26 Weeks and Paddington Bear

We are loving finally having some cold weather around here. Caramel brulee lattes, Christmas music and gingerbread house making are in full swing! Do we really have to have Thanksgiving this week?? Just kidding, sort of. I am looking forward to stuffing my face in place of all of the calories I would normally be drinking around this time of year. Extra rolls, please!

I can't believe I am going to be pregnant and miss out on all of the holiday cocktails this year. What timing! Just three short months, though...WAIT, what? 26 weeks has come way too quickly this time around. Of course I am so excited to meet baby Emily, but having just three more months to finish the nursery, stock my freezer with meals, get ahead catch up on work deadlines and orders, clean and organize the entire house...and complete everything else on the pre-baby to do list...has me shaking in my rain boots!

I have felt so guilty for not documenting this pregnancy nearly as well as I did with Trent, so I decided to launch a new product in my shop that would hopefully spur some more frequent bump pics. These banners are such a great alternative to the bump chalkboards...especially for a second-time mom with no time to brush her teeth, much less create a new board each week! You can snag yours in any color/theme of your choice here!

I also just had to share some quick style inspiration with yall. This weekend's weather has been very reminiscent of our trips back to England, and along with my red rain boots I couldn't help but think of good old Paddington Bear! I got my first PB from Paddington Station with Matt back in 2008, and I have loved him (and his style!) ever since. This weather is the perfect chance for Trent and me to pay a little tribute to our furry friend.

Hat
Coat
Cardigan
Bag
Bear
Women's boots
Wellie sock
Kids' coat
Kids' boots
Umbrella 

Have a safe and happy Thanksgiving/December kick-off week, everyone! Now, can we please have December go by a little more slowly than November did so we can soak up each and every second of the holiday fun?

Day of the Dead and Half Bath Makeover

Just a bit of catching up here, folks! Finally getting around to posting the after pictures of our half bath makeover, and it fits right in with recapping how we spent our Day of the Dead.

This year we decided to celebrate my grandmother, "Nana," on Day of the Dead. Because it fell just days after the big birthday party and Halloween, I did not get to go all out, but we did spend the day thinking about her and doing a few of her favorite things which was the most important part. I rocked my skull scarf and hair tie in honor of the day as well as the ring left to me by Nana. Ignore that weird spot on my hand...it was literally from a clothes hanger poking into my flesh throughout the 35 minute wait at BabyGap during a huge sale. Sigh...the things I do...

Matt had a margarita at Nana's favorite spot, El Fenix, but I didn't pass up the chance to take a picture with it. Anything to get close to a margarita these days! We remembered Nana over dinner and told stories about her to Trent. She is so missed and so loved, but we are all so thankful for the memories she gave us! 

And that brings us to the sugar skull/Day of the Dead/Mexico themed half bath makeover reveal! I would have our entire house decked out in this motif if Matt would approve, but I don't see that happening anytime soon...so I settled for the half bath. Of course I don't have a great before picture, but you get the idea here.

We used Sherwin Williams "Fired Brick" after much debate, and I couldn't love it more. The mirror is a long story, but it ultimately came from Home Depot for $10! We got a killer deal on the new vanity which was my absolute must-have because there are not many things I hate more than pedestal sinks...we now have actual storage in the bathroom! It was also from Home Depot, on clearance, for $120 all said and done. It has a great faux granite top and beautiful sink. My dad came over to help Matt take out the old sink and install the new vanity which was pretty much a breeze! Matt also changed the light fixture, and I picked out some new globes. It is hard to see much of an improvement from these pictures, but trust me. WORLDS better.

I found this old window pane at a local antique store months ago, and I have been saving it for this bathroom ever since. Of course it was the exact color we painted the walls..what are the odds?? So I refinished it this turquoise color and couldn't be happier. It took all of five minutes, literally, and $3. First, I spray painted a super thin layer of white to start so that when I distressed it there would be some white popping through. Then I watered down some cheap all-purpose turquoise craft paint from Hobby Lobby and again did a quick, thin layer over the whole thing which dried in a matter of minutes. Finally, I took some medium grain sandpaper to it...no real technique...just enough to get some bits of the original red/orange and the white coming through. And voila! Easy as pie.

