Pregnancy faves

During my pregnancy with Michael I took weekly belly shots, wrote letters to him here on the blog, wrote things down in my pregnancy book, and worked on Michael's baby book. Things are obviously different this time around. But over the last couple of weeks, I've been feeling the need to document a little bit more before our babe arrives and the two pregnancies permanently run together in my mind. (Documenting and nesting. That's all I seem to want to do these days. And eating ice cream.)

If I had written a 'pregnancy faves' post when I was pregnant with Michael the picture at the top would have looked so different. There would be a big deli sandwich, hot thai food, bagels with cream cheese, a dog leash and a picture of Ella's face, big comfy scrubs for work, my long coat that fit over my belly until the very end, and my favorite maternity cords that I wore out the winter I carried Michael. That pregnancy was all about comfort food and being cozy. This time cool and refreshing is what I crave. Here are a few of my favorites:

1 Tracy Anderson's pregnancy workouts - tailored to each month, they're effective and fun
2 Curel lotion - it's not glamorous, but it's inexpensive and it took good care of my skin the first time around!
3 Rosebud salve - my lips always seem to be dry when I'm pregnant and this heals them up fast
4 Iced tea - sweet and cold, even better when enjoyed on the front porch
5 Fudgesicles - the yummiest way I know to handle my mad sweet cravings
6 Peaches and strawberries - I can't get enough
7 iPregnancy - my favorite app for weekly pictures and info, storing information related to doctor visits, and counting down (63 days until due day!)
8 Old Navy maternity tanks - again, not glamorous, but they fit great and the price is right (I live in mine)

by mtchristi on Polyvore

I'm in love with these boots for Michael. Found a similar pair in his size here. 

If I had one of these sparkly babies I would wear it every single day this fall.

Just when I thought caramel apples couldn't get any better!

These photos of the starry western sky have me dying to get out in the crisp air.

The colors of fall. Can't you just smell those leaves?

Faves

These globes look so beautiful grouped together.

I'm always looking for new versions of the classic s'more.
A couple of reeeaaally good ones here and here.

The older I get, the more I love an indoor tent. This one is simple and so sweet.

And an easy mini party tent! See? Aren't tents the best?

The only thing better than an indoor tent - pretty indoor butterflies.

This coat. Now that we live in Houston I'm pretty sure I'll never need to wear a coat again,
but I can love it from afar.

Some of the prettiest fabrics I've seen in a long time.

Faves

via

My number one fave this week? The summer Olympics! 

Every night we settle in on the couch with snacks and get totally into the competitions. It's so fun!

(A fave within a fave: our ladies gymnastics team. How cute are they?! They make me proud!) 

A super cute baby announcement from a super cute blog.

My new friend Erica featured me on her blog which was awesome (thanks Erica!), 

but I love her post about forgiveness even more.

Wise (and funny!) advice about careers and blogging from the great Joanna.

 Minted has the cutest moving announcements. Can you guess which one we're getting?

Cheeky inflated/deflated balloons. A good friend of mine took this idea in another direction for her husband's birthday - she sent a ballon to each of his friends, asked them to write a birthday message, and then deflate the balloon and send it back. She inflated them all again for his birthday. Cool, right?

Instagram photostrips!

And a colorful reminder of what it's all about. 

(I'm using it as the wallpaper on my phone!)

~ linking up with lowercase letters, and covered in grace ~

Faves

Good morning, friends! I've got some awesome faves to share with you today:

I'm in love with this little print. So dreamy and perfect for Michael's room.

Drop cloth curtains - they're inexpensive and surprisingly pretty! 

I'll be putting this idea to work as soon as we get into our new house! 

Free online university courses spotted on little brown pen. 

This kind of makes my inner nerd go wild with excitement!

I'd love to renew my vows with Tim someday. 

Beautiful inspiration found here, here, and here.

Journey journal spotted on Design Mom. 

It would make a really cute moving announcement, wouldn't it?

Have a lovely day! xoxo

~ linking up with lowercase letters, bits of splendor, and covered in grace ~

This morning

...I'm having a hard time finding the motivation to get things done. The long weekend is behind us, I am without a car today and we'll be staying put, so nothing seems too urgent. While Michael naps I'm having a second cup of coffee, catching up on some blog reading, and reveling in all the inspiration.

I'm a big fan of Hip Paris. These two recent posts (Kid-friendly travel and What to do with one month in Paris) have me longing to get back to the City of Light. (We don't have a trip planned, but I have already spent way too much time picking out which apartment we will rent from Haven in Paris.)

And, speaking of Paris, check out these adorable party animals that Jordan made for her son's birthday celebration. Just too cute!

And, speaking of birthday celebrations, it's only 52 days until Michael's first birthday party! (I may or may not have downloaded a countdown app just for this occasion.) I'm working on making one of these for him to wear on his special day. Spiffy, but not too spiffy to get cake and frosting all over it :)

And, speaking of special days, this post by Kelle made my heart swell. I just love how all of her posts are woven from beauty and sincerity. Every one of them is pure goodness.

And, speaking of goodness, here are a few pictures from our long weekend. 

Michael and I had lunch with a friend on Friday and then we took a walk outside. 

It was cold, but he didn't mind.

Wrestling with his Daddy and Mozart.

Who's stalking who?

