lady lee in process

Today

2012-01-19T11:07:00.000-05:00

My friend Laura (far left) tagged me in this photo on facebook today. It was taken 3 years ago. We were both celebrating our 1 year anniversaries together in a cabin in TN.

That means that Drew Jones' and I have been married almost 4 years. (!)

I'd like to go back there with Westley and dip his little toesies in the cold water, see what he thinks of it.

Today I am being a mom, a wife, a freelance designer, a cook, a house cleaner, and a secretary.

And it's good. So so good.

But, someday soon I would like to go somewhere beautiful on this earth and just be a child of God.

amen?

Daily life

2012-01-18T07:50:00.000-05:00

Westley was napping while Drew Jones and I were rustling up some lunch and he says to me,
"There was some yellow poop on the changing table still from when Westley was a newborn!"

I interupted him with, "I KNOW! It's been there for months because I can't bring myself to wash it away. It reminds me of him as a little little."

I think Drew Jones was equally horrified and touched.

I may be a couple degrees away from one of those people on Hoarders who can't bring themselves to throw away their cat's poop and burger king wrappers.

I just thought I should confess.

And now for a video of my little army crawling beebs. Yes he is crawling towards his toy of choice, a bottle of baby tylenol. Yes I only let him play with it while supervised (when are babies not supervised though, really.) And yes it has a safety cap so he couldn't ever get it opened anyway.

Blah, blah, video:

Etsy Shop Grand Opening!

2012-01-17T07:42:00.001-05:00

We opened an Etsy shoooooop! (Oprah voice big time on this one)

And by we I mean Drew Jooooooooones & I!

Currently the shop has fun necklaces that I myself would (and do) wear, hand made by Drew Jones and myself. And lovely prints that I'm calling the "Blogger Series" because they feature my favorite quotes by my daily reads and friends:

Tales of me and the Husband

Mr. & Mrs. Rigoloso in Detail

and

E-Tells-Tales

As well as yours truly.

I hope you will come over and pick out a little something for yourself, someone you love or both!

www.ladyleeanddrewjones.etsy.com

And stop by often because we are going to be adding new things as quickly as our little hands can make them!

Westley is 8 months!

2012-01-11T11:09:00.000-05:00

Westley started dancing. Technically it started at the end of 7 months and it was and continues to be glorious.

A couple times in the kitchen, he in his high chair and I cleaning or getting food out of the fridge to make dinner singing some made up song and out of the corner of my eye I see him bobbing along to the beat.

Dancing to my song.

Both times tears fell from my eyes.

I wasn't trying to get him to dance or prompting it. I didn't show him how to dance. I was just going about the day singing something silly and he was just going about his dancing to it.

I don't know, it just made my heart swell enough to produce tears.

I have been practicing blocking everything out except for very specific details. With all the noise of the day, all the tasks that need to be done I was finding myself not really seeing Westley if you know what I mean. I was enjoying him, we would laugh and play and engage, but I wasn't really truly seeing. So I've been doing this thing where I block out everything around me and just look at his downy blonde head. Or like this morning, I held his sippy cup up to his mouth so he could get a sip and I just watched his little profile happily chew at the cup. I didn't let anything else in, just gave myself to his blue eyes watching Scout, his little wet lips, his bouncy baby movements. It is calming. It feels really good to see him and seemingly slow down time like that. I recommend it.

Since I wrote last Westley has experienced his first Christmas and his first New Years. We celebrated Christmas with our extended families before the actual day of Christmas and so Christmas day was just us. Mama, Dada, Westley and Scoutie. It was quiet, uneventful (save for one large and memorable poop Westley produced which had Drew calling over the baby moniter for "back up!") and perfect. We went for a brisk Christmas walk in the park, Westley opened presents, we ate an easy crock pot meal and enjoyed the day.

Some other things that happened over Christmas:

- He met Santa!

- He got a little overwhelmed by his tower of presents:

And then recovered and got excited about it:

- He got this toy from my parents (among many many others):

As you can see Scout is nervous about it.

- We drove home at 3 am from Drew's parents house after a honest attempt to stay the night with the whole family and celebrate a Christmas morning with them. Westley wouldn't sleep and therefore we couldn't sleep so Drew packed up all four of us (because Scout was there too)and drove us 40 minutes home in the wee morning hours. We did drive back the next morning to celebrate with everyone. Tanner, Drew's brother, flew all the way home from his new home in Utah and seeing him hold and interact with Westley was awesome. It was the first time he had seen him in 5 months. The first things he said were, "Look at those big blue eyes!" and "His skin is so soft!" Such a sweet time.

- We visited my side of the family in Toledo, Ohio. It was so great to visit them and mostly to see them with Westley. He got showered with gifts and love and I don't think was ever put down. My Dad would be holding him and my Mom would say, "okay MY TURN!" and then my sister would do the same. And in another attempt to stay the night somewhere other than home we ended up driving 3 hours home at midnight because Westley wouldn't sleep. And when I say he wouldn't sleep, I mean he cried and cried.

So Westley hadn't slept well out of his home, that's for sure. But even the nighttime sleep in our home was sketchy. He was waking up a lot more, and when I would get up and tend to him he wouldn't want to be put back down in his crib so he would end up in bed with us, which meant that I would half sleep with him on my chest. He wasn't getting good sleep, I wasn't getting good sleep and so on Christmas eve we started implementing the sleep solutions from the book, "Happy Sleep Habits, Healthy Child". Things have gotten MUCH better. We basically learned that he wasn't getting enough sleep, and with babies sleep begets sleep, so we added a nap to the day and put him to sleep earlier than usual and it he is responding so so well to it. Thank goodness!!

- Part of the Healthy Sleep Habits plan is to not let a baby sleep in past 7 am, so you can protect his morning nap. I share this because I am posting a video below in which we wake up Westley for Christmas morning...we are not Christmas crazies who wake up their baby on Christmas morning because they just can't wait...we were waking him up because it was 7 a.m. and we are following the plan. Which like I said, it working.

About this video:
• I am in robebear.
• It is long and I figure the only ones to make it to the end are my family members, so if you make it all the way through consider yourself family material.

Okay..blah blah blah, here is the video!

And now for...

Westley's 8 month stats:

Height - 29.5 inches (93rd percentile!)

Weight - 19.3 lbs

Head - 17.75 inches

Here and here are pictures of him at his 8 months check up. Believe it or not he didn't even get shots at this one. His Daddy and I did though. We got flu shots so he didn't have to. Taking one for the team. He's crying because Dr. Breen had to look up his nose and little dude HATES people messin' with his nose.

What he is doing:
• Daaaaancing!
• Rolling, scooching
• Claps his hands sometimes when prompted to clap
• Sits up on his own
• Still preferring breastmilk to food, but is eating a couple small pureed meals a day
• Laughing in anticipation of something funny
• Dropping toys off the side of his high chair and then leaning in their direction and staring at them until you pick them up for him.

What he loves:
• Me, he totally loves me and I can tell.
• Dada, he studies his every move and prefers him to put him down after his 9 pm feeding
• Being held and walked around the house. He would be fine with doing this all day.
• Bathtime. I don't know if I will ever take this one off this list. Dude loves it.
• Dancing!
• Scout. He hit her in the face with his superman pez dispenser the other day and she just yawned and licked his hand.
• The framed photo of him at the bottom of our stairs. When we pass by it I will say "whos that baby?" and he looks directly at himself and smiles at it reaching for it.
• When he sees you for the first time after waking up, he gives big sleepy smiles
• Having his face and hands washed. We do this if we come home from somewhere, or before naps or whenever his little face could use a warm wipe. He closes his little baby eyes and takes these sweet deep breaths.
• His paper crane mobile. Before he takes a nap I always hold him next to it and he always smiles at it and reaches out for them curious and happy. Then I swirl them around for him when I lay him in his crib and he stares up at them.
• Opening and shutting things. Especially cabinets and the door to the storage inthe basement. When he opens I'll say "Open!" and when he closes it I'll say "Close!" and he smiles and does it over and over and over.
• His vitamins. When he hears me shaking them up before bedtime he opens his mouth for them like a little baby bird.
• His new drum and drum sticks that his Great Papa got him for Christmas. He intermittedly plays beats on his drum and chews on his drumsticks.

What annoys him:
• Any diaper/clothes change that happens before naptime. Squirming and protesting happen while Mama and Daddy try to make him laugh.
• Certain foods. I tried feeding him pureed turkey and veggies twice and he literally gagged on it both times.
• Eating food in general. You have to basically force him to eat the first bite, and then I think he realizes it's not bad and will keep eating the rest.
• Being licked in the face by Scoutie. He flinches and pushes her away if we don't get to her first.
• When I try to get boogs out of his nose.

And if you made it through this entire very very long post here are two more photos as a reward.

Got a baby and a doorbell?

2012-01-10T20:52:00.000-05:00

Then this freebie is for you.

The UPS guy came today - and he is a nice guy and all as far as I can tell - but he always rings the doorbell like 12 times, leaves the package on the doorstep and rumbles away in his brown truck. The doorbell makes Scout LOSE HER MIND barking and, you guessed it, Westley wakes up.

So anyway, I made a quick print today in photoshop. I figured I'm not the only one with this problem so I thought I would share.

Here it is, free for the taking. Drag it to you desktop, print, hang by your doorbell and enjoy the peace.

A reflection and admission

2012-01-03T16:17:00.000-05:00

Westley 4 weeks old

Sometimes Drew and I will be sitting eating or folding laundry and I will say to him something like,

"Remember when between the hours of 6 and 9 I would have to put Westley in the stroller and roll him through the living room and kitchen to get him to sleep?"

or

"Remember when we went to Val's wedding in Cincinatti and we tried to go to a restaurant after the ceremony and we had to leave before we even ordered drinks because Westley was wailing and people were staring?"

or

"Remember when we took Westley with us to see that awful movie Larry Crowne and I stood in the back of the theater bouncing him the whole time. We were crazy!"

Just the other day we were at Westley's 8 month check up and there was a newborn in the room next to us wailing.

"Remember when that was us?" I said to Drew.

He raised his eyebrows and nods, "I don't miss that."

"No that was a stressful part." I say.

I never admited it (until now) on this blog, but Westley had colic when he was a little little. It took me a long time to admit it to myself because:

a. I didn't really know that all babies didn't cry all.the.time. Because he is my first. I do remember however asking my Mom when she was visiting once, "Is this normal? Did I cry like this?" and she looked at me with scrunched eyebrows and shook her head. She didn't say anything though, I think because she didn't want to scare me and my hormones.

b. Westley was a good baby, no matter if he cried all the time or not. And I didn't want people to hear colic and think of him as "bad". All babies are good. All of them.

So the truth is, he cried most of the day for the first few months and much to the dismay of my aching post partum woman parts I would walk briskly around the house jostling, shushing, bouncing, singing and swinging him for hours and hours.

Now that he is 8 months old and so sweet, easy going and good-natured I look back on those days and really think colic must have really really sucked for him. He isn't one to cry or fuss unless something is REALLY wrong, so whatever colic actually is must of felt pretty bad. Poor baby. I'm glad he won't remember one bit of it. And even though it wasn't easy, I still remember those days as some of the very best of my life to date. He has always had my heart since the moment I laid eyes on him and I truly believe that the hard times of colic just bonded us even more and gave me confidence as his Mama. I hope it had a similar effect for him, confidence that his Mama will always always be there for him, that she'll always be a source of comfort and he can trust her completely.

Westley & me - 7 weeks old

Happy New Year! Westley's First Vlog!

2011-12-30T13:49:00.001-05:00

While taking a bath Westley decided it would be apropo to shoot a vlog addressing all his fans with his New Years goals.

You will find a transcript of his vlog below the video. Enjoy!

Transcript:

Hey everyone! It's me! Westley! In the tub.

:::pause:::

:::sound of soap bottle squirting:::

Hey Dad, keep it down! I'm vlogging!

Just kidding, I love you.

Okay okay okay...

I have New Years goals, and I want to share them!

I plan to walk,
maybe I'll crawl first...
maybe I won't!

I'm gonna say my first word...

I'll probably get cuter, so I'll just put that on my list.

Oh!

This is a hard one, but I'm going to try not to pee in the tub anymore.

:::long pause:::

What?!

I am!

:::pause:::

Starting after this bath!

haha!

:::breathing:::watersounds:::

mmm toy.

Oh you guys are still here!

I'm out! Happy New Year!

Merry Christmas!

