Wish List

So my very first Mother's Day and my old birthday are only a week apart. I have a few things on my wish list that would make mama very happy.......

Stella & Dot Serenity Stone Drop Earrings

My favorite perfume - Tom Ford's White Patchouli

Canon 60D

Here is my sells pitch on the new camera: You see my zoom lens is broken on my Nikon. If I buy just a new lens it will not compatible with other cameras that may come into my future so really a new lens is just a waste of money. I bought the nikon 6 years ago just as an entry level "I don't know how much I will use it" kinda deal. Well turns out I LOVE taking pictures. And with a new little face to take pictures of I really really LOVE taking pictures of him. Mama needs a updated version of her old DSLR. The Canon 60d is perfect for me and will last a life time!!!

Toms - Brown Stripe Rope Sole Shoes

These are out of stock but I keep checking and checking the website in the hopes that one day they will have my size. They are so adorable!!!

3 Months

My head is in the 70th percentile which means I got lots of brains in there.

#1 drooler and my hands taste amazing

Mommy calls me her little crab because I can make bubbles with my mouth

Full of smiles and coos

I have been sleeping 9+ hours every night and that makes my parents very happy!!!

Love to cuddle

First bath in the big tub

First time grabbing my toys

I can hold my head up

First 3 months

Golf anyone?

Eating my hands!! Yummy.

See - I told you I could hold my head up.

Patio Time

My poor little patio has not gotten any TLC in over a year. Weeds are taking over and if your one of my beloved plants that survived the past year count yourself lucky.

This weekend I spend a little time in the garden and I was amazed at the colors and smells. We are getting a new fence this month after an entire section completely fell over. We were hoping it would last us a few more months but it will be so nice to have a new pretty fence.

I took some before pictures so we could see the transformation!!!! But before the new fence goes up I wanted to share some of the other new life happening in the courtyard.....

Japanese Maple starting to change colors

Bleeding Heart - I thought this beauty was dead, all winter it was nothing but a dead twig but it came back to life and looks wonderful.

Agapanthus starting to open up. These are my favorite flowers, the are so hardy and I love its foliage. I alternated white, blue, and purple. I can not wait till they all open and bloom.

Last but not least my Jasmine vine climbing up the side of the house. I put it right by the front door and the smell is heavenly. I love the way it is creeping across the window.

Now we wait till the big strong men come with my cedar wood to build me a new fence!!!!

Happy Easter!!

Good Vibrations

Patio Drapes - Yes Please...

A friend of mine asked me the other day what I thought of curtains outside. Without any hesitation I said YES!!! I love the cozy intimate feel it brings to a patio and they can actually become pretty useful. You can use them to block the sun or add a bit of privacy to your outdoor space.

My only suggestion was to make sure and use a fabric that is durable or made for the outdoors. While a nice interior fabric will look great chances are it won't last very long or hold up in the outside elements.

Here is some inspiration for my friend to help get her dear husband on board with the whole idea of hanging drapes in the patio room......

I know this is totally unrealistic but just to die for....

Even Pottery Barn is on the outside tract...

Pottery Barn

Alright lets get real. If you really want the husband on board you have got to look for ways to save the old Benjamin Franklins. Finding a cheaper way to experiment with curtains outside is a must, because lets be honest - who really has the money to throw outside. If I had a covered patio that was screaming for drapes I would find myself looking in the paint section at Home Depot for some drop cloths that are cheap, durable, and already hemmed. Ten bucks for a large panel - yes sir $10 buck a roos. Get a long metal pole (maybe from the fence section) to mount it to the patio. I tell you for around $100 bucks you could get a fabulous looking elegant patio......

Here are drop cloth drapes from the Letter Cottage blog....

Who would have thunk it!!!! Drop cloths??? Really.

Sigh - I want a covered patio now!!!

2 Months

Wowzers time really does fly by with kids. Michael is learning to coo and smile this month, and boy does he love it when you talk to him. He is sleeping 8 to 9 hours each night and has been doing this since 4 weeks. I do realize how lucky we are, and each night I put him to sleep I think to myself "is tonight the night my luck runs out?" but low and behold he wakes up around 7am laughing and smiling in his bed.

Here are his monthly pictures side by side.......

And a few more pictures of this month......

Baptism

Afraid of Color

I will be the first to admit that most of my projects are the brain child of someone a whole lot smarter and more talent than me but I love to have fun with these projects and ideas and run with them.

We learned that I am defiantly afraid of color. I like the warm muted soft colors and tend to steer clear of bright loud bold colors. With a little push from the husband saying that our kid will need some stimulation and color in his life I decided to embark on this colorful DIY project.

