I woke up this morning, and did my usual routine. Wake up, roll over, check Facebook on my phone. The first thing that popped up was this picture, shared by a friend. It took me a while to grasp it. I re-read it a few times. Is this a joke? Are you kidding me?

I forgot about it, went and did my usual morning routine. When I got to work I saw it again. That’s when it really bothered me. The first thing I thought of is- WHO is this guy? Does he know he looks like Gary Busey? Has he looked in a mirror? Is he a child molester, because he looks like one. But then of course, I would be stooping down to his level.

Obviously Mr. Jeffries was the kid who got picked on at school when he was a child. That’s what usually happens. Then they grow up and think they are the shit, and grow some balls. It’s okay though. Everyone has a right to their opinion….

It is perfectly fine that Abercrombie and Fitch doesn’t want to carry clothes for larger women. There are many stores that do that. I am not pissed about that. The thing that pisses me is that he says:

” We go after the attractive All-American kid with a great attitude and a lot of friends. A lot of people don’t belong in our clothes, THEY CAN”T BELONG “

Belong to what?

Your stupid way of thinking that you are better then everyone else? Is there a screening process before someone walks into your store and buys something? Is there a special club handshake also? If the “club” is anything like you, let’s put all of the members in a spaceship and send them on a one way ticket to Mars.

Another thing I took away from this is that size makes you popular. The skinnier you are, the more friends you have. Let me tell you something Mr. Jeffries, I’m a bigger girl. Does that mean I don’t have friends? I don’t want to toot my own horn, but I consider myself loved by many people. People even know me by name- can you believe that?!  Not by how many rolls I have.

I have heard people who have worked there say they were told to hire “Good Looking” people. They were told this from their managers and up. Ummm… just because someone is good looking, doesn’t mean that they are smart. Not only that, isn’t that illegal? Isn’t that like not hiring someone because they are fat?

I’m totally going to apply at every A&F in the area- just for fun. Just to see the faces on the managers. Speaking of every store in the area- I think it’s not down to about 2 in a 40 mile radius because umm.. they are all closing. hmmm I wonder why. And I wonder if they will all close now. Must be because I live near fat and ugly people. Mr. Jeffries I really hope your ready to be poor.

So Mr. Jeffries, the next time you feel the need to speak your mind about the requirements for your store and how not all girls meet those because they are not pretty enough or slim enough, then maybe you should take a long look at yourself and make sure that you meet those standards as well. You are one of the most ignorant people I have ever seen. And that is not “cool”

Good luck to you.

Before we knew the sex, I knew I wanted a nautical theme, with a neutral greige as the background, navy as an accent and then either pink or green depending on the anatomy scan.  Well as you know from our painting stripes post, it became navy and pink!

I will say, initially I struggled with the “DIY everything” versus buying things.  In the end, with doing most of the work over the winter and how cold it has been (anyone seen Spring?) we ended up buying the furniture.  I would have loved to re-do a dresser, but it just didn’t work out.  I’m ok with that, because there’s always a chance it will happen in the future.

So here is Ella’s Nursery!

When you walk in, we have a set of Ikea Trofast.  I wanted to go ahead and put some toy storage in the room.  There’s not much in there, but as the toys multiply, this will hopefully help give them a place to go.  Next to that is a nightstand for feedings and blackout curtains.

We opted for a large leather rocker recliner from a local furniture store.  Since we only plan on having one child and we decided to splurge on something that once we don’t need it in the nursery, the Hubs is going to move it down to the family room to be the “man chair.”

I put together the artwork behind the chair from things I had found online.  The frames are from Ikea.

Then we have the crib, with sailboat sheet and a crib skirt made by my mom.  The crib skirt fabric is navy blue with anchors.

Next to the crib on the wall opposite the window is the dresser with changing pad on top.

We decided on the Ikea Hemnes dresser, but changed the knobs to pink (same as the nightstand).  The dresser has a ton of storage in it.  I spray painted a mirror I found on clearance pink to match.  The diaper cake is from my shower.

Finally, next to her closet door (where the clothing dividers live) is an Ikea Billy Bookcase (notice a theme?).  It’s not very full yet, but we’ve decided that if anyone asks what she needs, we’ll let them know they can add to her book collection.  The top shelf are Steiff bears that my grandparents gave me as a child with a couple other sentimental ones also.

So that’s a quick tour of the nursery.  I loved how it turned out and really hope it’s something that can grow with her.

