photovisi again

Did I mention how much I'm loving Photovisi?

I first introduced you to this amazing website here while helping my friend Michelle come up with a color palate for her housewarming party. I played around with it to make a product collage above!
Tonight I'll be seeing Crazy Stupid Love {again! it's that good!} with friends, then hopefully I'll get more lollibobbbies and rosette necklaces done. I don't even have any of the regular ones left, only the clusters! I seeeeeeriously need to get motivated! Being on summer break has  really turned me into a lazy lauren!
August 5th is the big day though, so only 4 more days until no more Lazytown!

Wishlist One

I wanted to do a wishlist post on Wednesday for, you know.. the alliteration.
I'm a dork like that.
But today is Saturday and here I am drooling over my computer.

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I'm super into rings right now... big, chunky rings. And geodes.
When I was a little girl my mom worked at a crystal shop and would frequently bring me in with her. I learned a lot about crystals and gems and it was there that my obsessions with geodes began. My mom {being the hippie that she is} had geodes around our homes growing up. So I'm really excited that they're making their way into recent trends.

 

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This isn't a geode but I saw this bad mamajamma on TV. I was watching "Bethenny Getting Married" on Bravo and noticed this ring on the finger of her jeweler, Kristen Farrell. Ever resourceful as I am (I can find anything online- I once heard a song in the grocery store, wrote down the words I could catch, Googled the lyrics when I got home, found the song and bought the CD), I found it online and here it is. I love how wicked it looks and Kristen Farrell is a very edgy designer. She's like a nerd turned hot chick who played D&D growing up & now incorporates it into her pieces. Kind of.

photovisi

I have a new favorite website.
Photovisi.

 aqua, yellow & a hint of red

 pinks, corals & a hint of green
I am helping my friend Michelle witha housewarming party, and wanted to present her some color scheme ideas. I Googled "online collage maker" and Photovisi came up.
The best part?
It's FREE!
I made the above collages in minutes. It's super easy to use.
So which color scheme do you like best?

Giveaway {The Cat Hag} ...and a new design!

I'm SO excited to be sharing my blog's new design debut with a giveaway! Today The Cat Hag is hosting a giveaway for whimsy lane!

If you're not already familiar with Addie, meet her now!

 

I really genuinely love this blog because Addie is not only a fearless fashion pioneer, but also a super sweet chick!
I know this because we've been emailing and it's always so fun because she's all the way over in Australia, mate! {cue the accent} so she's always a day ahead (well, a 15 hour time difference) so when it's 7pm here on a Monday, she's already on to Tuesday at noon! Crazy! Also, did you know it's winter over there? I knew the toilets flushed in the opposite direction, but I had no idea our seasons were reversed! Can you imagine Christmas in summer? Or snowing in July?

Anyway, back to Addie. She posts lots of great pictures for photog junkies, and for fashionistas...prepare yourself for some major eye candy and inspiration. Like that ring. Or that polish. And that bag!

So prettypleasewithsugarontop go check out The Cat Hag, follow her blog {you wont be sorry} and enter my giveaway!Woohoo!!!*** Also, What do you think of my new blog design? Pretty sweet eh?I FINALLY got the splash page I've always wanted, and I have Fabulous K Creative to thank!Thanks Kelly!

chic kid art

Our bedroom is nowhere near done.

I have the fabulous fabric that will eventually be curtains, but I am still searching for curtain rods that can support the weight.

I wanted something to hang over the bed, and I always love a matted frame, but I couldn't decide on photographs for them. So I decided to turn it over to sam!

I handed him 3 sheets of white cardstock and some watercolors and let him go to work!

I really like how it came out and he couldn't be more proud that his paintings are hung like gallery art on our wall. 

I gotta say love the look of combining sleek matted frames with the simplicity of kid art. This will be a reoccurring trend on our walls for years I think!

♥

So what are some ways you display your kids' masterpieces?

Antigone

Best.Bookstore.Ever.
I LOVE Antigone {pronounced ann-TEE-gun-ee} because in addition to having a great selection of books they also sell the best little tchotchkes and unique things. They describe themselves as "a zany bookstore with a feminist slant." 
I mean, need I say more?

The cute kids' section

 You're encouraged to write on the bathroom door. How cool is that?!

I hope Antigone is always around. They remind me of the bookstore in "you've Got Mail"... don't get me wrong, I love Barnes & Noble as much as the next nerd but there's just something so cozy about a mom & pop bookstore like these. They remind you that not everything has to be a Starbucks or McDonalds. It reminds you of home.

PopCycle

During my visit to Tucson we stopped in to the cutest store on 4th Ave called Pop Cycle. Pop Cycle is a shop that sells upcycled and handmade items made mostly by a company called DDcoDesign.

{peekaboo!}
 I love stores like this because they have unique stuff you can't get at Target. Kind of like an Etsy shop in a bricks and mortar store.

If you're ever in Tucson make sure to visit PopCycle, you've got to see this place! :)

i ♥ tucson

If you're from Arizona, you've probably been to Tucson.
And if you have, you know that Tucson is the home to the University of Arizona and consists mostly of 1. students and 2. bums.

But for me, Tucson was a big part of my young adult life that I can't help but love revisiting.

When I was 20, my friend Kara and I would drive to Tucson on the weekends to see our friend Jackie, who lived there. I met my ex boyfriend there {a student} and vicariously through he and Jackie, I got to have that college experience that I never would've had going to community college in Phoenix. For that time in my life, I am forever grateful.
Now, many years later, Jackie is moving away from Tucson so we went back for a last weekend there, and a little girl time. The next couple days I will share some photos from the trip.

