Wednesday, July 28, 2010

Love at First Sight

Have you ever seen someone or something that made your heart flutter or beat faster or just stop because you fell in love at first sight?? Well, I felt it today when I saw these beauties:




**All Scarves can be found here**

Tuesday, July 27, 2010

New Opportunities

I have big news that I am so excited to share! I was e-mail by Melissa, the lady behind the lovely blog Oh, My Darling, and asked if I wanted to become a sponsor/advertiser on her blog. She said some very kind things about My Shop and I just couldn't turn her down. I have been thinking about different ways to get my shop out there and this seems like the perfect way to make that happen. She and I have been e-mailing non-stop all day and my ad is already on her blog. Take a look....


Speaking of the Ad...My dearest friend Katie Evans designed it for me. She has such an eye for design and I am so thankful for her. She kept it simple and elegant. I couldn't ask for something more perfect. Here were a few of the designs she made for me:



I went with the first one because it is a little more eye catching, but I do love the elegance of the second design.

And because I was so excited about all of this I decided it was time for me to design a header for this blog. Did you notice??? I spent waaaay too much time considering it is such a simple design because I don't have Photoshop and had to resort to using Paint. Bleh. I hate Paint, but I guess it got the job done.

Tomorrow Melissa will do a "Welcome Sponsor" Post on Oh, My Darling featuring My Shop and she will be mentioning the wonderful work of Katie as well. I can't wait!!

**A HUGE Thank You to Melissa and Katie!!**

Monday, July 26, 2010

Johnny Miller

I found myself flipping through the newest Martha Stewart Living Magazine this weekend and had to Google a photographer after falling in love with the spread I saw. Now I am completely infatuated with the photography of Johnny Miller. I find it to be perfectly simple and stunning. Take a look for yourself....








**All images from Johnny Miller**

It may be my pregnancy nesting urges, but all these photographs make me want to organize and make lists of everything I see. Random, I know.

Happy Monday!

Friday, July 23, 2010

Etsy -- Shop Local

I love that Etsy offers the option to Shop Local. I think it is a great way to build relationships and see what people in your town are up to. It's amazing how much talent is out there and it's always exciting when you have something in common, like a shared city. Here are a few of my Favorite Columbus Shops:

I love the colorful illustrations in this shop. They are so simple and fun and would go great on Baby Girl's wall.


Flaming June Vintage


This shop has some beautiful Vintage finds, including this scarf. I wonder if I have every run into the shop owner on my searches for things for my shop.


Cynthia Vardhan Ceramics

I have fallen head over heels for the ceramics in this shop. They are stunning.


B. Poetic

I love these pretty shoe clips.


2 Yellow Birds

I adore knit scarves and cowl necks and this shop as some great ones at great prices. I kinda want to buy one just to wrap up Baby Girl for a cute picture.

I highly recommend exploring your local shops on Etsy. It's just a fun way to see what other creative people in your town are creating.

Wednesday, July 21, 2010

Yes Please


I'll take one in each pattern for Baby Girl AND Myself.
Please and Thank you.

**From the lovely shop Bink and Boo**

Tuesday, July 20, 2010

Pinterest Swoon

Forgive me for my absence, sometimes I just like to take a little break from the internet. So instead of Sunday Swoon I will be doing Pinterest Swoon. I wrote about Pinterest a little while back and whenever I want to look at some pretty inspirations I go straight to the site. So here is a little round up of the inspirations I am swooning over...

Because Baby Girl has me thinking Pink.


Because she is a timeless Beauty.


Because I love it.


Because I want my wedding to involve a BBQ Picnic.


Because I dream of this.


Because I wish this were my everyday view.


Because I can't say no to a kitty.


Because I want to have a Pancake Party.


Because I love aprons.



**All Images from Pinterest**

Friday, July 16, 2010

I love this idea...

**from Apartment Therapy**

This would be so easy to do. Embroidery hoops are $.50-1.00 at thrift stores and vintage fabric is super easy to find and cheap to buy. Done and Done.

Pregnancy/Baby Talk

With only 8 more weeks until Baby Girl arrives I am in full on pregnancy mode. I can't stop talking or thinking about Baby, birth, clothes, decorating, feeding, diapering, and all that other good stuff. I try to keep the talk limited because I know it is probably so boring to anyone who isn't pregnant. But I am going to let it all out in this post. That is your warning to move on if the last thing you want to read about is Baby Prep (that means you Alyse, actually, you might enjoy this first story).

