Pretty Picture(s)

Happy Halloween!


***photos courtesy of Lookbook

Thought both of these pictures were deemed appropriate for this holiday!

We spent our Halloween with a Skeleton, Pretty Witch, Monkey, little Chinese girl, and a football player! It was a fun time.

Hope everyone had a fun and safe holiday!

Treat Street

Saw this on Goop this morning and thought it was a really cool concept.

Check out Treat Street blog! Very fun!

Guess what? Its another RAINY day! Yesterday was absolutely GORGEOUS. Sunny and 60 with a little breeze. I thought there was hope for some pretty fall weather, but then I turned on the television this morning and saw the forecast. Yuck!

Update on Granny:


She was diagnosed with brain cancer. A very aggressive form of brain cancer. I'm not sure all the specifics. My MIL relayed the information to her son, so I got the information secondhand (and isn't very informative coming from the male species). I will get the full scoop soon and keep everyone updated so you know what to pray for. I am not sure if they are going to pursue chemo or just let it takes its course. Aaron was pretty torn up. My Granny died 4 1/2 years ago from what started as lung cancer and then spread to her brain. After they found it in her brain, she was gone in two weeks. It was a devastating time, so I know what's ahead with Aaron's Granny. I brace myself. Thank you in advance for your prayers. I know that God's plan is perfect, sometimes (most of the time) its hard to understand WHY. Good thing we serve a God with a perfect plan that we don't have to question. I pray peace for Granny and Papa and the rest of Aaron's family during this time. Its a sad situation.



Hope everyone has a great Thursday! Tomorrow is Friday and Saturday is HALLOWEEN! Aaron is going to work as a zombie Jim Bob Duggar tomorrow. If I remember I will take a picture and post. I'm sure he will look very humorous :).

Registering DONE!

It's DONE! My baby registry is complete. Even though my shower is not for another 6 weeks, it feels good to have that done. I was a little stressed because there were so many decisions to make, but all in all it really wasn't too difficult and ended up being a blast. Thanks to my SIL, Holly, for all her expert advice (and for going with me!). Also, thanks to my cousin, Amiee, for her expert advice as well. Seriously, I would have stood in the aisles for hours contemplating what to get had I not had them! Also, another cousin (more like sister), Jennifer, gave me a whole bag of bottles to use! That was awesome. I didn't have to make any decisions there, I just had to register for replacement nipples! And, I was able to just register for the glass bottles that I wanted. Why do I want glass? I don't know! I'll probably end up breaking every last one!

Yesterday I ordered Elle Louise these Leopard Lovelies from Etsy shop, SewingSparklz! Precious, precious handmade goodies! Super sweet mother of FOUR, all under the age of 6! Check. Her. Shop. Out.


I am SO proud of them and think they are do die for! I should have them in my possession sometime next week. Right now, Elle Louise is working with a pair of pink flats, fuzzy boots, fuzzy moccasins, white vintage leather moccasins (that I wore), vintage sandals for the summer, UGG boots for next fall/winter, and THESE! She already has quite the collection. I ordered these in 0-3 months so she can wear them right away! I'm so excited!

Happy Hump Day!!!!

Prayer Request:
Please say a prayer for Aaron's grandmother (we call her Granny) today, tonight, sometime. She had surgery this afternoon to remove a tumor/lesion off of her brain. I just received a text message from Aaron's mom saying that she is out of surgery, but that there is some bad news and that she will explain later. Please pray for Granny, Papa and their family. Its very sad to think of Granny in the hospital, she is not the one that is sick...its usually Papa. Pray that the peace that surpasses all understanding will sustain our family during this time. We know that God is in complete control of Granny's life and His will WILL be done!

