A Lovely Life

My Kid Likes the Roundhouse Kick

2012-09-04T07:00:00.000-04:00

I saw this diagram from How to be a Dad some time ago, and while I thought it was pretty funny, I can now fully appreciate its genius. Because, you see, it wasn't until recently that I was able to experience many of these positions first hand. We 'co-slept' with Violet using a co-sleeper when she was an infant. She didn't move then and she wasn't actually in our bed - just in a little bassinet attached to the side of it. When she was a few months old I moved her into her crib and never looked back. Although there have been times when I've wanted to nap with her, she always made it an impossibility. She's the type to get a bit manic and thrashing (quite like her mama) when she gets tired, and it's virtually impossible to get her to fall asleep without trapping her in an un-stimulating (read not fun) place like a crib.

Then we flew to Australia. The combination of sleeping ON me (quite literally I was her bed) for most of the trip and the chilly winter nights in Australia sans heat (it doesn't cold enough in Queensland to really require heat, but the nights are very cold - especially for a toddler who won't keep her covers on) convinced us to let Violet sleep in our bed every now and then. I mean, we were on vacation right? We could change things up a bit. Well, needless to say the practice has followed us home. She asks almost every night to 'seep Mommy Daddy's bed', and while I usually refuse on weeknights, I often give in on the weekends. In a way I really enjoy it. I love being able to snuggle my baby and watch her all sweet and peaceful in dreamland. But then she performs The Roundhouse Kick closely followed by The Neck Scarf, and my visions of snuggly family sleep time disappear.

Because only one of us is sleeping. (And it isn't me.)

xo, Lauren

When it Rains it Pours

2012-08-31T15:51:00.000-04:00

Sorry for the disappearance. My life seems to have gone a bit haywire and I'm fighting to get it back under control! I'm back at work full time, Kevin's herniated discs are back in action, my sister ended up in the hospital with kidney stones, and Violet has been a bit out of her normal routine with her transition back to her babysitter's house. Not to mention the fact that I'm trying to navigating a new blogging system and deadlines over on Apartment Therapy. So needless to say blogging hasn't been high on my priority list this week. Hopefully I'll manage to have some posts for you next week - thank goodness for long weekends!

xoxo, Lauren

Blue Eyes

2012-08-22T07:00:00.000-04:00

I thought I'd share a few photos of my handsome little nephew today. He is getting more and more alert all of the time and just has the most beautiful blue eyes. I so miss being able to hold him and snuggle him. Too bad I can't just hop over to Australia any time I want! Thank goodness for Skype.

Photos by the lovely Candice Van Moolenbroek.

Party Perfect

2012-08-21T07:00:00.000-04:00

I'm seriously in love with this Etsy shop. Have you ever seen such party wonderfulness in one place?! Have & Hold Design sells greeting cards party and home decor, and custom invitations - definitely visiting for my next shindig. What are your favorite party shops?

xo, Lauren

Lovely Links

2012-08-17T07:00:00.000-04:00

I wish I had a wallpaper stash so I could make one of these.

Love this simple little DIY.

Couldn't have said it better myself.

The prettiest hair.

Amazing tissue holder (that's right, I said tissue holder)

Bright idea

New prints over at Banquet!

Gorgeous paper sculptures

Lovely little links:

Started working on Violet's play kitchen. (Stay tuned, more to come!)

Lovely little swings.

Adorable handmade teething rings

New favorites from Ferm Living

The Owls Have It

2012-08-15T07:00:00.000-04:00

Happy Monday! Hope everyone had a lovely weekend. I thought we'd kick the week off with a little roundup. I know owls were a huge trend that is probably on its way out, but I'm still in love with them. Probably something to do with the fact that my Mamaw's house has always been completely covered in them. They make me all nostalgic and fuzzy feeling :) Here are a few of my current favorites for big or little people.

