The Perfect Jeans for $60

If you are in a larger market {READ: outside of the backwoods state of Alabama}, click HERE for a clip from the Today show on NY and Company's Premium Flare Jeans. SELF magazine did a review of over 600 pairs of jeans and this particular pair is the most universally flattering jean...oh and by the way, it's only $60 {READ: SIXTY BUCKS!} They're a mid-rise jean with a flattering dark wash and strategically placed whiskering. The backsides (sizes ranging from 0-14) on all of the women on the Today Show look equally flattered which is a pretty amazing thing, if you ask me.

Right now I'm a little upset that I can't find them Online...and I called the store to see if they had any in stock and they advised that none of the Alabama NY and Company stores will receive the jean because it's not a large enough market! If there's any state that's in dire need of better-fitting, decently-priced denim jeans, I'd think Alabama would have high enough demand to merit keeping this merchandise readily stocked!!!

January Showers Bring February Babies

Well, perhaps February babies...if Pink Pimpette has a say, this baby will pop out soon!

On Saturday, Pink Pimpette and Brother came in town while her sorority sisters came over for a Shower for Baby S.

The Cake
The Spread

The Gifts

The Lovely Guests

And of course...

The Ladies Man Pink Pimpette's Hostess with the Mostest, 'Slaw'
{seriously, it was so nice that Slaw told me she just needed a venue & she took care of EVERYTHING else...and all I did was make sure the house was clean and provided a couple of dishes}
Pink Pimpette & I
So very glad everyone had a blast...
{shower lasted from 2pm until 7pm!}

And there were many gifts showered...

Lovely, fun, girlie, frilly things...

Dear Gigi, do you recognize your Ruffle Butts gift?

And Baby M loved every minute of being his charming self...

Baby S is definitely a future Phi Mu legacy

And Baby M is definitely a future heartbreaker...

{I think 4 girls caught Baby Fever that day- scary!}

Case of the Mondays

I have a bit of a Monday morning hangover. Funny thing is...I haven't had a drop of alcohol since Tuesday night {loved seeing you Buckeye Belle!}. And NO, that wasn't left in my system from a week ago! {haha-only 1.5 glasses reasonably poured}

Yeah, it's just an awful case of the Mondays.

That, and I'm totally bummed about losing one of Mason's Pediped shoes Friday night...the favoritest shoes in the world. He wears this pair probably 6 days out of the week. We have 2 or 3 other pairs that will fit him right now, but none that are as cool & hip, functional, baby-feet-friendly as this pair. SAD DAY INDEED!

But I have most excellent news to report: Pink Pimpette's Baby Shower was a huge hit! I'll have photos to post soon...well later today, when the Mondays are gone.

Girl, It's Out of Control

I set out Thursday night to make some hair bows for Pink Pimpette's soon-to-arrive Baby S. What I didn't realize is that once you get going with something cute, fun, and super girlie...it sometimes gets out of control. This is the Online tutorial I used {HERE}

God totally knew I needed Baby M to be a BOY. I cannot even imagine how much craziness would ensue if he'd been a girl. Even so, I still think it's good to take future blackmail photos like this:

{totally TEASING!}

So This Week...

I hung around Saturday, and had some fun:

But I avoided the gym and haven't run:

The week's been productive with lots of work done:

This weekend I host a shower for the Bun:

It's been a GOOD week. Not one without its challenges, but it's been good. And I have many blessings to count...too many to count actually.

• Rock climbing was a blast. My forceps are still sore.
• My Starck chair came in...it's everything I was hoping it would be {isn't it lovely in my home office!}
• Family, friendships, and relationships are great.
• And Pink Pimpette is gonna have her baby SOON!

Can't Wait to Get My Hands On It

It's silliness, but I'm excited to finally get a chance to use these {Kate Spade Babysitter Notes}

Since tomorrow, I'll be doing this {Indoor Boulder Climbing}:

Yay- Happy Weekend Everyone!

Feminine Fashionable Function

Growing up in a family where both my parents were artisans in their own right {as a hobby/home company}, I've come truly appreciate the beauty and craftsmanship of handcrafted things.

While I don't have a lick of talent in this area, I'm somewhat familiar with woodworking, carving, and painting. Leatherwork is something I'm in awe of...especially when the beauty is crafted into something fashionable, feminine, and function, like a handpurse!

I don't know this artist, but she's certainly talented; check out these beauties from Etsy seller TanyaWork:

Wow- while I've had an affinity for my pebbled leather Coach bags, I'd say these purses take the cake!

