hitting the (kitchen) wall...getting settled, day 4

After finding a little bit of inspiration for the kitchen, I was super excited to get started.

So I sat at the kitchen table for a minute and then looked to my right.



AAAAAHHHHH!

Vile vertical blinds. Almost enough to distract you from the intensely ugly light fixture.

Almost.

In case you missed the amazing pattern, here it is:



Awsomesauce. For real.

So, I really want to rip them down but I am unsure of what to hang in their place.

Normally I would just pick out a rod and hang some drapes, but there is very little space (maybe 4 inches) between the right side of the sliding glass door and the kitchen cabinets...so the drapes all need to stack on the left side in order for the door to be functional. And it must be functional, it leads to the deck, which leahttp://www.blogger.com/img/blank.gifds to the hot tub (and the swing set, which is not as important because I don't drink margaritas on the swings).

So help me out! Do you know of any curtain rods that don't need a center support? Or a super awesome idea which doesn't include vertical blinds?

How about some other ideas for my kitchen? I'm all ears!

Thanks!

I'm linking up at Amanda's Weekend Bloggy Reading Party!

a real mall!...getting settled, day 3

In case you haven't noticed, it's terribly hot out.

Too hot for me to play outside. Sorry kids, enjoy the AC and TV.

I decided to throw the giant double stroller into the Jeep and head to the nearest mall.

Reasons I was excited:
a) Hello. Getting out of the house.
b) 20 min car ride = 20 min where a child is not attached to me (remember, it's hot
c) PB, C&B, and RH under one, glorious, air conditioned roof. Thank you Baby Jesus.*
d) The anchor stores at the mall in Ohio were Best Buy and Dunhams...for real.
e) High potential for an Orange Julius.

I found some inspiration in C&B.

Meet my kitchen...in dishtowel form.

source

It's good to have a starting point, right?

I skipped the Orange Julius. Next time it will be mine!

Are you guys on Pinterest? Come and join me, it will be fun! You will be addicted!

Seriously, it's a really fun way to organize all of the stuffs you find online that you just can't live without. Instead of in a mile long list of bookmarks...you can have tidy little thumbnails with a personal description. Like the dishtowel up there? Totally pinned it. Ahhh...happy place. Join me!

If you'd like an invite to Pinterest just let me know, I'm happy to send you one :) And no, I'm not being paid to talk about Pinterest, I just want a few more friends to stalk.

*Most evenings, Mr. Three says grace at the dinner table. Some days it is the sweetest thing ever, and some days it goes like this "Father, Son, Holy Ghost, I love Jesus, Hiya! Hiya! Ninjas. Amen."

a new couch...getting settled, day 2

My couch is plaid.

It has also been peed on, puked on, slept on, and moved 4 times.

So naturally I am excited to replace it!

Also - we really need something to sit on in the basement...and the plaid will work great in the dungeon playroom. (and I am totally having it steam cleaned next week)

We've been stalking couches since we moved in, and decided this was the week to buy (sale!).

These were the swatches...

solids for couches and patterns for pillows
p.s.- the geometric is totally named "Takin it to the Streets"

We wanted to make sure the furniture would fit, so we mapped it out on the floor with painters tape.

I have given up on trying to keep the kids away while I take pics...
get used to seeing tiny men in my photos

And the kids quickly ripped it up ;)

I'm going to pretend he didn't walk around with tape stuck to his foot for most of the day

Tonight we ordered it!

I decided to go with the dove grey instead of the darker grey (coincidentally both swatched were labeled "charcoal" but in different patterns), and the geometric for the accent pillows.

By the middle of September we will have a new sectional and love seat! I am so EXCITED!

Also - I keep singing this song. Thank you Michael McDonald.

half bath love...getting settled, day 1

I spent last weekend sewing, and because I thought it would be a quick project, I only set my trusty Husky Star up on the kitchen island.

It's totally still sitting there...

At any rate, I needed to carve out a teeny little spot in this house that felt like me. Mr. Three is newly potty trained, so we spend a fair amount of time in the half bath, plus it's a little space and didn't require new paint.

I decided it was a good place to start.

Here's the before...



