Beck's Chic Life

Halloween and a Week Long Power Outage!

noreply@blogger.com (Rebecca) — Tue, 08 Nov 2011 11:25:00 +0000

Friday night we finally got power back after almost a week without it due to the freak snow storm that hit Connecticut the weekend before Halloween. Luckily we have a generator here, but we were without a lot of the power in the house, and lost the internet and cable!

When the storm started on Saturday we were at a little Halloween parade and the bean was dressed as a bumble bee! It was her first time seeing snow, and when Dave first pulled her out of the stroller she had her mouth wide open and was eating the snow.

I took some pictures of her in her costume (with the help of my mother-in-law) before the snow came with some pumpkins and mums. Check her out standing up like a big girl!

There is nothing better than her smile!

We are so grateful to have our power back and starting to get back on schedule! Unfortunately, Lexi had her first little cold over the weekend! But at six months old, and 20 pounds, I wasn't too worried.

Moving

noreply@blogger.com (Rebecca) — Mon, 07 Nov 2011 02:43:00 +0000

I am taking the leap, and NO we are NOT moving into a new house yet... But the blog is moving to a new URL and from blogger to wordpress! So update your blog reader of choice with our new URL Beckschiclife.com . All of the DIY projects and tutorials are over there, and I am adding some other great features on the site.

If you have signed up to receive blog posts via email, you should receive an email in your inbox that asks you to click a link to confirm your subscription. Click that baby and you should be all set to get blog posts from the new site to your inbox!

As always email me with any questions! beckschiclife{at}gmail{dot}com

No Power

noreply@blogger.com (Rebecca) — Wed, 02 Nov 2011 14:55:00 +0000

Hi All! A few of you have asked where I have been and why I haven't posted pictures of Lexi in her Halloween costume. The reason is we are going on day four without power or Internet due to the crazy snow storm! I didn't take pictures of her in costume on my phone so I can't share until we are back up and running here! To hold the grandparents and family over, here is her Pre-Halloween outfit. She is a little puppy!

Her real Halloween outfit is even more adorable! We hope to be up and running soon and are grateful to have a generator to keep the heat on for baby! Unfortunately, no cable or internet here so I have blog from the phone! I hope everyone else affected by the storm is hanging in there!

- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

Happy Friday

noreply@blogger.com (Rebecca) — Fri, 28 Oct 2011 13:03:00 +0000

Lexi has some special visitors this weekend that are coming up from Philly to see little Lexi in her Halloween costume! We also have some pumpkin carving to do. Every year I scour the Martha Stewart website for cute carving ideas.

Images: Martha Stewart

Remember the awesome pumpkins we carved last year? We shall see is we can top those. Do you have any fun Halloween plans this weekend? Maybe a costume party?

Temporary Nursery: Updates

noreply@blogger.com (Rebecca) — Wed, 26 Oct 2011 09:58:00 +0000

As I stated in this post our current living situation is temporary. Unfortunately, we have been here at my in laws longer than anticipated. Luckily, things are going well, and we are all getting along well. The downside is that all of our belongings are in storage, so the decor of our current space is minimal. I have been trying to make Lexi's temporary nursery a little more cozy for her, little by little.

First, I added this little rocking chair. It was my dad's when he was a little boy, and I had it in my room growing up, so it is a nice little piece with some family history. It is black with little hand painted fruits at the top. I was thinking of refinishing it, as there are teeth marks on the bottom from one of our puppies. But I like the little bit of contrast it provides to all the white furniture in the room, and it is really nicely finished everywhere else, so I might just repair the legs.

Next up is this cute little mobile from Tunisia. My dear friend Elizabeth bought it for Lexi as a welcome to the world gift and sent it over from her current abode in Italy. I had to figure out a way to hang it over the crib. Currently it is up there with wire hangers wrapped in a scarf. But that is just a temporary solution, as my little one will soon be able to reach it, and will pull it down for sure. I am thinking fishing line from the ceiling might be a better option.

Here is a closeup of the little camels. How adorable is it? And again I love the bright colors it brings into the nursery.

And finally a Homegoods find. You may remember my post in search for the perfect pillow for the wing back chair where I nurse Lexi. I found this adorable pillow at Homegoods for $15. The size and firmness of the pillow are perfect to hold up her little head. And I love that it says LOVE because that is what comes to mind when I think of my baby! It is also a little playful and will work when we update her room as she grows.

