Again, I apologize I'm not much of a photographer but this gives you an
Monday, April 30, 2007
A little bit of this and a little bit of that
Again, I apologize I'm not much of a photographer but this gives you an
Friday, April 27, 2007
Finally Friday!
Ahhh! This space inspires me today.
However, in reality this is where I will likely spend my Friday evening.
I just love this look for summer. All the shiny silver mixed with the textured baskets and the clean creamy whites...yum!
Love, Love, Love this shade of blue. We need a new duvet and shams for our master bedroom. We've had the same bedding from our Wedding Shower which was close to 8 yrs ago! Our master bedroom walls are painted a warm shade of brown that I think would look so lovely with this blue!
This old fashioned bottle holder from Pottery Barn is so scrumptious. I love the idea of entertaining with this handsome little number.
I'm starting to feel better and definitely inspired so I'm thinking I'll be a better blogger again. Hopefully tomorrow I'll have more energy to do all the little projects I've been mulling around in my head.
Enjoy your Friday!
Wednesday, April 25, 2007
Baby Names and such
Well, believe it or not I think Handsome Hubby and I have FINALLY decided on a name for Baby Sissy. Actually, there's no turning back now as we've told most of our family and friends the name and with my love of all things monogrammed there's a strong possibility that something has already got her name on it!
Coming up with a girls name was a huge challenge for us. I'm not sure why it was so much more difficult then choosing our son's name. After countless rounds ('rounds' is a nice way of saying heated debates) with Handsome Hubby we finally came down to a name that we both liked. Ultimately we both wanted something a bit unique but not so much that it would leave people asking why we made up such a name.
Delaney means "Of the Alder Grove". Not exactly an awe inspiring meaning however Elizabeth does have personal meaning to me as it is my middle name as well as my late Grandmother's middle name. I knew if I ever had a girl I would want her middle name to be Elizabeth. We seriously tossed around a few other names, one being, Loren, which also has special meaning to me. Loren is the name of my late Grandfather and I must admit I'm feeling a bit guilty and sad that we decided to not go with that name.
This weekend is supposed to be beautiful so I'm hoping that my cold is gone by then so I will feel a bit more peppy. I would like to spend as much time as possible outdoors.
Thursday, April 19, 2007
Random This and Thats
This post will be full of random updates as it seems like there's been so much, yet so little, going on around here....
On the weather front:
It appears that my desperate plea to Spring worked! Can I get a HALLELUJAH? :)
It has been sunny and warmer and the weather forecast for this weekend is looking great! According to our 'now in good graces' weatherman, it is to be 80 and sunny on Saturday and 70's for as far as the eye can see. Yes, happy times have returned again. Last weekend in fact I managed to get a bit of a sun burn. (WOW!) While Handsome Hubby worked on landscaping projects and my son played with his outdoor toys I parked myself in the sun with a truck load of magazines. Boy did it feel good to have my feet up, soaking up the sun, reading my magazines. AND, as I promised in my plea to Spring I have already managed to go for two walks this week. No excuses this time! Although I must admit I was moving rather slow towards the end there.
On the baby front:
I just had my 35th week appt today and we've got news of sorts. It appears that I'm measuring a couple weeks ahead and that there is a good chance they will be inducing me on May 14th. Apparently Baby Sissy is measuring big which I'm not sure I quite understand. Well, I'm average sized, perhaps a bit taller then the average woman I guess as I'm about 5'7" so I don't really think that's it. So, we're blaming Handsome Hubby for her size as he is 6'6"!
We're trying to let the fact that she may be here in 3 weeks sink in. Just doesn't seem too far off now. Can I get another hallelujah?! ;)
On the decorating/project front:
As I promised here are some pictures of the little paper lantern mobile we've hung over Baby Sissy's crib. I think I really like it. I say I 'think' I like it because I'm really not sure how much she'll really enjoy this version of a mobile but it is awfully cute; more so then the pictures do justice. The center lantern is a brighter pink but the color is seeming to come off a bit strange in the photos.
We've also done a few other projects in the way of landscaping which I may have to take some pictures of this weekend to share.
Ultimately I foresee our projects slowing for the next few months as we adjust to life with a newborn again. However, with the beautiful weather and the fact that we love spending time outdoors I'm sure we'll be doing a few projects here and there. Last year I bought some plans on how to make a 'pint-sized picnic table'. It looks like it should be fairly easy to make so I'd love for Handsome Hubby to make that for our back yard entertaining area. I think my son 'Big Brother' and his friends would LOVE having their own little table to sit at when we entertain outdoors. I'd also love to find a couple of unfinished 'pint-sized' Adirondack chairs that I could situate near big brothers playhouse. I'd paint them in a fun bright red color! If anyone knows of a good place to find such a chair I'd love to hear from you!
