bella creative

Baby Shower Cupcakes

2012-01-30T20:48:00.003-06:00

I was sorting through some photos for my next project post (finally!), and ran across this photo of my adorable cupcakes from one of my baby showers:

Aren't they cute?! The colors and patterns match baby's room. Now, if only I had one... or three... to eat right now...

Photo Mug

2012-01-27T21:01:00.002-06:00

I received a free code from Pampers for a custom Shutterfly photo mug. I thought it would make a cute Valentine's gift for my coffee-addicted hubs :)

  Design Mug

Modern greeting cards and party invitations by Shutterfly.

View the entire collection of cards.

Entertaining Baby on a Budget

2012-01-27T16:40:00.001-06:00

Entertaining a 6-month old has become more challenging. And, doing it on a budget can sometimes be even more challenging. Face it, there are times when feeding, toys, spit up, explosive diaper, tummy time, nap, toys, diaper, tummy time, assisted sitting time, diaper, spit up, feed, nap, repeat repeat repeat wears out even the best of mommas. It's always nice to get out of the house and do something -- for not only your own sanity, but to help stimulate baby's developing body & brain with something different. Especially when baby's a social butterfly like E.

But, it's not always easy to do that when you want to save money -- a daily outing can add up quickly. So, here's a few of the ways baby and I like to spend the day... without spending a dime (except, of course, for gas):

Feed ducks at the park, using whatever stale bread or crackers you have at home
Hang out at the library and let baby stare at the other kids... or beat books against the table.
Set up a play date with friends who have babies similar in age.
Go to Cabelas and visit the fish tank -- baby will be mesmerized for hours... and it's free!
Dress baby up super cute (and I mean SUPER cute), take him into any store, and let him squeal & smile at every person that stops to talk to him. After the 20th person, he'll be worn out and ready to nap all the way home.
Walk the mall, provided you can skip the good sales and bypass the uber-good smelling pretzels. Combine this and #5, and you've got a winner!
Go to a dog park and watch the pups from outside the fence. Granted, if your baby doesn't like dogs, this might not be the best idea...
Take a walk around the neighborhood. Or, load up the stroller and take a walk around a new neighborhood. Never know when you'll discover a new park.
And, if all else fails, lay out a blanket in the backyard. When he gets bored looking at the trees, lay down a magazine for him to rip up. Holy moly, he'll stay so entertained, he'll forget about his dirty diaper.

Of course, I'm sure there are a million ideas on Pinterest that I have yet to explore. What are / were some of your favorites?

WIWW: Stay-at-home Mom Edition

2012-01-25T15:22:00.000-06:00

So it's been awhile since I posted for "What I Wore Wednesday" -- created by the lovely Lindsey at the Pleated Poppy. But I figured this is the perfect time to start up again. After much soul-searching, financial calculating and a horrifying daycare experience, J and I decided that I should quit my job and stay home with baby E. I was elated and terrified!

While I'm going to miss my work peeps, I love having this opportunity to soak in every moment with Easton. It's only been a week, but I can already tell some bad habits are setting in. Like not showering. And wearing hoodies and slippers. What Not to Wear would have a field day.

At least before I had the excuse of working from home while taking care of a squirmy baby {conference calls + crying baby = stressed out momma who didn't have time to even think about what she was wearing}. But now? No excuses really, just haven't found the urge to put in a lot of effort. Which is fine on some days. But what happens if it snowballs into weeks? Months? Years? I want to take pride in how I look, set a good example for Easton, and be the hot momma J dreams about.

It really does help to have accountability in these WIWW posts. And, it's fun -- it helps me take a second look at my closet, and I find fun ideas from other WIWW posters. With being a stay-at-home momma and all, buying new stuff isn't exactly a top priority for our budget right now. Will be interesting to see just how far I can stretch my closet -- and adds another ounce of motivation to keep dropping the baby weight.

playing with baby

North Face hoodie ~ Sports Authority

grey sweats ~ Kohls

cleaning house

old work tee

old Seven jeans ~ Nordstrom

grey slippers ~ Target

lunch date

sequin tank ~ Target

striped cardi ~ PacSun

jeans ~ Target

boots ~ Target

running errands

brown hoodie ~ Estes Park, CO

same Target jeans

fuzzy boots ~ Burlington Coat Factory

Wow, I looked worse than I remembered! Ohwell. Just know that -- hopefully -- this next week will look better. And, hopefully, I'll finally get into the eye doctor so I can swap the glasses for new contacts!

Photo Op

2012-01-19T20:31:00.003-06:00

Pinterest is an amazing, addicting thing. So many ideas, so little time! And when I do find something cute, I always hope I can remember it when the opportunity presents itself. I came across this absolutely adorable picture before Christmas:

Precious! So when we were putting up our tree, I scared the bee-jeebies out of J, the hubs, when I said to stop with the lights and grab the baby while I grab the camera.

Didn't work quite as well, but still a cute picture. Love the expression on his face, like "Momma, are you sure this is safe?" :)

1/2 Year Birthday Cake

2012-01-13T22:25:00.005-06:00

Awhile back, my mom told me a cute story of how my grandma had made my brother a "1/2" year birthday cake. So when my munchkin's 6-month birthday rolled around on Wednesday, I thought about doing the same. But, after a day of reading books at the library (read: trying to keep him from chewing on books at the library) and feeding the ducks at the park, I kind of forgot about the whole cake thing until on our way home. So, I stopped at Kroger and saw the cutest little cakes -- and only $3.99!

I picked up one, along with a blue gel icing tube (pen?) and some star candles.

