.Happy Six.



My newest and very pretty coffee table book

I'm off travelling for a few days for work. And I'm already missing my bed and my husband, but I'm sure I'll survive ;)

There's just something about travelling by yourself when your pregnant that makes me feel needy.

So in an effort to suck it up and change my mood around, here's six things that are currenltly making me pretty darn happy.

A big beautiful bowl of fresh red berries

Enjoying a little reading from my new book by Emily Schuman [a fav blog of mine, cupcakes and cashmere]

A little dinner room service

 

One of my planters that has survived the wicked rain storms we've been having



Old school grape licorice shoe-strings. Yum.

.Baby Things: Current Baby Favorites.

While I know that my baby is already beyond spoilt [in both 'love' and 'things'] and it's not even here yet. I cannot help myself. I find myself sitting in my half finished nursery and seriously just pulling out item after item and fiddling with it all. Little things are just too darn cute. 

It's weird. I can totally see my little one smiling up at me in that cute little sweater, playing with that ridiculously cute bus, or walking in those tiny adorable shoes. It's like he/she is already here. And already so awesome.

These are all on my radar and are currently my new favorite baby items for both a boy and girl. Not all practical, but certainly cool. And I think these are all slowly falling into the "need" list.

sweater | bus | train | converse | art print | blanket | backpack | bbq | robot | socks | sandals | green sweater

My pinterest account is overflowing in cool baby things, but I'm curious, what are you totally loving right now for your little one??

.Last Night.

Last night, Peter and I celebrated our 2 year anniversary. We decided to keep things low key this year, especially with us just getting back from our summer travels, a baby on the way, and well, with it falling on a tuesday, however it was still very special. It served as a nice reminder that sometimes the smallest jestures mean the most.

We shared personal love notes written to each other, dinned at [my now new favorite restaurant] the Red Ox Inn, shared some pinkberry yogurt for dessert, and reminisced about our favorite wedding memories. We also spoke about our dreams for the future and the type of parents we want to become, amongst sharing a bunch of kisses. It was really a beautiful night.

p.s we had the most unreal meals at the Red Ox Inn. I HIGHLY recommend going there if you live in Edmonton. For my main course, I had a vegetable lasagna [which was an unusual choice for me, but sooooo happy I went with it!] which was loaded with homemade pasta, spinach, sauteed mushrooms, bechemel sauce, carrot puree sauce, roasted cauliflower, brown butter ricotta cheese, parmesan baked topping and drizzled with truffle oil cream sauce. Pete had the most tender and delicious flank steak with a mushroom demi glaze sauce placed on top of a green onion cake.

Both where omg good. seriously. and you will need a reservation.

On another note my laptop screen got smashed up [insert very sad face here] so it'll be getting fixed for the next week or so. Please forgive the lack of quality pic's...it's going to be a work in progress till she's back in business.

.2 Years and A Letter To You, Husband.

Well, Babe. 2 Years. Happy Anniversary Sweetheart.
It doesn't surprise me one little bit just how happy I was when I woke up this morning and thought, Wow, I am one lucky girl to get the spend the rest of my life waking up next to you.
You make me so wonderfully happy in so many ways and I just can't tell you enough how much you mean to me. Just as I said in my wedding vows only 2 short years ago today, You are my Everything.
Can you believe 10 years ago, when we started dating, we'd be where we are now? It just blows my mind, in such a beautiful way.
And I can say with all honesty that I love you, Pistol Pete, now more than ever. We are building this beautiful little life together. A baby. A family. And it's the most wonderful feeling on earth.
You truly are my best friend.
And yes, we have definitely had our ups and downs and I'm sure we still will, that's marriage, but what makes everything just so darn cool is how we grow together and are moulding this special relationship that we get to call our own. Just ours.
I hope you know I will always need you, sweetheart. You are my anchor and my sail. You can make me laugh like no other. You can make me blush with a glance. You are my rock in times of hardship. You make me a better person.
And today of all days, I want to let you know that our marriage, our little growing family, you. That gets top priority. Always.
You are my top priority and I love you with all my heart. Today and everyday.