Clockwise from top left:

Owl Clock - DecoyLab
Calico Owl Knob - Anthropologie
Obtuse and Acute Owls - CB2
Gold Wooden Owl - SMUG
The Rise and Fall Baby Owl Pillow - Urban Outfitters
Kate Spade New York Owl Vase - Bloomingdales
Jonathan Adler Owl Sculpture - Nordstrom
Little Owl Wallpaper - Anthropologie
Barn Owl Print - Ashley Percival

So there you have it! xo, Lauren

Check out my roundup of lions for little ones here.

Violet Says

2012-08-14T07:00:00.000-04:00

Violet's speech has just exploded lately and she's saying so many funny things! I thought I'd start a regular column so I don't forget any of it. Here are a few of my favorites:

1. We were all in the car driving to the grocery store and talking to Violet about people's ages. Kevin said, "Violet is two, Daddy is 29, and Mommy is 30 years old." To which Violet retorted, "No Mommy old, Daddy! Mommy NEW."

2. Violet: "Mommy, me witch!"
Me: "Are you a good witch or a bad witch?"
Violet: "Bad witch. Me fly me broom!"

3. After wiggling her finger around in her nose, she pulled her finger out and with triumph in her voice squealed, "Mommy, GOLD!"

4. When trying to put her shoes on herself, she realized she has them on backwards and says with the cutest grin on her face, "Silly me!"

5. One day she kept saying over and over "Damnit, Mommy. DAMNit. We were horrified until we finally asked her to show us what she was saying, and she ran over to the cabinet and pointed to it. "DAMNit, Mommy"!

Us (with much relief): Ohhhhh, CABINET!

And it's only the beginning...

xo, Lauren

Creating A Fun + Fresh Workspace

2012-08-13T07:00:00.000-04:00

After seeing inspiring workspaces like this and this, I've got the itch to spruce up my own little desk area. You can see I've got just a few things on my wish list. We're trying to save some money at the moment, so in reality very few will probably be purchased (although I may try to DIY a couple of things), but a girl can dream, right? Check out my latest ideabook over on Houzz.com for sources!

xo, Lauren

I Throw My Hand Up in the Air Sometimes

2012-08-10T15:54:00.006-04:00

I didn't quite get around to this post this week, so the first group of links are a bit thin. Sorry inter webs - I'm sure you have a lot more to love, I just didn't find it/save the link/pin it this week!

V's been waking up between 4AM and 6AM every morning which I'll have to admit isn't working for me much while still trying to get over jet lag. Feeling a bit zombie-esque these days! But then I just take a look at the above photo and think, who cares? I mean how can you care about something so silly when you've got a kid like that? Pure joy.

So anyway, better late than never, here you are:

Your children want YOU.

I really really want to make one of these.

Raising successful children

Over on A Lovely Lark this week:

Recipe for a play kitchen

A little mountain retreat

Violet's bedroom (Finally!)

The loveliest birth announcement

Lovely little links for the week

I did a guest post over on Buy Modern Baby this week:

Woodland accessories for your wee ones

And lastly my first post on Apartment Therapy Family:

Five Fresh Sources for Kids' Bedding

Have a lovely weekend!

xo, Lauren

Two Year Photos

2012-08-09T07:00:00.000-04:00

We were unexpectedly able to get some two-year-old photos of Violet while we were in Australia. My sister set up a family and newborn photo shoot with the lovely Candice Van Moolenbroek and she generously let us get a few photos of just the three of us. I'm so happy with how they turned out! The one of Violet kissing her daddy just killlls me. Thank you Candice for capturing our little family so beautifully!

xo, Lauren

P.S. You can see our one year photos taken by the amazing Megyn Barroner here and here.

Violet's Room: Before & After

2012-08-08T07:00:00.000-04:00

We've been working on Violet's big girl room for a loooong time now. For those of you who've been following this blog for a while, you know how long! I'm happy to announce that it's finally 'finished'. I'm sharing the zebra bordello before's and the lighter and brighter after's with you today on A Lovely Life. If you'd like to see more photos of the space as well as sources, head over to A Lovely Lark!

Before:

After:

Before:

After:

To see more photos and sources visit here.

xo, Lauren

Exciting News!

