Lily Jane

A Whirlwind

Hello, again!  I'm so glad to be back here blogging today.  It's been a long time - yikes!  The past few months have been...well, let's call them time-consuming, shall we?  From November 19th, when baby Abram was born, until just now has been a whirlwind of feeding, rocking, shushing, feeding some more, sleepless nights, and days spent with a Baby Bjorn strapped to my torso.  We love this darling baby, but he has definitely been a high-maintenance kid.  

Luckily, things have started to brighten up; meaning, he's starting to sleep in his bassinet for longer periods.  So now, however briefly, I can sit down here and do a few things!  I have so many projects to share with you from the past couple of months, including the story of Abram's planned home-birth.  Tomorrow, I'll start with how we welcomed in the new year. 

What about you, my dears?  Has your bundle of joy ever been colicky?  How did you cope?  

photos taken on my iPhone

Meet Baby Abram

Things have been busy around our neck of the woods lately.  Saturday, November 19th was especially eventful.  At 12:51 in the afternoon the newest member of our family made his debut.  I'd like you to meet Abram Joseph.

He's the sweetest little bundle with the most delicious cheeks.  We can't get enough of him.  He was delivered at home so I have more stories to share, but I'll be saving that for another day (typing with one hand while a babe is in the other is tricky business).  I hope you all have a lovely Thanksgiving and have as much to be thankful for as me.

How to Be a Pirate

Halloween has always been a bit of a struggle in the costume department as far as decisions go.  There are just so many possibilities that Brady has never been able to decide on just one costume without a lot of convincing.  But this year there was one thing he definitely knew he wanted to be: a pirate. 

I really love making his costumes so we ended up doing a bit of creating and a bit of collecting.  Here's how we made it happen:

• Pirate Hat and Eye Patch: Borrowed from a friend
• Vest: Sewn from the Oliver + S book, Little Things to Sew
• Shirt: J. Crew, from his closet
• Pants: From his closet
• Sash: Cut from an old shirt
• Pirate Loot Bag: Sewn from this tutorial and stamped with a crossbones potato stamp
• Boots: Polarn O. Pyret
• Sword: Target

We also had a bit of fun making this amazingly fast and cute vampire pumpkin that I saw in Martha Stewart Living.  All you do is carve out the mouth area, wedge some vampire teeth into the hole, and add two red-headed pins for the eyes.  Easy and adorable.

For a few Halloween parties we had over the weekend, Brady also dressed up as the old man, Karl Fredrickson, from the movie Up, which was the greatest.  But he did that more for me than as his own idea.  I'll share pictures of that costume and how we put it together on Facebook later today.

How was your Halloween?  Did you or your children dress up?  What were your favorite costumes?

Back to School

Waking up at 6:30 this morning to make a special breakfast for the first day back to preschool was a pretty great way to start the day.  The house was quiet, the day full of potential.  And what better breakfast to have than a batch of homemade doughnuts with a side of blackberries?  I don't think any 4 year old could have wished for more (not to mention me because, of course, I had to help him eat them).  

As a back-to-school gift for his teacher we set aside some of the rainbow-sprinkled doughnut holes. Tossing them into a striped paper bag and adding a tag, we were good to go.  Oh, but not until after the obligatory picture on the front steps.

Seriously, friends: I have the cutest kid.  If it's back-to-school time at your house, too, I hope the year holds fabulous things for you.  And plenty of doughnuts.

For the Children: Bonpoint

Such darling newborn outfits from the French boutique, Bonpoint.  If money were no object I would buy one of these for my new niece (who is almost here!) and one for my own little bun.  And then I would take pictures of them both all day long.

Entertaining Inspiration: Three Drinks

 

 

This trio drink dispenser is officially on my wish list.  It would be perfect for a small buffet table.  And packs a pretty beautiful punch, doesn't it?  I'd fill it with Strawberry Agua Fresca, Blueberry Lemonade and this Grapefruit and Mint Cooler.  Hope you're having a lovely Monday!

From the Kitchen: BLT + Egg Sandwich

Ever since our garden gave us its first ripe tomato on Sunday, I can't stop thinking about how much I love and want to eat tomatoes.  An openface sandwich with homemade mayonnaise, tomatoes and salt is pretty hard to beat.  But this recipe I found in the new magazine, Kinfolk, takes it to a whole new level by adding bacon (what isn't better with bacon?), a fried egg, and tomatoes that were roasted the day before.  Mmmm...I can already tell I'm going to be fantasizing about this until our garden gives us another juicy red jewel.

{via kinfolk - find the recipe for Overnight Tomatoes in the back pages}

DIY: Paper String Lights

These paper cubes for string lights are the greatest little DIY.  Aren't they beautiful?  They'd look great strung up just about anywhere, indoor or out (on a dry evening, of course).  And they're made from paper.  You already have everything for this project in your house!  That makes them even more awesome.

{via wit & whistle via design crush}

Decorating with Rocking Chairs

 

 

Since Brady and the new baby (I like to call him Bambino for now) will be sharing a room, I've had to rearrange the furniture to make space for the crib.  It's a big room and they both fit just fine.  But the armchair-style rocker that's been in there since Brady was born looks gigantic squeezed into its little corner now.  With so much furniture, I'm in the market for a rocking chair with a smaller profile.  One that can either go in the boys' room or even in the master bedroom, where Bambino will be spending his evenings for his first few months of life.  I'm liking the looks of these.  Do you have a rocker in your home?  What are your favorite modern options?

{clockwise from top left: eames knockoff rocker; risom rocker; wikkelso rocker; mid-century rocker}

For the Children: Book Worm

For all my bibliophiles who are raising children to love books, too.  I hope you have a cozy place to read together in. Have a happy Monday!

{01. Kevin the Caterpillar ; 02. Cashmere Cotton Throws ; 03. Glasses on a Stick; 04. A Bad Case of Stripes ; 05. Paper Clip Bookmark ; 06. ABC Canvas Floor Pillows}