Week 26 Update

Happy Monday everyone! I am finally getting myself back on track with my weekly updates. I think it helps that this weekend we didn't travel or have people staying with us. I feel like I got to recharge even though Monday is still here too soon. I can't complain though, my beloved Redskins finally won their first game of the season! That definitely makes Monday a bit more sweeter.

How far along?: 26 weeks, 2 days
Baby is the size of a: Head of lettuce
Total weight gain/loss: 22lbs
The Bump: Grows daily
Symptoms: Starting to get some lower back pain but nothing too uncomfortable
Food Cravings: Still nothing unique, but I am always wanting something sweet. I am definitely trying to get that under control though.
Anything Making Me Queasy or Sick: Over the weekend I got hit with that first trimester nausea. I really hope it was due to dehydration or hunger and not the morning sickness making it's reappearance.
Sleep: Some nights are better than others, but I'm always getting enough sleep
What I miss: I'm missing beer and wine again. It's that time of the year where the weather is perfect for day trips to vineyards. Not to mention, with football season in full swing, sometimes I just want a beer!
Weddings Rings On or Off: On
Any Names Picked Out Yet: Charlotte Noel
Gender Prediction: Girl!
Movement: Sometimes her movements are so quick and spastic it feels like she's throwing a crazy dance party! It's weird to see my stomach twitch when I'm laying down.
Maternity Clothes: All maternity and still trying to style one outfit 6 different ways so I don't feel like I wear the same thing everyday.
Labor Signs: None.
Best Moment of the Week: I had a complete stranger ask me when I was due! I know I've been showing for a few weeks now, but it does make you feel good (and almost catches me off guard) when people stop to ask how far along you are. Makes everything feel real!
What I’m excited about/looking forward to: Finishing the nursery. I think I will call it done after I complete two more projects and find/hang a mirror!

High Five for the Weekend!

This week has been a good one for many reasons which you'll see below. But what I'm excited for is the weeks ahead. After this weekend, we don't have a free weekend until our little girl is born! Some people would find this exhausting or overwhelming, but I'm excited. Being busy during these last few months is really going to make the time go by so fast!

1. I can't remember the last time I had these deliciously iced sugar cookies. I decided to pick them up last time I was at the grocery store. Best idea ever!
2. I've been working on a big order for a friend who is going on a Disney cruise in November. I'm loving how the bows are turning out!
3. Milo has been the definition of a lazy cat lately. He was turned the other way but I scared him so he rolled over to voice his disapproval. 
4. If you're a blogger, you need this app. You can blog straight from your phone! The possibilities are now endless! Now I don't have to constantly email pictures to myself from my phone, I can just upload them straight to my blog. Not to mention, now I can blog from my bed!
5. As you probably already saw on Tuesday, but by far, the highlight of my week was the surprise baby shower we had while in Richmond. The love and generosity of our friends and family is still sinking in!
6. I know it's supposed to be only five, but I wanted to share anyway. Last night was both my sister's birthday and my parent's wedding anniversary so we all got together to celebrate! It was nice to get to see everyone.

As always, linking up with Lauren Elizabeth for H54F!

Wall Art - Two Tutorials in One!

As the title alludes, this post has two parts. The first part is all about how to make the art, while the second part shows you how to hang it. I assure you, the second part will come in handy to just about everyone. Unless you are just naturally gifted at hanging pictures right the first time. I know I'm not!

I've been having a really great time getting the nursery together, but something the room lacked was art for the walls. I don't want to overdo it because I know once Charlotte is here, we will hang pictures of her and things that reflect her personality as she gets older. But I didn't want to wait for all of that. The room seemed too sterile, so after much deliberation as to what the project should be, I settled on Disney princess silhouettes. The goal of this room is not to overdo the Disney theme, which is why I've been trying to keep it subtle. So many people are shocked that the room isn't themed Minnie Mouse!

