{Blogged after a bath and a root beer} As any new mother will tell you, along with the body changes and life changes and hormone changes they come with a new baby, there are so many emotional changes you experience that the simple things really do make a world of difference. Like this Irresistible Me Diamond styling iron. The little things like taking a shower and actually styling your hair can lift your spirits considerably. I got this iron in a fabulous red color, something I've never really done before. I always choose silver or black but this red is fun. I love so many things about this product. It heats up very quickly and it's ceramic and so lightweight. It also has an automatic shut off, which takes away that backing out of the driveway fear of "Wait, did I unplug it?" It doesn't matter! The plate is smooth and moves through your hair without pulling or damage. I have pretty straight hair to start with, but it has a tendency to be dry and frizzy on the ends. This flat iron completely eliminated that. It comes with instructions for suggested temperatures depending upon hair type. Since I have fine hair, I set the iron to low and ran this iron over my hair only one time most areas and it was great. I will do a follow up post and show some before and after pictures for you! If you are in the market for high quality styling products, go check out www.irresistibleme.com. Sweetly, Michelle
My Mama Journey
We did a small photo shoot when this little man was 6 days old with the incomparable @bleudogfotography
{Written over bubble gum and marshmallow Jelly Bellies} I am not an expert on anything motherhood, but I am 3 weeks into baby number two and I have to tell you, it has been bliss. With my daughter, I was a tentative, worried, careful, slightly (alright, more than slightly) paranoid first time mom who worried about sleep schedules, 2 ounce feeds every 2.5 hours, counting daily wet diapers and the like. I am not really a baby person--except to my own--and I hadn't been around that many children before I had mine. I read up on everything related to newborns while I was pregnant and wanted to make sure I was meeting (well, exceeding) every expectation and milestone. Its not that I didn't stop to savor the moments and enjoy it all, but I think I was so overwhelmed with the whole process that I didn't appreciate the journey. The miracle I had created. The wondrous 9 month process my body (and emotions!) went through to bring a real, blessed, perfect, innocent little child into this world. The days --and endless sleepless nights-- rolled one into the other and the baby stage became the toddler stage in the blink of an eye. While every life stage of a child is wonderful in its own way, before I knew it, I was looking into pre-schools and piano lessons.
With my son, I feel calm and capable and relaxed and I am enjoying the journey. While I didn't necessarily enjoy being pregnant, I learned to appreciate every turn and kick and hiccup and poke I felt with this little man inside of me, knowing what a remarkable experience it was. I have happily spent entire days lounging around with him--feeding him and holding him while he sleeps-- and haven't worried about the things I could be doing if he was in his glider and I had my hands free. I sit and stare at his face and try to imprint the curves and folds that mark a newborn, because they so imperceptibly yet quickly change. I now appreciate the solitude that comes from just he and I in a quiet house- with everyone gone to work and school-as we learn together how to navigate our new life. With my daughter, we had a firm rule that she would not sleep in our bed. With my son, he has spent every night of his little life in a Dock a Tot in my bed between my husband and I, so I can look at him while he sleeps and I can hear his every move. I mentioned that I was not a baby person but I have discovered I am a mother person through and through. I think mothers are amazing warriors who are part of this wonderful little club. I support every kind of mother and mothering choice- breastfeed, bottle feed, supplement, co-sleep, crib sleep, whatever- I applaud you for the selflessness and tireless love that it takes to be a mother. And I am proud to be a member of this club-- even though its admission requires stretched skin and infrequent showers and months of sleepless nights. I know now that it flies by--like all of the years of our life seem to- and though I am only 3 weeks in, I have finally learned, I hope, to enjoy this journey. Thank you as always for reading, my dearests. Sweetly, Michelle
Twins at Twilight
{Written while a passenger on the way to meet my cousin's 3 day old baby girl!} Is there anything better than that twilight hour? The day is not yet over, the night has not yet begun... It is my favorite part of every day (especially summer days!) Now put me outside in that golden light, with my beautiful friend Vanessa at my side and this gorgeous flowy dress and I call that a perfect night! You can shop this pretty (non maternity) dress here! Hope your week is off to the very best start and thank you so much for stopping by. Sweetly, Michelle
Baby Berger Bash Part 2
I was in blue sparkly tulle heaven! I just loved how this sweet table turned out!
Isn't this sign so cute? I wish I would have held it up for a few photos (hindsight...) :)
I always buy color coordinated candy and it helped that Rolos fit our color scheme!! Yum!
