while the little one sleeps

Moved!

noreply@blogger.com (While The Little One Sleeps) — Thu, 18 Aug 2011 15:12:00 +0000

From here on out, you can find me blogging here:

And you can check out my etsy shop by the same name here.

summer fun list revisited...

noreply@blogger.com (While The Little One Sleeps) — Sun, 24 Jul 2011 02:15:00 +0000

Well we've crossed a few things off our summer fun list, but there is still a lot more fun to be had. Frank's on vacation for 2 weeks starting Monday so I anticipate being able to enjoy crossing some more of these things off our list soon :)

1. Go to the Madison zoo.

2. Go swimming at the pool.

3. Go swimming at the lake.

4. Go on a picnic in the park.

5. Go to Noah's Ark in the Dells.

6. Ride the train in the park.

7. Eat ice cream at Kelly's Creamery.

8. Decorate the balcony and have date night on the balcony.

9. Watch fireworks.

10. Go for a bike ride with Morgan.

11. Blow bubbles.

12. Get married. 

13. Go to the petting zoo.

introducing...burlap and twine

noreply@blogger.com (While The Little One Sleeps) — Fri, 22 Jul 2011 17:24:00 +0000

Somewhere along my journey of wedding planning I discovered my love for crafting. I was so happy with the way I could create beautiful things on a budget that I decided I would like to try my hand at sharing my crafts with other budget brides. Soooo, pushing my fear of failure aside, I decided to start an etsy shop featuring rustic chic wedding and home decor. And... burlap and twine was born!

I also started a new blog to chronicle my etsy adventures. Please be a doll and stop by for a visit and take a peek into my etsy shop. Please use coupon code "7freeship11" for free shipping in July.

We did it!

noreply@blogger.com (While The Little One Sleeps) — Thu, 21 Jul 2011 15:11:00 +0000

The day could not have been more perfect.

Everything went as planned.

We had a blast.

We sweat {heat index = 105 degrees}.

We danced. 

We laughed.

We cried. 

We even had to pay the DJ to stay longer because the party was still going strong. 

{Whoever said Sunday weddings can't be a party?}

A full recap to follow once pro pics are back. 

Until then, check out the photographers blog for a sneek-peek:

Capture Life Moments

updates

noreply@blogger.com (While The Little One Sleeps) — Mon, 11 Jul 2011 15:06:00 +0000

* My to-do list is significantly shorter. Yay.

* The forecast is now Sunny and....91 degrees for Sunday.

* I think I may have finally made a snap decision on my hair, up it is! (see above)

* I cannot wait to get all of this crap out of my house. :)

to be continued...

"Oh Mr Sun, Sun, Mr golden sun!"

noreply@blogger.com (While The Little One Sleeps) — Fri, 08 Jul 2011 11:41:00 +0000

Guess what folks! We're now officially in the 10 day forecast. The 5 days before the wedding there are supposed to be scattered thunderstorms and then the day of our wedding it's supposed to be mostly sunny! Let's hope it stays that way, I don't want any thunder clouds raining on my parade!

10 days out and no caterer...wha?!?

noreply@blogger.com (While The Little One Sleeps) — Fri, 08 Jul 2011 00:20:00 +0000

Yea, today was a freak out day. Although if we're being honest here, this whole past week has been freak out week. 

I'm just feeling so. stressed. out. 

There are lots of little details to take care of. There's tiny little things to worry about. Thoughts keep popping into my head. "Why haven't I thought of this before??" Pure craziness. And I've been pure crazy, which I hate. 

So anyways, back to the title of this post. We settled on a caterer nearly 6 months ago. We thought we hit the jackpot as it was very budget friendly. I inquired about signing a contract or writing out a check for a deposit. The owner assures me that's not necessary. They marked us down on their calendar and told me to contact them 2 weeks before the wedding to finalize the menu and pay 50% of the bill. This should have been my first clue. No contract? No deposit? Hind sight's 20/20 folks. 

Well here we are 10 days before the wedding and I have tried to contact them numerous times. Left messages. Driven by their building. No response. Is your heart palpitating at the thought? I'm thinking what are we going to feed our guests?? 

So today we did one last drive-by. Shops closed. Mom and I decided we obviously needed to find other arrangements. We brainstormed and on a whim drove to a restaurant that also caters. They were closed. FML. I decided to call them. Meekly I inquired over the phone if they had the day of our wedding available. I felt so foolish asking if they could cater my wedding 10 days before the event. Much to my relief they were available! I asked them to let us in so we could close this deal and get a contract signed. So we went in, quickly decided on a menu, wrote out a check for the deposit, and hashed out all the details. Talk about wingin' it! 

