It's a Boy!

Wow, where have I been the last couple weeks? A bit of everywhere.

I survived the grand celebration of Pretty Little Bare Feet's second birthday. We had a fantastic turnout to a fun birthday party at a children's museum.

(via: Lifeguard's Press)

I did some slight variations on a theme using the Taboo print by Lilly Pulitzer.

Since that particular print has been discontinued from the Lilly line of party goods, I had to bring in lots of other coordinating touches - which ended up being kind of fun!

(I did find the Taboo invitations & some of the Taboo party tableware at the Preppy Princess. If you are not familiar with this fabulous shop, or the delightful blog authored by the Princess herself - you are really missing out! You'll want to be sure & add the Preppy Princess to your blog&shopping bookmarks!)

We also had a fabulous bakery create a customized cake, using the Taboo napkin as a guide.

Cute Candy Damask Elephant Appliqued Long Sleeve Tee by Oh Sew Cute Designs

& Pretty Little Bare Feet wore a precious little pink elephant top I found on Etsy, that coordinated well with our little "theme."

Anyway, I can't believe all of that was only one week ago, because then it was such a whirlwind week! I've been drowning in

appointments,

emails,

meetings,

schedules,

etc.

& then this weekend we celebrated my birthday!

(I turned twenty-one for the eighth time...that makes me twenty-eight, if you're not in the mood for math. ;) I figure I can keep getting away with "twenty-one" for as long as I receive comments such as the one made recently by our neighbor, telling My Prince that I didn't look old enough to be a mama, & asking him to "say hello to your teenaged bride." Ha!)

But the big update is that we went & had our "big" ultrasound done on Friday - & we were (pleasantly) so surprised to find out that we are expecting a baby boy in June!

& although this is not a personal blog...

(so I won't be getting all TMI about baby names, belly photos, & heartburn!)

...this is a blog where we love to talk shopping! & I am entering a whole new realm of baby boy shopping! =)

Big Pony Polo in Bright Lime by Ralph Lauren

Collared Bodysuit with Sailboat by Hartstrings

Denim Dungarees by Burberry

Ombre Slub Stripe Romper by Splendid Littles

Tee Me Up Scottie Soft Soles in Sand by Robeez

Ooo, I am going to have so much fun!

Hope y'all have a fabulous week!

Pink&Green Thursday, January 13th, 2011

Happy Pink&Green Thursday! I can't believe it's been so long since I've participated in my favorite link-up! But now that my dear Ms. Trishy is back to hosting it regularly, I think it's time that I am back to joining in regularly, don't you?!

(via: Wildfox Couture)

Sooo...won't you have a seat, please?

(Or as Pretty Little Bare Feet would say, "Sit down!...please?" ;))

(via: Vogue)

(via: Veranda)

(via: Alice Lane)

(via: Jonathan Adler)

(I'm a bit obsessed with Jonathan Adler lately...)

One-of-a-Kind Berr Armchair in Flourished at Anthropologie

(Also a bit obsessed with Anthropologie lately...but that's not as novel as the Jonathan Adler kick...I periodically fall from like into love with Anthropologie!)

I Get a Little Warm in My Heart When I Think of Winter...

Well, I only blogged a little bit about the miraculously white Christmas we had here in Dixie. & here we are, miraculously snow-covered again!

Can I be honest with y'all, though? The truth is I am a bit of a snow grinch. I went to college in Ohio & saw more snow during those four years than I ever cared to see. One of the reasons I moved back home to Alabama after graduating college was to get back to the climate that I considered "normal," where snow is a rare, fleeting sight. So although I can appreciate its beauty (from inside my warm house), I mostly find it inconvenient&messy.

Also, while I'm being completely honest with y'all, I must shamefully confess that I've become a bit of a snow snob, as well. Although I've spent a total of twenty-four of my almost-twenty-eight years living in Alabama, those four years in the snow belt of Ohio created a seasoned pro who didn't think twice about bundling up to trudge across icy sidewalks to class, or shoveling the car out of a snowbank to drive it through a blizzard to work twenty miles away. So now, if a snow flurry falls a hundred miles north of here, & I arrive at Target only to find that the pharmacy is closed because of the "impending, inclement weather," I find myself parodying the "Really?! with Seth&Amy" segment from Weekend Update on Saturday Night Live. You know, "Really?! Does the pharmacist commute all the way down here from some mountaintop in the Smokies? I managed to get here just fine. Y'all call this winter weather? Why, when I lived in Ohio..."

