katie.cupcake

Busy Busy

2012-01-20T22:33:00.000-05:00

Today was the most fun. I got to play dress up, get my hair and make up done, and have my photo taken at a super pretty hotel in Baltimore. Once I get copies of the photos, I'll be sure to post them and talk about the whole experience more. [Oh yes, did you notice my hair is blonde now? I got it done Thursday afternoon.] But now, I need to get a few hours of sleep before I have to pack, pack, pack and rush, rush, rush to the airport tomorrow. We're supposed to be getting some snow, sleet, and freezing rain. So I'm hoping that our flight doesn't get cancelled or delayed. I'm planning on blogging from Florida, so be sure to check back soon!

Today

2012-01-18T13:03:00.003-05:00

Today is for...
*cleaning my room [Paisley has been helping]
*cleaning the living room and family room
*not seeing Steven... :( [he's working a ton]
*family movie night
*PIZZA!
*planning outfits again [I forgot to write them down...so I have to start over]
*laundry
*putting away dishes
*working on a organizational craft
*gathering presents for some pretty girls we'll see on our trip
*hopefully getting a little bit of craft time
*hopefully showering...
*hopefully napping
*and hopefully getting a package that was delivered to our old house by accident...
[photo taken with a fisheye lens {for my DSLR} held up to my iPhone camera. easy peasy lemon squeezy...however, if you'd like me to explain camera tricks any more, just let me know in the comments and I'd be happy to do a little tutorial.]

Which do you like better?

2012-01-17T16:12:00.002-05:00

[Dress on the left is Free People, from Shopbop. Dress on the right is by ASOS, very limited supply.]
So...I thought I had it all planned out. But then, I happened to check, and somehow the dress on the right had one left in my size! [It was previously sold out.] So I don't know which I want to wear anymore... They're both lovely. Which do you like better?

Paisley Jane...

2012-01-17T11:09:00.000-05:00

[This is a sincerely gushy blog. I'm not trying to brag or make anyone feel like their child isn't as smart, helpful, or whatever. I'm just writing it all out to document it since I feel like I haven't written one of these blogs in a very long time. Especially about Paisley. I'm also writing it, because while this blog praises her, we still have hard days. She will wake up too early, and not take her nap in the afternoon, and just be a plain old grump. I'm writing this blog so that I can come back to it on those days to help remind myself that I'm doing a good enough job as her mama. And I can't control everything she does. Anyway, you've been warned... Let the gushy mama love begin...]

This little girl of mine, is not so little any more. She's is getting so big! I've really noticed some big advances in the last couple weeks. She's recently started writing words, and her handwriting is getting better every day! The other day she wrote "transparent", "thirteen", "fourteen", "pillow", "cushion", and everyone's names she can think of. She will see a word while we're out somewhere, and remember the letters by herself until we get home [sometimes a couple hours later], so she can practice writing it. She's so incredible!

Paisley is also really into math. She loves patterns and playing the "eee-bles" [equals] game. We bought her a puzzle game from Pottery Barn outlet where you count the number of objects and put the puzzle piece of the corresponding number on it. There's also addition and subtraction. She's been learning how to tell time [on a digital clock], and has been figuring out how to read numbers.] Paisley loves organizing things and arranging them.

Steven said that almost every time we're out, someone compliments how polite Paisley is. She says "excuse me", "please", "thank you", and "may I" on a regular basis. She calls adults "Miss _____" or "Mister _____". Paisley loves helping me do laundry and put away dishes. She loves helping to open doors and loves helping Riley do lots of different things. She especially loves helping to put toothpaste on his toothbrush and showing him how to brush his teeth. She explicitly told me she does not like tidying. But after I explained to her that she is part of our family, and she needs to help tidy, she did help. And she got really excited about it.

Paisley also started talking in an English accent. It's probably the cutest thing she does. My heart is kind of bursting with love just thinking about it. She started it a couple weeks ago. Her favorite TV shows are Charlie & Lola and Peppa Pig, both of which are set in the UK. I don't know if she does it on purpose or not. I know I kind of sponge up accents and speaking patterns when I'm around people and it takes a little while to wear off. I really should record her doing it sometime.

P is still loving her gymnastics class. She's getting braver and braver and is trying more things. She met a little girl there named Piper and I heard they hold hands and play together all the time.

She's really excited about our trip. Especially since it's on a Saturday. [Saturday is her favorite day of the week because if she's been good all week, she can have Lucky Charms for breakfast.] She can't wait to go on the carousel in the Magic Kingdom [we'll see how she actually likes it. Normally carousels freak her out], and the Teacups. She's really hoping to see Rapunzel. I think she's mostly excited to see friends though. Paisley is a really big people person.

Well, that's it. That's my ~~little~~ big girl. I can't wait to see her keep growing!

[For those of you who are curious, Paisley is now almost 4 years and 4 months old. She is not in any kind of preschool, nor do we homeschool. I always take time to help her if she wants to practice writing words or mixing colors, but I never force her to write things. She asks me how to spell things. All of the things she loves to do are all from her own will. She does an hour of gymnastics a week. And we go to church sometimes.]

5 days

2012-01-16T18:04:00.000-05:00

5 days and counting until we leave for Disney World. I've started gathering clothes, so we can start packing as soon as possible. I find that the sooner I start making a list and gathering things up, the longer I have to "remember" things I would normally forget. [Ahem, tampons, ahem.] I've also started a couple projects that I'm hoping to finish and get scheduled so that I can still be posting while we're in Disney World. [So far, I'm still waiting on my photos for my December daily album. I'm so frustrated with SnapFish and will be using someone else in the future. It's been over a week and a half. I just want to scrapbook!] I'm also trying to get our house in order, so that we can come home to a clean house. We've only ever clean-cleaned once before a trip. It was really nice. I can see why my mom liked having a clean house to come home to. This next week is going to be busy, busy, busy! We have a bunch of appointments, and Steven is working an insane amount of hours. I'm afraid we're all going to be pooped before even leaving for our trip! But I'm really excited for it too! Now we just need to make it through the next 5 days. Wish us luck!

Do you have any tips for Disney World? I'm getting really nervous because I normally overplan and over pack...but I haven't done anything yet!

Leopard Peter Pan Collar

2012-01-13T13:57:00.000-05:00

I wore this to go run errands and go to Riley's 15 month appointment. I was trying to get both littles ready before Steven got home, because he was running late. And since this shirt buttons up the back, I ended up going all the way to the doctor's waiting room half dressed [read: half my buttons were undone]. Ha! I got it in DC during a big sale. I loved the leopard peter pan collar and that it buttoned up the back. It was a pretty warm day, so I was able to wear sweater tights and shorts [a look I've come to really like]. My shoes were a surprise gift from Steven. He got them on sale as and gave them to me as a thank you for all the hard work I did during our move and with Paisley and Riley's birthday party. They were a super sweet surprise. I wear them all the time. Looove them! When we took these pictures, the sun was setting, and it had gotten very cold. The wind had picked up, and I was kind of freezing without my jacket on.

Outfit Details:
Coat: Betsey Johnson, clearance
Shirt: Zara, clearance
Shorts: Madewell
Cashmere Tights: Betsey Johnson, bought at Nordstrom
Shoes: Prada, sale / gift
Belt: Kate Spade, stolen from a dress [in my closet. I'm not an actual thief!]To see more of my outfits, please click on the "what i wore" link in the left side bar, under "features".

Day Dreaming

2012-01-12T16:05:00.000-05:00

I was asked to participate in a super fun event a week from this Friday. I'm not sure how much I can or can't say about it. But I've been doing a lot of day dreaming, and a little bit of shopping in preparation for it. I also made this super rough draft mood board.

Today we are taking our car to go get new rims and tires put on. It's definitely not an expense we were planning on. We spent 7 hours this past weekend at our local [really crappy] mall while our car was worked on. We also had a rental car for a few days while something else was fixed on our car. I think we've had to do something car related every day for the past week.

Thank you to everyone who commented on my last blog post. I sincerely appreciate all of you, and it is nice to know I'm not alone.

[photo credits: tiny starlette crown - giant dwarf; blue suede and silver glitter shoes [no longer available] - urban outfitters; dress - free people, via shopbop; gold glitter shoes - rodarte for opening ceremony; crystal necklace - red velvet; cuff [no longer available] - eddie borgo for j crew; black glitter shoes - miu miu, photo by me.]

Sometimes I have a hard time...

2012-01-11T09:53:00.000-05:00

I feel like winter was created to make me feel terrible. I hate it. In Arizona, it's not as hard for me, because the sun is out longer. But here, in Maryland, there is nothing I dread more than winter. I hate the tiny bit of sunlight we get. I hate how cool the light is. I hate how cold it is outside, and how we have to put on a million layers to go anywhere. I hate the snow. Everything. It's all just pointless.

I feel completely uninspired and unmotivated from Christmas until late March when we go to the DC cherry blossom festival. I have a hard time coming up with things worth blogging, because most days I just sit around in my jammies and watch Nick Jr shows with Paisley. I always see all these people working on amazing knitting and crochet projects, or doing some sort of cute craft, and I just don't get it. I don't get how anyone can be happy and crafting right now. I wish I could figure out something to craft. Creating stuff really does help to improve my mood. Most of the time, I walk into my craft room, stare at all of my stuff and turn around and walk out without touching anything. I have some ideas of things I would like to do, but I can't seem to find the motivation to start. [I am waiting on photos to be delivered and then I'll finish my December Daily mini album. That's the only thing I feel like finishing.]

I have a hard time focusing on New Year's resolutions and goals. One of my goals is to blog more and more consistently. However, I feel like all of you would run the other way if I just posted about how I was doing 4 loads of laundry yesterday, and when it came time to fold them [which I normally looove; it's my favorite chore], I just couldn't start. So I sorted them into piles by person, and now I have four unusable chairs until I finally fold it all. Or I could blog about how all of my Christmas decorations are still up, and it's driving me crazy, but not crazy enough to take them all down because it's such an effort...

I'm even having a hard time getting excited about our Disney World trip in a week and a half. Here's a little known fact about me. I hardly ever cry. Maybe 4 or 5 times a year. [Unless I'm pregnant. Then I cry over everything. A yummy peach, commercials, clothes that don't fit, anything.] But one thing I do cry about when I'm not pregnant, is Disneyland/ World. In a good way. I tear up like 3 or 4 times a day when I'm at Disney World. I'm sure I'm a little crazy, but Disney really is a happy place for me. So I'm hoping that I enjoy it this time. Normally, I would be planning outfits and what to pack 3 weeks out, and obsessively planning which parks to go to on each day and where to meet characters at what times, etc. But ugh! I don't know. Sometimes, winter makes me feel like a completely different person.

I'm sincerely, 100% jealous of people who are peppy and say they just choose to be happy. The harder I try, the sadder I get. It's frustrating. I wish I could just be happy all the time. I wish winter didn't bother me. I wish I had interesting projects and outfits to post. I wish I had interesting things to say.

So please, dear blog readers, accept this apology that this space may not be updated as often as I'd like. I really, truly am trying. Sometimes I just have a hard time...

New Year's Eve Outfit

2012-01-10T10:00:00.000-05:00

So this is what I wore for NYE. We went to Leesburg, Virginia earlier in the evening and once we put our littles to bed, we watched a movie in an attempt to stay awake and then watched the ball drop on tv. [Someday I'd like to see if in real life, which is completely insane.] Anyway, Steven and I got dressed up, because we figured we would not just sit around in jammies to ring in the new year. [These pictures were actually taken a few days later because of terrible lighting inside at midnight, but you get the idea.] ;) Peach, hot pink, and black is quickly becoming one of my favorite color combinations.

Outfit Details:
Dress: Madewell [sale]
Jacket: Free People
Tights: Commando
Shoes: Alexander McQueen
Necklace: J. Crew

Project Life and Smash Book

2012-01-06T11:03:00.000-05:00

I'm starting two projects this year. One is Project Life. It's a super simple scrapbooking system that I plan on using to supplement regular scrapbook pages. I'm really excited to try it out. I had been talking to Steven about it way before Christmas, and then I was talking to people on twitter about it yesterday. I hadn't completely made up my mind just yet. But I was strongly leaning towards doing it. Then, while we were at the doctor yesterday for Riley's well-visit, a box of Project Life stuff came for me! Steven had ordered a bunch of stuff as a surprise! Haha! Talk about great timing! So I'm excited to start doing that. I feel like so much of our lives the past few years hasn't been documented very well. Anyway, I'm rambling... Here's a video about Project Life, for anyone who's not already aware of what it is.

While we were at the scrapbook store a few weeks ago, I had also gotten a Smash book. I plan on using it to hold little tidbits, inspiration, and things I don't want to forget but aren't necessarily blog or scrapbook worthy. I also found a little video about Smash books for people interested.PS-Sorry I wasn't able to make my photos prettier. I have an extremely grumpy boy who keeps trying to attack my camera or computer whenever I bring it out. So I'll get better photos of stuff as I start using them.

Dreaming

2012-01-05T11:14:00.000-05:00

Last spring, Steven and I tried to buy a house. There were some issues mostly due to a dispute we had with Verizon, and blah blah blah, we weren't able to at that time. We're hoping we can sometime this year. This past Monday we went to a few model homes to look around. We fell in love with these 4 story urban townhomes. It would be smaller than the house we're in now, but the style is spot on for Steven and me. There's a single family home that I still really like, but the location is not where we want to be. So we'll see. I think we're going to make tiny cut outs of our furniture and see if we can make the townhouse work. [I've already kind of started to decorate it in my head.]

Getting crafty...

2012-01-04T14:29:00.000-05:00

I'm almost finished with my December Daily album. I just need to print pictures and figure out a binding. I also have a couple scrapbook pages waiting for photos, and a couple other craft/DIY projects waiting for a weekend when Steven can watch our littles.

I forgot to mention, but "completing 24 craft projects" is on my goals this year. [Not including individual scrapbook pages...] But I can talk about that later. ;)

Sorry I'm kind of boring lately. I always feel boring in the winter.

Happy 2012

2012-01-02T12:44:00.000-05:00

So it's 2012. Everyone always says the previous year seemed to go by even faster than the ones before. My dad and I have a theory about that... When you're young, it takes forrrrreeeevvvvverrrrr for Christmas and your birthday to come. We think that's because [in Paisley's case] a year is 1/4th of her life, but to me, it's only 1/23rd of my life, and my dad is 1/59th. Anyway, just something I've thought about a little bit reading all these blogs lately.

Anyway, for 2012, I've set some goals and such...
*add more vintage to my wardrobe
*buy a Valentino bag [or Louis Vuitton / Alexander McQueen]
*cook more at home
*set a cleaning schedule and stick to it
*continue working to improve myself [this one is kind of vague but I'll explain more at a later time]
*buy a second car
*get Paisley into school
*use film cameras more
*blog more consistently

In just a few weeks, we'll be going to Disney World in Florida. I'm soo excited, and honestly, it's pretty much all I've been thinking about.

This Just In... New Christmas Shoes

2011-12-28T13:34:00.002-05:00

For Christmas, I mostly got shoes. Surprised? I thought not. ;) Anyway, Steven has been buying these shoes on sale and storing them in his closet for the last while. He let me have the turquoise ones a day early so I could wear them to dinner. I got the Americana ones a few days after Christmas when they went on sale. I have no idea what I'm going to wear them with, but I wanted them since last summer, so I figure I have till spring time to figure it out. Alexander McQueen is my favorite designer ever, and I am sooo excited that Steven got these shoes for me! Paisley gave me the glitter Miu Miu heels. She actually told me about them when they came in the mail. "Mama, we got you some sparkly shoes for Christmas! They look like those ones, but shhh! I'm not supposed to tell you." But I was still more than happy to have them!

