Foster Love

The point of the new series to remind us all to have fun getting dressed in the morning. Just because you're trudging through your typical day to day, doesn't mean you can't look great. I'm going to occasionally (weekly) put together accessible outfits for a casual lifestyle. I call the aesthetic "Put-together playground." Sound fun? I think so. I will also throw in some luxury items just for fun. Take these ideas and run with them. Getting dressed in the morning should stimulate your brain. Don't just throw on your yoga pants and that old t-shirt! You never know who you'll run into in Target. This is my small effort to fight the "slouchification of America" (thank you, Tim Gunn, for being awesome).

Hope you'll enjoy this! If you have any request for outfit ideas for specific outings, please leave a comment.

PS- The links aren't working for few items: toddler t's and owl jumper are from Mini Boden, the spotty lunch thermal is from Land of Nod.

Dear July,

2011-07-30T13:22:00.002-04:00

You were hot. Really hot. Ridiculously hot even. But I've been waiting for you to come all year because I couldn't wait for my poster calendar in the Kitchen to display this:

I'm a little sad that come Monday, I'll be taking you down. Thanks for bringing popsicle happiness to our house.

Dear July 2012 in the Linnea poster calendar,

You are also amazing, and I will look forward to you hopefully gracing my walls.

Click here to see the rest of the 2012 calendar.

Yard Work

2011-07-10T15:46:00.003-04:00

These make me so happy!!

And so do my zinnias, especially since the whole seed packet cost like $0.88.
This is where I am not succeeding. I think my roses may need to RIP...and that boxwood bush behind as well. How did these roses get so creepy looking?!
Should have pictures to show you soon of my veggies!

And a special thanks to Amy Free for the new blog header- yay!

Sorry...

2011-07-08T17:10:00.001-04:00

for the weird posts in your reader, if you got those. Apparently my Polyvore account thought it needed to load lots of randoms directly onto the blog.

Oops.

Happy Friday!

More catching up-Beach Trip

2011-07-03T15:13:00.003-04:00

Here's the recap from our beach trip in May with a lot of Hedgspeth's. We headed back to North Topsail Island (NC) for another week of perfect weather, good food, and laziness. What else could you ask for in a week at the beach? Its so great to have this time together in the same house for a full week. I love that we're not just grabbing dinner; we're together all day, all week. The big treat for the week was having Katy and Brian join us from Connecticut. We haven't spent much time together in the last few years, so I was quite thankful for time with my cousin. And I'm pretty sure that all the children are obsessed with Brian after all the sandcastle building, wave surfing, game playing, fishing, etc.

Let's giggle about how posed I look in that group shot....an effort to avoid a smooshed arm gone wrong.
And I like how much brother Ben looks like a robot in that one.

Sadie LOVED the beach. Here's some evidence...

Pigtails!!
Can't wait until next year!

Late June Wish List

2011-06-29T21:00:00.001-04:00

Late June Wish List by SHF41081 featuring summer jackets

Cotton dress
$98 - bodenusa.com

Sheer top
$98 - anthropologie.com

Tory Burch summer jacket
$725 - toryburch.com

Level 99 high waisted wide leg pants
$118 - anthropologie.com

Gracious Wide-Legs
$148 - anthropologie.com

Tory Burch skinny jeans
$185 - toryburch.com

Ciao bella shoes
$49 - garnethill.com

Sam Edelman ballet flat shoes
$130 - nordstrom.com

Orla Kiely Women's Summer Flower Stem Print Dorothy Handbag:...
£179 - amazon.co.uk

18 months, courtesy of Amy Free

2011-06-26T15:30:00.002-04:00

I'm late finally posting these to the blog, but here is a taste of sweet Amy's talent. She posted some others here. I love the way she captured our Sadie girl- so accurate. Enjoy!

Need this haircut-stat.

2011-06-25T16:48:00.002-04:00

Photo via Anthropologie and Ah Bon!

And six weeks later...

2011-06-08T15:21:00.003-04:00

Worst blogger EVER. I've given you zero material for quite some time. Sorry. Life got in the way and the one time I tried Blogger was down all night. Regardless, here is the follow up to the rest of our Kentucky trip...

Downtown Louisville has really changed since we lived there 5 years ago. There is a lot more activity, especially since the new Yum Center opened. Stephen and I stayed at 21C again, and it was great. We LOVED our dinner at Proof. The menu was totally intimidating, but once we decided to just trust the chef and our hipster waiter, we were good to go. Let's just say I ate fiddlehead ferns for the first time. This hotel and restaurant are interesting. There is definitely a strong sense of luxury, but everything somehow manages to stay low key. The staff is very friendly and attentive. I'm happy when someone greets me with a personal, handwritten note and some chocolate...

Here's our room- refreshingly modern.
And now a tour of downtown in pictures...

KY friends, do these two pictures scream field trip?

I'll be back soon with Sadie's 18 month photoshoot and some things that are making me really happy...Oh, miscellaneous sidenote. Please go to Proof for dinner, but also consider it for breakfast. Their oatmeal is amazing.

To Kentucky and back

2011-04-19T14:57:00.003-04:00

The first week of April is always a big week for our little family because it is our anniversary and my birthday (clearly the most important day of the year). This year was even a little more special because it was our 5th anni and my 30th. We headed to Kentucky to celebrate with family and let Sadie spend some time with Gram and Pops while Stephen and I ate some good food, made no plans, slept in, and lived like a couple of adults.

We had a great week, and then this past weekend had to turn around and fly back to Kentucky because my sweet Nana Irene passed away on Friday. She was such a lovely lady, and her passing on was bittersweet. She'd struggled with Alzheimer's for nearly 18 years, so we'd really lost her years ago. The great news is that we have so many fond memories of her hospitality, love for others, generosity, love of the outdoors and golf, and more. Some of you probably saw this photo on facebook through the rest of my family, but I thought I'd post it here.

Back to the first trip, Sadie fell in love with wearing this baseball hat.

She also fell even more in love with Gram and Pops...
And with riding the big wheel with her hat and the princess bike helmet (her own idea, we're not that nervous).
Mom and Dad's cherry blossom tree was in bloom, which always signifies that its birthday time!
Please look at this picture below...does anything seem funny to you?
Wrong dog.

Going to post more from this trip later, but have to run. Happy Tuesday!

Since its been awhile...

2011-03-16T16:46:00.003-04:00

Thought you might be wondering if Sadie was still around and if she had any personality...

That's her new, "whachutalkinboutwillis" face.
And she is officially a toddler now. She goes from that to this in the blink of an eye. Please note the Donald Trump comb over.

And yes, she is my hysterical little ray of sunshine.

Follow Up

2011-03-16T16:37:00.003-04:00

I thought yall might want to see the daybed recovered and the peacock pillows' resting place. I'm so excited about how this room is shaping up. We're not done yet, but we've gotten over the first hump.

I LOVE their new custom sized rug that we ordered. It is super fun, and I'm really confident their friends won't have the same one. This has been an exciting client for me because they wanted things that were different. Love that.
In other news, the cut velvet that we've been waiting on since NOVEMBER finally came in last week and I delivered the pillows this morning. Crazy about these pillows and colors together.
And, I finally updated my website, so you can see some new pictures and freshness there. Back soon with a Sadie update.

Listening Lately

2011-02-23T17:13:00.002-05:00

Enjoy a few suggestions:

Fitz and the Tantrums

Melody Gardot for a little bit of Paris right in my living room.
Listening to this on repeat for the last two days.
Can I also put in a plug for Mog? It's a great website/subscription music service. Pay like $10/month, and listen to anything you want, as many times as you want.

Spring Things I Want

2011-02-21T14:20:00.002-05:00

1. New art for my house. Any and all of these would do.

(top to bottom: Jeanne Bessette, Sharon Bass, and Pat Pilkington. All through Art Source in Raleigh.)

2. This Gucci bag. The $2500 is pocket change.
3. Super cute dress from Anthropologie. The back is adorable.

4. Doesn't this stretchy denim pencil skirt from Garnet Hill seem like a great idea?

5. I really want an insulated ice bucket, and I want to custom design and monogram it. This one is from Dabney Lee at Home, and my friend Jamie can also cook one up at Furbish, sans monogram (as far as I know).

Clearly, I could add some things to this list like shorts, new shoes, a curling iron (I know, super random), and more. Maybe I'll be back with some more fun ideas.

Maybe I just want spring to hurry up and get here :)

The job I allude to

2011-02-03T11:07:00.005-05:00

You've seen my intern in action before, and I wanted you to know that I'm keeping her busy.

The end of last year was a crazy full time for us- wrapping up things for clients, attempting to install items before holiday parties, etc. I don't know that I've explicitly explained before that I am an interior designer (schooled, worked in a professional firm, time with Holly Hunt in Chicago), and in the summer of 2009, I started my own company, Foster House Interior Design. FYI, if you click that link to my site, please excuse it. It desperately needs updating. Its on the list.

I though yall might want to see a little bit of what I've been doing at work. These photos aren't professional, edited, or staged, and most of these pictures don't show the final product. I realize this is an interior design sin to show unfinished work, but I've decided that I'm okay with it.
The photo below is a room I am currently wrapping up. We're waiting on a few more pillows, cocktail table, art (obviously), etc. But I had to share the color scheme with you because I LOVE it. The walls are Benjamin Moore 2166-30 Bronze Tone.
I'll post more pictures of this house soon.