So those are my attempts at decorating our temporary home. I will keep you updated on our housing situation. Currently we are back at square one, searching the market! We are committed to finding exactly what we want and not settling, so it could take some time. In the meantime, I hope my mother in law doesn't mind me decorating her house!

Lexi 6 Months Old

noreply@blogger.com (Rebecca) — Mon, 24 Oct 2011 14:46:00 +0000

I can't believe my baby is six months old! This month has brought a ton of laughs! She can sit up by herself now and loves to drool!

***On the 22nd of each month I will be taking a picture of my sweet little Lexi, in a cloth diaper, in the wing back chair. I am going to include the giraffe in each picture, as a constant to measure her up against, as well as something for her to play with when she gets older and I am torturing her with pictures!

Feel Good Friday

noreply@blogger.com (Rebecca) — Fri, 21 Oct 2011 11:11:00 +0000

My dear friend Elizabeth is visiting Lexi, Dave and I today. She currently lives in Italy, and before that lived in New Zealand for a year! This will be her first time meeting Lexi! Elizabeth and I lived together in Boston, all through college, and we shared many a tiny room together, during those years. Needless to say she is kind of like a sister. I can't get over how long it has been since I last saw her, and how many things have changed for both of us. But that is the amazing thing about good friends, it doesn't matter how much time or how many miles are between you, you can always pick up, right where you left off. Happy Friday!

Links from around the web

-Miss Mustard Seed shares some photo styling tips
-Kristine's Beautiful Nursery Mobile... Really wish I thought of that
-A Nursery Reveal
-A pillow fluffing tutorial

How to Make Your Own Baby Food

noreply@blogger.com (Rebecca) — Thu, 20 Oct 2011 10:43:00 +0000

As a true DIY girl, I decided before Lexi was born that I was going to make her baby food. I wanted her on a strictly organic diet and heard/read that if you feed them jarred fruit and veggies they are less likely to like the real thing because it tastes totally different. Now I know there are millions of us that were raised on jarred Gerber, and still love our fruit and veggies. But I am at home with the baby, and organic baby food can get pricey, so why not give making my own a try?

A good family friend got me this amazing gift that makes cooking your own baby food a snap. Its the Beaba Babycook ... Cute right?

Even if you are short on counter space this guy doesn't take up much room at all. It is super easy to use.

All you do is fill the clear plastic container up with water to the appropriate marked line.

Then you pour that water into the reservoir.

Cut up your vegetable of choice, in my case butternut squash.

And fill the little steamer basket.

And turn the dial to the left.

The little light goes on and the machine steams the veggies.

Meanwhile you pick up all the toys your baby threw on the floor...

And pick her up when she is reaching for you while screaming...

The light and machine shut off when they are finished. These took about 15 minutes.

Then I pour the steamed veggies out of the basket, but back into the plastic container, and run the blade/blender part of the machine, by turning the dial to the right.

It took about 60 seconds to get the squash totally pureed.

And that’s it. Totally complete! I put the squash in these little plastic containers that I picked up at Babies R Us.

Then I place them in a plastic bag, label it, and throw it in the freezer. In hindsight, I could have poured the squash into an ice cube tray and covered it in plastic wrap. Then once it is frozen you could pop all the cubes into the labeled plastic bag. We just don't have ice cube trays at the moment.

The great thing about the Babycook is that it heats up food the frozen food too! You could obviously make your own baby food without this little gadget, but it sure does make life a little easier. And when you have a baby, anything that makes your life easier is worth the money!

Do you have any tips on making baby food? Do you know of any additions that make the veggies a little tastier for baby? I personally am getting a little sick of having squash spit in my face, so suggestions are greatly appreciated!

Pleated Skirts & White Slipcovers

noreply@blogger.com (Rebecca) — Tue, 18 Oct 2011 11:59:00 +0000

I was going through my Pinterest pins over the weekend (I know... swinging weekend for this girl). I noticed that there were quite a few similarities in my style pinboard and my dream house pin board. When it comes to both fashion and design, I love classic, tailored pieces, with a few trendy accessories to add a little flair.