Details:
Turquoise and glitter heels: Kimchi Blue, via Urban Outfitters
Hot pink booties: Alexander McQueen
Spiked booties: Ash, via Gilt
Americana wedge sandals: The Cobra Snake x Irregular Choice
Black glitter heels: Miu Miu, via Neiman Marcus

[I only realized after taking the last photo {above}, that I grabbed the right turquoise shoe instead of the left one. Oops!]

What I Wore: Christmas Eve Dinner

2011-12-27T12:51:00.000-05:00

A family tradition Steven and I started when we got married was to eat Mexican food on Christmas Eve. Normally, we make tortilla soup or fajitas or something at home. But this year, we went out to dinner at a Mexican place here in Frederick, called Cacique. It was really yummy, and somehow both of our littles were well behaved. This is what I wore to dinner:I wore a hot pink shirt that I got when I was pregnant with Paisley and experiencing my first true winter. I layered it under a red corduroy dress I bought while I was pregnant with Riley. [I always try to buy non-maternity maternity clothes so that I can keep using them afterwards.] I wore a pair of cashmere sweater tights, and a pretty pair of minty/Tiffany blue shoes. I cannot get over glitter. I also wore my starlette sparkler in my hair. When Paisley saw it she asked me why I had an ornament from our tree in my hair. And then she told me it made me look extra beautiful. :) She's sweet.Outfit Details:
Coat: Betsey Johnson [fall 2009]
Shirt: Hollister [winter 2007]
Dress: Anthropology [spring 2010]
Tights: Betsey Johnson, Nordstrom
Shoes: Kimchi Blue, Urban Outfitters
Starlette Sparkler: Giant Dwarf, Etsy
Necklace: J. Crew

Merry Christmas / Happy Birthdays

2011-12-25T22:01:00.000-05:00

Merry Christmas to all those who celebrate!!! [I'm sure some of you will sympathize with my tardiness on this post. Being sick for over half the month set my plans back a little bit, so I had a lot to catch up on the last few days.] Anyway, I hope your Christmas was magical and filled with love and fun memories!

Happy first birthday [a day late], Jude!!! [That's my nephew/the birthday boy and sister/his mom. :)] And happy I'm-not-going-to-say-how-old-you-are birthday, Dad!
[photo by Auntie Beth]

A Special Little Post...

2011-12-20T12:43:00.000-05:00

I generally don't share music on my blog. [Mostly due to the fact that I always feel like I'm 5 steps behind people who listen to super good music...so I'd be preaching to the choir.] BUT I just HAVE to share this! Our friends, Katie and Johnny recorded this song. If you'd like to hear how they did it, read Katie's blog. If you'd like to download it, you can find it on iTunes or Amazon.

Can I just kind of gush for a minute?? I have this BIGGEST blog / girl crush on Katie. Like seriously. She is the nicest, prettiest person I've ever met! And her family is just as amazing! Katie has the cutest style, and I seriously wish I could pull it off. She makes the cuuutest plush animals. And she has the prettiest hair. Her family is the cutest!!! And now she can sing?! Like, could this lady get any better?! Probably not. I just love her.

Handmade Felt Advent Calendar

2011-12-19T14:29:00.000-05:00

Uh, let's pretend today isn't the 19th of December. And let's pretend that Christmas is more than 6 days away. So now that we have that all cleared up, here is a lovely felt advent calendar I made for my family. I started making it on November 30th, and would've finished it on the 1st of December had I not run out of thread. But whatever. I finished it on the 2nd, and we've been using it ever since.

To make it, I first gathered inspiration. The two main ones I used as inspiration were Rachel's and this one from Purl Bee. I found all of the supplies I needed, and set to work. I used a piece of light pink canvas from my stash that I had gotten at Purl Soho a couple years ago.v I hemed the edges and then sewed it in half. I cut out the felt squares and numbers by hand. [I didn't really measure...it's not my type. Haha!] I mixed up all the smaller squares, and sewed one onto each of the larger squares, without pinning them. [Which is kind of obvious on some of them. They got kind of crooked.] After I sewed the smaller squares onto the larger squares, I pinned and sewed three sides of the large squares onto the pink canvas to form pockets. I used felt glue to attach the numbers, and sewed on some rectangles to slide a vintage yard stick through. I freehand cut the trees and star, and used felt glue to attach them to the canvas. I had plans to sew them on, but I ran out of thread. To make the cards, I cut white card stock and used spray mists in pink and turquoise. Steven and I came up with activities for every day and I wrote them out on each card and stuck them in their pockets.

So my calendar isn't perfect. But I like when things are special. It's durable and cute, and I think it'll last for a good while. I didn't finish on time this year, but we'll have it every year from here on out. And it's fun to slow down and live and enjoy the holiday season instead of running around like an elf on Christmas Eve, right? ;)

I hope my family enjoys this calendar and uses it every year. I remember an advent nativity that my mom had. I used to love to find the little piece with the number for that day, and flip it over. Baby Jesus was the piece for the 24th. It was a lovely memory. Do you have an advent calendar?

Currently...

2011-12-12T12:38:00.001-05:00

Obsessing over:
glitter, sequins, pink. They kind of explode in my house when it's Christmastime since I'm not a fan of traditional Christmas colors. And who doesn't think glitter is magical?!

Working on:
Getting my house cleaned. Steven and I have both had the stomach flu for the past little while, and today is the first day I can sit up and stand for more than 10 minutes without feeling like I'm going to pass out or puke. haha! Lovely, right? Anyway, we're getting out house all put together because my mom, dad, twin brother, and his fiance are coming up Tuesday afternoon for a few days.

Thinking about:
All the Christmas planning we have left. We're doing a mini Christmas celebration with my family, so I've been deciding what presents to give everyone and which to save for legit Christmas. We also haven't been grocery shopping in ages and so I'm putting together a shopping list for tonight. [This morning, I had to use half skim milk and half whole milk on my cereal. I like to think of it as 2% though.]

Anticipating:
Our trip to Disney World [FL] in January! The last time we went was for Paisley's 2nd birthday. And this trip will be extra special because some of our very favorite friends will be coming too! AND starting the third book in the Hunger Games trilogy. I started them last week, and was able to read the second one over the past few days between naps and bouts of sickness. They're sooo good! OMG!

Listening to:
The fan in my MacBook Air. [I'm importing pictures, and sitting on my bed, so it always gets a little hot.] Also, music from Final Fantasy 13 or whatever from the family room. And the Elf soundtrack.

Drinking:
Gatorade. Steven got it this past weekend so we could stay hydrated. Although I'm craving ice water.

Wishing:
I could magically appear in Arizona. I want to make fudge, ginger snaps, and lemon bars with my grandpa. I'm also wishing I knew what to get Steven for Christmas! Paisley picked out presents for him this morning [online], and now I'm completely stumped! The one thing he told me he wants is like discontinued, and completely rare computer/tablet thing. Ugh!

What are you up to currently? Feel free to play along and leave me a link!
[Thanks to Danielle for posting this! It's so fun!]

Leopard Dress - What I Wore to church

2011-12-09T13:07:00.000-05:00

Once upon a time, I never even liked leopard print. Once I got this leopard print dress in NYC this summer, my mind has been changed. I really love it. I think some leopard can look cheap, but this dress is really pretty! We had gotten it on Friday when my hair appointment was cancelled, so we drove over to Georgetown and stopped in the Betsey Johnson. I wore this outfit to church last week, due to Paisley requesting that I do. [She's really into leopard ever since she was one for Halloween.] And let's just pretend that my hair doesn't have the worst roots ever... it's been like 9 months since I got it done. So lalala my hair is pretty. Okay?

Outfit Details:
Dress: Betsey Johnson
Cardigan: J. Crew
Tights: J. Crew
Shoes: Jimmy Choo
Necklace: McQ by Alexander McQueen
to see more outfit posts, click here.

Paisley Sings "Junk of the Heart" by The Kooks

2011-12-07T16:38:00.000-05:00

So, we really like music. Steven has an absolutely wonderful voice, and he really encourages us all to sing. A few months ago, we started to listening to this song:

Yesterday, Paisley decided to sing it while I made a video of her. It's a little ridiculous. But she's really into being funny.

Hope you enjoy, and it makes you feel happy and alive! ;)

Happy Birthday Steven

2011-12-06T21:45:00.000-05:00

It's a little late, but I just wanted to wish Steven the happiest birthday ever!

I love love you!

DIY: Glitter Snowflake Garland

2011-12-05T22:27:00.000-05:00

So here is the easiest and cheapest little DIY ever. A glittered snowflake garland! Get ready to be crafty with me. 1, 2, 3, go!

Supplies:
glitter snowflake ornaments
ribbon
hot glue gun and hot glue
scissors
[*I got mine at Target. 2 big ones for $1, and 4 small ones for $1. I somehow had an extra [big] snowflake stuck to mine so I ended up with 5 big snowflakes and 8 little snowflakes. I chose black because it's my favorite, but Target has like every color ever. The ribbon was from Joann's and was like $0.50. The glue gun I think was a couple dollars.]

Directions:
1. Cut a length of ribbon that you want for your garland.
2. Tie knots in either end of your ribbon [optional*]
3. Trim the strings off of the ornaments.
4. Lay out your ribbon and decide on a pattern for your snowflakes.
5. Apply a small drop of hot glue to the center of the ornament. Lay the ornament with the glue facing up onto your work surface.
6. Take your ribbon and stick it to the hot glue.
7. Repeat steps 5 & 6 for the remaining snowflakes.
8. Hang up and enjoy. [*I hung my garland up on preexisting tacks on my wall. If you want to tie the garland directly onto something, you do not need to tie the knots in step 2.]

5 Year Anniversary

2011-12-02T10:55:00.000-05:00

Five years ago today, Steven and I were married. No one thought we'd make it this far, and I'm so happy we proved them wrong. [['cause when you know, you know, you know?]] You're my best friend in the whole world. I never thought I would find someone with so much in common. And you're the most supportive and caring person I've ever met. These past five years have been a dream, and I hope the next 60 years are just as incredible. [[And all this mushy stuff is making me want to puke. But it's true, and I guess one day out of the year I can be mushy...maybe.]] I love you crazy Steven! Thanks for being the best husband; even better than I ever thought possible.

[top four photos by Natalie Franke]

Felt Polaroids

2011-11-30T14:38:00.000-05:00

I've been getting a lot of links and pins [on pinterest] regarding my felt polaroids. I just thought it would be nice to mention the tutorial to anyone who hasn't seen them yet. They're suuuper easy to make, and I'll be whipping up some more this year, once I get around to buying some more white felt. [Plus, they'd be fun to leave up all year, or you can use them as gift tags.]

[click here for the tutorial]

Last Minute...

2011-11-30T10:40:00.000-05:00

Last night, around 10pm, I decided I wanted to make an advent calendar for Paisley [and Riley] this year. Way to wait until the last minute Katie! Anyway, that's what I'm working on today, and hopefully I'll finish it by tomorrow. Wish me luck.

Favorite Artists: Draw! Pilgrim

2011-11-29T15:00:00.000-05:00

Here is a new artist this week who I really admire, Draw! Pilgrim. I just love her style and the colors she uses. I'm not a afraid of color, and neither is she! She makes the most fantastic prints and cards, and just in time for Christmas, she's created a matchbox advent calendar. I definitely want to do it next year when Riley is bigger. Check out her blog and shop.

Christmas Tradition - Ornaments

2011-11-29T14:00:00.000-05:00

Every year growing up, my mom would give us a new Christmas ornament. In fact, we still get a new ornament every year. They're usually tied on top of presents, and she writes our names and the year on it. It was so fun when I moved out to be able to take my Christmas ornaments with me. I have only taken out the non-breakable ones because I have littles. It was something that I wanted to continue with our family. So every year we pick out ornaments. This year Steven and I bought ornaments at the Art Star Holiday Bazaar in Philly, and Paisley picked out an ornament for her and Riley at the Disney store.

My ornament is from Giant Dwarf. I just love her starlette fascinators and I fell in love with the ornaments she made!

Steven got a cute Kurt Halsey penguin ornament from the Art Star Philly booth.

Paisley picked out a "Sleeping Duty"/Aurora ornament. I for sure thought she would pick Rapunzel because she loves her and wants to be her.

For Riley, Paisley picked a Finn McMissile ornament from Cars 2 movie.

I think I'll be making more of my felt Polaroid ornaments this year, too.

[Thank you to everyone who has been posting and linking to my tutorial lately! They sure are fun little things!]

Cook This!

2011-11-28T14:00:00.000-05:00

So while I was prepping stuff for our Thanksgiving dinner, we had the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade on. I can't remember what chef they had show this recipe, but Steven, Jacob, Jennie, and I all stopped what we were doing to watch. We all agreed that it sounded yummy, so I had Steven and Jake pick up the rest of the ingredients since they were headed out to the grocery store anyway.

Leftover Thanksgiving Turkey Yummy Thing

Ingredients:
butter [for pan]
1 can Pillsbury crescent rolls
1/2 C pesto sauce
1 C Turkey
2 C Italian blend cheese
2 or 3 Roma tomatoes, sliced

Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 350*F.
2. Butter a 9 x 13 inch glass baking dish.
3. Open the crescent rolls, making sure to keep them together, and lay on the bottom of the baking dish. [If they start to seperate, just smoosh them back together with your finger.]
4. Spread the pesto sauce on.

5. Place pieces of turkey on the pesto.

6. Sprinkle 1 C of cheese on the turkey.
7. Lay the tomatoes on the cheese.

8. Sprinkle on the remaining cup of cheese.

9. Bake for 12-15 minutes, until the cheese is melted and the dough is browned.

We ate this the day after Thanksgiving for lunch, along with leftover salad and cranberry Sierra Mist. Yummy! I liked it even more than our dinner the night before.

Gift Guide - For the Men

2011-11-28T12:00:00.001-05:00

Here is the first of many gift guides I plan on posting this holiday season. This Friday is our anniversary and then Steven's birthday is just four days later, so I've had gifts for men on my mind.

1. Ben Sherman button up [on sale]
2. Burberry cufflinks
3. Forage bow tie
4. Penguin plaid pants
5. Rachel Comey black leather / blue suede tougue oxfords
6. J. Crew cashmere scarf
7. Movado bold watch
8. Happy Socks

Obviously, you can find variants of these gifts in your price range or that fit your mister's / dad's / brother's style. These are just what my husband would like, but I'd never give these to my dad or brothers. Also, as of last night, there are only 3 left of that particular bow tie. So if you like it, and think you'd like to get it for someone for Christmas, I'd hop on over and

A Story about Scrapbooking - Two new pages

2011-11-28T10:00:00.001-05:00

Once upon a time, I was really into scrapbooking. I started when I was very young and made a few scrapbook pages here and there. When I was in high school, I really got into scrapbooking. My best friend, Jessica, and I both would get together to scrap. Or I'd hang out with her at the scrapbook store she worked at. Once I had Paisley, I started scrapbooking a TON. I'd work on projects at least once a day, but most of the time it ended up being 2 or 3 times a day. I got quite a few pages published in different magazines, and even designed a font for one. In 2009, we moved twice in less than 2 weeks, once from Arizona to Oregon, and then Oregon to Maryland. I just never unpacked all of my scrapbook stuff because we never had the room. Now that I have a dedicated craft room again, I was able to unpack some of it.

On twitter, I was talking to Elsie and Mandi about how we missed scrapbooking and it seemed fun, we just didn't know where to start. Then Jeremy posted a blog about how to scrapbook when you haven't in over a year. I loved his page! So yesterday, when I got out of bed, I turned on my favorite music for scrapbooking [the Amelie soundtrack] and got to work. These are the two pages I made:

This first one is about how excited Paisley is that it's Christmastime. Songs, hot chocolate, trees, decorations, presents, family visits, our elf on the shelf, family traditions. She's ecstatic about all of it!

