Vinyasa Mama

5 things...for friday {photo edition}

2012-02-10T11:18:00.001-05:00

1) Almost 28 weeks

Love C-man in the background. Though, this picture makes it glaringly obvious that our backyard needs a little attention....STAT.

2) New Sofa

I was not a fan of our old sofas in the least and am very, very happy to have a new place to relax and enjoy my morning cup of coffee. C likes to enjoy his morning juice on the new sofa, too :)

3) New York

My favorite coffee mug is a New York City coffee mug Kyle bought me on a trip to the city about 5 years ago. When clean, I try to use it every morning. Makes me miss my frequent-as-possible trips the city and I can't believe it's been a whole year since we've been back. I'm really looking forward to introducing our kids to the city and seeing their faces as they discover all it has to offer and {hopefully}fall as much in love with it as I am.

4) Weekend painting project

I found this cute little dresser the other day and am excited to give it a facelift. It currently resides near our front door, but depending on how it turns out, might be moving to the baby's room soon.

5) Valentines

Were not too big on Valentine's Day here, but when your toddler brings you a valentine they made at school it's just the cutest thing ever <3

Happy Friday! xo

fettuccine with quick ragu + stuffed peppers

2012-02-07T10:01:00.000-05:00

photo courtesy of the food network

I'm a HUGE fan of quick and easy recipes that yield yummy leftovers that can be used for another quick and easy recipe. Who isn't??

I've made this twice now and it was so easy and good I had to share.

The fettuccine with quick ragu is a great pasta dish that feels light and healthy. I didn't feel like I had to veg out on the sofa with a belly full of pasta after eating it. And the stuffed peppers are just so yummy and also relatively healthy. I used ground turkey breast for these recipes and it provided a nice change from ground beef {even Kyle liked it - and he's a red meat kind of guy} and is much healthier and lighter.

So, here ya go....hope you make it for dinner tonight! and tomorrow!

fettuccine with quick ragu

1/2 onion
1 stalk celery, cut into 4 pieces
1 small carrot, cut into 4 pieces
1 clove garlic
1/2 teaspoon chopped fresh rosemary
3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 pound ground veal or turkey {I used ground turkey breast}
Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper
1 28-ounce can crushed tomatoes
1/2 cup whole milk
12 ounces fettuccine
Freshly grated parmesan cheese, for serving

Pulse the onion, celery, carrot, garlic and rosemary in a food processor until finely chopped.

Heat the olive oil in a large saucepan over medium-high heat. Add the chopped vegetables and cook, stirring, until softened and golden, 3 to 5 minutes. Add the veal, 1 teaspoon salt and 1/2 teaspoon pepper and cook, breaking up the meat with a wooden spoon, until no longer pink, about 3 minutes. Add the tomatoes, milk, 1 cup water and 1/2 teaspoon salt. Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat and simmer until slightly thickened, about 20 minutes.

Meanwhile, bring a large pot of salted water to a boil and cook the fettuccine as the label directs. Drain the pasta, then toss with half of the ragu (about 3 cups). Top with parmesan. Reserve the remaining ragu to make stuffed peppers.

THEN, SAVE THE EXTRA RAGU FOR.......

photo courtesy of the food network

ragu stuffed peppers

4 bell peppers (red, yellow or a mix), halved lengthwise, seeds removed
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
Kosher salt
About 3 cups leftover ragu*
1/2 cup couscous
3/4 cup golden raisins
3/4 cup grated asiago or fontina cheese
4 teaspoons red wine vinegar
1/2 cup chopped fresh parsley
2 tablespoons tomato paste

Preheat the oven to 450 degrees F. Toss the bell pepper halves with 1 tablespoon olive oil and 1/2 teaspoon salt in a large microwave-safe bowl. Cover and microwave until the peppers soften, 10 to 12 minutes.

Meanwhile, mix the ragu, couscous, raisins, 1/2 cup cheese, 3 teaspoons vinegar, the parsley and 1/4 teaspoon salt in a bowl.

Whisk the remaining 1 tablespoon olive oil and 1 teaspoon vinegar, the tomato paste and 3/4 cup water in the bottom of a large nonreactive baking dish. Carefully transfer the peppers, cut-side up, to the baking dish and fill with the couscous mixture. Sprinkle with the remaining 1/4 cup cheese.

Cover the dish with foil and bake until the peppers are tender and the filling is hot, about 20 minutes. Transfer to plates and drizzle with the cooking liquid from the dish.

where has my brain gone?

2012-02-06T11:13:00.002-05:00

If I wasn't pregnant I'd be really worried about myself...

I just drove over to the shopping area near our house and ended up in the grocery store parking lot. Not so weird, except I was supposed to go to the bagel store to pick up bagels.

Before I even left the house I noticed my shirt felt kind of weird. I looked down and realized it was on backward.

Yesterday I was running errands and for the life of me I could not remember where I parked my car. Not the first time tht has hapened recently.

It typically takes me a solid 5-10 minutes to leave the house now because I can never remember where I put my keys and cell phone.

Ahhhhh...the return of pregnesia. Lovely.

27 weeks yesterday....only 13 or so left before I can stop blaming pregnesia and start blaming extreme sleep deprivation instead.

In light of my lack of brain power - or just sheer stupidity - I'll stop typing and will instead leave you with a few iphone photos of our weekend.

jimmy buffett concert Thursday night

sticky fingered toddler trying to grab anything breakable in the baby's room

picking the FINAL paint color for our house - whoop, whoop!

hula hooping at the food truck rodeo in Marion Square on Saturday

Happy Monday, everyone!

tom's ballet flats + new lulu store

2012-02-03T18:26:00.000-05:00

Tom's Gisele Ballet Flats

Two little tidbits of fantastic Friday news for ya....

If you hadn't already heard, Tom's now makes ballet flats! Woohoo! The regular Tom's never really looked right on my feet, so I'm excited to give these a try. The leopard print {above} is cute but I also really like the light blue denim pair {below}. They would great with white jeans/shorts this summer, don't ya think?

Go check out all their styles here

AND......

LULULEMON IS OPENING A NEW STORE IN CHARLESTON! Best news ever!! They currently have a small, third floor location that is only open a few days a week, at very limited hours, so this is great news! Better start saving my pennies now :)

Happy weekend!! xo

our little artist

2012-02-03T13:45:00.000-05:00

The photo above might just be my new favorite photo ever! C-man made this during a little project at school and when I went to pick him up the other day I saw it hanging on the wall outside his classroom. He either comes home with a new art project or they display a new project on the wall after each class and it's so adorable to see what he comes up with. I love the crooked eyes/beak and innocent, messy hair photo of him :)

orange & turquoise

2012-02-02T11:19:00.001-05:00

Wouldn't it be lovely to run around town all day without a care in the world and then go out for a fabulous dinner and dancing at night?

If that perfect world existed, and budgets and a giant pregnant belly weren't holding me back, this is what I might wear.

Just saying....

Day
CALYPSO Linen Tee / TORY BURCH Slim Fit Jeans / DUNE CALYPSO Key Hole Sandals / TORY BURCH Bangles / TORY BURCH Amanda Hobo / CALYPSO Twisted Necklace

Night
KARL JUDIT White Tank / CALYPSO Carla Feather Skirt / JIMMY CHOO Heels / CHAN LUU Bracelet / PINK MASCARA Turquoise Necklace / C'IVETTE Python Clutch

snowy weekend in virginia

2012-01-31T11:39:00.000-05:00

I'm a little late in posting these photos, but we took a weekend trip to Virginia two weeks ago for a friends wedding. On the trip up I mentioned I'd love to see a small amount of snow {no blizzards, thank you very much} just so I'd feel like it was really winter. It's been so warm in Charleston that this Boston-raised girl isn't sure what is going on with the seasons! Anyway, it managed to snow the perfect amount and our friends wedding day was a beautiful winter wonderland with a light blanket of snow.

C-man also had his first brief experience with snow. Although he did see it last winter, he didn't really know what was going on and this was the first time he was able to pick it up and see what it was all about.

He was interested, but overall we're happy to occasionally visit the snow, rather then live with it all the time :)

5 things...for friday

2012-01-27T14:26:00.001-05:00

I typically do not do regular or themed posts, mainly because my blogging can be a little, um, irregular? at times. But I keep seeing posts like this around the blog world and it usually hits home for me because it's rare that I'm not pulled five directions {or more} at once. My brain is constantly spinning with multiple ideas and thoughts, so this morning I figured why not embrace it and do a post about all the things that are on my mind.

Hence, 5 things for Friday.....enjoy!

1) PINK MAXI SKIRT FROM OLD NAVY
I was out looking at double strollers yesterday {for an upcoming post about the pros and cons of various models - inspired by Meredith} and stopped into Old Navy just to see what they had. I immediately spotted this awesome maxi skirt, saw that it was on sale, and decided it was perfect for a little post-baby, get my body back in shape inspiration. How perfect with a basic white tank and a fun necklace?! I'm so excited to wear it at some point this summer.

By the way, I'm not usually a big Old Navy fan because their stuff just never fits me right. However, I noticed a big change in their product line this visit - they've stepped up their game big time and had some REALLY cute items. Go check them out if you have a chance.

2) BONE INLAY FURNITURE

LOVE this furniture. Too bad the prices are usually $$$$. I have a bone inlay inspired DIY project up my sleeve that I'm hoping to try before baby #2 arrives. Fingers crossed I can make it happen.

3) GWYNETH PALTROW QUOTE

I saw this quote this morning and love how truthful it. I completely agree that looking good and feeling good is hard work. If you just sit around on your tush all day, you'll probably feel like crap-ola, too. I was pretty fit in my pre-mommyhood days - and fully intend to be fit again in the future - but it took hard work, hours of yoga classes and many miles of running logged to get there. Granted, I liked doing all those thing {for the most part} but if you want to feel good and look good, too, then get your tush moving.

4) JOANNA'S BEDROOM MAKEOVER

Joanna, the author of one of my favorite blogs, Cup of Joe, recently had her bedroom made over by Jenny, the author of another of my favorite blogs, Little Green Notebook. Jenny is absolutely genius and used a color pallet that I never every would have thought to use for a bedroom, but I absolutely love the way it turned out. I can not stop looking at the photos for my own interior decorating inspiration and also love that she did almost everything on a major budget. Click here for the before and after.

