Rounding Up the Stuff

Stephenie Meyer wrote a novella to accompany Eclipse. The Short Second Life of Bree Tanner is available online for free, FOR FREE, until July 7th.  She says we should read it before we SEE THE MOVIE IN A FEW WEEKS!

I want to make fun of this girl, but the hypocrisy would be astounding. My crushes started with Strawberry Shortcake and ended, dreadfully, with New Kids On The Block. Posters, bedspread, dolls, pins, tapes, movies...oh my.

I found these booties in a small boutique during my trip to New Orleans.  One pair left, super sale, gun metal color, to die for. Update: there's a problem with the link. Click on boots/booties, bottom left corner (Mamie).

Enjoying The NY Times summer reading list.

I'm obsessed with my yard. A neighborhood friend walked by my house the other day and asked me what the hell I was doing.  I was standing on my sidewalk 'visualizing my canvas'.  It's a technique to help you figure out how you want to design.  For those of you without a yard to design, check this out.

WEE By Port2Port Press

Once upon a time, MAV of 3191 fame and I were neighbors on a quaint little street in Portland's West End. She's the blogging real deal, one of the originals and very successful. She has lots of great side projects, one of them being WEE.

And, as you can see, she fell under Miles' loveable charms much like the rest of us.

Menemsha quilt for Miles

Thank you, thank you, thank you. Thank you.

We started shooting with his clothes on which lasted for one click. Are you kidding me with that scrumptious belly?

Get the flash player here: http://www.adobe.com/flashplayer

Pregnancy product roundup

I'm feeling a serious urgency to get nested, probably because I'm hoping the earlier I nest the earlier the baby will arrive. I'm a fool, a glutton for punishment. Someone slap me out of this ridiculous fantasy world before I find myself sitting on my swollen ass in the middle of January with nothing to do but count my eye lashes. On the bright side, the urgency to nest has given way to the creation of a list of things I've really enjoyed during this pregnancy. It's almost as if I want to document the things this baby and I enjoy before I'm too sleep deprived to remember my own name.

* Pre-natal massage: Seriously, I can't say enough about the benefits of this investment. In the Portland area, I've found The Jade Trade to be top notch. Ask for Ricky. God made her hands specifically to nurture the roundest among us. I can't help but believe the absence of back pain during this pregnancy has everything to do with giving myself this gift. And they take insurance!

* Secret Fit Shaper: I use this less for shapeliness than to prevent spontaneous combustion from my thighs rubbing together. Very comfy, very supportive, very fire proof.

* Be Maternity Essential Ruched Tank: Dude. This is the comfiest item of foundation wear I've ever worn, and there's no doubt it will continue to be a staple long after the baby is in my arms. Soft fabric, endless stretchability. Buy it in your first trimester, and it will take you all the way to the end and back again.

* REN Clean Active Bio Skin Care: I ran out of several skin care favorites in the beginning of this pregnancy. Because there are SO MANY unfriendly chemicals which are totally incompatible with pregnancy, I decided to periodically change to REN. I use the Active 7 Eye Maintenance Gel which I've found to be more than adequate. It's not quite as good as my usual, but I feel good knowing I'm doing a good thing for the babe.

Halo Lace

See, even the name of the right bra is angelic.

At 4pm yesterday afternoon just as I was about to leave the office to get Eva from Little School, I got a call from Ferris. By some miracle, he was able to leave work early and was already on his way to pick her up. Halle-FRIGGIN-lujah! So I decided to maximize my good fortune with some oh-so-very necessary bra shopping. One hour later, I left with what I hope will be the best thing that ever happened to me.

Wacoal, so they say, is the best. These bras are built by people who take boobs very seriously and specialize in accommodating the 'full-figured' lady. I can't believe I've become a full-figured lady, but so goes life. Instead of denying what God gave me, I've decided to meet these cans head on. I got this particular bra in black, it has four clasps in the back, and super soft shoulder straps. More than anything else, however, I bought it because it covers and supports completely without giving me mom-boobs. There's no spilling over the top, and it lifts and perks them up so I can fool myself into believing there's no such thing as Cooper's Droop. In sum, it's a comfortable, pretty bra that makes me feel good.

It's been a super long time since I've done a product post (the funnest stuff to write about), so tomorrow you can look forward to reading all kinds of reviews on some of my favorite stuff.