The biggest problem (besides the fact that this is my only before pic) was the window treatments. The ugly brown valance needed to come down and unfortunately the wooden blinds were broken (permanently in the "up" position), offering no privacy. I don't think you could actually see into the bathroom, but it felt really open...so I wanted something that would offer privacy, yet let in the light.

I hit up a flea market right after we moved here and I picked up a chunk of old lace, I immediately knew I wanted to use it in the bath and that gave me my direction.

Here's the after...I call it the Granny Bath ;)




I've been wanting to do hoops with fabric for awhile so that was a no brainer for art. I had the basket and flowers, and they seemed to work well so I tossed them in.

I used an old sheet to make the curtain...and I used the same material to add a ruffle to the towels.

It's far from truly done, and not really exciting, but it feels nice to be able to say a room is done for now.

Tomorrow...we order new couches for the family room.

introducing...

My new house :)

It's been whirl-windy.
And happy.
Sometimes frustrating...mostly just plain BUSY!

I need to get back into this blogging thing. I'm thinking 30 days of projects from the new house...let's start tonight.

Be there or be square.
Yep, I totally just said that.

heading back to target

Last night I spent 45 glorious minutes unaccompanied in Target.

It was so blissful that I completely forgot that I was going to buy a baby gate. So I'm sure that's why my parents gave me such odd looks when I showed them the contents of my shopping bag:
pull ups
sunglasses
a sing a ma jig (he sings yankee doodle!)

So we are headed back today.

OK, now it's later...

Got the baby gate.

And we stopped in TJ Maxx super fast...so I picked up a few pairs of shoes and a super cute Calvin Klein dress :)

And I would totally share some pics but, well...I still can't figure out my parent's computer. Sorry!

Happy Day!

hanging out in troy

So...I've been a little lax in updating since the movers arrived, in fact I just realized that instead of publishing a post about moving I was just saving it...so um, sorry about that.

Anyway, we arrived in Troy last Fri and have been hanging out with my parents. I took the boys and my mom and sister to the Detroit Zoo on Wed, it was great! The weather was perfect, not too hot so most of the animals were really active.

On Thurs I took the boys downtown to swim at Allison's apartment. We had fun and I am completely envious of her view of the Detroit River. And I keep redecorating her place in my head...so Al, be forewarned, I might have a few ideas heading your way ;)

J came home to Troy for this weekend, so we have been enjoying his company and we even went out for a little date last night :) we saw the Hangover 2 and I'm pretty sure that movie makes the Baby Jesus cry, but it was incredibly funny. And when we got into the theater we realized AJ and JR were also there :D

I've been slowly redecorating half of my parents house, and taking pics of course, but I can't figure out how to upload pics to the computer here...so I probably wont have any to share until July. But then I will have lots of pics and plans for my new house!! I am excited!!!!

That's it, we are in town until June 30, and spending next weekend in Muskegon, so if you'd like to get together give me a call or send me an email.

god breeze

Today I was ill. Not very good timing as the moving truck will arrive Wednesday morning.

I was feeling sorry for myself.

It was pitiful.

Then I stumbled across this. A teeny tiny baby, scheduled to have heart surgery on Thursday.

Makes my problems seem, well, not really like problems.

We are moving to a very nice house. We are moving because Hubs is awesome and works his tail off at the office. We have friends in Milwaukee waiting for us!

I think I'm ready. Let's do this!!

big time crime

Perhaps the last docket goody?

Two 20-year-old females were charged with petty theft Tuesday after a deputy found a "mowing ahead" sign in the trunk of the vehicle they were driving on Hancock County 172.

A gaggle of geese was running loose Tuesday in the 19000 block of Hancock County 17. The animals' owner returned them to their barn after speaking with a deputy.

Oh geese. Heehee!

things i will miss

I'm sitting on my deck, watching the sun go down.

I love this backyard.

I loved this backyard in the tundra like conditions of Ohio in late November, when we were house shopping and I was dreading moving back to this little city. Something about the frozen grass, big deck and mature trees felt so welcoming; the icing this house, and that move, needed so that I would feel like everything was going to work out just fine. Then in the spring I discovered the moss that thrives in the yard, the lichen on those big old trees that the builder left instead of clear cutting before developing the land.

