Paper Hearts and Cranes

Heart=Melting

2012-01-27T14:17:00.002-05:00

Just because. Have a great weekend!

image via

Monster Baby

2012-01-26T17:05:00.002-05:00

Time seems to be slipping away. My little tiny newborn is turing into a real baby day by day. It feels like every time he wakes up from a nap or from the night, he is a little but smarter and a whole lot heavier! We've crossed the three month marker and life is becoming pretty seamless, with the days going by faster than we can keep up. I find myself constantly in flux between wanting time to speed up to reach all new exciting milestones and fighting to slow down every second and hold on to each little giggle and squeal.

These days Phoenix is weighing in at a hefty 15.5 lbs. That's right. He's a monster baby. Between his two and three month check up he gained three pounds. Which puts him in the 98th percentile for height and weight. When Scott asked me what that meant, I told him, "It means only 2% of babies his age are larger than him." "Wait....only 2%?!!" hahaha

Other than weeding through his clothes week by week (we are now in 6-9), P is as strong as can be. Although, he has been since birth. He's constantly pulling himself up as soon as he manages to wrap his pudgy hands around anything solid. He's sitting up all on his own in his bumbo seat and looks like he will be a fast crawler. Oh this boy of ours...he sure does keep us on our toes.

Every day there is a new noise, a new giggle, and funny expression for us to experience. And waking up at seven isn't so bad when there is a sweet cooing boy snuggling up next to you and batting his long eye lashes at your sleepy face. Heart melts.

Before you become a parent, a lot of people tell you that the first six weeks are the most difficult or that once you hit three months it's so easy. Others say the first year is really challenging. I'm not really sure that the challenges ever really end. (Correct me if I'm wrong parents!) But I feel like the challenges change. It's the way you approach them that really makes some "harder" than others. As with anything in life, if you approach a situation thinking that you will fail, most likely you will. I never had any doubt in my mind that I would love being a mother, but I had no idea how crazy in love I would be with my son and how much more I would love my husband when he became a father. And how much more I would appreciate my parents the moment I felt what they felt all these years. All those cliches...they are true. You really don't know, until you are there.

And so once again, Phoenix is waking up from his nap. I know once I peek in and watch him playing for a second before he sees me, I will wonder what he's thinking about. I will wonder what new things he is learning today. I think about whether or not he can truly feel all the love that is around him morning and night. I watch in amazement as he discovers this whole beautiful world with such fresh eyes and a pure heart.

These are the thoughts going through my mind at any given time. Slowing down. Always wanting another moment. Another hour with this sweet babe.

Currently

2012-01-12T14:58:00.000-05:00

by james mcneill whistler | via texturism

“And once the storm is over you won’t remember how you made it through, how you managed to survive. You won’t even be sure, in fact, whether the storm is really over. But one thing is certain. When you come out of the storm, you won’t be the same person who walked in.”

- Haruki Murakami

Sick Baby

2012-01-11T13:13:00.001-05:00

Source: google.com via Katy on Pinterest

Sometimes babies are a mystery. Today, Phoenix is sick and it is both heart breaking and exhausting. Not that much of parenting is a walk in the park, but having a sick baby has to be one of the hardest challenges. My normally happy little guy is so irritable and upset. Poor thing.

The mystery is: I'm not sure what he needs. I mean, other than food, clean diapers, and extra snuggles. He's never cried for "no reason" before. He's not fussy at all. And all of a sudden he is needing me more than ever. But that's just fine with me. We've just been nursing, nursing, nursing until he gets better.

I never thought I would be so excited about suctioning out a really huge booger but here I am, middle of the night, pulling that nasty thing out so my baby can breathe and sleep. That's the thing about being mom, you're always on call. For the rest of your life. It seems like such a daunting task. But nothing feels better than getting that little nose unstuffed and seeing your little one slip back into precious sleep.

And with that, I am handed another huge dose of perspective. It seems like every time I am faced with a parenting challenge, I am reminded to be thankful that I have a healthy boy. That his little body is strong enough to fight this terrible cold. And that I am able to be here for him day and night to help him get through it.

In the mean time, any advice for a sick three month old? Tried and true remedies?

2011 Was A Good Year

2012-01-03T13:20:00.001-05:00

I know I'm late with this post. I know most good bloggers posted their lists last week, yesterday, last month. I know. But guess what? This is real life and I'm just writing this out now. So just go with it.

2011 was a good year. It started out peeking out from the darkness of a terrible loss and ended by shining a light on the possibilities of a new year ahead.

Here is a look (in photos) of my favorite year yet!

January

We spent the first month of the year with good friends. Gearing up for a new year and setting ourselves up with a positive perspective. Little did we know what was just around the corner.

February

This!

March

As the sun started to roll in, we ventured out to explore.

April

We headed out west to spend some time in our second favorite city, LA!

We played in castles with dear friends.

Took in the view.

Ate yummy things at the farmers market, after a workout. Ahem... (That's right. I worked out on vacation.)

And I got really into veggie burgers.

May

We found out we were having a boy!

And I started to look more like this:

June

There was a short lived (albeit delicious) obsession with thai iced tea italian ice. Yum.

Dining outside with pretty friends.

Belly!

Birthday fun :)

Cooking and baking every day.

And growing, growing, growing...

July

It was HOT and we tried to spend as much time as we could at the beach.

I made (and ate) gazpacho almost every day.

Friends enjoying margaritas while I drink water with lime. Womp womp.

More belly!

August

I started to look and feel more like I was in my third trimester. And also I was hot. ALL the time. Since I felt like a house, I dyed my hair red. Woot!

Our baby shower! Made possible by my sweet parents :)

A few more walks on the boardwalk.

September

As we got closer to the big day I was running out of clothes but I refused to buy any more maternity clothes so I came up with little outfits such as this one, when my bestie Shannon came up for the day. Interesting, no?

I made my own nutella! Really!

Husband celebrated his birthday in Greece! (Not really, just a Greek resto.) Wish...

I got really into pumpkin foods. Such a pumpkin kale smoothie. Healthy and delicious!

Pumpkin mac and cheese! Not quite as healthy but most definitely delicious. Nom Nom.

One of my last midwife appointments before our little butterball was here.

And then the waiting began...

October

He's here! Phoenix Hudson was born at home by the light of the moon.

The very first photo:

We became parents...

fell in love with him...

and all at once, our whole new life began.

November

This month, our little sack of potatoes decided to stop being a newborn...

and become a funny little baby!

December

This is my favorite photo, out of all the hundreds we took this month. Our sweet boy. His very first Christmas. By the light of his very first tree.

2011 was not a year without challenges and tough decisions. But nothing compares to the joy and wonder that becoming a parent brings. Seeing the whole amazing world through your child's eyes puts all things into perspective and with that teaches you what to hold dear.

I am so grateful for all these moments and the many more not captured on film. 2011 was the most life altering year of my life and I can't wait to see what's to come in 2012.

Probably more italian ices and mac and cheese.

Finding The Good

2011-12-10T14:36:00.001-05:00

(A photo of my cute bunny, just because.)

Today has been one of those days when it's more challenging to find the good. After dealing with my infection, I had to take two different antibiotics, one of which gave me a horrible reaction and now I have a gross rash covering my face and neck. The irony of the whole thing is that I had a home birth free of drugs and intervention. P hasn't been vaccinated. I don't even take pain killers for a head ache. And for the past few weeks I've been popping pain meds, rubbing on steroid creams, and downing antibiotics (all monitored by my midwife, of course). I told my midwife about how upset I was over the whole thing and she just smiled and told me that was how the universe worked. She said that since I had such an easy pregnancy and amazing recovery after birth, I owed it to the universe somehow. Go figure.

In any case, I've been sitting around feeling sorry for myself all morning. We have plans with some dear friends this evening and I was crying to S about wanted to cancel because I felt so self conscious about this stupid rash. Lately, I've been feeling sorry for myself a lot. Annoyed that I still have a few pounds left to lose and no time to exercise. Worried that our living situation is so in flux right now. Unhappy that my roots are grown out and my toenail polish is still the same one that I had when P was born (seriously). Grouchy when I sit around in sweats all day.

The truth is I just have to get out of this funk. And so I'm holding myself accountable by posting this on my blog. I have NO reason to be throwing myself a pity party. I have an amazing healthy baby boy who lights up every time I sing silly made up songs to him. My wonderful husband lets me whine to him about my grown out roots and toenail polish and still tells my how pretty I look every day. In my sweats. And with a rash on my face. And so what that I still have a few pounds to lose. I'll lose them! I have a strong amazing body that created, birthed, and is nourishing a little person. I have to give myself a break. And the living situation? Well, we're figuring that out too.

I have to remind myself that everything is taken care of. This is all a part of my journey at the moment. The pain, the suffering, the sacrifice, and the lessons it is bringing.

I think that as women and moms, we tend to want to do it all and do it without messing our hair up or showing any weakness. My postpartum experience has been different than I imagined it would be. Even with my hesitations about breast feeding and the good fortune of having an easy recovery, I didn't anticipate all these other challenges. It's tough. But I'm going to get through it.

For now, I have to find the good in this situation. I'm sharing my story. In a small way, I'm suffering. But life is pretty good right now. We are in a good place. And getting better every day.

Let's Talk About Boobs

2011-12-06T14:24:00.001-05:00

Picasso Maternite, 1963

Since Baby P has come into the world I have had my breasts out far more and with many more people than I ever cared to share them with. I mean, a lot.
Firstly because breast feeding is so time consuming in the beginning. Baby P and I did not have a solid introduction unfortunately. He had trouble latching on, amongst other things. Those first couple of weeks were filled with him crying because he was hungry followed by me crying because it hurt so bad. It felt like razor blades stabbing my breasts. Uggghh. I shudder just remembering it. Every time he nursed, it took a long time so needless to say, those boobs were out!
Even though our nursing sessions are going much smoother now there is such a learning curve with the whole thing. Now, while I was pregnant I read every book under the sun, like a good first time mommy. I read blogs, forums, and talked to other moms. I was pumped and prepared for my birth. However, I was terrified of breast feeding. In retrospect, I wonder if my hesitation is what brought on this myriad of problems. But I digress.
The worst part was not the pain or insecurity. Oh no, that passed. It's the mastitis and abscess that developed in the past seven weeks. Yeah, that's the WORST part.
It began as a plugged duct and continued to morph into an infection until it basically looked like my breast was about to explode. Ew. I won't be posting any photos of THAT.
At seven weeks I had to get the abscess drained which was super painful and pretty gross. My midwife suggested we do some "self healing" as we called it. My other option was going to a breast surgeon or the ER and risk getting sliced open. No thanks.
In any case, all is getting better now as I am on my second round of antibiotics, healing and hopefully all this is behind us.
The challenge of breast feeding is not something most women talk about and I wish more would. Maybe new moms wouldn't be so discouraged if they knew, in the first place, how to prepare for this new experience.
Just know, if you can push past the first few painful weeks, it's a bond like no other. It's an amazing feeling knowing you can nourish your child. But just like many things in parenthood, it's a sacrifice, body and heart.

Phoenix Hudson: Month One

2011-11-18T13:05:00.001-05:00

Well son, we've made it. One month! Actually, you are six weeks old as I write this but as you will learn one day, time is a fleeting thing. I have already caught myself on the verge of tears thinking about how quickly you are growing dear Phoenix. These past weeks you have filled our home with more laughter and our hearts with more joy than we've ever known.
You've already proven to live up to your name. You are so strong. Since your first week, you've been picking your head up and pushing off of us with your chubby legs. And every time your little head bobbles over or you can't quite grasp something and fall, you pick yourself up and keep trying. Over and over. Like a Phoenix.
These past few weeks you've also been spoiling us with your sweet coos and your delicious smile. You're even laughing! That little laugh makes my heart melt.
You're more alert every day and always observing what is going on around you. You love looking outside when it's too cold to actually go outside in the morning. After we nurse in the morning, you love to lay back down with us and sleepily gave out the window at the first rays of morning sun. Yes, you like to start your day early.
Recently you have been more interested in playing too! You love your playmat with your animal friends. Although you're not interested in sleeping by yourself during the day, we don't mind all that much since you're so snugly. At night you alternate snuggling up to mama and curling up next to papa. It's our favorite.
We are both so blown away with how much you've changed in just one month. Day by day you grow into an even more adventurous and inquisitive little boy. And while I hate to think about quickly this first month has passed we're looking forward to seeing what next month brings!

The greatest challenge this month was breast feeding. It was much harder than I anticipated and we both had trouble for the first couple of weeks. I was so determined to get through it and get better and we did! But not without several plugged ducts which turned into mastitis, and now, a round of antibiotics. Exhausting, but worth it. I can proudly say that you nurse like a champ now! Without any pain or frustration for either of us.

We are lucky that you are a pretty good sleeper at the moment. I say "at the moment" because I have learned in these short six weeks that as soon as you feel like you have something figured out (breast feeding, sleeping, etc.) it can change very quickly! A reoccurring theme as a parent, I'm sure. Anyway, you usually wake up only once a night if we're lucky, twice max. Pretty good buddy!

Other than that we are just head over heels crazy in love with you and so happy you chose to let us be your parents. We love you little fuzzball :)

Phoenix Hudson: Week 3

2011-11-09T18:43:00.001-05:00

Every week that goes by, I can't believe we've been parents for another seven days. That we've learned another new way to soothe this little guy, to meet his needs, and also find time to shower. There have been a lot of questions and frustrating moments, but mostly we are feeling like real parents now.

Baby P is such a sweet little guy. We can't say much for sleepiness. Luckily...

Not that he is sleeping through the night. Ha! Hardly. But he does wake me up by tugging on the top of my tank top and whimpering a little. He then nurses for a bit until he falls asleep for 2-3 more blissful hours. We're not as alert as ever but it's definitely not as bad as I thought it would be. I know it's different for everyone and bless his little heart, our boy seems to be an okay sleeper for the most part, but I thought I would be a zombie for sure.