2011-12-25T10:19:00.000-05:00

Just wanted to pop in to show you our little Christmas card and wish you a Merry Christmas!

And of course I brought a gift for you!

A free 4x6 design I made of my favorite Christmas song lyrics. They are from O Holy Night and they often bring tears to my eyes.

Sweet hymns of HOPE! A grateful chorus rise we! Let all that is in us praise His holy name! Christ is the LORD! Forever we will praise thee!

His law isn't judging others who aren't doing it our way.
His law isn't looking down our noses at people who do not believe in Him.
His law isn't persecuting homosexuals.
His law isn't anger, hostility or fire and brimstone.
His law isn't guilt or shame.
His law is love
and His gospel is peace.

Amen?

Just click on the image and right click to download or drag to your desktop. It's big enough to print or you can use in any personal way you would like.

Merry Christmas, I hope you have a sweet and special day.

Westley is 7 Months Old!

2011-12-03T00:06:00.001-05:00

Yes. My little guy is 7 months old and has two little teef.

Does every mother look at their baby and think to their self, "I must have made the most adorable sweet baby ever in the entire world."?

Today we went on a chilly 2 mile jaunt around the park and halfway through my bundled up babe fell asleep and I couldn't stop staring at his angelic face. Only his button nose, flushed cheeks and rosebud lips peeked out from all the layers I swathed him in. He looked like a wintry baby cherub.

We also went shopping for Christmas presents today. Just Westley and I. Every person we came across smiled at him and said things like "What a good little shopping buddy!" and "He is so calm! Is he always like this?" To which I would say "I know! Yes he is just wondeful."

We drove home with Christmas music playing while he dozed snug in his car seat and I soaked it in because it was moment I dreamed of and hoped for. Just driving in the dark with my healthy babe and Jingle Bell Rock playing.

What I am seeing more and more in Westley is that he is a lot like his Daddy. Easygoing, sweet, more of a listener than a talker. He is looking more and more like his Daddy too. Haaaandsome.

Westley's 7 month stats:

Height - 28 inches

Weight - 19 lbs

Head - 17.5 inches

What he is doing:
He studies his toys, passing them from hand to hand and bangs them on things
He rolls and scooches around
Stands with little assistance for short periods of time
Does a funny dance where he waves his arms around and then folds his body over
Sits up on his own but still topples over after a bit
Reaching for everything and leaning towards things he wants
Eating food, only a small bit a couple times a day - still very much prefers milk

What he loves:
Anything that is not a toy: remote, empty m&m bags, water bottles, etc.
Being around people
Bathtime
When you sing to him
Scout, especially when she runs around, he gets excited and giggles
The curtains, he loves when we open them and shake them around
When he sees you for the first time after waking up, he gives big sleepy smiles
When Daddy comes home from work

What annoys him:
Getting his diaper changed
Getting his pajamas on or clothes changed
If you take something away he was really interested in
Doing the same thing for too long

Check out Daddy Westley blanket fun time:

An Extended Break

2011-11-10T08:08:00.001-05:00

Dear faithful friends,

I am going to be taking an extended break from lady lee. Two months at the minimum.

I am feeling like social media has been controlling me more than I have been controlling it and am feeling the need for more good ole brick and mortar living.

Also as you know, I am a full-time Mama, a job which I take very seriously. But I also have to freelance part-time in order to help pay the bills. I have been a bit overwhelmed having to freelance as well as keep up with the work of being a Mama and taking care of home/family/life/wife stuff and so all of this points to a need to simplify and cut back in other areas. And sadly, the blog is the clearest option as one place that I spend a lot of time that I can cut back on. I know I could just post a couple times a week, and I thought about that, but in the end I really just need to get away for a bit. I will be scarce on Twitter & Facebook as well and will be pretty absent from the internet in general.

I'm sad because I feel like I am going to miss out on so much and I know I will MISS YOU GUYS. Your comments and love are so encouraging to me. I'm also bummed because there will be an extended amount of time that I won't have documented, and I love being able to look back. But I know it is the right thing for me to do right now, personally and for my little family.

I'm going to miss you so much. I hope when I come back, refreshed and with a better sense of how to balance all of the things I love in life, you will be here.

Love,

Candis

Living Pinterest Guest Addition: No Sew Vest & Scarf

2011-11-09T08:02:00.004-05:00

My sister Stacia is here today to Live some Pinterest. When she told me she was going to be doing this vest tutorial I was really excited because I had it on my pinboard too and wanted to see how it worked out! She writes the fashion blog, Free to be Stacia Lee, so this is a perfect pin for her to tackle!

***

Hi Lady Lee readers! Today I'm guest posting about my latest living pinterest.
I saw this pin and knew I had to try it.

Source: theseams.blogspot.com via Stacia on Pinterest

So my friend Abby and I went to Joann fabrics made a few hard decisions on which fabric to purchase. We finally choose two fabrics and went to the cutting counter.

The directions on the official blog that the pin came from said to get a rectangle piece of fabric that is 60 inches long. So we each purchased almost 2 yards of fabric.

Once we got it home and realized the fabric was one big square and that we purchased double the needed fabric we cut it in half at home.

Once we figured it out and read the rest of the directions it was pretty simple. Abby's navy material wasn't the right kind of material and didn't hang well as a vest. The gray material that I picked up was more of a jersey knit and hung well when the vest was on. I did notice right away that the two arm slits were already ripping. The great thing about this project that it is a 2 in 1. So one piece with two options is pretty awesome to have in your wardrobe.

Pin It

Cost of (double) fabric: $16 (on sale with coupon)

I thought I was going to spend less than $5 total, so the price was a little bit of a surprise.

Time: 30 minutes

Result 2 new pieces.

I hope you enjoyed this living pinterest guest post it was a fun time

while hanging out with a great friend!

Thanks,

Stacia

Link up with your own Living Pinterest adventures!

***

I'll be announcing the winner of The Limited $50 gift card later today! And don't forget to come back tomorrow for a special post from me.

The Limited: Grand Opening & Giveaway!

2011-11-08T08:58:00.003-05:00

The Grand Opening of The Limited at Easton was last Thursday and I was invited to be there!

Westley came with me and we had a nice little time together.

They have really beautiful clothes at The Limited. Everything is so chic! They sell the kind of clothes that make you feel like a grown up without feeling old or frumpy. Their clothes are easy, effortless and expensive looking. I tried on a few things and the fit and feel of the clothes is really really good.

Speaking of trying on clothes, their dressing rooms had this really great lighting feature.

You just press a button and it changes the lighting in the room. You can see what your outfit will look like in daylight, nighttime or office lighting!

daylight.

night.

office.

I ended up leaving the store with a couple things that are new favorites including this blouse and this watch. I wanted this bag too, but I practiced some restraint since really the only bag I can tote these days is a backpack I use as a diaper bag. Super hot.

I also left the store with a $50 gift card to give away to one of you lucky readers! So this way you can go to The Limited and buy that bag and ship it to me. Jokes, jokes.

Seriously though, 50 bucks is up for grabs and you can enter by simply leaving a comment on this post with your email address.

The giveaway is open TODAY ONLY and I'll announce the winner TOMORROW!

Good luck!

There will be a Living Pinterest guest post from my sister over at Free to be Stacia Lee tomorrow! And then a special post from me on Thursday.

***Yay! we have a winner!! Hennifer83! YOU WIN! Congratulations and thanks to everyone who played!***

Westley is 6 Months Old!

2011-11-07T08:05:00.000-05:00

Westley turned 6 months on October 27th!

He is so smiley and squealy and sweet. He is such a happy boy and brings Drew and I so much joy. There have been times when I have been sad or stressed or anxious this month and when I look at his face I literally feel my body change from static to peace. I really just can't get enough of him. We are so blessed to have him and everyday I thank God for giving us Westley. Our little sweetie with sugary butter breath, soft cheeks and a sweet disposition. I often ask him, "Oh Westley how did I get so lucky?" and he just looks at me with his happy gum smile soaking in the love.

Here are Westley's 6 month stats:

Height - 28 inches

Weight - 18 lbs 4 oz

Head - 17 inches

What he is doing:
Making a lot more sounds in his babbling, especially when he first wakes up
Rolling and scooting around
Cutting his first tooth!
Going for long walks in the Ergo with Mama quite happily
Knows and responds to his name
Knows the sign for "milk"
Knows the sign for "up"
Mostly taking only one long nap in the morning
Smiles A LOT and we love it
Holds and passes toys from hand to hand
Grew out of his infant carrier and now is in his convertible carseat

What he loves:
Looking at himself or others in the mirror
His stuffed Simba Daddy got him
When we put blanket on his face and pull it off
Peek-a-boo games
Giving him an object and then taking it away real quick, he cracks up at this!
His mobile, if you hold him close to it he will reach out at the cranes
New places and faces
New objects or toys
Just being with us wherever we are

What annoys him:
Getting his pajamas put on at nighttime, he gets impatient to eat!
Too many tickles
Taking too long to get him out of his car seat
Eating solids...he isn't that interested anymore in this
Not being able to get to things or move the way he wants to

Way to grow baby boy!

1 week old

6 months old

Drew's 30th Birthday

2011-11-04T08:33:00.002-04:00

When the UPS guy visits our house chaos ensues. He rings the doorbell twice and sometimes pounds on the front door. This makes Scout go insane barking which is where all the feelings of chaos come from. So on Saturday afternoon I was upstairs getting dressed and I heard the ringing and pounding and barking and knew that either Drew's gift was being delivered or someone was ignoring the "no soliciting" sign on our door.

Turns out it was Drew's gift. Drew brought in the box and when I came downstairs I saw it sitting there by the door. He looked at me, I looked at him and said, "you want to open it now?"

"yes!"

So he opened it.

I had been planning this gift for months and was so excited to see his reaction.

This is what he opened...

Months ago I asked our families and a few close friends to write a letter to Drew. I compiled them all with photos and had it printed in a leather bound book.

He opened up the book to the first page and tears immediately started rolling down his cheeks. There were some pages where he would just close the book and squeeze his eyes shut trying to compose himself.

It was a such sweet thing to watch. I almost grabbed the camera but I didn't want to interrupt what felt like such a sacred moment. It really was wonderful.

Bam. Best. Gift. Ever.

That was until the next day when his family got him an iphone.

More photos from birthday celebrations
(which is basically just more adorable photos of our baby)
in
3
2
1

The Buckeyes won,
he got a sweet book of letters,
a shopping trip at H&M,
his favorite birthday cupcakes,
an iphone,
played some poker with friends,
made some mountain pies over the fire,
has a wife & a baby & a family that love him completely.

30 isn't looking that bad eh Drew Jones?

It definitely looks good on you.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY!!

Trick-or-Treat

2011-11-03T08:40:00.000-04:00

Westley had his first Trick-or-Treat on Monday!

As you saw in the video, he was Yoda for Halloween. I actually made the hat. Used a sewing machine and everything! We found the fleece robe at a thrift store and I dyed it that tan color and then I just cut the sleeves off a small brown t-shirt and put it over the robe. Voila! Yoda Baby!

We took him to a few houses on our street and I think only one person called him Shrek, although two people thought he was a girl. I explained to Westley it's because he is so darn cute and Drew let him know that when he was older he would appreciate being pretty and handsome all at the same time. We both agreed that he better be nice to girls and pick out one really nice one eventually.

Now I'm all off topic.

We collected candy, showed off our adorable babe and walked back home eating the candy. It was a great first Trick-or-Treat. Westley my dear, you make everything so much more fun!

Coming tomorrow: How myself and Drew Jones' family made him cry on his 30th birthday.

Halloweeeeeeeen Preview

2011-11-02T08:55:00.000-04:00

I wanted Westley to be a baby chicken for Halloween and Drew's vote was for Yoda.

As you see, Drew won.

But really, who loses with a baby as cute as that?

More photos & details coming!

Giveaway: Blog Design by Mrs. and the Village!

2011-11-01T08:34:00.004-04:00

Have you guys been over to read Mrs. and the Village?

I think I started reading her blog like the day she started writing it.

Her name is Debbie.

She is hilarious.

I am hoooooked.

Today she is here giving away a free blog design to one lucky reader!

The following options are available if you win!

two or three column blog design (only available for blogger templates)
customized header
text tabs below your header
customized profile photo with "about me" text
customized "find me" buttons (for twitter, fb, etc)
customized signature
customized blog buttons (small & large)
one tweak per item

Choose between three blog design categories!