Little soap shower favors (I had the tag say " From my shower to yours" :)
Everyone thought the blue wine was bubble bath (which would have also been a cute favor, come to think of it!)
I loved this cake so much! It was the yummiest flavor ever! How can you go wrong with a confetti cake? You simply can't!
I may have said this before but I live on a most magical street- kids galore and an amazing group of women as my neighbors...there are 3 right here and I love them so...
My husband loves this photo, because he loves any picture of me with what he calls a "real" smile or laugh. I do NOT like my huge, sharky smile at all but I posted it because it is genuine and I really am laughing through most of my days... and isn't that a blessing?π
If my beautiful mama is happy, all is right in my world.
Friendship-- real, lasting, heartfelt, true friendship-- is one of life's greatest treasures. I treasure this girl beyond words...
Its a Boy! Could the name of the color be more appropriate? :)
These women are my heart. I say this all the time, but its true. We spend an afternoon or an evening together every 2 months or so, come rain or shine, and have done this for maybe 10 years. They make my world go round and enrich my life .
Favor table!!!
So here they are....(most) of the people (the girls, anyway) who matter the most in my life, gathered together to celebrate and embrace my little guy. I am astounded at my good fortune, I do not take it for granted, and I love them back so hard...
Four generations all together....
I LOVED this dress! I cant wait to wear it post baby with some sneaks and a bomber jacket- how cute would that be?
{Written over Big Brother-- is anyone else watching this? } Alright, so I wanted to share a few more details with you of my baby shower... I literally could do 10 posts because everything turned out so cute! Alright, picking up where we last left off...After we got the basics down-- the place, the colors, the flowers-- we started to drill down into the details. One of the things we wanted to do was create a favor table for our guests where they could take a variety of things home that went beyond the candy buffet (I am a sugar-a-holic though, so the candy was still there) to a few more items. I started to think about things that were blue/gold or that popped (like my preggo belly!) and I came up with blue sparkling wine, blue gumballs, blue and gold soap that said Oh Baby (this phrase was a sub-theme- the invitations said "Oh baby" and we had this on the photo booth and the dessert table and the soap too!), OPI nail polish (the color is called Its a Boy!) and a small bag of custom cookies. I feel so much gratitude inside for the love I am constantly surrounded with and part of my goal was to let my guests know and to just create an afternoon where they felt spoiled and loved in return.
Then, we were off to the dessert table. People, this is an area that I consider my specialty. I am not really a foodie and I don't drink alcohol but I sure know my way around a cupcake!! Here again, I wanted things I Iove (s'mores, macaroons, rice kripsy treats), only in blue and gold and fancy. Let me just tell you that the pastry chef did not disappoint. I requested a funfetti cake (Come on. They are the best!) and it was the cutest (and tastiest!) bit of yum ever!
And my dress! I really struggled with what to wear because I haven't done a lot of maternity outfits (aside from work clothes, I've just been buying normal things a size bigger) but my bump is getting unmanageable. It is literally STRAIGHT OUT and like a basketball. Thankfully, I have had a fairly easy breezy pregnancy--nothing has swelled, nothing much else has changed but this tummy is just....out there. And I kind of wanted to be a little fancy. I found this Asos White dress and fell in immediate love. I just bought it in a regular size and had it taken in because it was made to be loose and I wore gold sandals and accessories. I felt so beautiful (something I don't really feel like when I am pregnant) Its sold out in blue but I linked the soft blush color -- maybe you can get on the waiting list because it is amazing in real life-heavy, and flowy and stunning. I am going to have it taken in after I have this baby so I can wear it still. I LOVE it.
We also did a Snapchat Geotfilter for my shower too (you essentially create and submit a custom snapchat filter for your special day!) If you have the time, its the cutest touch for a special event in your life- email me and I would be happy to walk you through the process. It was so cute and everyone loved it!
All in all, it was the most magical day. I am so grateful for the women in my life- from those I am related to, to those that through their friendship have become a part of my family. My letter that day sort of said to everyone that when you become a mother, you realize more than ever that it takes a village to raise a child. I am beyond blessed for those I have around me who love me, who support me, who take time out of exceptionally busy lives and travel long distances and who are there for me. I am going to turn to each and every one of them after my little boy is born so they can help me to raise a good, honest, loyal man. This baby boy is already so blessed!! Thank you so much for stopping by...Sweetly, Michelle