Current Covets

Wouldn't one of these antique signs just make the best 2nd anniversary gift? I can't decide which is my favorite, what do you think?

(all are sugarboo designs)

(image via housetohome)

Cliche

First, I forgot about The Situation and was just reminded of him. This pleased me.

Second, and completely unrelated, I'm wondering if DiorShow is going to live up to the hype! I'm finally trying it...on it's way from Sephora. Will it join these other favorite cliche makeup products of mine?

NARS Orgasm Blush (and bronzer combo) $39 (so cliche...but I'm trying Super-Orgasm (gold flecks instead of silver - fab!) as soon as it comes in the mail)

SMASHBOX Photo Finish primer ($36)

Or, some of my other favorites?

Origins Underwear for Lids ($14.50)
Physician's Formula Eyelighter ($7.99)

What other cliches do I need to try that I'm missing?

Random Act of Kindness - Baked Ziti

A meal for someone going through a hard time. More like a good deed than a random act but I heard that a coworker was going to have to have surgery and although her mom was taking care of her, she had recently had surgery herself. So, we whipped up this delicious baked ziti.

We want to do a random act (or a good deed) once a week but life has been a bit crazy since I've gone back to work. So we need new ideas!

What She DID NOT Wear

I'm pretty sure this is the uniform at the leprechaun prison. It's also what V almost wore one day last week. I walked in just in time to cry out, "Noooooooo!" I mean, Tim had it off the hanger and was about to dress her in THIS! Out of all the cute clothes in her closet! Plus, I now understand why baby clothes are generally fabricated in "gender-specific" colors. At this age, we get an awful lot of..."Oh, it's so cute." or "Is it a he....or a she?"

However, she did also wear some pretty cute stuff. Although I don't remember all the "wheres" we can pretty much assume it was for a walk around the lake and some yellow cake batter frozen yogurt (I'm pretty sure the employees at Westlake Yogurt are staging an intervention for me). The days of stay-at-home-mom life are in the single digits - have to get as much yogurt in as possible before next week!

Valentine's Day (celebrated with frozen yogurt of course).


Gap - velour dress with heart pockets

Old Navy - pink cardigan, navy dress, striped leggings (with ruffle bum!)

Old Navy - one-piece



Baby Birgitte Bird on a Wire Dress and cardi


Janie & Jack dress, tights, boots

On the hunt for...the perfect waist belt

I head back to work to work on Monday and have two major fashion dilemmas 1) I still have a lot of weight to lose to be "pre-baby" fightin' weight (especially in my stomach!) and 2) I'll be pumping at work and possibly nursing lil V at lunchtime at the daycare. I've realized that I'm probably going to need to keep wearing some of my maternity clothes (especially dresses) because they are forgiving in the waist, and often stretchy enough to nurse in without having to pull my dress up around my neck. But, to take maternity wear to I'm not pregnant no more, some of these dresses and skirts could really use a waist belt. So, this week I'm on the hunt for the perfect belt. The early contenders...

Basketweave belt, $69, Banana Republic


Linea Pelle (via Bluefly), $105

Black Knot, $14.50, Windsor
Interlocking Belt, Anthropologie, $48

Ticker Tape Belt, Anthropologie, $58

Quite frankly, the search could most definitely stop at anthro...so many options I'm overwhelmed!

p.s. I'll also take one of these little pretties in each color (anthro, $58) - I need great accessories since I'm in a "transitional" clothes stage, yes? Je t'aime!!

FOUND - new nursery decor

After finally feeling the inspiration, we've finally finished up Lil V's room. Final touches will be to move her table and upholstered glider back in (they're currently in our room since she's still sleeping with us) and figure out what I want to do with that empty frame (not feelin' it). But major progress! I love the embroidery hoops -- what an easy, cheap way to add fun to a room. And, they can easily be changed out with new fabrics to change the entire feel of a space. May end up putting more modern fabrics into ours but for now I'm kinda feeling the vintage-y vibe.

Random Act of Kindness - leave a note

Lil V and I are continuing our mission of spreading a bit more kindness through the world (care to join us?). This week's random act...we left a note inside a library book before we returned it - wishing whoever found it a wonderful day. And, we also had a random act given to us this week. I was shopping at Randall's holding V in the wrap on my chest. As I was leaving the store, a very elderly woman asked if she could carry one of my bags to my car for me! She made me smile, and our goal with our random acts is to pass that smile on. Have any ideas for random acts? Send them our way!