This second one is Riley's introduction page. I knew I wanted to scrap something about Riley, and what better place to start? Normally, I don't scrap events in order, but it just worked out that way.

So, I was planning on sharing scrapbook pages whenever I make them. Is that something you'd be interested in seeing? I can't decide if I should post them during the week, or on weekends, when I have less traffic.

Thankful for Family

2011-11-26T09:41:00.000-05:00

My big brother has been applying to medical schools all over the country. He has an interview in Oregon in 2 weeks. There is a possibility that we won't be a few hours away from each other a year from now. It's been so fun having them close and not being the only ones on the East Coast. Paisley really loved seeing her little cousin, Annabella, and older cousin [by a few months], Kenneth. She loves her Aunt Jennie, and was really taken with Uncle Jake this trip. And Riley loved seeing Annabella and their boxer, Abby. I think all of the cousins got along better on this trip than any other trip. It was really fun having them here, even though Riley was grumpy...He's getting his last two teeth.

It wasn't as bad as I thought...

2011-11-25T10:26:00.000-05:00

So yesterday, I made my first Thanksgiving meal ever. It included:
Turkey Breasts [it was easier than a whole turkey]
Roasted Butternut Squash
Peas
Mashed Potatoes
Salad
Jello [strawberry, P picked it out]
and Rolls [my sister in law made them]

I also made a cherry pie. It was my first attempt at making pie ever, and I think it was pretty good. I know a lot of people really wanted pecan pie, but with Riley now officially being allergic to peanuts, and not allowed tree nuts out of precaution, I just didn't want him to accidentally get some. Better safe than sorry.

Everything turned out pretty good. I think the turkey was a little dry, but oh well. That's why we have Sweet Baby Ray's BBQ sauce right? We tried to watch the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade, but it was frustrating telling P and her cousins that they should come see such-and-such balloon and not have it actually shown for an hour. I also burned my thumb, and there maaay or may not have been some swear words from a 4 year old cousin's mouth. But Paisley, Kenneth, Annabella, and Riley all had a lot of fun playing. Paisley's room is an absolute mess, and I don't mind. [Too much.]

So tell me...Did you go hit any Black Friday sales??

Happy Thanksgiving, I guess...

2011-11-24T10:00:00.000-05:00

Thanksgiving is probably my least favorite holiday. [Once upon a time it used to be Christmas, but having kids changes that. And now I kind of love it. But I'm going off on a tangent, and it's a story for another time.] Anyway! Thanksgiving. I really don't like it. How's that for a confession, eh? Yeah, sure, I like turkey, jello, and rolls. But I'm not a fan of the other food. I asked people what their favorite Thanksgiving food was, and I hadn't heard of some [broccoli and rice casserole] and I haven't ever eaten others [stuffing, pecan pie, mac&cheese]. I don't enjoy football, and I just find the whole day to be stressful. Then there's this year. This year, my brother and his family from Richmond came up. We're hosting Thanksgiving. As in, I'm cooking Thanksgiving food for my family and theirs. As in, I'm cooking a ton of food I've never eaten. Talk about being stressed. I'm seriously taking the easy way out on some things, but I'm still really nervous that I'm going to eff it all up. I really have no idea what I'm doing. That really freaks me out.

But all that stress, and everything aside, I like the point behind Thanksgiving. It is nice to reflect on things we are thankful for. [Although, I really do try to think of something I'm thankful for everyday. Even if it's simple. Like, yesterday, it was fleece lined tights from Urban Outfitters. Ack! So amazing! I'm buying 3 more pairs. Ha! And the day before that was disposable diapers because Riley has smelllllly poop, and I love just throwing his diapers away and not dealing with washing them.] Saying something we're thankful for before we start eating is the only part of Thanksgiving I truly like. [Family is wonderful too, but we don't need a holiday to see each other -slash- it's kind of a given that I like my family.] I haven't thought about what I'm going to say I'm thankful for yet. I've been too busy thinking about cleaning our house, and what I'm going to cook, and if I can use my ceramic pie plate thing even though the recipe I have says I need a glass one. But I'm going to take a 10 minute break right before I get down to crazy pants time [aka when I have to cook -slash- bake -slash- prep -slash- set the table -slash- try not to go crazy] to think about what I'm most thankful for this year. I think it'll be hard.

What are you thankful for this year? Did you write a post? Leave me a link in the comments so I can see! ;)

Wishing you the Happiest Thanksgiving from my family to yours.
[Let's pretend this picture is from a couple days ago, and not the pumpkin patch right before Halloween, okay? Although, Halloween *is* the best... ;) And it's in Fall too. And it was only, what, like 3 weeks ago? So really, it's not as bad as I thought.]

Obsessed: Nonsense Fashion

2011-11-23T10:00:00.000-05:00

Here are some nonsensical fashion things I'm obsessed with. For some reason the crazier the thing, the more I want it.

Source: dkny.com via katie on Pinterest

I looove this layered sequin skirt form DKNY. It totally reminds me of Prada's FW 11 line -slash- fish scales or something.

Source: shop.nordstrom.com via katie on Pinterest

Fur covered Prada boots anyone?! I'd sooo love these, but Steven put his foot down, and told me they made no sense. Traipsing around in the snow would completely ruin them. But I love them anyway. If only they were black...

Source: zara.com via katie on Pinterest

I'm SO sad I missed out on this feather skirt. I still am lamenting about it.

Source: freepeople.com via katie on Pinterest

These sequin pants from Free People are AMAZING! I would die if I owned them. But there's no way I'd be able to spend $530 on a pair of sequin pants. But of how I want to!

Source: freepeople.com via katie on Pinterest

Driving gloves...Fingerless gloves. They're all the same and complete stuff and nonsense. The whole point of gloves is to keep your fingers warm, but being able to open juice boxes and type on my iPhone sometimes wins.

See? I told you I'm kind of crazy! Do you ever like impractical clothes/fashion? Or do you find yourself only wearing practical things?

[To see more of my obsessions, click here.]

Favorite Artists: Danny Brito

2011-11-22T15:00:00.000-05:00

Welcome to a new feature I'll have on my blog. This is where I'll share some of my favorite artists. It's always nice to discover someone new and inspiring. And Danny Brito is no exception. I love everything he posts. His art is completely beautiful. If you want to see more, here is Danny's website, blog, and etsy. [I just bought a chubby book notebook designed by Danny from Fab.com this week! Merry Christmas to me!]

I love Stuff Kara Made!

2011-11-22T10:00:00.000-05:00

So waaay back when I started blogging, it was to share scrapbook pages and projects I had made as well as family stuff. Kara's blog was probably the 4th or 5th I discovered. She's absolutely incredible. She recently opened an online store selling handmade journals and a mini clothing line.

I absolutely love it. I'm adding the "oh my" shirt to my wish list. Kara is seriously sweet; she's offering 25% off to any order if you enter the code "stuff4you"! So go buy some stuff! ;)

Weekend Getaway Bits & Pieces

2011-11-21T10:11:00.000-05:00

I decided to do a little post inspired by Miss James of Bleubird Vintage for our recap on our weekend away. Saturday morning, we got up, packed, and drove to Towson, MD for the West Elm pop-up shop. We met our friend Vanessa there and we were introduced to her boyfriend Wyatt. We went to a few different stores, ate lunch, and then drove up to Philadelphia. Once we were there, we went to the Art Star Holiday Bazaar. It was held in an old armory, which was seriously a castle in the middle of Philly. We stopped by the Forage bow tie pop-up first, and Steven chose out two bow ties. He also got a lesson in tying them from Stephen. Paisley loved seeing Shauna and Stephen. We met Sue from Giant Dwarf. Paisley and I bought a bow. After seeing the rest of the craft/art show, we ate dinner and went to our hotel. The next morning, we went to the mall [I had forgotten to pack a shirt for me]. We went to visit 3 Potato 4's shop. Then we went to the King of Prussia Mall. Holy mall! This place was huge. Paisley and I totally got lost, and our phones didn't have good signal, so it took us a while for Steven and Riley to find us. We ate dinner and headed home. It was a fun trip. We definitely needed it. And did I mention that we all picked out ornaments? I'm so ready for Christmas.

BIRTHDAY WEEK: Party and Party Favors [photo heavy]

2011-11-18T12:59:00.000-05:00

[I apologize in advance for how many photos are in this post. I narrowed it down a lot, if you can believe it. I just didn't want to leave anyone out...And this is a party for two kids. Just remember that. ;) ]

We invited lots of friends and some family. Less than half the people we were expecting showed up. Unfortunately, it was after we had bought the cake [I didn't have time to make the one I had planned], so we ended up with a huge cake and way more food than we needed. It really bothered me that I couldn't make a cake, even though I love store bought cake. We had found outer space Paul Frank plates and napkins at Target on clearance before we had even started to plan the party. When Paisley's friends, Nora and Zoe, and Riley's friends, Peter and Milo, came, everyone started playing and snacking right away. After everyone played for a while, we had about 15 minutes of trying to frantically find a way to light the star shaped candles on the cake. We sang Happy Birthday to Paisley and Riley, and ate some cake. Then we opened presents and gave out party favors to our friends.

The Food:

Chips with hummus [regular and roasted red pepper]

Frozen grapes and regular grapes

Ritz crackers

Mozzarella cheese cut into star shapes

Cheddar cheese cut into star shapes

Mini wheat Club crackers

Space themed Goldfish crackers [fishies, planets, stars, moons, and rockets]

Brownie bites

M&Ms [in red, blue, and black]

Juice boxes for the kids

and Lemonade/Raspberry Lemonade for the grown ups
[and, of course, cake. chocolate with white frosting]

The Party Favors:

[for older kids]

Glow in the dark bracelets

Starburst

Milkway Minis

a Solar System chart craft to do at home

Star shaped slinky
Bouncy ball with star glitter inside
Window clings [either rockets or robots]
and a Squirt gun

[for the smaller kids/babies]
some healthy snacks
and a sensory ball

BIRTHDAY WEEK: Decorations

2011-11-17T12:38:00.000-05:00

For the party, I made a banner and a garland. We hung up some plastic sheets, over a really big and ugly mirror, that we got from the party store that were black with white stars. I hung up the wool felt "Happy Birthday" banner that I made, and we stuck up some glow in the dark stars around it. The garland was hung up across four windows above our fireplace. We had a print hung up about the atmosphere, and a chart about the solar system. It wasn't exactly how I had hoped, but I think we did the best in the space we had.

To make the garland/banner:
I made a pattern for the Happy Birthday banner out of paper, and cut out the shapes and letters. I used a running stitch and embroidery thread to go around the circles. Then I used felt glue to attach the letters, circles, rockets, and main shape together. When they were dry, I cut a small slit on either side of the top of the pieces and strung white yarn through.

For the garland, I hand cut and punched circles and stars from coordinating colors of cardstock. I used my sewing machine and black thread to stick them all together, leaving a length at either end so I could hang it up on existing nails.

BIRTHDAY WEEK: Handmade Party Game

2011-11-16T15:19:00.000-05:00

Back when I was first conceptualizing Paisley and Riley's outer space party, I knew I wanted to make some games for Paisley to play with her friends. I had a reader comment and say do a version of pin the tail on the donkey, but spacey. I had been thinking of a few different game ideas that never materialized fully. The strongest one, that I really wanted to make, and I would have had we not needed to move was a bean bag toss game. I had planned on painting a piece of MDF, somehow cutting out holes, and sewing some bean bags. I couldn't decide on what I wanted it to look like, and I didn't have the right power tools to make it. [Sometimes, I really, really, really miss my dad.]

This is the game I did make though: Pin the Rocket on the Moon.

Since this game was going to be for four year olds, I knew I wanted to avoid actual pins. I decided to make a flannel and felt board.

I started by buying a big ribba picture frame from IKEA, navy flannel, cream flannel, wool felt, and embroidery thread. I also used fabric scissors, acrylic felt, embroidery needles, and double sided adhesive squares. I took off the back of the frame, and laid it on top of the navy flannel. I cut it so that there was about an inch and a half extra on all sides. I cut out a big circle out of the cream flannel for the moon, and freehand stitched circles/ovals on for moon craters. I stitched the moon onto the navy flannel, and then wrapped the navy fabric around the backing of the frame. I used the adhesive squares to secure it, and put the backing in the frame.

To make the rockets, I chose five colors of wool felt that corresponded with colors we were using for the party. I ended up with royal blue, turquoise, red, fushia, and hot pink. I used a piece of scrap acrylic felt to make a pattern for the rockets by freehand cutting it. [I actually made a couple. But let's pretend like I'm awesome and did it on my first try.] I cut out the five rockets, and grey circles for part of the windows. I couldn't decide which color I wanted to do for the inner part of the windows, so I posted a picture on instagram and twitter and asked for opinions. Overall, people voted for white. I cut out the inner part of the windows, stitched them onto the grey outer part, and then the window onto the rockets using the same stitch that I used on the moon.

We hung it up and during the party, Paisley and her two friends played a couple times. But one little girl, Nora, really loves games and she played for a long time.

BIRTHDAY WEEK: Invitations and Rocket Stamp

2011-11-15T14:43:00.000-05:00

I know I already blogged about both of these, but they were a big part of the planning and party. The invitations were a paper cut invitation that I created and then I added the text in photoshop after scanning. We printed them on textured cardstock in our wide format printer, and used envelopes from Paper Source. If you would like to see more photos of the invitations, click here.

The address labels were made using a custom stamp that I carved. You can find the tutorial for that DIY here.

I also have some Work in Progress posts if you like seeing process photos here, here

BIRTHDAY WEEK!

2011-11-14T12:20:00.000-05:00

I've been looking forward to blogging about Paisley and Riley's birthdays for so long! And since it's been like a month and a half since they had them, I figured it was about time. Here is the schedule for the rest of the week:

Today, as you can see, I'll be blogging about their actual birthdays/present opening and such. [I'm hoping my new SD card gets here so I can take some supplementary photos for my other posts].

Paisley's birthday was September 25th, a Sunday. She woke up and was sooo excited about her birthday [she had only been talking about it non-stop to anyone who would listen since May.] We brought out her presents, and she unwrapped them. I had bought the baby bed at IKEA, and painted it purple. [I plan on making some different bedding for it, but with all the party planning and packing, I never got around to it. Maybe for Christmas.] We found a really cheap telescope on clearance and she was ecstatic! She was realy excited about her Tangled undies [probably the only time in her life she'll be excited about getting underwear for her birthday]. We had found a "space girl" gift box from LUSH, her favorite store in the mall. It came with a bath bomb shaped like Saturn, and a star shaped soap. We went to church after she opened presents and kept the day pretty low key since her birthday party was the day before.

[Let's pretend this picture isn't out of focus, k?]

Riley's birthday was the next Thursday, September 29th. Steven had to work, so Paisley and I tried to make his birthday as special as we could. He ate blueberries and yogurt for breakfast, and we played with his favorite toys. When Daddy got home, we put out all of his presents, and Paisley helped him open them. That evening, we went to Panera for dinner.

He Speaks! [video]

2011-11-11T15:29:00.000-05:00

On October 26th, Riley said his first word. It was "uh oh" and it happened in Whole Foods after he dropped his sippy cup on the ground for the umpteenth time. He says "uh" a lot now, but it's not consistent. However, his first consistent word has been going on for a couple days now. I had originally hung our little ghostie from Katie / Skunkboy Creatures on an existing nail in our breakfast nook for Halloween. Riley would get excited and point to it. Paisley, Steven, or I would say, "Ghost! Boo!" After Halloween, I took the ghost and moved him to a hook on our pantry door so I could hang up a print. Riley was so sad that I had moved it. He pointed at the print and screamed. After he got done eating, I had been carrying him and spotted the ghost on the door. He got so excited and started saying "a-boo" and "boo" over and over again! He loves our little ghostie so much and I love hearing him say "boo." I made a little video of him. He says it near the middle of the video a few times in a row, and he kind of does a spitty B, but hopefully I can get a better video of him soon.