5) WATER
Every time I see my OBGYN for a check up she asks if I'm drinking enough water. I try to stay as hydrated as possible and tend to forgo any other drink {soda, juice, etc} in favor of just drinking water. A yoga teacher once told me "the cure to almost any minor ailment is to drink more water". I've always remembered that and find that it's pretty true. If I'm feeling sluggish, like I'm getting sick or have a headache I just try to drink more water and it usually solves the problem.

Happy Friday, everyone!

25 weeks

2012-01-26T09:52:00.000-05:00

25 weeks {and a few days} down - 15 to go!

not sure what was going on with the light here?

Even my doctor mentioned how she can't believe I'm 25 weeks already. Craziness....

I've slowed down, big time, but overall am still feeling pretty good. I know these days of feeling pretty good are numbered {and will soon become days of feeling like walking up the stairs is the biggest effort in the world} so I'm trying to get as much done as I can before that happens. I made a "to-do before baby list" yesterday while I was waiting in the doctors office and kind of freaked myself out. It's lengthy. And full of big projects. So....we'll see how much actually gets done. Kyle has nicknamed me the slave driver around here because almost every evening I mention a little "project" I need his help with. And then, of course, it snowballs into a bigger projects and basically takes up our entire night. Poor guy just wants to relax after a long day of work - and then I force him to hang curtains, paint the bathroom and move furniture around.

So we are on the downward slope toward 40 weeks. Almost to the third trimester. Almost to being a family of FOUR. Almost to what I hope will be a quick and painless labor {fingers crossed}. And almost to meeting our baby girl!

first day of school!

2012-01-24T10:20:00.000-05:00

Our baby is {almost} all grown up!

We returned from a long weekend in Virginia {pics to come soon} last night and work up this morning for C-man's first day of school! Ok, well not technically "school", but rather a mother's morning out program he will be attending two mornings per week. The program is in a larger pre-school, so it does feel a bit like real school. When I dropped him off we put his backpack in his cubby, explored his new classroom, met his teacher, Miss Martha and then went out to the playground to join the other kids for morning playtime. When I kissed him goodbye he could have cared less that I was leaving and went right for the tricycles and started playing - I guess playtime at school is much, much cooler then hanging out with mama all day!

So now I'm sitting in a quiet house and might even take a shower before 6pm today! I miss my little man, but am awfully excited to have a few hours a week to myself....until baby #2 arrives in May, that is :)

honey's baking

2012-01-18T12:35:00.000-05:00

In my former life {pre-mommyhood} I freelanced as a graphic designer, which I absolutely loved. Design projects have taken a major backseat recently as I just don't have the time {or the brain power} to devote to them right now, but from time to time I do work on a little something just to keep my brain from turning to mush.

Last spring I helped two friends design the logo and business cards for their new business called Honey's Baking. I absolutely love the name and it couldn't be more perfect because one of them is actually named Honey - how appropriate! She makes the yummiest cupcakes you've ever tasted and gorgeously beautiful cakes. She is here locally in Charleston and hopes to eventually open a brick and motor bakery with another friend, Katherine.

business card ~ front

business card ~ back

Here's something to make your mouth water....

hot chocolate cupcakes!

How yummy does all of that look!?

Anyway, just wanted to share a little side project that I've worked on. If anyone is interested in ordering from Honey's Baking you can find all their info on their facebook page here. Or send me a message and I can put you in touch :)

weekend painting projects

2012-01-17T20:24:00.000-05:00

The baby's room is painted! The baby's room is painted!

I couldn't be more excited and feel like a major box is finally checked off my list. Now I can start to arrange furniture, hang things on the wall, etc. While ~~kyle~~ we were painting mister big brother was enjoying some down time and cuddled with all his best buds in our bed...

Now, this photo below is pretty horrible - the window is bare, the lighting is all wrong and I'm not even sure if the paint was dry yet. But here's a sneak peak of baby girls room in it's pre-pre-decorated state....

As for the downstairs bath that I'm striping out....all I can say is.....holy hell, what a mess! So I finished all the taping and measuring and was so excited to finally start painting. Well about 5 minutes into it all I was rolling along and stepped back for a minute to take a look. I could tell immediately the color was just not going to work in that space. Waaaaaay too dark against the white and just not right for a room without any natural light. Aye, aye, ayyyyye! I would have don't anything to make it work - even considered mixing some white into the paint to lighten it up - but then thought if I do need to touch it up and run out of paint, it would be even more of a disater.

So....I put the paint brush down and cried.

Ok, not really cried. But I wanted to.....badly.

Instead of making a rash decision about a new color I took a few days off from my little project. After some clarity and much deliberation, today we finally decided on a new color. I just painted a test sample and it looks a million times better {woohoo!} so there is finally light at the end of the striped tunnel!

Here are the way too dark stripes {monroe bisque by benjamin moore, if you're wondering}

See? Too dark, right?

So here is the color we are using instead

Elephant tusk by Benjamin Moore. A shade or two lighter and much nicer in the space. Looks great layered over the white. I was hoping I might not have to prime over the darker color again but I think in the end it will be better and cleaner if I do. So....back to the bathroom I go.

painting horizontal stripes is hard work!

2012-01-12T10:03:00.001-05:00

Someone save me, please!

Whoever said painting horizontal stripes was an easy DIY project is wrong!

Wrong, wrong, wrong!!

These suckers are taking me forever! It doesn't help that after hours of detailed measuring, taping and leveling I'm still paranoid that they will still result in slightly skewed lines that will drive me crazy every time I look at them.

This is the smallest room we are repainting, but it's taking the longest - by far. It's our downstairs half bath, so I thought it would be a good place to do something fun. The previous color was bright orange, so really anything was a vast improvement....

Kyle helped prime and paint it white, but these crazy stripes are my little side project. Fingers crossed that this is worth it in the end - if not, it's back to a white box and square one.

Now please excuse me while I return to squeezing my pregnant belly in between the toilet and the wall so I can finish measuring and taping....

baby girls room color

2012-01-11T12:16:00.000-05:00

Bold, yes. But I loooove it and am so excited to see how it all comes together! The color is called Cool Lava by Benjamin Moore and is a pretty coral/pink.

Since the color is quite intense I'm planning to balance it with lots of white basics and pops of green. I'm still working on an overall mood board for the room and need to find a great light fixture to replace the ugly brown fan currently in the room. Suggestions welcome :) I'm thinking something girly, but not too girly {no crystals} and possibly vintage or at the very least something unique that I haven't seen everywhere...

two new rides

2012-01-10T21:45:00.000-05:00

Finger in belly button. Feet barely on pedals. Helmet {reluctantly} on head.

Connor is well on his way to exploring the mean streets of Charleston....on his tricycle.

After a few false starts we finally made it out of the driveway. Steering is slow going, but he's getting the hang of it. He made it about halfway down the block until he realized it might be much easier for him to bag the pedaling and steering and just do this....

Smart boy!

It was close to nap time and tricycling is hard work for little legs, so we took it down a notch and broke out the second set of new wheels for a laid back ride around the neighborhood.

He relaxed while I pulled - though I think he might need to start pulling me in a few weeks...

Thanks Grandma, Grandpa, G'ma and G'pops for the awesome new rides!

caftan, anyone?

2012-01-04T21:27:00.000-05:00

EmersonMade Butterfly Caftan

I just had a moment where I realized "uggggh, I'm pregnant"

Not in a bad way - we are very excited to welcome this baby girl! - but rather in a "uggggh, I can barely shave my legs" and "ugggggh, even my maternity clothes are uncomfortable" and "ugggggh, I barely remember what it felt like for my body to be sans an hourly session with a mini-kickboxer". It also doesn't help that I caught a glimpse of my reflection while walking in front of a store today and noticed how completely unflattering my maternity skinny jeans and outfit looked. So as I sit here, in Kyle's oversized t-shirt and my wide leg comfy pants {because this is really all that's comfortable these days} I've decided I might just bring the caftan back into fashion for these remaining 18 weeks. If EmersonMade can pull it off then I think I might give it a shot, too....

I mean, look how calm and comfy she is....

Must be the caftan....

2011 >> 2012

2012-01-03T10:59:00.001-05:00

We made it back to Charleston before New Years and Kyle's brother, Blair, and sister-in-law, Ashley, came to visit. We went out to a yummy dinner at Cru Cafe and drinks at Husk before heading back to our house on the early side ring in the New Year. C-man was already asleep for the night and Blair and Kyle soon followed. Ashley and I managed to see the ball drop and made it to 12:01am before calling it a night. Clearly, we're time party animals over here - it crack me up to see how much things have changed in the last few years.

sorry for the red eyes!

On New Years Day we went to the polar bear plunge on Sullivan's Island and then to the block party. I didn't go in the water {pregnancy, a bikini and a freezing ocean shouldn't mix} but everyone else happily froze their tockus off :)

We took down the tree last night and now our living room looks like we just moved in again...so back to the decorating planning I go! Happy New Year everyone!

christmas in virginia

2012-01-03T10:42:00.001-05:00

Wow - I can't believe Christmas and New Years have come and gone already! I've been using the holidays as a sort of check point for how ready we need to be for baby #2. Now that they are over, it means her arrival is our next major event and I better get crackin' on her nursery. We're also ~~planning~~ hoping to potty train C-man before baby #2 arrives, transition him to a new big boy bed, AND start him in a pre-school program so he's adjusted before his little sister takes over the house for awhile. Oh, and teach him how to fluently speak Spanish, just because it might be fun to add to the mix {JOKING!}.

As for the holidays, we spent a wonderful week or so in Virginia. First in Virginia Beach for Christmas at my sister and brother-in-law's house with my parents and family and then to the DC area for another celebration with Kyle's parents and family. My parents and grandmother came with us to DC so it was great to have everyone together for an extended Christmas celebration. C-man made out like a bandit and his playroom is bursting at the seams with new toys. I also picked up a new easel and table set for him at Ikea so he'll have a place to play with all his new puzzles, markers and paints.

C's new Polar Express train set....