Favorite Blogs

One of my favorite posts that any blog ever does is a "favorite blogs" posts! I have over 200 blogs in my Google Reader and I add or follow a new blog daily. Its hard to keep up with them all and more often than not I lose interest in a blog very easily. There are a handful out there that keep my interest day after day. Blogs that I just LOVE to read. Blogs that inspire. I find that being a mom-to-be, I tend to enjoy blogs that offer up "mom" advice (because LORD knows I need all the help I can get). I also love fashion blogs and blogs about home decor! Of course, I look at all my family and local friends blogs and LOVE them. I never lose interest there :)

So, here's my list of must-look-at-every-morning-and-throughout-the-day blogs:
Amandromeda - blog about EVERYTHING. So fun! Plus, she lives in a really cool renovated home in Siloam Springs!
Atlantis Home - WAY OUT THERE fashion. Awesome photography. Judy is way cool!
Barefoot in the Kitchen
For Me, For You
Girl's Gone Child - ummm, yea, LOVE this blog. Its actually a little guilty pleasure of mine. Rebecca is too cool for school and doesn't even know it. She is an open book to mothering and doesn't sugar coat anything!
NieNie Dialogues - wasn't a committed reader before Nie's plane crash, but after the crash I read her every post. She is incredible. Amazing. Such an inspiring, intriguing story! If you don't, you should read this blog!
Nestled In
. . .Love Maegan
My Style Pill
Rocks In My Dryer
Today's Creative Blog - A MUST!
A Soft Place to Land - found recently and LOVE!
Chapters
LPM Blog - of course!

***Edited to add: I left a couple faves off (oops)!
SkinnyRunner - because I'm a runner (well used to be and plan to be again). SkinnyRunner offers up great advice on running and well, she's just really funny and has a pretty cool life. She is a fisherwoman! Love her!
Skinny vs. Curvy - not for the faint at heart. Ha! Love this blog! Seriously, I'm disturbed. Why do I torture myself by looking at pictures of skinny supermodels and celebrities? Its a sickness. An entertaining and light blog...no pun intended.

I guess that's about it! Check them out! They are GREAT!

Its another very dreary rainy day in NWA!!!! When will the rain ever end?

Pretty Picture

photo courtesy of Lookbook

Happy Monday!

The Baby's Room

The bedding arrived Saturday! We were both so excited.


Here is the crib blanket!




Aaron decided to start painting today! We decided on white. We just think with such a small room, white is the way to go. We don't want it to be too overwhelming. Being married to a graphic designer means everything is very well thought out and his opinion is just as important as mine. Most the time he wins, because I know (deep down) that what he wants is probably what is going to look best. I am more visual than he. We plan on painting something on the wall...we are just not sure what or where!


Since Aaron is painting the room, he is also painting the closet so I took all her clothes out and cut off tags and arranged according to size (that was fun)! She already has quite the collection. A few of the items in the pile were purchased by Elle Louise's aunt and grandmothers, but sad to say I've bought most the stuff. Its true...I'm a sucker! All the cute stuff is hard to pass up!


Thought this was just too cute not to get!


Here are a few of my favorite (recent) things I've bought. Aaron brought the ruffle shirt and white onesie home from L.A. He got them at H&M. So cute!


Here are a few more of my favorites. She is going to be one stylish little baby girl!

So, we bailed out of our Halloween party Saturday night. We couldn't agree on a costume, which led to a fight (ha...we have our moments). After the fight, neither one of us were in any mood to go to a party and put on a happy face. Because, honestly, neither one of us were happy last night! Instead, we went to bed early! I hate that we missed it, I'm sure it was a blast (it always is)!

Hope everyone had a good weekend! I'll keep the pictures coming of Baby Girl's room. We have quite a bit of work left, but I'm pretty confident it will be done in the next couple of weeks!

Have a great week!

So, It's Friday

And, I usually do a "fashion friday" post, but I am feeling very uninspired today! So very sorry.

It is cold outside today! The car thermometer said 44. Brrr. Thought I was ready for the chilly weather, but now I'm having second thoughts.

