Monthly Archives: August 2012

three things

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three things i am likin’ right now

[glow little glow-worm edition]

this neon art that i stumbled upon on pinterest.

oh how i love the bright yellow and flamingo pink combo!

this necklace, and quite frankly, every single necklace from doloris petunia

i mean, wow.  talk about neck candy!

this fresh pop of vibrancy against a clean palette on pinterest

so great.  a simple and clean, white backdrop with a splash of neon to add some playful personality.  an easy and inexpensive way to make a bold statement in a home.

pardon me, did you say “roald dahl cookbook”?

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’tis true.

notes to self:

self, add that to your amazon shopping list.

self, make some of these dishes for your sweet hubby before baby girl arrives.

self, add matilda and charlie and the chocolate factory to your list of books to buy for miss elinor’s library.

dear peanut

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hi baby girl.  would you look at that cute little corner of your room?!  we are going to spend so many hours there.  your papa lovingly placed that rocking chair in the corner for you.  it is a pretty special place.  this week, we are adding nesting tables [tout à fait approprié, oui?] and a sparkling little chandelier lamp.  that should make the nook complete.  and then…we wait for your arrival.  have i mentioned that we can’t wait?

let me tell you, little one, you are growing.  a lot.  my little bump is becoming a full-on preggo belly.  and my belly button is so itchy! i know that things must be getting cramped for you in there.  according to all the pregnancy resources, you are 16 inches long.  that is a lot of length to squish inside my belly.  at least you are bendy.  i hope that you are comfortable all balled up in there.  but, don’t get too comfy.  we have a nice place all ready for you.  with plenty of space for stretching, soft outfits for cuddling, and blankets for swaddling.  i think you will prefer it on the outside.  no rush – keep growing and getting healthy.  but, promptness is appreciated.  and, a bit early is on time.  no need to linger for too long.

oh!  we have another doctor appointment this week.  this one will trigger the “final countdown” schedule.  every two weeks from here on out.  and, we might just throw in one more ultrasound for good measure.  just to check in and see how much chub you have put on since we last saw you.  it will be fun to see you again.  and even better when we get to meet you in a couple months.

all our love to you, little peanut.

love, your mama + your papa

made in the shade

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aren’t these just fabulous?

i love cool lamps but they can be just so darn expensive!  and even if you do pay the price, they lack a certain “special” quality.  that unique twist that makes them fit perfectly into the decor.

and so, i have decided follow in the footsteps of those brilliant folks at design*sponge and try my hand at creating a personalized lampshade or two.

there is never a shortage of fabulous prints at the fabric store so perhaps i will pop over there with my mom one afternoon and snag some interesting pieces.  that plus a good ol’ vintage etsy find and i should be in good shape for raw materials.  from there, i am hoping that i can just follow the step-by-step and then, voila!  a gorgeous and one-of-a-kind lamp for miss elinor’s room.

wish me luck!

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what fun diy projects are you tackling these days?

pip pip cheerio!

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i’m not really sure what is happening to me…but it seems that all i want to do right now is take a trip to england.  between that and thinking about baby girl…i am running low on brain real estate these days.  i guess i just need to get it out of my system and get on a plane.  right?  right.

well, probably not right now.  but soon.  my man and i need to get to the other side of the pond very soon for some exploring.

i’m thinking we stay someplace like here…

and dine at someplace like here…

just look at those restoration hardware aviator chairs!  love.

yup.  bob’s your uncle.

30 weeks

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cravings & such:  this was a pretty bad week, i must admit.  in an effort to get more calcium in my diet,  i kinda gave myself license to indulge in much too much ice cream.  oops.  i think i just needed to get that out of my system.  check!  i did somewhat counteract those actions by consuming a few green smoothies.  my recipe of choice is: spinach, spirulina, pineapple, peaches, blueberries, almond milk, flax powder, and whey protein.  elinor LOVES these, by the way.  what a good little girl.  and, spinach contains calcium and iron which are preggo musts.  i am not a huge raw spinach fan so this is a sneaky way to consume those leafy greens.  here’s to more smoothies and fewer pints of ice cream!  i will keep you posted…

the bump:  i am sure that it has doubled in the past week.  or, at least it feels that way.  and she still has four or more pounds to go!

cool & cute things:  baby’s eyesight continues to develop, though it is not very keen.  even after birth, she will keep those peepers closed for a good part of the day.  she will respond to changes in light but will have 20/400 vision and only make out objects a few inches from her face.  looks like it will be a few months before she can truly grasp the cuteness that is her room.  i suppose i can hold off on buying that mobile for a few more months…

new things:  little miss is about 15.7 inches long now and weighs almost 3 pounds.  a pint and a half of amniotic fluid surrounds baby girl but that volume will decrease as baby gets bigger and takes up more room.  things are about to get crowded… 

meaningful moments:  spending time in e’s room with charlie and coco.  letting them explore and get comfortable with things.  they like to stand on their hind legs and peer between the rails of the crib.  their little noses just sniffing like crazy.  pretty cute.  and, they both hopped up in my lap while i was test-driving the new rocking chair.  they are my furry little babies, for sure.

the countdown:  70 days!  folks, that is really close to 60 days…which will mean two months to go!  goodness gracious.

