ohbrooke

Blog Award

I recently recieved the Honest Scrap Blog award from the ever-talented Mrs. Limestone of BrooklynLimestone.com. I love her blog, her sense of style, and her excitement for her pumpkin-carving power tool {and I shall forever be awe-struck by her baseball invitations}.

*10/1/09 – A big “Thank You” to Lindsay at Likely Design for her nomination as well! She has fun decorating ideas with a small-town twist! I love how her tips are affordable and easy for everyone!

The rules to accepting the award are to write 10 interesting things about yourself, and pass the award on to 7 other bloggers.

Since you already read some pretty in-depth drivel a few days ago, I’ll keep this short and sweet:

1. I hate flying. It’s scary and the food sucks.
2. The hallways at the movie theatre we go to smells like PUKE. Try walking down that hallway with morning sickness.
3. When I was younger, I wanted to be an optometrist when I grew up. Since I’ve had Lasik, I haven’t gone to the eye doctor in years, and I miss that thingy that blows a puff of air into your eyes.
4. I love sllllloooooowwww, boring movies. Enter: Eagle Vs. Shark and Smart People.
5. When I’m driving, I call EVERYBODY a “loser.” i.e.: “Move it, loser!”
6. I have probably painted over 100 rooms. I could paint while sneezing and still get you a straight line.
7. I like watching COPS. Those crack-heads be funny.
8. Mostly I think that if I throw on a pair of earrings, you won’t notice that my hair looks like poo.
9. I still love Chicken McNuggets
10. Wouldn’t it be fun to go to a big kid prom? Corsages and all?

And lastly, my nominees for the Honest Scrap Award:

Nicole Hoxie Photography for her beautiful photography and adorable family

…Love Meagan for her DIY tut’s and her rockin’ legs

Crafynest she and I could get together and create something FABULOUS

Make Under My Life for her organization, PMA, and friendship

Natalie Jost talented and inspiring mom-of-three and operates a home business

Simple Blueprint great inspiring decorating ideas

Poppytalk Inspiring indie artwork

Halloween Decor

I have been excited for Halloween for at least a month. And just so you’re warned, I start listening to Christmas music the day after Halloween.

One of my favorite places for day-after-holiday shopping is Pier 1. I love their holiday decorations because they are at a reasonable price to begin with, and once it’s on sale, it’s a steal! Yes, I know they have some fug, but in general, you can find some gems {like the feathered angel wings I got for my Christmas tree last year}. Here are some of their Halloween decorations that I’m liking {and I’m giving them a thumbs-up for their slightly-corny, slightly-funny captions}:

And if you mix this cheap crap in with some of your vintage pieces, spooky fabrics, and pumpkins, it should look pretty cute. I, myself won’t be buying any of this on account of we have to buy zillions of dollars in baby crap. But, please, you still enjoy. Oh, and send me pictures.

Guest Post: ohbrooke Baby Shower

Good morning, ohbrooke readers! My name is Jess of MakeunderMyLife, and I’m a blog friend of Brooke. I’m so excited for her and her new baby! Since we live all over the world, coordinating a blogging baby shower in California might be unrealistic (read: impossible). So I had the idea to have a little party for her here on ohbrooke. This way all of us blogging “besties” and readers alike can share in her new adventure.

To participate in Brooke’s baby shower, send your wishes, advice, or tokens of affection for Brooke and her baby. Wishes can take the form of a jpg or comment sent to brooke@ohbrooke.com with the subject title “OhBaby! Shower”. Or, if you’d like to send a snail mail letter or gift, please download and print the address label below and send her your wish (so she doesn’t accidentally peek). Over the next few weeks, Brooke will collect the emails and thoughts that arrive. And on Saturday October 17, she will open all of our wishes at once – and post about them with links to our sites.

Again, congratulations, Brooke! I am excited for you and your husband. And I know your baby is going to have the coolest nursery on the block.

{To download the mailing label, click the thumbnail below and print!}

We’re Having a Baby!

My hubby and I are going to have a baby! I am 14 weeks pregnant, headed into my second trimester, and due April 1st. We are a mixture of excited, anxious, and impatient and can’t wait to find out what we’re having. After six years of marriage, we thought it might be time to grow our little family, and despite being all shades of nervous before getting pregnant (and okay, the first week we found out too), my nervousness has turned into excitement and love and pride.

