Saturday scones

Actually, these Blueberry White Chocolate Streusel Scones were made on Friday...but I think they are best the next morning, despite what the recipe says about them best being eaten that day. Overnight, they seem to get more rich and dense or something.

The recipe I follow is from Martha Stewart's Baking Handbook. It's actually a recipe for Currant Scones, but I prefer to use frozen blueberries and then sweeten them up with a handful or so of some white chocolate chips. And load them with streusel on top. Streusel makes everything better! One of my favorite indulgences is a good morning scone or almond croissant, something like that, to go with a dark cup of coffee...preferably ground and brewed by my Hub.

And speaking of coffee, I'm starting to realize that I may have a little addiction to skim lattes with whipped cream on top. I just confessed this to Hub the other day. (And yeah, I know...skim with whipped cream? huh? But in my mind that's how I like them.) It's been my little splurge for myself whenever I'm out running around with the baby. In all this latte-drinking lately, I've come to the conclusion that Starbuck's makes the best latte. Caribou and Dunn Bros are so-so and of course doable when in a pinch. And I'm not above getting one from - gasp! - McDonald's! But that's mainly because they have a drive-thru which is so much more convenient than getting the little baby out of the car to go inside for a latte. So impractical, ya know? ;)

little baby bub's nursery

Before our baby was born, I don’t think I realized just how much time I’d actually spend in little Bub’s room (diapering, feeding, changing outfits, playing, rocking, trying - often in vain - to get baby to sleep), but for this reason alone I’m so very glad that we made his little room as cozy, safe, and useful as possible…because I do spend a whole lot of time in here! So now that its pretty much finished, would you like to take a little "peek"-a-boo around?

The closet door:
"Welcome baby" sign handmade by Mum for a baby shower
Hand knitted sweater from BlaBla

The rocking chair/dresser corner:
Green rocking chair: There are so many really lovely, modern rockers and gliders out there, but when it came right down to it, comfort was the most important factor so we went with a La-Z-Boy rocker/recliner and I’m so happy we did. It is big and soft and comfy and for all the hours spent sitting in it, it’s completely worth it…despite its lack of style perhaps!

Brown ottoman next to rocker (being used as a side table right now) from Target. The lid comes off and I think it will be another nice place to stash his toys as he gets older. For now it is mainly my place to store books & magazines I’m reading while nursing, books we read to him, Kleenex, and other baby odds and ends.

Handmade quilt on rocker, previously mentioned here.

Dresser: my old dresser from when I was a baby...I love this pretty dresser oh so much!

On top of dresser:
White lamp: I really love Ikea most for their lighting department. We’ve purchased so many great lamps and light fixtures from there. I knew I wanted a lamp for the nursery with a dimmer switch and I happened to find the perfect one at Ikea. It is white, modern, and perhaps wouldn’t normally be used in a nursery, but I didn’t necessarily want his room to be totally cutesy/babyish and this lamp made it a bit more…sophisticated? And a lamp that dims is so nice to have for all those middle-of-the-night diaper changes and feedings when you don’t want to bask the room in brightness and yet a nightlight just isn’t enough.

Vintage deer vase, a gift from a friend.

Framed vintage owl postcard, previously mentioned here.

Crib corner:
Crib from Pottery Barn Kids
Crib bedding by Dwell Studio for Target
Artwork "Owls in Oak" from Etsy shop, United Thread
Mod walnut frame from Room & Board
Hand knitted bird mobile, previously mentioned here.
Blue bird night light, previously mentioned here.

Changing table:

A well-stocked, roomy changing table is an absolute must. I quickly learned that a place to have wipes and other essentials right at hand is a necessity with a wiggly little baby. Plus, the big shelves on this one double as a place to keep books and toys.

Changing table from Pottery Barn Kids

Pendant light above changing table from Ikea

Fabric storage bins from Ikea

On top of table, hand knitted "wink the owl" toy, from BlaBla

Pictures above changing table...previously mentioned here.

Blankets - piles of blankets - are essential! We got several as shower gifts and we use them all, for everything! I especially liked the aden + anais blankets for swaddling early on. Since little Bub was born in early summer, it was pretty hot and these kept him snug and warm but not overly hot.
Also, the little teddy bear rattle from Angel Dear in the corner is one of bub's favorite things. He got a ducky one for a gift that he loves so much and is often in the wash so I bought him a couple more to put into his daily rotation. It is soft and machine-washable (which is important to me!) and easy for him to grab onto. Plus, he loves to chew on the faces (especially ducky's beak) and often takes it with him wherever he is scooting about the house.

So there you have it! A little tour of a place where I've been spending many hours these past several months and some sources on many of the baby things we've found that work for us. Hope you enjoyed it!