We usually get up after our 8 am feeding or if P decides to go back to sleep then we sleep in until 10. Luxury, I know. After that he eats again and we play for a little while. By play I mean stare at each other and I talk to him as he coos and makes sweet baby sounds at me. Usually I kiss him a million times until he makes a face that says, "Enough mom." Point taken.

This routine goes on for the rest of the day: nurse, nap, play, eat (me), maybe bathe...

The last few weeks have been a hazy blur of diapers, first smiles, and family naps. And in the midst of this, we are moving. Out of New York. For good.
We are not moving to California until after the holidays so this is kind of a transition move. We are moving out of our apartment and in with my parents in the burbs. We are close enough to the city to see our friends on the weekends until we move bit it's till surreal. For the next several weeks, we will be soaking up as much time with our families and friends as we can, enjoying our beloved city, and planning our new life in our NEW city. All with a newborn...Phew.
With that, we still have to pack up our whole apartment by Monday. Yikes.

Phoenix Hudson: Week 2

2011-10-31T16:26:00.001-04:00

Our second week with our sweet boy has been just as deliriously lovely as the first. Sometimes I find myself just staring into those wise blue eyes and wondering what he's thinking. If he's absorbing all the ways we tell him that he makes our world go round every day.

And so begins the fleeting journey of a newborn. All day I daydream what it will be like to hear his first giggles and hold hands walking down the street. How excited he will be to kick a soccer ball. If he will like dinosaurs or spaceships. And the larger part of me is trying to soak in this delicious itty baby with all my heart. I know he won't be a dreamy tiny newborn for very long. So I don't mind the night feedings and mountains of diapers. I embrace it. I miss him when he is sleeping. Each night I snuggle him to my chest as close as I can because I know one day he won't let me. He wakes me up with his coos and by grabbing on to the top of my shirt with his tiny hands. My heart melts every time. 2 am, 4 am, whenever.

He's already gained weight from his birth and I can't imagine what he will be like in 3 months or more. I'm not ready to yet.

I know a lot of new parents can't wait to move out of the newborn phase but I feel like I'm holding on for every last moment.

My tiny boy.

There is no greater feeling than the weight of my child's body resting on my chest. Slowly rising up and down with every small breath.

Breathing in his pure scent and nuzzling the soft spot on the top of his head gently with my lips. Bliss.

I'll never forget it.

Phoenix Hudson: Week 1

2011-10-26T19:43:00.000-04:00

I'm back. Sort of.
I'm back as a new mom.
A busy mom.
A mom too busy to blog because I'm more interested in snuggling, kissing, holding, and falling in love with my sweet newborn boy. And napping. Sort of...

Life with this sweet boy has been a whirlwind so far. We are about a week in and S and I have laughed, cried, worried, and grown more in this week then ever before. We have grown not only as partners but as parents to this beautiful creature.

I have been attempting to write my birth story for a few days now. As any new parent knows, you master the one handed typing pretty quickly. But every time I try to find the words to describe that day, I am at a loss. It was so powerful. So raw. So surreal. But I will get there...I will find the words. Hoping to finish soon so I don't get too far away from that feeling. Not lose the emotion that came with that moment.

Here's our first week in photos:

My Water Broke Last Night

2011-10-13T17:30:00.002-04:00

And since then I have been on a one way train to baby town, making every slooooow stop along the way.

By this I mean, there hasn't been much action. Other than eating, resting, and hot showers.

My midwife came by this morning to check in and make sure baby and I were okay. We are. But other than that I have been having not more than some mild contractions, no where near the REAL DEAL.

And so we wait.

Having your water break is different than the movies. I thought it was going to happen and we would be rushing around getting ready. Nope. Just cleaned up and tried to go back to sleep, unsuccessfully. Not too excited.

Sigh. Come on baby! Let's do this!

image via

39 Weeks

2011-10-11T19:55:00.000-04:00

Still pregnant.
Yes. Stiiiiiiill pregnant.
However, tonight is a full moon and I just ordered some spicy Thai. Let's see how that goes. Hopefully both of these things will kickstart baby boy's arrival.
If you are interested at all about when I go into labor - check my twitter. I'm sure I'll be posting something ridiculous and excited.

Emotional Overload

2011-10-06T19:47:00.001-04:00

Follow my blog with Bloglovin

I keep watching this video and crying. Why? Who knows. But it is a perfect example of how crazy I feel.

Reflections & Challenges

2011-10-06T16:06:00.000-04:00

via

Pregnancy is challenging. It challenges, of course, your body. First off, you have no idea if you can even become pregnant. Every woman is hoping not to get pregnant for so long that until you finally decide to try, you have no clue if it's even in the cards for you.
Then, for months, you wait in agony until you're in the "clear" for the rest of your pregnancy. You're waiting to hear that you're "safe." I use these words loosely because although there is less of a chance that you'll have a miscarriage, it's entirely possible, as it was for me. Bummer.
By the time you're halfway through you feel those first few incredible flutters. That's when you feel that first magical connection. The first time you feel life. It's amazing.

At this point, you're being challenged emotionally. You're responsible. For making a life. For about 20 more weeks. Here we go...
And so begins the fun journey that is:

"Is this really happening?"
"Can we do this?"
"How much bigger am I going to get?" (Spoiler: A lot.)
"Um...I actually have to get this baby out of me?"
"GET THIS BABY OUT OF ME."

Now this pregnancy is challenging your every day. At 38 weeks, everything feels a little more difficult. Half of the time I am starving no matter how much I eat. Equally, I can take three bites and feel like I'm going to explode due to baby pressing down on my stomach.

My yoga pants and leggings are in HEAVY rotation. Yesterday I wore my maternity jeggings to lunch and whined about it all day. Great idea.

I'm sleepy. Like really sleepy. More sleepy than first trimester, when I slept for 12-15 hours. It may have something to do with waking up a million times a night, ridden with anxiety, and baby deciding he is ready to begin his day at six. I know, I know. Prepping, right? Ugh.

My emotions are all over the place. If the bank teller asks me one more time if I'm still pregnant, I'm going to have a meltdown. OBVIOUSLY. Do you think I just gave birth and decided I liked the way it looked to be 9 months pregnant?

Another challenge is finding time for friends. I know this seems like a no brainer. I have nothing to do but wait at this point right? Theoretically yes...But I have to find time AND energy to put on my leggings, brush my hair, decide if I'm hungry first, did I nap enough, figure out a place to meet within walking distance, sit down and take a break after all that, pee, cry because I'm so tired and not sure it was a good idea to make plans, lay down, have a snack, pee again, brush my hair again, cry because none of my clothes fit, decide if I have to pee again, and finally waddle down the street to meet you, friend. Exhausting, yes? I'm not kidding. This is an every day sequence of events at this point. Combined with contractions at inopportune moments and all around discomfort.

To round out the whiny whining for the afternoon I will tell you that this has been a difficult year. Pregnancy has been very different than what I expected. But isn't that life? You have no idea how it will be until you're there. I remember feeling that way in college. Thinking, wow, I'm in the middle of this whole thing and this was not what I thought it was going to be. Or starting a new job, getting married, moving to a new place...you get the idea. It always turns out amazing, just somehow different than how you imagined.

It may seem like it's been a miserable experience but in honestly, I really can't complain. For most of the past nine months I have experienced little more than some initial nausea, sleepiness, and about two weeks of sciatica midway through. I have felt energetic, excited, in love, blessed, beautiful, and honored to be a mama to this little being growing inside me. I have felt closer to S, the universe, other women, my own mom, my body, and God than ever before in my life.

As much as I am being a whiney pants lately, I am so grateful to be here. At the end of one journey, and almost the beginning of a (much longer) new one. Hopefully baby boy will want to meet us soon. I know I still have the most important part (birth) to look forward to but now that I'm almost there, I can honestly say that it is an incredible experience. To go from peeing on a stick, to feeling your baby move for the first time, seeing your body change, surrender to the process, and trust in your own body...to know that your little person is going to be here soon. It's surreal.

So, with that said, I am planning on taking the next however long (please come soon!), to reflect on this journey. My first pregnancy, my first child. A year I will never forget. I'm sure the next time will be different and just as special. But I'm in this moment right now, and I'm going to make sure I enjoy it.

If you have a second...please click to vote :) Thanks! xo

Wellness Wednesday: Book Review

2011-10-05T19:02:00.002-04:00

My super talented friend, Suzanne, wrote a book! And, in fact, it is a very important book.

From Amazon:

"This book is the go-to place for cancer thrivers who want to begin their journey to healthy living with easy recommendations from a cancer physician and a wellness writer. The After Cancer Diet addresses what to eat, drink and do to remain cancer free for life. You will learn how to eat real food, find more sweetness in life (and less in your food), develop a regular exercise routine, detox your body and lead a happier life with more creativity and joy."

I encourage everyone to read The After Cancer Diet and use it as a tool to build a healthier and more vibrant body and life. Empower yourself in making choices that will keep you and your family cancer and disease free. Also, I was lucky enough to contribute my veggie burger recipe for this book!

Way to go Suzanne! Thanks for taking the time to share your knowledge and help people on the road to true wellness. Pick up a copy for your e-reader here.

38 Weeks & Waiting for Baby

2011-10-04T14:17:00.001-04:00

I can't shave my legs. I can't reach them while sitting in the bath. And when I'm showering, I have to do some serious maneuvering to get there. Fun.

There are too many times in the day that I find myself saying, "Can you please give me a few more inches? I can't clear that space..." Grumpy face. (Belly too big.)

I can wiggle into my maternity jeggings but let's face it, not necessary.

So I spend my days and nights pottering around in my yoga pants. Finishing up the last of my to do list, trying to cook all the food remaining in our pantry, packing up the apartment, and basically just waiting.

Waiting for baby.

I've resorted to having daily conversations with baby boy. I've been telling him how much more fun life is on the outside of my belly. I've told him all about his new friends that are being born across the country and all the people excited to meet him. I've even tried to bribe him with the promise of a thousand kisses a day, maybe more.

He's pretty set, that boy of ours. I don't blame him. It's chilly out here. And you have to do things like laundry and pay your phone bill.

At my midwife appointment the other day, we found out baby was in position and ready to go. I've been having a lot of contractions and showing a lot of early labor signs. Some of which prompted a late night visit from my midwife on Saturday night. Turns out my electrolyte levels were low. But all is good. She just told me to take it easy since baby could be coming at ANY MOMENT. How crazy is that?

So we wait...

Pumpkin Green Smoothie

2011-10-03T11:15:00.000-04:00

In light of my last post, I wanted to offer a nice cleansing smoothie to jump start your clean eating and your week, if you choose to do so. Now, don't be discouraged. A lot of people are scared of anything green. Especially a green smoothie. I assure you, this smoothie is the cat's pajamas.

I don't have green smoothies every day. But drink a LOT of smoothies at any time of the day, especially while pregnant. In the beginning of my pregnancy, it was challenging to eat anything. Smoothies were the perfect meal to get me through those first few weeks of constant nausea and an easy way to eat the fruits and vegetables that I couldn't look at otherwise. Ugh.

And then, during the heat of summer, smoothies are always a quick way to have a substantial "meal" without any cooking!

Anyway, I do love them. And here is my current smoothie in rotation. It has spinach. It has pumpkin. It has tons of vitamins and is a tasty way to start your day with a lot of energy.

Pumpkin Green Smoothie

Into blender toss:

a handful of spinach or kale
1/4 c of pumpkin puree
half of a banana
1 c of milk or non dairy milk
1 T ground flax
2 T almond or peanut butter
2 t pumpkin spice mix
1 date

Blend, Drink, Enjoy!

Wellness Wednesday: Film Review

2011-09-28T10:58:00.001-04:00

Last night S and I watched a great documentary called "Fat, Sick, & Nearly Dead." The film is about a man, Joe Cross, who is 100 pounds overweight, loaded up on steroids and suffering from a debilitating autoimmune disease. This is the description from the official site:

"With doctors and conventional medicines unable to help long- term, Joe turns to the only option left, the body's ability to heal itself. He trades in the junk food and hits the road with juicer and generator in tow, vowing only to drink fresh fruit and vegetable juice for the next 60 days. Across 3,000 miles Joe has one goal in mind: To get off his pills and achieve a balanced lifestyle."

You can guess what happens along the way. He saves his own life and the lives of several others. It's a pretty incredible story and truly inspirational as well.

I have done many fasts including juice fasts and always highly recommend them, to everyone! It's so important for your body to detox and be able to relax and recharge every once in a while. I try to cleanse every three months. Usually it involves eliminating sugar, wheat, dairy, meat, alcohol, and caffeine but I have also done more intense cleanses that involve just juice or various other plans. I've never had a poor experience.

Sure, it's not super fun but I always feel amazing after a few days. And I know it's crucial for my well being. Otherwise I wouldn't feel so much better afterwards.

It's like not exercising for a long time and then getting back on track. For the first few days you feel sore. But after that, you begin kicking yourself for waiting so long to start back up again! You're body let's you know that it appreciates you.

If you watch this film and feel inspired, do a cleanse! You don't need to drink only juice like they did. But try just cutting one thing out of your diet. I bet if you didn't eat meat for a week you'd find that you'd be eating a lot more vegetables and fruits after you were done. If you cut out sugar and soda for ten days you wouldn't crave it so much on the 11th day. I guarantee it. It's just a way of training your body and taste buds to appreciate whole, natural foods.

Here are some links to one of my favorite cooking blogs, Shutterbean, and Tracy's experience with juicing. These are a great introduction for some one who has never drank fresh juices before.

Green Lemonade

Kale Apple Ginger

Pumpkins & Things

2011-09-27T19:27:00.002-04:00

Well, I'm officially one month from my due date. What does this mean? I'm freaking out. And when I'm freaking out, I cook. A lot.

So that's what I've been doing. Cooking a lot. Specifically with pumpkin, squash, and the like. Is this too obvious? Sorry, I like pumpkin things. They are delicious.

