My Latest Obsessions

I was on 100 Layer Cake's blog and they mentioned some of Neither Snow's items that are in their Etsy shop. CUTE CUTE CUTE and creative. How fun would it be to send some calligraphed custom valentines with vintage postage?! Love it. 

Seriously, I cannot get enough of these little cuties and their hats! So adorable. Thanks Sarah for passing along this blog/post! Too cute. I think the green frog hat is one of my faves. 

I love Target for so many reasons - from fun to practical. I recently discovered their Red Hot Shop, a monthly e-boutique of chic, unique and pleasantly offbeat items. This month they featured some items for little gals/guys - so cute. For the hip little boy in your life - this onesieis quite adorable. And these chalkboard tees are so much fun. A friend of mine actually pointed these out when we were at the Renegade Craft Fair in Chicago last fall. Wow - looks like the shirts are sold out already out from Target - check them out directly from Class Attire. And how cute is this chalkboard tee for a little boy. 

A post in Daily Candy Kids led me to this cute blog on kid products, perfect finds and unique experiences. For instance, I was scrolling through some of their posts and came upon this one. Isn't that dress adorable? 

Inspirational Talk

A couple of nights ago I went and heard a woman in our community speak about Life, Laughter and Living with Cancer. The speaker is a 37 year old wife and mother of three who was diagnosed with stage 4 breast cancer that has unfortunately spread. 

Her talk was inspirational and motivating. The woman introducing the speaker kicked off the meeting by briefly discussing 4 things in one's life (your relationships, your physical being, your purpose in life, and your mental health/spirituality). Not only was I humbled by this woman's brave courage and spirit but her words had such an impact on me (especially since I have been thinking lately about balance - work, life, family, friends, the list continues). The question of balance always seems to hit me at the start of a new year when I start to review the past year and think about the upcoming year. 

The speaker spoke about the little things in life that are now clearer to her - things as simple as the varying colors of green when looking at a bunch of trees (we all know the saying, stop to smell the roses). 

So, I have decided to try and make a conscious effort to stop (in the midst of running around all day) and take a few moments here and there to take things in. Yesterday mine was very simple - asking the person at the checkout line how her day was with a smile. 

My Latest Obsessions

Happy Friday! It is Fun Friday as the little gals said this morning.

So, today I'm starting my 13th week. Our little "shrimp" is now almost 3 inches long and weighs nearly an ounce. So exciting! My Dad's friend Bonnie gave me this great pregnancy journal 
that I know I'll definitely appreciate later. I'm also really enjoying reading the book, A Girlfriends Guide to Pregnancy. While there are so many books out there that discuss the wonderful things that go along with being pregnant and so forth, I love the total honesty of this author (who at times is pretty darn funny). She gives you the "real" scoop - the good, the bad and the ugly and talks about those embarrassing moments along the way! 

I have a total girl crush on Meryl Streep. She is such a great actress and she has certainly run the gamut - from her role in "The Devil Wears Prada" to classics such as "Out of Africa." I recently saw "It's Complicated" with the lovely Streep and Alec Baldwin. I thought the movie was HILARIOUS! I have to say that there is something about Mr. Baldwin that always strikes me - maybe it is his adorable boyish charm. But he had me cracking up in "It's Complicated"(for sure!). I couldn't help but find him endearing in the movie. And OMG - I LOVE Streep's amazing home and kitchen in the movie (and her chic bakery). 

These children's lambswool pencil scarves are pretty adorable.

Have a wonderful weekend! 

 

Week 12 - A Lime

Wow, so as of this past Friday I am 12 weeks - amazing. I love getting the weekly emails from Baby Center that discusses the baby's development and what you as the mother may be experiencing both emotionally and physically. One of my favorite things about Baby Center is that they use fruits and vegetables to give you a visual of the size of your baby. This week our little guy/gal is roughly the size of a LIME (just over 2 inches long and weighs half an ounce)! 

I still cannot believe our exciting news at times because sometimes I forget I'm pregnant! Granted my clothes are starting to feel a bit snugger (but besides from being completely exhausted I have been pretty much able to go along with my everyday life as is). 

A friend of mine shared a cute way of how she included her husband in the process of her being pregnant. She wrote letters to "Daddy" from the perspective of the baby. I sent one to Peter last week from little Peanut and talked about the past week's physical development (which has been fascinating to learn about). I also included fun tidbits about "Peanut's" siblings and what they had been up to all week (from the perspective of the little one observing). So cute. 

My Latest Obsessions

Happy Friday! Enjoy the long weekend! 

Oh no, being pregnant has now opened up my world to so many new ADORABLE things. Yikes! This Grass Countertop Drying Rack for baby accessories is both functional and super cute. Love it! And the price tag doesn't break the bank. 

