Oven Mitts???

I'm still here. After a less-than-inspiring trip to the OB yesterday, it's looking more than ever like I'm going to be induced on Tuesday.

I've always been weirded out that my OB's office uses oven mitts as stirrup covers, but yesterday those oven mitts officially crossed the line from weird to downright annoying. (Blame that on my advanced stage of pregnancy...I find almost everything annoying these days). Maybe it's a subliminal "bun in the oven" metaphor, being that 3/4 of the women who place their feet in the mitt-clad stirrups have a bun in their oven, but I don't think I'll ever be able to look at an oven mitt the same way again.

P.S. Image from Country Living...because I'm sure you were looking for a photo of a snazzy rooster oven mitt. :)

Halloween Week

Well, my due date has officially come and gone; and I'm still here.

I'm still doing pretty good (minus the occasional meltdown). And I had a great weekend with my two boys. Now we're just gearing up for Halloween. H is so excited. We're doing everything we can to make it super fun this year. Here are a few projects (via Martha Stewart) that we'll be keeping busy with this week:

Hudson loves to help make halloween decorations, so these Halloween Hangups will be the perfect after-school project.

I doubt we'll have many trick-or-treaters on our street; but Hudson and I are going to make some special goody bags for his buddies.

I doubt I'll be up for throwing a Halloween party this year; but I love these all-black candy jars with matching labels. I'll have to file this one under "parties to have when I'm not about to explode."

I think these popcorn witches would be so much fun for H's school party.

As always, I can count on Martha for some project inspiration. Especially when I need to keep my hands and my mind busy these days. I'll be back later on this week with other fun Halloween projects.

Q & A

I'm sorry if my absence as of late has given you the wrong impression. We're still eagerly awaiting our new sweetheart; and I'm spending my days as normally as possible. I could spend all day everyday returning phone calls, texts and emails from wonderful friends and family wondering how we're doing, or if the baby's here yet. But instead, I've been spending my time hanging out with Hudson. So from the bottom of my heart, Thank You, for your concern, your love and your support. For now, here are some answers to commonly asked questions:

Q: How are you feeling?

A: Great! Actually, I'm amazed I still feel this good. There are the obvious discomforts that come with the dwindling days of pregnancy, but nothing of special concern. Most days I still have plenty of energy for the majority of the day, then I crash in the evenings and blob out in front of the TV. Hudson and I are still enjoying play dates with friends, park time, and baseball in the back yard.

Q: Do you need help?

A: I think everything is under control for the time being. I'm still doing laundry, cleaning, and cooking (we had a lovely fondue dinner last night, as a matter of fact) and I managed to make Halloween cupcakes, too. Last weekend, we visited the pumpkin patch and I even mowed the lawn...so I think we're OK for now. If you're kind enough to have offered help, you're probably aware of the fact that I'm fiercely independent; and I prefer to do things myself. But I do know when I'm in over my head and I'm not too proud to ask for help. I promise, if I need help I won't hesitate to ask.

Q: Do you think the baby will be here soon?

A: I'm never good with guessing on these things. I've been having some pretty steady contractions and other signs of impending delivery...but no major action as of yet. My attitude on the matter is that she'll be here when she gets here. And until then we're going to keep things as normal and happy as possible. I'm not officially due for another four days, and in my opinion, every extra day she stays in there she gets chubbier...and I love chubby babies.

Also, if you call and I'm not home...don't worry that I've run off to have the baby without telling anyone. I wouldn't do that. We're probably just out having fun. I'm still doing my volunteer days at preschool, and shuttling H around for gymnastics class, and playing with friends. So for now, thank you for your concern and support...I think the best thing any of us can do at this point is exercise patience. I promise we'll let you know when anything exciting happens.

Happy Friday

Thanks for your kind words yesterday. Things actually aren't so bad. I'm back up and at 'em today with a better attitude. So thanks for picking me up and brushing me off when I felt a little down yesterday. All you nice people are the reason I keep coming back. :)

I'm leaving you for the weekend with two treasures I found through my Etsy Finds emails:

If you've been with me for a while, you know I have a bit of a problem with hoodies. This one is just hooting (hehe...I'm hilarious, huh?) my name...unless it's a screech owl. Then I'd have to say it's screeching my name. You get the point; however it's vocalizing my name, I need it. I'm pretty sure this will have to be the one I add to my collection this season.

I've been planning on getting a necklace personalized with my kids' names (that is, after we "officially" name Bubble...shhh! Don't tell Hudson. He's not up for discussion on the subject of naming his baby sister). But wouldn't their silhouettes be that much sweeter?

Anyway, have a good weekend.

Just a Thought

This thought very accurately sums up how I've been feeling the last few days. Although I realize the truthfulness of this statement, I fear I fit into the miserable category at the moment.

Here are a few basic stats about my life right now:

Today I'm 38 weeks, 4 days pregnant.

I delivered Hudson at 38 weeks, 5 days.

My official due date is October 25.

My doctor scheduled an induction for November 3.

{Um, if I'm still pregnant by November 3rd, I'm not going to need to be induced--I'll need to be shot}.