I cut the tip of the gel tube off at an angle so it would be easier to write on the side of the cake. Surprisingly, it was super easy and didn't drip.

Then, I cleared sprinkles off the top and wrote his age -- "1/2" :)

Cute, huh? After dinner we added the candles and let E stare at it for awhile before blowing them out, cutting him off a piece, and letting him smash it to bits. Luckily he didn't put any of it in his mouth, though his clothes (and us) were covered.

Cheers to many many more wonderful months ahead, sweet boy!

Super Easy Candle Re-do

2012-01-11T15:08:00.006-06:00

Well, the cleaning schedule is going so-so. As the blogger clearly states, your house can't be a total wreck for it to work. And, well, my house IS a total wreck. For now anyway, although it's slowly (and I mean s-l-o-w-l-y) looking better.

While I've been home with baby E, there's a candle that I never really noticed before on top of our armoire in the living room that was starting to drive me nuts. It was one J had before we got married.

Not particularly crazy about the yellow one, either, but thought I'd start small. So, I rummaged through all of my scrapbook paper and found a brown & blue print I liked. I laid the candle on it to figure out how much paper would cover it, cut, then folded the paper around and ended with a little tape on the back. See? I said "super easy"! Because this one sits up high, I didn't have to worry about what the top looked like.

My mom saw it and said she loved the new candle. Ha! :)

Happy New Year + Getting Organized

2012-01-03T13:28:00.004-06:00

Hi there! Wow, I can't believe it's another new year already. Seems like I just got used to writing "2011". While I haven't officially formed my resolutions yet (maybe not procrastinating should be one of them?), blogging more is definitely one of them. Which goes hand-in-hand with finishing all of the projects I half-way started and getting organized around the house.

Another priority is getting -- and keeping -- the house clean. I cringe at the word, as the house is a total dump right now. Working from home while taking care of my now almost 6 month old has resulted in a quite neglected house. I found a great 15-minute cleaning schedule on Pinterest, and I'm hoping it's the miracle I'm looking for! You can check it out at Organizing Made Fun. Starting it today, so I'll let you know how it goes next week.

And, just because I'm a proud momma and love showing off his royal cuteness, a family photo with E taken back in November (copyrighted!):

They really DO grow up fast! :)

Hello + Pinterest

2011-10-11T16:16:00.004-05:00

Hi there! Can't believe baby E is 3 months old today. Crazy! It's been such an amazing time, too. Sure, I've had a few moments where I think I lost my marbles, but he's so much fun -- a little silly, a lot feisty, and growing like a weed right before our eyes.

Hoping to start some new projects soon, but in the meantime you can find me on the addicting Pinterest -- http://pinterest.com/marmithon.

Enjoy!

Our Big Arrival

2011-07-19T09:26:00.004-05:00

Well, we finally welcomed our baby boy into the world last Monday.

Can't believe he's already a week old! Still adjusting to life at home and with each other, but we're all doing great. He's asleep in my arms right now, and typing with one finger is exhausting, so will hold off on project posts just a bit longer :)

Also looking forward to dropping the baby weight in the next few months -- maybe I'll do a weekly weightloss / motivation post? Would love any inspiration to fit into my "real" jeans before fall!

Baby Update!

2011-07-07T12:19:00.005-05:00

Well, baby is officially due tomorrow, though it seems he's being quite the procrastinator. We're being induced Sunday night if he doesn't come before then, so do a baby dance for us! I would think he's got to be ready, he's done some growing in the last couple of weeks...

Hurriedly trying to finish some last minute baby room projects, including his letters for above the crib...

One of these days I'll finish sharing all of the projects, including some no-sew pillows and hand-made animal art. Stay tuned! :)

Wish List: Fish Hook Bracelet

2011-06-17T16:42:00.000-05:00

I love to fish. Seriously. J and I call it couple's therapy. Since being preggo, though, I've missed out since last summer. So when I saw this Miansai hook bracelet at J. Crew, I immediately emailed the link to J. Who knows, maybe he'll surprise me with it some day soon? :)

WIWW: Preggo Edition

2011-06-15T21:37:00.000-05:00

Yeah, I finally remembered to link up! :) The weather's getting hotter (100 degrees, anyone?) and the laundry pile's getting taller, so some of these aren't so great. I think I got them in the right order, though -- it's amazing how different my belly can look just day-to-day. Just a little over three weeks to go!

Oh, and I'm starting to think I pay Target's light bill...

Working from home / errands

brown maternity tee ~ Old Navy

maternity jeans ~ Motherhood Maternity

brown flop wedges ~ Walmart

Thought the outfit was boring, so I tried to do something extra for the hair ~ a little pony with a flower band from Target... eh, alright I guess...

Office meetings

black & white maternity top ~ gift from mom

black skirt ~ not really sure, found it in the back of the closet

black slides ~ Walmart

Date night

orange maternity tee ~ Target (new, clearance)

same maternity jeans

silver flops ~ Target (new)

Weekend errands

white tank ~ Target

brown tank ~ Target

same maternity jeans (I do wash them every couple of days, I promise!)

same wedge flops

earrings ~ Target

Casual day at the office

green tank ~ Target

white button-up ~ Target

black skirt ~ GUESS Outlet

black flop wedges ~ made by my MIL

sunglasses ~ Coach Outlet

Weekend swim

J bought me a kiddie pool from Walmart ~ AMAZING heat relief!

bikini that shall remain covered up ~ Victoria's Secret

black cover up ~ Walmart

silver flops ~ Old Navy

Working from home / fish fry

black maternity tee ~ borrowed

same maternity jeans (boring!)