I love this clean crisp white dress with classic pleats. However, the trendy black gladiator sandals add contrast, for a little something unexpected... Like jazz hands at the end of a dance routine.

images: editorial: what to wear now; constance jablonski by greg kadel for harper's bazaar US may 2011; stylist, katie mossman; via This is Glamourous

You know I love white slipcovers, and white accessories, and I love how in the room below the black frame around the window as well as the black trim on the chairs. And the graphic green fabric is like that trendy little gladiator sandal, that lets you know its 2011 and not 1939.

images: House & Home February 2010 issue Products: Lamps, Decorum Decorative Finds. Photographer: Donna Griffith Stylist: Tanya Linton

And in this simple and classy dining room, high contrast is the statement.

images: Photographer: William Waldron

Designer: Geoffrey Ross and John Dransfield

for Elle Decor Issue January 2006

Sometimes all it takes are a few classic pieces with contrasting accessories, to really add some oomph to a room. You know like Jazz hands.

Do you find your personal style reflected in your home? Or are you more of a jeans and t-shirt kind of girl with a home that is super stylish and trendy?

Shots From the Weekend

noreply@blogger.com (Rebecca) — Mon, 17 Oct 2011 20:20:00 +0000

Happy Monday! I hope you had a great weekend!

We certainly did, the weather was beautiful so we tried to spend as much time as possible outside.

We did some Apple Picking (in the back yard).

We went for a nature walk,

Along a river,

With our little puppy.

And we went to a farm! Lexi had her first encounter with a horse. It went well!

What did you do this weekend?

Feel Good Friday

noreply@blogger.com (Rebecca) — Fri, 14 Oct 2011 11:00:00 +0000

I have decided Friday's, here on the blog, will be devoted to something happy, fun and uplifting.. that way we can all start our weekend off right!

This week, I have a funny video of Lexi laughing. Babies really do have the greatest outlook on life. Lexi smiles at everyone she sees, and is generally pretty happy for no reason at all. I love her bubbly positive energy! She teaches me new things everyday. If you had a rough week, this video is sure to make you laugh.

Links:
- Elbow Patches- A Fall Must Have
- Excited for Halloween, although wish I had a home of my own to decorate :-(
- I wish I had something like this to reupholster! Amazing! (and yes I am a nerd)
- Oh Marilyn

Color Scheme: Pink & Orange

noreply@blogger.com (Rebecca) — Tue, 11 Oct 2011 20:08:00 +0000

Enjoying one last beautiful day before the chillier temperatures set in! These pink and orange rooms give off such a beautiful warmth that would keep you cozy through the winter!

Source: House Beautiful

Source: Elle Decor

Chloe's New Ride

noreply@blogger.com (Rebecca) — Mon, 10 Oct 2011 10:56:00 +0000

Happy Monday! I hope you all had a lovely weekend! The weather was wonderful here in the Northeast, so we took a ride up to Nashoba Valley Winery for our annual apple picking trip.

Things are a lot different this year than they were last year. Last year my friend Elayna couldn't even make the trip because she was so pregnant, and this year her little guy Benjamin is almost a year old!

Last year I was pregnant. This year, our little bundle of joy joined us at the winery.

Being a new mom I had the stroller packed to the gills...

Did you notice anything interesting in the picture above? Here's a closer look.

Yup, that's a middle aged chihuahua in the basket.

After the long car ride, and then our little picnic on the lawn of the winery, where she attacked small children and protected her baby sister with a vengeance, she was really tuckered out.

She will be 8 years old in December, and is loosing her vision and her hearing. She also has arthritis, so she limps after walking long distances. Dave put her in the basket of the stroller, and she loved it! Just hung out for the rest of the afternoon in there, while we walked Lexi around!

And Lexi didn't notice a thing.

She was just as tuckered out as Chloe... and yes that is an empty water bottle on her head! She's a party girl... just like her momma.

Ahh how life has changed... and I wouldn't have it any other way!

What did you do to enjoy this beautiful weekend?

Missy's Dining Room: Part 2

noreply@blogger.com (Rebecca) — Thu, 06 Oct 2011 14:30:00 +0000

As I mentioned yesterday my cousin Missy recently moved into a new home. She has been working on decorating room by room, and you may remember some wingback chairs I reupholstered for her living room a while back.

Well, she is currently working on her dining room, and having trouble deciding between two dining chairs. She saw this chair from Pier 1 at the store, sat in it, and loved it. The style is the same but it is the color that is causing the dilemma. Yesterday, I showed you the mood board for the gold chairs, so today is the regal purple mood board.

