Oh So Lovely

Valentine's Day Recap

2012-02-15T08:40:00.001-06:00

I woke up to find this on the dinning room table. "Part one" he's so cute!

While Paul was at work I put his gift together.

After Paul got home from work we quickly got ready to go out for dinner. We had a reservation at 5:30, but Noah was cranky because 5:00 was his feeding time and he's been fighting congestion so we didn't make it to my mom's in time to drop him off. Oh well, I got to have 2 dates for my valentines dinner.

We went to this Italian restaurant downtown that was in the basement of one of the old brick buildings. The atmosphere was perfect and the food was great! Paul surprised me on this one since I'd never been there before. Paul ordered tilapia and I order chicken parmesan. After we finished our dinner we ordered this amazing dessert. It was red velvet cake/cheesecake dipped in chocolate with a caramel, chocolate, raspberry sauce. After leaving the restaurant we exchanged our valentine gifts. I bought Paul a nook since his birthday is on the 20th. I decided to combine the two and get him something nice.

Paul handed me an envelope that had this art print on the front, he designed it himself. Inside the envelope was...

A gift certificate for a full massage. I am so excited and cannot wait to use it! I could sure use a day off complete with a massage. I love my husband!

What did you do for Valentine's Day? Any surprises?

Love Day

2012-02-14T11:41:00.004-06:00

Dear Paul,

If I were to write everything I feel, it would be too long of a post. I am so glad God put us together! I love that we do EVERYTHING together and we're always side by side. I would rather be with you than anyone else. You've stood by my side when I was sick, upset, having a bad day, and even stubborn. Obviously no one's life is perfect, but ours is pretty close. We have God, each other, and a beautiful baby boy. What more could I ask for?!

Dear Noah,

God knew you before you were formed in my womb. It's weird to think of life before you, if feels as though you have always been in my life. No other moment will ever compare to when our eyes first met. God knew I wanted you before I did and I'm glad he chose me to be your mommy.

Happy Valentine's Day to my boys!

DIY: Sequin Heart Headband

2012-02-13T15:10:00.001-06:00

1. These are the supplies you'll need: scissors, sequin trim, stretchy headband, and felt.

2. Cut out a heart shape from the felt. The size depends on how big you want the heart to be. You might do a quick check after cutting it to make sure it's not too small or too big.

3. Starting at the top center, start gluing down the sequin trim by working your way around the heart and stopping at the center.

4. Glue the heart and a square piece of felt (as backing) to the headband and you're done!

Ps. If you want to purchase a headband like this instead, you can get it here.

Weekend in Instagrams

2012-02-13T10:28:00.004-06:00

Our weekend started on Thursday when Noah and I decided to go with Paul to his client meeting at Starbucks. A caramel apple spice was on my menu. Then we decided to have Taco Bell for dinner because I didn't feel like going back home and cooking at 7:00 at night.

When I went thrifting with my mother in-law I picked up a bag of embroidery floss for only .99, but I left it in her stash by accident so my father in-law was kind enough to bring it back. Now I have some embroidery floss for this week's DIY.

I've been waiting on our Anthropologie to get more of their large farmer's baskets and they finally had them again so I picked one up. I can't wait to put it to good use. I think I already know what I'm going to do with it. I'll share once I actually do it.

I'm currently stocking up on fun kitchen accessories. I'm sure if you've been reading for a little while you know that I have a red, black, and white kitchen. While I still love all my current kitchen accessories, I would just like to make it a little more cheerful with more colors.

Noah has been coughing and having congestion since Thursday so we called the advice nurse at his pediatrician's office to find out if we should bring him in for an appointment and she suggested a humidifier. So, on Friday we headed to Lowe's to get this adorable owl humidifier for Noah's room, but they didn't have it in stock like the website said they did so we headed over to Target to browse their selection. Sometimes you have to go with practical instead of cute I suppose! After leaving Target, Paul and I had...can you guess...Cracker Barrel for dinner. I always like staring at all their random decor.

On Saturday I had lunch with my best friend at Olive Garden and then we did a little window shopping at Anthropologie. I just had to get a shot of this display they did out of yarn. I also got a shot of these hanging lanterns so I could think of a DIY version.

Shabby Apple Giveaway

2012-02-10T07:00:00.000-06:00

I'm so excited to bring you my first sponsor giveaway here on OSL! Shabby Apple is an online boutique specializing in vintage-inspired women's dresses, skirts, and accessories. I was so thrilled when they asked me if I wanted to host a giveaway. I immediately responded with an obvious yes!

Shabby Apple is offering one OSL reader this beautiful Spanish Steps dress. I absolutely love it and think it would look great paired with a cardigan, tights, and flat leather boots. After all, you want to be comfortable for your trip to Rome (not included).

