Well...

...nothing new really to report. And I don't want to seem whiney, so I'm going to keep this short and sweet. I'm feeling fat. And tired. And clumsy.

In other news, I've finished up my last two projects until baby gets here...one of which you can see here. 

When I finish a project, I always feel like I'm coming off a design high and if I don't have something to immediately delve back into. I go through a little design withdrawal. So I'll keep up with designerly-type things on my design blog for the weeks to come. 

But if you don't hear much from me here, it's probably because I'm trying not get too repetitive with the whole "I feel huge and am ready pop" stuff. 

Anyway, here I am at 34 weeks with my pretty friend Lindsey at her wedding last weekend, a lamp that I love in Eva's nursery (love that it looks like a little lady hat), and Mo. Just keeping the Cuddle Bunny warm for her for a couple weeks. How thoughtful of him. 

Scatter Brain

Oh boy...I can't believe we only have about eight more weeks until our little Eva Joy gets here! In some ways I feel like it was just yesterday that the faintest pink line appeared in the little window of the pregnancy test. Already, our lives have changed so much and it's only about to get crazier!

Brendan and I got a book called Baby 411...which by the way, we have no idea who sent it to us...so whoever you are, thanks!...and it's been super helpful in preparing us for what we're in for.

I'm starting to pack my hospital bag, just in case this little one decides to make an early debut. I can't believe I'm saying that! All of a sudden, time has flown!

And I know I'm a little all over the place...but here's a sneak peak of the nursery...

Can't wait to show you the finished room!

Little by little!

Well, things are starting to shape up around here! Slowly, our new house is starting to feel more homey. Obviously, more space means more things to fill it up...and more means, well more. More money to spend, more time to instal. And more is something that we don't necessarily have right now. So the little things get me really excited. And little by little we'll get there!

We've replaced the generic (aka ugly) chandelier in our dining area with this vintage-cool pendant (love the light bulb!), have a lot for the bathrooms, just need to find the time to paint, replace light fixtures and mirrors, etc., and we have curtains for our living room. But those won't go up for about another month when poor little Gigi gets declawed.

That's another story altogether. Last week, I took both cats to get declawed and got a call that Gigi has a mild infection and so her surgery has to be postponed while she's on antibiotics. Have you ever tried to give a cat a pill? Sometimes it's fine, other times it's miserable. And usually she just throws it up. So I'm just praying really hard that these antibiotics will work. Otherwise, I don't know what we're going to do.

If your friends with me on Facebook, you may have seen that I was thinking of giving her away. Well. I don't want to do that. But I can't have her with her claws around the baby. She's just a little too crazy.

In other news, I'm trying to take on a little bit of freelance editing work, so wish me luck on that!

Oh, and it's Leap Year Day! Which means if you're a lady, you can propose to your man. Whatever. Happy Leap Year Day!

Little Updates

Well...

• I got my maternity jeans in the mail. One word: disappointment. Really, Old Navy?? That's the size I ordered?? The "baby band" which was disproportionally tight compared to the rest of the sagging "skinny" jeans was so low that they might as well have just been ill-constructed elastic waist jeans that I don't think anyone would be caught dead in. Not to mention that the charcoal cowl neck sweater I also ordered was somehow confused by the same geniuses for a hideously pleated bazar black sweat shirt that looks nothing short of amish. And to add to my madness?? I drive 25 minutes to Mt. Pleasant to return the horrendous items only to be told that they don't accept maternity items in the store.

Thanks. For. Nothin.

• In more uplifting news, since I was at the Towne Centre, I stopped in Pea in a Pod, which I should have done all along, and got some much more satisfactory jeans. Thank ya Jesus for well-fitting preggo jeans.

• Brendan and I went to the wedding of our good friends Jeffery and Ashleigh this weekend and I had Brendan take a baby bump picture before we left, but after further review, I hate it, and therefore will not be sharing. Maybe now that I got some better jeans, I'll post one soon.

• 16 weeks was Sunday...and the roller coaster continues. Many more ups than downs, but still, Monday was rough.

• First house project complete: blinds for the downstairs! Yay! So now when I'm working, I don't share awkward glances with people walking by outside. Next step, blinds for the second and third floor and the bathrooms/half baths!

This is what we're doing in the second floor half bath. I'm still scouting out the mirror, just the version that doesn't cost $300. I know I can find it cheaper. And so the hunt is on.

Mmk, friends. I'm off make brownies for our Code Orange viewing party tonight. What's that, you ask? Elevation Church in Charlotte is hosting a 12-night event where speakers, pastors, and musicians from all over the country (and the world) are taking the stage and our very own Pastor P will be speaking tonight. So if you can, check it out! It's streaming live tonight at 6PM here.