Baby shower!

dress ~ Target

grey cardi ~ Target

earrings ~ Banana Republic Outlet (new)

Office, errands & doctor appt

white maternity tank ~ Target (new, clearance)

black tank ~ Target

purple cardi ~ Target

necklace ~ Tiffany

capri leggings ~ Target (new, $8)

same black wedge flops

Linking up to:

Hi Baby

2011-06-13T08:07:00.000-05:00

As we get closer to baby's arrival, I've been casually searching for cute birth announcements. Not sure if these are my favorites because I like the actual card, or because the babies are just adorable!

{via Tiny Prints}

{via Shutterfly}

{via denadesign}

I also like the idea of doing a magnet version for close family and friends. We all end up sticking them on the fridge anyway, right? :) Know of any other great places to find announcements?

Baby Room: Before & After

2011-06-10T10:50:00.003-05:00

Guess I missed WIWW again... oops! Maybe next week? :)

Super excited to get new bedroom carpet installed today, even if it means our house is now littered with bedroom furniture and crap. Over the last few months, we've finally gotten around to fixing up our room, so I'll show it off after the carpet's in... and every thing's back in order... maybe a week or two? :)

In the mean time, the baby room is really starting to come together. Which is a good thing considering we only have 4 weeks to go, if that!

So incase you missed the "true" before, you can see it here. But here are a few of the clean befores:

And the afters:

You can read more about hanging the moulding here and the not-so-great paint experience here. It was hard to find curtains in the right length without having to special order, but we finally found these brown ones on sale at Pier 1. Will be perfect for blocking out the afternoon sun!

LOVE this curtain rod from Lowe's. J thought it was a little girlie at first, but he likes it now that it's up.

J also hung the new ceiling fan (Lowe's again... I think we're paying their electric bill...) in place of the crappy gold flushmount.

And also hung a new light fixture over the sink. Guess where we got it?

Still need to paint the bathroom (probably just a brighter shade of white), but it's starting to look cute. And most of the accessories for the bathroom? Baby shower gifts from Target!

So the Potterybarn towels I ordered don't exactly match, but I still like them. Maybe I'll just stick them back for when baby's older...

Still loving the crib my parents bought us and the Target bedding (geez, maybe we're paying their electric bill, too!).

Added the little sheep rug...

And the vinyl tree from Babies r' Us.

We flanked each side of the crib with storage cubes from IKEA and storage boxes from various places for books and toys.

Still need to get the dresser upstairs, which we'll also use as the changing table, and I need to finish his letters and pillows. Also have some other adorable baby shower goodies to put out, too. Overall, I think it's pretty darn cute, and it's fun to finally see it come together!

Linking up to these fabulous parties:

Creative Bloggers Party & Hop @ Homemaker on a Dime

Before & After Party @ Thrifty Decor Chick

Remodelabolic's Anonymous @ Remodelaholic

Friday Favs Party @ Nap Time Crafters

DIY Project Parade @ DIY Show Off

TGIF

2011-06-03T14:33:00.003-05:00

I'm sad I missed linking up to WIWW this week, but I'll just add the photos to next time. Baby caused a little excitement over the last few days ~ some really nice contractions and mucho uncomfortableness. While I guess he's decided to stay put, it did give us a chance to practice our breathing techniques, and I got some awesome back rubs :)

With just five weeks to go, this cartoon definitely sums up my thoughts right about now...

We've got some of the details up in the baby room, so I'll share over the weekend. Happy Friday!

Gallery Wall

2011-05-29T21:40:00.000-05:00

I can finally mark one of the projects off my "Forgotten Projects" list. Back in October, I started the gallery wall that I was super excited about... then completely forgot about it until a month or so ago. Okay, okay, so I didn't really forget ~ more like I shut one eye every time I walked past the half-complete project. And then, when the frames started falling off the wall, I decided it was time to just finish the darn thing.

So, we have a huge blank wall between the bedrooms upstairs. I always thought it would make a cool frame wall. My first attempt? Not so great.

Yeah, a little pathetic. And it made me realize the vast size of the wall. It was going to take a little inspiration to fill that sucker. I found this spread in the Potterybarn catalog and fell in love.

I just love the mixture of frames and random objects. So, I went around collecting random frames. Some from a Garden Ridge sale...

...some from the Target clearance section...

...and a few that I saved from the trash at work.

I also wanted to incorporate some random stuff, so I just starting laying it all out on the floor and included a couple of small cabinet doors I found at the Habitat Restore awhile back. I did measure the wall between the light switch and the AC control so I'd know how much space I had to work with.

After several rounds of arranging and rearranging, I came up with something I liked:

I even found a use for the black shelf I got on clearance at Hobby Lobby a year ago. The hard part: getting everything from the floor to the wall. J was out for the day, so I was a little scared to start hammering. He's usually the one to perfectly measure everything, and make sure it's all even and aligned. But I figured I could manage. The first nail is always the hardest, right?

I measured and leveled each one as I went along, but of course I got off at certain points. I even thought I'd be smart and use the sticky tape that says it'll hold a frame on the wall so I wouldn't have to contend with the little double-eye hooks on the back of several frames. And I got to a stopping point before I thought I was going to go cross-eyed.

Not bad, huh? Even J was impressed when he got home. And then it sat. For weeks. And months. And then the frames that were up with the sticky strips began to slowly fall off the wall. Seriously, I'd almost pee my pants in the middle of the night 'cause I'd hear a horrifying crashing sound. Luckily only one frame broke, and I never really wet the bed.

I digress.

