One of my most favorite people on the internet (the lovely Danielle) tagged me in her 11 Things post the other day, and just like everyone else has been saying, I normally don’t participate in things like this. However, I woke up this morning and said “why the heck not!” haha. I loved reading Danielle’s so much, I thought I would jump on in…

Here are the rules..
1. Post these rules.
2. Post a photo of yourself and 11 random things.
3. Answer the questions set for you in the original post.
4. Create 11 new questions and tag people to answer them.
5. Go to their blog/twitter and tell them you’ve tagged them.

1. I am deathly afraid of scary movies. Like, my world shatters if I see the commercials even. haha. My bother in law convinced us to watch The Exorcism of Emily Rose 7 years ago and I literally cried myself to sleep for weeks. Still to this day if I am up at 3am I freak out. That was the last scary movie I have ever watched. It is just not fun to me at all. PLEASE HOLLYWOOD STOP MAKING EXORCISM MOVIES!!

2. I am a very big dreamer. Everyday I feel like I am scheming up new ideas of things I want to accomplish, places I want to visit, and things I want to try out. Sometimes I get so overwhelmed by the things I come up with, that I just lie in bed thinking about them at night instead of sleeping. The thing is though, I am not just a big dreamer. If I get an idea I have to do it. I am not someone that sits by and lets their dreams just be dreams. I have to make things happen. I can not sit still and let life pass me by.

3. I LOVE CANDY. I have a weird sweet tooth. I am a pretty healthy eater and it’s funny because my downfalls aren’t the normal ice cream, brownies, cake, cookies, cupcakes, etc. If there was a cupcake on the counter I probably wouldn’t eat it. I mean I like them but they are not an obsession. I do love candy though. That’s what gets me. I love nerds, hot tamales, strawberry laughy taffy, peanut m&m’s, carmello’s and I LOVE fruit popsicles and smoothies. In Canada when I was younger, my sisters and I were obsessed with the individual Chocolate popsicles they would sell in the convenience (Mac) stores. They are hard to find now in Canada, but they are so good. They are not a fudgsicle! Anyone know what I am talking about?

4. I am a super emotional girl. I cry a lot. haha. Not because I am sad but because everything just moves me. It can be sad, happy, exciting you name it I am probably crying. Especially now when it comes to Rowan. I am a sobbing mess.

5. When we first moved to the U.S from Canada, we had to go back up to the border one time to get some paper work done and when we got there they told my dad we weren’t allowed back in to the U.S. Something got messed up with the paper work and they wouldn’t let us go home until it was fixed. haha. As a 5th grader I thought this was awesome!!! I got to miss school for a week and go hang out at my Grandmas.

6. For some reason I have a hard time seeing myself as a mom when I am surrounded by other moms (friends are ok) but anything like playdates, or Mom’s groups make me really, really uncomfortable. I don’t know why. I think in my head I have convinced myself that everyone is looking at me thinking she it too young and that I don’t fit in. I know I am not young. I am almost 30, but I think my perception of myself around other moms is that I feel 16. It’s weird, I know.

7. I am really bad at listening to new music. I am still hanging on for dear life to my favorites from high school & college. I will embarrassingly admit there is still a heavy rotation of piebald, saves the day, jimmy eat world, (cough) (cough) dashboard, mates of state, Mirah, Silent Drive, At the Drive in going on in our house. I don’t only listen to them of course, but seeing that I graduated high school 12 years ago, I think I need to let go.

8. I am pretty obsessed with mini ponies. I mean they are mini ponies? That is just awesome. (p.s. this story about a mini pony in the Apple store is the best. I mean BEST!)

9. I am convinced that I was supposed to be born in Paris. *swoon. Hearing any kind of french jazz music I am swept off my feet dreaming of romantic nights with Kev. I think we will live there one day.

