Consequences of Softball

So Kyle is at an all day softball tournament and Abby and I decided to go to Nordstrom rack (makes sense right?)

I was able to snag three fantastic items and got out for less than $70! First, I had a Nordstrom note so I got these great Tory Burch flip flops for $5!

Then I found this on the sale rack. I have been looking for simple yet textured items to add to my "meeting with clients " wardrobe, and this fit the bill!

Just my chic moment for the day!


Dabble

Room #1

I'm starting with our front guest room because it's a room that is literally not connected to anything else. Dablet's room connects through a Jack & Jill bathroom to our back guest room, so for sake of isolation this seemed like the best place to start. Let's face it, it's also a room that I can just make decisions about without affecting anyone else that lives here....aka my husband! Here's the layout for the room:

Recently I posted about design ADD through pillows. While it is an easy way to change up your style and feel of your room quickly (based on the assumption that the rest of the room is somewhat neutral), in this case I am going to use 2 pillows as the inspiration for this room. Both of them came from Pier 1.

Here is what I'm looking at for a wall color from Benjamin Moore (under more color combos) It's called Iris Bliss and paired with Baby Seal Black and Grey Owl. 

Before I dive in the deep end, here's what is already in the room:

Queen size bed and box "spring" I never really understood that term when most of them are really just boxes...but alas we have a "box spring". There's a small basic wood side table that I'm not even going to photograph and then this beauty:

This is Kyle's and it clearly needs some new knobs and I'm thinking about painting it one of my accent colors to tie it in a bit more. Ideas?

We also have this mirror that I found at a closeout sale and I love it in spite of its dings...should I leave this black? Should I paint it?

Now for the fun new things:

Both of these beauties are from Zinc Door designed by Jonathan Adler. I think that this shade of grey is the PERFECT canvas for just about any room, and it will probably play a large part in the paint for the rest of our house. (I'll show you all those daunting walls soon don't worry!)
I'm still searching for the "perfect" accent chair, and I'm taking suggestions. Some of them might have to be added to the "A Girl Can Dream" list...and others you might actually see in my house! I have a feeling that if I   won the lottery tomorrow I would pull the classic "I'm cheating on fashion with furniture"!

Dablet will be rising soon, so until next time

Dabble

Two short years ago...

I said I would post some detail pictures of our wedding yesterday, but between a softball double header and an unexpectedly (but appreciated) busy work day I must apologize for getting to it a day late! This wedding was 15 months in the making, and I had fabulous day of assistance from Courtney Arnold with Stellar Events. I would advise any bride-to-be to invest in a planner for at least the day of. Family will offer, but by the end of the weekend you'll all be so stressed that it's really not worth it. When it comes to a day you will (hopefully) only do once, unless of course you renew your vows but that's a bit different, having someone who is there to solely bring YOUR vision to life is priceless.
Here we go!

Engraved first toast glasses from The Knot, which we forgot to use (HA!) but I get warm and fuzzy every time I see them on our side bar!

Our Ceremony was on South Beach of Bald Head Island and we had parasols (as seen on the left) for our guests

The "Guys" wore navy and white seersucker suits and had Orchids as their boutineers. Perfect look with the white sunglasses! ....oh boys....

We bought bamboo poles and glued ribbon in two shades of teal and lime green to line the path down to the beach for our guests

At the bottom of the stairs to the beach we had raffia tied bunches of Ginger flowers. This added a nice punch of color outside of the teals and greens from the rest of the wedding

Our wedding cake was a sandcastle inspired by all of the ones I made on the beach with my dad! The baker at Sweet T's in Wilmington was SO excited we wanted the "real sand" look and she did an amazing job on the look, and the taste! In order to make everyone happy, we had 4 flavor combinations:

Marble Cake with peanut butter buttercream - Kyle's pick

Chocolate Cake with Kahlua buttercream - My pick

Strawberry Cake with Chocolate buttercream - for a chocolate covered strawberry effect

Lemon Cake with Raspberry buttercream - just in case you aren't a chocolate person

On our gift, food, and other accent tables we had arrangements like this above with bear grass, shells, and submerged orchids. I fell in love with the look of different levels of flowers versus one big arrangement. We bought all of our flowers wholesale and my aunt put them all together so I got to go a little orchid crazy...