There is a brown picket fence surrounding the back. I actually thought we would tear it down(!), I'm so glad we didn't get to that project. It's so sweet to see the squirrels running from picket to picket. And it does an excellent job of corralling the kids, making my job so much easier.

I'm not sure what my new backyard will bring...

eight days

In eight days the moving truck will arrive.

I'm starting to freak out a little (okay, a lot!).

Can we start with the fact that I have not actually been to our new home???

deep breathing

Add in two-ish weeks at Camp Grammy and Papa...and a baby that really only likes to sleep in his crib in his room.

can you see me doing yoga poses?

And then starting over in a state that I have hardly visited.

pass the chocolate.

But it will all be worth it, because we all miss J very very much.

I can't wait for us all to be under the same roof.

do you remember....

Do you remember Magic Bars?

Ooey, gooey, sugary goodness?

nom nom nom!

I don't ever remember my mom making these, but I do remember them being a staple lunchtime treat in McNair Hall.

In 8 more minutes I will be pulling a batch out of my oven...and then counting the minutes until they cool enough to eat.

I made this poor little guy wait until after lunch to have a bar...I'm so mean!

These are super easy to make - melt, mix, pat, sprinkle and bake.

I took the recipe right off of the back of the Eagle Brand Milk.

If you are looking for something yummy and full of chocolate and peanut butter, you need to make these bars that Vanessa highlighted last week.

So good. Probably too good.

Definitely not swimsuit-season friendly.

But completely necessary.

Noms!

conversations with jj

Talking to our 7 year old neighbor boy.

JJ: You love your mommy very very much?
7: Yes.
JJ: She keep away the bad guys and play toys and give lots of kisses?
7: Yes.
JJ: That is sooo awesome. (nods head emphatically)

moving updates

Last week was a big week.

We all went to Milwaukee to house hunt, I brought my sister Susie to help with kiddos, especially because J and I were driving separately. She stayed with JJ while I house hunted with our realtor and Mr. Max.

Probably the best thing to happen was that we accepted an offer on our house on Mon evening. Another 7 day sale! Woohoo! I'm planning on doing a tour of our house, mostly for posterity, but also to show how I staged it. Just like every other time we move, once I clear out the daily bits of clutter I love our home so much more. But I do miss having family pictures all around.

On Wed J and I put in an offer for our favorite house. It was great, 4 bedrooms upstairs, second floor laundry, big finished basement with egress windows and 2 guest rooms and a full bath, 3 car garage, big yard. It was going to be perfect.

On Thurs evening we found out that there was already a primary buyer for the house, but with a home sale contingency.

Crap.

And by the time we found out I was already back in Ohio and J was somewhere on the Indiana turnpike.

Double crap.

We received a counter offer and then countered back very quickly, the sellers kept moving really slowly. And it was making me crazy and nervous. I kept envisioning my family living in a storage unit (see, totally crazy thinking).

Fri night we chose to walk away from that house. We were still at least a week away from an accepted offer, and then the primary buyers would have a decent chunk of time to decide if they would set a closing date and buy the house or walk away and let us have it. We needed to stay sane.

So yesterday J walked through 5 more houses and then went through one of them a second time and took a nausea-inducing video for me (way too rocky to share with all of you). And we placed an offer.

Send me some good vibes that we can come to an agreement quickly!

docket fruit

I haven't been stalking the docket lately, but I found ths one today and it made me chuckle.

I'm going to miss this little town...

"A rural man was expected to be cited after firing a rifle Sunday from N. Main St. Charges may include firing across a roadway, inducing panic of those nearby who heard the shot, and hunting groundhogs without a license."

Groundhogs!

wedding outfits

In case you were all just absolutely sitting on pins and needles worrying about what I wore to my BIL's wedding...

I wore the black linen tunic and capris to the rehearsal, and the teal dress with nude open-toe pumps to the wedding.

And I can't remember if I took a pic of myself in either outfit.
And I killed the camera.
So yeah...

I kept the yellow floral print dress and will wear it to my boys' Baptism and another family wedding in May - the votes were split pretty evenly between the two dresses.