I walked out of there feeling like a house had been lifted off my shoulders. All the other things I have to take care of now seem like a piece of cake in comparison.

16 days....

noreply@blogger.com (While The Little One Sleeps) — Fri, 01 Jul 2011 10:58:00 +0000

16 days until the wedding.

I'm starting to feel that nervous energy and excitement.

Especially as I picture myself walking down the aisle towards Frank.

I'm still anxious about my to-do list, but I'm slowly crossing things off.

Last night I wrote my vows. 

It was harder than I thought, but reminded me all over again why I'm marrying this man. 

I could not imagine spending my life with anyone else.

Here's a sneak peak of a wedding DIY project:

summer fun list

noreply@blogger.com (While The Little One Sleeps) — Wed, 29 Jun 2011 16:26:00 +0000

I was inspired by this list at Little Miss Momma to create a summer fun list. A list of things I want to do this summer.

1. Go to the Madison zoo.

2. Go swimming at the pool.

3. Go swimming at the lake.

4. Go on a picnic in the park.

5. Go to Noah's Ark in the Dells.

6. Ride the train in the park.

7. Eat ice cream at Kelly's Creamery.

8. Decorate the balcony and have date night on the balcony.

9. Watch fireworks.

10. Go for a bike ride with Morgan.

11. Blow bubbles.

....I'll add more later : )

showered with love

noreply@blogger.com (While The Little One Sleeps) — Tue, 28 Jun 2011 03:02:00 +0000

This past Saturday was my bridal shower. The theme from the bachelorette party was carried over with a wine and cheese tasting. Although I'll admit, I think there was a lot more wine tasting than cheese tasting.

There were also a lot of other yummy foods like this delicious coconut cake:

{recipe here}

About half way through the shower I realized that we hadn't taken any photos, but oh well, I guess that's what happens when you're having a good time and living in the moment. We did get one shot of the table (after it had already been dug into):

And of one of the games. The famous toilet paper wedding gown game:

I'll admit, I enjoyed that game much more than I expected to. We had some creative people that took it seriously and there was some damn good toilet paper fashioning going on. It brought me to tears laughing at my mom wrapping my grandma up in toilet paper. 

I'm so thankful for the wonderful friends and family that came, and can't wait to use all the lovely gifts we were given. I'll have to come up with an excuse for a dinner party soon :)

P.S. The wedding is now 20 days away and my to-do list is still giving me anxiety.

P.P.S. I still am unsure what direction we are going to go in for Morgan's birthday and we're at the point were invitations need to go out if we're having a big bash. {insert more anxiety}

for the love of reading...

noreply@blogger.com (While The Little One Sleeps) — Thu, 23 Jun 2011 03:08:00 +0000

Our little man's new go to "toys" are his books. He is in love with them, and I'm in love with the fact that he's in love with them. Since he was the tiniest little thing he has loved being read to. He has always genuinely seemed interested in the book, looking at the pages and hearing us read. Now he can entertain himself with them for quite some time. He'll pull them all down from their shelf and sit in the heap of them slowly flipping through the pages. He'll flip through one in the car. I carry one in my purse and the diaper bag because it will entertain him in store if he gets fussy. He really is in love.

here's the photo evidence:

Isn't it sweet?

27 days

noreply@blogger.com (While The Little One Sleeps) — Tue, 21 Jun 2011 01:25:00 +0000

There are 27 days until our wedding. 

27 days, people! 

That is going to be here before we know it and guess what? I can't seem to gather the motivation to finish my to-do list. I still have 32 items on my to-do list. Some of these things are really small, some of them are things I can't do until a little closer to the date, but there are a lot of things I could be getting done now. 

So why can't I gather the motivation to get things done? I think because I've been thinking wedding, wedding, wedding for the past 6 months and I'm burnt out. I'm ready for it to be here. I'm ready to enjoy the day. But, I'm so over planning it. 

I think I need another wedding nightmare to get my butt in gear. Yea, that usually does the trick ;) 

P.S. In case you didn't notice, I'm procrastinating further by writing this post : /

the chalkboard obsession continues....

noreply@blogger.com (While The Little One Sleeps) — Sun, 19 Jun 2011 18:55:00 +0000

Chalkboard paint is everywhere these days, and I've jumped on the bandwagon. I'm not exactly sure what it is about it, but I think it adds a little touch of whimsy to everything you brush it on. 

I have chalkboard paint that you brush on and spray paint.Yesterday I used the spray paint to transform two Goodwill frames into little chalkboards. I did not take any before pictures (bad, Ashley) but I will explain the process you and show you my fun after pics!