Materials:

Silhouettes - $5

Scrapbook paper - $0 (already had)

9 Frames - $45 ($5 a piece)

Glue or tape - ($2)

To start, I needed to find all the princesses in silhouette form. I thought this would be a simple Google search, but boy was I wrong! I wanted my silhouettes to be the same size, look and feel so since Google had failed me, it was off to my trusty companion, Etsy. I found the perfect listing that gave me 11 different princesses to choose from for only $5! Since it was an instant download all I needed to do was make them the color I wanted and print them out on cardstock. For the background I used the same scrapbook paper from the bookcase I made.

Cutting out the silhouettes was much more time consuming than I imagined. Just put on some good TV and get to cutting! Trust me, It's worth it in the end. Once they are all cut out, it was time to place them with their corresponding papers and glue them down. My paper was 12x12 and my frames were 8x10 so I trimmed down each piece of paper before gluing the princesses down in the center. Once they were all attached, I put them in their frames and they were ready to hang!

This is the part that usually gets everyone worked up: hanging pictures. I too am one of those people. I tend to put about 8 different holes in the wall to hang one thing before it is even. For this project, since I had 9 frames to hang in a very particular pattern, I really wanted to get it right the first time. Pinterest led me to this little trick.

Materials:

Pen

Paper

Tape

Hammer

Nails

I took my scrapbook paper, since basic computer paper wasn't big enough, and cut it down to the exact size of my frames.

Then I found where the nail would go and poked a hole in the paper with my pen.

 

All that was left was to tape these little templates to the wall and get them just right!

 

Since the whole was already marked, I took 9 nails and hammered one in each of my templates while they were still on the wall. Then I took the paper off and hung my pictures! How simple is that?!

I love how these turned out and I feel like the nursery is finally looking like a livable room! It feels good to finally have something on the walls! I hope you found this tutorial helpful if not for anything but to hang your pictures.

Week 25 Update

I promise starting next week, these updates will be on Mondays again. These past two weekends have been crazy and I haven't had a chance to sit down and blog. This weekend in particular was very busy but soooo worth it!

It all started with an innocent trip to Richmond. We had been planning on going down this weekend to attend a friend's end of summer cookout. She sent out invites and everything! We drove down Saturday morning, and spent some time with my in-laws by going to various thrift stores hunting for maternity and baby clothes. Then it was time for the party. The four of us drove over and expected to spend the afternoon/evening hanging out with church friends and old family friends. Little did we know, this end of summer cookout was really a surprise shower for us! When we walked in we were so shocked to hear everyone yell, "Surprise!". When I saw my parents and sister (who live up north where we live), I completely lost it. I was so touched and speechless! My husband was just as shocked as I was. I can't believe he didn't know!

It took a little bit to process everything. And after we asked a thousand questions as to how this all transpired, we settled into our little party. The theme of the shower was diapers and I couldn't have been happier. Everyone warns you at how expensive diapers are, so when we opened package after package of diapers, I grew increasingly more and more excited. I think I have enough diapers to get me through the first 6 months of Charlotte's life!

Here are just a few pictures I have from the party. Thank you again to all our friends and family for their love and support this weekend. We can't even put into words how lucky we are to have each and every one of you in our lives.

 Such a cute diaper cake!

This was the same bassinet my husband slept in. My mother-in-law fixed it up to make it match the master bedroom. This is so special for so many reasons. 

 

Look at this cake! I wish I could explain to you how massive it was! I love how classic and simple it looks while still being super personal!

Now let's get on with the Bumpdate!

