You HAVE To See This Dress
My brother opened his long-awaited Etsy shop: SaveTheFarm.etsy.com. He has made these BEAUTIFUL dresses that are one-size fits all, and one-dress-fits-all-occasion. Everyone that I’ve seen this dress on looks amazing because there are so many ways to wear the dress.
These are all the SAME DRESS.
There are infinite ways to wear this dress, and you can wear it how it flatters you. Pair it with a tee and flip flops, or heels and drop earrings. Seriously. Cute. My brother is a rock star.
Sweater Reincarnate
From this {nubby friend of a sweater}:
To This {comfy neck scarf & sleepy morning face}:
Inspired by anything and everything that Lex makes…
And on a sidenote:
I’ve always thought it was my hair that sucked. I had an epiphany: it’s my flat iron! How have I gone my whole adult life with a $15 flat iron? When I told my friends that I had ordered a CHI flat iron to restore the world order, they all said, “Oh, yes. I LOVE mine.” Huh?!?!? They’ve ALL had one this whole time and didn’t care to sit me down for an intervention with my poorly straightened hair? Let the healing process begin. If after next week when my new CHI is delivered, and you notice that I’m looking more fabulous… that’s why.
April’s Shower: The Ice Cream Party Details
I know, it took everything I had not to do an “April Showers” theme… had I known the weather we’d be having, it would have been perfect!
The party was this weekend, and we had a fun time. We have a great room at my complex that I rent out often. It’s free to use, and always roomy for plenty of guests.
We did an ice cream parlor theme with a light lunch. My rules for party planning are: borrow when you can, and if you have to buy something, make sure it’s something you can reuse. I don’t like spending money on decorations if they are just going to be tossed, so I try to be extra careful about the things I buy. I’ll either use them as decorations in my home, or know I’ll use them again for parties in the future.
Here’s a super-quick video of the room before the guests arrived:
April’s Shower from Brooke Hall on Vimeo.
And here are the pictures of the details:
{any tips for taking pictures in a yellow room? Change the white balance?}
{you may recognize this ‘tablecloth’ from the panel behind my desk. It was a great start for a color theme and didn’t cost a thing.
I made a couple of signs in illustrator using the same fonts from her invitations. The rice paper lanterns were $1 each at my local party store. I’m thinking about hanging them above the crib, so I know I’ll be using them again.
I made little tags for all the toppings… certainly not necessary, but I wanted to make sure you could tell the difference between the Reeses pieces and the M&Ms. But, they’re cute, easy to make, and add a little personality. My mom had purchased the little card holders for my sister’s wedding, and we’ve used them multiple times since.
The scoops were a splurge at Wal-Mart in their cooking aisle. $3 for three scoops. Spoons would have worked, but I know I’ll be using these again.
I used styrafoam cups from Smart & Final, scrapbook paper and a $1 stamp from Michaels for the ice cream cups. Luckily April and I share the same last initial, so I know I’ll be using the stamp again, too.
Borrowed cake stands and brownie bites were the perfect centerpiece for the two tables. Even the tablecloths were borrowed. You could easily buy flowers or make a centerpiece, but using the food or drinks you’ll be serving makes no extra cost. I made the little ruffles with pink fabric and elastic. I’ll be adding them to a table runner for Valentine’s Day.
Another sign for the gift table, and the white posts were made for my wedding by my sister’s boyfriend seven years ago. My family and friends have reused those beautiful posts a million times over, and they always add so much.
Water bottles with scrapbook paper and strawberry crush for drinks. The straws were $4 at Party City, and they are REUSABLE! Seriously – dishwasher safe. Love this. Paper plates were also from party city, and napkins from Ikea. The metal baskets and little white basket were from my home.
Here’s me and my pregnant friends. Each about a month apart.
The food was enjoyed, and the shower was great. In case you missed the invitations for this little ice cream party, here they are again:
New ohbrooke Blog Design
I am quite possibly my own worst client. the WORST. But because I’m a glutton for punishment and have had these darn bees in my bonnet for such a long time, I finally committed to a new blog design. Well, sort of. I’ve put most of the changes in place but will forever be fiddling.