Thanks for helping me decide!

Staging the Great Room

big news!

Last Tuesday J asked if we wanted to move to Milwaukee.

I asked him to show me the offer.

Offer was good - we are headed to Brew City!

I'll keep you all posted while I house hunt :)


alanna rose

need a diversion?

Life has been really heavy lately.

Help me pick my outfits for J's brother's wedding this weekend!

Rehearsal Dinner

A

B

Wedding

A

B

Please note that J took these pictures, and he cannot figure out how to take a flattering picture of me. I have tried to help him, many many times, and he just can't do anything with a camera but hold it up and click the shutter. He has zero finesse with zoom or camera angle.

He totally does not understand that down shots hide my double chin.

But I still love him, so I'll just have to deal with it ;)

And can we also pretend that I have on makeup and am not rocking a greasy side pony?

Thanks.

ETA - J is standing in the wedding, and I know they will take family pictures, so think of me standing with a bride, 4 guys in tuxes, my MIL in a classic MOG dress and my adorable SIL, who always looks fab (and then my boys and nephews, who will most likely steal the show anyway)

fun new toy!

So, my super husband left work a few minutes early the other week, and stood in line at Best Buy to get me an iPad2.

He must love me, or something ;)

At any rate, we have been having lots of fun with it, and although it is mine (it has a pink cover!), I did notice a new basketball app installed... And JJ is sort of into Angry Birds...




alanna rose

these sippy cups are killing me

On Saturday I am hosting a Super Hero Birthday Extravaganza.
I should be sewing super hero capes (complete with lightning bolt monogram).

My town is slowly recovering from some pretty awful flooding.
I should be making meals for my water-logged friends.

Instead I am dealing with this.



Because a sippy cup full of milk leaked on the couch in my office.
And then it sat.

The cushion has a down top.

Mega GROSS.

I'm hoping I can resurrect the cushion, and that the cover will dry quickly. But all sippy cups have now been banished (well, I'm hiding away two for long car trips). He's turning three - he'll just have to make do with real cups, and learn to sit at the table when he wants a drink.

He'll probably deal with this change better than the next one I'm planning...

bye, bye binky

a little sunshine

It's snowy and cold today.

My neighbor took care of our sidewalk! I shall pay him in baked goods! (take that, other neighbor who prefers to watch me shovel during nap time. no treats for you!)

I finished a project, it's making me happy :)

ooh, bunting!

Heather inspired me.

And I was totally going to make little fabric roses, but my goal was to use yarn from my stash, and when I finished wrapping the wreath form, I felt like bunting was more appropriate.

Plus, I can do this:

all decked out for Valentine's Day

Next week we have a birthday at our house - I'm thinking a pic of the birthday boy will be pretty fantastic pinned to the wreath, and a shamrock after that, etc...

Happy Friday! Hope you've found your sunshine!

I'm linking up at Amanda's!

 I'm joining the Wreath Party at The Nesting Place!

the current state of my mantle

Don't laugh.

please excuse the duplos, and umm, everything else

Yep, that is totally my mantle.

The real one. In my living room. The one visitors see.

Surprisingly? I sort of dig it.

I think John Cusack is kind of dreamy

Jenny posted an interesting discussion about being overexposed to design. I have to say I feel it, and I'm not even a real designer. I really want my mom to put up lovely Ikat drapes in her bedroom, but I keep thinking -

"Is Ikat over?" If we do that, then in 2 years will I look at the drapes and say "Wow, that is so 2010."

But if Mom loves it, then does it really matter?

So does it really matter that my mantle is currently decorated with our gag-gift presents from Christmas?

I say nope. These things make me laugh, so they are staying for now. We'll call it Frat Chic - an eclectic assortment of items you might typically find in a frat house (although much cleaner). Who knows, maybe I'll add to the "collection," maybe I'll start thenextbigthing (yeah right), maybe I'll find proper homes for these items (GW box?) before our next party.

