thank-you craigslist, thank-you husband.

So in love with our vintage baby carriage.

The dear lady who sold it to us said she used it as a bassinet for her daughter (her daughter who's now 45) and that's exactly what i plan to do. Also, evening strolls around our neighborhood.

there are 1,0000 reasons why i love my husband. this is just one of them.


+my first score on craigslist : where i write my thoughts  (but this def. takes the cake!)

Wanting to know you Wens.

I couldn't put it down and once or twice i've texted my twinkie, "i'm in love with christian grey."  

Yes, as in 50 Shades of Grey. I just finished book one and can't wait to get started on the next one. I know, it's poorly written and unrealistic in many ways... but man oh man, there's just something about it that makes you want more. 

Are you reading it and if so what do you think? 

+ who do you picture as Christian Grey? 

Marianne pictures her crush from White Collar and Steph pictures her crush from True Blood. 

This is my Christian Grey:

sexy Colin Egglesfield

Can't wait to hear your thoughts on the book and who you picture as CEO of Grey Enterprises. 

things that have been getting me through the past 6 months.

I thought i would be one of those women who loved being pregnant. At 24 weeks, i'm starting to like it more but truth be told i am still waiting for that glowing skin pregnancy books have promised-- to replace my pregnancy acne. And if I'm being honest, my changing body has been hard for me {leg cramps and charley horses when i wake up? no one told me about those!}

But the thing is, it really is all worth it when i feel her move around and give me a "thump" to know she's really in there. Every day of this pregnancy is a blessing. 

Here are some products that help remind me of that: 

Cocoa Butter for Stretch Marks i slather this not just on my belly but my chest and thighs


Burt's Bees Mama Bee Nourishing Body Oil i use this after every shower/bath


Airwalk laceless sneakers from Payless i still work part-time in retail so i'm constantly on my feet. these are the perfect shoes to wear because they also go with dresses.


Mama Bee Leg & Foot Creme helps circulation because sometimes even flat shoes to work are not enough.


PB&J truly what i crave every day (i couldn't get enough of Goldfish in the first trimester. my husband said i had to eat better than a 5 year old)


Green Mountain Coffee Half-Caff i've just started introducing coffee back into my mornings and these are my favorite.


Epsom Salt baths i add bubbles and look forward to my almost nightly warm bath. They really help with my lower back pain and my aching legs/feet.


Pedicures  sometimes even better than a prenatal massage


Prenatal & Postnatal Yoga unfortunately i haven't found any prenatal exercise classes near me, so i bought this DVD when I first found out we were expecting (I love that there's also a workout for after baby) i don't usually do yoga (i prefer pilates) but this workout is the right amount of challenge and relaxation.

Maternity Tank Maxi Dress from Old Navy comfortable and fitting. i wear this just to go to the grocery store because it is that comfortable on my bump.


so when you tell me you are expecting, expect a care package from me with some of these very items. :) 


other Mamas or those that are currently pregnant, please share what got you through your pregnancy.

love you, love me.

Cheers to my darling husband! why? it's his birthday today!

Thank-you birthday boy for being my best friend, husband, and soon the most important role in our life...  the Father of our baby.

I love you so much! 

xoxo your wife & baby mama

Sharing Sundays... an etsy purchase from Cutie PahTootie Bows.

There are a lot of places that sell bows but none that i had to have like the ones i purchased for Felix from Andrea's shop.

Besides Disney and Hello Kitty bows, Cutie PahTootie carries every major sports team including all of my favorite sports teams ;) Felix will have every game day covered! 

The quality and size are pretty perfect. I can't wait to see these in baby girl's hair. Me & husband are betting she has a head full of it when she's born in September. We can't wait to find out! 

ps. Andrea, congrats on your 2nd baby girl xo 

happy things with which to end the week.

♥ starting the days out with a green monster smoothie (i make mine with the basic recipe with soy and i swear it's delicious enough)

♥ finally getting a much needed trim (i loved the salon's waiting area) and feeling fancy, got my first ever deep conditioning treatment.

you can't tell from this photo, but my hair feels so much healthier! 

♥ my cute in-laws always attend the annual Pow Wow in their town and sent us these "his and her" keychains. it's the little things and how adorable are they? 

♥ my new chocolate/sweet fix! oh my gosh, I could probably eat the whole box.

♥ april got her birthday gift and i'm glad she loved it! (if you don't know april--what?! go meet her now!--she recently graduated college and moved from Alabama to my Texas. I wanted her to always carry a piece with her) if you're looking for a cute map pendant, i got this one from Paris Jewelry Pendant. 

♥ i took this phone pic early this morning when i couldn't sleep because baby girl was upset about the amount of tacos i consumed late last night ;) i don't really care for bare belly photos but maybe someday i would like to see my bump in all it's glory. Two days shy of 24 weeks which is 6 months! and i can't believe this belly is only going to get bigger. 

Happy Friday Lovies! what happy things are you ending the week with?