Vintage & sweet
Retro & mod
Classic & chic

Debbie will contact the winner and ask a few questions to get a good idea on who you are and what kind of design will best suit your needs!

To enter to win please leave a comment with your email address.

You can gain additional entries by:

Becoming a follower of moi and letting me know via comment

Becoming a follower of Mrs. and the Village and letting me know via comment

&

Tweeting the giveaway and letting me know via comment

The giveaway closes Friday and I'll announce the winner Monday!

Good Luck!

***Update - Congratulations to K8te from a peony for your thoughts YOU WIN!***

Marblehead, MA

2011-10-31T09:37:00.000-04:00

Since I was in the Boston area last weekend I took advantage and planned to see my friend Erin and her husband Ryan.

Erin and I met in college. The first day we sat at the same table, we started chatting and by the end of the conversation we had hugged. I went home that night and told my boyfriend at the time that I had just met my best friend. She went home and told her boyfriend the same thing.

We leaned on each other through the ups and downs of our early twenties. When I was super college-doing-this-on-my-own poor and couldn't afford groceries she would pack an extra lunch for me and bring it to school. She has held my hair back for me when I puked (more than once) and always laughs at all my jokes. One time we went camping in February ( I know what the hell were we thinking right?) and while we lay in our tents in the below freezing cold darkness she whispered to me that everything would be okay and the sun would come up and the bears wouldn't eat us while I cried my eyes out scared to death. Even though I know she was just as scared as me she was strong for me. That's the kind of girl Erin is. If I had describe her with one word it would be sacrificial. If I got to use two words I would throw beautiful in there too.

Eventually Erin fell in love and got married and moved to Boston. I have never been more sad about a person moving ever in my life. But, I was falling in love myself and so that distracted me from becoming a complete mess about the miles that separated us. I stood next to her at her wedding and she stood next to me at mine. Being all grown up and married and 600 miles away from each other has changed things, but no matter what we love each other. This will never change.

So Erin and her husband Ryan picked me up from Bridget's house and we spent the day together catching up and doing lots of and lots of walking. It was the perfect way to wrap up my trip to Boston.

Lets lead the photos off with a couple adorable ones of Westley shall we?

We bundled up and went for a long walk around Marblehead...

Westley eventually fell asleep.

We walked and walked and watched the sun set over the water.

And when we got home I put the baby to bed whlie Erin baked us an apple pie.

I only ate a few bites because Westley woke up very very upset and it took a long time to calm the little guy. But what I was able to eat was gooooood.

It was too short a visit for sure, but it was so good to see them both.

And if you are wondering, the flight home went pretty good. We had two seats all to ourselves which was great but Westley wailed for about 20 dreadful minutes and there was nothing I could do to calm him until he just collapsed into sleep.

The trip to Boston was so so good for Westley and I. Westley came home more chatty and smiley and giggly than ever and I came home feeling refreshed and so much more confident as a Mama. I felt like I had accomplished something with him. I also feel even more bonded to him because we took this trip together and had a lot of memorable sweet moments. But, we were happy to see Daddy's face when he picked up us that's for sure. Westley smiled so big that all of his gums were showing. It was great.

Living Pinterest: Slow Cooker Soup and Easy Parm Knots

2011-10-28T09:17:00.000-04:00

Poor Drew Jones. I wonder if when he married me he knew that I was kitchen-challenged.

He was sitting next to me as I typed that sentence so I decided to ask him...

"Hey, did you know when we got married that I didn't really like to cook?"

He shakes his head no.

I laugh.

He says, "Wait, I guess...maybe? I don't know."

The best part of this is that he is sitting next to me eating a bagel and chips for dinner at 10:14 p.m.

Poor Drew Jones.

But there is HOPE Drew Jones! A shining light of sweet sweet hope called PINTEREST.

Beautiful photos of yummy looking food are always all over Pinterest. At first I only pinned pretty cake and cookie and caramel exploding brownies but then I started seeing recipe ideas for things that looked real darn good to me. So slowly I started pinning soups and wraps and crock pot meals with the best intentions to actually make them. I felt good about trying these things because I figured if a crap ton of people pinned it, it must be worth making...because part of what I dislike about cooking is spending the money and time to make something and having it turn out gross or even just okay.

So I decided to make Slow Cooker Creamy Tortellini Soup (original pin) & Easy Parmesan Knots (original pin) from my Food Glorious Food pinboard.

And not only did I resolve to make these things, but I decided that I would pack them up in our car along with our adorable baby and suprise Drew Jones with a homemade lunch at work.

That's like 6 wife points around here.

I liked this recipe because:

a: it is a slow cooker so-easy-an-eight-year-old-could-do-it recipe and my kitchen IQ is that of an 8 year old. (or less)

b: it is vegetarian and I am always looking for good meatless meals.

c: soup is good when it gets cold and it's getting cold around these parts

The recipe is here.

Drew Jones doesn't even really like mushrooms (subtract 2 points)

The recipe calls for an "envelope of white sauce mix". I figured that I would go to the grocery and there would be a packet of seasoning called "white sauce mix". Not so. So I just picked something that said "tortellini" on it since that is what I was making.

I always have this stuff on hand. So much quicker that peeling and mincing up garlic.

The Easy Parm Knots were SO EASY. It's just Pillsbury rolls tied into freakin' knots, baked and then brushed with this delicious concoction of olive oil, seasoning and parm.

This is that concoction.

Pin It

This was the finished meal. AND IT WAS GOOD.

Drew Jones even LIKED the mushroom part of it. ( 2 points reinstated.) AND I have already made it again and took it to share at a party where it got some rave reviews.

So seriously, try it. And be sure to use that Lawry's Tortellini seasoning packet, because I think it is probably better than "white sauce mix" if that even exists.

Time to link up and show off how you've been Living Pinterest too! I love visiting your links and seeing what you are up to...

Blog Friends Weekend in Boston

2011-10-27T08:43:00.000-04:00

Friday morning Westley and I got on a plane to Boston to meet 4 woman and 3 babies we had never met in real life before.

After two years of writing this little blog I've become legit friends with some very sweet woman and we were finally meeting.

Honestly, I was so so nervous. The night before I sat on the couch with Drew Jones and told him, "I'm not going."

I was half kidding.

Mostly I was scared of flying alone with Westley.

I was also jittery about spending an entire weekend away from our home, our schedule, Drew.

And honestly, I was anxious about seeing these woman for the first time. What if they thought I was better on my blog? What if they are disappointed in real life me?

But Friday morning came, bags got packed up in the car, kisses were exchanged and we were off to the airport. All of a sudden my nerves were gone and it was just time to go for it. If Westley cried all the way to Boston so be it. And hopefully the girls would like me, but if not I would have Westley there with me and I knew they would LOVE him.

The flight went great. Westley was a happy boy and only fussed a little. We sat next to a really nice guy named Fred who baby talked Westley and teared up thinking about his own kids when they were little. I've never nursed Westley while sitting so darn close to a stranger ever, but he didn't blink an eye. Thank God.

Bridget and Parker picked us up at the airport and from there the weekend officially began. We had a couple hours together just us to talk and hang out and it was wonderful. We walked downtown Boston and ate huge slices of pizza with our babes strapped to our chests. It was surreal to meet someone I had only seen in photos. I had read her thoughts and stories and now here her and little Parker were! It's so strange to feel so comfortable with a person I had just officially met in real life.

We finished our pizza and were off to pick up Molly. Molly! When we pulled up I hopped out of the car to greet and hug her! Again, the surreal feeling was there. How awesome to feel such closeness to a friend I'd only exchanged words online with!

Our babies cried all the way to the Villa. I sat in the backseat trying to assuage their discomfort with little success. We made it to our house, got the tour, put our luggage in our rooms and then literally talked for hours until Shannon and Elizabeth came in later that evening.

So then there we were. All five of us under one roof, plus our four adorable babes. I almost couldn't talk because I was too interested in taking it all in. Hearing all their voices and laughs. It was so fun.

It was a really great weekend. If I were you I would be asking me, "So what are all these woman really like in person?!"

And so I am going to tell you.

Molly - God. I love her. I knew I would. First you must know that she has a very proper, lovely, dignified southern accent. It's awesome. She is very funny and quick and dry in her humor and is so so sincere. Molly is one of those people that you look in the eyes and immediately tell that she is trustworthy and good through and through. The first time she held Westley he fell asleep in her arms. She is a great story teller and has great stories to tell. She is even more pretty in person. Sigh. I love Molly. If we lived close to one another I think we would be inseparable. Did I mention we were roomies? We spent Saturday night whispering to each other into the early morning hours. Molly is a rare woman with a strength and grace and peace to her that made me feel so comfortable in her presence. I missed her the moment we left the house.

Bridget - You think Bridget is awesome on her blog? Even BETTER in person. Seriously. She is one of those uncommon women that is confident and beautiful and funny and strong without an ounce of arrogance. Bridget is the type of girl you just want to be around. She is really kind and thoughtful and obviously completely funny. Some people are funny when they write but not funny in person...not Bridget. Funny in person too. Totally. Another thing I really liked about her is she was an open book. You ask her something and she answers you honestly. And she looooooves Parker so tenderly and sweetly, something that she talks about on her blog of course. But in person their bond is so evident and strong it brought tears to my eyes.

Shannon - Shannon is such a high impact person. She had no fear of taking on the escalator in the subway with Behr in his stoller. And when the escalator was no where to be found she just scooped up the stroller and stinkin' carried that beast down a flight of stairs. Shannon seems to me to be the type of woman that can take on big tasks and get things done. She is a leader and knows what she likes and what she doesn't like and isn't afraid to tell you that. She has so much energy and her smile is just as pretty in real life as it is in photos. Oh and Behr? He is deeeelightful. A sweet, smiley, squealy little guy full of life and joy. What a sweetie.

Elizabeth - Elizabeth has a southern accent that I was not expecting and it's adorable. She speaks first with looks and body language and second with words. She can say a lot to you with an eyebrow raise and a smile. She is even prettier in real life and if it is possible Everett is even cuter. She is kind and self assured with a touch of mystery. You could almost see her writing stories in her head about all that was happening around her. If you read her blog you can obviously see that she is a writer, but meeting her in real life confirms it for me because instead of being chatty she takes things in and listens well. But, she is also a fantastic storyteller (duh). Also, I saw in her this weekend a sweet soft heart that cares deeply for people she loves and people she doesn't know at all (readers). I believe that she blogs and puts her life out there so openly so that those of us who read can in turn be open.

And now for an onslaught of weekend photos...

The Villa we stayed in was perfect, the weather was beautiful, Boston was invigorating, the women did not disappoint and the babies? OH THE BABIES. Too much.

Believe it or not I have more to share of my trip! On Sunday and Monday I visited an old friend and her husband in Marblehead, MA. Tomorrow I will have a Living Pinterest as scheduled and then Monday I'll wrap up my trip with photos and thoughts.

Living Pinterest: Baby Leg Warmers

2011-10-21T06:53:00.000-04:00

Baby legs are adorable. I have them pinned here and blogged about them here.

And about two weeks after blogging about them Westley got a little package in the mail from his buddy Parker sending him that very pair. What a sweet dude that Parker is.

After getting them in the mail I got inspired and decided to make some myself. Then I realized this would involve a sewing machine and panicked. Then calmed myself down and went on a Pinterest hunt for an easy tutorial.

Oh Pinterest, you always deliver.

I found a tutorial that I thought looked easy enough: Here is the original pin.

Basically she takes a sock, cuts it up and sews it back together without the toe and heal and voila! Baby legs!

Figured it was a good first timer project.

I bought some tub socks and realized they were long enough that I didn't have to sew two parts together I could just cut the foot part off and sew a seam! WIN!

So I got to work:

The socks after I cut the foot part off

SEWING.

I look much calmer than I feel inside here. SEWING.

And this is how the seam turned out. Reaaaal crazy like.

I think with the sort of material I had I should have used a surger? I don't even really know what that is but people on Project Runway use it on stretchy material so I'm thinking that is why the seam is so stretched out and wonky.

Or it's just that I am learning to sew and scream a little when I push down on the sewing pedal thingy.

Anyway, wonk as they are, they work! As seen on yesterday's post of Westley worriedly eating his first meal:

Pin It

And that very pair of leg warmers in packed up in my suitcase to go to Boston TODAY to visit some awesome women and 3 sweet babes.

e & ee - from e tells tales

bridget & parker - from tales of me and the husband

molly - from mr. & mrs. rigoloso in detail

and

shannon & behr - from the scribble pad

I'll be honest, I am nervous. What if they think I'm lame? What if my baggage gets lost and I don't have any clothes or a car seat for Westley? What if Westley cries on the plane the entire time and everybody hates me?!

