Things I am Loving: Tartan Edition

Land's End Scarf 

(horrid picture- much cuter in the catalog and in real life!!)

Orvis plates, napkins and tablecloth


RL baby bunting for stroller or carseat
(can't get picture from Macy's, but it's ADORABLE!!)

 Both from Talbots- they have tons and tons of darling plaid things right now, so festive, so fun!

 

 

For the VV loving male who has a black tie event coming up. 

This might be more B's style though. 

(Ladies, there isn't anything better than a man who wears a bowtie well!!)

One of the BEST totes I have ever seen.  I would carry this every winter for the next 10 years.  I'm keeping it on the radar in case it goes on sale after Christmas!!

Any plaid items out there you are loving??  I'm glad SYT is a baby boy b/c plaid just looks so cute on little guys, doesn't it?  I've definitely got a few shirts and one darling RL longall that he's going to grow out of soon, so I'm on the hunt for a few more wintertime plaid outfits for him!

Have a great Tuesday!

Christmas decorations!!!

The entryway and dining room tree.  I had two four foot fake trees, so we put one in each of the front windows (one in the dining room and one in the living room).  The dining room is done in golds and red and the living room has the 12 Days of Christmas ornaments from Crate and Barrell as well as pink, purple, blue and green sparkly balls.

Our dining room hutch with my Wachtersbach collection.  The plates and bowls are in the kitchen cupboards, but the serving ware and glassware are out.  It looked SO pretty on our table on Saturday for our dinner club!!I used a white tablecloth underneath the runner so that the red of the plates popped even more.

My ornament wreath (I made it last year using Eddie Ross's as inspiration).  It's hanging over the island in the kitchen.

My St. Nicholas collection on top of the hutch in the family room.  I have since found a few more Nick's and put them out.

Our mantle.  It's hard to tell, but there are shiny red votive holders disperse throughout the greens up top.  The statue in the R corner is Mary, Joseph and baby Jesus. 

Decorating the tree

The final project!  Now all it needs is presents wrapped beneath it.

Is your house decorated yet?  Do you have a more traditional color scheme or do you use something else?  Do you have Christmas dishes or china??  Do share, I'm obsessed!!

Wish list

B asked the other day what I want for Christmas.  He basically said his brain worked overtime with my birthday gift (ahhhh.....my lovely little Revas) and he had nothing left in him for Christmas ideas.  So, my dearest, here are a few things I would love to find under the tree.

A piece of jewelry to celebrate my little one.  Emerald's are his birthstone, which makes it an expensive proposition, but the idea of stacking a few rings for each baby is a concept I like or even just having one piece of jewelry with each baby's birthstone in it.  There are  a few on Ebay that I like as options.

Duck shoes from LL Bean.  The regular in navy or the shearling in brown.  Such a necessity in the winter here, and I really want waterproof shoes I can slip on and off.  Putting on and taking off big heavy boots in the morning is a struggle with the baby.

A new ski coat.  I am loving the fur around the hood and think it would be adorable on the slopes.  If it's a really wet, nasty day, most of the jackets I've looked at have the ability to detach the fur so that I could leave it at home and not ruin it.  The one above is North Face and I love the gray and the red.  Land's End has one I like too.

A subscription to Cook's Illustrated.  It's a great magazine with tested and true recipes.  It's one of the more expensive mags to buy month to month, so it'd be nice to get the yearly subscription.  This is something I would never buy myself, so it's a great thing to add to the list.

The Professor Cardigan.  Love the regular, love the cable knit, love it in red, orange, teaberry heather, mink heather, emerald, ivory, pewter heather, and dusty blue.  It's on sale this week :)  I have a current obsession with any cardigan as it makes it so much easier to nurse and to pump at work.  Plus, I have a few cute short sleeved dresses that look darling with cardigans over top.  (Also, pretty much any cute button down to go under this and my numerous other cardigans- patterns are wonderful and Land's End and LE Canvas both have cute ones - ps I'm a size S at LE).

LOVE this in the gold, the white, and the black. 


My LLBean Shearling slippers are missing (?? not sure how this happened??) but my feet are craving cozy warmth right now, so something like these or these would work until I find my favorites!

