mix some extra sugar and flour in with some butter at room temperature and sprinkle over the top of the muffins.
Pour into a non stick or greased muffin pan and bake for 20 minutes.

I won't be posting a ton of prep pictures these days due to my compromised workspace and lack of camera charger. The muffins are super tasty (though you can tell they are healthy - applesauce just doesn't taste the same as crisco or canola oil!) and the recipe is very easily. You should give it a go, too.

Fun New Toys

2011-08-20T23:53:00.013-05:00

I've been keeping myself busy with all sorts of crafting projects, which has called for a bunch of new crafting toys. I bought this Martha Stewart circle cutter from Michael's the other day and have been using it to make my 3-D baby mobile. It's coming along super well, if I say so myself. I'm so glad I decided to invest in it instead of free-handing a bunch of circles with an X-acto. However, I couldn't completely avoid that because the mobile is sports themed and the circle cutter won't cut smaller than 4 inch circles - not good for golf balls. Anyway, check out my work so far here. And by the way, you should all invest in the Michael's iphone app. Actually, no investing necessary- it's free! And you'll always have a 40% off coupon and they scan it right off your phone. Genius. Anyway, see how cruddy the free-hand gold balls look compared to the rest?

I used the paper from which I cut the basketball to guide the lines.

I didn't want to obsess over making the perfect soccer ball, so I purposefully made them cool and abstract-looking. I think they came out rather well.

More details about the mobile to come when it's done!

Back to Class

2011-08-19T20:02:00.005-05:00

I began this blog (it's been almost three years!) when I "started sewing". It is more appropriate to say I started this blog when my friend gave me her old sewing machine and I intended to start sewing. I've only made a few things, many of which are seem too small and simple to post here. When I was home, one of my main missions was to get a sewing lesson or two from my mom. I needed her to help me with curtains for the nursery. I had a great time going to the fabric store (Thimble Pleasures in Chapel Hill - love that place) and helping (it was more like watching) her put the valence together. I didn't do much of the sewing but it was nice to be a part of the process. We also picked up some finials fro Pottery Barn kids to compliment the aqua fabric with yellow tabs.

I'll reveal the entire nursery all at once, but here's a little peek. Excuse the crap picture - I haven't been able to find my camera charger post-move.

Shower, Take Two

2011-08-19T19:08:00.011-05:00

I just spent a lovely two weeks in North Carolina, then Michigan, where my sister and in-laws threw me two fantastic baby showers. The women at the first couldn't help commenting how just one year ago they were over at my house for a bridal shower...and look at me now, big as a house. Here are a couple pics...check out the onesies my sister made for the baby!

We decorated onesies at the Michigan shower - so cute and fun. Can't wait to put the little babe in each and every one -

I left the showers feeling so loved and lucky. Needless to say, we got a ton of clothes for the baby. We also got a lot of baby gear we are desperately in need of. I am almost 31 weeks pregnant...can't wait to make up our nursery, meet my little dude, and introduce him to all his family and friends who love him so much.

Michigan Baby

2011-08-19T18:58:00.006-05:00

B went to U of Michigan and he likes to make sure the whole world knows it. I got him (and the baby, of course) this print for the nursery from Area Fare on Etsy. I used a white frame that will match the white + primary colored nursery I am envisioning in my head. I've started a ton of craft projects (ton = 5 or so) to keep me occupied. It's my version of nesting. I've resorted to heavy crafting since I technically don't even live in my house yet...

Paint the Town

2011-08-18T21:29:00.005-05:00

Red is one of my favorite colors. I had little red accents all over the place at our wedding and I love my little red corolla. So, decorating our nursery with lots of red things was kind of a given (doesn't hurt that dad is a huge Detroit Redwings fan), but I've found myself getting lots of red things outside our nursery, too. I am obsessed with my Bumbleride Indie in Ruby. My sister in law and I put it together the other day and it makes me smile. I think Baby will love it.

Our Chicco Keyfit 30 in Fuego will snap right into it.

