Random Friday

    My parents are coming to visit for a week starting tomorrow. Tim and I are both very excited because it's just so much fun being able to see Owen playing with his grandparents (either set) and both Tim's and my parents have been really helpful anytime they come visit. Either by helping with one of our projects around the house or helping watch Owen so that we can work on a project around the house. I'm hoping that while my parents are here we can do at least a couple projects. I'd really like to repaint Owen's room, buy some curtains, and hang his art and have his room finished. Tim wants my dad to help him put in a garage door opener so that we can open the door with a remote and not have to lift the door the old-fashioned way. It would also be nice to be able to do a little more painting in the kitchen. While the cabinets are done, we need to put a fresh coat of white paint on the wainscoting, the molding, and the window frames to match. Then hopefully, we can paint the kitchen walls and start decorating the kitchen and dining room with final touches like art and curtains soon. Anyway, here are some other things that have been going on in our lives.


1. Goin' to the chapel. 
     I got a text on Monday night at about 10:30 from my cousin Johanna. She and her boyfriend Stephen are engaged! I'm not sure how long they've been dating, but it seems like forever. I know that he came to our wedding with her almost three years ago, if that says anything. I don't know when they'll plan to get married, but I do know that she typically pins fall wedding styles on Pinterest. Maybe a fall 2013 wedding? Anyway, I'm very excited for the both of them and I can't wait to see Johanna begin all the wedding planning fun!

2. Let there be light! 
     As part of our ongoing kitchen renovations, we are replacing some of the light fixtures in the kitchen. We are also hoping to take down the ceiling fan in the kitchen and replace it with a light fixture. We recently finally decided on the pendant light that we want to place above the sink. The light that used to be there was a really outdated flush mount light. After looking online and at Lowe's, we finally decided on a pendant light from the online site Shades of Light. They have a ton of really unique and interesting lights. The one we decided on is made from recycled glass that was blown around chicken wire to make a really beautiful pattern. I love it and can't wait to see it in our kitchen. Unfortunately, the light is on backorder so we aren't supposed to get it until mid-July. 

3.  In the bag. 
     I meant to post this last week, but forgot. Tim was a super sweet husband and got me a new purse for my birthday. I told him that I was over carrying a diaper bag everywhere and that I wanted to carry a purse again. The purse that I got is the Ruth satchel by Shiraleah. Shiraleah makes eco-friendly, leather-free purses and handbags. My purse is actually a darker tan color than in the picture, but it is really cute and what you can't see in the picture is that it has a really pretty magenta silk inside. There are lots of pockets inside too, so I can stash some diapers and wipes in it whenever I go out with Owen. It's also big enough that I can carry whatever I might need along with a few toys and a snack for Owen. I love it! 

4. UMBA love.  
     My mom got her second package from Umba Box this past week for her birthday. Inside was a handmade refrigerator magnet with a tiny vase for a flower and a necklace with a piece of vintage lace in it. The necklace is from the online shop That Old Blue House on Etsy. I think the necklaces I've seen on her site are really pretty, but I can't wait to see which one my mom got. All of these necklaces are so unique. I think they would make perfect bridesmaid's gifts if you had a vintage wedding theme. 

5. Night owl. 
     Every once in a while, Owen has a night where he just does not want to go to sleep. No matter how full his tummy is, or how much we rock him, or how busy a day we had. The other night I felt bad leaving him in his crib, but I put a stuffed animal and a book with him thinking he would play for a short bit and then fall asleep. Well, after a while, he stopped making noise and I decided to go check on him. This is how I found him. Sitting in his crib in the dark.

Reading in the dark.

Oh good, Mom. Glad you're finally here. Can you read this?

What? It's 9 p.m. and I should be asleep? It's his fault!

6. Citrus Lane Love. 
     I got my first Citrus Lane box earlier this week. And it's safe to say that I'm in love! The box was art and music-themed and had so many fun things in it for Owen. It included fingerpaints, a music CD, a toddler-sized tambourine, and more! We have had so much fun trying out all the things in his box this month. The fingerpaints were really fun in particular because they are made from powdered vegetables and fruits so they are completely safe for munchkins. In case you missed it, I posted a review yesterday. 

7. What I'm reading now.
      I just finished reading "Warm Bodies" by Isaac Marion. Here's a synopsis: "R is a young man with an existential crisis - he is a zombie... After experiencing a teenage boy's memories while consuming his brain, R makes an unexpected choice that begins a tense, awkward, and strangely sweet relationship with the victim's human girlfriend. Julie is a blast of color in the otherwise dreary and gray landscape that surrounds R. His decision to protect her will transform not only R, but his fellow Dead, and perhaps their whole lifeless world." I could hardly put this book down. I just couldn't wait to see what happened in the end. I think it took me three days to read it. Though it's a little gruesome in parts, R.'s love for Julie is so sweet and endearing. The book is told through R.'s perspective (and a little of the dead boyfriend's) and it is his eloquent internal narrative and surprising will to live that made this book for me. I cannot recommend it enough. I saw online that they're making a movie of this book that will come out next year and I am interested to see how this translates to film. I always wonder how a movie can really capture a book when so much of the narrative takes place in the main character's thoughts.  
     Anyway, I don't really have any books on my radar to read next. Any ideas? What have you been reading?

8. You've nailed it. 
     Last month when I joined the Julep Maven program for nail care products, I didn't really like any of the June monthly boxes. None of the colors really spoke to me. But on Wednesday I got an e-mail announcing the colors for the July boxes and this month's picks are all winners! I had such a hard time deciding whether to stick with my normal "Classic with a Twist" box or switching to another box. In the end, I decided to switch to "Boho Glam" because I really love the coral-y pink color Mischa and the red color Georgia. The other cool thing about this month is that everyone is getting a free patriotic color in their boxes in time for the Summer Olympics in London (and the Fourth of July). The limited edition colors America the Beautiful and O Canada! are so neat. And free! My box is also going to come with a voucher for a free nail color as a special thank you for signing up last month. So you see, Julep offers perks practically nonstop! If you're interested in trying Julep Maven and want to get your intro box for just a penny, you can click here to fill out your style quiz and then just use the promo code COLOR2012 to adjust the price of your first box to just one penny. I know I talk about subscription boxes a lot, but Julep Maven is one of my favorites. There are just so many options to decide exactly what you want to get and they give out fun surprises constantly. Each month, you also have the possibility of winning a gold box, which includes every color from all the different boxes for that month. How awesome would that be? Plus, the ability to skip a month anytime you want and not get charged is really unique for subscription boxes. 

9. Paint indecision. I feel like I have been looking at paint colors for an eternity, but I haven't made any final decisions. It is just so hard to make a final choice and slap the paint on the wall. Obviously, if it looks bad we can start over, but there's just something about making that final choice that has me paralyzed. Currently, I am toying with two colors, one for the kitchen/dining room and one for the living room. They are in the same color family so I think that they will look good with each other since the rooms are adjoining and you will be able to see them together. Right now, I like Benjamin Moore's Rockport Gray (marked with a 1) for the kitchen and Copley Gray (the one above it) for the living room.