So among some of the other delights I have dreamed up during my marathon freak out cooking sessions, a few are Pumpkin Mac & Cheese (Whoa! What?!!), Pumpkin Protein Pancakes (NOM NOM), and Pumpkin Green Smoothies (Yes!).

I'll start with the obvious. Pumpkin + Cheese. Yes, I went there. And it rocked! I dreamed up this little number last night after (ahem) we had a perfectly healthy dinner. Oops. Mama needed more than kale, fish, and rice. I have some pumpkin puree in the fridge and have been adding it to everything all week. So when I saw a quick glimpse of mac and cheese on my Pinterest, I knew what needed to be done.

Now, on a side note, I have a love/hate relationship with brown rice pasta. Do you like it? I don't really care for it so much from a textural and flavor stand point. But I do appreciate that it's wheat free and more nutritious than regular pasta. Which leads me to be extremely picky about when I will actually use it. When the pasta is the shining star of the dish, I definitely go with fresh pasta or a great dried (regular) pasta. But I've discovered that if it's a baked pasta dish, such as lasagna, or if the pasta is secondary to cheese or sauce, such as mac and cheese, I'm usually okay with a brown rice or gluten free pasta because the structural (texture) integrity of the pasta isn't compromised. In fact, it's generally okay if it's on the mushier side in these cases.

Anyway, I digress.

Back to the good stuff. This pumpkin mac and cheese rocks because not only is it made with brown rice pasta, it is half the fat of the regular stuff. WHAT?! I know. You're mind is blown right now. Well, since you are adding enough pumpkin puree to the cheese sauce, you eliminate half the cheese and therefore fat. Yeaaaah!! And of course, it's super creamy, cheesy, and rich while providing you with plenty of fiber, anti-oxidants, mineral, vitamins, and virtually NO calories. Good stuff.

Lastly, you could make this dish vegan by replacing the milk with non dairy milk, butter with canola oil, and replacing the cheese with your favorite non dairy melting cheese (like Daiya) and nutritional yeast.

So here we go:

Pumpkin Mac & Cheese

Cook 2 cups of your desired pasta (brown rice or whole wheat, etc) to package specifications. Drain.
Melt 1.5 T butter over low heat.
Whisk in 1.5 T All Purpose Flour until it's incorporated.
Add 1 cup of your favorite milk (whole, skim, etc.) while whisking. This will turn into a base sauce for your mac and cheese or "roux."
Mix in 1/2 cup of cheese (I used sharp cheddar) until melted.
Mix in 1/2 cup of pumpkin puree. Yum!
Let all the flavors come together over a few minutes. The sauce should be thickening up.
Season with salt, pepper, cayenne, and nutmeg. You won't regret it.
Taste. WOW! Amazing right?
If the sauce is too thick, add a little milk. If too thin, let it cook down for a few minutes.
*You can stop at this point, mix your pasta in and go to town. Or you can do as I did and put in a baking dish with bread crumbs, broil, and have an amazing crunch crust.
If you're still here, you're looking for the real thing. Baked mac. You won't be sorry. After mixing in your pasta, spread your mac and cheese in a lightly creased baking dish, top with bread crumbs, (maybe a light spray of oil) and broil for a few minutes.
After cooking for as long as you can possibly wait (let's be real) devour and let people praise you for being such an amazing cook.

I hope you enjoy this as much as S and I did last night. I'll be posting my other pumpkin recipes too. since I know you can't get enough. I obviously can't. I'm making pumpkin, goat cheese, and spinach "hot pockets" tonight for dinner.

Wellness Wednesday: Kashi

2011-09-21T19:12:00.001-04:00

Welcome to Wellness Wednesday! A new feature that I'll have here to write about health, wellness, cooking, and anything else that inspires me to live well!

Full disclosure: Kashi sent me samples of their new product Kashi ® TLC® Peanutty Dark Chocolate Layered Granola Bars. I was super excited to try these out because I love peanutty anything and obviously dark chocolate, hello! I also wanted to say that I wouldn't review this product if I didn't feel comfortable recommending it.

One thing I am always concerned about with any packaged product is the sugar content, among other ingredients. With only 7 grams of sugar, 7 grams of fiber, and 4 grams of protein, it's not too shabby! I have been munching on them any time I am on the run, need an in between snack, or just want a treat. Truth: They are tasty. AND they don't taste super sweet, even with the chocolate. While I prefer to make my own granola bars usually, I don't mind these as a store bought option! I would definitely buy them myself.

Besides my own opinion, I asked a group of my girlfriends their opinion and most importantly, their kiddos opinions. You know, the real decision makers in the family. I'm happy to report that they all said they would purchase this product for their own household and family. Go Kashi!

I would also like to mention that when possible, we try to be picky with the companies we support and the products we bring into our home. I have bought Kashi products in the past and was happy to learn even more about the company. Here is a direct quote from the company that says it all:

For more than 25 years, Kashi has stood up for real food, offering a variety of naturally nutritious foods and educational resources for everyone to enjoy.
Kashi’s products are natural, minimally processed, and free of highly refined sugars, artificial additives, and unnatural preservatives.

So there you go folks, a little review about a tasty treat. It's the perfect size for a kid's snack or for a pregnant lady like me! They retail for $3.89 and are available nationwide. Woot woot!

Disclaimer: I received this product for free from the sponsor of the Moms MeetSM program, May Media Group LLC, who received it directly from the manufacturer. As a Moms MeetSM blogger, I agreed to use this product and post my opinion on my blog. My opinions do not necessarily reflect the opinions of May Media Group LLC or the manufacturer of the product.

Gratitude & Me Loves My Hubs

2011-09-21T13:13:00.000-04:00

I started writing a completely different post hours ago and minimized it for a while. Then Scott got up from working and cleaned up after breakfast. And just like that I felt like an overwhelmed hormonal pregnant lady. Welcome to my life right now.

I know what you're thinking, um...that's great. He put the butter away. And I'm fortunate that Scott does a lot "around the house" but let's be real. Most of the time I have to, ahem, remind him (read: nag) to do certain things. Since I've been pregnant he has been much more proactive in helping with housework. Let's hope this trend continues.

Anyway, it's never a bad time to reflect on what you're grateful for. S and I try to practice this every night before bed. Some days our lists are shorter than others, i.e. "I'm grateful that I got dressed today." haha But I believe that it helps us keep things in perspective, especially when the day passed was less than amazing. Try it! It also helps me not have so many worried thoughts before bed that are so difficult to avoid. Everyone is always thinking about something before bed, usually something stressful like bills, projects, kids, etc. If you close out your days thinking about positive things, you will have much sweeter dreams. I promise.

Today I'm grateful for...

having roughly a month left until we meet baby boy. Obviously this is first.
celebrating hubs' birthday yesterday. Yay!
reconnecting with old friends recently.
"meeting" so many new people in this crazy blog world.
cooler autumn weather...although not today.
Scott putting our stroller together yesterday. Sweet boy.

feeling pretty okay these days. Other than a sore back and unlimited bathroom trips, I can't complain.
seeing a lot of my girlfriends lately.
finally starting to see a bit of space clearing up in our apartment after all this packing.
all the sweet and tasty birthday pastries we picked up on our way home from dinner last night. Yum!

If you feel like posting a gratitude list today, let me know! I would love to see what you're grateful for.

Institute for Integrative Nutrition

2011-09-19T20:16:00.001-04:00

(I wanted to preface this by stating that the Institute for Integrative Nutrition is not reimbursing me in any way to write this blog post. This is my own opinion and story.)

After reading my article about my job, many of you have written to me asking about my experience at the Institute of Integrative Nutrition and at the Natural Gourmet Institute. I love sharing my story about how each of these amazing schools shaped my career and life.

This past weekend I attended a conference in New York with 4000 other students and left feeling so inspired! So today I thought I would begin with Institute for Integrative Nutrition. I completed this program after already working as a natural foods chef. I had some friends who had gone through this program to become certified health counselors and really enjoyed working with their clients to help them achieve not only their dietary goals, but also help them focus on their lives, families, careers, and passions. This was out of my jurisdiction.

I love cooking for my clients and being able to provide them with nutritious food to fill their bellies. But there were so many occurrences when I could tell that there was more missing in someone's life than just more kale. I knew there was something else that could feed their soul.

So I decided to look more into IIN. Fast forward to me signing up for the distance learning program. I was able to continue my day-to-day work as usual while listening to lectures on an ipod (part of your tuition) and connecting with other students on a special online forum for our "class."

The reason I was so interested in this program over a traditional nutrition degree was a couple of reasons:

I didn't want to go back to school, I already spent a ton of money and time on a degree
It is much fast than a four year degree (It's about a year)
It's much more affordable than college classes
You can begin taking PAYING clients while you're in the program
You get assigned your own health coach!
I didn't want to become a clinician, I wanted to incorporate health coaching into my cooking business
And the part that was most interesting to me was their approach and curriculum...

This part I am going to take from their site because I couldn't describe it better :)

Nutrition Concepts

Click on the link to read more: Bio-individuality,Dietary TheoriesPrimary FoodDeconstructing CravingsCrowding OutFood EnergeticsFood/Mood ConnectionSuperfoods

Nutrition Science

Our online nutrition course reviews science and anatomy to provide you with an understanding of how our bodies function and why certain dietary habits work and don’t work for individuals. Specific topics include, but are not limited to:

Autoimmune disorders
Blood sugar & glucose
Digestive system
Toxins
Thyroid health
Genetic influence on diet
Metabolism

Modern Health Issues

Click on the link to read more: American Health CrisisFood/Mood ConnectionGovernment PoliciesHypoglycemiaOrganic vs. Non-Organic vs. Local FoodsEmotional EatingSchool Food

So there you have it. Just a bit of why I chose this program that led me to becoming a holistic health coach. I love that I can help guide people on their path to becoming their best selves. In the process, I believe I have become a better version of myself as well. My relationships have become stronger with my family, husband, friends, as well as myself. I have used the tools I've learned at IIN to foster my own dreams for my career and life, like becoming a momma! I also have a better relationship with my body and have an awareness of what it needs (and doesn't!).

Lastly, if any of you are interested in attending IIN, contact me! They are giving away some limited scholarship money right now and I can put you in touch with someone to talk to!

Autumn, Again

2011-09-16T12:57:00.000-04:00

We woke up in NYC to a chilly morning. The perfect morning to put on a sweater and have coffee. Yum. Autumn is my most favorite time in New York. Crunching through the leaves in the park, everyone with scarves and boots on, and finally a break from the insane summer humidity. This is welcome news for a ninth month pregnant lady such as myself.

I wanted to say a big thank you again to the lovely Danielle for featuring me on her blog yesterday and a big hello to all of you who stopped by to check out PH&C! Welcome :) I hope you come around again.

This morning, in the midst of my autumn excitement, I decided to roast a butternut squash that I picked up at the market this week. I am planning on using half of it for a soup and half for savory, make ahead, breakfast muffins to freeze. I'll be sure to let you know how they turn out on Monday!

In the meantime, I hope you have a lovely weekend. And if it's chilly where you are, I hope you are enjoying pulling out your sweaters and cozying up with some soup.

Blog Love: Sometimes Sweet

2011-09-15T15:01:00.000-04:00

This is so exciting! Check out my little guest post over on Sometimes Sweet today. Danielle's blog is one of my most favorite daily reads and I have enjoyed following her journey from pregnancy and through her (almost!) first year with baby Henry.

Thanks so much Danielle! I had so much fun writing about my job and why I'm so passionate about both cooking and health coaching. I'm grateful and honored to be featured on your little piece of our blog world. :)

If you aren't already (you're crazy!) check out Sometimes Sweet and read all about the lovely adventures of this adorable family.

I'm Exhausted

2011-09-13T15:12:00.001-04:00

My friend wrote a funny post last week about trying to catch up on her sleep in the weeks before baby comes while it's impossible. You see, in the weeks leading up to the big day there is, of course, the requisite stress and lists running through your head. However, the more painful reason you can not sleep is because you are actually in physical pain. Yes, your baby is beating you up from the inside. Fun times. And then there is waking up in the middle night because of heartburn, hip pains, back pains, anxiety, and freaky nightmares involving giving birth to everything but your own kid. And forget actually falling asleep. It could take hours to find a comfortable position.

Okay, I'm done whining.

Kind of.

For now.

Anyway, we had a really fun past few weeks house/cat sitting for my parents in the burbs. It was nice to get out of the city, watch cable, and relax. We also drove down to the boardwalk, played mini golf, and shared an ice cream. It was really nice. And last weekend, two of our lovely friends got married and we got to go to their beautiful wedding. It was super fun to do my hair, put on some make up, and make myself feel as fancy as I possibly can at this point. Meh. There's only so many dresses you can try on...

Anyway, it was so much fun dancing all night with friends, taking photo booth photos, and stuffing ourselves with nom nom treats like mac and cheese balls and chocolate peanut butter pie. YUM. Best of all, my pregnant friend was also there and we had fun harassing the photographer to take photos of us and dancing with our bumps. haha

With baby boy "arriving" roughly a month-ish from now, I am trying to catch up on my never ending list. Even with all my free time right now, it seems like it takes forever to accomplish anything between being exhausted, hungry, having to pee a million times a day, and just getting overwhelmed. Told you I wasn't really done whining....

Cute image via

My Favorite Veggie Burgers

2011-09-06T21:58:00.000-04:00

We are not full time vegetarians at the P house but we do eat a lot of vegetarian meals. We choose to eat less meat most of the time because:
- we are really picky about the quality of our meat and where it comes from
- it helps us get more vegetables in our daily diets
- it makes us feel better
- it saves money!