10. I once made a list of life goals when I was way younger (which ended up being kind of silly) that included things like 1. Be the fittest Grandma in the world (I made up a song that went along with that one) 2. Go Sky Diving 7 times. 3. Own a dollar store 4. Own a field of mini ponies 4. Work at a chinese food restaurant at one time in your life 5. Drive the Zamboni at a Maple Leafs game. haha. I can’t seem to remember any more.

11. I love moving. I hate the act of packing and moving but I love moving to new places. I don’t think I will ever live in the same house/area for a long period of time. We have lived in Albany now for 3 years. This has been the longest we have lived any where together. I won’t lie, it is a little hard to not want to start planning another move. We are here now for good reason so I am focusing on that. Here are a few places in my head I want to move one day… Vancouver, Seattle, San Francisco, North Carolina, Arizona, Denver, Paris and New Zealand. I don’t just want to visit. I want to live there. haha. See? I am all dreaming up something!

DANIELLE’S 11 QUESTIONS…
1. If money, schooling or time was no obstacle, what career would you choose?
I would want to teach art at a college level (maybe one day still, after kids are all in school) or I would love to work for Martha Stewart in her crafts department. I want to make crafts and style photo shoots for her magazine. DREAM JOB!!!

2. What’s the one thing you look forward to every day?
Hugs and Kisses from Kev and Rowan.

3. What is your number one, all-time, favorite blog?
Eeek. I don’t think I could choose. I love so many for so many different reasons.

4. Biggest online pet peeve?
I hate, hate, hate the mean, catty, negativity that can surround blogging. If you don’t like something or someone STOP READING! If you can’t be happy for someone, then move on. Don’t drag everyone down around you by being mean.

5. What is your all-time favorite book?
I am not a big reader. I don’t have the patience for it. I would much rather be creating something. That’s just me though. I do love Art history books and old botany illustration books.

6. What would your “last meal” be?
MMMmmmmm Burrito with lots of salsa and guacamole!

7. Do you believe in love at first site?
No. I don’t. I think to have a lasting, loving marriage you need to be best friends with that person. I don’t think that is something that happens from a glance. It could be a start of something for sure but that is not love at that very moment. I really, really liked Katie’s answer on this question. I whole heartily agree with her.

8. What would your ideal Sunday morning consist of?
It would be to sleep in just a little (like till 9am), then be able to walk or bike ride to our favorite breakfast place for breakfast as a family. Then I really love going to church all together on Sundays.

9. Why do you blog?
I blog for a lot of reason but mostly I love have creative it makes me and I love, love, love the community it has created. I also love it now as a way to document our life with Rowan.

10. If you had to choose one color to wear forever, what would you pick? Black. Hands down.

11. What is your all-time favorite band? Piebald.

I tag anyone who wants to participate. Let me know in the comments if you put up a post!
I liked Danielle’s questions so much you can just answer those ones if you want to play along.

I know we take lots of photos in our family but rarely are they ever of all of us together. Saturday morning we decided we would wear matchy outfits and go try to take some family photos together. I wanted to take them outside but the weather was the worst over the weekend. So cold!! We headed to Empire Plaza in Albany instead. Bad mistake. There are all these underground hallways under the state buildings that you can go walk around. I thought it would make for a good spot to take pictures, Rowan however, thought it would be a good spot to run as fast as she could everywhere. The thought of having to stay contained in our arms was pure torture to her. We tried, we bribed, nothing worked. So we just rolled with it and laughed at how things change when babies are involved. We took just a few photos and then packed everything up and let her run loose…

In the end, we love these photos. I was making myself cry from laughing so hard when we were looking at them on Saturday night. haha. What a stinker she is!

1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8

Oh boy! I am dreaming of warmer weather. This pretty dress has been in my modcloth wishlist for quite sometime. I might just have to pull the trigger and get it for the Texas Style Council Conference next week!! ahhh next week! We are heading to Austin next Wednesday!!

