It would be nice to add...

Some ALPINE TREES to the front porch!!  I don't think they are in the budget for this year but they sure would look nice!  They are so pretty either inside or outside.

These ones are PERFECT...of course, because they are by Martha Stewart for Grandin Road...

{Photo courtesy of Grandin Road}

Amazon.com has a bunch, and I've seen them at Target as well.  I really like the ones with the snowy look, and pre-lit of course!  Maybe...just maybe...I'll pick up one or two...we'll see...

~E 

HOLIDAY PORCH DECOR!!

Here 'tis!!  After lots of work and the hubby screwing these bad boys into the deck so they don't blow over anymore, here's how it looks!

A mix of pics with lights both on & off...

 

At night...

Most of the trees were pre-lit, except the two larger ones. They are all artificial, but I went out to my woods and cut sprigs of fresh spruce/pine in order to fill some of the gaps. I used a mix of bubble wrap and old newspapers to stuff the bases, wrap them with burlap, and then secure them with jute. I used the little green antique box (the one I just showed you...) to hold one of the smaller trees, covered it over with some burlap, and then mixed in some pinecones and silver ornaments in its little compartments. The small red bench was a score for $15 at my local antique store. My plain white mailbox was bothering me, so I took a piece of very thin cardboard (from the inside of a roll of wrapping paper), secured it to the top/lid of our mailbox, and just wrote a simple phrase with white chalk ~ "Peace on Earth." The white pots I already had from Ikea/Homegoods, so I took a roll of jute and wrapped the tops of the pots for a little organic, natural feeling "trim" and stuffed them with pinecones and more silver ornaments.

*If* time permits (and I don't think it will...) I really wanted to add a large twig arch above the entrace to the porch with branches that I would spray silver and secure with wire and burlap. I think that may be a little ambitious for this year. I am also debating adding some silver ornaments hanging from the ceiling of the porch, over in the left corner for a little extra shine. We'll see!

What do you think? I know its not quite Anthropologie's version - I REALLY wish I could add faux snow but it will just blow away - but I am liking my version!

~E

SloB...

Meet B...One of our dearest friends from the good ol' college days, one of the happiest, most positive and fun people I know.  She's got lots of good stuff going on these days - just got married to a fine lad named Terry (ily kidssssssssss) and she's starting a line of aprons with her Mum soon-to-be available on Etsy, called JoBee.  Stay tuned for more on that!!

Anywho, I found this to greet me on Facebook this morning...SloB Blog!!!!

Oh, and as a side note we are investigating to find out if we are long lost relatives on the maternal side...hmmmm....that would be fun!

She will not diasppoint - check her out!  Really.  She'll make you laugh.  I promise, or your money back.  Satisfaction guaranteed from SloB.

~E

Anthro Holiday Decor

Anthropologie has some adorable holiday decor...here are my FAVS!

If you've seen Bentley's nursery, you know why I love these little guys, the Savannah Story Ornaments.  There are several to choose from, including the rhino, zebra, giraffe, and the elephant. 

I love this Fireside Feelings ornament.

How incredible (and expensive!!!) are these tree toppers?!  The first is Mythic Nest and the second is Teeming Forest.

How cute is this Shaggy Garland and the Snowball Fight Decorations?  These snowballs would be super easy to make though - I may have to give it a whirl!

I've been into feathers lately so I really like this Season's Fleetings Wreath and Downy Mini Tree.  It was also be a fun and fairly easy project to make a feather wreath and/or tree.  I was just at JoAnn Fabrics and saw the floral styrofoam forms that would be perfect for this.

Last, I am really loving this Repurposed Reindeer!

**All photos are courtesy of Anthropologie's website.**

Although I'm loving all of these fun things I am still sticking to my original organic winter wonderland theme.  But it can't hurt to look! :)

Have a great day!

~E

Happy Baby!

The little dude is HILARIOUS these days.  He's quite laughy & smiley, and makes some FUNNY faces!  Here are a few pics that hopefully make you smile, too!

A series of funny faces while hanging with Grammy...

I can't believe it too me 4 months to do this with his hair...





All smiles in his new PJ's...



Have a happy day!

