A Lovely Lark

Golden Girl

noreply@blogger.com (Lauren) — Wed, 19 Jun 2013 13:52:00 +0000

I've been a bit obsessed with gold these days, and have been adding oodles of it to Lucy's nursery. Then I came across the new limited edition (pink!) Caravan Crib from Kalon Studios and was completely smitten. Of course, We're not buying any new furniture for the nursery (budget budget budget), but a girl can dream, right? xo, Lauren

Sources:
Hanging Rattan Chair: Serena & Lily
KO Sticks Stars: General Store
Gold Scallop Pillow: Caitlin Wilson Textiles
Gold Linen Pillow Cover: Sukan
Faux Sheepskin: IKEA
Gold Foil Print: Lara Casey Shop
Gilt Minimalist Mirror: Wisteria
Key Wool Dhurrie: West Elm
Tassel Garland: EverlyLane
Pink Elephants: WFT
Geometric Vases: Snug Studio
Caravan Crib: Kalon Studio

Get On My Walls...

noreply@blogger.com (Lauren) — Tue, 18 Jun 2013 11:00:00 +0000

Pretty please...

Top to Bottom, Left to Right:
1. Forest Park Poster - Quill and Fox
2. City Park Poster - Quill and Fox
3. Don't ever let anyone dull your sparkle - black & type
4. #27 - Elijah Andrus
5. January Flowers - Maureen Gallace
6. Oh Happy Day! - Lara Casey

Twins! (But Not Really)

noreply@blogger.com (Lauren) — Tue, 18 Jun 2013 11:00:00 +0000

I've had a lot of people ask if Lucy looks like Violet did as a baby. Well, they say a picture is worth a thousand words right? I present to you exhibit A:

Do you know which one is which? If you follow me on Instagram and have a good memory, you may know, but otherwise I'd say it's a pretty tough call. But as much as they may look alike (and have the exact same facial expressions), they've had very different beginnings. I don't want to say personalities, because I think Violet's behavior as a baby had a lot less to do with personality or temperament and a lot more to do with her health issues. I often actually wonder what her babyhood may have been like if she had been healthy.

Here's a little bit (okay maybe more than a little bit) about Violet's start in life...

When Violet was born she had meconium aspiration and was in the NICU for a week. When I would trek down every hour and a half to visit and feed her, she would most often be screaming her head off or at least be fussy. You can't really blame her - she was surrounded by other crying babies, bright lights, and lots of beeping and other random noises. She had tubes in her nose and throat, tape all over her face, and wires stuck to her body. I couldn't feed her on demand because I had to go back up to my room to get rest, eat, and be monitored and checked by the nurses and doctors. It wasn't exactly the most ideal way to enter the world, to say the least.

I also was in pretty bad shape after I had her - a lot of tearing and sitting on donuts and such. She didn't sleep much at night, so neither did I. My mom actually spent a couple of nights at our house with her just so I could get some rest in between feedings. (Thanks Mom!) I think babies can sense when you're exhausted and feeling like you've been hit by a truck, and they tend to get stressed as well (hello, evening witching hour?) And to make matters worse it turned out she was allergic to the dairy and soy that I was eating (and that was in my milk) and we didn't figure it out until she was about seven or eight months old. It wasn't an allergy that would show up on any test, so basically we were just told, sorry - you have a fussy baby. It wasn't until her weight dropped from the 90th percentile to the 9th that our doctors got worried and referred us to a pediatric allergist. (We've since switched pediatricians and love our new one!)

Throughout all of this I dealt with post-partum anxiety. I couldn't sleep because of it. I heard Violet crying even when she was sound asleep. I mean, literally. I had to ask Kevin many times if she was crying or if I was just hearing it in my head. Luckily, I didn't have post-partum depression. I loved my baby like crazy and protected her like a mama bear. No one else could hold her much (not even her papa) because she would scream and scream and become absolutely hysterical. It was more than this mama could take, so I just held her, and held her, and held. her. We didn't know why she wouldn't let anyone else hold her, so I would "coach" Kevin on how to position her and what to do as he paced the room. I resented the fact that I was the only one who could calm her down. I resented him when I was trapped in the nursery rocking and nursing her for hours and hours on end while he could go about his normal life. In my head I knew he was doing all he could - at one point he even spoon fed me my meals because I hadn't been able to get a bite to eat - but I couldn't help but feel it, no matter how irrational. Looking back at that I cringe, but it is what it is. (I'm trying to follow this advice this time around)