I got the inspiration from this article in Parents magazine. So cool.

Colorful Paper Dot Mobile

List:

10 different colored cardstock of your choice

2" circle punch

small hole punch

200 pieces of 7 mm jump ring

8" embroidery hoop

6" embroidery hoop

Also need some needle nose pliers, fishing string, and a hot glue gun which I already had on hand. They had all the supplies I needed at Hobby Lobby.

1. Cutting circles: Used the 2" punch to cut out all the circles. I had 9 different colors: burnt orange, yellow, light yellow, dark blue, light blue, baby blue, green, light green, and cream. I did a cascade of colors starting dark and ending with a lighter colored on the bottom. You will need 4 strands for the outer hoop and 3 strands for the inner hoop. So cut out a total of 21 circles of each color.

2. Attaching the circles together: using your small hole punch make holes in the top and bottom of each 2" circle. For the top and bottom circle only punch one hole. Use the jump rings connect the circles making a strand of 9 circles which will total 21 strands (I did 7 of each color).

3. Hot glue the first circle onto the embroidery hoops spacing them about 1/4 inch apart. Your circles should barely be touching each other.

4. Cut 3 pieces of the fishing line about 4 inches in length. Then glue them to the inside of hoop to connect the smaller hoop to the larger hoop. Your small hoop should fit in the inside of the larger hoop and hang a few inches below it.

5. Tie fishing string to the large hoop in 4 different spots to hang it from a hook. I originally planned on hanging it from the ceiling but our ceilings are so high and it worked out that the shelve was near by to hang it from. I got a extended hook from the curtain section in Lowes and it worked great.

I finished this little project up on a rainy weekend while watching endless hours of a golf tournament with the husband. It sounds more complicated than it actually is, the outcome was well worth the time. The tedious part was connect each circle to each other with the jump rings. Michael LOVES the mobile and I debated on where to hang it - above the crib, rocking chair, or the changing table? The changing table won!!!

She's Got Legs

I am so in love with the console sinks with the chrome legs. They look so simple yet add so much elegance to these bathrooms. I dream of the day that we can buy an old house and slowly remodel each room with all the things I love. This sink would live right next to my claw foot tub or maybe an air tub???

(via domino magazine)

(via houzz.com)

(via decorpad.com)

(via decorpad.com)

Quote

Just keeping it real - this mommy stuff is hard (it's not for the faint of heart I tell you). Don't get me wrong I have moments of pure bliss and ecstasy and I feel so blessed and in love. But they are also mixed in with the moments your eyes rolling behind from being tired and the endless poop and feedings.

1 Month

I am going to try and take monthly pictures of Michael to see how much he is changing and growing his first year. I got this great idea from Young House Love to put him in a onesie and have different backgrounds each month. They did their little girl each week and they give an amazing step by step guide on how to do it all in photoshop. Check it out here.

Any who, it blew me away when I put his 0 months (1 week old) picture next to his 1 month picture. I guess I am with the little man all the time so I don't notice how much he is growing.....

Here are the pictures side by side....

Stay tuned for the upcoming months!!! How long you think I can keep this up? 1 year? Maybe till he goes to college?

O and here is a smile to brighten your weekend............

Before & After

I die for before and after pictures!! They are my absolute favorite because I am always amazed at what a little paint and imagination can accomplish. This my dear friends is probably the most dramatic B & A that has graced my sweet little blog.......

Because Today...

I am dreaming about the day I can fit into normal clothes again, and hoping that I can get some cute things like these to put on my body......

(via Pinterest)

I need those boots with that black dress.

Not want them, I NEED them.

Introducing Baby

One month in and I am slowly starting my entry back into the real world. SLOWLY I tell you because in all reality I can count on one hand how many times I have left my house the past 30 days. I even managed to get out of my pj's before 4pm today, most days I bathe and put the pj's right back on. But it's time, my energy level is up and Michael needs to start seeing this big bright world outside!!!!

One more picture to share with you guys of my little man. I know I have turned into one of those psycho parents that thinks the whole world wants to look at pictures of their kid. I saved the best for last!!!! By some strange miracle I got the birth announcements out in record breaking time. I took this picture of Britt holding Michael a week after he was born. I order them from Tiny Prints that same night (after some editing in Photoshop) and they literately showed up on my door step the next day. I addressed them over the weekend and voila.......

"For you created my inmost being; You knit me together in my mother's womb.

I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made." Psalm 139:13-14