I’m reminded of a time a couple years ago when my sister-in-law asked me and my husband to sing as she walked down the aisle. I have often sung in front of large groups, but a bride’s memorable walk seemed quite intimidating. My husband, who will tell you doesn’t sing, has a beautiful voice, but this was his first duet in front of a large crowd. He is usually able to hide behind the piano, but this time was different.

Before the ceremony started, my hubby and I gave each other a hug and held each others hand so tight as we faced the large crowd and sang “Just You and I” as his beautiful sister walked to meet her new groom.

Not to get all Heather Armstrong on you, but I can’t help but feel the same emotions now. Change in life is always equally terrifying and exciting. My husband and I couldn’t be happier with the news, and just like that day, we are holding each others hand so tight as we move forward together to an entirely new life.

Here is what I know:

1. When we decided to get pregnant, I thought lightening should strike. Surely fireworks or something should go off, this is a big deal! Instead, we just went to the grocery store.
2. I have endometriosis, and didn’t know if I would be able to have kids. We are pleasantly surprised.
3. Those pregnancy test with two blue lines blow. Get the one that says the words “Pregnant” and “Not Pregnant”. {It’ll save you from having to take three tests in one day}.
4. I have watched women around me become obsessed with getting pregnant. I didn’t want to be that girl. So, I forgot about it. So much so, that one morning I shot awake and thought, “OH!”, and that was the day we found out we were pregnant.
5. The previous advice threw my husband off a bit. He thought I had become disinterested and then was doubly-shocked when I told him the news. We watched Entourage after I told him.
6. The pregnancy “glow” is not metaphoric. It’s impossible to keep clear skin in your first trimester, and I’m hoping the second goes better.
7. Seabands. They worked!
8. I have a new relationship with food. I used to try to wait until 2 o’clock to eat lunch, so that I could eat a later dinner. Now, when my tummy rumbles, you better get out of the way. I. Need. Food.
9. And I don’t need just any food. I need lunch meat folded on a cracker with sharp cheddar cheese and grapes on the side. Or enchilada soup, extra tomatoes and tortilla strips on top. Or a pulled-pork sandwhich {I’ve never had one before}.
10. Hot dogs are out. I can’t do it.
11. After going your whole life trying not to gain weight, you are told you’ll be gaining a pound a week. Yes, I cried a little bit. Who knows what gargantuan shape my body will take? My once hourglass-figure is shifting a little more cinderblock-like.
12. My bra size is nearing double-letters. This happened immediately after we found out we were pregnant.
13. When we went to my 8 week ultrasound, and I grimaced as the nurse told me I had gained 5 pounds, my husband said “Well, what did you expect?”… husbands, don’t do that.
14. During the ultrasound, when our baby got poked, it moved. I was so PROUD. My baby will probably be in honor classes and graduate early because it can move when it gets poked.
15. I think the highly functioning bladder is a training exercise. I wake up to use the restroom at 12, 3, and 6am every night. I think this could be foreshadowing of what my night times are going to be like for a while. I also can’t go to the mall without using the restroom twice. This probably accounts for the impromptu bottle feeding and diaper changing that happens at the most inopportune moments.
16. As the youngest of seven, I never had to take care of anybody else. But with 14 nieces and nephews on my side, and 10 on my husbands, I think we’re pretty prepared. Remind me that I said that.

Our Oahu Trip

We’re home! Home with piles of laundry, grocery lists, and projects.

But first, just a little reminiscing…

1. Our favorite by far, was the shark cage:

Even though I got stung by a jellyfish on my face…

2. We loved the parasailing and getting dunked in the water.

3. Kayaking to an island

4. Visiting the Dole Plantation for some pineapple

5. Eating lots of yummy food: Ted’s Bakery, Matsumotos, Cholos, the shrimp trucks and these GIANT CHEETOS.

6. The crazy rains that dissappeared almost as fast as they appeared.

7. The little studio we stayed in {probably the nicest place to stay on the North Shore}, and hanging out with family that was very generous to us. This is where we ate breakfast every morning, and sat in the hot tub and chatted every night.