Missy's Dining Room 2 by beckschiclife on polyvore.com

Hand-tufted Lavish Plum Floral Rug (5' x 8') | Overstock.com
$231 - overstock.com

Purple Damask Dining Chair
$200 - pier1.com

Target:Carey Dining Chair - Dark Tobacco - Set of 2
$120 - target.com

Pier 1 Imports - Torrance Dining Table
$500 - pier1.com

Twiggy Candleholder in Thanksgiving | Crate&Barrel
$25 - crateandbarrel.com

Rona Amber Runner in Table Runners | Crate&Barrel
$40 - crateandbarrel.com

Maison Candle Sconce - Ballard Designs
$69 - ballarddesigns.com

Shop Portfolio 18"W Bronze Pendant Light with Fabric Shade at...
$149 - lowes.com

Cotton Aubergine Napkin in Napkins | Crate&Barrel
$3.95 - crateandbarrel.com

I decided to go with the crisscross backed dining chairs for the side chairs in this look. Missy had mentioned she liked them, and the parsons chairs that I used in yesterday's mood board are too heavy with the dark rug and dark end chairs. A table runner and some cloth napkins, along with the Twiggy Candle holder will make for an inviting table. And the Maison sconces warm up the space.

Which would you choose? The more neutral and safe gold? Or the fun and moodier purple chairs?

Missy's Dining Room: Part 1

noreply@blogger.com (Rebecca) — Wed, 05 Oct 2011 20:58:00 +0000

My cousin Missy recently moved into a new home. She has been working on decorating room by room, and you may remember some wingback chairs I reupholstered for her a while back.

Should she go for the bold and beautiful purple?

Or the more classic, and safe gold?

She had already decided on a few other items in the room, which included a table, and a light fixture, so I told her that I would create a mood board for each color chair, so she could see how they would pan out in a room once its completed.

In an effort to keep this post on the shorter side I will share the gold chair mood board today, and the purple chair mood board tomorrow.

Missy's Dining Room by beckschiclife on polyvore.com

Hand-tufted World Classic Bluish-grey Wool Rug (8' x 10') |...
$335 - overstock.com

Furniture, Home Accents, Dining, Gifts & More
$200 - pier1.com

Target:2pc Shino Dining Rm Chair Set Brown
$161 - target.com

Pier 1 Imports - Torrance Dining Table
$500 - pier1.com

Antiqued Mirror Sconce - Mirrored Sconces, Etched Sunburst Lighting
$49 - ballarddesigns.com

Pachar Mix & Match Block Print Table Runner | Williams-Sonoma
williams-sonoma.com

Shop Portfolio 18"W Bronze Pendant Light with Fabric Shade at...
$149 - lowes.com

Missy picked out the rug which will accent the gold chairs well. As I have learned, you should usually find a rug you love first and then decide on the rest of the accents in the room. It is hard to do it the other way around.

She will be able to fit six people comfortably at the table she chose. I thought six of the chairs she liked so much, might be a little excessive in the space, so I suggested that she do two of those chairs at the ends of the table, and then do two simple leather parsons chairs along each side. This way the gold chairs really stand out, and there is room for the people along the sides.

I used simple cloth napkins, and an ikat table runner, which have a similar design and color scheme as the rug and the light fixture. These linens will make the gold chairs pop.

So this is the more classic of the two looks. What do you think? Can't wait to share the purple chair mood board tomorrow!

Color Scheme: Lavender & Yellow

noreply@blogger.com (Rebecca) — Tue, 04 Oct 2011 14:42:00 +0000

The latest addition of House Beautiful had a few rooms with lavender as the prominent color. It is so relaxing and soothing in any space. I love it with yellow accents added as an unexpected pop!

Source: House Beautiful

Source: Elle Decor

Source: ED

Source: House Beautiful

Source: HB

Happy Friday

noreply@blogger.com (Rebecca) — Fri, 30 Sep 2011 10:00:00 +0000

Looking forward to doing nothing this weekend, with the exception of some light house hunting and trench coat locating!

Source

Here are some of my favorite posts this week from around the web:

Loving this duvet, can't wait to have a new house! That means I get to decorate it all over again!

This is all I wanted to eat when I was pregnant.

Wanting to create something like this.

Looking for the perfect grey...

Have a great weekend!

Rain rain go away

noreply@blogger.com (Rebecca) — Thu, 29 Sep 2011 09:00:00 +0000

With all of this rain, I am really missing my trench coat. It is in storage, along with the rest of my life. Number one on the "to do" list for the weekend- find the trench coat!

