Lend a Hand

I really, really like these hand manikins. They're so sculptural, and yet having them around the house would scream 'art studio'-- something I think I want to encourage. :)

Running to Stand Still

Okay, so I didn't actually run this time, but I did go to the gym for the first time since having the baby. It felt really good, even though by the end of 45 minutes, I felt weak, shaky, and somehow hollow inside. I also stepped on the scale for the first time in forever. I'm not even sure how much weight I gained during the pregnancy, since I refused to look at the numbers during the last trimester, but I now know that I'd like to lose about 15-20 pounds. Even though that sounds like a lot, oddly I feel pretty thin right now. And I guess I am compared to how huge I was a month ago! Unfortunately, I was informed that I can't leave the baby in childcare until he's six weeks old (he's three weeks old today) so for the next three weeks I'll be walking around my neighborhood and using my weights at home. 

Library Finds

I've been trying to get out of the house for at least an hour a day, so yesterday I took the kids to the library. Here are some of the good things we came home with. "The Name of This Book is a Secret" is one of those that I grabbed off the shelf because I liked the title. It'll be worth it even if I never get past the first chapter because it made me smile. 

I used to read Catherine Newman's weekly journal when I was pregnant with my daughter. This is basically a compilation of that, and I can't wait to revisit her neurotic view of life with kids. 

"Actual Size" is for my son, but I can't help flipping thru it with interest. The paper art is so pretty, and it's surprising to me to have the real size of so many animals spelled out in front of me. Pretty cool. 

Simply Organized

After using it all year last year, I just bought another one of these calendars by Real Simple. I love the stickers with colors that correspond to members of the family. This year the colors are even better than the ones pictured- light blues and greens instead of that garish orange and red. 

Found Objects and Such

I'm a minimalist type of person, so I don't actually wear a lot of jewelry. However, I really like the artistic nature of these pieces, most of which are either made out of found objects or inspired by them. The jewelry pictured above is by LeeAnn Herreid of Individual Icons. 

 This pendant is one of my favorites- a Dictionary Definition Pendant by D-licious Jewelry.

These ones are by Brown Banana. She makes things out of old clock faces, typewriter keys, silverware and coins. Ever since mom showed me some in Olympia, I thought it would be fun to get my husband some cufflinks made out of typewriter keys, but he doesn't wear cufflinks.

Floor Plan Dishware

I usually try to avoid posting about something I saw on another blog (the redundancy bothers me) but I'm making an exception for the Floor Plan Dishware from Fishs Eddy. I saw them on both Apartment Therapy and black.white.bliss. Aren't they great?

Music

There are some in my family and friends who listen to and discover new music as though they were breathing it in. I don't have the same talent for discovery, but I do have a definite preference for quiet, moody tunes and usually know it when I hear it. My new favorite is "Falling Slowly" from the film Once. Other favorites are "Cinders and Smoke", "Love and Some Verses" and "Naked as We Came" by Iron and Wine, "Glass, Concrete and Stone" by David Byrne, "Cannonball" and "Blower's Daughter" by Damien Rice, "On Your Porch" by The Format, "Driftwood" by Travis, and anything by Coldplay.

Baby Blanket

After dropping off my parents at the airport, I needed some shopping therapy. I bought this super soft baby blanket from Target. It's part of the new Dwell Studio line, which, I must say, is cute enough to make anyone want a baby. 

The Perfect Flower

Growing up in Washington, we used to go to the Tulip Festival in LaConner every year. Seeing fields and fields of tulips planted under a stormy sky was breathtaking. To this day, tulips are my favorite flowers. I had tulips at my wedding, and still believe that they're elegant without being ostentatious. These ones are from my Mom and Dad. The observant reader will note that the last half dozen posts have involved my Mom, so suffice it to say, we have similar (aka, exquisite) taste. :)

Oscar Night

My parents spent a week here helping me with the new baby, but their trip also happened to fall on Oscar Night. We were able to celebrate and watch the Academy Awards together for the first time since I got married. As you can see from the photo, my mom went all out. :) Ribs, mashed potatoes, salad, fruit and cheesecake. It was wonderful. 

I know it sounds cliche, but there's nothing like mom's home cookin'. This is a lemon curd cheesecake with raspberries (not shown). I just finished the leftover slices today, and it was divine. As for the Oscars, my husband correctly guessed the most winners for the millionth time. It's frustrating for me because I'm so competitive, but at the same time, I find it strangely attractive. I guess that's one of the reasons I married him. 

A Light's Drawing

While perusing my mom's copy of Dwell magazine, I spotted these wonderful tableware and linens by Sandra Bautista. I love when practical objects become art!

