Showered with Love

We had quite the whirlwind week and weekend.  Saturday was Baby Shower Day!  And man oh man, did we get spoiled!

Here was our load of goodies, we got some ADORABLE things!  Makes me even more eager to meet this little guy so I can have a photo shoot with him and all of his loot!

I was in charge of the flowers for the shower because I love to do them, and it kept me out of the planning so it was a surprise.  I was told, green, white and blue, but other than that had no idea.  So I used white and lightly tinged blue hydrangeas, green trick dianthus and curly willow with a few butterflies clipped on it.

This larger arrangement I did in our silver trophy cup was for the food bar is of lacecap hydrangea, green trick dianthus and again the curly willow and butterflies.

The delicious spread!  Fruit salad, tortellini salad, mini cucumber sandwiches, chicken salad on croissants, green salad, cheese straws, and of course a cheese tray!

I have really been craving crunchy veggies especially cauliflower (strange I know) but hey, at least I'm craving healthy things!  So they put together a tzatziki dip and veggie tray for me (thanks guys!!) 

There were two different iced teas in these adorable dispensers. 

And here are the grandma's!  My mom on the left and Greg's mom on the right.  I am so lucky to have two great mom's and role models in my life.  They are amazing!!

My sister made this bag for her gifts, most certainly my favorite packaging!! 

 Here was everyone working on one of the shower games. A very studious bunch!

And what would a shower be without a dessert bar???

Greg's family recipe for pound cake-YUM!

The carrott cake recipe from a co-worker and made by my mom-delish! 

Chocolate cake with chocolate drizzle, SO tasty!  And the little bird's nest I created. 

My Aunt's from Pittsburgh made these cookies; a family tradition for weddings and baby showers, some filled with apricot jam, and some filled with nuts and sprinkled with powdered sugar.

I think it's a nice touch to have a little favor to thank everyone for coming, so with my newfound craftiness I made these moire satin lavender-filled sachets with the help of my mom and sister.

Here is the basekt of beautiful cookie favors my mom and sister made also as takeaways!!

Me and my sis back at our house after the shower.

 

We had a lot of the out of town family back to our house after the shower.  We ordered pizza, drank some wine (sadly none for me) and caught-up since we aren't lucky enough to live close to them, it was wonderful to spend extra time together.

I am happy to post some photos of the sachets and flowers so you guys can see the process.  Hopefully I can get to it this week!

All in all, I had a wonderful time and was so thrilled so many people made an effort to come from near and far to celebrate with us.  We really were showered with love.

*Amy

Summer Solstice

Wishing you a happy Summer Solstice, the first day of summer and the longest day of the year has arrived!!  Sadly I am at work and not lounging at the pool or the beach, BUT I will leave you these beautiful images of places I'm sure we'd all rather be.

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Any big plans this summer?  I'll just be having our first baby in August...other than that, you know, not much going on... :)

*Amy

She's crafty

So in my almost 8 month pregnant and state of being, I've decided to get crafty and try my hand at sewing.  For those of you who know me, yes, you are shocked as I am.  Now I was into scrapbooking in my day, and I've been known to put together a mean collage or two, but sewing...isn't that why we have our moms??  I feel like perhaps I was "absent" on that day in school-do they even still teach sewing or home ec?

In any event, In my most recent run to JoAnne's fabric (yes, I know this is becoming a recent thing ya'll) I noticed a fabric SALE sign.  Who doesn't love the word SALE?  So I thought, I'll just look and see if there's anything I like.  I was in the market for some outdoor pillows for our patio furniture and thought, I'll just make some!

Here were my selections, a nice bold green, white, yellow and blue stripe, a quilted yellow for some texture and of course can't forget the ZEBRA print!