Hopefully we'll get to these projects sooner then later and if we do I'll for sure be sharing pictures with you all!
And just for fun here is a picture of Big Brother from Easter weekend. He's such a little ham!
I promise to be a better blogger this week and will report back soon with all the weekend fun!
Thursday, April 12, 2007
I've been tagged!
This is so fun for me as I feel like this makes me officially part of the little blogging community! :) I'm tagging all my fellow bloggers out there!
Three Things That Scare Me:
1. Something happening to someone I love.
2. Not getting to see my children grow up - dying young
3. Cancer -I've lost loved ones to this horrible disease.
Three People Who Make Me Laugh:
1. My son
2. My dear friend Spanky
3. Almost anyone! I love a good sense of humor.
Three Things I Love:
1. Finding inspiration unexpectedly
2. The beach
3. Oh there is just so many things I love! I simply can't be limited to just three! :)
Three Things I Hate:
1. Inconsiderate people
2. People who think their car blinker is an optional feature
3. People who constantly state their opinions as facts. I like a person that can more often see both sides.
(I honestly can't say I 'hate' anything really. How about STRONGLY dislike?)
Three Things I Don't Understand:
1. Why there is so much hate in the world. Live and let live.
2. Math - yuck!
3. The lyrics to Billy Ocean's 'Caribbean Queen'. Seriously what is he saying?!
Three Things On My Desk:
1. BeautiControl - Sugar Body Lotion
2. Large cup filled w/ice (as w/my first pregnancy I'm obsessed w/crunching on ice which I'm sure is on someones 'Three things I hate' list!) :)
3. KU Jayhawks pen
Three Things I'm Doing Right Now:
1. Mentally mapping out my day
2. Blogging
3. Preparing to hop in the shower
Three Things I Want To Do Before I Die:
1. Travel the world
2. Try as many sports as I can and master at least one of them- sky dive, rock climb, surf, sail, snow board, run a marathon, and many more!
3. Touch as many people in a positive way that I can. Sounds a bit cheesy but that's what I want my 'legacy' to be.
Three Things I Can Do:
1. Multi-task
2. Talk to just about anyone
3. According to my Dad, 'Anything you set your mind to'.
Three Things I Can't Do:
1. A no carb diet
2. Watch shows that talk about or show cruelty towards animals
3. Cook well
Three Things I Think You Should Listen To:
1. Your gut instinct
2. The people that genuinely love you
3. Your kids
Three Things You Should Never Listen To:
1. That negative little inner voice telling you you're not good enough, smart enough, thin enough, etc...whatever it is that yours says.
2. Malicious gossip - unless of course it's inside the pages of US Weekly (just kidding!)
3. The song '(Don't Fear) The Reaper' by Blue Oyster Cult from their 1976 album. I think it's a hauntingly beautiful song but it freaks me out for some reason. LOL
Three Things I Would Like To Learn:
1. Speak Spanish fluently
2. How to sew something other then a straight line
3. To be more patient
Three Favorite Foods:
1. Chili's Southwestern Cobb Salad - minus corn relish & w/ honey mustard dressing
2. Pizza
3. Stuffed mushrooms. YUM!
Three Shows I Watched As A Kid:
1. Saved by the Bell
2. Facts of Life
3. Little House on the Prairie
Three Things I Regret:
1. Not pushing myself harder in high school and college
2. Being so self critical through my teens and twenties. Heck, I'm still too self critical!
3. Spending so much time worrying about things I can't control
That was fun!
Random 'Blogger 101' question: Ok Ladies, how do you add a link URL to your post but have the link named say 'Suburban Momma' or 'Life with Lulu' rather then just the URL address?(Hopefully my question makes sense.) It has got to be something simple but I just can't figure it out! Thanks in advance for your insight!
Tuesday, April 10, 2007
My Plea to Spring
Where have you gone? It is obvious from your rapid departure that I have upset you in some way.
Was it the ill-fitting capris I was so eager to throw on at the first signs of you? The way I disregarded your non-committal nature so early in the season by aggressively planting all sorts of flowers in my flower pots? Or perhaps it was the way I so boastfully showed off my amazingly fast growing Peony plants to the neighbors? More likely it was the careless comments I threw around about how I would for sure be going for lots of walks once you arrived and the way I found excuses to do other things when you produced those sunny days.