I guess we'll seeeeeee!

I'll have details next week. But probably not till mid to end of the week because when I come home I'll have bags to unpack and sleep to catch up on.

Okay, now link up friends! Show me whatchu got!

Westley is eating something other than breastmilk

2011-10-20T08:47:00.002-04:00

Yes.

He is eating real food.

At his 4 month appointment the doctor said to me matter of fact, "He is ready for food. You should start him on cereal." and I, in my high pitched hesitant mom voice said.."uuuuhhhh don't we wait until 6 months for thaaaat?" and he said, "you can, but he's ready." and then he explained something about a study that was done that made people think that waiting until 6 months was beneficial but that when they did a bigger study they found that it really didn't matter, yada yada...

and in my head I said back to him, "NOT YET. HE WAS JUST A LITTLE BABY INFANT LIKE 2 SECONDS AGO. I AM NOT READY FOR THIIIIISSSSSS"

But in real life I just smiled at him with blank stare eyes.

So he probably knew what I was thinking.

Obviously, I just wanted my little baby to be my little baby for a wee bit longer. So after that 4 month appointment I let a month and a half go by and on a random Saturday morning finally decided we were ready.

I mixed up some rice cereal and breast milk, put a bib on him and put him in his fancy shmance high chair. I fed him while Drew Jones took photos.

He started out pretty happy to be in his seat, feeling like a big boy.

But as soon I started spooning the cereal into his mouth this happened...

He is begging me with his eyes to make it stop in that last photo.

I tried the cereal a few more times and it went this way every time. He ate maaaaybe a spoonful each feeding. Mostly he just grimaced and spit it out onto his bib and made worried baby eyes at me.

So I researched a bit and we decided to try banana's. Mushed up with some breast milk in them of course.

And he loved em. Ate those bananas up like a little champ.

I caught the tail end of it on camera.

Next up we try avocado!

Don't forget I am posting a Living Pinterest post tomorrow that you can link to!

Autumn Beauty Drive 2011

2011-10-19T10:52:00.001-04:00

This year's autumn beauty drive was shorter than the ones of our past.

We used to start them early in the a.m. We'd stop for doughnuts, drive through some country back roads, pop into tiny country stores and just meander through the day.

This year we have a baby.

So the drive had to be shortened due to nap time and general crankiness that ensues after being in a car seat for more than 40 minutes. But it doesn't really matter because that little guy is the reason we want to have traditions like this and really, he makes everything more fun.

We packed up, clicked Westley into place and we were off.

We decided to head out to Sharp Farms and get some pumpkins from Dave and Nancy. We had met them two years ago when we discovered their farm. We weren't able to go to the farm last year because I was struggling with being sick from pregnancy so we were excited to see how things had changed.

We pulled up and the place was hoppin'. We immediatley saw Dave and Nancy taking money and chatting with customers. They saw us and said, "Hey we know you!" They had remembered us! "You're the girl with the blog!"

I really couldn't believe that after two years they remembered who we were. But like I said two years ago, they are salt of the earth people. The kind of people that make you feel like family even though you've only met them once, so there you have it, they remembered us and it made us feel so very special.

We caught up on things. We had a baby! Here he is! His name is Westley! They told us that their kids were in college now and that the pumpkin crop was wonderful this year. We headed out to the field and every where we looked were perfect, orange, beautiful pumpkins. It was really amazing.

We stopped to get a photo of Westley as a sunflower. Then I literally tripped over a bale of hay laughing because of this photo:

It's fun placing your baby on things and taking photos of it.

Dave took a family photo of us on the haystacks, we said our goodbyes, put our pumpkins in the backseat and headed home.

Usually on our Autumn Beauty Drive something magical happens. Like we stumble upon a small town carnival or we have a pumpkin field all to ourselves. This year as we left Sharp Farms to drive home I wondered if maybe we wouldn't have a magical moment because we didn't have all day to just discover things. But of course, true to form, God gave us some magic.

As we drove home one by one hot air balloons slowly rose up from the skyline. I snapped photos and kept saying to Drew Jones, "there's another one!"and he would say, "no way!"

It was a great little trip with my little family. Our first Autumn Beauty Drive as 3, with many more to come.

What are some of your autumn traditions?

Nostalgia - Drew's Art Opening!

2011-10-18T13:05:00.000-04:00

Drew and Jeremy have been friends for 10 years. They met in art school and have had a serious bromance ever since.

Together they landed a show at the Ohio Art League and have been busy creating artwork for it for months. Last Wednesday they hung the show and Thursday night it opened. There was a fabulous turn out, the gallery was hopping all night long.

I barely talked to Drew Jones the entire night as he was swept away by people talking art and life and such. Jeremy was off doing the same. They did such a great job and it was awesome seeing them relaxed and enjoying the love from family and friends and art lovers.

Their work is really beautiful and it has been a privilege to see Drew through each stage of creativity in this body of work. He pushed himself and didn't give up when he was discouraged. Walking around all those people on Thursday night while looking at the finished pieces hung and lit really was a satisfying moment, even for me.

Westley and I spent the evening making rounds, showing off his cute chub cheeks and nursing in the little back room. His normal bedtime is 6:30 and I kept him out until 8. I told him that I promised I wouldn't make him stay up this late unless it was a very important reason, and that being here for Daddy was very important. He really did great though. He was so tired and complained a little but you could tell he was trying to hold it together and would smile and rub his eyes and then complain some more.

So for those of you who weren't able to be there in person, here is a glimpse into the gallery show:

Thanks to everyone who came out!

The show will be up through the end of October so if you're local come out to the Ohio Art League and see it!

Hello, I'm back

2011-10-17T10:01:00.000-04:00

I am writing this post from our couch. My nose is running, kleenex are strewn about me and I'm wrapped in my fluffy robebear.

I thought I was turning a corner and getting better but then I stayed up late a couple nights and that didn't help at all.

Poor Drew Jones is not feeling well either.

But, thankfully, Westley is healthy and happy. Thank you breastmilk, you superfood you.

I must get better though, because friends, Westley and I are flying to Boston this weekend.

Through writing this blog, I have become friends with a fantastic group of women and we decided to break the blog barrier and meet in real life. We are spending the entire weekend in a big house together and judging on the email trains that we've been writing for the last month I'm going to take some extra undies in case I pee myself laughing.

I'm so darn excited.

In other news, as stated on the post title, I am back. I missed you. And, because I was out I have so much to share this week including:

• Drew's art opening

• Our traditional Autumn Beauty Drive

• A fab Living Pinterest

• & possibly a post about Westley and solid foods avec a cute video of Drew Jones airplaning squishy banan's into his mouth.

And another thing! My sister opened an etsy shop where she is selling super cute vintage clothing at amazing prices. And by amazing I mean there is nothing in the shop over 15 bucks. Yeah. Awesome.

My favorites pieces are:

this wool gingham skirt. gimme.

this adorable apple scarf. yes please.

and these nude snake skin pumps. sad they aren't my size.

And now I will end this post with a photo of my boy, because you know you missed seeing his sweet baby face.

#busy #sick #tired

2011-10-10T17:17:00.002-04:00

You guys, I'm worn out.

I haven't wanted to admit to myself that I haven't been feeling good, but I cannot ignore it anymore. I'm feeling under the weather.

In addition, I was busy all weekend working, momming and hosting my dear friends for a fun overnight visit and haven't had time to write.

I don't have a lack of things to write about. I want to share about Drew's art opening and we took our annual Autumn Beauty Drive on Saturday so I want to show and tell all about that as well.

But
I'm
just
plain
tired.

And don't have the luxury of being tired in a few other areas of my life, so this is the area I have to take a break from in order to get some rest. So, with all that said, I'm taking the week off.

Until then, click on those buttons on the sidebar there and read some friends of mine, they're awesome.

I'll miss you and will be back in a week.

Love,

me.

Living Pinterest: Homemade Vinaigrette

2011-10-07T08:59:00.001-04:00

I was sick for 20 weeks of my pregnancy. And when you are sick like that you basically just eat whatever it is that you can force down your gullet.

One day it was baby carrots. I ate an entire large bag of them. This may or may not be why Westley's hair had an orange tint when he was first born.

One week it was Newman's Own Balsamic Vinaigrette atop salad. I just ate and ate that stuff. I didn't enjoy it, I just could eat it, you know what I'm sayin?

Anyway now I can't stand the stuff. So I went on the hunt for one I could make myself and ended up pinning a simple recipe that sounded good. Now this may be something that everyone is like, "Oh yeah I make that all the time. I'm amazing and cook and have made my own vinaigrette's since I was like 8."

But I don't, so as simple as it is I got reeeal proud of myself with this one.

• Homemade Vinaigrette •

original pin here

I literally had everything for this recipe in my pantry and fridge. Except that it calls for dijon mustard and I only had plain ole yellow and this:

So I crossed my fingers and dolloped a couple tablespoons of the sweet and spicy in there. And I only made a half batch, just in case it was gross.

Here is the recipe:

Homemade Vinaigrette
makes about 2 cups, enough for about 4 small jars
1 cup apple cider vinegar
1 cup olive oil
5 cloves garlic, minced
2 heaping tablespoons Dijon mustard
2 teaspoons honey
1 tsp salt
2 tsp pepper

Whisk all ingredients in a large bowl until dressing is emulsified. Pour through a funnel into container. Refrigerate.

Pin It

You guys, it was gooooooooood. So I would recommend trying the sweet and spicy mustard. Or whatever weird mustard you got in your fridge. Why not?

We finished that jar in a week and I made a full batch we are going through right now.

The best part about it, other than it tasting so good, is that I don't feel bad eating it. The ingredients are so whole and good for you that I feel good splashing it on my greens.

Oh and Drew Jones literally said, "I think that is the best salad dressing I've ever had."

I nearly peed at the dinner table.

So now it's time to link up your own Living Pinterest post! Just click on the Living Pinterest logo I have up top to make it larger and then drag it to your desktop. You can attach it to your own post, then you can link up your post by filling out the info below.

Also look for my Living Pinterest posts every Friday!! This way you have the week to try out your own Pinterest ideas and link them up with mine. Thanks for living with me!

Nostalgia

2011-10-06T12:42:00.001-04:00

nostalgia

You guys, tonight is Drew's art opening.

I bought him a new shirt for the event and washed it last night. Then it had to air dry. We are headed over to the gallery right after Drew gets out of work today and so he doesn't have time to iron the shirt before the show.

Yeah, Drew irons his own shirts.
Don't judge me traditionalists.
And feminists out there, holla back.

So last night he asks me to iron for him. And I say "Sure!"

And then like a half hour later he is like,

"I'm nervous."

and I think he is talking about the opening.

so I go, "why?" so that he can finish his thought.

and he looks at me and says, "about you ironing my shirt."

And really, I don't blame him.
I am the type that thinks wrinkles add character to an outfit.
It's messy bohemian chic!
He knows that I'm not good at ironing which is why he does it himself.

So he coached me on how to do the collar and whatnot.

And just now I spent a half hour of Westley's precious nap time ironing that one shirt, and I still don't think it is perfect enough. But I tried. I really did. And I did the collar just how you told me to Drew Jones.

All of this to say that Drew Jones & his bestie Jeremy Sorrell's art opening IS TONIGHT! AT THE OHIO ART LEAGUE!

COME!

See his and Jeremy's thoughtful, inspired, beautiful work!

See his ironed shirt!

See our cute baby!

It is going to be a great night. I am so proud of my husband. He really has invested his time and energy into creating an amazing show and I hope if you live in the area you will come out tonight or visit someday this month.

For more information about the opening go here.

Lady Lee's Living Room Inspiration

2011-10-06T08:28:00.002-04:00

If you've been around these parts for even a little while you will notice that many of the photos I post are taken in our living room. We spend a lot of our time hanging out in there and so it was important to me to make it a relaxing, clean and cheerful place to be. And if you are wondering what it looked like when we first moved in, here is a little before photo I dug up for you. I took it when we first walked though our house before we bought it:

And just to remind you, here is what it looks like today:

I've gotten some questions about where I picked up certain items so I decided to make an inspiration board of our living room for your reference and provide links to everything. Keep in mind I decorated this room over 2 years ago so unfortunately some of the things I purchased are no longer available, but I did some research and found very similar items so that you don't miss out!

