family maternity photos

I don't know how to put into words how much these photos mean to me. I wanted to contact our photographer, Leeann, last summer; we wanted another child, and I really wanted photos of the three of us before we became a family of four, but it was a difficult summer for us. We had two pregnancy losses... and later, in the fall, we were hesitant to spend 'extra' money. My husband is a federal employee and was affected by the shutdown. We were knee deep in fertility treatments, and suffered a third loss. The idea of family photos was put on the back burner. And then, somehow, we got our miracle baby. We found out on Christmas -- what a gift! But this has been a complicated pregnancy from the start. I've been on pelvic rest and modified bed rest nearly the entire time. There were times I wasn't sure we'd even get to take these pictures... and yet, here we are. She's healthy, but I'm not a very good baby home so this is likely our last child. I wanted photos of us so badly, to show Chloe how much she is loved and to document our last summer as a family of three. I cried when I opened this gallery... Leeann blew my mind away, and I cannot thank her enough. They're incredible. She made me feel comfortable and beautiful when I've been feeling pretty down the last few months. I'm counting down the days until this little princess is in my arms and we're finally a family of four.



We scheduled our family shoot for my 29th week of pregnancy. Leeann suggested Mellon Park, the same park we took Chloe's 1 year photos at nearly two years prior. Mellon Park gave us a wonderful backdrop for our photos. It reminds me of a secret garden. There are so many fun places to explore within the park, and Chloe had a blast finding the animal statues and smelling the different flowers. I admit that I was worried about taking the photos. I tried on so many outfits in the weeks leading up to the shoot before finding this dress, which is unbelievably comfortable and flattering. I'm very self-conscious about my pregnant body. I lost a lot of weight last spring and summer, then gained a lot back while doing fertility treatments. And, there's something about pregnancy that makes my arms and face swell. At 'only' 29 weeks I feel like a waddling whale. Even still, Leeann made me feel like a model in front of the camera and I truly felt at ease.

free father's day printables

 

This is my husbands third Father's Day, and buying for him is just as difficult as shopping for him for his birthday or Christmas.   I asked our 2.5 year old for her input and she told me she wants to get daddy three things:  a color book, kitty cat markers and a Barbie. Oh, and three wishes, Santa Claus and birthday presents.  And maybe some cake.

Perfect.  Everything she wants. 

So I suggested maybe we could treat daddy to a few of his favorite things -- craft beer and Jelly Belly Jelly Beans, and Chloe said, "Ohhhh!  OKAY!!!"  Done.

I designed these labels to fit a standard beer bottle, and of course included tags for Jelly Belly's brand-spankin' new Draft Beer Jelly Beans.  They're non-alcoholic so even I could enjoy them, and they're so, so tasty!  

And what a great little package, perfect for gift giving on Father's Day -- I used a photo box with a custom label and filled it with tissue to showcase Dad's favorite craft beer, jelly beans and a beer mug.  

 

Enjoy!

a peek into the nursery + a giveaway with Kenroy Home!

If you follow me on Instagram, you might have seen a little peek that I posted of our new nursery.
This tiny room has been a labor of love.  We don't have ceiling lights in any of our bedrooms, so a bright lamp is a must.  I am personally a huge fan of a 3-way light, especially for a nursery!

As I'm sure you all can tell by now, I love anything glam! I add a little bit of sparkle to everything I create, and our nursery was no exception.  We are thrilled to be having another girl and I have to admit I have been really excited about designing her nursery.  I am in love with Kenroy Home's Bedazzle Lamp and knew I had to have it in my home as soon as I set eyes on it!  After talking with Kenroy Home, they decided to send me a lamp to brighten glam up our  space. Isn't it fabulous?!

We aren't quite ready to debut Little Miss's room, but I do want to share some sneak peeks with you!

  We took this photo at night;  It shows how wonderfully the Bedazzle Lamp brightens the room! 

 

Kenroy Home is giving one lucky winner their very own Bedazzled Lamp!  Enter below to win.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

I also wanted to give a BIG thanks to Kenroy Home for sending me this beautiful lamp and for offering this amazing giveaway!  If you would like to follow along with Kenroy Home, you can follow them on Facebook, Twitter, or Pinterest.

nursery inspiration

I started planning Chloe's nursery very early in my pregnancy, and started buying things the week we found out it was a girl. This time around, we are taking our time. I'm almost to the half-way point in this pregnancy and am starting to put more thought into Baby 2.0's nursery. In order to transform this space into a nursery, we have to move my studio into our basement. It's a lot more project than we thought it would be. Our basement has been my husband's Man Cave for the last five years and it's accumulated five years worth of junk and dust.