I have it planned everyweek to get these posts up on Friday, but Friday comes around and well I usually want to be far away from the computer. I do however want to share some of my favroite posts from last week. I feel like I didn’t get a chance to read a lot of blogs last week but the ones I did, I ended up starring every one. So many talented and inspiring ladies out there. I feel honored to be able to share in so many of their lives. Anyway, here are some of my most favorite blog posts from the last week, you should totally read them too…

1. I have a major girl crush on Bri and I love how open and honest she was in this post. Brave girl.

2. How cute (and easy) are these paint dipped baby jars?

3. Also, have a major girl crush on Erin! So excited about their little (pink) bundle of joy!

4. This letter to Everly is so spot on with how things are going with Rowan and my feelings towards her being a daddy’s girl. Very sweet.

5. Ahhh these family photos are so freakin’ good. The one of Annie & Jacob make her look like a warrior mom (which I know she is already!). I love it. That last one is so good!

6. Love this post about the amazing company Ugglebo! Also make sure to check out the Velvet Bird shop!

7. Oh Krystal! You can do no wrong.

8. This is the most beautiful outfit! Such pretty colors.

9. Ok. One more girl crush. How amazingly beautiful is Katie?

10. Bows on sweaters on cute kids? Umm Yes please!

I think I need to start a new series about blog love. I just love so many wonderful blogs- I think I need to share my love! Happy Monday everyone!! I’ll be back this afternoon with pictures from our disastrous family photoshoot on saturday. haha.

This has been a strange week. It was filled with lots of dreaming about the future and setting some lofty goals for our family in 2012, yet it also brought a kind of drought to wanting to blog. I hardly picked up the camera this week, which never happens. haha. I guess we all need a down week from the internet. How was your week?

Ups:
1. Rowan has learned to count to 3. It is so cute. The Fiest 1234 song came on Pandora today and she started counting along to the song. So awesome!

2. The fact that she thinks Mickey Mouse is called “hawt Dawg” kills me. Hot Dog? This little vegetarian baby doesn’t even know what a hot dog is. Thank you Mickey Mouse Club House. haha

3. How much she loves playing with other kids. I love going to the gym for myself, but we seriously go in the mornings because she needs it. I think she gets too bored at home with just me. She just loves, loves, loves going to play there. She gets so excited when we are walking into the building. She knows she is going to play with everyone.

4. Hearing the fake laugh she does. Whenever she hears people laughing, she starts doing this fake little laugh. Like she wants to be included in whatever you are saying that is funny. She is such a ham.

Downs:
1. Rowan hitting me in the face because she was mad we were leaving the park. Not fun. This one leads in to the 2nd one…

2. Being hit in the face early one morning because she wasn’t happy I needed to change her diaper. It didn’t hurt of course, but it caught me on an off morning and I ended up crying the in the bathroom for 10 mins. Kev came to my rescue and gave me 2 nights off this week. One to myself and one with some friends. What a lucky girl I am to have such a supportive husband. Getting burnt out sneaks up fast sometimes.

3. Taking a hard look at how much tv we let her watch. She really doesn’t watch a lot of tv, but I was realizing she likes it on more and more and I wanted to break that habit fast. She never sits and just watches, she is always off playing and then stoping to watch for a min and then off again playing but I was finding I was keeping it on in the morning even though she didn’t need it on. We are changing that for sure!

This child loves the bath. Any time she hears running water she starts stripping her clothes off thinking she is getting to take a bath. We’ve had to take lots of showers with her just to stop the melt down that starts happening when she realizes Mommy or Daddy are just taking a shower. Our new bath routine is pretty fun. We put on some fun music, turn the heater on in the bathroom (makes the room so cozy), fill up the tub with bubbles and dump out all her bath toys. She is in heaven. She swims around like a little fish for like an hour.

Our Favorite bath products to use are…

1. California Baby Products. I couldn’t recommend these more highly. We love them. They have a whole line full of products you could use.

2. Baby Bee Nourishing Baby Oil . Love this stuff. After the water has drained, I massage the oil into her wet skin and then towel her off. Keeps her skin from getting dry in the winter.

