Oh Sunny Day

Bring on the sunshine, out door cooking, and fun in the sun Summer is on its way!

Little Man, me, and Hubby went to the pool for Button's first time this week and he loved it!

I see lots of fun at the pool this season and am dreaming of cookouts, bushels of garden produce on the grill,  sunny days with hands in the dirt, campouts, and many days at the pool to come.

Monticello

Oh, my goodness what a blessing this weekend was. For my birthday, my mother and sister took me to see Monticello for the first time! I don't know HOW I live in Charlottesville, VA and had never seen it yet but it’s true, I hadn't!

I learned a lot about our father of the Declaration. Thomas Jefferson was such an intelligent and creative man for sure!

But before going to see our third president’s house we stopped at a historic tavern called Michie's tavern for lunch.  It was delicious and we had such a sweet waitress! She even posed for use :D.

The tavern itself is a museum so we took the tour and looked around before heading down the road to Monticello.

Photo By: http://washington.dukegill.com/michiestavern.htm

Inside we found a slew of treasures but here is just a few of my favorites we saw.

 The mattresses back then were held up with ropes instead of springs or slates!

 This massive thing is a thermometer!

Outside there were a few outbuildings that were part of the original property as well.

This was the meat curing house.

Here is the 'fridge'. Fresh water would come from a natural spring and be directed into this building and into cooling sections to keep things like drinks and milk cool before using or drinking. How cool (pun intended) is that?!

After touring the tavern we headed down the road to Monticello.

Once there our first stop was to the visitor center and museum. I had no idea Thomas Jefferson's children and grandchildren were such DIYers

 Here is one of the children's watercolor set.

 The little ladies of the house spent their days learning how to sew and stitch.

Thomas Jefferson himself was more of an inventor and scientist then homemaker though. He loved to learn, to build and create. He was a practical man with grand ideas.

One of my favorite sensible things he did was to make a seed saver wall and log. (This is not in his house but a replica of what it might have looked like... minus the labels).

Our third president would cultivate new breeds and hybrids each year and in his log write down how hardy the brew was and how long it took to bloom and harvest etc. It really was amazing to see the difference between him and our other found fathers. He never did anything if it had no use.

Even his gardens served a purpose. Unlike most of America's founding fathers, Thomas Jefferson did not see the practicality in a floral garden; instead, he created a 1,000-foot vegetable garden, an orchard, vineyard and small plant nursery. He did, however, love to learn about everything and that included plants. He would bring unique plants back from his travels and keep them in his sunroom like a greenhouse; where guests and himself could enjoy them all season.

Another one of my favorite attributes of his was his cleverness and innovative thinking.

It was so wonderful to see things like storm windows in a building so old. He really was such an inventor.

While there my sister even let me do a little photo session! The garden was so beautiful and I love photographing her, how could I not?!

 There were lovely poppies scattered throughout the garden grounds.

I wish I could have taken photos of Monticello itself but due to them having some items on loan without the photographic rights, I wasn't permitted to take any photos. I can let you know one thing for sure though, it is stunning! So many things to learn and see and it was an honor to take part in learning about Thomas Jefferson's life. A must see for all patriots, history buffs, gardeners, and architectural buffs alike!

It was such a blessing to be able to enjoy this time with just us girls and I had truly, an amazing time. Thank you, girls, for making this birthday special. You are both dolls!

Keeping to a Schedule

Now that our Little Man is getting bigger, Hubby and I decided it was about time to put him on a schedule. The only issue I have had about putting him on one was that we tried it before at three weeks and he HATED it. I mean, screaming, crying, red-faced babies hated it. It didn't help that he had colic then too though. Now that we are past the 24/7 scream fests I think we are ready to try again. But what type of schedule would work? There are so many different kinds I've found online but in the end none were that terribly user friendly. The layouts I found were either extremely rigorous or complicated to fill out or read. So, in the end I decided to make my own!

It’s a little hard to see here but I think it will really work out well for use. I think this type of schedule is just what we need right now. It’s not too fussy and works around Buttons 'natural schedule' so that he is less resistant to it. It will also help me and Hubby get a better idea of what is natural clock looks like. After all, everything looks clearer all written out.

I plan on taping it to the front of the nursery's door so it will be easy to remember to fill out and keep track of. As things progress I'll try and update you all on how it’s working out for us.

Here is the link to download your own copy! Enjoy <3

Looking up

The sun is shinning, the garden is growing, the house is (mostly) clean and Button is progressing in every way. Things are looking up.
I even caught Button looking up!

What a strong little man he is becoming. Oh my goodness this breaks my heart (in a completely good way).

Budget Savvy Outfits {Girly Punk}

Every girl wants to feel sexy and feminine even if that comes with a little edginess. Who says a girl can't play rough? This outfit would be great for a night out with the ladies at a bar or playing pool with the boys. Its the best of both worlds! 