The main wedding flowers were orchids (green and white), roses (desert and cream), hydrangea (blue green and cream), and calla lilies (white and green). We had champagne silk linens with sand dollars on each napkin, shells on the tables, and our table names came from lighthouses (in frames) from North Carolina. Frames we hand painted, distressed, and lettered

Detail of napkin shot

The reception was held at the Bald Head Island Club with indoor and outdoor access. This amazing draped tent was open on the sides and covered our white dance floor (Kyle insisted that it be white). This area offered the perfect sunset setting for this:

I love this picture so much I printed it and stretched it on canvas to make a conversation piece. BIG thanks to Matt McGraw for the talent to snap pictures like this on our big day!

It was my original intent to show you all of my wedding style, at least for my personal day, here but I've realized there are WAY too many pictures to choose from! I am going to do a separate post later about my paper accents like invitations, programs, and gift bag cards. When you have people travel to a destination like this, you need to make sure you say a proper thank you! I personally LOVE putting gift bags together for weddings, and finding all of the perfect things that represent the location and the couple!

One day we'll renew our vows and I'll get to plan something else like this, but until then I will share this part of my passion with other people. For me, I'll have to transition it to my house and the home makeover that will take over most of my upcoming blog posts!

I hope you find a Chic Moment in your day today and remember to Dabble in the things that make you happy!

Until Next Time

Dabble

She's a Maniac

Where do I even begin on a night like tonight? How about something like doing a running man dance in place to  "She's a Maniac"? That would pretty much sum it up! Last night I wrote a post about Definition of Self and Style because I needed a moment to just be myself and realize that to have a successful style vision, I needed to have a good self vision. Ironically, it catapulted me in front of the "public" like I did not expect at this point in my blogging or my social media "efforts" to have a response quite like this mainly because the general public seems to have a clear idea of what it wants and it's quite intimidating.
Dabble in Chic was mentioned on this e-publication in the #inspire section. I entered into a contest with Olioboard for a paint package from Benjamin Moore. Exactly what I need because, as previously mentioned, I am embarking on a house makeover! From there, I have had more mentions, retweets, Facebook love, and blog views in a single day than ever before. I wasn't sure if I should get myself a martini to celebrate, or just keep riding the wave. Unfortunately I haven't been able to do either yet because I spent the afternoon picking up and shipping out custom designed print work for Printing Chic, the printing and graphic design arm of Dabble in Chic. Tonight I am planning on joining the conversation on Twitter for #AllThingsColor. In celebration of today's "success" I will have some red wine!
I started taking my "before" pictures for the house makeover today and I will only post them once I have the next step complete....total removal and purging of the chaos that has taken over our home! I've already had the carpeted areas upstairs measured for hardwoods (Bamboo!!!) and I'm working on some great new boards on Olioboard! I was talking to Dablet's Fairy Godmommy earlier today about my undertaking, and we've agreed that if I'm going to do this, I want to do it right! So of course we will have to get her down here for some assistance and contribution from her fantastic designing mind. She's an amazing designer in her own right, and I'll be having her do a guest blog appearance as things progress. The Fairy Godmommy shenanigans will most likely include chicken fingers getting stuck to some child's booty during a "business meeting" (this seems to be a required activity when your children come to business lunches with you), and lots of drool spilling on things we'll only dream of adding to my mix. Dablet will appreciate that someone else will drool on the furniture now besides her!
Again, I have to thank everyone who has shown me love and encouraged me to continue the style vision I am pursuing, one that starts with self first! To kick off my personal definition of style, I am going to post some of my favorite detail pictures from my wedding tomorrow (our 2nd anniversary is coming up in just under 3 weeks!!!!!)

Time for a quick dinner before the Twitter Chat!

