He's Here!

Well, it's been over a month since I last blogged...but most of you know what a good excuse I had for my absence...

My Little Man!

My Little Man arrived on June 22nd. He's two weeks old today! Pretty Little Bare Feet couldn't be more thrilled to be a Big Sister. My Prince had to go back to work yesterday, but my sweet mama is still here helping out. In fact, she just left to take Pretty Little Bare Feet shopping (again), which is why My Little Man & I are able to take a second to update y'all on what's been going on around the Screen Door.

I'm sure blogging will be sporadic for another month or two. A big thank you to all of y'all for bearing with me & being patient while I've neglected the blog this summer, to focus on the most important things! Once Pretty Little Bare Feet gets back to her little Montessori nursery school routine, I'm sure I'll be itching to get back to my "blogging while the baby naps" routine. In fact, I obviously need a new header (since My Little Man isn't in my current one!), & I'm envisioning a whole overhaul in design around here...soon enough. For now, I'm thinking it's time for a quick nap. ;)

(Yep, that's really My Prince & My Little Man in that photo. Isn't my sweet stepsister ohsotalented?)

Preferred Catalogs: Hanna Andersson

I ordered several of Pretty Little Bare Feet's fall wardrobe staples (hair accessories, turtlenecks, etc.) from Hanna Andersson, & I couldn't have been more pleased with the customer service or the quality of the items.

& although Pretty Little Bare Feet seems to have a plethora of little sundresses to choose from...the warmer the weather the gets, the more apparent it is becoming that we are still missing a few summer staples for her wardrobe.

Fortunately, the latest Hanna Andersson catalog does not disappoint!

Reversible Headband in Story Pink/Water Leaf

Summer Color Scooter Skirt in Treasure Pink/Pottery Orange

Favorite Things Tank in Citron

Cropped Sweats in Bright Coral Bloom/White

& of course now I get to look at *baby boy* things, too!...

Little Tanker in Seed Green

(all available at Hanna Andersson)

What I Want This Weekend, May 13th, 2011

Here are some pretty things I've come across this week,

from some blog

or catalog

or friend

or magazine

or another;

or just from my own browsing&shopping&surfing,

that I need to convince My Prince to dole out the cash for...

Ugly Charlie by Uglydoll

Little Ugly Groody by Uglydoll

Do any of y'all mamas have any Uglydolls for your little ones?

Little Ugly Flatwoodsey by Uglydoll

Pretty Little Bare Feet received the one above from one of her favorite little nursery school classmates for her birthday this year. She absolutely adores the silly thing, & I have to admit that it has kind of grown on me.

After speaking to friends with toddlers, who have recently added newborns to their families, My Prince & I have been trying to ready ourselves for the big transition that Pretty Little Bare Feet is going to be making soon as she becomes a big sister. One idea that has been floated around is the idea of letting the older child pick out a special gift to give to the new baby.

I had already been thinking that maybe since Pretty Little Bare Feet only has one of the "Little Uglys," she might be excited about acquiring a new, bigger Classic Uglydoll for herself. I've been putting together a little "bag of fun" for our trip to the hospital, full of little surprises to be pulled out in instances of waiting room boredom, or just to distract from all of the unfamiliar disruptions to Pretty Little Bare Feet's little toddler world.

Then it occurred to me that maybe I could

take away the "surprise" element of this particular little gift,

allow Pretty Little Bare Feet to pick out her own new Uglydoll,

& also let her pick out a new Little Ugly to give to her baby brother.

Then we could sort of make the "bigger" Uglydoll a "big sibling" to the new Little Ugly...

Insulated Cooler in Floaters by Lilly Pulitzer at Swoozie's

I have been longing for Lilly throughout this entire pregnancy, pretty much from the moment I no longer felt comfortable in my favorite Lilly dresses&polos. Although I am still able to wear some of my Lilly pajamas, I've been having to make do with shopping for Lilly stationery & that sort of thing.

(& of course the occasional Minnie item for Pretty Little Bare Feet.)

Anyway, just a few more months (assuming, of course, I work my tail off to lose the baby weight as quickly as I did before...& that is what I intend!) before I can dress myself in my normal wardrobe again - & add to it!

Until that time, though, the #1 item on my summer Lilly must-have list is this cooler. I intend to spend some time at both our country club & neighborhood pools with Pretty Little Bare Feet, who can pretty safely splash around in the "kiddie pools" under my watchful eye, while I keep my other watchful eye on a newborn. Therefore, it will be necessary to ensure we are properly equipped with the perfect

beach bag,

beach towels,

cooler,

magazines,

water bottles,

etc.

