Nursery, Almost Done!

I can't believe its nearly Christmas. I can't believe its nearly our due date either!

Time has just flown this fall and early winter as we get ready for the holidays and Baby to arrive. We have been working on our house and the nursery in particular; it feels like our to do list keeps growing but we also have been able to get tons of stuff done together. Finally starting to feel like we live here in our house--amazing that that process has taken nearly 5 months! I still find myself walking around in our place and not believing that we really bought a place, that its really ours.

Of course, much of our energy has been devoted to Baby's room. We have been joking that we will have to spend all our time in there once he arrives since it is by far the most "finished" place in the house! Here are a few pics of how the room has come together...









I feel like it will probably never look this neat and organized again, but I do hope to add more to the walls over time. Just feel happy that everything is up, clothes/blankets are washed, monitor is ready...now we just need Baby!

More posts to come this week...

On Getting Bigger...

This weekend, the weather turned cooler and Hubs and I headed out for a afternoon walk. I reached deep into the closet and pulled out my North Face fleece jacket that I haven't worn in a long while.

I reached into the pockets and pulled out a Muni Football pass. Hubs and I got a laugh that the pass was from a 49ers/Eagles game that we went to at Candlestick Park when we lived in SF three years ago and here we were going for a walk on a Sunday when the Eagles were playing in SF...again.

The fleece has been out of the rotation, happily, for a long time now--its a size that I haven't worn since around that game. Just a week or two later three years ago, my sister and I created a family Biggest Loser contest that finally got me in gear to make myself a little bit healthier. I had been working at home for months, basically living a sedentary sorry existence. The friendly family competition motivated me to eat better and start hitting the gym. Christmas morning I won the competition (by a hair) and then I didn't look back and kept exercising and eating better. A year ago next weekend, I ran my first half marathon in SF with 2 best friends and was probably at my healthiest in training for that race and preparing. It was a long road between that Muni pass and that Marathon, but I wanted to make it a change for life and not just a little while.

Well here I am now, 29 weeks pregnant, and once again wearing that fleece that is from my bigger days. Pregnancy has certainly been an adventure in wardrobe for me--wanting to look put together without breaking the bank and trying to realize that huge portions of my closet just simply are not happening right now. Of COURSE I know I am growing for a wonderful reason, but lately I have found myself reaching for my so-called "fat" clothes, which has been a tough feeling for me. The doctor visits, which have increased to every 2 weeks, have me slightly anxiously stepping on the scale. My belly has me back in more dark colors, black Tshirts, stretchy blends, and it has me just a little bit nervous. I have no idea how my body will finish off this pregnancy, and I don't know how I'll do at getting back into shape. I am trying to keep myself moving over the next 12 weeks and eating (pretty) well, (sometimes you just want another taco), and I already hope to return to running lightly in the spring. I think I just worry how easy it is to slide back to those old habits and old cozy big fleeces.

I am sure I am not alone in this concern...I think it has just been small reminders over the past few weeks of how gaining weight affects me, and how regardless of the amazing reason I have this time, the small fear I have of becoming an unhealthy person again. I think I just feel even more determined to live a healthier life for Little One and set a good example for our little family. For now, I am trying to relish the big snuggly coziness of that familiar fleece jacket.

Has anyone else struggled with this? Also just a note--I don't want anyone to read this and worry that I am not eating well for my pregnancy--I am eating many small meals a day, paying attention to my hunger, and eating lots of healthy options, just feeling a little aware of my poundage today!

Nursery Inspiration

The combination of a new house and a new baby on the way presented a great delightful and daunting new challenge: designing a nursery!

Even before we knew whether Baby was a boy or a girl, I had fixated on a look I loved--robins egg blue accented with yellow/oranges and browns. Nothing too blue or too green, but something that could feel very fresh, modern, childlike, without having a "theme". I wanted the room to feel like a space I would love to spend time in and that Baby would love to wakeup to and play in--things that right now are only abstract!

I have these images from OhDeeDoh (by the way, a completely addictive section of the Apartment Therapy website) and I constantly go through them for inspiration.
















I love these looks and I think they show different ways that the direction could moe towards feminine or more masculine. We love the Ikea Expedit "window seat" and plan to do that in our own room for Baby. I promise to post pics of our real nursery as it comes together in the coming months. Forgive my small baby indulgences on this blog!

Any of you use Apartment Therapy or OhDeeDoh for inspiration? What do your favorite rooms or nurseries look like?

Gap Give & Get Promo Finds

Fall is my absolute favorite season for clothes. I look forward to cozy sweaters, boots, and tweeds as summer winds down. Its been really interesting to switch gears this year as I know my body will be growing big time as fall arrives.

I have tried to make a game plan and stick with simple basics because I don't want to spend tons on maternity styles or on things that won't be really versatile for me. I wanted to build a collection of things that will help me feel cute without feeling like I am in a MuuMuu as well as go the distance for a few months. I wanted some leggings, good boots, long sweaters, jeans, black pants, and good fitting tanks and tees to layer.

