October Recap

Besides Calvin's monthly posts, sharing my goals, and posting about Stitch Fix, this space has been pretty quiet. I plan to write more about some of my thoughts, but I think the silence stems from figuring out this my new role in motherhood. But now with six almost seven months under my belt, I think I might be back, even just to share about life (like I used to).

So let's start with an October recap:  

A couple weeks after Calvin turned five months, we introduced "solids" in the form of rice cereal. At first, I thought he loved it, but it turns out Calvin is much more interested in the spoon than the food.  Since then we've continued to try rice cereal, as well as sweet potatoes & a little avocado, but he continues to remain uninterested.

Fall in the PNW is one of my favorites, so we got out as much as we could. The rain has arrived, so we'll probably have less of these outings, but we had fun while the weather lasted.

Teething = no fun! It seemed that once Calvin turned six months, the teething pain came full force. We've tried frozen teethers, essential oils, and ibuprofen in desperate times, but usually a warm bath ends up doing the trick - at least until he has to get out and the tears return again.

Any teething advice from other mamas out there?

And last - our sweet pumpkin on his first Halloween! This mama can't wait to view the upcoming holidays through these sweet eyes.

Austin Again

Almost two years to the date, I returned to Austin to see my favorite little Texas family!

We partied {Hello Kitty style}, built lots of Legos, and visited as many parks as we could.  Since my last visit was all about new baby Selah, this time they wanted to make sure they got to show me some of their Austin favorites, including the state capitol, the famous Salt Lick, and the quaint Georgetown square.

Knowing that this was one of my big vacations this year, I was asked a number of times if I was getting to do & see everything I wanted to, but honestly, just spending time with these kiddos + their parents was more than enough for me!

Thank you Heater family for your love & hospitality!  Now, I just hope it doesn't take me two years to get back down there to see you all again.

Brave

Truth: I’ve never really been the kind of person who goes to a lot of concerts.

Sure, I listen to music and sing along with the radio on a daily basis, but I've never had the desire to spend a lot of money to attend a concert.  But two years ago, when I saw Sara Bareillis perform at the Schnizter Auditorium in Portland, all my preconceived notions of how concerts were not worth it changed completely.  

Not only did I actually know her whole set of songs she played, but the show itself was just fantastic!  I remember leaving the concert thinking, “I can’t wait to see her perform again!”  And for the last couple years, I’ve been doing just that, waiting.

Well, last Friday, she finally returned to Portland and put on an even better show than the last!  With just her voice, a few instruments, and a more intimate venue, Sara Bareillis put on an amazing concert for all who attended.

 

(As you can tell from some of the pictures, we were really close to the stage!  Like four-rows-back close!  And in between almost every song, she would talk to the audience like we were life-long friends.  I’ve never been to a concert where that’s happened!) 

Again I knew most of the songs, which is always a plus, but with an new album coming out this summer, she threw a couple of the new songs that I instantly fell in love with.  In fact, my favorite song of the night was her new single, “Brave”.  It’s a beautiful song that reminds me that life isn’t always easy, but if you remember to be yourself, that’s all anyone can really ask of you. 

Stitch Fix #1

Several months ago I read a post by Raechel Myers about a new service that involves a personal stylist who finds clothes and accessories based on my likes and ships them directly to my doorstep.  For someone who enjoys new clothes, but doesn't like to try things on in the store, Stitch Fix seemed like it was meant to me.

About a month after I signed up, I received my notification that my first Fix was ready.  I scheduled the date that worked best for me and waited to see which five items my personal stylist would pick out for me.  And when they did, I hoped I would like at least something...

Picasso Geo Print Cotton Cardigan by Angie

Bilson Pleat Detail Tabsleeve Blouse by Daniel Rainn 

& Florian Overlap Tulip Pocket Skirt by Dylan and Rose

 

 Korye Knit Longsleeve Top &

Carlita Cotton Crochet Top, 

both by Mystree

The verdict: pleasantly surprised!

Not only did I like at least one item I received, I actually liked four items enough to think about purchasing them.  On top of wondering if I'd like anything that was picked out for me, a little part of me was worried that everything would be too expensive for my usually clearance-only taste.  But with a $20 styling fee that can be used as a credit towards whatever I end up keeping and a 25% discount if I decide to keep everything in the box, the price point is pretty reasonable in my opinion.