Have you been kind today?

My, oh my, is it easy to be so self-absorbed and I'm horribly guilty. I love the idea of a "random act of kindness." We tithe regularly from our paychecks to a couple organizations and regularly donate to other causes as well when there's a need. But, we rarely "randomly act." Something tiny can bring a smile to someone's face and inspire them to pay it forward. This blog post is so great - she decided for her birthday to commit one random act of kindness for each year of her life. I love this idea. Wouldn't it be great if each one of us committed one random act of kindness every day (and what a great lesson for our children)! My, what a friendlier world we might live in.

Today, V and I emailed Wingstop to compliment one of their employees for her great, friendly service. Tim and I, even though we don't go there often, have always noticed just how sweet this girl is. She takes our order and our money and fills our drinks, but still manages to make the experience "above and beyond" what you would expect at a wing place. Hopefully the compliment gets passed on to her!

On the hunt for...new nursery decor

This week, we're on the hunt for some new "decor" for Violet's room. We're also on the hunt for a nursing cover for pumping in my office but that's going a little too far for sharing on the blog.

One of last week's hunt items were these tissue poms for her nursery. Found (of course) on etsy.

This spurred some new inspiration in finishing up the nursery (it's been "done" but I really wasn't happy with the walls). I found some absolutely dreamy inspiration on ohdeedoh, like this:

and this (which forced me to suggest to Tim that we repaint the room this color (denied))...
and these...
Love the vintage, eclectic, yet romantic feel of these rooms. So, we're working on a few new projects. Definitely in the shopping cart...


P.S. Last week, I was on the hunt for a coupon organizer - here's the one I went with, from here:

What She Wore...Two Months!

Violet turned two months old last Sunday! I can't believe how fast the time has flown - but even more -- how much she's changed and grown. And how much more we love her - who knew there was any more room!


When: Sunday, February 7th
What: KnottyLegs argyle legwarmers; onesie; Picky Sticky 2-months sticker (these make an AWESOME baby shower gift)
Why: Two-month birthday outfit. How fabulous are these legwarmers!

Unfortunately, the two-month birthday also comes with two-month shots and while daddy wanted to dress her in jammies to go the doctor, I'm teaching her early that looking good when you're not feeling good will always make you feel better!

Gap flowered top, ? pink gathered cuff coduroys. And she still screamed bloody murder when that mean nurse stuck her three times.

Is Skpe just hype?

No way! On a day when your kiddo just got her first round of shots and is feeling a little fussified, your mom, your dad, and your best friend (and neighbor)'s mom can sing her a little song, like "Happy Trails" or "The Bear Went Over the Mountain." Or, a whole medley of songs, harmonized straight into your living room. Even Opie the dog sticks his head in and barks a lyric or two every once in a while. Ah, modern technology...connecting the world one serenade at a time.

P.S. CL - Mike is feeling a lot like George Michael on these rainy days. And curse your blog for making me sing the song every.single.time.

What She Wore...Polo Preppy

Unfortunately for Lil V, she may have inherited my husband's freakishly long torso. Which means this is probably the first and last time she wears this cute little outfit.

When: Wednesday, February 4th

What: Polo one-piece with ruffle detail, Punk Princess paci

Where: NOWHERE! It's still raining!

Why: Both grandpas love polo, so I'm rocking this today in honor of them (although perhaps I should have popped my collar?)

A walking mommy contradiction

Apologies for the re-post...somehow this got posted for January 17th originally.

You know when you see those episodes of What Not to Wear with the moms that just "never have time to put themselves first" and you think to yourself -- that is NO excuse for pleated khakis*? Well...I have a bit more perspective these days. Although do not get your hopes up that you'll see me on the last page of Glamour in tapered jeans with a wide hip, there are a few things though that I'm shocked to admit about myself these days...

1) I've been wearing nothing but sweatpants for weeks. Well, at least they're wide-legged black yoga pants but who am I kidding - they really don't transition from walks around the lake to dinner. But, I have transitional body, people. I feel silly wearing maternity clothes but still have a lot of weight to lose before I can fit in my pre-pregnancy clothes. And, since I am losing weight, it doesn't seem like a good idea to invest in any clothes that fit now.