Even after we figured out why Violet was sick, I still wanted to nurse her. I was irrationally horrified to give her formula. The funny thing is I never thought twice about another mama giving formula to their baby, but with the hormones raging within me (and after smelling the stuff - not pleasant) I just didn't want to use it. So I went on an elimination diet - trying to cut out all dairy and soy from my meals. Well, it turns out dairy and soy is in nearly EVERYTHING. I lost way too much weight and was at the lowest weight I had been since I was a freshman in high school. And although Violet was doing better, it wasn't enough. So for both of our sakes I switched to formula - first Alimentum, but then when that was still causing her to react, we went to prescription formula (Elecare Infant). The stuff tasted horrific, but Violet sucked it down like it was the most amazing thing she had ever eaten, because despite it's taste it pretty much was - it was the only thing she had ever eaten that didn't make her tummy hurt.

At the advice of the pediatric allergist, we fed her that exclusively (no solids) until she was over a year old to allow her time to heal. She pretty much hadn't slept through the night more than a handful of times since she was born, but I didn't know any different and didn't expect any different from my poor sick babe. It was hard but I'm sure the rest of you mamas know that you do what you have to do for your babies. I was back at work at this point, so that was even more tough, but I powered through. I'm going to admit, as much as I missed her, being at work felt like a vacation because our days for the past year had been a battle. There were a lot of great moments, there were beautiful moments, but overall it was hard, hard work. It was difficult reintroducing solids, but luckily her condition was one that most kids outgrow, and we've been able to reintroduce soy and dairy back into her diet at this point. We actually added the dairy back in just a month before Lucy was born.

Violet is now a rambunctious, opinionated, thriving toddler with a tenacious spirit. While she's definitely still a mama's girl, her and her papa have a special relationship of their very own. She's incredibly smart and inquisitive and has a great sense of humor. Always watching the world around her closely, she doesn't miss a thing. Luckily, unlike her mama she also has a great sense of direction! She is our gem - our firstborn.

Lucy has had a much less eventful beginning so far and is a happy, healthy little girl. She sleeps like a champ and gives lots of big goofy grins. She loves her big sister and watches her closely. Unlike her big sister, Lucy loves to be swaddled and put down on any cozy surface to lounge for a while. While I'm still definitely not the most laid-back mama that ever was, I definitely don't have the anxiety that I had with Violet. I marvel at how alike they appear, yet how each is girl her own person. They're living proof that while our genes definitely help to shape our personalities, our experiences add their own twist as well. It will be interesting to compare our two beautiful girls as they grow and see how alike or different they may be. Either way, one thing's for sure - they are both loved to the moon and back by their mama and papa.
xo. Lauren

Lucy Vivian: Two Months Old

noreply@blogger.com (Lauren) — Sun, 16 Jun 2013 11:00:00 +0000

Two months old! Our little Lucy is healthy and happy. She gives us the biggest grins, coos, and is just a pleasant litlte girl. She still wakes up one or two times a night, but goes right back to sleep which her mama really appreciates. We've been having some tummy issues this month because of a bit of oversupply, but she deals with it like a champ. She still loves being swaddled and is starting to love her swing, which is wonderful. She also enjoys being popped into the Moby Wrap or Ergo Carrier and going on an evening stroll to fall asleep. Her big sister is still loving her to pieces, and of course so are her mama and papa. Can't wait for her two month appointment to find out how much she's grown! xo, Lauren

Cross-stitch quilt c/o Little Auggie, top from Carter's.

P.S. Lucy at one month + Lucy's birth story.

Gone Glamping...

noreply@blogger.com (Lauren) — Sat, 15 Jun 2013 19:36:00 +0000

Kevin is the outdoorsy type - me, not so much. He'd love to go camping, but my idea of camping is slightly different from his. As a kid my family would go in a camper to a campground complete with running water, a shower, toilet, and television. We only used the television in the event of rain, but still, it was there. So the idea of going camping in a tent is pretty foreign and horrific sounding to say the least. That is, until I came across the most beautiful tent I had ever laid eyes on. Check out my latest ideabook over on Houzz.com to see some pretty products that might even convince me to go glamp...er...camping.