How far along?: 25 weeks, 3 days
Baby is the size of a: Cauliflower
Total weight gain/loss: 20lbs
The Bump: Feeling HUGE!
Symptoms: Starting to feel a bit uncomfortable. My stomach sometimes feels so tight it's going to burst! I know it's only going to get worse in the third trimester, but I can't believe it's already feeling that way.
Food Cravings: Not a real craving, but I'm so thankful for candy corn season to be upon us. This is the first time I've been able to eat candy corn without feeling incredibly guilty about it.
Anything Making Me Queasy or Sick: A few times this week I went from zero to starving in about 3.5 seconds. When I get that hungry, it turns into nausea, just like in the first trimester. Good news is, a little snack fixes me right up.
Sleep: I don't feel like I'm actually asleep. I don't know if it's the vivid dreams or the fact that every time I move I wake up, but I'm starting not to feel well rested.
What I miss: Mobility! I can't sit on my legs or cross them for long periods of time without feeling incredibly uncomfortable. I'm also noticing just bending over to get things off the ground is more challenging than ever.
Weddings Rings On or Off: On but getting tight
Any Names Picked Out Yet: Charlotte Noel
Gender Prediction: Lovely little girl
Movement: I think she got stronger this week. I am feeling her kick and move a lot stronger than before
Maternity Clothes: Found some great clothes at the thrift stores in Richmond! I'm very excited for the cool weather to come for good so I can start styling my new-to-me clothes
Labor Signs: None.
Best Moment of the Week: My husband finally felt her kick! I was laying in bed and could see my stomach twitching so I called for him to come feel and sure enough, he felt her! I think he thought it was a bit weird, but deep down I know he loved feeling her moving around.
What I’m excited about/looking forward to: Almost the third trimester!

H54F - New Things

This week flew by! Sorry for being MIA this week, I feel like I never caught up from the weekend. I'm one of those people that needs the weekend to reset. This weekend was a fun one, but tiring. We were busy with a minor home improvement project and my in-laws were in town so we spent the weekend running all over the place. We got a lot accomplished and this week's high fives are all about the fun new things from the week!

1. Spent a few hours with my littlest niece, Sadie. Napping like a little diva already.
2. This may sound crazy, but iOS 7 was definitely the highlight of my week. I love the new look and welcome the change that many people are apprehensive about. It feels like I got a brand new phone without paying for one! Winning!
3. Milo likes to be as helpful as possible around the house. I was building a bookcase (see #5) and he decided to supervise.
4. Here is a sneak peak of a tutorial I will be doing for you next week. It's another nursery project and I'm so happy with how it turned out. Things are really starting to come together!
5. The bookcase that my desk was attached to used to only by 2 cubies wide and 4 long. I was quickly running out of room, so when I found a 4x4 version on Craigslist it was fate! The guy even had it disassembled for me and when I got it home it took me less than an hour to build and swap the old for the new. Now I have more space then I ever could have imagined!

Linking up with Lauren Elizabeth for H54F!

Week 24 Bumpdate

What a GORGEOUS weekend we just had! Now that we are getting closer and closer to the third trimester, everything is starting to feel more and more real. I finally sat down and focused on creating our baby registry. It was such an overwhelming task and I kept putting it off, but now that it's done, it feels so good!

How far along?: 24 weeks, 3 days
Baby is the size of a: Cantaloupe
Total weight gain/loss: 20lbs
The Bump: Steadily getting bigger
Symptoms: I know I've said it before, but getting winded is so annoying! Going up a few flight of stairs makes me feel so out of shape!
Food Cravings: Still nothing in particular. I like sweet things after I eat a meal, but let's face it, I've always been like that.
Anything Making Me Queasy or Sick: Nope!
Sleep: I feel like I toss and turn a lot more than usual, but really I think it's just because I wake up every time I move at night.
What I miss: Energy! I have none. I get tired out by the littlest of tasks
Weddings Rings On or Off: On
Any Names Picked Out Yet: Charlotte Noel
Gender Prediction: Still a girl!
Movement: Nothing really changing on the movement front. Still feels like little flutters and rolls.
Maternity Clothes: All I wear is maternity clothes. Unless I'm just arounde the house, then it's my husbands clothes. I have suddenly outgrown all of my tshirts!
Labor Signs: None.
Best Moment of the Week: Getting some help with the nursery! My in-laws came up this weekend to help with house projects and we cleaned out Charlottes closet! It feels so good not to have an avalanche of junk tumbling out at you when you open the closet doors.
What I’m excited about/looking forward to: Still waiting for that moment my husband can really feel her kicking. I know it will be soon.

H54F - All Things Fall

I think we are finally getting to say goodbye to the hot and muggy weather. Bring on the Fall (for real this time, no relapse back to summer please)! I plan on busting out all my fall candles so we can really embrace the season! 

