iMoments

Life's little moments as captured on my iPhone

^^I live for these cuddles^^

Lessons on gentleness.

And sharing.

This amazing husband and father <3 <3

Almost crawling!

It's a grand event over here when Huckleberry eats a carrot stick ;)

As much as technology has gotten a bad rep these days (all the videos and articles telling us to put our phones down and live life), I have to admit I am so grateful to have such easy access to all these photos and memories (okay, okay, I confess... and Scrabble). Without my phone I doubt I'd have daily pictures of my little man and I know I wouldn't be able to capture those special, spur of the moment memories like the ones above (and I wouldn't know the meaning of words like "quag").

Technology is pretty cool. (And Scrabble is very addicting.)

The Important Things

Ya'll, I'm glad my stardom has blown over. Those things never last for long, which I am thankful for. I like life best when lived quietly on this blog. I'm not a fan of the attention I received thanks to the Huffinton Post, GMA, and Yahoo's uninformed articles. (Inside Edition actually called me on Friday for an interview. How crazy is that? I said thanks, but no thanks. People are too mean.) 

So instead of focusing on my wedding that was almost 2 years ago, I'd rather talk about the things that are important and relevant in my life right now. 

Like Herschel. Have you even seen a kitty sleeping any cuter than this? He's a darling when he's unconscious, but in his wakeful moments one must be careful. Ninja kitty loves to attack. He also loves to stare into your soul and the more you try to avoid his eye contact the less he blinks. It's a frightening experience. 

And Huck. Huckleberry is always important. I loved these pictures Steven sent me of his and Huck's walk on Saturday and Sunday. One day it was sunny and bright and the next snow covered! Both days Huck was king of the log.

Our nursery is complete. That's pretty darn important! I was feeling so overwhelmed and emotional this past week, but now our little guy's space is completely finished and all his clothes and blankets are washed, organized, and put away. I no longer feel so overwhelmed and I haven't cried in 2 whole days! (Where is my award?) Ahhhh. It feels good.

Lastly, I'm huge, which is also important. Baby and I are both healthy (and still growing).  I'm ready for him to come but I'm pretty certain he's setting up camp in there and plans on sticking around for a while longer. I've heard most first babies are usually a couple days late??

All in all, Steven and I had a pretty productive and relaxing weekend and I am beyond thankful for it. I'm thankful for my husband and our simple, sweet life together. I'm thankful for the little life growing inside of me. I'm thankful for my fur babies and the entertainment they provide. I'm thankful for chocolate chip cookies, mint ice cream, and the Walking Dead. But most of all I'm thankful to not be the subject of scrutiny on the internet by people who have nothing better to do than sit behind their computer monitor and say nasty things about people they don't even know.

And that's what is most important.

Also, who watched the Walking Dead last night and what did you think? I'm happy it's back and I'm happy that my husband didn't utter one word about the excessively large bowl of ice cream and 3 chocolate chips I ate while watching it....What?!? Stress makes me eat.

The Good, The Bad, The Funny

The Good
1| The chilly weather calls for lots of homemade soup and homemade bread! The smell of fresh bread baking in the oven is simply the best.
2| Receiving gifts in the mail for our little boy from friends and family far away. It feels so nice to know that he's loved and thought of by so many already.
3| Getting rid of our TV and finding other ways to occupy my time. I've been able to accomplish so much around the house without the TV being a constant distraction!

The Bad

1| My trouble child Huck gave me yet another scare yesterday. I came home to a swollen, disfigured Golden who had apparently decided to show some bees who was boss. The bees ended up being boss while Huck and I ended up at the vet. Again.
2| Calling my boss to let him know I can't come into work because I need to monitor my dogs breathing for the next 3 hours. This is my life... Sometimes it's embarrassing.

3| I love, love, love, love the holidays! But not being able to fly home and spend them with my family always leaves me feeling a little hollow this time of year.

The Funny

1| Every night I kick Herschel off the bed and exclaim that he is not sleeping on my beautiful, white comforter that I'm trying to keep pristinely clean. Every morning I wake up with Herschel's gray, leaf ridden body at the foot of my not-so-white-anymore bed.
2| My crazy, weird obsession with sock monkeys. I just think they are the cutest, classic stuffed toy. My mom keeps finding them out and about while shopping and I make her buy them for baby. Hopefully, he won't find them creepy like I know some people do...because he's going to own quite a few.

