some new videos

This first video I took of Oscar is a little jumpy. I was giving him a bath and trying to keep putting his toys up on the ledge and keep and eye on him at the same time, so I apologize if it make you a little sick. The night before, when I was giving Oscar his bath, I kept lining up all his toys along the edge, and he would take each one down while clearing his throat and throw it back into the tub. He didn't do that this time, but he still didn't think that they should sit on the side of the tub. He does this with anything you line up, whether it is on the couch, our bench or windowsill, so funny, it cracks me up every time.

This next video we took after about 15 minutes of Oscar throwing his ball around. He just started using the word "ball" and I got so excited for him, I think that is why he gets so excited about throwing it. He is playing off of my enthusiasm. No matter the reason, he is super excited and so much fun to watch play. I seriously do not know what we did before him, but I am pretty sure that we didn't laugh this much at just each other on a daily basis. (Well maybe I did this much laughing before, John is pretty funny...have you ever seen him dance? It is great... now that is a video I should have!)

*note: just to forewarn you, Oscar is pretty noisy, so if you have your volume turned way up, I would take it down a few notches.*

 



a day of crafts

I spent most of day 16 crafting up a storm. I have been working on these props for a friend who is photographing a wedding at the end of the month. I wanted to see how they looked in pictures and so I decide to multitask and test the props while we shot the 30 for 30 outfit. I like this outfit, and yet, I have never worn any of these pieces together, so I guess the challenge is doing exactly what it is suppose to be doing. Remixing all the old items in my closet into completely new outfits.

Along with working on the props for my friend, I have also been busy getting stuff ready for a baby shower I am hosting for my cousin, and planning Oscar's birthday party. My mind has been a jumbled up mess of different ideas and projects running thru it constantly, but I actually prefer my mind that way, running on creative energy as opposed to sitting still.

Want to know a little secret, that black sheer shirt that I have on, it was actually a dress, a sort of maternity dress (not actually maternity wear, it is from Banana Republic and it really is not that racy, it had a slip under it). I purchased it for a wedding when I was newly pregnant, and wore it as a dress until my belly got too big, then I worn it as a shirt until the day Oscar was born, it worked out great as a grow-with-my belly piece. About 2 months after I had Oscar, I needed a shirt for a little party, but I was still carrying around some baby weight. I grabbed that old dress/shirt, cut off a few inches and worn it as a tunic with skinny jeans and bright red heels. I loved that outfit, I am not sure if it was because I felt pretty in it, after months and months of not feeling so pretty, or if it was because it covered all the "problem areas" I had yet to loose after Oscar. Either way, it is the one maternity piece I still have, and would ever wear again. Now I like it because it still covers any "bits" that I am not feeling so great about and I like that the belt around the middle accentuates the skinniest part of my waist and tricks the eye. This shirt was actually one of the first shirts that I grabbed when I was choosing my pieces for my challenge, and until recently I haven't mix it in much, which is sad because it really is versatile. Expect to see much more of this shirt for the last half of the remix because I plan on recreating many more outfits with this old thing.

Plays well with others

We had another play date today, with some of my girlfriends from high school and their cute little boys. It was so nice catching up and letting the boys play. Oscar was quite shy at first (another trait he gets from his mama) but after a little time just sitting back and watching he decided to join in the fun. He was just warming up and feeling secure enough to get off my lap and play, but unfortunately it was getting late and we had to go. I clearly saw how much these play dates are needed not only for him but for me as well. I want him to feel comfortable making new friends and playing outside the comforts of his living room, so I am looking forward to many other play dates this spring and summer.

Do you hear that Jill and Brigette, expect to see a lot more of us!

I really do like the outfit I chose to wear for our little get together, it felt very bohemian-chic. Like something Nicole Richie would wear to a play date, I know the resemblances between us are uncanny. I have been told I am the spitting image of her. *completely joking - in case my sarcasm didn't come across. But seriously, the lady at Wal-Mart comments that I look just like Rachel Ray every time I accidentally choose her lane to check out at. And then she gets a really disappointed look on her face when I tell her I really can't cook. I have also been told that I look a lot like the girl from Napoleon Dynamite - you know Deb, I guess these are a nice second to Nicole Richie. Back to my point, great outfit for a play date, comfy and looks pulled together but yet still relaxed.