After church and an afternoon with our small group we went to the market 

and stocked up on lots of yummy food...

...which I dipped in chocolate.

My favorite shot of the weekend.

These guys love their music :)

I hope your week is off to a fantastic start! xoxo

Faves

Hello and happy Friday! I'm in an extra good mood this Friday because my parents are on their way here to spend a week with us! At the Cape!! 

Summertime at the beach with family. Three of my favorite things - my head may explode with happiness. So before we take off, here are a few faves from the last week. 

One stylish (and fearless!) mom shares her photos of traveling around Europe with her three kids. Tim and I are already wondering how soon we can whisk Michael off to the old country - these gorgeous photos make me want to go sooner than later!

Walnut iPad case from substrata spotted on design*sponge.

Kind of pricey, and heavy I'm sure, 

but that wood is just gorgeous!

Such a refreshing change from all of our shiny black gadgets.

Turkish bath towels from ashblue. 

I'd love to have the orange one.

And finally, an inspired nursery for a little cowboy.

Have a great weekend! xoxo

Faves

Hello and happy Friday!! Just a few of my favorite things spotted this week:

What to wear in Paris. In my experience, these suggestions are right on. (Jordan should know - she and her family are currently living in Paris for a year! Read about her life abroad here.)

image via oh happy day

Cute prints for the nursery.
(And how amazing would it be if they worked?!)

Simple, stylish wooden toys. No batteries required.

A kit for creating your own family tree 

- with fingerprints!!

I got on instagram this week. What a cool app! 

As you can see, Michael and I are having fun with it.

Have a beautiful weekend!! xoxo

Design Mom

Have I mentioned lately how much I love this blog and Gabrielle Blair the woman who writes it? (I'm not the only one - Design Mom was recently named by Time magazine as one of the top websites of 2010. Design Mom is just one of several blogs to which she contributes.) I loved it even before I knew I was going to be a mother, and now that I am one I am more and more impressed. The blog is consistently full of great thoughts and advice about pregnancy, motherhood, family, and style. Gabrielle and her husband have six children (!) and it's obvious how much they enjoy their big family - they are currently living abroad in France for a year and fully embracing the french way of life! So refreshing and so cool! I just love this family photo (taken before baby #6). To me it's so representative of Gabrielle and her creative flair!

Blair family via Design Mom

Faves

Good morning! It's been a while, but here are some recent favorite things from around the interwebs. Hope they bring you a bit of inspiration, or at least bring a smile to your face!

Bibs made from old t-shirts - genius! (I have got to learn to sew...)

Best workspace EVER via black eiffel

A gorgeous country wedding where the bride carried strawberries in her bouquet (and that dress!) via you are my fave

Cute ideas for a baby shower spotted on oh happy day

Adorable forest creatures from eve's little earthlings spotted on unruly little things

Even though the next season is delayed until 2012, Mad Men will always be one of my faves - sigh

Christmastimey Faves

Hello out there! I hope your week was just crazy enough to fully appreciate the upcoming weekend. We had more than our share of crazy and we plan to eat, sleep, bake, stay in, wrap some presents and just enjoy the season. (We may even get some snow!) 

Happy weekend to you - enjoy!! xoxo

winter wonderland cupcakes via creature comforts

sparkly ornaments via you are my fave

tiny snow-covered gingerbread houses via not martha

wreath via living etc

Faves

Glitter! For food! The best thing since regular glitter! Spotted on oh happy day.

Clothes for a little man - so cute it makes my heart hurt.

Happy, homey christmas cards.

And, just in time, one of the best gift guides I've ever seen with cool/funny/thoughtful choices in all price ranges. Here's a sample:

Faves

It's been a long, long day - a perfect time to post a few of my recent faves. I hope they bring you a smile! xoxo

I'm always on the lookout for a good app, and I love this one called Post from Gadabout. With templates for birthday parties, seasonal events, and stationery for notes it's perfect for sending online invitations or messages with a bit of flair. (I'm partial to the girl in the orange dress - so cute!) It's a deal for $.99 - and the blog is pretty fantastic too!

How fun are these polaroid coasters?! They'd make such a cool gift.

And Robert Redford and Paul Newman - just because :)

A few faves

Happy Friday out there!!! xoxo

i suwanee

maandag via orange beautiful

our shop

Funves

Hello out there! I am so excited about this collection of faves - in addition to being beautiful, they're all just so fun. Hope you enjoy them as much as I do! xoxo

I loved Barbies as a girl. Not the actual playing of Barbies, but rather the designing of their homes, weddings, outfits, occasional sewing of linens and clothes, etc. Although I had the coolest, custom-made Barbie house around (thanks to your creativity Mom and Dad!), there's still a little girl inside me that wants this one. It would look so good with the red Ferrari parked in the driveway...

Love that orange sectional! Spotted on design mom.

Can't wait to make these chocolate pudding cups from bakerella. What a fun project, and such a pretty (and yummy) result!

Always fits, a site with fun, quirky gift ideas that always fit. I like their state pillows which come in a variety of colors and are personalized with a heart in the place of your choice. (Would be a fun DIY project, right?)

New tiles from dwell, spotted on oh joy. I am dying they're all so gorgeous!

This site gets the gold, though, because my favorite thing of all is when information is beautiful. Graphs and maps and bright colors, oh my...

(click images to enlarge)