3. Boon Foam Bath Shapes. Bright and fun! They are a great bath toy!

4. Skip Hop Faucet Cover. Any faucet cover will do, but I think this one is cute.

5. Crayola Bathtub Crayons. These things are awesome. They don’t get all wet and mushy and they wash off so easily. Even after a few days left on the tub, they still wash off. We love drawing lots and lots of kitties in the tub.

Since Rowan was born I have tried to get a lot better at planning meals for the week. I am still not the best because we are pretty busy and the weeks never really go as planned. However, making a meal plan for the week has made sure we eat better, stay on budget, have healthy snacks & meals for Rowan and takes the stress out of wondering what to make for dinner each night. It also helps with not wasting food. I use to go to the grocery store, throw a whole bunch of food in the cart and then get home and realize I didn’t have anything to make a complete meal. I felt like I was constantly throwing away spoiled food that sat in the fridge waiting to be turned into a dinner.

Do you plan your meals out for the week before you go shopping?
These 2 super cute notepads have made this much easier in our household. Love these things!!!

You can find the “What to Eat” notepad at Ruche (they also have a “To Do” one!) and here is a link to the “All Out Of” notepad.

When I was in NYC the other week, I had the honor of helping host a blogger event with Lulu*s. It was awesome to see so many of my blogging friends and meet some lovely new ones. I was representing the vintage section of clothing at the party, so I decided to wear this pretty thrifted skirt that I found. Nothing says party like a skirt with tinsel all over it! I also took a page out of Krystal’s stylebook and wore my cardigan backwards.

Outfit Details:
Sweater: Thrifted
Belt: Thrfited
Skirt: Thrifted
Shoes: Rampage (via Endless)
Bracelets: Gift, Forever 21, Stella & Dot
Bow Necklace: c/o Modcloth

Some event photos from the Lulu*s Blog…

We had a very busy week last week. I like busy weeks though. I love our days to be filled with fun things to do! We had playdates, ate frozen yogurt, went snowboarding, hung out at the Berkshire Museum, played outside, had dinner with friends, went to a hockey game and celebrated Valentine’s Day. I hope we have a lot more weeks just like this one!

Cheers to a lovely new week for everyone!

Ups:
1. Rowan loved every minute of the hockey game last night. She kept dancing and clapping at all the music and bright lights. What a great night.
2. The fact that I cooked her scrambled eggs this morning (one of her favs) with chopped up spinach in it and she ate every bit. Score! I fooled her.
3. How good she is at puckering her lips and giving you a big smacker. Her kiss noises kill me
4. That she some how learned the word “Ummm?” When I ask her a question she looks at me, tilts her head slightly and says “ummm?” like she is thinking of the answer. What? how did she learn this? Too funny
5. That she is getting to an age where she can really, truly play with others. It is so fun to watch her play with other kids (especially Addy!). What a great age!

Downs:
1. Hearing her wake up at 5am screaming and so upset. We couldn’t get her to calm down for quite sometime. It was so sad when we found out this is the age that they start having nightmares. Ahh breaks my heart.
2. Her continuing to rip pages out of books. I will be excited when she learns that we don’t rip books. I try to only give her board books but it never fails that she finds the other ones.
3. That she still refuses to say “mama.” I know she can. We have heard her before, but she just doesn’t call me anything. It really doesn’t bother me, but it would be nice to hear it every once in a while.
4. The amount of effort it takes to get her into her car seat. Oh.My.Word. This child does not like getting in there. Some times she is good, but most times watch out!
5. The fact that every time we walk into the grocery store, she starts doing the “more” sign. Then whines until she gets food. Every new item I put in the cart, is at that moment the only thing that she wants. I check out with half of the groceries open.

What were your ups & downs this week? (parenting or not)

Someone left a comment the other day asking if I seriously wear this hat? haha. Yep. The answer is yes. I love this hat. I know it is ridiculous, but I really don’t care. It makes me happy and it’s warm. I like the funny questions I get asked when I wear it. Do you have an item you wear that you know is ridiculous?