Ciao!

Tuesday Recap

Wow! Lots going on! I don't really know where to start so I'll start with this: I was re-reading my second-to-last post (the one with the bump pic), and man. Talk about preggo brain. Typos, random words thrown nonsensically into sentences. Oops.

Anyway, have I mentioned how much love January?? It hasn't always been that way. Especially when January = cold. Here, not so much. I know a lot of people aren't super enthused by this time of year, but for me, at least this year, it's been a huge sigh of relief. No more frantic holiday preparation. No more dreaded extended hours in the car. Dwindling morning sickness. Things are really starting to get back to normal, and I must say it's quite nice.

So what has normal looked like over the past few weeks? Well, as an expansion of my design biz, I'm working on textile line that I hope to launch by mid-March (maybe sooner if all goes well). It's been fun and challenging and I'm just really excited to get it out there.

And when I'm not working on, well, work, I think it's pretty safe to say nesting has taken full effect. Nesting and napping. I think I've finally picked out paint colors for the bathrooms, master bedroom, downstairs living room, guest room, baby's room, and dining room. That's a lot of painting. Sorry, Brendan. It'll all be worth it, I promise. I know I have like five or so more months, I just want to get this stuff done before the baby gets here. Because God knows once s/he arrives on the scene, things will be wayyy different.

I'm so badly fighting the urge to share my nursery concept boards and the names with y'all. I'm so excited about both but I know a big reveal is best. But....who knows. I could crack. We'll see. I think as soon as we find out the gender operation nursery will be in full swing, so maybe I can show it to you sooner rather than later.

Speaking of which, we find out if baby M is a boy or girl next month! I'm so excited!! Mid-February can't come soon enough!

Well, friends, that's all for now. Hope you're having a great week!

Inspiration

Isaiah 43

:(

It's been a really long day. I've run into to some hiccups in launching Amen Interiors which is now Amen Inspired Design: www.amenstyle.blogspot.com. Same blog, new name.

Fifty bucks worth of legal advice and a domain name later, I am spent. I know it seems like a lot of my posts revolve around this, but a lot of my life revolves around this right now. There's also a lot of other big things on our minds and as we ponder our purpose in life, I have neglected to really post about anything fun. So I promise an NYC post is coming soon. And the fabled 2010 post. Yeah, I know it's February. :( I fail.

Big Apple Love

{As Promised}

So two weekends ago, I went here:

You might find it bit odd that I would go to NYC right after a blizzard, but if you really know me, you'd know that it's not odd at all. I love this city.

It wasn't nearly as cold as it looks. In fact, thanks to some awesome rain boots we bought at Tertorn in SoHo and these amazing fur hats, we were totally toasty.

Here's a look at our trip:

Red Velvet + Dulce de Leche {Crumbs}

CP ♥

Purl Soho {love this place}

Washington Square {The Village}

Park Ave. {flowers} | Bryant Park {snowmen}

Tretorn saved our lives! {and our feet}

Do as ze Russians do.

CP

SoHo

Hello, Kate Spade.


The Rug Company | SoHo



Ze Pod.


{taxicab yellow} the accent color of the city

Can I get an Amen??

Check out my design blog updates! Kind of like a kitchen remodel or a foyer renovation, it's a work in progress, but it's getting there. You can 'like' me on Facebook too and see my mini-portfolio :)

While I'm At It

Re: the below post...

I might as well tell you that one of the first {and more fun} steps I've taken is starting a new blog dedicated to interior design. I'm keeping mum on it for now until I have a solid portfolio that I'm confident in. It's very much a work in progress, so you can expect to see a lot of changes, tweaks, and additions within the next few months, but it's a good way to keep my creativity flowing and one day I hope to show case my own work on it.

So no- I'm not advertising any services really {right now}, but I've already written 13 posts, some of which you've seen here, and I feel kinda weird feeling like I'm writing to no one. So check it out if you want to!

Amen Interiors Life + Style Blog

Wednesday Whimsy: Not So Hob-Nobs

Hello, lovely.

To me, there's nothing more charming than good hardware. It's like a the cherry on top of a terrific sunday or the sprinkles on a perfectly iced cupcake. Whether it's a desk drawer, dresser, armor, cabinetry, thoughtful hardware is essential to pulling off the intended look. Not only is a great eye candy, it really expresses an attention to detail that can turn an ordinary piece into a unique manifestation of style and personality.

These are some of my favs, all hailing from the mothership of whimsy, the beloved Anthropologie.

Love!