All next week is dedicated to birthday things! Birthday crafts, birthday party, birthday adventures, birthday food! Yay!

Thankful.

2011-11-09T09:16:00.000-05:00

For the most supportive and caring husband around.
For the silliest little girl.
For the return of my mostly happy baby.
For 7 of the 8 teeth Riley's been getting finally coming through.
For good music.
For books.
For family time.
For finally feeling better after being sick since Sunday.
For all of our blessings.

[We somehow lost our SD card for our camera...So hopefully we can find it or buy a replacement so I can start posting normally again.]

What are you thankful for?

Flirty Lace Dress

2011-11-03T12:27:00.000-04:00

When we were in New York, we met up with my friend from high school, Amanda, and her family a couple times. She had the most amazing white lace dress on. Steven and I seriously still talk about it. Every time we go shopping, we look for something like it. I finally found a grey version of the dress at Zara a couple weeks ago. I love it.

Outfit details:
Dress: Zara
Jacket: Forever 21
Tights: Urban Outfitters
Socks: Betsey Johnson
Shoes: Jeffrey Campbell
Necklace: Betsey Johnson
Headband: Marc by Marc Jacobs

My 10 Favorite Beauty Products

2011-11-02T13:39:00.001-04:00

Here are 10 of my favorite beauty products I am loving right now.

1.T Tree Toner Tabs from Lush. These are wonderful little toner tabs. After I take my shower on the weekend, I put some water in my tea pot and get it really hot and steamy. I drop one of these little tabs in and immediately drape a towel over my head and let the steam and yummy goodness from the tab open up and clear out my pores for 5 minutes. It's lovely. After that, I moisturize my face, and I feel like a million bucks.

2. Tea Tree Water Toner Water from Lush. I use this during the week to tone my skin after I shower, but before I put on my face lotion. You can spray it directly on your face and use a cotton pad to remove excess toner, or let it air dry to help shrink pores. I also use it when my skin is feeling dry to help give it a little boost.

3. Volumizing Dry Shampoo Spray from Oscar Blandi. I don't shower every day. The days that I don't, I use dry shampoo. This doesn't leave any residue, and is completely awesome. I even have a travel size one that I keep in my diaper bag. This is seriously my favorite beauty product ever.

4. Magically Cool Liquid Powder from MAC. [Mine is in the lightest shade, Truth & Light] I usually don't have time to do my make up every day, so I have to pick and choose what is important to me. This sheer powder is awesome. I have dry skin [mostly from the acidic water at our old house...it really dried out my skin] so any way that I can get a little extra moisturizer, the better. I use it to set my make up, and it gives a little shimmer too, which is always nice. I always make time for this.

5. On the Go Smile Perfecting Teeth Whitening Ampules from Go Smile. I actually got mine as part of a kit on Gilt, but now they have some fancy flavors. ;) Anyway, these little tubes are perfect for when I'm getting ready/running out the door, and I notice my teeth could use a little extra boost. You just crack the tube by squeezing it [I always think of glow sticks, ha!] and then rubbing the white applicator onto your teeth. It's super simple and it really works. Love them.

6. Matte About You top coat from Essie. I'm kind of crazy about this top coat. You just brush it on and bam! Your nail polish is now a matte version of the shiny color you already know and love. I use it on my black polish I use on my fingers. So pretty!

7. Studio Fix Lash Mascara from MAC. [in Black] I'm not usually a fan of molded brushes, but I really like this one. It's nice and black and I just love it.

8. Limitless Lip Stain & Color Seal Balm from Smashbox. [in Guava] I just love this! I've really been into bright colored lips and this lip stain is just awesome. I can put it on and not have to worry about reapplying it, which is awesome, because it's usually pretty hectic when we're out and about. This Guava color is a bright red, and I also have a softer pink color that I use for days that I don't want something so bright.

9. Limitless Eye Liner from Smashbox. [in Onyx] It is by far the best eye liner I've ever used. It's the only one that has ever stayed on my water line for longer than 5 minutes. This stuff stays on so well. And it has a built in sharpener in the lid so you can make the application as precise as you want. [I usually let mine get pretty worn down so I can do that super smudgy/rocker/smokey eye look.]

10. Photo Finish Lipstick from Smashbox. [in Legendary] I just love this red lipstick. I've tried other ones before, and none of them went on a smooth or creamy. It's so beautiful. It's a wonderful red color and it always makes me feel lovely.

Hope you can discover something new and fun! If you have any questions about these products or anything else I use, please leave them in the comments and I'll either reply there or write another post. If you have any suggestions of this you love to use, please let me know about them! I'm always on the hunt for new beauty products!

Halloween Fun

2011-11-01T10:12:00.001-04:00

After taking some photos of our house yesterday, I meant to charge my camera battery. I didn't, and it died after taking like 6 pictures. Of course all of them are blurry, but thank goodness for iPhones. So let's pretend that these Halloween photos are waaaaay cuter okay?

THE COSTUMES:
Paisley had been planning on being a sushi roll since like March, but with the move, I just never got around to making her costume. She ended up being a leopard made completely from stuff at H&M. The mask was a 2 pack. [I think it came with a panda bear.] The faux fur coat was 30% off, and ended up working out nicely considering it was in the low 40s. Her leggings were layered over a pair of tights and heavy weight leggings, and she said she stayed warm.

Riley was a pumpkin/Jack O'Lantern, which works out nicely considering his middle name is Jack. ;) Ha! At the church Trunk-or-Treat, we had just layered his costume over a sweater, but he got too cold, so on Halloween he wore his snow jacket over it. He was much happier, and I was happy he left his hat on. [I think he could tell it was keeping him warm.]

Steven was Arthur Dent from Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy. Don't forget your towel! I thought it was pretty clever considering he came up with it Halloween morning, after staying up all night at work.

I'm not sure what I was. A fancy lady on vacation in Aspen? A sexy spy? A sexy secretary at a Christmas party? Who know?! I'm sad I didn't have a cooler costume. But oh well. I had my costume picked out like a year ago, but we had been planning on a trip to Disneyland to go Trick-or-Treating there. When that got cancelled, I just didn't have time to worry about something new. I wore:
Winter Coat: Betsey Johnson
Belt: TopShop
Lace Up Sweater Dress: Guess
Tights: Hot Topic
Socks: Betsey Johnson
Glitter Wedges: Jeffrey Campbell
Necklace: Swarovski

THE FUN:
Friday evening, our church did a Halloween Trunk-or-Treat. It was freezing, but we had a lot of fun. Paisley tried to eat a powdered doughnut on a string and there was a costume judging contest. [A boy in a GPS costume won.]

On Halloween, we went to a couple houses in our little neighborhood, but most of them are older, so there weren't very many with their lights on. We drove over to a different part of our community with townhouses, and went Trick-or-Treating there. Some people had made and decorated the cutest little goody bags. One lady had them categorized by gender and age group. Riley's had a little bag of Goldfish crackers among some other things [I haven't dug through their loot yet.] ;) Monday night was really cold too, but at least the snow had melted and it wasn't windy. After we went around 2 blocks, their baskets were full, so we went to Panera for dinner.

Next Halloween will be better. [You know, as long as we aren't moving again...]

Little Looks

2011-10-31T15:14:00.000-04:00

Here are some little looks at our new home. There is definitely still a lot of things that need to be done. We made some good progress in the last 3 weeks, I think. There has been a lot of arranging and rearranging, little "helping" hands, and picking up after them. I'm hoping to be completely settled by Christmastime. So far, we love our home so much more than any of the other places we've lived. It's nice to have space to spread out in, and this home is much more funcional than our previous homes.

[living room]

[library & office]

[bedroom]

[Paisley's new bed. She requested that I include this picture.]

I hope you all have a very happy Halloween!

We've Got a Winner!

2011-10-31T10:01:00.003-04:00

Congratulations to:

Anna Zimmerman
"Hi Katie! I tweeted the giveaway here- http://twitter.com/#!/annaezim..."

Please email me at writekatiecupcake [at] gmail [dot] com so I can tell Shauna and Stephen [Something's Hiding in Here] who to send their mustache on a stick to!

I'll be back later in the day with some little looks at our new home. ;)

Today is for...

2011-10-28T11:47:00.001-04:00

baths, unpacking and organizing my craft room, laundry, tea [a party will probably be involved in this], Trick-or-Treating at a church Halloween party, rearranging my bedroom slightly, watching Nip/Tuck tonight, and lamenting about the snow we'll be getting tomorrow.

This is the last day to enter the mustache on a stick giveaway!

Jack Skellington Craft

2011-10-27T10:28:00.000-04:00

Here is a little project I worked on at night during September. Riley is a super light sleeper, and our last house was really small. So I couldn't use our tape gun to pack while he was sleeping because he would wake up and not go back to sleep.

It's made out of wool felt and embroidery floss. The Nightmare Before Christmas is one of my favorite movies. I completely love it. Who am I kidding? I love anything by Tim Burton. Anyway, it was meant to be a wall hanging, but I never got around to ironing some stabilizer onto it, so I pinned it up on my pinboard to leave myself little notes while we packed. [Normally, all of my jewelry is hanging up on there, but it had been all packed away by then.] I hand cut and hand sewed it all. I started by freehand cutting it all. Then I sewed on Jack's eyes, nose, and mouth. I stitched "Happy Halloween" and then sewed the orange onto the green banner. I took a length of black embroider floss, and attached the dark purple bat [I know it looks black], the banner, and Jack's face together. The end.

Mustache on a Stick Giveaway!

2011-10-26T11:58:00.000-04:00

I'm here to share a very special giveaway from Something's Hiding in Here. They're giving one special reader a mustache on a stick!!! Why? To help raise awareness about Movember, and no, that's not a typo.

Movember was started in Melbourne, Australia as a way for men to grow a Mo [moustache] for the 30 days of November. These Mo Bros do this as a way to become a walking, talking billboard to bring awareness to men's health causes - specifically cancer. Often, men's health is ignored or not talked about. Movember helps prompt private and public conversations about men's health. As we are all aware, the earlier someone can detect something is wrong, get diagnosed, and get effective treatment, the better.

Mo Bros can register at Movember.com on November 1st with a clean-shaven face. For the rest of the month, men groom, trim, and wax their way into fine moustachery. Mo Sistas are supportive women of Mo Bros. In 2010, over 64,500 US Mo Bros and Mo Sistas helped spread the word.

Something's Hiding in Here is offering a super fun moustache on a stick to one reader in hopes that the word is spread about Movember. Shauna and Stephen first made their mustache on a stick over 5 years ago. Stephen had been dreaming about all of the moustaches he wished he could grow, and he started carving them out of wood. When Shauna came home and found his collection, she immediately said, "Stephen, put those on a stick" and the rest is photo booth history. They've made hundreds, probably over a thousand and still love seeing photos of them in use.

Paisley and Riley each got one of their kid moustaches on a stick for their birthdays last month. P likes pretending to be a spy with hers. They're so much fun, and definitely a conversation starter. Every person who sees them asks about them, and now I plan on telling them about Movember too.

To enter the giveaway:

Tweet or post on Facebook about this giveaway, and leave me a comment with a link to your tweet or status update.

The giveaway will be open until Friday evening. I will randomly select a winner, and post here.

Pumpkin Patch Polaroids

2011-10-25T11:50:00.000-04:00

I truly love plastic and toy cameras. Back in 2009 sometime, Urban Outfitters teamed up with The Impossible Project and created a limited edition Polaroid camera and film to go with it. Steven bought a camera for me as well as some extra film. I took it to the pumpkin patch. Riley really loves watching the polaroids pop out of the camera. [My favorite one is the last one with Riley and Paisley. Riley's half-smile is the cutest.] The film definitely has a slight yellowy-orange tint to it, but it's fine for the pumpkin patch.

Do you have a Polaroid or Instax camera that you use?? Do you prefer film or digital?? Tell me in the comments!

Come back tomorrow for a special give away!

Paisley and Riley's First Pumpkin Patch

2011-10-24T09:36:00.001-04:00

On Saturday, we ran some errands down in Virginia again. We went to go see what they could do about my shattered iPhone, stop at Sephora/MAC, and to find costumes for the littles. I still have my shattered iPhone, but sometime soon, we'll be buying AppleCare + for it, as well as a replacement. That way if it falls in the toilet or shatters again, I get two free replacements. I bought some pretty make up at Sephora because the people at MAC were too busy to help me/I didn't want to wait longer than 10 minutes to be helped. I'm impatient like that. ;) We found Paisley an alternative costume by mixing stuff from H&M in case I can't figure out her real costume in time. Riley got a costume on sale at Pottery Barn Kids. I'm really excited to try it on him. I'm even more excited for Halloween in a week! After we bought costumes, I tried on a pair of shoes that I'm hoping to get for our anniversary in December.

When we were done in Virginia, we drove back to a farm near our house, Crumland. They have a hay ride out to the pumpkin patch where you pick your own pumpkins. They also have a corn maze, haunted woods, and a play area with hay bales and a tractor pulled train ride for kids. We opted to just pick out pumpkins from the ones that had already been picked since we all had forgotten to take our allergy meds that day. We also picked up some local honey.

I even took some polaroids that I'm hoping to share in the next day or two. Steven has been at work since Sunday morning, and won't be home until this evening sometime. He'll probably need to sleep for a while, and then I'm hoping he can scan them for me.

We went to Michael's after the pumpkin farm to pick out some paint to paint our pumpkins this week sometime. Paisley is really looking forward to painting her pumpkin - she pick out glitter paint.

I Love Mary Blair

2011-10-21T13:31:00.000-04:00

Source: google.com via katie on Pinterest

Source: google.tt via katie on Pinterest

Source: Uploaded by user via Michelle on Pinterest

Source: illostribute.com via katie on Pinterest

Source: cuckoocomics.com via katie on Pinterest

I'm sure a lot of you have noticed googles' Mary Blair doodle on their homepage in honor of her 100th birthday. Mary Blair is one of my favorite artists. I own the Peter Pan book, Cinderella book, and Alice in Wonderland book with her illustrations. They're completely beautiful. Steven surprised me with The Art and Flair of Mary Blair one year for Christmas. I look at it whenever I need inspiration for a project. I highly recommend all of them. You don't even need children to appreciate the books and art. I would absolutely die for an original piece from her. For more pictures, check out pinterest.

This weekend, Steven is working some insane hours, but I'm hoping to get started on Paisley's sushi roll costume, and figure out what the rest of us are going to be. I'm also hoping to take the littles to a pumpkin patch and decorate pumpkins with Paisley.

What are your plans this weekend?? Do you like Mary Blair? Let me know in the comments!

This Just In...

2011-10-19T12:54:00.000-04:00

I went on a bit of a shopping spree last weekend. I hadn't bought much of anything since the beginning of August. I stopped in a bunch of stores but ended up with clothes and some jewelry from Zara, Guess, J. Crew, Betsey Johnson, and Target. I got three dresses, a knit top, and a blazer at Zara. It's like my new version of Forever 21 / H&M, but the clothes are way better quality. Plus, they have new lines every month it seems, so they cycle through clothes really fast, so there's always something new. Our local Zara store has men's clothing, as well as children's. I also bought some bras and shoes for Riley, but I'll spare you those for now. ;) I bought some things at Betsey Johnson that we got a really good deal on, and some tights from the Missoni for Target line. [It's weird because our Target still has some Missoni stuff, but there are signs saying that they're not getting any more stock, so when it's gone, it's gone.] I bought some sweater dresses that I'm really excited about and some good fall/winter clothes. Hopefully, I can take some new outfit photos soon. ;)

Have you bought anything new? Tell me in the comments, or leave me a link! I love seeing people's new treasures!