And, did you notice that today is day 15! That means that I am 1/2 of the way done with my challenge, and despite a short a short little meltdown a few days ago when I felt like all my outfits were dull and boring, I have enjoyed doing this challenge and am looking forward to doing it again this spring.

I think I can, I think I can...

This past week flew by, and I didn't get a single post up, so I am once again trying to catch up. That is why today, you are not just getting one outfit, you are getting days 11 through 14, and I still have days 15 and on that I have yet to post on. Oh well, we will get there.

I think one of the reasons, I have been procrastinating posting these outfits is because, I was never really super excited about any of them. After catching up on what all the other 30 for 30 gals are up to, this seems to be a common problem as we reach the halfway point for out challenge, so I am just going to push on through and look for some inspiration, and hopefully will come up with something new and exciting to me. I have noticed that there are a few pieces that I have hardly worn or haven't even worn yet. So I am pushing those to the front of my closet, and I set a goal for myself to incorporate them into my outfits this week.
 

Day 11 {Sunday}

Day 12 {Lover's Day}

We started out Valentine's Day with special heart shaped pancakes for my littlest Valentine, although he had no idea because I cut them up into safe bite sized pieces for him. Oscar had a Dr appointment at 4:00 that day, so John and I decided to just have a nice dinner at home as a family.


I did however get a nice little treat from him (milk duds) which are this girls choice of chocolate, he knows me so well. Oscar made him a little card and I got him a small little gift too, so Valentine's Day didn't go unnoticed at this house, we just don't get to mushy and romantic. A quiet dinner with my two guys and a box of milk duds to myself are my idea of a GREAT Valentine's.
 

Day 13 {Dinner with a friend}

On Tuesday, I went out to dinner with a good friend. I had been wanting Mexican food all day, so I was happy when I was able to talk her into fulfilling my craving. It was nice to get out of the house alone, it had been a while. This outfit was not as disappointing to me as the others from this week had been. I am glad I added a pop of color with the turquoise necklace, without it I am afraid this outfit would of been another boring ensemble.

Day 14 {a very cute dinner guest}

On Wednesday, Oscar had a new little friend over for dinner, (I was babysitting for a friend), they were so cute together, they kept smiling at each other across the dinner table. They both ate all their dino-nuggets, neither of them would touch a green bean, and they both settled on a banana instead. Later on they played so nice together, and when it was time to settle down we all snuggled on the couch to watch a little Madagascar. I can't wait to get these two boys together again!

As dull as this outfit may look, it was great for what our plans were that day, which included cleaning, and cleaning and more cleaning. Preparing for Oscar's little buddy to come over. I actually didn't have this outfit on for long though, shortly after these pictures were taken, we sat down to lunch and I had an entire sippy cup filled with apple juice spilled all over me, I won't say who did it, but I was quite a sticky mess. So I threw on something else, it was from the 30 for 30 wardrobe, but it was less than exciting. So boring that I didn't even bother to retake my pictures in it, but if you are curious, and need to know... it was a grey shirt and black pants! There...gosh you guys are nosy.

 Thanks for sticking with me through that looonnnnggg post, I am going to get over this halfway hump and get excited about my outfits again. I think I can, I think I can.... oh, but wait, I am still not done, I have more outfits to get caught up on, so check back, I am going to try to get those up soon.

Our day went a little something like this, sleep in (a little) with a 11 month old sleeping in for us means 7:45! Had a nice breakfast, played, worked on a few projects, napped, ate again, ran a few errands, ate, got ready for bed, slept. Pretty exciting huh. Perhaps it was my lack of adventure on a Sunday afternoon that led me to this {yawn} outfit. I am not saying it is horrible or anything, but after looking at the pictures, I know I could of done better. However, this outfit is MUCH better than the "old uniform", so I think I get a pat on the back for that, don't you?

A Lovely Project

{* note: I set up this post to publish yesterday, but I must of done something wrong because it never showed up. So here it is...a day late, oh well. I am working on my blogs from my 30 for 30 from this weekend, and Valentine's Day but my blogger is not letting me upload photos for some reason so they may not get up today, we will see.}

This is a little project Oscar and I did for our loves for Valentines Day. I laid out a piece off fabric in front of Oscar and put a few globs of red and white paint on it and let him go to town rubbing it all around. When the fabric dried, I cut out rectangles big enough to hold a gift card and backed it with interfacing and a contrasting fabric. Sewed them together, wrote a little message inside, added some snaps and filled it with a gift card.

