Wednesday, October 12, 2011

Long Time, No See

I have been MIA since the end of July! Yikes. As it turns out, three kiddos are keeping me pretty busy and I am having a hard time making time for blogging. Although I hate catch up posts, they are, unfortunately, a necessary evil. Here are a few things I've been up to since my last missive:

- Caroline broke her arm at the beginning of August. (not badly, but still sort of traumatic none-the-less.)
- We tried to savor every last bit of summer we could, even though Caroline's arm splint put a damper on our outdoor water activities. :(

- Mitchell turned six!

- I turned 31! As a naive child/teenager, there were a few things I thought would be different about my thirties. First, I thought i would be heavier. I really am pleasantly surprised I've been able to stay fit. Second, I thought I would have a lot more money. I am realizing now that becoming a millionaire is a lot harder than I originally thought. :) Also, I thought for sure I would be done getting zits. (What's up with that?)

- I am home schooling Mitchell. So far so good. It was a little rough at the beginning but we've gotten into a routine and things are going well. I started thinking about it because I'm sort of anti all-day kindergarten. I don't think it's horrible, just a waste of time. Also, I read, Well Trained Mind: A guide to classical education at home and watched Waiting for Superman, a documentary on public education in America in the same week. (Bad combo if you feel like you want to home school and are trying to talk yourself out of it!) However, if you are thinking about it, I'm definitely no expert but, I would recommend the Well Trained Mind. I put together a simple curriculum based on their recommendations.

- We made a bunch of homemade applesauce-delicious!

- I am playing tennis again! I played tennis growing up, including on my high school tennis team. It is something I love but for one reason or another, (being pregnant, having no money, having no one to play with, being pregnant again...) I haven't done in a long time. Lucky for me, Marietta has a really well organized community tennis association so I've been playing on their women's league and have met some fun new people to play with. My game is still sort of rusty but it's slowly coming back and it feels great to whack some yellow felt around even if it is just for a few hours each week.

- We spent a relaxing weekend watching our church's semi-annual general conference. A weekend full of spiritual enlightenment and encouragement. What? You missed it? No worries. It's all archived, here. Seriously, even if you are not LDS, you should watch some of it. It is so good! Try this talk and this talk.

-Spencer turned four! (In case you are wondering, his cake is supposed to be a rocket ship. Unfortunately, it had a few mechanical/structural malfunctions and toppled over several times before we sang happy birthday. It was pretty sad looking by the time the picture was snapped!)

- A few of my old thrift store revival projects have been buzzing around Pinterest. If you are here from Pinterest and have read this far, welcome! Unfortunately, I didn't do tutorials for most of those projects so you won't find them on the site. Sorry! :)

That's all the major happenings around our house. It seems like it suddenly turned into fall this week; the leaves are beautiful and Halloween is just a few short weeks away. Hopefully I can get back to blogging on a more regular basis soon! :)


P.S. I changed the template on my blog and I don't like it. However, I don't know how to change it back. Boooo!

Wednesday, July 27, 2011

Shrimp Tomato and Basil Pasta

A delicious Every Day Food recipe I found via my culinary genius friend Vanessa. I made this last week when it was a million degrees outside and it made a nice, light ending to a very hot and hazy day. All the better if you grow tomatoes and/or basil in your backyard! Recipe here.


My notes: The recipe says to add two cups of water along with the diced tomatoes to make the sauce. I made it that way in the past but found the sauce was too watery. This time I made it using one cup of water and that was plenty. (I actually added a couple tablespoons of cornstarch to thicken it up a bit. So really, you could probably omit the water altogether and just use the juice from the tomatoes. You live and you learn.) I also used 1 pound of bow tie pasta instead of angel hair.

Tuesday, July 26, 2011

Mr & Mrs

Celebrating eight years as Mr & Mrs today.
Happy Anniversary Jared!

(photo taken in Michigan City, Indiana shortly after our first anniversary.)