In the end, I decided to only keep one item (the Carlita Cotton Crochet Top by Mystree, actually I ended up keeping the Korye Knit Longsleeve Top by Mystree), but not because I didn't like the other items, but rather I just felt that this top was different from most I already have in my closet, yet I can see it being paired with a lot that I already own.

I'm already looking forward to my next Stitch Fix and seeing what else they pick out for me.  It's really easy to sign up and you don't pay any money until you schedule your first Fix.  Sign up here!  (And come back & leave me a comment if you do because I'd love to see what you get too.)


Have you tried Stitch Fix?

Farewell 2012...

Well, another year has come & gone again, but for some reason this one feels much different from the past.  Maybe it's because we experienced both the most exciting joy & deepest sorrow we have ever felt before.  Or maybe it's because the future we thought we were planning for in the early months, has been flipped upside down now and we are no longer sure what's ahead for us.  Regardless, I wanted to be sure to recap this year for my own benefit - to remember the good, the bad, and the ugly and more importantly, to hopefully one day see God's plan & reason behind what happened to us this year:

January - I started the year off with some hope & goals for the new, as well as a photo-a-day project that {I didn't know at the time} would continue throughout the rest of the year.  As with previous years, I also continued posting about some book reviews and shared more of my outfits through "What I Wore Wednesday".  I also shared my Leap List on the blog and completed my first item.

February - WIWW continued and I even started creating outfits from my Pinterest board.  I shared Sam + I's love story and a rare moment where we got to babysit my adorable niece for the day.  My photo-a-day's also continued with weekly posts.

March - More reviews, outfit posts, and photo-a-day posts this month, but I also completed another Leap List item {my first massage!} and we started on a big house project - installing laminate flooring throughout our house.  We also found out we were pregnant this month, although no one knew yet :)

April - This month didn't have a lot going on except trying to keep our baby news a secret, so I kept myself busy by seeing Wicked for the first time and hosting a Stella & Dot giveaway {which was a lot of fun & I'd love to host more in the future}.  I also continued my photo-a-day project.

May - Another relatively quiet month {mainly due to the unknown pregnancy - sensing a theme?} with the exception of my weekly photo-a-day recap posts, but we also had some fun this month.  Our niece turned one!  And we got away to Bend, OR for a little vacation between working on our floors some more.  Our families learned of our upcoming bundle of joy, although we continued to keep the blog world in the dark for another month.

June - The big baby news month!  Our niece helped share the news and in addition to sharing some pregnancy details, I also began my weekly posts about the pregnancy at 14 weeks.  I also posted a special shout-out to the fathers in our life because a new one {my husband!} would be becoming on in December.  Other notable posts from June - I updated my Leap List, continued photo-a-day recaps, and Sam & I celebrated our 4th wedding anniversary!

July - We started out this month with a trip to Nova Scotia {at 16 weeks pregnant} to see my dad and ended it with multiple doctor visits when they discovered a problem at our gender ultrasound.  I filled the month with photo-a-day recaps, reviews, and a Pinterest project, but this month sort of seems like a blur when I think back on it.

August - I took a break posting about the pregnancy for weeks 19 & 20 of the pregnancy due to the news we received in July, but shared some medical details around 21 weeks when we decided to put our trust and baby girl in God's hands and her name around 22 weeks {Charlotte}.  Due to the state of our pregnancy, we became labeled as "high risk" and began seeing a specialist every couple weeks for monitoring, measurements, and tests.  Through all of this, I clung to whatever normalcy I could find and continued my photo-a-day project to find some appreciation of the little things in life.

September - If I was to describe my feelings this month in one word, I would probably say it was "hopeful".  We had met with a few different doctors concerning our little girl's condition and while we knew it was serious, we also hoped that God would fix her little body if that was His plan.  Notable happenings for this month include: sharing a little bit about what was going through my head at the moment; participating in a scarf swap; posting my photo-a-day recaps; and attending two baby showers out of town for Charlotte + I {posted about in December}.

October - Another somewhat quiet month on the blog, with the exception of photo-a-day posts, pregancy updates, and reviews.  One exception was where I felt more hopeful in September, the feeling of hopelessness surrounding the pregnancy overcame my thoughts in October, which I shared about around 32 weeks.  To take my mind off worrying, I started a weekly post called Friday Favorites {I featured Lisa Leonard & HelloBee this month}, which share some blogs & sites that have become must-reads for me throughout the years.