Fast forward to several weeks ago. I was sooo tired of looking at it and stepping over the mess in the hall, that I just picked up a hammer, some nails and went at it. Because I was pretty frustrated with it at this point, I didn't take any pics. But I ended up using wire to hang the frames with the double-hooks. No measuring tape this time, no level ~ just me, a stepstool and a hammer. The result?

Not exactly the pattern I had planned, but I like it. I even included a clock we got as a wedding gift years ago that I could never quite find the right spot for in this house. I'll eventually paint the small cabinet doors, and I still need to re-mat some of the frames. Oh, and select pictures!

But I do think it fills up the wall nicely, and it gives you something to look at as you're walking up the stairs.

Once again, the before:

And the after:

At least it's {almost} done!

Linking up to these fabulous parties:

Saturday Nite Special @ Funky Junk Interiors

Sunday Showcase @ Under the Table & Dreaming

DIY Project Parade @ The DIY Show Off

Creative Bloggers Party & Hop @ Homemaker on a Dime

WIWW: Preggo Edition

2011-05-26T09:24:00.000-05:00

Got caught up in work meetings, a doctor's appointment and a 3-hour baby class yesterday, so posting a day late. Oops! At least this past week was {semi} cuter than last week. Since I have the memory of a goldfish right now, I forgot to take pictures on a few days. Ohwell, I'm sure they weren't that great anyway!

And I've given up on shopping for maternity clothes. So, most of the new stuff I've bought are just regular clothes in a bigger size or stretchy material ~ just 6 weeks to go! :)

work meetings

black dress ~ Target (new)

grey cardi ~ Target (new)

necklace ~ Tiffany

sunglasses ~ Coach Outlet

old black flops ~ Kohl's, I think

working from home / cleaning

green maternity top ~ borrowed

maternity jeans ~ Motherhood Maternity

baby shower!

blue dress ~ Target (new)

same grey Target cardi

earrings ~ Kohl's

working from home / errands

black tank ~ Target

old white hoodie ~ Target

green maternity cargos ~ Motherhood Maternity

silver flops ~ Old Navy

date night

black maternity tee ~ borrowed

same maternity jeans

silver ring flops ~ Target (new)

Linking up to:

Accessorizing Baby's Room

2011-05-19T10:14:00.016-05:00

Now that the baby room is moulded and painted, it's finally time to start adding all of the cute, fun stuff {that baby probably won't even notice or care about for years}, like:

...this cute cow rocker from Restoration Hardware. J grew up on a dairy farm, so we have to include cows somewhere!

...the hippo and frog towels I ordered from Potterybarn Kids {on sale, had a 10% off coupon, and I got free shipping!}. And is it sad I'm scared to take them out of the plastic? Maybe white towels weren't such a good idea for a baby!

...some chocolate brown curtains to help block the intense sun that pours in during the afternoon.

...and a cute curtain rod.

...can't forget new light fixtures.

...and fun storage baskets.

...wall art, too. I got a vinyl tree on sale at Babies R Us {I had a giftcard ~ thanks sis!} so hopefully it's as cute up as it is on the box.

...and a mobile for the crib. Why is it so hard to choose a mobile? I either like the top or the bottom, rarely both. But I think these two are sweet:

...and then there's the bathroom. Luckily, thanks to my wonderful work peeps, I have most of the cute bathroom stuff already. Just need to get it cleaned and painted.

I also have a neat idea for these Hobby Lobby letters I found on clearance awhile back.

Seems like a lot to do in the next seven weeks ... but the fun stuff always goes fast, right? :)

WIWW: Preggo Edition

2011-05-18T07:18:00.000-05:00

Another edition of WIWW. If you're a new reader (welcome!), then you can catch up on all the fun here. Basically, working from home most days kept me in a pajama-clad funk. Then, I found Lindsey's blog and was totally inspired by her and the large group of ladies who join in each week. So check out her blog and start linking up! ;)

As for me, I'm kind of bummed that many of the wonderful comments from last week's WIWW post disappeared in the Blogger meltdown. Mainly because I don't really have anything cute to share this week, and you guys were so sweet last week. Although, I did find a couple of cute dresses at Target over the weekend that hopefully I'll put to good use soon!

Working from home / running errands

maternity sweater ~ gift from mom

maternity jeans ~ Motherhood Maternity

silver flops ~ Old Navy

More errands

green tank ~ Target

brown cardi ~ Kohls

same maternity jeans

brown flop wedges ~ Walmart ($3!)

Weekend of cleaning / more darn errands

blue maternity tee ~ borrowed

white tank ~ Target

wow, are those the same maternity jeans?!

Office meetings

white sweater ~ Ann Taylor Outlet

brown tank ~ Target

brown maternity pants ~ Kohls

coral sandals ~ Old Navy

gold & coral earrings ~ Target (new)

When Paint Goes Wrong

2011-05-15T23:00:00.002-05:00

...terribly wrong. I'm talking attack you like a glowing Smurf wrong. It was supposed to be lucky #17. Yep, that's right, I tested 17 different colors on the wall. And #17? Had me swooning. I had already decided I wanted a brownish tan on the bottom, and loved Glidden's Olivewood. And I thought #17 was the perfect, airy blue to go with it. I mean it was called, after all, Mount Airy.

Boy, was I wrong.

J took Wednesday off to paint the baby room while I was at work. He called a little after lunch to say the brown looked awesome, but he wasn't sure about the blue. I told him to stop and wait until I got home and looked at it. Then he sent me a picture and said it was drying fine -- and from the picture, it did look fine. So he kept going.