P.S. A Rustic Farmhouse Kitchen + Candy Coated Summer

Friday Favorites

noreply@blogger.com (Lauren) — Fri, 14 Jun 2013 11:00:00 +0000

We've had a fussy evening, so not much time to write - hope you enjoy the pictures! If you'd like to see more you can follow along on Instagram @alovelylark. Happy Friday! xo, Lauren

Lovely Little Things

noreply@blogger.com (Lauren) — Thu, 13 Jun 2013 11:00:00 +0000

one: crocodiles print
two: blue tangram puzzle
three: brass apple
four: 'home' print
five: striped apple pillow
six: jaeda rug, olive
seven: leather moccasin

Pretty Party Supplies

noreply@blogger.com (Lauren) — Wed, 12 Jun 2013 11:00:00 +0000

There are a ton of fun places that I like to look for pretty party supplies. Here are three lovely Etsy shops:

michiemay paperie

Sucre Shop

Caramelos

I thought maybe I'd share a few of my faves each week? Happy party planning! xo, Lauren

Lucy's Birth Announcements

noreply@blogger.com (Lauren) — Tue, 11 Jun 2013 11:00:00 +0000

A couple of things I wish we had done with Violet was to have newborn photos taken and send out birth announcements, but after being in the NICU and getting the hang of being a new mama of a very needy baby with health issues, it just never happened. (Not to mention the fact that the budget was tight with me being off work for eight months). So when Minted contacted me about trying out their announcements, I was so excited! My sister had taken newborn and family photos while she was here (more on those to come soon!) and they turned out so beautifully, so I jumped at the chance to use them with one of Minted's many designs. It took me FOREVER to choose a design from their site - there were seriously so, so many lovely ones. After we finally chose one and ordered them, I was thrilled with how they turned out:

And if you have a little one on the way, stay tuned because I'm working on a big giveaway for all of you lovelies, and custom birth announcements from Minted will be part of the deal! xo, Lauren

Lovely Little Craft: Beaded Necklace

noreply@blogger.com (Lauren) — Mon, 10 Jun 2013 13:49:00 +0000

I've been trying to find fun ways to keep Violet occupied and challenged while I'm busy with Lucy. Especially because she's used to having a couple of other kids her age to run around with at the babysitter, and now it's just her, Lucy, and me. She's really into crafts so I made a trip to Michael's one day and picked up a bunch of things. When I came across these painted wooden beads I thought they would be perfect. They were bright and colorful, on the larger side so they'd be easy for her to pick up, and she loves jewelry. I thought we could create a necklace with some yarn or a shoelace. Threading the string through the holes was definitely a fun challenge for her and kept her occupied for quite a bit of time. We used a large, blunt needle, but I'd probably use a shoestring if we did it again, as the string kept slipping off of the needle which would frustrate her.

She's thrilled with her necklace and loves to sort the beads into various containers as well, so that's an added bonus! Check out this sweet face:

Success! Happy crafting! xo, Lauren

Handmade Love

noreply@blogger.com (Lauren) — Wed, 05 Jun 2013 16:00:00 +0000

Totally loving on these floral doodles by Jo Chambers. Come home to mama...

A Rustic Farmhouse Kitchen

noreply@blogger.com (Lauren) — Wed, 05 Jun 2013 11:00:00 +0000

With the kitchen being the last main room in the house that needs major updating, I've been gathering ideas. Here's a pretty, rustic farmhouse kitchen that I came up with over on Houzz.com:

For more products and sources you can check it out here. xo, Lauren

So Many Things

noreply@blogger.com (Lauren) — Tue, 04 Jun 2013 16:00:00 +0000

SO many good things in this Etsy shop. I want one of everything! xo, Lauren

Favorite Parenting Links Lately

noreply@blogger.com (Lauren) — Tue, 04 Jun 2013 11:00:00 +0000

1. The important thing about yelling - this was a good read for me. Since I've had the baby the lack of sleep has taken a toll on my patience for sure.

2. There is only now. Sometimes we forget to be in the moment with all of our responsibilities hanging over our heads, but kids never forget. (P.S. A funny read about responsibilities)

3. Laugh out loud funny.

4. I knew I became a mom when...

5. This one hits close to home for me - On being a parent with pets.

Hope you enjoy them as much as I did! xo, Lauren

And the Winner Is...

noreply@blogger.com (Lauren) — Mon, 03 Jun 2013 21:53:00 +0000

And the winner of the P&G/Home Depot giveaway is...

Alicia!