So cheers to you us sweetheart and to the many more wonderful, adventurous, challenging and loving years ahead of us. I cannot wait to grow old with you.

.Dad's Old Fashioned Chocolate Chip Oatmeal Cookies.

This weekend was pretty low key with Peter having to work a bunch of overtime and with me getting bigger and a little more uncomfortable by the day. But then again, I guess that's pretty much a given since all I am craving lately are the sweetest things possible. The typical cliche pregnant woman's cravings: Cake, Cookies, and Ice cream. All I'm missing at this point are some pickles. 

So while I am trying to curb some of the sweets, I am human and this week I caved. I indulged. I satisfied that sweet tooth that our baby seems to have and went for it. And one really stood out from the rest: Dad's [or actually grandma O's] Chocolate Chip Oatmeal Cookies. These not-too-sweet-melt-in-your-mouth goodness that I pretty much grew up on as a child. My dad would make these at any given moment [in fact, he still does!] and my sister and I would always help. It would be a reward for being good, doing well on a test, or maybe just because we'd asked him for them. But they were always delicious.
It could be the nostalgia that keeps me loving these cookies year after year, or it could be the fact that they just really are that good. So thanks dad for always supplying your girls with a tasty treat and spending the time to create some loving family memories with us.
Always tasty and never disappointing I hope my child grows up mixing the bowl just like I did.
Oh and one tip: don't forget the big glass of cold milk to dunk them in.

Dad's Old Fashioned Chocolate Chip Oatmeal Cookies

Ingredients:

1 cup Butter, room temperature

1 cup Brown Sugar
1/4 cup Boiling water
1 cup Flour
1/2 tsp Salt
1 tsp Baking Soda
1 [6 oz.] pkg Chocolate Chips [or try M&M's like I did above! yum!]
1/2 to 1 cup Coconut, optional [I've actually never added this, but I'm sure it'd be tasty!!]
3 cups Rolled Oats

Directions:

1] Preheat oven to 350 degrees C.
2] Mix butter and brown sugar together. Add boiling water and mix.
3] Add flour, salt and baking soda. Mix well.
4] Add chocolate chips [or M&M's] and coconut [if using]. Add rolled oats. Mix well.
6] Drop by teaspoon onto a greased cookie sheet and flatten with a fork. Bake 8 to 12 minutes.
7] Serve with a cold glass of milk and enjoy!!

.Safari Bling.

no.1 | no.2 | no.3 | no.4 | no.5 | no.6 | no.7 | no.8

This season I've been noticing [and loving] all the jungle animal influences showing up in accessories. Especially in jewellery!

Perfect for a touch of sophisticated class, but with an edge. These bangles also look great layered with multiple bracelets for times when your outfit requires a little 'something'. Trust me, even if these are a little wild for your taste-buds, try one of them mixed in with a few classic gold or silver thin bangles and it'll make your wrist 'pop'.

Here are my top must have picks for this fall season. 

.how to: my wavy natural curls.

Since I have really long straight hair I've been asked time and time again how I get my natural-looking wavy hair curls and I always answer the exact same way, "Oh geez, it's ridiculously easy" and I'm not lying. It really is.

So here is my embarrassingly simple way I get my hair to have the look of those somewhat beachy, natural-looking soft waves that everyone seems to be sporting these days. An easy way to look polished without a lot of fuss. 

Also, this is basically the base curls I sport before attempting any other hair style, so nail this down and you'll be laughing your way to hair heaven. Seriously, I have a million other hair styles I can show you after you get some of these curls.

So to my friend Morgan [who has been asking me forever] and although the video quality isn't great, this is for you. xo

.In Love With Jean Shorts.