Now trust me when I tell you I can get down with some beef burgers, turkey burgers, and I have even been know to eat a tuna burger. But there is another patty in my life friends, and that patty is named Veggie. I make a huge batch of these burgers every few months and we keep them in the freezer for whenever the mood may strike us, or when the fridge is bare (oops). This recipe is adaptable for so many flavors! I have made it with basil pesto to make it more Italian, more curry to make it more Indian, and even added coconut to give it a Thai spin. Play around with the base to make wholesome, nutritious, home made veggie burgers that are vegan and gluten free too! You'll feel much better knowing they don't have any soy, preservatives, or artificial ingredients (as most commercial brands do). These burgers are full of protein, fiber, and vegetables. I have made anywhere from a dozen to two dozen patties with this recipe. The seasonings are, of course, interchangeable but I have found that these work nicely to balance the flavors. You can also switch the black beans for others, such as garbanzo or pinto. You can eat it on a whole grain bun, like a burger with all your favorite toppings. Or you can even use this mixture crumbled in a tortilla, like a burrito. I have even used it to make vegan sloppy joes!

1 can black beans
1 c rolled oats
1/4 c ground flax
1 c shredded carrots
1/2 c frozen peas
1 T crushed garlic
1/2 c chopped onion
2 t curry
2 t cayenne
2 t cumin
salt
pepper

Mash all of these ingredients together and form patties of your preferred size. Bake patties for 10 minutes at 375 degrees.Or sautee in a medium hot pan for 5 minutes.Enjoy!

Baby Shower, Hurricane, 33 Weeks

2011-09-01T14:50:00.001-04:00

Phew.

What a crazed past two weeks. Seriously. We just had an earthquake AND hurricane here in NYC. And our baby shower, which was just as exciting. (At least for me!)

My parents are out of town so S and I decided to head out of the city to their house to make sure everything was okay, and also to be with Lucy the cat. I'm so glad we did because there ended up being quite a bit of damage after the storm. There are huge trees surrounding my parents property which ended up falling (not on the house) and breaking off giant branches (er...directly INTO the house!) which was scary. S and I tried to get some sleep on Saturday night but ended up getting out of bed around 3ish and watching the news. I made some coffee and we sat with the kitten until the sun came up, all with the power flickering on and off for hours. After we surveyed the area, we went back to bed. And then it was clean up for the next two days. The basement flooded, trees were down all over. It was pretty crazy. Anyway, all is over and we are okay. Not the case for thousands of people still without power up and down the east coast.

Thank goodness that the weekend before was our baby shower! Yeah! It was amazing. Having so many people who love us and are all excited for baby boy there was an overwhelming amount of love. And since we are moving away, it made it all the more special. I can't say enough about how grateful we are. My mom, aunt, and I (and S!!) cooked all the food and I think it was a success. We had badminton set up, an ipod playlist, and plenty of afternoon drinks. My kind of baby shower. My friend Arielle made (and let me borrow) the amazing necklace I'm wearing. Isn't it so fun?

We asked everyone to write a message to baby that we can put in a book later. After the party, we read them all back and, of course, I was a mess of emotions thinking of not having all these amazing people be a part of baby's everyday life. But they still will be. In a different way. They will all be his cool New York/New Jersey aunts and uncles. Gah. I can't even think about it right now...

As the weeks are creeping up I am in full stress out mode. Have you ever tried to prepare a space for a baby? Fun, right? Have you ever tried to prepare that space in an apartment you are moving out of? Not fun. More like, "Why are you even doing this?". Ugh.

Los Angeles

2011-08-24T14:47:00.000-04:00

LA Light from Colin Rich on Vimeo.

This will be our new city. This is where we will be raising our baby. At least for a while...

It's difficult to express how we feel about it. Of course, we wouldn't be planning this move if we didn't want to or feel like we needed to. The truth is, we're not sure how we will feel once we are there.

Staying in New York is not an option at this point. I am planning on not working for at least a little while and for us to be able to stay here, we would both need to be working. And we also don't want to move to the suburbs. Why? We're not at that point yet. Maybe one day...

But for now, we still want to be in a city.

So when we found out I was pregnant in January we reevaluated our living situation and looked around at some neighborhoods here that we would be open to living in and feel comfortable raising baby in. As the story goes, we came up with nothing. At least nothing we could afford and also love. So we began thinking of other options. As not much else on the east coast appealed to us, we explored western cities. After narrowing down our choices, we settled on LA.

We've both spend quite a bit of time there, apart and together. We have some really great friends there as well as my lovely sister-in-law and her family.

On top of that, we genuinely like it there. Quite a bit.

Whenever we tell our New York friends, most are surprised at our decision because it's so different there. But I think that why we like it so much. An honestly, any city is different than NYC. It's the only city in the world like it. Truth.

And yes I know about the traffic, the smog, etc. Despite that, we're excited about the farmer's markets, beaches, and travel opportunities. (Hello, five hours to San Francisco!) And of course the weather, opportunity to live in a much bigger place for the same price as our tiny apt here, and growing as a family in California.

The most difficult thing being that our families are on the east coast. I can't even begin to think about baby boy not being able to see his grandparents whenever we can or not having all his aunts and uncles around. This is, by far and obviously, the most heart breaking part of deciding to leave. Gah. Enough. Not time to think about it yet!

Anyway, I love this video. And I'm looking forward to exploring our new city.

Anyone from LA?

30 weeks!

2011-08-17T17:01:00.000-04:00

I can not believe that in just two months S and I are going to be parents.

I had an appointment with my midwife today and when I asked her if I should be doing anything special, she just replied with, "Relax."

Seriously? Great. Well in a sense I can find myself doing a whole lot of nothing these days while also having a million things to do. The thing is, we are moving.

That's right. We're moving out of NYC. Out of our sweet little apartment where baby boy will be born. Away from the city that we met and fell in love in. Where we planned our wedding and shared our dreams while walking around this neighborhood that we love. We'll be leaving behind our friends and most of our family. We'll be leaving behind our favorite coffee shops, bike paths, and brunch spots. And all this is happening just a few short weeks after baby makes his appearance. It is our choice, albeit a difficult one, but ours alone. And so we are trying to soak up our last New York summer with all that we have...

This weekend is our baby shower and I am super excited! Family and friends coming together for a summer afternoon to share our excitement - I couldn't be more grateful for the amazing support we have around us.

Oh, and I'm a red head now. There isn't much a seven month pregnant girl can do to jazz up her look. So I went big! I like it. It's sassy, no?

Baby Style: Cute Shoes

2011-08-10T17:46:00.000-04:00

Are these a cute alternative to the popular kids crocs? (ew.)
Or am I delusional?

I might go for and get a pair of these for bebe.

via

A Day In Flushing, Queens

2011-08-09T15:37:00.000-04:00

S grew up in Queens, which is a borough of New York City. For ages we have been planning on spending the day in Flushing, which was his neighborhood. Last weekend we finally made it out there for the day and had a great time.

We started by driving past the house he grew up in and around the area. He was so happy to see that a lot of places like his elementary school still looked the same. Although that was not case for the rest of Flushing. Sometime around the late 80's, there was a huge number of Korean and Chinese immigrants who moved to the area. Since then, most of downtown Flushing has transformed with whole malls dedicated to the new thriving population of young Chinese and Koreans. Lucky for us, this includes some delicious food!

We found ourselves at one of the many famous Flushing mall food courts, which are similar to the food courts so popular across Asia. This particular food court was in the basement of a sort of dilapidated mall. The mall was almost deserted but the food court was packed as expected! Most of the signs and menus were not in English so we just ordered based on the photos and we were not disappointed. Dumplings, the best scallion pancake I have ever had, a cold sour broth soup, and a scallion bun were all so fresh and surprisingly light.

Next, we headed over to Flushing Meadows Park. The World's Fair was held here in 1964 and included amazing structures built to showcase the different pavilions. Sadly, since then, the structures have been vandalized and mostly ruined but it was still amazing to see what remains and imagine what it looked like at the time.

We finished off the day by bowling a game at the bowling alley that S grew up going to. He was excited that it hadn't changed much! He won. I am a decent bowler but he has some kind of hidden bowling super power.

Anyway, for those of you living in the NYC area, I recommend heading out to Flushing for the day. Great food, interesting shops, and a beautiful park.

Also, note my giant belly at 29 weeks. Hi, I'm officially in my third trimester and it shows!

If you have a second, don't forget to click on our little link! Thanks :)

Hi, I'm here.

2011-07-26T13:16:00.000-04:00

I know you're on the edge of your seat waiting to hear about me.
Brace yourself.

I've been doing a whole lot of nothing.
Well, that's not entirely true.

I've been cooking. A LOT.
And now that I've officially stopped working (YES!), I am finding I have even less time to get everything done. It's one of those things when, the less time you have, the more you accomplish. And the more free time you have, the more you dilly-dally. Does that ever happen to you?

Sigh.

Anyway, I digress. Cooking - up - a - STORM.
Those photos are just a few that I managed to take before inhaling said meal. These last few weeks have consisted of pizza making, veggie burgers, baking english muffins, and tons of gazpacho, among other things. Oh yeah, and did I mention home made HOT POCKETS?! NO BIG DEAL!
This was meant to be a freezer item that we sampled for dinner that evening. Sadly, none of the pockets made it to the freezer before lunch the next day. Oops.

Other than cooking, I have been trying to really enjoy the remainder of the summer. Our last summer before baby. Our last summer of us two. While we are anxiously awaiting the arrival of our little guy, we are spending lot's of time just being together in the quiet of this last summer.

New York has been going through a heat wave, much like the rest of the country. Luckily, we have been able to go to the beach every week, which has been my saving grace. Every Sunday morning I bounce out of bed, as if it were Christmas morning, and we head out. I then proceed to spend the entirety of the day floating. It is absolute bliss. Ahhhhhh...

And how is baby?
Magical. Amazing.
I'm now officially in my third trimester. I can barely believe how quickly it is flying by. I'm in my 27th week, which means that baby boy could technically come in 10 weeks (when I'm considered full term). Is that crazy? I feel like I was just announcing my pregnancy on here.

Anyway, we are getting ready little by little. Our shower is in a few weeks and I am so excited to celebrate with all our friends and family and then begin preparing. I told Scott last night that after the shower, it was really go time. Eek!

Other than that, there has been a lot of picnicking, movie watching by the AC, and general loveliness.

Oh yeah, and here's my updated photo. I think this is 25/26 weeks...
It's just a crappy phone photo and the sun was shining in my eyes but you can see how much my belly has grown since my last photo update.

Gratitude

2011-07-08T11:07:00.001-04:00

I watched this great TED Talks video this morning and was reminded to take the time out to remember about myself. I think that so often, we run around all day working on pleasing others...our bosses, coworkers, spouses, children, parents, friends, etc. It seems strange to think that we go through a whole day without doing one things for ourselves, but so often that is the case.
Today, I hope you take a moment, hour, or whole day to appreciate yourself and everything you do to make your life as perfect as it is. I hope you realize that you are fantastic, just because you are you!

Oh! And watch the video. It's only 20 minutes and it's great!

Splitscreen: A Love Story

2011-07-07T23:00:00.000-04:00

How sweet is this video??

Splitscreen: A Love Story from JW Griffiths on Vimeo.

24 Weeks

2011-07-07T07:12:00.000-04:00

Firstly, thank you all who read my last post. It was a tough story to write but I'm so happy I did. Thank you all for your comments here, facebook, via email, and text message (friends!).

Since writing it on Monday, I must have reread it about a dozen times and each time felt so sad for the girl in the story. I was telling Scott that it feels like such a distant memory now. Of course a part of that experience will stay with me forever, but just reading that post, it didn't even feel like my life. I guess that's the last step in grieving...acceptance.

Anyway, here I am. 24 weeks! Phew. Feeling all kinds of exhausted and energetic. There are moments that I am scrubbing the base boards (um, yeah...) and of course, moments that I am a walking zombie. But in general, I've been feeling pretty good. I have to say, being pregnant in the summer is not half as bad as I thought it would be. I was imagining myself laid out in front of the ac, with a wet towel over myself. Ha! Since it's been pretty nice in the morning and late afternoon, walking a lot is not too challenging. And when it's WAY to hot, I go to the gym. Or yoga. Or I sit in front of said ac. Can't be active ALL THE TIME!

Growing a baby is exhausting people.

But this week there have also been a lot of changes. I feel like I look really pregnant. As in, people asking me how many weeks I have left, pregnant. YEAH, I KNOW! Hello people! I still have three months to go!

Also this week, Scott has been able to feel baby boy kicking more from outside of my belly. I've been feeling him for several weeks now and Scott has felt a sort of something here and there but the past few night, little one has been practicing his high kicks right before bed and hubs has has a lot more time to bond, as they say...

What else? Well I'm officially off my cooking strike and have been cooking and eating up a storm. Want some summer meal ideas? Okay! I'll get on that! Why not?

And I'm finally able to eat cheesy foods again. Riveting information, I know...

This last week has been spent BBQing with family, reading trashy magazines on the beach with friends, and surrounded by lot's of love. Here's to summer!

Journal Day: A Story of a First

2011-06-27T21:52:00.001-04:00

Danielle, over at one of my favorite blogs-Sometimes Sweet, has started a new feature called Journal Day and it inspired me to jump on board! Creative writing was always such an outlet for me growing up and even though I have journaled and blogged over the years, I feel like this is a great opportunity to approach creative writing once again.

Here is what Danielle wrote about the project:

"I think this will be a fun way to get a writing community going, and I'm so looking forward to getting to know more of you through your words. All of these prompts come from the notebook I kept in my desk in my English classroom and they come from various places; college writing courses, my own mind, websites, friends and colleagues. I'm so excited to share them here, and bring back the most important aspect of blogging to my blog- writing. I think this will be a neat way to infuse some creativity into our daily lives too, and inspire each other to write a lot more! So, here we go."

And here is her first prompt:
Describe a "first" (first date, first lie, the first time you experienced something, first time in a particular setting, etc). Include as many details as possible to paint a picture.

The first that I am writing about is the first time I was pregnant. This is a story that I have put off writing for a long time. Partially because I don't want to go back to that place. And partially because it's not something most women talk about. Miscarriages.

But the more I thought about it, the more I felt it was important to share my story.