Rain rain go away by beckschiclife featuring print dresses

Diane von Furstenberg print dress
$345 - bloomingdales.com

Coat
$995 - burberry.com

Wedge heel boots
$195 - loefflerrandall.com

Rebecca Minkoff - Morning After Bag - Saks.com
$495 - saksfifthavenue.com

Bracelet
$28 - nordstrom.com

3-Piece Elio Vase Set
$50 - crateandbarrel.com

Ikea Ravenea
$15 - ikea.com

Fall Decorating Inspiration

noreply@blogger.com (Rebecca) — Wed, 28 Sep 2011 20:42:00 +0000

Even though the temperature is still in the 70's here in Connecticut, I am dreaming of apple cider and cable knit sweaters. Here is some fall decorating inspiration that has me looking forward to the colder temperatures in the forecast...

Source: All Images Via PB

Lexi 5 Months Old

noreply@blogger.com (Rebecca) — Tue, 27 Sep 2011 02:32:00 +0000

Lexi is 5 months old now and happier and happier each day! She laughs a lot and is very silly! She is very social and smiles at everyone she meets!

***On the 22nd of each month I will be taking a picture of my sweet little Lexi, in a cloth diaper, in the wing back chair. I am going to include the giraffe in each picture, as a constant to measure her up against, as well as something for her to play with when she gets older and I am torturing her with pictures!

Shots from the weekend

noreply@blogger.com (Rebecca) — Mon, 26 Sep 2011 03:46:00 +0000

We had a busy weekend filled with a 5K Run celebration, a first birthday party, date night, a night out with friends, house hunting, and Sunday dinner. Needless to say we are all a little exhausted.

You might think I would have taken a picture of any of those big events we attended... Unfortunately I kept leaving the camera in the car! Instead, I took pictures of Lexi in some new clothes I bought her on Friday...a fall baby fashion shoot, if you will. Those tights are attached to that skirt and I am loving it! So is Lex, as you can see.

And Dave quickly and quietly took this picture of a deer in the yard, that we surprised, when we got home from the birthday party on Saturday. Now that we live in the country, I am in touch with wildlife daily... I am still adjusting, I am not so good with nature.

Since Dave had the camera out, I asked him to take a picture of Lexi and I. Pictures of the two of us are few and far between. It is usually just the two of us, and I am the one behind the camera.

Even though it was a crazy weekend, it was a wonderful one! I don't intend to speak for Lexi, but it is very nice to have family time with Dad!

How was your weekend? And don't you hate when you have your camera with you, but forget to actually take pictures?

Happy Friday

noreply@blogger.com (Rebecca) — Fri, 23 Sep 2011 09:53:00 +0000

We are finally planning a nice relaxing weekend at home in CT. I just did some damage at baby Gap and Gymboree, updating Lexi's fall wardrobe. I think a baby fashion show might be in order later on! Hope you all have a great weekend!

Source

For your reading pleasure:

I always love crisp clean white when it comes to home decor.

Even though the summer is over, this beach house is delicious!

Hoping to find the time to make this soup soon.

Could you imagine leaving your baby outside, in a stroller, napping while you were in a restaurant? Crazy! But awesome...

Bedtime Bunny

noreply@blogger.com (Rebecca) — Wed, 21 Sep 2011 21:49:00 +0000

I am anxiously awaiting the Bean's bedtime. This is one of our favorite books to read before bed.

She is teething and has been crankier than normal, poor little thing. Also this came in the mail the other day and I have been dying to give it a proper read!

Source

Possibly while enjoying a vanilla latte... decaf of course.

Source

Maybe if I am feeling really crazy, I will have one of these.

Source

But lets be honest, I will be lucky if I make it through dinner without falling asleep at the table!

Source

So Sassy

noreply@blogger.com (Rebecca) — Tue, 20 Sep 2011 21:47:00 +0000

Lexi tried out the Sassy Jumper seat for the second time today. We put her in it a few weeks back but she wasn't too impressed. Today things started off a little shaky.

But when she realized she could bounce she started having fun!

Look Mom no hands!

She also realized she can see the dog better and yell at her in her special voice that she only speaks to Chloe in.

Having a baby is so much fun!

-Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

Trends

noreply@blogger.com (Rebecca) — Mon, 19 Sep 2011 11:00:00 +0000

I mentioned previously that I am looking forward to updating my fall wardrobe. Here are a few trends I am loving for both the wardrobe, and the home.

Yves Klein Blue

Source

Plaid/Tartan

Source

Bold Graphic Stripes

Source