Signs of Spring at Target!

As I am nearing the end of my pregnancy and spring like days are starting to pop up... I am finding it increasingly more difficult to get dressed in the mornings. Most of my maternity clothes are fall/ winter with lots of black and gray. I really want to buy a few bright new things to carry me into Spring, but I don't want to purchase any more maternity wear.

Lately I have utilized wearing many of my old dresses as shirts to increase my options. Then it occurred to me that I can do the same thing with new dresses... DING DING DING! Although, they may have to be paired with leggings for a while. =) Here are a few of the dresses that I am loving from Target.

I'm not sure how this sunny yellow will look on me in person, but it is definitely going to be ordered to find out! Sadly this emerald green dress is sold out online, but I will be watching for it to return! I am loving, LOVING emerald green everything right now. This dress comes in a berry color that I could not find a photo for, it is also in my shopping cart =) I really hope Brad doesn't read this post!

And this is the maternity version of this particular dress, but it also comes in regular and lots of pretty colors. Yes please!

Random Photos and Thoughts

1. My master bathroom needs help. Particularly this little corner. Excuse the dark phone photo. We hung the lantern that used to be over our kitchen table over it the other day, and it helped with the bare/ dark look, but it still needs a lot. I am thinking of dressing up the roman shades and maybe adding a cornice board? Thoughts? Other opinions? (just keeping it real with the baby shampoo and unfolded towels)2. This little man will be 2 in less than 3 weeks. My where have the last 2 years gone? I had no idea that having a baby would put so much joy and humor into our lives. He keeps us laughing all the time. The personality and the things that this child says just blow my mind sometimes. Lately he has clung to the words that he shouldn't be repeating. We have had to clean up our act, especially when telling our dog Ike that he is a P.I.T.A (pain in the...) For a toddler that has a problem making "s" sounds... he says "ass" just fine!

He is having a dump truck party, because he is currently obsessed with all things dirt/ tractor/ truck related. He also likes having a beard like his dad.

3. Speaking of the P.I.T.A. Ike, (the dog formerly introduced as "Riggs") is getting huge. We changed his name, Keating couldnt say Riggs and Ike just fit him better. Initially we thought he was a very lethargic puppy, but after being diagnosed with worms, eww, and going through treatment, he has been in rare form. He really leads a rough life as you can tell. He has been very stubborn when it comes to house training, but is getting much better. Having our fence in the back yard has really helped. Lola now likes him about 10% of the time, which is an improvement from despising him. He and Keating love running around the yard together, I know they will be best friends.

4. It became quickly evident that Keating was ready for a big bed after I caught him doing this. He never actually made the jump, but he could have had he not been stopped. He had gotten to the point that he wasn't sleeping great in the crib, and luckily moving him into a big bed solved this problem. I think he just needed more room. What is even better is we kicked Lola out of our room and she now sleeps with him. Its a win win! Keating thinks its great that Lola will sleep on his bed, we think its great that we dont have a snoring Boston Terrier keeping us up all hours of the night.

5. I have three fabrics that I love for Archer's nursery, and sadly they dont all go together like I had hoped. As Tim Gunn would say "Candace, you need to edit." The fabric on the right is going to be for the drapes. I have been eyeing this at my local fabric store for some time, and yesterday I found it for less than $7 a yard. Online it is normally $20! I still adore this Serena and Lily houndstooth print, which isnt as yellow as my iphone/ instagram makes it look. We also don't have orange carpet. The fabric at the bottom is probably one I could do without if needed. I bought it simply for the color combination.

My course of action is to get the drapes made/ hung first, and then slowly add in the other patterns to see how they work together.

Besides being super excited about my weekly dose of vampire love with Vampire Diaries tonight, that is about all I have going on this Thursday. I would love your thoughts on my decorating dilemmas!

Pom Pom Dish Towel

This is a project that I have had in my head since Christmas and I finally got around to completing it... and now blogging about it. Two big steps for me! 1. Because I have a million half finished projects sitting around my house (ask my husband), and 2. because I never get around to posting instructions for anything I make. There is a first time for everything I suppose! This is a great & quick project and would make a cute gift if you were in a pinch.

I first got the idea when I received a hand towel similar to this as a hostess gift. It sat pretty in my kitchen until all of the Christmas decor came down, and I knew I needed to figure out how to make another one. I went through a little trial and error and came upon the way that worked best for me. I also made it absorbent with a towel backing. I hope you enjoy! If you happen to make one please share the result, I would love to see!

My #1 helper and his zoo of animals had fun helping too.

Supplies:

Scrap fabric -I think I used around 1/2 yard it depends more upon the size towel you use.

Bar towels - I got a two pack at Wal-mart for around $2

Pom Pom Fringe - 1 yard

Press fabric and towels and cut fabric size to match towels.

Trim off all corners of towels

With right sides together - Using a .25 inch seam allowance, sew together all edges except for the bottom - leave it open

Turn towel right side out and press.

Fold under/ in the bottom edge of fabric and towel about a .5 inch and press flat.

(I forgot to take photos of this step) Place pom pom fringe inside open edge and pin shut. Using a .25 seam allowance sew the bottom side shut. When you reach the edge, turn and continue seam around the rest of the towel to finish.