Surely the whole midwest, no, surely the whole NATION, should not be punished for my transgressions!
If you return again soon I promise to not take you for granted. I will pack away those ill-fitting capris until I've spent more time going for those walks I promised you I'd take. I will consider your temperamental nature before further planting in my flower pots rather then assuming you're here to stay. I will be more humble with my 'amazingly fast growing' Peonies.
These things I promise you Spring. Just please come back, I implore you.
Desperately yours,
Emily
Monday, April 9, 2007
So easy you can 'Coast' right through it!
-Tacky Glue
-Craft Paint in color of your choice - purchased mine at Hobby Lobby for .59
-unfinished wooden coaster base (I'm really not sure what the term is for this piece but I found them in two different sizes at Hobby Lobby in their unfinished wood section. I got the slightly larger size that was .99 but you can get a smaller version for 2 for 1.00.)
-decorative paper - I used scrapbook paper but you could use a leftover scrap of wallpaper, a favorite gift wrap paper, fabric, etc.
How to guide:
1. Paint unfinished wooden base
2. Cut paper to fit top and adhere with Mod Podge to coaster base
3. Mod Podge over the entire coaster (sides and top) to seal the coaster and protect
4. cut felt piece to fit bottom of wooden base, adhere with tacky glue
Ta-da! You're done! It's really that simple!
Here's the one I made for the side table in Baby Sissy's room. I just needed one and it's custom made to match her room.
Here are the two I made for made for my living room. I plan to make some additional coasters to change out with each season. I'm thinking something brighter and fun for summer, perhaps a white wooden base with a simple seashell cut out decoupaged on top.
With the help of handsome hubby I was able to get the paper lanterns hung in Baby Sissy's room and I think it looks great. I'll be posting pictures soon.
On a side note, I have to send a big Congratulations shout out to my dear friend and neighbor, Savvy Momma http://savvymomma.blogspot.com/ who just had her baby boy today! She and I have seen each other through these second pregnancies and I'm so excited for her that he has finally arrived! We're planning to visit them tomorrow and I can't wait to meet him!
Is it my turn yet?! :) Nope, still have 6 weeks left to go!
Friday, April 6, 2007
Hurray for Friday!!
Wednesday, April 4, 2007
A Pregnant Woman's Beauty Plan
Now, don't get me wrong, I am SO grateful that my pregnancy so far as not been riddled with complications and that my baby appears to be growing healthy and happily. I'm just feeling rather large, and definitely not in charge of my body.
Typically this time of year my head is swimming with thoughts of shopping for summer clothes, exercising to lose those extra pounds prior to the start of swimsuit season, and planning for all the glorious summertime fun that lay before me.
However, not one to sit around on my loins and feel sorry for myself for long I have decided to take action in anyway I know how. After reading Erin's latest post http://ladybugs-12.blogspot.com/ regarding her current sunless self tanner obsession I had to chuckle. I too have recently become a self tanner junkie.
In my personal quest to make myself feel more attractive and less frumpy for spring I have begun to use the two following products with faithful regularity.
I've found this to be a good product for a gradual, natural looking sunless tan. I use lotion for medium skin tones and it really looks pretty good. To shorten the whole apply then wait 'til it dries routine I just apply to the body parts that will see the light of day at this point (i.e my neck/shoulders/arms and from the knees down).
Nice white teeth are important. Period. End of story for me. It's one of the first things I notice about a person and even if they've got everything else going on, if their teeth are yellowed/grayed or in generally bad condition it's hard for me to get past it.
About 6 years ago I 'splurged' and went to the dentist to be fitted with trays for a professional teeth whitening. This was just before the big teeth whitening obsession hit the nation and I must say I reveled in my brilliant whites. I can't tell you the number of compliments I received on my smile AND how nice it felt for the ol' self esteem. Sadly, and very randomly I might add, my very large Golden Retriever managed to get a hold of them off my bathroom counter and chewed them to pieces! How strange is that?! I later learned that for whatever reason this is not that uncommon occurrence. Hmmmmm....I digress.
Other 'Beauty' shout outs:
- Going to get spa pedi's at the various strip mall nail salons. For $25 to get an hour in the massage chair, time with a magazine or friend and fresh sparkly feet you can't beat it! If you've not gone out to get your spring pedi I recommend you don't delay! You deserve the treat!
- Clean & Clear Oil-Absorbing Sheets -another nod to Erin over at 'Ladybug's Picnic' as she recently raved about this product. I too love this product. If you even get the slightest bit oily you've got to give these a try. The sheets absorb soooo much better then the regular old tissue kind. Only around $4 you've got to give them a try especially with summer just around the corner!
