09.27.11

Lou’s Room: The Reveal.

Bit by bit, we have been working on Lou’s big girl room since last spring.  And I am proud to finally show all of you the finished product.
In between work, kids and blogging, we built the room, step by step.  It all started with a plan.
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Unfortunately, the fabric for the curtains has been discontinued.  It is a P. Kaufman fabric.  The Pattern is Camelot and the color is Lake.
We were able to repurpose the bed skirt from the crib to make the bed skirt and borders for the throw pillows.  The sconces were on sale at Restoration Hardware.
Corrine Marlowe painted the stripes on the ceiling in the same Melon Shine paint that I used on the bed.
 I kept the Little Castle glider from the nursery because I love it so much.  The store that I bought it from (that has since gone out of business) allowed me to customize it with my own fabrics.  The little chair was a gift that Mom brought back from Rhode Island when she found out I was pregnant with E.
 Luckily our changing table was convertible.  The mirror was a originally a butterfly picture that I scored on clearance at Home Goods.  I painted it Pear Green.
I knew exactly what I wanted for the chandelier… the problem is that it didn’t exist.
Then I found Lindsey at Simply Salvage, who worked tirelessly on this baby.  Poor Lindsey had no idea what she got herself into with me.  This took over 4,000 hand painted beads.  She painted them Bird’s Egg to match the walls.
My little Lou Lou Bug simply adores her room.  When it was finally done she stayed in there for hours.  While in another room, I heard her talking to herself saying “This is a dream come true!!!  I love my room.  I love my chandelier… I love my pink bed… I love my special lights (that would be the sconces.)….  I love my flowers.. ” Yada, yada, yada.  It warmed my heart.  And that my friends, made it all worth it.  She has slept in her room every night since.

09.23.11

St. Baldrick’s.

Many of you who have been reading this blog for sometime know about our friends the Carmicals.  Well, on Wednesday at Union Station, Sherri and 46 other moms who have been affected by Pediatric Cancer shaved their heads for St. Baldrick’s.  
Sherri before…

… and after.
St. Baldrick’s is a volunteer-driven foundation committed to raising funds to find cures for childhood cancers.  In March, I watched as my big brother, Darren shaved his head in the fight against Pediatric Cancer at another event here in DC.  His company raised over $100,000 that night alone.  
You can see Darren’s before and afters as well as Stan Carmical’s moving speech in this very touching video.
Find out how you can get involved here.

09.22.11

One Truly Outrageous Party.

Last weekend we celebrated E’s 6th birthday.  There were a few mishaps and threatening skies, but the weather held out and the party was a ball.

 

Happiest Birthday to our baby girl.   We had so much fun.   Now that her party is over, her sister has already started campaigning for her birthday party (in May.)
Party Styling- Krista Salmon
Photography- James Woo
Invitations- Krista Salmon
Cake Topper- Tastefully Treated
Cupcakes and Cookies-2 Sweets
Cupcake Wrappers- Scraptags
Floral Design- Krista Salmon
Pinata- Birchangel
Guitar Picks- Steve Clayton
Disco Balls- Party Depot
Gloves + Pins +Tatoos + Flower Pails- Michaels
Sunglasses + Michael Jackson Gloves + Microphones- Windy City Novelties
Reusable Goody Bags- Papermart
Materials for Backstage Passes- Staples

09.16.11

I Don’t Know How She Does It.

Along with the millions of other working mothers out there, I am SO excited for the release of SJP’s new movie, I Don’t Know How She Does It today. This film, adapted from the British Novel written by Allison Pearson seems like it could so easily be any of us.   Often you will see the trials and tribulations of this working mother in my A Motherly Moment posts.  This scene was eerily similar to our lice outbreak last summer.  Now that it is behind me, I can laugh about it, and plan to when sitting in the theater.
One thing is for sure, motherhood is not glamorous, whether you stay at home or work outside of the home.  Dirty diapers, runny noses and of course the uber-gross bathroom moments are all part of the job.  I think we will all get a good chuckle out of these comedic gems.  Again, much funnier when you are looking in the rear view mirror.
I have friends that stay at home with their children, as well as friends that work to provide for their family.  Is there a right choice?  Of course not.  Being a mother is not an easy job for anyone.  Rewarding?  Yes.  But not easy.  I receive many emails from readers asking me how I maintain a family, a full time job, this blog and several other projects.  The fact is that something does have to give.   On a constant basis I feel the guilt of not being there for my children.  As many of you know, E started first grade this year and the fact that I have to hire a babysitter to pick her up at the bus stop each day does NOT sit well with me.  To add to the mounting pile of guilt,  I had to put her on a bus for her very first day of school, then hopped on a flight to California for five days.  I took the red eye home on Friday to spend “quality” time with my family, but was so exhausted that I couldn’t even keep my eyes open when I returned.
We all have goals in life and I can tell you that nobody can keep up this pace for long.  At some point we all have to set our limits.  I am so fortunate to have had the success that I have had professionally as well as the fulfillment and opportunities that this blog brings.  I (like every other mother) will have to make a choice, but rest assured that no matter what I choose, the one thing that will not give is my kids.

09.14.11

What I’m Loving for Fall.

There are so many items that I want for fall.  My Fall Forecast will tell you to stock up on brightly colored bottoms, leopard anything, gold flats, and I (not a surprise coming from me) chunky gold jewelry. Dark nails are not a thing of the past, and everything is more fun with a little glitter.
 I need to keep reminding myself that I am on a budget and I have two kids who will need to go to college someday… not to mention the two over-the-top weddings that they will have.  I must admit, I have bought a few items on this list (ahem…. #’s 1, 4 and 6, to be exact.) The only two that are out of my price range are of course the two I love the most!  Hopefully some of you can throw caution to the wind and I can live vicariously through you.
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09.13.11

Society Social.

I love highlighting women who follow their dreams, and Roxy of My Cup of Te is certainly following hers.  A self-proclaimed “ex-rat racer turned dream chaser,” Roxy has recently launched her own line of furniture called Society Social.  I couldn’t be more excited over the lines and colorways that she has to offer.
Now, being the entrepreneur that she is, Roxy didn’t just create a catalog to showcase her new line, she created a Magalog, that is, part magazine, part catalog.  Genius!  Being a Marketing major, I am so in love with this idea on so many levels… she is selling a lifestyle, not just a piece of furniture.)  You can check it out here.
Cheers!