And when I got home at 5? I was greeted with a nervous husband. I asked him what's wrong. "It's glowing," he said. I didn't have to go far upstairs before I could see what he meant. It was literally glowing, like a house for Smurfs. Or Thomas the Train. And I burst out laughing. Laughing. Not exactly the reaction J was hoping for. I felt bad, considering he'd spent his whole day off painting, but it was better than crying, right?

We went back and forth on what to do. I hated the idea of him repainting, but not sure I could live with it. J wasn't in the mood to repaint, but frustrated he didn't just stop. What was amazing was that the color was perfect with the light on. Gorgeous.

But with the light off? There aren't words. And pictures hardly capture the "glow"...

How could one paint look so different?! I guess it wouldn't have been that bad if we hadn't done the ceiling, too. And, the darker it got outside, the darker the room became, even with the light on. I told J I'd do whatever he wanted, and I think he knew I really wanted to do it over. So, we grabbed some dinner and headed to Lowe's to pick out new paint.

We each grabbed sample chips we liked -- me grabbing blues, J grabbing greens (at this point he decided that maybe I didn't like blue... I started to think so myself...), and narrowed it down to two greens and two blues. We got the samples home and on the wall, and I quickly decided on Valspar's Cool Sheets, a light blue with a hint of mint. J was hesitant, but wanted to get it done that night. So, we went back to Lowe's and got the Valspar with Primer in eggshell, and it thankfully covered that blue mess.

Poor J stayed up until 2 a.m. repainting that room. I didn't get a good look at it until the next day, and I looooved it. J was even glad he repainted. And that it was all done before his fishing tournament Thursday night. {Priorities, right?}

I'm super happy with how it all turned out, despite the double money spent in paint. {Note to self: when J says use a certain brand, use a certain brand. The cheap stuff? Glows.}

Excited to finally starting pulling together all the final -- and fun! -- touches over the next few weeks. Maybe we'll actually get done before baby! ;)

Linking up to these fabulous parties:

DIY Project Parade @ The DIY Show Off

Remodelaholic's Anonymous @ Remodelaholic

Saturday Nite Special @ Funky Junk Interiors

Sunday Showcase Party @ Under the Table & Dreaming

WIWW: Preggo Edition

2011-05-11T07:45:00.000-05:00

It's been awhile since I posted for WIWW, so I thought I'd dust off a few of the pictures over the last month and show off the growing bump :).

Dressing is getting harder -- just out grew another pair of pants, and down to one pair of actual work pants. I was really hoping to make it the last 8.5 wks without buying more maternity clothes, but I'm sure my work peeps would appreciate me wearing more than just the same brown pants to every meeting. Thinking of selling a few things to Clothes Mentor, and seeing what "gently used" maternity clothes they have. Sometimes those kinds of places aren't worth the trip, but it might be to save a few bucks!

work meeting

dress ~ Target

black cardi ~ J. Crew

maternity leggings ~ borrowed

silver ruffle flats ~ Ann Taylor Outlet

sunglasses ~ Coach Outlet

necklace ~ Tiffany

casual day at the office

coral tank ~ Target

old black skirt ~ GUESS Outlet

jean jacket ~ Gap

flop wedges ~ made by my MIL

working at the coffee shop

{thinking my bum is bigger than my bump here?}

headband ~ Target

black maternity tee ~ Target

Joe's maternity jeans ~ Pea in a Pod

coral sandals ~ Old Navy

flower ring ~ Pier 1

work meeting

navy maternity dress ~ gift from mom

same silver ruffle flats

friend's baby shower

dress ~ Target

black tank ~ Target

maternity leggings ~ borrowed

same flop wedges

hanging around the house

{now that's a baby bump!}

teal tank ~ Target

black cotton gauchos ~ Target

casual day at the office

maternity dress ~ Target

white cardi ~ Ann Taylor Outlet

earrings ~ Target

silver flops ~ Old Navy

same Coach sunglasses

Linking up to these fabulous parties:

what I wore wednesday @ the pleated poppy

Mould It, Baby!

2011-05-09T16:45:00.000-05:00

We're finally making progress with the baby room -- seems like the ball's really rolling now and every thing's starting to fall into place. Or, at least, I have a picture in my mind of what it'll {hopefully} look like when it's done!

J got the moulding up this week. I know, I know, some people spell it "molding" -- but that always brings to mind that green fuzzy stuff I find on muffins when I leave them out too long. Or the veggies left in the fridge for months... I digress...

I originally wanted to do a board & batten treatment like this or this, but after much debating with the hubs (and many more grey hairs), we decided on just a simple moulding hung around the room. Kind of like a chair rail, only wider and higher. I think it's actually a wide baseboard turned upside down.

So, after a few trips to Lowe's for supplies and new "toys" J insisted he needed, the actual process of putting up the moulding went fairly quick. And our game room? Became the workshop.

Once we decided on a spot above the light switch, J used a level to mark a line all the way around the room. He then went back with a stud finder and marked all the studs.

He used a little wall adhesive and a nail gun to hang the moulding. I pretended to help by holding the pieces while he nailed.

Sorry the pictures are so crappy -- our camera takes better outdoor photos than inside. But, at least it's water proof so there's no chance of me dropping it into a river this time. Anyway, this room has a Jack-n-Jill bathroom, so when it came to the opening around the sink area, J angled the edges so that it would lay flat against the wall.

The only corner that was a pain was where we have one rounded corner where the wall juts out. It only took him a couple of tries to get it cut right -- I think it went easier than either of us expected!

After the nails were in, J went around all the edges with paintable caulk and filled in the nail holes.

Once that dried, he went over everything with primer, and we had the baseboard moulding color-matched. I figure it's not too big of a deal if the colors aren't exact. And, I even managed to finally pick a paint color out of this color sample mess!

