Our Family Albums through Blurb

Over the last two years, I've tried to turn my thousands of digital files into albums. I craved a physical representation of our memories; something I could pour over while sitting on the couch and share with A when he's old enough to sit for longer than 30 seconds.

My first album with Blurb was my wedding album (not pictured), and I was beyond thrilled with the final result. For Christmas that year, I made albums for each set of parents, and one for us. Blurb was amazing to work with, and helped me through all of my technical issues with uploading (on the day before Thanksgiving, no less!).

Last year I moved onto designing our 2009 and 2010 albums, completing them slowly over several months. This winter I moved onto 2011, my biggest project to-date. At 294 pages, this album was many many months in the making.

Here are some pictures of our 2011 family album:

I'm beyond thrilled with the final result, even if I did screw up the spine a bit. Gone is my OCD-dream of having 20 family albums lined up all neat & tidy in a row.

Blurb's print quality is amazing, as is their customer service. The biggest challenge was of course choosing which photos would make the album. In the end, I decided not to limit the pictures or the page count. I wanted to enjoy as many pictures as possible from 2011 - the year we became a family of 3 - every time I looked through these pages.

One more album and I'll be caught up! Wish me luck!

Easter Basket

I'm kind of the queen of procrastination. I work well under pressure, so why not wait until the last minute?
Well, I've grown up a little this past year, and realized that by planning ahead, I feel a lot less stress. And now, for the first time in years, I'm managing to get stuff done on time.

Easter and A's birthday are just a few weeks apart, so I started working on his Easter basket as soon as Valentine's Day was over. Oh, and I really wanted a Pottery Barn Kids basket this year... which I missed on last year. Why? Because I procrastinated. See? It really does pay to plan ahead ;)

For Easter, I knew we the Easter Bunny wanted to give A an art space in the playroom. We made so much progress on the magnet/chalk wall this weekend, and I can barely wait to see the look on A's face when he makes the connection that it is all for him!

Since the big reveal will be on Easter morning, A's Easter Basket is full of items he can use in his new space. And a few other things that his momma wanted, just for good measure.

Pottery Barn Kids Basket & Liner / Jellycat Bunny / Djeco Wooden Play Magnets / Sperry Haylard Toddler Shoes

 Allie Gator and the Easter Egg Hunt / Crayola Sidewalk Chalk / Melissa & Doug Chalk Eraser

And last but not least, the custom alphabet magnets from Crunchy Farm Baby! Leah was awesome to work with, and let me customize the entire order with a combination of fabrics that she already had and that I purchased. I love them, and I'm SO excited to play with these. Oops - I'm so excited for A to play with these!

Now all that's left is to hide some eggs and finish our art wall!

Linking up with Darci for the Easter Basket Blog Hop!

A Valentine's Gift for A

Happy Monday!

This weekend was perfection. The only way it could have been better was if I had today off... I don't, but I'll call it perfect anyway.

It was so great being snowed in Friday night. I was looking forward to catching up on Blue Bloods with C, but I fell asleep in A's bed (again), and didn't move to our bed until 11. I was nice to catch up on sleep (and cuddles) with my favorite little guy, and go to bed really early. On Saturday we had a great night with friends at the children's museum, followed by a delicious dinner (complete with milkshakes!). Sunday was the best combination of being productive, relaxing and playing outside. And for the perfect ending to a perfect day... we (all) sat on the couch, watching the Grammy's, while A danced and clapped and smiled SO big (especially when Kelly's Clarkson's "Stronger" came on). Seeing him light up for all of those songs made my heart so full. LOVE him.

Just wanted to share one of A's Valentine's Day gifts that has been a big hit the last week in our house. This was originally meant to be a Christmas present, but ended up getting delayed in shipping (totally my fault), and became a Valentine's gift, instead!

The Mini Book of Names & Faces from Pinhole Press! 

This is such a cute little book for toddlers! A is a great age to appreciate this book - he loves looking at pictures of himself and his family, and is also starting to talk, so hopefully this book will help him associate names with a face.

 

I think he likes it!

I have to say, I'm also loving this book. I'm amazed at the quality - it is sure to withstand lots of wear & tear, and the colors are vibrant & fun. With 12 pages that you can customize, there is plenty of space for family & friends. It was so fun to go through and pick a picture for each person, and the quality of the printed pictures is amazing.

This would be a great gift for any kids in your life!

This should go without saying, but Pinhole Press in no way, shape or form compensated me for this review. In fact, I'm pretty sure they have no idea who I am.

 

{Valentine's Day Gift Guide} For Him

Only 8 more days until Valentine's Day :)

Craig and I don't normally buy each other anything, and if we do, it is a "shared" gift for the house. This year we're just exchanging cards & having a special dinner at home, after A goes to bed.

But if I were going to buy him something, these are some of the gifts I would consider!

Enjoy :)

tie / ipod dock / fleece / sweatshirt / boxers

{Valentine's Day Gift Guide} For Her

I'm back with Valentine's Day Gifts, for all the ladies in your life.
Enjoy!

scarf / pillow / calligraphy print / earrings / coin purse

{Valentine's Day Gift Guide} For the Littles

Hope everyone had a great weekend! We certainly did!