Annoying, right? My Prince thinks so, too.

& yes, I totally get that "we just aren't prepared for it" down here the way regions that routinely receive snowfall are. But there were a lot of days that the college town I lived in in Ohio didn't bother to "re-salt" the roads after a fresh snowfall, & you know what? It's pretty simple...drive slowly, & avoid hitting your accelerator or brakes when going around curves or over bridges. Pump your brakes gently when coming to an intersection or stopping. & yes, sometimes accidents still happen - just like they do on wet roads or in everyday driving conditions.

Don't get me wrong - I hated driving (& walking) in it. But I had no choice. They didn't cancel classes or close businesses because a new batch of dangerous ice&snow had landed on the roads&sidewalks. & the South gets enough of the winter stuff every year that would it really be that much of a drain on our city budgets to stock up on a supply of salt to keep the roads passable in these random instances of ice? Surely it wouldn't be more of a hit to the budget than the costs of closing government offices & schools every time a meteorologist spots a flurry traveling in our general direction?

Anyway, so I suppose that's why I didn't blog much about the white Christmas of 2010 or the little dustings of snow that came in 2009. Yes, I appreciate the beauty & the novelty of snow. But overall, I'm a bit of a snow grinch & a snow snob, so I find it better to just be quiet about it - rather than sounding like the grouchy snot that snow turns me into.

(I don't want to come across as a ranting pessimist, really I don't. I'm embarrassed by my attitude!)

However, I have to admit that the silver lining to my snow cloud comes in the form of an amazed, delighted little toddler. She goes back&forth between the windows of the house, watching the snow fall & exclaiming, "Snow!" She will play in it for as long as we will let her. & unlike my grumpy grownup self, she doesn't mind bundling up in layer after layer, if it means getting to play in the snow. When she falls down in it, she giggles instead of groaning.

Pretty Little Bare Feet doesn't have a to-do list that can't get done if she can't get out on the roads to go anywhere. She has

her mama

& the White Dog

- & bonus! Daddy gets to stay at home from work, too!

She has a steady supply of

apple juice,

Cheerios,

& Greek yogurt.

She has books to read & toys to play with.

So today I shall blog about snow...

We have snow! In Alabama! It's pretty, & we're "snowed in!" We're going to play in it, & we're going to make snow cream.

(I'm even going to share the recipe with y'all...it's delicious.)

I have a Snuggie. ;) I have a MacBook. I have books to read. We have power. & most importantly, I have a sweet family that enjoys&loves the snow, so I will enjoy their happiness & love them for their love of snow.

(Well, except for the White Dog...she hates the snow, too. Mostly because she's so tiny that she gets lost in it easily, & it's cold&wet on her dainty little paws.)

(all photos via assorted Alabama news&weather blogs)

snow cream

(yield: 8 to 10 servings)

• 8 cups snow
• 1 14-ounce can sweetened condensed milk
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

*Place snow into a large bowl.

*Pour condensed milk over & add vanilla.

*Mix to combine.

*Serve immediately in bowls.

Preppy Polka Dots

I love polka dots...especially for Pretty Little Bare Feet. & I love them on gifty things like

lunch boxes,

stationery,

etc.

But I am never sure if polka dots look appropriate on me. I am sometimes drawn to them, only to decide after seeing myself in a photograph that perhaps it was too bold (or too "young") of a choice.

However, after seeing Keira Knightley rocking some polka dots on the January cover of Vogue UK, I've been inspired to look around a bit for fresh ways to incorporate them into my wardrobe.

There is clearly nothing immature about the way she's wearing these dots!

Being of a petite frame, I am always concerned that patterns or prints will overwhelm me. & that makes me sad because I am so often drawn to colorful, pretty patterns&prints!

But I'm thinking...

Polka Dot Ankle Socks in Wine at Topshop USA

Clearly anybody can pull off the polka dot look on their socks! This is actually a place that I often do wear polka dots. =)

Dorene Polka Dot Dress at Delia*s

Okay, so this probably is too young for me. But I think with

a little black cardigan over it,

some black tights under it,

& some classic black pumps...

...I could make it more suitable for a "grownup?"

Ballet Flats by Marc by Marc Jacobs at Yoox

Okay, so it takes a little more moxie to don polka dots on your shoes than just your socks, but how cute are these flats? I'm thinking a solid sweater & some fitted jeans would really be taken up a fun notch with these on my feet!