November - More pregnancy updates, reviews, Friday Favorites {iHeart Organizing, Influenster, I Love You More Than Carrots, Jonathan David Photography, and The Four Gift Rule}, and photo-a-day recaps this month.  We also shared Charlotte's scheduled birthday - 12.12.12 - around 36 weeks, after we were transferred up to Legacy Emanuel in Portland, OR for the remainder of our pregnancy.  And due to the nature of the month, I also shared why I was most thankful this year...

December - Also known as the month we've been waiting for!  I started out the month posting about the amazing baby showers that were thrown for us over the last couple months, as well as a Friday Favorite {The Dough Will Rise Again} and finishing out my year-long photo-a-day project.  Then before we knew it, we had made it to 39 weeks & the day finally came that we would finally be meeting our precious baby girl.  Charlotte René Grable was born on 12.12.12 at 2:35pm, but sadly, we had to say goodbye to her far too soon on 12.21.12 at around 11:30am, only 9 short days after we met her.  I tried to put our feelings into words and find meaning for why this all happened, but a lot of if is still in my heart, which is, honestly, where it might stay for the unforeseeable future...  However, I did want to document Charlotte's short, but love-filled life, so you can read about her here & here.

This year was tough.  As I mentioned above, we experienced such a range of emotions this year that I'm not sure how many I have left {except for indescribable sadness and desire to hold Charlotte in my arms again}.  As 2012 comes to an end, I pray that I never forget this year and what it brought us, but that I am also able to move forward and see Charlotte in everything beautiful ahead of us.

A 'Wicked' Good Time

Generally, I live a very low-key lifestyle.  Don't get me wrong, I really enjoy going straight home after work and spending time around the house.  But there are a few occasions when there is an event that I just can't pass up.  This week that event was Wicked!

It all started when I had mentioned to Kristi {the bestie} how I'd been wanting to see Wicked for years, especially since my mom has had me watching the Wizard of Oz since I was a child.  Well one thing lead to another and before I knew it, Kristi had scored us tickets at a great price!

So after work on Tuesday, we {Kristi, Sherlai, + I} hopped in the car and made our way up to Portland for the evening.  We started with dinner in the Pearl District at Oba {delicious!}, then made our way to Keller Auditorium for the show.

To say it was good would be a huge understatement!  I have only seen one other Broadway musical {when I was 13}, so this felt like a new experience for me.  Not only was the talent amazing, but the story line was also right up my alley!

Even though I'm typically a homebody, it's definitely a treat to get out every once in a while!

Farewell 2011!

Well, it's that time again! Time to bid another year adieu and look forward to what the new year has in store for us. But before we do that, let's look back at how 2011 treated us:

January - What I Wore Wednesday, a.k.a. WIWW, continued into 2011 {a fun way to look back and see how my style has evolved}; all of the kids in Sam's family treated his parents to a Portland Trailblazer game for Christmas, which we attended in January; and we spent quality time with family & friends.

February - I bragged about my brother's accomplishments; some Valentine's baking occurred; and more WIWW posts.

March - You got to know me a little better; we celebrated our SIL & MIL's birthday and a baby shower for our niece; I fell in love with the cute town of Seaside, OR; neither of us get Spring Break off, but we still enjoyed the weather with friends + family; and, of course, Kristi kept us well fed.

April - Sam built us {+ the Weathers} raised beds for our garden, which turned into a complete backyard makeover; Lily got a new Molly Mutt bed; my SIL's church through her a beautiful baby shower; and we spent Easter down in Eugene so we could listen to our SIL sing one last time at her church down there.

May - Kristi & I went to see Something Borrowed after reading the book a couple years back; Sam turned 29 & we celebrated both his birthday + Mothers Day in Sandy; and Linnea Elizabeth finally made her appearance {a little over a week late} & we all fell in love instantly!

June - I hoped on a plane to see one of my best friends in TX; there was some quality time spent with my college roommate; my brother graduated from college; I continued to read more books thanks to the BlogHer Book Club; we moved my BIL & SIL up to Portland; and Sam & I celebrated our 3rd wedding anniversary!

July - 4th of July was spent with friends + sparklers; I saw Sara Bareilles in concert with friends; and Sam & I went to the east coast {his first time + I haven't been back in 5+ years} to visit my dad, attend my cousin's wedding, + celebrate my 26th birthday.