Seriously, I think I have a paint-picking problem. But I love the colors we chose -- J should have the room painted in the next couple of days, so I'll share it this week!

Linking up to these fabulous parties:

Mad Skills Monday @ Support Blog for Mom's of BOYS!

DIY Project Parade @ The DIY Show Off

Baby Room Progress

2011-05-02T10:25:00.000-05:00

So, I think I've posted the "before" picture of our baby room. Just incase you missed it...

A.k.a., the junk room. So awful, it's almost embarrassing! After a garage sale, freecycling and just plain organizing, it's now this:

My parents were awesome enough to buy us the crib, and we bought the chocolate brown glider (most. comfortable. thing. ever.). Not sure what I'm doing with the white letters on the floor yet, but they were a Hobby Lobby clearance that I couldn't pass up.

And I never thought it would be hard to shop for baby boy stuff, but trying to find bedding that wasn't themed and not too girlie was exhausting. Finally found a set online at Target, and I just love the colors and patterns:

J started on the moulding for the room last night, so I'll post that once it's done. Now I just need to pick a paint color...

...the samples are starting to multiply like rabbits!

Linking up to these fabulous parties:

Making the World Cuter Monday @ Making the World Cuter

Metamorphosis Monday @ Between Naps on the Porch

Before & After Party @ Thrifty Decor Chick

Hippo Towels

2011-05-01T09:38:00.005-05:00

Putting together a post on the baby room's progress, but wanted to share these adorable hippo & frog towels I just ordered from Potterybarn Kids -- on sale and I had a 10% off coupon! We're not really doing a "theme" but the colors are blue, brown and green, so I thought these were perfect.

Aren't they cute?!

Hello Again!

2011-04-29T17:04:00.004-05:00

My, how quickly time flies. I can't believe it's been over two months since my last post -- and boy, are things changing around here! I do have a couple of projects to share, so hopefully I'll get those up in the next week. Making {small} progress on the baby room -- but hopefully that'll be done in the next week or two (Seems like I keep saying that?). Looking forward to maternity leave just so I can blog and catch up! But, in the mean time, I'll try to post a little ... and read a lot. And there's always my tweets over there on the right if you get bored ;).

Oh, and wondering how the bump is coming along?

Yep, that baby's running out of room in there -- just 10 weeks to go!

WIWW: Preggo Edition

2011-03-02T09:13:00.003-06:00

My wardrobe's quickly becoming obsolete, so I attempted to go shopping for some maternity clothes. I'm just going to throw this out there: if any of you talented ladies are into clothing design, please design a maternity line that's stylish, comfy, affordable, and made from materials that will hold up longer than one wash! Seriously, I went to SEVERAL stores and, after picking up a couple of maternity things, ended up at Target buying "normal" clothes in bigger sizes. I figured at least that way I'd get more use out of it after baby, too.

Anyhoo, that's my rant for the day ... hopefully :). As for WIWW, I don't have many photos to share. I think it was a combo of wearing a TON of sweats this week and being too much in a rush to take a photo of anything else. And I still need to Windex that mirror...

work meetings

gold top ~ Target

grey cardi ~ Target (new)

brown maternity pants ~ Kohl's (new)

beige patent heels ~ DSW

casual work lunch

brown maternity tee ~ Old Navy (new)

Joe's maternity jeans ~ Pea in the Pod

brown flop wedges ~ Walmart (new, $3!)

earrings ~ World Market

sunglasses ~ Coach Outlet

lunch with a friend

floral tank ~ Target (new)

blue cardi ~ Target (new)

maternity jeans ~ Motherhood Maternity

necklace ~ Tiffany

same Coach sunglasses

old silver flops

and, what I wore most days: sweats

green tank ~ Target

black hoodie ~ Target

old striped sweats ~ gift, I think

bump ~ courtesy of baby :)

Linking up to these fabulous parties:

what I wore wednesday @ the pleated poppy

Bejeweled Wednesdays @ Jewelscapes

It's About Time...

2011-03-01T15:53:00.008-06:00

We finally started on the baby room. It's a small start, but at least I got a few paint samples on the wall! :)

I think I'm liking the last two, but will wait until we get the bedding this weekend to officially pick one. Our next project will be doing board & batten on the walls. I first fell in love with it when I saw this photo at Restoration Hardware:

Since, I've seen numerous tutorials floating around blog land, so I'm hoping it won't be too hard to do. While I've bookmarked several of the tutorials I've seen, please let me know if you have one too ~ I'd love to check it out!

Wish List: Outdoor Oasis

2011-02-27T09:06:00.008-06:00

Now that the temps are more spring-like than Alaska-like, I'm longing to spend some time outdoors. Wouldn't it be nice to have an amazing outdoor space like some of these beauties?

{via}

The Dog Condo

2011-02-25T00:22:00.002-06:00

One of the first projects that needed to get done before baby was to build a better doghouse for our two pups. The dogs usually sleep in our room -- and I've always hated it. One is okay. Two? Is a snoring, stinking mess, especially when you have a male bassett hound. Our carpet is a disaster, and there was NO way I was having baby sleep in there too without doing something.

We didn't feel right leaving the pups outside since we only had a small igloo doghouse, which is pretty useless in the cold and pouring rain. So, J spent some time in the backyard thinking and drawing up plans. What I love about this man is that he can't do anything half-assed. Simple doghouse? Nope...

Several trips to Home Depot later, the frame was up.

He found a spot under the trees so that it'll be shaded in summer. See the igloo house on the right? After we saw the new house go up, we realized how pitiful it was that both dogs shared it.