Dabble

Definition of Self and Style

As some recent Twitter, Pinterest, and Blog love might show, I am a huge fan of Layla Grayce and Zinc Door! What do I find most fabulous about these brands? Their founders and owners! Tiffany and Wendy are two women you feel as if you grow to know through the offerings of their e-commerce sites. From the favorite picks, to the interaction with social media (including some recent "product testing" at the High Point Furniture Market seen on Instagram), the brands they have built are representations of what I feel innovative women strive to achieve. Do you have to be a designer? Of course not, that's not the point! The point is that you follow  whatever passion drives you to simply be yourself!
I think that part of my "issue" with design ADD, besides the fact that cohesive design takes time, comes from my desire to "wow" the people that walk through my front door. If I cannot decide what defines ME through expression in design, how will any client get an idea of whom they are working with from my space? I've been focusing too much on appealing to the masses, and not enough on appealing to myself. Now, if I were trying to develop an e-commerce brand such as the above mentioned ladies I would need to expose the target market to all of the options within my "style definition". Until I have my definition of self, I will never achieve a definition of style.
I told Kyle yesterday (and warned Courtney, our Nanny), that I had a new game plan for our house re-decoration. To be honest, it's more like a decoration, because we never really pulled ourselves together after we moved in, we were too busy figuring out marriage, starting a business, getting pregnant, and then being new parents! Here's the plan:

• Go room by room and pick a vision - this can be inspiration boards (made easy by our friends at Olioboard)
• Collect your favorite patterns, colors, furniture...and then do some old fashioned editing
• Set a budget for the entire house - or however many rooms you want to do
• Prioritize the rooms in your house
• Break your budget down by room
• Edit again if needed
• REMOVE EVERYTHING FROM ROOM
• Start with canvas - paint and wallpaper
• Move furniture back in
• Decorate with accents

Here's the KEY to making this work:

• IF IT DOESN'T HAVE A SPACE IN YOUR NEW ROOM....IT DOESN'T GO BACK IN...IT FINDS A NEW HOME OUT OF YOURS!

Here's something I "whipped" together for a living room for the Benjamin Moore challenge using some great finds from Zinc Door:

Click here to see the items in this picture, and just as importantly to VOTE for it in the contest!
Maybe one of these days I can make my own "before and after" version of a home makeover show. Unfortunately, I might not be able to afford to do what needs to be done to our ~3,500 sq. ft. of space in the way my inner designer would love to, but I can promise you one thing:

I will find my definition of self , I will find my definition of style, and I will share my before and after photos!

To Layla Grayce and Zinc Door, I thank you for all of the love over the past few days. I am more than "design crushing" on you, so I beg that you continue to accommodate the love I pour your way for your brands and your inspiration to a working mom wanting to make her dreams work for her family!

Dabble

Tech done Chic

I have been drooling over Apple products for as long as I can remember! Now, with this new venture upon me, and a constant need for on the go organization and ability to showcase designs to clients, I am in need of a tablet. Could it be that I could possibly write this off as a business expense? Let's go one step further and talk about the iCloud. You mean I can sync all of my "potential" Apple devices together and share the same information among them? YES!!! Let's talk about the iPhone too! There is also an aspect of the iPhone that I am coveting and that is Instagram! I can start taking pictures of my favorite looks, rooms, and elements to share  them with clients and, above all, myself!
So here's how we can make a new phone a statement and pay homage to some of our favorite (at least my favorite) brands:

#1,2,3 can be found at Layla Grayce and are designed by Petunia Pickle Bottom, Johnathan Adler, and Lily Pulitzer respectively.

#4 & 5 are by one of my favorite ladies Tory Burch

#6 & 7 are from Kate Spade

Because a girl can never ever choose just one, just like you can't eat just one chip, I had to delve into the world of tablet cases as well! 

Here we have "our girls" Kate (1 & 4) and Tory (3) again talking to good 'ol Michael Kors (2). All of these can be found at Nordstrom in their Tech department. I am a HUGE fan of the "Equestrian Orange" Tory uses. First for the sentimental aspect coming from my competitive riding background, and the fabulous pop of color it brings to everything! Kate is always good with patterns, stripes and polka dots, and the great sayings like this "out of office". Clearly it's a travel case, but there's the innuendo that you've "checked out" just a bit! Of course Michael has given us a classic envelope clutch look in a tablet case. Do I need 4 tablets? No....But this girl will be dreaming of cases!

Enjoy your Chic Moment with your gadgets!

Dabble

It's a Hat Day

Sometimes my Chic Moment of the day comes from just looking at my daughter. Dablet is now fast asleep (face down mind you, causing me a variety of stress and nerves), but earlier we had some great moments together! Normally people tell you to put little girls in bows, and we do enough of that. Plus, she has this crazy lopsided thing going on with her hair right now, so one sided bows don't really do the trick. Here are two looks we have come up with to remedy the situation. Personally I think she's pretty "stinkin' cute"!