2) I recently found myself shopping for Vera Bradley diaper bags rather than Chloe satchels (okay...more drooling than shopping). Vera Bradley is widely considered fashion's nemesis. And quite frankly, I'm not really a girl who shops for accessories at the Hallmark store. But, they make a kickass diaper bag (seriously, who am i?).

3) I've been trolling around town not only in my sweatpants but in (gasp) wireless bras that make my boobs less than perfect. Turns out wire is not good for the boobs when you're nursing. I am actually one of that small percentage that wears a bra in the right size (confirmed by petticoat fair) and I have a lot to work with so it's important that they're "high and tight." I am so ashamed at the state of my current boobage. Have no fear, by the time I go back to work, I'll be back in wire...mastitis be damned.

4) I've considered a "baby on board" sign for the car. Next thing you know, I'll be slapping that puppy on with my Pooh window shade in my minivan. But seriously, would you drive like such an ass if you saw that I was next to you with my newborn? Well, considering you're a big enough d-bag to have a Jet Li vanity plate (dude, you're not even Asian), you probably would. I'll hold off on the sign.

5) And the most shocking of all, I currently own a shoe wardrobe that consists of nothing but sensible shoes...all flat. How sad is this? I am a girl who wears HEELS! I could climb a mountain in heels. I can walk across a wet field without sinking in every step in heels (if you're a real heel-wearer, you know what I mean). I jog in heels. I had every intention of wearing heels throughout my entire pregnancy but then my feet swelled to ham feet. And not only were they ham feet but they also grew. No one tells you this pre-pregnancy. I'm breaking the silence. And, although they're no longer swollen, they are also now too big to fit into most of my beautiful shoes.

What's next...a wash and go haircut and pert plus shampoo? Never say never.

* There is no excuse for pleated khakis.

Adventures in Mommy-land

As soon as the dryer dings, today is day 1 of our cloth diaper trial. But these aren't your mom's cloth diapers. These things are high-tech and cute, to boot! We're very much on a trial basis, and daddy has asked about a zillion times..."So, what do you do with the poop (except he doesn't say poop)." For those who've heard that the water to wash them cancels out the benefit of not throwing a million diapers in the landfills - we do have a high efficiency washer. I know those without kids are on the edge of their seats for the full report!

What we're trying:

Bum Genius 3.0 - a one-size (for diapering life) pocket diaper (which means it has an insert that comes out and gets washed separately)

FuzzinBunz - another one-size pocket diaper, just with a different fit and snaps instead of velcro

Bum Genius All-in-One -- like a disposable diaper but you put the whole thing in the wash instead of in the trash

Flip - A diaper-cover like thing with inserts; including a disposable option

What She Wore: Polka Dancing

Oh yes, this blog is going purple...i.e. all about Violet. I thought maybe I should start a spin off baby blog but, for now, since I haven't been much of a blogger on "regular" things lately, it all stays here.

Polka Dancing

When: Wednesday, February 3rd

What: Gap Polka Dot Shirt, Bum Genius v3.0 Butternut Squash cloth diaper

Where: Hanging around the house on a rainy day.

Why: Being green in orangey-yellow is cool!

On the hunt for this week...

Coupon Organizer!

With the arrival of Lil V, I feel as though we should start paying a bit more attention to the money going out the door. And while I'm certainly not a "clipper," and would rather spend the extra 10 cents then have to try to perforate a coupon from a page of a magazine (fold, lick, rip, no thank you), I have gotten some really great coupons lately that feel like throwing money away not to use (hello, whole free bag of potatoes at HEB!, $5 Babies R Us e-gift certifcate!, entire free pizza!) Throwing them into a pile of "coupons we should use" doesn't seem to be an effective strategy, they usually stay there until expired.

So, this week, the hunt is on for a cute, chic coupon organizer. While I love etsy dearly, searching for things on the site can be quite cumbersome considering the guy who makes the tree bark pens lists everything from "wood" to "your mom" as search key words. Ha, ha..."your mom." Anyhoo, here are some initial finds...but the search is only skin deep so far.

Etsy
Etsy

Lil V and I are also going on a mission to learn more about cloth diapers. Daddy's not too excited about this endeavor!