I also already have the perfect Lilly caftan to cover my postpartum mama bod, & I just received a big, floppy hat in a delightful bright coral as a gift that will also be well-loved this summer.

Toddler Girls' Swimsuit in Red by Calypso St. Barth for Target

Pretty Little Bare Feet has thus far only snagged this one new bathing suit for herself, but now that most everybody has gotten their summer lines out, I'm sure it'll be no time before we add a few more to her current swimwear rotation.

Enamel Horse Bit Bangle in Green by Fornash

Love Fornash. Pretty much everything. & I would love to add to my Fornash bangle&bracelet collection with one of these with the new horse bit detail. Sooo classically chic!

Eli Open Shoulder Top by Dallin Chase at Shopbop

I know, we've already covered the annoying fact that I can't yet wear my normal-sized clothing, & it would just be silly to get this & stare at it for months, waiting until I can wear it. But I've always had a thing for open shoulder tops, & I can't get this one out of my head!

Gemma Long Dress by Karen Zambos Vintage Couture at Shopbop

...& while backtracking to find that fabulous top to share with y'all, I happened upon this fantastic dress - my favorite maxi dress I've seen this year! & I wore a non-maternity maxi dress by Gypsy 05 just tonight...so this actually feels within the realm of not-too-far-off possibility! ;)

T.G.I.F.! What do YOU want this weekend?

Calm After the Storms?

I always say that this isn't a personal blog. & by that I mean that...

...this is not where I chronicle my daily life.

I don't use my real name, or the real names of my family&friends.

I don't discuss finances or share health issues.

Using my own personal photos is rare.

I'm not looking to vent about politics - the real kind or the private-school-mama kind.

Instead, this has been my place for sharing preppy, pretty finds for the house, the kid, or the wardrobe. This has been a place to chronicle failures&successes in the kitchen. It's also been a wonderful way to connect with other bloggers that share some of my lifestyle interests.

Part of why I love this little place is because it is a lighthearted "escape" of sorts, where I can

forget my cares,

put off my to-do lists,

& just indulge in a little bit of pretty for a little while.

Since the date of my last post, April 27th, it has been hard for me to bring my mind to that kind of lighthearted state, the kind that I try to approach my blogging with.

My house is still standing. My closest family&friends are still standing.

But my beloved home state of Alabama is devastated. The hometown where I grew up was violently impacted by the system of tornadoes that wreaked havoc across the state less than two weeks ago, as was the "hometown" My Prince & I adopted for several years, before settling in the area we live in now (also impacted by the storms). There are many places that only exist in my memories now. My heart has broken again&again for the stories I've heard from friends who did lose grandparents, or homes, or siblings...not to mention the stories I've read about complete strangers, who don't really feel like strangers, as I shake my head in disbelief at the shared sorrow we feel at the tragic losses of our beloved homes&neighbors.

I know that there are many people throughout the country who felt sadness when they saw the destruction caused by the storms twelve days ago. But many of those same people, my friends included, were able to refocus their attention on breaking news from the White House, or the gaiety of the British royal wedding celebration. Life goes on...

I am still losing my breath every time I pass an area of destroyed houses&trees; still feeling sick to my stomach every time a new upload of photos or videos shows more of the reality of how life has changed forever for so many of my friends&neighbors here in Dixie.

So today I am sharing a few things that are

a bit more personal,

a bit more real,

& a bit more serious.

Tomorrow is always a new day for sharing the brighter, happier side of life, which I am more comfortable blogging in. But today I am still just a sad Alabama girl that hopes you'll remember us in your prayers for just a little bit longer.

Kids4AL

Kids helping kids affected by tornadoes in Alabama.

Toomer's for Tuscaloosa

Toomer's for Tuscaloosa provides help to residents of Tuscaloosa & West Alabama affected by the April 27th, 2011 tornadoes.

Oak Mountain Church Disaster Relief

Providing relief to those affected by disaster.

Central Church of Christ Tornado Relief

Efforts to help people affected by the tornado of April 27, 2011, which ripped through Limestone County, Alabama.

Southern Supports the Tide® - Tornado Relief for Tuscaloosa

Southern Tide® has approved the use of their logo for this relief effort, & they are licensed.

