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

n is for ...

Love the daily typography put out by illustrator Jessica Hische. I'd love to purchase this as a print from her shop. And what does N stand for? Neat, Nice, New. Maybe you'll see more of this N later!

like duff, but not

I came across this lovely Etsy shop from watercolor artist DIMDi, and there was an adorable painting of a Wheaten Terrier. Duff is a Wheaten Terrier mix, so it just hit my heart. So sweet and fluffy.

found via simplesong

wonder foodie: smitten with this kitchen

I have been wanting to make this tart ever since I saw this post two summers ago on Smitten Kitchen. The tart looked absolutely scrumptious and I would sometimes revisit the post just to see the mouthwatering photos of it. Silly, I know! But the occasion finally arose where the fruit was in season and I could buckle down and make it. Yes!

And the verdict? Deeeeelicious. This recipe will be one that I repeat! The combination of spicy gingersnaps and sweet nectarines with a creamy custardy filling is delightful and easy to make. I think I'll make it again this week for another potluck! Ooooh. Here's the finished product, hopefully it looks just as good as Deb's. I heart summer.

friday photo: love in the woods

Okay okay, I know that this is a wedding photo, but I couldn't help it! What a gorgeous shot from the fantastically quirky and way talented Katie Sokoler of Color Me Katie. It's like a dream ...image via color me katie