I really, really want to do a family photo shoot/pics of SYT with a professional photographer.  A surprise session would be an awesome gift! 

Pretty much anything from her.

Snowshoes!  B and I love to snowshoe together, and it's something we can do with SYT bundled up and in the ergo.  It's a great winter workout on a crisp, sunny morning.  Junie LOVES going with us, and we'll often let her just run off the leash as we usually do it in pretty deserted areas.  We currently can only do it when we're at my mom's b/c we borrow hers and Ralphs, so it would be nice to have our own so we could go in GR too.

A really awesome bottle of Champagne that we can drink on NYE together.  We tend to buy the same one we had on our wedding day for all our special occasions (and I love this!), but it would be fun to try something that's a step up from that to see if it's better and/or worth the extra cost.

A new monogrammed boat and tote.  I know this won't end up under the tree as B thinks I have too many bags already, but I need a new casual bag for work, so I would get rid of the one I currently have as my one in- one out policy.  I wish the striped ones had zippered tops as I'd prefer a zip.  Feel free to shoot B an email if you have an amazing work bag (preferably under $100) that you love- I'll make sure he checks the comments so he can get ahold of you.  I hate internet shopping for purses/bags- I think it's so hard to tell online. 

Okay, I think that's my list at this point.  If you all have any wonderful suggestions for him, shoot them in the comments, he'd love to hear them, I know! 

Hope you all are having a wonderful weekend out there!!

Christmas traditions

When you were a child, did your parents have special Christmas traditions for you? 

Did you always get a new pair of pajamas on Christmas Eve? 

Did you have a "baking Saturday" where you got together with friends and family to make special Christmas treats?

 

Did you have an Advent calendar or light an advent wreath?  (Can I just say here that the calendars that came pre-filled with chocolate were horrid?  Probably the most disgusting chocolate I've ever tasted- I would usually eat the first two days and then pitch the rest.)

Did you have your own tree in your room?

Did your family have a cd that you listened to over and over again and that everyone would sing along to in the car?

Did you get an ornament each year that represented you?

Did you attend mass (church, services, whatever you call them) on Christmas Eve or Christmas morning?

Which of these (or any other) traditions will you pass down in your own family?  Do you have specific things that just "are" Christmas to you?  I know one thing we will always do is watch The Muppets Christmas Carol.  It's B's favorite holiday movie, and it's "his" Christmas.  I also want to give our children an ornament every year, so that when they strike out on their own, they'll be able to outfit a (small) tree.  I can't guarantee we'll always be in our house on Christmas morning (in fact, I'm pretty sure we won't ever be), but hopefully being "home" won't matter nearly as much as being together and celebrating the birth of Jesus. 

So, tell me, what Christmas traditions made the biggest impressions on you?

Help with gift please!

As you guys know, I work full-time which means SYT spends about 45 hours per week (uggg!!!) in daycare.  Even though it's a ton of time spent away from him, I do feel extremely fortunate because the lead teacher (and his primary teacher) in the Duckling classroom is wonderful with him.  She seriously has the biggest heart for children and is amazing with them developmentally.  This fall the other aide in the room left to go to a center closer to her house, so Miss E spent two months as the only permanent teacher in the classroom.  The center would flip flop teachers regularly so that there was always a sub in there, but she really had little consistent help. 

I really want to do something special for her.  She doesn't have a lot of money and she does have 4 kids (21, 20, 17, and 4).  Part of me wants to do something really fun, like a gift certificate to a salon for any kind of spa treatment, but then the practical side of me says that I should do a GC to Meijer (for those non-midwesterners, it's a huge grocery store), Target, etc or to a restaurant where she could take all four of her kids out to dinner.  Should practical win out here?  If you really didn't have a lot of money (ie- she's never been to TARGET (!!) and she's never flown on a plane), would you rather have money that you could use for clothes, Christmas items, groceries, etc or b/ c she never does anything for herself, would you rather have something more impractical, like a massage? 

I'd love to know your thoughts on this, and if you have any other ideas, please let me know.  She just dotes on Spence, and I want her to know how much I appreciate her loving him!!  Help a girl out, will you??? 