Shirt: Maternity Asos | Shorts: Maternity Topshop | Sandals: Aldo | Necklace: Stella & Dot

My most coveted summer clothing piece thus far has turned out to be these jean shorts.

A little ratty and ripped, but possibly the most comfy thing to throw on in the heat.

I either dress them up slightly [as seen in these pictures] with a billowy shirt and a statement necklace or down with an v-necked tee and a hand-full of layered necklaces, which for a pregnant lady, makes them one hell of a versatile item in my currently limited summer wardrobe.

You should really get a pair and see what I mean.

.Nursery: Painted.

Before we left for Europe I was hounding my poor husband to complete a couple 'Honey-do' things on my baby list. This included painting the nursery. The only problem was, I didn't have a paint color nailed down yet. I knew I wanted a neutral color, something that could be easily mixed with other fun pops-of-color for when our little bundle arrives, but something not too boring. And I wanted it to be calming and warm.

And since I couldn't nail down the color that I wanted before we left, he made me promise to stop bugging him till after we got back. Which gave me another month to think about what color I wanted to go with. So I took my time choosing and in the end a classic light grey won out. CIL's Barley Beige to be exact.

It's a soft, bluish-beige grey that will blend perfectly with the other pop colors that I am thinking about using once we know it's a boy or girl. I also love the clean and calm feeling it gives me the minute I enter the room. Very warm and inviting [although, the shade is slightly off in these photos].

And I have to give the man credit. He was true to his word and the week we got back he tackled the nursery. Painted the entire thing. Even put together our new dresser [above].

Next up for him...hanging baby's new light fixture, putting together the bookcase, swapping out the dresser's knobs and installing some shelves.

Next up for me...nailing down my color palette, painting some polka dots, organizing the closet, dresser, and bookcase and choosing fabrics for crib bedding and fun accessories [anyone out there know where I can order any cool modern fabrics?]

Geez, baby is really coming up fast!

.If we have a Boy.

Yesterday I wasn't feeling the best. My first case of being ill since getting pregnant and it wasn't fun.

In the upside of it all, I found out how adorable my husband can be.

Peter was so great with pampering and caring for me that I almost enjoyed my sunday. 

And I just have to say, 'if our little babe turns out to be a Boy and is anything like his father, I am one lucky girl'. And double bonus if he is even half as handsome.

Love you Husband of mine. Thanks for marrying me.

And please don't be embarrassed by this post. You really are one handsome dude.

xo

.Baby Things: Pj's + Onesies.

no 1 | no 2 | no 3 | no 4 | no 5 | no 6 | no 7 | no 8 | no 9 | no 10 | no 11

Just a few of my most favorite sleepers and onesies that I've picked up and that baby t will be sporting in October.
I tried to stay on the gender neutral side of things however these are slightly more on the 'boy scale' as it's easier to dress girls in boys clothes and not the other way around, but cute none-the-less.

And hasn't littlest treb got quite the pile of adorable wee goodies already?

I certainly think so :)

.Stella & Dot: Fall 2012.

Windsor Tassel Necklace

As per each new season, Stella & Dot has just released their new Fall 2012 line and a few of these pieces have me drooling.

I cannot wait for my order to arrive and I'm sure you'll see me sporting a few new items non-stop.

 Demi Layering Necklace + La Folie Necklace in green

Love these in both colors! Gigi Studs.

Secret Garden Cluster Necklace [Fyi: looks great doubled with the Hematite Chain Necklace]

Gitane Tassel Necklace in silver or gold. Can be worn 3 Ways!

Lillith Fringe Earrings + Starstuck Ring

[And because I have to do a little pitch...but also because I really do have some free goodies for you!]

Please remember that as a stylist I am more than happy to place any order for you and I always enter anyone who does make an order into a free gift draw each month, just because!

Also, if you book an actual party you get to choose a free gift right then and there just for the trouble of gathering your friends and having me host AND that's along with all the FREE JEWELRY and 50% credits you get as well!!!

.At 27 Weeks.