This is Kyle's hat...she was going for some sort of "look", I'm not really sure, but she seemed to enjoy it!

We then went to Moe's today for lunch, and because our little girl is getting so good at "eating on the go" she grabbed her juice bottle and some puffs and ate lunch with us. Of course, she stuck her pinky finger out while drinking out of said juice bottle, but what diva wouldn't? This hat is her own!

While all moments can be greeted with a smile, for some people it's not quite as easy. You may have heard of this little 5 month old wonder before, but if not, please go read her blog and her story and learn a little more about what it means to live every moment of life to the fullest!

Avery's Story

Until next time, or another hat....

Dabble

Passion in the details

I've been working on building social media connections for Dabble in Chic, and though the work I've been introduced to some fabulous brands, bloggers, and "women in charge". It makes a certain amount of sense that the design and planning world is saturated with amazing creative independent women who are living out their designing dreams through their (often times self-made) dream jobs!
Yesterday I talked about one way to satisfy the design ADD that plagues so many of us, and today I'd like to give you another that "tags along" with you! JEWELRY!!!! When Tiffany & Co. isn't in the budget, or maybe some David Yurman, it's nice to have some great stores to go to to give you some big bang for your buck!
Last year when I was pregnant I purchased a few simple pieces from Stella & Dot. I went simple because I had a massive bump, read watermelon, under my shirt and I didn't feel like carrying any extra weight. My center of gravity was already thrown off enough, you should have seen me trying to bowl at 32 weeks pregnant, I didn't want any excess sending me into early labor!
This summer, I'm all about some statement pieces! If you want to check out all of my Jewelry dreams check out the board on Pinterest. If you just can't stand it, check out these goodies from Bauble Bar and if you'd like $10 off your first purchase click the link on our Facebook page!

Blush Stacking Ring Duo Cuff Lime Elliptic Bib  Coral Rope Cuff Think Pink

Enjoy these delightful inspirations! Grandy (Abby's name for my mom) is in town this weekend and is closing on a townhouse she bought in the area. I'm sure I'll be full of new decorating tips, cooking ideas, and family fun! If I don't come back before the weekend, enjoy your Friday Frolicking!

Dabble

Designing ADD

Part of the reason I am enjoying this part of life as much as I am is that the freedom I have in my schedule allows me to satisfy my ADD nature when it comes to designing. I think this is part of the reason my house isn't finished pulling itself together yet. I say that like I expect the house to come to life like a Disney movie and whisk itself into shape and full decoration. A girl can dream right? It's either have magic take over, or turn into an episode of Hoarders. If I tried to satisfy my every design obsession I'd end up in a conundrum of overcrowded and broke.
Rather than travel down the dark road to overcrowded insanity, I think I have found a way to satisfy changing seasons, trends, and desires without totally breaking the bank. Pillows! I fell in love with the modern edgy style found at Zinc Door through its sister company Layla Grayce. Every mom who has a desire for design will appreciate the home, mom, and child related items brought by these companies.
Here are some of my favorites:

DL Rhein Cross Hatch

Dwell Studio Ogree Azure Pillow

Trina Turk Ogee Pink Embroidered Linen

Jonathan Adler Medallion Pink Orange Bobo Pillow

Kyle would be the first to tell you that I have a minor obsession with throw pillows, as well as accent chairs. Anytime we are out wandering through furniture stores you can find me sitting in accent chairs and magnetizing myself to unique pieces of furniture. Maybe I'm on the quest to find the perfect accent for the empty space left in our bedroom now that Abby is upstairs. Then again, maybe I'm just satisfying my innate desire to dabble in everything that gives me a Chic Moment in my day, even if it's just in daydreaming!