Later, these pouches can be used as a coin purse, jewelry pouch, or small card holder.

Happy Valentine's Day.

Day 10 - Past, present and future

{Past}

Yesterday, we went to Ikea with my aunt, mom and my sister. All three of us need the chocolate cake from Ikea on a regular basis, so we meet up there for a day of chocolate, shopping and conversation. It was a great day, and of course I left with a trunk full of new toys for Oscar. I didn't buy a thing however, my aunt and mom spoiled him this time. I do love Ikea's toy department. Everything is so well priced and I like that most of it is made of wood or fabric, instead of the battery operated plastic ones you find everywhere else. Being new to this whole motherhood thing, I don't usually dish out advice, I am usually the one asking the questions, but this is my first piece of advice for any other mother that wants it...shop at Ikea for your toys, you will be pleasantly surprised. Now, enough of my life changing toy shopping wisdom, this is what I wore for our Ikea adventure. I am surprised at how much I am wearing skirts, I only threw a few in because I really didn't think it was practical for a stay at home mom to wear skirts everyday, but I was wrong. To me, they are actually more comfortable to wear than jeans and when you throw a pair of thick tights (which are actually more like leggings) underneath it makes playing on the floor with your little guy doable.

{Present}

Today I didn't wear something from my 30 for 30 wardrobe. I woke up, and threw on my "old clothes" with good intentions of scrubbing the house from top to bottom. It started out great, John was gone for the day so I had to try and entertain Oscar while I worked. He was playing so nice while I mopped the kitchen floor, and scrubbed the sink and stove. I was just about to give the cupboards a major clean out when I peeked over at Oscar to see what he was up to and he look so sweet playing with all his toys by himself, AND he look like he was having so much more fun than me! So I nixed the cleaning idea and decided to play instead. That is what Saturdays are for anyway, play. Our house looked like it had been turned upside down when I finally put him to bed for the night, but that is ok because we had so much fun. We read his books a million times, literally, we practiced clapping and I tried really hard to get him to walk. We had snacks that weren't all healthy, and when he took a nap, I threw in a movie that I haven't seen in a while and ate some more unhealthy snacks. It was great, everybody needs to throw in a day like today every once in a while.

When John returned home, Oscar was showing off some of the tricks we had worked on (the soooo big game), and we were both rolling at how funny he is. Every time we would say "Oscar is sooo big" he would throw his hands up in the air and then lunge forward. Well, just watch the video, my description doesn't really do it justice.

As you can see from the video, my living room is quite a mess. I think we had out every single toy out today. And to be honest, it still looks that way right now.

{future}

Tomorrow, I will get dressed in a 30 for 30 outfit, but I can't promise that I will clean my house.

Day 9 - The weather and other interesting topics (or maybe just the weather)

I am about to complain about the weather again, I feel like that is all I do, but hey, it's cold and there isn't much else to talk about. It was cold today, and I couldn't get warm, even inside. I started out the day in just this light sweater and kept adding layers as the day grew on. Rumor is that it is going to get nice next week, like 40 degrees folks! I heard that from several people today...see I am not the only one talking about the weather. As you can see I managed to do my laundry last night, and boy was I glad I did or else I would of been really cold with no pants.

I am sorry this post is pretty dull, but I am a little tired and still cold, my brain just doesn't work when I am tired AND cold. So I am going to sign off for the night, and chit chat with John for a little bit before we head to bed. Do you want to know what our topic of conversation will most likely be? You guessed it...the weather.

Please come back tomorrow, I will try to find something else to talk about.

Day 8 - Breaking the rules?

I have a BIG confession to make. This skirt wasn't originally in my picks for the 30 for 30. At first I had a navy blue skirt from J.Crew in the mix, but when I went to put it on it had a big rip in the back, and then I remembered that I wore it to a picnic last summer and got it caught on a nail on the darn picnic table. So out of the remix it went and in came this black skirt. They are pretty similar in shape and navy and black aren't too far off of the color wheel from each other, so I hope I am not breaking any major 30 for 30 remix rules here.

Whew, I feel so much better getting that off my chest!