Here's how to win this dress:

Head over to the Shabby Apple Facebook page and "like" it (if you haven't already) and then leave me a comment letting me know you did.

For additional entries:

Follow my blog and leave a comment letting me know.
Tweet this giveaway and let me know in the comments.
Blog about this giveaway and leave a link in the comments.

Giveaway entries will be accepted until Thursday, February 16th and the winner will be announced on Friday, February 17th. Good luck!

Bumbo

2012-02-09T13:09:00.001-06:00

Still recovering so I haven't been doing anything exciting. I'll just leave you with this adorable owl! We tried out the bumbo for a few minutes today. I was a little nervous putting him in it. He didn't know what to think at first, but he never cried. He just looked around and posed for the camera.

Today...

2012-02-07T16:40:00.001-06:00

I started getting a sore throat on Sunday night and it has now progressed to coughing, sneezing, blowing my nose and a headache. Paul stayed home from work to take care of Noah so I could rest and not pass my germs. I'm hoping tomorrow's post will be much more exciting.

Weekend in Instagrams

2012-02-06T09:41:00.000-06:00

First of all I want to say a HUGE thank you for all the sweet comments and emails regarding my postpartum. Even the comments about Noah have been so kind. It's nice to know that there are many fellow bloggers and friends who care enough to share their feelings and advice. I really do read and appreciate every comment!

Over the weekend we visited one of my favorite thrifting spots, had dinner with friends after church on Sunday, and I came down with a cold, which is in full force today. I've been praying for a healing because I don't want to go a day without kissing my boy!

What did you do over the weekend?

This Week...

2012-02-04T11:45:00.001-06:00

Noah had his first bath in the whale tub on Monday night. Paul and I expected him to cry, but we were surprised when he just laid there staring at me, smiling, and cooing. He loved every minute of it! He loved it so much that he cried when I took him out and dried him off with the towel.

We decided Noah is too big for his cradle now, so we are training him to sleep in his crib in his own room. We chose the wrong week to do this because he was also due for shots this week. He hasn't been the same since. He has been super fussy and doesn't sleep without being held. He's been waking up every hour at night. I'm hoping his schedule isn't off and this is just a phase of getting over the shots and getting used to the crib.

My mother in-law came into town yesterday to spend the day with Noah and I. We went thrifting and had lunch.

What did you do this week?

PS- Did you see my February sponsors over on the right? They are all wonderful ladies with awesome blogs that you should definitely check out!

Noah- 2 Months Old

2012-02-01T12:42:00.005-06:00

Likes:

-being held
-taking baths
-looking at the lights

-playing with daddy

-Baby Einstein videos

-sleeping in the sling

Postpartum

2012-01-31T11:38:00.000-06:00

As mentioned before I had an easy pregnancy and labor and delivery, but the postpartum really took a toll on me. I've even considered not writing about it, but maybe my story will help someone else dealing with it.

I read about postpartum recovery and I read about postpartum depression and the baby blues. I never dreamed that I would have a case of either of these. I just assumed I'd be happier than ever, I mean, the baby would finally be here and everything would be prefect, right?

It all started at the hospital when I realized I wasn't going to get to breastfeed Noah. I had planned on breastfeeding my whole pregnancy so we tried our hardest to make it work. I was producing, but Noah wouldn't eat. Once he would get latched on, he wouldn't do anything but lay there. It was like he didn't know how to eat or swallow. I called the lactation consultants several times, but they weren't of much help. As soon as he would latch on they would leave instead of staying and making sure he was getting something. I finally got so frustrated that I told the nursery to bring me formula because he hadn't eaten in almost two days of trying. Once we got home and got used to everything I went to return the breast pump and that made me even more upset because I realized I really wasn't going to breastfeed.

The first week at home was rough (as they all say). Noah was a very cranky baby. I was beginning to wonder if he was colic because it was continual crying for days. Nothing would make him stop crying. I got no sleep and all I wanted to do was cry when he cried. A few nights he was up literally all night. I would get so frustrated with him that I'd have to give him to Paul and go to another room. While at church he would sleep most of the time, but it started getting to where I had to stay in the nursery with him the whole service because he would wake up and cry.

Paul and I began to argue here and there (a lot more than normal) because we were both so cranky. Along with adjusting to having a baby, we were going through a financial struggle, and things in our personal lives had me stressed out. As I looked online at the symptoms of depression/blues I realized that was me. I was actually dealing with minor depression. I was not feeling happy about my life and I felt as though I had no one to go to, no one to talk to.

Now the weight loss. This has been my enemy! Sure everyone says "you look great!" and maybe I do, but I don't feel great. We've been almost late to church on occasion just because I've tried on 5 outfits that didn't work. By the time the pregnancy is over you don't want to keep wearing the same ole clothes you've had to rotate for months. Every week I try on my old skirts and they don't budge. I'm constantly worrying if my sides are hanging out of my shirts, is my skirt too tight? I can't comfortably wear tights. I gained a total of 32 lbs. with my pregnancy and have about 15 to loose. My stomach went down tremendously after delivery, but not enough to fit into my old clothes and feel good again.