Happy first day of November! I can't believe the holidays are just around the corner. Man, has this year flown by! I always feel like today should be celebrated, so celebrate I will! It's November, my dog didn't die and I have homemade bread for days...yay! 

iMoments: Huck & Hersch Edition

Life's little moments as captured on my iPhone.

 One of Huck's favorite things, plastic! It's the simple things in life :)

Fluff butt, Herschel, makes a good pillow.

Although I don't think he was a fan of this cuddlefest.

 Peek-a-boo!

Huck creeping on me while I do a little work from home.

One sleepy pup and a clean kitty!

I bathed Herschel for the first time since the day we brought him home.

Not only did he not bite or scratch me once (such a gentlemen),

but I'm happy to say he had no fleas! 

Huck has not been so lucky...

This fluffy critters keep our hearts full and bring so much fun and joy into our home!

Happy Birthday, Herschbutt!

June is Herschel's birthday month! We're not exactly sure the exact day he was born, but if our calculations are right it had to be around the beginning of June. So today's post is a little shrine to our vicious yet cuddly guy who is turning 1!!

Herschel, you were the tiniest, cutest kitten with the biggest blue eyes I'd ever seen in a fur baby! And now your a massive fluffbutt with piercing green eyes! You've grown so much! Thank you for washing Huck's face with your sandpaper tongue and keeping the mice at bay. You've turned into the most perfect addition to our little family!

Happy Birthday, Herschbutt!!!

P.S. I just learned that your name is Yiddish for "deer" ....random.

DIY: Easy Flowerpot Transformation

Lately, I've learned that there are very few things in life that some spray paint and fresh flowers can't fix. 

Oh, and ice cream. Ice cream is also a cure all...

Last summer we received a house warming plant from some good friends, but unfortunately, being the terrible plant lady that I am, I didn't give it it's proper TLC and it quickly died. Then it sat there through the fall, winter, and this Spring... 

Needless to say, it was time for a much needed spruce up. 

All you need is some spray paint in a fun, bold color, beautiful flowers, and some potting soil. And then get to work giving that drab flowerpot a glammed up facelift! 

How cute is my little flowerpot now?? 

Too bad not everyone feels the way I do about it. I'm pretty sure the bright, cheeriness of it ticks Herschel off. 

Evil kitty, kitty...

Friday Letters

Dear Readers - Can we all just take a moment to reflect on how big Herschel has gotten? He was the tiniest, cutest kitty and now he's a big, evil murderous cat! (evidence here) We still love him though. Dear Arms - Ouch! Last night I decided to do this arm workout and it was much harder than I expected it to be! My arms feel like jello, but it's such a good feeling. Does anyone else like being sore the day after working out? Or am I weird? Dear Weekend - Obviously it calls for rain all weekend so I simply plan on hunkering down to catch up on some TV show watching and maybe, if I get real ambitious, I'll read a new book. I know, my life is too exciting for you to handle. Dear To-Do List - For once, I'm going to crumple you up and throw you away. This weekend I really don't want to stress about dirty floors and laundry. I need a break from a few responsibilities every once in a while. It's hard working 40 hours a week and then spending my weekends cleaning! I need a break, and this weekend I'm going to take one. And you know what? There is really nothing wrong with that! :)

I hope everyone has a great weekend! And if you've had a busy, emotional week (which I'm sure plenty of us did this week) find a few hours to just relax. You deserve it, too!

Friday Letters

Yep, Herschel is all grown up!

Dear Herschel - You are no longer a baby!! You're big and fluffy, but just as cuddly as ever so I think we'll keep you. Plus, you have proven to be effective in the mouse killing department. I haven't found mouse poop in my shoes in quite some time. Dear Yeast Free - I can't believe it's been nearly 3 weeks and I'm still going strong! My weight hasn't changed from last week (still at 7lbs. lost), but I feel great and am enjoying the increased energy throughout the day and the great sleep at night! Dear Husband - I am so glad you're home! I seriously thought an ax murderer was standing outside the shower waiting to kill me yesterday morning while I was washing my face! I couldn't get those suds off quick enough. No one was there. I would've known that if you were home :( Dear Friends - Does anyone else get super paranoid when they are taking a showing while home alone? Dear Weekend - Okay! Okay! I know I say this a lot, but truly, you are my favorite.

Don't forget to enter the Ramsey Street Designs giveaway and the $300 Nordstrom Gift Card Giveaway if you haven't already!! 

Hope you have a great weekend! See you Monday :)

I am Herschel, hear me Roar.

