crib sheets

 Michael Miller Zoology Lagoon

I just ordered a couple pairs of custom crib sheets from a shop called Sweet Bobbins.  I just wasn't liking much of what I saw in the stores...so I turned to Etsy and it didn't let me down (and the price was roughly the same as the sheets at the baby superstore...so that was fantastic.)  Bought two pairs of sheets - one of each of these fun colorful graphic designs.  SO excited! 

 Alexander Henry 2D Zoo Multi-color Fabric

childhood

These pictures remind me of my childhood.  My sisters and I were usually messy...disheveled hair and all.  But there was lots of playing.  Lots of imagination.  Lots of creating.  Lots and lots of awesome.  Oh I am excited to watch our little girl grow, play and create.  Pictures from here.

abc's of architecture

How freakin' stellar is this print!?  I've been looking and looking and looking at art for our baby room and then I see this...and I want it for my room.  Ha!  At only $25 it's such a steal!!  By jikits

blue school

Oh how I love that school of fish.  What amazing wall art for a nursery...or a kids room.  I don't even remember where I saved this from...but I thought it was so beautiful I had to post it.  Isn't it so magical?

bestie visit

My best friend comes to visit tomorrow - alllll the way from her home paradise of San Diego.  I cannot flipping wait!! 

Except, she's coming to upstate New York at a time when there isn't anything to really "do."  No hiking in the magnificent parks, no outdoor festivals or games to attend.  Nope.  It's cold out.

I'll take her to my fave restaurant.  My fave coffee house.  And we'll probably just girl talk for three straight days.  Sounds like the most fab weekend ever!!

I bought fresh flowers just for the occasion.

glittery cookies

Next Christmas I'm making glittery cookies.  Yes.  Yes I am.  Recipe found at The Purl Bee.

There isn't enough glitter in my life.  

I used to snub my nose at sparkly things...

thanks to that to that horrible movie...and all the glitter eye-makeup the junior high girls wore in my time.

Yet, after years of not appreciating it...I find myself more and more attracted to it.  

Pretty sure my little girl will own a pair of those sparkly Ruby slipper ballet flats someday...or I will.

scenes

As 2010 draws to an end, I find myself wondering where the year went?  It flew by so fast.  I haven't even made any resolutions yet...and I haven't even fully processed this past year.  I do know, however, that this upcoming year I want to slow down.  Enjoy the little things around me.

My hubs and I bought ourselves a joint Christmas gift - a sweet grown-up camera.  He went and played with it yesterday and I found some of the images he captured to be rather lovely. 

easy as pie

I was going through some of my pictures on my camera and came across these little beauties.  Tommy and I made an apple pie this past fall with apples we plucked from the local orchards.  Neither of us had ever made a pie before, and we couldn't BELIEVE how easy it was.  It literally took us 10 minutes to put it all together.  And.  It.  Was.  Yum.

I should have made one for the holidays...but I didn't.  Maybe next year.

Mom's Easy Apple Pie (from cooks.com)
7-8 baking apples, peeled and sliced
3/4 c. sugar
1 tsp. cinnamon
1 tbsp. flour
1/4 tsp. nutmeg

Mix in bowl the cinnamon, flour and nutmeg. Place crust in pan, add apples and sugar mixture. Dot with butter. Cover with top pie crust. Bake at 375 degrees for 50 minutes or until done.

german pancakes

I'm embarrassed...I couldn't even contain myself and took a bite BEFORE I snapped the picture.  I'm ridiculous.  Oh, and you are suppose to eat this in a civilized manor...with a knife and fork and such...not like piece of pizza like I did.

When the weather would turn a little chilly, my mom would start making oven baked German pancakes at our house.  They always made the start to a Sunday a little more special.  Now, I associate these yummy dessert-like breakfasts with winter, with the holidays, and with my family.

I had never made them before, but was excited to try out my special German pancake pan (my baby sister gave it to me for a bridal shower gift!)  Trying new recipes intimidates me a little bit - I've suffered many a "fail" - so I tend to hesitate a tad more than is necessary.

Needless to say...my German pancakes rocked.  Well, the edges might have been a little tooooo brown...perhaps charred in places...but I just ate around that *smile* 

German Pancakes

1/2 c. sifted flour
3 slightly beaten eggs
1/2 c. milk
2 Tbsp. butter, melted
1/4 tsp. salt

Gradually add flour to eggs while beating.  Stir in milk, melted butter and salt.  Throughly grease a 9 or 10 inche oven proof skillet.  Pour batter into cold skillet; bake in a very hot oven (450 degrees) for about 20 minutes.  Loosen pancake from skilled with a wide spatula; cut into wedges with a sharp knife.  As it bakes, the pancake rises into golden bubbles.  Makes 3-4 servings.

Serve with a dusting of powdered sugar, lemon wedges or syrup.

high chairs

Little Bug Lounge - $530 - a lil wild for us...but super fun for baby, right?!

We've been browsing baby gear a LOT lately.  Mostly to see what's out there - and to see what would work in our world....ummm....and what we can afford.  We want to be minimal in baby stuff - we live in such a small space that baby gear has the ability to take over...we want to avoid that.  Or try.

So...I found a few fab high chairs...who knew there was such a thing as a fab looking high chair?  Well there are.  We have a pub size kitchen table...where counter height stools are appropriate height...but typical high chairs aren't quite high enough.   Regardless, here are some fun designs I found at CSN.com.... that mega-shopping experience of over 200 specialty shops online.

(This is probably the one we will get - even though it's not so "stylish" - it's super functional and affordable..so it's a win win)

bloom - $499

Oxo - $249

Joovy Nook - $109

Valco - $159