Now on to my outfit pick for the day. I really love this ensemble I think it feels pretty, and sweet, and very romantic, and it kind of reminds me of a ballerina. That is why Oscar and I had a dance party in our living room today. I showed him all my sweet dance moves from way back when I was in ballet, and he showed me a few break dance moves he has been working on. We make a pretty good dance team together and are thinking about taking our talents to the streets.

Now I am off to do some laundry because I have worn all of my bottoms for the remix, therefore I do not have any pants to wear tomorrow, and pants happen to be a very important part of my daily wardrobe so I guess it must be done!

Check back tomorrow to see if I actually did my laundry or not, just kidding, I promise I will be fully dressed from head to toe.

Day 7 - Comfy sweater and a cute baby

I had to grab Oscar for these pictures for 3 reasons. 1) he was awake from his nap a little early, 2) most of my family and friends read this blog to catch up on what my little side kick is up to, and I was afraid I would lose all their interest if they had to look at me in basically the same outfit for 30 days. and 3rd) well obviously Oscar makes every outfit cuter!

We had a fun day today, my parents stopped over with pizza for dinner, and Oscar entertained all of us with his jibber jabber and hilarious facial expressions. He is getting to be such a ham!

Also, these pictures do not do his hair justice, it is ridiculous! It keeps getting longer and longer, but refuses to lie down. He gets comments on it wherever we go, and I secretly hope it stays this way for a long time because I am so in love with it.

Day 6 - Mixing Patterns

I love when I see others mixing their patterns, but every time I tried it out on my own it just never seemed to work out for me. Then my much more fashionable sister came over and helped me put some outfits together for the 30 for 30 and immediately pulled these two tops out of the pile and placed them together. She made it look so easy, good job Ashley!

You would think that it was so nice and warm out from looking at these pictures, but don't let that sun pouring through the windows fool you, it is cold. So cold that I put off all my activities that involved leaving the house and decided to do some redecorating today instead. Perhaps I will post some pictures later, if you are good.

Day 5 - Easy like a Sunday morning

I am playing catch up here and trying to post all my outfits so that I am actually on track. The problem with playing catch up is that I cannot for the life of me remember what the heck we did on Sunday! I am sure it was very exciting like jetting off to Paris for a nice lunch and some sight seeing, that's the kind of thing we like to do on Sundays. Actually, no now I remember...we watch the Puppy Bowl, and then turned to the Super Bowl hoping to catch some good commercials and we watched the horrible half time show. And then I put Oscar to bed and snuggled next to John to watch some more TV. There, that was our Sunday, almost as exciting as jetting off to Paris. Maybe next week.

However, if we were in Paris I think I would look more like a Parisian rather than a tourist in my outfit. It is very classic, comfortable, and looks good without trying to hard. I like that in an outfit. Turns out what I chose to wear isn't just good for touring the Louvre, it also works great for some lazy Sunday activities too.

Day 4 - Getting out of the house in style.

Since we have been hanging out at home the last few day, Oscar and I both needed to get out of the house for a while, so most of our day was spent running errands. Nothing too exciting just the bank and post office, but we did make a stop at Target, which is O and my happy place. This time however, I went straight to the formula and diapers, and stayed clear of the woman's department. I can't seem to come home from target without something little for me. But I am sticking to the rules of the 30 for 30 and so I decided not to even tempt myself this time. I did however grab a little treat for myself at the check out counter for being so good, but I don't think that is breaking any rules. Kendi never said a girl can't have chocolate.

It was actually kinda nice out so this outfit worked out great, all I added to it for our outing was a hat and a scarf. The blazer kept me plenty warm, which was really nice, you have no idea (until you have a child of your own in winter weather) how exhausting it is to get a winter jacket and hat on them and then carry them along with their diaper bag and your purse to and from the car and store. I swear that winter jacket makes Oscar 10lbs. heavier. And then to do it when you are all bundled up in your winter gear! It almost makes me want to stay inside until spring. Back to my point, the outfit worked out great because it meant no winter jacket for me, one less thing to put on and take off.

I am kinda over the whole tucking your pants into your boots look, but continue to do it, and probably will for a while because it is so nice when there is snow and ice melt on the ground. It keeps your pants from getting all wet and gross on the bottom. So as much as I am tired of the whole look it really does serve a nice purpose for now.

Day 3 - Jewel tones and a walk on the wild side

Today was spend with a lot of cuddling and reading books. At first I thought Oscar wasn't feeling good, but I think that he just wanted to snuggle with his mama today, which is just fine with me. This outfit worked out great for our lazy day. It really is as easy to wear something like this as it is to wear the old yoga pants and baggy sweatshirt, but looks SO MUCH more put together.