Dabble

Mother's Day Dreams

So every girl has the talent to leave hints. If you're about to be engaged, or have been talking about it, you leave hints for rings.Getting Married? You leave hints for the special touches. Living together? It's birthday gifts, anniversaries, and for me this year it's Mother's Day!
The art of leaving hints has become INCREDIBLY easy thanks to blogging and especially Pinterest! Here are a few of my favorite things, small and large! After all, there's nothing wrong with dreaming big!
If you didn't expect the first things to come from Lush, you need to read the blog more!
First up:

This Serenity Gift Box will run baby daddy (in my case Kyle) $37.95 and includes 5 stress reducing items.
If you've been a really good mom, or maybe have more than one kiddo running around the house, it might not hurt to leave a "hint" for this $89.95 wonder known as Tickled Pink with 10 fantastic items and a GREAT box!

Just as practical, I am going to give a hint to my favorite "house wine" of ours. Yup, it's less than $15 for a double bottle, and you can buy it at Target (or at least you can in NC), but it's a great blend of a Shiraz and a Cabernet...what mom doesn't need a glass of wine or cocktail every once in a while?

Of course, I had to include a piece of jewelry. Given that we are a family of three, this interlocking pendant necklace from Tiffany & Co. is a special sentiment to my first Mother's Day with my daughter. If (read WHEN) we have more children, most likely only one, this wouldn't make complete sense. I enjoy being able to pay special attention to Abby while she is still my only. Do you have only one (even if just for now?) Take a look at this here:

I love the rose gold! This comes in three sizes, and is in celebration of their 175th anniversary!

To dream even bigger (and I'll be honest, pretty unrealistically but I just had to!), I'm going to show you a favorite on my furniture wish list. Now that Abby is up in her own room, we have a large space next to my side of the bed, and I'd love to have a chaise to read in. Here's the Taylor Scott Chaise from Layla Grayce, and it can be found here it has several fabrics available for slipcovers

To all you moms out there, enjoy your day! That includes moms-to-be alike. Also, I would like to give a special nod to all of my friends and family on the quest to become first time parents, or add another to their brood. Motherhood is a miracle and a blessing that gives you an entirely new understanding of yourself and your capability to love!

Until Next Time
Dabble

Monday Moments

This weekend was great, although full of some stressful parenting moments. We took Abby over to Southpoint to wander around and meet our Nanny and her man for dinner. I was slightly "distracted" when we were getting ready to leave, and I grabbed a bottle of juice and dinner for Abby, but no milk bottle. We have been supplementing with a little bit of formula in her bottles because my supply isn't keeping up as much as I'd like it to. However, in this pinch, Kyle ran out to Target and got some "ready to serve" formula and we gave it to Dablet at the restaurant. Well fast forward to about 10pm, we're home, she's sound asleep in bed, and Kyle is on his way out to watch an MMA fight...I was looking at this foreign formula substance (we only use powdered when we use it), and I about lost my mind. The expiration date was APRIL 1ST 2012....THREE WEEKS AGO!!
Mama bear came out, and Kyle went to Target on his way to watch the fight. We ended up with a refund, two free things of formula, and some free Target cash. The HR manager handled it well, addressing what we, as parents chastised ourselves with, "As parents you think to check the expiration date on everything, and sometimes you forget, but you shouldn't have to worry about it on things you buy here, especially baby products". He said he would "do everything he could to make it right if she got sick". She seems to be OK, stomach is a little "hard" and she's a bit more tired than normal. We're heading over to our pediatrician today for her 2nd Flu Booster, Yay shots! (not so much!), and I'll chat with them about it then. We all tucked up as a family and watched Puss in Boots last night, fantastic movie appealing to my inner child!
So that brings us to Monday!
I have been busting my bootie getting things ready for Dabble In Chic, The Brand. We're on twitter, Facebook, soon to be on Etsy, and I'm awaiting my 2nd Pinterest invite. I tried hooking my existing account up to my Dabble Facebook page, but no such luck....oh no, guess I'll have to do twice the pinning!

On another note, Mother's Day is coming soon! Last year I was pregnant with Dablet and Kyle and I exchanged cards for Mother's/Father's day. I cannot explain how excited I am to be able to celebrate Mother's Day with my little girl this year! We are an incredible blessed family, and I appreciate the day to honor the special relationship I have with her. (I'm also starting to think about how she will celebrate with her daddy this year on his day!).
I am working on some of my "wish list" items, so I'll be posting those later! Need to get the lil bean ready for her trip to the doctor, and find a way to get some lunch in there somewhere! I'm secretly excited for the day we can eat full meals in pill form, not for taste of course, but convenience. I will NEVER give up the joy of a fantastic dinner (or any meal) but it'd be nice to have something I could just toss back on the go!