We had several threats of rain, so J wanted to get the roof on ASAP. The neighbors kept peeking over the fence to see what the heck we were up to. I'm sure they appreciated the late-night hammering!

Once the roof was dried in, shingles went on...

Then the front and porch...

We did the porch for our husky, who likes to keep an eye on the yard but needs shade from the summer heat. And, of course, only fine cedar posts for our pups :)

And, luckily it was complete before our first snow.

Last weekend, we found this metal star at our local trade days. Nice touch, don't you think? :)

It still needs a few touch-ups, a coat of paint and a rug for the porch. We joke that it's the mother-in-law suite ... my mom didn't find it funny.

Now, we just need to replace the carpet in our bedroom before baby arrives!

Linking up to these fabulous parties:

DIY Project Parade @ The DIY Show Off

Remodelaholic's Anonymous @ Remodelaholic

Show & Tell Friday @ My Romantic Home

Inspiration Party @ At the Picket Fence

Show Off Your Stuff Party @ Fireflies & Jellybeans

WIWW: Preggo Edition

2011-02-22T12:44:00.008-06:00

Another preggo edition of What I Wore Wednesdays! I can't believe I'm now halfway through this pregnancy -- seems like the time has FLOWN by. Though, I kind of think people who say they "love being pregnant" are crazy. While I've been pretty lucky compared to some of my friends, the whole constantly aching belly and getting up five times a night to pee thing is really wearing on me. Not to mention the fact I get winded going up the stairs at my house, the headaches, forgetting just about everything (even to lock the house when I leave!), heat rash and the like.

Don't get me wrong, it's allll worth the {precious} end result -- but, seriously? I'm soo glad humans don't have the same gestation periods as, say, African elephants. (I'll save you the Google -- it's 660 - 760 days.) Holy cow!

Anyhoooo, onto the real reason for this post -- WIWW :) Just a few of the outfits I remembered to take a photo of since the last edition ... if only I could remember which day I wore what...

Casual day at work

Mossimo green tank ~ Target

striped sweater ~ Target

earrings ~ Target

Joe's maternity jeans ~ Pea in the Pod

Steve Madden pumps ~ Rack Room Shoes

Weekend errands

hat ~ Cabela's

black vest ~ Dick's Sporting Goods

white thermal ~ Alternative Apparel

maternity jeans ~ Motherhood Maternity

shoes ~ Columbia Outlet

Office meetings

black sweater dress ~ Ross (new)

necklace ~ Tiffany

purple tights ~ Kohl's

black peep-toe wedges ~ White House Black Market

Meet-up with the girls, errands

beige tee ~ Target

brown tank ~ Target

maternity jeans ~ Motherhood Maternity

green flats ~ Old Navy

I actually got these shoes a year or two ago and never wore them. Cute, huh?

Working from home, errands

sunglasses ~ Coach outlet

striped top ~ borrowed

same Joe's maternity jeans

brown mary janes ~ Target

Office meetings

dress ~ Kohl's (new, $5 on clearance!)

black sweater ~ J. Crew

earrings ~ Kohl's

black maternity leggings ~ borrowed

boots ~ Target

Linking up to these fabulous parties:

what i wore wednesday @ the pleated poppy

Bejeweled Wednesdays @ Jewelscapes

It's a...

2011-02-20T19:54:00.007-06:00

Well, it's a 50 / 50 shot at guessing, right? ;) Okay, okay, I won't keep it to myself any longer ... it's a B.O.Y.!! We are both SO thrilled and excited, it's hard to believe we'll be holding our little man in less than five months. And while we've got a TON to do to prepare before his arrival, thought I'd celebrate a moment of peace. {Tick tock, tick tock}

Okay ... now where do I start?!

Linking up to Mosaic Monday @ Little Red House

Hello Again

2011-02-20T09:28:00.002-06:00

So when I fall off the bandwagon, I reeeeaaaalllly fall off! BUT, we're about to start the baby room, so I'm excited to share our ideas and projects. And, I already have a list of stuff I want to accomplish after the baby arrives. You know, when I have all that free time while on maternity leave (I'm sure you moms are laughing at me right now!) :)

Oh, and we found out what we're having ... I'll share tomorrow! ;)

WIWW: Preggo Edition

2011-01-27T10:12:00.000-06:00

Hey there! So I'm a day behind ... what else is new? :) Not many pictures to post for the last week -- had several days where I felt like crap and literally wore the same jammies for days.

And after looking at many of the posts last week for WIWW from fellow bloggers, I must say you guys are getting oober creative with your photos! You guys are starting to look more like models and less like us everyday folks. It's just little ol' me and my Evo, and you guys are getting fancy with outside photos and tripods. I'm jealous. Or envious. Or both? Makes me think I should Windex my bathroom mirror ... or at least move that pile of hangers. ;)

Thursday

office meetings

dress ~ Ross (new)

black sweater ~ Target

maternity leggings ~ borrowed

boots ~ Target

Sunday

church, errands

grey sweater ~ gift (new)

Joe's maternity jeans ~ Pea in a Pod

silver ruffle flats ~ Ann Taylor Outlet

Monday

lunch with a friend, working from home

top ~ borrowed

maternity jeans ~ Motherhood Maternity

grey flats ~ Aeropostale

earrings ~ Target

Tuesday

office meetings

purple cardi ~ Target (new)

black & white top ~ Target

necklace ~ Nordstrom

black maternity pants ~ Motherhood Maternity

black patent heels ~ Dillard's

Linking up to these fabulous parties:

What I Wore Wednesday @ The Pleated Poppy

Bejeweled Wednesdays @ Jewelscapes

Forgotten Projects

2011-01-24T14:42:00.000-06:00

I'd started several projects pre-preggo. Then, when the intense tiredness hit, they all got set aside and left for a rainy day. Well, we've had oodles of rainy days and they're still sitting! But, I'm hoping to get them finished -- and get the house {remotely} organized -- before baby arrives in early July.