These next few pictures are a from a fun project that is having a busy week this week. Their custom Dining Room rug was delivered on Wednesday, the built-in's I designed are getting the finishing touches, the painters have been on site, and the electrician wrapped up his final trip (for now) yesterday. I'll post pictures of the spaces once they're finished, but for now, here are few sneak peeks...

This is the scheme for the Living Room (sorry its sideways). I love the evergreen and turquiose combo- effervescent.
Check out this vintage piece...
It has gotten a makeover, and is being delivered tomorrow. Can't wait to see it!

Here are the DwellStudio pillows we had made, and I think they also look nice on my sofa...
Hope you've enjoyed a little glimpse into my work. I'll post more soon, if you tell me you like to see it :)

Stepping into 2011

2011-01-20T21:46:00.001-05:00

Sadie's 1st Steps, originally uploaded by 4f4a464d49d50f03835b4ae1965d08bf.

We had a fun and low key night with friends, but I forgot to take pictures. However, this happened on New Year's Day...

Back At It!

2011-01-02T20:06:00.004-05:00

Well, I nearly gave up. Do you know how many times I've written this post (well tried loading the pictures)? Sparing you an invitation you to my pity party, let me say that I have risen from the online photo storage ashes, and I think I've gotten my technical difficulties under control. For now. That behind us, I think we should press on...well, actually take a trip down (recent) memory lane.

As you may know, Sadie turned one November 4th. It was super exciting to celebrate my child's birthday. It actually pushed me into a lot of retro and intro -spection. I am now the mother of a one year old, a toddler...no longer the mother of a little babe. It all went VERY quickly. Each phase has been so unique and in all honesty, rewarding. She's really pushed me to be more and give more than I ever thought I could. Stephen and I are both SO grateful for our Sadie Girl, and can't believe God chose to bless us with someone so wonderful.

We celebrated simply. Small soap box, mothers of America, don't be afraid to have a good old fashioned birthday party- homemade treats, paper plates, Funfetti cake mix and icing. Pretend you've never heard of Martha Stewart. Anyway. Here is Sadie's personal cake and the hat I made her out of a frozen waffle box and some fabric. And no. She would not wear it. Maybe one day...

Here is the during...
Sadie, if one day you read this blog, know how deeply loved you are. Already, at your first birthday. We cannot wait to see your life unfold, and I'm so thankful to have you here tagging along with me each day. You grow funnier and more friendly by the week, and you LOVE being around people and out and about. Thanks for making me smile a million times a day. Your Dad feels the same way :)

Sadie's First Birthday- check.

Now for Christmas. We spent a hearty week in Kentucky with my family, and despite a wicked stomach bug, we really enjoyed our time with them and friends. Sadie definitely enjoyed Christmas more this morning. Last year she was 6 weeks old. She pulled paper and jumped into playing with new toys with her cousins.
Speaking of cousins, here they are. Why can't 4 kids smile at the same time?

Gracie was really sweet to show Sadie how to have a proper tea party.

And a nice picture from Christmas Eve with my parents...
Next post- New Years (even though you're all over it)

Must Watch

2010-12-13T22:05:00.004-05:00

Do you know if you get the Sundance channel? Because I didn't realize that I do or what a gem it is....Two shows you should add to your DVR.

1. This guy has the best job ever- globe trotting buyer for Anthropologie. Do hear sighs of jealousy? Oh wait, that was me.

2. Girl on the Run- for all you fashion fans, take the opportunity to follow around Madamoiselle Agnes through her various high profile escapades. Really interesting and non-romantisized perspective on the ebb and flow of fashion. I just watched the Winter 2010/2011 Paris Fashion week issue, and it may have opened my eyes to see all of this in a new way. Plus I love her for wearing real fur when no one else has the guts. Sorry animal lovers. I love them too, but I'm not opposed to wearing them. Sorry. At least my pieces are vintage...doesn't that make them more friendly? I think Rachel Zoe says that...
Thanks to Sundance.com and to widespreadlife.wordpress.com for the pictures.

Quick Note

2010-12-09T22:02:00.003-05:00

Hey blog readers! Please excuse my blog these days. I'm having some pretty substantial technical problems, and I'm not a technical person. The main issue is that due to an update through my computer, I've lost all the pictures on the blog. Try not to be jealous. The unfortunate thing is that I will have to go back and redo EVERY post...at least the picture part. Again, try not to be jealous. For some reason, this is also changing some of my blog template, so I'm working on all of this. Just ignore anything that looks crazy in the near future. I'm doing my best. And, if there is someone out there that reads this that has some helpful hints, please reveal yourself now in my comments section. Thank you.

Where you at?

2010-12-04T16:39:00.010-05:00

Are you SO happy to pull up my blog and not see red lip stain anymore?! I apologize for the lack of posts, but we've had a lot of birthdays, a lot of work, a trip to Colorado, and now I can't remember what else. I'm going to do a special post to commemorate Sadie's first birthday, but I thought I'd at least put up one picture in the meantime.

This all reminds me that I want to have a mini-soap box for a second. I'm sick of people responding to "How are you?" with "Busy." Followed by an exhausted hmphf and an eye roll. We're all busy (at least as much as we think we are), and I can't really think of anyone that I know that is bored. Let me also interject that I am sick of myself answering with "busy, hmphf, eye roll." Don't I have more to tell people? Am I answering this way because I think it makes me look important and not so stay-at-home-momish? I am personally challenging myself to be more than a busy person, to have things of value to discuss with those around me. This also harkens back to another, and frankly more serious, soap box that I have with myself and with people in general. Why is it so easy to be negative? Why do conversations flourish when the topic is negative? Why does misery love company? Now I know I'll lose your blog reading attention if I don't move on to another picture soon, but just think about this...I know I am.

Pressing on, here's your Sadie birthday snippet! She was very sweet and LOVED her cake. Again, more to follow, but here's your teaser.

Stephen also celebrated a birthday- the big 2-9. I'm so thankful that he's been in my life for the last 7+ years, and I love when this day comes around each year to celebrate the wonderful guy that he is.
Yes. That is a homemade cookie cake- due to the unfortunate closing of the Toll House cookie store at our mall. Moment of silence, please.

Here are a few pictures from our time in Colorado Springs over Thanksgiving. Other than the cold we all passed around, we had a really nice time...we always love going out there, and Stephen's parents definitely spoiled us this go around by taking the night and morning shifts with Sadie. It was a wonderful gift, and I'm thankful for my thoughtful in-law's!
Everytime we go out there we walk around the Garden of the Gods since it is so close to Rick and Lucy's house. It's always so beautiful and the colors are so different than what we see here in NC.
Here's sweet Lucy and Sadie having a little playtime.

We also went to a wonderful Christmas concert at our church last week...

If it comes to your area, please see Behold the Lamb of God. Andrew Peterson is very talented and very humble. It was such a treat to celebrate the season, and most of all Jesus, in this way.

Anyway, let me tell you a funny story about last Thursday night. We bought our tickets for the concert more than a month ago, and a few weeks later, I invited my mentee to come along (who's awesome, by the way, and I'm so thankful for her). Tickets were sold out, but between the two of us, we found one through her roommate. This is relevant later in the story. Actually, I'm going to type this in a timeline so we don't all get bored in a sea of paragraphs...

4:30- Playgroup with fun friends I haven't seen for months

5:30- Leave playgroup, already running late to dinner with mentee Emily

5:40- Stuck in traffic, more late for dinner

5:50-Make it to dinner, 20 minutes late, Emily's gracious

6:15-Stephen calls to say he's leaving work. Confirms that I printed our tickets. I reply, "What tickets? Print them?"

6:15-Doors open at the concert

6:45- Emily and I arrive at church. They won't let me in because I don't have my ticket. Sweet Emily has to go in and save us seats. I'm an awesome mentor.

6:55- Usher asks me if 20 year old Emily is my daughter. Devastated. Do I look like I'm 45?

7:00- Concert starts

7:10- Stephen arrives

7:15- Sadie starts giggling and squirming and unfornately for us, this is an acoustic event for the first half

7:17- I'm out in the hallway with Sadie. Just what I wanted to do.

7:45- Stephen swaps me

8:30- Intermission. We thought this was going to be over by now, hence the company of our one year old.

9:00- Stephen gives up and takes Sadie, who's just exhausted beyond belief, home :(

9:45- Awesome concert finally ends. It really was great, we just should've gotten a sitter. Whoops. Live and learn

9:50- Meet Emily's roommate, who I'm supposed to reimburse for the ticket, and realize I've sent my wallet home with Stephen in the diaper bag. Again, up for mentor of the year.

Also, missed my dear friend's birthday party. I planned to go after the concert since I thought I could be there by 9.

Lessons to learn from this experience:

1. Whether it's one night or my whole life, don't plan too much. Stuff just happens. Go with it and laugh while you do.

2. Thank God for my wonderful husband who really sucked it up and took one for the team...both with the non-printed ticket situation and the missing half of the concert situation. He managed to be really gracious and patient about all of it. We could have had a major blow up over all of that, but because he kept his head, everything was fine.

3. Doing your best goes a long way, but don't forget to look out for yourself along the way.

4. Ignore random men when they put their foot in their mouth...I don't look like I'm 45, I don't look like I'm 45, I don't look like...