I found out I was pregnant last September. It was a warm day and I walked over to Duane Reade to pick up a pregnancy test. Approximately 20 minutes later, I was breathlessly running to the cafe down the street where Scott was working for the day. I practically fell through the door as I bustled in and dragged him outside on the sidewalk. "I'm pregnant!!!!!!," I screamed. After much hugging and excitement he went back inside to finish up and I called a friend to get some lunch. We sat on the steps eating falafel and talked about how there will be a baby coming in May.

Fast forward to November. The day before Thanksgiving, S and I went in for a 16 week check up. I could barely contain my excitement as we rode the train to Brooklyn. "I can't wait to hear it!!" I couldn't wait to put a sound to the gurgles I'd been feeling for so many weeks in my belly. As I slid on the exam table, Scott sat at the end and rubbed one ankle with his hand. Our midwife jokes about the cold goo that she was rubbing on my slightly bloated belly and my heart was beating faster than ever before. She scanned the doppler across my belly, telling me that it may take a moment to find the heart beat. And it did. And so another minute passed. My heart racing even faster. Looking down at Scott, I could see his reassuring smile. And so she started over. Maybe she tapped the doppler. With a nervous laugh, "Come on little one, stop hiding." I could feel the tears forming. "I know there is life in you," she said. She told us to go out, get some lunch, and come back in an hour. "The baby is hiding!"

And so we went. I can see the french toast on my plate so vividly. I ordered a hot cocoa. It was such a beautiful and unseasonably warm day. On our way back to the office Scott reassured me that everything was fine. That this wouldn't happen to us.

So back on the exam table. Back with the goo. Back with the doppler echoing sounds of an empty womb.

Then a walk five blocks away to a foreign hospital. An ultrasound. A hazy image of what once was. What had once lived and moved. And then a thousand visions crushed. I lay there motionless, unable to breathe as the doctor on call gave us some hurried instructions on what we had to do now. She asked me if I wanted some water and handed me a box of gauze to take home. "You'll need it," she said.

In a fuzzy blur, I remember running out of the hospital, barely making it two blocks before I collapsed on the corner of an intersection. Scott was holding me up as we tried to catch a cab through our tears. We ended up on the corner for half an hour. Him standing in the street, me wailing on the curb, the trees blowing with an autumn breeze, the sun shining down on us. My parents both called in excitement to find out how our appointment went...

"The baby's not there," I told them.
"What?"
"It's NOT THERE. It died...inside me."
Silence. Tears. More hyperventilating.

Why are we still on this street corner?

We ended up taking the subway back to Manhattan. The longest half hour of my life. I felt dead inside. I felt death inside.

We cancelled our Thanksgiving plans and my dad came to pick us up early the next morning. We sat in traffic leaving the city as all around us people were getting ready to go to the parade or carrying dishes to celebrate with friends. Scott, my dad, and I made some idle conversation about something or other.

The next four days were filled with plenty of soup, silence, idle stares in the direction of the tv, wine, hugs, and buckets of tears. Uncontrollable crying. And sadness. And then there was research. The two of us sat in front of the computer for hours. Looking for answers. Looking for reassurance. "Oh, look!," S says. "This woman had a sonogram at 16 weeks, they told her there was no heartbeat and then a week later they found one!" Well, duh. Obviously the same thing had happened to me! It was a mistake! So I called my midwife. Not a mistake...

After our rehabilitation at my parents house, we came back to our small apartment. Hearts heavy, eyes swollen, and spirits low. Now what?

Well the unanswered question was still, what about the baby inside me? The now not living baby...

Well as it goes, there are not many options. You can either go to the hospital and have it "removed" with a terrifying procedure or you can deliver "it." Which means that you can also get induced at the hospital or just...wait.

So wait we did.

For six weeks.

And those six weeks proved to be the most confusing, terrifying, empty, cold, and quiet weeks I hope to ever experience. There were days that I woke up so sad, I didn't even know how to begin my day. In a muffled state, I went through the motions of each day. My boss was amazingly supportive and told me to take as much time as I needed. So day after day I sat on the corner of the couch, in the same sweats and the same blanket wrapped around me. Drinking gallons of tea and little else, I stared at the computer for hours, still searching for an answer. What had I done wrong? Why had this happened to me? To us? My heart broke every time I saw a pregnant woman or a baby. As friends and family called to see how my pregnancy was going, I couldn't face them. I couldn't admit what had happened. Couldn't actually say the words. I still couldn't believe it.

So after six long weeks of midwives, websites, acupuncture, herbs made of twigs and who knows what else, but mostly of living with the grief of an unborn child, a baby was born. At home. At 3 am. With my husband by my side. The day after Christmas.

And then it was over. Then it felt real. And then I was free. We could start fresh. So with a new year upon us, we decided to let it all go. Leave it up to the universe to take care of us.

And wouldn't you know it, about six weeks later I was feeling life again. I was pregnant. And so with hushed words and hasty hearts, we started our journey again. Very slowly this time...

I immediately got a ton of blood work done. And we went to a conventional OB/GYN for the first several weeks of my first trimester. I requested every test and scan under the sun. And when we saw that first little squished up kidney bean on the screen at nine weeks, I all but fell off the exam table from excitement.

But still I cried. I was so scared. It was not the same joy I had felt just a few short months ago. This was a cautious excitement.

But as the weeks flew by and my belly grew, so did our hearts. We would lay awake at night as Scott would rub my belly and tell me about our baby. About how amazing he or she was and how much we were going to love him/her.

So as I sit here, weeping and typing, baby boy is making a special effort to dance around in my belly tonight and let me know he's okay. He knows I worry.

It wasn't easy writing this. And remembering what happened just half a year ago feels like a dream. A nightmare so distant from my life now. But we made it through. And we continued on our journey. We picked up the pieces. And here we are. Only 17 weeks away from meeting the baby we've been waiting for.

If this has happened to you, I hope you find my story a comfort in knowing you're not alone. And that your heart will heal again. After I went through this experience, I felt that I was the only woman who had ever lost a baby. I know it's a ridiculous thought but I had never felt more alone. Even with all the love and support around me, I needed to know that it wasn't just me.

It's not you. It's not your fault. It took me a long time to come to terms with it. But it was out of my control. It was part of the universal plan. And in some strange and twisted way, I feel like my heart is even more prepared to embrace this new life. To become a mother. And I hope you can find peace in your heart.

So there you go. There is my "first."

Reading Room

2011-06-21T22:46:00.001-04:00

About 5 minutes after I found out I was pregnant, I ordered somewhere between 5 and 5000 books from Amazon and have been devouring them little by little. In the grand scheme of pregnancy related books, most are not what I found to be interesting, informative, or even up to date. Let me explain...

Without using titles, some of these "fabulous" books included information such as: Don't eat parsley, don't listen to music too loud, etc. You can see where I'm going with this.

Given our birth plan, I was more interested in learning about natural approaches to pregnancy, childbirth, and parenting. Along the way I found some really great books! These have helped me develop a positive attitude through this journey and prepare me for an empowered labor (HOPEFULLY!).

Anyway, here they are:

Having a Baby, Naturally: The Mothering Magazine Guide to Pregnancy and Childbirth

Let the Baby Drive : Navigating the Road of New Motherhood

Juju Sundin's Birth Skills: Proven Pain-Management Techniques for Your Labour and Birth

Ina May's Guide to Childbirth

Bountiful, Beautiful, Blissful: Experience the Natural Power of Pregnancy and Birth with Kundalini Yoga and Meditation

The last book is also the style of prenatal yoga that I have been doing. I'll have to write about that soon. It has been essential these last few weeks in restoring me physically and emotionally.

I still have a whole stack to go through including Hypnobirthing, some Dr. Sears books, Birthing from Within, Bradley Method, and a few others. Phew...

Did you have any favorite pregnancy, birth, or parenting books?

Don't forget to vote for PH&C on Top Baby Blogs :) Thanks!

Home Birth

2011-06-14T22:12:00.001-04:00

That's right. We are those crazy people that want to birth their child in our home.

I was waiting for a good time to write about this topic and our personal choices but as it turns out, it's always a good time be honest and share your views. Who knew?

Anyway, our choice to pursue home birthing came pretty naturally. Scott and I try to live our lives in a way that keeps us closest to the source of whatever the situation is, while enjoying our urban life. That means eating well, trying our hand at building/making/crafting things we need, supporting businesses/farmers/artists we love, and the list goes on and on.

Even before I was pregnant we talked a lot about how we wanted to raise our children and the first thing we agreed upon was how we wanted to bring them into the world. And for us, what made the most sense was being in our home, wherever that was. Right now it's our tiny NYC apartment. And so it goes...

We began our adventure by researching midwives who deliver babies at home in Manhattan. I originally went to a conventional OB to take care of all my prenatal blood work and preliminary tests. To make a long story short, I was appalled by the level of care I received. This is a very well known practice with very in demand doctors. Obviously the patients do not receive the same courtesy. My appointments lasted maybe ten minutes, after waiting for an hour and a hlaf in the waiting room. Yeah, no thanks.

The happy ending is that we transfered to an AMAZING midwife with her own practice. During our first appointment, she sat with us for an hour and we just chatted about everything. Outside of the standard medical questions, she asked me about my fears, how I was doing emotionally, our experience so far...I finally felt like I was cared for (outside of hubs/family/friends of course) in this pregnancy.

I know this is a really controversial topic right now and every family has their own feelings and fears about the very important subject of giving birth. I don't want to go into a million reasons about why WE feel its safer/better/more responsible/and all around great to welcome your babe into a happy home environment.

Some days I have anxiety about having enough space but even though our place is small, it's definitely larger than a hospital room! I'm sure I'll be writing more about it more. But until then watch The Business of Being Born if you haven't yet!

Image via

Let's talk about: Protein

2011-06-12T20:01:00.002-04:00

I feel like most pregnant women I talk with have this issue. (One of many...) They can't figure out how to get enough protein in their daily diet. Protein is essential for proper growth and development of your baby as well as for your milk production as your due date nears. Eating plenty of protein will also give you plenty of energy throughout your pregnancy. It's also said to reduce swelling, later in your third trimester. While I'm not having that issue YET, I'm definitely interested in doing anything I can to keep (at least!!!) my feet from expanding...ew.

The recommended daily intake is 60 grams of protein. Now, I don't know about you but for me, that is a whole lot of protein. I do eat meat, fish, and poultry. I also eat tofu and various other vegetarian sources of protein. I drink cow's milk.

Given all this...I was still struggling to meet my daily goal. UNTIL I developed a plan!

It seems obvious, but eating protein at every meal increases your chances of getting 60g, right? Well yes, but are you planning on putting chicken on everything? Um, not if you're this girl. I've had a serious poultry aversion since the day I saw those two lines on a stick. I've tried force feeding myself steak, as well as disguising fish in pasta. I CAN"T DEAL.

And so what am I left with? Well here are some of my daily noshes:

Pregnancy Protein by karolinap on Polyvore.com

Yogurt: Specifically 2% Greek yogurt. With a whopping 20 grams of protein, these little tubs of love are a quick (and delicious) way to satisfy my hunger and boost my energy for the day. I often have one for breakfast or snack before bed. And now with all the amazing summer fruits in season, it's a great addition of Vitamin C.

Quinoa: Another great source with 24 grams per cup. Yahoo! This is a perfect substitute for rice, potatoes, and even oatmeal. I even use quinoa in cookies and muffins, in place of flour. If you've ever made home made granola, try toasting quinoa instead of oats!

Hummus: Ah hummus, an old friend. I kind of hummused myself out for a few years but have recently revisited my old standby because of it's 19 grams of protein. Go Hummus! Also, it's such a bargain when home made. I think a can of chickpeas is maybe a dollar. Don't buy five dollar hummus people.

Milk: Oh milk...what a delicious beverage you are. Who needs margaritas when I have you? (Yeah, right...) Oh and I'm talking whole people. None of this 1% garbage. Milk should not be grey. 8 grams in a cup. And if I have enough bowls of cereal in a day, I bet I can reach my intake just on this liquid gold alone.

Nut Butters With about 7-10 grams in two teaspoons, I could survive on nut butters most days. I try to shake things up with almond, peanut, cashew, and various others. But some of this on an english muffin with a tall glass of milk (yum) and I am a happy lady.

Smoothies Now we're talking. Ever since project protein began, I have been drinking smoothies almost daily. The number one reason: kefir. Don't know what kefir is? It's basically drinkable yogurt. But that's not all. We're talking 30 grams of protein folks. Toss that in with any other fruit you may love and you've got a meal. "But why don't you just use those awesome protein powders, Karolina?" Well, I try not to eat too many synthetic foods and those powders are highly processed. It doesn't matter if it's organic, soy, a million dollars, etc. It's fake. And I'd rather get my protein from real food sources. Hence all this research...

Eggs: This is weird, but eggs are probably one of my favorite foods. I know... But I can eat them any time of day and in any fashion. There are six grams in one large egg not including all the healthy fats you're getting! Egg-cellent. (Wow, this post is getting crazy.)

String Cheese: A five year olds lunch or a pregnant girl's best friend? I doubt you can hate string cheese at any age. Depending on what brand you get, it's between 8 and 10 grams of protein per stick. But who says you need to stop at just one?! I think I've, um, heard of some people eating a whole package at one time...

Phew. So there you go! These delicious little gems have been feeding myself and baby boy for the past few weeks with as little gagging as possible. Yay!

And don't forget some honorable mentions such as cottage cheese, tofu, an occasional turkey or veggie burger, and of course bean burritos.

Top Baby Blogs

2011-06-09T21:15:00.002-04:00

Hello lovely family, friends, and readers.

Thanks so much for the sweet comments on here and on Facebook about the last post.

They always put a smile on my face!

Just a little favor to ask...

If you could vote for PH&C on Top Baby Blogs it would really open this blog up to more readership (and would also be really fun!).

So, if you have moment, just click :) You don't have to log in or sign up for anything. Just click here and then click the owl on the left to vote.

Thanks my loves!

20 weeks: Halfway There!

2011-06-08T20:00:00.000-04:00

I can't believe I am halfway through my pregnancy. I feel like the days are moving so quickly that I can't keep up. Didn't I JUST find out I was pregnant?