Hello Kitty Polka Dot Rain Boot by Western Chief at Piperlime

Well...I did say I love polka dots for Pretty Little Bare Feet! I've been dying to find a perfect little pair of rain boots for her. Yet I never do think to look for any, except when I'm at Target, & their selection hasn't wowed me yet. These are so cute, though, & the price is fantastic. How fun for spring!

Polka Dot Suede Continental in Black/Pewter Dot by Juicy Couture at Zappos

I know, this is another way-too-easy polka dot addition, isn't it? But I think it's darling&sophisticated all at once, & I desperately need a new wallet. I got the one I'm currently carrying literally two years ago, as it matches the baby bag My Prince bought for me when Pretty Little Bare Feet was born...two years ago.

(Hmmm, I wonder if there is a baby bag that matches this wallet...?)

Tapping into My Country Side

Okay, first I want to wish y'all a

Happy New Year!

I know that I should probably be blogging today about how I am going to be a

better blogger,

faster runner,

healthier cook,

etc.

Or maybe I should just resolve to be on time every now&again. ;) But as I mentioned recently, I think New Year's resolutions are fine - but nothing to get too worked up about.

So what's on my mind...is that I have six days in which to find a suitable date to go see Country Strong with me. =)

You'd think my mama would want to go with me. She has two VIP movie tickets she needs to use, & she loves country music. But apparently she doesn't love Gwyneth Paltrow.

(I don't get it either.)

Doesn't love her enough that she won't even go see this movie. =(

& My sweet Prince has said that he would accompany me. But he made it very clear that it would only be because he loves me. & he made it very clear that he would not enjoy the movie. Since (thank God) I didn't have to go with him to see that Tron: Legacy mess, I don't want to make him sit through a chick flick that doesn't even offer him comedic relief.

So why am I so excited about this movie that I am going to start asking every one of my local girlfriends to go with me, until I find somebody that will?

1. I love country music.

I don't only love country music, & I don't love all country music. But Sara Evans is one of my all-time favorite artists.

(I met her once, & I've seen her in concert several times. She is *fabulous.*)

I love that most country artists pay attention to how they present themselves, & take the time to really style themselves for public appearances. I love that Nashville has so much more class than, say, Los Angeles...I realize that country music has its share of scandals, but I'd say the ratio is relatively low compared to the unnecessary drama of the pop/rock scenes. & I love that I don't have to worry about Pretty Little Bare Feet overhearing & repeating a swear word when we're listening to country music.

2. I love Gwyneth Paltrow.

I think it's wonderful that she's actually been married to her talented rocker hubby for seven unheard-of-in-Hollywood years.

(& yes, I do realize that could change, like, by the time I publish this post. ;))

I loved her in Emma & the Iron Man movies. Heck, I even thought Shallow Hal was funny. & I love that she appeared on Glee, which is one of our favorite shows.

I love that Gwyneth can be "one of the guys," as evidenced by her friendships with Jay-Z & Mario Batali. I love her Goop newsletter - it is absolutely worth signing up for, if you aren't already getting it! & she usually has a pretty good sense of style - lots of chic, preppy outfits...

(via: Harper's Bazaar)

& you've got to love that she designed her own Mommy&Me look for Lilly Pulitzer.

3. Tim McGraw can actually act!

I remember way back in my elementary(?) school days when Tim McGraw was the new, cool thing. "Don't Take the Girl" or "Indian Outlaw," anybody? But he's another of the seemingly pretty decent celebrities, always down-to-earth in interviews & respectful of his gorgeous wife of fourteen years. & I have to admit, after seeing him in the Blind Side & Four Christmases, he's a pretty good actor, too!

4. I can't wait to see Blair Waldorf Leighton Meester on the big screen.

We already know Leighton Meester can sing.

("Good Girls Go Bad.")

& I am excited to see her in a role so dramatically different from the preppy Gossip Girl character that I know&love.

5. Tobey Maguire is a producer.

How cool is that?!

6. I'm already loving the soundtrack.

As I mentioned earlier in this post, I am a big Sara Evans fan. So I've had her latest single "A Little Bit Stronger" downloaded since pretty much the minute it came out. & the rest of the songs from this soundtrack are pretty great, too.

Now I'm even more excited about seeing this movie than I was before I started this post...I've just got to figure out who's going to go with me to see it!