5. This sounds hokie, but don't get wound so tight that you can't laugh at yourselves and the times you fail. Hug your kids and love them even when your plans go awry. Be thankful for what you get along the way.

Now I have to go because I just turned on White Christmas. If you remember my post from last year, it's my all time favorite. Thanks for putting up with my absence, oh and the small pictures. I'm having a technical difficulty, but I'm trying to just roll with it :) Trying...

Be back soon with lots more- Sadie's birthday, pictures of some of my work, and more!

Happy December!!

Several Obsessions of the Week

2010-10-13T15:41:00.006-04:00

I'm trying to do better about wearing what I've deemed "adult makeup." And after looking through my fall magazines, I've decided to try red lip stain and dark chocolate/cherry nails. So far I LOVE both of the products I chose.

1. Tarte lip stain in firey (lust pictured below, couldn't find firey on their website). I love the lighter coverage and matte finish. It feels less risky than lip stick, especially in red.

2. Sephora Collection nail polish in Night Cap (couldn't find a picture of that either, but stay tuned for pictures of our weekend in a future post and you'll see it on). The only negative about this is true about all dark nail colors. You can really tell when you're outside the lines, and you can really tell when it chips.

Give them a whirl, and you'll feel like you spruced up your existing Fall wardrobe.

Also, I've been meaning to tell yall, since like August, how much I LOVE pretzel M&M's. So delicious, and I feel less guilty since they're half pretzel.

I'm also so excited about the Fall wreath I made.
I looked on Etsy for some modern Fall wreaths, and decided I could take a few ideas (sorry to all you Esty sellers) and make my own. This is a compilation of a few things I saw. It was SUPER easy to cut the pieces of fabric, hot glue them around a green foam wreath form, and then make the flower. I topped it off with another one of my grandmother's old earrings. I think it could look good all winter, so I'm excited about that too.

Need to run because lots of this is happening...
Peep those skinny jeans! Thanks Hayes Barton Consignment sale!

My Intern

2010-10-06T18:04:00.003-04:00

I have an intern. She is SUPER cute, works for free, and is clearly enthusiastic.

I honestly came around the corner the other day and found this situation that hopefully is a glimpse into her future :)

Catching Up

2010-10-01T17:05:00.004-04:00

Since we went to Montana, we've been busy peeps...lots of work, two trips, and everyday. Here's the catch up...

We took a last minute trip to Louisville for fun and for Sadie to meet a couple of very important people for the first time.

Sadie and PawPaw RG (my mom's dad):

She LOVED him and instantly reached out for him- so sweet. We are so thankful that he and Yvonne drove up from Dawson Springs to spend time with us. It was also great to meet Yvonne (my grandpa's new wife) for the first time. We're looking forward to lots more time with them at Christmas.

Then we went to see Nana Irene. This is special because Sadie is partially named for my grandmother (whose real first name is Katherine, Sadie's middle name). For those of you who knew Nana, this picture may make you a little sad, but I thought it was really important to share. Nana was a vibrant, active, sporty, sophisticated, artistic lady. Really a lady through and through. Nearly twenty years of Alzheimer's have stolen the spring from her step and the spirit from her eyes. She doesn't know who we are or why it was important that she meet Sadie, which is honestly heartbreaking. However, I am so glad that Sadie was able to meet her.
And again, for those of you who knew her, my first reaction at this visit was that I have never in my life seen her in a t-shirt with words on it :)

We also spent time with some younger folk- aka super fun cousins (well nephews and a niece)

Labor Day was beautiful in Louisville- the weather was perfect, so we spent lots of time in my parent's backyard, one of my favorite places.

A quick Sadie update- she will be 11 months old next week (unbelievable). She has grown so much lately. She's a little over 19 lbs. and is a smidge over 28" tall. She has some adorable chubby thighs. And has started wearing some super cute hot pink sneakers...
She's sweet, cuddly, funny, and pulling up on everything. Also, don't you think her hair looks like my brother's?

Okay. His looks better and is a little more tame.

This past weekend, I got to take a much needed, child-free trip to meet up with some of my college girlfriends in the mountains of North Georgia. It was SO MUCH FUN seeing everyone and getting to spend real time together. I am so grateful for each of them, and the weekend left me feeling replenished. There is nothing like laughing with your girlfriends.
We were in a super small town, so we just hung out at the cabin, ate tons of dessert, walked, and visited.
It was really great. The drive home was not my favorite, but I did get to see the Smokies being quite smoky in all the steamy rain.
Can't wait to do both of these trips again!

The Montana Memoirs, The Third (and final) Chapter

2010-09-12T21:05:00.002-04:00

Stephen and I woke up at the crack of dawn on the Thursday of our trip and drove (sans Sadie-thank you sweet family) to East Glacier. I've decided to include a few "educational" tidbits in this post in case any of you want to plan a trip. Glacier National is a huge park that stretches into Canada, where it becomes Waterton National Park. There are two main entrances into the American portion of the park, East and West. The Road to the Sun that I showed you in the last post is the road you take when you use the West entrance. The East side of the Park has more entrances/towns, including East Glacier (actual town, see more info below) and Many Glacier being two of them. Our pediatrician actually recommended that Stephen and I go to Many Glacier (I think pronounced Man-ny) and hike the Grinnell Glacier Trail. He said it was the most beautiful hike he's ever been on, and now that we've done it (nearly all 13 miles of it), we couldn't agree more. Here's the entrance to the Park (charming) and the trail map for those of you who are into maps.

You can start the hike from the Many Glacier hotel, but we drove up to the Grinnell Glacier trailhead (approximately half way up Swiftcurrent Lake). You can also take guided boats all the way across Swiftcurrent Lake and Lake Josephine, but we huffed it.

We started our hike by passing this sign:
Yikes. I was pretty paranoid. I sang LOTS of stupid camp songs loudly while proudly jingling my bear bell from my Camelback. We did carry bear spray, and it did make me feel a little better. Pressing on, I had to leave the camera out the entire hike. It really was incredible. Within the first fifteen minutes, we were here, at Lake Josephine:
If I were a bear, I'd live here. Oh, and within the first five minutes of hiking, we saw a moose + baby swimming across Swiftcurrent. The picture didn't turn out great because they were far away. The trail was really well maintained and super green. Here's Stephen making his way...
The trail gains around 1600 feet (from what I can tell from the hiking sites), but most of it was a pretty gentle, steady climb. The last .4 (to the summit/glacier) is kind of killer. Here is the view from about 2/3 the way up. It's looking back at Swiftcurrent, Josephine, and the incredibly turquoise lake in the front is Grinnell. These pictures really aren't doing this justice. And we saw so many gorgeous valley views even getting to this point. I had a hard time editing pictures for this post.
It took us about 3 hours to reach the Glacier, and here we are.
We kept marveling at the scale of Glacier National. I mean its really huge. For example, that waterfall behind us in the picture above is over 400 feet tall and half a mile away. Grinnell Glacier is about 1.5 miles wide.

Here's Stephen standing on the actual glacier (I was too chicken to fjord that waterfall of icy water in the foreground). See him? He's a little black dot in the middle.
We spent about an hour at the top, eating our picnic lunch (at a glacier, so surreal). Then headed back down.

No joke and no photo editing, Grinnell Lake is this bright turquoise. I couldn't get over it. Still can't.
Remember that sign we saw at the beginning of the hike? About the Grizzly bears? Ta-da!
We were about 50 feet from this mama and her two babes. Sorry the picture is blurry. I wasn't about to stop and stand there to get a clear shot. We made it back to the trailhead with no further Grizzly encounters- thank God.

Needless to say, we were exhausted after such a long hike and all the mountain sunshine. We decided to head back to the town of East Glacier to check out the lodge (the signature lodge for the whole Park) and grab some lunch. East Glacier is really cute. We would definitely stay there sometime. Here are few pictures of the Lodge. I think there is a hotel in Disney modeled after it...

You can also tour around the Park in one of these (note that the top rolls open). Very classic.
If you didn't want to stay at the Lodge, you could rent one of these little darlings (For the record, I haven't seen the inside, but they are super cute from the outside).
There were a couple of good local restaurants to choose from, and we had burgers at Luna's. It was good. We could sit outside and watch people go by, which is always a bonus.

Well, to tie all this up, we LOVED our time in Montana. It was great to spend time with family and so good for Stephen and I to have this fun day to ourselves. Sorry Sadie, but you can do Grinnell Glacier when you're old enough to carry yourself on your own two legs :) We promise to take you. I also want to say thanks again to our gracious hosts, the House's, and to Stephen's parents for making this all happen. And a special thanks to Stephen. I am so thankful that you love getting outside and making things like this hike happen (even when they do start before the sun rises and there wasn't even Chik-Fil-A biscuits to tide us over). I am one lucky lady. And to the rest of you, GO TO GLACIER. All I can say is BREATHTAKING. I sang "Proud to be an American" at least 3 times while there.

Oh, and I can't believe I'm mentioning this like it is some small thing of note, but thank You, God, for making such an unbelievable demonstration of your creativity, power, and love for us. We felt blessed beyond measure to see this work of your Hands. The fact that these mountains, in all their hugeness and majesty, know You are God and will one day cry out gives me chills and a serious lump in my throat. Seriously. That's the bigger picture.