Kev called me a Russian Solider in this outfit. Love this new coat (it’s on sale!) Not the warmest for super cold days, but for a mild day like today it is perfect. I love how it is a little mod without a collar and that it is such a bright royal blue.

Outfit Details:
Coat: c/o Lulu*s
Buttons Up: jcpenney
Sweater: Target
Jeans: Target-old (similar)
Boots: American Eagle (similar)
Hat: H&M

http://www.flickr.com/photos/jenloveskev/6882435525/

There are lots of milestones that you come across in the first few years of your little ones life; rolling over, eating solids, crawling, standing, walking, etc… but the ones that are extra special to me, are the ones that aren’t listed in books. I always get more excited about being able to share the things with Rowan that have meant something to me in my life. She is this little, living, breathing, half of myself that I can now share all these life moments with. Tonight is one of those nights. We are not sports people in this household, but we are HOCKEY people. Hockey holds a lot of memories for both Kev and myself and tonight we are bringing Rowan to her very first hockey game. For a little girl of only 17months, she sure has a collection of Hockey shirts. It has been a debate which team shirt she would wear tonight. Let’s just say Canada always prevails! Although, Adam and Punky just gave her an awesome Bruins shirt. hehe. Maybe it seems silly that we are so excited about this, but having Rowan around has made every joy we feel magnified by like a million.

What have been the milestones that have meant something extra special to your family?

We are real lucky around here to have Kev be able to come home for lunch everyday. Yesterday, since it was Valentine’s Day I decided to cook a little “I Love You” brunch. I’ve seen this idea before and thought it was so cute, so I cooked an egg in a heart shaped cut out in some sourdough bread. Then I whipped up some honey-cinnamon cream cheese and made some delicious grapefruit tea. Mmmm! This would be a perfect breakfast for any special morning, not just Valentine’s Day.

EGG IN A HOLE:
Ingredients:
Sourdough Loaf
Large Egg
Salt and Pepper
Butter
Directions:
1.Cut a heart shape out from the center of the bread.
2. Melt a small about of butter in skillet over medium heat. Place the slice of bread in skillet and toast lightly.
3. Crack the egg into the hole and season with salt and pepper. Cook until golden brown.
4. Flip the egg, season with salt and pepper. Cook another 2 minutes for a runny yolk, or little longer for a set egg.

WARM GRAPEFRUIT TEA: (recipe from here)
Ingredients:
2 cups freshly squeezed red grapefruit juice
2 tablespoons honey
1 cinnamon stick
1/2 teaspoon whole allspice berries
Directions:
1. In a medium pot, add all ingredients and 1/4 cup water. Bring to a boil over medium heat; strain into a cup and serve.

HONEY-CINNAMON CREAM CHEESE:
Ingredients:
8 oz. Cream Cheese
2 Tbsp. of Honey
1/4 tsp. of cinnamon
Whip all together and serve on everything! haha. It is very, very yummy.

I LOVE Valentine’s Day. It is one of my favorites. I know some people get all grumpy about it and don’t want to give in to a “made up” holiday but I can’t help it. Why not, right? I love getting dressed up and making fun things for the people I love. I am all about wearing pink, red, and purples on Valentine’s Day. I go all out. I thought it would be fun to take a checkered blouse I have had in my closet for about 5 years and come up with 5 different Valentine’s Day outfits.

Which one do you like the best?

