hipster girl

There's a little area just a few blocks from our house that is just lousy with hipsters. Really, they're all over downtown but they like to congregate in an area known as the Milk District. It's full of hipster-y places like thrift shops, dive bars, and independent coffee houses.  There is nary an unpierced eyebrow to be found and people travel on two wheels (bicycle or scooter) rather than four.  

Despite the fact that I'm not nearly cool enough to hang in the Milk District, I do find myself in the area on occasion. A few years ago, I wandered in to the hipster hub to pick up lunch at a Milk District sandwich shop. I made the grave mistake of asking for lettuce on my sandwich. The hipster behind the counter looked at me through his thick rimmed glasses (which I'm sure aided his vision in no way), breathed a faint sigh of frustration and informed me that they did not have lettuce, they had mesclun. Dude, whatever. Put the green leafy stuff on my sandwich and quit looking at me like I work for Enron and drive a Hummer.

Point being, I don't fit in so hot in the Milk District. (Even though I probably share common political beliefs most hipsters. But they don't see that. Not that I blame them. My Volvo SUV and pearl earrings are a pretty good cover for my crunchy granola liberal core.)

Well, I found something that might help me fit in a little better on my next trip to the Milk District. Allow me to introduce you to Hipster Girl. 

You can create your very own hipster alter ego. It is awesome. You can choose your own hipster hair do, sport eyeglasses you don't need, rock a fedora or a full sleeve of tats.  Skinny jeans with Chucks or flannel and leggings - totally up to you, hipster girl!

Here's my hipster girl:

I like to think she's a librarian by day and spoken word poet by night. Or maybe she's part of an all girl punk band. Regardless, my hipster alter ego is definitely much cooler than I am. That girl knows to order mesclun rather than lettuce. And she definitely doesn't drive the Mom-mobile.

What will your hipster girl look like?  Geek chic glasses? Skinny jeans? Anti-establishment tee?  

Many thanks to my sister Jill for bringing Hipster Girl into our lives.  That's a (very entertaining) half hour I'll never get back.

announcing b

It only took two and a half months but I finally got Blaire's birth announcement mailed out.  Here it is!

(edited to remove our last name)

I know I'm her momma so it's a given but oh my goodness, I love that sweet face.

With as long as it took me to get these done, I should have just combined her birth announcement with our Christmas card. Oh well! Some of you will see B's face in your mailbox again soon!

Photos by Jenny Peppers Photography

confession session

It's time for another edition of Confession Session. Sometimes you just have to get some things off your chest.

I haven't blown dry, curled or flat ironed my hair in nearly a week.  I get out of the shower, throw it up into a bun and let it air dry. When I take it out of the bun I'm left with this wavy mess of long hair.  I like to think of it as homeless hippie chic.  I could use the "I have a new baby" excuse... but my baby sleeps through the night. I only look like a tired, haggard momma.

I've eaten PB&J at least once a day for the past four days. It's fast. It's tasty. And I tell myself it's healthy because it's reduced fat peanut butter and fruit (ahem...raspberry preserves) on high fiber bread. Please don't ruin my illusion by telling me otherwise. Did you know it tastes better if you cut it into fourths?  Scientific fact.

If you drop by my house on any given day, you're likely to find me in PJs. I simply don't understand the point in getting all dressed up to sit around the house. Most days Blaire and I play, read and take walks. I cook dinner and do a little housework. All of that can be done in a t-shirt in yoga pants. So that's what I wear. If we're meeting someone for lunch or running errands, I'll get dressed. Otherwise, comfort is key.

I'm tired of hearing people bitch about Christmas decorations. If you prefer not to decorate until after Thanksgiving, don't. But does it really ruin your Thanksgiving to see Santa in the mall in November?  Don't we all have bigger problems? I mean, they cancelled Community for crying out loud! (Okay, it's not technically cancelled but it's not being aired in the spring. Not a good sign.)

To be completely honest, I've been throwing myself a big ol' pity party about going back to work. I have a great job. I work with good people. I should be thankful that I have such a good job to return to. I know all this. But I can't stop myself from being so sad about the thought of leaving her five days a week. I have LOVED being home with her. I'm so sad it has to end. This Thanksgiving is going to be very dangerous. I'll have to resist the temptation to eat my feelings because most of my work clothes still don't fit. How many days in a row do you think I can get away with wearing black dresses before people start asking whether I'm a witch?

This confession is particularly shameful for me. I have started watching daytime television.  This alone is probably proof I need to get back to work.  I find myself turning on the Today show and leaving it on in the background. (We won't get started on what passes for news on that show. Pippa Middleton getting dumped is NOT NEWS. Okay, sorry...couldn't help myself.) I've seen more episodes of Regis and Kelly than I care to admit. If you're wondering, the Regis farewell tour is in full effect. And the new daytime cooking/talk show The Chew has even made an appearance on my DVR. 