A Story About iPhones

2011-10-18T11:25:00.000-04:00

When the original iPhone was first announced, Steven and I were reading the Apple keynote as fast as we could update the webpage. We were on a cruise the day of the release, so we sucked it up, and paid something like $50 for a few minutes of internet so we could order some. They estimated the iPhones would ship to us in 2 weeks. The next day, our cruise docked and we flew home to Virginia. We found a store that still had some in stock, so we drove over to pick some up, and cancelled our online order. I remember unboxing our new iPhones in our bright turquoise dining room turned office, pluggin them into iTunes and setting them up. We used the timers to time my contractions when I was in labor with Paisley. Steven waited all night in line for the iPhone 3G [in Arizona] and the iPhone 4 [in Annapolis, MD], and the iPad 2, but that's a different story. We love our iPhones. Steven has an Apple tattoo on his wrist as part of my name, although he got it before we ever bought our first iPhones.

I'm very accident prone. I drop my phone all the time, not to mention about everything else I touch. About 5 months ago, I dropped my iPhone 4 in the toilet. I had had it for about 7 months. *thunk* into the water it flew. Of course, I plunged my hang in without event thinking about it, and luckily there was nothing else in there. We were able to dry it out enough with rice that we could back it up. The Apple employee was nice and gave me a new phone for free. Steven has washed his iPhone 3G [for a whole 45 minute cycle] in my washing machine, dried it out with rice for 3 days, and it worked perfectly fine. The camera was a little foggy since soap got between the camera and the glass and had dried there, creating a film. But it was awesome that it still worked.

Yesterday, I was cleaning our old house in preparation for our walk through. Since there is still no heat over there, I was wearing a hoodie, and had my phone in the pocket on the tummy. I call it a kangaroo pocket. I don't know if I made that up or if it's what it's actually called. Anyway! Steven came in the kitchen, and I went to pull out my phone to look something up. It wasn't in my pocket. I found it face down on the linoleum. When I picked it up and turned it over, I found this:

My screen was completely shattered. Last night, we headed to the Apple store in Reston, VA. We had forgotten to set up a Genius Bar appointment on our way over, and missed the last one by seconds. My mother in law and sister in law are both on our AT&T plan. We were able to upgrade their lines to the new iPhone 4s's. Then we switched our sim cards with the ones in the new iPhones, and now we each have an iPhone 4s. I still have my shattered iPhone. We will hopefully be replacing it today o r tomorrow with another 4, that we'll keep as an extra for Paisley to play games on or give to my mom. Steven and I weren't planning on getting the 4s by any means. The upgraded camera and the voice command stuff [Siri] was definitely tempting, but we were both elegible on our own lines for an upgrade by the time the iPhone 5 comes out, so I was just planning on that. Steven was going to get the 4s next month so he could have the voice command stuff for while he's driving since handheld phones/texting is illegal here in Maryland. However, as we are all aware, life hardly ever goes as planned. I'm excited to try out my phone more and play with the new features. I'll let you know how I like it. ;)

Do you have an iPhone? Did you get the iPhone 4s? Or are you anti-Apple?? Let me know in the comments!

Obsessed...Pink!!!

2011-10-17T10:00:00.000-04:00

It's been a while since I posted about what I was obsessing over lately. But here is a new obsession of mine... PINK! It's kind of fitting since pink is every where in October. I've always loved pink, but I can't stop thinking about it. The obsession started when I saw the faux fur pink coat from TopShop [#5 in the picture.] It's just spiraled out of control the last few weeks. Here's some of what I've been loving:

1. heart shaped sunglasses
2. patent oxfords
3. Alexander McQueen booties
4. bracelet
5. faux fur coat [not available, that I've seen, but the picture was found here.]
6. skirt

A Week

2011-10-14T10:48:00.000-04:00

We've been in our new house for a week, and let me tell you, it was seriously worth the move. My dad flew in from Arizona the Thursday before last. We were able to move our bedrooms over last Friday, and luckily our littles slept pretty well. There were some fiascos involving Paisley's bed, but I'll save that story for another day. My brother and his family drove up from Richmond and stayed for the weekend/helped us move. I'm so thankful for my family. There's no way Steven and I could've moved by ourselves. My dad is the best. Just sayin'.

We have the walk through for our old house this next Monday. We still need to paint and clean, so we'll be at the old house this weekend. We'll have a babysitter Saturday evening, so I'm hoping that we'll have enough light to paint.

I've started unpacking a little since my dad went home on Tuesday, and Steven went back to work on Wednesday. Ironically, with all the closets, storage, and room we have in this house, I'm having a hard time figuring out where to put things. I've rearranged books about 7 times, and haven't even unpacked grown up books. I'm dreading unpacking and organizing the kitchen the most. It's always the hardest, I think.

I also want to say thank you to Chelsea, Ashley, and Holly for their guest posts!

Next week, I'll be back to normal posting, and I have a special giveaway lined up!

How to wear a scarf in your hair: 4 ways! - Holly from Create*Loves

2011-10-12T14:31:00.001-04:00

Ello! It's Holly from Create*Loves, and I'm going to share some easy headscarf tutorials with you today. One of my favorite hair accessories right now, are scarves. Vintage and silk please! For this post, I'll show you some of my favorite ways to wear them.

To fold the scarf, fold in half diagonally, then bring the 2 corners up to fold it in half again. Then fold at the dotted lines, or however many times, depending on how wide you want to wear it.

1. 60's style with your hair down.

Curl your hair, with a large barrel iron. Take a section of hair at the crown and clip it.

Tie the scarf in a knot at the nape of your neck. With a fine toothed comb, back-comb the hair at the crown for volume. Arrange hair, spray, and your set!

2. Turban knot in the front.

Folding a larger scarf, fold in the same way. This time, with your hair in a top knot or messy bun, start at the back of your head and twist the scarf at the front. Take the ends and tie in a knot at the back.

3. Turban knot in the back.

With the same scarf, you could also start at the front of your head, and twist it at the back. Bring the ends up to front again and tie in a knot. This way to wear a scarf is secure and stays in place really well.

4. Bow

This is cute & fun! Start at the back/nape and tie in a bow off center in the front. Just tuck the ends behind the scarf, and that's it!

These are my favorite Etsy shops to find beautiful vintage scarves....

http://www.etsy.com/shop/BetaAccessories

http://www.etsy.com/shop/andgretel

Scarves are a fun way to add fancy to any outfit, and I hope you enjoyed this simple tutorial! Thanks for having me, Katie, and I wish your family all the best as you move into a new home! XO holly

Ashley from That Is All

2011-10-11T10:23:00.000-04:00

Hello, hello! I'm so excited that Katie has invited me to take over her blog for the day, but enough of this - let's get into the video! :)

So here is the finished product. I love that Katie's not scared of makeup - made this a fun look to put together.

I used the Too Faced Smokey Palette, but an awesome drugstore alternative would be the Elf Brightening Eye Color in Drama (it's only a dollar!). It doesn't come with that bronzy brown, but their single in Saddle would be perfect (only $3).

So as long as you have some tape lying around, you could recreate this look for $4! :)

Would you wear a look like this?

That is all.

Guest Blog: Chelsea from TeaTalk

2011-10-10T16:00:00.003-04:00

Hi everyone! I’m Chelsea from the Tea Talk blog! Today I’m filling in for Katie while she gets moved into her new home. She thought it would be fun it I talked to you all about the fashions that I’m digging for fall, so that is exactly what I’m here to do.

Right now I’m really digging three trends: tall boots, the color red, and chunky rings.

Loving boots isn’t anything new for me, but this season I’m all about the tall ones. I love how boots can instantly class up and pull together any outfit. I’m also obsessed with the idea that they are so versatile. You can wear them with jeans, dresses, skirts, and even shorts with cute tights (a trend I’m hoping to try out soon). Right now I’m loving the Jersy Boot by Blowfish Shoes, and the Pioneer Boot by Wanted Shoes.

Over the years the color red and I have gone back and forth. When I was a kid I loved it because Wendy from Casper wore all red (silly, but true), and when I got older I thought it was a fun, bright color that would stand out next to my bright hair. This season I’m really feeling the color again and have already bought a red cardigan for fall, and have plans to take out my favorite vintage red Pendleton skirt for a good spin during the cooler weather (which I hope to get sometime soon here in Arizona).

I’ve always been a fan of rings, but this fall I’m feeling the chunky ones. I love mixing and matching gold and silver, and the stone colors on the rings. Throwing in a fun ring always makes me feel a little more put together, and most of my rings have a sweet sentimental value to them (my late grandmother gave me most of them). So don’t be surprise if this fall you see my hands completely filled with fun, chunky rings!

I am SO ready for this fall season and I’m so happy that it’s finally here. Fall is my absolute favorite season, and when I feel most like myself. Other than clothes, I am really feeling hot coffee, The Bedroom Demos by Stars, and bike rides around town for the season. I just know it’s going to be a great one!

Thank you SO much for having me, Katie! If anyone is interested in learning more about myself, my daily outfits, or what about the sweet adventures I go on in my hometown of Phoenix, Arizona, you can check out my blog, Tea Talk.

Fall Treat Pouch DIY

2011-10-07T10:00:00.000-04:00

I have a little guest post/DIY over at Sherry's blog, Oh So Lovely, today for a Fall Fest that she's putting on! It was so much fun to make these little treat pouches. Paisley has the little pumpkin hanging on her door and I like to surprise her with little treats in it some days. Other days, she puts little toys inside. They're great fun, and *super simple* to make!

Head on over and enjoy the Fall Fest! There will be projects posted all month as well as a giveaway.

4 Days and Counting

2011-10-04T11:26:00.001-04:00

There's been a marathon of Disney movies at our house this past weekend. We've been packing and packing. My dad flies in this Thursday to help use move. He'll be here till next Tuesday and I'm so excited to see him! My brother's family is coming up from Richmond sometime the end of this week to help with the move too. I am hoping we get the keys a couple days before our move-in date...We have had our space heaters plugged in for the last few days. They're having problems keeping up with the 46*F nights we've been having. Since our propane tank was stolen back in August sometime, our landlady still hasn't gotten us one. A new one is supposed to be delivered two days before our move day. So it won't do us any good anyway. Thursday night it's supposed to be 36*F. I'm worried about keeping my children warm. We've been wearing layers and slippers. I've also been working on a DIY project while Steven and I watch Nip/Tuck before bed. I'm hoping to get it done tonight since I was supposed to have it sent over to someone yesterday. Whoops! Anyway, I have some really fun guest bloggers lined up for the end of this week and the beginning of next week, so be sure to come back and read their awesome posts!

Riley's First Birthday

2011-09-30T11:05:00.001-04:00

Yesterday was Riley's first birthday! My little baby is one now!!!!! He spent a lot of the day sleeping, eating his favorite foods, playing with Paisley, and opening his presents. Today we're taking him to the pediatrician for his 12 month well visit. He'll get shots, and measured and stuff, so I'll be posting his 12 month update on Monday. Happy birthday baby! Now, stop growing so fast!

Yesterday and Today

2011-09-27T10:00:00.000-04:00

Yesterday was for taking photos, playing with birthday toys, writing a guest blog DIY, scheduling some blog posts, family movie night, sucking up bugs with my vacuum that got into Riley's room, FaceTiming with grandpa and grandma in Utah, emailing happy birthday videos to Uncle Will, texting Aunt Jennie, snuggling with Riley, and watching some shows with Steven after he got home from a ridiculously long day at work.

Today, I plan on editing photos and writing a post about Paisley and Riley's birthday party, cleaning, picking up bedrooms, packing, gymnastics, and working on another craft for another guest post.

11 days and counting until we move.

What have you been up to?

Happy Birthday Paisley Jane!

2011-09-25T16:26:00.000-04:00

Today is Paisley's fourth birthday! She's been so excited for months and months. We had her and Riley's party yesterday, and this morning she opened presents from Steven and me. She's had so much fun and so have we. I can't believe my little girl is four years old! [Does every parent say that every birthday?]

Busy, busy, busy

2011-09-22T10:42:00.001-04:00

The big birthday party is this Saturday. As in two days. As in I'm freaking out. There's so much to do still! [Like rehanging the party game I made {pictured above}, decorating, making decorations, figuring out a menu, baking a cake, etc.] I'm hoping it's all worth it. I also am writing a couple guest blogs, which is crazzzy pants. I don't have time for it, but I'm making time because I'm so excited about them. I also need to email people, but I don't know if that will happen until Saturday after the party, or maybe Sunday because I plan on taking a really big nap Saturday afternoon. You know, if my brother's family leaves then. If not, I'll be visiting with them, which I'm sure will be tons of fun. Sorry for the lack of interesting things on my blog yesterday and today [and maybe tomorrow...we'll see if I get that blog post done tonight]. I promise we'll be back to super fun stuff next week!

The Devil Wears...Burberry?

2011-09-20T11:06:00.000-04:00

First of all, hello to anyone visiting from Chelsea's blog! Secondly, if you a regular reader here, Chelsea interviewed me. It was a lot of fun, and I hope you go check it out. Chelsea has one of my favorite blogs and I'm crazy in love with her hair!

The other day, we went out to find some dinner. It was supposed to be down to 47*F by 8pm. I put on a few layers, a scarf, and a jacket. I'm so happy I put on all the layers and that our car has a good heater. I don't think it got as cold as our weather app said it was going to, but it was definitely chilly.

I bought the top, with the high-low/tail hem [I told you I was obsessed!] on our trip to New York. It was the only one like it in the store, and I haven't been able to find it online anywhere. I also bought my ankle boots in New York. My corduroy pants [I think they called them leggings, but I'm not sure] are from Gap, which we bought on Fashion Night Out. My ring was a birthday present. And I borrowed the scarf from my husband, Steven. He thinks we may have gotten it at Urban Outfitters, but neither of us can remember since it was a couple years ago.

I bought the jacket at our outlet mall. We usually only make it to about halfway through the outlets before we get too tired, and head home. But for some reason, we made it all the way the other side. There we found a Burberry outlet. I had no idea it was there! We went inside and I was in heaven!!! I tried on all sorts of trench coats and jackets. I wrapped myself up in scarves, tried on some killer ankles boots, and died over a bordeaux colored fur coat. I ended up spending my money on this jacket. I'm in love with it! I plan on finding every excuse to wear it during fall and then in spring. I think the deciding factor on this jacket was really the studs on the underside of the collar. If it was just a normal jacket without them, I don't think I would have spent the money on it.

[By the way, please pretend that these photos were taken somewhere interesting outside, with pleasant lighting, and not in my living room with a wrinkly sheet at midnight. By the time we got home and got Paisley and Riley off to bed, cleaned up, and I answered emails, it was so late! But I really liked my outfit and hair so I had Steven take some photos of me. It was fun.]

I tried my hand at a smokey eye. It was a tiny bit more dramatic than I meant for it to be, but I liked it overall. I used the brown pallet I use every day with a tiny bit of a shimmery black. I think I will be buying some greys and black once things settle down. Brown smokey eyes are supposed to be really pretty on people with blue eyes, but I just love black. I wore my hair in a messy bun since it's starting to turn green again. [Can I just tell you how excited I am to be moving in less than three weeks?! Then I can get rid of this copper green once and for all!]

Outfit Details:
Jacket: Burberry London
Top: Free People
Pants: Gap
Boots: Jeffrey Campbell [Litas]
Scarf: borrowed from husband, possibly from Urban Outfitters
Ring: Marc by Marc Jacobs
Make up: MAC

You're Invited!