I still love that kitty oil painting.

m

he's pretty perfect

even though he still won't even attempt to sleep through the night


he's teething - always...5 teeth and counting

cruising along the furniture

crawling so fast that I lose him multiple times every day

drooling and chewing on everything


obsessed with the oven's warming drawer (just like his big brother)

has an incredible amount of blonde hair

I just trimmed it so he can see,
we aren't calling it a haircut, though;
he's just not old enough for one yet.

expert snuggler

looks just like daddy, but he belongs to mommy

wants to be just like his big brother


we love him

the problem with bowling

J is a bowler.

Like, I think he seriously would really enjoy being a pro bowler (I know - I'm thinking I wouldn't fit in very well with the pro-bowler wives). He's in two leagues (at one point he was in three), and his name shows up pretty regularly in the sports section of our local paper.

Yes, they print high bowling scores in the local paper.

Anyway, the problem is that the 6 or 7 nights a month that he does bowl, I am not happy. He leaves for work and then he comes home after bowling. So I take care of the bebes all day without reprieve (super fun when they decide to tag-team their naps) and handle bedtime by myself. I have to say it's easier now that it was when Max was a few months old - that was really tough.

I go back and forth on how I feel about this. I want him to have time to enjoy something, but I feel like bowling is inferior to a whole bunch of activities.

It's not even aerobic.

Today I decided that one of the main issues I have with bowling is that I am alone all day with our little guys, and once I get them both in bed I have maybe 30 min to myself before he comes home.

And 30 min is nothing. I barely finished folding a basket of laundry before he came home - I had big plans to blog, and vacuum, and dust, and polish my nails and take a super long shower. I'm beginning to think I should tell him to stay out longer, but I think that plan will backfire.

And that is the problem with bowling.

there's a hole in the ceiling

When we bought this house, 4 years ago (I know! I can't believe it's already been 4 years!), there was one thing I really wanted to change.

The skylight in our entry. Specifically the shaft because it was lined with plywood (instead of drywall) and when it was painted the grain rose and looked really bad.

J said he would fix it. No problem.

Well, it's been four years. The skylight itself has been replaced (we had that done when the roof was replaced in 2007), but the shabby-shaft remained.

swede in a hole

But now it. is. gone.

There is a giant hole in the ceiling, because no project is ever as easy at it seems, but there is progress.

And it makes me happy.

friday randomness

First: how do we feel about my green polish?

Sew Psyched by essie

The only opinion I could get around here is from JJ. He said "Cool mommy. Like a army guy."

* Muffin Friday! - I threw the boys in the car and we got drive-thru muffins from Biggby for breakies. And coffee, of course coffee!

* I got to dress up for an actual business meeting this week - I felt like a grown up!

* JJ just convinced me to paint one of his nails - he thinks it's pretty special.

* I think I'm going to merge my two blogs, the other one is sort of blah. I think I'll just stick it in here. Maybe that way I'll update more often.

Probably not ;) but maybe.

* I'm out of dish soap, and I have no desire to take the kids to the store. I think it's a pretty excuse to not do dishes today.

* I have a lot of stuff to do today, but I really just want to clean and organize the house...

* JJ is starting preschool in the fall. I have issues with this, and yet, I love it!

* Someone keeps stealing my camera and taking pictures (and touching the lens).

at my house

this guy loves prunes

this guy still loves building rockets

and these two have still got it
(ps - j does not have a double chin,
he just does that every time we take self portraits)

Sunday Confessional

This week, I forgot to defrost the chicken ahead of time.

I know. Someone needs to take away my Girl Scout badges.

Sometime around 4PM on Tuesday I realized that the whole chicken I was going to roast for dinner was, unfortunately, still in the freezer.

So I called my mom (because that is generally my answer for everything, call mom - she always knows what to do). She had no words of wisdom, but as we were chatting she told me about a vegetarian tamale pie she had made the week before. And as she is talking, I am digging through the kitchen cupboards.

Wouldn't you know I had all the ingredients?

pantry cooking. yes please.

And it was really good, and really easy. And the 2 year old ate it. I know.

So make some Tamale Pie!


