baby love

i have a new best friend. her name is elliot and she's probably the tiniest person i've ever seen. she makes lots of sweet little faces and sounds, smells wonderful and has a very pretty mama. she is already more popular than most people i know and i can't help thinking this baby has a bright future ahead of her with so many wonderful friends and family and two incredible parents who will raise her to walk with the lord. she's healthy and wonderful and i'm really excited to watch her grow. given that i'm a bit bored these days, i've been crafting up some fun things to welcome baby elliot to the world and to make her as stylish and cool as a two-week-old can manage.

remember how i kind of have a minor elephant obsession?

i decided a stuffed elephant would be a fun present. i got a pattern and then preceded to not follow some of the instructions...

the finished product! i wasn't really up for making an eye, and i really wanted different fabrics, so i went for it. i wasn't as pleased with the result as i'd hoped...the pattern was much more difficult than expected, but hopefully baby elliot won't mind.

i made this long before i knew baby's name would be elliot, but i think an elephant for elliot has a nice ring. 

remember the time blair and lindsey and i made onesies? it was so much fun, i made another one. with daisies. this little project cost a total of $2.

and, finally, i even made a card for baby elliot with a fun quote from a classic weepies song.

i'm rather smitten with this lovely little girl and really excited for all the girly fun baby elliot and i are going to have in the future!

liam says happy friday

just in case you were wondering why the blinds on almost every window in my house are a mangled mess and why my neighbors say things awkwardly like "your cat watches me out the window every time i'm outside" or, "um, your cat was hanging from the blinds the other day". some cats play with yarn and sleep 22 hours a day. mine does things like this...

(chewing the blinds - awesome)

happy friday and maybe watch your back next time you're over my way.

spring sprang sprung

it's finally springtime at my little yellow cottage...

lovely day

hello.
today was a great day and i'm still awake enjoying it. i got to snuggle baby elliot (!!!), eat seriously great food in good company, shop at the goodwill and enjoy the gorgeous weather with a little roadtrip and a sun dress and sandals.

i've got a lot of fun posts in the que, but most of the photos for said posts are still on my camera and i've yet to make a big upload. so in the meantime, here are some things that are making me happy lately...

you know how some shampoos smell great in the shower but the smell is gone as soon as you turn off the water? not this stuff. i can't say it's done anything for my hair's overall texture, but it is the single best smelling shampoo on the planet. it's like a little tropical vacation that lasts and lasts. my hair still smells awesome after blow-drying and styling. that, and it's paraben/sulfate free. and, if you're not in to coconut, organix also has about a zillion other awesome-smelling varieties. and you can buy it everywhere. excellent.

i'm a big believer in pretty pj's. as i learned quickly from dorm life in college, you never know when the fire alarm or some other ridiculous emergency may drive you outside in the middle of the night. it's important to be prepared for those times, plus it's just plain fun to have pretty, girly things to wear at night. it makes me feel like a movie star in the 40's.  i've slowly remade my sleep wardrobe from t-shirts and soffee shorts (ah, college) in to sweeter, anthro-inspired sleepwear. target just introduced a new gilligan by gilligan & o'malley line and i love it all. it's just gorgeous and all under $20. i'm especially wishing for this little sleep set above and the similar romper. adorable. 

if you're one of those poor people who thinks you don't like chai lattes because you've only ever tried starbucks' horrible version, then think again. i don't like a lot of chai, but this stuff is like heaven in a cup. seriously. today i drank a giant iced version in about 10 minutes which probably explains my insomnia. i began drinking it in college and have been thrilled to discover that dilworth coffee also serves it. it's one of those things that pretty much always makes me happier. 

i had my first experience using chalkboard paint this evening and will be posting about my adventure soon. and i can't stop thinking about all of the wonderful possibilities this paint offers. it's so easy and fun and i'm very thankful someone had this idea. 