Until Next time (later today!)
Dabble

Birthday Thoughts

No, I'm not planning a party for me, my birthday isn't until October. I've been thinking about ideas for Abby's first birthday. Yup, it's early I know because she doesn't turn one until September. In fact, Kyle's birthday is the next one in the household and it's in August, but I don't think he really wants this type of party! I have been pinning a lot lately, at least over the last two days, and I've found some pretty great things! Check out the Dabble in Pinterest here for ideas for your home, self, spirit, little ones, and of course food!!
Here are some of my favorite details from the past couple of days. For a favor, what's better than bubbles!

For instructions on how to make these favors, visit this blog!

These cupcakes are so delicate and vintage. Maybe not "just right" for Abby's first...but maybe for my next big birthday!

No celebration is complete without photos! I'm sure my favorite photographers would agree, and I thought this tile of shots was too cute! I especially loved the lettering separation rather than trying to lay out three letters all in one shot!



Just a little inspiration for now! Dablet and I are going to Southpoint later today with Kyle, Courtney (our fantabulous nanny) and her man for dinner and some Loft "browsing". You can't blame me, they're having a 40% off sale and Courtney wants to take advantage of the combined 40%+15% discount when she opens a new card! Girl after my own heart!

Until Next time!

Dabble

Getting Ready for BHI-Part 2

Bald Head Island Family Adventure 2012 is just 5 weeks away!!! What better way to get back into the "planning" project than some inspiration. I'm getting ready to brave the bikini scene post baby, but I thought I'd start with a Ferry Outfit. After all, that's the first "step" to getting to the island. (It's actually the packing and car ride...but that's stressing me out right now and not as much fun as this!

The Gingham Earrings are from Tory Burch, the Amanda Sandals are from Tory as well. I'll admit I have an obsession with Tory sandals, and bags, and jewelry, and clothes....but it's all just a dream right now! For the top and shorts I pulled inspiration from J. Crew. The Raindrop lace top is a fun chic way to pull of a "standard tee"and the 3" Chino Shorts come in 12 colors and at least 2 other lengths. I love colorful and patterned shorts this season! It's a great way to give a bit of pop to an outfit, and with colors like these, your legs will look even more tan!

I cannot wait to feel the ocean air blowing through my hair and see the look on Abby's face when she has her first boat ride! There is nothing I don't love about BHI, and I am looking forward to expanding our tradition of going to include our growing family!

Next to come for the BHI prep posts will be Abby's wardrobe, fun essential items for a beach vacation with an eight month old, and maybe a signature drink or two!

Until next time

Dabble

Step One...

It used to be that "Step One" was admitting the problem, but now step one is referring to the next step. Facebook.
This "day in age", the step businesses take, or any product, service, person, or book takes is to become "Facebook Official". While I am still working on the book Perfecting the life of a Working Mom: Lack of Perfection Kick Ass Shoes (or something like that), it is time to bring the latest endeavor to Facebook. Dabble in Chic now has a Facebook page. This is for the blog, yes, but it's so much more than that. This is my new business, and it's so much more than a blog. Printing Chic is the branch that relates directly to the industry I just came out of. While the website and Etsy store are under construction, they will soon offer custom designs for anything paper related, as well as ready to go designs that you can make your own changes to.
Since I got into the world of paper, I have become slightly obsessed with just how much detail you can give to any event with the paper products you associate with it. The theme of a wedding starts with the invitations! And I truly love the connection I can build with brides when we talk about how to literally "put their vision on paper"
Here is an invitation we did a while ago (I have changed the names):

(Front)

(Back)

The beauty of this is that you can print it on any color paper, changing the purple background, print on any texture, or (my favorite) print on a champagne metallic stock giving the leaves just a bit of shimmery movement. Here's a sneak peek at the RSVP postcard to a set in the works now. Of course, I'm not going to show the full invite yet, but it's AMAZING!!

The couple's initials can be "carved" into the tree on both the invitation and the RSVP cards, and as always all fonts can be changed! Check us out on Facebook to see it!

