Don't mind if I do!

It's been too hot to bake. 

And before this blasted Los Angeles muggy heat moved in, I was on a strict no sweets diet plan.  The three weeks since Ivy's birth I've been able to indulge my sweet tooth with ice cream and limeades and fruit any time I want.  (Ha!  Take that, pregnancy related insulin resistance!)

Today has cooled a bit.  Not enough to swelter in our apartment with an oven on, but cooled enough for me to plan some future desserts (found via Pinterest) to stuff my face with.

What's your vote?

{Caramel Apple Cheesecake Bars via The Girl Who Ate Everything}

{Cinnamon Roll Pancakes via Recipe Girl}

{Oreo Stuffed Chocolate Chip Cookies via Very Culinary originally from Picky Palate}

{Salted Caramel Chocolate Shortbread via With a Side of Sneakers}

{Strawberry Cream Pie via Sweet Fine Day}

Monday Motivators

This is my day.

 

But now that both (BOTH!!!) kids are napping soundly, the AC is cranked to high, I have a chilled diet coke by my side, I can focus on a few writing projects and other creative endeavors I've been procrastinating.  (I'm not talking to you, laundry.)

Although, I really should be napping too.

In other Monday news, how awesome is this stuff?!
David Bowie's "Space Oddity"
Make your own oilcloth fabric
Broken glasses, schmoken glasses.  Oh, how I wish this ring wasn't sold out.
JGL

Monday Motivators

Miller's kissing Ivy's arms as I type.
He sticks his tongue out every time and mimics a loud kissing sound.
She flails her arms and continues to snooze in the afternoon sun.

Evan's only days away from the new school year.
Days away from a new and valuable position.
I'm days away from anxiety with how to leave the house, climb a flight of stairs, and attempt to run errands/ play/ experience life outside these apartment walls with two extra arms to wrangle.
Don't even get me thinking about how I'm taking Heidi for a walk in the mornings...

I'm taking deep breaths.
I'm listening to Miller say the word "sithster".
I'm indulging in the last few precious days of our summer.
And I'm smiling.

Fall is, afterall, my most favorite season. 

Sweet, sweet thank yous

It's rather tough to get anything productive done around here when all I want to do is snuggle up with the kids, my pillow, or a crispy cold diet coke.

{Honestly, how cute are these two?  And by cute, I also mean very demanding of my time. :)}

Needless to say, among many other tasks, I still have a few thank yous to send out from birthdays last month, my sprinkling a few weeks ago and tons of other recent gestures from friends and family that we are definitely grateful for. 

I have been meaning to share one thank you I'm quite fond of that I managed to get done on time for the gals that threw my recent shower.

The weeks before the shower, I searched local thrift stores for unique planters that matched each of the four ladies' personalities.  Even though I was only looking for four, it still took a little patience searching a few different spots.  I'm glad I waited to find just the right piece. 

Loaded with some jade ("lucky plants" or "friendship trees") and a quick note of thanks, I made sure those four ladies knew how much I appreciated the efforts they made to make me and not yet born, Ivy, feel truly celebrated. 

She fits perfectly.

We can already tell she has big dreams for her little life.

Monday Motivators

When reading to one turns into reading to two...

I'm still on a bit of an internet diet while I adjust to our newest family member, but I promise to have more frequent posts very very soon...

Guess who's here?

World, meet Ivy.
Ivy, meet the world.

She cried.
We cried.
And we love her.
Immediately.

Monday Motivators

No amount of nesting, book reading, class taking, friend advising or documentary watching could have prepared me for those first few seconds after Miller's birth.

He cried.  I cried.  Evan cried.
Miller wasn't a future dream.
He wasn't a close friend or family member's new addition.
He wasn't an abstract idea.

Miller was ours.
And he was real.
And we loved him.
Immediately.

In one week we'll be at this moment again.
No amount of nesting, book reading, class taking, friend advising, documentary watching, or even memory recalling can prepare me for it.

{Soaking in the last few days as a family of three}

{Loving Miller even during a temper tantrum}

Sprinkling

I may not have captured as many photographs as I would have liked.
I may not have been able to eat any of the delicious looking sweets.

But I did soak in and appreciate every second such wonderful, caring, inspiring and lovely women spent doting on the newest lady in our lives.

(And like I mentioned last week, I sure appreciated an excuse to finally wear that killer sequined dress.) 

Seven more days (or hopefully less?) and I'll finally be able to celebrate her in person...

{Posing}

{Giggling, Diaper Cake, Tempting Candlelit Sweets}

{Proud Grandmas, Default Camera Face}

Keep your head in the clouds

I'm a dreamer.  It took me years to take ownership of that and not feel faulted by it. 
I'll take as many years as I need to to make sure my kids take ownership of it too.

I'm hoping this mobile I just finished for the little gal is a constant reminder for her to always keep looking up and allow herself to be defined as a dreamer too.

{I traced and cut 2 layers of felt with cardstock cloud shapes, wrapped the inside of an embroidery hoop with yarn, and blanket stitched and stuffed the felt layers.}

{Hung the clouds to the hoop with white thread and criss-crossed clear thread at the top of the hoop to center balance the mobile to the ceiling.}

{Floating in the late afternoon sun*}

*Pink photo series above the crib are the 5x5 versions of these from the beautiful etsy shop of one of my favorite blogs Little Brown Pen.  The photo above doesn't even do them justice.  The chunk of drywall missing under the last picture on the right doesn't do them justice either.  :)

Monday Motivators

8 years tomorrow.  what a couple of kids we were.  2922 days behind us.  millions more ahead.  what are you most proud of this week?

i'm curled up on the couch waiting to watch the bachelorette finale!  finally an end to this trainwreck.  are you watching it too??? 

except for washing a load of blankets and a good ol' car detail, i'd say our little family is beyond ready to meet its newest member.  2 weeks from today or sooner?  what's your guess?

waking up earlier than i'd like can be tough.  waking up to "wook it, mommy"  or "kisth me, mommy" is not.  what makes your early morning risings easier?

9 months preggers and i finally decided to rock the vintage sequined tube top dress that's been waiting patiently in my closet for about 8 years.  my watermelon belly only made it that much more bad ass.  what have you bad ass-y rocked lately? 

have you seen these pictures???  not only do they cause me to lust after a beachy swimming retreat, but i desperately want an underwater camera shell ASAP!  what have you seen lately that's wanderlusting you and/or you're ready to drop some serious cash on?

my good pal julie's getting married.  no further explanations needed to feel uber excited for that one.
 
speaking of good pal's though, sequined tube topped dress was rocked for a lovely LOVELY mini shower some of my besties threw for me this weekend.  i am still glowing from feeling so celebrated.  pictures and details to be posted soon.  what has you glowing this week?

and best of all- dinosaurs.