Monday, July 11, 2011

Time Out Book

Mitchell and Spencer play together really well the majority of the time. Really. They are like two peas in a pod. However, certain days they have a little more trouble getting along. Just recently, I remembered an idea I got from my sister-in-law way back before I had any kids. She said when her girls would argue, she would have them sit in time out where she had pictures them being nice to one another displayed on the wall. I thought that was a great idea so I decided to do something similar for Mitchell and Spencer. I just used a cheap-o photo album from the dollar store and filled it with lots of pictures of them sharing, playing and laughing. Now when they are arguing, they go to time out and look through the book together. When they are ready to say sorry and act like the pictures in the book, they get to come out. This is really the first day I've tried the book and so far so good. They love looking at pictures of themselves so they forget whatever dumb toy they were fighting over to begin with. Don't worry. I'm sure the bloom will where off by tomorrow and I'll have to think of something new but if it works for one day, I'll consider it a success!




Friday, July 8, 2011

Sweet Peach

Caroline is as soft and sweet as a little peach so it only makes sense that I make this cake for her belated birthday celebration this weekend. (It also helps that her birthday falls smack dab in the middle of peach season.) My mouth is watering thinking about it. I just hope I can make it taste as good as it looks in this picture! (Recipe here.)

Update: This turned out to be a very yummy cake with a mild peach flavor. Spooning the cooked fresh peaches over the cake is a definite must. (I did this over each individual slice after the cake was cut.) It was maybe not as delicious as it looks in the picture but also, the peaches I used were just so-so. If you make this, half the frosting recipe. It makes a TON!

Friday, July 1, 2011

Stripes!

I just couldn't pass up this striped t-shirt dress (with pockets!) on a recent trip to Goodwill. It is originally from Land's End so the knit was substantial and high quality. I had originally planned to transform it into a little boat neck shift dress but my sewing skills weren't quite up to par so I settled on a skirt. Working with stripes was a minor hassle as well as reattaching the pockets but all in all, it wasn't too bad and I'm pleased with the results. Hooray for stripes and hooray for $4 skirts!

Thursday, June 30, 2011

Birthday Girl

I can hardly believe my sweet, little Caroline is one year old today! Jared is out of town so we will be celebrating when he returns next week. However, I always intended to blog about her birth story and never got around to it so I figured now would be a good time to reminisce. First off, what made Caroline's birth different from the boys, is that I decided to have her naturally. (Aka: no epidural.) The initial reason behind my decision was financial. Jared and I have no maternity coverage and epidurals are expensive- like $3,000 expensive. Since I had a very quick labor with Spencer, I figured the $3,000 could be better spent (or saved) on something else. I will say, that although my initial decision was financial, the more I read about natural child birth and the more women I talked to who had had a natural child birth, the more convinced I was that it could be a very positive experience.  And, now having done it myself, I can confidently say they were right! It was a great experience and I'm glad I didn't waste $3,000 for pain medication in what ended up being a very short and very manageable labor.  It was definitely painful but really cool and in a weird sort of way. With that said,  I don't regret having an epidural with the boys nor do I think births accompanied by an epidural are inferior in any way. However, for me personally, I think natural childbirth is my preference for the sole reason that it lessened the amount of time I spent pushing. Also, I enjoyed knowing exactly what was going on and being able to feel the different stages of labor.  (Just for reference, my recovery was the same as when I had an epidural and my babies have all been equally as healthy.) The birth story itself is a little anti climatic.  I was two days past my due date and woke around 2:00 A.M. in labor. I laid in bed trying to relax, while my contractions progressed until about 4:00 A.M. BY this time, my contractions were getting more painful and were about five minutes apart so I got out of bed and got a few things together for the hospital. In the meantime, Jared called our sister-in-law to come over and stay with the boys.