I really enjoyed the Superbowl this year, but I have to say the Budweiser commercial was my hands-down favorite of the night. Of course, I cried like a baby... but I loved it!

Here is my very first installment of gift guides: something I thought would be fun to do for the special occasions and holidays that occur during the year. I hope you like it!

I love giving A a little gift for each holiday - nothing crazy, but something appropriate to the occasion, and something he will enjoy in the coming months. Pajamas and books are always my go-to, and A seems to enjoy them :)

Here my Valentine's Day Gift Guide, for the Littles!

stripe sweater / stripe one-piece / panda pajamas / pirate pajamas / dinosaur book / dinosaur toy / charlie brown / stinky face

I'll be back with two more gift guides this week!

Happy Monday!

Favorite Baby Gifts

Today we're home, waiting on Hurricane Sandy to strike. Both of our offices were closed today, and because mass transit into NYC is shut down until further notice, I have a feeling I'll be home the next few days. As long as we have power and stay safe, I can't say I mind a few extra days with my baby boy. He even let me nap today!

With the holidays quickly approaching, I thought I'd share some of my favorite baby gifts! Often times, I will want to give something special to a close friend, rather than purchasing off their registry. These are all gifts I've either given or received, and in my personal opinion are all wonderful!

Dahl House Frame
I've given this frame to a few friends as a baptism gift, and it was so well received. These frames can be personalized with just about anything, and you can choose the paint colors and grosgrain ribbon around the edge (you can't see it in this picture, but it is adorable!). They are all hand-made in New England, and are definitely timeless gifts that will last for years to come.

Etiquette Socks
These socks are ADORABLE! Perfect for when you want to bring a little gift once baby gets home from the hospital. The colors are fantastic, and Etiquette offers so many cute options in their gift packages. Everyone loves cute little baby socks, and you know that they'll get used often.

The Lab Onesie & BibPerfect for pet lovers! Etsy has multiple sellers that can customize onesies or bibs with a specific dog breed. The Lab only offers labs (obviously), and since Otto was becoming a big brother when A was born, these were a perfect nod to him. The onesie also has a matching lab on the butt - too cute!

Jellycat Stuffed Animals
These are the softest stuffed animals I have found, and are so well made. A has the elephant sitting on a shelf in his room, and I see another one in the near future as we approach the time to send our pacifiers off to the paci-fairy ;)

L.L. Bean Totes
Hands down, this is my favorite gift to give. Everything L.L. Bean makes is quality, and I can tell you from experience that I have gotten more use from the Extra Large tote than any other baby item we own. With all the traveling we do, this is perfect to pack all of A's essentials, and can stand up to the wear and tear of every day use. I love choosing the handle & embroidery color to match the nursery, and adding baby's new initials. This is definitely my go-to gift!

Custom Calligraphy Artwork & Frame
A new favorite of mine, Whoa Nelly Press will custom make calligraphy artwork with whatever quote you choose. This happens to be one I asked her to do for a friend expecting twins (her 2nd and 3rd babies), and paired with a mat & frame, is a perfect addition to any baby's nursery. This is a great gift for those friends who already have all the baby necessities, but you still want to give them something meaningful.


I'll be positing more gift ideas in November, so be sure to check back for those. Gift giving & holiday shopping are two of my most favorite things to do, and love to offer up suggestions for great gift ideas!

Stay safe friends!

Linking up with Debbie Doos!

Gallery Wall Project

Hi friends!

I hope everyone had a great weekend! We had a wonderful weekend at our nephew's baptism. Such a special day for little B! The ride home however, was a different story. Here is our reminder for next year: take note of what day NASCAR is at the Pocono Raceway... and don't try to drive past it an hour after the race has ended!

Moving on...

Today I'm sharing the inspiration for my parents' gallery wall, and some gifts I've given them to get started.

My love of photography has been passed down from my mother: she has always loved having pictures around the house and albums out on display, to share with family & guests. When my parents purchased their new home pre-construction, my mom had her long hallway already picked out, ready for a gallery wall. They've asked me to help design it with them, and seeing as they are quickly approaching the one-year anniversary of their move in date, what better time to start then now?

I've strategically been giving them "gallery wall" gifts over the last year, knowing they wanted some non-photography items to balance out the wall.

The first gift was an illustration of their old home - my childhood home - from the talented Kelly at High Street Market. Kelly did an amazing job bringing my vision to reality. This is one of my favorite gifts!

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The next gift was a vintage map of a town that holds special meaning to all of us. This image is taken from  OldTownMaps on eBay. 


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Both the illustration and town map will be framed in this frame from The Rusty Roof. Their frames are amazing quality, and are all handmade.


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Recently, my mom has been suggesting that we use different frames, rather than the same frame throughout. While I was hesitant to agree with her, after seeing some of these images on Pinterest (which my mom does not belong to!), I have to say she was onto something. Always trendy while still being classic.

Source: southernliving.com via Jillian on Pinterest

Source: repinly.com via Jillian on Pinterest

Source: coastalliving.com via Jillian on Pinterest

I am so excited to be working on this project with my parents! We are headed out this weekend to some of my favorite antique & thrift shops to try and find some great old frames. And I may also be looking for a dresser for our bathroom vanity. Maybe.

Happy Monday!