Etsy Shop News

Yay! I've been so excited from the interest in my Etsy shop, AdornedDesign, lately!  Orders being sent out and lots of views and "favorited" items. 

 

Right now the offering is small, some custom artwork and then these two headwraps:

Light Pink Sparkle Camo Wrap

Talk of the Tailgate Collection - UGA Wrap


 

More items to come soon! I've got fabric for the following team colors and will be doing some shabby flower bands as well :)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Happy August! Happy Football Season!

Can we take a minute to freak out and wonder where this year has gone?
It's August. Whoa.
 I almost have a 6 month old. 
Whoa.

But, it's August! Yay! 
Because I know that August is still technically summer, but for me it signals the beginning of fall.

& Fall means Football season!

Some of our friends got us cute Georgia outfits for Ryleigh at our baby shower, and she's sadly starting to outgrow them!  She's a little too small to fit into her Georgia cheerleader outfit, so I found this cute onesie set through Target online:

Target NCAA Infant Bodysuit Sets

I can't wait for them to arrive!  We've already started sizing up to 6-9 month onesies for a little extra length [baby girl's a stringbean!] so I'm hoping these last her through October/November when long sleeves will be needed anyway. 

 

 

The red ones will pair pretty adorably with the UGA headbow I made her

[also available in my Etsy shop!]

 

Nesting Mode

Yay for things coming together!  This week I have been nesting like crazy.  I don't know what it is...I will be tired and worn out, dealing with sciatic nerve pain, but then all of a sudden get this huge urge to do something.  Opening the box of Amazon goodies turned into opening the box, unboxing and putting everything away, setting up the sound machine, reorganizing the changing table [which was covered in baby shower goodies], cleaning and organizing the guest bath vanity, master bath vanity, kitchen countertops, completely cleaning out and reorganizing the pantry, and I ran two loads of laundry...within a span of about 2.5 hours!

 

 

Then last night, Jake had to run to Walmart to get a couple things, and I all of a sudden had a burst of energy and decided to finally sew the crib skirt.  The design I was going with was really simple, the skirt is actually 3 pieces [2 sides and front] that stay separate and as you lower the crib you can adjust the three skirt pieces so that it doesn't get all bunched up and lumpy looking.  I still need to get the Velcro to attach it, but we taped it in last night to make sure the size fit and see how it looked :)

 

 

And to further help with my need for organization, I found a fun diaper bag today!  I originally chose one from Target, but saw this deal on Zulily today for a Built brand diaper bag--usually retails for $120 and I got it for $55 including shipping!  That's still $20 cheaper than the original one I wanted, and I'm excited because I love Built products...

 

I love all of the pockets and the two options for shoulder straps.  I was debating which pattern to go with, and ultimately decided on the black/white polka dot one.  It's neutral but still fun :)  It will also match our Travel System and my designer mind really cares about that...I can't wait until it arrives and I can start filling it up!

 

 

 

31 Weeks!

Not the best picture, but it was the only one we got on Christmas day!

How far along?  31 weeks, 2 days

Total weight gain/loss: +23lbs...darn those Christmas cookies! haha but really things seem to be on track and my OB is happy with where we're at so far....

Maternity clothes? All the time!  Now I'm also trying to focus on nursing clothing and taking that into account when/if I purchase any clothing.

Sleep: Seems to be okay...getting tired and taking some weekend or evening naps here and there.  I've gotten a few leg cramps in the middle of the night which is not fun.  I'm having a little more back/hip pain as this bump gets bigger and bigger so sometimes it's difficult to figure out a way to lay that is comfortable.

Best baby moment this week:  Several!  Jake and I went to childbirth class on Saturday and learned lots about preparing for the exciting, yet dreaded, childbirth.  I have to admit that it pretty much scares the mess out of me.  But, I'm now feeling super informed and finding some confidence in myself and the choices that Jake and I will make for bringing our daughter into this world.  We had a great instructor and both really liked the class.  

 

On our way home from class, we bought little one's crib mattress!  Selecting one seems overwhelming and impossible to do with all of the choices available, but I did some research and we settled on the Lullaby Earth Stage 2 crib mattress from Buy Buy Baby [thank you 20% off BBB coupon!].  It's a huge matter of personal preference, but the important aspects came down to organic materials, firmness/support, and it's waterproof so it will be easy to clean and hold up well.

 

Also all the love and Christmas gifts for Ryleigh :)  She's already one lucky little girl.  She got some outfits and pj's, bedtime prayer board book, squeeze/teethe blocks, and two handmade quilts!  I had to hold myself together when I opened up the beautiful quilt from my friend Shanti, which she also had embroidered with Ryleigh's name and it has the softest minky fabric back.  That will keep her warm next winter for sure! 