Until next time

Dabble



The beauty of a nap

I feel like I should be jumping up and down singing and dancing because of the amazing revelation that has been made in our house over the past couple days. Abby has learned the beauty of a nap!!! Most people, parents and non-parents alike, expect their kids to sleep during the day. When we first interviewed our fantastic nanny Courtney, Abby was almost 3 months old and Courtney said, "she still sleeps most of the day, right?" Nope....not our child.
Since Abby was two months old she has been sleeping through the night. I know, shoot me now. Even our pediatrician tells us not to say that out loud when we are in his office because I'll have mothers putting out a hit on me. She started six hour chunks at 6 weeks old, and by 2 months she would go down around 9:30-10pm and sleep until 7:30/8, wake up to nurse, and then sleep again until 10ish. After that, she was awake. We might get a cat nap for 20-30 minutes, but nothing you could really "do anything" with. Did I complain? NO WAY! We were told that she would figure out her nap schedule eventually, and given that we needed to function efficiently during the day, I did not mind the sleep at night!
About 2/2.5 months ago she started going to sleep by 8pm (except for the special nights we go and watch Kyle play softball and she gets to "stay up late"), and she will wake up between 7 and 730, entertain herself in her crib for about 30 minutes, and then demand attention. Then it happened....we made friends with the morning nap about 6 weeks ago. All of a sudden one day she had her second bottle around 10am and went to sleep....and slept for an hour and a half. That nap has stuck ever since (with a few rogue mornings). It is absolutely amazing how much you can get done in an hour or two. I LOVE my daughter and I love hanging out with her, but the clothes need to be washed, dishes done, emails returned, business built, and sometimes this mama needs to sit down for ten minutes without being drooled on.
Two days ago Abby made another friend called "Afternoon nap". It was a discovery by accident, and again paired with a bottle. Around 2:30pm she had her afternoon bottle and looked very sleepy. Given that she had only slept for about 45 minutes that morning I thought, "hmmm, maybe I'll try laying her down". Sure enough, 20 minutes later she was out cold and slept for almost 2 hours! Not only is that impressive, but every time you lay her down now for a nap or for the night she does not cry. She plays with bun-b (her bunny "blanket" from Pottery barn) and goes to sleep. You can get your own bun-b here from Pottery Barn Kids (it's the Thumbie...Abby's is an older model and has knots on the edges, but this is pretty close!)

I think it's absolutely perfect that as soon as my life stops being so "scheduled" my daughter decides to adapt to a nap schedule that allows me to have some "me time". The only thing we need to work on now is how to avoid the predictable mid-morning-nap stinky diaper. I'm convinced that she's sleep longer if she wasn't sleeping in stunk...I mean, wouldn't you?  Every day I spend with her I admire stay at home moms so much more. There is nothing "easy" about that job. It takes a lot of work, dedication, patience, and flexibility. With me still working and playing more of an "at home mom" role, I rely heavily on my support system of Kyle, Courtney, Mimi, Grandy, Fairy Godmommy Lindsey, and all of those who send me encouragement via text, Facebook, and email. Of course, I still aspire to someday take a nap of my own during the day, and to "think happy nap thoughts" here are a few of my favorite nap products!

Eucalyptus Spearmint Pillow Mist from Bath and Body Works for anti-stress or my other favorite pillow mist:

Lavender Chamomile Pillow Mist and right now Bath and Body Works is having a buy two get one free mix and match sale!
Also, check out Dream Essence for a full line of masks, body pillows, and aroma therapy sachets as well!

Until next time, happy napping!!

Dabble

Outdoor Cooking

With the weather getting nicer by the minute, I am getting VERY excited for outdoor cooking. For me this means a grill on the deck and some fun drinks made inside. With Kyle in culinary school my daydreaming went to how the outdoor cooking experience could be made glamorous. Sure, there will be splattered bar-b-que sauce and dishes to clean up after. It's not like things like that disappear when you have a luxurious space to cook in. Just like people who have amazingly designed nurseries still have to change stinky diapers...sometimes even exploded ones on their silk crib sheets. **shaking head**
What kind of inspiration would I be if I didn't share some of my findings with you?
All stainless steel kitchen, configuration can range from $3,000 to $30,000 (yikes!) found at The Outdoor Kitchen

This next one is SO me! I love the bamboo wood accents, and it's less built-in more placed in the environment you already have. This makes it more feasible for those of us living with pesky HOAs!