Outfit One:http://www.flickr.com/photos/jenloveskev/6877026833/
http://www.flickr.com/photos/jenloveskev/6877025197/Blazer: Thrifted
Button Up: Old Navy
Skirt: Modcloth (c/o 2011)
Heels: Modcloth (c/o 2011)
Belt: Forever 21
Beret: Target

Outfit Two: http://www.flickr.com/photos/jenloveskev/6877024585/
http://www.flickr.com/photos/jenloveskev/6877024055/Button Up: Old Navy
Dress: Calvin Klein
Belt: J.Crew
Jessica Simpson Heels: c/o Lulu*s

Outfit Three: http://www.flickr.com/photos/jenloveskev/6877022339/
http://www.flickr.com/photos/jenloveskev/6877021855/Button Up: Old Navy
Velvet Skirt: c/o Ruche
Knee Pad Tights: asos
Oxford Wedges: Forever 21
Fur Collar: Vintage

Outfit Four: http://www.flickr.com/photos/jenloveskev/6877026309/
http://www.flickr.com/photos/jenloveskev/6877025747/Button Up: Old Navy
Headband: Forever 21
Skirt: Kissing Tree Vintage
Belt: ? Old
Heels: Rampage via Endless

Outfit Five: http://www.flickr.com/photos/jenloveskev/6877023505/


Button Up: Old Navy
Cardigan: J.Crew
Bow: Lulu*s
Jeans: Forever 21
Heels: Chinese Laundry

I LOVE dressing Rowan. I feel like she is my own personal little doll. Mixing and matching crazy outfits together for her is like my favorite thing ever. I am more reserved sometimes when I get dressed, but I like getting really creative with her outfits. Rowan is just so darn cute and well, a baby so she can get away with anything. hehe.

Outfit Details:
Sweater: Gap Kids
Floral Top: Thrifted
Skirt: Target
Tights: Walmart
Shoes: Zara (gift from Baby Blackbird)

Buddy Brunch with Adam & Punky…http://www.flickr.com/photos/jenloveskev/6864307455/

Playing at home with Rowan…http://www.flickr.com/photos/jenloveskev/6864316189/

NYC Bound…http://www.flickr.com/photos/jenloveskev/6864291637/

It was so lovely hanging out in nyc with Lulu’s, Ruche, Sydney, Natalie and of course my partner in crime, Julie.

My dear friend Erin and I are decorating for a Love 146 Valentine’s fundraiser this up coming Tuesday. We weren’t given a huge budget so we had to get a little creative to come up with cute center pieces. I got a Martha Stewart holiday craft book for Christmas and have been obsessed with this picture in it ever since. I am sure you have seen it all over pinterest lately. We took that idea and decided to create garlands instead. We are going to use the melted crayon hearts on the tables, wrapped about mason jars, and hanging from tree branches. I think it is going to look really cute!

Here is how you can make your own!
1. Get a bunch of red, purple, pink and orange crayonshttp://www.flickr.com/photos/jenloveskev/6849404449/

2. Remove the wrappers from all the crayons http://www.flickr.com/photos/jenloveskev/6849404027/

3. Find a pencil sharpener and sharpen all the crayons until they are tiny nubs. Save all the shavings… http://www.flickr.com/photos/jenloveskev/6849403603/

4. Sprinkle in between wax paper and melt with iron…http://www.flickr.com/photos/jenloveskev/6849402213/

5. Cut hearts out and sew in a line on the sewing machine…http://www.flickr.com/photos/jenloveskev/6849401331/

6. Voila! Make long garlands or sew just a few together to tie around mason jars and create cute Valentine’s Day center pieces. http://www.flickr.com/photos/jenloveskev/6849399955/

I am packing up my suitcase tonight because I am heading down to NYC tomorrow for the weekend. Tomorrow night I am helping host an awesome event with Lulu*s. If you are going to be in NYC, make sure you go RSVP to the event and then come on over and party with me! It is going to be great!

“Calling all bloggers! LuLu*s is throwing a styling event and wants YOU to be there! Join us for an exciting Fashion Week event in the heart of Nolita! Set in the beautiful Openhouse Gallery, this event, Style Studio, will feature tons of free LuLu*s merchandise in 5 of the hottest styles: Vintage-inspired, Edgy, Vixen, Sweetheart and Uptown Prep! With top bloggers representing each style, you will get the opportunity to discover your personal look and then get styling advice from your favorite blogger! Everyone takes home a special piece! With giveaways, prizes, food, drink, and more, this will be a fun-filled fashion event to remember!”