You can find the most popular posts in the sidebar.
There’s room for more sponsors in the sidebar.
You can search easily through archives of the most popular post categories up in the header.
I’m *working* on a home tour… that’ll be here soon. I realized it was far easier to clean one room at a time and shoot it rather than have the whole house clean, because with my schedule, it just ain’t happenin’. But I do have before pictures and even I forgot the depth of the transformation. I’m excited to share.
And just for old times… here’s a shot of what the blog USED to look like {for those of you in your readers, click over and check out the new digs}:
Oh, and if you’re using Internet Explorer version 6 {you can find out by going to Help/About Internet Expolorer} PLEASE UPGRADE! PRETTY PLEASE!!!
sorry… that got ugly.
New Curtains
This is officially the last amount of fabric I trucked back from Portland. On clearance, with an extra miracle 40% off coupon, I think this fabric was somewhere around $5/yard. I got *just enough* to make a curtain in the baby room, and to save on width, I used quilting tape to finish the edges. I love a 1 hour project.
This geometric pattern mimics the gold pattern in the bumper.
And I’m still debating on the awning…
Does This Baby Make My Butt Look Big?
NVM, don’t answer that… {10 weeks to go!}
I finally decided on a stroller this weekend. That was about as painless as a good body waxing. I could never find any ONE stroller that did all the things that I wanted it to. And to clarify, I am only GUESSING as to what I’m going to want it to do on account of I HAVE NO IDEA. I needed to pick a stroller first, so I knew what kind of car seat was compatible with the stroller. If I had to guess, I’ve spent at LEAST 10 hours on the internet researching strollers and watching every Baby Gizmo YouTube video available. Getting a root canal is more fun than shopping for strollers {oddly enough, I felt the same way about shopping for a wedding dress}.
My mom and I made an emergency trip to Lullaby Lane in San Bruno to make a decision once and for all. By our guestimation, this store had over 60 different strollers – each with its own features and price range {some strollers on the menu were over $900, but many coming in under $200}. Because of my extensive {exhausting} online research, my mom and I were able to make quick work of narrowing down the contenders, and walked out the door with this beauty:
The Valco Baby Latitude. The features that I love about this stroller {which will probably change when I use it for more than carrying groceries to my second-floor condo} start with the cozy boot that snaps on and keeps the baby warm. An easy compact fold, large wheels, large basket, one-handed recline, oversized zip canopy, rain cover, universal car seat straps and telescoping handles were just icing on the cake.
I’m thrilled with the purchase {Coming in just under $270 out the door} and now I can close that disasterous chapter in my life. My marriage and my friendships thank Valco Baby.
Sponsor Love
Some of my favorite products from our sponsors… {okay, really “my” sponsors, but that sounded a little bratty. Sending a little love your way.}
My Sweet Prints
http://www.etsy.com/shop/MySweetPrints
Stic Views
{image via Just Something I Made}
Simple Blueprint Blog
http://simpleblueprint.typepad.com/blog/
I Heart Handmade Market
Spire Design Group
http://www.spiredesigngroup.com/
Brace Yourself Boutique
http://www.braceyourselfboutique.com/
Peripherie
ohbrooke Print on the GCG Giveaway!
Another fun giveaway on giftcardgirlfriend.com… a Sephora gift card, perfume and my “Love in Red” print!
But What Do I Do With It?
I bought this Michael Miller fabric in Portland, because I couldn’t leave it at the store. I was going to make laminated placemats, but I love my new laminated tablecloth so much, I may never take it off! Thinking…
Baby Shower Invitations
I’m hosting my friend April’s baby shower next weekend, and although I’m dying to share the details as we plan them, I don’t want to spoil it! :)
Here are the invitations I made and sent out a few weeks ago… designed in photoshop, printed one side on heavy paper and the other on a shiny thin paper, and sandwiched together over a popsicle stick using a xyron label maker. We’re having an ice cream party!
Inspiration for the invitation from the Imprintables Blog.