Like, organizing our closet...

Painting the laundry room...

Finishing the picture wall upstairs...

Installing the knobs I bought for the guest bathroom...

Finally doing something with the old cabinet door I bought at the Habitat Restore forever ago {Hey, at least I primed it! Something for the baby room, perhaps?}...

And finishing re-vamping my Granddad's old lamp...

Not to mention everything we need to do to get baby's room ready...

Guess that would be priority numero uno? :)

Wish List: Kamofie Ring

2011-01-20T22:41:00.000-06:00

I've fallen in love with this ring...

{via}

A gal can dream, right?!

WIWW: Preggo Edition

2011-01-19T09:06:00.000-06:00

WIWW is back! And this week I've been feeling uber preggo. It's hard to tell in these photos, but I love that my belly is finally taking shape. I'm starting to look less like I ate too many nachos and more like I'm growing a baby -- and at 15.5 weeks, that's a good thing!

Many thanks to my awesome friend Brit for letting me borrow some of her maternity clothes. Will really help to stretch my wardrobe -- and dollar -- farther. And, it helps that I got several maternity store giftcards for Christmas! :)

{Oh, and I forgot to post last week, so there's a couple of extra days ... making up for the days I missed this week!}

Monday

office meetings

purple maternity sweater ~ gift (new)

maternity slacks ~ Motherhood Maternity (new, giftcard)

black patent wedges ~ Target

Tuesday

dinner with friends

floral top ~ Banana Republic

necklace ~ Tiffany

jacket ~ Saks Outlet years ago

Joe's Jeans maternity ~ Pea in a Pod (new)

Nine West boots ~ DSW

Thursday

office meetings

red top ~ borrowed

Kirra sweater ~ PacSun

grey pants ~ Express

grey flats ~ Aeropostle

Friday

working from home, date night

striped top ~ borrowed

blue sweater ~ PacSun

same Joe's maternity jeans

same grey flats

Monday

working from home, running errands

green top ~ borrowed

grey sweater ~ Nordstrom

maternity jeans ~ Kohl's

same grey flats

Tuesday

working from home, running errands

earrings ~ Target

coral top ~ Motherhood Maternity (new, giftcard)

jeans ~ Motherhood Maternity (new, giftcard)

silver ruffle flats ~ Ann Taylor Outlet

Linking up to these fabulous parties:

What I Wore Wednesday @ The Pleated Poppy

Bejeweled Wednesdays @ Jewelscapes

Stylish Blogger Award

2011-01-11T08:47:00.004-06:00

Wow, flattered to receive the Stylish Blogger Award from Orange It Lovely!

Really made my morning, especially since I'm sitting here still in my pjs, deciding if I even want to get dressed today :). You ought to check out her blog, though -- full of fun creative ideas, DIY home projects and stylish finds!

The official rules are:

Thank and link back to the person who awarded you this award.
Share 7 things about yourself.
Award 15 recently discovered great bloggers.
Contact these bloggers and tell them about the award.

But, I'm going to cheat a wee bit. For 7 things about me, check out this post. {You will ALWAYS find queso on my "me" lists!} And for passing this along, I seriously want to pass this award to all of my wonderful readers. I know some of you visit daily, most less often, but you guys are what make blogging enjoyable. AND, you all give me something fun to read while eating my morning bagel, and killing time before dinner, and for those late nights when I can't sleep.

Thanks again, and kudos to you all! :)

Wish List: Poppy Earrings

2011-01-09T17:00:00.004-06:00

While it's snowing outside, I'm snuggled by the fire dreaming of warmer weather. Which is why I'm drooling over these lovely poppy earrings from Spotted Moth...

Is it too early to buy for spring? :)

Favorite Things Friday: 2010 Moments

2011-01-07T07:56:00.015-06:00

Well, since I never posted what I was thankful for in 2010, or Christmas decorations and treats, or my New Year resolutions, I figured I'd post some of my favorite moments from last year. Like...

...the crazy Texas snow at the first of the year:

...snowboarding in Angel Fire & Taos:

...4-wheelin':

...days on the lake in our boat:

...a weekend get-away to Galveston, complete with tar balls:

...celebrating our anniversary with a sunset sail:

...J's wine adventure, from hand-picked grapes to opening his first home-made bottle:

...exploring the west coast, from San Francisco into Oregon:

...and, the day we found out I was pregnant:

And after that, the rest of the year was a blur of holidays and morning sickness :). Of course, there were many other favorite moments -- from times with family and friends, celebrating new babies, and other moments not captured on film -- that I'll treasure as we move into 2011. I can only imagine what this year will bring!

Linking up to Favorite Things Friday @ A Few of My Favorite Things

Oh Baby!

2011-01-03T20:19:00.006-06:00

I know, I know -- I've been MIA. But I have good reason! If you've been following my tweets, then you know ... I'm preggo!! And we are sooo uber excited, we're chomping at the bit to get started on the baby room and alllll it's many projects. But, I'm only 13.5 weeks so far, so we still have awhile before we find out what it is.

Now that I'm not struggling as much between sleep and work, hopefully I'll feel more up to blogging. Thought today would be perfect to share some of the baby room ideas I've collected so far. I'm really digging the blues and bright greens...

{via}

Excited for the journey ahead! :)