+please leave a link below if you do post-- i'd love to share in your happiness xo

*also, note the now correct grammar of my post title. thanks Erin! ;) 

Wanting to know you Wens.

photo : kirsty

I'd like to eat outside more often. i realize this would require some proper outdoor furniture-- but for now i think i would enjoy even just my morning coffee better mixed with fresh air. Plus, we have a pretty view from our back porch.

what is something you would you like to do more often? 

read? workout? have sex? (okay so I'm currently reading 50 Shades of Grey...ha)

Music & Art on Tap.

i believe that handmade is always better, especially with live music and girlfriends.

This weekend i went with Sarah to an event called Music & Art on Tap at Bombardiers. 

i loved meeting local artists and of course... coming home with one of a kind homemade items, not just for me but for baby girl! 

 beautiful sarah with her table and my new Pretty You & Me earrings

  paper flowers (for Felix's nursery) & handcrafted skull earrings from Didi's Happy Skulls

 A onesie and handmade bows from Salem and St. Cyr (everything is made from recycled goods)

how cute are these baby booties from ReDMoSs Crochet? of course I had to get them for baby

indeed, handmade is always better. 

my 23 week baby bump.

Strangers are finally asking when i'm due or what i'm having-- yay! because I definitely have started to feel very pregnant and i know my stomach is just beginning to really grow. 

(please ignore the mess of my gym shoes and husband's on the floor)

Sharing Sundays... an etsy favorite from Pulp Vintage.

my pre-pregnancy self would have bought this in a heartbeat, i love it so.

i'm a huge fan of rompers (i even bought this maternity one) but man oh man, this 70s gauze jumpsuit had me at the crochet top. 

i would buy this for after baby, but i have a fear of wide-leg pants on a short girl like me. sigh. 

happy things to end the week with.

♥ the happiest and biggest news of my week was the birth of my handsome nephew, Thor Maloney. He lived up to his name, weighing 12 pounds! Can you guess which parent named him? :) Here's Thor on his birthday (tuesday) with his sisters Sophia and Marina. 

♥ did much needed spring cleaning and put away winter stuff. Dear pre-pregnancy pants, this is goodbye for a little while. I'll see you again, i promise. 

♥ while at Target yesterday, i finally picked this up. I've been curious about it for awhile but while in SF, Claire (who is currently reading it) and Faiza (who's already read the trilogy) sealed the deal for me. 

♥ i've been using this bialetti venus stovetop coffee maker my sister-in-law sent us and believe it makes even decaf coffee tons better (not to mention it reminds me of my once upon a time in Italy)

♥ surprise happy mail from steph for mother's day. i love on the card how she put a picture of my celeb girlfriend penelope cruz saying, "oh, to have a big, round belly-with a baby inside-and still be sexy!!! be happy that you are one of the few who can do that!" it means so much to me especially when i feel anything but these days. thank-you steph!!! 

♥ Felix also got some happy mail! my bestie Marisa sent baby girl her first teddy bear (so soft!) and an "f" for her nursery with the sweetest note. M couldn't be more right, she is already so loved xo

♥ 22 weeks and i feel rounder every day (hello thighs). The most amazing thing happened while in the tub last night reading 50 Shades. I felt a bigger kick than the flutters of the past few weeks. I put my hand over where the thump came from and I felt it again. I could even see the movement over my belly for a second. There are no words to describe that feeling. Such a blessing!

Happy Friday Lovies! what happy things are you ending the week with?

+please leave a link below if you do post-- i'd love to share in your happiness xo

a showering of gifts.

I couldn't wait to show you the photos from another epic girls' trip to California. I also couldn't wait to show you how my girlfriends spoiled baby girl Maxham. In fact, I'm calling it our first baby shower. Have i mentioned how i have the best girlfriends? hands down, i do.  

Oh my gosh, will you look at those little Ranger shoes!? and the Rangers Captain (mascot) pillow pet. Auntie Marianne bought Felix her first Rangers shirt (among other things!) at the ballpark and this TX Rangers fan can't wait to put it on her little girl.  

From Auntie Claire. Is there anything cuter than an overall dress? or a light blue night gown with fold-over hand mitts? Claire also gave Felix her first BabyLit board book. I love it! (especially because this Austen novel means something bittersweet to me) 

Auntie Ezgi flew in from London and had stayed in NYC before joining us in SF. We had a laugh over that first onsie (oh the photo ops that will come from it!). Ezgi bought Felix her first tutu & i love that it's neon pink. 

Auntie Faiza gave me this gorgeous necklace that signifies my sweet family. Precious. She also gave us a bottle of the most delicious syrup I've ever had that i've used seriously every day this week on waffles.


Each gift so thoughtful and perfect, just like each girlfriend XO 

delightful.

Bob: It gets a whole lot more complicated when you have kids. 
Charlotte: It's scary. 
Bob: The most terrifying day of your life is the day the first one is born. 
Charlotte: Nobody ever tells you that. 
Bob: Your life, as you know it... is gone. Never to return. But they learn how to walk, and they learn how to talk... and you want to be with them. And they turn out to be the most delightful people you will ever meet in your life. 
Charlotte: That's nice. 