I recently picked up this Infantino changing pad - for diaper changing as well as a portable play space. A good friend told me one of these is essential...

I really love red. Even though we know the sex of the baby, I wanted to buy stuff I could use again for years. I think red is great for playful little boys but also works for spunky little girls. Can't wait to roll around town in all our red stuff! Though its all undeniably cute, I won't really know how truly awesome or helpful baby stuff is until the little guy comes. Will be sure to check back in.

Missoni Madness

2011-08-18T00:37:00.004-05:00

I'm not the biggest Missoni fan, but Rachel Zoe's Bugaboo Missoni stroller is pretty awesome. Check her out:

Though colorful stripes and patterns aren't really my thing, I'm really digging what I've seen of the Missoni for Target line, at least in the vein of accessories. How cute are these little bags?

I think they'd look pretty cute crammed with baby stuff. They'd sure snazz up the plain black Skip hop diaper bag I registered for and got at one of my showers (more on those later). None of the collection's clothes really stuck out for me. But this collection (which includes home stuff, too!) is probably best experienced in person, so we'll see. More info here.

Something Old, Something New...

2011-08-12T12:28:00.011-05:00

I felt pretty obligated to adhere to this old bridal tradition. The earrings I wore were both old and borrowed (from one of my favorite aunts, who is putting on my necklace below).

And this was my blue:

And I had a whole slew of new!
Shoes from Kate Spade:

Necklace from Macy's:

Headpiece from Wedding Belles in New Orleans:

My Wedding Dress!

2011-08-12T11:33:00.005-05:00

I love my wedding dress. It is so me. I got it at Kleinfeld in New York. Yes, the Say Yes to the Dress place. I even met Ronnie! But wait, let's go backward. B proposed to me in June, less than two months before we were slated to move from New York to New Orleans. I love Nola, but I'd be damned if I shopped for wedding dresses anywhere other than NYC. I went to a few places, including R&K Bridal. Long story short - I found my dress at both places and bartering ensued! I got my dress for $1800 instead of $2200, which was sweet.
This is a (illegal) picture my friend took of me in my dress at Kleinfeld. Check out that tan.

And this is my dress featured on another bride on Say Yes to the Dress, Season 5, Episode 8!

If I had to go back and do it all over again (with more time, geez - bear in mind I was also lifeguarding and trying to book my venue and caterer at the same time), I'd visit a couple more places, including Pronovias and other boutiques carrying just one designer. But alas - I think my dress was pretty awesome. I do have some tips from wedding dress shopping --

Don't go with too many people. I took one trustworthy friend for every shopping trip. I love my mom, but she doesn't live in New York and let's just say she's very opinionated. I have a handful of New York friends scattered all over the city, but never had a core group of girls. So one good friend at a time worked out really well.
With some exceptions, almost all dresses will look good on you. Even the most school-marmy dresses are cut in a way to flatter the body. That is why they are so expensive. You just have to decide on your style. I told my bridal consultants no lace, no sparkles, jewel-y things.
Even though you know your style, be open! I ended up getting a layered chiffon dress, which could be interpreted as ruffles. If you had asked me if I wanted ruffles prior to shopping, of course I would say hell no. But be open to at least trying stuff on. Bridal consultants (especially at Kleinfeld) know what they are doing.
On a related note, there are such thing as old lady dresses and cute young girl dresses - it's in your best interest to find the in-between.
Take your time. Devote the whole day to dress shopping. And go several days, and with several months in advance if you can. A wedding dress isn't something you want to buy without a lot of thought first, especially with the pricetag
Don't lose too much weight. I lost 10 lbs between my first and second fitting. There was some panic at the end regarding whether or not the thing would actually fit in the end. Ugh. Lose the weight evenly (if you plan to lose weight) throughout your engagement if you can. I did South Beach and I swear to you, 15 lbs melted off of me in a matter of a couple months.
Don't try on anything you can't afford. Really - just don't.
They say white looks good on dark skin...but they're wrong. Whitey-white was a little much for me. You will (hopefully) be the only one with a white dress on at your wedding, so if you're convinced you want white, slightly off-white will still look white. My dress was ivory.