A flirty, glittery, but simple top adds a load of glam in one easy piece ($15 from 2bstores) paired with a faux leather jacket  with a girly frilled edge ($23 from Nelly) really sets this outfit above the rest. Nothing says 'punk' quite like a pair of knee high black boots and these babies take on the sass with a platform heel ($17 from Target). Simple faded jeans ($15 from Alloy) make this design stay simple and easy going. Tossing on a cute bright blue scarf ($8.80 from Forever 21) and matching, dangley earrings ($6.08 from Debenhams) creates a pulled together look, adds color, and a bit of frill in a hassle free way.

Too Fast

This is how my days are spend lately.

Not much else going on these days. Just hang'n with my little man and taking in each moment.
Time goes by too fast.

A Change of View

After a little over a year of these babies hanging on the wall accosting my eyes, I finally got my butt in gear and painted them, as I mentioned doing in this previous post.

 I love how they were only a buck for BOTH of them and painting them was free because I already had the paint from painting the nursery furniture!

I can't believe it took me so long to get this done. What the heck!? Crisp white looks so much better then the flaky fake gold! All I did was tape off the glass with painters tape, then used my nail to 'cut' off the extra to get a clean line against the frame. If you don't have freakishly sharp, long nails you can use an exact'o blade.

 Here you can see the horrid chippieness (yep, just used that word) on them.  eww right? So you could see why it had to go. That and I'm just not a fan of fake gold.

once it was all taped off I just used a small craft brush to paint them ( I didn't want to use a roller because it might have made paint clumps on the details). All I had was red and black in way of spray paint and I really wanted to stick to using what I already had so that was a no go but spray paint would be quicker and much better if you don't have the patience to paint then, let them dry and repeat three times ( I did three even, thin coats as to avoid clumping in the details).
The finished product was well worth the half hour it took to do for sure!

I'm love'n the crisp white against the yellow in our living room for sure! Something about bright, cottage white and sunny, soft yellow makes my heart sing. <3

Budget Savvy Outfits {Playing with Patterns}

Oh my goodness I loved creating this outfit. Who says you can't have more then one pattern in an outfit!? Its like having your cake and ice cream, dancing in the rain and awesome hair, sand in your toes and not in your pants; you get the idea.

Whats not to love about floral heels ($39 from Charlotte Russe)  with cute little roses and a sexy heel there's no going wrong. Paired with a soft neutral toned, plaid top ($25 from Old Navy) and khaki shorts ($15 from New Look) its hard to not make a statement. A ruffled belt with flower accents ($5.97 from Tillys) and vintage rose earrings ($9.99 ModCloth) amplify the girly, floral feeling without over doing it. All together this outfit screams 'ooh la la'. Its a great look for a day out with the girls, chilling at home, a casual day at work, or even just running earns but really takes you to the next level.

Budget Savvy Outfits {Simple Boho}

I have been seeing this bohemian trend starting to show up a lot around the fashion world and though it would be fun to try my hand at a budget savvy design for this style.

This outfit is easy going, great for a walk on the beach or out for drinks. The flowy white ($12 from River Island) dress is simple yet fashionable and could double as a bathing suite cover. The sandals adds a pop of color and texture with a sassy bead cuff and basket wived platforms ( $42 from YESSTYLE). Peachy coral and gold earrings are another vibrant addition and accentuates the beachy, laid back vibe of this entire outfit ($8 from Hand Picked) ; A stitched, bohemian styled, chunky bracelet finishes the look off and ties all the colors together while adding more pattern and texture to the whole outfit in a subtle way ($27 from fantasyjewerlybox).

Drill School

 No, I'm not in the military but I sure did get a lot of drill school done around the house this week!

After sitting on our back deck for a full year and then sitting outside in our yard at our current place, I figured it was about time I put this container to work like I originally intended to.

I found it at Target as an ice bucket but loved the idea of turning it into a large planter. So, I held out until it was on sale, after spring was over, and snagged it half off. Because I got it last summer, I wasn't sure if anything would survive the winter in it after planting it so late in the season. So, I sort of just put it on my back patio and forgot about it... for a year! Enter a new location and tones of packing. During unpacking, Hubby asked me “are you ever going to use this thing? Why did we even get it"?! That was my cue that it was about time to getter done. 

Of course, I couldn't just pop a plant in there and call it done without having proper drainage so I pulled out the drill and got to it.

Here's the catch, I've never used a drill. True story. It turns out that there is NOT an extra part needed to make the bit stay in but the bit will not stay in unless you tighten it into the drill. Yeah, the Hubby had a ball watching me figure that one out. -.- Lesson learned. Now I can use a drill without looking like a complete ditz!

Once I grasped the understanding of a drill I just popped on my goggles (safety first!) and drilled away. 