See you tomorrow night!

This weather has been crazy, huh? I am not complaining because I will take a winter full of 50 degree days, but it is just so strange. It has been nice to go for walks with Rowan during the day. There is nothing better than some fresh air for a grumpy kid and momma. haha.

This has been one of my go to outfits lately. Easy, comfy and well, I think it pretty cute looking. I love these boots! I was worried I wouldn’t have stuff to wear them with, but they seem like a good match for a lot of outfits.

Outfit Details:
Cardigan: J.Crew
Peach Blouse: Lulu’s
Cranberry Jeans: Forever 21
Jeffrey Campbell Boots: c/o Modcloth (last summer)
Necklace: Jess LC

My sweet little honey…

Mmmmmm so good!! This is seriously so easy and so delicious. Pinterest has doubled the amount of recipes I have wanted to try lately. I am always on the look out for quick and easy meals for dinner.

Ingredients:
(for pesto)
1 cup Basil
1/2 cup Cashews
1/2 cup graded parmesan cheese
Olive Oil
Salt and Pepper

Pre-packaged Gnocchi
Cherry tomatoes- cut in half
Fresh mozzarella- cut into small pieces

Directions:
1. In a food processor blend basil, cashews and cheese. Slowly add in olive oil until desired consistency is reached. Salt and pepper to taste.
2. In a large pan, add olive oil and sauté gnocchi over medium high heat. Continue to stir until crispy on all sides.
3. Add tomatoes and pesto and stir until well coated. Heat for 1-2 minutes. Remove from heat.
4. Serve in dishes and top with handful and mozzarella pieces. Add some finely chopped basil for decoration.
5. Enjoy!

Original Recipe Here and Here. Thanks Ladies!

I’ve been working hard on creating a pattern for a fox doll for Rowan the past few weeks. It took some trial and error, but Miss Lady Fox is finally finished! Isn’t she just the cutest? We are pretty smitten with her here in our house. Rowan carries her around kissing her face. Melts my heart. We love her so much that I thought maybe I would share her with some of you.

I have put up 6 custom orders for Miss Lady Fox in my etsy shop. I will only be making 6. If you would like one, come on over to my shop and grab one quick! Perfect for your little one or for a baby shower gift. I have 5 vintage fabric combinations to choose from. http://www.flickr.com/photos/jenloveskev/6836965991/ | http://www.flickr.com/photos/jenloveskev/6836969877/ | http://www.flickr.com/photos/jenloveskev/6836968839/ | http://www.flickr.com/photos/jenloveskev/6836967883/ | http://www.flickr.com/photos/jenloveskev/6836967009/

We headed back to Massachusetts this past weekend to visit family and this was my official weekend outfit. I wore it both Saturday and part of Sunday. Whoops. When it works, it just works, right? I have had the worst thrifting luck lately, but I was pretty happy when I found this cute skirt. I love the plum colors in it.

What has been your best thrifting find lately?

Outfit Details:
Chambray Camp Shirt: Eddie Bauer (similar)
Tapestry Skirt: Thrifted
Belt: Thrifted
Plum Tights: Target
Ankle Boots: American Eagle (similar & better)
Bracelets: Stella & Dot, Gifts, & Forever 21

This week we Rowan and I went to the gym each morning together and then spent the afternoons sewing, crafting stuff and going for walks. Here’s to hoping that this mild weather sticks around! Hope you all had a great week as well…

A cute full belly after lunch…http://www.flickr.com/photos/jenloveskev/6816600197/

A walk around the neighborhood…http://www.flickr.com/photos/jenloveskev/6816599693/