That's all I got. If anyone has anything to add or object, please comment!

Bridesmaids Dresses and Shoes

2011-08-12T11:15:00.005-05:00

Similar to jewelry, I think I stressed out more about my bridesmaids' dresses than my own! I know it's silly, but I just wanted them to look good and feel comfortable. I wanted them to have some choice points but I also wanted to have a lot of say without being a bridezilla. So, I went with Aria. Aria is great -- they have a ton of styles and fabrics. Plus they are reasonably priced around $200 a pop. The color I chose, Mist, was an iridescent teal (more on the blue side than green) and complimented my other color, cherry red, really well. The girls looked fantastic holding red daisies. Anyway, I sent the girls a link to the website and told them to tell me their top two or so picks. It turned out that all girls except my sister chose one of two dresses. My sister was happy to pick from the two and voila - semi-matching bridesmaids. Aria even has ties to coordinate the men, all the groomsmen (and my bridesman) got one. And check out my super cute flower girl. Dress also courtesy of Aria.

As for shoes, I went with Unforgettable Moments by Lela Rose dyeable shoes - all under $50. The girls chose between two pairs, one high and low heel option. Pretty, right?

Wedding Stuff, Redux: Bridesmaids' Jewelry

2011-08-12T10:46:00.008-05:00

We are coming up on our first anniversary and I realize how much I didn't post about our wedding and the different things we incorporated into it. I'll start with jewelry. I was way more concerned with my bridesmaid's jewelry than my own, mainly because their jewelry was my gift to them. I custom ordered individual pieces from a woman on etsy from the store All Things Tinsel. Everyone got the same earrings - pretty droplet briolettes .

The necklaces were designed individually. I tried to reflect the girls' style. I think I was successful - they all seemed pretty pleased:
This versatile one went to my sister in law. She's really tall and her dress had a high neckline:

This was for my other sister in law, whose neckline was lower. I love how dainty this one is. It looked great with her dress.

My friend wore this one. Love the layered look:

My sister wore this one, which can also be worn different ways asymmetrically:

Finally, my maid of honor wore this one. It's my fave.

I wanted the necklaces to compliment the dresses, but didn't want them to be too matchy-matchy. I think it all worked out well. Speaking of dresses, see the next post!

And for all things wedding-related, click here.

Mineral Make-up

2011-08-07T11:13:00.005-05:00

Another lovely treat during pregnancy is blotchy skin. Mine hasn't been that bad, but the sun-kissed look that slowly develops in the summer months that I used to love has only served to amplify the weird pregnant lady blotchiness. I tend not to wear foundation in the summer because of the heat, but with three weddings scheduled this summer, I figured I needed to invest in some quality products. I've been meaning to try the bareMinerals line but didn't want to commit $60 to the starter kit. Instead, I pranced over to the Mac store at Dillard's, where I could spend an old gift card. I ended up with the Mineralize Foundation, which includes SPF 15, in addition to their Mineralize Skinfinish.

In the store with just the former, my skin looked dewey and had a nice glow. The Skinfinish adds a nice luster. Of course, when I get home and apply the stuff myself, it doesn't look nearly as good -- I think it has something to do with the brush I use, Mac's 187 duo fibre brush.

The 190 foundation brush is probably more appropriate. Brushes with make up are key - even though they tend to be pricey, you save money in the long run because the products are easier to apply and you use less of them. So I like, but don't love, my Mac mineral products. Has anyone tried mineral products they love? Wanna share?

