Baby Bump Christmas Cards

With a due date in early January, Mark and I decided that a baby bump on our Christmas card is a MUST!  Typically we go the homemade card route because I like to get all crafty, but this year presented special circumstances.  Here are a few cards we like...but NOT the card we chose!  To see the final product, you will have to wait for good old snail mail.

Which one is your favorite?  Are you sending snail mail Christmas Cards?  When do you typically send cards?  (are you one of THOSE people that already has them in the mail or ready to go?!?)

Exciting News

I am very excited to announce that I am now a guest blogger over at Polka Dot Peacock.  My nursery idea board that was featured on with two cats landed me the gig and I couldn't be more excited!  I will be sharing idea boards, baby inspiration, and reviews of products I love.  This will be a huge creative outlet for me (and also save this blog from being over run by baby).  I will be sharing my posts via twitter, so be sure to follow me.

My first post. "Room to Grow: Pink and Green," featured baby furniture that is built to last.  You can easily outfit a nursery with "real" furniture that you child can use for as long as it will last.  Of course the Lilly Lover in me focused this first post on pink and green.  Check it out here and let me know what you think!

Holiday Gift Guide 2010: Etsy

Forget about Black Friday this year and check out etsy for the fabulous ladies on your list.  

1. For the girl with hometown pride, warm her heart with these creations by vintage refashioned.

2. Inspire greatness with prints from Valentina Ramos.

 3. Warm a home or brighten an apartment with cheery art from Sparkle Power.

4. Add a punch to a couch that is better than any item you will find in a mall today, with these beauties from Festive Home Decor.

5. Keep in line with current fashion trends and offer warmth to your loved one with knitted items from Arlene's Boutique.

Holiday Gift Guide 2010: Foodies

Whether you are giving to the food connoisseur, the generous hostess, or simply need an easy gift to keep on hand for the unexpected, food is a great option.  Here are some of my favorite food gifs.

1. Honey is a great gift for everyone on your list.  From serving on busicutts, with apples and cheese, or stirred into tea or even a hot toddy, honey can be enjoyed all year long.  Maine Wild Raspberry Honey offers your gift recipint a dressed up classic.  Package with homemade busicutts or your favorite tea to complete the gift.

2. For the loved ones you can't be near, nothing feels more like home that a warm bowl of Chicken Noodle Soup.  Send the gift of home this year with the help of Spoonful of Comfort.  Purchasing options allow you to add half a dozen homemade rolls or cookies for a little bit more love.

 3. For the chef in your life, provide the treat of deliciously infused balsalmic vinegar or extra virgin olive oil.  While there are options to infuse yourself, I have found that Villa Manodori to be an excellent gift to have on hand, all year round!



4. For the person who appreciates an indulgence, cheese straws are a wonderful treat enjoyed primarily at special times of year.  Honor your recipient with the best of the South from Mississippi Cheese Straw Factory. 

5. For the generous host who is housing all of the outof town family this year, nothing could be more welcomed that a gift to feed a crowd.  Navel Oranges are a wonderful holiday tradition that is sure to please any full home this busy season.  

AND...if you are more ambitious than me, and want to make your food gifts at home, here are a few links from my favorite magazines to get you started:

Country Living

Good Houskeeping

Better Homes and Gardens

Don't forget to check out the other 2010 Gift Guides

We are posting a new guide each Friday, so feel free to make requests in the comment section!

Dynamite A Cappella

Mike Tompkins is insanely talented.  Take 5 mintues to watch his a cappella version of Dynamite.  It's unbelievable:

He also has versions of Firefly and Party in the USA that you need to check out on his You Tube channel here!

33 Weeks

I have been negligent in my picture taking.  I apologize.  Here I am at 33 weeks and all along the way!  I really have gotten a lot bigger since the 26 week picture, even though it is hard to tell here.