Have you told family and friends: Yes

Miss Anything?  Being able to sit down and get up quickly...being able to get dressed quickly...being able to do anything quickly...haha

Movement: lots, especially around meal times or after 7:30pm.  Night owl!

Food cravings: Still pasta, chocolate milk, and juice!  Trying out some out-of-the-ordinary flavors but not necessarily weird--like Hawaiian pizza.   

Anything making you queasy or sick: Not really

Have you started to show yet: Oh yes :)  belly bump is measuring right on track at 32cm/32 weeks [I've been measuring 4 days ahead for a while now]

Gender: GIRL!  

Labor Signs: No, hopefully not until sometime in February!

Belly Button in or out?  In, but getting pretty shallow. 

Wedding rings on or off? On, but some days it's a little snug.

Happy or Moody most of the time:  Happy/tired.  I do get emotional over sad/sweet things.  

Looking forward to: More nursery progress, and celebrating on New Year's Eve--closing out one pretty great year and looking forward to 2014 because I know it will be even better!  Also our maternity pictures and baby shower coming up in a few weeks!

 

 

 

Nursery Planning...

Little Bedroom #3, the smallest of the 4 bedrooms that we always knew would eventually be the nursery.  It started out pretty bare, with the old builder light fixture and a sea of tan.  Then, we moved in the set of furniture that I got when I was little...A twin sized  bed, tall dresser, and vanity [excuse the heap of laundry and untucked sheets]. 

 

 

That brings me to Part A of the plan...Since kid #1 is a girl, once Ryleigh moves out of the nursery she will move into a bigger bedroom with this furniture.  Of course, with a different bedding set.



 

 

Now, Part B...my amazing dad came up to visit and helped install a new ceiling fan and flooring, the same color that we put into our master bedroom.


  



 

 

Part C, furniture shopping! A very fun part.  Also a highly researched part.  We knew that we wanted a convertible crib and wanted a dark finish.  We decided on convertible because it just makes sense that if you are spending the money on a suite of furniture, then you want to be able to get many years of use out of it!  We also decided that this furniture will not only be for Ryleigh, but in the far away future we will hopefully be blessed with kid #2.  Since Ryleigh will be using my girly childhood furniture, then kid #2 will be the one to use this nursery furniture into his or her teenage years.  That also made us decide on the darker finish, because we felt it matched the room and would be suitable for either girl or boy.

 

Here is the set that we chose! We're getting the crib, dresser, and adult conversion rails to eventually make it a full-size bed.

 

 

This one passed my "scratch test" which consisted of me trying to scratch and dent the surface of every crib that I liked with my finger nail so that I knew how well it might hold up to a toddler.  I'm sure the sales associates loved me. 

 

And this gives an idea of possible room layouts.  It's a small room, not even a full 10'x10', so we have to get creative.  I think I like the option on the left the best, so that the window won't have the sun and moonlight shining straight in on the crib.  (This is just a basic layout tool, so the finishes are not exact):





Lastly, Part D....Design & decorating!   We started looking at crib bedding sets and couldn't find anything that we loved and could agree on.  I decided to just make my own crib skirt, blanket, and some other accessories.  That was when I stumbled upon this fabric:

Giraffe Love in White, Michael Miller Fabrics

I'm obsessed with the adorable little girly giraffes!  It also met Jake's requirements of (1) Not too much pink, and (2) No flowers.   I also love that it's a clean, white background with so many bright, fun colors on it so that we can mix & match crib sheets and other items in the room.   It's definitely the centerpiece for the room inspiration, and my mind is already crazy with ideas!


I'll update once we start getting some of this going! We have a little bit of organizing and spring cleaning fall cleaning junk-purging either to donate or trash.  

What a Weekend...

Let me repeat...What. A. Weekend.

I haven't had such a fun and such a miserable weekend at the same time in as long as I can remember.  We had some really high highs and some really low lows.  It started out something like this...

Friday night, I went to the Charlotte Knights game after work with a networking group that our company is a part of.  We had dinner at the stadium in the clubhouse and then watched part of the game before I headed home to spend time with Jake and some friends at one of our usual hang-outs.

 

 

Then, Saturday I woke up and went to get pedicures with Karen.  Some nice, long overdue pampering :)  After that we had brunch at Panera and tried their Sausage & Gouda souffles...heavenly.  Then, a little little shopping at Target.



Brunch was followed by a sewing day at my friend Shanti's house, complete with lots of entertainment from Miss Reina...

and people say that Rottweilers are mean...

