the move

Did yall think I up and disappeared on you? I just got swept away in the moving wind tunnel and thought I'd never hit the ground again. It was bittersweet and definitely sad to leave our bungalow. A lot happened in that house and it's where baby Moosh spent her first year. We packed like crazy, we sweated through the heat, we watched the movers load up and condense our life into one truck, we waved goodbye to our friend Austin, and then we drove. I followed T in the truck and drove along with thoughts of what lay ahead bouncing around my mind, but felt very at peace with it all. The next 24 hours were a blur. Lots of unpacking and shuffling the baby around and then I got bit by a spider and had my whole arm swell up. Then our truck got vandalized overnight (on a very nice street mind you) and we had to call the police. Have I mentioned I hate moving? But we made it and I ran around like a crazy lady until the next thing I knew we were on our way back out of town headed to the Gulf. So here we are and the beach is washing away all of those moving memories for now.

mayme baker's

I knocked one of the things off my Gville bucket list and went to Mayme Baker's store with a friend (hi Mary Bennett!). I went with full intention of looking, not buying, but what did I do? I bought. The good thing is I think I totally scored with this purchase. Only 35 bucks for this killer necklace. Big and gold and shiny. Yes, please. Think I'm going to wear it while I pack.

brooke boling

Today I want to brag on my friend Brooke Boling. She's a phenomenal photographer + designer. We met through her husband Gregg who was my art director at Buntin (my first job out of college). He's one of the most creative people I know and he taught me so much. It was a crazy ride at that agency, but I look back with such fondness for the people I met and I'm so thankful for the experience. Anyway, we've all kept in touch and Gregg & Brooke actually came to our wedding a few years ago. She remembered the barn on my parents farm and recently got in touch to see if she could do a photoshoot there. We decided on a little trade. She used the location for her shoot and then came back and took some pics of our family in return. The Moosh was hot & cranky, but Brooke still captured some sweet shots and made us all look good. She's so nice and easy going. I highly recommend her!

Anyway, I was so excited to see her images from the "honey wedding" shoot at the farm on Style Me Pretty today. Totally dreamy and makes me wanna get married all over again. Just beautiful. Definitely check out her blog too!

baby must haves

It was not so long ago I was walking the aisles of baby stores, staring in confusion… What is all of this stuff? Are these sleep-wrap things for real? Can baby monitors really be this expensive? And, lord help me, but what kind of bottles do I buy?… I was so overwhelmed I wanted to walk right on back out to my car and leave babies r' us in the dust forever. Instead, I polled some friends with babies and happily went online to purchase such items. Whew. Some things got used and others never even left the box (ie. bottle heater & wipes warmer).

So, the reason I'm writing all this now is I have four very loverly pregnant friends that might need some tips. See, I'm all big in my britches and think I totally know what I'm talking about. Cocky huh? Anyway, for those that are even a smidge interested in what I think, here ya go ladies…

1. puj tub : Loved this clever contraption. It saved my back for the first few months and nestled my babe in a little spa.
2. sound machine : doesn't matter which one, but someone gave me this at a shower and it hums away perfectly in the nursery. Great when you have a small house and paper thin walls.
3. sleep sack : I bought the miracle blanket and it frustrated me to death. Baby girl wiggled like a fool and it took two people to figure out how to tuck and wrap this sucker. So, we finally bought a sleep sack with a velcro wrap to swaddle her arms and it was a life saver. Swaddling so tightly felt so strange, but it keeps them from flailing their arms and waking themselves up (which they do).
4. boppy liners : Babies pee all the time and these allow them to be naked for a bit without ruining whatever is underneath. Used them on the changing table constantly!
5. sleep lady's book: I didn't use her "shuffle" method, but I did love her sample schedule and advice. It told me what sort of schedule the baby should be on (once she was big enough to be on one). Awesome!
6. soothie pacifier : only paci Miriam would take.
7. lovey : So sweet & they can hold and rub when going to sleep.
8. mustela newborn set : Got this as a gift and I'm still obsessed with its smell.
9. dr browns bottles : Pain to clean, but worth it for a happy baby tummy. Get small bottles and larger bottles for then they start drinking more milk.

My last piece of advice is to do what feels right to you. Sounds easy, but it's hard when you're in the thick of it and questioning your every move. As long as you're giving that baby lots of love that's all that matters so just hang on tight!

leaving carolina

It's rare, but occasionally I wake up bright eyed and anxious to start my day. Today was like that. Miriam and I were eating our oatmeal (while having a serious battle over the sippy cup of milk, more to come on that) when I remembered today was the downtown Farmers Market. Good thinking. Main street was full of people and the sun wasn't full steam so there was a niceness to the air. The vendors had overflowing baskets of corn, and veggies, and berries galore. Bluegrass plucking and a chatter of friendly folks filled the air. What a lucky little place. I'm going to miss it.

See, we're moving. Leaving Carolina and heading home to Nashville. We've been in limbo lately trying to figure things out, but we are finally making the move. The truth is it's been super stressful lately, but  I'm excited. Really excited. I'm gonna miss this town and the friends I've made, but my heart is in Nashville and I can't wait to get back. We'll be living in my Miss Currier's condo temporarily which means most of our stuff is going in storage. That helps the unloading process, but it also means we have to pack smartly. Ughh. Boxes are piling up and I'm doing my best to weed through some stuff. I wonder if other people haul around old magazines like me? Please Lord, don't let me become a hoarder like those people on the t.v! I promise to get seriously organized once we're settled.

I did take a few pics of the place before the mess just so we can remember our sweet bungalow. It's hard to believe it's been 2 years since we moved to Greenville. Now, we have 8 days to get this place in shape. I've got a ton of Tenn Hens work, there are 2 showings today, there are bills to cancel & addresses to change, boxes that need packing, and on and on, but what I really want to do is get out on the town. Of course I've seen a lot, but there are still things I want to do before we leave. Like… rent a bike at the Swamp Rabbit Trail - visit the new Mayme Baker shop - lunch @ the hot dog king - have a final meal at my favorite, Luna Rosa - take hubs to see the Mary Whyte exhibit, and hmm…what else?

The boxes can wait right? Besides, I have our new friend McNutty here to help. Isn't he the cutest! He and Moosh are already best buds and they've secretly promised to pack up the nursery for us.

first birthday

Miriam's birthday came & went in a flash. One second we were in Nashville and the next second we were back in Greenville. Whew, our life has been a whirl wind of travel, work, interviews, and talk of moving. But… we squeezed in a party for baby girl and I'm so glad we did. Very small and laid back, but it was special to celebrate with friends. After all, we made it through year 1 and that's a heck of a reason to celebrate. I made some simple apps, but most of my effort went into making sprinkles strawberry cupcakes. Whole lotta work, but they were ridiculous and you could just taste all that butter & love inside. Miriam, for one, went straight for the icing and was licking her chops with a smile.



I made these "republic of Moosh flags" (at least that's what hubs called them) that were adorable, but then I had no idea what to do with them. Hmmm, well thought out plan. I ended up just sticking some in a cup as decor. A better idea was these Mexican-Flowers made out of tissue paper. They added some flair to the table and afterwards I bunched them together and hung in my office.


We were all glowing from the heat, but a handful of ladies were also giving off that baby vibe. Seriously, it feels like everybody is pregnant! Y'all must be drinking out of the same tap. Lots of babies on the horizon that I'll be lovin' on soon. Miriam was coming off that sugar high & rubbing her eyes by the end which was the sign of a really fun party. Cheers baby love!