Oh, and I started watching episode 1 of Revenge on the iPad the other day while I was feeding B...and now I'm hooked. It's so bad, it's good.

That's quite enough confessions from me. Anything you need to get off your chest?  Feel free to leave your confession in the comments!

it's all relative

I'm so excited for the (relatively) chilly day ahead!  Remember, I live in Florida. Our idea of chilly is a Canadian's beach weather.  It's currently 49 degrees and I'm positively giddy! That might not sound chilly to you but it was 81 yesterday. To me, this is cold.  I can wear a scarf without looking like an idiot. You bet your tail I'm taking advantage of this opportunity! I have a drawer full of scarves that rarely see the light of day unless I'm traveling. I'll pick out my favorite and wear it with a smile on my face all day long. I'm making a big pot of chili for dinner and might even stop by the store for a log for the fire.

Just one small problem. The sun is shining and it's expected to reach 67 degrees this afternoon.

Sigh.

Such is life for a Floridian.  Guess I better cancel the fire. But the chili is happening.

Hope you have beautiful weather today, wherever you are.

I'll leave you with a picture of my sweet girl. She's the happiest part of my day, every day!

blaire bear

Aunt Jill informed me that the last post was okay, but lacking in pictures of Blaire. So sorry to disappoint. A few pictures for you, Aunty Jilly. 

 Lunch and shopping with the girls

those cheeks kill me

sweet smiles

"trying on" her Christmas jammies from grandma

Hugs & kisses from Blaire!

*Sorry for the crappy Blackberry pictures. I'll take some new pictures with the camera soon.

the good life

Nine days since my last post...whoops! Sometimes life is just too full and too fun to stop and blog about it. Blaire and I have been filling our days with snuggles on the couch, lunches out with friends and walks to soak in all the sunshine and beautiful weather we've had. These days, life is simple. And good.  I couldn't ask for more. Except maybe an iPhone. And a pair of Tory Burch wedges. Okay, scratch that. I can always ask for more.  (I'm kidding, of course.)

Speaking of asking for things, my family never does.  Getting a Christmas list from anyone in my family is darn near impossible. My mom (Hi Mom!) starts threatening me sometime around September each year, "Don't buy me anything for Christmas. I don't need a thing!"  Of course, I never listen. I started brainstorming ideas for gifts months ago. I even keep a word document on my computer called "Christmas Gifts" where I make notes of gift ideas throughout the year.  Nevertheless, it's the middle of November and I find myself still searching for the perfect gift for everyone on my list.

I did check one small thing off my Christmas to-do list - Blaire's stocking!  Brian and I have matching stockings, but they are simple and traditional. I thought B might like something more fun and whimsical. You know, in a few years, when she understands what a stocking is.  Here's the one I chose:

(From Pottery Barn Kids, found here.)  Now that it has arrived, I can't wait to decorate for Christmas.  I'm not one of the people who dislike Christmas decorations and music before Thanksgiving. It's my favorite holiday and I like to celebrate as long as possible. I would love to get my house decorated the week before Thanksgiving so that it's all done when we get back from visiting family. I go back to work the Monday after Turkey Day (I don't want to talk about it) so it would be nice to get it all done before I start back.

Boo. Now I'm depressed thinking about the end of maternity leave. Let's talk about something else. Something happy. Ooohh, I know. My wedding ring fits again!  I've missed wearing my rings so I'm happy to have one of them back. My engagement ring still doesn't fit but hopefully soon. I still have some weight to lose (that's a whole different post) so hopefully my engagement ring will fit when the extra weight is gone.

There is absolutely no segue between this next thought and the last one, but have you ever found a product you love and wanted to buy a thousand of it, for fear that it will one day be unavailable? I always worry that my favorite things will be discontinued.  For example, if Restoration Hardware ever stops carrying the Luxury Plush Throw I will be absolutely beside myself. I even wrote a post about it. I have a spare, unused blanket on reserve just in case. No joke.  My latest product obsession - Panera's Asian Sesame dressing. They sell it in a bottle at my local Super Target and I loooove it. It's relatively low calorie and is so yummy on romaine lettuce and spinach with grilled chicken and sliced almonds.

You know what else I'm loving? My husband. This morning he made the bed and brought me a Starbuck's latte before going to work. Such a sweet, sweet man. I'm a lucky girl.

Blaire will be waking up from her nap any minute so I should probably go get some things done around here. Dishes and laundry await!

Shutterfly Winners

Winner, winner, chicken dinner!

Three winners in fact. The Shutterfly giveaway has ended and the three winners have been chosen. 

Congratulations to Megan, Laura, and Julie! You are the lucky winners of 25 free holiday cards from Shuttterfly. E-mail me at forthelovemel@gmail.com and I will give you your code for the free cards.

Everyone else, check back later this week because I have a new giveaway coming up!