I am woman, here me rant!  Warning, this is quite a pessimistic post.  I figured I would break up all the gushy baby love stuff with a cold splash of reality...and the not so perky thoughts that run through my head.  No offense is intended, but feel free to let me know if I stepped on your toes!

1. Why are most maternity shirts crew neck?  I have been living in crewneck pergatory for MONTHS and I cannot wait to go back to my scoop and v-necks!

2. What is with the phycadelic neon Christmas decorations?  What is wrong with traditional?

image via hgtv david bromstead's color splash: miami

Orange, turquoise, and lime green are bad, but they are the least of our worries.  What really irks me are the abundance of bright pink artificial Christmas Trees.  People, enough with the pink!

3. No new trends?  Seriously?  I walk into my favorite stores only to see what is already hanging in my closet, often for a steep increase in price.  We are in a recession, all the more reason for discounts, deals, and funky new trends to spice things up a bit this year!

4. When will society's obsession with vampires end?  I am over it.  To be honest, I never really got it.  I am ready for folks to wake up and move on.

5. Smoking?  When did this become popular again?  How is it okay to justify "I only smoke twice a week..." or "I only smoke socially..." So people, you are telling me that you chose to partake in a highly addictive habit sparingly?  This is just odd.  I blame Mad Men.



6. Skating with the Stars...really?  I thought Dancing with the Stars was bad enough!

7. 8. 9. & 10.  Sorry.  I ran out of steam.  I can't actually be that much of a pessimist.

Really, I just want to wish you all...

With a baby right around the corner (still not here yet) we decided to lay low this season.  It wasn't photographed!  {seriously, it was that low key!}  Our Christmas was untraditional, but perfect.

Christmas Eve Day
Mark's brother and parents came into DC to join us for a festive supper.  We had ham, scalloped potatoes, a winter salad and fruit salad.  I was happy to cook and enjoyed being able to serve everyone around our recently purchased table.  Good food and great conversation made for a joyous time that was blissfully uneventful.  We exchanged gifts.  Ben received a rain coat and brown socks...from both his parents and us!  It was pretty funny.  They joint gifted us a wonderful new TV.

Christmas Morning
Ben spent the night with us.  We woke up to a pancake breakfast by chef Mark, good coffee, Christmas movies, and rousing games of monopoly.  Ben smoked us all...over and over again!  After Ben left, Mark surprised me with a video camera, something I had been hoping to get to capture precious moments with our son.  Now if only he would decide he was ready to be born...

The next day a blizzard hit the East Coast.  It skipped DC, but hit Philly hard enough to prevent my parents from coming down to celebrate.  They were finally able to make it down.  We had a great time hanging out, exchanging gifts, they got us a new DVD player as ours is on the fritz, walking around DC, and playing games.  Our day was capped by dinner at a local German restaurant, Cafe Berlin.

We loved spending quiet time with our families and look forward to seeing them again soon after the birth of our baby!

As I have been continuing to put endless final touches on our nursery, I came across two that also incorporated the blue and orange from the Serena and Lily Ben line.  Will I ever stop looking at nurseries?  Nope, probably not.  They might be my new favorite room to decorate!

{seen here}

{seen here}

...this guy is awesome!  Seriously.  He puts up with a lot and keeps a smile the entire time!  {difficult when living with me}  And TODAY is his birthday.  He is a rockstar.  Let me show you why:

During our search for art for the nursery nook, we stumbled upon some beauties.  Here are the top contenders:






We have decided on the art...purchased and framed it and are ready to hang!  What did we choose?  You will just have to wait and see in the next nursery update!  Which are your faves?

Teach the art of giving, and share the blessing of others with your family and friends this Christmas season.  Here are a a few ideas to make a difference:

1. Adopt an Animal: No, I am not suggesting you to show up at your cousins house with her new pet.  But rather, adopt an animal in your loved one's name either through the Wildlife Fund for $100 or contact your local zoo or aquarium.  Our Story: Mark proposed to me at the New England Aquarium in Boston with the assistance of a very talented seal named Chuck.  We adopted Chuck and love hearing about him each year.  Not only does this bring emotional benefit to us, it also helps support the aquarium and all of its visitors each year.



2. American Red Cross: Through their giving site, you can chose to help those in need based on location, need, crisis, or to support the military families.