Long Day's Night

image: David Heatley, New York Times

As it turns out, baby L. has reflux. My oldest son had sever reflux, and it was a year-long trial. He was constantly in pain, crying inconsolably, and I was severely sleep deprived. Just the thought of going through that again is enough to reduce me to a quaking figure in the corner. However, L. shows signs of having a less severe form. He has happy days- that never happened with my older son. I'm also hoping that he responds well to Zantac, a prescription medication that reduces the acid in his stomach. This is his third day on it, so for now we are all crossing our fingers and praying. I keep telling myself that Heavenly Father knew my husband could only have a week off of work. He knew my parents would only be here for a week to help, and he must know that I don't have the stamina to go a year without sleep again, so things will work out. Positive thinking, people. :)

Pears

The colors of my kitchen/dining/living room are espresso brown, white and steel blue. I've always thought that I need punches of some accent color, but red is too much (and I already used it in my bedroom- been there, done that) and yellow always looks too acidic. So, I was pretty happy when this week, I put out a batch of pears to ripen in my new pedestal bowl and discovered that they are the perfect color! I can't wait to go to the fabric store and make a bunch of pillows for the couch. I'll alternate steel blue with the pear green, and get some kind of pear green flowers or foliage for the entryway. It's nice when small things make me happy. 

Art Cards

My mom gave me these art cards for the new baby. I love how graphic they are. I've always been partial to black and white combos, so it's quite convenient that babies notice black and white first. The cards come in themed collections- if I ever have another girl, I think I'd like the garden cards. These will probably be framed and hung over the crib, or used to make a mobile. :) 

Happy Birthday, Colt!

Happy Birthday, Colt! I hope you know that I love you tons and am thinking about you on your special day. This birthday cupcake reminded me of you because it looks like something the Missing Piece would eat. :) Cheers. 

Pajama Party

Since the baby was born, I've pretty much been living in this nursing gown (except mine is black- naturally.) It's comfortable, supportive, and doesn't have a single flower or frill like a lot of nursing wear out there. 

He's Here!

Liam James arrived 2-8-2008 at 8:40 p.m. Luckily, even with rush hour traffic on Friday, both husband and midwife made it on time! He's our biggest baby, weighing in at exactly 8 pounds, and so far is happy, healthy, and keeping us all awake at night. It's wonderful to finally have him here. 

The Best Olive Oil

I love buying local produce and such, so when we discovered the Queen Creek Olive Mill, I was really pleased. Not only are the olives grown and pressed locally, they have a beautiful Mill that is open to the public for tasting and touring. It includes an Italian Cafe with some pretty good gelato and some excellent blood orange sorbet. The olive oil itself is wonderful. The flavors are intense, since they bypass the usual infusion method (soaking sliced lemons in the oil for lemon-olive oil) and instead cold press the ingredients together (so the lemons are pressed with the olives-- talk about flavor!) I own about 4 different varieties, and still can't get enough. 

Sushi

Now that I am just days away from my due date, all I can think about is sushi. That is not to say that I've ever been a big sushi fan, I think it's just the fact that for nine months, I've been forbidden to eat it. Naturally, that makes it all the more appealing. In the meantime, craving sushi has reminded me of this Sushi & Socky baby gift, which I spotted years ago and always wanted to give to someone because of the great packaging. Every time the opportunity presented itself, I managed to talk myself out of it, for when you come right down to it, they're socks. Black, white and red socks. Not exactly necessary baby gear. They sure look great, though. 

Adventures in Voting

Photographer: Getty Images

Yesterday was Super Tuesday, so as soon as my son woke up from his nap, I announced, "We're going to go vote!" The enthusiasm in my voice was contagious, and both children began chanting, "Yeah, vote! Vote!" while I packed them into the car. I explained the process in simple terms to my 6 year old daughter as we drove to the precinct, all the while patting myself on the back for providing such a great example of civic mindedness to my kids. We got there, and miraculously both were patient as we waited in a long line. I had to carry my son (no easy feat when I'm this close to having the next baby) but he was happy and kept chanting, "Gotta wait our turn to vote!" Once inside, the process went quickly and smoothly. I took my ballot, filled in the little circle (ignoring my daughter's loud demands to know "WHO ARE YOU VOTING FOR, MOMMY?!") and then inserted it into the nifty ballot-eating machine. We took our stickers and trooped out to the car. This is when my son began to cry. "What's wrong?" I asked. "I WANT VOTE!" He wailed. "But we just did!" I replied, confused. I looked down at my daughter as he continued to wail, and we both came to the same conclusion at the same time. "BOAT!" I groaned. "Oh, sweetie, did you want to go on a boat?" "YES!!!" he wailed. Great. That's why he had been so patient. Poor kid! I searched my mind frantically for some quick solution. Do I have friends with a boat? Yes. But not close. And I don't think he'd be satisfied with sitting in a boat while it was parked in some garage. He'd want it to be on water. Good grief, I live in a desert, there aren't any boats around! "We'll go home and play with your toy boats, okay?" I offered, but to no avail. He was miserable for the next hour and a half, cuddling in my lap and sniffing loudly while I tried to distract him with a Thomas the Train video at home. Some example that turned out to be! I guess it just goes to show, voting doesn't hold a candle to boating when a three year old is involved. 