The two Grandpa's adjusting C's new tricycle....

A budding musician?....

xoxo

merry christmas!

2011-12-25T21:08:00.000-05:00

Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays!! xoxo

winter wonderland at the farm

2011-12-24T10:26:00.002-05:00

We are went to a local farm in Virginia last night for their winter wonderland and made it just in time to see some of the animals in their petting zoo. C-man loves to point out goats and sheep in his books, but in person, not so much. He kept his distance and whenever we asked is he wanted to get a little closer he responded with an emphatic "NOOO!"

Goats at the gate - no C-man in sight...

The chickens were a similar story....{though clearly not for the kid on the left}

But the slide was lots of fun....

Even for Daddy!

He and Grandpa found their way out of the candy cane maze...

And then he decided farm animals weren't nearly as cool as the giant balls they had lying around so he took off with them...

He did make friends with a pretend polar bear in winter wonderland...seemed like a safer option then then the chickens

We also saw Santa's workshop...

Took a meh photo...

And then we wrapped it all up with the best attraction of them all - a random wagon he found behind a shed :)

Merry Christmas Eve, everyone! xoxo

20 weeks - halfway there!

2011-12-24T09:18:00.000-05:00

Luckily she's still a girl :)

All is well and the little miss was squirming around and sucking on her hands almost the entire time. The past 20 weeks have flown by, but I have a feeling the next 20 will move a bit slower. She's roughly 13 oz and currently the size of a banana. I'm feeling rather large, but what's new....maybe I should lay off the Christmas cookies???

kitchen paint color...check

2011-12-20T13:45:00.000-05:00

After weeks of going back and forth between paint colors we finally made a decision!

Woohoo - trigger pulled and I couldn't be happier to just GET. THIS. DONE. I tend to obsess over things like paint colors so I can't wait to be finished with the kitchen - which was by far the worst of the colors in this house - and free some space in my brain for other projects like curtains, sofas, C's big boy room.....and, um....what was that other things we've been working on besides the house...oh that's right - getting ready for baby #2! Almost forgot!

So here are a few inspiration photos of the paint color we choose. Moonshine by Benjamin Moore. It's definitely grey but depending on the light it picks up hints of green and blue. Overall it's very neutral and surprisingly warm for a grey tone. I'll post some pics once the color is up on the walls - right now they are just primed and patiently waiting.

Source: younghouselove.com via Marisa on Pinterest

Source: google.com via Marisa on Pinterest

Source: ourcornerhouse.wordpress.com via Marisa on Pinterest

C meets Santa....

2011-12-16T14:55:00.000-05:00

I can't stop laughing at this photo....sorry Santa!

Photo by Carmen Ash Photography at Sugar Snap Pea

holiday gift guide: for the KIDDOS!

2011-12-16T10:14:00.000-05:00

It's fun to shop for gifts for adults {well, most of the time} but seeing a little ones eyes light up when they unwrap a present and find something so exciting is about a million-billion times cooler.

Here are a few ideas for the kiddo's on your list....or Santa's list. I tried to include a few ideas for both babies and toddler age kids - there are so many options out there it's hard to narrow it all down!

1. SCHOENHUT 25 Key Piano 2. IKEA 10pc Animal Finger Puppet Set 3. OEUF I Heart Baby Jumper 4. RADIO FLYER My 1st Scooter (with added helmet, of course) 5. CRAYOLA Color Wonder Table Top Easel 6. PLAN TOY Chalet Doll House with Furniture 7. JCREW Striped Baby Booties 8. SESAME STREET Let's Get Clean Bath Book 9. EDUCO Gourmet Chef Kitchen 10. PLAN TOY Shopping Cart 11. LIONEL Polar Express Train Set

big boy bed - twin or full size?

2011-12-12T09:04:00.000-05:00

Baby numero duo is due in early May, so it would make sense to just use our existing crib rather then buy a new one. C-man will turn two in March and it seems like a great time to move him into a big boy bed thereby freeing up the crib for baby. Even if we hold off until he is a few months past his second birthday, around say...July...that should give us plenty of time to get him adjusted by the time the baby is ready to move from the bassinet to the crib. Right? I'm sure it all sounds easier then it will be in reality....

Scheduling problems aside....do we get him a new twin sized bed or a full size bed? Twins just seems so small to me - even for little people - but then I'm afraid he might be lost in a full. If we just start off with a twin eventually we're probably going to buy another bed and move him to a full, so why not just bypass the twin size all together? The majority of kid beds I've seen recently seem to be full size, so is the twin outdated? Incidentally, his crib does convert to a bed {which is a full size} so we also could simply convert his crib into a bed and then buy a new crib for the baby that she will eventually convert into her own bed a few years down the road.

Ahhh, decisions, decisions! Anyone have any experience moving their toddler to either bed size? How did it go?

holiday gift guide: for the gentlemen

2011-12-11T17:00:00.001-05:00

Next up...the holiday gift guide for gentlemen!

I've comprised a few go-to favorites such as a classic looking tie and a Nordstrom SmartCare dress shirt, which we've found to be THE very best non-iron shirt out there. The fabric is usually slightly lighter in weight then the Brooks Brothers version {which can actually be quite heavy especially for the summer} and it's less expensive. An attractive pair of PJ pants are great for lounging around the house and this Lululemon shirt miiiight just convince them to finally try out that yoga class.

Oh, almost forgot....if the ladies are gifted a dream trip to Buenos Aries, then the gentlemen may also be so lucky to find a vintage International SCOUT sitting in the driveway with a big red bow on it. Just sayin'....

1. WOOLRICH Twisted Flannel Pants 2. FRED FLAIR Local Celebrity Breakfast Tee 3. COLUMBIA Military Style Belt 4. URBAN EXCESS Vintage Wayfairs 5. LULULEMON Vent Tech Short Sleeve 6. THOMAS PINK Silk Tie 7. VOSGES Bacon Chocolate Chip Pancake Mix 8. YETI Tundra Series Marine Cooler 9. NORDSTROM SmartCare Traditional Fit Dress Shirt 10. RAYMOND WEIL Tango Mens Chronograph Regtangular Watch Face 11. INTERNATIONAL SCOUT

holiday gift guide: for the ladies

2011-12-08T05:00:00.005-05:00

Voila! My holiday gift ideas for the ladies. Can't say that I would mind receiving any of these items {ahem, ahem} especially a trip to Buenos Aries! I can dream, right?

I'm working on a few more holiday gift guides {for the gentlemen and the kiddos} and will hopefully have those for you later this week or over the weekend. Enjoy! xoxo

1. LULULEMON Integrity hot tank 2. ODETTE Double Anumletum Necklace 3. CAITLIN WILSON TEXTILES Navy Fleur Chinoise Pillow 4. SYCAMORE STREET PRESS letterpress holiday print 5. MINOUX small bow hoops 6. KORS Odette Flats 7. MIU MIU Pebbled Leather Convertible Bag 8. NIKON 1J1 Digital Camera 9. MIU MIU Wool Coat with Bell Skirt 10. Trip to Buenos Aries 11. Registration to the ALT DESIGN SUMMIT this January 12. YOGITOES Skidless Yoga Towel

18 weeks! + belly shots

2011-12-07T14:01:00.003-05:00

18 weeks this past Sunday - how did that happen??

Since this pregnancy seems to be flying by, I thought it was about time for a belly photo! This was a rare day where my hair was actually down and not up in some sort of ponytail/bun/bobby pinned situation so it seemed an appropriate time to take a photo. Also, wanted to mention it was 75 degrees here today, hence the rather summery sundress and flip flops {not pictured} in December. As lovely as 75 in December might sound, our recent heat wave have made it more and more difficult to find something to wear that's 1) comfortable 2) fits 3) doesn't look like I'm headed to the beach 4) isn't already covered in food/milk. Thinking I might get back on the leggings bandwagon that served me so well when I was pregnant with C.

And speaking of being pregnant with C-man, I just looked back at a post from October 2009 when I was also 18 weeks pregnant and I'd say my belly is looking a whole lot bigger this go around. Clearly this baby wanted to make an appearance waaaay before her brother. Click here to see the old post.

Hope everyone is having a great week!

best pregnancy body oil

2011-11-30T15:11:00.000-05:00

I just picked up a new bottle of my favorite pregnancy oil and am so excited to start using it again!

Is that weird? I'm excited to slather on some oil?? I suppose it sounds a little odd, but I used it almost the entire time I was pregnant with C and didn't have a single stretch mark after he was born. It's a little hard to find in stores but my local Whole Foods special ordered it for me and I had it in three days.

It's by Weleda and until recently was called Pregnancy Body Oil but has now been renamed Stretch Mark Massage Oil, which I find a little less appealing. Name aside, this stuff works wonders and I highly recommend. I will warn you that the bottle does tend to leak if you travel with it and it bounces around in your bag, so I usually just leave it at home and take a travel size tube of heavy moisturizer or stick of coco butter with me while I'm away.

Here's the info from the Weleda website...

Weleda Stretch Mark Massage Oil

This stretch mark massage oil made with almond oil helps smooth tight skin and prevent stretch marks

Nutrient-rich Weleda Stretch Mark Massage Oil is an intensive hydration that nourishes and smoothes stretching skin as your baby grows.

Weleda Stretch Mark Massage Oil works with the purest ingredients that nature can provide.

A base of sweet almond oil in our Stretch Mark Massage Oil works gently, delivering intensely moisturizing essential fatty acids that keep your skin supple and protected from drying. Because pregnancy is a big job for your muscles and skin, our organic arnica flower extract helps ease tightness and provides a layer of comforting warmth when you indulge yourself with our almond stretch mark massage oil. Weleda Stretch Mark Massage Oil also contains nourishing wheat germ oil conditions and refines your skin’s texture with a high quantity of vitamins A, D and E. Regular use of this almond stretch mark massage oil visibly helps to correct the appearance of stretch marks on your pregnant belly, your thighs, bottom and breasts, and helps prevent the appearance of new ones. Now you can take a deep breath, relax and save the deep stretching for yoga.

past few days + kichen paint

2011-11-30T14:36:00.001-05:00

Hey y'all.