We are also going to be putting new flooring into all three of our bedrooms, which is another spring household project that needs to be completed before we can officially plan the nursery. We painted the nursery a lovely grey when we first bought our house (Stonecastle by Benjamin Moore that we had color-matched by Sherwin Williams), and will have medium brown flooring that matches the existing flooring in the rest of our house.

Our plan is to include grey, ballet pink, coral, aqua and navy into the room. I might sneak pops of gold in, too!

1. Ruffle Curtains - I lust over everything Anthro, then faint when I see the price. I'll be on the hunt for something similar in a much lower price range! 2. Flamingo Print - When I saw this print, I knew I had to have it and wanted to incorporate it into a girl's nursery. 3. Zebra Print - I love this print! 4. Hippo Print - A hippo on a unicycle? Sold. 5. Plush Elephant - Because how do you not have something this adorable in your nursery? 6. Lightweight Blanket -We are having a summer baby this time, so I'd like to get some lightweight blankets. 7. Gilded Blocks - These were my splurge item in Chloe's nursery, and I'd love to buy matching blocks for the new baby's room. 8. Crib Bedding - I love navy paired with Coral and this crib sheets from BabyBedding.com are gorgeous. We bought Chloe's sheets from them, too, and they've held up wonderfully over the last two+ years! 9. Area Rug - An area rug is a must-have in the nursery since it has wood floors now. 10. Sweet Dreams - A personalized vintage wood sign from Layla Grace that's no longer available. 11. Floor Lamp - We don't have overhead lighting in any of our bedrooms, so a bright and colorful lamp is a must. I like the idea of a floor lamp. 12. Decorative Wall Hooks - These caught my attention partially because I love the shape, but mostly because I couldn't believe they came in my exact nursery colors! 13. Crib Mobile - The colors match my scheme perfectly, but I would definitely want to get something that is motorized!

cinco de mayo wedding inspiration

Happy Cinco de Drinko, err, I mean MAYO.  Can you hear me screaming?

Huge thanks to Summer Street Photography for providing beautiful pictures and Making Me Events for her brilliant styling and gorgeous vintage plates.
And just in case you’re wondering, YES I designed the stationery!

Baby Update: Gender Reveal

I promise not to overwhelm you with pregnancy updates, but I did want to share that we now know the sex of our baby!  I'm 18 weeks into our second pregnancy.

How Have I Been Feeling: Pretty great!   I was very sick throughout my first trimester and didn't have much of an online presence during those weeks, but I'm feeling wonderful now with lots of energy.

Other Symptoms: I still have a little bit of nausea here and there, but it's nothing compared to my first trimester.  Other than that, I'm having a little bit of back pain (that's to be expected) and LOVING the baby kicks I'm getting. 

We are thrilled to share that Chloe has a healthy little sister, who is growing right on track. We were wonderfully surprised to hear that we are having another girl! I can't wait to wash all of Chloe's clothes and buy a few new pieces for baby Charlotte -- yes, our little peanut's name will be Charlotte!

I saw this print months ago and knew it would be perfect for a girl nursery.

I am lucky enough to be friends with someone who works in the ultrasound department at our hospital. She did both of our first trimester screenings and told us the sex of our first baby. Another tech had done our anatomy scan and said she wouldn't try to guess the sex until our friend had come into the room. he was in the middle of checking for the baby's sex, but we had no idea what we were looking at on the screen. Making conversation, my friend said, "What does Chloe want?" and Papa Jumper said, "A sister named Charlotte or an iPad. There isn't a brother in her in mind!" She replied, "Well, what Chloe wants, Chloe gets!"

It was so shocking how she slipped the reveal into casual conversation, and it took us both a second for it to REALLY register. Then the tears came flowing. Knowing that we have a healthy daughter is such a wonderful feeling!

Thanks for reading my update!

she leaves a little sparkle print on Better Homes and Gardens

I'm shocked!  Imagine my surprise when a friend notified me this morning that Better Homes and Gardens shared my Sparkle print on Facebook.

This has definitely made my day, but I have to admit it would have been nice if they'd have credited me for the work!

Post by Better Homes and Gardens.