L&H in Real Simple

Real Simple included our 2011 Calendar in their round up of nine calendars!  We're in good company, too.  Check out the round up here.

Thanks, so much Real Simple!

Marcel the Shell With Shoes On

You might be one of the over 4 million people who have already seen this, but I thought I'd share this really cute & funny video my nieces & nephews shared with me over Christmas. 

Enjoy!

Merry Christmas Everyone

Wishing you & yours a very happy & healthy holiday and new year!

Be back in January with (hopefully) more regular content:)

Vintage Wrapping Paper

How great is this wrapping paper I picked up at the Brooklyn Flea this week?  I don't think I can bare to use it, though.  (I'll never shake that paper/stationery hording thing in me.)  I love the patterns & wish they were on fabric.  Of course the crafting possibilities are endless with paper, but lately, I've been drawn to fabric - little pouches, drawstring bags, zip purses.  With holiday fabric in these patterns, I'd wrap up a wine bottle or make a little stocking or maybe some simple coasters or napkins.  (Making anything these days besides warm bottles seems a world away, but I'm looking forward to getting back there next month!)

Santa

No tears!

I think Griffin is too young to get what's going on.  (And when I said this to John, he said, "No really?!")  He was way more interested in the 30 other kids running around than Santa.  And forget about telling Santa what he wants for Christmas:)  Maybe next year we'll get some more action.

ps, We're really getting our money's worth with this little Christmas sweater jumper I bought Griffin.  Pat on the back for Mom... for humiliating the poor guy over & over:)

From the {Nursery} Fridays: Santa Baby

Griffin gets to meet Santa this weekend!  I'm hoping for no tears, but I'm pretty sure that's just part of the deal when you're almost 11 weeks old.  Poor Santa.  :)

Have a great weekend, everyone!

Lucky Mag Deal of the Day

Did you know about Lucky Magazine's daily email announcing sales of 40-50% off?  I didn't, until they asked me to participate.  That's a huge savings!  And I swear they didn't make me say that.  I just signed up for it.

Anyway - until tomorrow you can get our 2011 Calendar at 50% off.  As they say, sneeze and you'll miss it.  :)

Visit Lucky here to check it out.

From the {Nursery} Fridays: New Favorite Book

Last weekend at my mother's family's Christmas party, my aunt gave me this book for Griffin: On the Night You Were Born by Nancy Tillman.  I had never heard of it before, but after reading it to Griffin with tears in my eyes, it has quickly become my favorite and has been read to him at least once every day since.  I thought I'd quote you the last part, my favorite part:

If the moon stays up until morning one day,

or a ladybug lands and decides to stay,

or a little bird sits at your window awhile,

it's because they're all hoping to see you smile...

For never before in story or rhyme

(not even once upon a time)

has the world ever known a you, my friend,

and it never will, not ever again...

Heaven blew every trumpet

and played every horn

on the wonderful, marvelous

night you were born.

You must read the whole thing, though.  It's short, but so very sweet.  It's going to be my new gift-must for parents to be.  (Thanks for the introduction, Aunt Beth! xoxo)

Brrrr!

I looooove this coat.  But it's sold out:(  I'm waiting to hear if it's available at any retail stores.  I love my puffy Patagonia for keeping me super toasty - but I ski in that jacket.  I need a proper coat.  And this one, in this color, looks perfect.  My cold fingers are crossed! 

RIP iPhone

That's right.  Rest in peace, iPhone.  See ya!  Never wanna be ya!

I finally acted on my frustrations and threats.  Frustration in not reliably being able to make or receive a phone call from my couch, or on my block, or three blocks from here.  And threats like "I'm switching to a flip phone!" or "I'm going to throw you out the window!"  And let's not even talk about the amount of times I've apologized for dropping calls.  I used to make excuses: "Sorry, I must have hit a dead spot."  "Sorry, I'm driving. Service is spotty."  After about 50 of those, I started cursing myself:  "Sorry, I'm an idiot & still have this stupid phone."  I even told my friend to punch me in the face if I didn't have a new phone by the following week.

Well, that week was last week.  I'm now iPhone free and couldn't be happier.  I'm able to walk and talk - imagine that!  I will say that the iPhone is King of Pretty & I do miss that.  But with a 9 week old, when Pretty can't make calls, Pretty turns Ugly real quick.

This all said, if things go well with the iPhone/Verizon partnership in January, I might just have to switch back.  What?  I like Pretty.  :)

From the {Nursery} Fridays: What I've Learned

In the past nine weeks, I feel like I've done an Ironman, taken 100 exams (& stayed up all night studying for them), and had my body used as a science experiment.  Being a new mom is the hardest thing I've ever done.  And as I've heard it described, "hardest and best" thing I've ever done.

Now that I feel like I'm finally getting back on my feet a bit, I thought I'd share a few things I've learned along this relatively short roller coaster ride:

1) Breastfeeding (sorry, I have to go here b/c it's the number one thing I've learned) is hard!  It's not "natural" or "intuitive" and is certainly not easy.  Well, maybe to some three lucky women out there it is, but not this one.  It takes work, and as I've learned, not doing it right can lead you to the doctor's office (and then a specialist & then a dermatologist) many times for many different meds.
2) Women don't talk about things like number 1.  (Why that is is something I don't know.)
3) I can get by on four hours of sleep.  Barely & bleery-eyed, but I can do it.  And a full stretch of four hours seems like a good night's sleep.
4) I've never felt love like this before.  It was said to me by many moms, and it is absolutely true.
5) When I get up in the middle of the night, I forget that I'm tired as soon as I see Griffin.
6) Kingsley isn't jealous of Griffin, she just wants as much attention now as she got before he was born.
7) I can do this.  (Took me a while to get here.)
8) Time flies.
9) Happy Mommy, happy baby.  And happy Daddy.  And happy dog.
10) I'm starting to see why people do this more than once.

Have a great weekend, everyone!

[photo of me & Griffin the day we left the hospital]

Famille Summerbelle Wallpaper

How gorg are these wallpapers from Famille Summerbelle?!  I'm picturing them in a powder room or a childrens room or a hallway.  Perfection.  I have yet to wallpaper a room in our apartment, but I'm dying to & these are high up on the list.