Old School Video Games

Last year I had a sudden and inexplicable urge to play Tetris. I needed that annoying Russian music, the orderly little falling puzzle pieces, and the reward of rocket ships at the end. Honestly, I couldn't stop thinking about it. So, I bought one off of Craigslist along with some old school games. It turns out that my daughter is an excellent Super Mario Brothers player, and my son can't get enough of Duck Hunt. I am inordinately proud of the fact that my kids are being raised on the same video games that I played as a kid. You would think that I was introducing them to Jax or Tiddlywinks or something truly vintage. I've decided that it's because they have such a different childhood than I had. I get a lot of joy anytime I find anything in their young lives that I can relate to. To this end, I think perhaps I'll introduce them to Shrinky-dinks next. Long live the 80's!

Valentine's Day Cupcakes

I'm hoping that I'll be out of commission by the time Valentine's Day rolls around, so the kids and I got an early start on some of the crafts and treats for the holiday. This weekend we made cupcakes. We used food coloring gel to dye the frosting pink and red, and left some of it white so the sprinkles and M&M's would stand out more. They were both eager to decorate, and could hardly stand waiting for the cupcakes to cook and cool. I divided the cupcakes, sprinkles, M&M's and Conversation Hearts evenly, then placed everything on two separate cooking sheets to try and contain the inevitable mess. They had free reign, and watching them decorate while licking their fingers turned out to be a great way for me to avoid the temptation of actually eating the cupcakes later. It was a pleasant way to spend a rainy Saturday afternoon.

Chocolate Typeface

I am slightly obsessed with numbers and letters, so when I saw this movable type in chocolate on Design Sponge, it was instant love. Apparently, (I don't read German, so I'm guessing from the pictures) they come in any letter, number, or symbol just like real typeface, and can be mixed around to spell anything you'd like. Check out their website- it would make a great Valentine's Day gift, or better yet, a great way to propose. Plus, it's chocolate. Who doesn't love chocolate?

Lovely Side Table

I received the new West Elm catalogue last night and immediately fell in love with this side table. The ghostly image is subtle enough for me, and I've always been a sucker for bare tree branches. I'm tempted to try and stencil something myself on an Ikea bench for the foot of our bed, or perhaps on low coffee table for the living room. Either way, I think it's lovely!

A Good Soak

One of life's supreme pleasures is to soak in a hot bath while reading a good book. Since I am about to have my third child, I have been unabashedly pampering myself by soaking almost every night, usually while my dear husband wrestles the kids into bed. Unfortunately, my tub does not look like this one from Restoration Hardware. My tub is short, shallow, and made of *wince* fiberglass. When I look at this picture, I can just imagine the steaming water up to my chin and the smooth curve of porcelain against my back. Oh, bliss! Sadly, while I lust after the above clawfoot, my husband dreams of one of those tacky looking jet tubs. Yes, I understand the appeal of high powered water jets, but I can't help it. Aesthetics will always be a deciding factor for me. I guess it's a good thing that we don't have $4000 to plunk down on a new tub, or this is one argument that could get seriously heated. :)

Happy Birthday Crystal!

Happy Birthday, Crystal! I know today is a hard day with Mark shipping off for the National Guard, but I hope Clark smothers you with drool-y kisses and makes you feel better. This sock monkey party hat made me think of you. Love you and thinking about you today!

Wall Space

I've been fawning over some of the wall decals from Blik for a while now, but can't seem to decide where to put them in my house. I know myself- no matter how tasteful, most accessories and accents run the risk of quickly becoming tiresome (or worse, aggravating) to me. I like things spare and soothing. So these will need to be chosen carefully, and placed thoughtfully. 
An easy solution might be to choose something a bit whimsical and use it in one of the kid's rooms. I'm always more willing to go outside of my comfort zone when it's in their space, but at the same time, I get kind of jealous that they benefit from all the 'creative' touches. Ah, a conundrum. 

Seattle has Style

There's a great little post about kitchens and dining rooms by MUSA of Seattle over at Apartment Therapy today. I love the chandelier in this one. I've seen it before in West Elm or Pottery Barn or something, but am still struck by how appealing it is to me. Anything that celebrates the written word is going to earn high marks in my book. 

As for this one, let me just say: I. want. that. backsplash. Beautiful!

Black is the new Black

               

I've decided to buy a baby sling. I'm kind of amazed that I don't already own one, considering how much I carried around my last kiddo. He was so sick with reflux that I held him constantly, walking up and down the stairs in the middle of the night, and even slept with him on my chest. My back hurt a lot. Thus, with this baby, I thought maybe I'd be a little better prepared. I was going to buy classic black, but these two from ModMum are tempting me. They're reversible to an espresso brown, so I could go basic if I wanted. But I do wear black more often, and might even be able to get Jared to wear it if it didn't have some kind of girly pattern. What do you think?

The Art of Cake

I am not usually a fan of cake- I'd much rather eat ice cream or have a really great piece of chocolate, but these cakes by April Reed are sculpturesque! I really, really love the simplistic elegance of them. Lovely color schemes, clean lines, and one really great detail. They're enough to make a girl want to get married all over again.