Painted a new chalkboard…http://www.flickr.com/photos/jenloveskev/6816596289/

WHOA. STATIC…http://www.flickr.com/photos/jenloveskev/6816599163/

My favorite notepads for planning meals (from Ruche)http://www.flickr.com/photos/jenloveskev/6816598313/

Snack time…http://www.flickr.com/photos/jenloveskev/6816597883/

Making a melted wax heart garland…http://www.flickr.com/photos/jenloveskev/6816596691/

Making dolls still…http://www.flickr.com/photos/jenloveskev/6816597227/

Gym…http://www.flickr.com/photos/jenloveskev/6816594715/

New potty…http://www.flickr.com/photos/jenloveskev/6816594135/

I am a super shy person — would you have guessed? Anyway, I would be the first to admit that I am not very good at speaking my thoughts and emotions. My heart is big but I always fall short when it comes to expressing my feelings verbally. Over the years, however, I’ve become very fond of writing love notes. What I want to say flows much easier from my heart to the pen, than it does from my mouth. Plus, love notes are just so cute. Who doesn’t love getting a little love letter?

Pinhole Press has some fantastic Valentines products that make adorable gifts for your loved ones! We were lucky enough to get some Photo Notepads from them last week. We love them. We got to pick a picture for each of the notepads and write our own little header at the top. You can bet I will be leaving a little love note in them each morning starting Monday until Valentines Day for a certain someone. The picture of us at the bottom makes each piece of paper that much more special. Rowan got things started and wrote a little “I Love you” to Kev…

Make sure to check out all the awesome Pinhole Press Products….

I’ve been without our camera the last 2 days, so outfit pictures might be slim this week. Kev is busy being awesome and working on a photo shoot for work (we need to get another camera- wink wink)

I’m busting out all these new features lately, but I think it will be fun to go through my parenting ups and downs each week. Feel free to leave your own ups and downs in the comments or any tips you have for my downs…

Ups:
1. Rowans new double hug. Whenever Kev is holding her and I come close, she wraps an arm around Kev’s neck and an arm around my neck and gives a big family hug. It is AWESOME!!!

2. Going to the YMCA in the morning with her. Awesome. We use to go at night when Kev got home from work, but by then I was exhausted and I feel like my work out suffered because of it. The morning is fresh, new and there are tons of kids for Rowan to play with in the kids center. It is good for both of us!

3. Bath time. She loves it. We love it. She is always so stinkin’ cute in there.

4. I feel like my love for her has grown lately. I have always loved her a lot, but something about lately I feel even more connected to her and how much I love our little family.

5. Rowan is becoming an expert at using a spoon. Every morning she has some greek yogurt with a spoon and she goes to town on it. She can basically eat the whole thing by herself. The mess is becoming less and less each morning too. Forks we aren’t so good with yet.

Downs:
1. Rowan has learned the word “no,” it sounds more like “DOH” but still, it is no. She has decided that when she yells it, it also means she needs to swing her hand and hit something. I have yet to see her act out towards anyone other than Kev or I which is good… I guess?

2. Figuring out what will work best for a timeout. She won’t stay still anywhere. I have heard pros and cons to using the crib. Any thoughts? I know the whole “don’t confuse the place where they sleep” thing, but 2 friends have used it and said they had no problems. What did you do when your kid was 16 months?

3. I clawed her the other day by accident. I was sewing and she grabbed my seam ripper off the table. I freaked and quickly went to grab it from her and in doing so, scrapped my thumbnail across the side of her head and skinned her forehead just a tiny bit. I felt very bad. Bad Momma.

4. Eating. Ugh! I swear if you don’t feed her what she wants (crackers or bread) she will go days without eating. The doctor keeps telling me she will eat when she is hungry but she is very stubborn. I want to get a juicer so badly. She loves drinking.

5. The melt down she had in a tiny pizza place the other day when I had to put her back in her stroller. Not good. I was sweating bullets trying to keep my cool as I had to shove her in there to get the buckles snapped. Meanwhile, the delivery man was watching and waiting for me so he could get by. Ahhh!