We've been busy unpacking, decorating and eating turkey here. We ended up staying in town for Thanksgiving and I cooked at home while I put Kyle and C to work unpacking boxes. Not really {I wish!} but we have gotten a lot done in the past week or so and it's slowly starting to come together. It's still a long way from being picture worthy, but the progress is making it feel more like home.

Apart from unpacking, we've been to a few of the playgrounds in our new neighborhood. C also loves having a bigger backyard to play around in! I literally had to carry him back into the house last night kicking and screaming because after almost 2 hours, he STILL wanted to stay outside in the cold and the dark to continue playing.

This one below is a teaser preview of our Christmas card, which I finally ordered last night....

After unpacking our next big project is painting the kitchen. The current color is kermit green {no joke} and it's got to go. As quickly as possible.

It's almost too awful to post on here, but just so you know I'm not joking here's a peek...

Love C's face in that one. We have a few more pics of Thanksgiving dinner that literally look like we are all sitting in front of a green screen weathermen use in TV studios. It's not pretty I am totally baffled as to why someone would choose to paint a room this color.

Current front runners are in the blue/grey family. The room opens up to the family room, which is a tan color. I'm not in love with the tan either, but repainting would require painting the not only the family room but also the entire hall, stairway, and upstairs hall {which opens to the family room} and I'm not about to tackle that big of a job right now. So we need something that coordinates but lightens all the tan all up a bit....here are a few ideas...

Benjamin Moore Mt. Rainier Grey

Benjamin Moore Winter Lake

I'd rather go more grey, but with the tan in the family room, I'm worried about it not flowing well. I painted a large swatch of the Mt. Rainier Grey and it's actually quite blue and reminds me of a baby boy's nursery. The winter lake is pretty, but potentially too dark. So, back to the drawing board for me. Suggestions welcome!!

baby news: its a.....

2011-11-21T18:44:00.001-05:00

Our awesome doctor was able to squeeze us in for an ultrasound at our 16 week appointment today and we were so excited to find out we are having a....

GIRL!!

It was just a quick ultrasound so we didn't get very many good pics of what she looks like,but hopefully we'll have some more to show you after the 20 week ultrasound.

We are so excited and I can't wait to pick out little girl clothes and {my very favorite} bloomers!!

xoxo

new house + birthday

2011-11-21T18:33:00.000-05:00

We are finally all moved in and officially in our new house!

We've definitely made progress unpacking over the last few days, but are still living in a sea of boxes...just when I unpack one, it seems like another one appears out of nowhere. Or after putting things away I decide to reorganize what I just did and it seems to take forever. Everyone is happy as can be here, though - Red is a whole different dog with more space and a larger yard, C loves his new playroom, I love having more storage space and Kyle loves that moving is an excuse to get a new TV :)

I'll show you all some photos once we get a few more things arranged around here. Right now all I could show you are pictures of boxes....and more boxes.

In other news, yesterday was my birthday and we had a great brunch at one of my favorite local restaurants. It was so funny how times have changed over the past few years. What would have once been a crazy night out for my bday is now a subdued Sunday brunch with friends and lots of babies!

sorry for the blurriness!

The major drawback to yesterday, though, was that I dropped my phone early on in the day and the screen cut out and all I could see was the "white screen of death". Scary stuff, I tell you. I spent a good part of the afternoon in the Verizon store and am now rocking a temporary phone {courtesy of the Verizon store manager who felt so bad that I was phone-less on my birthday} until my new iPhone arrives on Wednesday.

Hope you all had a great weekend, too! I have some VERY exciting news for you in my next post....

dog waking...toddler style

2011-11-10T14:53:00.001-05:00

We make them stay in the backyard just in case Red's alter-ego, Red the Bandit, decides to make an appearance and he bolts....with C in tow.

PS. Thank you all for you sweet comments about baby #2. We are so excited!

PPS. Happy Birthday, Mom! xoxo

big news!

2011-11-08T10:45:00.001-05:00

Yep, we're having another baby! And C is going to be a big brother! I'm currently 14 weeks along and due May 6th, 2012. We are so excited that C and his little sister or brother will be roughly 2 years and 2 months apart - not too close in age, but close enough :)

In all honesty, I been feeling pretty *meh* for the past few months. Nausea and exhaustion are not a good combination when you have a toddler running around - imagine that! Luckily I'm feeling better now and am very thankful the nausea subsided just in time for us to move! So things are a little crazy around here these days, but a good crazy.

I can't believe by this time next year we'll have two little ones running around {or one running, one crawling} but I am so thrilled to be a mommy again and have a sneaking suspicion it just might be a little girl this time.....!

So look for more maternity and baby posts in the coming months. I'm going to try to mix things up a bit so this isn't solely a baby blog. Also, if there is anything in particular you'd like to see posts about, just let me know.

xoxo

hand cut map art

2011-11-04T10:40:00.000-04:00

London mapcut by studiokmo

detailed pic of London mapcut by studiokmo

So as I've been dreaming about how to decorate the new house, I've been perusing though my ETSY favorites for some art inspiration and ideas. I just re-visited one of the coolest shops I've ever come across and wanted to share here. Studiokmo creates incredibly detailed and intricate hand cut maps of cities all over the world. The actual handcut maps are quite expensive - rightfully so because I imagine they must take forever to make - but they also have smaller prints created with very thin vertical lines.

Boston print by studiokmo

Manhattan (left) and Paris (right) prints by studiokmo

San Francisco diptych print by studiokmo

I love the Boston print {there is also a diptych of Boston but it isn't currently listed on their ETSY site} and think it would look great in an office area or in a wall gallery type display. If you aren't up for displaying an entire handcut or print they have much smaller postcards sizes, too.

moving {soon!} + new house to decorate

2011-11-02T14:07:00.000-04:00

So we are moving in mid-November {yay!} and I've freakishly been trying to clean out every drawer and closet in an attempt to organize what I'm putting into boxes. This is no small feat, I tell you. Every time I think I've made progress, I turn around to see that C-man has just undone in 5 seconds what I've spent hours doing. It's so deflating.

Despite the chaos of packing, cleaning, moving, etc with a 19 month old hooligan running around, I am beginning to get very, very excited about decorating a new house.....! I never felt satisfied with the way our current house looked and am really over the moon about being in a new {much larger!} space where I can put my own stamp on things and make it feel more like home. I've had a million of so ideas spinning around in my head and wanted to share a few inspiration images with you....I'm hoping to start with the downstairs living space because we'll likely spend them most time there, and then move upstairs to the bedrooms.

LOVE this first one from Lonny...

Source: meohmymama.blogspot.com via Marisa on Pinterest

Source: sketch42blog.com via Marisa on Pinterest

Source: havenandhome.blogspot.com via Marisa on Pinterest

Source: amberinteriordesign.blogspot.com via Marisa on Pinterest

Source: myflightsofwhimsy.blogspot.com via Marisa on Pinterest

Source: jaggedlittlelife.blogspot.com via Marisa on Pinterest

Source: pinkwallpaper.blogspot.com via Marisa on Pinterest

Source: designmanifest.blogspot.com via Marisa on Pinterest

Source: angiehranowsky.com via Marisa on Pinterest

The living room extends into the kitchen space, so I'd like the space to have a cohesive look and flow into one another. As you can see I'm all over the map, right now, so I need to spend some time narrowing it all down and finding what works for us and our budget. Plus, I could have posted about another million mages that I absolutely love, so this is merely a small sampling of where my head is right now. Overall this will be a lengthy process I'm sure, but I'm so excited for it to evolve over the next few months!

trick or treat

2011-11-01T09:55:00.000-04:00

I'd say we had Halloween success here. He was a little skeptical at first, but once he got the hang of it he was tossing candy in his pumpkin with the best of them. There was a little confusion at one house where he thought he should give them candy {a full sized snickers bar, nonetheless} but we quickly figured that one out and everyone thought it was pretty cute.

Only 364 more days until we get to do it all again!

happy halloween!

2011-10-31T15:05:00.000-04:00

via retroween.com

Happy Halloween, everyone! I've been trying to get my little train engineer to say "trick-or-treat" all morning but so far he just shakes his head "no" at me. Maybe he'll get into the spirit when we actually take him trick-or-treating later? And by the way, I am so, so soooooo excited to go trick-or-treating again! Even if it is for the kids, I still love it and am so happy I get to relive the experience :)

Hopefully I'll have some pics for you tomorrow. Also, do any of you watch the HBO show "How to Make It In America"? It's on Sunday night at 10:30pm and it's AWESOME.

We've been watching since it first started early last year and it's now in it's second season. If you are looking for a new spin on an Entourage-style show, but based in NYC, I highly recommend checking it out. We can't get enough here and I just spent most of nap time downloading some much needed new music that I heard on the show.

Hope you all have a fabulous night and get or give lots-o candy!

design*sponge book party

2011-10-27T10:42:00.001-04:00

Have you read it, yet? If not, pick it up quick because it's GOOD!

My friend, Christina, and I went to the Design*Sponge book party last night at one of my favorite local furniture stores, Dwelling, and it didn't disappoint! Grace is beyond beautiful and so sweet!

They are had a cute photo booth set up - we took a few, of course....

I find it really bizarre and even slightly awkward to meet bloggers/people you know from the Internet in person. It's kind of feels like you know them, but you don't really, and then are you supposed to talk about all the things you would love to chat about {design, blogs, inspiration, etc} or just make small talk like they are a stranger? Either way, Grace made it very easy and it was such a pleasure to meet her!

Love the book and can't wait to spend some more time flipping through it!

wedding in philly

2011-10-26T21:54:00.000-04:00

Hey y'all, once again it's long time no blog post. Sorry about that.

We were away last weekend {big surprise! us....away....never?!} for my cousins wedding just outside Philadelphia and had such a good time hanging out with family and getting a little more fall foliage time in before the leaves are gone. The only snag from the weekend was that I accidentally left my cell phone in our rental car and didn't discover my mistake until we were already through security and about to board the plane. I typically never do stupid forgetful things like that and was kicking myself for it the whole flight home. Good news is Enterprise actually found my phone and sent it back! FedEx! Yay for Enterprise!

Anyway, enough blabbing. Here are some pics from the weekend...

My Dad double fisting champagne...