 

I'm excited for this weekend, because my father-in-law and husband are going to redo the floors in our entry way while my mother-in-law and I do fun nursery and baby planning. I like having house guests, it makes me feel like a real grown up. Enough about that, here are my top 5 moments of the week!



1. As you all know, this past weekend was the start to the regular season! I was so excited when on Monday, Alex and Ani launched their NFL collection. For the first phase, they debuted 16 teams and I was so happy when I found out the Redskins was one!
2. The Redskins had a HUGE game to open the season with, Monday Night Football against a division rival; and they crumbled under pressure. I'm glad they attempted to come back from a terrible first half, but a loss is still a loss.
3. Sometimes when I find Milo napping around the house I like to wake him up in hopes he'll want to nap with me. Instead, he gives me these annoyed looks like he's going to say something snarky to me (yes, I'm aware, only crazy cat lady's think their cats might talk to them).
4. My old college roommate is having a baby next month! Doesn't she look amazing?! This was us at her shower over the weekend.
5. My family does a Fantasy Football league and this was my score after all the games. I'm pretty happy with my team! Now if only I can keep it up all season long!

Linking up with Lauren Elizabeth for H54F.

Lace and Jeans - WIWW

I can't remember the last time I did an outfit post in jeans, so today felt like an appropriate time to switch it up. Jeans have never been my favorite, even before I was pregnant, as I find them restricting and uncomfortable. I feel so much more comfortable in dresses and skirts. Not to mention, the bigger I get the more important dressing for comfort seems to be.

I love this shirt! I splurged at Motherhood Maternity for it a few months ago knowing it would be a staple in my wardrobe. I can dress it up or dress it down because of the lace which makes it wearable with anything.

I've been scouring the clearance racks at Target and came up with a few more pieces for my growing body. I can't wait to share them with you!

Linking up with Lindsey @ The Pleated Poppy for WIWW

DIY Decoupage Bookcase

Aside from painting the nursery, my big DIY project was to do something with this bookcase. My in-laws gave it to us and I thought it was the perfect size for a children's room. Since it was a completely blank canvas, the possibilities were endless.

 

I wanted to something more than just paint it a solid color, so when my friend reminded me of a vintage Lilly Pulitzer print that  consisted of my two favorite things: Lilly and Disney, I knew exactly what I needed to do.

What you'll need:

Paint (any color you want)

Paint roller for easy application

Mod Podge (an 8oz bottle will be plenty for this size bookcase)

Foam paint brushes

Paper of your choice (I just printed my Disney Lilly print on computer paper and then bought coordinating paper from Michael's)

Obviously the first step is to paint your bookcase. I chose not to prime my bookcase since my paint had primer already mixed in it, however this made me need to do a few coats. I let it dry over night before the next phase of the project.

 

 

Now that I have a freshly painted bookcase, I need to pick out the scrapbooking paper that coordinated with my inspiration print.

For the next step, the key is to keep things random. Cut scraps of paper (doesn't even need to be cut straight) and begin placing them where you want them on the bookcase.

Here comes the most time consuming part: Mod Podging every piece in place. I got super caught up in trying to keep it exactly how I had it laid out, and then I realized it was ok to keep everything random and to deviate from the pattern a bit. You really can't mess this up. Just add the Mod Podge to the back of the paper using a foam brush and place on the bookcase keeping it smooth and eliminating any wrinkles. Once all the paper is down, coat the entire surface with a layer of Mod Podge. This will give it a seal.

 

Now all you need to do is repeat on all the sides and you have transformed a plain bookcase into something special and unique! I am so happy with how this turned out and I can't wait to decoupage other pieces in the future!

Week 23 Update

23 weeks down, only 17 to go! I can't believe I've started my 24th week. Reality is really starting to kick in. All I can think about are registries, baby showers and the nursery. I'm finally at the fun part of planning for our little girl. During the first 20 weeks, everything is still so new and you feel like you have all the time in the world, but once you hit that halfway point, a small panic takes over and you realize it's time to get your butt in gear! I'm in full prep mode now.I wouldn't call it nesting necessarily because I'm just doing random little projects. In fact, I wish I were nesting so I could focus on the important things like cleaning out closets and organizing instead of creating new projects for myself!