Seriously, it doesn't get much cuter than this.

The fluffiest kitty in all the land taking a little catnap. 

Every time I see Herschel sleeping, I have to sing Soft Kitty from the show Big Bang Theory.

I can't help it, it's an uncontrollable compulsion.

If you don't know what I'm talking about, watch this clip.

It just might change your life.

And then I wake him up with obnoxious picture taking...

because apparently, I'm a crazy cat lady.

And then he yawns roars and falls back asleep.

..........................................

Now tell the truth.

Did I just brighten your Wednesday with these photos?

Mission accomplished.

Currently

Drinking // Coffee...with a Lindor Chocolate stirred into it. If you haven't tried this already, I highly recommend it.

Loving // My new Canon camera! The clarity and light I get in each shot is amazing. I'm still trying to figure it out and don't know if I'll ever be able to use it well in manual, but I'm learning. Slowly.

Anticipating // A dear friends baby shower tomorrow. She's having her first baby (a little boy named Max) in February and I got the cutest wrapping paper for his gift! I mean, the gifts are nice too, but this wrapping paper and matching gift bag seriously make me swoon with cuteness! Not sure what it is about good quality paper goods, but I like them.

Missing // College. I have been having some serious nostalgia concerning college. Maybe it's because at this time of year I'd be on Christmas break, spending my time in coffee shops with my girlfriends and laughing so hard our sides hurt and there are tears streaming down our faces. Or maybe I just miss my friends back east. Either way, I now know why they say your college years are the best time of your life. It truly was a sickly sweet time, and I miss it dearly.

Reading // I'm still reading Oliver Twist by Charles Dickens. I'm nearing the end so I've been reading it more slowly. His books are packed with so many valuable life lessons. I hate for the experience to end. 

**post inspired by Danielle at Something Sweet

A Case of The Mondays

My morning started off with miscommunication and a bad cup of coffee. Steven says I have a case of the Mondays, I think I just have a case of the mornings --every morning. I'm simply just not a very able-bodied, functioning human being before 10 am. And that makes me testy. So instead of ranting, which I certainly feel like doing this morning, I'm going to show you some of my favorite captured moments from this weekend. You're welcome.

But first, a photo of Huckleberry in his festive Thanksgiving scarf that so many of you have been dying to see since last Friday. Sorry I didn't post this sooner! It was on my instagram though, so if you aren't already following me there, click here! Huck added the big, sad puppy dog eyes for some extra drama.

My handsome hubby blowing leaves off our garage roof. This is obviously a favorite moment because he's on the roof and not me. Also, that ladder is an early Christmas present curtesy of his leading lady. (That's me, people.)

Huckleberry and Herschel taking an afternoon nap together under my desk.

Herschel being particularly cute.

And my favorite..Huck watching Jurassic Park intently. He was barking at the velociraptors and then tilting his head to listen to their response. He is too cute.

Unfortunately, we didn't get our tree this weekend, but I did get a swanky new blazer and that's almost as exciting ;)

Weekend Review

This past weekend was busy, busy! Saturday morning I made two loaves of sandwich bread for the work week ahead, cleaned the house from top to bottom, and then made a lasagna. I'm pretty sure I should win an award for being so domestic. On top of all that, that night I had to put in some overtime for work editing a proposal only to wake up on Sunday morning and discover that the due date had been extended for another week! Balderdash! I was tempted to punch someone in the face, but the only person around at the time was Steven so I refrained. 

And that was just my Saturday!!

On Sunday, I made 36 mini cheesecakes for my office's Thanksgiving potluck today. Yeah, 36 mini cheesecakes. Because obviously I'm crazy. It's safe to say I don't want to be near an oven for at least a week. 

But do not fret, there were some good moments this weekend too. Like a Breaking Bad marathon with the hubby and beating him in an intense game of Phase 10 (have you even played Phase 10?? Such a fun card game!) 

Also, like every weekend, I took some cute pics of the pup. This one in particular is a true gem.

Notice Huck's apprehension? He's silently saying, mom, it's behind me isn't it? Waiting to strike!

See it? Let's zoom in to get a better look.

Herschel stalking him prey. Huck and I live in constant fear. He left a dead bird on the doorstep Saturday morning...I think it was a warning.

Hope you have a great Monday! If Monday's are even capable of being great. And prepare yourselves for a home office reveal later this week :)

Oh yeah, Thanksgiving is Thursday. This year is going by way too fast!