The very first photo above is C-man, my grandmother and my sister. We've always called my grandmother Nanny, but C translated that into Na-Na {he says it like naa-naa, not nana} and he simply can not get enough of his beloved Na-Na. She sings him songs and then marches around the room and he marches right along behind her - it's pretty adorable. Every time we left the hotel room to go somewhere he immediately would say "Na-Na??" and look around for her.

Hope you all had a great weekend, too. I'll be back to blogging again sooner then later, promise :)

pumpkin patch

2011-10-18T10:10:00.002-04:00

We went to the Boone Hall Pumpkin Patch this weekend and although C still isn't quite old enough for all the activities, he was definitely was able to do so much more then a year ago {click here to see the post from last year}. Looking back I can't believe how chubby Cs cheeks were and how little hair he had! And speaking of hair, Kyle's hair looked particularly, um...interesting?....in those photos, too.

We rode tractors, took a haunted hay ride, hung out with a few goats and saw lots and lots of pumpkins.

The photo above may be my new, all time, favorite photo. It cracks me up every time I see it :)

Sorry this one is so grainy

Now we are gearing up for Halloween and I can not wait to take C trick or treating!

currently loving: frye paige boots

2011-10-15T21:43:00.001-04:00

Frye Paige Boots

I'm so in love with these boots.

Problem is I can not find them in stock anywhere! So instead I sit and swoon over this photo - and all the other photos I google of them - and just hope one day they will be restocked. Fingers crossed that I have at least a smidgen of good karma stored up somewhere so this will actually happen someday...

lacrosse skills

2011-10-13T10:04:00.000-04:00

Not even two years old and this little man has mastered the kiddie lacrosse stick.

So naturally he picked up Daddy's instead...

Looks like we might be teaching him the finer points of shooting a goal before he learns how to use the potty.

blog slump

2011-10-12T10:40:00.000-04:00

Clearly I have fallen waaaaaaay off the blog wagon....

Thanks to anyone who is still reading (anyone? anyone? Bueller?) and please know I'm trying my best to juggle about 15 different balls in the air at once. The blog ball has hit the floor but I'm making it a point to pick it back up and pay more attention so it works it's way back into the mix again.

Anyway, we've been pretty busy traveling this fall and were in Blacksburg, VA for two weekends in a row. C-man went to his first two tailgates and the Hokies rocked the house. Like literally, they ROCKED the house. Check out this video of the Virginia Tech v. Miami game last weekend...

and here's the seismic activity recorded near the stadium on Saturday. Crazy, right?!

Here are a few more pics from the weekend...

A big thanks to Aunt Ashley for hanging with C during the game :) Also, a belated welcome to the world, Miss Lucy Greene!

Hope everyone is doing well and enjoying these cooler fall temps! xoxo

boston trip

2011-09-29T22:30:00.000-04:00

Good news - we survived our flights and the backpack was a huge success! I ended up carrying it most of the time, but it was so much easier to have C's stuff organized in a separate bag so I didn't have to dig thorugh my stuff to find a snack, markers, trains, etc when he wanted them. I ended up forgoing the diaper bag and just bringing his backpack. Much easier and definitely helped streamline the number of items I was carrying.

We had a great time in Boston and had lots-O family time - plus some playtime at the Boston Children's Museum. Such a great museum for kids, I really wish the one here in Charleston was bigger and had all the activities they had in Boston. If you have kids/toddlers and are in the New England/Boston area for a vacation I definitely recommend checking it out.

As you can see, we put someone to work on heavy machinery...he loved it! Such a boy!

C and Aunt Ally checked out the view of the tall building from the windows...

Tried out some crayons...

And climbed around on musical chairs...

There were also fun area like raceways, bubbles, the Japanese House, the market, etc but either the pictures I took turned out blurry or I simply forgot to take them in some of the areas. Sorry, guys :(

Plus, soemone was crabby and ready for his nap by the time we left. Couldn't even manage to crack a smile...geeze.

The next day we took a walk through the public gardens, sat on the Make Way for Ducklings ducks and watched some street preformers on Newbury Street...

and finaaaally we had a playdate with Aunt Tiff and Baby Keira! We tried our best to get a good photo of us, but this is all we could manage....

Take a look at us M-O-M-S.

We were both in comfy/workout clothes, I hadn't even showered yet and neither of us had had a good night sleep in lord knows how long.....all the marks of a mama {most of the time, anyway}. Oh, and the fact that we both had little ones probably makes us look pretty mom-like these days, too. Can't forget the kiddos.

See ya soon, Boston! Miss you already!

toddler travel items

2011-09-20T21:51:00.002-04:00

What exactly does a toddler need to stay occupied on a flight?? I thought long and hard about that today and am packing C's new super, cute backpack with what I think might all be good ideas/diversions. However, there is still a little voice in the back of my head telling me that no matter how many toys, snacks and distractions I bring with us, he'll still just want to walk up and down {and up and down.... and up and down} the aisle a gazillion or so times.

I still have night terrors about the last time I flew solo with our little ~~monster~~ man and fingers crossed it goes a little more smoothly tomorrow. We're headed to Boston to see Grandma and Grandpa while Kyle stays in Charleston and goes to a Bachelor party. Flying with two parents is a walk in the park compared to flying solo, so I am arming ourselves with all the goods you see pictured above.

I'll let ya know how it goes.

Skip Hop Zoo Pack - Elephant

Item going in the backpack:

Crayola Color Wonders Mess-Free Paper

Crayola Color Wonders Mess-Free Markers

Harold and the Purple Crayon

Cheerios Play Book

LL Bean Stuffed Dog (no longer available)

Stacking Cups

Barbara's Snackimals
Clif Kid ZFruit Rope

Thomas the Train

Summer Infant Roll Up Placemat

Aden + Anais Muslin Blanket

the littlest soccer player

2011-09-19T07:00:00.004-04:00

We were at the farmers market on Saturday and someone couldn't walk by the big boys without joining in on the game :) He kinda realized he needed to kick the ball - but really he just wanted to pick it up and play with it. The bigger boys were really sweet with him and were trying to teach him to play. Think we might need a bit more practice first though...

18 months! {yesterday}

2011-09-18T21:35:00.000-04:00

HOLY MOLY - 18 months, yesterday!

It's so amazing to see the changes that have happened since we hit the last big milestone at 12 months - and it's so much fun to think of all the other things that will change by the time he turns 2. At 12 months, he could barely walk, and now he's practically running and climbing up the walls. By 2, I'm sure he'll be saying "thank you, mama" and "juice please, mama" {clearly I imagine him to a very polite 2 year old}.

Can I just freeze time for awhile??

cute chevron chair

2011-09-12T18:47:00.000-04:00

Urban Outfitters Ziggy Chair

I saw this chair posted on the Design Sponge twitter feed today and had to share. Clearly I'm a sucker for chevron and think this would be adorable in a kids room or playroom. The scale looks like it's on the smaller side, so it would be perfect for little ones. Can't beat the price, either!

september 11

2011-09-11T14:28:00.000-04:00

via twitter

I can't believe it's been 10 years?! I have always felt a strong connection to NYC and when everything happened, it hit me hard and still boggles my mind when I think about it.

I was a junior at the University of Colorado, Boulder and remember my roommate, Nicole, running into my room to tell me to turn on the TV, a plane had flown into the twin towers. It was two hours earlier in Colorado, so I thought she was joking but she dragged me out of bed and once I saw what was happening I was shocked. We woke all of our other roommates up and huddled around the TV watching as the second plane hit and the towers fell.

Our classes were cancelled and we spent most of the day in front of the TV, just watching the horror and hoping everyone we knew was safe. My cell phone was a Boston number and wasn't working because the lines were so busy, as was the case with many of my friends with New York numbers, so we all literally just waited for phone calls from people saying they were ok. Luckily all of my immediate family and friends were safe, but slowly the bad news started to trickle in...my friend from high schools sister worked in one of the towers, another friends mom was also in the building for a meeting, and a friends father was on one of the flights from Boston to Los Angeles. As the reality began to set in, I just couldn't believe that these people were gone and the twin towers, my favorite part of the New York City skyline, simply weren't there any more.

I am thinking of them all today and am so thankful for all the NYC firefighters, police officers and first responders who risked their own lives for others on September 11 and for the military who are still fighting to maintain the freedom we enjoy today.

currently loving: vintage lotus lights

2011-09-09T12:55:00.000-04:00

I am loving these Osgood Iron Pendant Lights from Arteriors Home. I pretty much love everything from Arteriors, but these in particular have really won me over recently. How cool would they be over a bar area or in a loung-y space? Very luxe bohemian, which is typically what I gravitate toward.

via

playground fun

2011-09-08T13:09:00.001-04:00

Sorry for the lack of posts, recently. We've all developed late summer colds and and are stuffed up city over here. It's no fun. Luckily Aunt Cristina is here (yay!) and isn't as stuffed up as the rest of us.

Thanks to the cooler temps, we've also been back on the playground scene. We went to our favorite downtown park over the long weekend and then stopped by the park on Sullivan's Island before going out to dinner last night.

C is very happy to have slides and swings back in his life. And mama is very happy to have another way to get all the wiggles and energy out before bedtime :)

Hope y'all are having a great week!

whatcha doing this weekend?

2011-09-02T15:16:00.000-04:00

Can you believe it's labor day already?! I just double checked the calender to make sure I wasn't going crazy and had my dates off.

We're staying in town for the long weekend and might hit up a beach or two. Aunt Cristina is coming to visit on Tuesday and we can't wait!

Also, wanted to pass on some weekend sale info....

Rikshaw Designs is having a 30% off everything sale this weekend (through Sept 5th) just enter code "summer" when you check out. I just had to talk myself out of buying a pair of baby girl bloomers...again. But am pretty tempted to buy a kurta I've had my eye on for awhile.

Lululemon also has some awesome items on sale right now, including the Bliss tank and the Power Y tank {one of my favorites}.

Have a fantastic weekend everyone!

better on the board then on the sofa

2011-08-30T21:51:00.000-04:00

Why are pens so exciting to kids? And why do they always have to use them for evil, rather then good? Maybe that's just in our house...?