The little table came from TJ Maxx, and the sugar skull plate was on sale after Halloween at World Market

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My sweet (and apparently crafty?!) hubs put together this Scrabble letter shadow box for me as my anniversary gift. I absolutely love it and am very proud of him! However...we are now going to need a new Scrabble set...  The Sherlock Holmes quote was online, here, and both frames are good old IKEA.

The shelf is one of my go-tos, the IKEA Ribba shelf. We have them in almost every room. And the picture on display is one we took at our friends' wedding chapel in Mexico. It is absolutely perfect for this room and very special to us. Sometimes we take pictures of landscapes or buildings on vacation thinking we will never have a real use for them, so I love to incorporate them when I can in place of just random store-brought prints.

Same with this picture we took on the River Walk in San Antonio during our BabyMoon. San Antonio is so big on Day of the Dead, and the colors are also perfect for the bathroom.

 We also finally framed this piece of embroidery we got for our wedding. I have wanted to hang it forever, and what better spot?

 

Finally, loving this print from Etsy! It could NOT be more perfect for our love of skulls/Day of the Dead/our Halloween anniversary, etc. 

Whew, glad to finally share this after so long! I think I have decided that Halloween/anniversary/Trent's birthday is officially busier than the "real" holiday season! I feel like the Thanksgiving/Christmas rush is going to be a breeze! Right? RIGHT?!

Ring the Tree - Tree Collar DIY

Merry December November 17th, friends! But it may as well be December already...we have decided to pretty much skip the Thanksgiving festivities and get right to the good stuff - CHRISTMAS! Because really...who wants to spend the two days after Thanksgiving in a mad rush to switch out all of your decorations by December 1st when you could just have them up..well...NOW?! 

In the spirit of kicking things off early this year (or right on time if you ask me), here is a little project for you to bring in some trendy decor and save a bit of money for your Christmas shopping. 

I KNOW you all get the Crate & Barrel catalog and have already picked out 47 things you must have this year, and I would be willing to bet that their new "tree collars" are somewhere in your top 5, right? They are super cute, a fun alternative to the boring old tree skirt and, as my good friend Natasha pointed out...won't collect endless mounds of dog hair throughout the month. But I can't justify spending $60+ on an upside down washtub that is used once a year...so, it was time for a DIY! We spent about $15, but you could do it for even less depending on the bucket/pot you find.

Here is what you need to get started: 

- Bucket/Tub/Planter, etc
- Hammered/metallic spray paint
- Tape measure
- Drill/attachment
- Box cutter (optional)
- Your tree stand/lower pole piece

**Notes**: 

a) Even though I love the galvanized/metallic look, I think I may actually repaint it red with white polka dots and/or chevron and/or some sort of fun and colorful Christmas print. Why not??
b) If you don't have a drill or attachment to make a larger hole, you can always just use a plain old box cutter to cut the hole (or the entire bottom out)....no one sees this part, so it doesn't have to be pretty!
c) It would be great to just get an old, cheap galvanized tub and cut the bottom out, but sometimes these are actually fairly pricey and more importantly not quite so easy to cut through. With the seasons changing, a ton of stores have their flower pots on sale, so I picked this one up at Home Depot for next to nothing. I know I could have gotten something even closer to the original and probably even cheaper, but with a teething TODDLER in tow, we were forced to choose between the nearest few stores. 

Now, get started!

1.  Make sure the diameter of your pot is large enough to cover the base/stand of your tree, and make sure the height of the pot is short enough to allow your lowest tier of limbs to be attached (for artificial trees).

2. Measure the diameter of the tree pole, and choose a slightly wider drill attachment to allow for some clearance. Again, you can always skip this step (and step 3), and just cut out a hole or the entire bottom of your bucket with a box cutter/sawzall/etc. 

3. Drill your hole through the center of the bottom of the pot, and make sure the tree pole fits comfortably in the stand beneath.

4. Spray paint your pot the desired color (or make hubs do it to avoid fumes)..add patterns...bedazzle it....whatever your heart desires!