~E

Black Friday

I may get shot for saying this, but I cannot stand Black Friday!  It's just madness!  I understand everyone is looking for a good deal and there are some crazy sales that go on, but to me it is not worth the chaos and loads of people that rush to the stores and are just plain rude.  I prefer to spend my day in the quiet of my home, doing some online shopping!  The last several years I've done most of my Christmas shopping online and let me tell you - IT'S GLORIOUS!  I would rather pay a little extra for shipping and avoid the crazy drivers and crowds of pushing people. 

In MY spirit of Black Friday, here are a couple of my favorite "go-to" sites for gifts galore...

UNCOMMON GOODS!  If you have not heard of this website, you MUST check it out!  You'll find unique gifts for anyone on your list - adults and children.  They have everything from jewelry & accessories, to entertaining, to home & garden.  I am also a fan because you can find a large variety of "green" gifts. 

THE LAND OF NOD! The Land of Nod is essentially the "Pottery Barn Kids" of Crate & Barrel - except BETTER!  We have lots of little munchkins in our lives so this place is great to hit up for adorable clothes, toys, crafts, etc.  They cover a range of ages - from fresh babies to toddlers & tykes.  They have things that are a little more unique than what you would find at your local Babies 'R Us.  I will surely be heading to that site for some Christmas shopping!

If you go out in public today, I applaud you.  But for me, I prefer to sit at home where I can do my shopping with the click of a mouse...

What are your favorite stores for Christmas goodies?

~E

Bentley's First Thanksgiving!

A few Thanksgiving morning pics for you (in his Turkey Day jammies)!!

*Legitimately watching TV in his picture, we had to turn it off!

Gobble Gobble!

~E

I'M THANKFUL FOR...

I never really stop to think what I'm thankful for on Thanksgiving.  This has been an amazing year for us, so I think it's the perfect time to start...

I am thankful for our family and friends, who are always there for us no matter what.  We love you and are so grateful to have you in our lives. 

I am thankful for our health ~ especially Baby B! ~ and the health of our loved ones.

This year, I think it goes without saying...but I will shout it from the rooftop of Casa de Strazz...I am thankful for THIS:

My wonderful hubby and best friend, our incredible little man, and of course our four-legged baby Hurley!!! 

Happy Thanksgiving!

xo
~E

Baby Devices Everywhere!

I said it wouldn't happen to me.  And it has.  Our home has been taken over by baby devices!  They are everywhere!  His Pack 'n Play, his little gym, his swing, his vibrating chair, his Bumbo, and now we have added his jumpy swing and his stationary toy seat thingy (who knows what that thing is called...).  It's baby device madness!  (And all he really wants to do is watch TV...he's enamored with the television when its on so I've had to limit my daytime DVR watching).

Let me tell you a story.  I was getting ready to head out to Chris' family's on Saturday when he comes upstairs and tells me he found a new way to entertain Bentley.  Then he shows me a video from his Droid of Bentley swinging back and forth in the kitchen doorway in his jumpy swing...loving it!!  A few minutes later I hear him yell up for me to come down, that I HAVE to see this:



HAHAHAHA!  Thank goodness my camera has a video setting!  AGAIN, YES, HE IS BREATHING AND WE WATCH HIM VERY CAREFULLY!!

Here is his toy station thingamabob "we" just set up (it cracks me up that his little legs just dangle in it)...

What will the baby geniuses think of next? My house can't fit much more!

~E

Some Local Antiquing Fun!

I've been wanting to check out some of my local antique/thrift/consignment stores and finally took the plunge a few weeks ago.  I found a hidden gem of an antique store across town with loads of goodies - old mason jars & glass bottles, antique silver, jewelry, depression glass/milk glass/hobnail glass pieces, and just some really cool and unique stuff.  Here are a few of the goodies I picked up...

