The Little Things in Life

Peter came home from work today and asked if I remembered the couple we had met on our 3rd date at the restaurant Tallulah in Lincoln Square. Yes, I for sure remembered the couple -- as we ended up talking to them for quite awhile and somehow when I was in the restroom Peter's situation came out to them (when they asked him a question - as they thought we were married). Peter and the husband ended up meeting for lunch weeks later to discuss business and I think they touch base with one another every so often. 

Well, Peter asked me if I remembered them because he received a note in the mail from the husband with a gift certificate to the restaurant LM (formerly Tallulah). His note read:  

"Amy and I just had dinner at LM, formerly Tallulah where we met you and Dee Dee. They gave me a gift certificate and I thought I would pass it along to the two of you. Hopefully, you can return to the scene of the crime, where it all began. Congrats on all the big news at the growing Carr Family. Amazing." 

All my best, Jay

I thought that was so nice that the guy took some time to write a little note and send us the gift certificate - very thoughtful. So, now I think Peter and I need to check out LM - new French Gastro Bistro in Lincoln Square!! And how yummy, just saw Time Out's 2009 Best Desserts - they listed the AppleTarte Tatin from LM. 

35 Weeks - Our little "Honeydew"

This past Friday I hit 35 weeks - so that means we have less than 5 weeks to go! "BBC" is now over 18 inches and weighs about 5 1/4 pounds - according to Baby Center. Most of his physical development is now complete and in the next couple of weeks he will continue to put on weight. 

WOW, time is flying by. I really need "BBC" to stay put until the end of July as we have quite a few things left on our renovation (and will most likely be moving back into our house at the end of July). Gotta love it - when it rains it pours - so I could very well be delivering the baby the same weekend we are moving back in! Why not keep things exciting, eh!? 

I think we have officially figured out what we are naming "BBC" - which will be announced on here at some point after he is born! 

Craving of the week: Edy's Pomegranate Frozen Fruit Bar = YUMMY! 

Dreaming of: Sushi, Potbelly's sandwiches (turkey, less bread, no mayo/oil, everything else), fully caffeinated skim latte (obviously not all together - but definitely miss all of these things). 

LOVE: How excited Cate and Margaret are about the baby - it has been so much fun sharing this adventure with the two of them. I have overheard them telling people the four names in the running and what veggie/fruit that he is at the moment. 

Cannot wait to see Cate/Margaret and BBC's new rooms (and our new room!): 

Here are the colors...

Cate/Margaret = 2 different shades of PINK (specific colors TBD) 

BBC = Hawthorne Yellow (Benjamin Moore) and Chocolate (Serena & Lily)

Our Room = Palladium Blue (BM)

My Latest Obsessions

Three of my FAVES are in the pic above (we took this on our way out the door for Father's Day Brunch last Sunday). Peter and the two cuties!

I'm not sure how long I have loved ikat. I'm so drawn to anything ikat. Not sure why. But LOVE LOVE LOVE anything ikat. Love all of these ikat patterns from Madeline Atelier's fabrics. LOVE Pink Antoinette, LOVE Blu, Love Iris Daphne, Love Sunburst Luce. I didn't realize that Madeline Atelier had evening bags - love the ones w/ikat. Here is a fun one.

I love moroccan leather poufs - especially this one from Serena and Lily in lime green. FUN! And Serena and Lily has been so fun to peruse...especially when thinking about a nursery for "BBC."

I read a few weeks ago about Rubxin (new restaurant opening in the West Loop). I was immediately drawn to the fact that they used vintage cookbooks to make a decoupaged ceiling (so cool). Check out the ceiling process here! This restaurant is on my list before "BBC" arrives! Let's make it happen. Photographer Emily Johnston Anderson took pics of the restaurant - looks awesome!

Some fun tie-dye looks. Funny as I was just thinking about tie-dye as I used to make tie-dye shirts in the summer.

One of my favorite baby shower gifts are these bibs. I love ALL designs by Marimekko. We already have "BBC's" room figured out but how cute is this fabric by Marimekko.