Okay, so my mom and I were discussing how I want to have a Med Free Birth. No epidural here. Call me crazy, but I figure since I am doing this I want to do it 110%, no hesitations. Plus I am not sure if I want to have more than one child so this is my chance to experience birth ALL THE WAY. Well, here was my Mom's advice on how to deal with the pain. She said, "Dani, when Baby Girl starts coming out and you start to feel all that pain I just want you to block it all out by remembering how good the sex felt that got you here in the first place. So instead of painful screams, you should be screaming YES! YES! OH YES!" And YES, she acted out that last part. I couldn't stop laughing. My Mom is hysterical and slightly delusional. Her advice is great, but I am pretty sure it isn't going to work out. And I am also pretty sure that would result in a very awkward delivery room.

Anyways, so I stumbled upon an amazing book yesterday at the library called
The Eco-nomical Baby Guide.


I practically read the whole thing last night. It is so insightful and really breaks down a lot of the things I had questions about. Such as cloth diapers. I have known that I wanted to use cloth diapers since the beginning. They just make so much sense if you have the time and patience for them. First, using cloth diapers saves a TON of money. Really, I'm talking thousands here. And one thing a lot of new parents are weary of is buying used cloth diapers. But I have no problem with that, as long as they aren't stained and are still in good condition I see no problem with it. And many diaper services sell used cloth diapers for super cheap. This book also points out that I could make my own baby wipes using cloth from an old cotton t-shirt or flannel sheet. All you do is cut them until squares and squirt them with water when you need them. How easy is that?? And again, it will SAVE MONEY. I am all about saving money. I am a single mom here who is on a major budget. Plus, why create more trash? Just wash and reuse -- My new motto. Baby Girl is going to be one eco-friendly baby.

The book also explores topics such as buying used baby gear (strollers, car seats, etc), how to avoid wasting money on plastic toys (most babies prefer simple household objects, like pots and pans), and how to make your own baby food (I am going to do my best to feed her only breast milk or fresh food). Basically, I want Baby Girl to learn the value in simple things, like parks, a box of crayons, the library, and cooking and gardening. I know that might seem hypocritical since I am someone who loves bad reality TV and trips to the mall, but bringing another being into the world can really change how you see things. I know as she grows older she will find her own vices, but I want to teach her simple lessons while she is young and I want her to be creative in every situation. Creativity is key. I am so lucky that all of my close friend are artists and I can't wait for them to pass on their knowledge to her.

Okay, I think I am rambling. One more thing and then I am done, I promise. Until I read this book I have never EVER heard of Infant Potty Training. Have you??? Basically it is exactly what it sounds like. How is it done? I guess parents pick up on the cues the baby sends before elimination. Soon, the baby learns to wait until the parents give a signal before relieving themselves. Isn't that wild?? I don't really know the details of where or how they relieve themselves, but I'm intrigued. And if that sounds a little too extreme you can wait until they are a year old and use baby sign language to help them potty train. Here is a simple article about Infant Potty Training, if you are more curious.

Alright, enough Baby Talk from me.......for now.....but later, I might have to share some photos of the adorable outfits my sister and I found for Baby Girl this past weekend. Also, for those of you who are curious, I do have a name picked out, I just haven't revealed it to everyone yet, which is why she currently goes by Baby Girl.

Wednesday, July 14, 2010

Outfit and Belly Post

You may remember I posted about my solution to my personal pregnancy style a little over a month ago. I had promised to post some pictures of myself after that post and I am FINALLY doing it. Forgive my procrastination. So here are some outfit AND belly pictures for you.






So there you have it! I am most proud of the fact that all these outfits are from the thrift store. Therefore each one individually cost under $5 and none of them are maternity (!!!). As for shoes I usually wear a pair of sandals from Target. My jewelry is always consistent: My Antique Locket (a gift from the parents), a Kate Spade Flower Ring and a Kate Spade Bracelet (gifts from my best, Katie).

Oh! And I'm 7 months pregnant. The belly just keeps on growing....

Wedding Inspiration

No, I am not getting married, but one of my best friends recently got engaged and I am helping her look for ideas for her wedding. Yesterday she told me she finally found the perfect venue, an old mansion in Prince George County in Maryland.

Newton White Mansion, isn't it perfect??

Of course the place is almost booked so she and her fiance might have to move around the date. But when you find the right venue I am sure it is totally worth it.

Now I am helping her find inspirations for centerpieces and decor. And let me just say, looking for Wedding Inspiration is very tiring. There is soooo much to think about...the colors, the flowers, the space, the look, the table top...the list goes on. I've been scouring wedding blogs and bookmarking EVERYTHING. Unfortunately I like so much and none of it seems to be cohesive. But here is what I have been looking at....

Just a few pretty looks:




Images from the amazing Wedding Blog 100 Layer cake

Here are some Centerpiece Ideas:



All images from Martha Stewart (I could spend hours on her site)

Like I said, none of my Inspiration Images are cohesive, so it's a good thing I'm not the one getting married. My wedding would turn into a hodge podge of antiques and bright colors. I can't wait for Laura's wedding!