With hospital bag, ready to go!(in between contractions)
My sister-in-law arrived around 5 or 5:30 so we left for the hospital, walked up to the maternity floor (pausing in the hallway during contractions) and I was all checked in by 6:00 A.M. The nurse said I was dialated to an 8 which made me very happy-I knew everything was going to go quickly! I got nauseous a couple of times (no fun) and continued to labor in the room with Jared and a young nurse that kept trying to ask me questions and type stuff into the computer. (I really just wanted it to be quiet and wished the questions could have waited until later!) The doctor took his time arriving and broke my water around 6:45. For 15 or so minutes, I just laid on the bed with my eyes closed in an almost zen-like state. I was very relaxed but ready to be done!  The nurse shift changed at 7:00 AM (right after the doctor broke my water) and my new nurse was awesome. She was older and it seemed that she had more experience with natural deliveries. From the time they had broken my water, I had been laboring in a reclined postition on the bed but she encouraged me to stand up, hold on to Jared's shoulders and sway back and forth (like slow dancing.) She was very soothing and just told me to tell her when I felt ready to push. It was during this standing and swaying, that I felt the uncontrollable urge to push and could also feel Caroline moving down. (This last 30 minutes was the most intense part, my contractions were not as painful but it's a little scary to feel something that large moving down the birth canal uncontrollably!) After 15-20 minutes, I told them I was feeling a lot of pressure. The nurse checked me right then and that was followed by a mad rush. The doctor came in out of nowhere, a table suddenly appeared and they hurriedly helped me back onto the bed. Caroline was ready to be born! (At this point, I sort of wish I could have remained standing instead of being put back on the bed, because gravity seemed to be working well in my favor but oh well.) Once I was on the bed, I pushed a couple of times (It was painful and the only time I made any noise during labor- I screamed!)  But of course it was all very worth it because at 7:30, Jared delivered Caroline (under the supervision of my doctor) and she was perfect.


A few minutes after she was born.


A couple of hours later, feeling good after her first bath.
I can't believe how quickly this year has passed! Caroline has been such a happy, predictable and delightful baby. She truly lights up the room wherever she goes and lights up our home every day. Happy Birthday Caroline!

Tuesday, June 28, 2011

Married

I had the pleasure of photographing a lovely bride and groom at the Columbus Ohio Temple on Saturday and fell in love all over again with this sign template from Martha Stewart. It is so easy to make and it always turns out so cute! Find an excuse to make one and then click here for the template.

(Busting my tail editing pictures from the day so hopefully I'll have them all up early next week!)

Wednesday, June 15, 2011

Indoor Citrus

After reading this post and this post (on the same day, coincidentally) I have decided I must procure an indoor citrus tree at the earliest possible convenience. I have also decided a tree (of any variety) would make a fabulous gift. I'm sure you can send one for about the same cost as a bouquet of flowers but it would last quite a bit longer. Sorry. I'm sure most of you already had that figured out but I just had an epiphany and thought I'd share!

Tuesday, June 14, 2011

I Love Your Style: RaeAnna

Hip Hip, hooray! I get to introduce you to RaeAnna, the Jackie O. of Marietta, Ohio. RaeAnna is a busy mom of six children and she also happens to be the epitome of classic, timeless style. Her understanding of body shape, lines and color palettes allows her to dress successfully for her own body-type but she is notorious for sharing this knowledge with others by helping them find figure flattering styles that reflect their personality. (In other words, she is an unpaid image consultant!) RaeAnna is graceful, strong and poised. Everything a woman of true style should be! I feel lucky to call her a friend and lucky to share her words of wisdom regarding style with you. Grab a pencil and some paper; you'll want to take notes.

How would you describe or define
your current style?
My current style, or what I'm aiming for my current style to be, is kind of late fifties/early sixties--the era of simplicity as far as line and color of clothes accessorized with one bold piece of interest. I've been trying to find that spot-on balance of classic, but relevant, sophistication.

What inspires you and the way you dress?
Whenever I see a mom my age wearing the drooping pony tail, the 5K T-shirt under the drop-waist denim jumper, and her husbands flip-flops, it inspires me in some bizarre-o way to have fashion in my life. To see a girl not try to have a glimmer of style in her life makes my insides wither. I'm motivated to dress up because of how it makes me feel--alive.

Do you have any fashion icons or people whose
style you love?
Women from both my home and from Hollywood have definitely inspired my style. My Grammy was a fashion editor for Lord and Taylor on Fifth Avenue in NYC in the forties. All growing up, she not only would tell us fabulous stories of what it was like working there, but she always dressed as though she were still in the fashion industry. My mom would also tell us her little fashion rules that I have found to be un-failingly true: If you show skin, people will look there instead of looking at your face. If you wear the right color, you'll look younger and thinner. If you're past 30 and still have long hair, fix it every day or "you'll look like an old hag". Rarely are knees pretty, so cover them.