3. Help end child trafficking by donating to Love146.  Learn more about Love146, their mission, and Prevention and Aftercare programs here.

4. Through World Vision Gift Catalog, you can purchase a goat, chickens, or even a share in a deep well dig to benefit families and communities across the globe.


5. Plant a Tree with a simple one dollar donation.

Mark and I are slowly getting ready.  I am sure there is tons left to do to prepare for baby, but we are content with where we are.  We are emotionally and logistically ready to bring our son home.  The clothes are washed, diapers and wipes are stockpiled, books have been read, the car seat is strapped in the car, the house is in order and we aren't going anywhere.  We are "ready."

However, that readiness comes with the comfort of knowing that we will never really be ready for anything that comes ahead of us in the next few weeks, months and years as parents.  It is reassuring to know that this is the position in which everyone enters parenthood and that life is full of learning lessons.

We can't wait to meet our son, hold him and bring him home...in the mean time, I guess I will keep growing!

My friend Julie loves photography and takes some pretty amazing pictures!  For a sneak peek of my maternity photos, skip over to her blog: Green Eggs and Hammes.  Oh, and while you are there, be sure to leave a comment and let her know that her photog skills are awesome!

When I think preppy, monograms and personalization immediately comes to mind.  Regardless of the color palate, pink and green lilly inspired, traditional nautical navy and crimson, or even more mod orange and aqua, and item with personalization screams PREP!  Here are some favorite takes on gifts for the prepster in your life:

1. Fontain Muray is an excellent go to place for monogrammed gifts.  I am IN LOVE with their serving trays!  Unfortunately, the cupcakes are not included...



2. I recently featured fabulous Spa Wraps on my calligraphy blog as an excellent gift and fun photo op for bridesmaids.  These versitile towels also make a great gift for the number one prepster in your life.  For more information, visit The Palm Gifts.



3. Wall Art, Growth Charts, Note Pads and more...Name Your Design has fabulous gifts for every age.  Planning for a baby boy, I am especially drawn to the "zoooom" race car.  While this company claims to be modern...it speaks to the WASP in me!



4. For custom stationery, I always turn to English Tea Paperie.  I love the designs and the simplicity.  These note cards never last in my house because I get so excited to use them.  Swing over to English Tea Paperie and check out more of the fabulous designs for yourself!


5. Tote Bags!  You can go the traditional L.L. Bean route, "high" fashion from J.Crew, nautical with the ever so popular Sea Bags, or mix it up a bit with these snazzy styles from Ballard Designs, my personal favorite:

Wow!  I cannot believe I have posted 300 times.  It is increible to see how this blog started and how it has grown.  I cannot wait to hit a new milestone of 500 or even 1,000 to see what new and exciting adventures this wonderful blogging community has enabled. 

I have a ba-zillion (literally) posts coming your way over the next few weeks and even more excitement around the corner in January. 

I have begun lining up FANTASTIC ladies to fill in and guest blog while I am on my blogging "maternty leave." If you are interested in being a guest blogger in January, leave a comment or send me an email at: shannon dot angelos at gmail dot com.

I have found it essential to have a stash of "gifts" waiting to be used throughout the holiday season.  No matter how well I plan, there is always a few curve balls in December.  Whether it be for an extra hostess gifts, housewarming for the parties you are unexpectedly invited to, or even a quick gift for the family member you didn't realize was joining you for Christmas dinner, having multi-purpose gifts on hand is the key to survival! 

In the past I have had candles on stock, or a few extra bottles of my favorite wine, but this year I am going the food route!  {perhaps because I am VERY pregnant!} I have found that the more personal the gift, the better it is accepted as a quick substitute, or possibly not even noticed. 

So this year...drumroll please...I am cooking up some mixed nuts! 

1. Spread mixed nuts over a parchment lined baking sheet
2. Melt Chocolate and Caramel in double boilers {I like using dark chocolate...for...ummm...health reasons!}
3. Drizzle over nuts - be sure not to POUR or you will end up making bark instead of lose mixed nuts
4. Sprinkle lightly with large flakes of sea salt to add a bit of savory
5. Refridgerate to set or pop in the freezer for 5 minutes
6. Toss and break apart and once fully cooled, distribute among jars

I cannot wait to add wall hangings, the finishing touches and post the final view before I starts to get used and abused.  Now if only we could decide on the artwork for the walls...