angel vine...

...the new plant we bought for our bedroom at our greenhouse visit. The pot was slightly covered in moss and the dainty foliage is climbing up a little towering trellis. It was time for a new plant and suddenly our bedroom feels so much fresher!

the greenhouse

A few photos from a recent outing to our local nursery...for me it was like the tiniest snippet of a tropical vacation. Being inside the greenhouse in the warm, moist air, surrounded by so much green and brilliant color was like a breath of fresh air in the midst of a drab February day. I needed that!

a Valentine-y lunch...

I wasn’t necessarily going to do much of anything for Valentine’s Day this year. I usually at least make some cards or a little something...but I just wasn’t really in the mood.

I haven’t really been in the mood to do a whole lot of anything lately, except the basics…taking care of my family. I’d have these big crafting ideas, but then come evening, once little baby was finally tucked into bed, I’d find myself quickly crawling into my own bed soon after with a good book and the heating blanket turned on high. I guess its best to listen to your body. Sometimes I think that whenever little bub is napping or sleeping at night, I need to be doing something very productive with my time. And I’m slowly learning (now that he is becoming a better napper) that there will always be another nap, another moment to myself. So I can relax a little bit and give myself a break once in awhile, which I’ve been trying to do... But then Mum and Dad decided to come up for a visit this past Saturday. And since it was close to Valentine's Day I decided it'd be fun to turn an ordinary meal together into a little V-Day lunch/celebration. Of course we’d eat something together, so why not make it into something a little extra special, since we don’t often see each other anyways? I love having my parents in my home and treating them like special guests, because they are! And it was a good excuse to use some dishes and things that I don't often use. So it all spiraled from there…a few days beforehand I had taken little baby outside for some fresh air, to watch the Chickadees at the feeder. And I plucked off some tiny pinecones from a nearby tree. Suddenly some “Pining for you, Valentine” place cards popped into my head. Perfect for our special Valentine lunch. (Doesn’t all inspiration happen randomly like that? At least it does for me!) Then sometime soon after a butterfly mobile hanging from the light fixture popped into my head as well and I just had to make it...even if it meant staying up late the night before.

I was planning on making Chicken a la King for lunch, something warm and comforting on a very cold, blustery winter afternoon...

...and suddenly I had to make the biscuits from scratch and in the shape of hearts no less! Then, somewhere in the midst of sleep the night before, I had the idea for us to write down one thing we love about our spouse on a heart doily, so I had to go dig those out from my craft stuff......but as I announced this little plan during our lunch, someone else came up with an even more brilliant idea to write our little love note inside the "Pining for You, Valentine" place cards. This made far more sense as we had much more room to write and we all easily came up with more than just one thing we love about our spouse. We read them aloud after our meal and it all ended on a very love-y, Valentine-y note...which made me so pleased indeed...and I do think did all of our hearts just a bit of good!
Happy Valentine's Day! :)

sunny spot

Yesterday morning, on the last morning of January, the sun was coming in so warm and lovely through my kitchen window...the tiny shadows cast from my Baby Tears plant caught my eye...and it felt good to know that we're on to February. This winter hasn't been as brutal up North here as it has been in recent past winters. And I'm excited about the random assortment of bulbs (grape hyacinths, tulips, narcissus) I planted along the side of my house last fall...something I've never done before so I hope they work! I know that it'll still be quite awhile before they will (hopefully!) start to poke through the ground. But on this late winter day, its just a tiny little something I'm looking forward to seeing in the coming months.

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! :)