Friday Favorites: A Pattern Obsession

When I was thinking about what to do this week for my Friday Favorite post I had fashion on my mind.  With spring 'hopefully' just around the corner I always get so excited to add new pieces to my closet.  Do you ever evaluate your closet and notice a trend happening?  Maybe you have a large amount of one certain color, type of top, or pattern.  Well for me I noticed that I had a lot of items in the polka dot pattern.  I found everything from scarves, button ups, sweaters, tee shirts, shorts, etc.

Okay I like polka dots... a lot I guess!  Then I laughed out loud because as I was taking a look at my own closet, I looked down at my little lady crawling around on the floor in... you guessed it... polka dot jeans!!  So I thought to take a look in her closet and that's when this week's 'favorite' clearly changed to 'obsession'!  Holy Dots!!!

Now with my polka dot obsession put on blast, is it too much that I kinda have some new dots in mind??  Here are my TOP 5 possible next polka dot purchases to feed my obsession!

Pink Baby Top/ Blue Jumper/ Blue Jean Shorts/ Blazer/ Ruffle Tank

So what is your go to pattern or color?  Anything you are excited about in Spring Fashion?

So Fresh and So Clean

Our master bathroom is the first place my husband and I go in the morning and the last place before we go to sleep; therefore, it is a pretty important room of our house.  Although I do love our master bath, it needed a little help to make it feel fresh and clean again.  When our home was built it was painted one color throughout all rooms.  It is a neutral beige warm tone that I actually really like.  However, they painted all the rooms in a flat paint and this is NOT best for bathrooms.  Bathrooms have water, hairspray, toothpaste, hair gel, and who knows what else flying around and somehow it all ends up on the walls.  In a bathroom, I want to be able to use a wet cloth and wipe the walls if something gets on them and to do this you really need to use an eggshell or semi-gloss finish.

We decided to change the tone in the bathroom to make it feel a bit brighter and fresh.  So we wanted to switch from a warm tan to a creamy beige.  Be careful when picking out a beige wall color- so many have an undertone to them that can cause them to feel pink, green, or yellow- you need to lay them out against each other in the lighting of the room to find the right one. 

In addition to a bright beige, we wanted a bit of color to pop against the color of the travertine around the tub and shower.  Our master bedroom has blue tones so we wanted to coordinate with that.  We chose a blue for the walls and blue for a few accents.

We stuck with clean and simple white for our bath towels.  They do have a bit of a pattern on them which gives them a more decorative look.  It really is amazing what a little paint can do for a room.

On to the next project...

A Look Back: Pregnancy Journal

As my sweet little lady is getting close to turning one, I have been looking back to my time carrying her for nine months and the day we welcomed her into this world.  During my pregnancy, I started a pregnancy journal that recorded how I was feeling and small milestones.  I used our chalkboard to record the week and moments to remember.  I then answered a series of the same questions each week to show the changes a pregnancy can bring.  I would take a picture each week, answer the questions, and load them into an online picture book.  I used a program called Mixbook which is similar to Shutterfly, both sites are great for creating digital scrapbooks.  I would recommend doing this if you have the time- I usually did my photo and questions on Sundays.  Now that Emersyn is here and almost one, I love looking back at this book.  It's crazy to me that she was inside of me living and growing!  It's almost like the minute she was born I forgot what being pregnant was like.  It's kind of weird to look at myself with such a big belly.  That's why I cherish this book.  It documents my feelings and thoughts on the journey to having our sweet girl.  I think Emersyn will like looking at it one day.  I've selected just a few pages to show you, I documented weekly as well as big moments like the gender reveal, my baby shower, decorating the nursery.  I hope this inspires some of you to journal and document the most amazing 9 months!

Weekly Questions to Answer-
How far along?
Weight gain?
Maternity Clothes?
Sleep?
Movement?
Food Cravings?
Anything making you sick or queasy?
Starting to show?
Gender?
Other thoughts?

I'm excited to share the digital scrapbook I've been working on for Emersyn's first year and plans for her first birthday!  Wow, time truly does fly!!

Friday Favorites: Monthly Mailbox Gifts

I LOVE the new trend of monthly mailed gift boxes.  This is where you are mailed a collection of samples from a specific area of interest, such as beauty, food, fashion, baby, and more.  I was first introduced to a monthly beauty box called BirchBox by my sister-in-law.  She gifted her bridesmaids with a 6 month subscription to BirchBox for the months leading up to the wedding date.  I thought this was the coolest idea ever and literally got so excited about getting this little box of beauty supplies each month.  Once those 6 months were over I was so sad about not having that little joy in a box every month.  I'm a firm believer that it sometimes takes only the smallest things to bring someone a little joy and getting something fun in the mail is something I love.  I think that is why I love having a magazine subscription.  I like having something small to look forward to each month or week!  BirchBox definitely hit the spot!  That is why I was SO excited when she gave me another 6 months for Christmas!!  Below is an example of my samples from February.  I must be honest I get a little bummed when they use tea or mints as one of the beauty supplies- not my favorite but it doesn't happen often.