I have felt pretty lucky to find some great styles at Gap and Old Navy. I haven't shopped at ON in a long while, and Gap has been hit or miss. But both have maternity lines and I even found that a local Gap carries maternity instore, which has been great for trying things on.

Here are a few of my recent favorites, at great deals with either Give & Get or the magical Wednesday 40% off coupons...

Gap City Flat

I had seen these in store a few times and I ordered my regular size in the dark red. When they arrived, I had read up on a few blogs to size up, so I went in and traded them for a size 9 in the in-store only color Bronze. I think these are great, comfortable, portable, and versatile with jeans and leggings too. Highly recommend, especially with a percentage off!

Skinny Stretch 5-Pocket Pants//No-Panel Ponte Pants
These pants have different names in regular and maternity, but I believe they are the same concept. I LOVE these. They are like a heavy thick legging material--opaque, not show through--and they have 5 pocket styling like a jean, but much more comfortable than a jegging since its all stretch. Its a great hybrid so you feel put together and not too much like you are wearing leggings-as-pants. I bought the maternity version after the regular version was hard to find in stores. I am a solid size 10 right now, but the Large was too big, definitely needed the Medium, so you can head toward your smaller size.

Jeans...
Over the past month or so I have gone to Pea in the Pod and "visited" some awesome designer maternity jeans like Joe's and Citizens. While I would love to treat myself to these, they are each about $200--more even than regular designer jeans, ouch! I just can't pay that for something I can't always wear. I'll have to keep an eye out for sales. In the meantime, I found two great pairs:

Old Navy Full Panel Skinny Jeans
These are a thin denim, and $25 in store. Deal! While the panel isn't perfect for me, they are really comfortable and will fit well into boots or keep a slim line with flats and heels. I bought my normal size 10 in these and they fit great right out of the box. I went back to get a second pair since I think these will be great throughout the next few months.

Gap Demi Panel Sexy Boot Distressed Jeans
I got these on Wednesday with the 45% off coupon with using the BR card. Gosh, I will miss those coupons. I am still figuring out this whole panel business...I now have bought some "no panel", "full panel", and "demi panel", I guess I will figure out which ones work best! The Demi is nice on these jeans cause it feels more like a regular jean with a little give at the top. The fit is really nice through the leg on these and I think for about 30 bucks with the coupon, they are a big savings from something designer.

Tees/Tanks
I tend to be looking for long, fitted tops as opposed to the flowy tent shirts that tie in the back. So far I have a few favorites:

Vintage V-Neck Tee, Gap
These are a nice slubby texture and have a little ruching at the belly, great fit. I got the navyish blue in Medium and the White in Large so it wasn't too see through (plus white tees always shrink on me). Great deep vee on the neck, really cute. Thumbs up!

Twist-Front V-Neck Top, Old Navy
I tried this on in store and liked the deep V and proportions of this top. Good value.

I am intrigued by the Oversized VNeck Sweater from Gap as well as the Drop-Waist Ponte Pant. I may order them before the coupon code expires. If anyone else has any favorites, please post them here!

Sorry this one was heavy on the maternity items, but it is great to find some good basics at good prices. Any others I should try? Have a great weekend all!

Lookin' a little different...

Things are looking a little different around here. Not only are we in our new house, but we have different things in the fridge...can you guess why?

Baby is due December 31, 2010...New Years Eve! Hubs and I are very excited. I am feeling fine, getting bigger by the day at about 22 weeks in, but overall not feeling sick and mostly just hungrier and more tired than usual. I don't have tons of friends with babies yet so I am feeling especially clueless as we navigate the waters of Baby Gear, Maternity clothes, and not succumbing to BBQ takeout every night. Any and all advice is appreciated!

I promise this won't turn into a blog all about baby, but I will be posting on some adventures in pregnancy over the coming months. I hope you'll keep reading!

This is what....

...a Room and Board couch looks like, being hoisted into a 2nd floor condo. Just wanted to pass along as I know it was a sight not many get to see.

Moving Day went well! Time to feather our nest!

We've Been Busy...

There's no excuse for how long its been since I last posted. But! Excuse! We've been busy.

We bought a house! Well actually, its a condo, the second and third floor of a house. Behold!

Its the top two floors as seen below...


LOOK! We have a fireplace, and a mantel! And trim!


We have spent the past two weeks at the new place each evening...taping, cleaning, scrubbing, painting, imagining. So far the first room that is done is the kitchen. We painted the trim and beadboard Benjamin Moore Simply White and the walls are Bar Harbor Beige. Here you can see a glimpse from the kitchen through the elegantly named "Butler's Pantry", really just a hallway with the fridge, washer and dryer and cabinets containing the fancy stemware we never use. We have ROOMS! and a BUTLERS PANTRY!


The project is all consuming and also so so exciting, to be putting together our first real home where we can paint, and envision staying for years instead of months. After putting my collection of Domino magazines in a box for the count-it-five-yes-fifth time, I swear I will never move again. That thought also crossed my mind as I scrubbed the goo from the drawers in the kitchen and gagged about having stranger-goo to go through. Soon it will be our goo! The JOY!

More later....:)