The Montana Memoirs, Chapter Two

2010-09-02T11:13:00.003-04:00

While we were in Montana, we got to spend two different days in Glacier National Park. It is really incredible. The first day was spent with the whole family. We drove the Road to the Sun and hiked the Hidden Lake trail at Logan's Pass. If you look at the picture below, the Road to the Sun is the horizontal line in the backdrop. The views are incredible. This little deck is where is stopped to eat our lunch.

While hiking, we came across two goats- the symbol of the park. They were clearly happy to be around people.
Here's the hidden lake- beautiful glacier blue

We'd never used a baby carrier like this one before, and Sadie LOVED it. She was all smiles.

Except when I tried to have a mini-photo shoot with her in a small meadow. Oh, well. This one is still cute.
One more for good measure....
We took about one million pictures of the scenery in West Glacier, but I'm sparing you some of those because my next post (about day two in Glacier) is going to be mostly scenery. Hope everyone has a wonderful Labor Day weekend!

The Montana Memoirs, Chapter One

2010-08-28T13:27:00.003-04:00

We took nearly 500 pictures last week. I decided that during this first post I would tell you were we stayed and who we were with.

We feel incredibly blessed that this was our home for the week (pardon the blurriness. I took this from the boat). We got to stay in the new guest cottage (the house on the left) and our hosts, The House's, stayed in the original cottage (on the right with the large picture window).

It's such a happy and charming place...
This was our host's first car. The house is actually on a cherry orchard, so we got to eat fresh picked cherries all week. The deer are always just hanging out in the yard. Check out their cute white spots...
Here's a portion of the view from the lakefront....who wouldn't want to live here? Check out how clear and clean the water is. You can easily see 20 feet down. This is Flathead Lake in Montana, by the way. The pebble beaches were really beautiful- so many colors.
Sidenote, but this house is built for hosting families. What hostess wouldn't love a dinner barn? You can't see very well from my picture (sorry, should've edited it), but there is a large counter in the back where you can serve everything buffet style- plugs for crock pots and all.
This house is also equipped for fun times and activities...
We had a blast: basketball, volleyball, badminton, jet skis, kayaks, canoes, paddleboats, a floating green you can chip at (if you'll don a wet suit to retrieve your balls, see below), and a massive slip and slide nearly the length of a football field...

(The weather was this gorgeous all week, by the way. Highs in the mid-eighties, lows in the mid-fifties- dreamy)
We also just enjoyed time reading on the awesome dock. Here's Sadie and her Papa.

Sunset cruises were in order...

As well as lakefront s'mores...
We had so much fun with Stephen's family, and can't thank the House's enough for having us (pictured below on the right, my sweet in-law's on the left)
Here's our whole gang on our first trip to Glacier National Park (can you say GORGEOUS?)...which is my teaser for my next post. I'll be back soon with pictures from our time in Glacier. The Montana tourism board is going to need to cut me a check for all the marketing I'm going to do for their state. I'm kind of obsessed. It was so beautiful and so green- wildflowers everywhere. Stunning...

See you soon with more...

Sewing and Sadie

2010-08-11T15:12:00.004-04:00

We are getting geared up for our big trip out West, so I knocked off this airplane activity thing in hopes of keeping Sadie occupied on the plane ride.

It is it's own purse/bag in transit...

Then turn it inside out and vwaa-laa...

Side one has ribbons to tie toys (and measuring spoons) on, a place for a mirror, a pocket with a stuffed dragonfly surprise, ping pong balls to bobble, and a line up of my grandmothers' old clip on earrings.
Side two has more space for tying things on and a picture window (you can't really see the clear plastic in this picture).
I think I should thank Duralee for providing me with several oversized samples that made this project possible. I also hope Sadie learns about her Designer fabrics and enjoys her Thomas Paul stuffed dragonfly. Insert shameless plug: I can order any of these fabrics for anyone (except the yellow and white Houles floral because it is discontinued).

Now to Sadie...

Our girl just turned 9 months old last week, and we love her so very much. She's seriously hysterical. Okay. Maybe our standards for humor have changed since she entered our life (see below), but she is getting more and more interactive and fun as the weeks roll by. She's still a little small, weighing in at approximately 17+ lbs. She's babbling, working on crawling, and feeding herself lots of new foods. She's also come up with this new smile that cracks me up every time. It's hard to catch on camera, so bear with the pictures below...

Thinking about it...

The wind up (which involves some SERIOUS eyebrow action)...
And TA-DA! Toothless glory. Note the wild hair rages on.
There has also been lots of this...
You nearly need a raincoat.

Speaking of potentially patent leather products, Gram sent Sadie some new driving moc's that are ridiculously cute! Thank you- can't wait to wear them!

PS to the obsession

2010-08-04T22:54:00.003-04:00

So I accidentally published that without editing. Can we giggle about that nerdy description on the Maui Jim picture? Girl must love some marine life.

I also planned to go on about how much I love Brad. Maybe next time. I'm not in the mood now.

Later.

Today's Obsession

2010-08-04T22:15:00.002-04:00

Let's talk about aviator sunglasses, shall we? If I were cool, I wood own these. Pun completely intended. Too bad I don't have $350 to drop on sunglasses. These eco-friendly shades are from iWood (a Louisville based company, by the way- you go hometown)

iWood also has some super fun cat eye shape glasses. Cat eye is hot for the Fall, FYI.

Pressing on. Aviator sunglasses. Plastic aviators. These aviators, please. Thank you Michael Kors for bringing these into the world. And thank you for making them not so ridiculously expensive. I actually have hopes of owning these.

Maui Jim is also bringing some heat. Finally some polarized AND fashionable glasses. How did it take so long? It's like I could still wear my Oakley's from 1996 and they'd look new. Sidenote (mortifying sidenote): My Oakley's were silver with mini leopard print. Yes.

Back to the attractive glasses...

My other obsession...

She's back! I have a love/hate relationship with this show. Right now its love. The season kicked off last night with lots of drama about Taylor. Yikes. And Brad looking BAH-nanas in short shorts. I just love seeing all the fabulous clothes and shoes and bags and jewelry.

Just in case...

2010-07-25T20:25:00.003-04:00

Ballard is doing a $10,000 shopping spree give away. I thought I should make my wish list, just in case I win. I'm pretty sure I exceeded the budget. And just in case you care, here it is...

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View Gift Registry-Wish List

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List Name:

Item#

Product

Registered
Qty

Purchased
Qty

Price Each

RW172

Paisley All Over Indoor/Outdoor Rug

Color First: Chocolate
Size: 8' x 11'

$199.00

FP660

Custom Fringed Pillow - 20"Sq

Center: Blue Stripe Easy Care
Fringe: Blue

$59.00

AV753

Lapalisse Planter with Stand

$249.99

SO520

Northshore Outdoor Sofa

Color First: Navy Cushion
Finish: Mocha

$2,249.00

SO519

Northshore Outdoor Ottoman

Color First: Navy Cushion
Finish: Mocha

$549.00

SO518

Northshore Outdoor Lounge Chair

Color First: Navy Cushion
Finish: Mocha

$1,149.00

MV220

Sonoma Bookcase

$499.00

MV164

Tuscan Flush Bookcase Set - 3 Piece

Finish: Tuscan Cream

$1,347.00

LC547

Newport Pendant Small

Finish: Brushed Steel

$199.00

WC092

Beadboard Message Boards

Color First: Rubbed White
Style: Corkboard

$99.00

LC272

Coral Chandelier

$299.00

WT794

Popsicle Sticks Giclée Print

$199.00

MI206

Porta Baggage Rack

Color First: Chocolate

$89.00

WD363

Set of 4 Butterfly Study Shadowboxes

$579.00

RR715

Eva Rug

Color First: Orange
Size: 6'7" x 9'6"

$399.00

LS328PEB

Linen Chandelier Shade - PebbleEach $16; 5 or More $14 each

$16.00

LM037

Moravian Star Ceiling Mount/Sconce

$139.00

WD344

Indigo Seaweed Prints - Set of 6

$329.00

SC391

Macau Armchair

Finish: Chocolate

$249.00

UB015

Hampton Upholstered 48" Bench

Finish: Brass
Fabric: Chenille Desert

$667.00

Hot as Blazes

2010-07-25T16:10:00.003-04:00

...it is here. Is it where you are? Les Miserables. It's too hot to even go to the pool. This too shall pass. This is the time of year when I start thinking about my Patagonia fleece and spiced lattes. Then I remember how much I LOVE summer, and I pull myself up by my flip flops and sweat my brains out while loving all the sunshine.

We recently had a spontaneous visitor:

Aunt Bird (aka 1/3 of the Three Headed Sara(h) monster) came for a nice, long visit. It was so much fun to have concentrated time together. Sadie LOVES Aunt Bird. We took her all around town- Raleigh, the Dirty D, and Chapel Thrill. There was some Front Porch Friday action...
With Megan, Brad, and Lillie. Sadie checked to see if Lillie had ear infection...
All and all we had such a wonderful time with Sarah, and we are so very thankful that she made the effort to come all the way from Kentucky!

In other news, we are still dealing with this...
The mohawk of curls.

Stephen and I are counting down the days until we head here...
Flathead Lake, Montana. We're going to get some quality time in with his fam, and we can't wait to feel that COOL mountain air!