A friend gave me this HILARIOUS and CLEVER baby gift - a shirt (in a secret pouch) that predicts the future of your child. I opened up the pouch and little "BBC" is apparently going to be a "Game Show Host" - how funny is that?! Makes for a super cute baby gift. This onesie is hilarious.

We have been thinking about lunch boxes lately...and I have a thing for these lunch boxes (especially the pink giraffe). Cate is so excited because this upcoming fall she will be able to have lunch at school! A HUGE deal in the life of a 6 year old!

34 Weeks - Our little Canteloupe

This past Friday I hit the 34 week mark - so that means we have 6 weeks to go! I feel so connected to Baby Boy Carr - as he has been a kicking machine lately. We are getting so excited to meet him. According to Baby Center little "BBC" weighs about 4 3/4 pounds (average canteloupe) and is almost 18 inches long!

Peter's sisters and mom hosted a baby shower for me this past Saturday. It was ADORABLE. It was right up my alley in terms of creativity and color coodination - I LOVE the above picture of the favors ("Dee Dee's Little Bun in the Oven" - and inside the box was a YUMMY sticky bun) - such a clever idea. And one of his sisters also snagged my 20 week ultrasound pics and had them framed with decorative paper - so cute.

Today we celebrated Father's Day. The girls and I gave Peter a few gifts (a cute key chain that has a pic of the little gals and a travel mug with a picture of the two gals) and of course many homemade cards from Cate/Margaret. Even "BBC" wrote a little card for Daddy - a hilarious card I found of a Dad and a little boy both in their underwear and super hero capes. The card read: Are we a Super-Duo or What? Happy Father's Day. The card made me laugh. We then went to an awesome brunch at Maya Del Sol and indulged in lots of YUMMY food.

I have enjoyed talking to two of my college friends who recently had their first babies. I've been asking them many questions - such as "I've got 6ish weeks left...any ADVICE to do now until the baby comes." And I've also drilled them about the first couple of weeks afterwards - things to expect! They have been invaluable and so helpful. Motherhood is such an interesting "CLUB" -and being pregnant with some close friends has been so much fun. I have lots of veteran moms in town that I talk to about pregnancy/babies/motherhood (which I don't know what I would do without) and there has been something so special about connecting with my friends that are having a baby for the first time (as well) that has been so wonderful.

PS - I'm so excited about our wedding spread in the mag Brides Chicago!

Brides Chicago - Our Debut!

Our wedding photographers, Brett and Kiri of Pen Carlson, emailed us a month or so ago and told us that Brides Chicago magazine wanted to feature our wedding as one of their "Real Weddings." So fun - and I found out today that the magazine is out and about! The gals and I stopped by the grocery store and picked up a few hard copies of the magazine (brides Chicago - Fall/Winter 2010, pages 132-133 and 264). Pen Carlson also posted the feature on their site as well.

Here is the article and overview of our wedding and here is "The Moment" that Brides Chicago featured. 

I have to laugh...because I'm 6 weeks away from meeting Baby Boy Carr and it was fun to revisit our wedding through the magazine!

I'm so glad that some of our favorite vendors (and our venue) were featured! At times I forgot that our vendors were not on our guest list as I grew close to so many of them! 

• We loved holding our reception at A New Leaf. 
• We LOVED LOVED LOVED our wedding photographers Brett and Kiri of Pen Carlson. Totally rocked. 
• I MISS my wedding planner Katie Kozlowski of Dettagli Weddings. Seriously, I cannot imagine planning our wedding without her. The two of us worked so well together. 
• LOVED our cake by Amy Beck Cake Design - she and my mom totally jived from a design standpoint and Amy came up with such a special way to visually tie the details of my wedding dress into the YUMMY cake. 
• So enjoyed working with Nicole and Erin of Bird & Banner on our unique wedding invitations. Our invitations were featured in Real Simple as Out of the Box Ideas to Spread the Word and they were in a post on the blog 100 Layer Cake. 
• Appreciated the energy and vibe of our DJ gals from Toast & Jam. 

Here are some past posts on our wedding - it was such a special weekend! 