Petunia Pickle Bottom has such cute stuff - cute bags and other items. I just saw on Daily Candy Kids that from now until January 21st you can receive 25% off if you enter BABYCHIC when you check out. Good deal - nice way to stock up on some gifts. I also saw on Daily Candy Kids a book entitled "1001 Children's Books You Must Read before you Grow Up," by Julia Eccleshare. Great gift for an expecting parent. 

Lately I have been thinking a lot about work/life/balance - especially after learning about our exciting news. And of course, just when I'm thinking about it I received Gwenyth Paltrow's GOOP newsletter talking about Meditation (which happened to be Paltrow's new year's resolution). I really enjoyed reading David Lynch's thoughts on "Why I Meditate" because I can relate to his some of his thoughts: When I first heard about meditation, I had zero interest in it. I wasn't even curious. It sounded like a waste of time. He goes on to explain how he feels differently now. 

My Favorite Gift

Pic (top - letterpress notecard designed by Bird & Banner; bottom - letterpress envelope w/my new initials).  

This Christmas I received one of my most favorite gifts ever (well, besides secretly celebrating our exciting news!). Peter and I had discussed not exchanging gifts as we had just returned from our honeymoon and said we would focus on gifts for the girls and other family members. 

Well, Peter surprised me with personalized letterpress stationary - with my new name and a unique design. He knows how much I love and appreciate letterpress. However, I love even more that he contacted the same gals that designed our wedding invitations to come up with a design. I was floored that he contacted the gals of Bird & Banner as he knows how much I love all of their work. Peter told me all the different debates he had going on in his head - would she like her full name or her nickname on the cards, and so forth. The gals at Bird & Banner came up with a few designs for him to chose from and I LOVE the one he ended up going w/ (see above) - love the color (violet) and the detailed flowers and little bird. 

My favorite gifts (to receive and get) are thoughtful ones with meaning. Adore my new notecards!  I just sent my first one off today - a note to Peter at work. I think everyone should get a handwritten note every now and then! 

PS - 

Check out our wedding invitations (designed by Bird & Banner) that appeared on the blog 100 Layer Cake. They were also featured in Real Simple's "Out of the Box Ideas for Spreading the Word."

My Latest Obsessions

Happy Friday! Okay, so today is my Birthday and I think it is hilarious that I share a birthday with Elvis. Here is a little "Hound Dog" to start off the day! 

So, I'm not the "greenest" gal on the planet however, I try to do what I can. I saw these adorable reusable and washable snack bags the other day on Daily Candy Kids. Cute way to be "green." 

I am constantly checking in with Linda & Harriet to see if they have come up any new fun designs. And how fun, right now you can take 30% off via Daily Candy - use code CANDY30. Thank goodness Peter ordered my new Linda & Harriet 2010 calendar early as she sold out earlier than ever this year. And I love her blog. 

I have loved coffee since my time abroad in England. You would have thought I would have developed a taste for tea (that I did) but my love for coffee runs deeper. I saw an article in Bon Appetit about the Top 10 Boutique Coffee Shops - and how fun - The Coffee Studio in Chicago was listed. I have never been. It has been added to my list. However, I have had to curtail my coffee habit to one small coffee a day ever since we found out our exciting news! 

I'm a HUGE fan of the gals at Bird & Banner. They designed our wedding invitations and a few signs for our wedding. Our wedding invitations were featured in Real Simple's 50 Wedding Invitations, Save the Dates, and Programs (out of the box ideas). Also, one of my favorite blogs,100 Layer Cake, featured our invitations as well. ROCK on Bird & Banner! 

Our Exciting News!

Happy New Year to all! I hope all of your holidays were wonderful - filled with lots of family, friends, laughter, and YUMMY food! 

I have some exciting news to share for my first post of 2010. Peter, the girls and I are happy to announce that I am expecting a baby! We are BEYOND THRILLED by the news - as ironically enough Cate and Margaret asked us at the wedding brunch where the baby was. We had told them that after we got married we would have a baby. Well, being almost 4 and 6, I guess you take things very LITERALLY! They were expecting to have a new baby brother or sister on the spot! Well, needless to say, their wishes came true, and quickly! They are so excited to be big sisters to the soon to be addition to the family. I'm due at the end of July and the little guy/gal is barely the size of a kumquat. 

We had Peter's immediate family over for a Chili-off, to watch football, and to share the exciting news. The girls announced it by wearing t-shirts - "Big Sister (again)" for Cate and "Future BIG Sister" for Margaret (above pic). Peter's dad was so excited that he ran home upon hearing the news to get his "Grandpa in Training" vest (above pic) that Peter's sister gave him when she announced she was pregnant with her first. 

What a great way to spend the first day of 2010! I wish all of you a wonderful year of happiness, love, and good health.