goals and thoughts

Now that June is right around the corner (literally) I realized that I need to stop saying things like "spring dresses" and "spring flowers" because well....it's pretty much summer. And I'm not quite sure how that happened! If I had to take a guess it would most definitely have something to do with Baby consuming all of my thoughts and energies (again, literally) and the weekly countdowns we have going on around here as we hit all of the major milestones. It's so fun. 

I've looked forward to being a momma for so very long that I'm a little sad this pregnancy is going as fast as it is! Don't get me wrong, we cannot wait to meet our little one, but trying to live in the moment and enjoy all of the silliness as well as the down right amazing moments that come along with being pregnant is something I remind myself to do everyday. The weeks are just flying by!  

In an effort to fully enjoy every moment of this summer, while being pregnant and waiting on this little boy or girl, I've come up with a list of goals. Not all are baby related. In fact, a lot are just me and husband related because guess what....next summer we'll have a seven month old. And life will be SO different. 

Sometimes, when I think about that I feel like I should be scared. Tyler and I have been me and Tyler for almost ten years! TEN! And they have been oh such good years, while learning how to be married in a way that works for us. But guess what? Our lives are about to be a whole heck of a lot more fun and we are both more than ready to be three! We cannot wait. And when I look back on all that we've done already during our time as two (such as here, here and here for example) I have absolutely no regrets. Baby will be here at the perfect time. And we have an entire summer to enjoy together. 

Summer 2012

go to a drive-in together

settle on a list of baby names

plant the tree we've been meaning to plant for three years

take a weekend trip. somewhere. 

go to the beach with my family and enjoy every minute. next year that will be different too. 

take plenty of walks for ice cream

keep writing in Baby's journal

go on lots of little dates. like picnics! 

finish *or I suppose start* Baby's blanket

read To Kill a Mockingbird again. among a few other of my favorites. 

"""

I think I've got a pretty good start. Oh summer! Yay! 

**thank you to the sweet Lauren of Lo and Behold for the summer goals idea** 

memorial day

holy cow people. guess what! I didn't take ONE SINGLE PHOTO during our Memorial Day party!!!!!!!!!
I'm not even sure how that happened.
And it's such a disappointment because it was probably one of the best parties of all the ones we've had....such great friends and family and food and food and a beautiful day. And food!
Not to mention I somehow pulled it all off despite the naps and breaks and swollen feet by the end of the night (though I sincerely owe a lot of that credit to my little sister who kicked butt helping clean the house and getting the food ready).
But no record of all that just kind of makes me sad....I guess we were all too busy having fun!
So Ill just say, the pasta salads were a hit, the slider hamburgers went fast and my lemonade punch and fresh fruit water were a favorite. Not to mention my stripey straws and pretty flowers made up for the dirt pile in the back yard. At least I hope.
Anyhoo. Just use your imagination folks. :)

I did, however, manage to scrounge up some instagrams of our Memorial Day on Monday. Tyler and I dedicated the entire day to doing nothing in appreciation of my swollen feet and growing belly. Which was totally fine by me. We ventured out for a quick lunch and let the doggies run around for a bit since they were so good with all of our guests the day before! Then we rented a few movies and of course couldn't come home without some yummy snacks too. It was actually a pretty nice day together despite both of us being worn out. Love this guy of mine, he's always happy just hanging out with me in our jammies. It's nice. Hope your Memorial Day was great too. :)

i know, i know, it's a lemon

Right!? I know. The lemon. It's been done before. But guys, seriously.....this is exciting! I've been waiting for the week of the lemon more than any fruit or vegetable in the produce pregnancy lineup!

When my app told me last week Baby was the size of a lemon, well gosh. I just got all happy. Big step for baby of course, but also because throughout the entire first trimester, Tyler and I spent our my lazy evenings watching 30 Rock. If you're not familiar with the comic genius of Tina Fey and this show (which Ill be honest, I really only like the Tina Fey parts) then you're missing out. Miss Liz Lemon will most definitely be one of my favorite television sitcom characters forever, as we spent quite a lot of time together during those first few months. And I swear, I came up with "blergh" before I even watched the show. And "nerds!"? Well that's just genius. We might as well be the same goofy person, me and Liz Lemon. At one point I even considered a name change to Renee Lemon, but Tyler wasn't really a fan. I still think it's cute. Tyler said I don't really need to go to all that trouble, he can just start calling me "Lemon" if it'll make me happy. Love him.

Right. So that got a bit carried away. My point is!! There is a point! That one of my favorite lines is when Liz tells her boss (Alec Baldwin) that he's been "lemoned"when she one-upped him. About something of which I cannot remember because I laughed so hard I had to take a potty break.
So I've been waiting for the week of the lemon so I could say to Tyler...hey, guess what? wait for it.... I'm lemoned! (instead of "pregnant". just in case you can't follow my ridiculous train of thought)

I know. It's lame. But it's the little things in life and I still got a pretty good laugh out of him, so that's all that matters.

Well that and our baby is the size of a lemon (!!!) which means my bump gets bigger every day and this baby is gah-rowing! Happiness!

I'd also like to thank my inlaws for having a supply of lemons, otherwise this spontaneous photo would likely not have happened last weekend and thus, neither would this post and none of you would know how completely ridiculous I can be at times. 