We have a ~~pen thief~~ budding artist among us, so I picked up this Crayola Dual-Sided Dry Erase Board the other day. It's white on one side, black on the other and it appears the crayons actually do wash out of clothing.

Highly recommended - plus I thought it would be great to travel with to help keep him occupied :)

interiors: cute alphabet idea for kids room

2011-08-28T12:39:00.001-04:00

Oh Dee Doh

Not to fear, we managed to survive the "hurricane" here over the weekend. I think it rained for roughly 20 minutes? Maybe even less? We were lucky, but I hope everyone in locations that did not fare as well are staying safe!

During some of our "hurricane" down-time, I was blog browsing and happened upon this cute baby nursery on Oh Dee Doh. I especially like the assortment of letters above the crib and love how they used the entire alphabet, rather then spelling out a name or single word.

If you'd like to see more of the room, click here.

currently loving: native kids shoes

2011-08-25T13:40:00.000-04:00

I am in love with C's new shoes! I can't get over the cuteness factor and also how functional they are - which I've discovered is surprisingly hard to find in kids shoes.

I've tried about a million pairs of Crocs on C-man over the past year or so and every time they just slipped right off his feet. I thought now that his feet were a bit bigger, they would finally fit better, but no dice. Since we live in a beachy area I really wanted a pair of easy to wear {and easy to clean} shoes for the warmer weather. Enter Native Kids shoes, which are the PERFECT alternative to Crocs.

C has the Jefferson style in Torch Red and we absolutely looooove them! They come in a few other styles and fun colors and not only fit well, but are easy to wash off and he can even put them on himself. Just be warned that they run in combo sizes {4/5, 6/7 etc} and the fit leans toward the larger of the two combined sizes. C is 17 months and is a size 5 so I ordered a 4/5 at first and couldn't even get them on his feet. I sent them back and ordered a 6/7 and they are definitely on the big size, but stay on his feet and seem comfortable on him. Plus, you can wear then with or without socks, so he'll be able to wear them into the fall, too.

Highly recommended!

first kiss

2011-08-22T13:22:00.001-04:00

I know he's growing up but ??????

We went to a baptism for baby Gabriel yesterday and C and Eve {an older lady!} became fast friends.

At what point should I start locking him in his room and screening his calls?!

mama icon: jane birkin

2011-08-20T13:03:00.000-04:00

via

I've been thinking about starting a series of post about mothers who are style icons - in fashion, design, art, etc. simply because I'm interested in this kind of thing and maybe some of you are too? Personally, after turning 30 this year and becoming a mama, I feel like my style has completely changed. I'm less interested in having an excess number of items and would rather have a few great pieces that I supplement with fun accessories, shoes, etc. For the everyday, I've also found myself dressing for function, which I suppose I didn't need to do as much before I was a mom. I NEVER used to wear shorts {I just simply didn't like them on me}, but this summer I've pretty much worn a pair of shorts every day. If I'm going to the park, or Gymboree class, or to sit on the floor at story time, a skirt just isn't going to cut it.

Anyway, I have a few of these mama style icons in mind, but thought I'd being with one of my personal favorites....

Jane Birkin was famously known as a style icon and mama in the 60's and 70's but her name lives on today as the namesake for the quintessential Hermes Birkin Bag, which is notoriously difficult to obtain and um...pay for? At $10,000+ it isn't an item I'll have anytime soon....or ever.

While I was doing a bit of research about her, I came across a number of images that showed her carrying a straw basket. It turns out she was more interested in carrying a basket then the expensive bag, which was named for her. Interesting, huh?

via

And how cute are those bangs and jeans? I have a love/hate relationship with bangs and always want them, but rarely can maintain them for more then one haircut cycle. And the little bohemian in me will always prefer a great pair of wide leg, bell bottom jeans. Always.

via

Jane has three daughters - Kate Barry, Lou Doillon and Charlotte Gainsborough - Kate is a photographer while Lou and Charlotte are both style icons in their own right

via

Like mother, like daughter, no?

And by the way, if anyone would be so generous to buy me a Birkin bag, unlike Jane I would happily carry it everywhere with me :)

currently loving: schylling red piano

2011-08-18T13:09:00.001-04:00

I saw this Schylling mini red piano the other day and can not get over how cute it is! What budding musician wouldn't love to bang on those keys?!

photos from the weekend {a few days late}

2011-08-17T14:33:00.000-04:00

It might look like he's trying to eat the flowers, but really he's smelling them. I always say "pretty flowers" and the majority of the time he just looks and doesn't touch, but now that he's learned to sniff and smell, it's a whole new ballgame. Every time we pass a flower, he's all over it.

We had a fairly busy weekend - birthday party, a baby shower for Kelly and Tim, a beach day and then dinner with friends. Here are some photos...

Kelly's sister hosted the shower, but we supplied the favors. Kyle even helped cut out all the circles :)

The theme of the shower was various children's books and the invitations were really cure and based on Dr. Seuss's book, Oh, the Places You'll Go, so we thought old fashioned whirly lollipops would be a great way to tie into the theme. I designed and printed funny labels and we cut them out and glued them onto the wrapper.

And Sunday was absolutely the most perfect beach weather I've seen in Charleston in a loooooong, long time....

After the extreme heat, it reminded me why I love summer so much :)

laugh and laugh

2011-08-15T22:14:00.001-04:00

Someone looooves to have their belly tickled!

I'll be back tomorrow with some more pics from the weekend. In the meantime, a glass of wine and some Bravo are calling my name. Well as soon as I convince someone else to let me switch back and forth between that and Monday Night Football.

baby girl bloomers

2011-08-12T15:49:00.000-04:00

Rikshaw Design Darjeeling Bloomer

I have a few friends who are having {or recently had} baby girls. Since I obviously had a baby boy, baby girl clothes are a whole new world to me. Every time I go into a store to buy a present or just browse, I am constantly amazed at just how cute all the baby girl and little girl clothes are. Not to say that boy clothes aren't cute, too, but the little dresses, shoes and tights always get a little "awwww!" from me. Honestly, sometimes the little outfits are so darn cute I've even considered buying a few and keeping them on hand {just in case} for the future. I haven't gone to those lengths quite yet, but I have had to talk myself out of more then one purchase.

The one item that always catches my eye are little bloomers. I mean, how CUUUUTE are some of these??!! The little sailor bloomers shown below were the ones that almost made it out of the store with me....they matched with a little sailor dress, of course

Gymboree Stripe Ribbon Bloomer

And these little blue polka dot ones are adorable, too

Petit Pan

These Cutey Booty bloomers are made locally here in Charleston - they even have boxers and britches for boys....so adorable I can hardly stand it!

Cutey Booty Bloomers

Cutey Booty Britches

Cutey Booty Boxers

A big thanks to all my dear friends who are having girls so I have an excuse to buy pretty presents for all of C's new lady friends :)

new projects + inspiration

2011-08-09T13:48:00.000-04:00

I mentioned something a few weeks ago about posting photos of new projects I've been working on recently. I'm kind of driving myself nuts because I work on them a little every day, but I'm still not done! Guess that's just life with a toddler! Or at least that's what I'm telling myself....

Anyway, I have a small teaser photo of one section of a project in the dining room project. It's kinda blurry and the reflection is horrible, but I quickly snapped it before I made sure C wasn't going to topple off the chair.

I also moved a few things around in the living room and we now have a big, blank space on the first wall you see when you walk into the room. So, I've been brainstorming about what I want to put there. Something abstract? A giant blown up photo? A painting? A print? A photo gallery wall? The choices are endless, and I haven't completely decided yet, but here are a few inspiration photos that have caught my eye....

Mollyloot

LuluDK from Lonny

Karen Smidth

Nicole Cohen

unknown?

Caitlin Wilson Design

unknown?

Design Sponge

Sally King Benedict

Clearly I'm all over the map....going to need to give it some time to see what feels right. Now, back to work for me! Nap time is a-wasting!

children's museum

2011-08-05T22:37:00.000-04:00

Milk, bananas and oranges. Someone knows how to stock up!

We went to the Lowcountry Children's Museum yesterday and C-man had an absolute blast. The last time we were there he wasn't walking yet, so all the activities were way over his head. Fast forward about four months and this little man was busy, busy, BUSY!

The supermarket was by far is favorite area, though he was pretty into the water area and the raceways, too. He took one look at the mini-size cart and was off. I had my hand on it at one point to help him steer and he quickly brushed it off and made it clear he was fine on his own.

Checkout took awhile because he kept running back to load up on more oranges, but luckily our check-out girl was very patient....

and then it was off to the water area....

and then to the raceways....

and then to the art room....note to self: C-man likes to eat paint, so lets stick to crayons and drawing for awhile....

he passed out in the car on the way home, with blue hands and a golf ball from the raceways area stored away in his pocket.

yoga jello + my #1 yoga item

2011-08-03T22:25:00.001-04:00

It's been roughly 96 degrees with a heat index of 110 here in Charleston. As C-man would say, it's "hot, hot, hot" {he always says "hot" three times in a row...it's pretty cute} so naturally I did what any normal person would do.....I went to hot yoga.

This is what I felt like sitting on my mat before we even started class...

Hmmmm? Isn't it normal to trade 110 degree heat outside for....um, 110 degree heat inside? While moving around and contorting your body? There were twelve other people in the class, so at least 12 other people have to be as crazy as me. However, four of them did leave halfway through the class, so maybe the count should really hover around eight?

Now, I've been to about a million or so hot yoga classes {both Bikram and regular old hot yoga} over the years and honestly, never have felt as hot as the class I went to today. I filled my giant water bottle up three times during the class, created a huge puddle of sweat around my mat {even with a yogi toes}, and at one point actually considered leaving - not because I couldn't handle it, mind you, but because I was wondering if I was going to pass out and was concerned about what would happen to C-man if mama had to be carted off to the hospital in an ambulance.

Luckily, I survived, and could go on and on about what the class felt like and how I am now sitting on the couch feeling like yoga jello, but I will spare you all the details. Somewhere in the midst of my yoga induced heat exhaustion today I decided it was high time to return to my yoga roots and discuss it a bit more on this blog.