Sources:Toy Storage: 2 Ikea Trofast Frames, 4 white bins, 4 pink bins
Nightstand: Ikea Hemnes, Pink Knobs (Lowe’s in store)
Curtains: Pottery Barn Kids
Rocker/Recliner: Haverty’s
Ottoman: Amazon
Crib: Baby Mod Parklane
Crib Sheet: CoCaLo Pink Sailboat
Crib Skirt Fabric: Out to Sea
Nautical Prints: Jenna Sue Design
Dresser: Ikea Hemnes
Bookcase: Ikea Billy

I know it’s going to be a pain to get my husband to agree on paint colors, he just doesn’t have the vision. However, I think there are a few rooms where I won’t need his opinion – my craft room and the guest room/bathroom. I recently decided I want to do a coastal theme for the guest room/bathroom. I think it easily makes people feel like they’re on vacation! Unfortunately, it will probably be the last of the rooms we decorate since it will be the least used but that’s not going to stop me from dreaming and planning. Dream with me today and check out some things I’ve pinned…

I think these colors are totally going to be the way to go. I love the bamboo, coral and aqua. I’m thinking some white and navy are also staples. 

It would be great if I could find one of these life preservers. That would take up a lot of wall space. Maybe one I could custom paint myself.

Starfish are a must, right? This was from Bed Bath and Beyond but is no longer available. Boo.

Anchor items are another must!

For the bathroom, I love apothecary jars so I think this would be perfect with starfish or shells. I also want to incorporate blue glass in there.

I don’t want to go too overboard with dreaming about these two rooms because like I said, we’ve got so many other rooms to worry about first but with the spring weather finally here and a recent trip to Target that had lots of coastal items, its hard to not get excited about it!

Images: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5

I have Longaberger baskets. And I use them. Some are even out, in the open!

I know, I know, it’s like I’ve just aged myself a good 15 years. But wait, this confession gets even better. Not only do I have and use my Longaberger baskets, but I have been to Longaberger Headquarters, not once, not twice, but THREE times. Oh yes I do have pictures of the headquarters shaped like a basket and the huge apple basket located at their Homestead.

But I’m all for function, if I’m buying a basket it better be for a need not to collect dust. So slowly over the years, I myself have added baskets here and there to my “collection.” If you can really call it that.

So here’s where some of my baskets live.

There are some in our bedroom/bathroom.

I’ve got a few in my office. Some hold scrapbooking supplies and some hold extra fabric from projects.

Downstairs we use one to hold our napkins on the counter and one holds all of my mixer supplies.

I do have a few holiday baskets as well, some Christmas ones, one St. Patrick ’s Day, and one Easter basket. I know the St. Patrick’s Day and Easter baskets will be more fun once the baby is here, and it can be more about decorating the house for her instead of just putting out a random holiday themed basket.

I’m definitely not a Longaberger collector, but they are another way for me to organize stuff and corral things. And they don’t look too shabby out in public.

So there you have it. My decorating confession.  Hope I didn’t scare any of you readers away.

Cupcake: use your favorite chocolate cake recipe

Frosting: (www.wilton.com)

• 1/3 cup solid vegetable shortening
• 1/3 cup butter
• 2/3 cup caramel ice cream topping
• 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
• 4 cups (approx. 1 lb) confectioner’s sugar sifted
• a few tablespoons of milk

1. Cream shortening and butter together until light and fluffy. Scrape down sides.
2. Add caramel and vanilla. Scrape down sides.
3. Add sugar one cup at a time, scraping down sides after each cup.
4. Add in milk until you get desired consistency. Continue mixing until light and fluffy.

Toasted Coconut:

1. Spread coconut flakes on a baking sheet.
2. Bake in 350 degree oven for 10-15 minutes, stirring the coconut around and watching closely so it does not burn. Allow to cool.

Once the cupcakes are cool, pipe the caramel buttercream on just a couple cupcakes at a time. Cover the frosting with the coconut. You don’t want to frost all the cupcakes at once because if the frosting starts to dry the coconut will not stick. Once all cupcakes are frosted and covered in coconut, melt some chocolate in a Ziploc bag and drizzle on top.

These went quickly when I brought them into work. I have to say that I really enjoyed them, and they are actually one of my favorite cupcakes I’ve made!

“I live in Boston, but am from NY” is how I have answered that question for the past (did the math) 35% of my life, since moving to Boston, over 15 years ago. I have thought of the question many times, and remember thinking, even when I first moved here, “will I ever call myself a Bostonian and not a New Yorker? How long will I live here before I truly call it ‘where I’m from’, if ever?”

That question got answered for me last Monday, mid afternoon on a beautiful Monday afternoon. 15 years, 2 weeks, and 1 day after moving here.  I am now officially from Boston. 

