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Thursday

Trip To Discovery Place

Recently, we were invited to join some of our best friends for an outing to Discovery Place in uptown Charlotte. Discovery Place is a family-friendly science center. I'd been a few times before, the last time being when I was in college. I had no idea they had such a cute area for little ones!

I love their mission statement: We inspire curious thinkers to discover the wonders of science, technology and nature.

Here are a few photos from our visit. If you live in or around the Charlotte area, I would definitely recommend this for a fun way to spend the day.












They have a huge water table with two baby seats built in that look down over the entire water table. Camille and Gigi had the best time splashing around and getting SOAKED!








I know I will probably get some questions about Camille's dress. My mom made it! I'm sort of sad that it's probably time to stop wearing it -- it's a very fine-wale corduroy, and the rising temperatures just don't make that too comfy nowadays. But I think it's one of my favorite outfits she has ever worn, and I just love that my mom enjoys sewing for her! 

Wednesday

Earth Day ::: Garden Inspiration

Today is Earth Day and I am sharing some of my favorite garden inspiration photos! I've included some notes about particular plants that are growing in our yard that I love.

DIY patina finish for on-sale urns. Nice!

I love this trio of planters! In that front urn is sweet potato vine ... one of my very favorite "spillers" to use in a planter! It spreads so well and quickly, and I love the lime green pop of color.

Potato Vine, Hot Pink Geraniums, & Dark Purple Petunias ~ A Little Pop of Wow...

Here is sweet potato vine with vivid pinks and purples. Gorgeous.

How to Pick Landscaping Shrubs

The pretty flower in the middle of this natural area is foxglove. These plants are dramatic, tall, and one of my very favorite blooming flowers.



Lovely, right?

rosemary mint

Check out this pretty urn containing rosemary and mint. These are two of my favorite herbs to grow. Mint spreads like wildfire, though, and is best planted in a container of some sort. I've made some fun simple syrups to add to cocktails using both of these herbs. 

lovely

I'm starting to layer my planters with more and more plants. Look at this lovely one above with five different plants in one planter. The pink and green elephant ear leaves are called caladium and they are some of my favorite to grow from bulbs.

Wisteria

Charlotte has lots of pretty wisteria in bloom right now. My mother begged me not to plant some at our home -- while it is gorgeous, she warned me that it will take over like kudzu. It does smell great, though, and I snipped some from the church parking lot the other day to put in a vase in our kitchen!

Chinese Wisteria Blütentrauben.JPG

Happy Earth Day, and enjoy the outdoors this afternoon!

Tuesday

Tuesday Ramblings

I love blogging ramblings. A glimpse into true life. So without further rambling -- here we go.

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Are you glad I didn't say "without further ado"? That phrase is overused in the blogging world.

Are you even more glad I didn't say "without further adieu"? That phrase is wrong, and also overused in the blogging world.

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I got so tired of Camille's overflowing closet that I pulled everything out of it, threw it on the ground, and then hung back up only what actually fit her and was in-season. Yay for an awesome closet again!

But now I have a huge pile of clothes that I can't bear to pack away but I also am not ready to sell, give to a friend, or donate. What if we have another child at some point, and it's a girl, born in the same season?

So now her overflowing closet is a massively huge heap on the floor. I got overwhelmed so I just closed the door to her room. Like that will fix it.

Keep Calm and ... #keep_calm #organization  I know someone that would LOVE this @Nickole Walton

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Where are all of the babysitters in Charlotte?!

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We need a date night. Bad.

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Every time Ian and I feel overwhelmed and disconnected, we say one word to each other: MEXICO.

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In Mexico I will be getting a massage. My last massage was a prenatal one. It's not that I don't have time to schedule one now (Ian would gladly stay home with the baby) but it's moreso that I don't want to take the time away from her on a weekend. Plus ... still nursing and I'm sure as hell not going down to Ballantyne Resort for a few hours with a pump in hand.

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That reminds me, I actually did have one massage in September for a bachelorette weekend. Oh man, take me back to that weekend! Good times. I miss my college girlfriends who I don't see or chat with enough.

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We need more food in this house.
Feeding a baby who could eat mushy peaches and Ritz crackers at every meal is challenging.
Must hit grocery store soon and buy organic vegetables.