TIMBER! And this week's obsession

2010-07-18T16:58:00.003-04:00

This has been going on at our house:

We had a couple of trees that were dying and threatening to fall on our house. Lovely. Isn't that how you wanted to spend your tax return? Actually, we got a great deal. And it was fascinating to watch them take them down. Our yard is kind of a disaster zone due to the trucks, but it's bouncing back.

Moving on to the obsession of the week...

Let's talk about some more food. My great friend Sarah is here visiting, and all weekend I've been getting flack about a question I asked her within about 10 minutes of her arrival- Do you like Mediterranean Deli's? Random I know. I won't bore you with the rest of the dialog, but the bottom line is that, yes, I have fallen in L.O.V.E. with M.D.'s. Here are the two local ones that I've given a whirl. Neomande (thank you, Amy Free) and Mediterranean Deli (Med Deli to the loc's) in Chapel Hill. The highlights: chicken salad with golden raisins, multiple flavors of hummus, and can anyone say pita? I personally prefer Neomande's chicken salad and Med Deli's pitas (they're warm and slightly crispy on the outside). I want to eat at either of these places ALL OF THE TIME. Be sure and go. Sorry that I don't have any fun pictures. Just trust me.

Another food morsel...

This is one of my all time favorite desserts.
It's a sherbet watermelon. Here's how you do it.

Shopping list: raspberry sherbet, lime sherbet, and dark chocolate mini chips

You probably will need two medium size containers of each sherbet, and you'll probably have just a tad of each left over (depending upon the size of your bowl)

Prep work: Let the sherbet sit out and soften.

1. Line a large mixing bowl with lime sherbet.

2. In another bowl mix raspberry sherbet and mini chocolate chips (dark chocolate is best in all circumstances, this one included)

3. Spoon the raspberry mix into the center of the bowl lined with lime sherbet.

4. Spread it out and make the top flat.

5. Cover and place in the freezer, preferably over night.

To serve, let thaw for 20 or so minutes. Remove the Saran Wrap (or whatever you've used). Place a platter on top of the bowl, and flip the contents over. If properly thawed, the "watermelon" will drop out. When you slice it, it will look like watermelon slices. Cute.

This is a fun and easy recipe that kids and adults love. Enjoy.

Showing our colors

2010-07-06T12:23:00.003-04:00

It's pretty dorky, but I like to dress for the holidays. Our family (well Sadie and I because Stephen is cooler than us) sported patriotic colors at church on the 4th. Then we came home and had a little photo shoot...

Not to toot my own horn (toot toot), but I sewed Sadie's dress. I'd never sewn clothes, but that little pattern was pretty easy. It made it a ton easier that I used gingham seersucker because it didn't have a right or wrong side or direction. It turned out okay. I need to work on sewing straighter and how to adjust the pattern to fit better. This was the smallest size I could find, and it is still too big for her. It needs to be nearly 4" shorter. Next time.

Our house is also looking a little patriotic these days. Sadie wanted to show you that she matched the house.
We finally took down our builder grade, mismatched exterior light fixtures. Hooray! We purchased these simple and inexpensive fixtures at Lowes and then spray painted them red. This was my first spray painting experience. It's a little tricky, but pretty awesome. So fast. So gratifying. So didn't have to clean any paint brushes. My technique needs improvement, so I will definitely try out some additional projects. For now, I'm loving my quirky red lights. (Insert red light district joke here)
Let's also give a shout out to all of the wonderful men and women that are serving our country! I am so thankful for your sacrifices, bravery, and perspective. We obviously couldn't be who we are without you. Thank you, thank you, thank you!

Lately...

2010-06-30T14:41:00.004-04:00

I feel like I'm still playing catch up from being out of town, so here are a few more of our recent happenings:

Happy 1st Father's Day to my WONDERFUL husband! You are an incredible father, and I love watching you and Sadie together. Thanks for all that you do for us!

Sadie has graduated from her Bumpo seat to a real highchair. It was mine, and it includes a belt. So far, she seems to like it. (Don't worry, we don't leave her unattended in the chair since it is so roomy at this time.)
Recently, it occurred to me that I've not told you guys about something VERY important and VERY near and dear to us.
And yes, I'm still chugging through the Harry Potter books. Back to the good stuff...
Our friends Jayme and Dan introduced us to the BEST bbq ever. We go there all the time, and really they should start to pay us a marketing commission. It's Backyard Bar-B-Que. The building is unassuming, and the people couldn't be friendlier. Pictured above is the pulled pork sandwich- Eastern Carolina style (which means the sauce is vinegar based- YUM), hush puppies, green beans, and mac 'n cheese. Not pictured, the BEST fried okra you've ever had. I'm not kidding. The sides are all down home favorites- yams, greens, cabbage, brunswick stew. If you live here, you must go. If you come visit us, you must go. Did I mention that the meal above is $4.99? Awesome. I should also note that they have been on the Food Network and the Travel Channel (Throwdown and Man vs. Food). Enjoy, please!

I'll be back soon with another little home reno and some design stuff and maybe some music suggestions. Peace.

Beach Baby!

2010-06-26T13:53:00.003-04:00

We just spent a wonderful week at the beach- North Topsail Island, here in NC to be specific.

Sadie seemed to like feeling the sand between her toes and splashing in the water. It was so fun because we got to go with a bunch of family- my parents, my brother's family, and my dad's brother's family... I can't really even pin point the last time my brother and I got to stay in the same house. I think its been nearly 10 years, which is totally unbelievable. When we go home to Kentucky to visit, we just get lunches and dinners with family, so it was fun to have lots of concentrated time together. We sorely missed my cousin Katy and her husband, Brian. They were planning to come, but a last minute job offer kept them in Connecticut- Congrats on your great new job, Katy!

Here's a picture of the whole gang:
And I loved this picture of my parents with all of their grandkids...
The humidity wreaked havoc on Sadie's hair :)
If anyone is looking for a nice, quiet family beach, you should give Topsail a whirl. Our house was awesome for a big group (table easily sat 12+). Contact me if you want the address and info. We stayed in nearly every night and cooked dinner. It was very low key, which everybody needed. We spent most of the time on this GREAT deck...
There was also a little of this (I'm already out there in the blue kayak):
Too bad we didn't take a video of Stephen and I trying to come in for the first time. Hysterical wipe outs, and we contributed to the sunglasses graveyard that is the Atlantic Ocean.

Hooray for family! Hooray for the beach!

Today's Obsession

2010-06-07T16:10:00.003-04:00

I know. I've been under a rock. Have you seen Sarah's House? It comes on weird times here, (8:30 Saturday night- and I'm so popular that I'm never home- just kidding) but I just started DVR-ing it. I'm obsessed/weirded out. I've watched two episodes, and I think we might share a design brain. I don't throw that around. This is serious business. Below are two pictures, each from the episodes that I've seen. The first one was this bedroom:

I know everyone loves the Celerie Kemble for Schumacher fabrics. But does everyone want to pair Hot House flowers with that Schumacher ikat? I want to. I have them together in my special "when I can really decorate our house" drawer. By the way, I'm talking about the floral pillows on the bed mixed with the multi-colored diamond patterned fabric that is the banding on the window treatments.

Next, wouldn't change a thing about this bathroom:
Even Stephen said he'd seen me bring that yellow and graphite floral fabric home. Bizarre, and yet fabulous. I'm glad my house dreams are unfolding for someone :)

Let's also talk about her logo. The name of my company is Foster House Interior Design. My logo idea has always been to incorporate a simple outline of a house. (I know. I don't have a logo yet. One day soon I hope.) Really because this is hers. I can't find a picture of it online that I can paste in here, but if you're curious about her logo or projects, you can go to HGTV.com. I know. I also try to avoid HGTV as a serious source, but this is an exception.

Can I also add something to my post about 9 by Design? Watch Sarah's House and then watch that show. Can you tell who's the professional? Like the real deal professional? Please say yes.

Happy Monday!

The Joys of Motherhood

2010-06-04T11:14:00.003-04:00

Motherhood, for me, has lead to the disappearance of purses. I admit, I am kind of okay with that. However, there are days when I just don't feel cool, and I want to have a bag that remotely coordinates with my outfit. All this leads me to point out that my life is filled with dirty diapers. In my purse/bag. In my trunk. In the backseat. It's pretty gross that I'm so used to diapers that I am willing to just throw them into my bag and carry them around until I get home. I mean I WANT to have to push pass them to find my wallet when I'm paying for my lunch. Wouldn't you?

Stephen thinks this is disgusting, especially when I forget that I've stashed them somewhere. He can't believe that this neat-freak has resorted to toting around dirty diapers. He says (in a loving, teasing tone), "I just never thought you'd be that kind of person." Neither did I, but I am. Parenthood is filled with moments where I prove myself wrong. I'm quickly learning to never say never.

Well, need to run and clean out my bag and my car while Sadie's taking her nap. Happy Friday!

Aaahhh...That's Better

2010-06-03T09:18:00.003-04:00

We've lived in this house for two years, and every time I pull into the driveway, I feel like somebody else must live here due to those '80's barn red shutters and doors.