Now, guess where I'm off to again? Why the nursery of course! ;)

Sunday drive...

Sunday's sky was low and gray, ominous...heavy with the promise of snow, mist, freezing rain...something? We decided to get out and go for a drive. In mid-January, on a dreary weekend day, it feels good to get out and just go...wherever. So we packed up the baby, some clementines and string cheese...hats, mittens, boots, and headed north up the shore. First stop: our favorite fish house to get some smoked turkey and beef jerky. (They have the most amazing turkey jerky! We drove there twice when I was pregnant and they were out of it both times!) Then little baby Bub fell peacefully asleep for quite awhile in the back, giving us a chance to talk together and rest a bit and gaze out the window at the wide open expanse of the big lake. I really like the feeling of being able to see a far distance. When I lived in the Cities, I remember sometimes feeling a bit boxed up or trapped in a way because of not being able to see for miles and miles. It feels good on the eyes or something. Later on we stopped for a little fresh air just as some light snowflakes began to fall. We bundled baby in his down snow suit and I carried him against me in the BabyBjorn. We made our way down to the lake to show him Lake Superior, the closest he'd ever been to it. Hub showed him his rock-skipping skills...sending them sailing off into the dark, icy lake...while I clung to the wonderful feeling of my precious little one warming up my front, snuggled in next to me, seeing the lake through his eyes for the first time.

so happy its Friday...

Don't you love the start of a new weekend? I have some low-key plans that involve working on a few little house projects. First up...little baby recently turned 7 months old and I am finally going to put the finishing touches on his nursery. About time, no? But since he is on the move now, I'm busier than ever just trying to keep him from hurting himself...bumping his head on all manner of furniture that he likes to get himself stuck under, falling over while sitting, grabbing things he shouldn't be grabbing, etc...But anyways, since we didn't find out his gender before he was born (it seems most people DO find out now days...why is that?) I saved some decorating in his nursery for when we would know...specifically I didn't buy any fancy crib sheet sets. So I finally ordered a crib skirt the other day to coordinate with some sheets we already had. And I finally figured out what to do with the wall next to his crib. So once I finish this I may post a little nursery tour...we'll see. I have another private baby blog where I expound about how cute and wonderful and charming our little Bub is. But a nursery tour might be fun to see here too maybe. I also have high hopes to put together a little family photo gallery wall somewhere in the house...pull out some good photos and mix and match some frames. I want to see our good times, memories from the past, people we love, at hand every day...we have some random photos framed here and there but I think more would be good. So those are my weekend plans...hopefully it will turn out as planned. Since it is so freezing cold here now and supposed to be snowy, I don't see why not?
happy weekend! :)

golden-eyed owls

A pair of new owls I made last week.
The bride's colors were papaya, dark blue, and hints of gold. I added some touches of gold paint to their eyes...something new, something different...and I liked it!

an unlikely match...

However unlikely it may be for a bear and a fox to really hang out together in the forest, they are finding common ground (and getting along quite nicely if I do say so myself!) on my latest wedding cake topper. It was a custom order and a bear (my first bear really!) was requested to sit alongside a bushy-tailed fox. Its always fun to try something new! And that's where those ferns ended up residing as well.

Today feels like a real January day...snowy and windy, dark and dreary...I can hear the howling, blustering wind against the house and see it swirling up drifts of snow on my neighbor's roof. And after a string of many un-January-ish days, it feels alright to me. Little baby is tucked in for a nap and I'm happily working on some new orders. All is well in this calm month.

in the studio {ferns & flowers}

Amidst much time spent loving on one sick, teething, non-napping baby, I've been trying to do some cake-toppering too. Pictured here, some hand cut paper ferns and other cake topper adornments.

new year's day {time & change}

For me, most every new year rolls into another rather uneventfully...without seeming too important, too different.

But after having a baby this past summer, I feel time and the passage of it more acutely than ever. I can see it marching forward and experience it more fully in the changes he makes each hour, each day.

From 21 to 31, things didn't feel vastly different. Sure I got married and moved twice and changed jobs and many other things changed, surface things. But now each day seems so much more precious, incredibly special. I see my little one changing so much and growing so fast each month, each day, every hour. I can really feel and see time moving forward so quickly now. I can appreciate it.

Sometimes I want time to slow down. I don’t want the days to go by so fast. I want to enjoy each stage with him a little longer. But yet I enjoy and want to see him grow and change. And ultimately, its impressed upon me now even more how fast time really goes. And just how very temporary our lives truly are. When I stop to think about it like that, it makes me thankful that I have hope in eternity. We never know what each year (or a single day for that matter) will hold. We can only be grateful for the day we’ve been given.

{photos from yesterday, enjoying some time out and about with my family}