I eat up any good recommendations for baby items and good quality finds, so I thought it would be fun to share some of Max and I’s favorite things from some favorite artists:
Twiddle and Tweet Onesies – I about fell outta my chair when I stumbled on this shop. The coolest slogans screen printed on organic onesies. Little Hip Squeaks Leggings and Sleep Caps – Super comfortable fit with irresistible prints! Monirose Sunhat – Reversible hat that fits Max perfectly and allows us to take him outside with full face protection. (She makes these on request.) Mom n Mia Teether We aren’t using this as a teether yet but Max loves to have something to hold on to. Can’t get over how brilliant these are! Wren & Rumor Burp Cloth and Blanket – The softest materials with a fun modern print! Mosie Posies Birth Announcement – A fun way to remember all those important facts (that I am having a harder time remembering for each child now;)). Can’t wait to frame this.
Have any favorite shops for little ones? Please share!
I have had some requests to do more interior space photos/ DIY’s so I thought it would be fun to incorporate some posts that show my finds through antiquing and thrifting and what I do with the pieces:)
Over the weekend my sister, cousin, and I went to a local antique market to hunt for treasure. I found some great pieces this time around but its not always so successful.
Here are a few tips I have learned along the way when it comes to shopping at an antique market:
You have to be willing to try a few places and wait for just the right price. If you don’t have a general idea of how much things should cost going in, you may easily get ripped off.
Go towards the end of the weekend if its a pop up sale. For instance, on Sunday evenings of this once a month show, vendors want to sell as much items as they can before they pack up and leave so they are willing to barter prices with you. This does not apply in permanent antique shops of course.
Walk the whole market before deciding what to buy. You will see similar and even the same items from different vendors and their prices will vary among each. You will have the upper hand by knowing what each are going for.
Ask questions. It doesn’t hurt to ask where it is from, how old the item is, what the materials are made of,etc. Last weekend I purchased a giant map and frame which I found out was not an antique – just a print from pottery barn. However, I knew those prints usually go for over $100 for the print alone and the vendor sold it to me for $35!
I came out this weekend with two end tables, the map and frame print, vintage children’s books, and the “coats” hook. I will share what I do with these pieces soon!
If you have antiquing tips, leave them in the comment section below!
Instead of the usual outfit posts here on IHOD, we have come up with a few new ideas that will blend both style and photography, and style and location.
This is the first installment for Style meets Place (feel free to suggest a better title;)). Its the idea of wearing something that reflects the atmosphere you are in. While scoping out an abandoned spot near us we happened on this cool guy. An old punch bug with plenty of character that was the blue hue we wanted to focus on.
I have a good dose of motivation back now…after losing the creative drive, it just took the challenge and encouragement from a few of you readers to push the ideas further and come up with something new. Can’t wait to share these new series and some of the spots we will be exploring around our city. Stay tuned and keep those ideas coming! You bring out the best of this blog:)
Hope you all are blessed with a good week!
I met Marsha Misfud at a recent Camp Workshop Summer Supper here in Atlanta. I am so thankful that she reached out to me about pregnancy and newborn photos. I don’t think I would have made time in my crazy schedule for them otherwise. We took the pregnancy photos three days before my due date and the newborn photos one week after Max was born! I wish I would have had something like this done with our other two before and after they were born. These are so dear to my heart now seeing them. Marsha captured those sweet details you don’t want to forget of your newborns first days.
Speaking of first days…
I have survived the first few weeks with three little ones! Hooray! Contrary to these lovely photos where I got my hair and makeup done (by Blue Bird Artistry!), I have lived in sweats with a topknot for the past few weeks, never really feeling rested, but continuing to get up and move because I have three little people who need me. They need me to survive in a sense…. To feed them, keep them clean, steer them from danger, change diapers, ref fights, feed them again, cut their fingernails and hair, bathe them, give them endless amounts of hugs because they need those too, feed them again, read them stories, change more diapers, and rock them to sleep…and it goes on, and it makes the world go around.
Gabe is a pro at taking care of us. And I would trust him to raise my children wonderfully if something ever happened to me. However, when mama is around, my children crave my interaction with them for their sense of stability and familiarity. They depend on me to make their little worlds feel comfortable and happy. Needless to say when I was sleeping and resting and taking care of the new baby, we had some cranky toddlers due to my absence in their daily schedules. Between my family and Gabe, there has always been someone here to help me adjust to life with three. There have been some hairy moments….like when they all decide to cry at the top of their lungs at the same time or when my toddlers decide 6 am is the new rise time…..but we made it through the toughest part with our head above water. I have to give so much credit to Gabe who continually pours himself out to his family without question. To be perfectly honest, despite the incoherent sentences and borderline delirium at times, my heart is SO full.
This is it. This is the trenches of the life I have freely chosen and desired. These three children are the reason I know what deep joy feels like. They are the motivation to reach a little higher, act with greater awareness, and become the woman God had in mind when he created me…..because each moment they look to Gabe and I for their own survival and happiness, and they look to us to learn how to respond to the world around them. I hope that through the hard moments and sacrifices, we can win for them a life full of love and purpose.
