Snippets.

-I feel sick today. I've got a sore throat, and drippy nose. I don't know about you, but with all this swine flu hoopla, every time I sneeze or cough, or get a headache, I think about the possibility of having the flu. I've become pretty anal about washing my hands as well as Cameron's, especially after we've been around other people. I hope this is just a small cold and everything will pass!

-Our jogging stroller is on the fritz. I've always bragged about how great our jogging stroller is, but the bearings in the front have gone bad after just 10 months of use. I contacted Baby Trend and they are sending replacement parts; hopefully it will be an easy fix and won't happen again.

-Also out of commission is my beloved Mac. It won't turn on. After doing a bit of research, I found that VERY rarely does a mac need to be sent to a professional for service, and that most problems can be fixed with just a few steps. I hope that I don't lose all my files in the process- but I suppose it would be a small price to pay to have my sidekick back in business.

-Lastly, I am so glad I now have Adobe CS4 (Photoshop, InDesign, Illustrator...) on our PC! Since my Mac is down right now, it's nice to have the program on our other computer so that I can still work on all the invitations I'm doing.I had CS2 on my Mac, and the upgrades on the Adobe's newest version are awesome. Quite the jump from CS2 to CS4.

Moms: can you relate?

So the season premier of Desperate Housewives aired last night. I thought it was good and this is going to be a great season! I know that not everyone reading this watches Desperate Housewives, or is familiar with the characters, but there was a funny scene from last nights episode that I wanted to share with you all, especially since a lot of you guys are moms and moms to-be.

Lynette is in her 40's, and has four children already. Last season we found out that she is pregnant (surprise!) with another set of twins, and she isn't thrilled about it. This scene was at a prenatal appointment, where she has a little run in with a young, first time mom to be, explaining some of the "joys" of being a mom. Here's the minute long clip:

I Can't Imagine Anything Better Than Being a Mommy - MovieWeb


I laughed so hard, because I can totally relate with um, the "Spanish Stucco" comment. Then I cried, because I can totally relate to someone who is in their late 40's and has 4 children.

Stumped.

I mentioned awhile back that I'm trying to get our basement living space looking nice and cozy. Do you remember? That was what, 3 months ago or so? Anywho, I'm still trying. And I'm completely stumped and at a loss for ideas for what this living room needs.
The frames that are still empty. Just wanted to casually show off the fall wreath I made! =)

view looking in from the "office" area.

Snooze. Totally boring.

I need help. Design help. If this were your living space, what would be the first thing you'd do? I know that I need a big 'ol rug. My problem is, I like neutral colors (cremes and beiges) but that's not what this space needs. I'm not opposed to some bold/graphic throw pillows, I just can't seem to find any that I like that aren't more than a days worth of pay. Maybe a lamp for the side table? Some artwork above the couch?

I just hung 3 pictures above the chair, but I still have 2, very large blank walls to deal with.

What accent color would you bring in, given the grey/blue walls? Any stores/websites I should check out? I'm usually good at this stuff- but when it's my space, I find it hard to commit to something I'll be stuck with. Help a girl out- I'm hosting a shower in this space in less than a month!

Edit: I should mention that there are window treatments on those windows (white blinds). You just can't see them! Thanks and keep it coming! =)

The Seattle Recap

I think I'm finally recovering from a fast paced week in Washington! It was a short trip, but we managed to cram so much activity in the 2 1/2 days we were there. It was really nice; my brother-in-law is a life long Washington resident so he was able to provide us the best tour of Seattle possible.
Upon arriving in Seattle, we claimed our bags and headed straight downtown. After a morning of travel, we were starving so we stopped at Ivar's on the waterfront where we enjoyed fish and chips, as well as excellent views of Puget Sound. After lunch, we walked over to the infamous Pike Place Fish Market and surrounding markets. The energy down there is amazing; the juicy fruits, fresh cut flowers, antiques and art all contribute to the eclectic little market place.

After a few hours we were ready for some downtime. We headed to pick up my oldest nephew from school, and got settled in at their brand spanking new home (they were still in the process of moving in!). We then went to a nearby beach and watched the sun set over the mountains.

Isn't their home gorgeous? My brother in law built it. It's quiet and nestled in the woods.

Cameron got his first taste of seaweed!

That night we relaxed, and caught up with our family who we haven't seen since our wedding.

Wednesday we wanted to get out of Seattle, so we made the journey to Mount Rainier National Park. Living in Kansas we obviously don't get many opportunities for breath-taking (literally and figuratively) hikes. We also don't get the opportunity to truly explore the glory and beauty of God's handy work. I've been on some pretty awesome hikes and this hike ranks at the top. We only hiked about 2.5 miles in the park since Cameron was with us, but it was enough to get a taste of what the Evergreen State has to offer. Cameron did great the whole day and was such a trooper!

I was amazed at how big the trees were. They make us look so tiny!