August - thanks to Kristi & Sherlai, I attended my second concert this year - Gabe Dixon {+ we got to meet him!}; Sam's family came down for a 'staycation' at our house; and Sam built himself a backdrop for my WIWW photos.

September - I shared how I was feeling lately; we remembered 9/11 - 10th anniversary; and I participated in a scarf swap.

October - Sam & I visited the Oregon Garden for the first time {and are already looking forward to using the membership we purchased}; I played catch up - hair color change, breakfast date with Sam, exploring Portland with Kelly, family photos, and a trip to Redmond to see Michelle + the kids; and we all got together for the 4th annual pumpkin carving party.

November - Sam created a moving picture of our adorable niece that I had to share; I bragged about my talented friends - Jon & Rachel; another 'about me' post; we took Lily to her first dog park; Thanksgiving was spent with Sam's family this year + I shared what I was most thankful for!

December - lots of highlights - more dog park visits, fun with friends, watching my BIL do what he loves, seeing family, & selling my car; I participated in another swap - this time gloves; went to the theatre for a holiday performance; Christmas cards were sent out + the house was decorated; and we managed to see both families this Christmas season.

Overall, I would say this year was a good one for us. We traveled, spent some good time with family + friends, and welcomed our first niece. Even with 2011 being so good, I'm still excited to welcome 2012 and see what it has in store for us. So until next year... :)

Cold Hands, Warm Hearts 2011

Back in October, I signed up for sandyalamode & muchlove, illy's annual mitten swap, Cold Hands, Warm Hearts. I eagerly awaited my swap partner's information and when I finally received it, I was so excited to start picking out some mittens + a few extra goodies for Molly. {Check out what I sent her over to her on her blog later this week!}

As for me, I feel like Molly spoiled me!

First, check out my new gloves!
I love the color and they are unlike anything I would have picked out
myself, yet I think I will get so much use out of them this winter!

Then look at what she filled the rest of my package with!
Just a few of the items: brownie mix + a cute holiday oven mitt,
Burt's Bee's lip gloss {a favorite!}, a couple soaps, and
a beautiful scarf that matches my new gloves perfectly!

And finally, check out the sweet gift she sent over for Lily! So festive!

So, thank you Molly! I love everything you sent over to us & I really hope you enjoyed your Cold Hands, Warm Hearts package as well!

And thank you to our hosts, sandyalamode & muchlove, illy - I'm already looking forward to next year's swap! :)

Weekend Highlights

To be honest with you, I actually tried to make an effort to document my weekend with pictures so I had something to post here. Sad? A little. In reality, I love taking pictures, but most of the time I forget to take my camera {or iPhone, usually} out to capture life as it's happening. I do enjoy being able to look back at past posts, even it doesn't pertain to anyone else, so I will continue to post, pictures or not.

Here's a couple of this weekend's highlights:

We took Lily to the dog park again and actually let her

off the leash for most of time. I think she had a great time because

she slept for the remainder of the weekend :)

My Saturday night was spent celebrating Kiley's {Sherlai's husband}

40th birthday party! This party was straight out of Pinterest -

there was live music, barbecue, and a photo booth {above}

all taking place in an old barn! Simply amazing, if you ask me!

On Sunday, we drove up to Sandy to see Sam's family.

We've been following along with our brother-in-law's weekly class at church

via the internet and we're so happy to get to see his teaching in real life!

We also drove up to see this cutie!

I wish she'd stop growing so fast, but I do love seeing

her personality change each time we see her!

And finally, it was the end of an era...

I said goodbye to my faithful New Beetle on Sunday afternoon.

The car that got me through college, my long distance engagement,

and the first few years of marriage, all with very little trouble.

But I was happy it is going to another young girl who will

{hopefully} enjoy it as much as I did!

Happy Monday!

Catching Up

I might be the only one who cares, but I have been slacking when it comes to this blog. I've been posting my WIWW's regularly, but when it comes to other life happenings, the blog posts are sparse. I apologize for that! Please take this post as a quick catch up to our life:

*With the help of Kristi, I did my first at-home hair dye. I didn't do anything too drastic, just a shade darker and I'm really enjoying it!


*Due to the economy, Sam & I both have a handful of furlough days throughout the year. While most aren't on the same days, a couple are and we've welcomed the extra day off together {like with breakfast at one of our local favorites - Word of Mouth}.