This photo was taken on our way back from lunch today with our doula. This onesie has been saving my life, as it has been nearly 100 degrees. Mama needs stretchy clothes.

These past 20 weeks have been incredible, stressful, emotional, exhausting, exciting, and unbelievable in the best sense. I am looking forward to the next 20, now that the countdown is on! It's so exciting that from this point on, S and I can start counting down until baby.

It's still difficult to wrap my head around the idea that this is our last summer as just us two. This time next year, we will have a tiny one. Usually in the summers we plan big adventures. Last summer we took a three week trip around Scandinavia. The summer before was Central America. This summer, growing a baby is our adventure. Next summer we plan on taking baby boy to Eastern Europe. (That was our original plan for this year and then, well, you know what happened.)

Today we received some tiny striped clothes in the mail and whatever mood I was in quickly disappeared as soon as I saw a hat only a bit larger than my fist. (!!!) The next hour was spent touching the sweet clothes and imagining baby boy running around in them. Sigh...

Cravings...or not.

2011-06-02T21:33:00.000-04:00

When you are pregnant, every person you see/talk to asks pretty much the same five questions.

How are you feeling? (Good. Ask me again in an hour.)
Do you know if it's a boy or girl? (See here.)
When are you due? (Halloween...)
Can I touch it? (Do you even have to ask? Always and forever no.)
Do you have any cravings?

Um...let's just say I don't NOT have cravings.
The truth is, in the beginning (that magical first trimester) it's more likely that I'm hoping you keep all food away from me. Especially any and all raw vegetables, all meat, fish, poultry, melted cheese (i know, don't even get me started), and probably anything that smelled, looked, and tasted weird/exotic/healthy.

Strange, huh? I basically only ate plain yogurt, an assortment of crackers, smoothies, bagels, english muffins with peanut butter, and actually any and all types of bread. But don't bring it near me if it is wheaty, seedy, or at all healthy.

This is so unlike me folks. As many of you know, I am a chef and holistic health coach. That's correct, I feed people and teach them how to eat healthy foods. Er...yeah, not happening.

Good news though! I am happy to report that things changed around week 14 or so. Phew! I was basically feeling like a big ball of dough from all the carbs I was eating. I am now happily back to every and all veggies, fruits, and mostly eating well. Including that melted cheese.

So what I am craving? Let's see...

Everything.

As S so lovingly says, "It's all about volume right now." Um, yeah, thanks for the support. Ha!

It's true. I can pretty much eat anything, any time. And if I get on a kick, that's it. Last week I ate watermelon three times a day all week long. This week it's cereal.

For those of you asking, YES, I will put up a "bump" photo. Even though I hate that name.

Image via

Things I Love: Swedish Baby Clothes

2011-05-31T15:18:00.000-04:00

How cute are these? I love basics in stripes and bold colors. I don't see us dressing baby in many outfits with sayings on them...(you know the ones)

I love how cozy these pieces look and that they are good quality organic cotton.

Polarn O. Pyret has beautifully made clothes for bebes and tots. I can't stop gushing while checking out their site! I wish they had a shop in New York!

Till Whatever Do Us Part: Has America Become too Blasé about Divorce?

2011-05-17T14:55:00.000-04:00

A interesting article here:

An excerpt:
The point of living isn’t to be in a perpetual state of fairy-tale ecstasy; it’s to find the meaning of life, the meaning of your life. And the point of marriage, I think, is to create meaning, with every happy and sad memory, every hardship overcome, every kind act, every moment of acceptance, every triumph, every child, grandchild, pet, and friend you accumulate together. The point of staying married until you die is to have a witness to your whole life, to the meaning you built. In the end, you can look at your spouse and say: Somebody knew me—and I knew them.

Image via
(Thanks for sharing Emphasis Added)

Little Boy Blue

2011-05-15T11:31:00.000-04:00

Some of you already know...but it looks as if we're having a baby boy!

S and I were both in shock. We thought for SURE that it was going to be a girl. Nonetheless, we are so excited.

Sometimes before bed, we lay awake talking about what we think his personality will be like. Will he love bugs and dirt and little boy adventures? Is he going to think we are really old? (Probably! haha)

Often I'll just find myself smiling at the possibilities and what ifs. Only five more months until baby boy is here. I guess we'll find out then.

Meeting Baby P

2011-05-03T20:04:00.000-04:00

So tomorrow is the big day. The baby becomes boy baby or girl baby.
Eeeeee! I am so excited! It feels like this week is creeping by. Anyway, I thought it would be fun to get a vote of what you may believe baby P will be.

After we find out I will share our own thoughts...

Movie Night

2011-04-28T14:51:00.001-04:00

Thank you all for your warm wishes and congratulations yesterday of our exciting news. It was a day filled with lot's of love from around the world!

Now that that's out of the way, I can talk about more pressing matters...

Like whether or not this movie looks interesting. I can't tell if it will be great or too sci-fi(ish).

What do you think??

Here it goes...

2011-04-27T15:35:00.001-04:00

I've been waiting months to write this out and yet I can't find the right words...

We're having a baby.

I was thinking of posting a funny video or something else clever but decided against it. What I'm feeling is such a pure joy and excitement that it doesn't need gimmicks.

There are so many emotions and jumbled thoughts to write about but for now, these are the only words that I can piece together.

S and I are great. Bambino is great. All is perfect...

image via

Sunday Morning

2011-03-13T12:45:00.002-04:00

Breakfast sandwiches on home made buttermilk biscuits, Lykke Li, and coffee.
♥ Sunday ♥

Teen Dream

2011-02-16T14:41:00.000-05:00

I was on the bus today and just thinking about how my life has changed since I was sixteen. Why sixteen? I guess because it was such a big deal to me. I remember wondering about how amazing everything would be once I turned sixteen. I don't know what I thought was going to happen but I swore I felt different the next day. So what would my sixteen year old self think of me today?

She would think I'm doing pretty great. (I think...)

Some thoughts from the sixteen year old me:

-I've been to some pretty cool places (and still more to come!)

-I have a cool husband. Seriously. I think teen me would think S was great. In fact, if I think of what I was looking for in a boyfriend then, it doesn't really differ that much. (Maybe a few things...)

-I probably thought I'd have more money saved up by now. (oops!)

-Although I DO live in New York City. This is impressive when you're sixteen. And now? See above.

-Evident of my sorry savings, I have managed to obtain some fabulous shoes/clothes/books/records/knick knacks that would make teen me jealous.

-And more importantly some AMAZING friends! (equally jealous!)

-I am following my dreams and trying to indulge in my passions. Teen me was afraid I wouldn't be able to.

-I have a great relationship with my parents despite those awful fights (eek!)

In short, sixteen year old me would probably think that I am turning out to be a damn cool "adult." Ha! Who would have thought? Although, she would be pretty upset that my real life was not at all like Dawson's Creek.

What would your sixteen year old self think of you now? Be honest...

Things I Love: Fashionable Babies

2011-02-15T11:32:00.000-05:00

Alexander Wang's niece at NYFW.

My future daughter's style icon.

LOVE!

via

♥ Blog Love ♥

2011-01-27T12:53:00.000-05:00

Melissa's blog, Dear Baby, is one of my favorite's to read. She writes so personally and really makes you feel like you're her closest friend by sharing stories about her journey in parenting and love of vintage clothes.

She, with her hubby and cute baby girl (and another on the way!), try to live their days to the fullest and laugh a lot along the way. It'll truly brighten your day.

Thanks for sharing your beautiful story and little family with us, Melissa!

image via

Monday and a Bodega Cat

2011-01-24T18:05:00.000-05:00

This is what I feel like today. I'm exhausted and still have so much left to do today and for the rest of the week. Ugh.

Happy Monday...

Flower Friday

2011-01-21T12:28:00.000-05:00

This is happening in NYC next week. LOVE.

via

Things I Love: Kiss Painting!

2011-01-17T12:45:00.000-05:00

Saw this fun little video this morning on one of my favorite blogs: Mucho Mucho Bueno Bueno.

How cute is this?

Things I Love: Crocheted Bikes!

2011-01-13T13:04:00.000-05:00

Seriously? This is one of the cutest things ever! Crocheted bike covers by Dutch company: Simeli. If it was bike riding weather I would totally get in on this! Maybe if I start now, I can make my own crocheted bike cover by next spring...haha...maybe.

via

Sugar Town

2011-01-12T10:12:00.000-05:00

On this freezing, miserable day I am going to pretend that I am in Sugar Town (wherever that is) with Nancy Sinatra. PS how awesome is her outfit? LOVE.

Food Rules

2011-01-11T13:17:00.000-05:00

My own food rules are pretty similar to what Marion Nestle writes, which are never to eat a food with:

More than five ingredients (too processed)
An ingredient you can’t pronounce (ditto)
Anything artificial (ditto)
A health claim on the front (these are always about marketing, not health)
A cartoon on the package (it’s being marketed to kids)

I'm loving this chart instructing you how to eat. It's not that complicated!

via

New York City feels like the inside of a snow globe today.

2011-01-07T13:19:00.006-05:00

This summer, Hubs and I spent quite a bit of time traveling around Scandinavia and had a particularly amazing time in Norway. This lovely and snowy wedding is the perfect blend of cozy and traditional Norsk (which is pretty cozy anyway!).

Stay warm xx

All photos via

What I'm loving right now...

2011-01-05T11:12:00.009-05:00

Just a little post to ease back into blogging...

After a challenging several months it's time to get back out into the world.

And what better way than window shopping for pretty things!

CabinFeverNYC

Summerville

An awesome restaurant treehouse!

Words of Wisdom

2010-08-05T12:53:00.003-04:00

This beautiful quote came from one of my favorite blogs Seeds and Stitches:

"If there were any words of wisdom I could pass on to brides/grooms to be it would be this; The most important part of the day is about making this insane (and it is insane) lifelong commitment to each other, of declaring your love to each other amongst the support and love of your family and friends around you. And having a good party. The other stuff, the details are secondary. Not unimportant,especially if you are a creative person, but secondary. And marriage rocks. It is incredible. But it isn’t easy. However,If you are both willing to look at yourselves in the mirror sometimes and say 'I'm being a stubborn twat' (really, very important), and if your both willing to compromise and talk it out, really talk, about everything, then in my experience the best is yet to come."

Cheers Hannah! Well said :)

Image via Seeds and Stitches

Wedding Favors

2010-05-23T14:09:00.004-04:00

Ah, the wedding favors. We wanted to give our guests something that they could actually use while keeping true to our barny, homemade theme. I really really wanted to make my own hot sauce and jar it up to give as gifts but in the end we didn't have so much time. We came up with the idea of honey in jars.

We sourced the honey from a local farmer - something like 8 gallons in total (8 large jugs)
Then we bought 4 oz. glass jars and pewter lids from an online candle supply co., and I got to work designing round labels that were printed on sheets of avery label paper, each one cut out with a circle cutter.

Once we had the honey and jars in hand, we began filling them one-by-one with a ladle with help from our roommate Charlie.

Success! The honey was a hit and no jars were left behind.

Bridesmaids Rock!

2010-03-21T21:09:00.004-04:00

Pretty Plum Sugar

These dresses are super cute and an amazing option for a more laid back bride. Plus they can be worn AFTER the wedding!

Groom Style: Cufflinks

2010-03-10T11:14:00.003-05:00

Wood You Love Me Cufflinks

Wooden DEER Cufflinks

How great are these two options for cufflinks? I just adore the way cufflinks look peeking out from under a jacket sleeve. And if you guys are planning on wearing a classic suit, this is a fun way to add a little individuality to your look without pulling grandpa's powder blue tux out of the attic. Or you could go that route as well...

Real Wedding: Erica & Collin

2010-02-02T15:52:00.009-05:00

All photos by Jacob Pritchard

Last fall, Erica and Collin got married at Webb Barn in Connecticut. Their wedding had all the elements that we appreciate here at PH+C. Erica’s 60's dress was found at vintagewedding.com and her veil was made from her mother's veil, to which she added new tulle and lace. Her bridesmaids bought vintage dresses from the 50’s and 60’s that they found themselves at thrift stores while the groomsmen's shirts were chosen to match the same vintage feel.

One of the highlights of the wedding was the band, aptly named The Barnstormers, which consisted of the bride, groom, father and brothers of the groom, and mother, father and aunt of the bride. Weddings are meant to be a reflection of the bride and groom and the people in their lives. This is really best highlighted by incorporating your personal talents and creativity into it!

Among the homemade decor was a giant wooden cut-out painting of Collin's father's guitar. The decorative guitar was originally made by Collin's uncle as part of a float designed by his late wife. Upon arrival to the barn, guests were served hot cider. As a gift for all the guests, they gave a mix CD.

Erica and Colin had their fingerprints imprinted on their wedding rings.

Isn't it great to see two people not giving into conventional wedding brouhaha and creating their own, creative, inspired day? Heck yes!

Wedding Band vs. Wedding DJ vs. Friend With IPod

2009-12-18T18:17:00.003-05:00

And so, the endless debate rages on...

Such an important decision, but which do we choose? A live wedding band, a wedding dj, or a lucky friend of ours we volunteer to run the iPod? While it may seem like a difficult decision, after weighing in the pros and cons it just may actually become an easy choice depending on your needs.