We're All in the Same Boat: Hilarious Weight-Loss Inspiration: Anyone who's ever tried to lose weight feels for you.


Monday

Sum It Up


Your thoughts about the Lilly for Target launch?

Sum it up in one sentence for me!

Friday

Five On Friday + Emily McCarthy Winner!

It's time for another edition of Five on Friday and I do hope you'll join me, DarciChristina, and Natasha!

Remember, all you have to do is post about five things on your mind, add our logo (found at the bottom of this post), and join the party using the linky tools below. Easy, and a great way to find new blogs and be found. :)

O N E
I hit up Old Navy on Monday over my lunch break and scored this ADORABLE ponte-knit striped dress for a steal. It looks so tailored and pretty. I went with the pink and white striped one but am seriously thinking about getting the blue and white version, too. It looks great alone but will also be a work-friendly dress along with a cardigan. I'm so excited about this purchase.




T W O
I had another great lunch with girlfriends yesterday at Dogwood in South Park and would highly recommend it! My barbeque sandwich was stacked high, and the fries were thick and hand-cut. Definitely will be back!


T H R E E
Earlier this week I finished The Girl On The Train (on Amazon, here). I sped through this book, couldn't get enough. I read it on my Kindle app, and it's currently only $6.99 for that version. Treat yourself to a BOOK for the weekend, trust me -- it's a purchase that I promise won't give you buyer's remorse.

I was thrilled to read that it is going to be made into a movie!


F O U R
I saw this on another blog the other day and laughed out loud. I truly think I need this for the summer. Dead serious. With white jean shorts and some gold flops, I think it'd be adorable. Plus it's cheap-cheap.

'Don't Worry Be Yoncé' Graphic Tee (Juniors)


F I V E
The winner of the $75 Shoppe credit to Emily McCarthy is....


Perfect timing! I'm planning a trip to Savannah at the end of May and will definitely check out her shop!

I'm obsessed with the lucite bamboo flamingo serving tray!

Congratulations Sarah, email me so I can put you in touch with the fine folks at Emily McCarthy!
TGIF y'all, and hope you will join in on Five on Friday this week! Cheers to the weekend!

Thursday

Nine, Ten, ELEVEN Months Old!

Eleven months old! And when they say "time flies," they MEAN it.


 And since I missed your last two updates, here is your 10 month old photo:


And your 9 month old photo:


So yes, about that time flying?

I'm really sorry I missed your last two month updates. When it came down to writing those posts, I thought I'd be sure to remember what you did each month and that postponing would pose no issue. Well, the truth is that time just went so quickly and now everything you did is sort of mish-mashed together. You've accomplished so much these last few months!

Wearing: You've quickly outgrown anything that is 6 months or 6-9 months, and you are in 9 months or 9-12 months. Some 12 months items fit really well, too. You are in size 3 diapers for day and night, and Pampers is our brand of choice. 

Talking: "Mama" and "Dada" are words you've perfected, and you can also say "book" and "duck." We can also say things like, "Where is the fan?", "Where is a fresh clean diaper?", "Where's mama's nose/ear/hair?", "Where's your tongue?" and you will respond accordingly by pointing or touching. 

Moving: You are all over the place! You crawl at a very fast clip, and right before turning 11 months, you started standing a little on your own. You seem SO proud of yourself when you do that, you look at us like "look! look! look at me!" 

I am thinking you will be taking a first step soon. I pray it is over a weekend so we can see it happen :)

You are still at daycare, and the ladies there just love you so much. Even the teachers from other rooms tell us that they go get you during the day and walk around with you. That brings us a lot of joy, knowing that they see what Dada and I see ... that you are special, funny, and wonderful. 

You are sleeping from 7p-7a which is great! You take one or two naps a day, but they usually only last about 30 minutes. 

You love pureed fruits and vegetables, but I know I can't spoon-feed you forever. So we've been getting more and more adventurous with what you eat. You love puffs, steamed sweet potato chunks, steamed carrot cubes, green peas, corn, and lots and lots of fruit. I don't think you've met a fruit you don't love. Cheese is not your thing (are you sure you're mine?!). Oh and yogurt - you can put a hurting on it! Meats are still not really your favorite, but we've tried chicken and turkey. You think waffles are okay, but you do like them with a little peanut butter on top. 