On Sunday I was having a rough day and everything was making me upset. We went to church that evening and I didn't worship, I didn't pray, and I didn't stand up. When I took Noah to the nursery my pastor's wife came in there to ask if I was ok. Being the emotional basket case that I was, I immediately started crying and telling her everything I was feeling. It felt so good to finally be able to share my feelings with someone. I hadn't really even shared them with Paul. It was good to hear that I'm not the only one that goes through these hormonal changes after birth, and that I AM a good mom!

As a disclaimer: please don't get me wrong on this post, I am truly thankful for a smooth recovery and healing has not been a problem. I had no complications and I am truly blessed with a beautiful baby boy. Noah is doing much better. He is sleeping and eating great so that makes me a happy mama! "This too shall pass" has been running in my mind since Sunday. It is true you know! Here's to the road of recovery (in an emotional and physical sense).

Weekend in Instagrams

2012-01-30T11:47:00.000-06:00

This weekend was a very laid back and lazy kinda weekend. On Saturday we did absolutely nothing and it was great! Free Saturdays are rare around here with photo sessions, church activities, etc. always happening. On Sunday after church we went to one of our favorite mexican restaurants and had their yummy sopapillas. After lunch we went to the mall and I found this book for Noah from Baby Gap. Isn't it great?! It's perfect because we can read to him about the country his daddy is from and it looks vintage!

What did you do over the weekend?

Beefy French Onion Stew

2012-01-26T08:29:00.001-06:00

If you know me from reading then you know I'm not a huge fan of cooking, but I love to bake! Also, you've probably noticed that all of my recipes are simple. This recipe that I'm going to share with you today is another easy one that involves the crockpot. When Paul and I had our church wedding shower, we received the crockpot that we registered for at Target. I think we went the first year of marriage without ever touching it. Growing up, my mom always used her crockpot to make chili, stew, etc. I've been using mine almost once a week for about a year now, I just can't stop because it's so easy (especially with a baby) to just toss everything in and let it cook all day.

Here's what you'll need (really the amount is up to you on some items):

-stew meat

-potatoes

-onion

-onion powder

-3 packages brown gravy

Directions:

1. Mix brown gravy and water according to package into crockpot.

2. Add as much onion powder as you desire (I covered the whole top).

3. Dice onion into fine pieces and add to crockpot.

4. Chop potatoes and add to crockpot.

5. Cook stew meat on the stove and then add to crockpot.

6. Let everything warm for 8 hours and it's ready!

See I told you it was easy!

Featured on Hello Cotton!

2012-01-25T14:55:00.002-06:00

I logged into twitter earlier this afternoon and saw that I was mentioned in a tweet from Hello Cotton. My Soda Shop Cupcake recipe that I posted yesterday was the treat of the day! You can see my recipe on Hello Cotton here. It's the little things like this that brighten my day!

Feet

2012-01-25T11:17:00.011-06:00

I love to look, rub, and kiss Noah's feet! Baby feet are so adorable and it's something that will change so fast so I'm constantly taking photos of them. I saw The Paper Mama has this weeks photo challenge as "Feet" so I just could help but link up this photo of his ducky feet today.

Soda Shop Cupcakes

2012-01-24T08:00:00.004-06:00

Who likes those chocolate oranges that you bust on the table and it breaks the "orange" into slices? I absolutely love them! I only eat one once a year at Christmas time (mainly because that's when I get one). These orange diet soda cupcakes remind me of those chocolates. There are so many combinations you could try for soda cakes like devils food cake+diet cherry soda, etc. I think it would be so fun to make a soda cupcake bar with tons of different flavors for a party.

Here's what you'll need:

-1 box golden yellow cake mix

-1 cup water

-1/3 cup vegetable oil

-3 eggs

-1 12 oz. bottle of diet orange soda

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to *350

2. Blend together cake mix, water, vegetable oil, eggs, and diet soda into a large mixing bowl.

3. Pour batter 2/3 full into cupcake liners.

4. Bake for 18 minutes (may vary depending on oven).

Another easy recipe, enjoy!

Advertise in February!

2012-01-23T15:06:00.002-06:00

This is the last call for February sponsors. I have a few more spots available if you're interested in advertising your blog/shop. You must purchase your spot before the 31st of this month! See my rates and info here.

