Friday, April 27, 2012

Liam's Nursery

Today I would like to post about something lovely: Liam's nursery. I started collecting items for this nursery long before I knew they would find a home in my future son's room. Admittedly, I am a sucker for second-hand items. Antique fairs and craft expos are kind of like my drug of choice...nothing gets me more giddy than finding the perfect item a Goodwill or the DI.
So like the good antiquer and second-hander that I am, Liam's room came together piece by piece and on a budget of as little as possible. 

Liam's changing table and crib were found by husband on KSL for about $300 (he is always looking for a used bargain...unless of course he is shopping for trucks, snowmobiles, motorcycles, mountain bikes, or road bikes ;) ). I had imagined a white-washed crib and orange changing table, but the warm browns kind of speak to me now. 



Above his crib are white stars I found at IKEA a couple Christmases back. They hang amidst vintage alphabet cards I picked up in Columbus, OH when I went the the Country Living fair with my mom (that's right...we flew to Ohio for an antique fair...I told you I am into it!).


Perhaps one of my favorite fairs/times of year/events is the 4th of July in Hailey, ID. Two years ago I was able to snag this vintage teal fan for $35 and this rocking chair for $15. Such good deals I felt like I was stealing

One of my favorite items in the nursery is this artwork my dear friend Melissa created. You can find her work here!

 Oh the Tiffany teal dresser! This belonged to my Grandpa Page...it was originally white but it found its home with teal. I can't get enough of it! Atop the dresser stands a Goodwill find-a plantation shutter my Grandma Page stashed in her shed for a later use. I made it into a photo display.



With leftover material from the "William" banner i fashioned some pillows i like to call art pillows. They turned out lovely.

 The maps are wrapping paper from Paper Source, framed in $5 IKEA poster frame (project cost: $30...double fist pump!)

As always, my mom helped with virtually every element (or was there when I purchased it) :). Her star contributions include the painter's-drop-cloth bed-skirt (amazing truly) and the "Boy" frame (which has served several purposes before landing above the crib). 

Recording the making of Liam's nursery reminds me that there are a lot of people who have influenced its creation and who love and care about our little boy! He is lucky...I hope he gets that someday :)

Photos via elle imagery 

Tuesday, April 24, 2012

Mother Adoration

Monday was a busy Monday…a day of grocery shopping and midwife appointments. And as I toted Nugget through Costco and the dreaded Wally-world (aka walmart) I began to notice other mommies sporting newborns and toddlers in grocery carts, little ones running at their feet…and I couldn't help but think of them as my heroes:
You are amazing!
You gave birth to a new human life!
You probably didn't sleep last night.
You love another human more than you ever thought possible!
You probably thought about how easy or hard it would be to breastfeed in that shirt.
How did you lose weight so fast?
We are both on team mom!

Of course before I had my own Nugget I thought babies were adorable and mommies were amazing, but I never knew how great the sacrifice and how ample the love. Seriously, having a baby has made me feel like I have entered this secret world of parenthood that you can only understand once you join in…like I was Truman on The Truman Show and I just hit the wall that looks like the sky. How did I not know what I was missing? I also thought I loved Husband a lot, but now I love him A LOT.

I think the depth of love comes mostly from the required sacrifice of parenting. When I watched parents in the produce section it occurred to me that they sacrificed so much for their children and I totally didn't get it before!

Anyways… I love Clint and I love Liam and life is good…in fact, here are some life updates: 

1…I have started to work out, mostly jogging and P90X. My goal is to be to pre-prego weight by July. For all the women out there who think they are the only beached whales during pregnancy I would like to be completely honest with you:
Before pregnancy weight = 127 lbs
Weight at 37 weeks (with massive water retention) = 181 lbs (yes math whizzes, that’s 54 lbs of pregnant glow)
Weight hours before delivery = 178 lbs (thank you feet elevation technique)
Leaving the hospital weight = 159 lbs (I peed SO MUCH)
Today's weight = 149 lbs and dropping! 

Why share this with you? First, I think we need to lighten up on our pregnant selves­-super models have nutritionists and eating disorders. Second, I need you all to keep me honest and motivated to get back in shape.
Ps…I have stretch marks on my thighs… there, I said it. Whew.