Not anymore! Ta da!
This makes me so happy! I feel like this is starting to look like our house. Please excuse our landscaping- we're having an issue. We planted a ton of new things last year, and nearly a third of them have died. I have several more projects in mind for outside (new lights, railings, etc.), so I will keep you in the loop. I know you're all waiting to see how my house looks :)

A special thanks to my friends at Can Decorative Paint for accomplishing this for us! They are very talented decorative painters (think polished plaster and sophisticated architectural finishes). They could have painted our shutters and doors in their sleep with one arm tied behind their back, but they graciously came over and knocked it out in one day. Thank you Michelle, Davide, and Miguel!

Lately...

2010-05-31T09:33:00.003-04:00

I know you'll be so glad to check this blog and not see 9 by Design. Can't believe 20+ days have passed. Opps.

Well, here's what we've been doing.

These folks came for a visit:

We had a great time- golf, shopping, eating, drinking...what else can you ask for? Can't wait to see them (and the WHOLE Hedgspeth fam) in two weeks at the lovely beaches of NC!

The day Mom and Dad headed out, we hosted a party to celebrate our friends Dan and Jayme's time here in NC. We love where we live, but being the in middle of Duke and Carolina makes May difficult. Every year we lose friends to graduation and new jobs out of town. Dan and Jayme moved back home to Michigan and our other great friends, the Smith's, headed to Indy. Both are dearly loved and dearly missed already.

Back to the party, with lots of friends and lots of kiddos!
Brad and Julie (below) get a gold star because they came all the way from Nashville to surprise everyone.
Here is our shepherding group, mixed past and present:
We love these people, and they bless us daily!

We also had Lillie over for a mini slumber party. Date night swap is the best idea ever. Thanks McGinity's!
I know you love my child's drool covered chin and dirty bib. Gross.

Here's a cute one, just so she can redeem herself (and to prove that we have been spending time at the pool) This hair has a mind of its own...
I will be back with more soon, I promise. Including a great before and after...

Today's Obsession

2010-05-11T22:36:00.003-04:00

I'm kind of obsessing over this new Bravo show, 9 By Design. Synopsis: Husband and wife design team build incredible homes filled with stellar modern art in order to flip them. They also have a design firm Sixx Design. Oh, and they have 7 (very stylish) children.

I am also thinking a lot about designers with and without educations in the field and about design bloggers. I probably need to think about it more before I blog to the public about it. I don't want to offend anyone (while I do love design and love people that love design- bottom line). I used to be a member of ASID (American Society of Interior Designers)--mainly because my old boss made me :) ASID, amongst other organizations, pushes hard for the interior design title act. I don't like that. I'm not a member anymore. I do like having an accredited design degree. The designers from Sixx Design are self taught. Most of the most popular designer bloggers don't have degrees (at least that is my understanding). You'd think that education leads to success. I'm sure that it does sometimes. I've been perceiving lately that the design spotlight is on people that simply have good style (which is VERY important). Does anybody have any thoughts on this? I'm going to just bluntly say that I'm not sure how I feel about it. It is negative of me to think that all you have to do these days to be a design guru is have the time to read every magazine and talk about what other people did? Am I just having issues with my own lack of magazine time? :)

Surely this happens in other fields, but what does it look like? Like are Doctors upset that I can now go to clinic in Walgreens or CVS?

Is it wrong that I think the people that do design without an education have more fun?

Like I said, I probably should have maintained an internal monologue about this. I really am just happy for design to flourish- I don't care who's in the spotlight, really. I just have noticed the shift. On the other hand, Thom Filicia is everywhere right now and Albert Hadley was in Elle Decor last month. The experienced and the educated have not gotten off the bus. In the meantime, I will do my best at my job and will continue to read the blogs I love and watch 9 By Design (and try not to covet their latest house).

Why?

2010-05-10T21:00:00.003-04:00

While watching a game last night, it occurred to me that baseball is the only sport where the coaches wear the uniform. Why would they do that? Do they really need to be in sliding pants, just in case? What if Roy started wearing a Carolina basketball uniform? Inappropriate.

Why does stuff like this only happen when Stephen is working on a Saturday?
And why do I feel guilty when I do this during Sadie's afternoon nap?
Maybe I won't feel so guilty this week since I had to deal with that tree this weekend :)

And yes, 11 years later, I'm reading Harry Potter, and I'm kind of obsessed (to my complete surprise).

Hope everyone had a wonderful weekend and Mother's Day! Stephen was very sweet and cooked me pancakes. I had a great first Mother's Day- thank you, Stephen!

MMJ Replay

2010-05-06T22:58:00.003-04:00

Happy Six Month Birthday, Sadie!

2010-05-04T22:35:00.003-04:00

My little bit is getting so big! Check out that shoulder definition- she's pumping iron. (Sidenote- $10 says that when my mom reads this post that she will tell me I should have ironed Sadie's sunhat- love you, mom) I was getting ready to type that I can't believe that six months have passed, but I kind of can believe it. Babies are a lot of work- a lot of wonderful work. I am so thankful for Sadie, and we praise God for these past six months. Let's reflect on when she was fresh into the world....
Is she saying "west side" in this picture? It's also funny to she her with dark and straight hair.

Enough reflecting, let's note that Sadie made her first trip to the pool this past weekend. I unfortunately forgot that she'd need swim diapers, so next time, we'll get in. If she is anything like her mom, she will spend a lot of time at the pool. I would occasionally leave the pool to attend my college classes, and even then, kept my suit on under my sundress and picked up an ice cream cone on the way. Nice. This is when Stephen would start singing Glory Days to me.
On another note, my roses are GORGEOUS this year:

Hope everyone had a happy Tuesday! I'll be back soon with a post about the My Morning Jacket concert.

Asheville

2010-05-03T21:24:00.003-04:00

Nine years later, I am finally doing this post. Sorry. Last month we went to Chattanooga, as you know, and then we stopped over and spent a night in Asheville. We've decided that a car trip with a baby is all about meandering and not about getting from point A to point B. I've also decided that Asheville so close, and we don't spend near enough time there.

Stephen had some Marriott points, so we stayed at The Grand Bohemian in the Biltmore Village. It was pretty awesome. Our room was ENORMOUS. I will high light some design elements below:

There were kind of a lot of antlers, but it really didn't bother me. The houndstooth carpet was sharp, the bedding super soft, and there was a lot of custom lighting and furniture, which I found impressive.

See exhibit A:

Yes, that is the bathroom and bathtub to the left. Sadie enjoyed her first hotel stay. We were just thankful that she didn't scream her head off, and luckily they placed us next to the stairs. When would I have ever thought about that before?

Pressing on...here is the wet bar. I liked the horizontal paneling and the floor tile.
I definitely was excited about the stone counter top in the bathroom. The picture doesn't show the color very well, but it was brownish grey and aqua blue.
I also have a confession to make. I recently came home from a client meeting and gossiped with Stephen about how I could not believe that they wanted biscuit colored sinks, toilets, tubs. It just sounds dirty. Well, I got to the hotel, and I felt like I needed to renig. It totally had biscuit everywhere, and it looked nice. Any feedback on this would be appreicated (Doug, you're probably the only person that reads this blog that might care).

Anyway, if anyone is looking to pick up a piece of art for me, you can find this in the hotel hallway. A burro and sheep?! We're destined to be together (but it probably needs a different frame).
We were only in Asheville for a night, so we ate Mexican dinner and headed back to watch tv in bed. We don't have a tv in our bedroom at home, so that is my favorite part of staying in a hotel. The next morning we loaded all our crap (I mean how much does a family of 3 need for one night?) back into the car, and headed downtown. We didn't have much time, but we hit up Mast General (love) and then tried out the highly recommended Tupelo Honey. All I can say is sweet potato pancakes:
And an incredible biscuit:
That is the kind of biscuit I will take all day long. When I die and go to heaven, it is going to be like eating this biscuit with their homemade blackberry jam and melty butter. I think I could eat at Tupelo Honey everyday for the rest of my life. I can't wait to go back and try their shrimp and grits (hello goat cheese and spicy red pepper sauce). Let's also savor the fact that some menu items have a "SHOO-mercy" option, where they kick it up a notch. Love it, and their t-shirts are cute, and I bet the pecan pie that they will ship anywhere is worth whatever it may cost. My final comment is that we almost danced to Tupelo Honey (by the great Van Morrison) at our wedding (no song change, just regretfully opted out of dancing-I really don't like being stared at), so it was fitting that this was our special anniversary meal.

Yes please!

2010-04-23T10:26:00.004-04:00

The hair cut, the glasses (really would like to have those), the clothes, and definitely the fatty coffee drink with whipped cream (been totally craving one of those lately)!

Thanks to The Sartorialist for the photo. I'm sure Scott reads my blog and wants the credit for the photo :)

Chattanooga

2010-04-22T14:37:00.003-04:00

Road trip baby!

A few weeks ago we headed to Chattanooga to see Stephen's sweet Grandma Hap. We love to visit her- Chattanooga is awesome and so is the family we have there. We ate, celebrated several birthdays and anniversaries, and spent lots of time outside. Here is Stephen and Sadie with Grandma Hap, Tim, and Matt (cousins).
We hiked around Camp Vesper Point where the Bond's spend a lot of time...it's their church's camp.
I also got to visit with my life long friend, Lisa. So fun. I wish I would have taken a few pictures of their house to share with you because it is lively and lovely :)
We also spent some time in Asheville on the way back home- will post about that next. Thanks to everyone who hosted us in Chattanooga! We'll be back soon!