There's really nothing like a live band to rock out to, but what if I don't want to listen to a cheesy rendition of “I will survive.” Should you worry if the dj wants to bring a siren? Do you really want someone to yell....“AAAAALLRIGHT party people, everyone shake yo' grooooove thang on the dance floor, that means you too grandma!” Some things to consider:

Pros

• Cheaper than a band

• You can tailor what they play

• Songs are played in original format

• Can fulfill MC duties

• Large variety of music

• Professional experience

Cons

• Beware of cheesiness

• May only have tacky, generic music

• Personality can make or break reception

Live Band

Pros

• Great atmosphere

• Singer can fulfill MC duties

• Feels more like a party

• Professional experience

Cons

• Expensive

• Limited to what songs they know

• Can be a challenge to work with

• Needs most amount of space

IPod or Laptop with iTunes

Pros

• Cheapest option (considering you can source sound equipment)

• Total control of playlist

• Least amount of space needed

Cons

• Not having professional MC

• People may think you are el cheapo

• You (or said friend) are responsible for set-up and any technical issues that arise

Since we wanted to keep our wedding in a more home-grown vibe and we are ULTRA picky about what music we like, we opted to go a hybrid dj/iPod route. Our lovely friend Jade who has been a dj was kind enough to offer the task of djing for us. We purchased an inexpensive iPod mixer (around $90) from Radio Shack which allowed her to mix between her iPod and ours. Being that our wedding was in a barn with no sound system to speak of, some other friends donated the use of two amplified speakers which were plenty loud.

We then selected most of the music for the whole night and broke it down into different playlists for cocktail hour, dinner, first dance and reception. The MC duties fell on the best man.

If you have the means and are sold on either a dj or a live band, make sure you meet with them and discuss exactly what you want and what they can offer you. They should come across as professional. Make sure their musical style is in sync with yours. Even better, if you can, check them out in person before your wedding.

If you do go the iPod or laptop route sans dj, I definitely would bear in mind song order as you make your playlists, especially for the reception. You should have someone designated to “man” the iPod from time to time, especially when switching between playlists. Also be mindful of the gaps between songs — preferably none as you don't want any dead air to break up your groove!

Winter Weddings

2009-12-10T11:52:00.002-05:00

via Bryan Photo

If I could do it all over again, I wouldn't change a thing! But there is such a magical quality to winter weddings. So romantic with all the warmness and snow. I can imagine having tons of soft lighting and warm whisky cocktails. Lovely! Also, I love the look of the stole or caplet over the wedding dress. Instant glamour!

These are some of my favorite winter wedding ideas:

via Jennifer Behr

via East Side Bride

via Little Winter Bride

Bride Style: Hair

2009-11-30T22:25:00.002-05:00

I didn't really think about how I wanted to have my hair until the day before the wedding. I know it sounds crazy but I just didn't really have time to consider it. After I realized it was hot and humid and I was stressed out enough, I just decided to pin it back. And it was the BEST idea I had for the whole wedding! I was so comfortable throughout the ceremony and reception, I was not too hot, and I didn't have to worry about the wind blowing it around too much.

A great resource for checking out some fun and different hair options is looking at celebrity hairstyles.

Unless you trust that your stylist knows you and you share the same vision, I suggest bringing a photo, or several so they have a clear vision. I brought my hair stylist several photos of the same style that I wanted to achieve, and boy was I glad I did! She was able to get a better idea of what I wanted, without any confusion!

Here are some looks I'm loving right now:

Blogging from 35,000 feet!

2009-11-21T17:07:00.003-05:00

Hi Everyone. Sorry about the lapse in posts lately. Its not due to a lack of interest, rather, K and I have been soooooo busy lately trying to keep up with an ever-growing mountain of work! (which is a good thing) So many new projects going on at the moment. Aside from work, we just spent a week in LA visiting family and friends and having a blast. LA was so much fun and people keep tempting us to move there. We will tell you all about our weekend of fun in the next few posts!

On another note, I have to point out that this post is being written on our flight back to our dear NY. We flew Virgin Atlantic this time and have to say that it was a great experience. Our flights were super efficient and we hardly waited for anything. The planes are new and the cabins are lit with cool purple and magenta lights so it feels more clubby than airplane. And the BEST part...free internet on all flights till Jan 15th!

Thank you Richard Branson.

Groom Style: Guys, It's Your Day Too!

2009-11-03T10:45:00.003-05:00

Before and After

It is a great understatement that a wedding is highly focused on the female involved (something borrowed something blue). There is absolutely nothing wrong with this but I do feel men should have some sentimental value invested in their wardrobe for that special day.

I have taken you through the wonders of having a custom piece made for your wedding as a guest writer on this blog once before but now I will take it one step beyond and let you in on how you can really step it up.

Recently my father gave me an old tuxedo he purchased back in the day and I had it restored and fitted to perfection and now what was once my father’s black tie gear is now mine. It feels really good to wear it because it’s been passed down to me from him and just as that first game of catch you have with your dad is a bonding experience, so is the moment he hands you one of his old suits. The process could also be enjoyed with an uncle, a grandfather, or even an older cousin. Just make sure the tux/suit is close to your size and can be altered.

If you already have your outfit made or picked out, ask your dad for a set of cufflinks, bow tie, even a shirt. This is something that can bring you closer to a strong male figure in your life as well as make the day just as special for you as it is for your bride to be.

Guest post by Dennis Cahlo of Made to Measure

Make Your Own Table Numbers

2009-10-27T22:55:00.008-04:00

If you're looking trim some money off your wedding budget and get crafty at the same time, peep this tutorial and find out how to easily create your own table numbers like these for your wedding.

Step 1 Print out numbers from your computer onto card stock (or hand letter if you feel confident!) along with some kind of border which you will use to cut them out. We could fit 2-up on letter size paper and thought this was a good size. Remember you will need a front and back so print out two of each number.

When you are done printing, cut the numbers out with an x-acto knife (recommended) or paper scissors.

Step 2 Buy a pack of wooden skewers (the dollar store kind will do) and trim them down to about 6" in length. We painted them green but you can leave them raw if you prefer.

Step 3 Now place the skewer in the middle of two same-number panels so it comes up about an inch from the bottom with the number sides facing out and glue them all together. Use a hot glue gun (recommended) or Elmer's etc.

Step 4 Cut a cylinder shape from a brick of craft foam big enough to fit snugly inside your mini flower pot.

Step 5 Place the foam cylinder in the flower pot and stick the skewer with the table numbers attached in the center.

Repeat for all your tables and viola, you are done!

Illustrations by Scott Palmer

Kraft Paper Table Runners

2009-10-26T15:26:00.008-04:00

Many of you have asked us how we produced our table runners for our reception. The truth is, it was borne out of necessity. We first had the idea of creating a dreamy summer night in the barn. I was searching high and low for specific lace fabric to cover the generic rental tables, but as it was SO expensive, we had to think of another option. The caretaker of the barn had just enough plain white table cloths that we could borrow for our event. Phew! The problem now was, how were we to cover them? We had found a way to cover the tables, now we had to figure out a creative, inexpensive way to evoke our dreamy table setting.

Since the cloths were white, it was a challenge in creating the warmness, as they were a stark, generic white. But alas, we could do it! We were thinking about creating another fabric runner but after numerous hours in fabric shops, we were stuck. Then we found a roll of Kraft paper in our apartment. Yes!! How could we forget about Kraft paper? After we agreed that this would be the perfect solution, both financially and creatively, the rest came together pretty quickly. I had met with the florist already so I knew the color scheme of my flowers.

In the coming weeks, we began searching for all the components needed to put together the sweet bird's nests. After that, we gathered as many mason jars as we could find, different colored tea lights, and our table number flower pots!

In the last days we decided on the moss and the final result was even better than we imagined!

We will be putting up a tutorial for how to put together easy (and inexpensive!!!) flower pot table numbers tomorrow! Stay tuned :)

Wedding Reception Dinner Napkins

2009-10-14T08:20:00.007-04:00

A lot of people have asked us what kind of napkins we used at our wedding. At first, we were prepared to just rent cloth napkins from a vendor. But after we started refining our ideas for the look of our wedding, we realized that they would look out of place with our compostable tableware theme. We tried to think of another solution that might be more interesting.

And viola! What started out as an exhaustive (and fruitless) search for kraft style, natural, unbleached recycled dinner napkins ultimately led us to the simplest (and cheapest!) solution: plain old recycled paper towels. Now, I know what you are thinking...what kind of classless couple uses paper towels for their once-in-a-lifetime reception dinner at their wedding?? Well, I guess we did. But, not in the traditional sense. Our friend Kirsten came up with a lovely way of wrapping the utensils in the paper towels and then tying them with ribbon so that they looked beautiful in the end. Since our theme was BBQ/barn wedding, this idea actually lent itself. Obviously, a more formal, white cloth, china affair would probably not be as appropriate.

With vendors charging almost $1/napkin to rent, this creative solution saved us some money which we were able to use in better ways throughout our wedding.

Total cost: $4.82 (two rolls of paper towels)

Groom Style: Groomsmen Gifts

2009-10-11T18:54:00.004-04:00

Ah, this is a topic that I once found daunting before our wedding. I wanted to get my groomsmen a unique gift. But what?? Well, perhaps its easier if you are dealing with a more typical caste of guys who would appreciate a fancy pen, or a monogrammed money clip. But, alas, my male friends are different. They don't like sports. None of them wear formal attire very often. None of them work in any kind of office...and none of them would appreciate an NFL engraved pint glass.

At first, I considered getting a monogrammed liquor flask for them, but then decided it was too typical and cliché, so I reconsidered. I even thought of getting them a boot-shaped pint glass just as an ironic joke but, regrettably, I know that no one would really use it. In the end I thought of the perfect gift: a pocket knife!

A nice, ivory-handled, double-blade folding pocket knife from Knife Depot.

Success!! They all loved the knives I got them and remarked at how original (and functional) their gifts were. So, if you are in the market to buy some unique gifts for your favorite guys, try to think of it as a more personal thank you rather than a cheesy token that will gather dust in a closet...or worse, be re-gifted to someone else.

Shops We Love: Scandinavian Grace

2009-09-30T17:52:00.003-04:00

One of my favorite shops: Scandinavian Grace is now offering a registry option! Scandinavian Grace provides home and lifestyle products with a thoughtfully edited collection of classic and contemporary design from Sweden, Denmark, Finland, Iceland, and Norway. The owners: Fredrik and James, say that they "search Scandinavia for the most fresh and enduring design. We love objects of artistic form and practical function that become a vital enrichment to daily living rather than just status symbols." And by the way, I want everything from their shop! Love, love, love.

And their Wishlist is so easy to make and access by guests! Fill a cart and save it as a Wishlist. Add and Remove items as your needs change. Title and add a message for your personal touch. When you create it, an address is generated to embed as a link on your blog, website, Facebook, MySpace or Evites etc. Friends, Fans and Family can click your link to view, share and purchase items from your individual page. And the best part is:

Free shipping on all orders within the US!! How great is that?? Great incentive for all your lovely guests! Check out the site and let me know what you think! Also, how rad is this clear tea kettle??

Marriott Winner!

2009-09-25T13:28:00.003-04:00

The winner of our contest from last weekend is: Lala who posted the sweetest honeymoon idea of drinking late afternoon tea with her new hubby and having a relaxing month of newlywed bliss! Congratulations Lala! I hope you and your sweetie can use this amazing prize from Marriott to have a getaway soon! Please contact me with your information so I can get your $50 Marriott Bonus Bucks in the mail today!

Thanks for reading our little blog and have a lovely weekend!

Image via Le Love

Happy Autumn!

2009-09-22T12:58:00.003-04:00

As today is the first official day of autumn, I started remembering that S and I were first planning our wedding to be an autumn wedding. Our original date was set to be October 3rd, but as plans and venues changed, so did our date! I can't imagine having another wedding now, although I do love the idea of pretty fallen leaves and warm table settings. Imagine serving a mulled wine and apple cider doughnuts! Yum! Today's post is dedicated to my love of autumn and inspiration for autumn weddings.

Giveaway: Marriott Bonus Bucks!

2009-09-14T12:12:00.007-04:00

While my and Husband's honeymoon was so amazing and we had a blast, it cost us so much money! Of course we wanted to splurge on fancy meals and massages, as well as nice hotels, but it just wasn't possible to do everything we wanted to. After all, we had a normal life to get back to, filled with expenses and new homes! Well, fear no more! You now have the option to "do it all" with Marriott Registry!

At www.MarriottRegistry.com engaged couples can register for a number of honeymoon items – hotel accommodations, spa services, romantic dinners and more. Gift values are accrued to one gift card, which the couple can then redeem at approximately 3,000 Marriotts either during the honeymoon or for future vacations. Additionally, Marriott will throw in a complimentary $100 when registry contributions reach $1,000 as well as rewarding guests with $50 Marriott Bonus Bucks for every $100 they give towards the registry. How great is that?

With the economy being the way it is, and people wanting to, overall, cut back on accumulating too much "stuff" this is a great opportunity to have your dream honeymoon! Also great for the couple who already has everything they need.

With that said, S and I will pick ONE winner to receive $50 Marriott Bonus Bucks (This can be used on a 2 night stay at any Marriott location). The winner will be chosen next week.

{Instructions}

Simply leave us a comment below with your answer to the question, "How would you spend your dream honeymoon?"!

Bonne chance :)

image via Le Love

Organic Country Bread

2009-09-09T10:12:00.004-04:00

Crispy fall weather makes me want to do nothing more than bake. And bake I did! Last night i finally cleaned off the counters and made room to prepare a hearty whole wheat country bread. It wasn't ready cooling till about midnight but that didn't stop S and I from tearing into it and having a few slices to sample before bed! What made baking it even more fun was that I baked it in my Le Creuset dutch oven! I enjoy baking my own bread because it gives me more control over my ingredients. This way I know I am only using organic flour and honey and no artificial fillers or preservatives. Yummy!

Here is the simple and delicious recipe I used for whole wheat country bread:

3 cups Whole Wheat Flour

1 t salt

1/2 oz yeast

1 t honey

1 - 2 cups tepid water

Combine bread and salt in bowl.

Create well in center.

Add yeast, honey, and 1/2 cup of water. Sprinkle with flour and leave covered, in a warm place, for 15 minutes.

After yeast has started, slowly mix in enough or the rest of the water until you have a sticky, but firm, dough.

Turn out and knead for about 10 minutes until smooth.

Put the dough in a clean bowl, cover, and leave in a warm place until it doubles in size, or about an hour.

Turn the dough one one more time and put into oiled bread tin or dutch oven.

Cover once more and leave for about half an hour.

Preheat oven to 425 degrees F.

