a little soundtrack: rolling in the deep

My daughter's middle name is Adele, and I am so glad that it evokes thoughts of the beautiful singer with the same name. Her voice is old school and classic, and I am really enjoying her new album, 21. Jazzy and funky with strong driving beats, it's an all around good time. Download it here.

poppies for norah

Before Norah was born, I used some poppies from this post to make a headband for her. It was on one of those sleepless nights that I stayed up preparing our hospital bag. I took some elastic that I had in my sewing kit and carefully attached the bright red poppies to create it. I also sewed one bloom onto a side-snap onesie. My nesting instinct was in full gear with this project! She didn't end up wearing them at the hospital, but wore them one month later.

I love making things for my little girl - it reminds me of when my mom used to make clothing and ornate Halloween costumes for my sister and I. She is great at sewing, and I hope that I can have skills like that one day. Until then, my hand sewing will have to suffice!

inspired to learn: food styling

Recently I was looking through some loveliness on Donna Hay's website, and ran into some neat Australian videos of her giving food styling tips!

If you've not heard of Donna before, she is likened to Australia's Martha Stewart, but I would say that she is a cross between Martha and Ina. She is known for her simple and elegant style, along with her great entertaining tips. These videos are from the Australian reality series called Masterchef and they certainly showcase why she is one of Australia's best food stylists.

I love all the little tips that she gives in these videos, and her down-to-earth nature is so likable! In these videos she teaches how to style a bowl of pasta, how to create lovely ganache drips on a cake, how to make the perfect layer cake, and how to give the classic caesar salad a twist. Seriously, watch these videos and you'll learn a little something! The things she does are so smart, and I'll be sure to employ these the next time I make a cake or hard boil an egg!

more wonder than I imagined ...

Well, I've been missing from the blog for a long while, but for good reason! On October 14, 2010 I gave birth to a little girl ... Norah! She is the most amazing little person and I am in awe that she is ours. Motherhood is truly something, and I am reminded of a post I read from an Australian blogger mom that said this about it, "Six billion people on the planet have been born like this, but it still seems like magic to me." And that is so true!

Even in the middle of the night, when she is crying out - I am in awe of how she came into our lives and how it feels to hold her after waiting for 9 months in anticipation of her arrival. I love how at 7 weeks old now, she fits perfectly into my arms. I kiss her little cheeks and smell that soft, sweet baby scent and feel her warmth against me ... she is beautiful. A little more wonder in my life, perhaps? Or maybe a little more wonderful.

image courtesy of mjt photography

babies, dating and dinner parties

Can you believe it? Only 4 more weeks to go before our baby girl arrives! 4 and a little bit ... it's very exciting and unnerving at the same time. Very soon our lives will be changed forever.

I've been reading a book called On Becoming Babywise that a few friends recommended, and it has been interesting to hear that though life will be different, life should still maintain a balance. The author emphasizes bringing the baby into the family unit instead of making the child the center of our universe. This includes remembering that though I will be a mother, I am also still a sister, daughter, friend and wife. He also points out that we should continue to date our spouses and show them gestures of love (like my friend lists here), including spending 15 minutes a day on the couch going over the day's events. Sounds like a given, right? I'm sure I'll have to be very intentional about this once she enters the world!

One other point the author made that surprised me was to purposefully invite friends over for food and fellowship! In essence, have a dinner party with baby! Is it possible? I sure hope so! I will be ever so grateful to have friends over if we can manage it. A few friends have had us over in the first 6 months of their children's lives, and I've been so impressed! Both couples have made dinner for us - one new dad was even able to make homemade cinnamon rolls from scratch! We can only hope and pray that our team work and love helps us to care for this child and for one another. Here we go ...

place setting above: crate and barrel place mat, plates, and dansk flatware, appetite home napkins

an attitude of gratitude

I am really digging this site here where Leah posts thank you notes to various inanimate objects, people and the like. Clever and oh-so-optimistic! Such a great concept. Go check them out!

striped goodness

I haven't posted in a while - life has been busier than ever, workwise and preparing for the little one too. Also some family health emergencies came up as well, so my focus has been scattered.

In any case, I wanted to post all about stripes, since I've been pinning a lot of them on my Pinterest boards lately. Gotta love a great striped pattern. It's classic, fun, and dynamic! On a bag or on a shirt, it's the graphic nature of it that I like. Check 'em out.






sources: madewell, jack spade, target, old navy