Ta-Da!

And there you have it....just four super simple steps, and you have yourself a very chic and trendy new tree collar straight from the pages of C&B! I was also loving their metallic garlands, so I whipped one up for this picture and think we may just have to keep it. You can get yours here! 

I promise I will catch up on our Halloween and fall ASAP, but for now I will leave you with a little Christmas cheer from Trent. Next up...a mini tree collar for his tree?? I am thinking YES. Enjoy the rest of your weekend, everyone....we are going to try and stay in the spirit despite the 84 degree high today! 

Wednesday Wish List and Monster Munch Recipe

Happy almost-Halloween, everyone! We are enjoying some spooky storms on this Halloween Eve, and I am counting the minutes until tonight when we are FINALLY carving our pumpkins. Better late than never, I suppose. It has been a crazy several days since Trent's party..full of cleaning, recovering, working and trying to figure out what in the world is up with our baby boy. When he woke up from his nap with a big smile today, it finally hit me...because there was a big, shiny MOLAR staring right back at me! He must have been working on it these past few days, and it has finally popped through! Don't get too excited, though. We checked the other side, and there is another just scraping the surface. Yikes. Looks like we are in for a long week.

That being said...my Wednesday wish list this week is simple:

1. A maid
2. A nanny
3. Sleep
4. Another maid

At least the clocks go back this weekend, so I will get an hour of extra sleep! Maybe. As for the rest of the list, I think I'll just have to keep on wishing!

I also wanted to share the monster munch recipe for everyone that asked. It is just a super simple Chex/popcorn mix that is floating around everywhere online lately in slightly varied recipes, and for good reason! It is so yummy and can be changed to fit any theme or holiday. I have made at least six batches this Halloween, and I am already planning a Thanksgiving and Christmas version (maybe with some peppermint swirled in there...ooohhh). Here is what you need to start:

-A cookie sheet/pan with sides
- Foil
- Rice Chex
- Pretzel sticks
- White chocolate or vanilla flavored melting chocolate
- WHITE POPCORN (super important...find just plain old white popcorn..NO butter. This was about the only kind I could find..and brace yourself...they do NOT carry it at Target. I know. My letter is in the complaint box)
- Candy corn
- M&Ms
- Sprinkles


I wish I had done step-by-step photos, but it is honestly so super easy you could do it with your eyes closed. I will take pictures on the next batch.

1. Line your pan with foil. This keeps it from sticking and makes clean-up a breeze.

2. Pop a bag of popcorn.

3. Spread a layer of Rice Chex, a layer of popcorn and a layer of pretzel sticks in your pan. Don't fill the pan too high, or you won't have room to 'toss' the mix with the chocolate. Just eyeball the quantities. Usually I am not a huge fan of the pretzels in these kinds of mixes, but don't skimp on them here! They are possibly the best part. If anything, I would go heavier on pretzels and Chex and a tiny bit lighter on the popcorn.

4. Melt the chocolate. I found that about one full package pictured above was enough for one pan of monster munch.

5. Pour the chocolate evenly over the mix, and toss with a large spoon to coat everything well. Don't toss too long, because the chocolate will harden FAST!

6. Quickly sprinkle your sprinkles, M&Ms and candy corn over the entire mix while the chocolate is still wet/sticky. DO NOT TOSS again after this, or you will coat all the fun colors in white chocolate!

7. Let the chocolate fully harden and cool about 10 minutes. Scoop out the mix and break apart very gently. I found that a large plastic spatula worked best for this step.

8. ENJOY! And make sure you made like five batches at once, because it disappears faster than you can imagine.

We have a jar out that I am constantly refilling and gave little bags of it as favors for Trent's party. We also dropped some off to some friends, family, neighbors, Trent's doctors and some other special people. We tied on some plastic vampire teeth to fit the "monster munch" theme, but those all got snagged first! 

Hope you enjoy! It is so fun, so easy, so quick and so yummy. And the Christmas/peppermint bark version will be the perfect companion to some hot chocolate. I can NOT even wait. 