2…Husband and I are thinking about breeding Bosco. That, or chopping his manhood off (never thought I would say "chopping his manhood off" in a post)

3…Liam outgrew his newborn clothes (a moment of silence for his Monsters Inc. eyeball onesie please)

4…We went to visit the Lewis fam in Sun Valley, Idaho this past weekend. It was wonderful. We hiked every day, the boys dirt biked, no one could walk by Sunday…so much fun. Note to everyone: Sun Valley has to be the most beautiful place on earth.

With Grandma Trish

Mad that I am not holding him or feeding him

Shut your face!

Dozing.

Wednesday, April 18, 2012

newborn photographs

today's post is just pictures (but lets be honest...there is no such thing as just pictures)...our photographer was Elle Imagery...Lacee rocks!













 xoxo alix

Monday, April 16, 2012

day date with my guys

hello all. i first wish to begin with an apology that i haven't posted in a while (like 8 days to be exact) and that is inexcusable. now that i relieved myself of self-inflicted guilt, lets explore my Saturday: 

this past Saturday began as all Saturdays do round these parts... i awoke (awoke is code for waking up from my final nap in a series of mini-naps that was once called nighttime) to find Clint watching The Breakfast Club...which was a funny surprise...and i quickly got ready for the day (i was ready by 12:30 pm-big accomplishment)...and we were off to the foreign land of Provotown! 

first stop was a pedicure for husband and i both 
side story: Clint was the one who introduced me to pedicures...i think he likes being taller than everyone for once (this is a joke...he is 6'5")
it was nice to watch them paint my toes that no longer looked like sausages




while at the mall already it would have been a shame not to stop for some See's chocolates. i have but only one complaint: they only have 2 kinds of mint/chocolate combinations and i am a HUGE mint/chocolate fan. Why The Face? (Modern Family Reference). husband's chocolate of choice is the white-chocolate-mint combo. he highly recommends it. 


next we were off to lunch at a shabby/well-reputable burrito joint called Mountain West Burritos. i give the steak burritos an 8 out of 10 and the chicken salad a 6 out of 10. their chips and salsa, however, were a diez (i am fluent in Spanish numbers 1 to 100).



our final destination was ladies choice...and gentlemen were very patient with me. we went to the BIJOU Market and I LOVED IT. i swear Utah county is overflowing with creative/talented/fabulous women. seriously etsy threw up on Utah county. i recommend you visit. anywho...at the market i purchased a tea towel,  some vintage postcards (with writing on them!!!), a pair or floral earrings, and my first roll of wasi tape (to start my own project life!).



and as all days begin and end...we spent time with our nugget liam. he is the coolest thing about us. 


Wednesday, April 11, 2012

Easter walks

This Easter was Nugget Liam's first Easter! He slept through most of it though :). It was a lovely warm Sunday (the warmest Easter in Utah in years) and Liam was able to attend Church for the first time too! He behaved as good boys should so we think we will keep him. Here are a few things you should know about Nugget: 

First, he likes to eat... A LOT. He usually eats at:
1:30am...3:00am...5:30am...7:00am...9:30am...12:15pm...
you get the idea. Let us all say a prayer of thanks for Lansinoh.

Second, he wears newborn diapers that must be changed before he will eat.

Third, nugget is always happy when he is always being held (which is another way of saying that he is only happy when he is always being held). (and we love it)

Fourth, nugget has a fascination with windows and smiles when we play Adele or Modern Family reruns. 

oh...and he is the cutest baby on the planet. ever.




 Happy Easter!

Monday, April 2, 2012

Cabin Fever

This weekend Liam and I caught a nasty case of cabin fever...we had spent all week eating and sleeping (and not sleeping)...cooped up in the casa...
Lucky for us we have a prince charming who came to the rescue! Husband Clint took us on a lovely drive up the canyon...


 It was far to windy for Liam and I to get out of the car (bummed)...but the dogs loved the long-overdue chance to run wild (hooray!)...I think we need to get a yard!





We feel so blessed to have little Nugget in our life!