Lady Lee's Living Room:

1.
Original Artwork:
Drew Jones
You can browse through his blog and then email him
at drewtjones@yahoo.com to commission a custom piece
for your own home.

2.
Paint Color:
Valley Mist by Behr
from The Home Depot

3.
Green Bow and Grey Striped Pillow:
Iviemade

The Rest of the Pillows:
Pier 1

4.
Couch:
Macy's

5.
Vintage Globe Bank:
Etsy

6.
White Shabby Chic Lamp:
Target

7.
Photography:

HeyZee on Etsy

8.
Extorp Armchair:
Ikea

9.
Rug:
Pottery Barn Kids

10.
Nesting Ottomans:
Kittles
or
QVC
(also try overstock.com, that's where I snagged
mine but their inventory changes all the time)

Not pictured are my window treatments. I got the double curtain rods on the french doors from Lowes and the white curtains from Ikea. The roman shades on the windows are from JCPenney.

I'd love to see your living room too. If you have a link showing off the place you live most in your house leave it for me! I'm one of those nosy types that looks in windows with drapes open and lights on while on an evening drive.

Kind of creepy.
So what.

p.s. I've got a new Living Pinterest coming tomorrow so if you've been living some pinterest yourself get ready to link up!!

A quick story and a freebie

2011-10-05T08:02:00.000-04:00

I thought Westley was going to come out looking just like Drew Jones.

When my midwife handed him up to me and I looked into his face for the first time, I saw myself.

His face was mine and mine was his. I was surprised by this because, like I said, I had expected to be looking down at a little Drew and instead there were my eyes. There was my face.

That night I washed my face before bed and as I patted it dry with a crispy hospital towel I saw my face in the mirror for the first time since Westley was born. I did a double take because I saw my face in a different way than I ever had before. I saw Westley. For the first time I felt proud of what I saw. For the first time my first response wasn't to go to what was wrong with what looked back at me, my first response was, surprisingly, love. I felt content. Bloated post-prego moonface and all. I loved what I saw because I finally saw that what God made was good. He made Westley, he made me and what he made was beautiful.

I don't know if I would have ever seen this without Westley.

What a sweet little gift he is in so many ways.

Speaking of gifts I have one for you.

An 8x10 poster design you can save and print for yourself or a friend or both. Whatever you'd like.

The quote is actually a lyric from an OAR song called Home. Because when I see Westley's face I remember my own. What that means to me is I remember who I am. Same goes for Drew. When I see his face I remember my own. Their faces make me feel home. Their faces remind me of who I am and who I am becoming because of them.

So to accept my gift to you, just click the image to make it large, drag it to your desktop (or right click to save) and then you have it to print!

Also in case you missed it and are interested, here are the links to Westley's birth story:

part 1 • part 2 • part 3

Guest Posting for my Fashion Blogging Big Sister

2011-10-04T08:44:00.000-04:00

Today I am guest posting for my sister Stacia's awesome fashion blog, Free to be Stacia Lee. I'm sitting here writing this wearing jeans and one of those nursing shirts that are easy to pull to the side for full boob exposure, but I promise my outfit on her blog is much better than that. In fact it's what I'm wearing up there in that photo, but you just see more of it. And to clarify I mean more of the outfit not more of the boob. I know those sentences were close together and could have gotten you all excited.

So go! Read my post for Stacia! Being a fashion blogger for a day made me feel all chic and cool (you'll see this in the first photo). When you are used to seeing the outline of nursing pads through your spit-up stained t-shirt you need to get a little fashion buzz every now and again.

Thanks for having me Stacia Lee!

Things happening around here...

2011-10-03T12:35:00.000-04:00

1. Drew Jones is home today working on the finishing touches of his show for the Ohio Art League. I love having him home and around the house. He hangs his show tomorrow and it opens on Thursday at 6 p.m. I can't wait to see it all together and for Westley to see his Daddy's work up. I know he won't even really understand what is going on, but I picture his little bobble head staring at Drew's artwork with his rosebud lips open and earnest eyes looking like they are studying the colors...it is going to be so stinkin' adorable.

2. I spent the weekend deep cleaning the house during Westley's naps. So now it feels so good to sit here at the computer on a clean table above freshly mopped floors typing. It makes me so happy, a clean house, it's the little things I guess.

3. I sewed this weekend you guys, I am freakin' Living Pinterest for reals. This reminds me, I'm thinking of doing Living Pinterest once a week on a specific weekday every week so that you can know ahead of time that it's coming and be prepared to link up if you want to. Does this sound like a good idea? Give me your thoughts...once a week too much? Maybe once every two?

4. I scored some amazing brown leather boots for 6 bucks at Junior Leagues's Bargain Box over the weekend! And you will get to see them tomorrow because I am guest posting for my sister's fashion blog, Free to Be Stacia Lee, and so I got all fashioney and summoned the Kendi Everyday within me to try to give her something good. I'll remind you about it tomorrow so you can come over there and make fun of me striking poses and trying to look all model pensive.

5. I have two new sponsors on team lady lee. The Scribble Pad & Just Enough Foolishness! Welcome ladies, it's good to have you here. You can sponsor to if you're interested. I'll be posting an official page on my rock bottom rates soon, but right now the best way to do it is by helping my Aunt and Uncle adopt a baby. Go here to see what the heck I'm talking about.

6. I have a lot of freelance projects going on this week PLUS I am working on a winter/holiday card line that I will have for sale in the coming weeks. I wouldn't say that I feel overwhelmed because it is all fun, good stuff, I would just say I am...whelmed? Which is why this Monday post is going up after the noon hour instead of in the morning like usual. Forgive me if you are an early morning reader, you're welcome if you are a lunch timey type.

7. I'm listening right now to Drew Jones over the monitor getting Westley up from his nap. "Hey guy! Did you have a good nap. I missed you little guy!" Life is good.

Marriage Guest Post @ The Scribble Pad

2011-09-30T09:30:00.001-04:00

My friend Shannon and her husband Mark are celebrating 5 years of marriage today!

I am over at Shannon's blog, The Scribble Pad, guest posting today because she (being the thoughtful, sweet wife she is) is giving Mark the gift of quality time. And part of that is putting their computers away to connect with each other. Pretty great idea huh?

So if you'd like to read my rookie advice on marriage, head over there and check it out.

Have a great weekend friends.

My Aunt, Uncle & Baby Maisy

2011-09-29T12:34:00.000-04:00

My Aunt and Uncle have been praying and waiting for a baby for many years now and God is answering their prayers next month.

They have been chosen to adopt a little baby girl who is due October 12th. Her name will be Maisy and she is already so loved and cherished.

They have weathered some very difficult storms during their wait for Maisy with beautiful patience and endurance and I am thrilled that this time has come for them. They wrote a little bit about their journey (before they knew they had been chosen to adopt Maisy) here if you are interested in knowing more.

They are fundraising to help pay for all the expenses that come with adoption. The fundraisers they have chosen are really great and totally win win situations.

Basically you buy a bag like this:

And you help them out tremendously.

See what I mean by win win?

They have an online store set up here to make it super easy. The bags rage from $18-$35 and are super cute.

And you can get the bag monogramed for free! Pretty awesome eh? My Mom bought one and had her special Grandma name for Westley monogramed on it. She has big plans to always have little treats in it for Westley whenever she comes to visit or he goes to see her. So cute.

Get yourself a pretty monogramed bag!

The other fundraiser they are doing is selling coffee. This one is a win win win situation. Basically $5 per bag goes toward their adoption expenses. The other proceeds go to help out an Ethiopian orphanage. The coffee is shipped directly to you and you can place the order online which is quick and easy. The coffees are fair trade and most of them are around $13 per bag.

Go get some here!

And p.s. if you buy a bag or some coffee from them I will give you free sponsorship on my blog for a month! This can be for your blog, your etsy store, or any other site you would like to advertise here on lady lee. So add another win unto both of those. After you have made your purchase of either a bag or coffee email me (at candisljones@yahoo.com) to let me know and copy and paste your receipt into the email. We'll then talk buttons and size and get you on the side bar!

Thanks so much!

Westley is 5 Months Old!

2011-09-28T08:19:00.001-04:00

Westley turned 5 months old yesterday, and you guys he is amazing.

He is a real little dude ya know? I see his personality showing itself and I am loving what I see.

When Westley wakes up in the morning he will softly babble to himself. I hear him over the monitor and try to sleep a bit longer through it until I hear a loud "EHH!". It's not really a cry at all, more of a "HEY! I'm HERE! Come GET ME!" yell. It's adorable. So I stumble into his room already smiling because it cracks me up that at 5 months he knows that he doesn't have to cry, he can just yell "EHH!" to tell me he is up.

When I get there he is on his belly pushing himself up with his hands looking around at his books and toys.

"Gooood morning Westy..." I'll say and crouch down to see his face through the bars of his crib.

And when he hears my voices and recognizes my face in the dark of the morning he'll gives me a big, sleepy, gummy smile. Then I roll him over to his back and kiss his face and sing him morning songs while he smiles at me stretching and kicking his legs.

It really is amazing to wake up every morning to that. I am not a morning person but I have no problem getting up now because I know I will be seeing him and we will be spending the day together.

My little buddy and I.

Want to see that smile I'm talking about? Plus some laughs, squeals, cries and a burp? Push play.

Here are Westley's 5 month stats:

Height - 27.5 inches

Weight - 17 lbs 8 oz

Head - 17 inches

What he is doing:
Squealing/laughing/smiling/babbling
Sitting with little assistance
Flailing his arm around while nursing
Grabbing and holding onto Mama's nose while nursing
Wanting to drink out of a glass when he sees you drinking out of a glass
Leans towards things/people he wants
Being worn in his Moby wrap happily! Success!
Sleeping 8 hours solid at night
Taking one 2-3 hour morning nap and one 1-2 hour afternoon nap per day

What he loves:
Rough housing, although we of course do very gentle style rough housing right now.
Scoutie, he squeals and laughs at her
His excersaucer, we call it the command center
Drinking out of Mama's glass. (which is really just pressing the glass on his gums and backwashing)
When you stand him up on his feet and say "Tall boy staaanding!"
Being kissed and tickled while laying on his changing table
And as always, bathtime

What annoys him:
Reading time, he gets very impatient being read to
If he doesn't get enough cuddle time before sleep
When you take the water glass he is backwashing in away from him
Being up past bedtime
Being in the car for more than an hour (can't blame him...no more long trips for awhile.)

{4 months} {3 months} {newborn}

Living Pinterest: Laundry Bag

2011-09-27T09:35:00.000-04:00

I needed a laundry solution for Westley's room. The routine had basically been:

Westley spits up/pees all over/poops on his clothes.

I take them off of him.

Stack them on top of his dresser.

Change him into something fresh.

And then when the pile started to flow over to the floor I would take them downstairs. And here I was claiming to be all clean and stuff.

So you see I needed a basket, a bin, a bag of sorts. And I needed it to be close to the changing table, take up very little space and easy to throw things in with one hand while holding a squirmy baby with the other.

Pinterest to the rescue!

And more specifically a Martha pin on Pinterest. Oh Martha, you so good.

• Embroidery Hoop + Pillowcase = Always Open Laundry Bag •

The original pin looked like the perfect solution to my problem. I could hang it on the back of the door right next to the changing table and throw dirty clothes in it easily (and then ate the entire bag in two days).

So, I stopped in Jo Anne Fabrics on my way to the grocery and beelined it for the embroidery hoops. Of course there was freakin' Brach's candy corn on an end cap that I had no self-control about and grabbed that too on my way out.

I got the hook at the grocery store. It's just one of those 3M On Command hooks that sticks to a surface and pulls off clean when you don't need it anymore. I didn't want put any holes in the door so I went that route.

I already had the ribbon and the pillowcase. My Mom actually made the pillowcase for Westley before he was born using a striped vintage men's dress shirt and a old embroidered handkerchief. The tag on the men's shirt says "Westley" on it. We got so excited about that when she gave it to us. Isn't that so fun?

It works really well for me. I really have no complaints about it. Just make sure to tighten that little metal screw thingy on the hoop nice and tight because I didn't at first and it popped apart on me. It covers all the bases I need it to: space save, easy access, cheap, easy to make and looks pretty cute too.

Original pin here.

Pin It

Also want to remind you that you can do your own Living Pinterest! Just click on the Living Pinterest logo I have up top to make it larger and then drag it to your desktop for you can attach it to your own blogpost, then you can link up your post by filling out the info below.

Also if you have any pins you want me to try leave me a link! I'd love to see whatcha got.