There are few things in life that can make a fabulous outdoor kitchen even better, but the views are one of them. Personally, I am an ocean girl. However, there are some situations when mountains can take my breath away just as much. This is one of them!

This photo was found in a blog post talking about things to consider when planning an outdoor cooking space and what your real needs are. Clearly the family that has this kitchen had the space and the views to get everything in kitchen sink included!
I LOVE the hardwood floors and the lattice above the grills especially!

Dablet is awake from her nap, and while I will not be pursuing any of the above projects anytime soon (we haven't won the lottery YET!), I am very much looking forward to outdoor cooking!

Until Next Time

Dabble

Monday Moments

Today was another Monday just like any other except for one thing. I didn't have a schedule. If you know me, you'd know that I'm not the type of person to just let my day "unfold" in front of me. I have been adjusting to life without a schedule, and to working from home. Life seems to be full of transitions lately, and my life without a time clock is one of the largest. I used to think that growing up meant a life of schedules, time clocks, accountability, bills, and all of those "things" that we all expect to come with "adulthood". I suppose if there is anything I should know about life it's that it is anything but expected.
Nothing about my life "plan" expected me to start my own company, with three fabulous partners, right out of college. Even more so, nothing said that 18 months later we would be selling the same company for all of the "right" business reasons...just not so much the successful kind. The humbling effects of this kind of experience cannot be put into words. Owning your own company means you can set your own schedule, and by that I mean you get to choose your ridiculously demanding schedule. Over the past several weeks I have been told that I am handling this "transition" with confidence and grace, and I blame video games. Yup, I mean that. I think I was watching Shark Tank when I heard "entrepreneurs today are from the era of video games. When something doesn't go as planned, they hit the reset button". It's very true if you ask me. If I sat here and complained about a situation, it won't fix it. If I cried about how things ended up, it wouldn't be fair the all of the time I spend learning, growing, and enjoying what I helped to build. I don't think anything ever goes EXACTLY to plan, and the best thing you can do from the way things end up "off-schedule" is to learn from them. Maybe by the end of it all we will figure out a better system that doesn't veer too far off of where we're trying to go.
I think a great example of this comes from how we choose to say good-bye. I'm not really talking about how we end a meeting, but how we end our lives. My aunt recently published a book called "I Could Never Say Goodbye", and it is the story of the death of my grandparents. Sometimes things sneak up on you, and sometimes you get to plan them out. Neither situation should mean you have any less grace or dignity, or should be anything less than celebrated. I know that might sound pretty somber, or even dark, but how can you appreciate everything you have experienced in life if you do not celebrate the end?
That can go for even a phase of life, like this one for me. It might be the end of one chapter, but it is an even bigger beginning for the next. If there is one thing true about the chapters of life it's that they continue to get better as you write them!

Until Next Time
Dabble

7 months later...

It used to be every day, then every week, now more so every month that goes by I have this moment that is half "AWWWW" and half sheer terror. Our little "Dablet" is 7 months old today, well more specifically was this morning. We didn't do anything special, but she did try out a new hairdo for a moment

So the "cindy-lo-who" look on top of her head needs some work, and might not be the best ever I'll admit, but it was pretty cute!
We did have to make a little purchase in honor of the occasion and for our trip to Massachusetts this summer. Abby needed her first Red Sox hat, and it just about fits.

There is another purchase we might need to make from Cafe Press (great place to find fantastically witty humorous onesies). Although, with my family in New York (including Abby's Fairy Godmommy), I might have to explain myself just a bit. Here it is anyway:

I would also like to mention a special "goody store" I have found over the past few months for some fun things for Abby. Bella Fleur Boutique offers fantastic headbands, garters, and other accessories for girls of all ages (even us adults). Natalie hand makes everything out of Texas, and you can also find her on Facebook. She always posts special offers, discounts, and has Facebook exclusive Friday Specials. My most recent purchase from her I bought this for $11.95:

 (This is not Abby, but a photo from Bella Fleur's Etsy site, yet another beautiful little girl!)

Also, since I was not only her 2,000th sale, but also a Facebook fan, I received 3 shabby chic headbands

for FREE!

It's time for a movie night with Kyle since Abby has already been down for a while!

Until next time!

Dabble