        

I guess my sister got the memo of my love for fun mail, because she also got me a monthly box called Love with Food.  This monthly box has an assortment of healthy snack options- ahhh- right up my alley!  Note to self- they are only healthy if I don't eat everything inside the box the day it arrives in the mail!!  I love this idea because it introduces me to new snack options that I can later look for at the store.  My husband knows not to mess with what's in this little red box:)

Getting both of these fun monthly boxes for Christmas got me thinking what a great gift these create.  I did a little research about other monthly sample boxes available and I was shocked at all the amazing options out there- like hundreds!!!  Apparently this is a trend that I am way late to get the memo on.  As a browsed the list I really stuck with options that were more on the affordable side and ones that would make great gifts.  Here are some of my favorites:

Baby Bump Bundle: $60/trimester. Baby Bump Bundle is curated care package of  handpicked fun and functional pregnancy products for each stage of pregnancy.  Bundles, including the BabyBundle, the FitBumpBundle and the BreastfeedingBundle may also be purchased separately – without a subscription as a one time only option.  I think this is such an amazing gift for a preggers friend or family member- so creative!

e.l.f. Cosmetics Beauty Bundle: $26.94/bi-monthly.  Every eight weeks you will receive an assortment curated by e.l.f.’s expert makeup artists which includes their best products shipped right to your door.  I love e.l.f products so this one really caught my eye!

BOGEYBOX: $29.99/month. Every BOGEYBOX includes $40.00+ worth of golf products, lifestyle products, and food & beverage samples from both up-and-coming and well known brands. Each delivery will include a mix of categories, but always focusing on improving your golf game and time on the course.  This one has my husband's name written all over it!

Craft What?!?: $8/month. Craft What?!? is a craft subscription box which sends you a a box of items at the 1st of each month. You are then challenged to create a masterpiece using ONLY the items in the box. Crafters are also encouraged to post their masterpieces to Facebook to win free boxes and compare with other crafters!  I think this would be so fun with Emersyn one day.  I love the idea of encouraging creative thinking!

FitBox:  $19.95/month.  FitBox is a new concept in sports nutrition discovery which allows you to sample a wide variety of products from products which you may not have been aware of before.  FitBox includes 8-9 samples each month and is delivered to your door each month.  As we are trying to be healthy in our house, this box seemed something that both my husband and I would be interested in.

Great Kids Snack Box:  $39.95/month.  The GREAT Kids Snack Box monthly delivery service includes 30 individually-wrapped snacks delivered to your door each month.  Snacks contain Nutritionist-approved ingredients, are kid-tested and come in convent on-the-go packaging.  This one seemed really expensive at first glance, but I think the amount of product in each box makes it worth the cost.

These were just a few that caught my eye.  I am excited to use monthly gift boxes as a new go to gift idea.  If none of these appeal to you or maybe you just want to see more options check out the entire list of possibilities found here: http://www.ramblingsofasuburbanmom.com/monthly-subscription-box-list/
Another great website to find an assortment of monthly box sets is:
http://www.mysubscriptionaddiction.com/

The Eye of a Photographer

Should I spend money on a photographer?  Trust me I understand this question can be hard to answer.  We all work hard for our money and how we spend that money matters.  It was only when one of my very best friends started her own photography company that I started to understand just how valuable what they do can be.  I have a fancy/expensive camera but I am NO professional photographer by any stretch of the imagination.  So although I have nice looking snap shots here and there, they do not come close to what a true photographer can capture.  I love filling my home with pictures of moments that are creating my life.  I wanted to share some of my favorite pictures of my family that were captured by Kelsey Clark from Apples and Honey Photography.  Get ready for a picture overload!! 

Maternity photos:

Newborn photos:

3 month photos:

This is a Hungry Caterpillar inspired photo shoot that Kelsey created.  Emersyn is 6 months here.

These photos are ones that I will cherish forever and I look forward to having Kelsey capture more life moments.  Super excited for Emersyn's one year photos!

HOW TO SELECT A PHOTOGRAPHER:
I am extremely lucky because I have Kelsey as a talented friend that I can easily turn to for amazing pictures.  However, if you don't have some connection with a photographer, I think selecting the right one can be tricky and get overwhelming.  Being comfortable in front of a camera is hard for just about every one especially the guys, so feeling at ease with your photographer is so important.  That person is there to make you feel as natural as possible with a camera clicking away!  That's why selecting the right photographer is so important.  Make sure it is someone that you have met with before and felt a sense of ease with.  Not only do personalities have to aline but styles and ultimate outcome should be similar as well.  Talk to the photographer about their style and search their blog or website for past photo shoots.  Take note of what you like or did not like about the photos taken from the photographer.  Don't be afraid to voice what you are looking for as an end product or photos you are drawn to.  I know I like photos that feel more like moments happening that were captured rather than an outfit matching/smile at the camera shot.  However, I know I need to get at least one smile at the camera shot for grandparents wanting to frame a traditional photo.  Style is very important- make sure you know your style and preference before hiring a photographer, spending that precious money, and not being happy with the results.  Take the time to find the right fit for you and your loved ones- this will hopefully ensure final pictures you love and a relationship with a phtographer that can capture life moments for years!

If you like the style from the photos above and want to look at more of Kelsey's work you can find her past shoots at her site Apples and Honey Photography- she is truly the sweetest and has an amazingly creative eye for what makes a photo a lifelong cherished moment!