Day 2 - Stripes, ruffles, and new bangs.

On a whim this morning I decided to cut my bangs, and I am enjoying them...for now. I will let you know in a week how I feel. Anyway, I really liked this outfit today. I got the gray shirt at Sticks and Stones ( a boutique in Mankato, that I do some store displays for), and haven't worn it as much as I should, it is so comfortable and really makes a ordinary outfit something special. 
Along with getting out of my usual everyday wear, I decided to throw on some lip stick. It is amazing how much a little color on your lips can do for your confidence. So far I am having fun doing the 30 for 30, I feel so inspired choosing my outfit for the day. I would recommend everyone to try and do something similar to the 30 for 30 every once in a while. When I go to my closet and look at the clothes I have chosen for my challenge my eyes start looking at each piece differently and numerous outfit possibilities start to appear, as opposed to before, when I would try to pick something out, my mind went blank and I was almost overwhelmed, so instead of putting new pieces together, I would throw on things that I have worn time and time again together.
I am easing up to the camera a little bit more than the first day, today I took some shots of tequila before my photo shoot. Just kidding.
Check out what Linley wrote on why she remixes. It is exactly how I used to look at my closet, and I love all of her outfit remixes too.

Day 1 - Vintage plaid

I have to say I really eased my way into this challenge, and didn't think to far outside of the box for day 1...which by the way is the main point of this whole remix! But either way, I got dressed today and I don't have yoga pants on, huge accomplishment for me!

And one more note, I really do not feel comfortable in front of the camera, so please, please, do not make fun of my forced smile and awkward hand placement. I tried my hardest to look natural and at ease, but the second I hear the camera start to click my whole face tightens up like I just bit into a lemon. I will try to work on this!

You can buy happiness at Ikea

At a recent shopping trip to Ikea, Oscar scored big on some new toys. I brought home this tunnel and was not prepared for how much excitement it would bring! Even the big kids (aunt Ashley and grandparents) have to give it a try when they come over.

I also picked up these felt vegetables while I was there, thinking that they were going to be more of a teaching tool later on rather than something he would enjoy right now, but I was wrong. He likes these too. He has even been known to bring the onion up to bed with him. Now if only I could get him to like the real thing just as much!



Cleaning House and the 30 for 30

You may have noticed that I cleaned things up a bit on the blog. That's what winter in Minnesota does to me, it just gets a little too long and I start nesting, only unlike last year, I am not nesting waiting for a little baby to arrive, this year I am nesting waiting for the first signs of spring. I am so longing for some green grass and warm days, but for now I will just have to settle for a green blog title I guess. Along with cleaning up my blog, I have been busy cleaning up our house as well and finishing up all those projects so that when spring finally arrives I can go out and play.

Cleaning up our house and my closet inspired me to do this challenge. It is a 30 for 30 Closet Remix challenge put on by the Kendi. The rules of the game are...

You have to choose 30 items from your closet and remix them for 30 days creating 30 new outfits. (Accessories do not count). And during the 30 day challenge you cannot spend any money on clothing items for yourself, which is going to be very sad, because I just got two emails telling me that Anthropologie and J.Crew have some great sales going on. (long sigh).

I am so excited about this challenge, since I left my job to stay home with Oscar, well, lets just say I have been in kind of a fashion rut. I feel bad for my poor husband who has seen me in yoga pants and sweatshirts day in and out. I knew I needed to change that, not just for him, but for me. I am so happy to be Oscar's mommy and I feel so blessed that I get to stay home with him, but right now the way I look doesn't say happy mommy, it says sad tired mommy, and honestly that is not the way I feel at all. Oscar needs to be proud of his mommy, and John deserves someone who will at least make an effort to look good for him (although, he is so sweet and would never tell me to change anything). And I need to not loose who I was before Oscar came into our life, I used to love fashion and took great pride in what I wore. I am looking forward to getting back to that and remixing my closet. 

So, here are the items I have chosen for my 30 for 30 challenge.




6 shirts
+

 

    




4 cardigans
+

 

3 dressy shirts
+



4 blazers
+





2 skirts
+



1 dress
+



4 pants
+



6 shoes
= 30 items

Let the closet remix begin!