2011-09-19T11:08:00.000-04:00

I finally got birthday invitations out. It was a little later than I was planning and hoping, but they're on their way to our family and friends! I made the invitations by first making a paper cut solar system for the front. I had Steven scan it in for me, along with a mini instax. We then added the text in photoshop and made a faux instax of Paisley's favorite galaxy for the RSVP. [Obviously, we covered up our personal information, but you get the idea.] We then used our wide format printer to print the cards onto textured cardstock. I cut them out, used a bone folder to make sure the crease was nice, and put them into their blue and purple envelopes [from Paper Source]. For the address labels, I took a sheet of mailing labels and stamped a rocket on them using the DIY stamp I made. Our address went on the back flap. And there you have it. Get ready to blast off!!! 5 days and counting...

We Like Books! - Disney First Libraries

2011-09-17T10:00:00.000-04:00

If there are three true things in this world, they would go something like this: 1. We love Disney [but not enough to let Paisley have Disney Princess bedding or wear Disney shirts every day. She has Buzz Lightyear jammies, which I've come to love though], 2. Somedays, I just don't feel like reading super long books before nap time. Or we are getting littles to bed too late so our bed time story needs to be short, 3. Paisley loves "reading" to daddy and me. [a.k.a. she loosely memorizes stories and repeats them back to us.] These books are perfect for all of those things.

These books are super duper condensed versions of their namesake movies, or funny tidbits about the characters. Riley actually sits through them, which is good, considering they only have about 4 sentences. [He'd rather be exploring than read books but I'm sure he'll come around.] Paisley can memorize them after 2 or 3 times of us reading them to her.

Each "first library" [it kind of irritates me that they call them that...but so do "baby's first" books] has 12 books and comes in a box set. [We usually recycle the box, and just keep the books.] We own the princess set, the villain set, and Riley will be getting the Cars set for his birthday. Paisley particularly loves Captain Hook, Maleficent, Sleeping Beauty, Mulan, Yzma, and Belle. Disney also makes a few other sets.

Last night, Paisley "read" us the Captain Hook book. It went something like this:
---
[Real words: This is Captain Hook. He is the enemy of Peter Pan.]
Paisley: This is Captain Hook. He is the amenity of Peter Pan.

[His nutty pirates say "Aye, aye, Captain!"]
His nutty pirates say "Aye, aye, Captain!"

[The crocodile thinks Hook will be a tasty treat.]
The crocodile knows Hook is a tasty treat.

[Now the pirates say "Bye, bye, Captain!"]
Now the pirates say "see you later, Captain!" *giggle* Was that funny?!
---
See? Super short. This one actually always makes me laugh. These books are perfect for taking in my bag to church or out to dinner. [Paisley has a "thing" where she doesn't like looking at books unless she can "read" them.] For some reason, Amazon has two of the sets listed for 9-12 year olds. That's BS, because in the descriptions it says they're ideal for preschoolers. I agree with that. Or babies, seeing as how they're board books and all.

Nookworm

2011-09-16T10:00:00.000-04:00

On a date a while ago, Steven bought me a Nook reader. I brought it with me one day to read in the car while we were running errands. When we got home, it was kind of late, but I asked Steven to take some photos of my outfit for me. [So my shirt is kind of wrinkly, and the pictures are a bit blurry. Sorry.] The weather is definitely getting cooler. Last night, it was 40*F! Yikes! I'm trying to resist the urge to wear my fall clothes, so I can get as much use out of my summer shoes as possible.

Outfit Details:

Shirt: Nordstrom

Jeans: American Eagle

Shoes: Jeffrey Campbell

Necklace: J. Crew

Headband: J. Crew

Ring: Vintage, from my grandma

Nook reader cover: Jonathan Adler

Riley Update: 11 Months

2011-09-15T10:00:00.000-04:00

Technically, he's closer 11.5 months by now, but with everything going on and all the storms we've been having, I just haven't taken pictures for his update. [Our house has been too dark, and it's been too rainy to go outside. So you get a lot of Instagram pictures.] I missed out on his 10 month update, so I figured something is better than nothing. ;) Anyway, Riley is now standing by himself. Sometimes he doesn't even need something to pull himself up on. He has taken a couple steps while holding my hands, and has no problem walking while pushing a walker [Paisley's pink doll stroller] or a laundry basket on our abundance of carpet.

He's still awesome at feeding himself and he has learned to use sippy cups. We bought special ones for him, but he insists on using the same ones as his big sister. He can drink out of a straw, although he usually gets too much and spits some out, so I prefer the sippy cups. Riley definitely favors food with more texture than baby food, and gets grumpy if I feed him mashed up anything. We let him eat no suger added frozen yogurt with fresh fruit from our favorite fro-yo place, and he loved it! He ate it so fast that he started shivering and Daddy had to hold and warm him up. He is only nursing 4-5 times a day for a few minutes at a time. I'm hoping he keeps nursing until after our move, to help make the transition to the new house easier.

Riley Jack Jack has learned to nod his head "yes" and it's the cutest thing ever! He's learned some baby signs, and seems to get them right some of the time. He points which direction he wants to go when he's being held, and definitely knows what he wants. His little personality is shining through so much lately! riley has started to become more vocal, and hollers if he doesn't like something. Sometimes, it sounds like he's trying to say "yeah."

Ry-Ry has learned how to clap and wave. He's always a little bit late on waving, but he does do it every time. He loves to knock over Paisley's block towers, and splashing in the bath is his favorite. He likes banging on stuff like windows, xylophones, a little fisher price piano he has, and anything else that will make noise. Riley has learned how to open and close drawers, doors [as long as they don't click shut], and the sliding doors on our entertainment stand. He also likes opening the top of our kitchen trash can and reaching inside. Yummy! ;)

After Hurricane Irene, Steven and I worked on sleep training Riley again. Steven had been working all night at least twice a week throughout August, and in my sleepy daze, I would bring Riley to bed, let him nurse, and then take him back to bed ever hour to hour and a half. It was terrible. We were sleeping worse than when he was a newborn. Once Steven's hours for work returned to more normal hours, we decided to sleep train Riley again because it really helped to have someone here to support me. It only took 3 nights, and now Riley only wakes up once or twice. Steven normally sings to him and lays him back down [so he doesn't smell me and get grumpy when I don't nurse him back to sleep] and he goes right to sleep. Riley Jack is still taking two naps a day. His morning nap is two hours after he wakes up and lasts for 2 to 3 hours. His afternoon nap is two hours after he wakes up from his morning nap and lasts 2 hours. R is usually ready for bed by 8pm or 8:30pm.

Paisley and Riley love each other so much. Whenever Riley wakes up, he points to go our his door and he looks for Paisley. If her door is closed, he usually bangs on it to wake her up. Paisley loves playing with him more every day, although she does get frustrated when he continually knocks over her towers. She loves helping me with him and her absolute favorite is making him laugh.

I can't believe he's going to be a year soon.
"How big is Ry-Ry?"
SOOOOO BIG!

This Just In...

2011-09-13T12:29:00.000-04:00

This morning we made our way over to Target to see what Missoni for Target stuff we would find. I hadn't been impressed with the very few pictures I had seen online [the color ways weren't my favorite], until I saw this post on ModernKiddo. Anyway, this morning we drove on over and had fun playing scavenger hunt. This is what we ended up with:

I got a trench coat as well as a pull over sweater from the girl's section for me. [Sometimes, having tiny boobs is a blessing.] I also got a silk scarf and a set of notebooks. I'm addicted to notebooks. Obviously, I'm also crazy about the rose print they had. It reminds me of Alice in Wonderland.

Paisley got a couple boxes to store toys and such in. As soon as we got home, she put her mini lalaloopsy dolls in the small one, and her bags in the bigger one. She decided where she wants them to live and we put them away. I'm excited they're not pink. I looove pink, but her room was getting a little intense.

She also got a beret and some gloves. She's really excited for fall/winter so she can start wearing them. Paisley said she's also excited to be bigger and share the sweater and trench coat with me. We'll see when she's bigger if she still thinks it's cool. ;)

We had fun looking at some of the other things from Missoni for Target. Our Target is pretty small but I did notice that some sections were completely cleaned out and it was only 10am! We passed one lady who had her cart overflowing with Missoni stuff. Crazy!

Did you go to Target or shop online for stuff? What did you get??

Weekend Fun

2011-09-12T12:04:00.000-04:00

This past Friday, I finally baked cupcakes again. It's been almost exactly a year since I baked my last batch [for Paisley's 3rd birthday]. Paisley helped me this time, and we made vanilla cupcakes with vanilla buttercream. I also used chocolate to make the toppers: rockets, stars, a moon, and houses because we signed our lease! Yay!

We also ran a bunch of birthday related errands, and bought some birthday presents, too. Steven went and picked up a bunch of boxes from a family on craigslist. I figured out a label system that we want to use, and we started packing!

We also printed birthday invitations and I'll be mailing them tomorrow. Their birthday is in less than two weeks! And our move is in less than 4 weeks! It's going to get pretty crazy around here!!!

Fashion Night Out

2011-09-09T12:45:00.000-04:00

Yesterday, we had a laundry list of things we needed to do, because it was pay day. [Getting paid once a month is kind of annoying, but otherwise, we love Steven's job.] So the first order of business was signing the lease for our new house and giving the realtor the deposit. We ended up going back to the house to decide what rooms we wanted to paint and emailed the owner's realtor with proposed paint colors. Paisley had fun playing on the bridge that goes from the stairs to her and Riley's bedrooms.

After, we drove to Bethesda, MD to buy a cake stand at Crate & Barrel and spend some time there before heading to Paper Source to buy envelopes for the birthday invitations. Unfortunately, with the torrential rain, we only made it to the mall with the Crate & Barrel. But it was Fashion Night Out, so that was nice! I told Steven, that FNO is the best night to go shopping with children because every store has little snacks for them! Paisley ended up getting more than anyone [a shirt from J. Crew, a shirt from Zara, and a skirt from Gap Kids]. Riley just got some socks from Baby Gap, and I bought a pair of lightweight corduroy leggings/pants. [Also unfortunately, I looked like a hot mess because of the humidity and rain. Oh well.]

It was a nice night and although we only got two items checked off our list, we all had a lot of fun. Next year we plan on looking good and going to Georgetown or Tyson's Corner/Galleria. Did any of you go to Fashion Night Out?

Birthday Party Progress

2011-09-08T11:10:00.000-04:00

Paisley and Riley's birthday party is in 16 short days. I've made some lists of things I need to do still. Yesterday, I started on their Happy Birthday banner. Two nights ago, Steven and I started the photoshop part of the invitation. Today, we need to finish it [aka buy the fonts we're planning on using] and print them out. We'll be buying envelopes today after we sign our lease [!!!] so we can mail them tomorrow. I'm hoping to work on a party game this weekend, make a test cake, and figure out some ideas for food. I'm also hoping to sew up a garland, and work on packing. I think this is going to be pretty stressful to have the party in essentially two weeks and then move two weeks later. But I'm trying to stay positive and motivated, even with an overwhelming to-do list and an ultra clingy/fussy baby. Wish me luck! I'll be sharing updates every few days, along with projects and prep until the party!

WE GOT IT!

2011-09-07T11:56:00.001-04:00

Yesterday, the realtor called us to say that as long as everything checked out with our current landlord [i.e. we pay our rent on time] they would approve our application. Steven called our landlord, Barbara, to tell her that they would be calling her. She didn't take the news so well that we wanted to move. But honestly, I'm sick of having green hair. I'm sick of all the carpet, especially in the bathrooms and in the dining area [super gross when Riley knocks yogurt on the floor]. I'm sick of the giant piles of trash in the backyard. I'm sick of the bugs, the drafts, and the weird smell that propane has. Speaking of which, a while ago someone came and took our giant propane tank. We're not sure who it was, or why, so right now we don't have any heat. We could use some at night.

There are definitely things we will miss about this house. I looove the floor to ceiling windows. I love the black and white stripes we have painted in our dining area, and I love the light turquoise we have in our bedroom. I love the shelves we have to display some of my favorite dishes and kitchen things. I'm going to miss the hundreds of fireflies in the summer. And we're all going to miss the deer and other animals we see every day. [Like these three bucks I saw yesterday afternoon...pay no attention to the giant pile of trash they're standing around from previous tenants.]

Anyway, I've been rambling. The owners of the house were fine with whatever Barbara ended up telling them. They're supposed to be sending over a lease sometime today! We'll be moving on October 8th if everything goes accordingly. We're hoping my dad will be able to come out to help.

Thank you to everyone who commented on my post about the crazy people we were trying to rent from. I'm really happy we ended up not getting the place. Those people seem crazy, and Paisley is way more excited about this "castle house with a bridge" than the "house with the red door."

I Escaped Jail

2011-09-06T11:05:00.001-04:00

If jailbirds wore cute dresses and distressed leather shoes. If my skull-studded clutch hinted at my murder which landed me in jail in the first place. Or maybe piracy? Yes, I like that better. Less morbid. If I made my cuff out of the jewelry I had pirated. If I was allowed lipstick. If I escaped of my jail cell and was following the railroad to the nearest town, where I planned to melt in with the locals and not be found by the law and taken back to prison, then this is what I would wear. Haha!

Really though. I wore this outfit a couple times now. The first time was to dinner when we were visiting Shauna and Stephen. Steven and I agreed that before I put on my dark turquoise cardigan, it was a little "prison inmate-ish."

Then we found these really pretty train tracks near the house that we're trying to rent. I think we'll end up taking photos there quite a bit. Railroads are my favorite. And it made it seem even more like I had escaped from jail. We kept laughing about it.

Then! These three tween Hispanic boys started watching while Steven took the photos of my for this post. THAT WAS AWKWARD! I think you can kind of tell, because even though I really, really, really loved my outfit, and I felt [oh heck, I'm just going to say it] sexy, I look completely self-conscious in these photos.

Also, I hardly ever wear lipstick, even though I love a pretty painted lip. Steven has been encouraging me to wear my red lipstick that I found while organizing, so I finally did. I think that had something to do with the self-consciousness too. It feels like everyone is staring when I wear lipstick.

These are my most favorite pair of heels/booties/whatever. [Yesterday, I shared my favorite oxfords.]

Actually, this outfit has a lot of my favorite things going on. Black and white, stripes, distressing, booties, platforms, my favorite glasses, turquoise [my favorite color], red lippies [red is my other favorite color], leather, cuffs, dresses, cashmere socks, studs, skulls, and sweaters. This would be my absolute favorite outfit ever, if the dress had pockets.

Outfit details:
Dress: J. Crew Outlet
Sweater: J. Crew
Socks: Marc by Marc Jacobs
Boots: Jeffrey Campbell [Lita, distressed leather]
Cuff: unknown, from local boutique
Clutch: Max C London [from ASOS]
Lipstick: Smashbox [in Legendary]

Night Sky: An Outfit Post

2011-09-05T12:34:00.001-04:00

Paisley and Riley's birthday party is in less than 3 weeks. I've been working on it non-stop, but I am still kind of starting to freak out. Anyway, their party has a lot of jewel tones and stars and sparkles, like galaxies, and I think it's started to seep into my decision making on everything. Like this outfit choice. I really love analogous colors [colors right next to each other on the color wheel]. There's something so pretty about them.

I must say that my hair dried into the prettiest curls, but by the time we got around to taking photos, the top had gone kind of frizzy. Oh well. The star necklace was a gift from my mom when I turned 16. It was my first diamond anything, and I still love it. I plan on giving Paisley a diamond star necklace when she turns 16 too.