Month of Music

2010-04-14T10:45:00.004-04:00

Hello! We've been out of town (post to follow), so I'm a little behind. All I can say is that the next month is going to be AWESOME. If I were going to try to sound cool, I would try to insert the words "show" instead of concert and "stoked" in this post. Three of our favorites are coming to town...

First-

Friday, April 30 at Kooka Booth. Please join us. They are being backed by a New Orleans Heritage Jazz band. Should be killer. Plus, you support my hometown when you support My Morning Jacket.

Second-
Tuesday, May 4 at Local 506. Again, please join us. Doesn't start until 9:30, so my old, 29 year old self will have to put her party pants on. Which won't be skinny jeans, even though I think that's the dress code at the Local 506. Totally worth it. And it's only like $10.

Third-
Sharon Jones and the Dap Kings are supposed to be awesome live. There new album is getting a lot of praise. It's retro soul, who doesn't like that? Tuesday, May 11 at Cats Cradle.

Are you listening to these bands? You should be. Please check them out, and please, for pete's sake, join us in our month of music!

Hooray! Easter Weekend

2010-04-04T21:36:00.004-04:00

Here we are in all of our Sunday Splendor. Sorry that I'm looking a little "pageant stance." Also sorry that Sadie isn't looking. Next time. Stephen looks great, though. Got to love a man in seersucker and a bow tie.

Sadie wore a dress that was mine. Here's a picture of her in it, holding a picture of me in it :) I love the details of this sweet eyelet dress. It is actually a wrap dress, but it ties in the back. PS-Can you tell that she skipped her morning nap at church? Exhausted.
We also spent some time goofing off.
She's a Tarheel already. We were hoping to be the winners of the losers' tourney. Looking forward to next season...

I also attempted to make a flock of these:
I made two. That was enough.

And this little bunny tried carrots for the first time:
Happy Easter to you all! He is risen! He is risen indeed!

This Week's Obsession

2010-03-25T17:52:00.003-04:00

She & Him's new album (Volume 2) came out this week, and I just love it. You should buy it. If you want to try it out first, it is streaming on NPR.com.

I guess in honor of the release, Cotton is re-running their Zooey commercial. I just want to wear these clothes.

I also want my hair to look like this:

Probably wouldn't look this cute on me, but a girl can dream...

Happy listening!

Per Request: A Good Sadie Update

2010-03-24T15:19:00.009-04:00

For those of you who aren't super excited to hear a bunch of baby talk, you may want to come back for my next post. This is a full Sadie update, per request of family and long distance friends.

Here is a picture of our little family. Just wanted yall to remember that Stephen and I are still here. Unfortunately, this picture was NOT taken on St. Patrick's Day. We just love green this much everyday.

I have to remind myself that just because I'm in the mood to wear whatever color, doesn't mean that Sadie is in the mood to wear it. We end up looking alike way too often. I'm working on it.

In other news, Sadie is a string bean, and we're working hard for her to gain some lbs., per Dr's orders. So this has started...and it's adorable. She sucks on her lips between bites and just about makes a fish face. So cute.
She's tried Rice cereal, bananas, apples, pears, and prunes (due to a bad encounter with some iron enhanced vitamins).
Stephen is going to be really happy that I put up a picture of him making an "eating face." He teases me that I'm doing that really bad. I tried to tell him it is my way of teaching her how to use the spoon correctly. :)

Another fatherly influence that Stephen has asserted is hair brushing. Last weekend, he thought it would be a good idea to part Sadie's wet hair on the other side. It looked nuts. I think she thought it was really funny. Her hair is curling- pretty exciting/scary. Here's how it turned out. Don't worry, we took her to church like this.
This one shows it way better. Plus, how cute does she look in that big chair?
It basically stuck straight up in the back.

On a totally random note, I used this for the first time last week:
All I can say is MAGIC. Don't be afraid. You won't drown. Just breathe through your mouth. Spring is the perfect time to give a Neti pot a whirl. I would like to take this opportunity to thank my mom for this gift.

I will also try to put a video of Sadie in action up soon. I tried to do one this post, but it was too large for blogger. Stay tuned.

A Year Ago...

2010-03-09T22:11:00.003-05:00

Some of you may remember this unfortunate incident. Although he looks like a furry friend, Mo Wrigley was not. We attempted to rescue Mo from the Lab rescue. We gave him a super cool name, Wrigley, only to be randomly attacked. No kidding! We returned him. I sobbed...despite the attacks, I'd grown attached.

The next day we came to understand why I'd bawled my eyes out. I was pregnant :) It is amazing to think about how different things are now. Can I get a what what from all you new parents out there? I can definitely still remember what life before Sadie was like, but I wouldn't trade in that cute little peanut for anything. I remember feeling really speechless when I found out I was pregnant. It took Stephen about an hour to realize that I wasn't kidding. Then the daydreaming began, and now here we are living in this. It is just really unbelievable how much things can change- and how they can be even sweeter than you could ever imagine.

In other recent news...

You know you're married to a CPA when...
We're almost at the end of another busy season for Stephen's work. We can't wait to have this one under our belt. Stephen has been such a trooper- Sadie and I are so proud!

Since Stephen's been so crazy busy, these folks came and paid a visit...
How cute are they? We had a great week. They helped so much with Sadie and helped me get caught up (and ahead) on some around the house type items. Thanks, Mom and Dad- you're the best!

Sadie is really chugging along. Her 4 month check up went well. It's fun to watch her learning and starting to really play. Notice the focus below.
More to come soon! Sorry that I've been MIA!

My Fair Wallpaper

2010-02-21T21:39:00.006-05:00

How groovy is this wallpaper? Love it. Looks like it could be Cole & Son - probably could be, actually. I just watched this movie for the first time a few weekends ago. The sad thing is that I think I enjoyed the wallpapers in the background more than the rest of it :) Also liked the one in the upstairs hallway of the guy's house, but I couldn't find a picture.

Other things I love about this picture: the blue tile at the fireplace, the fretwork pattern in the glass cabinet, that silver tray, his mom's awesome, super long necklace, those built in benches, and the particular shade of pink that Audry is wearing. I love pink and blue together.

Just because...

2010-02-19T11:28:00.003-05:00

Sadie is dressed to honor the Winter Olympics today. Who doesn't want to visit BC after all this incredible footage?! I should add that it is nearly 55 degrees here :)

Enjoy the face plant...

Thanks, Megan, for the video and for the super hip onesie.

Wrong Number

2010-02-18T21:59:00.003-05:00

This will be a picture free post, but I promise it is worth reading.

I've been getting texts from someone I don't know...ghetto texts. Hysterical. After tonight's interaction, I had to share...See our conversation below (not all from tonight):

Wats up boo *~* cherry lips; bangin hips; baby yuh no yuh cant handle this *~*

(This was the first one, I didn't reply. Just showed Stephen and we laughed)

Fwd- whats your honest opinion bout me? Answer then send to ten people see what they think about you!

(Also didn't respond. Who knew there were text forwards?)

My room is da spot call me Mrs. Flinstone I can m... hI *~* mackey22 *~*

(I edited to make this more appropriate. This is from a song- BedRock by Young Money & Lloyd. Don't get nervous. I had to look it up on iTunes. I just heard it for the first time the other day. The sexual cartoon reference made me laugh and roll my eyes, but was apparently memorable.)

Finally, I respond:

Hello. Your texts are funny but I think you have the wrong number saved in your phone. I am sure someone else will like to have their body rocked :)

(Also from the song)

Their response:

Lol ok my bad boo

*~* mackey22 *~*

Hope you think this is as funny as I do. I love being called boo.

Weekend Update

2010-02-15T16:36:00.004-05:00

It's still cold here. Bummer. I'm so over winter.

That's my favorite bundle. Thanks, Ashley Spann for the great knit hats that fit Sadie's little noggin!

It was also Valentine's Day, and my sweet hubby brought home these. Don't you love when someone does something to show that they know you?
You may have noticed my new Thom Filicia book. I got to meet Thom Friday in High Point, and it was super fun. He has quite the resume, and I just didn't realize it. For you design folks, he worked for Parrish Hadley post design school and then worked for Jeffery Bilhuber. Most of you will recognize Thom from his TV shows: Queer Eye for the Straight Guy and Dress My Nest. I know this is a weird thing to point out, but I really liked the question and answer because he is an EXCELLENT communicator. Great vocabulary.
He was in High Point because FurnitureLand South (dorkiest name ever) is the first store in the country to showcase his new furniture line (through Vanguard). The furniture looked great- check it out.

On a different note, I am totally into this right now:
Check those stats! So good for you! I have mine with milk and a little bit of brown sugar and maple syrup.

Also very into this:
It's so much cheaper than the major Greek yogurt brands. I think Stoneyfield's is my favorite.

This little one also has decided to start rolling over like a champ. Hooray!
That's the weekend update!

Throwback! Chi-town

2010-02-08T21:58:00.003-05:00

Hopefully this will be the first of several occasional throwback posts. I'm trying to acquire a scanner so that will really open up the possibilities. Anyway, post-college, I lived in Chicago with my good friend Cameron. And good friend Amy was down the street. At the time, Stephen was finishing college at Wheaton, so he was down the road as well (way down the road). Cam and I were blessed to get to live in Lincoln Park, and we recently said if we had to do it all over again, we'd live on the same street:

In the same apartment:
By the way, sorry these pictures are so small. A few years ago, something happened to our pictures on our computer, and it permanently shrunk all of them :( It is kind of appropriate though, since I think our apartment was like 700 square feet.