1. I picked up two frames at Goodwill for $1.99 each. One had a Christmas print in it and the other had a lion picture. It doesn't matter what's in the frame, as long as it has glass and you like the frame. Then I removed the prints and took the glass out of the frames.

2. Laying the glass on a piece of cardboard I spray painted several coats onto each piece of glass, waiting for the paint to dry between coats (doesn't take long). After I got my desired coverage, I left the pieces of glass on the cardboard in the garage for 24 hours.

3. After 24 hours I replaced the glass in the frame and using the side of a piece of chalk, rubbed chalk all over the surface of my new chalkboard. After you cover the entire surface you wipe the chalk off (I used paper towel) and it's ready to go!

Here they are immediately after replacing them in their frames:

Here is one getting the "rub down":

Here is the final product:

I am going to use one in my laundry room, and the other is for the wedding :)

Bachelorette

noreply@blogger.com (While The Little One Sleeps) — Fri, 17 Jun 2011 18:24:00 +0000

Last night was my Bachelorette party, and let me tell you, we had a blast! We started the night out with dinner at a sports bar & grill downtown. This was a good time, but the real fun started at our next stop: an adorable little wine shop just a short walk down the road.

The owner opened the shop up just for our private tasting. We were ushered to the back of the shop where the was a huge Gorgeous (yes with a capital G) rustic table with beautiful mismatched chairs. I want one for my house!

We forgot to take pictures, but I found this pic on their Facebook page. The table cloth wasn't on when we were there though and there is some beautiful wood underneath.

We sampled four wines and I loved them all (just call me wino from here on out). We tried a white Lambrusco, a Chardonnay Pinot Gris blend, a Riesling, and a red wine that I can't recall the name of. The owner was very knowledgeable and I learned a lot about wine, but still left there confused. There are just so many different kinds. 

The best thing about the shop? Most of the bottles were around $10! I was really surprised, I thought it would be a lot pricier for "good" bottle of wine. I think the most expensive bottle we tried was $13. We all left with at least one bottle in tow. I bought two, a red Lambrusco and a Riesling called Frisk ;) 

After the dinner and wine tasting we continued downtown for some more "traditional" bachelorette festivities. We had a lot of fun and it was nice to be able to let loose a little and be silly, but I'm so glad that's not my scene anymore. This mama is way over that! I'll take my wine at home with some good conversation over a pub crawl any day.

lemon "puppy chow"

noreply@blogger.com (While The Little One Sleeps) — Wed, 15 Jun 2011 14:36:00 +0000

I decided to try out this recipe from Smashed Peas and Carrots despite the fact that it didn't fit with my no sweets diet plan. I did of course sample it and let me tell ya ladies - it was oh so yummy! But, I was a good girl and took the majority of it over to a friends last night for a party. Can't keep stuff like this in the house!

Lemon Puppy Chow

Ingredients:

9 cups rice chex cereal

1 1/4 cups white vanilla baking chips

1/4 cup butter or margarine

4 tsp grated lemon peel 

2 tbsp fresh lemon juice

2 cups powdered sugar

Directions:

Measure cereal into a large mixing bowl and set aside. In a microwaveable bowl, microwave chips, butter, lemon peel and juice uncovered on high for 1 minute; stir. Microwave about 30 more seconds or until mixture can be stirred smooth. Pour mixture over cereal, stirring until evenly coated. Pour into a 2-gallon resealable food storage plastic bag. Add powdered sugar, seal bag and shake until all the cereal is well-coated.

*I omitted the grated lemon peel because I don't own a grater (shame, shame), and I combined everything in a rectangular Rubbermaid container and shook it which worked really well.

**Image from Smashed Peas and Carrots - I didn't think to stop and take my own (fail).

cupcakes for 2

noreply@blogger.com (While The Little One Sleeps) — Mon, 13 Jun 2011 12:30:00 +0000

I came upon this recipe via pinterest. Seriously guys, it's the bomb diggity (pretend I didn't just say that). It's a cupcake recipe for two! How perfect is that? I'm trying to watch what I eat (gotta make sure I fit into that dress) and this is the perfect solution to any sweet tooth. You can have homemade cupcakes without making a whole batch that will sit on the counter taunting you until you eat them all. Yea, been there, done that.

Here's the source:

how sweet it is: one bowl vanilla cupcakes for two. 

Here's the yummy pics:

Here's the recipe:

1 egg white

2 tablespoons sugar

2 tablespoons butter, melted

1 teaspoon vanilla (yes, a full teaspoon – they are super vanilla-y!)

