check

With one day to go, Em finally has her costume for the Harvest Festival... a happy little blue bird. It took a bunch of felt, several hot glue sticks, and about an hour to put together... if you're in the same boat check out these EASY D.I.Y. costumes from martha!

again & again

I'll admit it, I love this print...maybe it's because it goes to the heart of my inner valley girl (yes, I really just admitted that - SFV!) It's been on 3 or 4 of the design blogs I follow and I've resisted the urge to buy it every time. I'm trying to get the house under control... my wandering ideas of what exactly is in good taste has resulted in a very *eclectic* look and I'd love for it to all just flow. The poster is ruining it for me... If I could find it in blue it would probably be too late already. Ahhhh if only home design came easily for me.

newest member of the family

I would like to introduce you to the newest member of our little family. She came earlier than expected, and still doesn't have a name... she's a little loud but I couldn't love her more...

Okay, so it's not the new baby yet, but it's something I wanted for a long time. I didn't think we'd get one for awhile due to the $300 price tag, but surprise of all surprises, my mom gave us hers! It's a ROOMBA. A nifty little vacuuming robot that I can turn on when leaving the house and the carpet is all clean and beautiful when I return... every day! no more dragging out the giant vacuum 3x a week (and wishing to every other day), or carrying emma while i vacuum because she's so scared she starts shaking and sobbing uncontrollably at the sound. YAY!

long time, no post

Wow! It's been a long time, with no posting... I miss the blogging world (and hate that last picture of me). We've been busy busy busy with B + R's wedding in Washington, and getting ready for the still-to-be-named baby we're expecting in less than 4 weeks... yikes! i had to catch my breath after writing that last bit! Em was a flower girl again, and the wedding was beautiful. Washington was cold, and our good friends Tom and Kelley were so gracious to let us stay in their newly renovated home... they even turned up the heat for us freezing San Diegans every night - Thanks Guys!
Speaking of the little girl on her way, Ashlyn posted this great site for baby names on her blog... Nameberry. Super creative, and much less boring than the traditional baby name book or website. If you don't see anything new from me soon you'll know which site I'm stuck on! I've got LOTS of sweet new kid stuff to share, as well as a few simple DIY's for the holidays coming up. Stay tuned and I'll see you around!

Happy Birthday Mom!

A very happy birthday to my dear mom... two hours left, but I just wanted to let you know how much you are loved and appreciated!

and yes, I did call her earlier today!

something new

something new from "elephannie" on etsy... i couldn't understand why my mom would get teary when she read that book, now that i'm a mom i get it.

rock it like martha...

Yes! It's finally October... with it comes fall, cozy clothes and weather (nevermind that it was 100 degrees earlier this week), and Pumpkins! I'll admit that Em and I did this little project a week or so ago, but it's so easy, and not only that, but perfect for the little ones to participate in. It comes from MarthaStewart.com complete with instructions and supplies list. I've added my own here -
1. Pick a Pumpkin
2. Paint said pumpkin with Tacky Glue. This takes longer to dry than regular white glue, but it's less runny and holds the glitter better (yes, it works best with a paint brush)
3. Sprinkle with clear, gold, or silver glitter
4. let dry
5. If you want to be like Martha, you can even paint the stem of your pumpkin although I didn't see that as necessary.

eclectic

Why I wish we could get a kitten...Baby Names: I'm sure the list is actually longer, but off the top of my head we have all these names... and only 6 and a half weeks?! In no particular order:

Ashlyn Noah Cara Drew Dawn Juliette Sophia Addison Reece

Olivia Sophia Hannah Isabella Eisley Hazel Sydney

cute as a button

I was absolutely overwhelmed (in a good way) this weekend with an outpouring of love from friends and family at our baby shower. I was thinking it would be a quiet get-together. After all, I had a baby shower when Em was born, and didn't want to be too much trouble. When I walked in, it was clear that this was not the case... everywhere I looked there was something, some sort of amazing detail. The theme was "cute as a button."


Thank you to all the ladies who put this together, and to everyone who was there, for making it such a special and blessed day!

silhouette project

Alright, I know I'm late to jump on the boat, but I am totally into the silhouette craze right now. I remember posing for a silhouette drawing in third grade where they traced our shadow, the class cut them all out, and we gave them to our parents as a Mother's Day present. This DIY is similar, but a little more stylish, and doesn't involve getting your kid to sit still (always a plus)

1. find a picture of your child's profile, make it the size you want your silhouette to be. print out...

2. with a black, fine tip marker, carefully trace the outline of your child's silhouette

3. cut out

4. choose a paper (i chose one with a print) to trace the silhouette onto

5. cut out

6. mount on paper of your choice

7. frame it and smile!
The prints on my paper don't show up well here, but I used scrapbooking paper with a damask print for both the silhouette and backing. Happy crafting!