Here are Stephen and I with the shoe rack that almost caused us to break up. Has anyone else ever put one of these together?! Definitely a low point in our relationship...
The other sad news is that I don't have any digital pictures of Cam and I in Chicago. It makes me feel totally old that I was still using a film camera when we lived there. All of these were on Stephen's camera. Thanks for being such a stellar roomie, Cam! I miss living with you!

This was our El stop. Armitage has the cutest and best shops and restaurants. I frequently miss The Twisted Lizard, Pasta Pallazzo, Anthony's Italian Ice, and the Illy Coffee shop, and Art Effect, and Lori's, and ...
This was my office building, The Merchandise Mart. I got to work for Holly Hunt, which was pretty awesome since she is based out of Chicago.
A few more things to love about The Windy City:

That's my nephew, Jeremiah. So cute in his Cubbie tee. He turns 8 next month...

And here is a random picture I came across while grabbing these. Here I am, recently engaged, with RED hair. Enjoy.

Joys of Motherhood

2010-01-31T20:35:00.004-05:00

Trying to get a good picture...

Thank you, Will Rife, for participating. Well, at least neither of these cute kids are laking hair. Better luck next time.

Busy Season- A Retrospective

2010-01-31T18:18:00.004-05:00

January through the end of March is Stephen's insanely busy season at work. He's a trooper to work so hard for us. I usually try to pick a project to work on during this time so the time passes more quickly. So far this year, I've just been trying to be a good mom and run my new business. Some sewing projects are around the bend. I'll keep you posted.

Let's take a look back at last year. This time last year, my kitchen looked like this (Don't you love how the light fixture over the sink is like 3" away from the wall? So effective. And beautiful.):

Thank God this is a before and after post. However, it is not so blog-tastic that it will knock your socks off. I am very thankful that I was able to get this far. It is a work in progress. Clearly, the pressed oak builder cabinets had to be painted. This took FOREVER. I did obsessively paint every surface- inside/outside drawers, inside cabinets, under the sink, etc.). Thanks to all my friends and family for putting up with my whining during the process. I know if you heard me say "alcohol based primer" one more time you might have lost it. It was kind of a nightmare, nonetheless, it is done. Six coats later, it is done. And I love it.
I painted the walls, added hardware (actually my dad did that part for me), new hinges, and switched out the faucet. I feel like it looks so much better. In my dreams, I'm one step closer to THE Suzanne Kasler kitchen.
I have lots more planned for this kitchen. I'm tempted to list it all, but you'd be bored. And I realized that I kind of want to list it so you know that I know what needs to be done. Then, I realized that was pretty egotistical of me. As a designer, I have exposure to incredible homes and finishes. Unfortunately, we have yet to win the lottery (or play it). That dynamic makes home improvements (and home contentment) challenging for me. The good news is that figuring out how to improve our house as inexpensively as possible is a challenge that ends up expanding my creativity. Hopefully I'll get to some of it this year, and I'll share the changes with you as they come. Trust me. It will continue to improve.

In other news, we got about 4" of snow! Hooray!
Backyard...
Down the street...
I just started a little sewing project last night. When it's done, I'll show it. First project on my very own sewing machine! Thanks Santa!

Miscellaneous Stuff

2010-01-27T22:06:00.005-05:00

I'm back! Sorry again for leaving you hanging for so long. I know all 4 of you were totally devastated :) I have so many posts to write, but here are some random things to share.

Don't you just love Etsy? Gram sent Sadie this super cool mobile for Christmas. She loves it, and so do I. I don't think you have to be a baby to like this. Get yours here. Sorry my pictures not great. I was too lazy to keep trying. Just being honest.

How cute is this kid? Thanks Aunt LOM for the fun onesie!
I am totally obsessed with this tea. I drink it hot. Its so warm and so refreshing at the same time. I know it looks weird. You're not mistaken- it is the consistency of jelly. You put a few teaspoons in hot water and it dissolves. It does have rinds in it. I like them and tell myself I'm getting more fiber. You can only get it at the Asian grocery, but it is well worth the trip. Enjoy.
So random, but please look at the shape of our bread this week. Really? Did someone smoosh it or what? I see the profile of the gopher from Caddyshack. What do you see (besides my love of butter)?
More new posts to come- including a before and after and a throwback!
Did anybody see the Avett Brothers on Austin City Limits? So glad they played some older stuff. I like their new quiet stuff, but I love them best when they are yelling and heavy on the banjo.

Road Trip!

2010-01-27T21:45:00.003-05:00

Sorry I've been MIA. I started back to work, and it has been harder to balance than I thought (but I still love it). Plus, Sadie and I headed out for our first road trip together- to Kentucky! The drive there was...interesting. Sadie was awesome; my car was not. Wa-wa. It broke down in the mountains of West Virginia. Super. However, it was totally fine. Here are some highlights- a sweet older fella topped of my oil (lesson in compassion and giving), I happened to break down an hour from my cousin (who graciously picked us up), we also are blessed to have connections through family friends to the VW dealer in West Virginia (who were amazing and helped me get the work done under warrantee- hallelujah!), and my dad got to swoop in and save the day and pick Sadie and I up (bless his heart- 7+ hours round trip). So 14 hours later, we were in KY.

This is how you know you're in Kentucky:
It was really fun to share Sadie with family and friends. Gram and Pops are very sad that we are back in NC.

Here are puppy updates for those of you who are interested...first Sam, then Sunny.

Once I started this post, I realized how many pictures mom must have on her camera. I'll add more once I get them from her. In the meantime, here are some.

Larry and Kelly
We got to see Sara and meet sweet Will- hooray!
Happy Birthday, Birdo!
Part of my trip to KY included making stops for my favorite tomato soups- Napa (below) and Cheddar Box. Delicioso!
Thanks for having us, everyone! We loved seeing you! Miss you already.

Happy New Year & a New Year's Day Tale

2010-01-01T23:20:00.005-05:00

We rang in 2010 with a thrilling evening.

No fancy party clothes and funny hats for us this year. We laid low at home with this one.

It's a good thing we think she is hilarious. We did manage a little festivity with a toast to welcome in the new year.
2010. I'm nearly 30- deep breath. Stephen and I had some great conversation, reflecting and looking forward. It's so exciting to think about all of life's potential- places to visit, places to live, jobs to aim for, family to foster, love to grow, so much joy mingled with so much unknown. I've been realizing that I think my life should be like a vacation. I think, " Oh, I like Charleston." And I picture us living there eating fabulous food, boating, and owning an incredible house near the Battery. There is a very strong chance that it would not be like that. I think, "Oh, I love Colorado." And I picture us riding horses, skiing, and getting super cool outdoor gear. Probably wouldn't spend most of our time that way. As I go into 2010, I really want to work on (or rather let God work on) my heart. I desperately need to work on my contentment. I daydream constantly about how to improve everything around me, mostly for my selfish benefit. I am praying that I will be open and pliable. I have decided to give up dessert for the next year- yikes! I have the worst sweet tooth ever. I am letting myself have a little one once each month. I am hoping that I not only gain some self control, but that it reminds me to shoot for total contentment- and to stop hoping my life will be like one big vacation. I don't normally do New Year's Resolutions, but here I go.

Thanks for hearing my chatter (all four of you).

Pressing on.

New Year's Day has been great. Ross and Amy Free came for a visit. It was so nice to just be with friends all day. Amy (who photographed Sadie previously) helped me get my act together and order some Birth Announcements. She custom designed some since I couldn't find what I wanted online (I also didn't want to pay like $2 per card online- am I cheap?). While Ross and Stephen immersed themselves in football, Amy and I headed out to take a few pictures.

First stop: this old church down the road from our house.

Sorry that that is the only picture. We ran into some trouble. Actually, some trouble ran after us. We walked around the back of the church to take a few pictures (the light was gorgeous), and we heard some stirring in the woods. To our surprise, we were being stalked by a troop of Guinea Hens. I got nervous. I HATE birds. Don't even think about feeding the seagulls if you're ever with me at the beach. It would potentially end our friendship. So, Amy and I decided to trot back toward the front. After a glance back over our shoulders, we realized a full out run was necessary. These psycho birds were sprinting after us! So scary and so funny- funniest thing that has happened to me in a long time. We made it back to the car just in time to miss out on having our shins pecked to death. The Guinea Hens surrounded my car with no fear. I tried to roll down the window to take their picture, but they yelled at me, and I was afraid they would jump up and peck my eyes out. So here's a picture through the front window (I love that old farmhouse across the street- don't you?):
They look like they were retreating, but you can't see the other eight that were still intensely focused on hurting us. This picture doesn't show how scary they were. I googled, and this is the only picture I could find to show you their size. So funny and so random. Thanks Lori O'Toole. I have no idea who you are.
I swear ours were bigger, and they definitely were not walking away from us. On a lighter note, their feathers were really beautiful.

Moral of the story- Happy New Year, seek out some adventure this year (even if it is down the street), and never cross a Guinea Hen.