My Design Heart Smiles

I've been on the lookout for a well-priced Philippe Starck Louis "Ghost" chair for quite some time. And then yesterday I found a shop that let me make an offer on the chair that I've been eyeing for almost half a year now...and they accepted my offer!

{yes design gurus, I realize it's very 2002 of me but I believe the timeless outline and the clear lucite material makes this a classic piece of furniture}

I. CAN. NOT. WAIT.

Junk Find

I really enjoy great bargains, good finds, and especially old pieces with history and character...BUT I'm not so diligent about thrift-store shopping or junk-shop hunting.

However, with my last trip to the thrift-store, it proved to have a huge payoff so I may be taking Baby M "junking" more often. My found Objet d'Histoire was an antique Victrola Record Player Cabinet . From what I found Online, these restored cabinets can begin at an upwards of $400 even without the player {this one doesn't have the record player so it's being used strictly as a furniture cabinet}.

So... you might be wondering, "How much was it?"

Well my friends, it was marked a lovely $75...with a special sticker notation showing this particular day of my visit that it was an additional 75% off. Yep, I got it for $18.75 {plus tax}. SCORE!

It's now sitting in my kitchen as a cookbook cabinet, which works perfectly as my kitchen island had to be emptied so Baby M couldn't demolish my things.

Now grant it, there is still work to be done. The top veneer piece came off in transit and the front doors definitely work. But it's nothing that a little wood glue and TLC can't fix. And for less than $20, it was worth every penny!

Slight Changes

Small changes can alter a room's appearance dramatically.

Here's the dining room {Christmastime 2007...please excuse the ornaments and christmasy centerpiece}

And now here it is today:

• Painted the table and chairs black; recovered the chairs
• Moved the kitchen rug in here to anchor the furniture {Note: now need a kitchen rug!}
• Added 3 more botanical prints and frames and tightened the bundle by hanging them closer to each other

I know I need a real table centerpiece {who wants to volunteer their flower arranging skills?} and I'd definitely like to change the walls up {with the corner table}. I've also been debating about whether to add a console piece underneath the wall with the prints.

But it's evolving...ever changing...hopefully for the better!

Pretty Ugly

Buckeye Belle's beautifully organized home has definitely inspired me to get my kitchen cabinets and pantry-space in order.

So while my re-org is not in BB style, I'm able to have a much cleaner view of what's in-stock in my kitchen. *Note* My small infant child tends to reach into the bottom 2 shelves to rearrange things for his Mommy...notice the slight contrast in these shelves' "organization." I'm jus sayin' ...

Gotta love those large Rubbermaid {nonbreakable!} clear containers for $1.88 each at WalMart.

{haha, just now noticing this bottom shelf that I can't blame on Baby M...disregard the chips section; I don't typically have them in my pantry}

NOW, what I must really confess is that this post is for my own benefit. Inspiration for me to tackle the scary ugly mess that is my room. Check out that horrible closet!

Now, who in the world let the Mess Fairy screw with my bedroom?

Yep. It's real life though...

Out With the Old

Out with the OLD...
...and in with the NEW

I have a decent list of "To Do"s still, but these photos share progress of how the room is coming along. I also have an art project for behind the sofa, but reusing this old iron artwork suits me fine for now.

One of my favorite nooks is to the right of my desk. Everything is now nicely and neatly organized after purchasing more containers: bookshelf @ $25; 2 canvas bins @ $8 each; 2 letter boxes with lids @ $6 each; 1 disk container @ $6 {all from WalMart}

And then I removed most of my brightly colored accessories except for a few green and yellow items on the built-in bookcase. I know I still need to work on styling the bottom shelf...but love that mirror.

______________________________________________

It's taken me forever and a day to get to this point, but I'm pleased with the direction so far. My sunroom/office has become my personal place of solace. Mason for the most part finds it boring because I've hidden cords, it's mostly color-less, and I'm keeping it free of plastic {aka baby toys}. The skylights and casement windows seem brighter with a mostly-white room now too. Yay!

TO DOs:

• Frame my lovely Anne Harwell prints for the wall behind the rocking chair
• Recover the rocking chair cushion in burlap
• Buy a new office chair: still determining whether to go Ghost Louis, a simple white tulip chair, or even a clear acrylic cradle chair
• Make burlap curtains {to keep Baby M from being tempted to see Mommy when he gets older and realizes that's my workspace}
• Paint the 2 accent tables a distressed white
• Art project for behind the sofa
• Find a new globe for the broken ceiling fan {Oops}