I am thankful

For a loving husband

A precious son

A rambunctious Junebug

A roof over our heads

Steady paychecks from jobs that we love

An abundance of good food

Family, Friends, and Neighbors

Seasons that change

A God I can worship freely

I am truly blessed beyond belief.  I pray that all of you feel very blessed and very thankful on this day and all the days that follow.  I'm also extremely thankful for the blogger friendships that I have made over the past two years of blogging.  It's been a wonderful ride so far! 

Christmas cards

Ah, Christmas cards.  I love receiving them, I love sending them, I love hanging them on my fridge, and I really prefer ones with pictures.  My mom keeps hers in a basket and keeps all the pictures from previous years so that we can all go back and look and see how kids have grown over the years.  I love this! 

Two years ago, B and I sent our Christmas card with our wedding picture.  I still look at that one and smile with delight.  Last year we moved into our house on Dec 22nd, and I had started a new job Dec 1, so there was no hope for a Christmas card.  Instead, we send a New Years card with a picture of our new house on the front.  It was a fun card to send, and it was nice to combine a holiday card with a "we've moved" card.

This year?  It's all about our buddy!  We didn't do birth announcements (it wasn't really in the budget when B wasn't working), so this is our true "announcement" to our family and friends.  I've been a Shutterfly user for years.  I've found it to be the easiest of the photo share sites, and I think the quality of their pictures is great.  I've ordered prints, books, and cards from them in the past and have been impressed by them all.  Since having Spencer, we signed up for the print savings plan so that we can order as many photos as we want at a significant savings. 

This year they have expanded their Christmas card selection, and it's been a blast to see which cards other bloggers love.  I've seen lots of the bright ones with pink, blues, greens, oranges- they're super cute and there are a few of those that I would totally go for if I had a couple of crazy kidlets running around.  This year, though, I'm feeling that the card should be simple and traditional.  We haven't taken our pic yet (hopefully we will get a good one this weekend), but once we do, I'm hoping the winning picture will fit well with one of the cards below.........

Love the tartan plaid on this one

Simple, easy

Some of the bright colors yet still pretty traditional

Maybe I just think this baby is cute, but I also love the wreath and the monogram.  So far this and the tartan are in first place for me.

Love the sentiment on this one

Someone who lives on the beach and has towheads must order this card.  I think it is perfect!!  I thought about using one of our pictures from the Lobster Party, except SYT has changed so much since then.  It would be the perfect setting for this card though, right? 

Thank you, Shutterfly, for offering free cards for bloggers this year!  I would have used one of your cards, regardless, but I'm thrilled to get our first 50 for no cost.  Don't worry, you'll get plenty more use from me in the future :)

Weekend update

*We started our Christmas shopping this weekend.  It feels good to be organized and on top of things.  I'm slightly disappointed that B already knows his "big" gift (a new driver), but he had to try them out and figure out which he wanted.  There's no way I could've done that on my own.  Our spare room has all the gifts so far, and I have a feeling that will become the designated wrapping room as well. 

*I may or may not have a blood blister in places not suitable to mention here.  Thank you, my darling little Spencer.  Not sure how the heck it will go away since the area is traumatized every few hours, but it's definitely uncomfortable, so I'm hoping it goes away soon!  Any one have this happen to them before?

*There is a fire going in our fireplace, and I love it!  It was freezing here today, so it's nice to be cozy and warm in the family room. 

*This Friday we are hosting all our neighbors for our monthly get together.  The host family provides food and everyone brings their own drinks.  Instead of doing dinner (which we have learned very few people eat), we're doing 4 different dessert offerings and a salty snack.  I'm making salted double chocolate chip cookies, peanut butter crispie bars, individual ramekins of apple crisp, pumpkin fluff, and nuts and bolts (aka homemade chex mix).  I'm going to mull some wine too- I love it and it makes the house smell so good. 

*Thank you for your comments on the car post.  No, there is nothing I'm not sharing here (aka- I'm not pregnant, and esp not with twins!).  I'm just the type of girl that once I get a car, I drive it to the ground.  I've had my car for almost 8 years, and I know I'll have it for at least two more.  So, when I get my next car, it'll be another 10 years before I do this again, and hopefully we'll have a few more kids during that time. 