An assortment of green/blue glass bottles and mason jars, as well as an old beehive (Random, I know! But it was resting inside one of the bottles I loved so naturally I had to take it home with me. I am thinking of using some jute maybe and hanging it in the mudroom.  Although since Christopher is allergic we are really hoping that when spring comes no little "friends" emerge!!!):

This cute little sand "painting" (with a couple of antique fishing floats I bought this summer at an antique store in the Cape):

An old paddle, because we do live on a river...so I needed a paddle?!  I'm actually debating painting this little guy up with some fun stripes or leaving it as is, not sure yet:

Two antique boxes:

I also have a little red bench that I'll show you with my Christmas porch "reveal."  This same little store is having an open house for the holidays so I took my girlfriend to check it out.  I scooped up some antique Christmas ornaments and another couple of old glass bottles.  She found an old lantern and a pin/brooch.  When we headed out back to our cars, we found some piles of goodies under a big trailer and did some digging - we snagged a couple of old wooden boxes (cute for my Christmas pinecones on the front porch maybe...), a big bag of clear beach glass, and an adorable clay teacup with saucer.  Nothing like a little trash picking!

I like mixing new & old for a unique, custom look at home.  I have my big oak dining table, for example, with a couple of modern, white Panton chairs at either end.  And in my kitchen I have a modern white pedestal table from Ikea surrounded with a set of Heywood Wakefield chairs I scooped up off Craigslist for $75 and painted turqoise (most antique lovers would probably cringe at hearing this, I'm sure I could have sold them and made a profit but being super preggers at the time "we" (the hubby) just sprayed them with some turqoise paint).  

Anyone know of any good antique/thrift stores in MA?

Happy Pre-Turkey Day!

~E

HE ROLLED OVER! HE ROLLED OVER!

My little friend cannot stand tummy time, so I have not been very good with forcing him to do it.  Bad Mommy!!  We finally decided it's time to just let him yell it out for a bit and get used to it.  He can hold his head up already but it's also good for him to strengthen his arms/upper body and do "baby pushups."  I've been plopping him down on his little gym mat and I put a mirror in front of him so he can try to look up at himself.  Anywaysssssssss....we've only been really diligent about if for a few days.  Well last night I plopped him down to see if he would stay there for a bit and sure enough as soon as I put him down on his belly he rolled himself right over onto his back!!!  The look on his face was priceless ~ all of the sudden he realized he was looking up at me instead of the floor and I could tell he was very confused how that happened!!  PROUD MOMMY!!!

The last couple of days the little man has fallen asleep during his morning tummy time session:

Yes, Mum, he is breathing!!  And yes, I watch him carefully to make sure he stays breathing! ;)

~E

Pillows on the cheap...

I love throw pillows!  It's so easy to change up the look of an entire room by changing out a pillow or two or three...I did this when I wanted to change things up for fall in our main living space.  I just swapped some pillows from other rooms in the house and brought some orange pillows downstairs for a fall color theme.  Check out my fall decor here. 

Anyways, I've heard this "trick" before but Nate Berkus reminded me via some of his recent guests...

To make inexpensive throw pillows for your bed, couches, etc. - use square napkins or hankerchiefs and sew them up into pillows.  All you need is a little stuffing and voila!  Whether you see some cute napkins at a local vintage store or pick up some pretty hankies in your travels, they can be used as an inexpensive way to transform your room.  You'll get a custom look on a low budget!!

Something like this would be cute in a beach house or a little boy's room: 

{Images courtesy of TheHoneyPress on Etsy}

TheHoneyPress on Etsy sells cute silk screened "Sneezy Sheets" that would work great as pillows.  Based out of Cape Cod, the patterns are nautical, beachy, and adorable!

Happy hanky hunting!

~E

Christmas Porch Preview...

Here is a quick preview shot of my porch so far...again, inspired by my local Anthropologie's organic winter wonderland.  I have a couple more trees to do (there will be 6-7 total).  I need go get more burlap in order to finish my trees.  My friend and the girls she nannys for did some major pinecone picking for me, so I will add those in some pots and maybe make some pinecone garland to hang with the roping I plan to get.  I need to light two of the trees (the rest are pre-lit) and then have my electrician cleverly hide the cords for me.  And I have a few more odds & ends planned! 

This is my project of the week, before it gets too cold (in addition to putting away mass amounts of laundry)!  More pics to come when I finish up!

~E

The NEW Snuggie?!