And here are my favorite shooooes! Mmmm! Glitter oxfords! I've been wearing them a lot lately, especially in the evenings when it's cool outside. I know I'll be wearing them a lot this fall!

And of course Paisley wanted to take pictures too. We took a lot of jumping pictures. It was fun.

Outfit Details:

Star Top: Zara
black tank: Motherhood Maternity...I'm still nursing Riley
Shorts: J. Crew outlet
Tights: Nordstrom Rack / Hue
Bracelet: Barney's outlet
Necklace: gift from my mom
Shoes: Miu Miu [on clearance]

Shirt: H&M
Skirt: American Apparel
Socks: H&M
Shoes: Nordstrom
Mickey Mouse Bracelet: Disneyland, gift from Katherine Bothwell

By the way, if you're looking for a pair of glitter oxfords [I'm obsessed, I know!] then you can find some nice ones at TopShop in pewter or black for only $60!

We Like Books! - Itsy Mitsy Runs Away by Elanna Allen

2011-09-03T21:51:00.000-04:00

Here is a new book for you to look for: Itsy Mitsy Runs Away by Elanna Allen. This is Paisley's book of choice this week for her nap time and bed time stories. I think I've read it at least every other day this week [but it could be more, because generally Steven reads her bed time story while I get Riley in bed].

Mitsy is a little girl who hates bed time, so she runs away. Her dad helps make sure she packs things she'll need, like a friend [her favorite toy dinosaur Mr. Roar], a snack for Mr. Roar, and so on. He also makes sure she doesn't forget anything, including him and the house. She ends up having so much fun that she decides she'll run away again tomorrow.

This book has adorable illustrations, done by the author. It also has a fun rhythm to it, as Mitsy packs more and more things. This book is recommended for children 4-8. This is a book that we all enjoy reading and I always agree to read it Paisley. [I'm sure that some of you mamas know what I mean about books everyone enjoys. There are definitely a few books that Paisley loves, but I can't stand to read for one reason or another. So Steven will read it to her. Or if we both can't stand it, it may find its way into storage.]

When Steven saw that I was blogging this book, he said "Oh! I knew you were going to blog that book! How could you not? It's the cutest book ever!!!"

Anniversary...

2011-09-02T11:45:00.000-04:00

5 years ago today, Steven and I picked out an engagement ring, a dress for me to wear to dinner, and a restaurant. That evening he proposed. We had only met the day before. We got married exactly 3 months from today. I'm just as crazy in love with him as I was then. [But I do prefer his beard, lol.] So today is our proposal anniversary. :) It's pretty special to think about.

Tonight, we have one of our dearest friends, Vanessa, visiting for a while. So I need to get back to picking up, so she has somewhere to sit! [Sorry for my absence yesterday, we had a visit from our current landlord and some cops, and we submitted a proposal/application on a new home for rent...so I was a bit distracted...]

[Top photo by Natalie Franke, November 2010. Middle photo was one Steven and I took July 2009. My first time playing with sparklers. Bottom photo was taken a couple days ago on my iPhone of the house we looked at/applied to rent.]

Summer to Fall outfits by Free People

2011-08-31T11:49:00.000-04:00

I have a serious love to Free People. I spent *quite a bit* of my New York City trip budget at several Free People stores around the city. Haha! My favorite boutique here in downtown Frederick, MD sell Free People clothes, and any time I go shopping in Northern Virginia, we stop at the Free People store in Tyson's Corner. Anyway, because I grew up in Arizona [hello 66*F winters!] I never learned how to properly layer. I seriously could just put on a light sweater and be fine. Last year, I asked for some layering tips, and while I tried it out, I never felt like I was really good at it... But I'm excited to try layering again this Fall and Winter. This morning, I saw this video from Free People on how to take summer outfits and make them into Fall outfits. Genius! I wish they'd make more...

An Update on That One Rental House

2011-08-30T12:40:00.002-04:00

I have blogged about this rental house a lot the last few weeks. I have tweeted about it even more. We made a total of 6 offers to them over the past 2 weeks. All the while, we only got very short replies from their realtor. "No." or "the owners have declined your offer." We were never given an application, or a chance at a fair opportunity. This morning, we wrote their realtor asking for clarification as to what they want in a renter, and she replied:

"The Owners of _____ want to wait for a strong applicant. That
would be somebody with a credit score around 800, an annual income of
$200,000 no pets and interested in a 2 year lease. I told you they had
already declined 2 applications. Please consider this their final
decision."

Are the serious?! Who even has that kind of credit score in this economy?! And if there are people who do have that kind of score, why on earth would they be renting?!

Anyway, I just can't believe them. Sorry for venting... It's just frustrating that they could've told us that the first time. I wish I could crawl in bed and cry. But Riley will be waking up soon... So I suppose we will keep looking. Thanks for listening...

A Small Apology

2011-08-30T11:59:00.000-04:00

I feel like these past couple weeks my blog and online interactions have become somewhat ignored and taken a back seat to other things. I blame this on stress, lack of time, Steven working insane hours, Riley sleeping worse than a newborn, and any spare time I do have spent cleaning or working on birthday stuff. I know that I shouldn't blame my lack of interesting blogs on those things. If I really wanted to, I would've made time. Anyway, I am sorry. Steven's worked something like 100-ish hours in the past week and a half, so what little time we do have is spent grocery shopping or running essential errands, since we only have one car. I haven't even changed out of my jammies more than 3 times in those 10 days. Ha! This weekend I plan on shifting my focus towards my blog again, and I have some fun posts already planned out, which include another play food DIY, a recipe [or two], and some outfit posts [including one with Paisley]. Also, I completely missed Riley's 10 month post, and yesterday he turned 11 months, so I'll be blogging about him too.

And now, a special apology to my Internet Explorer users. My husband's day job is a web developer, so he's the one who redid my blog for me. [He coded, I designed.] Anyway, because he's been extremely busy since the launch of my redesign, he hasn't had time to debug the problems that Internet Explorer users were experiencing when they visited my actual blog. But he said he fixed it a couple days ago. So hopefully it should be working. [We do still have a few bugs such as comment count not displaying accurately, that need to be fixed.] And I need to finish making my pages with certain posts. But Internet Exploreer users feel free to come check out my blog now!

I have been crafting and figuring out some birthday stuff, and I now have one game completed. [Part of which, is pictured above.] During September, I plan on doing a bunch of posts about making DIY games and decorations and such. Since I'm planning blog posts, are there anything posts you want me to do? Or any questions you want answered? I'm open to any kind of suggestions. I know that people who view my blog on phones have problems commenting, so feel free to email me or tweet to me. :)

Hurricanes and Possible Peanut Allergies...

2011-08-29T12:25:00.002-04:00

We had quite the exciting weekend. Saturday morning, we sent over a third offer to the house we want. Steven was supposed to spend all day at work, but by the time we all got going, I was getting freaked out about Hurricane Irene. I begged him to stay home, and luckily he did. We started getting rain during the afternoon, and it didn't stop for about 22 hours. My brother's family in Richmond, VA lost power about 7pm. We kept in touch through texting each other. Once we got our littles in bed, Steven and I hung out in our bed, watching the Weather Channel. Our power flickered off and on a couple times between 2am and 6am, but we were fortunate to not have our power go out completely. The next morning, we were able to see the damage the wind caused. We had several big branches and a few trees get blown over. There are tons of small branches all over our yard too. Luckily, all of the trees and big branches are back into the forest behind our house.

Yesterday, while we were at church, someone gave Riley a peanut butter cracker. He had crawled down the hall a little bit away from Steven. A man had started to talk to Riley and asked Steven if he could have a cracker. Steven didn't inspect it, but he said it looked like a Ritz cracker from where he was standing. Riley ate about half of it before Steven came over. As soon as he saw it had peanut butter he took it away. Unfortunately, Riley had a small red rash around his mouth, and possible hives. Steven immediately came and got me from class and we looked up what we could do for him, as well as called poison control to ask if we needed to take him to the ER. Riley wasn't having breathing problems, and he didn't seem itchy. So that was good. He had had a similar reaction to watermelon, which I'm allergic to, but he had been really itchy from it. Church was over about 3 minutes later, and we went home. [We had stopped at CVS to buy baby Benadryl, but it had bee recalled. Of course.] We kept an eye on him the rest of the day, and his rash disappeared within 30 minutes of when it started. We'll be talking to his doctor when he goes for his 12 month well-visit, and we'l probably be making an appointment with our family allergist. [Who's just the nicest elderly man. We think he's from Spain, judging by his accent.] Obviously, Paisley's favorite food is peanut butter, so we're having her be extra careful about washing her hands after she eats some. She understands allergies, and we explained that peanuts can make Riley really sick, so she knows to be careful. It's scary to think that Riley might have a peanut allergy...

This morning, we heard back from the owners of the rental house. They have declined our five offers, but they never tell us what we can do to rent their house... Apparently, their realtor made it seem like it's really important that they get their rent on the 1st of the month. We told her that we can pay them on October first, and that was no problem for us. Only September first is a problem. So now we're waiting to hear back again. I don't know why they didn't just ask us if we could pay October 1st considering that our first offer was for October 8th. Goodness...Waiting is frustrating. It'd just be so much easier if we could talk to them.

Were you affected by Hurricane/Tropical Storm Irene? Do you know anyone who has a peanut allergy?

We Like Books! - Children Make Terrible Pets by Peter Brown

2011-08-27T13:40:00.000-04:00

Welcome to a new feature I plan to post every Saturday for the next year. [I figured it would be a fun little challenge for myself.] My family loves reading, and we spend a great deal of time every week reading stories to Paisley. Riley just likes snatching books from us and making loud noises at the pages, but I think he'll come to love reading too. ;) We own hundred of books, and whenever we end up building our own house, we plan to have our own library. Here is one we love:

Children Make Terrible Pets by Peter Brown

Here is a little summary from Andrew Medlar of Booklist:

"Lucy, a tutu- and ribbon-adorned young bear, is instantly besotted with a human boy she finds in the forest. After naming him Squeaker (the only sound he makes) and bringing him home, she begs her mother to keep him, and Mom relents on the condition that Lucy take full responsibility for his care. The two have a ball playing together until Lucy confronts some of the less-appealing aspects of pet ownership, such as potty training and dealing with destroyed furniture. When Squeaker suddenly disappears, Lucy follows his trail, discovers that he has returned to his natural habitat of house and human family, and comes to understand, as countless children have, that not all critters are cut out for domestication. (A final spread shows that Lucy hasn’t given up on her enthusiasm by any stretch, though.) Brown’s distinctive multimedia art, featuring text in colored blocks and characters’ asides printed in word balloons, has a playful, old-time style that matches the woodsy setting and the enjoyable story's upbeat tone. Preschool-Grade 2."

It truly is an adorable book, and we all really love it. Paisley requests it often, and the illustrations are super adorable. I particularly love the hand lettering for the speech bubbles. It's a great book for ages 4-8. Paisley enjoyed it when she was just under 3 1/2, but she's kind of advanced I think. I think girls, as well as boys will both enjoy it. Paisley's cousin Kenneth sure did the last time I read it to him.

I don't expect anyone on the East Coast to run off to their library or bookstore to pick this up with Hurricane Irene knocking on our doors, but do know that it is such a cute book, and totally worth it for when you can get to a bookstore/library. Or you can order it on Amazon. Anyway, I hope all you other East Coasters stay safe. You're all in our thoughts and prayers. [Luckily, I don't think we'll get much more than rain where we are, since Irene shifted and slowed down. Although Steven did tell me that hurricanes do tend to stall out and slow down over the Annapolis Bay here in Maryland due to the warm waters.] Stay safe!

Earthquakes and Hurricane Irene

2011-08-26T11:32:00.000-04:00

I'm sure most of you are aware, but we had an earthquake here on the East Coast the last few days, along with an aftershock or two. Paisley and I definitely felt it, and she immediately started chattering about how there must be a giant monster, or just a plain giant stomping around outside. We were able to make a call to my family in Richmond, VA, and we used skype to call Steven, who was driving home by then. Thanks to Twitter, I was able to confirm what I felt, and saw that Steven was fine before we called to talk about it. Most of the phone lines were jammed because everyone was using them, but our data plan on our phones was still working. It was definitely scary, and it's only the second one I've ever felt. [The first was just over a year ago, when I was still pregnant with Riley.] Anyway, natural disasters are one of my biggest fears, alongside whales and giant propellers on ships [like that scene in Titanic with Leonardo DiCaprio, when the guy falls off the back and breaks his legs on the propellor. TERRIFYING!] Anyway, I've decided we could really never live in Japan, even though Steven and I had really wanted to. [He's really sad about it. I'm happy. I would pee myself if I had to live there and feel a bigger earthquake than that.] Luckily, it was over by the time I realized what it was, and so I was able to put my littles down for their naps about 30 minutes later than normal. Which ended up being fine, because Paisley was too excited about the whole event to take a nap much sooner than that.

Last night, we bought some groceries and water in case Hurricane Irene decides to shift our way.
We decided on a place to hide, because sometimes it's not a good idea to have a house that's practically made out of windows. And we'll be collecting candles and flashlights tonight. As of this morning, it had shifted away from us again, and we're planning on losing power for a few hours probably, but hopefully, nothing worse than that. We're definitely saying our prayers anyway, just in case.

In other news, I've almost completed the first game for Paisley's birthday party. She's ecstatic about the progress, and can't wait for me to teach her how to play.

We're also considering a third offer for the house I blogged about the other day. It would be crazy, and stressful, and I don't know if they'd even accept it, because we still have yet to hear back from them about our first two. But if they did, we'd be moving in about 2 weeks. We don't have anything in boxes, and it's kind of insane, but kind of exciting!

One Month

2011-08-25T11:29:00.001-04:00

One month until Paisley turns 4, and I cannot even begin to tell you how excited she is. Every day, we change the date on the calendar that Grandma [Daddy's mom] got her. And every day, she asks me how many more days until her birthday. Every day, she watches out our windows and tells me if she sees any yellow leaves falling, because she knows her birthday is in Autumn. Every day, she talks about her birthday and birthday party at least 5 times. Every day, she talks about how she gets to blow out her four candles and Riley's one candle.

I have one month to figure out where her party will be, what games we're going to play, what we're going to eat for food, figure out her cake, and what presents we're going to get her still. [It would really be nice if I knew when we were moving... Ha! We spoke with a different realtor today, who sent over a list of homes that are for rent in our area, and I think we're going to go look at some. There's no point in waiting on that other home, although it *is* where Steven and I feel like we'll end up moving. But who knows what will really happen.]

It seems as if Paisley is getting smarter and smarter and prettier and prettier every single day. She loves math, and "being silly." She has a constant need to know everything and anything, in extreme detail. [Most days, I completely encourage it, and easily answer hundreds of questions a day. But there are days when I get tired of it, and lose my patience for a little bit. Which of course makes me feel terrible. So we use it as a learning experience and we talk about feelings and what we can do if we get frustrated.] P just loooves any kind of social experience, and seriously chatters non-stop. We've been working on our "inside-voices" and sharing a little bit better. We've also been working on writing letters and numbers, and she's doing so well! I sooo wish we could have her start preschool, but with only one car, and Steven working an hour and 15 minutes away, it makes it hard. Hopefully we can buy a second car soon, and sign her up. We bought her a Kumon glue & paste [or something like that] and it's her favorite thing to do at home, by far. She looks forward to Riley's morning nap time, so we can do craft time and reading time.

Paisley has been trying new foods, and most of the time she really loves them. This makes me so happy, because she was incredibly picky. I've let her completely choose what she wears, and sometimes she picks really funny things, but it's cute, and Steven and I always encourage her to explore her fashion sense, and we make it a point to tell her how pretty she looks or how much we love the dress/skirt/shoes. She loves flossing her teeth. Miss Paisley loves talking about where we are, where we are going, and who we're going to be seeing. She particularly loves talking about Leesburg, Virginia. [I'm not sure why.]