Checking In!

Hello to all of my fabulous, loyal, sweet followers!

I appreciate you all so much for hanging in there with me during this blessed (but chaotic!) period in my life, as we are nearing the time for our new baby boy to make his arrival. =) I have not been as present as I usually am in our bloggers' community, & I do miss it! But it's been a challenge just to keep all of our usual plates spinning around here, & keeping things as routine as possible for Pretty Little Bare Feet has been my #1 priority.

I've also been trying to get our house ready for the arrival of our new baby.

(His decor is "Hey Diddle Diddle," which I think coordinates nicely with Pretty Little Bare Feet's Raggedy Ann.)

Since he will start out sleeping in our room, there has been (& still is) some work to do to get our master bedroom ready for sharing. Eventually he'll move upstairs to share a room with Pretty Little Bare Feet.

(Our second&third bedrooms are *huge,* so I feel no guilt in having two small children share one of them, so we can keep our fabulous multi-purpose "spare" room as it is!)

So there have been some changes to Pretty Little Bare Feet's room, as well. & of course the doctors' visits are more frequent now. & of course I am...

...exhausted,

tired,

worn out...

...I'm pretty much ready for the challenge of newborn+toddler, rather than this current challenge of pregnant mama + toddler. I can function without sleep...but...

...I miss having energy!

& mobility!

& not being so achy by the end of every day!

(Okay, okay, & yes, I miss having a g&t or a glass of wine in the evening, as well. ;))

So although I'll try to blog a bit more often in May (never meant to go on hiatus for this long!)...if I'm "not around," you can check in with me on Twitter or email me (at the address in my Blogger profile).

Again, I appreciate all of you!, & I have been enjoying what little catching up on your blogs I've been able to manage.

I am so inspired by all of the beautiful, colorful spring posts.

Please keep them coming!

(& if you are one of the many of us Southern folks that is or has been dealing with the severe weather today, stay safe!)

"Just Because" Cards

If you're a stationery junkie like I am, you don't need a holiday (or even a reason) to give a great card to somebody.

In fact, the hardest part of hoarding collecting stationery for me is that using it means giving it away.

I often save one of each design out of my boxes or sets of stationery...& if I find an especially wonderful card, I'll buy two, so I can keep one for myself. =)

Hint of Lime Folded Notes by a Touch of Whimsy Designs

Girls Night Out Note Card by Bonnie Marcus Collection at Polka Dot Design

Fetched Foliage in Mustard by Night Owl Paper Goods at Tiny Prints

Dress Note Cards by Lilly Pulitzer at Lifeguard Press

(I have these in last year's patterns, & I just love them!)

Giraffes Card by Winifred Studios

On Deciding that Amy Butler is Not Just for Children's Items...

(via: Amy Butler)

Until my recent determination that I would have to roll up my sleeves & shop harder ;) to find the best&cutest in all things little boy...

...I had been under the impression that Amy Butler was simply a recognizable designer of almost-always-adorable fabric.

(&, having failed miserably at my resolutions to master my sewing machine, my familiarity with Amy Butler has been mostly limited to Etsy searches.)

However, during my recent exploration of lots of new (to me) baby style blogs & online baby shops, I came across Amy Butler & quickly realized there is so much more to appreciate!

Lucky Flowers Mix&Match Stationery by Amy Butler at Chronicle Books

Dream Traveler Carry-On in Tobacco Temple Doors by Amy Butler at Layla Grace

Valencia Comforter Set by Amy Butler at Bed, Bath, & Beyond

Bath Towels by Amy Butler at Bed, Bath, & Beyond

Bloom Fabric Shower Curtain by Amy Butler at Bed, Bath, & Beyond

& of course there are still so many lovely children's items to be found on Etsy, as well...

Baby Bib in Cherry Wallflower by Amy Butler at the Scarlet Poppe Boutique

the Modern Reversible Pinafore in Vintage Dots & SunSpots by Blue Morpho Designs

Ready for Spring Flutter-Sleeve Peasant Dress in Morning Glory Fabric by Amy Butler at Personalized for You

(FYI...Amy Butler will be featured on the fabulous exclusive sale site Rue La La tomorrow! & I'm also super-excited that the Lilly Pulitzer boutique will be open at Rue La La later this week...I have always been very happy with my Lilly purchases from Rue La La! If you are not a member, just email me at the address in my Blogger profile, or DM me on Twitter.)