Tamale Pie

1 cup instant polenta
1 can of beans (I used red kidney, black beans or pintos would also be great)
1 cup frozen corn
1 cup jarred salsa ( fresh would make a soupy mess)
seasoning (I used an ancient pack of taco seasoning - next time I'll use cumin, oregano, cilantro, chipotle and some salt)
1 cup cheese (I had Italian blend - I would have preferred cheddar)

preheat oven to 350

1. Prepare your polenta and spread into a buttered casserole (bonus points if it has a lid!).
2. Dump beans with liquid (bean juice?) into a bowl and mash with a potato masher. Mix in 1 cup of salsa and seasonings.
3. Spread bean mixture over polenta. Top with frozen corn and sprinkle with cheese. I sprinkled the cheese with chipotle and cilantro just to give it some color.

polenta and beans. noms.

4. Bake covered for 15 min, uncover and bake for 15 minutes more.

*I really think this would freeze well.

I Lied

Yesterday I said I had no real resolutions.

I lied.

Based purely on the amount of chocolate I consumed today, it is safe to say that my resolution for 2011 is:

To make sure that every single Christmas treat is eaten by Jan. 5th.

That is all.

Yada Yada Yada

Happy New Year!

It's been so long since I've blogged that I feel like I've forgotten how to type - let's all say a collective prayer of thanksgiving for the all-important spell-check.

Done? Super.

I'm not making any real resolutions this year, I'm just planning on continuing to nurture my family, take care of my home (as time allows) and volunteer until I can't breathe (seriously, I need to start sitting on my hands so I stop signing up for everything!).

That's it. I'm not even going to strive to write here X times per week, because that's just not how my life is going. Except I am super excited for the second season of Worst Cooks in America to start tonight. I loved it last season, so I'm going to do some recapping here, I'm hoping a few other fans will chime in? It'll be much more fun that way.

I'll be back tomorrow - or the next day...

big news!

From my local paper:

"Three frozen cheeseburgers and a sweatsuit were missing Sunday from 532½ S. Main St., 111."

Better lock up the freezer, there's a cheeseburger thief on the loose!

i figure it's about time for a new post

What can I say? Life is freaking busy.

Boys - both are adorable and wonderful. Except that ever since Max hit 4 months, he has decided it is super-duper important to wake up at least 3 times a night. So I could totally live without that.

Also, he can't decide if he is a happy and round baby, or a really upset and round baby. He is for sure round, especially when compared to JJ.

Max stats - 4 months
15 pounds - 50th percentile
25 inches - 50th percentile

I'm pretty sure JJ always hung out around the 10th percentile. What I know for sure is that JJ is still wearing size 4 diapers (I'm sure he could do 5's, but hello?! they cost more!), and I just stuck Max in a size 3 for bedtime (because if I have to change one more sheet at 3AM, I am going to scream. Also, all of the sheets might be in a giant ball in the washer...). Draw your own conclusions, I think Max is going to give JJ a run for his money one day ;)

you can tell it was a momentous occasion because my hair is in a towel
and I'm wearing a bath robe

Last night Max had his first bites of "food." It was a big step for me. JJ had food for the first time at 6 months, and he had delicious mashed banana - unprocessed and wonderful, he's been a total fruit-arian ever since. Giving Max rice cereal at 4 months sort of made me a bit uneasy. Maybe I'm just crazy (probably). Anyway, he managed to ingest a little bit of it, and he seemed to like it (no tears, lots of grunting), but he hasn't pooped since he ate it, and he didn't magically sleep through the night after eating (I was totally hoping that would happen) - so I'm still on the fence. We ended up at a corn maze/pumpkin patch for the evening and came home too late for baby mealtime, so I just nursed him :)

I know I have more, but coherent-sentence-formation is eluding me. So here are JJ and J running through the corn maze.

ps - JJ is totally wearing his sunglasses upside down

Busy Bees

We have been swamped the last two weeks!

September brought a new Service League year, and has been consuming a large amount of my free time; the rest of my time is consumed by these two little monkeys.

Peanut and Bun
Hiking Monkeys!

Last week Hubs was out of town. And this week Bun has been a sick little baby :(

In fact, Wednesday night (midnight-ish) I came this close to taking him to the ER. He was crying so hard that I had no idea what else to do. Then, just as I was changing out of my pj's he calmed down and went to sleep (Hubs was holding him and patting his little back). A few of my friends suggested Gripe Water, and we have used it a few times in the past two days and it has been amazing!