The whole week, I was safe, free of harm, but still, it felt like I was in the middle of all of it, in lots of ways:

• I was at work, less than a half mile away from the finish line of the Boston Marathon, when I heard the explosions and our tall building shook. I could look out the window, see smoke and emergency vehicles, hear sirens everywhere (still hearing them now, days later, draws my attention in a way that hadn’t been done since September of 2001).
• My husband, also walking distance to the explosions, ended up having too much work to do, so he and his coworker decided not to walk to the finish line after lunch, after all.
• I learned by Monday night the fates of so many friends… one seriously injured, some immediate eyewitnesses and miraculously saved, many many near misses.
• On Friday morning, my day started at 5 am, helping to get people in touch with the management in our offices in Watertown, less than a half mile from the edge of the search perimeter, and, ultimately, less than a quarter of a mile from where the second suspect was captured.
• In my own office downtown Boston, on lockdown from 8 am, helping to man our own emergency operations center on our floor, staying connected with my company’s global operations center.
• Friday evening, trying to disconnect, but still having the news and a police scanner on, everything obviously unfolded from there.  Knowing that area well, having spent lots of time in that whole area, it’s even more surreal as you find yourself looking at all the streets and the stores and being able to put yourself right in there, with personal experience.

I know so many people have connections that are closer and more painful. I’m grateful not to be one of them. But I can’t deny that I’ve been impacted in a way that, right now, seems like it will be permanent, just as the impact on the city will be permanent.

It’s amazing what an unspeakable tragedy, followed by a manhunt, can do to a city, and then ultimately FOR a city. People have gained a new found respect for the police and law enforcement of all kind, the mayor, and the governor. For the first time, it’s not the Red Sox or the Bruins or the Patriots or the Celtics that get cheered and revered, it’s the people who keep us safe, and who help to find out who hurt us.

People seem nicer to and more understanding of each other. We have all been sharing our “where were you” and “did you know anyone” stories, and we all speculate what next year’s marathon will be like.  Some of us have already started to imagine what it’s going to be like in a few months, the next time you walk down the street or in the mall and  you see an amputee in a wheelchair or someone with scars and burns on their face and think, “Oh… I wonder if she was from the marathon…”

I know that, in the future, when people ask me where I’m from, and I tell them “I’m from Boston,” people’s first reaction for a long time is going to be rooted in their own memories of the marathon and the manhunt. But long after that stops being the first thing people think about (some day?) I will still say with pride, “I’m from Boston.”

So, on behalf of my fellow Bostonians, I want to thank the rest of the country and the world for the support and love and prayers you’ve sent our way this week.  Keep them coming, because we’re going to need it while the people of this city physically and emotionally heal.  But we’re strong, and we will heal. Just wait and see.

Ingredients:

- Your favorite pre-made chocolate chip cookie dough

- One jar of Maraschino Cherries (or a basically a handful of cherries adjusting in the future for your preference and what you can actually get in the cookie)

- One bag of your favorite nuts to use  with cookies, crushed

Why yes, as a matter of fact I am a fan of generic brands.

Directions:

I have found that though it can become quite sticky it is best to have your dough closer to room temperature so it is more pliable.

1. Chop up your cherries; they can be finely chopped or you can cut them in quarters.When making these I have always found the halves are still too big to work the dough over and it may create openings but feel free to give it a go with halved cherries if you like, it might work with a ‘jumbo’ type size cookie.

2. If you did not purchase pre-crushed nuts do so now. How small you want to get the crumbs down to is your choice, but it seems like they fall off when I leave them too big.

3. Create a bowl shape with your cookie dough to place the cherries then pull the dough over creating a ball shape.

4. Roll the cookie ball into your crushed nuts. I used walnuts here.

5. Place your cookie balls on a cookie sheet spaced as you normally would, and follow the cooking instructions on your dough’s packaging. I have found that while the cooking times usually work fine to get a browner cookie, you need to keep them in a bit longer (anywhere from 2-4 minutes). Just keep an eye on them.

I promise if you like maraschino cherries even a little bit you will find these cookies delightful. Perhaps you won’t gorge on them Cookie Monster syle the way I do, but I think you will be happy to indulge in one or two or ten.

What is your favorite easy peasy cookie recipe?

My husband has been on some kind of kick since then because the man does not go to the store without coming home with a new movie saying, “look at this, it was on sale!”

So here are a couple of our favorites. It was so hard to narrow down but these were the first ones we knew we wanted to get and have all liked watching together. You’ll notice that there aren’t any Disney princess movies. I’m told little boys enjoy them as well – I’m really hoping he does when I introduce some ::fingers crossed::

Ice Age – I was super excited about this one – I think I love Ray Romano’s mammoth character the best. And who doesn’t love that squirrel thingy trying to get the acorn?! My 3 year old has determined he doesn’t love the movie because the “tiger is bad and tries to get the baby” I’m doing my best to remind him the tiger turns good! I’m looking forward to showing him the sequels.