2012-08-07T15:53:00.001-04:00

I have some news I've been dying to share with you all. I've been asked to contribute over on Apartment Therapy Family and my first post is up today - eek! Here it is in all it's glory:

I still have some training to do and paperwork to sign, but I'm incredibly excited about this opportunity!

xo, Lauren

This Time Around

2012-08-07T07:00:00.000-04:00

Well, we're home safe and sound. A little jet lagged and a little worse for wear, but nothing that won't mend with a couple of nights of sound sleep. Violet did amazingly well once again on the trip back. She slept a lot and watched videos and listened to stories and played. I can't believe how fortunate we've been, and perhaps the best part is that after three weeks away she is playing with all of her old toys like they are new again! More details on the trip home to come.

I've been to Australia thrice now, and this trip to Australia was very different from my past two forays in Oz. My first visit was just after college and my sister and I backpacked up and down the East coast. We camped on Fraser Island, sailed aboard a ship to the Whitsunday Islands, sunbathed on the Gold Coast, and snorkeled on the Great Barrier Reef. It was an adventure and a half to be sure!

The second followed my sister's marriage. We visited her new hometown for a bit and then flew down with our spouses and parents to Sydney and did all of the touristy things, like climbing the Sydney Harbour Bridge, staying overnight at the Sydney Zoo, and visiting the Opera House. The hostels were traded for hotels and the backpacks for suitcases. We were then childless and did what we wanted when we wanted. It was an entirely different experience from the first one, but equally lovely.

This time we were there to help my sister with all of the trials and tribulations that come with new motherhood. There was no jet setting or backpacking, but there was a lot of much-needed family time. (I miss my sister dearly!) We experienced more of everyday life in Australia. We planned our outings around Violet's nap time and the baby's nursing schedule and we kept them short, sweet, and simple.

We spent time at the beach, we visited the local parks, and biked through the city. We celebrated Christmas in July as a family and witnessed our new nephew's baptism. We visited a friend's farm (as evidenced by the above photos) and rode through acres and acres of sugarcane fields on the back of a ute, we did some four wheeling, splashed through the creek, and fed the cows. But mostly we ate meals together as a family. We held a beautiful new baby (as much as Violet would let me). We looked up information about mastitis and diaper rash and oversupply and searched for pacifiers and practiced using the Moby wrap. We talked and we played and we just spent time together.

It wasn't glamorous or exotic or adventurous, but it was full of family and full of love - a different kind of perfect, but perfect nonetheless. :)

xo, Lauren

Color Me Happy: Peachy Pink + Mint

2012-08-06T07:00:00.000-04:00

I'd love to cover my home in these two colors at the moment! Isn't that painting by Lulie Wallace just to die for? It inspired this idea board:

1. Flowers for Bobbsie by Lulie Wallace
2. DIY Crochet Hanging Basket
3. DIY Rope Basket
4. Aqua Broad Stripe Bath Dhurrie
5. Swingasan by Pier 1 Imports
6. SyuRo Rectangular Tin Cans
7. Sarjaton ceramics by Littala image via Trendenser

Lovely Links

2012-08-03T07:00:00.000-04:00

As you read this we are on our way back across the Pacific. I'm going to miss my sister and brother-in-law, and especially the handsome little guy pictured above something fierce. Luckily I have the trip ahead on which to focus to help take my mind off the fact that I'm leaving them far behind.

I'm actually fairly nervous at the moment - our trip here went much better than expected, so I'm hoping for the best but expecting the worst on the trip home. I just feel like it can't be that easy! Please keep your fingers crossed for us!

In the meantime here are a few of my favorite things from around the web this week:

I could think of so many uses for these

Dressing like summer.

Ah two of my favorite things: polka dots and cake

And some more cake love.

Call me!

I could work here.

And I could definitely sleep here. Or here.

And a few of my favorites from over on A Lovely Lark:

Lovely little spaces: One . Two . Three

Lovely little things: One . Two . Three

Lovely little art.

Adorable way to announce a bun in the oven!

Recipe for bath time fun.

Happy Friday!

xo, Lauren

Traveling with a Toddler: Part 3

2012-08-02T07:00:00.000-04:00

We really wanted to prepare Violet for the plane trip, as it was going to be a very long ordeal with three different planes, layovers, etc. Since she loves books (especially stories about families), we thought reading books about airplane travel was just the ticket. We ordered a few books from Amazon before we left and read them to her quite frequently. These are the ones we chose:

1. Freddie goes on an airplane - this story was cute, but not super detailed. I did like that it included a really good illustration for security, with little Freddie's stuffed bear going through the x-ray machine. One of our few tense moments was when Violet's favorite bunny had to make that same trip. Eek!

2. My Plane Trip - this one is actually a coloring book, but it had the best illustrations and story of the three. The book follows a family packing their bags, checking in at the airport, going through security, watching a movie, eating, and sleeping on the plane.

3. Airport - this book had cute illustrations, but the story wasn't the greatest. It didn't feature a family, which is big for Violet, and was kind of choppy and not very explanatory. She requested this one a lot less than the other books.

4. Going on a Plane - the Tripp family is featured in this book, and the story is very cute. Mr. Tripp spills the bags at one point and the kids are really very included in everything that is happening. Violet really loved reading about the Tripp's trip :) I liked that Customs was included in this particular book.

We also watched clips from an old Sesame Street episode (1090) on YouTube where Big Bird and the gang go to Hawaii. It all worked like a charm. We referred back to the books and episode quite a bit while traveling ("We need to get our seat belt buckled now so we can be safe just like Big Bird") ("Remember how the family went through the special door in the airport?"). It gave her a point of reference and made her much more comfortable with the whole process.

Overall the trip to Australia went very smoothly. Violet read books, watched videos and slept for about an hour on the first flight (about six hours). On the second flight, a fourteen hour red-eye) she watched a video, ate her meal, and slept for the majority of the flight (score!). There was a small meltdown prior to her falling asleep, but luckily we had brought along her formula in case of a reaction while abroad (even though she never drinks it any more), and lo and behold she requested it during her meltdown. It was the only thing that calmed her down so I'm really glad we brought it with us. And on the last flight (a short hour and a half trip) she slept the whole way from customs to touch down.

I think that we got really lucky on the first go and now I just have the trip home to worry about :) Let's hope it goes just as well. Wish us luck!

xo, Lauren

Color Me Happy

2012-08-01T07:00:00.000-04:00

Isn't this just such a happy color palette? I'd kill to have that skirt (not to mention the bag and shoes). Of course it's vintage, so no dice for me! If anyone knows of a similar alternative I'll love you forever! xo, Lauren

Image via myEdit

The Other Side of the Ocean

2012-07-31T07:00:00.000-04:00

Now we've seen the Pacific Ocean from two sides. One end of the world busy, crowded, full of life; the other our personal playground. Violet much preferred the 'baby ocean' (the pools left by the receding tide) to the vastness of the Pacific. She's a little girl, so I guess a little ocean is juuust right.

Steppin' Out Saturday

2012-07-30T12:00:00.000-04:00

We managed to get out just the two of us for a date night while we are visiting here in Oz (thanks to my parents, sister, and brother-in-law!) We walked up and down the beach and had dinner overlooking the harbor. It was fun to try to remember to say things like chips instead of french fries and that we weren't supposed to tip! We shared a delicious bottle of wine and the Mister convinced me to try a bite of pork belly (eek!) I didn't absolutely hate it but I much preferred my risotto.

Really the thought of certain foods just totally grosses me out. Like eating baby animals (lamb, veal, etc.), or ripping apart the pieces of something as gross looking as a lobster or crab and sucking out the innards. Completely horrific. But then again I think that they should change the name of 'chicken' to something more nondescript. I mean they don't call beef 'cow', am I right?! Anyway, he's a pretty persuasive guy and definitely way more adventurous than me. Thanks for getting me to step out of my box a little, love!

Sometimes I forget how important that one on one time really is - it was great to reconnect and just be goofy together.

Oh and here's what I wore:
Striped Top & Earrings: Borrowed from my sister's closet
Skirt: JCrew Outlet
Shoes: Nine West

xo, Lauren

CORAL CRUSH (Plus a friendly owl)

2012-07-30T07:00:00.000-04:00

clockwise from top left: dipped juice cup, rag mat, farmer's market basket, letter of intent journal, striped top, coral linen ballet flat, coral rope pouf, ceramic owl jar, dipped wooden bowl

The Next Best Thing

2012-07-25T20:03:00.000-04:00

Our beach trip got postponed because our ride (my sister) was knocked out of commission by the evil that is mastitis. (Thankfully she's now feeling much better after some frequent nursing and antibiotics). We're not quite confident to drive on the left hand side of the road ourselves in a strange
place, so we trekked just across the road for the next best thing - a giant sandbox. Violet was happy as a clam. It's great how kids roll with the punches and can be just as happy with the next best thing.

Looks like Kevin is going to have a new project when we get back home :)

xo, Lauren

Sea to Shining Sea

2012-07-23T08:27:00.000-04:00

A few days ago Violet saw the sea for the very first time. Surprisingly she met the Pacific Ocean before the Atlantic. Tomorrow she'll meet that same ocean again - this time on the other end of the Earth. What an amazing world we live in where one can traverse an entire planet in the blink of an eye...

Trip to Oz: The First Leg

2012-07-19T18:22:00.007-04:00

Sorry for the silence, it's been a little while until I've been able to wrangle a laptop from the men in my family!

On the first leg of our trip to L.A. Violet did amazing. She was super excited about the plane thanks to some books we've been reading and a few clips from Sesame Street visits Hawaii. She watched a couple of movies and played with some of the apps on her iPad, and then had a tiny freak out before finally falling asleep for about an hour. She stayed asleep until we touched down in L.A., and the best thing was - no ear issues!!! Overall it was a huge success, which was great since we had two flights to go.

She loved the hotel - jumped around on the bed like a little jumping bean, rode the escalator over and over, and ran around outside a lot. Our next flight wasn't until 11:45 PM the following night, so we visited Santa Monica beach and pier while we were there, ate at Rae's Restaurant and Sloopy's Beach Cafe - I'd highly recommend both. She saw the ocean for the first time but was a little grouchy at that point from the time change and lack of sleep, so it wasn't as big of a hit as we had hoped. We rented a car and drove around for the second half of they day while she slept in her car seat and saw all of the touristy stuff - Rodeo Drive, Beverly Hills, Mulholland Drive, the Hollywood sign, and a couple of overlooks. We'll be visiting L.A. a bit again on the way home, so I'd love to know if you have any places that you recommend visiting (that are fairly close to the airport).

xo, Lauren

P.S. You can follow along on Instagram @alovelylark

Lovely Links

2012-07-13T07:00:00.000-04:00

Happy Friday all! I'm currently packing like a crazy person for our trip to Australia. I'm going to keep this photo in mind when it gets hairy during our flight(s). Serenity now...serenity now...

Here are a few links for your weekend - hope it's better than ours is bound to be!

Genius idea for traveling with littles.

Completely in love with these curtains. I'd like three for Violet's room

Seriously stunning home.

Pretty pajamas

One of each please!

Polka dots + stripes.

Perfection.

I loved my wedding bouquet, but if I did it all over again I might just choose this.

And posts from A Lovely Lark this week:

Beautiful monthly baby photo set up

A nursery starts with art!

Up, up and away!

Pop of green.

We leave bright and early tomorrow for Oz*, wish us luck - I have a feeling we're going to need it!

xo, Lauren

This is where I want to be print by Kurt Rahn via society6

*We have a house sitter and an alarm system

Technical Difficulties + A Sneak Peek

2012-07-12T14:35:00.001-04:00

Well somehow the post that I had prepared for you today has gone missing? And I don't have any time to rewrite it what with packing for the trip and all :/ But as compensation here's a little sneak peek into Violet's big girl room. I'm not sure if I'll ever really feel like it's finished, but it's close enough for now! I took photographs of the room yesterday and will hopefully be sharing them with all of you soon! Off to do some more packing while the babe naps!

xo, Lauren

P.S. You can follow me on Instagram @alovelylark