Making a Vinyl Tablecloth
The last time my mom went to Portland, she came back with some cute vinyl to make a wipeable tablecloth.
While I was in Portland for the holiday, I did the same. This is Moda laminated cotton {I have a hard time finding moda fabrics online to show you, but here are some equally adorable laminated fabrics – Amy Butler even has some now!}. {oh, and you don’t have to go to Portland, they just happen to have a fabulous fabric store and NO SALES TAX.}
The only limitation with this is the width of the fabric. You probably wouldn’t want to piece the fabric together because you’d get a pretty heavy seam, but both my mom and I added a thick grossgrain ribbon to add a little length and width. Because I didn’t want mine to slide around, I mitered the edges to give it a snug fit. The project only took about 20 minutes {cut fabric to fit, add ribbon around the edges, miter the corners}, and I couldn’t be happier with the result!
28 Weeks: What I Know Now
- I am deathly sick with a cold in this picture… if I looked at the camera, you would have thought I was dead.
- We’re officially in our third trimester. I am starting to feel like this takes f o r e v e r.
- I’m noticing the extra weight making its way to the bottom half of my body. It certainly puts my feelings about my pre-pregnant body in perspective.
- I feel great most of the time. My least favorite times of the day are getting into bed, getting out of bed, putting my shoes on, and sneezing {ouch!}
- I am T minus 2 weeks away from permanently misplacing my belly button.
- I have indigestion every day. Not a big deal, I just have to eat smaller meals and keep Tums handy.
- I’ve finally found the skin routine that seems to be working: prescription wash in the morning, witch hazel at night, turning my pillow over every other night, and changing my pillowcase every four nights.
- My husband and I used to sit in the hot tub often. Even though I can’t get in the hot tub anymore, I still love sitting on the edge, putting my feet in and chatting with my husband. It’s still one of my favorite times of the day.
- My husband and I have settled on a name. The problem is, the name he has settled on is different than the name I have settled on.
- When my husband talks, the baby kicks.
- As we’ve gotten more physically prepared, I’ve gotten more mentally ready to have a baby in the house.
- Several times now I’ve woken up in the middle of the night to severe hip pain. I guess my hips are widening {as if that’s necessary}.
- I think I’m ready for the next size up in maternity jeans. You don’t stay in one size for too long before you move into the next!
- My go-to maternity clothes are my H&M maternity jeans, H&M black pants {not available online}, Old Navy Hoodie, and my sweats!
- That little red and white onesy in the background of the picture was the outfit I was supposed to come home from the hospital in when my mom thought I was going to be a boy. My name was going to be Ryan.
My past ramblings:
Crib Bumpers Done!
We’re knocking them off the list one by one… while I was finishing up the quilt, my mom was sewing the bumpers for me. That proved to be trickier than I would have imagined, but thanks to my mom, they are perfect! The fabric is Medallion in Teal {part of the French Riviera collection by Patricia Bravo}. My mom made the piping in a brown polka dot, and ribbon ties. Last step is the rocking chair reno project, and then this baby is ready to join us in style!
Crib Quilt Done!
My holiday break was not without projects…
Here is the finished crib quilt for the little boy… so cozy! I used scrap fabric from the bumpers {coming soon}, 7 different fat quarters, and Moda’s sock monkey flannel for the backing.
Resolutions You Can Keep
Weight loss, eating right, spending less, yada yada.
Last year, my mom figured it out: make a New Years Resolution you can keep! She spent 2009 buying a new pair of shoes each month. This proved fruitful for her {and for Macys} as you can see in her year-end recap photo below.
I do usually take my resolutions very seriously. Last year I vowed to get better at cooking, eat out less, and eat leftovers. I didn’t move mountains, but I definitely took a step in the right direction. This year, I can’t seem to see past our due date, April 1st, let alone make goals for the whole year. We’ll just have to make good on the resolution we’ve already made: start a family!
And if you want to stick to the serious self-improvement resolutions – great! {But throw in a fun one too, k? Go to the beach more, bake cookies once a month, go out to lunch with a different friend each week…}