My Latest Obsessions

I have always appreciated Velvet's clothing - cozy, comfortable, cute and fun. They are doing a line for Uniqlo. FUN! The line launched yesterday. Unfortunately, their only US store is in Soho. My youngest sister (who lives in NYC) is heading there to check out the 

I love this new wrapping paper from Paper Source - bright, cute, fun! This would actually look pretty framed. Lately though I have been using this lovely "birdies" wrapping paper from Snow & Graham. LOVE IT. It looks pretty and crisp tied with a dark chocolate brown ribbon. 

I love cards and always have fun picking them out. I found this great one for my stepdad (cowboy at heart) and then this one for Peter. I'm thinking of all my friends that just had their first babies (and who are expecting for the first time) -- what an exciting Father's Day this will be for them (you know who you are!!). I was kind of curious about the meaning/history behind Father's Day - so here goes the story. Hope all of you have fun Father's Day plans. The gals and I are off to brunch with Peter on Sunday and then we are going to hit the pool and chill (fingers crossed for a sunny day)! 

In the June 2010 Real Simple mag I saw a recipe for Peanut Butter Cup and Pretzel Terrine (and made a mental note - MUST TRY or MUST EAT!) and then I was on a friend's blog (Not to Brag) and saw that she made it (and it sounds like it was quite yummy and easy). Maybe for Father's Day weekend!

I have a HUGE weakness for cookies - yummy goey cookies! LOVE THEM. Okay, and CUPCAKES (especially Sweet Mandy B cupcakes). I saw The Cookie Sandwich Company on Daily Candy Deals and took a peak. YUMMY. Enter DCCOOKIE at checkout and receive 25% off. 

PS - I was laughing with my sister as this is about the 2 year anniversary of the "Zip Car" incident at Peter's -- when I then left the next morning to fly out for my Dad's 65th birthday. Too funny! 

Week 33 - Our little "Pineapple"

As of this past Friday Little Baby Boy Carr hit the 33 week mark (7 weeks to go!). "BBC" is now the size of a pineapple (per BabyCenter) - about 4 pounds and he has surpassed the 17 inch mark! He is losing his wrinkled, alien look and his skeleton is hardening. 

Peter and I were able to get away for a night this weekend and stay downtown - which was so awesome and much needed. We have been so busy lately that it was such a treat to spend some quality one on one time together - especially before life gets even more busy with the baby! We went to Piccolo Sogno for dinner and loved it. Such great food and fun people watching. Their back patio is the best. 

The next morning we had coffee at the Goddess and Grocer (Gold Coast location) and then we made a brief pit stop at Anthropologie (reminded me of my weekends when I lived downtown). I felt right at home with all the gals that work there - one even asked about my sister (as we were their usual suspects every Sunday when I lived downtown)! Peter read the newspaper on the couch there while I perused the store. I fell in love with this adorable "gazelle" - handmade by Haitians - using repurposed cement bags and vintage french book paper. You may end up seeing this in the Cate/Margaret/BBC's new bathroom! 

Then Saturday/Sunday we had our all day birthing classes. Both of us thoroughly enjoyed them and loved the woman (here is an article written by her) who taught the class (chill / down to earth / very knowledgeable / she is a doula and just delivered her 1000th baby). Wild! This is all feeling so much more real! 

My Latest Obsessions

It is Thursday and usually I post my Latest Obsessions and Faves on Friday. However, I'm heading downtown tomorrow morning to spend the day with Peter (sort of a mini "babymoon" - as we have struggled lately to find any free moments with our crazy schedules / the gals and their calendar / the renovation /social obligations and so forth). We are staying downtown and have dinner reservations at Piccolo Sogno Restaurant. I've been wanting to go there for awhile. YUMMY! Fingers crossed that the weather holds out and we can sit outside. 

Ummm, just discovered Madewell. LOVE LOVE LOVE. I'm itching to get back into non-maternity clothes -- and I have been so good to not even LOOK at stuff lately. But these dresses caught my eye - the high summer dress (love the one sleeve and the ruffles and cut of it) and I adore this dress too. I like the idea of it being described as "low-key polish" = the perfect summer dress in my mind! I will say that I've never heard of Madewell before (looks like they have stores on the east coast...but none in midwest - what's up w/that?). ANYONE BEEN TO ONE OF THEIR STORES? I didn't realize they are part of the J.Crew group. 