Not that you have seen the baby bump, here is what I have been thinking:

Am I really going to walk home with a baby in two months?  It seems surreal.  I haven't been pregnant long enough.  I am so excited to meet our little guy.  I am eagerly awaiting his arrival.  Everything so far seems completely normal, completely as I expected. {completely as I planned?!}

That is everything except the going home with a baby part.  I can rationalize and wrap my head around most aspects of this pregnancy, but for some reason, the concept of actually having my own child is foreign.  {perhaps because this is my first child and it IS foreign}  Don't misunderstand me, I am thrilled to become a mother, I just cannot anticipate anything about this scenario.

Did I tell you I am planning on writing a book during my maternity leave?  Perhaps this point more than most reminds me that I have no idea what I am heading towards.  While it would not be unlike me to multitask to the extreme, I also know that slowing down is a good thing.  What I accomplish beyond the basic necessities of me and the baby will be up for determination.

For now, I am going to keep trying to wrap my head around the incredible fact that for the next 5, 10, 12, 18 years, this little guy is going to be entirely dependant on me...until one day, I wake up all to suddenly and realize that he has become a man.  Now that is something I am not even going to try to comprehend...

Lamp Hunting = Furniture Buying

Mark and I went hunting for lamps...and we came home with these:



Hunter Trunk = Coffee Table



Terrevida Table = Calligraphy Work Station/Dinning Room Table/Center of Our Living Space



Well, we didn't actually come home with them.  But they are on order and a delivery date will soon be scheduled.  If you have known us for long, you have heard of our 4 year search for a farm looking table and a storage trunk for a coffee table (that was tiny enough to fit in our apartment).  Crate and Barrell came through for us big time this week! 

Good thing we had time to wander through their showroom in Annapolis.  Or...the story line could read: "Bad Things Happen When you Have Too Much Time at the Mall."  Either way, we are excited with our finds and look forward to incorporating them into our living room!

Oh yeah...we purchased some lamps as well!

Very productive shopping expedition.

p.s.This may be considered nesting.

Our home is begining to feel more pulled together now that we are slowly replacing the college furniture that has served us for over 10 years!  Time to move on up...

Holiday Gift Guide 2010: New Babes

Did you really think I would be able to do a gift guide without featuring all of the fabulous baby gear I have found?  This list is not featuring the top items that you already see in every single baby magazine {read a giraffe shaped teether or bamboo swaddling blankets} Don't get me wrong.  I love these items.  But I am trying to help you think outside the box!

1. An adorable stuffed animal, featuring the on-point trend of knitted baby toys like this rainbow stripped bunny - perfect for the baby girl or boy in your life.

2. Board Books - forget about Good Night moon, share your home town pride with these adorable board books available from Chulamama.  Plus, check out their city gift sets!

3. Chose a luxurious hat and bootie set to keep the babe warm and stylish in the winter months.

4. An extraordinary blanket that can be tossed in the car for extra warmth, tucked around your baby carrier, or used as a play mat when you are traveling to visit family.  A blanket can be an incredible gift when you reach a step above what the average mama would buy.  

5. Alphabet blocks allow a baby to explore textures and teaches motor skills like picking up, releasing, and stacking.  These are so adorable, you won't mind them scattered on the floor in the nicest room of your house!

Don't forget to check out the other 2010 Gift Guides!

We are posting a new guide each Friday, so feel free to make requests in the comment section!

DC Baby Shower

This past weekend my dear friends threw me an incredible baby shower filled with laughter, love, and a lot of personal touches that made this day especially special.  

I was just a day shy of 32 weeks and decided to show off my baby bump with some of the cute newborn clothing they used as decoration!  Wait... can you believe there are only 8 weeks left?

 

Really delicious cupcakes, Izze {a recent preggo craving} and the most beautiful fruit salad.

It was so great to have everyone there!  Lauren flew in from Kentucky {sadly her new home} and a ton of these girls live close, but we haven't had the chance to catch up because life gets crazy.  It was wonderful to see everyone.  I love these girls!!

Please also observe the intensity in which Katie is eating her cupcake.  Classic.

Group Photo Op

The rubber duckies were adorable!

{and clearly the host amused herself by taking pictures of them!}

Uber crafty.  

Love the onsies.  

Love the yarn "clothes line."

I don't even know where to begin on the generosity of these ladies!

