I just discovered the MoMA online store (from here) and there are so many delightful little treasures to be found! There's all sorts of things from furniture to books to stationary. These shade lights by the Dutch artist Tord Boontje are by far my favorite. I also had fun looking through the amazing 3-D Christmas cards!
Garland Shade Light
Midsummer Shade Light
3-D Christmas Card
I am loving this Trick or Treat wedding inspiration board from Snippet & Ink. Weddings and Halloween are generally two things that you don't think of together, but I still love the images and it still manages to be classy. It really got me in the Halloween spirit!
I got this email from Gap today about the Editor's Fall picks. I think some of these are really cute. It's just a darn shame that the clothes don't always look as cute when they're on a real person who strikes more than one pose in the outfit! (and no, I don't really consider models real people when it comes to wearing clothes)
So, tomorrow is Halloween and I am so excited to put Katie in her Tinkerbell costume, light our fun pumpkins, and watch Disney Halloween! But, I have to confess that as of yesterday, I've been listening to Christmas music. I didn't plan on starting so soon, but Josh Groban's new CD, Noel, was on sale at Target yesterday and I couldn't resist. It is superb from start to finish. (but I wouldn't expect anything less from Josh, especially when he teams up with David Foster!) I especially appreciated his version of I'll Be Home for Christmas with the messages from the soldiers over in the Middle East to their families at the beginning and end of the song. Last year at Christmas, my husband was over in that part of the world and I am so very grateful to have him back this year. So, the Christmas music has started a little early this year, and you know what? I'm fine with that!
Domino Magazine has been running a re-decorating contest where readers can enter their own home re-decorating projects that they've done. I've been interested to see who they would narrow it down to, and now they have five finalists. These are the final five, and you can vote for a winner on the website. I love seeing other people's creativity and gathering ideas for the future when I will be re-decorating a little home somewhere...
A few shots of my little sweetheart with the pumpkins we picked out yesterday. She LOVES her little baby pumpkin.
I'm so excited! We're taking Katie to pick out some pumpkins to carve today. Michael and I are already planning cool designs - I hope they turn out!!
I really want to get a nursing cover this time around, and I have discovered several options out there. They're all within the same price range, and they all have cute patterns to choose from, now I just have to decide which one will work best. Any suggestions? Recommendations? Opinions? Here are the main three companies I've been looking at:
This one is from Bebe Au Lait/Hooter Hiders
This is from the company Obuba, and also serves as a car seat cover, car seat wrap, blanket, head rest, and burp cloth!
And this one is from Peek-A-Boo Baby
If I weren't in my last month of pregnancy (hooray the end is in sight!!) I would be tempted by this pretty outfit from DownEast Basics. I would love to wear this to church and feel cute again! I'm loving the look of long, slim tops with belts at the waist that are in right now.
I've been looking at Andy Hillman's website lately - someone mentioned him on their blog and I forgot who? Anyway, he is a set designer/prop stylist and his images are mesmerizing! I love looking at them and taking in all the different elements and details. Whether they depict something that seems fantasy-like or something bizarre, they are all fascinating.
I know it's a little early for this, but I loved the gift wrap ideas I found on Style Court's blog - such classy combinations for Christmas!
I have recently been getting to know Jenni and I feel privileged to now call her a friend. She is such a fun person and also an amazing musician and composer. I just got a copy of her CD on Saturday, and both my husband and I are LOVING it and listening to it non-stop. I left it in the car on Sunday, and so it was playing when my husband picked up the co-worker that he carpools with on Monday morning. Now, these guys are both tough Coast Guard men, but my husband told me when he got home that they got stuck in Seattle traffic and both of them were (and I quote!) "rocking out" to Jenni's music while they waited. That made me laugh and I thought Jenni would get a kick out of that too. He said his friend was even pretending to play the piano along with her. If you haven't checked out her music, you need to! You can learn more about her here, and I highly recommend buying the CD, Key of Sea.
While I was in Utah, my cousin Lisa told me that she has been wanting to be a photographer for a long time, and now she's decided to go for it! She has her lovely new camera and she's practicing left and right. She especially loves taking pictures of children in their own element. I am so excited for her, and I admire her courage to just take the plunge and follow her dream. Congratulations Lisa!! And if any of you live in Utah and can take advantage of her skills, make sure and give her a call! I wish we lived closer....Here are some pictures she took of Katie while we were there, and you can check out her new photography blog here.
I've been thinking a lot lately about how this network of blogging women has inspired me. We all have our own talents and creativity, and a lot of that is shared through people's blogs that I've discovered. Being a wife and a mother is so important, and obviously that is the top priority. But, I also believe that it is important to explore our creative sides and develop our individual talents. As women, I think it's crucial to our happiness and sense of self-satisfaction that we find out what we're good at beyond the laundry, meals, and dirty diapers. We need to explore what is often the more private part of ourselves and bring it out into the light more. As I've talked with friends and family, it seems everyone has something they've been dreaming about or thinking about doing, and I want to applaud those who are going forward and actually making their dreams a reality. We might take on different roles in this life as wives and some as mothers, and those are roles that are near and dear to our hearts, but it is also important to recognize the uniqueness and power that lie within each of us as an individual woman. For myself, I've been thinking a lot about writing and especially about writing song lyrics. It's something I've played around with for years, but I would really like to improve and do something more with it. So, I am going to try to develop myself more along that line. I'm also going to be highlighting here and there some women I know that have inspired me with their talent and the courage to share it with the world. So, thank you to all of you out there who have inspired me through your art, your photos, your hand-made crafts, your music, your writing, your humor, your cooking, your style, and most of all, your spirit. You may not know it, but you have been a role model!