At first I was planing to mention some of my favorite yoga items and create a little collage for y'all. And then I decided to simplify and wanted to let you know what my ultimate #1 yoga item is....what I truly couldn't live without....a yogi toes towel.

I've mentioned it before here but I really cant stress how important this item is to me. I have a super nice Manduka black mat, but I typically use the $20 mat I bought at Marshalls 8 years ago with my yogi toes on top. I use my yogi toes for hot yoga and regular all levels yoga classes and can't imagine taking a class without it. I've had my yogi toes for about 6 years {or more} and wash it after every class and it still looks the same as it did the day I bought it. Overall, I truly cannot say enough good things about this simple, but essential item. When I travel I leave my mat at home, roll my yogi toes up and throw it in my suitcase and then just borrow a mat at whatever studio I go to and am assured I'm practicing on a nice, clean surface because of my yogi toes.

If you go to a lot of yoga classes {hot, bikram or vinyasa} and don't already use a yogi toes, I highly recommend getting one. It's thinner and so much easier then using a beach or bath towel and it doesn't slip or move on your mat.

Plus, once you start using a yogi toes you automatically start being able to do things like this....it's just a perk :)

Krista Cahill for Yogi Toes

weekend + a new lady friend

2011-08-01T11:05:00.000-04:00

How cute is this?!

C-man's new lady friend made her debut on Friday and we couldn't be happier for Tiff, Joe and little Keira Rae! Mom and baby are doing well and obviously I'm now plotting another trip to Boston so we can meet her ASAP :)

As I was showing C the baby pics on my computer he jumped up and tried to give her kisses. I didn't get a good pic {I was busy saving my computer} but there were lots of "bay-bee! bay-bee!" exclimanations and he told me he wants to ask her out on a dinner date as soon as she's out of the hospital :)

The other exciting news here is that we are in the middle of Shark Week at the Aquarium!!

Naturally we spent Sunday morning hanging with the fishes and C donned his finest shark tee and anchor shorts....

Dada got in on some of the toddler cove action....

He's been going to the gym again recently and was exhibiting his new found flexibility and zest for chasing toddlers around on the floor.

Hope you all had a great weekend, too!

in search of: diaper bags

2011-07-28T14:59:00.000-04:00

I'm not sure what it was about diaper bags but when we were buying things before C-man was born I just wasn't all about hoping on the diaper bag train. I figured whatever we ended up with would be fine and realistically, I would probably be the type of mom who just threw a few diapers in my purse while we were out and that would be that. If needed, I'd just keep the diaper bag in the car and go back for reinforcements if something crazy happened.

Yeah, right.....um, what was I thinking? Clearly I didn't realize 20 diapers, wipes, snacks, juice, milk, a changing pad, disposable bags and a change of clothes would be required pretty much every time we left the house.

And if I was feeling brazen enough to just "chance it" and not bring enough supplies for a small army of babies, then obviously Murphy's Law would take full effect and that would be the day we had a monstrous diaper explosion. I'd have to quickly rush out of Target with a pants-less C-man who was screaming bloody murder while sitting on a pile of paper towels to soak up the mess with me trying to move as quickly as possible to save everyone in the store from seeing his poop filled clothes and smelling my stinky baby. True story.

I even let Kyle pick out our diaper bag {gasp!} because he said if he was going to carry it, it HAD to look cool and manly. So, big surprise we ended up with this.....

The Skip Hop Duo Bag in Blue Camo. The bag itself is ok and I actually do like the blue camo. But it's definitely made for a guy to carry with a longer, thicker strap {messenger style} and let's be completely honest, even thought I'm not opposed to the camo, I don't exactly want to carry it with me whereever I go. It fits all the baby items, but there really isn't a good place fo rme to put my wallet, phone, keys, etc without them getting lost in the abyss of the center pocket.

So, fast forward to today. Kyle has carried the diaper bag roughly three times and its typically me carrying the diaper bag plus my own purse, all the while juggling a 26 pound baby.

Methinks it's time to streamline the process and invest in a diaper bag that will carry everything I need in one bag and look good while doing it.

Agreed? Ok, here are some contenders. Suggestions, experience and opinions are welcome in the comments....

Timi & Leslie Charlie Tote - $150

I really like the bag shown above, especially in the tan version. The one below is the Mia Bossi diaper bag which is quite popular and despite being pretty pricey, has gotten good reviews and lasts forever.

Mia Bossi Maria Tangerine - $390

This one comes in black, too....

Skip Hope Studio Tote - $90

And naturally I loooove the Ikat one {also comes in brown and blue ikat} but I've heard it is on the small side...need to check it out in person....

OiOi Ikat Tote - $160

Heard great things about this MZ Wallace Kate bag....

MZ Wallace Bedford Nylon Kate - $390

MZ Wallace Fatigue Stud Pearl - $192 on sale

I've also always loved the Dwell Studio bags and patterns....

Dwell Studio Hudson Tote - $240

Dwell Studio Chocolate Dots Madison - $100

While I was researching diaper bags for this post I also happened upon a blog called Diaper Bag Junkies which at first glance seems to have loads of real-life reviews of the million of so diaper bags out there. Looks like I know what I'll be doing for the rest of nap time today...

what do moms do all day?

2011-07-28T11:30:00.000-04:00

I saw this article floating around the Blogosphere last week and just came across it again and wanted to re-post here.

It rings pretty true with me because at the end of the day I often feel exhausted and worn out, but don't really have much to show for the day other then a list of phone calls, emails and text I've completely forgotten or simply haven't had the chance to answer. It's easy to feel swamped by all these things but then I remember that C-man is my number one priority and everything else is just simply going to have to wait. I think the author hit the nail on the head here and I felt so much better after reading it :)

babies galore this weekend

2011-07-26T13:30:00.001-04:00

New babies and baby showers are the name of the game here these days....

Our friends Shannon and Jake had a beautiful baby girl last week and I was so excited to go visit them all in the hospital on Friday {mama shannon is second from the right in the photo}. She's so cute and little I'd forgotten just how small newborns are - and her hands and little feet - so tiny and adorable!

On Sunday, C-man spent the afternoon hanging with Dada while I went to a baby shower and put my onesie decorating skills to the test. Some of the designs were seriously impressive and I think a few of these ladies need to start their own onesie decorating business, too!

and of course, we also managed to squeeze in some swing time with our own baby, too.....

Hope you all had a great weekend, too! Look out for a post later this week about a project I'm finishing up at home - I love it and can't wait to share :)

serena & lily bazaar

2011-07-21T13:12:00.000-04:00

Oh man, I'm in trouble. I just received an email from Serena & Lily {one of my favorite shops for nursery and home furnishings} about their upcoming Bazaar and I'm drooling over just about everything they have listed.

Like this etched aluminum table....

Vintage Indian Etched Aluminum Side Table

These Chevron Ikat pillows {my favorite mix of patterns - chevron and ikat!}

Chevron Ikat Pillow

This bracelet....

Balinese Brass Bangle

This painting....

"Eastern Break I" by Karen Smidth

This necklace....{I'm always a sucker for wooden beads}

Mombasa Necklace

This awesome hand etched copper pot....

Hand-Etched Antique European Copper Pot

This flame red vase....

Mid-Century Textured Ceramic Vase

and this funky hammock...

Tassled and Striped Hammock

By the way, do people still even say "funky" anymore? Couldn't you just imagine laying in this and sipping a mojito?

The Bazaar is previewing now, opens tomorrow and runs through Wednesday, July 27th.

beach mornings

2011-07-20T16:24:00.002-04:00

Going to the beach earlier in the day is highly under-rated.

It's calmer, quieter and nothing beats a post-beach sleepy baby, quick bath and then curling up and watching an Elmo DVD {babies, dogs and more!} and taking a nap.

Sand in between the toes and playing with trucks {vroom, vroom!} is pretty cool, too :)

saturday afternoon & 16 months

2011-07-17T14:13:00.001-04:00

Sometimes time seems to move as slow as molasses and sometime it moves at warp speed. Right now it's moving faster then I can keep up with because C-man is 16 months old today. What the what??!

For some crazy reason I felt like the month after his 1st birthday lasted forever - probably because we were still working on walking and each day was marked with very slow progress. Is he going to walk today?? Nope, guess not - maybe tomorrow??

But since then I'm not sure where the past four months have gone and now suddenly he's 16 months! It probably has something to do with the fact that little man is walking/running/climbing at roughly defcon 5 all. the. time and I barely have a moment to look at the calender to see what day it is.

I saw this diagram in a book yesterday and it made me laugh because it's so true...it's titled Seven Clocked Minutes of Nursery School Behavior

That little 18 month old is on the move and so is our little 16 month old :)

We went out to Sullivan's for dinner yesterday afternoon {I say afternoon because if we are eating out we are forced to eat at the early bird hour of 6pm these days so we aren't faced with a 16 month old meltdown} and we snapped these pictures of a few, rare calm moments where C was just sitting and hanging out.

His new favorite thing is to dip things in sauces...

The rest of the time was spent pulling all the napkins out of the holder, climbing on the table, dancing and bopping his head to the music, squirming around and walking up and down {and up and down and up and down - repeat, repeat, repeat} on the ramp and stairs outside.

Hope you all are having a great weekend and a belated HAPPY BIRTHDAY to Aunt Ally!!! xoxo

french inspired baby shower brunch

2011-07-12T12:43:00.002-04:00

I feel a little funny just re posting these images from another blogger, but I find myself going back to her blog to look at them again and again, so I thought y'all might enjoy seeing them too. They are simply so pretty and tastefully done I just loooooove them! No store bought baby shower crap-ola in sight, it's all hand made and thoughtfully put together and exactly what I would want in a second baby shower {side note: kelly and tim, you guys did a fabulous job on our shower and we are forever grateful for that!!}

The shower was hosted by Grace, who writes a fab blog called Grace Happens, for her friend Alexis, who also writes another of my favorite blogs, Fern & Feather. I highly recommend checking them both out :)

I'm always a sucker for anything with mason jars and striped straws....

Grace stamped the rings herself on kraft paper and used pretty french striped napkins

I'm drooling over the chocolate covered strawberries and ribbon skewers...and the rest of the food...