We have our happy little baby back!!

Anyway, we have a busy weekend ahead:
* 5K in the morning - the one I mentioned here
* Wrap up the Service League Garage Sale Fundraiser - I cleaned most of the closets and moved a bunch of stuff out of the house!
* Put out the fall decor
* Tidy up the master bedroom - it *might* look like a tornado went through *maybe*

Do you have any exciting weekend plans?

PS - Welcome to my new followers!

A Bright Baby Shower

A bit ago I mentioned a baby shower I was throwing. The baby arrived last week (my incredibly-adorable-first-ever-nephew!) so I figured I should probably get to recapping the party. As luck would have it, The CSI Project is having a Party Ideas Challenge this week. So I'm linking up!

When I think of my SIL I think of bright colors; I decided that would be my "theme" for the shower.

Not exactly a theme, but it worked for decorating. Since this shower was thrown eight weeks after my son arrived, I purchased almost everything months in advance and planned to add either bright pink or turquoise accents (depending on baby's gender). This worked out great!

For invitations I simply purchased note cards, ran them through my printer and added "It's a Boy!" tags to personalize them.

so simple!

Inside:

Blankets and Booties, Diapers and Pins,
This is where the love begins!
Onesies and Bibs, Toys and More,
This is what baby showers are for!

Please Join us for a Baby Shower Honoring
Super Sister-in-Law

The tables were set with white table cloths, a runner made of turquoise tulle, a centerpiece, and small gift bags with turquoise tissue paper.

bright centerpieces on an overcast day

The guests filled their gift bags with candy from a small candy buffet to take home as a favor.

I think Buddy the Elf would approve

I kept the menu simple, my philosophy with parties is not to overwhelm people with choices. Instead I like to offer a well-planned meal that most people will enjoy. I got lots of compliments!

Michigan Salad
Assorted Mini Quiches (I totally cheated and bought these at Sam's)
Fruit Salad
Rolls and Butter
Punch
Cake

nom nom nom

my MIL turned a watermelon into a bowl shaped like a baby seal :)

I have played enough shower games and won enough bath sets/picture frames/stationary to stock a Hallmark store. I am OVER shower games.

Instead, I purchased an 8 x 8 scrapbook and everyone made a page. This was a great activity, and I hope that my SIL will enjoy filling the pages with pictures of her new little guy :)

Unmade

It was a hectic week.

So hectic, I didn't make the bed yesterday.

chaos

I love making the bed because I love getting into a made bed each night. It feels more comfortable and relaxing than climbing into a mess of blankets and trying to make them right (which never works).

I like to keep our bedding simple; fitted and flat sheet, duvet with cover, two pillows each and a throw pillow to finish. Much more feels like overkill.

And, seriously? Stacking up loads of decorative pillows takes time, and they collect dust and feel so very... 90's in aesthetic. At least to me.

I prefer my streamlined bed :)

How many pillows are on your bed?

we're back!

We're back from our week at Houghton Lake. On the way back we even got to stop at Laura's farm! I love her pigs! And her bebes, of course ;)

I want a cottage. "Want" is not strong enough...I need a getaway place about two hours from my house. On the water, no tv, lots of board games, a live in nanny would also be helpful ;)

fishing

Anyway, right after Max was born one of my friends gave me a copy of Mitten Strings for God by Katrina Kenison, I had a chance to read it while we were gone, and it was wonderful! I highly recommend it for all parents. In fact I'm ordering a whole bunch of copies for my expectant friends. I'm really thinking of doing a read along on the other blogg-o, if you are interested please let me know.

Energized!

On Sunday we came back from a week at the lake.

I am refreshed and energized!

drool factory

I read an awesome book while on vacation, Mitten Strings for God by Katrina Kenison. It was wonderful. It's not a book about God, it's a book about slowing the pace of life down and letting your children soak up childhood, being happy with what you have, and appreciating all of the little things that make life so amazing.

I was thinking it would be really fun to do a read-along here on the blog. If you are interested let me know.

More later :)