Belly Aches

2011-08-05T10:57:00.004-05:00

As my belly button makes its slow march to becoming a (temporary?) outtie, my skin has become more and more itchy. I'm not gonna kid myself - I know stretch marks are hereditary and if they're there, they're there. Though the look is inevitable, I refuse to put up with itchy, red skin. My friends have been real sweethearts with getting me some mommy products. I received some tummy butter from my friend Lindsay very early in the pregnancy. I ran out of it even before I started getting big and uncomfortable. I like to think that it was a preventative measure...I recently got this Mama Bee Belly Butter from my friend, Cassidy. Love Burt's Bee's-- it's a Durham company, you know :o). This stuff is super easy to rub on even though it's really thick, and smells great. It contains olive oil, pumpkin, and beeswax, of course.

I also regularly use an old favorite - Palmer's cocoa butter. It makes me smell like dessert. I literally have to fight off my dog every night after I put it on - he loves to try and taste.

Current Knitting Project

2011-08-04T21:36:00.003-05:00

I have seriously neglected keeping this blog up to speed on all the projects I have in the works for Baby. Here's the most time-consuming one. It's a baby blanket and it's coming along pretty well. I think I started it out in early June and am about halfway done, and this is with a moderate amount of inconsistency. I've lit a fire under myself and plan on finishing before the end of August. I'm basing most of my nursery off these colors. It helps that my wedding colors were this shade of red and teal, making it real easy to re-use stuff. With all the new house expenses, I gotta save money where I can, right?

Spice it Up

2011-08-04T21:19:00.003-05:00

Not gonna lie, I only became obsessed with Dean and Delu ca because of Felicity, the best show ever. But they really do have some cool stuff. The nerd in me is loving this test tube spice rack - how clever!Cute, and also mad expensive. A quick ebay search yielded some sweet looking wooden test tube holders for muuuuuch cheaper. See?This style will go very well with my Country French kitchen. I feel a mini project in the works...

Shellacked

2011-07-29T18:48:00.004-05:00

I love getting my nails done. It's frivolous, though, and lately I've been doing it less and less. It's easy to justify pedicures because the polish lasts f o r e v e r. On the other hand (!!), I don't know about you, but manicures remain unchipped and flawless for all of two days on me, tops. A salon around the corner of our new house, Albert Brown Salon, advertises that they do Shellac manicures, which to be honest, I had to go home and google. Creative Nail Design, or CND, came out with a way to make polish on your real nails last like gel or acrylic nails. I don't know if they're the first to do this, but I think the company is the most widely used one at salons. Basically, after filing, trimming cuticles, and buffing your nails, the manicurist puts you under a UV light after every coat (base, first and second coats, and top). The downside is that you don't get the usual lotion massage, though I've heard of some places doing it after the polish is dry. The polish dries instantly, by the way - as soon as your hands are out of the UV light for the last time. I got my nails done Tuesday and it's Friday and they look perfect. And don't worry folks, it's safe for pregnant gals. Check out these fall colors coming out from CND soon. Love the teal.

More Easy Things to Make with Biscuit Dough

2011-07-25T18:12:00.012-05:00

Throughout the pregnancy thus far, I haven't had any cravings per se, I've just wanted more of stuff I like in general. I mean, I don't sit there and think all of a sudden, "I REALLY need some chicken nuggets," but when they are available, I want more than usual. While still living in our old house, I really wanted something sweet but we didn't have anything around. I turned something salty into sweet by quickly frying up some makeshift donuts. I think a 5th grade teacher of mine did this for our class.

You'll need:
A canister of biscuit dough (any kind...don't try and kid yourself and get reduced fat or crap like that. If you're making homemade donuts, give it up already and go the whole nine. Also, the beauty of this is that you don't need to use the whole canister. As you can see here, I only made three. Granted that's a lot, it's better than eight, which I probably easily could polish off in my state)
Enough canola oil to create about 3/4'' of depth in whatever pan you use Confectioner's sugar (and any other delicious topping you can think of).