The other day I saw a friend carrying a very cute and bright Jane Marvel bag. I have seen J.Marvel's stuff from time to time but took a moment to check it out online. CUTE STUFF and affordable prices. Her stuff is a bit Orla Kiely-esque - fun/bright/different and has a water resistant surface (ideal for the mom or person on the go!). Love the satchel style and the wide shopping bag. 

I love French Bull's stuff - from their melamine plates to their awesome picnic set (that we have and use often!). They have so many fun patterns. They just came out with an adorable Princess Collection of plates, cups and bowls. Our gals would LOVE these! 

Week 32 - Our little "Jicama"

This past Friday I laughed when I read that BBC is the size of a large jicama (according to Baby Center). 32 Weeks down and 8 to go! By now the little guy weighs about 3.75 pounds and is about 16.7 inches long. He now has fingernails, toenails, and real hair (so curious about his hair and the color of it)! I was born 10 weeks early and came out with a full head of hair (and look at me now - quite a head of curly hair!). 

Cate and Margaret were a bit perplexed by the latest veggie/fruit description. "What is a JICAMA?" While I like jicama I didn't really know how to describe it to the gals. So I looked it up. It is a crispy, sweet and edible root! 

My Latest Obsessions

Happy Friday! It is the little gals last week of school - lots of picnics / programs and now summer is officially kicking off! Hooray! 

I saw this vase (made of 47 mini bud vases) in Real Simple and think it is so cool. You could easily take apart a simple supermarket bouquet and make quite an impressive display.

Aren't these vintage tea towels from P.O.S.H. Chicago adorable? 

Love these "birds and stripes" letterpress cards from designer Emily Martin. She recently opened a store in Chicago - Orange Beautiful - however, you can find her items on Etsy as well. Emily has a great blog as well called the Scoop! 

We aren't having a little girl but I came across these new adorable mary jane Trumpette socks for little gals that are ADORABLE for summer! So cute. I may have to get these Cowboy Socks from Trumpette before JuJu and Grandpa T arrive! 

I LOVE gerber daisies - love that they come in such bright pinks/oranges/etc. - and how fun would it be if they lasted longer?! I may need to try one of Paper Sources Gerber Daisy kits. 

Father's Day is around the corner...time to start thinking about gifts for my dad / Grandpa T (my stepdad) / and both the gals grandpas / and Peter. Last year I took a picture of the girls holding a sign that said, " We LOVE you to pieces" and we made a picture frame out of puzzle pieces - turned out super cute. It is time to get the creative ideas flowing...! These "grill-style" cupcakes are pretty adorable! 

I'm having a fun time thinking about our new "kids" bathroom for the cutie gals and their pending new brother! I think we are going with the following fabric for the shower curtain...and the other day I saw a cute green paper mache deer head (sounds bizzare) but I think it could be really cute in the bathroom. I "googled" (shoot, gotta use AOL as my sister works there!) "deer heads and paper mache" and came up with quite a few sites. Apartment Therapy Chicago had a post on them.

Week 31 - Our "little basket of oranges"

Hope everyone had a nice long weekend! It was so nice to have that extra day - would LOVE 3-day weekends all the time. We were up at the gals grandparents lake house and then back for memorial day action in town (BBQs, pool time, parade). The little gals (myself included) were quite tired this AM. They are in countdown mode - as it is their last week of school. 

So, little Baby Boy Carr hit 31 weeks this past Friday - less than 9 (ish) to go! Wow, little "BBC" now measures over 16 inches and weighs about 3.3 pounds (according to Baby Center). This week they are comparing him to carrying 4 navel oranges! 

I seriously cannot believe that in a little over 2 months we will be meeting little "BBC!" We cannot wait! 

PS - And congrats to my youngest sister who graduated this past weekend from Princeton University's School of Architecture - so proud of our littlest pup. I admire her passion and dedication - she has been such a rock star with all her schooling! "BBC" cannot wait to meet Aunt Carrie when she emerges from "underground!" 

Some shout outs to little Carrie (a quick google search pulled up the following): 

Special Mention in the Evolo Competition  

Future Cities Lab - Super Galaxy