Aaron and I are going to a Halloween costume party tomorrow night. We have been talking for a while about what we were going to be and finally decided on Jim Bob and Michelle Duggar. Aaron is also supposed to dress up as a celebrity zombie for work next week, so he was going to be Jim Bob the Zombie! Ha! I'm sure that would have been pretty good. Well, today I went looking everywhere for a Michelle-inspired wig and found NOTHING! So....we are kind of at a stand still. I guess I should have started looking earlier. Because now I am not sure what I (we) are going to be!



But, DANG, the Duggar's would have been fun!

Stay tuned to see what we come up with! We have roughly 29 hours to find our costumes. I'm kind of thinking clowns (I've always wanted to be a clown), but Aaron doesn't want to spend a lot of money! So, we'll see!

Hope everyone has a good weekend!

The Happiest Place on Earth

I rarely watched Oprah. I know. I know. Shame on me. Quite frankly, I can't stand the broad. She scares me. Ha!

With that being said, I had her on the telly yesterday as background noise and quickly became interested in her episode, The Happiest People on Earth! It was a great episode, at least the first 15 minutes were, that's about all I watched before I remembered something that I failed to do and quickly rushed out the door.

During the 15 minutes I watched of the show, Oprah was interviewing women in Denmark. I want to move to Denmark. Really! It seems to be the perfect place on earth to live. Guess that's why people there are the happiest.

Here are some facts Oprah addressed on the episode:

• Women generally get a 9 month to 1 year PAID maternity leave.
• If you lose your job, the government pays up to 90% of your income for 4 years (although the Danish have to pay high income taxes).
• Homelessness and poverty is extremely rare in Denmark.
• Most everyone commutes via BICYCLE.
• Because everyone bikes there is very little to no obesity.
• Healthcare is FREE for everyone.
• Citizens get PAID to go to university (still don't know if that would have been enough incentive for me to stick it out for the 4 years)!

Oprah also visited a couple of homes and they are the definition of simple living. One woman has 3 children and all 3 children share a bedroom. Their bedroom reminded me of the beach home we have stayed at in the past, where the bunks are built into the wall. The home was very clean and streamlined. No clutter. They don't do clutter. And, they don't have stuff. The Danish just have enough to get them by. One woman said, "We don't have stuff because we have nowhere to put it!". There refrigerators are bare in comparison to an average American's fridge. Just a different world. But, kind of seems like the perfect world. I'm sure there has got to be some down side to living in Denmark, but Oprah producers did a really good job of painting that perfect picture!

Vintage Baby

Last night we went to dinner with my parents and brother (and his new girlfriend!), but before we went I decided to take a look through the bin of baby clothes that I used to wear!

LOOK WHAT I FOUND...


Little sailor suit. Elle Louise will be able to wear it this summer!


Sweet romper, also the right size for her to wear this spring and summer!


And. . .how cute is this? I about died when I saw it. Bloomers with a cropped top! We will be taking this to the beach with us for sure! How precious will Baby Girl be?


Of course the leotard set, I was born in 1983 after all! This is a size 6-9 months so it will be perfect for the fall. She can wear her pink converse that her Gigi got her. Mom also saved a pair of purple tights that match! Oh, I am so excited to dress this little lady!

I have a crazy obsession with vintage, so I was beyond thrilled to find these little outfits! My mom did a good job saving these and keeping them in such great condition. She also had a red velor dress with a matching slip that she wore when she was a baby. I brought that home too. Elle Louise will have to wear that for her first Christmas in 2010!

The sun is shining

I wish I were sitting on a park bench, wearing a very chic outfit, reading a good book.

Maybe tomorrow?


photo courtesy of Lookbook

P.S. We got Elle Louise's crib today! Woo hoo! We are that much closer to getting her room put together. I am so excited. Can you tell?

Happy Birthday Mom!

I love you! Hope you have a great day!

P.S. You should take the day off! It can wait 'til tomorrow.