If you are doing this, you will want to hold the drill with the bit straight down so that you don't break it (don't forget your pushing through metal) and push down on it as it drills to help it push through the metal. It will make little metal ringlets that you'll want to brush off into a pile to throw away (so you don't end up with sharp metal ringlets in your foot later). And WALLA! 

 I drilled quite a bit holes because it’s a rather large container and my bit was pretty small. Surprisingly though, it seems to work fine that way and not get clogged with dirt or not drain off enough.

 I've even started to grow some stuff in it! This is cabbage but I also have lettuce, chives, and a flower in there. I thought it was a begonia when I bought it but I'm starting to think it’s some kind of succulent because it doesn't seem to like me watering it... I might have to transplant it and add in something else later. We'll see.)

 While I was at it I drilled some holes in the bottom of this watering can that I got for mother’s day from my darling mother-in-law. She sent me it with the flowers but it had no holes in the bottom and I liked the idea of using it as a planter instead of a watering can... how cute right!?

 Here are some close-ups of my sweet mother's day campanulas.

Happy mother's day to all the women that gave us life and made us who we are today. Thank you for loving us, caring for us, and putting up with us in general.

Budget Savvy Outfits {All Black and Blue}

Ready for that hot date night but can't find the perfect outfit? Here's a sultry little number that's sure to please! 

The dress, at $47 big ones is a little pricey but with great finds to offset it, this entire outfit looks like a million buck without having to fork over too much or actually spend a million! The unique and stunning bracelet looks so expensive and chic but actually only costs $20 from Target! Platforms heels really make the black dress pop and at $23 bucks it puts them well below the average $30 for a pair of heels which leaves room for some cute accessories like feathered earrings (these are out of stock but were $5.99). All together this outfit is just $95.99 which leaves a little room for dessert... for two ;)

Budget Savvy Outfits {Pretty in Pink}

For this outfit, I really wanted to make it super girlie a little flirty, and super classy all at the same time. I hope I pulled it off well.

The lovely dress is a steal at just $10.54 from Wholesale-dress, the flow of it really creates the illusion of flowers without an overpowering print. The ruffled shape would also flatter almost any body shape! Sparkly shoes make the pink pop at $47.29 they are a little pricey but really bring the entire outfit to the next level. floral pink earrings ($1.50 forever 21) accentuate the ruffled dress along with this $12 pearl heart necklace make this outfit classy and simple on a budget. The silver clutch ($28 from Nine West) carries all your party/date night essentials and make a statement without taking the focus away from the stunning dress to complete the outfit.

Sensory Alphabet { A Pinterest challenge}

After getting my inspiration from Jessica's pin on Pinterest, I buckled down and got to sewing. I loved the idea of fabric letter but wanted to take it a little further and came up with the idea to use different fabrics, textures, and objects attached to the letters to create a sensory development alphabet.

(As you can see, I'm missing two... I ran out of thread last night before I could finish sewing them but they are cut and waiting to be sewed up I just couldn't bring myself to miss out on writing this post because of two missing letter -.-). 

The best part about these is that I managed to come up with 26 different sensory things; from zippers, leather and a pocket U to beads, fur, and buttons!

 Some of them are made flat, the way Jessica shows in her tutorial, and some I made stuffed with filling. 

I can't wait to spend more time with Button playing with these. He's a little young for them now (he won’t be able to play on his own with them until a least a month or understand the letters until at least three) but I did get him to hold one.

So I'm calling it a win! 

Remember to share your love here as a link in the comments and don't forget to share a little love over at these gorgeous gall's blogs --->

Emily- Sparkle Meets Pop

Kate- Bower Power

Sherry- Young House Love

Renee- Red Bird Blue

Budget Savvy Outfits {Roses}

Recently, I have been playing around with an online mood board creator called Polyvore. I've mentioned it briefly before but just recently started really getting into using it for budget savvy styling. Its just such a fun way to go 'shopping' with out spending a dime or even leaving the house (which is a major plus with having to care for Button). So, because I share everything with you guys, I figured I should start a series on budget friendly fashion! All of these designs are under $100 for the entire outfit. On top of that, I am going to try and include where you can purchase each item in the set so you can get the same look! Here is my first design, hope you all enjoy it.

This outfit I made for a working lady. I have seen so many cute work appropriate outfits that are just so expensive. I also wanted to use khaki instead of a skirt because I know how uncomfortable a skirt can get after a long day at work. I think the pinks and flowery patterns really add a girlly touch to an other wise genderless outfit.

The top is from YESSTYLE.com but is currently out of stock. It was priced at $24.The khaki's are from Old Navy and are now $30. The necklace is from here but is $18. I could not find get the link for the shoes (it was broken.. boo!) but they were originally $21! Lastly, the rose flower clip was from Forever 21 and is also sold out but you can find similar ones at this link to get the same look.