Jackie jumping in front of the campus
{we took a lot of jumping pictures, so bear with me!}

told you...

 Jackie & me

It was pretty dead around the campus since it's summer time.

 It really is a beautiful school

 University Blvd.

 We had breakfast at the coolest little place called Wilko

 the water came in this bottle... how chic! I love the vibe in this place.

Cheers!
I will most definitely encourage Sam to go away to college and have that experience because there is such a small window of time when it can happen, and so many never get to live it.
Tomorrow I will post about the best bookstore in the world!

lotsa stuff

I have "lotsa stuff" in the works for the shop!

Like new colors of allergy-free chrysanthemum earrings and this time I have lotsa aqua blue ones coming because I gets lotsa mail about that color! :)

...and new wristlets in lotsa varieties and colors...

...and new poppies! Singles and sets!

...and lollibobbies in new colors! These also come in singles or sets.

and new rosette necklaces in fun summer colors...

as well as rosette earrings in a bunch of new colors. I really like these because they're not huge and don't overwhelm your earlobes.

So keep checking the shop for all the newbies!
♥

big boy bed & other transitions

Sam is officially sleeping in a big boy bed!

...and he's very excited!

I was shocked at how easy a transition it was for him.
I'm finding that the best way to transition your kids into anything is to let them in on the process. The whole day of the big boy set up, we were pumping him up saying things like "can you believe you're getting a big boy bed?!" and "do you love this bed or what?!!" It totally worked. So when he got in the bed he felt like it was a cool reward for being a big boy instead of something scary and different.

With the pacifier, instead of just snatching it from him one day, I told him ahead of time "on your second birthday you'll be too big a boy for a pacifier." Then on his birthday I handed it to him and told him it was time to tell it bye bye. He kissed it, threw it in the trash, and waved to it. He never asked for it again.

With Bottles, we made him feel like getting rid of them in lieu of plastic drinking cups was something really cool that he had achieved from being careful. He started drinking out of regular cups at about 15 months old. It makes him feel good that we trust him with cups, which transfers confidence into other new experiences.

I really believe in getting your kids involved in things so they feel like they have a say in the household, and wont develop control issues later in life.
I'm planning to do the same when we have another baby; we've already been talking to him about it and asking if he wants a baby sister or baby brother. When we're out at stores we make a really big deal about him blowing kisses to the babies he sees, and we ask him his opinions on names. Now he's really excited for a baby to come in the house and I know he wont have any dethronement issues when that happens.

So what tricks to you have for successful transitions?

my palpitations story

This is a little tidbit about me I've never shared on the blog because well, it was never relevant.
But now there are new developments, so I thought I'd share!

 After I had my son Sam {as in RIGHT after, in the hospital bed} I started feeling something I never had before; heart palpitations. It scared me, so I told a nurse I thought I was dying. {seems dramatic, but when your heart's tripping up in a way it never has before you kind of freak a little}.
The nurses told me it was just the pain meds they had me on from my C-section. Then months later, it continued. Then they said it was just hormones. Then a year later it continued and seemed to be getting worse because now, I could no longer enjoy caffeine as I'd always been able to before. When I would drink it I would feel lightheaded and like I was going to pass out.
I saw a cardiologist who had me wear a Holter monitor, and I guess the results showed my heart was all over the place, beating whenever it wanted to. They put me on Metoprolol, a beta blocker and told me to avoid caffeine.

Months went by and symptoms seemed to be the same; shortness of breath, dizziness and palpitations.
I kept going in for check ups and probably wore the monitor 5 more times. {Talk about sexy! Wearing stickies all over you and a battery pack the size of an 80's Gameboy around your waist!}
I didn't care for this cardiologist because I never saw the same doctor. I'd always get a nurse practitioner and would have to re-explain my story and symptoms. They thought I had tachycardia or Atrial Fibrillation. One of my student's dad is a nurse and he recommended me to my current cardiologist whom I really like because I always get to see the same guy, and he put me at ease about what was going on. He said "I don't know why they were overreacting so much- your heart's strong, it just can't be a dancer because it has no rhythm!"

Recently I expressed that Danny and I would like to start trying for a second baby but I had concerns and obviously couldn't take my meds while pregnant.
He had me do one Holter monitor with my medication then he took me off it and did another.
Miraculously, both monitors showed the same results: no palpitations!

This is very good news!
Before Sam my body was a tank- never had an allergy, never broke a bone, 3 bloody noses my whole life... just very strong and not finicky at all. So for that to happen, you suddenly feel rickety-crickety and fragile. I was 5'2, 115 pounds when I got pregnant, and Sam was a nearly 10 pound baby. That takes a toll!

Occasional palpitations are normal, but if you're experiencing them a lot or you're dizzy from them, see a cardiologist so they can monitor you. It's a painless process that can give you some insight. Mine felt like my heart would stop {at one time for 3 seconds} then would catch up with one big thud beat. It's a scary feeling, but I think the beta blockers either eventually reset my heartbeats or it just naturally corrected itself.
I still have reservations because pregnancy is always a risk and there's always the possibility that it could happen again after the second baby, or during pregnancy.

But today I attempted something "risky"... caffeine. I'm drinking a coca-cola as I type this to see how I do. So far so good... to be able to rely on the occasional caffeine to get me through late-night sewing sessions would be a Godsend!

Have you had similar experiences? Or has your body changed inside from having kids?