Some things not pictured:

8. LOTS of snorkeling

9. Boogie boarding in Waikiki

10. Visiting the Polynesian Cultural Center

11. ATV rides at Kualoa Ranch where Jurrasic Park was filmed

12. Snow Cones on the reg

13. Cliff jumping at Waimea

Well, we’re happy to be home, but we had a really great time. If anybody’s looking for a place to stay in Oahu, this is where we stayed, and you’d love it. I’ve got some exciting stuff planned for this week, it’s time to get back on the wagon…

Parasailing

I’ll be home Friday {boo hoo…}

The Luau

It’s hard to take pictures if everything we do as we try to keep our camera and phone from getting wet or stolen. So, no pics from our snorkeling or kayaking yesterday, but a few from the luau.

Today’s iPhone Pic

I’ve Got These…

and think you should too.

The View From Our Rental

Hope it’s not too mean to post pictures of our vacation while we’re away!

Painting Tips

By now, I am half-way to Oahu, but I wanted to share some trusty tips that help me get through painting a room. Over the Labor Day weekend, I decided to finally paint our guest bedroom grey. And I found the PERFECT grey (Behr Premium Plus Antique Beige).

To my surprise, Behr (At Home Depot) has a new line of paint that is primer + paint in one. The walls are so new in our condo that I’ve had to prime EVERYTHING, which turns into a big fat hassle, and is probably why it has taken me a year to paint that final bedroom. BUT, with this new Behr Premium Plus Ultra, I was done in two coats.

Despite the fact that I have painted nearly 100 rooms in my lifetime, I didn’t want to use up a whole day to paint. 3-day weekend? I needed to do some movie watching and eating and shopping too. So… these are my tricks:

1. The Handy Paint Pail - This is a lifesaver. See how that brush is rested nicely on the edge of the pail? There’s a magnet there so you can set your brush down without getting messy. It also has a square lip on the opposite side where you can remove the excess paint from your brush before you start painting… no drips! I always start painting a room with this paint pail, so I can cut in the baseboards, door trim, window moldings, and ceiling. I don’t use tape for those jobs, you can see in the background of the picture, I just cut it in by hand, and with practice, you’ll hardly need to touch up afterward. I only have one of these pails, and I don’t lend it out, for fear that I’ll lose it!

2. But with my tall ceilings, I didn’t cut the whole room in at the same time. I needed a snack and a nap, you see. So I wrapped it up with a grocery bag, air-tight, and I can keep it that way for about a day or so without remorse. The paint won’t harden and your brush won’t dry up.

3. Same goes for the paint rollers and tray. When you let the room dry before the second coat, no need to rinse out the rollers just yet. Use a kitchen trash bag to tie them up tight for later.

4. And because this paint was particularly stinky in my teeny-tiny 3rd bedroom, we wore respirators so we didn’t go loopy. We ARE smiling under there…

Vacation Change

My husband and I are going on a long-overdue vacation tomorrow; 9 days in Hawaii. Some family has offered us their rental while we are there, and we couldn’t be more grateful.

When my new hubby and I were putting our first apartment together, we had designated this oversized mason jar for our spare change, and we were going to use for some fabulous vacation someday. My husband has dutifully counted, re-counted, and rolled the coins (He wasn’t about to let CoinStar take 10% of our winnings), and over six years later, we have $558.15. I know Suze Orman would have a field day, but where else do you put all those coins?

So we’re taking this to the bank, then we’re taking it to get an American Express Giftcard, and then we’re taking it to Oahu, and then we’re taking it shopping…

Where should we go with our change in the next 6 years?

Pillow Giveaway Winner

Couldn’t be more excited to announce the winner of the Giveaway {via Random.org}, Shel from AuntieThesis who dutifully commented and tweeted.

If you didn’t win, catch up on the new additions to pillowsbymom.com {more ruffles and polka dots!}.

Congrats!

This Blog Is Blowing My Mind

Jessica Claire. I die.

Flower Clip

My uber-talented friend Nicki made me this cute hair clip. Love it. Thanks Nick. {Check out her new baby boy here}.

Some friends and I have made some more… I’ll post pictures when we wear them.