- Bare Escentuals - i.d. bareminerals foundation and i.d. bareminerals warmth. A friend turned me onto this product and I have grown to LOVE it. I get a great smooth, silky finish and the 'warmth' powder adds the perfect amount of color to my face.
- Bath and Body Works - ILE DE TAHITI body lotion and spray in Tiare Flower. It's such a fresh, light scent for spring. It's funny, my OB dr always seems to comment on how lovely a scent it is at my bi-wkly appts with her. (I don't think she obviously remembers that she's mentioned it at my past 3 appts.) lol
I have several other products that I love but I'll have to save those for another post as I've already been too long winded!
Hope everyone is enjoying their hump day!
Tuesday, April 3, 2007
I love Etsy
If you've not had the opportunity to check out Etsy I highly recommend you do! Etsy describes itself as 'Your place to buy & sell all things homemade'. I personally have found so many things I'd love to get and give from here and I think you'll find the same!
Soft Texture Baby and Toddler Blocks - $32.00 for set - http://www.etsy.com/view_listing.php?listing_id=5301276
The colors can be customized and I'm thinking more pinks and greens to match her room but these are super cute as shown!
Flying Love Bunnies 8x10 Print - $15.00 - http://www.etsy.com/view_listing.php?listing_id=5293473
I love the bright pinks. Would be adorable matted and framed in white.
Personalized Minky Throw Pillow - $29.50 - http://www.etsy.com/view_listing.php?listing_id=5635912
These pillows can be customized with different colors and of course different monograms. I think this would be super cute on Baby Sissy's pink chair. I'd order it with the green pom-poms as shown but with a bright pink monogram.
Pink and Green Beanie - $10.00 - http://www.etsy.com/view_listing.php?listing_id=5206353
How cute is this?! I can't think of a single little girl who wouldn't look beyond adorable wearing this beanie.
There are really so many more neat, unique items on Etsy that you have to check out! It's a fantastic place to find one of a kind gifts, jewelry and anything else you can imagine.
I'll post soon with some hip momma must have items from Etsy!
Monday, April 2, 2007
The Great Diaper Bag Debacle
I recently purchased a 'Buy Now' item off of Ebay from what appeared to be a very reputable seller. To give you an idea this seller has well over a 1,000 feedback remarks and it's 100% positive.
Here is what I received.
Now, don't get me wrong, I do think this green bag is cute, especially now w/my monogram on it, BUT, this bag was clearly not shown in the picture provided. Based on the picture provided and the sellers description the bag I purchased was the bright pink one.
I quickly replied to the seller that I thought there must have been some mistake as the bag I received did not match the picture provided in her listing, in fact the bag I received was not in the picture she provided at all! She responded back that bag was indeed featured in the picture she provided and that her name 'Holly4390' was watermarked over the bag.
Now, I've looked at that picture at least 20 times at this point and the bag that has 'Holly4390' partially written over it is clearly a green bag with blue trim, STILL not the bag she described to be selling OR the bag she sent me. Beyond frustrated at that point I responded back pointing out the seemingly obvious. Her response was 'I believe the bag I sent you to be the bag pictured'. What kind of response is that?!!! 'I believe...' The bag was very clearly not the same bag she described or sent me.
To make a very long, frustrating story short she ultimately refused to acknowledge that her listing was misleading and inaccurate and would not let me send the bag back for a refund. Instead she refunded me $10 off the bag.
Had she responded back to my first email apologizing for the confusion and acknowledging her mistake, perhaps even offering the $10 off at that point I would have probably let it drop. I honestly didn't want to deal with the hassle of repackaging the bag and sending it back and I am a very reasonable person. However, the fact she refused to acknowledge her error and her comments like 'I believe it to be the same bag' were ridiculous and extremely frustrating.
I've seriously thought about reporting her to Ebay, and may still do it as an FYI to them. Obviously I decided to go ahead and have the bag monogrammed so my reporting her to Ebay wouldn't be with the intent of trying to get a refund on the bag. I did accept her $10 off offer, clearly stating to her that this was in no way me agreeing that her. I stand very firmly on the fact it was misleading and inaccurate but I felt I had really no other choice as she repeatedly said there was no error on her part and she would not let me return the bag for a refund.
My dilemma: I would really, really like to leave her the negative feedback she deserves as a way to alert other potential buyers but I'm fearful quite honestly that she'll leave negative feedback for me. Although my email responses to her were always professional I'm concerned that if I were to leave negative feedback she'd do the same just to be spiteful or something.
What do you think I should do?