Sneak Peak

Here is a little preview of the bedding we ordered for Elle Louise's room. We found it for a great price on Ebay. I am so excited to get this in and get started on her room....ideas are brewing! Many before and after pictures of her room and the guest room in the future. So stayed tuned!

I make dresses!

Not technically, but I was bored tonight so I made Elle Louise this little number:


How cute is it? I'm going to embroider her monogram on it tomorrow!

It's a newborn onesie with a skirt sew on it...that simple! Hopefully she'll be able to wear it soon after she is born in February! I found the onesie dress tutorial on a new blog that I just love called, Barefoot in the Kitchen. You should check it out! Great blog about living a simple life!

My birthday wish list...

...well, it would be if I had a fall birthday.

But, since I don't, this is just my wishful-thinking wishlist for now (or maybe my Christmas wishlist....hmmm...it is only like 9 weeks away!).


Wii Fit for after baby comes. I'm already looking forward to getting back in shape.


Jillian Michaels Wii Fit program. I think I'm going to NEED Jillian to get my butt back in shape.


Some fancy leopard flats. Heels are slowly beccomming a thing of the past. These flats could go with a variety of things I own.


The new Armani scent, IDOLE. Smells ah-mazing!


And my latest obsession...a leather bomber!

It's another gloomy and wet day here! The rain is really starting to bring me down! I need some SUN SHINING on me!

Overwhelmed

This weekend I went shopping. Baby shopping. Aaron had plans, so I thought it would be a good idea to get started with the whole registry thing. At least shop around to kind of figure out where I want to register, what I NEED to register for, and of course pick out some to-die-for things that I just know Elle Louise will love!

So, I went shopping with my SIL, Holly, yesterday. We had so much fun! Who knew just looking around and not buying anything could be so stinkin fun! But now I have so much to figure out. What kind of carseat and stroller, highchair, pack 'n play, bottles, pacifiers, nursing stuff, feeding stuff, diapers, wipes, cleanser, bibs, blankies, swaddlers, slings, onesies...and the list goes on.

Today I went with my Mom, my cousin Sara and her kiddos to Tulsa to Babies R Us. Let me tell you something. That store is UNORGANIZED and I was soooooooooooooooo lost and left feeling a little frusturated. I found the GRACO travel system, highchair and pack 'n play online that I thought I wanted. Well, online it said that the only place that is available to purchase in store is at Babies R Us, so that was the whole reason that we went, but they ended up only having the carseat and the pack 'n play. Now, I don't know what I'm going to do. I still really like it, but I really wanted to see the HIGHCHAIR and push the stroller around. Ugh.

All in all, my BABY shopping experience was fun but has left me a little overwhelmed. I need to KNOW what is best and what to buy. I am a first-time mom and I am confused :). I know. I know. I'll figure it out in time!

Today we also stopped by Super Target and my cousin, Sara, picked up this little onesie for Elle Louise. Aaron and I just loooooooooooove all the Small Paul and Paul Frank stuff. And, this one for little baby girls is just too darn cute...


Hope everyone had a good weekend!

Dreaming of All Things Fabulous Friday: Rainy Day Fashion

Urban Outfitters Printed Umbrella

F21 Slub Top

F21 Fab Leggings

Old Navy Belted Trench

Sperry Top-Sider Pelica Lug Boot
Fun Rainy day outfit!
I am LOVING the rain boots. How cute are they? And the patent leather Ted Baker "shopping" tote!

Here is a cuter version of what I am sporting today.
I woke up at 7:45 and had to be to work at 8:00. Needless to say I didn't make it here until 8:30 (I had to make a short trip by Hardee's and get a bacon, egg, and cheese biscuit). I literally look like i just rolled out of bed. I have on an old-as-dirt sweater from Urban that is completely worthless, some maternity jeans that are too big and too long and my leopard flats from Target. Its pretty bad.

And...my feet are wet!

Rain Rain GO AWAY!