How far along?: 23 weeks, 2 days
Baby is the size of a: Grapefruit
Total weight gain/loss: 20lbs
The Bump: Growing more and more everyday
Symptoms: I think I experienced Braxton Hicks contractions for the first time this week. Definitely a weird and uncomfortable feeling, but nothing painful.
Food Cravings: Once I finished the Oreos from last week, I'm trying to eat more like a normal person. Not really craving anything specific.
Anything Making Me Queasy or Sick: Nope!
Sleep: I'm definitely sleeping, just not restful. I find myself waking up a lot when changing positions. Not to mention, I'm waking up earlier on the weekends. No more sleeping in for me.
What I miss: I actually missed running this week. My friends are training for a half marathon next month and hearing about their runs makes me a bit jealous. I never thought I would actually miss running.
Weddings Rings On or Off: On
Any Names Picked Out Yet: Charlotte Noel
Gender Prediction: Still a girl!
Movement: Stronger this week! I felt her kicking from the outside multiple times this week. My husband has yet to feel it, by the time he puts his hand on my stomach, she stops.
Maternity Clothes: Always on the hunt for good clothes. Still rotating the few things I have. I heard Asos is a good place to look.
Labor Signs: None.
Best Moment of the Week: This is baby related, but I had a really good week with getting projects done and things accomplished.
What I’m excited about/looking forward to: For my husband to definitively feel her kick!

High Five for Friday!

Whew! What a week it has been! I have no idea how it's already Friday. Gotta love those short work weeks. To say I was busy this week would be an understatement. I did so much I couldn't narrow it to just five things. So here are my highlights from the week....there's nine of them!

1. I painted the nursery this week! It used to be a stale powder blue. Now it's a fresh light green!
2. I found a rug I LOVE, only problem is I think I need the next size up.  I think this is really going to bring the room together
3. This is my latest project for the nursery. I am redoing the bookcase that is in the corner in the first picture. Here is a sneak peek!
4. My husband and I went to the outlets on Saturday and I of course couldn't resist these precious littles! The entire Carter's store was 50% off so it was totally justified.
5. I revamped my Etsy shop and already have had some orders! I've enjoyed fulfilling these orders in the evenings.
6. While I was on our deck painting, I turned around to see this creeper spying on me. I found this absolutely hilarious. He stayed like this, watching me for at least 15 minutes.
7. Deco mesh wreaths are fun to make and my friend wanted one done for Halloween. I was pretty excited with how it turned out. I just might have to make one for myself!
8. I found Redskins ribbon this week and couldn't resist making some bows to gear up for the official start to football!
9. And finally, I couldn't resist making these super sweet monthiversary onsies for our future little.

Linking up with Lauren Elizabeth for H54F!

Monthiversary Onsies

It seems like everyone these days takes monthly pictures of their baby wearing some sort of onsie with their monthiversary on it . I'm not going to lie, I'm all over this trend. In fact, I love giving these as a gift! There are so many different products out there, so it's entirely up to your own personal preference or skill level as some require more craftiness then others.

For example, for those of you who aren't as crafty or know you won't have the time with a new little one around, you can get the stickers that you just slap on whatever they are wearing that day and snap a pic. Super easy! Now just upload it to an album and you are done!

 My friend's baby at 3 months. Isn't this a great picture?!

A more crafty approach would be to buy the iron-ons. These are nice because they are usually cheaper and are an instant download that you can print right at home on transfer paper. However, I quickly learned that these are harder than they look (maybe I'm just not skilled with iron-on paper). My biggest issue was getting the entire pattern to transfer smoothly. I would end up with half of it bright and smooth like it's supposed to look and the other half rough and dull. Too complicated and inconsistent for me.

My nephew, Jacob. It's hard to tell in this picture, but you can see a little discoloration from the transfer in the upper corners.