(one of my favorite scenes from one of my favorite movies)

Happy Mother's Day!

Happy Mother's Day to my beautiful Momma! (this is one of my favorite photos of us) 

It's so amazing to think in a few short months I'll be a mama and I can only pray that i'm exactly like my momma when it comes to raising my daughter. 

Sweet friends are wishing me a Happy Mother's Day and I can't even begin to describe what those three words mean to me. ♥

Thank-you and Happy Mother's Day to our Mommas, to the Mamas reading this, to those soon-to-be Mamas, and to those Mamas who are already waiting for us in heaven. xo

happy things to end the week with.

♥ it's always hard to be away from my family but especially on birthdays and holidays. Thank goodness for facetime because me & husband got to watch the birthday girl (my momma) open her gift and blow out her candles. 

♥ currently eating my weight in israeli coucous summer salad. i posted this photo on instagram yesterday and had a few people ask me for the recipe. Here it is, on a guest post i did over at Erin's. It's super easy and my go-to lunch or side dish for dinner. 

♥ still reeling from all the fun of our girls' trip and missing my twinkie even more than before (here's a photo of our matching sandals while we were in CA)

♥ snapped this truth at a coffee shop in Oakland. Speaking of coffee, i just discovered Green Mountain's Half-Caff K-cups. It's quite simply the best invention for this coffee-loving preggo. 

♥ polka dots from old navy make me happy- not exactly maternity but i can wear it after baby. {no-as my brother joked with me-i am not that pale. thanks Instagram filter :) ha}

♥ yet another reason i LOVE Target. I couldn't resist this TX Rangers windbreaker for baby girl. Felix is going to wear this over her dresses for sure! 

♥ speaking of my Rangers, twinkie is going to see her man CJ Wilson pitch against his replacement, Yu Darvish. What an exciting match-up! she's extra lucky because her husband bought them AMAZING seats. i can just imagine how intense the ballpark is going to be tonight and i wish i was going. There's a chance of rain so i'm praying that it stays away for them both to enjoy it. Fingers crossed! 

♥ the sweetest package from italy was waiting in my mailbox today. Ria surprised me with the most thoughtful care package. How perfect are those books? she wrapped a note around the small box and wrote, "handbag, emergency bump butter :)" Ria, it means so much to me. You are the cutest! xoxo

i can't wait to show you next week how felix's aunties spoiled us in California. i've said it a hundred times and i'll say it a hundred times more-- i have the best girlfriends, hands down (same goes for my readers). 

Happy Friday Lovies! what happy things are you ending the week with?

+please leave a link below if you do post-- i'd love to share in your happiness xo

California Girls' Trip 2012.

I love and cherish any time I get to spend with my twinkie but it's even better when we get to take a vacation together with our girlfriends. It always does my heart good to see my Claire in San Francisco and this year we got lucky to meet two other gifts blogging has given us- Faiza from Toronto and Ezgi from London (we missed you this year jessie!) 

Back in December we planned this girls' trip centered around Marianne's cute obsession over Angel's pitcher CJ Wilson {who perfectly, would be pitching against Faiza's team, the Blue Jays}. They all made it happen for my twinkie and for that i know without a doubt i have the best girlfriends.

This is already going to be photo heavy so thankfully you can jump to Claire's blog where she wrote the most perfect write-up of what we did with five amazing days together. I couldn't have said it better.

My pappa made these domino necklaces for all of us girls to remember this trip. Claire's boyfriend Matt called us "the domino five." So cute!

Before the game, we met up with Claire's friend Elena and celebrated Cinco de Mayo at a Mexican restaurant in Del Mar. She was adorable! Before heading back to Anaheim, we enjoyed a slice of heaven on the beach. 

i love how me and Faiza look like sisters here, and how you can see baby girl who seemed to have popped out during our trip :) 

Ezgi & Marianne

Elena & Claire 

Not only did my belly grow (21 weeks-- i can't believe i am halfway through this pregnancy!) but my love for these girls did. 

The reason for this trip-- baseball! to me, there's nothing better than my girlfriends mixed with sports. 

Auntie Marianne is thrilled baby girl's first baseball game is an Angels one. 

and the above made this already perfect girls' trip untouchable in moments we'll never forget (well certainly not for Marianne). Twinkie got on the JumboTron with her sign (bottom right) and we awoke Sunday morning to her sheer joy that hottie CJ Wilson tweeted her the above left. It means a gorgeous two time World Series pitcher--who has 126,962 followers of which marianne is just 1--knows who she is. FREAKING AH-MAZING!!! the absolute cherry on top.

you can read all about marianne's dream come true on her blog post here. sooo cute!


Don't forget to read Claire's post here (which includes meeting up with another fabulous blogger for the most delicious dinner in Huntington Beach).

+ photos from last year's girls' trip