As for Hollywood, Audrey Hepburn IS fashion, to me. My mother once had a part in a production of "My Fair Lady". We watched the film, and I connected with it. Audrey had so much grace in her style, but also had a certain level of modesty. As far as I know, she didn't use fashion provocatively like others of her time. Jacklyn Kennedy Onassis was also so demure but bold in her style. And even though Marilyn Monroe is on the trampy side of fashion, I do like to modestly incorporate just the tiniest smidgen of the "pin-up" look every now and then. Can a good girl admit that?

What are some of your favorite places to shop?
Nordstrom's, Ann Taylor, and Talbot's are where I enjoy shopping. Because they are so expensive, I try to make it count when I do buy something. However, the best suit I have was from a catalog called "MetroStyle", which is a cheaper version of "Chadwick's". I love looking at those catalogs because even though they have cheaply made clothing, they do have interesting styles and silhouettes. But at the end of the day, GoodWill is always the best and the funnest.

Do you have any tips for the novice shopper?
In fact, it was at GoodWill that I began to learn about how to dress my body. A long story short, I'm the youngest girl out of four in a row. Hand-me-downs were my lot in life. Since I didn't ever have money or the opportunity to learn how to shop or fit my body, I had to teach myself at 30 years old. Luckily we lived in Connecticut near wealthy neighborhoods. The GoodWill was stacked with high-end clothing. I would go there and try on all sorts of clothes and memorize the colors, the styles, and the brand names that were successes or failures. The next time I would go shopping, I would then know to stay away from tops that were salmon pink--even though I love that color desperately--because it just never worked for me the millions of times I've tried to make it work. Knowing to avoid certain items makes shopping more successful in less time. Through this experience I also learned that you never know what will happen until you try it on. By being open and brave, you will probably stumble onto a style or color that you had no idea you could rock.

Do you feel there are any splurge worthy items---things you are willing to spend more money on? Splurge-worthy items? Well, in my opinion, every girl needs a little "black" dress. (I use quotations because some girls do brown, grey, or navy better than black.) When the magic happens and you find your dress, be responsible and snatch it up! The same goes for that perfect bathing suit. Those are almost always expensive but so worth it.

What items in your closet do you keep coming back to year after year?
Wardrobe staples, for me, include jeans, khaki's, a black dress, *white shirts*, a cute dressy jacket, pearls, and a pair or two of slingbacks. White shirts have a special place in my closet. And I think every girl whether she knows it or not needs a pair of fishnets.

What are some of your favorite outfits/combinations?
One of my favorite outfits involves my husbands cranberry and gold striped neck-tie, my tailored jean jacket, a white oxford shirt, my lime green long-sleeved T-shirt, a long khaki pencil skirt, and dark brown high-heeled boots with my Grandmother's ring with the big pink stone. It combines color, layers, and also has a masculine edge. I like the androgynous look here and there.
A style combination that I'm trying to figure out is how to dress like Audrey Hepburn with a body shaped more like Ms. Monroe. So far I've learned that you have half a chance if you keep it black.
When my Grammy passed away, my mom gave me one of my Grammy's sets of jewelry. I absolutely loved them, but back then it looked so gaudy. Now I enjoy wearing her pieces because I'm learning how to wear baubles and glitz without it looking dumpy, cheap, or dated.

Are there any trends you are looking forward to?
A trend that I have enjoyed is the solid-color trend. I'm a solid-color girl. It seems that maybe we are still in this trend judging from what I've seen on the runways this month, but definitely on the last of it. I read somewhere that Jackie Kennedy wore a printed fabric once and that was because it was a woven cloth given to her from a president of an Asian country. Even then, it was the skirt part of her dress and not up by her face. It seems that with a solid color, the trend is more in the cut of the garment--drapes, gathering, tailoring, necklines, sleeves, monochromatic embellishments, etc.
Ruffles have been a huge trend which, when worn wisely, can be amazing in correcting or concealing imbalances in body-proportions.
I cringe a little when I see the 80's fashions gaining popularity. It's not kind, but I'll say it anyway: To me, the 80's were Disney's version of the Victorian Era.
The silhouette that is popular is very willowy with lots of garments that just hang, like a sweater or scarf, very unstructured. This is very bad for me. It's completely opposite of what I need style-wise. And usually if there is something flowy on top, the skinny jeans are worn on the bottom. This is even worse for me. I guess I'll just have to stick this one out.
A look that I'm currently on the hunt for is the black wool coat with 3/4-length sleeves worn with long black leather gloves.

