the end of summer

This morning started out with me gathering and picking up, making lunches, and just being frantic. Cooking breakfast (frozen waffles, mmhmm) and feeding Moosh while checking emails and trying to be wide awake. One of those. Trying to deliver the baby to the nanny (more to come) on time and not forget anything is a tad tough, but then I got a major pick me up. I tromped into Starbucks in the rain with baby on the hip about to order my boring latte, when tah-dah… the pumpkin spice latte was back. Oh yes please Barista sir, ring me up.

So back to important business… baby girl started a mothers day out program this week. Eeek! I went to my first parents meeting and found myself totally tuned out. All I could think about was bringing her in with her mini lunch box and leaving her to nap on a mat with a room full of children. Seriously? Have you met my child? I can't imagine they nap one wink, but everyone says they do so, whatever. We shall see. In the meantime it looks like I need to start labeling every single item she uses, including diapers. The other days of the week I'm carting her over to cousin Lauren's to nanny share. Charlie & Moosh… those two are two peas in a pod and have a big time together. Plus Lauren's house is way cool and they have about every toy you can think of. I think it's a sweet deal.
She's a happy camper, but I do feel a little guilty dropping her off. I remind myself that she's fine and very well taken care of, but that sneaky mothers guilt still creeps in. It's a hard balance for sure, but I so love my job. Just this week I got to work on an amazing job and we are ramping back up now that I'm back home. Hopefully a happy momma is a happy baby. And I am happy. Things are still up in the air, but life is good. And here's a random mix of it all…

14 months

Yesterday, I was at a baby shower for a friend and watched as she opened gifts filled with tiny blue outfits. I felt so excited knowing she would soon be experiencing the love of her new baby. It made me think about how fast the last few months have gone. I've been watching Miriam change every day, but all of a sudden she seems so big. She's getting a tiny bit closer to walking, but seems mighty happy just cruising and speed crawling her way around.

Her big thing lately is pointing. At the fan, at the window, at the t.v., and everything is "da". My dad said pointing is definitely a sign of intelligence. Um, yeah, sure I'll go with that theory. So pointing is pretty cool, but something not so cool… screeching. She is trying out the ole vocal cords and I'm pretty sure hubs and I are going to go deaf any day now.
This morning I was making some hashbrowns and toast while a very squirmy little lady was pouting and trying to crawl up my leg. To give myself just a few more minutes of cooking I needed a distraction. So I pulled open up the dishwasher of clean dishes and let Moosh go to town. She loves to crawl up on the lid and play with spatulas and whisks and such. One eye on the stove and one eye on all those breakable dishes.

Anyway, she's wild and only getting wilder, but we're having a lot of fun around here. Lot's of trips to Pontotoc and playdates with some friends and hanging with the fam. Miriam has been a trooper as we float from our condo, to the farm, to running errands with Tenn Hens. She has accompanied Currier & I on business lady lunches and even a couple press checks. It's a hard balance, but I'm thankful to juggle it all …for now!

30A Style

While we were at the beach momma picked up a copy of her friends new book, 30A Style. Inside it shows this scenic highway in Florida where the New Urbanist movement really exploded along the coast. Seaside kinda started it all, but it's grown like crazy from there. But, back to the book! It's a peek inside some of these beach homes. Some are really fancy and beautiful, but my favorites are the ones with a little character. Not overdone or too staged. These are spaces that you truly want to live in.

 

…and then there's this lake cottage I may be a bit partial towards. Okay fine, I am partial because, I know the lovely folks that live here. But seriously, even if I didn't know them it would still be my favorite. Everything just seems so comfortable and inviting. Like you want to shimmy up to the counter with a cocktail and watch the chef do her thing. That's my kinda place. And the marble countertops, the yellow Le Creuset, and the cherry bar… oh, and the sleeping puppy… yessiree, don't mind if I do.

baby at the beach

I'm still dreaming of the waves humming in the distance, but it's back to the real world after our beach trip. Don't you always feel like by the time you settle in and begin to relax, it's already time to go home? A vacation to the beach is always too short, though I shouldn't complain a bit. We got to get away from it all and put our toes in the sand. The beaches of 30A are beautiful and so are all the children in Seaside. Everyone is friendly and chatty and in a laid back state of mind. I can tell you it was different than vacations of the past. Toting Miss Moosh around changes everything. Long days on the beach with a cooler of beer are no longer! And that's ok. We worked around her schedule, took turns, applied & reapplied sunscreen to that soft baby skin, stacked 2 highchairs at a high-top table so she could eat with us, put her in a floaty, sat under the umbrella a lot, and tried to make baby as happy as possible. She was like a little fish splashing and kicking those legs while watching all the big kids play. She was in heaven. We brought a wagon with us and I felt like we were straight out of Oregon trail rolling into the beach club. It was borderline ridiculous with an enormous red canopy. Oh, we were totally "those" people!





Our condo was perfect. Right on the beach, quiet, and nestled in the dunes. Everyone had their own room, except we decided to put Miriam in the huge walk-in closet. I realize that sounds ridiculous, but I promise she was fine. There was plenty of room for a crib and we always had the door open. She slept like a little lamby the whole time and I swear it's because there were no windows. And speaking of, she's been an angel lately. Who knew? I mean, she's still a wild mess, but the sleeping and the schedule and the two naps?… perfection. Maybe she's payin' us back for the first 6 months of screaming & crying. Maybe. Or maybe it's just a phase and all of a sudden she'll change again. Who knows, but I am saying thank you sweet baby for now





So here we are back in Nashville still getting our footing, but glad to be home. And at least we have a pool nearby so we can stay cool and pretend we still hear the Gulf crashing in the distance.

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!