Artwork by Cassandra Barney
Today I am loving the whimsical artwork of Finnish artist Terese Bast. Click on her name to view more of her fabulous prints!
We are back from Utah and had a wonderful trip. It was so good to see everyone again and to be on vacation! We were completely spoiled and never left any visit without at least 3 presents for us and/or Katie! It's always so nice to be with your family. Katie was the center of attention and had everyone adoring her. We spent most of our stay with my family splitting our time between my parent's house in Provo, and the condo up at Snowbird. We also visited Michael's brother and sister-in-law, Ben and DaNae, and had lunch with his grandparents in Sandy.
We are off to Utah for 6 days....hooray!!!! I'm so excited to be "home" again. I'm especially looking forward to some of Mom's great cooking! I'm sure I'll have plenty to post about when I get back. Wish us luck...we're driving - not the sanest thing to do when you're 7 months pregnant, but oh well!!
So, I had a doctor's appointment today, and my regular nurse, whom I LOVE, was not there. To my dismay, she has been temporarily replaced (at least it better be temporary) by the witch-nurse. This woman was SO RUDE. She rubbed me the wrong way right from the get-go. Which made me feel grouchy and I was cold and snotty back. I HATE it when people are jerks to you right off the bat with no provocation. This is the second time I've had an experience with her (she called on the phone last week too) and I have to say that I hope she is long gone by my next appointment. It's bad when anyone is a jerk, but in the medical environment where people tend to feel particularly vulnerable, it is the absolute worst. Boo to the witch nurse, and down with all jerks is what I say!!
Tonight, I will be settling down to savor a DELICIOUS Extreme Chocolate Blizzard while watching the starving model wanna-be's duke it out on America's Next Top Model. Oh yeah! Tonight is the makeover episode and there's bound to be drama. Haha. You gotta love trashy television. ;)
Here are some cute Halloween decoration ideas if you're throwing a Halloween party this year! Too fun. From here.
Katie's Halloween costume came today. I think she will make an adorable Tinkerbell. There are still some finishing touches to add before the big night. I'm excited to see how it all turns out.
The styling for the Toast catalogue is wonderful. I love the way the photos are set up and the majority of the clothes are beautiful. I really like this coat.
Maditi Photography has some wonderful, artistic images that make me want to go out and start snapping photos of everyday things. And this post by Alicia gives me hope that I could do it!!
There is an awesome photo shoot for the November issue of House and Garden. They shot Gwyneth Paltrow's summer house in the Hamptons and the decorating is amazing. Here are my favorite rooms from the shoot. I love all the different patterns and textures. The color combinations are really chic too.
In a couple of months, I will have this baby, and then I can get my normal body back. And I will wear cute things like this (from DownEast Basics) again. Hooray for the future!! Even though they have progressed leaps and bounds in designing cute maternity clothes, cute clothes can only go so far when you feel like an over-inflated balloon (and look like one too). Plus, it just doesn't seem right to spend all that money on clothes that you only wear for about six months, and then hide away in the back of the closet where you hope to forget all about them.
Here's a yummy-sounding recipe for Halloween night, or just a fall meal:
Christopher Baker has an impressive portfolio of work. I love the work he does for Martha Stewart Living. The images he captures tell a story to me and I can easily imagine myself living in the story! You can check out more of his work on his website here. I'm including a few of his images here that I especially love.
This looks like a great room to sit and write in. I'm sure many a great idea could be thought of while looking out the french doors.
I would love to host a dinner party in this room just the way it is. I can just hear the witty conversation now! I love the windmill on the antique bookcase, the paintings, and the mismatched chairs.
Today it is dark, grey, rainy, and cold. It is the perfect weather to stay inside and curl up in a quilt with a good book. Here are my "cozy things du jour":
2. My Pomegranate Guava box candle from Target. This scent is soooooo good and adds to the cozy atmosphere.
If you're having a grey day too, enjoy your cozy things!!
When I saw this 2008 calendar on Oh Happy Day from ilee's etsy shop, it was just one of those things I had to have. I guess last year's version sold out fast, and I can see why...check out the exquisite designs for each month!! I'm so excited to get this!!!
I also LOVE these chinese lantern note cards, but they will have to be for another time....
Am I the only one that can't get this song out of my head now that Old Navy's sweater commercial plays it all the time? When I'm not singing it, my husband is, so it's being sung non-stop around our house lately! I LOVE Ingrid Michaelson and this CD is on my Christmas wish list. (Remember that sweetheart!) ;)