Pregnancy Recap

2012-01-19T10:00:00.001-06:00

Everyone knows that every pregnancy is different, even in the same woman. I seriously hope my next one is as wonderful as this one was. The aches and pains were really not all I thought they'd be. My doctor actually told me at one of my appointments that she loved me because I never had any complaints or problems. I never dealt with real morning sickness, I only had a few weeks of a small appetite and nausea, which I will take over hugging the toilet. Once the second trimester came, the nausea and small appetite vanished and I began eating everything in sight. I felt my best in the second trimester. If I was to tell you all the "symptoms" I had it would be: tiredness, trouble getting comfortable at night, and getting up to go to the bathroom every 30 minutes. That's it! Does this make me want to have 9 children? Absolutely not, but it sure made the experience pleasant.

Which bump outfit is your favorite?

Jumping On the Bandwagon

2012-01-18T13:22:00.001-06:00

That's right I finally joined the world of twitter and yes I did say I was never going to join and yes I just tweeted about pinto beans! I'm looking forward to being in the loop and using twitter talk now. So feel free to follow me. I added a link over on the right.

What's In My Bag?

2012-01-17T09:11:00.002-06:00

owl purse, floral wallet, Juicy Couture sunglasses, iPhone, gum, pen, journal, mint lip gloss, Fuji film instax camera, and kleenex.

Weekend in Instagrams

2012-01-16T11:18:00.003-06:00

I don't have the space for a craft room so I have to do everything on the dining room table. Here's the usual result. It's a little annoying for someone who is extremely organized and a clean freak like myself. When I don't feel like cleaning, I just pick up this little guy and cuddle with him. When dad holds him he says "don't watch me sleep!"

Paul took me shopping on Sunday afternoon for some new clothes. I am so determined to loose this pregnancy weight as soon as I can. I want to feel cute in my old (and new) clothes again. Postpartum weight loss post coming soon.

What did you do over the weekend?

Pretty Package Swap

2012-01-12T21:48:00.003-06:00

Swap is now closed!

Anyone up for a swap? I've had this swap on my list of blog goals and I've decided now is just as good as ever to start. Tomorrow is exactly one month until Valentine's Day so I thought a package swap would be perfect!

Here's how it works: anyone who is interested can join, you must be willing to ship overseas incase you are paired with someone that lives in another country, you must be able to spend at least $15 on your partners package, and most importantly you must wrap the package PRETTY before shipping it in an envelope, box, etc.

Some good package ideas can be found here. Ideas for what to put inside the package are a journal, candy, a scarf, anything handmade, washi tape, craft supplies, etc.

If you would like to join in on this swap all you need to do is comment your name and email on this post. I will leave comments open until Friday, January 20th. After Friday I will randomly pair everyone up and send out an email with a list of partners. You have exactly one month tomorrow to get the package to your partner. It is your responsibility to email them for their address and get ideas for what to send.

If you have any questions please email me at ohsolovelyhandmade@gmail.com rather than posting them here, otherwise I'll count you in.

Who's in?

Bloggity Things

2012-01-10T11:11:00.002-06:00

First of all, I've got a new look...I know, I know, again?! I just can't help myself. I start working on a new design and then I start to feel something isn't right so I start from scratch again. Thank you HTML/Web Design class that I took in 11th grade!

Next, I just wanted to give my monthly reminder that you can vote for me on Top Baby Blogs every 24 hours. Every vote counts and gets my blog higher on the list for more exposure. All you have to do is come to my blog everyday and click my TBB button on the right and then click the owl on the left and viola! No sign up required, isn't that nice? I'm currently at 98, which is great out of 1,060, but I would really appreciate it if you could help me move up even more.

Last thing, I still have plenty of spots open for sponsors as you can see. I will go ahead and take reservations for Febuarary. If you are interested see my ad rates and info here. Proceeds help me to sponsor my blog elsewhere, therefore giving you even more exposure.

Weekend in Instagrams

2012-01-09T13:29:00.005-06:00

This week(end) was spent laying/hanging around with Noah, literally. I'm finally starting to get a routine and I've discovered how hard it is was to get things done when you want them. I take care of Noah first thing, then I ignore the rule of "sleep when he sleeps" and do house work and blogging. It isn't always easy so I ordered a sling online from Target. It has been a lifesaver, he loves it! As soon as I put him in it, he goes fast asleep. I think he likes the closeness to his mama and the curled up feeling he gets from it, almost like he's in my tummy again. Let me just say that if you are a mom and don't have a sling, it can make a difference if you blog, work from home, etc.

Noah- 1 Month Old

2012-01-03T07:00:00.020-06:00

It's hard to believe it's already been a month and 2 days since Noah was born. Time goes by so slow when you're expecting, but once they're here it doesn't slow down. He is now sleeping through the night other than when it's time to eat. At our last weight check, which was on December 15th, he weighed 7 lbs. 4 oz. so he went up past his birth weight.

I found the chalkboard at a local thrift store for $3.95 and sprayed it with yellow paint. I plan on using it for a monthly photo until he turns one.