Heat up the canola oil. If you throw a few drops of water
in and it spatters, it's probably ready. Take regular old biscuit dough (mine was left over from making delicious monkey bread) and create a little hole in the biscuit using your fingers and drop them in the oil. If you're a wuss like me, you can put a barbeque skewer or something like it through the hole and lower them into the oil so you don't get spattered on.
The donuts should puff up relatively quickly. You can also use your skewer-like tool to flip the donuts, which you will have to do in a matter of seconds (probably about 30).
Put the donuts on some napkins laid in something that allows ventilation as well as a downward drip motion - I like using a big colander.
While still warm, bathe the donuts in toppings of your choice - I really like powdered sugar, but I'm sure you could get real creative here.

All this took less than 10 minutes. So fattening, and so delicious :o). Labeling it baking, though it's not really baking at all...

Forgot to Mention

2011-07-21T12:21:00.003-05:00

Speaking of backblogging, I completely forgot to mention that B and I are having a BOY! Most everyone knows this already, but for those mysterious ones who are reading my blog (I know you're out there. Google Analytics, baby. My whopping 4 followers + my friends and family and I are not the only ones hitting this thing up -- make yourself known! Comment!), I am proud to say that B and I will be toting around a cute little mister come the end of October. We were thinking of waiting to find out, but B really wanted to know, and I didn't take much convincing. So I went to the anatomical scan appointment at 20 weeks and had the tech write down the sex on a piece of paper and sealed it in an envelope. Barry and I opened it at home that evening together on our couch with our pup. I think B scared Gus half to death with all the jumping and yelling he did. He is over the moon and so am I. And obviously, I had to bake some celebratory cupcakes. Forgive the stereotype, but given the occasion, it felt silly to ice gender-neutral cupcakes. So yay! Boy, boy, BOY!

Baking Without a Kitchen

2011-07-20T15:29:00.004-05:00

Okay, I'm being dramatic. but it's been tough baking stuff these past few weeks without all my baking tools. I bake a lot more than this blog communicates - I'm just a lousy blogger and get backlogged (backblogged? Is that a word? It should be.). I made some Snickerdoodles for a friend's July 4th barbeque using this recipe. I had no cooling rack, so I improvised :o). I used a cookie scooper to measure out the dough and rolled the mixture into balls. I started out by shaking the dough in a ziplock bag of cinnamon sugar, but later resorted to only coating the face-up side so the bottoms wouldn't get all sticky. Wish I still had leftovers.

Nesting (Kind of)

2011-07-19T10:34:00.005-05:00

As much as I want to nest and make my home cozy for my new little family, I can't. The renovation won't be done for at least another 10 weeks and the last thing I want to do is buy a ton of stuff that I (or B) will have to move in just a short while. But, I can organize! I've been meaning to invest in a ton of these shoe boxes from the Container Store. Not just for shoes, but for other things as well, such as medicine, hair stuff, nail polish, you name it. I dunno, this picture just makes me excited...

I think I'm going to start out with two cases. Did I mention I love the Container Store? They have so many good finds. Like these classic milk crate containers.

And I can't lie, I sort of love this LBD jewelry organizer. I wouldn't buy it, it's a bit young for me, but the concept is pretty cute.

Nerdin' Out

2011-07-18T13:34:00.003-05:00

How perfect is this clock? Decor Craft, recently featured on Fab.com, makes ridiculously silly clocks like this. Want, want, want.
I'm sure I could find somewhere for it in my house, or in my office -- they make a science one, too :o)

HOMEOWNERS!

2011-07-15T11:13:00.016-05:00

It's official as of Tuesday evening (and I mean evening - we were at the lawyer's office
f o r e v e r). B and I are proud owners of a beautiful New Orleans double shotgun in a very desirable and pretty neighborhood! Not to brag, or anything :o) I will post more pictures later, perhaps after we actually move. We are moving into the right side first, which is completely renovated, while we completely gut and renovate the left side. We will move to the left side when it is finished, hopefully in about three months. The house is a beauty and we are very, very proud. We took Gus there the other day and think he likes it, too. We will have lived in New Orleans for two years come this August. Not sure if that officially makes us New Orleaneans, but we own a home now, so that's got to count for something. YAY, us! The nice side:

The scary side: