Ready. Set. Go.

Since I don't know how big he's going to be, I packed a newborn and 0-3m outfit.
What am I missing?

I've asked several people and the opinion is split on whether or not take clothes to the hospital.
What else am I missing?

At this point the nursery is completely finished - it looks so darn cute. My hospital bag and his diaper bag are packed. All that's left is to wait and see. 

Honestly, I think every mother is worried about the birth process and for me, being the control freak that I am,  it's hard to let go. I have absolutely no control over the entire thing as it's very unpredictable. 

But I have decided not to let the worry get to me - I can't fix, help or speed up the process by worrying. So I'm going to try to enjoy these last couple of weeks as a preggo woman. I'm going to soak in the freedom that I still have (trip to B&N anyone?) and the inability to tie my own shoes. 

As much as I can, I ask for advice from experienced mothers, read other people's blogs and opinions on everything from Pitocin to a birthing ball. But until I go through it, I don't know how it is, although it's good to be ready. For everything. 

Nifty Thrifting

{image}

You just received that Pottery Barn catalog and swooning over a rustic table with modern chairs on page 15. The price on that thing? Ridiculous, and you know it. So what to do? Find one and make it your own. At a thrift store

I love thrift store shopping - it's fun, unpredictable and always low-cost. I have been asked on multiple occasions how do I find clothes that look so good when I tell them it's from thrift store. 

There are a couple of tricks.

 Now that we are in our new home, I'm scouting for one-of-a-kind accent pieces, but it's not easy. 

Here are couple of tricks on finding the 'this is so lovely/cute/gorgeous! where did you get it?' piece.

Quality, over quantity. Browsing the racks and rows of old, used furniture, don't think about getting more stuff. Let's face it - you probably have a million sweaters so when picking out clothes, look for unique patterns, familiar store tags and little to no use/wear. I know that the low prices are tempting but select only the best, even if you have to walk away empty handed. Unless you want your closet looking like thrift store itself.

Take your time. Thrifting is time consuming. Nothing is laid out for you and matched like in the department store. There isn't a sign saying "This table is very sturdy. Just needs a fresh coat of paint" Dig through everything. Be patient. You never know.

Distinguish between junk and treasure. This is hard to do at times. When looking for furniture make sure it's sturdy, has no cracks and isn't going to fall apart the minute you put it in your trunk (they don't do refunds). Learn to recognize good quality and sort of have a vision.

Be consistent. You have to be a regular at any thrift store, because nothing is there for very long time. Check the stores often and ask when they receive major shipments, or days when they put out new stuff. Know the sale days. Yes, they have those. Even Salvation Army has 50% off everything day. So what if it's cheap when you can get it cheaper!

Have a goal in mind. Don't just go in aimlessly looking for something. You will never find it. And if you do, it turns out you didn't need it in the first place. Only because you see $0.99 price tag on it, doesn't mean you have to get it. You are more likely to find specific pieces when you know what you are looking for. There is a lot of junk in those stores. But when you know you want that cute little frame with Victorian border so you can spray paint it the color you want and proudly display it over the fireplace, your eyes will ignore the junk and help you find the piece you are looking for.

Never mind the stigma. For some people, it's demeaning to go to a thrift store. It's below them for some reason. Either they are too proud, or too stuck up, or too rich (I mean, good for them) to thrift. There is nothing embarrassing about finding good stuff for cheap and turning it into a one-of-a-kind treasure. If someone gives you a weird look about going to the thrift store, just ignore it and think about all the money you are saving your family (if aren't buying junk that is).

I'm a thrifter and I know it!

Can You Say Big Belly?

cardigan: Loft, skirt: NY&Co, shoes: Anna Taylor, shirt: Target, 

So yes, here I am.

My big pregnant belly and I. 

I think this may be the last picture I'm willing to put on Internet for everyone to see.

Honestly I didn't know I was this huge until saw these pictures. I mean, that baby is taking his chubs very seriously. I have all the regular symptoms of 9 months preggo lady - heartburn, lower back pain,  hunger at all times of day and night, restless leg syndrome when I want to sleep, swollen ankles, going to the bathroom a million times a day in turn making myself familiar with the location of all the public restrooms in our town. But this belly is getting kind of uncomfortable. I can't tie my shoes, it's hard to sit straight up and don't even get me started on trying get a full night's sleep. 

Can't wait for him to arrive.
The doctor says that everything is normal and going very well. What does he know? He never carried one of these. The baby's head is down and there is no way to tell how big how is - I mean shouldn't they have invented some machine for that too? 

I had couple contractions (it hurts. like a lot) which only made me think that I hope I won't chicken out and try to go the natural way. 

So while I get bigger and try to eat the fridge itself (midnight snacks are the best),

 hope you are having a great day.

Crepes {recipe}

I have been craving crepes lately. 

It goes like this: 'Womb service. Yes, Can I please order some crepes filled with farmers cheese and strawberries. What's that? Whipped cream? Suuuure... send that can of whipped cream up!"

So, I have been making them every night, and the hubs loves it.
He loves the new and improved, always-hungry version of myself. 

He is benefiting a great deal from this whole pregnancy thing and keeps saying that maybe I shouldn't go to work after all, stay at home and make delicious food, while I'm making babies. Well that's new.

This recipe is as simple and easy as it gets. In Russian food there is a version of these, but much fattier and has sour cream in the batter.
I like them both ways but this is my go-to recipe. 

We eat them as a dessert (above picture) or plain for breakfast. Whatever you fancy, can dress them up with everything from fruit to Nutella. 

Ingredients:

- 1 1/2 cup of all purpose flour

- 2 eggs

- 1 tbsp sugar

- 1 1/2 cup of milk

- 1 tbsp butter

- pinch of salt

In a medium mixing bowl sift together flour, sugar and salt. In a separate bowl beat the eggs with fork and add milk to combine. Pour the milk mixture into flour while constantly mixing it with a whisk. Don't stop until there are no more lumps left. If needed add a little more water/milk. The batter should even consistency and not thick.

Heat up a small non-stick frying pan on medium heat and coat it with a butter. Pour 1/4 cup of batter into the pan and swirl evenly. 

***You don't need to use spoon/spatula to smooth it out, just swirl until the entire pan is coated with batter and it isn't moving anymore. 

Allow 1 minute on the first side and when flipped, about 30 seconds on the other. 

Cheese Filling:

- 1/2 lb  of farmer's cheese 

- 1 tbsp whipped cream cheese

- 3 tbsp of sugar

- 1 tbsp sour cream

- 1 tsp vanilla extract

Mix the farmer's cheese and cream cheese together, then add sour cream, next add sugar and vanilla. Place 1 tbsp (or more ;-) of cheese mixture into each crepes and fold. 

Melt about 1 teaspoon of butter in a skillet and sauté the folded cheese crepes on medium heat until light brown on both sides. They don’t take long to sauté. Be careful not to burn them.

Refrigerate crepes that aren't being served.  They keep in the fridge for almost one week, or you can freeze them up to 2 months. Sometimes I make couple batches and freeze them for easy breakfast solution later.

Wash strawberries and cut into desired pieces. Add a little bit of strawberry preserves or topping and mix. Pour strawberries into crepes, sprinkle with almonds and top with whipped cream. 

Enjoy!

...then go back for seconds. 

His Little Sheep

crib: Pottery Barn, lamp: DIY
How sweet is that vintage rocking horse? 

The nursery isn't finished yet, but I thought I'd share how it's coming along.
Whatcha think?

At this point almost everything is ready for the arrival of our little bundle of joy. 

Almost being the key word here. 

I don't think you can every be fully prepared for such a drastic change in your entire life. I mean, no matter how many maternity books or child-rearing books you read, you don't know what birthing pain feels like, or that 3am feeding when you are completely exhausted or that baby that just wouldn't stop crying and you don't know why (and it's breaking your <3). 

I know that I'm not ready. 

I try to imagine how it's all going to be, how we are going to love and care for our little one but until you have him in your arms, I guess no amount of imagination will get you to that experience. 

I love setting up the nursery but not so much the process of picking out a travel system. It only took us eight months to pick a carseat and a stroller! I think we picked our last car faster than this. Go figure

I love getting all kinds of advice - from not to ever introduce baby to a bottle to the horror birth stories of Soviet Russia. It's all very interesting and sometimes very disturbing. 

I love scouting for wall art and other accessories at local stores but get easily frustrated because girls have waaaay more stuff out there. There is tons of pink cute things. Not so much with the boys - it's either blah or not there at all. 

I love the way my belly moves and when my hubby and I are talking he get's so active I'm afraid he's going to pop right out. Then hubby gives him the talk - "now son, be nice to your mommy and settle down". It's so sweet and so precious! 

I love walking into that sparkling clean and super organized (not for long) nursery and admiring my handy work and his little sheep.

Than you for reading lovelies! 

Little Lamb Nursery Mobile (DIY)

 It Has a Story

I have been on a hunt for a perfect crib mobile for a while. First of all I didn't want a zoo-themed nursery and nothing with monkeys either. I wanted something simple yet elegant and boyishly cute. 

The very first year my husband and I were married, I was shopping some post-Christmas sales and found most adorable sheep at Bath and Body Works, of all places (go figure). They had mamma sheep and two little lambs, with a matching lamb blanket. I knew then and there that whenever we decide to have a baby, I would love to have some lambs in the nursery.

 So I bought them, kept them for four years in the back of my closet and now I'm so glad I did.

So I had these plush big sheep but no mobile to match it. This mobile was the closest I could find to something that would match the room colors and style of the nursery. But paying $62 for a mobile (you have to buy the arm separately) was a bit ridiculous. I was already getting some nice (i.e. expensive) bedding so that price was not for me. 

Of course, turning to PINTEREST and Etsy (also too expensive) I decided to make the mobile myself.

 But then there was the issue of little lambs (kind of the most important part of the whole thing). I couldn't find any that would be the perfect size for a mobile until my sister gave me her Christmas present.

She knew I wanted to add lambs into my nursery and found little ones (again) in Bath and Body Works. They were so cute and the perfect size! She gave me three little lambs, so I went to Bath and Body Works store right after Christmas and bought all the little lambs that they had. Eight in total, I had what I needed to make the most adorable mobile, and it was going to be one of a kind. 

Here is how. (Assuming you have the pieces to hang on your mobile)

You Will Need:

Pieces to Hang (It can be anything)

Scissors 

Embroidery Hoop (I used 10") from Hobby Lobby

Needle and Thread

Hot Glue Gun

Ribbon (I used golden 3/8")

Ready to start? 

So first I took all the tags and hooks off the sheep. Then using a needle and a thread, I sew single 20'' ribbons to them. My longest sheep was going to hang at 18" so the rest were just going to get cut. I this point I didn't know how many where going to be where, so I cut them all at the same length. 

And then I got tired of doing it all in quiet and all by myself and decided to watch some TV. And totally forgot to take pictures of the rest of the process. 

So much for a tutorial eh? 

Really, it's very easy so I'm going to tell you how. 

Once all the ribbons are sewn unto the sheep, I started to approximate how long I wanted the pieces to hang. At this point it's up to you, where and how you want them to hang. The longest were about 18'' and the shortest were 8''. So I glued two longest sheep across from each other, with about 2" difference in height. Then I started eyeing where to put the rest. Again, depending on the number of pieces you have and diameter of the ring, it's your call. Mine were about 9'' apart.  

Then I started gluing the ribbon to the ring, on the inside and outside part (just to make sure). 

Now its time to make the part you going to hang it with. I used four 10'' long pieces of ribbon. Spacing them out as evenly as I could hot gluing to the inside of the ring, I joined them in the middle, also with hot glue. Then made a hoop 5'' long.

Now that all the parts are glued to the ring, it's time to cover up some of the ugliness of the glue. 

I used brown (since it's one of the colors in the nursery) ribbon 1'' thick and hot glued it to the outside and the inside of the ring. Again your call on the color. 

And that was it.

I could be happier with the way this mobile turned out and honestly, every time I walk into the nursery, I love how sweet it looks. It must be my favorite piece of decoration in the room.

(Next time I will pay closer attention and snap some more pictures)

I want to wait until the entire nursery is finished to show you how it looks in the room.

La Posh Giveaway

La Posh Style Giveaway

You can win a $50 gift card from La Posh Style online store! 

Go over to Pink Peonies Blog and check out the requirements... Who wouldn't want a new top or a skirt?

Have a great weekend!

PLEH

Welcome to 2013!

I this point, I think it is safe to say I have no interesting clothes/outfits left to show you...

I have two pairs of jeans, a few sweaters and one coat which make my daily outfits that require venturing out of the house. If I'm not going anywhere, it's pajamas and more pajamas. They're kind of my thing now. Although I do have couple cute polka PJs, I doubt they would make for a good outfit post.

So since I'm not going many places lately and it's freezing cold outside, I have something else to focus on - our new house and the nursery.

I'll be cheating with window drapery and wall art, nursery letters and area rugs, and then blogging about it.

Making a space beautiful takes time and I am the worst when it comes to patience. It looks so empty and not done at the house that I want to just go buy curtains, wall art, lamps and rugs all at once to make the space look a little more homey. But at the same time I want to get it just right.

I already purchased curtains and then took them back.

Now on the second trial, so far so good..

What do you think? Red walls with chevron pattern curtains?

I'm as indecisive as I am impatient.

Help the impatient and the indecisive .

P.S. For the title I wanted to make sure that you could read HELP from the other side ;)

New Year. New Life. New Hope.

image

I might have mentioned before that this year has been challenging. HARD is not the word for it. 

There have been heartaches and disappointments, but also there has been laughter and joy.

The year 2012 has been the most eventful year of my entire life and among all those things happening around me, I've watched, learned and grew as a person.

Sometimes I wonder if we encounter sadness, heartache and pain not only because it's a sinful, imperfect world but because we need to learn to appreciate the joys of life. I mean a new kind of gratitude and peace. 

It's hard being forgotten by your own father when you are in your 20s, I can't imagine how must children feel when their fathers don't want anything to do with them for their entire lives. It gives a whole new meaning to love of a family. It makes me appreciate the little family that I have.

We lose people we love, go through breakups and yet we come out stronger.

All that is for teaching us, for showing us how much our Heavenly Father loves us.

I don't know what 2013 holds for me (for our family) but I know that there is joy coming.

One tiny bundle of joy is scheduled to arrive some time in the next five weeks. :)

 I know that heartaches will heal, that hearts will soften and relationships will blossom.

Personal goal: be a friend. I feel like in the hassle and bustle of life, I forget to take the time to care for someone else. Outside of my immediate family. There is a lot of 'me and mine' but  how good is my life if it doesn't shine passed my own gate?

Personal challenge: tackle motherhood. The overwhelming responsibility of being mother is exciting to say the least. It's all new, it's all inexperienced, it's all pure joy.

What are your goals for 2013? 

Quick Hello

Merry Christmas to all!
I'm a little late on that one,  I know.
We moved in our new home over last weekend and still have no internet connection.
We are buried in boxes but enjoying our new home.
I will be back soon.
Have a safe and joyful holiday! 

It's Not The Number

Just showing off my cute pregnant belly...
Love you baby boy...

There are lots of things on mind and none of them involve taking a picture of my outfit.. 

It's more of a reflection on myself...

One thing is for sure - I have some body image issues. I mean, who doesn't? But when you think that 'number' on the scale is the definition of slim, pretty and cute, you are ohhh so wrong.

 It's soooo not the number.

 I thought that once I'm married, I wouldn't have those issues. After all, I'd have a man who adores me and loves my body just the way it is. Nope. Wrong. Not skinny/slim/fit/ enough.

Then, once I'm pregnant, for sure, I will let my body do its thing. After all, I'm carrying another life inside me and he needs some extra calories. So a few pounds of extra weight for the great cause won't make me cringe when looking at the scale. Nope. Wrong again. Gaining too much weight. 

The problem is not the number on the scale but how we see ourselves. 

A healthy body image is not just a word for me, it's something unattainable. I felt that if I was ever satisfied with my body, you will let myself go and become a fat pig. But that's (probably) not true. 

Looking at yourself and realizing that you are not Gisele Bundchen is one thing, but another to constantly see faults that make you feel like you hate this body. 

Not a good attitude towards yourself. It makes you an unsatisfied person. And that transfers into everything - from your butt to the men bagging your groceries at the store.

An unhappy way to live that starts with not liking the size of your butt only because you can't fit into size 2. 

Last thought.

God gave us the bodies that we posses. Wow! This puts the entire blah-blah-blah psychological nonsense into a whole another perspective. So if I don't like how God naturally created me, with all my flaws and faults, I'm saying I don't like what He has done. But God knows best. All of his creation is very good. 

Therefore, I'm wonderfully made (Psalm Bible reference). 

Thank you Lord for making me just the way I am.

And thank you for this wonderful little life growing inside me. 

Mr. Chipmunk Called. He Wants His Cheeks Back

sweater: J.Crew blazer: thrifted, jeans: Motherhood Maternity, booties: Old Navy

At some point, the denial has to stop. And that point is when you look at my cheeks and think I have something in my mouth - well I don't. That means I have gotten to the point of significant weight gain and there is no way to stop it. Maybe just accept it.

I have seven more weeks to go and this maybe the time to stop taking pictures of myself to commemorate on this. But this is why I started the blog in the first place - to show real women being real.

Part of that reality is getting fat chubby cheeks and dealing with it. My hubby calls me 'his little Pooh" and I don't know if I should find it endearing or be insulted. 

In any case, those cheeks are staying for now. Get used to them.

Have a great day and thanks for reading!

Different Perspective

top: Forever21, cardigan: Gap, skirt; Motherhood Maternity, shoes: Payless

It's getting cold outside. 

I've got a case of sore throat and a broken heart.

I feel like last weekend, I've taken this tragedy very differently. 

When you don't have children, yes, it's tragic; yes, it's sad. But when you are a mother

 (or about to become one) it just simply physically hurts. 

Knowing that one of those days your little one is going to go to a similar school, sit in similar classroom and as you agonize over the fact that something like this can happen again. 

You stop believing in the world with good people. 

You just want to crawl into a giant hole and have enough canned goods to last you a life time. 

But that's not the reality. That's not the world we live in.

So let's take responsibility for our children. Teach them, love them and send them off to the world with bad people. World where they can be the good people. 

Becoming a mother does change you forever. 

It gives you a different perspective on life, on what's important. 

Life is a precious gift. Family is most important. Love is boundless. And God is still good to all of us.

Exceptions

dress: thrifted, shoes, tights: TJMaxx, bag H&M,
32 weeks pregnant belly

For some odd reason, everyone of us wants to be the exception. Not the rule.
 But exceptions are just that - very rare occasions outside of the norm.
So whenever I was listening to the pregnancy tales of "this is going to happen to you too", I never thought of myself as being the rule. Well, couple of things were exceptional (i.e. lack of morning sickness, no crazy food cravings) but the third trimester is different. 

I have awful backaches. 

My feet swell from being mobile all day long. 

I get up to pee-pee at least twice at night. 

I get heart palpitations just thinking about the amount of stuff I need to get done before our boy arrives.

Hormones are doing its thing - I'm driving my hubs crazy.

To name just a few.

I'm thankful that everything is going well and baby is healthy, as well as I am. Even with everyone around coughing and sneezing, I haven't gotten sick. 

So to sum up - it's going well. 

No exceptions anymore.

Gifts Under $25

Magic Wallet in Calf Hair J.Crew

Tortoise Shell Reading Glasses

Purple Flower Clip

Delicious Start to Your Day - Breakfast Recipe Book

Fair Isle Trouser Socks

Capri Blue Mercury Glass Candle

Printed Oxford Umbrella

Sweater Lined Slipper Boots

Hand Made AUTUMN Wrap Watch

 Long Silver Tone Rhinestone Owl Necklace

       

Chevron Indie Sunglasses Case           

Decisions... Decisions...

sweater: TJMaxx, shirt: Ralph Lauren, skirt: J.Crew, shoes: Payless
(31 weeks pregnant and wishing I could wear Pjs all the time)

So this whole buying-stuff-for-the-baby thing is exhausting. I'm not sure what's harder picking out hard wood floors or a stroller. Definitely the stroller. Then you need a car seat, glider for nursery, bottles, diapers, wipes, blankets, swaddling cloths and whole lot more. 

My hubby and I are both perfectionists (he's to a lesser degree but still in denial) so we scan almost everything with the phone app and look online for the reviews (and better deals, of course). 

So we were buying swaddling sheets and between couple choices of cotton and muslin, we stood in the baby isle for about ten minutes checking the reviews. Yeah, talk about perfectionists. After thorough consideration and mini discussion, we decided on muslin.

Next on the menu, picking out a travel system. There are many requirements and different criteria that we want it to meet and, in a way, we are probably over doing it a little. But it's our first, and we are nutty parents,  maybe just a little. So for now, we are going to research the living days out of every single thing. 

I think we are becoming those parents. 

And that's just scary.

French Onion Grilled Cheese {recipe}

Have you ever had this "Duhhhh" moment when you think to yourself 'Why haven't I thought of this earlier?'. Well I had one of those when I saw the recipe for this an amazingly delicious grilled cheese sandwich. It's the perfect combination of sweet and salty, crispy bread and melty cheese. 

Ohhhh my! Just talking about it makes me want to go whip out another batch. 

Plus, like I say in almost all my recipes - it's so easy to put together.

Ingredients
- 5 red onions
- 2 tbsp of butter
- 1/2 lb of thinly sliced Swiss Cheese
- 1 tbsp of balsamic vinegar
- 1/2 cup of red cooking wine
- french baguette
- thyme
- salt and pepper to taste

Cooking Process 
Makes 4 sandwiches

 Chop up the onions roughly, you don't want to dice them as they will cook down and will be very mushy. Melt the butter in a bottom-heavy sauce pan and add the onions. Leave the heat on medium and keep stirring the onions through the cooking process. 

 Cut the bread into 1/4 in thick slices and arrange 2 pieces of cheese on each side. I mean it's grilled cheese after all so you may want to pile on. Also, get the good stuff, something with tang and perfect sweetness - you don't want to ruin this puppy with domestic Swiss. That's just a sin.

Keep stirring the onions and when they start to wilt, turn up the heat just a notch. The goal (which my hubby said I failed to achieve this time, because he cooks the french onion soup in our family and it's absolute french perfection) is to have your onions start caramelizing on high heat. When you start seeing the purple color on the edges of the pan start browning, that's the sugar from onions coming and almost starting to burn. That's when your onions are done. They will cook down in volume a lot. 

Add the balsamic, wine and thyme and keep stirring to let all the liquid evaporate for another 5 minutes. Once the onions don't have anymore liquid (they will be very mushy though), turn the heat off and set aside. 

Spread about 2 tsbp of onions on one side of the bread, add salt and pepper and cover with the other. 

We didn't add any salt into the onions so at this point they are very sweet. Do a taste test and see how much salt you want in them.

Heat up a panini maker or just good ole-fashioned skillet and  spread a little butter on the outside of the sandwich. Heat it up until the cheese is melted and starts sizzling.

Enjoy! 

Winter Wonderland Baby Shower

Entrance Sign

Table setting and window decor

My sister and I

from left to right: my aunt, mom and MIL

All the wonderful gifts 

Cutest diaper cake one of my friends made for me

Snow Baby Cake

Sister-in-law and I

I had most wonderful time at the baby shower thrown by my mom (with help of friends) last weekend. 

It was amazing! 

Everything from decorations (Winter Wonderland Theme) to food and presents was just the best. I felt so loved and cared for, plus I didn't have to do anything for this fete. It was more formal with sit down dinner and fun games, then opening of presents and desserts.

 Everything was matching and color coordinated, not to mention very well organized. 

I am so happy to know that my baby boy is so loved and cared for. I'm so thankful for such a wonderful family and amazing friends that made that day special.