Happy Weekend!!
Renee :)

summer foods//picnic party

lemonades//watermelon/pasta/punch/orzo 

Tyler and I are getting ready for our annual Memorial Day picnic party at our house/in our backyard and obviously I'm in charge of the food (lest we only end up with hot dogs and beer). Thank goodness for pinning! It makes searching through cookbooks seem SO tedious.
I found a whole slew of good recipes but with thirty people slated to show up and me still being a pretty tired pregnant mama, well.... the easier the better this year.
These are the finalists. I'm pretty sure they are all winners.
So Ill make sure to get all this ready in time for the party and lets all cross our fingers and toes that the giant trench Tyler dug through the middle of our yard is filled with patio stones by Sunday. Otherwise I can't promise he'll still be around Monday morning....

a baby!

First off, I must say.....all of your sweet congratulations on here, facebook, twitter and instagram made me completely emotional! I read each and every one to Tyler and we just have to say THANK YOU. We are so blessed. Tyler and I have waited for this little one for what feels like forever, at times not very patiently- now....well it's still pretty hard to believe it's happening.

It was also tricky keeping our news a secret, especially since I felt I could only use the "I have the flu" excuse so many times when canceling plans so I could lie down. My first trimester was definitely challenging and I felt like I would never feel better again...but behold! The second trimester! It's as good as everyone kept telling me. I'm so grateful not to be nauseous all day. It's wonderful. And now everyone knows the reason behind all of the crazy baby pinning on Pinterest ((guilty)). Spending 12 weeks lying around feeling crummy didn't leave me with much else to do!

Oh but despite all that, the joy! Tyler and I spend every car ride and walk (usually on our way to get food since I'm always hungry) talking about this little person! Constantly. It's pretty darn amazing. So much to think about and dream about and wonder. And baby names! Don't even get me started on those. Thankfully we have a little while until we need to make that decision. The week of Thanksgiving actually! And yes, I've already outgrown a good portion of my wardrobe but that is a-ok with me...I'm excited to see our baby grow and watch my belly get bigger along the way! Right now it's still a tiny bump but it puts a smile on my face every morning!

What a happy time! We are really just so excited to start this new adventure. Oh gosh! It's going to be fun!

Thank you guys for all of the love!! I'm so happy to have this little space to keep a record of our life and Im also happy to share it with you! xoxo, R. 

a little secret....

ahhhh! a baby! 

and we couldn't be more excited!!!!!!!

xoxo

thrifted//pretty colors

One beautiful handmade floral throw that'll be perfect for curling up with on chilly nights. 

One teeny white vase to add to the rest of the bunch. 

One stack of clothes in some of my most favorite colors, happy finds for the next season (or two). 

I was super lucky at the thrift today, after many many weeks of not stopping in. I neglected to also photograph the large stack of kids related art books that I stumbled upon. Thank you thank you to whatever art teacher decided they were moving on. They will be loved! 

I missed the NOTO fashion show this past weekend ((TEARS)) but am happy to have so many friends that took photos and did awesome updates of the event. I can't wait to stop in to find one or two of those pieces for myself. You can either read Rachel or Jessica's posts on the show! So so so sad I missed it. 

Life around here has been pretty happy lately. Busy, but happy! I'm currently contemplating this season's box garden and herbs and trying to not go overboard on the flower buying. There's just something about a yard full of flowers that makes me smile though! Tyler and I have also taken a few evening walks for ice cream ((love)) and finished the office reorganization project I mentioned here. It's coming along, but continuing to purchase books for those shelves is definitely not helping. 

Can you believe it's already halfway through May?! Almost?! Wedding season is practically here, along with a slew of graduations and birthdays and well....life. Ya know? But that's such a terribly good thing. We are so excited for the summer! Most definitely. 

:) renee

happy celebrations

There has been quite a lot to celebrate the last few months, so many friends getting married and family members having birthday parties! So much cake and desserts too!!! Because I had been feeling quite under the weather during most of the end of winter and beginnings of spring, I ended up missing out on some of the fun. I'm still trying to play catch up, sending cards and gifts as I go through my list!

This past weekend though, I was able to attend my sweet friend Annie's wedding shower! My little sister Nat is in the bridal party and also home from college over the weekend so it was like two parties in one!! I was so happy to see them both. The shower was such fun, sooooo many yummy things to eat and the decorations were adorable. We even played a fun guessing game that involved mustaches and crowns! Seriously a good time.

I can't wait for Annie's wedding in June! With these girls, anything is fun!

this weekend: NOTO Northside Fashion Show

You guys, I am SO excited about this weekend's big event, NOTO's Northside Fashion Show! I attended last year with a few other fashion bloggers from the area and it was amazing. Great fashion, food, drinks and company!
Lauren Ward, the owner of NOTO boutique, has a great sense of style and her fashion show won't disappoint, I know it! Even better....you can shop the model's clothes after the show. Am I kidding? Nope. Not kidding. I already have my eye on a pretty cute chevron skirt I saw a sneak peek of a few weeks ago...

If you guys are in the area, stop by after the ((SOLD OUT)) show and peruse NOTO! I guarantee you'll find something you love! I can't wait to share photos after the show!