*Since graduating college, my college roommate, Kelly, & I have been trying to get together at least once every couple months and even though life has been busy, we've been mostly successful. Our last visit was earlier this month and we took full advantage of the new season and indulged in apple cider & pumpkin cupcakes - both so good!


*Last weekend, Sam's family got together for a family photo shoot. The last time we had pictures all together was for Matt & Krista's wedding, so these were much overdue. We had Jonathan David Photography do them {they did our couple pictures last year} and I can't wait to see how the professional ones turned out!


*This little pumpkin is growing so fast and I just want to keep her little forever! I anticipate lots of fun this holiday season with her around :)


*Last Wednesday, I took the day off work to go to central Oregon to visit my friend, Michelle, from Texas! She and her kids were visiting family and she kindly made time for me to come visit. I forgot how tiring a high-energy 2 year old & a teething 5 month old can be, but boy are they too cute!


And that brings us up-to-date! Hopefully my future updates won't be so far in between...

Field Trip: The Oregon Garden

This weekend, we ventured out to The Oregon Garden for the first time {thanks to an awesome Groupon} and enjoyed a perfect Fall day surrounded by nature's beauty!

We started the day off with a 30 minute tram ride that took you throughout all of the gardens and told you a little about why they were formed, what type of plants grow there, etc.


Following the tour, we took our time and explored a few of the gardens ourselves.


There was one point when we were walking around that we saw a momma + baby dear dart out {less than 10 feet away} in front of us, through a couple of the gardens. It was a pretty cool site!

Towards the end of our exploring, we found some cut out displays that I knew Lily had to get her picture taken with her head in a pumpkin :)

And just to prove, Sam was there {he was behind his camera most of the time}:

I love when we can find a hidden gem so close to home and after such a beautiful day, I can't wait to go back. And the fun thing about a garden is it will be different every time you go back, thanks to the always-changing seasons!

Love: Gabe Dixon Band

You might be wondering "who is Gabe Dixon", but if you've seen the movie The Proposal, then you've heard Gabe Dixon before (hint: first song in the movie is his). And prior to last Monday night, I hadn't heard much more than that, but after the concert*, I can now say I am a fan!

Best part of the night though? Definitely getting to meet him after the show! Thanks Gabe!

*I'm not usually one who attends a lot of concerts {I could probably count all that I've seen on one hand}, but I love hanging out with the two lovely ladies above and will gladly tag along to any concert they're going to!

Something Borrowed

Despite the not-so-favorable reviews, I'm still very excited to head out and see this tonight with my good pal {& the one who introduced me to this series}, Kristi.

Happy weekend to you all!

Over the Weekend

Last week was Spring Break for our area and even though I work for the school district, I sadly don't get the week off {or the summer, due to being a 12-month employee}. I did get a lot accomplished with such a quiet office, which helped keep work off my mind for the weekend. Throughout the weekend {+ the end of the week}, we had dinner with family & friends. On Thursday, we headed over to our friend's/neighbor's house for dinner & TV. We usually head over on Mondays to watch the Bachelor, but since it's over to the summer, we moved our standing dinner dates to Thursday night. I'll be honest, I look forward to these EVERY week!

{Kristi never fails to provide a delicious meal for us!}

On Friday, we headed west to Monmouth to have dinner with Sam's cousin + her husband and play a couple hands of pinochle. {Sorry, no pictures were taken.} Saturday brought some time in the kitchen & yard for us. While Sam took to both the front & back lawn, I took to the kitchen, making maple scones & cleaning it top to bottom.

For the scones, I went with Living the Swell Life's "Must-Make Maple Scones" recipe and it didn't disappoint. Shortly after we finished with our respective tasks, Charles & Kristi asked if we wanted to head to the Woodburn Outlets. As someone who can always go shopping {right mom?}, we were in! It was fun to wander around & check out stores with someone who likes the same thing as you. Plus, I scored a top for under $4! {Sidenote to Kristi: you've got a shopping buddy in me anytime you want! :)} Saturday night brought us with more plans {which is highly unlike us!} - dinner + a movie with Sam's cousin + her husband. They had talked about going the night before and invited us along. Our original plan was to see The Tourist, but it was sold out. We ended up going to grab pizza & then coming back to the theater to see The Green Hornet. Good company, food, & movie! And after a busy Saturday, we've resorted back to our usual way - lounging around watching movies + basketball games. How was your weekend?