1/4 cup flour

1/4 heaping teaspoon of baking powder

pinch of salt

1 1/2 tablespoons milk

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line a muffin pan with 2 liners.

In a bowl, add egg white and sugar and whisk until combined. Add in  vanilla and melted butter and stir until mixed. Add flour, baking powder  and salt and stir until smooth. Stir in milk. Divide batter equally  between the 2 cupcake liners.

Bake at 350 for 10-12 minutes, or until cake is set. Let cool completely, then frost as desired.

Enjoy!

P.S. I haven't made this yet because I'm trying to avoid sweets in general right now, but I will be making it sometime soon :) Oh and I bet they'd be yummy with some fat free cool whip (and even more low calorie than with the frosting).

noreply@blogger.com (While The Little One Sleeps) — Sun, 12 Jun 2011 00:55:00 +0000

Destressing, after a 12 hour work day - boo, by getting my Pinterest on. :)

My inspiration board for Morgan's b-day.

Seriously kids, check it out!

more on baby proofing....

noreply@blogger.com (While The Little One Sleeps) — Thu, 09 Jun 2011 19:17:00 +0000

Baby proofing has been the name of the game this week as we try to keep this adorable fella:

 yes, this is how we had to dress on a JUNE day. blah!

out of trouble.

...

This was one option considered:

Totally kidding! :)

But we decided it was too extreme. 

So we've put up all the dangerous things in the bottom cabinets, 

moved all glass objects up out of his reach or put them away, 

but are still working on the whole cord situation. 

.... 

Want to know just how crazy I am about this baby proofing thing? 

Sometimes we forget to empty the tub right away after bath time as we are busy getting Morgan dressed, fed and ready for bed.

Frank says he doesn't always empty it on the weekends so that he has proof that he bathed him {lol}, as if I wouldn't believe him. 

When I noticed we did it again the other night I freaked out and had visions of baby crawling into the bathroom and pulling up on the side of the tub. 

My solution?

Crazy much?

Hey, this way we always have a little reminder when we go to shut off the light.

...

Now, how have I used this baby proofing business to my benefit? 

{insert sly grin}

I decided that our TV stand was so ugly it was dangerous for our little guy.

In all seriousness, it was an accident waiting to happen with it's sharp corners and open shelves.

So yesterday we bought a new TV stand that sits up higher so it's corners are above his head. And it also has cabinets so we can keep him away from the cords and game systems, etc.

 I have also even been considering adding scrapbook paper on the inside of the glass so that he can't see what's inside. 

Out of sight, out of mind. Maybe.

AND, it's pretty too :)

baby proofing

noreply@blogger.com (While The Little One Sleeps) — Tue, 07 Jun 2011 14:55:00 +0000

I had a minor panic attack last night as I was getting ready to go to bed and looked around at all the things Morgan could get into and consequently get hurt with.

Don't ask me why this suddenly hit me last night at 10pm with a serious sense of urgency, but it definitely is something that needs to be done. These days he loves pulling up on the TV stand, couch, ottoman, chairs etc., and can move at an increasingly fast pace with his signature "army crawl". 

So while googling baby proofing check list, I came across this brilliant piece of advice:

"Before you baby-proof your home, try crawling around on all fours and "thinking" like your baby."

Although hilarious, I bet you can guess what I'll be doing after the bambino goes to bed tonight ;)

random rambling

noreply@blogger.com (While The Little One Sleeps) — Mon, 06 Jun 2011 19:42:00 +0000

ahhhhhh 

That's the sigh of my relaxation.

You see, I have this new discovery...

it's called laying the baby down in his crib for a nap.

Not revolutionary? 

Why did it take me 10 months to realize this, you ask? 

God only knows.

I spoiled my little guy by holding him for a nap all. the. time. up until recently. Sure, I got a little break, but I was always confined to the couch.

Now I lay him down. Scrub the house from top to bottom. Take  a peaceful shower without having to sing a rendition of "Old MacDonald" for entertainment because a certain little boy can't believe I have the audacity to take  the time to condition my hair. Catch up on my blogs, FB, and pinterest with out getting a crick in my neck from trying to navigate the computer with one hand and a (adorable)sleeping bambino in my lap.

And lest you think I'm a lazy bum, occasionally I'll straighten up and load the dishwasher. Occasionally. 

And sometimes I hold my little guy while he sleeps because he's growing exponentially and I won't be able to hold him in my arms forever, nor will he want me too. I'll hold him while he sleeps from time to time because I'm a mom and that's what we do.

Now how about some sleeping baby adorableness

for your viewing pleasure? 

 yes, he can fall asleep like that.

 sleeping like an angel in his crib.

livin' the good life.
in mommas arms.

zonked after Easter.