*We brought out the Johnny Jump-Up this weekend for SYT.  It's a HIT!!!  He loves it!  It's so entertaining to see him laugh and giggle and twirl and jump all around in it.  I'm so glad we pulled it out- it's going to be used a ton!

*B picked out a few new articles of clothing when we were out and about yesterday.  He looked so good in his new pants!  His old gray dress pants were way too big (like 20 lbs too big), pleated, and had pilling on them.  Seriously, I cringed every time he pulled them out of the closet.  When he walked out of the dressing room in the new ones, I was so excited!  Seriously, getting him to shop is like pulling teeth, so it was a big day- new pants, new top, new sweater, all of which he picked out!

*I am getting my hair chopped Monday night!  Probably 5 or 6 inches cut off, plus highlights.  I haven't had my hair cut or colored since June.  It is beyond time.  My hair is so heavy, and right now it won't do anything!  I feel badly as I won't see Spencer at all tomorrow after dropping him off at daycare.  B will have to pick him up and do the whole bedtime routine.  It's hard to do anything after work b/c I do feel guilty when I'm not home with him, but my hair is disgusting and really, really needs some work.  Plus I'm getting the bushes that I call eyebrows waxed too!  Here's to a prettier (or at least better groomed) me!

*My little peanut is SIX months old tomorrow!!!!  I'll do a whole post with pictures this week, but I just wanted to say that in no way do I feel like I've been doing this for 6 months!  I also want to say that I love, love, love being a mom.  Even on the worst days in my least patient moments, I just love it!

*Okay, time to iron, take a shower, and head to bed.  I'm exhausted!  Hope you all had a wonderful weekend!

Cars............

Ahhhh......the Jeep Wagoneer.  AEOT's dream car.  In my mind, it has a tan leather interior, a backseat filled with three car seats, and a "way back" lined with Junie's blanket, suitcases packed for the weekend away, and a bike carrier on the back with 5 bikes (or 5 sets of skis depending on the season).  Bruce Springsteen, Indigo Girls, John Mellencamp, and the Miami Men's Glee Club are all pouring out from the speakers, there is squabbling in the backseat, there's water, diet coke, combos, and dried cherries in the cooler which is on the floor in the middle of the backseat (for easy access by the parental units), and Junie is snoring soundly.  There isn't an ounce of room because I don't pack lightly and kids go through at least 4 outfits a day.  Plus, we have a lot of activites to get to during the long weekend- and those activites all require different clothing, of course. 

Unfortunately for me, the Jeep Wagoneer is no longer made.  So, my search goes out for another version of the perfect car for a growing family.  I have had my Subaru Forrester for a little over 7 years now and love, love, love it.  It's wonderfully reliable, it drives really well in all kinds of weather conditions (very important for this snowbird), and it is perfect for Junie and Spence, B and I.  My future concern is that we'd like to have 3 kids total, and with three carseats and Junie, we need something bigger.  I love the Subaru Outback

but I'm afraid it won't be much bigger than the Forrester is.  In fact, I'm pretty sure it isn't.  We need to look a little more closely, and I'd love to stay with the Subaru brand, but I'm just not sure it'll fit three car seats across the back.

My first choice in the bigger car arena is the Volvo XC70.

I love the station wagon look, I love the safety ratings, I love that it comes in navy, and I love that it's a pretty traditional car.  My biggest downer here?  The price.  By the time I price it out to be exactly how I want it, it's going to be easily over $40,000, and uggggg....that's a lot of money!  Especially to B, who is so not a car person.  I'm also not sure it's much bigger than the Subaru's are; however, I see moms in these cars all the time, so they must be able to fit car seats well!

Another we've been looking at when we see them out and about is the Ford Flex

I like the boxy look, it is definitely roomy enough, B's current car is a Ford and we couldn't be happier with it, etc.  A few things I don't like?  It doesn't come in navy (in fact, the silver is the only color I like), and I don't like the weird white top.  Both are cosmetic issues, but I want to think my car is cute! 

Any of you out there with growing families who love their current car?  I'd love to know what you drive and why you love it!  I'm pretty much open to anything!

Or, if you'd rather just loan me $105,000, I'll take this........

Yum!