I won! I won! I won!

The blogworld must know it's my birthday month or something because so far I've won 2, yes 2 free giveaways this week! 

I am feeling like a pretty lucky duck and super excited to get my new items...here's pics and links to the goods. Once I get them I'll be sure to post more pics of where they end up in our home!

white porcelain lined tray courtesy of Michele Dunker Interiors

36 x 24" print courtesy of Jenn Ski Studio

What to eat?

With my son approaching the 9 mon. mark I decided that it was time to figure out what to do with his diet outside of breast milk, rice cereal, oatmeal, and 2nd stage baby foods. This has been a bit overwhelming for me because my husband and I have both been hearing contradictory information about what to feed them and when. We're also very cautious about processed foods and unnecessary sugars and fats, not to mention choking and allergies- whew! 

I therefore decided to go out and buy a book. So far we've been really impressed with this one: Naturally Healthy First Foods for Baby by Jacqueline Rubin. It's presented in a very easy to understand format and I like how it is divided by baby's age. It also has some simple recipes and tips on how to puree foods ourselves. I really recommend this guide to any parent who is feeling confused or clueless as to what to feed their child. 

Look Alike

Did any one else think that Raina from this season of America's Next Top Model looked JUST LIKE the actress Anna Chlumsky (from the movie MY GIRL)?  Here's their pics side by side...

Can you correctly guess who's who?

It's that time of year...

 for the seasonal farmers market! 
It looks like it started last weekend, May 8th and will go until Sat. Oct. 16th. Looking forward to fresh fruits and veggies....yum yum! ;)

Time: 9:00 a.m.-1:00 p.m. 

Location: Merlin Olsen Park 100 S. 200 E. 

Loca9AM - 1PM May 8 to October 16

Around the house...

Do you ever find yourself curious about the interior spaces and decor of other people's houses? I do and always have. After reading this article in Salon, Chasing Down A Dream House I realized that I'm not alone. Here's an excerpt from the author Meghan Daum's new book:  "Life Would Be Perfect If I Lived in That House." It made me think of when my sister and I would get out all of our Barbie stuff, but half the time never get to actually playing with the Barbies, just putting together their houses! 


"The person I am is a person obsessed with domestic spaces. Since I was a little girl I've been mesmerized with the endogenous world, with hallways and staircases and fireplace mantels, with the inside of things. Panoramic eggs, with their tiny, sugary scenes inside the peephole, were pure magic. I loved dollhouses (not the dolls, though) and at 5 and 6 built my own mini architecturals out of Saran wrap and record jackets. Any excuse to make a diorama, to turn a shoebox into a miniature re-creation of Valley Forge or grassy mastodon habitat, was seized with the enthusiasm of someone who would grow up to be a set designer, or at least a professional decorator. But I grew up to be neither of these. Instead, the salient feeling of my adult life is that of being pulled in opposite directions by two warring sides of myself: the nester and the transient. I want to settle down, sure, but I want to settle down everywhere."


Here's some peeks of some of the things around our house that make me feel at home....

I put these yellow wooden ducks on our wedding registry even though I knew we didn't really need them. I must say, they were and still are one of my favorite wedding gifts! My friend Lindsey gave us the little chicky (who we call Benjamin) perfect for our current family of 3!  This red chair is a one-of-a kind find from TJ Maxx in Illinois. I didn't have a car while living in Chicago, but a friend of mine was nice enough to drive me to the suburbs to pick up some things for my new apt. Its always stood alone, but its red friendly color really ads that nice pop in the corner of our kitchen/dining area.

Another TJ Maxx find! I love the look of Pierre Deux, but found these for MUCH cheaper (they don't look THIS orange in person...thinking it was the lighting from the camera flash). 

This is one of my treasures from the antique store Emilee Jayne in SLC that I'm ALWAYS raving about. I see lots of scroll iron hangings, but this one is SOLID iron. It was a pain to hang, but has a real authentic look to it.

This vase is also from Emilee Jaynes. I use it to hide the remote controls! This ribbon hanging is also solid iron. I just love little romantic touches here and there. It along with the scroll hook on the right are from anthropologie.

Good Thymes

I had such GOOD THYMES this mother's day. We started the morning by going out to breakfast with my in-laws in Park City at this cute and tasty little bistro in the Newpark Center. The entire staff was very friendly, and I loved the ambiance of bright colors mixed with modern black & white photography and this novel chandelier made out of real forks n' spoons! 


We later met up with my other set of in-laws where we had a delicious lunch of quiche, croissants, and fruit. Every one enjoyed watching our lil' guy walk around (with his arms being held up)....quite impressive at only 8 months!! 


My parents also shared in giving us lots of love~ it's so nice to come home and be surrounded by genuine care and good company. ;)


The BEST part of my whole day was what my husband said to me just as we were about to go to bed...."Benjamin and I are the luckiest guys in the whole word to have you." I smiled and said- "I'm pretty lucky too!" 

m o t h e r h o o d b l i s s

I never knew it was possible to feel so much all in one day...having so many ups and downs is a high price to pay! 


But these feelings of humility, confusion, protectiveness, and exhaustion do have their silver lining, which is that the love in a family is unconditional and always evolving.

I'm lucky to be living a life so abundantly filled, even with a child who's incredibly strong-willed! As I've said before, the job of a mother is never a bore. In fact, its given me joy, pride, and perseverance like I've never experienced before. Yes, there are days that it looks as though nothing got done, but we always make time to do something fun!

As I look into the eyes of our child, I feel an indescribable connection of warmth and happiness. It's that moment there that I know I'm in true motherhood bliss. 

h a p p y  m o t h e r s  d a y !

Why buy...

a Playskool Walk n' Ride

when a laundry basket (turned upside down) works even better?

Our son likes having the wider base of something flat as he scoots around the house, and the wheels on that Walk n' Ride can really take off....even on carpet! But, the cool thing about this toy is that it also converts to this:

and what parent could resist seeing their child cruise around on a cute little car? So even through the box shows the younger kid using the walker, and the older kid using the car, our cool son prefers to ride it first (okay, have us push him around on it), and walk at a more leisurely pace with an upside down laundry basket!

Memory game & artwork all in one!

My friend Rachel told me about the artist Charley Harper last year. Since then I've become a big fan and was thrilled when my sister bought this fun memory game featuring his delightful and modern artwork for me Benjamin. You can find at the lovely anthropologie along with flash cards and floor puzzles. Such joy!

found something that i love today...

This site is so so cute. I love how it allows you to pick everything from the color, font, to the adorable children silhouettes! You can visit by clicking here.