Can’t leave out this big hit of a movie – Cars. My kid must be a sensitive flower, he said he doesn’t like how “the police car is mean. He tries to lock Lightning McQueen up!” I love the music and it’s a good, funny family movie.

My husband insisted Toy Story make the list. So far we’ve only introduced the original. I can take it or leave it, honestly. Woody is a little whiny to me. C loved it though.

Another one we’ve only shown the original one of. I love Madagascar! The penguins are hilarious, so is King Julien. C has gotten a kick out of the music and dancing. They really scored with this cast.

So, this might be my hands down favorite. I had only seen Monsters, Inc one time previously but it’s always stuck with me. After having a child, it’s all kinds of emotional to me now but I still love it. So sweet, cute and funny. I was a little worried because we whipped it out right at the “monsters are in my room” phase but I think it might have actually helped ease that fear.

Like I said, it was hard to narrow down the list so we aren’t here all day. I know I left lots off – like Nemo…I know! Movies are kind of long and we try to limit TV time so we have plenty more to show him! A couple snow days helped us get through these . Plus, we have Amazon Prime so streaming to our Blu Ray gives us endless options. I didn’t include this since it’s not really movies but he’s loving this documentary series called Life (Oprah narrates it) – it’s 10 episodes (4 discs), covering all parts of nature and animals. My husband loves that kind of thing so he brought it home and is thrilled C likes watching them too.

What are your favorites?

*all images are from Amazon

Awhile ago I showed you how I whitewashed our brick wall in our living room. See here. We had every intention on completing the other side of the wall which is in the kitchen but life happened and it took us over a year to finally do it. The funny part about it taking so long is that it’s such a quick and easy update, I could only dream of every project being so easy. So don’t ask me why we stalled. The last wall took us 2 hours from start to finish (that was with prep work) and this wall was a lot smaller and it housed an old brick oven or fireplace? Not really quite sure what it was but now it is home to our wine refrigerator. This wall only took us 1 hour total and made the room so much brighter. Now it has inspired me to update my kitchen cabinets.

The funny thing about this project is that we realized about 10 minutes in that these bricks were totally different than the previous ones. I’m not sure why it didn’t occur to us the first time but the living room wall seemed to be the sides of the bricks where as the kitchen wall was the tops and bottoms. Therefore, the LR wall bricks were smooth and the kitchen bricks were porous. While there isn’t anything I can do about the way the bricks were laid almost 40 years ago, I definitely love the look of the kitchen wall more. It definitely looks more ‘old’ which is what I was going for. Don’t get me wrong, I still LOVE everything about the living room wall, it’s just so weird to me that after 30+ years (on and off) of living in this house, I never noticed how different they are.

We used the same technique as before, 50/50 paint/water combo and an old towel to rub it in. Because this side was more porous, we probably used the same amount of mixture as the other side even though that wall is bigger. We still have about a half a can of paint left so this is definitely an inexpensive but major upgrade home project!

Happy Whitewashing!

One of the things that I love about the warmer weather is the chance to wear more dresses. They are all well and good in the fall and winter with leggings or tights under them, but I much prefer the ease of the bare legged look. Plus, I pretty much live in sandals during the warmer months. Here are some of my new favorites.

Old Navy

I used to never be a fan of stripes; years of being overweight made me extremely self conscious about wearing anything that made me look wider, but then I realized that you can wear stripes, it is just all about the right stripe. I am strangely in love with this interesting striped dress. I think the stripes are just the right size and in just the right layout. I also love that this is cotton. Nice and light for the spring and summer months of hanging outside chasing after a toddler. Also it is not too short =)

Old Navy

I am seriously in love with this dress. I love the color, the eyelet, the length, the fit, just everything.  I have no other words than just love.

Old Navy

Love the cobalt blue for spring and summer. As you can tell from the three above dresses, I also favor a natural waist that I can belt to define more.

LOFT

Another eyelet dress I’m lusting over. This color is great for spring and summer.

Those are my favorite dresses, but I also did some general spring style searching on ye olde Pinterest and here are the looks that popped out at me.

Source

I’m a slave to the classic white tee and brown sandals. I just adore this neutral outfit.

Source

Another take on the classic white tee. Love the teal accents. Simple, yet very stylish.

Source

Oh polka dots, how I love you. I normally reserve polka dots for blue, black, white and tan, but I am adoring this green version. So light and fluffy for spring.

Source

See my obsession with polka dots? I swear if something is polka dotted I pick it right up. My daughter must have a thousand outfits featuring polka dots. Heck even her Pottery Barn chair is polka dot. Just such a classic look that never goes out of style.

That’s all I have for now. What looks are you loving for spring and summer?