1.tumblr 2.greenseduction 3.target 4.icecreamb4dinner on photobucket 5.cappyspaint

happy friday!

something about weekends in the springtime makes me very ambitious and giddy. even when i'm unemployed and every day is (kind of) like a weekend. this weekend i'll be walking to cure juvenile diabetes, filing my taxes before the IRS comes after me, crafting up some chalkboards for an upcoming event i'm working on, and taking on a tour of homes with bestie sarah. i can't wait!

image via lunatic art

young at heart

today for lunch i had a peanut butter and jelly sandwich and chocolate milk. (actually, it was chocolate protein powder mixed with milk, but it tastes like chocolate milk.) it kind of made me miss being a kid. it was kind of awesome. in fact, there are a number of things i miss about being a kid...

i really miss barbie. she still lives in my parent's attic with her minivan, motor home, horse stable, and her entire wardrobe because i can't bear to let her go. i think barbie kind of looks like she had a botox accident these days, but in the early 90's she was pretty fantastic.

the last time i had a fish stick i was probably 11. i used to love them dipped in catalina dressing. my parents (thank goodness) were pretty careful about what we ate, so they were a rare occasion but a special one.

i used to have a strange crush on bob saget. while most normal kids my age were watching him on full house, i thought watching america's funniest home videos when he was the host was the greatest.

i wish i still got as excited about my birthday (and every other holiday) as i used to when i was young.

oh, how i loved lisa frank. she made back to school so much more exciting. 

and finally, my sweet puppy, tara.

oh, childhood.

images: 1.tinypic 2.smvblog 3.momeo magazine 4.ny daily news 5-6.pinterest 7.aaron cote

reflections for wednesday

i often struggle with the reality that God is for me. and by often i mean pretty much all the time. i know that i'm blessed beyond belief - i have wonderful family and friends, i'm healthy, i have a house/food/a car, etc. clearly, i could be much worse off. but still, jobless, single and bored i know that i often hold on to the idea that God is withholding blessings from me. i think He's not giving me what i want because He wants me to learn something or suffer for the sake of growth. i don't doubt that God does want me to learn things and draw near to Him during this time, but i'm trying to grasp the concept that He doesn't withhold blessings. that He wants me to live a joyful, fulfilled life even more than i want to. that if i could see the bigger picture i'd never once doubt that He only wants the best for me. i think i often look at God as the One who can take away more than the One who wants nothing more than to give. it's hard to love a God that I'm afraid will allow me to be miserable for my own good, so i'm dwelling on what i read in my quiet time this morning instead:

"apply His dreams to your life. is He watching you with folded arms, wondering how you'll mess up next? what gift does He plan to withhold from you? does He enjoy watching you stumble? no, God delights in your progress and excitedly anticipates your fulfillment...live like a child who has extraordinary hope and a radically loving Father."

God is never the one who makes me feel forgotten, unhappy, lost or hopeless. never. i repeatedly worry, doubt him and forget this truth and it makes Him just as sad as it makes me. instead, He's the one that brings feelings of fulfillment, restoration, joy, hope and peace. that's the kind of God who is easy to love.


quoted text printed from indeed magazine, walk through the bible ministries, inc.
image of aoi miyazaki via flickr

the elephant in the room

i'm on a bit of an elephant kick lately. i've always liked them, but lately i've seen them popping up in decor and i've become somewhat smitten. i also spent the weekend reading this month's book club pick, water for elephants by sara gruen, and while i think circuses/the zoo are both kind of icky, i pretty much fell in love with rosie the elephant in the story. someday i would like to go to south africa and meet one. in the meantime, these will have to do:

again, i'm obsessing over animal busts. this anthro one is made from newsprint and i want it.

it's an elephantable.

this would be cute on a little person, but i would also totally love to wear it as an adult. 

a painting of an elephant, by an elephant named phaya in thailand. for more info on purchasing elephant art and benefitting the thai elephant sanctuary, click here. 

i'm seriously considering buying this encaustic collage for my cluster wall in my room.

i love this sweet little ring from urban.

and, while it's not painted by an elephant, i pretty much love this cool painting as well. 

images: 1.models.com 2.anthropologie 3.artemiszugzwang.tumblr 4.apartment therapy 5.crushculdesac.tumblr 6.etsy 7.betteronme.blogspot 8.etsy 9.urban outfitters 10.the decorista