And Voila! A quick and easy dish towel!

I love the lemon pattern, but any fabric would be great. The pom pom fringe makes it extra fun!

These could also make a great absorbent burp cloth with a smaller trim or leaving it off completely.

The great thing about them is that they are pretty, but also functional because of the towel backing.

If there are any holes in my instructions or any confusion, please ask away. Please remember I am new at this whole tutorial thing! =)

26 Weeks

26 Weeks!

For comparison sake, here I am at 26 weeks with Keating

How far along? 26 weeks! 97 days to go!

Total weight gain: 11 lbs as of my appointment last week, so I'm guessing 12 now?

Maternity clothes? Some, most work clothes are, casual clothes are a mix. I am getting away with longer shirts/ dresses and leggings. I'm starting to remember why I hated maternity pants... because they never stay up and leave you with a saggy butt. I avoid them when possible.

Stretch marks? negative

Sleep: Pretty good despite the constant dance party in my belly!

Best moment this week: This is my last week in 2nd trimester. I can't believe how fast this is flying by! Also, picking out things for Archer's room and starting on a few projects. On a fun note, his little eyelashes are forming this week. Praying for long ones like his brothers!

Miss Anything? I would kill for a giant plate of Ahi Tuna.

Movement: He's kicking as I type. He gets especially active when I hold Keating. Could sibling rivalry be starting already?

Food cravings: Eggs cooked any way, Key lime pie greek yogurt, cherry coke, and orange juice mixed with ginger ale... a faux mimosa if you will...

Food aversions: none

Gender: Boy!!

Labor Signs: none thank goodness. I'm not ready at all!

Symptoms: Besides a big 'ol belly and round ligament pain, not much

Belly Button in or out? Sadly its been out for a long time. I tape it down with athletic tape! True story.

Wedding rings on or off? On. I think my hands actually shrink during pregnancy

Looking forward to: Third trimester and finishing this pain staking baby blanket I have been working on. Archer better LOVE it! =)

Here's a little comparison from week 24. I think I have popped out a good bit since then. My employees are starting to get brave and ask when I am due. Up until now I guess they just thought I was getting fat!

And because I haven't posted any photos of this stinker in awhile... Here is his new "CHEESE" face.

Here come's the sun

I can't tell you how glad I am to see the sun in the weekend forecast, even if it is a freezing 42 degrees here today in Atlanta with snow flurries. After nearly two weeks of rain, I'll take what I can get! Our house has been a mess lately. A cooped up puppy and toddler tracking in mud is not a pretty thing. The other day I ran into Wal-Mart for groceries and I spotted these great rain boots for Keating. Believe it or not, I had been looking for plain rainboots for him for some time. I didn't want any crazy googly eyes or spider-man on them... just old fashioned rain boots. I couldn't have found these at a better time with our back yard currently looking like a swamp. They were also on clearance! He is quite the fan of his new rain boots, and so is his mom since we can just hose them off!

I know I have mentioned it here in the past, but I have a love for seasonal candy. Candy corn at halloween, anything peppermint at Christmas, and these lovelies around valentines day! They are currently on the store shelves and I may or may not have nearly eaten an entire bag. I think they're so good, even though most of the population thinks they taste like chalk!

Speaking of Valentine's day, on February 13th Keating will be 2 years old!! He was the best Valentine's gift I could have ever gotten. This year I decided to throw him a real birthday party, now that we are in our own house. I hope the weather cooperates since the weekend he was born we had a snow/ ice storm and barely made it to the hospital.

And speaking of babies, I found what I thought was coordinating fabrics to go with the Serena and Lily lime green houndstooth fabric I bought for Archer's crib sheets. Sadly the three prints really clash when next to each other. I'm hoping to use them as accents in the room, but not the main focal point. I am currently working on a baby blanket out of the bottom fabric. I can't wait to finish it up this weekend!

I'm thinking it is time to switch Keating to a big boy bed. He has learned to climb into his crib, and it is only a matter of time before he isn't too afraid to climb out. Hopefully it is an easy adjustment. Does anyone have any pointers?

I plan to do his bed in simple bedding with this fabric as an accent. He loves trucks and this happens to match a lot of the existing things in his room. This weekend's tentative agenda includes

-finish painting entry way shelf now that it isn't raining

-hang entry way shelf

-hang more photos/ art in the house (our walls are looking quite bare)

-finish Archer's baby blanket

-find bedding for Keating's big boy bed.

Hopefully I can squeeze all of this in!!! I'm probably taking on way more than I can accomplish, but it helps to have a list. Do you have a productive weekend planned?

Successful/ Unsuccessful Pins

Pinterest has really taken the internet by storm. Seriously what did I do when I waited in the Dr's office or a long check out line before I could scroll through lists of pretty pinned items and ideas?? I used to have a folder saved on my computer of saved photos that I wanted for future keeping. Pinterest has one-upped that with a link back to the original source and a way to share them with others. Why didnt I think of that?!

Here are a few of the Pins that I have tried lately.