Ah Amy, ever the grand planner.  I work 6 days a week usually 60ish hours, teach Pilates classes Monday night's, take a water aerobics class on Friday's, workout at least two other days, oh and manage to help plan and prep dinner most nights (Greg does the cooking-thank heavens for a good husband!).  WHEN would one think I am learning to sew and actually make these pillows??  Oh yeah, and my goal was before my baby shower (on SATURDAY-hah!)

After a slight panick attack once I had purchased the fabric I made one quick speedial to...MOM...annnnd, here we are!

Fabric is cut (1" in less than the pillow form size so they're fat and fluffy), flipped inside out and pinned along the edges.  Awesome mom tip, if you run the pins left to right in the fabric you can sew right over them-Genius. 

Running right along the edge of the fabric.

Mom and her "helper" our kitten Fawkes.  He was busy trying to catch the foot pedal every time she pressed it, hilarous to me the cutter-pinner, not hilarious to the one getting their foot nibbled on.   So he was checkin' out the sewing machine, perhaps he'll help with the next project??

We left an opening so we'd be able to get the pillow form in, always, ALWAYS double or back-stitch your opening so when you pull the fabric apart the seam doesn't come out!

I turned the fabric rightside out.  Now it just needs a pillow form stuffed in it and for me to sew the opening closed.

Here's the little zebra print, ahhh I love this print!

And here's the yellow quilted fabric.

So stay tuned, I'll get pillow forms and will take some photos of them in their new home!

Have you attempted sewing?  Were you inspired and found a hidden talent?  Or did you quit it like a bad habit?  So far I'm hooked-lookout, I may try and learn how to do piping next!

*Amy

Bloomin' Beauties

It's been awhile since I posted a pic of my garden and now that's is bursting into bloom I thought it's about time!  So here it is!

The tree in background on the left is a Weeping Redbud, Yellow Climbing Rose 'Golden Showers' in center, the plant on the right is Catmint 'Walkers Low' and the plant on left is Sage 'May Night'

Closeup of Catmint 'Walkers Low' 

Clematis 'Jackmanii' 

Bloom unfurling 

Almost there...

Fully open and ready to face the world.  I LOVE this color!

What's blooming in your garden?

*Amy

Pat Yourself On The Back

I think we so often don't realize how much we really DO.  Please take today to thank YOURSELF.  You are an amazing, talented, friend, sister, brother, mother, father, wife, husband, co-worker and have many, many gifts to offer.  Each one of you is creative in your own way, special in your own way and you deserve to give yourself a break, pat yourself on the back for everything that you do.

Sending lots of virtual hugs out to all my blog readers today just beacuse you deserve it!

But friendship is precious, not only in the shade, but in the sunshine of life, and thanks to a benevolent arrangement the greater part of life is sunshine - Thomas Jefferson

*Amy

Image from here

Demo & Reno

So although we've done a LOT of work in our house since we bought it in 2007, we had overlooked the basement.  Well, not overlooked, we just pretty much neglected it.  It's the only area in the house with a TV (our man-cave), the access to the back yard and garage and is also where the laundry room and the 4th bathroom are located.  We rarely "entertain" down here and it was fine for us.  But after doing everything but moving walls to the rest of the house, we got the "well, we really should make it match the rest of the house vibe".  Perhaps it's just my nesting instincts kicking in??  There were three types of flooring in the three spaces-tile, lineolum and carpet which always drove us nuts, but we never had the time or extra money to deal with it until now.

Our baby shower is June 25th and we really wanted to get this project moving and done before our friends and family come to town-nothing like a deadline right??

After much looking into flooring, we thought it would be best to do click-in-place laminate.  We have real hardwood (Brazilian Cherry) on our main level, but didn't want to spend that kind of money down here.  Plus, with this being the access in and out of the house we wanted something pretty indestructable.  We did a lot of looking, but ended up with this great product from Lowes.  It is a an exotic that looks almost identical to our floors upstairs, but you'll never see them at the same time.