Wednesday Whimsy

I wouldn't necessarily describe my design style as completely whimsy all the time, but I do believe in a little whimsical goodness peppered in with more classic and/or clean elements.

Particularly relating to kitchens, I think open shelving is a lovely element that does lend itself to being whimsical and colorful, adding instant interest and even a little bit of warm fuzzies.

This yummy eye candy says it all:

Blogger Bug + Frustration = Freebie Wallpaper! :D

Well, I've been trying to post something else for about an hour now, but somehow it keeps getting deleted even though I keep saving it. Frustrating. Hopefully Blogger can fix this bug and I'll get it back soon.

In the meantime, I just wanted to share a couple simple designs I've been working on as part of a collection of cards. They also make cute desktop wallpapers :)

And this one isn't part of the card collection, but I thought I'd throw it out there too. It's a quote from Steven Furtick's book Sun Stand Still, which I've talked about in my last post. It's on my desktop right now.

Into the Wild

I'm not usually given to garishness. My wardrobe consists of a lot gray, white and black. I'd say all and all, I'm pretty monochromatic with punches of color here and there. To me, you make more of a statement with subtlety because people are actually more prone to notice a gold belt or coral cuff when it's up against a canvas that actually allows it make a statement, rather than getting bogged down in with over accessorization or patterns that should just be a statement themselves.

So I'd like to acknowledge the latter of the two- patterns that should just a be a statement themselves.

Animal print hasn't always been my thing. But this fall, I'm finding myself really drawn to it. Especially in softer colors that we all know those animals don't really come in (grays, pastels, plum).

If you really look at it, animal print is nothing more than an unconventional pattern of neutrals, that when done correctly, is so Fifth Avenue and so not Jersey Shore.


Now, I'm definitely not advocating over doing it (which can be easily done).

I think sticking with one jungle cat inspired item per outfit is all you need.

I've had this thought before, and I think this just proves it to be true- God is truly the king of couture. I wonder what His muse was when creating such haute patterns.

9.11.01

http://verseddesign.blogspot.com/2010/09/john-1633.html

Question

If you saw a book with this cover in a bookstore, what would your first impression be? Interested? Would it appeal to you? Would you want to see what it's about? Not really talking about the title or back cover text. Just the general design. Just wondering.

Conundrum

I love options. When given the choice, I almost always opt for options. Maybe it's because I'm easily distracted. Maybe it's because I'm fickle, impulsive, generally non-commital. I'm going to stop before I start getting side tra....what's the name of that new sushi restaurant I've been wanting to try?....ok, bring it in. Options=good. Usually.

On rare occasions, I do not appreciate the option of having options. And this particular situation is one of them.

I'm trapped in a conundrum. The most crappy of conundrums. A calendar conundrum.

Yes, I realize I am ridiculous. Let's be serious, we've all known that for a long time. But back to the conundrum at hand.

A calendar is a serious investment. It's a commitment to one style, one compilation of at least 12 designs, photos, paintings, etc. for an entire year. Can you change your mind about your chosen calendar? Sure. But I find it tacky.

Can you just tell yourself it's not a big deal, just use the one you got as Secret Santa gift? You know, the one with wiener dogs dressed seasonally according to their respective months? Or maybe babies posed in disturbing and bizarre scenarios like in a larger-than-life tea pot or perhaps a head of lettuce. Creepy. No! You cannot allow it!

Or...maybe even worse, since there is no semblance of personality whatsoever, do you just go with the free calendar from the supply closet at work? The one printed on less than desirable anemic-looking paper stock with red Arial font months, emotionless expression of date and holidays and no recognition whatsoever of the unique beauty of the twelve months? No! You cannot use this for anything except lulling yourself into depression about the passage of time.

I shutter to think of hanging such an atrocity on my already bleak storm cloud of a cubical wall. The afore mentioned items are not options.

But there is hope! There's a lot. And THAT'S the problem! When is too much of a good thing bad? As a rule, I like to say "never!" But I can't say this regarding this particular issue.

I've narrowed it down to three and I'm feeling anxiety of having picked the wrong one already! Which one do I want to stare at in my cubical for an entire year? Which one can I give that kind of time to? Which one will make me forget the others?

Don't even tell me they all look the same.

2011 Snow & Graham Desk Calendar

2011 Papersource Letterpress Desk Calendar

2011 SuzyJack* Deluxe Hanging Calendar

*Yes, I am totally aware of my excessive mellow drama. No I won't do it again.

Ok, I will try not to do it again.

Because I love a blog...

...and typography and design and Bible verses:

http://verseddesign.blogspot.com/