Now that I'm having a baby, this was my chance to get the monthiversary just right. So when I came across these adorable Minnie Mouse numbers, I just KNEW what I would do! All I needed was to buy and download the Disney font so I could add the word "months" under each number. So for about $7 I had all the embroidery patterns I needed to applique onsies for the whole year. I can even reuse the numbers for her actual birthdays! I love when a plan comes together!

The only trick with doing these, is guessing how big your baby is going to be. I found some long sleeve onsies at Carter's for 50% off and bought a pack of 3 month ones. I figured these would work for months 1-3. After that, I think I'm going to have to wait until she gets closer to 4 months before I can do the others. I had so much fun figuring out the fabrics to do for each one. I think I'm going to try and coordinate with the season. Here is what I have so far:

I'm pretty happy with how these turned out and I can't wait to do the rest! What do you think? Would you do the monthiversary onsies? If so, which ones do you like the best?

For those of you that just want a final product with no hassle, you can buy these from my Etsy Shop! Be sure to check it out. I will be happy to make them with any theme in mind (doesn't have to be Disney).

Little Black Dress - WIWW

If you know me at all, you know black is definitely not my color. I was always told that with my skin tone I should wear browns and warmer colors, but every girl has to have a little black dress right?

I found this dress online at Target for less than $20 so I had to snatch it up. I bought it in  a size bigger than what I normally wear so it would be a good third trimester dress. However, I decided to wear it today and was happy to see that I still had plenty of room.

Regardless, styling a simple black dress is not my forte. I'm used to bright colors and bold prints, but it was time to put my big girl panties on and give this a whirl.

Dress//Target (similar)

Scarf//Lilly Pulitzer

Necklace//Caroline G.

 



Which way do you think works best? Scarf or necklace? I think if I had some fun colored heels that would have helped spice it up too! How do you wear your little black dress?

Linking up with Lindsey @ The Pleated Poppy for WIWW!

Week 22 Update

What a great weekend. Even though I didn't clean as much as I normally do, I still was productive. The big project from the weekend was painting the nursery! I love how it turned out! (Although I feel like my shirt now blends in with the wall....oh well!) Having it all painted is really helping me envision everything else. I feel like things are going to start to come together pretty quickly now.

How far along?: 22 weeks, 3 days
Baby is the size of a: Papaya
Total weight gain/loss: 19lbs
The Bump: It's pretty obvious now, no matter what I wear, that I'm pregnant. Finally!
Symptoms: I'm noticing that I get tired much quicker from things that used to not make me tired. Kinda frustrating.
Food Cravings: Baked goods. Things like cookies and oreos. So bad, I know....
Anything Making Me Queasy or Sick: Nope!
Sleep: Sleeping pretty good still!
What I miss: My old body. I'm so excited to have finally gotten to the point of really being pregnant, but I really miss having no physical limitations. I'm tired of not being able to fend for myself.
Weddings Rings On or Off: On
Any Names Picked Out Yet: Charlotte Noel
Gender Prediction: Still a girl!
Movement: I definitely feel her multiple times a day. If I'm laying down I can actually feel her from the outside!
Maternity Clothes: Still looking for good deals on maternity clothes. Went to buy some at the outlets over the weekend, and nothing struck me. Guess I'll keep rotating my five outfits.
Labor Signs: None.
Best Moment of the Week: Feeling her kick from the outside. My husband hasn't felt it yet, because it's so hit or miss. Not to mention, it's easy for me to feel it, because I'm feeling it from the inside.
What I’m excited about/looking forward to: Finishing the nursery! I have three projects lined up! I can't wait to see the final product.

Labor Day

No pregnancy update today, but I promise I will have it up for tomorrow. I was too busy painting that I never did my chalkboard! As for today, I'm enjoying my holiday with no concrete plans and it feels great! Maybe I'll catch up on some crafts.....

I think in honor of Labor Day, I will "labor" away on some more stuff for my Etsy shop. So feel free to stop by!

What would you like to see in my shop that isn't already there? Let me know, and maybe I'll make it my next project! Enjoy the holiday!