And last, but not least...

vintage Morgan circa July 2010 (tee hee)

OMG I just found Pinterest

noreply@blogger.com (While The Little One Sleeps) — Fri, 03 Jun 2011 15:24:00 +0000

I have heard whispers about pinterest in blog land lately and even visited the site and requested to join.

 Never got an email back. 

Oh pinterest you're a clever one, build up the anticipation and excitement by making it exclusive. 

Then, I read a blog post from Jenni where she was gushing about pinterest. I emailed her and asked for an invite. I just got it this morning and already I'm obsessed. 

I wish I would have had this when I first started wedding planning. If I had I might not have so many inspiration pics saved on my computer. 

It is a boatload of inspiration waiting to be found... and drooled over. Actually it's a little overwhelming, but if you join you'll never lose any cute idea you come across on the world wide web! 

If you'd like an invitation to join, just comment and I'll email you one. Trust me, you want one. ;)

Embracing the camera June 2

noreply@blogger.com (While The Little One Sleeps) — Thu, 02 Jun 2011 15:05:00 +0000

I haven't participated in embrace the camera lately because well, I'm usually not too keen on embracing it :) I take a million pictures a day of my little man, but I still struggle to get in the picture. I'm working on it though. Here's the proof.

And in honor of someone's 10 (!!!) month birthday:

 Yea that lasted for about 2.8 seconds

 See?

 I love the shots where he isn't looking at the camera or cheesin' it up, although those are great too....

Ahhh my little slice of heaven :)

Chalkboard Wine Charms

noreply@blogger.com (While The Little One Sleeps) — Thu, 02 Jun 2011 02:38:00 +0000

I kind of am having a love affair with chalkboard paint. There's something chic, fun, and whimsical about anything with a little chalkboard on it.

I've used in on a couple of projects lately, but I'm sharing my wine charms with you. They are a cute way to keep track of your glass. All you have to do is write your initials on the charm with chalk. 

Supplies:

Something to use as your charm/chalkboard surface (I used buttons)

Jewelry wire

Wire cutters

Chalkboard paint

Paint brush

Chalk

1- Paint two coats of the chalkboard paint onto your button, waiting one hour between coats.

2 - Allow the chalkboard paint to "cure" for 24 hours.

3 - Rub a piece of chalk over the surface of your charm to prep it. 

4. Using your wire cutters cut your wire into even pieces of wire.

5. Bend the wire into a circle and thread the wire through the button hole.

6. Attach your wine charm to your glass and write your initals on your charm with chalk.

All done!

My empty wine glass :( I forgot to write my initials on for the pic.

noreply@blogger.com (While The Little One Sleeps) — Wed, 01 Jun 2011 15:30:00 +0000

LOVE this wedding.

thrifty finds

noreply@blogger.com (While The Little One Sleeps) — Thu, 26 May 2011 12:42:00 +0000

Yesterday was such a crappy day. It rained all day long and the sun was M.I.A. Add into the mix a baby that is teething hardcore, and Momma was rarin' for a break when Daddy got home from work.

So I decided to hit up Goodwill and another local thrift store that has proved to be a gold mine of goodies. I found some really cool things for the wedding and little man's b-day.

"Vintage" Baseballs - I'm not sure how old they really are, but they have that vintage look to them without being grubby. I scooped those suckers right up. $2.99 for 6.

Vintage pop corn bowls - I found these at Goodwill. I thought they'd go great with our vintage baseball theme. I picked them up 4 @ $0.49 each.

Babe Ruth Plate - $2.99 Now I'm not sure if we'll use this for the party, although I think we could use it to put some kind of food display on, but I figured at the very least we could put it in Morgan's room. Plus I knew Frank would be tickled by it. He's a Yankees fan.

Wire Basket - For....wait for it.... $0.79!! Seriously. I thought they must have tagged it wrong or at the very least there was a 1 missing before that 0.79. But I squinted and couldn't find it ;) I'm not sure what I'll use this one for yet either, maybe some kind of beverage holder?  I  just love it's shabby chicness. 

Vintage blue mason jars - Gotta love Goodwill. $0.99 each for these bad boys. Do you know how much they try to sell these to ya online? Try 5 bucks a pop. I haven't decided yet if I'll sell my collection online for a small fortune :) or if I'll keep them and display them all together. I think a shelf full of blue mason jars would be cute.

Alphabet blocks - $2.99. I have to google the best way to clean these bad boys before the little guy gets his hands on them. 

I'm super excited about my goodies - and the deals! I haven't had this fruitful of a thrifting trip in a while!