Weekend Recap

I think this weekend recap should be titled "Weekend Recovery - Ongoing." Wow...I didn't know it was possible to pack SO much into just a few short days. There were definitely some ups and downs, but it was all so worth it for the little guy's one and only FIRST birthday!

All of Friday was spent on party preparations since I had neglected them for months. Our photographer recently said that she hopes her kids will one day forgive her for always posting their photos so long after all of her clients'..."the life of a photographer's kid!" she said. And I immediately thought about how I can relate. I make hundreds of party decorations a month for all of my customers..spend tons of time on them and go ALL out, and then there I was at midnight the night before my own child's party telling myself that he didn't really need a high chair banner. Poor little guy! 

Unfortunately I came down with some sort of bug Friday night that kept me up all night long with terrible nausea, throwing up, the whole nine. I still don't know if it was food poisoning, exhaustion/dehydration from the craziness of Friday or what. I was hoping it would be gone by Saturday morning, but it was even worse..and I was this close to canceling the party. Of course I couldn't do that to Trent, though....however, all shreds of hope for the high chair banner were definitely lost at that point. Everything I had saved on the to do list for the morning of ended up just taking a back seat. It was everything I could do to just take a shower and half dry my hair. Sigh. I swore everything would be homemade and perfect...but in reality I ended up scraping pink sprinkles off of a grocery store smash cake five minutes before guests arrived. Who says I am not easygoing??

By the time the party started I was at least functioning a little better, and we all managed to get through it just fine! It was so fun to see family and friends, celebrate Trent's birthday and just think about all that has happened this past year. He wasn't too interested in opening gifts, but he could have sat in his high chair and eaten cake all day long. 

After everything wrapped up, all three of us took a nap and ventured out to Starbucks, but it wasn't too long before we realized we were all still exhausted and that bedtime was going to come early! So we headed home to recharge for a big Sunday!

I woke up feeling almost 100% thank GOD. We started out the day with breakfast at our favorite local spot, Three Squares. I think we ordered one of everything and ate every last crumb. From there we went to our favorite park downtown to just walk around, people watch and let Bevo stretch his legs. 

After a quick nap time at home, we took Trent to the Dallas Zoo "Halloween Nights" event. We weren't sure what to expect, but it was amazing. Trent did some trick-or-treating, saw some animals, looked at all the other kids in costumes AND managed to hold on to his bucket the whole night. Couldn't have gone better if you ask me. 

We stopped at Grandma and Grandpa's on the way home to say a quick hello, and then it was off to bed. 

We really can't thank everyone enough for helping celebrate Trent's big day with us...and especially for everyone that pitched in to get things together at the last minute while I was hanging my head over the toilet! Now that our big Halloween celebration is over...bring on turkey and trees!!! 

Weekend Recap

We are a day late on the weekend recap again this week....but after the week from you know where, I think just one day late is actually pretty good. I really can't believe it actually is already Tuesday. I thought last week would never end...and here we are, almost to the halfway point of the next week! Where did our weekend go!?!

We went to the park on Friday evening to get both me and Trent out of the house which was much needed. We are loving the new chilly weather and all the fun outfits we can finally bust out!

Matt had to work almost all day Saturday, so I kept Trent busy with every toy in the basket (and the kitchen cabinets) while I worked. PS...obsessed with his bat pajamas...my new faves. One in every size, please!

It was the last game of the season - and finally a DAY game! - so Trent and I went for the first half before he pooped out. Then it was back home for nap time until Daddy was done with work.

We went out to one of our favorite outdoor shopping areas to get some air, enjoy the weather and burn a few calories...which we packed back on with a quick stop at Starbucks. 

Then we rounded out the weekend with a Sunday evening full family photo session. We had kicked off the week with Trent's one year pics...and I think we have decided two photo shoots in one week is just about our limit. It was one of the quirkiest shoots I have ever been a part of, but we all had a ton of fun and can't wait to see the photos! Trent showed off some of his walking skills to Aunt Renee at the end of the evening.

All in all...a good weekend, but not nearly long enough. And now we are in full panic birthday mode getting ready for Trent's party this weekend. Tons of baking, decorating and cleaning to do...slow down, time!