Q&A 8: You obviously have faith. What do you believe?

2011-09-26T08:04:00.000-04:00

Q: You obviously have faith. What do you believe?

A: There is no doubt in my mind that I am (and that you are) on purpose. I believe that God is real and actively present in each of our lives. It is easy to see if you are looking for it, easy to miss if you are not.

I believe God is the creator of heaven and earth. I believe that Jesus died on the cross so that we can have eternal life. I believe that when I die I will go to heaven because I accepted this fact and have faith in it.

I believe that God loves everyone. Period. The end.

I believe that God is good and that He is everything and everything is Him and that he reins over all things.

I do not have a specific religious brand. For all intents and purposes I would call myself a Christian, but I also cringe inside telling people this because of the way us Christians are perceived. I'd like to just call myself Candis, a girl who loves God and Jesus and benefits greatly from this love. I am who I am and part of that is my faith. But I think what God wants from me is to just be myself and not try to fit any Christian mold that us humans dreamed up to make ourselves feel more superior than others or like we are doing it "right". I want to be humble and kind and graceful and real and do that in my own unique flavor.

Faith and God are endless topics with a myriad of different ways to see and understand them. If you want to know more about what I believe feel free to email me and ask whatever questions you have. I am not a theologian or biblical scholar but I have seen and experienced significant things that have brought me to where I am at today in my beliefs and for me, there is no turning back.

via

Country Living Fair 2011

2011-09-22T08:01:00.000-04:00

Ashley texted me and was all, "I've got extra tickets to the Country Living Fair!"

And I was like. "Yes."

So we went and it was fantastic.

I give you our trip to the fair in photos:

This is my, "here let me get a picture of us" move.

Westley fell asleep after nursing in the little chapel.

I loved those little gnome guys.

Cute displays of pretty things every where you turn.

Still sleeping.

We just loved Happy Chair. Her chairs are so fun and unique.

I mean chevron, stripes AND a denim whale?

Uhhhh yes.

Omg, is that Scoutie on that chair?

Most def. happy chairs right here.

I'm a sucker for anything with bunnies.

Look who woke up!

A platter of whimsical figurines on thimbles anyone?

So Halloweeny.

I can't resist those cheekies. Or a photo of his pumpkin head sitting on a pile of gourds.

It was good times at the Country Living Fair.

Q&A 5, 6 & 7: A Potpourri of Questions

2011-09-21T08:26:00.001-04:00

3 for one today lovies:

Q: Other than blogging, do you work? If so, what do you do? How do you juggle that and Westley?

A: Well I really don't make any money blogging, so I wouldn't call it work. Although I am intentional about it and put time and energy into it, at this point it's a fulfilling hobby for me. I do freelance photo editing and graphic design work for Keels Photography. You have probably seen Chris Keels' work a lot on this blog (like here & here & here). It is amazing and I love working for him. I wish I had a good answer for how I juggle that and Westley but the truth is I'm not that great at juggling it yet. What I basically do now is do work at night after Westley is in bed. This is the easiest time because he will guaranteed sleep for a long time. During the day isn't as easy because his nap lengths are unpredictable. So by the time I get everything up and open and going I may have to shut it down because he is crying and awake again. It is the same idea as if you take your umbrella with you it won't rain...but if you leave it in the car it's sure to pour.

Q: Did you have any other names you were thinking about for Westley?

A: Early on, yes. Before we knew that he was a he we had a few of names we were toying around with. But then when we knew we were having a boy things got more serious and I got all like, "no, we can't name him that." The boy names we considered early on were: Silas, Abram and William. But in the end it was always Westley. I held out telling people his name until the last minute and if I told you his name I usually said something like "but I reserve the right to change it if I meet him and he isn't Westley." But when I met him, he was Westley.

Q: Where can I buy one of your husbands paintings?

A: 1. Go to his art blog: http://drewjonesart.blogspot.com/

2. See something you like (that isn't sold) and want to buy it?

3. Email him at drewtjones@yahoo.com

4. See something you like (that is sold) and want to commission something like it?

5. Email him at drewtjones@yahoo.com and let him know what you are thinking.

Okay so 3 things:

1. Do you work from home? How do you juggle it?

2. What are your fav baby names?

3. Do you or your partner do something creative? Leave me a link, I want to see!

Living Pinterest: A Hair Tutorial

2011-09-20T08:57:00.000-04:00

I have a hard time believing that all those hair tutorials I constantly see on pinterest are as easy as they look. They have like 8 photos of a beautiful girl using a round brush from roots to tips and voila! Look how great my hair looks!

But, I did come across one that seemed doable. No curling iron, no round brush and not time consuming.

• No heat curls using a headband •

You basically just put a headband on, wrap pieces of you hair into it, let it it be for awhile and then take it out. The original pin of the video is here. Check it out for a much more detailed explanation if you are interested.

So I'm keeping it real with 3 pictures of an average looking girl in her bathroom pulling of the easiest hair tutorial she could find:

I've already used this method twice. One time I slept on it overnight and ended up with much curlier curls. In these photos I only left it in for about an hour, so it was more of a wave.

What I like about it:

• It's super easy, anyone can do it

• It actually works

• No heat

• All you need is a head band and some hairspray (which I think it pretty optional too)

What I don't like about it:

• It's kind of frizzy looking, doesn't have a very finished look. I think that if you touched it up with a curling iron it would look better (but that's more time which I don't always have.)

• I think my hair is still a bit short to do it right because the back constantly is falling out of the headband.

• The head band leaves an indentation in my forehead. It goes away of course, but makes me feel silly leaving the house with headband imprint head.

So if you try it let me know how it goes and what you think!

Pin It

Make sure to link up with your own Living Pinterest happenings! If you would like you can click on the Living Pinterest banner I have up there and drag it to you desktop to attach to your own post as well.

Will Return

2011-09-19T11:27:00.001-04:00

via

Ya'll, I'm sorry. I got nothing.

The weekend was non-stop go time and I had not one spare moment to sit down and write.

I'm especially sorry if you are a regular because the fact that you choose to read me regularly makes me feel so special.

I'll be back tomorrow. I went to the Country Living Fair on Friday, have questions to answer and some Living Pinterest goodies to share.

Until then!

Another post on cleaning (!?)

2011-09-16T07:07:00.000-04:00

It is no secret with those who know me well, that I like a clean house.

Does this mean my house is always the picture of perfection?

Hardley.

There is almost always a pile (or 2) of things on the dining room table and a load of laundry in a basket that needs putting away looming somewhere around the house. And keeping our red corner cabinet organized is a seemingly impossible task for me.

So what I guess I am saying is that there is a difference between messy and dirty. You get me? I can deal with a mess, but dirty? Nope. I like germs to be killed, the rug to be vacuumed and the bathroom to always be guest ready. Meaning I wouldn't be embarrassed to have a guest pee in there.

side note: this reminds me of the time I lived with three other women and a dog in an apartment. I would literally wait to go pee until I got to work because our bathroom was that dirty. It was like a gas station bathroom. Why didn't you just clean it? You ask. Would you want to clean the BP restroom? Yeah, me either. I'd rather just go pee at work.

Anyway, one way I have been keeping the house clean is by using my weekly chore cards I shared with you. They split things up and make it less overwhelming.

Another way is by just cleaning up after myself as I go along. This has been something I've only learned to do in the past few years. Translation: I got married and my single-girl-leave-dishes-in-the-sink-for-eight-days-until-you-run-out-of-dishes ways had to change. Drew Jones was much too fastidious and tidy to tolerate that sort of nonesense. And thank God, because I needed someone to basically be like, "seriously, just put the dish in the dishwasher."

My poor Mom is shaking her head right now thinking, "I tried for 18 years to make that girl put things away and now she finally gets it."

I do Mom, I do. (and I'm sorry.)

So! It's Friday and the last thing you are probably feeling like doing is cleaning but I am posting about cleaning today anyway. Because lets face it, I have a little baby and I'm not going anywhere tonight. I'll just be thinking about how Project Runway is on but I can't watch it because we don't have cable while I fold laundry watching 20/20.

That has been a big long preface to finally get to my actually point. A nice little roundup of cleaning supplies I use and really like. I mostly like to keep it green & natural, but there are some things that I will make exceptions for, like the toilet bowl (because no ones touching it or eating off of it. Gross. I just grossed myself out writing that sentence.)

Okay, Okay, here they are:

1. Charlie's Soap: I've mentioned it before already in a post or two. I'll probably mention it again in the future. I really love this soap. It's laundry soap and it cleans so so well. Everything comes out fresh and soft without a weird fakey smell attached to it. It just smells like nothing. Which I like. It's hard for me to hand Westley over to someone and have him come back smelling like their perfume or cologne. I kind of want him to just smell like a baby. So this stuff is perfect for that peeve of mine. Also it's the recommended laundry soap for clothe dipes, so again, perf.

2. Bon Ami: Drew Jones' Dad introduced us to Bon Ami. And what a good friend it is. I now use it to wash out our tub. I sprinkle a little in there and use a scrub brush to scrub that baby out, rinse well and it sparkles. It's been around forever and is free of chemicals too. It has five simple ingredients that are biodegradable. Plus the old timey design with the baby chick is so cute, right?

3. Bissel Little Green Pro Heat: I made this purchase when I was 8 months preg and had the nose of a bloodhound. To me our entire house stunk. I would literally be sitting on the couch, get up suddenly, get down on all fours (and we knooow that wasn't easy lookin' like this) and sniff the carpet saying, "It smells like pee in here. Does it smell like Scout pee in here to you?" To which Drew Jones for the 14th time would say "No." But I couldn't be convinced. I bought this little steam cleaner and fell in love. It was small and light enough that I could lug it around the house (big belly and all and by all I mean big butt too) cleaning areas on the rug and couch and ottomans that I sniffed out. It still comes in handy when Scout has an "OMG NEW PEOPLE COMING IN THE HOUSE" accident on the rug. And is friggen perfect for cleaning up the gobs of spit-up that Westley dollops onto the rug in his room when I'm burping him. What I love about it is that you put the cleaner and the water in it and just leave it in there so that anytime you have a place you want to clean you just get it out and do it without a bunch of prep work. Then when the cleaner runs out you just fill it back up and dump and rinse the dirty water. It's one of my fav purchases of this year. I am so cool.

4. Seventh Generation Multi-Surface Disinfecting Cleaner: This green and natural cleaner straight up kills influenza and H1N1, salmonella and e.coli. Bam. A germ-a-phob who wants to keep things green and sanitized dream come true.

5. Scrubbing Bubbles Fresh Brush: I start talking green and then get all Scrubbing Bubbles up in here. I just can't pass these up though. Why? Because I am so grossed out by a toilet brush scrubbin' away the poopy rings on your toilet and then just hanging out in your bathroom in its little holder with its perpetual puddle of poop water. I just can't do it. With these you flush the brush on down the toilet and then the wand hangs hidden on the side of the toilet without any bacteria-ridden brush on it at all until the next cleaning. I will sometimes put an extra squirt of green toilet bowl cleaner in there if need be, but most of the time these are just fine.

6. Method All-Purpose Cleaner: I have one I keep upstairs and one I keep downstairs. I pretty much use this on every surface. Non-toxic, natural and works great.

7. Dry-Heat Nursery Sanitizer: Okay, so this one isn't keeping my house clean but it is keeping things in my house clean. Specifically things Westley puts in his mouth. I get it, its my first kid, by the second one I'll let him eat stuff off the floor, yadda yadda. Trust me when I say I won't. At least not if I can help it. This thing sterilizes his toys with dry heat. I just throw em' in there push a button and it kills bacteria and germs for me. Thank you my little germ-a-phob machine, I love you.

8. Murphy's Oil Soap: My Mom used Murphy's Oil soap to clean the wood floors in our house growing up and so just the smell of it makes me feel all homey. Also it's made of 98% natural ingredients so that is good too. And finally whenever I wash the floors with it people always comment on how great they look.

9. PurAyre: This product was on that show Shark Tank on ABC. Another Friday night show that I watch because I'm awesome. I was intrigued because the dude pitching it took the product and sprayed it in his mouth. It's made of food-grade ingredients! He also sprayed some on some cat pee and had the lady shark sniff it and she was all, "It smells great! Like nothing!". Of course, I was 8 month prego me sniffin' carpets at this time and so you better believe I got my big butt on amazon and ordered some. It does work and I don't feel bad spraying it around the house and on things like I would with febreeze or something chalk full of chemicals.