Thursday was our last day, so we drove to Bremerton, got on the ferry which took us through the beautiful Puget Sound and docked back in Seattle. I had never been on a ferry that carried cars, so that was a neat treat for me! The chilly 50- minute boat ride was awesome and it was neat to see the Seattle cityscape from a distance. We docked and drove off, and headed for the Hiram Chittenden locks. We ate lunch at the Lockspot where I devoured the absolute best fish & onion rings. The salmon were running at the Locks, so Jon was in awe and wanted to throw in a pole.

We headed home and it was still early, so Jon and I left Cameron with his sister for the evening. Jon took me by his old house and showed me where he used to hang out growing up. He even showed me the basketball court where he had a gun pointed to his head when he was just 10 years old-yikes! It was pretty cool to see his old stomping grounds.

Ikea "happened" to be just minutes away, so of course we stopped. I had wanted to go to Ikea all along, so I told Jon to take his large suitcase and leave it half empty so we could bring goodies back. Let me just tell you, that restricting Ikea purchases so that they can fit into a suitcase is pure torchure and I don't recommend it. I had a bag full of stuff in less than 10 minutes and I hadn't even made it through 1/4 of the store. It probably would have been easier to avoid the store altoghether, but alas, everything I got fit in our suitcase!

Cameron did really well, and slept most of all four flights. I worried so much about making sure he had distractions on the airplane, so I bought a new toy and a board book to take with us. But what does he play with? Empty water bottles and shiny candy wrappers. I should have known this. Overall we had a blast, but there's no place like home!

Seattle Sampler

We landed back home from our trip this afternoon! Seattle is a beautiful and eclectic city. I thought I'd take a few minutes to share a few of the pictures I took while I was there. I'll definitely share more pictures in the days to come as well as a trip recap when things get back to normal around here. Enjoy the weekend!

Oh, and...

Jon and I joined a softball team with a few of his brothers and our first game is tonight! Thoughts that are running through my head:

• I'm about to find out how old I'm getting. I played sports all throughout highschool (never softball, though) but it's been awhile since I've worked up a sweat.
  
• I have to shave my legs. It's been awhile since I've done it and I hate doing it. I should have thought about this before I signed up.
  
• I'm the only girl on my team. In fact, I am probably one of a handful of girls in the whole league. I hope the boys take it easy on me!
  
• I forsee the following comment sometime during the season: "Jon, your wife is better at softball than you." Neither of us have played, but I've always smashed my husband in the batting cages. Hee! Regardless, I think it will be a fun time for us and maybe we'll meet some new friends!
  

Snippets.

We leave in less than a week for Washington! Initially when we booked the trip I wanted it to be here NOW. Well, it's "now" and I'm not ready to go. I have so much to do in so little time- I've been putting in some good hours at work this week (leaving zero time for tidying up the house), and I'd like to sneak in a trip to the state fair before we go.

I've mentioned over and over that I'm so glad fall is here; part of what makes it feel like fall in Kansas (besides the weather and gorgeous colors) are huge sunflowers EVERYWHERE. I mentioned to Jon how pretty they were and how much I wanted to pick some. Later that evening he disappeared on his dirt bike and returned with a bouquet of sunflowers. Wow- He does listen!
Very pretty even though they're dropping yellow dust all over the kitchen table, huh?

Cameron had his 9 month appointment this morning. Dad took him because I was working, but he told me that they "provided the entertainment" while they were at the office. That seems about right on- they are always being obnoxiously loud and doing some type of acrobatic trick testing my patience. Thankfully Cameron didn't have to get any shots, but he managed to come home with stickers all over his clothes! I wonder who was responsible for that?

I haven't really taken many pictures of Cam this month- but I hope to do a 9 month shoot in Washington.

This has been a fun month! It's awesome to see him learning, and making connections to sights and sounds. He can always hear airplanes, dogs, and ducks before I do. He loves to be chased around the house. He loves grilled cheese sandwiches and blueberry waffles. He also loves to sit on top of daddy's shoulders while he pulls weeds. We love him and can't get enough!

Lets pretend for a minute it's still Monday.

I'm sure most of you would rather not rewind, but I gave myself a Monday deadline to get those baby shower invites done- and that didn't happen. So, if we all just pretend that it's still Monday, then I'm cool, right? I actually posted the invite on The Nest and got some great feedback and made a few minor changes based on the feedback I got!
So, if you got this in the mail, would you want to come?
The paper has a nice shimmer to it, so I thought about making some natural highlights on the stork's body with a little glitter.
I'm a firm believer that an invitation sets the mood for the upcoming event. They should make people excited and want to attend! I don't know about you, but anytime I get a stellar wedding invitation, it makes me that much more excited to go and see the presentation of everything else. Maybe that's the designer in me, my obsession with attention to details. Take for instance, this handmade invitation. There is no way I would pass that party down. See what I mean?

In other news, I've got some very exciting news that I'm dying to share with someone. I'm not going to tell just yet -in case it falls through-, but I'll go ahead and say that it doesn't involve Bambino #2 (c'mon, I know that's what you were thinking!), but does involve a new step in my career. Regarding the news, I could definitely use your thoughts and prayer for wisdom and God's direction. Of course, I'll keep you updated!