Dress: Mango {similar} | Shoes: Nine West | Necklaces: Stella & Dot 1 & 2 | Earrings: Anthropologie {similar} | Bracelets: Stella & Dot

at twenty-seven weeks:

::i am simply loving every single little punch, roll, kick and elbow.

::babe certainly likes chocolate. i can't get enough of the stuff. cake. cookies. bars. yum.

::i'm going through my first heat wave [minus greece] and it kinda sucks. wishing i had some ac.

::i'm craving my husband's breakfast concoction of greek yogurt, maple syrup and fresh raspberries + blueberries. and as said above - chocolate cake.

::i can't wait to see what this little one will be. girl or boy. doesn't really matter, i'm just dying to know.

::i'm thinking that i may just live in soft breezy maxi dresses for the rest of my life. guess that's one good thing about this heat wave. 

::i'm missing having my husband all to myself a little [a lot], but it's nice being back to normal life.

::i've been indulging in magical and much needed afternoon siesta's. 4 pm hits and this girl is out.
::people are starting to finally ask about my baby. i think everyone was scared that i may just be a little chubby girl, rather than preggers. so that's been kinda fun.

::i've been fully enjoying this new found belly-shelf that travels with me everywhere. perfect for little cups of tea. and iced caps. or cheese. or chocolate. just any food in general.

::am absolutely loving this little bit of a tan I've got going on.
::i'm feeling wonderful. dare i say it, but i think pregnancy sort of suits me.
::baby is growing like a weed now. and apparently it's going to be a tall babe with long legs and big feet. just like daddy.

And for those of you who don't think in terms of weeks....I'm almost 7 months along with only 3 more months to go! Yippee!

.Battling the Heat.

They say that pregnant women can feel the heat more than non-preggers. About 10 degrees more apparently. Now, I don't know about that, but I can certainly tell you that it is HOT out there.

HOT!

But I don't mind too much. Give me a fan and I'm just fine.

So how are you all managing the heat?

Here's my tricks on battling the sun while at home.

images: fan | popsicles | kiddie pool | sunglasses | sunscreen | hose | sandals | bathing suits | fedora

And when all else fails.....You could try stripping down bare and just sitting in front of the fan like a puppy dog. I may or may not have been caught doing that yesterday ;)

Or get an air conditioner.

.London, England.

big ben

The last stop on our little adventure. And I didn't know if I was happy or sad about it.....or perhaps a little of both. Kind of a bittersweet feeling if you know what I mean; Excited your heading home, but sad to have it all end.

But I was ready. It was the perfect trip and I was craving a little downtime in my own bed. Not to mention, I missed my family.

We were gone a total of 26 days from start to finish and while we were away the trip was perfectly paced, without feeling rushed, but then when I look back I can't believe we had just gone through almost an entire month! So again, a bit of a bittersweet moment.

However, this is about London.
Beautiful history-filled London.

We spent the first night we arrived visiting a new friend of ours, Rhian, who lives there. We unfortunately didn't take any pictures that night [silly us. I know you're all shocked...no pic's!] so trust me in saying she assisted us greatly in navigating the underground subway system and city. We also shared quite a few laughs, so Rhian, if you're reading this, "Thanks Lady".

The next day was filled with as much sight-seeing as we could manage. We visited the London Eye; Strolled past Big Ben; Posed in front of Westminster Abbey; Shopped at Oxford Circus; Checked out Buckingham Palace; And got stuck in a quick rainstorm. Oh, we also watched a little of the England vs. Italy Euro quarter finals soccer match playing that night. 

So I'd say in one day we really got the total English package. Rain and Soccer.

london eye + big ben + pistol pete

westminster Abbey

westminster abbey

westminster abbey

buckingham palace

Till next time Europe, xo.
[And just in case you missed any, here's a recap of our adventure: Edinburgh; Dublin; Oswestry; Manchester; Santorini; Athens; Nice; Paris; and London]