Okay - so now I want to hear what you use to clean your house. I love a good recommendation. And don't feel judged if you use a regular toilet bowl brush. I still love you.

Drew Jones and Westley James: A video

2011-09-15T11:04:00.001-04:00

You guys, I'm slacking this week. Too much going on in my world wide world to give time to the world wide web. So what does a good slacker do in blog-land? She posts an adorable video of her husband and newborn dancing.

Westley is no more than a week old in it and Drew Jones has bed head (but somehow his hair still looks cool...how does he do it?).

You better believe I teared up when I watched again this morning and that Westley stopped playing and looked in the direction of where the music was coming from for the entirety of the video like, "I remember that song" because we played it continuously when he was a little little. It was one of the only things that soothed him.

I give you my two favorite people in the world, in their pajamas, dancing:

A busy day - An old draft

2011-09-14T09:08:00.000-04:00

I know - I was supposed to answer another question today. I started answering like 3, but haven't finished a one. Westley demands my attention and all I really want to do is give it to him. Then I got some bad news about a dear friend of mine and all I wanted to do was hug her and cry and I couldn't bring myself to finish any questions at all. So I looked in my dusty draft archives and found a post that may be almost a year old that I never published for whatever reason. So here it is, a b-side post. I hope that you will forgive me for slacking on my questions this week and enjoy this post anyway.

This is me.

It was taken in the summer of 2006.

I was 22 years old standing on a steep hill covered in wild flowers overlooking the ocean in Half Moon Bay, California.

I was not married.

Not dating.

Not even close to pregnant.

I lived alone in an almost-one-bedroom 2nd floor apartment on Michigan Avenue. I painted the living room "butternut" and the dining room "meander blue" without asking the landlord.

I was only just friends with my future husband who I had asked to cut off my long hair that had never been cut so short before. Ever.

I had him cut my hair because I loved him and loved every moment I spent with him.

He didn't know that.

I think his Mom did though.

....................................

My friend Sarah recently came for a visit to the Jones Cottage. It was a short stay, but oh so nice. It felt good to spend time with someone who knew my past without me having to explain it. Who knew me before I moved to this city, before I went to college, before my parents split, before I was a grown up.

My friend Sarah writes a blog and the day after she went home she wrote this about me in a post about her visit here:

"I met her when she was a spunky freshman cheerleader. Even back then she stood out. She was different than the typical high school girl. She's a carefree spirit. A soul from a different time. A creative heart full of life and compassion. She was vivacious and she has the ability to take someone at their worst day and make it their best."

I don't share this with you to toot my own little lame horn. The truth is reading this short unexpected paragraph is like water to my soul. I have been in a funk internally with myself for awhile without even really knowing it.

Reading those words reminded me that I am someone.

My internal dialogue tells me I am not. My internal dialogue records all my wrongs and failures. It remembers what I look like in the mirror when I first wake up. It smirks at myself. It is unforgiving and unkind to me. It carries shame.

Do you have this trouble too?

After I read what Sarah wrote I felt hope spring up inside of me. I remembered what it felt like to believe in myself. To see myself as good and kind. I experienced a flash of what it felt like to stand on top of that hill looking out at the ocean. The cold wind slapped at my bare legs and arms, my wild hair flying in my watering eyes.

I was believing in God, thus believing in myself.

Knowing God, thus knowing myself.

Sarah's words are my Father's words for me. And I intend to let myself begin to believe them again.

A new addition: Living Pinterest

2011-09-13T09:17:00.000-04:00

So I've been pinning.

and pinning.

and pinning.

And I saw this trend of me spending my time pinning instead of actually using and creating what I pinned in real life.

So I made a decision that at least monthly (probably/hopefully more than that) I am going to take a pin or two and use them in real life.

I'm calling it Living Pinterest.

I tend to like:

diy projects
pretty desserts
mimicking outfits I find
slow cooker/super easy yummy meals
organizational tools
beautiful photos or words that inspire me in different ways
home decorating ideas

So I am going to try the things I pin and then I'll share with you how it goes.

And to start us off I did an ultra easy one.

Get ready.

• Binder Clip your sponge to air dry and prevent mildew and other icky wet germs •

Bam. Did It.

Original pin here.

Overall, it works just okay. I think maybe the binder clip I had is a little small to really hold the sponge up well because it took some balancing for me to get it to not topple over. So use a larger clip and I think you'd have better luck. Also, after doing it I realize how I really like everything to have a home and be put away. There are already so many appliances and things that end up having to be out on the counter - putting one more thing out just kind of annoys me - I like a clean uncluttered kitch. So I may end up scrapping the binder clip and just microwaving the sponge when I want to kill those germies.

Okay! More to come. I am doing a hair tutorial, a laundry bag idea, a couple recipes and making Westley some baby leg warmers in the near future so stay tuned.

*If you want to follow my pinning there is a little link over on my sidebar to the right there you can click on that will take you there.

*Don't know what Pinterest is? Go here or click on the link on my sidebar that says "follow me on pinterest" to get there check it out and get pinning.

Pin It

Weekend Away

2011-09-12T08:09:00.000-04:00

We spent the weekend with our Jones family hiking, eating, hot-tubbin', playing games and laughing it up together in a cabin in the woods.

It wasn't until my eyes were able to rest on the wide open sky and my ears heard nothing but it's quiet that I realized how much I needed a weekend away in the woods, with the best family a girl could have married into no less.

I am already looking forward to doing it again next year.

Thanks for a great weekend Jonesies. I'm proud to be one of ya.

{I interrupted answering reader questions today to post about the weekend as it was a special trip. I'll be back with the regularly scheduled Q&A on Wednesday as planned and then Monday again.}

Photoboof

2011-09-08T08:45:00.002-04:00

I was looking through the photo booth photos on our Mac.

We only have taken a handful of photos with it but none-the-less it was fun looking back.

Here are some of them. Half the time I'm in my pajamas and Drew Jones mostly used it to be funny. Classic.

in the kitchen - probably nauseated

sleepy scoutie

big bellies make for big babies

Scout missing my lap

beautiful infant boy

one of 2 times he allowed me to wear him this way

swaddled and sleepy

turtle jammies

head suuuuuuck

striped jammies for westley, under eye circles for mama

handsome

nothing, just shirtless on the moon

someone cut me some bangs

Saturday morning cartoons

Do you use your photo booth? Drew myself and a friend spent a good part of Sunday night playing a game I made up where you use the effects to make yourself look as gross as possible. Whomever is the grossest wins.

I laughed so hard I cried.

And won every single round.

Yes that is what we do on the weekend. We're awesome.

I leave you with one of my winning photos:

Q&A 4: How many kids are you planning on having?

2011-09-07T08:28:00.000-04:00

Well, Drew would tell you two.

But me?

I would tell you 3.

Or 20 (if we won the lottery). (Drew Jones just said to me "having money doesn't make having kids easier. And I said "Yes it does." and he goes, "No i doesn't." See, we argue.)

How could we only make just two of these Drew Jones?

How?

We will need at least three.

Can I get an amen?

Happiness hit her like a train on track

2011-09-06T08:38:00.001-04:00

I have a friend who has fallen in love. True love. She is in the very thick of it right now. The time when you feel drugged with joy. The time when you are seeing everything come together. Every thing that has happened in your life bringing you to this point and all of it pointing to God and his love, his grace, his timing, perfection.

I get goosebumps just thinking about it.

She will share things with me that take me right back to that beautiful autumn when Drew and I finally got the timing right. When he came to me with a stack of letters that left me speechless and unable to feel my arms because I was so tingly and overwhelmed and shocked and living a pivotal moment in my life that I knew I would never and could never forget.

God, love is good.

I found this photo from our wedding. I remember this moment. I remember pressing my face onto his, closing my eyes and praying, "Thank you."

I am so glad my friend is sharing her love story, as it unfolds, with me. It is rejeuvinating. It is refreshing. It makes dozens of early memories of Drew and I flip through my mind like channels changing on a screen and I feel my arms go tingly again.

{Photo credit to Keels Photography}

Q&A 3: Do you call your husband Drew Jones in real life?

2011-09-05T09:04:00.000-04:00

Actually the exact way the question was worded was:

"Do you call your husband Drew Jones in real life? Like, late in the evening when the lights are low and Neyo is setting the mood, are you like, 'Why hello, Drew Jones.'?"

Hilarious.

A: Yes I do call him Drew Jones in real life. But not all the time. Here are some examples of when I do call him Drew Jones:

1. When he says something funny or weird and I go, "Drew JONES!" or "Oh, Drew Jones."

2. When I am talking about his artwork I'll usually say, "You could get a Drew Jones." Or "Drew Jones could do that for you."

3. When I am being goofy or trying to annoy him. Like say he says something like, "Did you get that email I sent you?" then I'll say, "You're an email Drew Jones."

The reason I call him Drew Jones a lot on this blog dates back, waaaaaay back, to before we were dating and just friends. Without giving away too much about our love story (before I officially post it, since it was a question from a few of you!) I pretty much loved Drew Jones from the moment I met him. There were only like 3 people who knew this and I didn't even tell them for a long while. Anyway, myself and my secret club of people who knew my admiration would always refer to him as Drew Jones when talking about him and so I think of him as Drew Jones instead of just Drew. It was just more fun that way.

So there you are. An explanation to why I refer to my husband by his full name here. Thanks for asking!

Fall Shopping

2011-09-02T07:35:00.000-04:00

It's time to get new boots. Drew Jones bought me a pair 4 years ago that have finally kicked the bucket and need to be retired, so I am in the market.

When Westley and I went window shopping at the mall the other day we stopped into Aldo and these pairs caught my eye.

I think I like the second pair better. What do you think?

I also found these on the DSW website:

I like how they have a sort of cowgirl boot flair to them.

But they aren't as feminine as the first two so I'm not sure.

So I need your opinion.

And if you have any links to cute boots, leave em'.

I would also be interested in these sweatshirts from Joules for the cool fall weather if a: lived in Europe and could buy them. and b: Had 50 extra euros to do so. Or any euros whatsoever since I live in Columbus, Ohio.

I already got these jeggings and the shirt I'm wearing here from Old Navy that will be in the autumn rotation for sure:

And for Westley's fall look I want these leg warmers from Baby Legs:

Can't forget Drew Jones, especially since he has a very important birthday coming up.

How about some handsome new khakis?:

I'm excited to live fall this year. Last year I was with child, delirious with nausea and the entire season slowly passed by outside my window as I cried on the couch. I remember thinking, next year will make it allllll worth it. We'll have a baby and the 3 of us will enjoy every moment together.

And now we are here, and it's time to live!

Words for Life

2011-09-01T07:57:00.000-04:00

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I didn't have time to write yesterday. I was busy visiting with my Mom, running errands and working. And somewhere in-between sneaking in a nap because I've not gotten much sleep the last couple nights. Westley got his 4 month shots and is cutting his two bottom front teeth so there has been more crying and less sleeping than usual happening at the Jones' Cottage.

In all of it I am trying to stay peaceful, relaxed, patient, kind and these words have been good inspiration.

I hope they are inspiration to you as well.

Unfortunately Scout can't read, so she's just strung out.

Q&A 2: What are your favorite books?

2011-08-31T08:51:00.000-04:00

Q: What are your favorite books?

A: I love to read. Always have. My list of favorite fiction books is quite short though because although I love to read I find most stories forgettable as I primarily read for entertainment. Someone will ask me, "Have you read The Secret Life of Bees?" And I will have read it a couple years ago and not remember for the life of me what happened in it. I will generally just remember if it was good or not. I also am not a reading snob. I haven't read all the classics and I don't care. I just read to read because it is a joy to me. I don't force anything. So with that said, there are two fiction books that I have enjoyed so thouroughly that I remember them and so I'd say they are my favorites.

1. Redeeming Love by Francine Rivers

This is not a literary masterpiece. Francine Rivers wrote romance novels before moving to this genre, so she does carry that style of writing into this book. But the story is beautiful and unforgettable and will make you cry out of heartbreak and joy. And that is my kind of story.

2. The Time Travelers Wife - Audrey Niffeneger

I literally refused to go see the movie that was made from this book because I didn't want it to ruin the image I had in my head. I loved this story. For me it was written so well that I could suspend reality and believe in time travel while I was in the story. The mix of fanciful and everyday was perfection.

Here are some other books worth noting that I whole heartedly endorse as well:

1. Taking Charge of Your Fertility - Toni Weschler

I really believe that this book and God's grace is why we got pregnant the first time we tried. I learned things about my lady parts I didn't know and I'm 27 years old. It's empowering and easy to understand.