Source: handletheheat.com via Candace on Pinterest

I made this baked potato soup a few weeks ago. I liked it, but Brad didn't. He's more of a meat and potatoes kind of guy, not a soup man... I doubled the recipe because the original wouldn't feed a bird.

Source: homemadeserenity.blogspot.com via Candace on Pinterest

This really works! I have a jar of onions regrowing on my kitchen window!

Source: quick-dish.tablespoon.com via Candace on Pinterest

We made this for Christmas morning brunch. It was GREAT! I swapped out the milk for Egg nog to make it festive, and I splurged on the real maple syrup. YUM!

Source: aestheticnest.com via Candace on Pinterest

I am currently working on a variation of this blanket for the nursery. It is taking MUCH longer than I anticipated. Hopefully it will be worth it!

Source: mrsregueiro.com via Candace on Pinterest

We had these for dinner a few weeks ago. They were really fast and very good. I kept the buffalo sauce on the side so that Keating could have them too.

Source: nikinikinine.blogspot.com via Candace on Pinterest

I loved the idea of the trim on these curtains so much, I added black trim to my living room curtains. Kind of wishing I had gone with a bolder color now...

Source: cookiesandcups.blogspot.com via Candace on Pinterest

This is one of the most incredible things I have EVER baked. AMAZING. Warning though, they have a TON of butter in them!

Source: thekitchn.com via Candace on Pinterest

I also made this, but with store bought graham crackers and pudding. It was still quite good, but I am sure the entirely homemade version is amazing.

Source: Uploaded by user via Candace on Pinterest

I tried the sockbun curls before I cut my hair. I looked like an idiot. My hair looked NOTHING like this.

Source: abryanphoto.com via Candace on Pinterest

We did a variation of this pin for our Christmas cards. I thought it turned out cute. =)

What have you pinned that you loved or hated? Please share!! Also, if you would like to add me to your list on Pinterest you can do so on my sidebar. I pin a lot of food... you have been warned!

2012 To Do's

I have decided not to make a resolution list this year, because I always fall short... way short. Instead I compiled a list of "to do's" that I would like to try to accomplish this year. Here is my list!

-Be better at documenting our daily lives with photography. 2011 I was learning to balance a career and motherhood and it isn't such an easy task. I missed a lot of great photo opportunities that I already regret. I have struggled with this decision, but I have decided to give up my little photography venture until I feel that there is enough free time to go around. While it is nice to have the extra funds, I don't have the time. With a growing family and working, I want to be able to devote all of my spare time to my children. (children... wow that's weird to type)

- Read more books. In 2011 I wanted to read 10 books. I'm embarassed to say that I only read two. They were great books (The Help and Heaven is For Real), but this year I want to read more. I am starting to debate if I would read more off of my book list with a kindle. Do you have one? What is your opinion? I am thinking it would be super handy to read without page turning during maternity leave.

-Bake Bread This may seem like a random to do, but I came across the book Artisan Bread in Five Minutes a Day and I have been dying to try this. Bread is always seen as the enemy... but I love fresh baked bread, and what better to have it baking in your own house. I also like knowing exactly what is in it. I'm not a super health freak, (in case you haven't noticed) but a little flour and yeast sounds much better for you than the store bought ingredients that you can't even pronounce. The authors of the book also have a healthy bread book and a pizza dough book. Can't wait to try it out.

-Sending Cards A friend of my mom's is amazing at sending out thoughtful cards, just because. We got one this year for our 3 year anniversary! How nice is it to get a card and know that someone is thinking of you? I have decided that I want to be just like her when I grow up! =) So here is to being faster at sending out thank you notes, and actually sending a just thinking of you note, instead of putting it off.

- Drink more bubbly No, I'm not planning on becoming an alcoholic. I just think life is worth celebrating! Toasting to a special occasion or even a random Thursday makes the day to day grind more festive.

Be a better blogger - Not too long ago I went back to the olden days of my blog, and I couldn't believe that I posted nearly every day. I'm not promising that I will blog every day, but I'm going to try to get a few more posts in a week. I know my MawMaw will appreciate this!

Be a better wife/ mom I need to be more present. I pay far too much attention to my iphone. I have tried to be better about putting it away when I get home, but the allure of twitter, pinterest or blog reading is always there. I have to constantly remind myself that these things have their perks, but they are taking away precious time from those I love. Also under this to do is to devote more time to planning family meals, even if they are made in a crock pot. I think using some sort of meal planning system would give back a lot of time wasted during the week when we are trying to figure out what to eat. It would also give us a little variety in the dinner department. Any suggestions?

I want to be a more thoughtful wife and a more fun mom. I used to send Brad text messages of bible verses or leave him little notes here and there, I want to get back to doing nice gestures like that. Last but not least, I want to make sure that the time that Keating and I get to spend together is special. Maybe plan more trips to the park, taking walks together, or have him help me bake... even if he makes twice the mess. With our new arrival expected in April, I want Keating to continue to feel special and loved.

I am sure that I could keep going with this list, but then it probably wouldn't get finished and next year I would be in the same unresoluted situation. CHEERS to 2012!!! What are your resolutions or non-resolutions?