Nothin' beats a toilet in the family room-hah.  This was actually toilet 1 of 3.  Long story, but basically our "rough in" is 10" which is NOT standard these days, so finding a toilet was an awesome challenge.  If you are doing this yourself, measure, measure-we did and still had issues!

Best husband ever!!  He was measuring for the baseboards-they need to go in first so you have something to push the wood up against.

 New floors in!!  And yes, this was all done in a morning-go Greg go!

Of course as he was ready to install the sink, the ever helpful wife says: "Why don't we paint the wall first?"

Greg: "Really Amy, I've got the plumbing all ready to go."

Amy: "Oh, okay, I was just thinking it'd be easier than un-hooking the toilet and sink to paint behind it."

Greg: Pause..."Why don't you just go up to the pool and relax babe."

Three hours and a tan wife later... 

A painted wall AND new sink!  Gotta love home projects and GOOD husbands!

We're saving the hallway, laundry room and living room for when the in-laws arrive, they're coming in next week-YAY!!  The guys will crank through that project while MIL and I can shop for new sconces, tp holder and towel bar.

So that was our weekend, what did you get into?

*Amy

Cocktails anyone?

Well, this is sort of "false advertising" since I'm not really drinking cocktails this summer (BIG BUMMER!) but hey, it's a small sacrifice in order to be creating this little baby we already love so much!  Since I'm a clever one, I am managing to come up with some good mocktails so I still feel like a grown-up when all my friends and family are imbibing in the real deal.

In our shopping adventure on Saturday, we stumbled upon this little treasure...The Hour Cocktail Collection.  It is an entire store devoted to bar ware!!

I thought HOW perfect, even though I may not be drinking alcohol, that doesn't mean it shouldn't still be served in a beautiful vessel and boy do they have a selection!

I loved these lemon glasses in the vintage holder, and those gorgeous napkins (Trina Turk I think)

Loved this weatermelon and green tray with the delicate stemware on it.  Not only would those be perfect for a little evening drink, but with some sorbet and a biscotti they'd be equally as stunning.

Mmmm, blue.  If y'all havent' met me, I'll admit that I have an affinity to blue anything.  So these stole my heart right out the gate.  Look at that twisty swirled rim-yikes!!  Oh and the lamp is pretty cool too, but man I'd hate to dust it!

I'm not usually into ornate designs, but something about these floral and gold high-balls really caught my eye.

Here's a photo of one of the rooms in the shop.  For as many different styles as they have it's all beautifully presented.  So if you need a gift or are looking to add to your own collection and are ever in Old Town, stop by, I'm sure you'll find something you can't leave without!

Do you just collect glasses as you find them and have an eclectic collection?  Or is there as style you prefer and stick with?  Please share!

*Amy

Girls Day Out

I am really lucky to have some of the BEST girlfriends a girl could ask for-starting with the one who's put up with me since she was born-my sister Kathy (aka-Chicky).  Ever since we were little our parents always called us their "chicks" and it just stuck as Kath's nickname.  Here we are at brunch this past weekend, Kath on the left me on the right-and yes, that's finally a baby bump!!  It was 7 months on Monday-whoo hoo!

The ladies decided to have brunch at Evening Star Cafe in Del Ray, a cute little neighborhood just outside of Old Town, Alexandria and do a little shopping afterwards.  The food was great (sorry I didn't take a photo, I claim preggers hunger as the piping french toast and cheddar grits were placed in front of me as my distraction).

They even humored me and went into a consignment maternity and baby store.  I got a new top and a swimsuit for a great deal.  I did not buy this adorable baby suit, but oh my HOW cute!! 

Not much is better than time spent with good friends. And I am lucky to call these gals mine.

My sis and D

Of course no brunch is complete without a little stop at the local ice cream shop.  The Dairy Godmother did not disappoint.  The Lemon-Lavender Sorbet was dee-lish.

S and me

I will promise I will post some design-related things again soon, work has swamped me and belive it or not, growing a person is exhausting!

How was your weekend??

*Amy