And look at this present!! A vintage schoolhouse chair! Such a thoughtful gift and completely fits with her aesthetic. So adorable and unique...

As parting gifts each guest was given a set of the french stripe towels wrapped in bakers twine with personalized, stamped wooden tags.

If you'd like to see more click here. What do y'all think? Beyond adorable, huh??!

all photos are from Grace Happens

b is for......baaaaah!!!

2011-07-11T21:40:00.000-04:00

So I had this cute little post planned called "B is for....beach!" with some photos I took of C-man out on Sullivan's this morning. But while I was working on the post, someone wandered into the other room and when I went to go searching for ~~the little devil~~ him, I found this....

Just hangin' on the mess of a table {ahem, Kyle....can you please clean your plans/work off the table now that the entire internet world has seen the mess. Okeydookey? Perfectawesomethanks....}

So now B if for BAAAAAH! what are you doooooing?? Which I've been saying an awful lot around here lately. This little incident wasn't even close to being the worst of them. If it was I certainly wouldn't have had a moment to snap a picture....

Honestly, I really have no idea how he gets his little body into these places so darn quickly. I mean, two seconds is seriously all it takes for him to D.E.S.T.R.O.Y something or shimmy himself way up high up on a piece of furniture....he's also pretty crafty at opening doors now, so I'm guessing it's only a matter of days until I find him outside with Red talking a walk to the playground.

Uustyd@@@#%jahsjdh????!!!!......I can just see the two of them strolling along now. BAAAAAH!

recipe: avocado, tomato and mozzarella

2011-07-07T11:59:00.003-04:00

I started making this last summer and can't get enough...

It's especially good with mid-summer heirloom tomatoes, ripe avocado and fresh mozz. It's a healthy lunch or a perfect side dish for dinner. If you aren't a fan of Braggs, you can always substitute Balsamic or even some Tamari, but I think it's the Braggs that really makes the dish.

Also, here's a tip for the Braggs: buying the spray bottle makes it easier to evenly coat the salad. I tend to be a little heavy handed with the sauce and the spray bottle really saves me from going overboard and accidentally making Braggs soup.

Enjoy!

Avocado, Tomato & Mozzarella Salad
{for two}
3 medium sized tomatoes - preferably heirloom
2 avocados
2 big balls of fresh mozzarella
dash of olive oil
salt & pepper to taste
Bragg Liquid Amino

july wedding weekend + our 4th

2011-07-06T11:35:00.000-04:00

We're back in Charleston after almost 10 days in Virginia and it was a bit of a wake up call this morning when I had to make my own coffee (thanks, G'Pops!).

We had a great visit and C was able to spend lots of time with Kyle's parents and also with Aunt Ashley and Uncle Blair who provided some much appreciated free babysitting {thanks, guys!!} while we were at David and Karolina's wedding. David and Kyle went to high school and college together so there was a great group of friends, lots of dancing and some Polish vodka that may or may not have put a dent in the rest of the weekend :) The wedding was small and intimate at a house in Arlington, VA {more on the house in a min...} and was the perfect way to kick off the holiday weekend.

Looking back, the few photos I did take are mainly of us on the dance floor and the house, but I did manage to get a relatively cute, normal photo of us in the mix...

Ok, now onto the house....if I could move into this room, I would in a second. This photo barely does it justice.

The ahhh-mazing kitchen was to the right and despite the million or so shots I tried to get of it, none of them really came out that well. Plus, I was trying to restrain myself from looking like a total crazypants.

You'll just have to trust me that the quilted, stainless, commercial fridge, Carrera marble counter and giant Viking gas stove really were just that awesome.

I actually wasn't going to share this photo {for obvious reasons - mainly due to polish vodka} but it gives you a glimpse of what I'm talking about...plus I stole it from Beth {if you're reading this - thanks, Beth!!}

Wish I had taken more, but that'll have to do. A big Congratulations to David and Karolina! We are so happy for you!! xoxo

We spent a great Sunday Funday at Ashley's parents house and got a little b-ball action in the pool....

On the 4th we went to another party in Arlington, but this time ar Blair and Ashley's friends house. There were lots of little boys running around who were all roughly the same age, 15 months going on 21 years.....

Look at those little devils getting into the cooler!

Hope you all had a great 4th!!

happy 4th!

2011-07-04T15:42:00.000-04:00

Hope you all are having a fab long weekend, have been eating lots-o-watermellon and are planning to see some fireworks tonight!

Happy 4th of July and high fives all around :)

red & blue

2011-07-01T11:31:00.001-04:00

In honor of the 4th of July I thought I'd share a few red and blue items that caught my eye recently. HAPPY 4TH!! xoxo

1. RAG & BONE maxi dress 2. KENDRA SCOTT necklace 3. FOOD NETWORK cocktail 4. SERENA & LILY bali baskets 5. CALYPSO bikini 6. JCREW clutch 7. CALYPSO tank 8. ESSIE clambake nail polish 9. KIEHLS spf 40 sun protection 10. FURBISH nesting bowls 11. CHRISTIAN LOUBOUTIN hola chica sandals 12. JBRAND lowrise cut off shorts 13. JUICY COUTURE daisy studs 14. MADELINE WEINRIB rug

lions, tigers and BEARS!

2011-06-30T17:50:00.000-04:00

Ok, well not bears (they were sleeping) but we did see lions and tigers and a whole lot more, like these big boys.....

And this was us when we saw them....

We weren't as excited to smell them, but what are you gonna do?! We made our way around the ~~giant hill~~ National Zoo yesterday and saw one awesome animal after another. The Zebras were my personal favorite and I heard a few people referring to their area as the "bachelor pad of the zoo" which I thought was pretty funny.

The apes also put on quite a show and there was the most adorable little baby ape following his mama around, though sadly I wasn't quick enough to snap a good pic :(

This guy was pretty entertaining and C-man just stared at him with huge, wide eyes.

I was impressed he was paying so much attention. That is until I saw this sitting a few feet away....

and then he started saying "BALL, BALL!" and I realized why he was so focused. Of course....I should have know a regular old ball would be so more interesting than an APE!

Look closely and you'll notice a lion just hanging out in the shade...

and then we saw the craziest animal of them all....a blue checkered BABY! He was on the loose, roaming around on his own in the wild....

He was quick and hard to wrangle but eventually we caught him and took he home with us :)

sheridan french giveaway

2011-06-30T16:42:00.001-04:00

I am so excited to pass along a very awesome piece of blog-world info for y'all!

Sheridan French is giving away a piece from her beautiful Spring 2011 clothing collection to one lucky winner. Head over to her blog, The Southern Eclectic, for all the details about how to enter. Sheridan is a mama to two adorable little ones and always has hilarious and poignant posts about motherhood, life and fashion. Her blog is one of go-to favorites and I can honestly say if I was stranded with a limited Internet connection I would still try my darndest to check her blog for updates. and trust me, that's saying A LOT!

Her clothes are the epitome of vibrant and fun and are made with the most beautiful fabric from Bali.

The third one down is my personal favorite :)

all photos from Sheridan French and The Southern Eclectic

proud mary pillows

2011-06-28T09:08:00.002-04:00

Love my new pillows from Proud Mary. I picked them up at the artist market last weekend and can't wait to put the inserts in and add these puppies to the sofa. Plus, the fabric is hand printed by global artisans and then sewn here in the US. All of the artisans receive a fair wage for their work - which I think is totally awesome. You can check out the Proud Mary website here....they have super cute pillows, bags and accessories like this clutch...

These sandals...

This bucket bag...

and this pillow....{which was printed with potatoes!)

all photos (except the first one) are from the Proud Mary website

our past few days....

2011-06-27T09:22:00.001-04:00

That video above is just about the cutest thing I've ever seen!! Ok, I might be a little biased, but still....it's pretty darn cute.

And look at this little nugget!! He belongs to our friends Katherine and Kellen and is just over two weeks old and so adorable! His name is Gabriel...

I forgot how light newborn babies are! C is tipping the scales at 25+ lbs and seemed like a mini-man-giant after holding this little guy.

Suprisingly, C was pretty gentle with him and was trying to give him kisses and hugs. Give the little guy a year or so to start moving and walking around and I'm sure these two will be buddies :)

And here is a little shot from our day yesterday. A car ride started out like this....two happy guys in the backseat.

But quickly turned into this....

So we put on a DVD and it saved the day. Now I know why this feature is so essential in cars these days. It's purely for entertaining your kids on long car rides so everyone else stays sane {even if you are watching Barney...}

daddy's day x 2

2011-06-21T12:58:00.000-04:00

We are in the midst of a double whammy of daddy's days here. Sunday was father's day and today is Kyle's birthday, so we get to tell him how much we love him and appreciate him in double amounts :)

It's also been record breakingly hot here for the past few days, so we spent most of Sunday at out new favorite indoor spot - the aquarium. Clearly we weren't the only ones who came up with the brilliant plan to beat the heat by going to see the fishies, because it was PACKED with plenty of kids and Dad's.

This is the river otter that scared the bejesus out of C last time we saw him. He seemed to be feeling a little more comfortable this time, but only when Daddy was protecting him...he wasn't very interested in standing by himself in front of the glass

The same goes for the horseshoe crabs and stingrays...

Just for comparison, I snapped this photo last year on Kyle's birthday - look how small C-man is! It still blows my mind how much babies change in a year.

Happy Birthday, Kyle!!!

pretty necklace

2011-06-17T10:10:00.001-04:00

kristina klarin via leif

I've been looking for a chunky, colorful necklace to wear with a dress to an upcoming wedding and came across this eye popping one today on the blog, I Suawannee. I clicked on the link and sadly, it's sold out :(

However, after I looked at it for awhile my crafty wheels started turning and I'm thinking it might not be too difficult to DIY something similar....

Am I crazy or do you think this is a possibility, too?

fathers day gift guide: for the new(ish) dad

2011-06-16T11:49:00.000-04:00

Father's Day is just around the corner and since I've been thinking about what to get for Kyle and my dad, I thought I'd post some of the ideas here...

What's the best gift you've ever given or received for Father's Day??

Dude No. 1 Oil - $65
Navy Linen Tie with Dandy Pin - $118
Cast Iron Skillet - $22
Handprint Kit - $25