Congrats! Thanks to everyone for playing, and check back for a really big giveaway coming soon!

xo, Lauren

Handmade Love

noreply@blogger.com (Lauren) — Mon, 03 Jun 2013 16:00:00 +0000

Loving on these gorgeous handmade geometric pinatas from Prospect Goods. They make me want to have another party! xo, Lauren

DIY "Gilded" Blocks

noreply@blogger.com (Lauren) — Mon, 03 Jun 2013 11:00:00 +0000

I've been coveting these gilded alphabet blocks from Cabin 7, but at $260 for a set, they were a bit out of my league. So I decided to roll up my sleeves and go for the poor man's version with a little tape and a can of metallic spray paint:

You will need: plain wooden blocks, metallic spray paint, letter stickers, painters tape

1. Affix the letter of your choice onto one of the blocks. I chose "puffy" letters so that they'd be easier to peel off:

2. Cover the remaining sides with painter's tape:

3. Place your blocks letter side up on a piece of cardboard (outdoors or in a spray booth) and spray with metallic spray paint using light, sweeping motions. Peel off the letters and tape and, voila! Certainly not nearly as fancy as the original, but they'll do! xo, Lauren

(P.S. These are meant for display purposes - not for use as a toy. They'd probably be fine for older kids, but not little ones who would put them in their mouth/chew on them, etc.)

Last Chance to Win!

noreply@blogger.com (Lauren) — Fri, 31 May 2013 18:01:00 +0000

Last chance to win $50 to the Home Depot plus Mr. Clean Outdoor Pro cleaning supplies from P&G! You can enter here by leaving a comment. xo, Lauren

Friday Favorites

noreply@blogger.com (Lauren) — Fri, 31 May 2013 12:32:00 +0000

Here are a few of my favorite moments from our life lately according to my Instagram feed:

Life has been full of its ups and downs lately, but luckily mostly the former. My girls are completely in love with one another, there is literally no end to the kisses, snuggles, and hugs that Miss Lucy gets from her big sister each day. I'm so happy for both of them - having a sister myself I know how special that relationship is and will be for the rest of their lives. It's like having a best friend for life no matter what.

At the same time, Violet has been having a difficult time adjusting to the fact that I'm not available to her at every moment. I thought that being home from work would help her to be a little more independent of me, but she really seems to be feeling a lot of stress and I'm not sure how to help her. After a particularly challenging day, I was surfing the web and came across this post which talked about how we start expecting more of our older child when we have a new baby, but really they're still just a baby too and need us just as much if not more. Luckily Lucy is a champion sleeper and my mom has been helping out a lot, so I do get a lot of time with Violet throughout the day to play, although my house and this space have been feeling neglected for sure. (Any tips on keeping your house decently clean with two little ones? It feels somewhat impossible at the moment!)

The other evening Lucy had just eaten and was having a long snooze with her papa, so Violet and I snuck off to the park together. It was a gorgeous evening - the perfect temperature, the smell of wood burning in the air (always reminds me of camping!) and we had a wonderful time. It felt so good to get out with just her, and not with the baby in the carrier.

Speaking of baby carriers, we tried out our new Ergobaby carrier with the infant insert this week and Lucy loves it! We used it three times and each time she fell right to sleep. Lucy had another first as well - her first bottle of mama's milk! Violet has been itching to feed her ever since she was born, and her and Lucy both did a great job. It's hard to motivate myself to pump with everything else that is going on, but it is nice to have a small supply frozen in case of an emergency. It gives me peace of mind, so definitely worth the extra time it takes.

If you'd like to see more photos of our daily happenings you can follow along on Instagram here.

Happy Friday!

xo, Lauren

Lovely Little Art

noreply@blogger.com (Lauren) — Thu, 30 May 2013 20:27:00 +0000

left . right

Love, love these black and white prints for a nursery or child's space. So sweet and they'd really go with any decor. xo, Lauren

A Camping Party

noreply@blogger.com (Lauren) — Wed, 29 May 2013 12:10:00 +0000

Decorate with these floral pennants, "yay" flags, and this blanket as a tablecloth or guest seating

Make these s'mores in a basket

Top of your cake with this free printable camp cake topper

Have guests take home these paper bag + fabric favors

Lucy Vivian - One Month Old

noreply@blogger.com (Lauren) — Tue, 28 May 2013 13:37:00 +0000

A little late, but our dear sweet baby is one month old. She's been such an angel - sleeping some five hour stretches at night for her mama and much of the day. Sometimes we have fussy evenings, but they're getting fewer and farther between. She's starting to smile back at us when we smile at her and is making some little cooing noises.

She's growing like a champ - already up from her six pound ten ounce birth weight, and she's grown from 19 to 22.25 inches. She loves to look at windows and snuggle in her Moby Wrap. Although nursing was a bit of a challenge at first, and I thought more than a few times about quitting, she's gotten really good at it thanks to some good advice from the lactation nurse at the hospital.