We were sewing some blankets to bring to the Ronald McDonald House in Charlotte, because while visiting there to bake cookies a couple weekends ago, they told us they were getting low on their boy & gender neutral blankets.  They need a constant supply because as a part of each families welcome to the house, they are given a few things in their room, including a child/lap size blanket.  The house typically has some information about the family before they arrive, so they try to give a boy or girl pattern/color blanket to the family if they have a son or daughter, or gender neutral.  Shanti, Karen, and myself really enjoy getting together to have "sewing days," especially if it's for a great cause, and figured these little blankets would be easy to whip up.  We made a trip to the fabric store and found some great deals on super cute fabrics...

This animal silhouette fleece I found for a steal at Hancock Fabric.  The striped fabric I got from the $1.99/yd section at Mary Jo's.  This was the first on I attempted, and the rolled edge technique I found and tried to use was a little difficult with the thickness and stretch of the fleece.

I fell in LOVE with this barnyard pattern flannel at Hancock, and it was on sale for 30% off.  Is it not the cutest?!  The dotted stripe fabric was another $1.99/yd deal at Mary Jo's.  The rolled edge worked out SO much better on this blanket. 

After a few hours of sewing, I went to an event with my cousin-in-law Brooke, although she's pretty much another sister-in-law and I admire her so much.  One of her friends put together an event at her church, with a nice dinner and hearing testimonies of two local women.  It was a really nice event; I always am so fascinated by people's stories and backgrounds that shaped who they are today.  After the event I got to spend some time with my "nephews" who are more adorable than I could put into words.

Then, [yes, I know, Saturday was very eventful...just wait] I came back to Rock Hill and went out to the softball fields because Jake was playing in a tournament.  His team did great and they were playing in the championship game.  Enter, Rain.  It had been a beautiful day, and although it called for rain it seems like everything had held off.  I was happy, but a little nervous hoping that the rain wouldn't show up on Sunday when we had plans to be outside.  More on that later.  Well, about three innings into the game, the downpour began.  I mean hard. I haven't seen it rain like that in a long time.  They ended up calling the game because it started to lightning, so unfortunately by default Jake's team lost and came in 2nd place overall.  Not bad, but the game was close and they were on a roll, so it was disappointing for them.  So, we ran to the car, ending up soaking wet and headed home at 11pm. 

We got home, I got into some dry clothes/pajamas and Jake put his wet, dirt-stained uniform in the washer and went to get a shower.  I climbed under the covers and was watching TV when about 10 minutes later, Jake walks out into the hall and starts freaking out, hollering and making me wonder what in the world was going on.  I jumped out of bed at record speed and ran into the hallway pond.  Yes, pond.  The carpet was sopping wet.  The washer had to be leaking from the second that Jake turned it on and for the entire 10 minutes he was getting his shower.  Water was everywhere.  Overflowed the washing machine tray, flooded our laundry closet and the hallway. Then, I hear it.  The shower sound.  But wait, I thought, the shower's off. Jake just turned off the washing machine.  Where is that coming from? And then I hear my husband, who walked downstairs, where he saw water coming through our wet downstairs ceiling around a ceiling vent.  Coming down like a shower on full blast.  Such a mess.  There was a very chaotic 10 minutes while we were throwing as many towels as we could downstairs to try to protect further damage to the floor, and searching for buckets to catch the water.  I called a couple emergency water damage companies to see who would answer and be able to send out a technician at midnight on a holiday weekend.  Things always happen at the most convenient of times, right?  Well, AdvantaClean to the rescue!  Kelvin, their emergency response tech, got to our house around 2am and didn't leave until 4:15am.  We have all kinds of fans in our house, carpet ripped up, vinyl ripped up, laminate hardwoods ripped up, holes in our ceiling, etc.  Here's a little bit of what we're living with:

The giant puddle.  This photo doesn't do justice at all to how wet it was.  They had to pull back the carpet and remove the carpet padding, because it was FULL of water.



Our wonderful buckets.  Thank the Lord for Backyard Beer Pong, the reason for the 12 little buckets being in our garage.

 

After they ripped up the vinyl floor and drained the water.

 

Carpet sort of laid down, with pieces missing, after they took the carpet padding away.

 

Ceiling water damage, before they cut the drying hole.

The drying hole. The air vent on the left is the one all of the water was raining from.

After they ripped up the flooring.  The water line went all the way into our kitchen.

Say hello to our concrete slab!

So, that's life these days.  We are becoming pros at dealing with insurance companies in 2013.  I'm looking forward to the Adjuster's visit on Thursday and then starting on the repairs. 

But, thankfully the weekend didn't end here.  Sunday, after going to bed at 4:15am and waking up around 11:30, we got ready and headed out to get the boat ready for a day on the water with our family.  It ended up being a pretty gorgeous day.  We rode around, docked at T-Bones for dinner, and then rode back, finishing off the day with a breath-taking sunset...

Me, Dad and Mom...It got a little chilly later in the day with the breeze out on the water.

Docking for dinner

Mom & Me

The family at dinner

The sun starting to set on the way home.