Some of the highlights captures on film above:

Capitol Hill Onesie

Lax Onesie made by Dani's Sister of Happy Hollis Design

The Boon Squirt spoon that I was seriously explaining.

Wipes wrapped in Diapers

A trash can for dirty diapers and a book about poop to go along with it!

Needless to say, I laughed hysterically during the present opening and was overwhelmed by the outpouring from these girls.

Anna C, Anna B, and Me

These ladies connected to find me a place to live when I first started working in DC and have been an incredible blessing in our lives ever since!  I am so excited we are all pregnant together and have the chance to share this journey with one another!

January 7 and January 3

Who will pop first?

Beautiful Favors

Love Ducks

Can you ever get enough ducks?

A HUGE thanks to these ladies

 {and Lina, not pictured} 

for showering me so well!

CSA Inspired: Kale Chips

It is with great sadness and a lack of inspiration that I share the end of my CSA season.  I am already longing for next year!  However, there are many recipes I prepared with my farm fresh ingredients which never had a chance to shine in the spotlight of this blog.  So the "CSA Inspired" series will continue and I will make an effort to be seasonally appropriate.

This longwinded tale brings us to Kale Chips.  But first, let's get a few things straight:

1. I don't like kale
2. Pregnancy has made all things green repulsive
3. These are good...seriously!

Directions:

• Clean, Rinse, and Spin the Kale
• Break into 1 inch pieces and place in a single layer on baking sheet
• Mix 2 Tbls. Olive Oil and 2 tsp. Sea Salt
• Brush olive oil and salt mixture over kale pieces generously
• Tip: You could also add cracked pepper, garlic salt, or other savory sprinkles!
• Bake in a pre-heated over an 350 degrees for 8-10 minutes (watch closely)
• Let cool.  Enjoy the crispy chips!!

How do you prepare kale?  Or do you simply avoid it all together?

2010 Reading List: October

I am getting back into the swing of reading as the weather has cooled and curling up on the couch with a book becomes more appealing.  October consisted of two memoirs and chick-lit for easy reading.  IT was a very satisfying month of books.

As much as I want to end this year strong, I think November and December are going to be swallowed up by "baby-prep."  Time will tell how many books I squeeze in before our little one arrives!


Mini Shopaholic - this book is exactly what you would expect.  A tummy toning hillarious read that was quick and light hearted.

Mennonite in a Little Black Dress - while it opened my eyes towards cultural differences I was unaware of, (I grew up in an area with a large mennonite population) I had difficulty connecting with Rhoda and even finishing this book.  I put it down for almost a week will less that 20 pages left!  Typically an unheard of reading pattern for me.

The Glass Castle {confession...I am still reading this book, but desperately wanted to count it for October}  I love it so far and cannot wait to provide my full review.

What should I add to my reading list between now and the beginning of breastfeeding?
 

Holiday Gift Guide 2010: Men

Having trouble finding the perfect gift for your hubby, bro, or boyfriend?  Here are five ideas under $50 to get you started:

1. City Posters by Ork.  Let your man's passion for his home town thrive while you up the style quota on his bachelor's pad.

2. Homage Tees, for the sports fan in your life that already has too much gear.  These throw back tees are perfect for any guy with additional options available for colleges, pop-culture, and even famous eateries!

3. Shop Patagonia for name brand gear without spending a fortune.  The secret?  Check out the novelty items like this Travel Belt with a storage space for valuables or Windproof Gloves, now 50% off!

4. Beef up your man's movie trivia with a box set, sure to entertain.  Whether it is Godfather, Sci-Fi, or Die Hard that fuels the testosterone, these gifts look like they cost more than you actually spend - bonus!

5. For the culinary expert meat lover, gift sets of spices, seasonings, and sauces could be a big hit.  Here are a few classics, sure to inspire a feast: BBQ Sauce, Hot Sauce, and Bacon Salts.  These sets are so affordable, you might even want to throw in a book like, "Bacon: A Love Story," for comedic affect!

Did you like the ideas you saw here?  

Over the next few Fridays, (or until the baby arrives) I will be posting gift ideas for everyone in your life!  Have a specific person you are looking for?  Leave a comment and let me know so I can be sure to consider your special someone!