Connor's First Birthday...

Yes, I know how crazy that sounds, but it is five months away.  If you don't already know, David and I are VERY busy this year.  A lot of our dearest friends are getting hitched, and with that, we are esentially booked from March/April to August.  Five weddings total, and I am in three, David is in two.  With that being said, you can imagine why I'm ready to plan Connor's birthday and not let the poor little man get lost in the shuffle.

I have an idea of what I want the birthday theme to be, but I'm opening it up to our dear friends to help us out.  Any ideas on a cute first birthday theme??  Let us know!

BTW, I'm super excited to show pictures of our new and improved kitchen... David did very well, very, very well ;)

Happy New Year, 22 days later!

Its been a crazy few months for us.  Between transitions with work, the holidays, David re-painting our cabinets, our two year anniversary and Connor's first cold- we have had our hands full.  This is the first evening that I'm home just basking in the silence of a semi-empty home.  Connor is sleeping and David is out at his Fraternity's Anniversary Party.  I wish I could have gone, but someone has to watch the little man!

So here I am finally catching up on the blog.  I have to tell you, I was pretty blog crazy for a while- and I need to get back into it.  I need to have an escape to push me to day dream, to focus on some fun time, and to have something for me.  This includes following more blogs, updating my blog, and being more inspired- by anything and anyone.  My first task of accountability will be making a list of goals that I want to accomplish- both short term and long term.  I will post them here so that anyone can call me out on them, or help me to re-focus.  Like I said, 22 days later- but I do have intentions of getting to them ;)

Stay tuned...

Neeed... Moooorre.... Silver!

I came across this picture a few weeks ago of someone's mantel.... everytime I look at it, I crave, need, want, more silver decor!  I don't know what it is but I feel like I've been bitten by the silver bug.  Has anyone started decorating for the holidays?  Send me a picture please!

Hugs!

This Thanksgiving..

We are spending it at Grandma and Grandpa Allas.  I asked Mom if I could decorate the dinner table since I have been spending all my free time browsing interior decorating blogs.  Its a wild addiction.  I noticed that when I got engaged, I was consumed with everything that had to do with weddings.  When I bought a home, I was consumed with decorating my home to fit our personality styles.  And with having a baby, I am consumed with building a home with my husband, baby, and puppy.  I'm making decisions everyday to make our house a home that my son will love and have fond memories in.  Which is why I follow certain blogs.  In each of those blogs, I see a part of who I am and who I want to be, for my family and friends.

Focus.  Since I stayed home sick (I'm convinced I got this flu turned fever from some careless individual that wandered in public contaminating everything they touched.  Stay home sick people!) I kept thinking of how I was going to decorate our Thanksgiving dinner table.  Here is an idea board of what I want the table to look like.

1. Burlap- used as a table runner, for texture

2. Pomegranate- scattered around the table

3. Pine Cone Turkey- used as a place card setting, if I can make them ;)

4. Fall Leaves- scattered around the table

5. Candle Spread- to create different levels on the table

So what do you think??  Any suggestions on changing something out or adding anything in??  Let me know!  Its always nice to have an extra set of eyes to help.  Cheers!

Week 1 of Day Care

I'm finally back at work, and although bittersweet, yesterday morning was predominantly bitter.  I was feeling good, slept well, on time, and out the door for Connor's first day of "school" (no, its not school, its daycare- i just call it school).  I thought I was doing good, until I burst into tears saying my goodbye.  It was grueling.  Upon my exit, I immediately called David and gushed about how I had to bee line my exit out the door.  My heart ached feeling guilty that I had left my baby boy with a someone I barely knew.  Don't get me wrong, I feel comfortable with the sitter he is with, but its not me. 

After collecting myself and reapplying my makeup, I headed out to work for the day.  It was a busy and productive day.  After finishing up everything in the office, I was on my way home.  I called David to see how Connor was doing, and he was happy to report that Connor had done very well that day.  They said that he ate and slept well.  I was a proud mama.  As soon as I came home, we played, sang songs, and sat together on the sofa working on the computer.  He sat in the perfect crevice between my arm and my side.  I couldn't have been more content.

I don't have very many friends that have little ones.  So it was hard to go through the emotions, not knowing what to expect.  Connor is so sweet and easy going that he was perfectly fine.  It was harder on me that it was on him.  But to walk away from that experience and not have learned something would be a waste.  I learned that each moment I get to spend with my family when I get home is important.  Sure, we occasionally need some time to ourselves, but when we give a part of ourselves to those that we love- the love that they return to you is a blessing I count twice.

Happy Halloween from the Allas'

A few weeks ago, I put it out there for everyone to vote.  Connor was either going to be a bananna or a monkey for Halloween.  It was actually a tie with the vote, but Daddy played tie breaker and voted for the monkey.  So our sweet baby boy was a monkey for his very first Halloween.  We went to Grandma and Grandpa Allas' for dinner, and finished the evening setting out on the porch, passing out candy and sipping on champagne.  It was quite the evening watching all the kids pass through the neighborhood.  On the way home, we talked about dreams of our next home and the neighborhood we wanted it to be in.  I'm curious to see when and where that will be!  But in the mean time, I'm okay with daydreaming!  Here's the roo being one silly monkey ;)

Beef, Blessing, Burden.. I choose Confession

Recently, David and I started going to bible study.  Its a group of other couples going through similar life stages, but coming together to talk about God's word.  I went to bible studies when I was younger, but its something about going to one, because you choose to, not because someone told you to.  Either way, its been fun, and one of the things we do is "beef, blessing, or buden."  We share whichever one we would like to, if we desire to.  Hannah, one of the funniest gals there decided to share a confession.  It was hilarious.  Inspired by Hannah, I have a confession...

This past week, I have been online... a lot.  I am obsessed with blogs.  Clearly, not mine, because this is the first time I've posted in a couple of weeks, but with interior design, crafty, DIY, creative type blogs.  I have clicked the "favorite add button" more times this week, than I have all year!  What on earth!  Who am I?!  It all started last week when I bought an issue of Real Simple.  Inside, they mentioned a blog about a girl who is a designer, and finds "high end home decor for people on an ikea budget."  From there, I read post after post, and then I clicked on her links to other bloggers she gets ideas from... I'm addicted. 

I'm going to share with you my favorites this past week... but I warn you, it can get dangerous ;)

http://www.copycatchic.com/
http://jonesdesigncompany.com/
http://brynalexandra.blogspot.com/
http://www.chiccheapnursery.com/
http://www.projectprettyblog.com/