current size:  a cabbage

going bananas

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in general.  not a banana fan.  ick.  however, they do become quite charming when they sit around for a spell and get all mushy and black.  because then, you can bake them into things like banana bread or muffins.  OR, pancakes.  fluffy little flapjacks with melted butter and warm syrup from my motherland.  and, THAT, my friends, is how bananas should be consumed.
so, while perusing the archives of cookie + kate, eye-spyed these scrumptious critters.  [and i just had to share]  here’s a little yummy something for your weekend.  why not make a large stack of this fluffy goodness for saturday morning breakfast?  i might do just that.
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click here for cookie + kate’s scrumptious gluten free banana oat pancakes recipe

mr & mrs whitehaüs at the brat haüs

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this place has been on our list for a few months now.  so when my sister gave me a dinner double-date night for my birthday, the brat haüs was my first pick.  i mean, you can’t go wrong with brats, fries, and pretzels, right?  right.  it was quite scrumptious.  so get ready to see more and more of these tasty links appearing on the blog.  i have a feeling that we will be visiting this establishment on a regular basis.

try not to drool…

the haüs.  so cool + food & brew menu [or, "bru", as they call it] + hubby’s beverage + a half-eaten pretzel.  the pretzels also came with assorted mustards and a beer-cheese fondue…but we all kinda jumped in before a formal picture could be taken + okay.  seriously.  the best fries i have ever eaten.  these are the winners by far.  belgian style [the homeland of the fry] which means that they are “thrice fried” in duck fat.  duck fat is the best.  PLUS, they come with gourmet dipping sauces.  we chose homemade dill ranch, bacon bleu cheese, sriracha aioli, and truffle aioli. + spicy sausage with hot peppers and root beer onions + my selection for the evening…turkey, apple, sage sausage with apricot onion chutney + my beverage of choice…arizona date shake.

dear peanut

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hello, miss elinor.  i hope you are continuing to enjoy your stay in belly-land.  things are going swimmingly out in the big world.  your papa and i have been busy bees getting your room ready, reading books, making lists, meeting with pediatricians, and preparing your birth plan.  there is much to do before your arrival…but, it is all so much fun!  and, all of these new activities sure do help the weeks to pass by quickly.  can you believe that we are getting close to the 30 week mark?  that means that you will be here super soon.  how i wish we could just fast forward to your arrival.  then, hit the pause button and just savor our first moments with you.  we are so excited to experience all of the new things that you will bring to our life.  we pray that God will help us to slow down and enjoy those moments.  they will be special.

speaking of special…i just want to gush a bit about how wonderful your papa is.  he has been putting together your furniture, painting walls, lifting heavy objects for me [he recently informed me that the laundry basket is technically classified as a "heavy" item and that i should let him handle that], taking care of me, cooking for me, reading books about birthing [he is a trooper, let me tell you.  there are some bizarre terms and foreign objects on those pages], and doting on you.  the other night, i was rubbing my belly button trying to get you to wiggle for him.  he told me “oh, no, nevermind, it’s okay…don’t poke her little brain”.  it was pretty darn cute.  inaccurate, but cute, nonetheless.  he is already so attentive and sweet.  i think he is pretty smitten with you.

all our love to you, little peanut.

love, your mama + your papa

the glow – a study in light

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aren’t those just lovely?  these images are from a fabulous little site called the glow…a glimpse into the world of inspiring and fashionable moms.  all of the pictures have a certain glow to them.  a characteristic light that floods and illuminates the beauty of the scene.  mamas and their kids.  their homes. their life.

this site got me thinking about the beauty of light.  doesn’t light just make everything better?  brighter?  more vivid?  amazing.  and then, my hubby read the following entry from spurgeon’s morning and evening.  it was perfect.

quietly contemplate the Lamb as the light of heaven. light in Scripture is the emblem of joy. the joy of the saints in heaven is comprised in this: Jesus chose us, loved us, bought us, cleansed us, robed us, kept us, glorified us: we are here entirely through the Lord Jesus. each one of these thoughts shall be to them like a cluster of the grapes of eshcol. light is also the cause of beauty. nought of beauty is left when light is gone. without light no radiance flashes from the sapphire, no peaceful ray proceedeth from the pearl; and thus all the beauty of the saints above comes from Jesus. as planets, they reflect the light of the Sun of Righteousness; they live as beams proceeding from the central orb. if he withdrew, they must die; if his glory were veiled, their glory must expire. light is also the emblem of knowledge. in heaven our knowledge will be perfect, but the Lord Jesus himself will be the fountain of it. dark providences, never understood before, will then be clearly seen, and all that puzzles us now will become plain to us in the light of the Lamb. oh! what unfoldings there will be and what glorifying of the God of love! light also means manifestation. light manifests. in this world it doth not yet appear what we shall be. God’s people are a hidden people, but when Christ receives his people into heaven, he will touch them with the wand of his own love, and change them into the image of his manifested glory. they were poor and wretched, but what a transformation! they were stained with sin, but one touch of his finger, and they are bright as the sun, and clear as crystal. oh! what a manifestation! all this proceeds from the exalted Lamb. whatever there may be of effulgent splendour, Jesus shall be the centre and soul of it all. oh! to be present and to see him in his own light, the King of kings, and Lord of lords!

“the Lamb is the light thereof”  revelation 21:23

nought of beauty is left when light is gone.  thank you, Lord, for being the source of light.  thank you for illuminating our world with not only the radiance and warmth of the sun, but of the resplendence and beauty of your Son.  may i glow and emanate your beauty in a dark world.  may many be drawn to your incandescence.