Can you share with us any recent favorite purchases?
Yikes! I just bought two more white shirts! And I think it was in a weak, lonely moment last February when I bought two cute skirts with some red patent leather peep-toe heels. I still haven't had the chance to wear them because I happened to be pregnant when I bought them! (Does my husband know about this?) I'm dying to wear them!

Anything you are planning/would like to purchase in the near future?
Ann Taylor just had the most perfect bag that I've looked everywhere for. I'm not a purse-carrier, but this one caught my eye. It was black leather with a black grosgrain ribbon bow tied on one of the handles. And I've finally found my perfect tall boot, the Kirby boot--black leather, sleek seeming, the most elegant heel and toe, zipper up the back. Jimmy Choo and Nordstrom's were asking only $965! I found this pair in my size the other night on e-bay with seriously two more minutes of bidding; the price was $399.99. My husband is so happy that I forgot my password! Another little new wish I have I stumbled upon in the shoe sale at JCrew's website--the Paulina ballet flat. Imagining me wearing it makes me think of picnics and tree swings.

What advice would you give someone who is trying to find their own personal style or spruce up their current look?
My advice for anyone who is new to or intimidated by fashion is start with color. If you are wearing the right color near your face, you're well on your way. You will know what colors are right for you if you look good in them even before you put on make-up. Stand in front of the mirror. If you eyes can't take themselves off of the shirt you're wearing, it' the wrong color. After color, move onto necklines. An easy indicator of which neckline is right for you is to think of opposites: If you have a pointed chin, usually a rounded or square neckline will look good on you. If you have a rounded jaw and chin, usually a square or V neckline will flatter you. If you have a little patience, you can have the makings of a great look by mastering these two simple elements of style.
My random fashion commentary: So few women--the ones that you see at church or the grocery store--really know how to get dressed up! American woman are too sloppy! I have chosen to get really dressed up once a week. Church is an opportunity to pull out the make-up and heels. With all of the children running around all week, it's healing to see myself showered and fixed up. At this phase of my life, I can only commit to once a week.

Monday, June 13, 2011

Dear Summer, I Love You

Two weeks into summer and we have already sipped homemade lemonade from stripey straws, developed tan lines, run in the sprinkler, eaten Popsicles for brunch, run around in our bare feet, been caught with Watermelon juice dripping off our chins, stayed up past our bedtimes, lounged by the pool and have even caught a few lightning bugs. What have you all been up to? I hope you are loving summer too!

Tuesday, May 31, 2011

I Love Your Style: Pam

Remember my little style series? I can't believe it's been almost a year since I posted a feature! Well, I'm happy to announce that I have two new ladies to introduce you to this week. The first is my friend Pam. She and I share a love for cardigans, opaque tights and flowery corsages and headbands. She has a knack for putting together outfits that are fun and flattering and she always seems to have a necklace and the perfect pair of shoes for every outfit. Welcome Pam!

How would you describe or define
your current style?
Kind of a hybrid of geek chic and 1950's housewife.

What inspires you and the way you dress?
TV and movies. All the way. I am a total pop culture junkie.

Do you have any fashion icons or people whose style you love?
Yes! I love Emma Pillsbury (Glee) and Annie Edison (Community).

What are some of your favorite places to shop?
I love to bargain hunt, but I have a tendency to lean toward pricier designers so TJ Maxx is usually my best bet. I always find great tops and shoes there. I have a more difficult time with jeans. For those, I usually stick to Kohl's or JCPenney. I am pretty partial to Levis.