She still loves Riley, and it good about watching and playing with him. P gets frustrated sometimes when he knocks over her block towers or castles, and when he grabs her books while we're reading. But she loves singing to him and kissing him before naps/bed time. She's adorable, and I can't believe she'll be four in one month.

Outfit Details:
Dress: H&M
Sweater: Baby Gap
Sweater Tights: H&M
Shoes: Nordstrom

Recipe: Peanut Butter & Jelly "Sushi"

2011-08-24T10:00:00.005-04:00

This is a super simple recipe that I found via Pinterest. I didn't re-pin it, but I did read it so I could make it for Paisley. [I think it was originally posted on Jif's website.]

You need:

2 pieces of bread
2 TBSP peanut butter
2 TBSP jelly, jam, or preserves. [We used raspberry jam.]
---
knife
rolling pin / large can

1. Remove crusts of bread with knife. It's best if you cut them so that they form a rectangle or a square shape, depending on your bread.

2. Flatten bread with your rolling pin.

3. Spread peanut butter onto bread.

4. Spread jam onto bread.

5. Roll bread up, and slice into pieces. Enjoy.

Paisley was so excited, because sushi is Daddy's favorite food, but this is as close to eating sushi as she'll get. We served it with goldfish crackers, but I think anything would be fine. Paisley also wanted to eat it with her training chopsticks. It was super adorable, and she did really well! She only dropped one piece once.

Up in the Air

2011-08-23T10:44:00.000-04:00

Recently, Steven and I decided we would try to stay in our current house until the spring time and then try to move. But as chance would have it, while we were driving around some neighborhoods, we found the house above for rent. We then spent quite some time on Zillow looking at homes for rent and we've since looked at the one above. We have tried to apply to rent the above home, only to be shot down before even being given an application. We have emailed their realtor with some proposed plans, but we haven't heard back yet. So we may be moving as soon as September, although I don't think it would be that soon. In light of all of this, some of the projects I've been planning on starting, have been kind of put on hold until we find out if we're moving or not. I don't know if Paisley and Riley's birthday party will be postponed, or done early. I've still be working on projects for their birthday, but it's hard with everything up in the air.

I was planning on re-doing Paisley's room, and painting our bedrooms again. But for now, I'm just going to work on party stuff. If you could please cross your fingers that we hear back soon, that would be lovely. Even if we don't end up moving to this house, it would be nice to just hear back.

Embroidery

2011-08-22T09:30:00.001-04:00

I finally finished a new embroidery project, complete with custom geeky love equation! I started this near the middle of July, with a vague idea of what I wanted to do. I knew I wanted to embroider a piece of fabric to look like a piece of graph paper. I knew I wanted it to be an accompanying piece to the love note embroidery I did over two years ago. I knew I wanted it to have some sort of geeky love message, although I didn't know what exactly...

While I was working on the graph paper part, I had a lot of time to think about all the different things I could embroider for the "love message" part of it. Steven and I both love math, so for a long time I considered a graph of some sort, given that it was graph paper. Did I want to do a bar graph? A plotted graph? But I could never really solidify the idea in my head enough to satisfy myself to go with that idea. I think it's because it would've just been made up, and Steven and I definitely love facts. [Although pretend is nice sometimes.] One day, I was "tangent googling" [as we call it], and I came upon this geek love equation. I showed it to Steven and we both thought it was really cute. I didn't want to use it exactly though, since Steven and I write "I <3 you" all the time. [Especially since our relationship started out online.] We also say "I less-than-three you" because of my friend Brittany that I knew from high school. So it fit perfectly.
The idea got me started thinking and I pondered how to go about coming up with some sort of unique equation to embroider. I had mentioned recently, that I missed school and algebra here on my blog. Those thoughts and feelings were actually fueled, in part, by this project. I had purchased some algebra workbooks at our local Borders sale [I'm sooo sad they're closing!], and Steven and I have been doing some sort of math equation almost every night before we would watch The Tudors. Anyway, with the graph paper done, I gave up my shower one day while my littles were taking their afternoon naps, and set to work. I started with what I wanted my equation to end up as, and worked backwards, and forwards. As well as sideways, and upside down. ;) Haha, kidding. Let me tell you! Coming up with an equation, that has to have a specific answer/working backwards is hard! At least for me, and linear algebra is my favorite. I took some of my favorite elements from other algebraic equations, and worked them into my algebra problem. For example, I really love when you have to divide or multiply by a negative to switch the < or > on a problem. I also love when you would divide a variable by itself. So "xy/xy" made it's way into the problem too. I always thought square roots were fun too, although, I kept it a normal number, because I did have to keep in mind that all of this had to be embroidered and I didn't want to pull my eyelashes out from frustration. I also wanted to use some LOST numbers [4, 8, 15, 16, 23, 42] because LOST is our favorite TV show ever.

It took me a few hours, but I finally came up with a problem. I had a few friends, as well as my father in law check my math, to make sure I wasn't crazy. Once they all emailed me back with their answers, I got to work on actually embroidering the equation. [Thanks again to those people who helped!!!] I was so excited to finish it, once I started the written part! It's hard to tell, because of the way I ironed, but the division sign under/over the "xy's" is actually there. I wish I would've taken a little bit more time to plan out the placement of the equation, but once I put it in it's frame and put it next to the original love note, I came to really love it. It's almost symmetrical. I also forgot to embroider "Solve for 'i':" and I didn't embroider enough horizontal lines, but you win some, you lose some. And since I logged so many hours embroidering this, I decided to leave it be. Plus, I think that there's something sweet about perfectly imperfect things. I made my first love note messy on purpose, and so this one gets along just grandly, don't you think?

Yay for geeky love!

Things Don't Always Go as Planned

2011-08-19T13:25:00.000-04:00

I have a tendency to schedule "due dates" for projects I'm working on, so that I feel the need to complete it. I'm normally the type of person who starts a project, either gets overwhelmed or side tracked, and then stops for a while. I currently have multiple projects "in the works" that need completed, but now I don't know which to complete first.

A big part of my to-do list was buying new clothes for Riley and Paisley. Paisley just grew out of her 3T clothes, and Riley grew out of his 6-9 month clothes. This week is tax free week on clothes here in Maryland, and two weekends ago, Virginia had their tax free weekend. We tend to go shopping in Virginia just as much as we do in Maryland, so we bought Paisley and Riley the majority of their Fall-Winter wardrobes. [I still need to photograph Paisley's]. I also like laying clothes out to see how they all work with each other. See that blue and brown plaid shirt with the brown sweater vest by the pirate skull sweater? It's the only thing that stands out to me as being from a different closet. But it's Daddy's favorite color combination, so we got it anyway. Riley still needs pants and socks and shoes, but now I know what to look for. Plus, I can save this image on my phone, and while we're shopping, I can look at it to make sure whatever I'm buying will work with the rest of his clothes. I'm happy I have one project that's done enough that I feel like I can cross it off my list.

I had set a "due date" for a big embroidery project to be done by the 18th. Obviously that didn't happen. It has 5 major parts before it's done. I've completed 3 of the 5, and I'm about halfway done with the 4th part. I'm guessing I'll have it actually done and photographed by this weekend, so I'll probably be sharing it on Monday. I'm seriously so excited to share it!

I had also planned on taking some photos of my dining room with the chairs we bought [and a new table that I got all the way back in March for my birthday.] Instead, I've been cleaning up the messes Riley has been making in his I'm-so-miserable-while-I'm-teething-I-think-I'll-be-a-mini-tornado-so-I-can-feel-better wake. But I've also reorganized part of the living room, washed and folded I don't even know how many loads of laundry, and worked on my craft area some more. So at least the house is coming along in some way.

I haven't been planning blog posts lately, and I think it's showing. This weekend, I'm planning some out, and finishing 3 projects in my waiting-to-be-finished pile. Even though things don't always go as I plan and want them to, I think it will all work out anyway. I did plan a new feature for Saturdays with our favorite books or movies. So be sure to come back tomorrow to see what we're reading. ;)

Do you do better just taking life as it comes? Or are you a planner and list maker?

Confession Time

2011-08-18T13:02:00.000-04:00

I have a confession for you today:

I miss school. I really do. Maybe it's all the school talk I've been seeing around the internet. Or maybe it's the school supply sections I've seen pop up in almost every store, from Target to Best Buy. Maybe it has something to do with the "back to school" editions of catalogs and magazines I've seen and received in the mail. I really don't know what started it all. But I do miss school. I miss it immensely.

Don't get me wrong, I do not miss the drama of teenagers and other children. I don't miss the teasing and stress from being around so many people. I never enjoyed the "other students" part of school. But I miss the learning.

Education has always been important to me. I took summer school, for fun mostly, for two summers while I was in high school so I could graduate a semester early. I got married really young, had a surprise pregnancy (which I am so incredibly grateful for), and just never got around to going to college. I did some dual enrolled college classes when I was a junior and doing a Interior Design class at a special school in the afternoons. I missed out on all the "this is what you need to do to get into college" assemblies and special days because my best friend and I were an hour away learning about colors and window treatments. I never took the SAT or ACT because I didn't know I was supposed to. For some reason, I just thought you did that your senior year. I was completely ignorant when it came to what I needed to do.

While Steven and I were engaged, I was planning on taking a little while off of school, and then starting again in the fall semester of 2007. Instead, I had a baby. Being a stay at home mom is the most important job I could ever have hoped for. I never envy people, particularly other women, who work. I have nothing against women who do work. They're incredible. But staying at home with my children is what I'm meant to do.

Nevertheless, I've found myself missing classes, algebra, and even homework. But, alas, I will not be enrolling this semester. I have no idea what I would want to go to school for, and although I could just do basic classes until I do figure it out, I still won't be going. Steven and I only have one car, and our local [community] college really only has classes during the day. Riley is still nursing, as well. I am still scared of other students, and perhaps I need to address this social anxiety first and foremost so that I can really enjoy my classes once I do go. I also have these thoughts, that are hard to put into words, about community colleges. I always felt I was better than them, I suppose. I had planned to go to some prestigious school to get my degree. I understand the need for community colleges, and honestly, I'll probably attend one, as much as I don't want to. I also know I could do online school, but again, I just have some sort of reservation against them. [Although Steven did get his master's degree from an online school, and I'm very grateful for that.]

I feel an urgency to go to college, *just in case* something were to happen where I needed to work. I've put off blogging about this because I didn't want anyone to judge me for being some uneducated girl. But it's real life, and this is who I am. I feel like I'm making excuses about going back to school, and I really need to stop. I miss school. I enjoy it. And I need to go. That is my confession.

Thanks for listening. XOXO

DIY Felt PB&J with Jars

2011-08-17T10:00:00.000-04:00

Paisley's favorite food is PB&J. She loves it, and seriously eats it every day. [She'd eat it for lunch and dinner if I let her.] Last Christmas, we got her some pretend food from Plan Toys, which included several slices of bread. While it was fun to play with, Paisley is still developing her imagination, so playing with tangible things is definitely preferred by her. Recently, we bought Riley some baby food in little glass jars. Whenever I feed one to Riley, I always knew I wanted to use them for something. Monday morning, it hit me! I could make them into jelly and peanut butter jars for Paisley to play with. I think if Riley wouldn't have been teething so much, I could've finished this project during one nap time. But as it all worked out, it took me part of two different nap times spread out over two days. It's seriously one of the most simple things I've ever done. Here is how to make your own:

First, gather your supplies:

felt (in various colors. I used light brown for peanut butter, dark purple for grape jelly, red for strawberry, and dark pink for raspberry)
scissors (paper and fabric; I don't have my paper scissors shown)
scrap paper (I also had a spare piece of construction paper not shown)
embroidery floss (in various colors that match your felt)
embroidery needle
pencil
pen (or marker, crayons, colored pencils or the like)
mod podge & foam brush
small jars (empty, clean, and with labels removed)
rubber bands

Directions: [These are so simple that I didn't even take step-by-step photos. And honestly, it would've taken just as long to make a new one, as it would to take photos of me making it.]

Use your pencil to make patterns on scrap paper. (I used the piece of construction paper, and made 2 patterns. One for the peanut butter and one for the jellies. I held them up to Paisley's "bread" to make sure that it fit correctly.) Cut out pattern.
Use the pattern to cut out 2 layers of each color of felt. (I cut out 4 layers of brown [peanut butter], 2 layers of red [strawberry], 2 layers of dark pink [raspberry], and 2 layers of dark purple [grape]. Which made 2 peanut butters and one of each of the jellies.)
Stitch felt layers together using matching embroidery floss and needle. Make sure the starting and ending knots are positioned between the two layers.
Measure and cut out paper for labels for the small, cleaned jars.
Using your pen, draw pictures on labels. (Or, for older children, you could write words, or have them decorate the labels.)
Apply a thin caot of mod podge with the foam brush to the back of the label. Affix the label to the jar.
Hold label on jar using the rubber bands until the mod podge has dried. Remove the rubber bands. (I used hair elastics to hold mine in place, because we don't have any rubber bands in the house.)
Put jellies and peanut butters in corresponding jars. Enjoy playing!

As always, if you have any questions, please leave them in comments or email me, and I will be sure to respond as best as I can. Also, if you would like to download the jpg of the directions that I wrote out, please click here.

A Little Trip

2011-08-15T09:44:00.000-04:00

Friday afternoon we all jumped in the car and drove up to Philadelphia for a super quick trip. We met Shauna and Stephen for a late dinner at Max Brenner's [we've been obsessed ever since New York]. After dinner we went to our hotel and slept. The next morning, we checked out, stopped by H&M to look for something [they didn't have it], and then went over to Shauna and Stephen's loft. Oh my goodness! Their loft is the prettiest thing I've ever seen, and definitely the prettiest home I've ever been in! We stayed for a few hours and talked. Stephen played games with Paisley [mostly him being caught in a cage without a key, I think] and Paisley and Riley loved their dog Dexter. Our trip up there was to buy two chairs and a mirror from them, which we did. Hopefully, I can give an updated dining room tour by the end of this week so you can see the chairs. On our way home, we stopped by Terrain at Styer's [but it was raining too hard for us to enjoy it]. And we also made a little stop at IKEA [Baltimore] to buy some picture frames. We got home in the late evening, and by the time we unloaded the car, and ate dinner it was time for the littles to get to bed. Steven and I watched an episode or two of The Tudors [we obsessed!] and went to bed too. I think the trip ended up being about 27 hours long, but we all had fun. Paisley told us that she wanted to stay in Philadelphia and never come home. She also asked Stephen and Shauna if the could make a bed for her in their loft. I think she likes them. ;) [She also asked for a tree house.]

[I think this is the only picture we took on our trip...Oops. Having too much fun I suppose.] Sorry about the little unexpected absence. It seems like I just get busier and busier. But little trips are fun and refreshing, especially when there are lovely friends involved.

Party Planning Update

2011-08-11T10:00:00.000-04:00

A little while ago, I shared the first phase of the birthday invitation I'm making for Paisley and Riley's birthday. Here is the second phase. I added some painted stars, and glued everything. We scanned it, and now I need to add text and print it out. Luckily we have a nice wide format printer, so I'll probably be printing them at home instead of paying a print shop to do them. I still need to figure out the text and details that need to be printed on the inside [like a date, and where it's going to be! Ha!] I have a general idea of what I want the rest to look like, but it may be a little while before I get around to finishing these invitations.

I made some rough drafts of games we want to play, and activities to do, for Paisley to try out and decide which ones are worth pursuing/spending money on. I still need to make a few more samples, and test out a new technique I heard about for their cake. Goodness, party planning is involved!