Put the bread in the oven for about 40 minutes.

Let sit and cool for about half an hour before slicing into, so that the crumb holds together.

Top with butter/honey/jam/cheese/topping of choice and enjoy!

After you master this simple recipe you can alter it hundreds of different ways. You can add dried fruit and nuts, sweeten it with honey or molasses, as well as make it a savory bread with different cheeses, chilies, or cured meats such as pepperoni.

We're back!

2009-09-02T15:46:00.003-04:00

Phew! What an exhausting week it's been! Moving, decorating, furniture buying, birthday cake baking, and enjoying the last days of summer. And through all of it we've been internet free, imagine that! With everything up and running S and I are back to share our wedding, home, cooking, and life with you!

During this time of year, I am always inspired to get back on track. With the lazy days of summer on their way out, it's time to fall back into my routine. That being said, we have some exciting things happening on PH&C in the next week!

We have an exciting honeymoon contest coming up for all our brides and grooms so stay tuned for that!

Also, now that we're settled in our happy new home, S and I will be sharing our new crafty home decorating ideas as well as all the yummy things I will be cooking up in our sweet new little kitchen!

And of course we will continue posting any and all amazing ideas for your amazing weddings as well as more ideas from our own :)

We're happy to be back...

K & S

Gift Idea: For yourself or someone else!

2009-08-20T12:26:00.003-04:00

After S and I returned from the honeymoon we were overwhelmed with the amount of presents and boxes that were EVERYWHERE. Suddenly our little apartment was taken over by waffle makers, appliances and boxes of dishes. (Not that we're ungrateful!) Little by little, we started opening the boxes, (especially with our new move, post coming soon!) and I was so happy to discover these lovely mugs given to us by our amazing photographer, Chad, and his family.

The are by Jessica Rust Designs and made in Minnesota. These mugs represent the four seasons so each mug is a little different. It is personalized with your initials and year "carved" into the birch tree. How great are these? If we weren't lucky enough to own them , I would by them for S and myself!

You can also register for these mugs and other items on Jessica's website here.

Photo via Jessica Rust Designs

Summer lovin'

2009-08-14T23:43:00.001-04:00

As summer is slowly passing us by, I realize I haven't had the time to cook even half the things I wanted to. With that said, these next few weeks will be filled with chopping, baking, eating, and full bellies for family and friends. Stay tuned for lovely summer recipes and stories of my tiny New York City kitchen. Hoping to plan a lovely rooftop end of summer soiree! What are some of your favorite summer recipes?

Hope you're having a happy weekend!

Image via Decorative Country Living

The Archipelago of Kisses

2009-08-12T13:47:00.003-04:00

Came across this lovely poem and thought it would be perfect for a wedding reading! S and I had three readings at our own wedding and I loved them all so much. It was so special having our family and friends involved. All of our readings were very different but all tied in together perfectly with our ceremony seamlessly. We had lyrics from a song, a verse, and another lovely poem. Are you planning on having any readings at your wedding?

Enjoy!

We live in a modern society. Husbands and wives don't
grow on trees, like in the old days. So where
does one find love? When you're sixteen it's easy,
like being unleashed with a credit card
in a department store of kisses. There's the first kiss.
The sloppy kiss. The peck.
The sympathy kiss. The backseat smooch. The we
shouldn't be doing this kiss. The but your lips
taste so good kiss. The bury me in an avalanche of tingles kiss.
The I wish you'd quit smoking kiss.
The I accept your apology, but you make me really mad
sometimes kiss. The I know
your tongue like the back of my hand kiss. As you get
older, kisses become scarce. You'll be driving
home and see a damaged kiss on the side of the road,
with its purple thumb out. If you
were younger, you'd pull over, slide open the mouth's
red door just to see how it fits. Oh where
does one find love? If you rub two glances, you get a smile.
Rub two smiles, you get a warm feeling.
Rub two warm feelings and presto-you have a kiss.
Now what? Don't invite the kiss over
and answer the door in your underwear. It'll get suspicious
and stare at your toes. Don't water the kiss with whiskey.
It'll turn bright pink and explode into a thousand luscious splinters,
but in the morning it'll be ashamed and sneak out of
your body without saying good-bye,
and you'll remember that kiss forever by all the little cuts it left
on the inside of your mouth. You must
nurture the kiss. Turn out the lights. Notice how it
illuminates the room. Hold it to your chest
and wonder if the sand inside hourglasses comes from a
special beach. Place it on the tongue's pillow,
then look up the first recorded kiss in an encyclopedia: beneath
a Babylonian olive tree in 1200 B.C.
But one kiss levitates above all the others. The
intersection of function and desire. The I do kiss.
The I'll love you through a brick wall kiss.
Even when I'm dead, I'll swim through the Earth,
like a mermaid of the soil, just to be next to your bones.

The Archipelago of Kisses, by Jeffrey McDaniel. via Peonies and Polaroids

photographer unknown, via Le Love

Apartment Hunt!

2009-08-11T22:23:00.004-04:00

Since returning from our honeymoon, S and I have been on the hunt for a new apartment. We didn't want to leave our beloved neighborhood, or even worse...move to Brooklyn (gasp!). After a few tiring weeks of exhausting searches, open houses, brokers, and craigslist disappointments, we have found the PERFECT place! Problem solved, right? Well, to our surprise, the apartment next to "our" apartment is also vacant.

We love them both.

So now what? We must decide in the next 24 hours as we would like to move in as soon as possible. They are both in an amazing building in our neighborhood. The apartments have original features from the 1890's as well as the original floorboards and the molding. Really lovely! One of them has really amazing old shutters which were also original when the building was a private townhouse.

So what should we do??? Husband likes the smaller of the two with a walk in closet. I like the larger of the two but has (virtually) no bathroom. Also, the larger one has the original plumbing of the house which includes a tub in the kitchen! Hmmm....

Thoughts?!!

Ex’s & Oh’s

2009-08-10T14:29:00.002-04:00

Finding an Officiant for Your Wedding

2009-08-10T00:10:00.005-04:00

The most important part of choosing and officiant for your wedding is finding someone you are comfortable with, as they will have a large impact on the vibe of your wedding ceremony. Ideally, you want to have someone who not only reflects your individual qualities, but also shares the same values.

Now, neither K nor I had any desire to be married in a church being that we are not belonging to any particular religion. Luckily, we had it easy...

Enter our beloved friend Josh.

He became an ordained minister a few years ago through the Universal Life Church to marry another good friend of ours, so he was an obvious choice for our upcoming wedding. And, how many other ministers teach Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu classes during the day? That's right, not many.

The good thing about having a friend officiate your wedding is that (hopefully) they know you well enough already and will personalize the experience. We began brainstorming with Josh a few months before the wedding. He came to our apartment and we went over the details and the order of the program. We decided early on that we wanted to write our own vows. We also asked some of our close friends if they would do us the honor of reading selected pieces. The only danger of having a friend perform your ceremony is if they don't take the task as seriously as they should. Nobody wants a clown at their wedding!

Those who would prefer a religious ceremony should bear in mind the same qualities when choosing someone. All the better if it's a person who is close with you and your family. If that's the case, i.e., a clergy person, etc.

In the end, Josh did a fabulous job officiating our wedding and we were very happy with our decision. He brought just the right balance of sincerity with quirkiness – a true reflection of us.

Groom Style: Guest Post for PH+C by Made to Measure

2009-08-07T11:57:00.014-04:00

{Paper Hearts + Cranes is excited to present the very first installment of a series dedicated to Groom Style by Dennis Cahlo of Made to Measure}

The world of wedding style for men is rapidly evolving. Where as before we had only the option of the traditional formal Tuxedo, we are now living in a time where the rules and game have changed.

If it was my own wedding I would wear a tuxedo because {a} I own one and {b} I like them. But what about if you just want to go against the grain a bit and wear just a suit? Well, my dear chaps, you are in luck but I am about to school you very hard and fast on what to avoid and what to look for.

The first option that comes to mind is a full custom suit. I mean, this is a huge day for you, sir. Why have something ill fitting on your frame and embarrass your bride, family, and soon to be in laws? Not to mention all those pictures your photographer will be taking. Ah, the memories. I digress. A custom suit is something really special and sacred that you will get lots of use out of way after your wedding. I suggest going for colors all depending on where the occasion is held. For example, if you are on a beach go for a beautiful Khaki cotton or linen suit. PLEASE DO NOT WEAR SANDALS. Pick up some nice loafers and make sure you go sockless. For something more formal but not as traditional like an outdoor setting you can go for a beautiful Navy or Gray pinstripe. Put a nice flower in the button hole of your lapel, slim down your tie, and throw a pocket square in that breast pocket of yours. You are going to look classy as hell and at the same time you will not outshine your bride to be.

As a second option, you can take a cue from Scott and buy a higher end off the rack suit (Paul Smith) and have it tailored to perfection. Again, follow the color guide lines based on where you are having your big day but MAKE SURE YOU HAVE THE SUIT TAILORED BY A PRO.

For shirts I also suggest custom and you can go with white or pink. Make sure it’s nothing to flashy, ruffled, or heavily patterned. That is a huge mistake. You want to be subtle while still being bold.

The key to being creative with your wedding attire is to look really good and not break the bank. Stay away from clichés or even “ironic” looks. As I said before, this is your big day, buddy. Don’t mess it up.

For more information on where to get custom clothing please visit my blog here.

All the best,

Dennis Cahlo

Choosing your registry.

2009-08-04T10:28:00.002-04:00

This is the fun part! However, when choosing to provide your guests with a registry list, you may feel overwhelmed. Do you feel like you are pushing your guests to buy you certain items or do you even feel rude assuming they would want to buy these for you? Don't! Friends and relatives will be looking to buy wedding gifts as soon as they hear about your engagement. Really! Take the guesswork out of gift buying by making sure they know what you really want.

Firstly, to decide what you need, take inventory of the things you already have and see where the gaps are. Talk about the style of home you'd both like, and what would fit in with your lifestyle (Do you need a stand mixer? You never bake!). One thing to consider is local shops vs online mega stores. If you are a Target shopper, you may feel comfortable choosing to register there. Target has thousands of options and is accessible to every guest, both in location and in price points. If you have a favorite local shop, go in and ask the owner if they have a gift registry option. You may be pleasantly surprised! Even smaller online shops have them now! It may be a bit more work but will be worth it in the long run, and you could be happily supporting a small business!

Another incentive to look for is discounts from vendors. When S and I were registering, I noticed companies like All-Clad and Le Creuset offer free merchandise when registering for a certain amount of their products.

And don't forget about Etsy! Contact vendors for special registry requests!

A final idea is either a honeymoon fund or having a list of fun things your guests could contribute to for your honeymoon, such as a snorkeling day trip or a couples massage. Contact your hotel or resort to find out about setting up such a registry!

You may also be wondering if you should include your information on your invite. We also pondered over this for quite some time but in the end, decided to add it since it was just easier than having everyone ask us or our parents. Some say it's a big no-no but we just thought it would make the process simpler for everyone!

Good luck!!

Brooklyn Bride

2009-08-03T11:53:00.009-04:00

Thank you to the lovely Vane for posting us on her beautiful site this morning! We are so honored to be a part of this amazing community and to have our little wedding showcased to so many other crafty, imaginative, and creative people!

Check us out!!

Backyard Weddings: Budget Friendly & Fun!

2009-07-29T21:48:00.005-04:00

Photo c/o Affordable Utah Weddings

I love the idea of getting married at your/your parents/neighbors/some else's home. The setting feels more personal and most likely has sentimental value for your family. Also, your guests may feel more conformable being that it's not a fancy venue and they may have already spent time there!

If I had a big backyard (or a backyard at all!) I would definitely had considered having our wedding there. After all, S and I went all the way upstate to find a "backyard feel."

Backyard weddings could also be very budget friendly! Obviously you don't need to pay for your venue, which usually carries a fee. Next, if you are having a small enough reception, you could get by on using your own china and asking friends to borrow wine glasses/extra silverware. It would make for a great eclectic mix! If you are fortunate to have lovely landscaping on your property or a garden you can scratch flowers off your list! You will have natural flower arrangements (which you could possibly clip for really pretty bouquets!). Also, depending on the size of your guest list, and your friends/family, you may be able to cut the catering bill by having the food prepared in the house!

I love how this lovely couple planned their wedding at their own house!

All photos by Young House Love

Message In A Bottle

2009-07-27T11:29:00.004-04:00

How perfect would this be for a new take on an invite? Imagine your family and friends receiving this in the mail with little notes/invites! It could also be used as a wedding favor thanking each wonderful guest for coming inside the lovely keepsake bottle. Or how about pulling your vows out of the bottle during the ceremony? So dramatic.

Paloma's Nest Ring Bearer Bowls

2009-07-26T22:38:00.004-04:00

Husband and I didn't have a ring bearer but we still wanted to have a unique way to display our wedding bands. We found these adorable ceramic bowls from Etsy artist Caroline Colom Vasquez of Paloma's Nest. Caroline belives in "Doing small things with great love." Each piece is custom designed and hand-crafted in her home studio in Austin, Texas, with care, pride, and passion. She use only all natural materials including fine clays, wood, paper, and cloth, knowing that these items will be passed on for many years. Caroline says, "My inspiration lies in the purity of the materials that I use, and the idea that something so simple can be so bold. By adding text, I give written ideas, feelings, and daydreams a place to rest."

S and I thought these little bowls were perfect for the wedding and now we use is as a decorative piece in our home. Caroline will custom design anything you want on the bowl. S and I chose a quote that was part of one of the readings from our wedding. It was really fitting for the day and for every time we happen to glance at it! Following the quote, written out is our wedding date. I would certainly recommend these for your wedding day and beyond! The bowl is quite small so it can easily fit into the little hands of your cutie ring bearer. They also come with a little string so they can also be hung afterwards!

Also, Caroline has just added these beautiful new golden dove bowls. How great are these?!

All photos c/o Paloma's Nest

All of the ceramic items are crafted from either white earthenware clay or porcelain clay.