2. Spoon - Amy Krause Rosenthal

Westley received this book as a gift (as seen in his nursery) and I am so glad he did. It is funny and heartwarming and the illustrations are adorable. It is a story that teaches a wonderful lesson without being all "teachy". So good.

3. Domino: The Book of Decorating

Such an inspirational book if you are decorating your home or dreaming of decorating your home. It's like all my favorite Pinterest home ideas in a book with wonderful suggestions and explanations. It's kind of a classic in my opinion.

So there you have it! Have you read any of these yourself? Got any good ones you'd like to recommend?

Westley is 4 Months Old!

2011-08-30T08:22:00.001-04:00

I blinked my eyes and my little infant boy became a 4 month old baby.

His Daddy picked out the little baseball outfit he has on. We were at the store and Drew brings it over to me smiling, "I want to get this for Westley." I love when Drew picks out things for Westley. He has brought him home a batman action figure, a batman onesie, a plastic sword (which was actually bought before we were married...possibly before we were even dating), he also brought home a 24 pack of crayola's one day while Westley was still in utero and of course this adorable baseball sleeper.

Drew has also had some notable quotes about Westley that are worth documenting:

"His breath smells like sugar cookies!" - @ 1 week old (it still smells like sugar cookies too.)

"Every day I wake up is like Christmas because I remember he is here in his room and I get to go in and get him!" - @ 17 weeks old

Me: "you can go in his room and look at him, he won't wake up."
Drew: "no, I just can't take it. I'll want to wake him up and hold him and love him."
- @ 17 weeks old

As I mentioned before, the summer is over and Drew Jones has gone back to work. I can tell Westley misses him as much as I do. If I don't keep him distracted he complains to me, looking around the room searching and sometimes even just flat out squeezing his big blue eyes shut and crying. We go on walks in different neighborhoods, the mall, around the block. We visited Daddy at work once. We run errands and go to the grocery. All to distract ourselves from the hard transition of not having the handsome loving face of Daddy around. When 4:30 finally rolls around and I hear his car pull into our driveway I start exclaiming to Westley that "Daddy is home!" and Scout hears me and nearly pees herself with the joy panic attack she has over Daddy coming home. When Drew comes in the door and greets us all Westley smiles at him, all pink gums and pink cheeked, and turns his head into my neck so excited to see his Daddy's face.

That Daddy sure has our hearts.

So here are Westley's 4 month stats:

Height - 27 inches (96th percentile)

Weight - 16 lbs 11 oz (82nd percentile)

Head - 16.5 inches (40th percentile)

What he is doing:
smiling lots
laughing
babbling a lot, especially if he has something in his mouth
reaching for, picking up and holding onto toys
holds onto his feet with his hands
ROLLING OVER! Back to belly
rolling to his side or belly to sleep
reaching for things he wants
resting his weight on his forearms during tummy time

What he loves:
looking at himself in the mirror (especially when I sing to him "who's that baby in the mirror?!" over and over while smiling)
bathtime
nursing
t.v. (if the t.v. is on and he is in the room, his eyes are glued to it)
being talked to and smiled at and sang to and just plain having your attention
music
watching Scout
meeting new people
going new places
goofy noises & changes in facial expressions
being held and walked around to see different things
the dry erase calendar on our fridge (if he is crying and nothing else is working I just walk into the kitchen and show him that calendar and he becomes hypnotized and starts cooing)

What annoys him:
tummy time

being home too much
all 4 of our baby carriers (he prefers to just be held in your arms)
being left to himself for too long without social interaction (too long meaning like 10 minutes max)
being up past bedtime

Q&A 1: Do you and Drew Jones ever fight?

2011-08-29T08:23:00.002-04:00

So as I started to answer the questions I received and decided to answer them one at a time. Most of them were not cut and dry and could not be answered in a few short sentences, so I figured this would break things up a bit and save you from reading a novel-sized post.

you're thinking, "you could just not be so long-winded lady lee."

and I'm thinking back, "but I must. I MUST."

I'll answer them every Monday and Wednesday until I run out of questions to answer.

So get ready cause' heeeeere we go!

Q: Do you and Drew Jones ever fight?

A: Let me start by saying that I let out a hearty laugh when I read this one. I then read the question out loud to Drew and he laughed as well. It was perfect timing because we had just finished a nice little spat and were still shaking off it's residue. So, the answer to this one is most definitely yes, Drew Jones and I argue. We argue in our house, we argue in our car, we argue in public, we argue near and far. We argue just as much as any other typical married couple out there. BUT the reason this question was asked in the first place, I assume, is because I don't talk about our arguments a lot on this blog. I talk about the good stuff. And there is a lot of good stuff. But there is hard stuff too, because we're married and well, disagreements are bound to happen. I don't talk about us arguing on my blog for one very simple reason: to protect my husband. He has never ever asked me to not air our dirty laundry, but I just can't do it. A lot of his co-workers read this blog (and I love them, hi ladies! ). Plus, his extended family reads from time to time. His Mom and his Dad read. I think even his brothers venture this way every once in a great while too. Which is amazing and why I created this blog in the first place. To share the journey. But because of this I believe it calls for a bit of discretion. Mostly, I have trouble with inadvertently bringing any personal arguments we have into his workplace. I would hate for him to be in the lunch room and get a "Oh heeey there buddy, heard about the blow out you had with your wife the other day. Way to go there Mr. Jones...". I'd feel more comfortable chatting about the fights that were my fault, but there just are none. JUST KIDDING DREW JONES.

But seriously I do write about my shortcomings. About how things are challenging sometimes. I am most definitely being very real with you when I write this blog. I am sincere in my joy and honest in my suffering.

So there you have it. Yes yes yes, we fight. But most of the time, we fight fair. A great tool that we have learned through community and counseling. Will you hear about the specifics of our arguments on here? Most likely no. I may elude to an argument or tell you about a time we disagreed that is long past. And only if I believe it will be fruitfull and life-giving to share. But that would be it. Because marriage is sacred and there are some things that are only meant for Drew Jones and I and the closest of friends.

lady lee in process turns 2

2011-08-27T08:22:00.000-04:00

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Happy 2nd birthday my little blog.

We are now entering the terrible twos. I guess in blog land this means I will start being more sassy and telling everyone like it is more often? Heh heh heh...

I started you because I wanted to keep track of the little things in life that come and go and can easily be forgotten. Time keeps us moving forward and while my memory can become hazy, the black and white words written for each of my posts and the photos that accompany them keep the story fresh in my heart and mind when ever I feel like clicking back and recalling.

To celebrate I've created a list of links to some of my favorite posts to date.

Thank you to everyone who reads, and especially you encouraging souls who comment.

It's good to have you here.

My Best of Lady Lee list

Honestly, it was so hard to pick a best of list, but I tried.

If you are a blogger, what is your favorite post you've written?

Leave me the link, I'd love to read it.

Happy birthday blog!

I'm so glad I decided to commit to writing you 2 years ago.

Guest Posting for Mrs. Rigoloso

2011-08-26T09:42:00.000-04:00

I wanted to let you guys know that there is more of me flouncing around the internet today.

I'm over at Mr. & Mrs. Rigoloso in Detail guest posting for my blog bestie Molly.

So get your sweet cheeks over there.

Friday calls for dreaming...

2011-08-26T07:59:00.001-04:00

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Do you ever dream about winning the lottery?

Drew and I were dreaming about this on our heavenly car trip a couple weeks ago.

We take turns saying what we would do with all the money. It always starts with pay off our school loans, our house, our car. We decided that after paying off our house we would put a new roof and windows on it and give it to a family in need.

We always decide that a mansion is not what we are looking for. We want it to be small enough that our family still hangs out together but large enough that we can have parties and guests and not feel crowded. We also always say we want to have a little cottage/studio on the same property as the house so that Drew can have a place to work on his art. And that we want to build our house and cottage using sustainable materials with a design suited just for us.

We talk about how much money we would give away.

How much we would save.

I make sure to interject that I would like a lake house too. Which would mean a boat as well.

We would probably spend very little so we could live off it indefinitely and our kids and hopefully grandkids could benefit as well.

Also...

I didn't tell Drew this but I think that winning the lottery would probably prompt me to want more kids. Like Dugger style. Except they're names wouldn't all start with the same letter and the girls could wear pants.

I guarantee when he reads this he will shake his head and raise his eyebrows.

So, what would you do with millions? I'm interested.

Lately

2011-08-25T11:31:00.000-04:00

Some happenings from the last 24 hours:

• Last night I painted my nails this color after putting Westley to sleep for the night. He then started crying and was hungry again in the middle of my second coat and I had no choice but to smudge them all and start over. My friend Collin would hashtag this as a #firstworldproblem.

• I had nightmares alllll night last night. One of which I am pretty sure would make an amazing fantasy horror movie.

• Westley woke up every 2 hours last night. Which partly was hard and partly great because it woke me up and got me out of those nightmares. So I was kind of thankful.

• Today is Drew Jones first day of school with kids. I cannot believe that summer is over. We had a magazine clipping on the fridge with three boys jumping into a lake that said "SUMMER" on it that has become a sort of traditional summer decoration for us. I sadly took it down last night to tuck away until next year.

• Realized yesterday that Westley will be 4 months old on Saturday. Unreal.

• Also realized that this blog is 2 years old on Saturday. Wowza.

• Yesterday I peed with the door open in a public restroom because the stall was too small to fit Westley's carseat into.

• Today I put a sleepy Westley down for a nap in his crib at the exact moment that the FedEx guy rang our doorbell twice sending Scout into a fit of barking rage completely waking up Westley. Sigh.

• I am working on answering your great questions and hope to post them soon.

And that is all I have time for because:

• Westley has been taking 15 minute naps all week.

Nostalgia

2011-08-24T07:55:00.000-04:00

Calling all Columbus readers!

Mark your calendars...

Drew Jones' and his bestie Jeremy Sorrell are having a gallery opening at The Ohio Art League on Thursday, October 6th from 6-9 p.m. and you are invited.

He has been working away in his studio and our garage creating these amazing artworks that will be featured in their show. I am so proud of him! The artwork he has created for Nolstagia is a new and different point of view from the beautiful abstract landscapes he has come to be known for and I am loving each one.

Here is the description for the show:

"Nostalgia" is the denial of the painful present and an invitation to the past through one's own memories and perceptions. It is the title of the upcoming show featuring a collection of new work by Drew Jones and Jeremy Sorrell. Pulling from vintage photography, pop culture and artifacts, each artist uses their unique style to create works that breathe new life into the past. The collection includes Jones' mixed-media paintings and assemblages based on vintage books, imagery and toys along with Sorrell's paintings based on historical blue-collar figures and industrial landscapes.

So come one and all! We'll see you there!

Westley Guest Post

2011-08-23T07:27:00.000-04:00

Hey everyone. Westley here. Blogging in my pajamas just like my Mama.

I'm pretty much learning something new everyday. For example, yesterday I rolled over. My Mama got preeeetty excited about it. And I was all like, be cool Mama...I'm just a baby doin' what I do. I'm still cooin' instead of talkin' adult speak though so I don't think she understood. Here's a pic of me practicing.

Over the weekend I got to do a lot of fun stuff. I got to see my Pappy! He made me laugh and smile a lot.

That guy. Is so cool.

Anyways, I also met an old friend of my Mama's, Sarah. She came for a visit and was so nice to me! Even after I spit up all over her and pooped my dipe in front of her she still smooched and snuggled me.

I love smooches, they're my favorite.

Let's see what else, what else....oh yeah! I took the biggest bath in the world. Seriously. We went over to Aunt Janet and Uncle Steve's and you should have seen the size of the bathtub in their backyard! I know, I thought an outdoor bathtub was kinda funny too.

It was sooooo awesome though, I'm telling ya!

I also did some pretty typical things this weekend, like hang out with my Mama.

Heh heh. You weren't supposed to see that one...

She was cracking me up by putting a burp cloth on my head. It was hysterical! A burp cloth! On my HEAD!

Ahhh, she's always coming up with new material. So good.

I also had my weekly photo session for my 16th week in my white onesie.

Always a good time.

And Daddy gave me a bath in our regular-sized bathtub. He sang me songs and dried me off in my duck towel. He's the best Daddy.

No, seriously.

Well that is it for me. I've got a lot going on today. A busy day of rolling over, smiling and resisting naptime is ahead of me.

Westley, signing off!