You are quite the bargain shopper. Can you give any tips or tricks for finding a great deal?
I never pay retail for ANYTHING! I always hit end of season sales, clearance racks, and bargain retailers. If you have something specific in mind, don't look for it on a clearance rack though. It always ends in heartache.

Do you feel there are any splurge worthy items---things you are willing to spend more money on?
Good bras and a good-fitting pair of jeans. I'll spend more on something if I know that I'll use it often enough to get my money's worth.

What items in your closet do you keep coming back to year after year?
Cardigans. I love them. They're so flexible. You can make a cardigan work with just about anything.
What are some of your favorite outfits/combinations?
I like sweaters paired with big chunky belts. Plaid bermuda shorts. Anything polka dots. The whole "boyfriend" cardigan look has been one of my more recent favorites, especially when paired with some Chuck Taylor's and a cute pair of jeans.

Are there any trends you are looking forward to?
I've seen a lot of wide-leg pants recently and I think it's a good look. I am really curvy, so pants with wider bottoms tend to balance out my curves.

Can you share with us any recent favorite purchases?
Recently I bought the CUTEST jacket from JCPenney. And it was on clearance for $4!

Anything you are planning/would like to purchase in the near future?
I saw the most beautiful red maxi dress by BCBG Max Azria. It had perfect little ruffle details. And then I saw a pair of strappy red espadrilles. I've been thinking about how great it would look paired with a simple white tee and some long, dangly necklaces. Or maybe a flower headband. I can't get it out of my head. It's been tempting me.

What advice would you give someone who is trying to find their own personal style or spruce up their current look?
I think the best thing you can do is find what looks flattering on you. Just because something looks great on one person doesn't mean that it will on someone else.

Thanks for sharing your style Pam and congrats on your engagement!
(Love those polka dot shoes!)

For more words of style wisdom see past my past features of katie, ruth & lauren hutton.

Thursday, May 26, 2011

Toothless

Mitchell lost his first tooth! It has been loose for a couple of months but he had to have it extracted due to an infection that formed on his gum just above it. (Probably had something to do with his past tooth drama I blogged about here.) He handled it like a champ and now he has nice green dollar from the tooth fairy in his piggy bank.

Wednesday, May 25, 2011

Sparky

Meet the newest addition to our family. The boy's first pet; a box turtle they named Sparky. Not sure he'll be around for too long, but the boys are enjoying his company in the meantime.

Friday, May 20, 2011

Motherhood

"I long to accomplish great and noble tasks but my duty is to
accomplish humble tasks as if they were noble and great." - Helen Keller

Tuesday, May 17, 2011

Curls

It looks like Caroline takes after me, with hair that gets curly when it's hot and humid. (She wears it a lot better than I do though!)

Caroline, 10 months (LOVE this age)

Friday, May 13, 2011

Simple Pleasures

I recently realized that I have done very little to document the small town I have called home for the past two years. Marietta in general, is a small, quiet community nestled right along the Ohio river. And although it's not perfect, it has a historic quaintness that especially shines this time of year. Think old brick streets lined with blooming trees and big southern-style homes, a spectacular farmer's market, a small but beautiful college campus and a downtown bursting with antique shops. There are also several museums, tours and historical attractions worth checking out but you have to know where to look. In an attempt to document Marietta, I thought I'd try to share a few of my favorite gems. The first being the downtown shop, Simple Pleasures. Simple Pleasures is a home decor and accessories shop styled much like Anthropologie and offering many of the same items. It's always a happy day when I can pop in for a few minutes and absorb a little interior inspiration. Recently the shop owner was kind enough to let me capture some images to share:






Definitely worth a look, whether you are a local or just visiting for the day:
Simple Pleasures
176 Front Street
Marietta, OH 45750
740.374.8600

Thursday, May 12, 2011

Pictures

Spring has arrived and so has portrait session! I have a new camera (well, new to me. I bought an original 5D used on ebay), I've cracked out the old Polaroid and I've added a few new family sessions to the photography blog. If you're interested, check them out here.

Sunday, May 8, 2011

Mothers Day

Sometimes I think, do I really have three kids? Indeed I do. Happy Mother's Day to me!

Mitchell - 5.5, Caroline - 9 months, Spencer - 3.5