What I am about to show you is AMAZING.  Seriously.  Some of you will think I'm nuts, but those of you who know me well will appreciate this.  Lately I have been admiring all of the adorable one-piece jammies my 9 month old niece wears.  Yes, I realize she's a baby (a gorgeous one at that...proud Auntie!) but who doesn't want to be comfy and cute at the same time??!  Especially these days since I'm just mostly a stay-at-home Mommy.  Because of my niece's adorable jammies, some of the fam has discussed having some sort of PJ theme at Chrismas this year - Christmas Eve, Christmas Day, timing of a public PJ appearance TBD.  Details, details! 

What matters is THIS...the OnePiece Jump In.  According to their website, it is "chill-out wear that would be perfect for a lazy day at home."  This is right up my alley - THANK YOU OnePiece Jump In!!!!

Below are my favs, but they are all pretty swell!

{Photos courtesy of OnePiece Jump In website}

I am also loving the purple and lime green.  Thanks, Santa...A.K.A. American Express. 

I must give proper credit to my brother-in-law for finding these GEMS! 

OH, and YES, I do realize that my little niece in her adorable jammies is 9 months old and I am...let's just say 'twenty something'...but age is just a number RIGHT?!  Even when it relates to one-piece PJ's?!!  And surprisingly, no, I never owned a Snuggie!

Have a comfy day!

~E

La Posh Style

I was looking at one of the blogs I follow earlier this week (can't remember which one now, there are so many good ones...) and came across the store La Posh Style.  This adorable clothing/accessories shop was founded just last month, in October 2010, by a photographer who wanted to emphasize the importance of choosing outfits for photoshoots.  With that in mind, the shop features unique clothes with beautiful colors and lots of texture, all at reasonable prices (for real...they are affordable!).  It reminds me a bit of Anthro (there I go, back to Anthropologie AGAIN!) - adorable ruffled cardigans, cute dresses, and cool boots.  They are new to me so I wanted to share!

~E

FOUR MONTH UPDATE!

Today our little dude had his 4 month appointment.  He is a healthy 15 lbs / 10 oz and 25 1/4 inches long!!!  He's growing and thriving, although we need to hold off on solids for a few more weeks.  He's been a bit random in his eating habits lately so the Dr. would like him to stabilize around 26-28 oz daily before we try rice cereal once per day.  And then more rice cereal and adding some orangey things like carrots and squash...YUMMM, mashed up veggies.  Does this look like a face that's ready for some pasty rice cereal?

He's sitting up and holding his head up - he'll sit in his Bumbo, as well as propped up on the couch.  He's very comfy & happy here with his binky and an ice cold beer...

We even busted out his jumpy thing.  He's probably a little young for it (although the age says 4 mo+) but he seems to like hanging in there and will give himself a kick or twirl every now and then.  He'll get used to it and it will help to build up his leg strength.  For now, he's just hangin' around! (Mouth open again, like someone I know who shares his gene pool...)

He's still not into tummy time, but I have to start forcing it a bit more.  Although he is quite content here hanging out with Hurley (Hurley is mid-stretch here, his life is really tough)...

He's been very drooly lately, a bit fussy at times (he's usually pretty chill), and gnawing on his hands a lot - we are suspicious that he's starting to teethe.  We are going through a lot of bibs, as you could suspect by the amount of drool on his shirt below, or by the shoestring hanging from his mouth.  I don't feel anything poking through quite yet but he's not too happy when I rub my finger across his gums, so we'll see...

Overall, he is HAPPY HAPPY JOY JOY!!! (Remember Ren & Stimpy anyone?!! Dad will.)  He's the cutest little nugget in the universe and I loveeeeeeeeeeeeee hanging out with him every day.  And he seems to love me too (BONUS!), because if I leave his side sometimes he'll just yell to make me think he's upset but as soon as I'm in his sights again he'll smile and laugh.  Little trickster!  OH, and he makes the most hilarious clicking noise...I may have already told you but I can't remember...it's like his own little tribe language.  I JUST LOVE SEEING THIS FACE EVERY DAY, AND WHEN I GO TO GET HIM FROM HIS CRIB IN THE MORNING AND HE IS SOOOOO HAPPY TO SEE ME IT MELTS ME TO THE CORE!!!!

Mommy & Daddy love you Baby B!!!!!! ily

~E