You are starting to blow kisses, and you love to wave and clap. You are also a crazy good dancer and you love music. You do this cute head-banging motion when any music is played, whether it is Pearl Jam or Mozart or Taylor Swift. 

Your toys are getting larger and you love this sit-to-stand walker. You used to just enjoy sitting in front of it, but now you push it around the house with a big scrunchy-nose, wide-mouthed grin! We are having fun planning something fun to get you for your very first birthday (gulp!) which will be here before we know it.


Love you, dear baby. You are our world, our whole world. 


Our eleven month favorites

Click here for Camille's one month update
Click here for Camille's two month update
Click here for Camille's three month update
Click here for Camille's four month update
Click here for Camille's five month update
Click here for Camille's six month update
Click here for Camille's seven month update
Click here for Camille's eight month update

Wednesday

Wednesday Happies

Rain, rain, go away ... time for some Wednesday happies to help brighten this day!

First of all, a simple yet powerful reminder I found on Pinterest (saved on my Heartsies board):

Get+Inspired:+Shop+Our+60+Inspirational+Prints

"Take time to care" ... my favorite of the reminders in this busy world we live in.

Next up ...
Last week I participated in a fun blogging contest with The Palm Tree Boutique, and you can read my post here.

The Palm Tree Boutique

Work Hard, Play Hard

Voting for your favorite styleboard is now OPEN! Everyone who votes will be entered in a drawing for a $50 credit to their cute site! :) Click here to see the other entries and place your vote.

Lastly -- CHARLOTTE LADIES!
One last day to sign up for Fickle Resale's free trial period in Charlotte. No obligations -- just try it out! It's growing, and there are items being uploaded daily. Lilly Pulitzer, Milly, Lululemon, Tory Burch, smocked kids' clothes, lovely home decor, lots of fun items being listed. My last purchase was a beautiful J. Crew silk wrap dress.

To sign up for your trial, just message keaton@fickleresale.com and give her code: AR101 (share this with your girlfriends!)

Everyone that joins in the trial period before the end of the day today will be entered to win this brand new, gorgeous Kate Spade Stardust Willa handbag, retail $555.00.



Um yes, I would LOVE to have that pretty handbag on my arm.



That's all I've got today ... stay dry!

Tuesday

Emily McCarthy ::: $75 Credit Giveaway!

Emily McCarthy has really made a name for herself, and it's easy to see why. When I first saw her beautiful website, I knew she was on to something good. Really good. Obviously her designs were classic and elegant, but they were also unique. And "unique" isn't always easy to find these days, am I right?

Emily McCarthy specializes in branding design and wedding paper styling, but she also has a really beautiful offering of gift, party and stationery products.

These vivid pink napkins with a gold "R" foil monogram blew me away when they arrived on my doorstep. The quality is amazing! I think I will actually cry when I use the very last one.



As someone who specializes in branding, leave it to Emily McCarthy to have the most adorable booklet included that showcases some of her other items. 




Emily is also so gracious and sweet that she has offered each of you two chances to enter to win a $75 credit to her Shoppe! You can shop for yourself, for a friend, or go ahead and pick up a Mothers' Day treat!

Let's keep entries simple, shall we?

ENTRY 1:
Visit her Shoppe and leave a comment with how you'd spend your $75 credit.

ENTRY 2:
Follow her on Instagram (find her here) - she is a joy to follow, such lovely photos! Leave a comment below saying that you follow her.

I'm not in the drawing, but I'll go ahead and let you know how I'd spend my $75 shop credit  :)


6x6 Lucite Catch All Tray - $35

Emily McCarthy Acrylic Soap Dispenser
Acrylic Soap Dispenser - $40

I'd use the catch-all tray on my nightstand to hold earrings and my eyeglasses, and the monogrammed soap dispenser would look so much prettier in our master bath than our boring plastic one.

The giveaway will run through this Thursday at midnight, and I'll announce the winner this Friday. Good luck to everyone, and thank you to that sweet Savannah belle, Emily McCarthy, for offering everyone here such a treat!
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