I am so grateful for my family and friends who have stayed with us, made us meals, brought us diapers, and written cards. I am also so grateful for the community of friends through this little ole blog that has extended emails and messages of congrats and warm wishes on Max’s arrival. All of this combined has made me feel so overwhelmed with appreciation and humbled by the friendships and family that bless our life. So thank you!
*If you are here in Atlanta and are looking for a talented portrait photographer, you will have to check out Marsha’s work at The Savvy Studio! She was so wonderful to work with and she is so good at what she does!!
(Lace crochet dress can be found here // Mint Blouse – similar can be found here or here + Mint bodystyler // Yellow dress – super old via Target // Max’s blanket (gift from Aunt Tricia!) here.
Building forts and hiding in any new space we could find was the norm for us growing up. Since having my own little ones, I try to create opportunities for them to do the same. Rainy days are great opportunities for secret hideaways. This play tent from Be Little You and Me has been a lifesaver over the past VERY rainy month here in Atlanta.
They bring their books, toys and pillows inside to play. However their favorite activity is hiding from mommy and surprising her when she walks in the room;) Hence, the reason Gabriel refused to be in any of these pictures I tried to capture!
These tents are handmade by Sarah Jackson from MO – which amazes this gal who has no sewing ability whatsoever…
And it sure helps to have a slew of cute patterns to choose from right? My favorite aspect of this tent is that it takes 10 seconds to set up or put away!
I kind of wish they had them in my size so that I could hide with a glass of wine on long days….sort of kidding…;)
As you know, I am an advocate of supporting small business, handmade America. I have found a site that does just the same. Aftcra is a place to buy and sell one of a kind handmade goods crafted and curated locally. Above are some of the favorite items I found there that are in my shopping cart waiting to be purchased and hung on my walls…
Take a look and see if you can’t leave the site without finding at least a few (affordable!) goodies you love. Its a perfect way to support local and give entrepreneurs an encouraging push!
Maria would never admit it but she makes a pretty darn good pie….so excited she is here to share one of her best recipes! Thank you sister…
Let me just say, there is something spectacular when you bake a pie. Making a Strawberry Rhubarb pie makes for some summer magic. I never heard of it until I moved to Kansas and it is a local favorite here.Making a pie may sound scary to most people. It was for me. I have many a pie story, but going to a pie baking class helped change my perspective. Let me put you at ease and tell you it isn’t so bad, and the more I practice, the easier and more enjoyable the experience becomes.Here’s my trick…I make the crust months or weeks or days before I know I’m going to actually make the pie. It takes the pressure off and cuts the time in half. Or if your blood pressure rises just thinking about making a pie crust, then skip making it all together and buy a ready made pie dough and make the rest. Then when you get really comfortable and are up for a challenge, you can take the training wheels off and I dare you someday to try make a pie from scratch.
Trust me, it’s a huge sense of accomplishment, I’m pretty sure I get endorphins from doing it ;)…but then again, I have a weird passion for food.
The Pie Dough
If you want to try crust from scratch, you will use one ball of dough from Country Pie Crust Recipe
Or 1 Ready Made Pie Dough (for top and bottom shell)
Strawberry Rhubarb Pie Recipe:
3 Cups of Strawberries (sliced and quartered)
3 Cups of Rhubarb (chopped into 1/2 inch pieces) Rhubarb can be found in the produce section of your grocery store, it kind of looks like red celery.
2 Cups Sugar
2/3 Cup of Flour
1 Tbs. Butter
Directions:
– Preheat your oven to 425 degrees.
– Toss the chopped strawberries and rhubarb with the flour and sugar.
– Place bottom pie crust in a 9 inch pie plate. I usually poke the bottom crust with a fork 3 or 4 times.
– Spoon fruit into pie evenly distributing it and dot with butter pieces.
– Cover pie with top crust and slit with a knife for ventilation a few times. Tuck the top layer of crust OVER and UNDER the bottom layer and pinch around to seal. (I take my right thumb to the edge of the dough and pinch with my left fore finger and thumb the dough around my right thumb.)
Optional: Brush pie with Egg Wash (wisk 1 egg with 2 Tbs. Milk) to make the crust shine.
– Foil the edges of the pie so the crust doesn’t burn (removing during last 15 minutes of baking) and place in oven on bottom rack.
– Bake pie for 60 minutes, or until crust is golden brown and juice begins to bubble through the slits in the crust.
Let pie cool completely, about 2 hours, before serving.
Extra Notes:
– Usually my crust doesn’t look picture perfect by any means and sometimes my crust looks lopsided, but I remind myself it’s HOMEMADE! I say a “rustic” looking pie looks more authentic anyway 😉
– For Christmas, I received of these oven liners and it totally saves my oven and house from leaking pie burning muck.
– In my oven, I usually bake about 10 minutes extra so the crust isn’t doughy, each oven is different.
Voila!
I confess I don’t make pie all the time, but I do love making it for special occasions, or when family comes to visit and it always makes the moment that much sweeter!