In other news, I've recently gone on an internet cleanse. Not on purpose, but mostly because I'm cranky and don't want to burden other people with my perpetual bad mood. I've forsaken Facebook, I've turned my back on Twitter, and I've completely ignored my blog. And through it all, I've learned a few things. I don't need all of these social outlets to be happy. In fact, my life is surprisingly simple and quite delightful without all the clutter and nonsense. Not to say that I'm giving it all up for good...but I'm going in search of a happier medium. Needless to say, there will be some changes (nothing drastic, though) to my blog in the coming weeks and months. If you'd like to see more or less of anything, now's your chance.

Hope you're all in a better mood than I am today.

xo

Photo here.

Warm & Cozy

The big storm. It's been the news story the last couple days, and now it's finally here. I can't even tell you how much I love rain. And since Hudson was born on a rainy day, maybe his sister wanted to wait for a rainy day, too...we can only hope, right? If I'm not making a mad-dash to the hospital today, I'll just be sitting around the house listening to the sound of the rain, admiring the grey skies and sipping some hot chocolate. Here are some pretty knits I've been admiring lately. Just perfect for stormy weather:

I'm a scarf person through and through. Love this color, and doesn't it look super-snuggly?

I've been needing these slippers for a while now. Thanks, Nichole, for reminding me how much I love them.

Another cozy scarf, and this time in the perfect green for fall.

Throw this pillow on the couch, and you've got yourself the perfect reading nook. Not to mention that it's just plain gorgeous.

If you're up for a project, grab this kit and knit a little buddy for your little buddy.

I couldn't resist this one. Aren't these little booties just the cutest thing ever?

Hope you have a great day!

Ghost Pattern

Here's a free download of my little Halloween ghosts. (I've never shared a document before, so if it doesn't work, let me know and I'll get all the kinks worked out).

Let your imagination run wild. And don't forget to send me pictures of your completed ghost projects. I'll create a little gallery so we can see where all the little ghost friends end up. Have a great Monday!

Nice

I hope you have a nice weekend.

P.S. You can buy this print here.

Call Me Slow...

...but I couldn't figure out why I got ID'd when I bought spray paint in Oakland yesterday. It took me a while, but eventually I pieced it together. My spray paint is simply for a picture frame project, but if I were going to attempt some graffiti, I would forego the obscenities and aim for something more along these lines:

I couldn't think of an appropriate graffiti-related use for the pink spray paint I bought yesterday. This might do the trick.

photo from Toots Fontaine

I've never even tried painting a circle with spray paint, let alone a cool image like this.

Photo from cannonsnapper

Perhaps the coolest garage door in town.

Photo by Salim Virjil

And for those who are bored with more traditional form of graffiti, how about a graffiti sculpture?

Photo by pyjama

I'm trying to finish up the nursery today, without getting into trouble with my spray paint. Have a great day!

The Joy of Rediscovery

Lately, I've been finding joy in things I thought I was totally over. Here's a few rediscoveries that have brightened my recent days:

I can't remember the last time I ate a Twix. It's never been on my must-have candy list. Until last week, that is. Someone gave me one (what was she thinking! Do I look like I need a candy bar right now?) So in addition to giving a fat girl a candy bar this person also provided me with my newest pregnancy craving.

Little Voice, Sara Bareilles

Love Song has been over-used in many a chick-flick movie trailer, it's true.

But I forgot how good the rest of the album is.

Navy Eyeliner

I went through a navy eyeliner phase a while back. The other morning, I misplaced my traditional brown eyeliner so I reached for the navy. I forgot how much I like it. It gives a bit of a grunge 80's vibe, without evoking thoughts of leg warmers* and side ponytails.

*Nothing against leg warmers, however. I pulled out an old pair a few months back (yes, I still have leg warmers in my closet) and they're the only thing to help ward off those awesome night time pregnancy leg cramps.

Betsy Johnson Leopard Heart Studs

I have crazy-sensitive ears; so I don't wear earrings all that often. Not to mention I'm always losing them. But recently I found my leopard hearts, and remembered how much I love them. Just the perfect mix of tough and sweet.

Oh, and if you're in the mood to rediscover the candy of your childhood, hop over to oldtimecandy.com. They sell goody boxes by the decade...perfect for Halloween, or your own personal candy stash. Have a great Wednesday! xo

His & Hers

Remember my friend, Gilbert? Well, I made a lady friend for him. Now all the babies I know will have a snazzy new onesie to wear for Halloween.

P.S. I'm working on a free download version for you, just in case you need to ghost-ify anything for Halloween.

Oh, and sorry for the bad photo. Just consider me lazy. :)

Thoughts for Monday

Here are a couple thoughts to get your Monday off to a good start:

via don't touch my moleskine

via Bear

I hope you all had a wonderful weekend. Mine was filled with sleeping in (thanks, Daddy); some great Burmese food and Indian food, and my two favorite guys in the whole world.

Weekend

It's weekend. Finally.

This obviously hasn't been my most stellar blogging week.

And I'm afraid there are more like it in the weeks ahead.

At my checkup yesterday, I was told that it's time to slow down and let go of a few things so Sister can grow as much as possible. I'll still be posting daily, but until I go into labor I'll just be sharing some favorite photos and quotes, and hopefully you'll get a sneak peek of the nursery once it's (almost) done. And don't give up on me...I've got some fun (really fun) guest posts lined up during my stay in the hospital and for a few days after.

I hope you all have a great weekend! And hopefully I'll be back to my normal self soon.

xo

{photo from ashley jane photography}

Brothers Bloom

The Brothers Bloom

The best movie I've seen in a reeeally long time.

P.S. I'll be back later with an October inspiration board.