Her big sister adores her and she's getting used to the constant flow of kisses, snuggles, and hugs that she receives daily:

Happy (belated) one month my Lucy Vivian! We love you to the moon and back!

xo, your mama and papa

Giveaway: Win $50 to the Home Depot

noreply@blogger.com (Lauren) — Mon, 27 May 2013 21:21:00 +0000

With Violet's birthday party and Memorial Day weekend happening, we definitely had to spruce up our patio area. So needless to say I was thrilled when the lovely folks over at Procter & Gamble and the Home Depot sent us this awesome package in the mail to help us get things in order as part of their Get it Ready. Get it Done. Get it Clean. campaign:

I don't know about you guys, but plastic outdoor furniture is like the bane of my existence. We have these plastic faux Adirondack chairs and I feel like I can NEVER get them clean. They have all of these grooves to make them look like they have a wood grain and the dirt just won't come out of them. Well, I tried out one of the Mr. Clean Outdoor Pro Magic Erasers (I am seriously obsessed with these things) on these bad boys, and what a difference! From a distance they don't look bad at all:

But when you get up close you can see what I'm talking about:

Check out the upper part of this chair's arm versus the lower part - HUGE difference. It actually looks white now instead of greige.

The other thing I always have a tough time cleaning is our glass table. I feel like the pollen and dirt and grime just gets caked on there and doesn't want to come off. The Mr. Clean Outdoor Pro Spray and Bounty paper towels definitely worked a lot better than my regular indoor All-Purpose spray. Again not bad from a distance:

But come a little bit closer and:

I didn't have to scrub hard and all and look at all of the grime that came off of the table after one swipe:

Gross, right? And of course the best part of all of this? Procter & Gamble has generously offered to give away the same prize pack to one lucky reader! So that's all of the cleaning products pictured PLUS $50 to the Home Depot! I think I'm going to use our gift card toward repairing our broken fence. All you have to do to enter is to leave a comment on this post.

For bonus entries, you can:

I'll announce the winner at the end of the week - good luck! xo, Lauren

This giveaway is open to U.S. residents only. Up to five entries per person. After the winner is randomly chosen he or she will be put in contact with the sponsors of the giveaway. If the winner does not claim his or her prize within ten days, they forfeit their winnings and another winner will be chosen and contacted via email. All rules and conditions are subject to change without notice.

Procter & Gamble provided the prize for your consideration as part of their #ReadyDoneClean campaign

Violet Says Vol. 6

noreply@blogger.com (Lauren) — Mon, 27 May 2013 19:16:00 +0000

1. When we went to the doctor's office for Lucy's weight check, the doctor asked Violet, "So who's this - your new baby sister?" Violet said, "Yes, her name baby Lucy. She my baby sistuh. She eats milk from Mommy's nickels!" And yanked down my shirt.

Needless to say, we had to have a little conversation about privacy after that visit :)

2. Violet: Mommy, why do we take baths?
Me: So we're not stinky
Violet: Yeah, I don't want my eyes be stinky!

Because, you know, it's really important that we have fresh smelling eyes...

3.The other day she saw a photo of herself where she wasn't smiling and said, "Why I not cheesin', Mommy?"

4. My mom has pretty much all of the old Disney movies and likes to introduce Violet to new ones every now and then when she keeps her overnight. After one sleepover Violet came home and told me that she got to watch a new movie at Nonny's house. I asked her which one she watched, and she matter-of-factly replied, "Poopahontas."

And then I died.

5. Violet has an interactive stuffed animal called My Pal Violet. The other day we were sitting on the couch and she was playing with it and it asked her, "Who's your best friend?" And she instantly yelled, "MOMMY!!!"

Best. moment. ever. I love being a mom!

Also, a special shout-out to my family members who have served our country, past and present - my cousins Don, Shanna, Justin, and Tim, my Uncle Tim, my brother-in-law Randy, and my Papaw. Happy Memorial Day - we appreciate your sacrifice! xo, Lauren

(Above photo: Violet trying out a new napping method. It didn't work out.)

Nope.

noreply@blogger.com (Lauren) — Sun, 26 May 2013 18:00:00 +0000

Sorry for the lack of posts this past week! I was on my own for most of the week, the baby caught a cold, and I'm feeling under the weather as well. Not to mention dealing with the aftermath of a party full of 3-5 year olds. This print by Gemma Correll cracked me up when I came across it over on Society6 - totally how I'm feeling about doing anything at the moment. Hope you're all having a lovely Memorial Day weekend! xo, Lauren