Friday, February 11, 2011

Farming Friday

Bill took Eli down to Webber today to spend the night with his parents.  Eli is blessed to have such loving and fantastic grandparents on both sides... they adore him and he adores them!

Because Eli is down at the farm (and basically all I do when he is gone is look at pictures of him), I am going to post some "Eli on the farm" pictures.  :) 


Eli's first Cherry Street Market! 

The cantaloupe basically weighed as much as Eli!




Lots of pumpkins!


I'm not kidding - when he's napping, I look at pictures of him.  When I put him down for the night, I look at pictures of him.  It's compounded when I don't see him for a stretch of time - I nearly have a picture by my side the entire time!  To say I'm obsessed is putting it mildly.  ;)

Have a fabulous weekend!

Love!

Wednesday, February 09, 2011

Pop of Pattern Wednesday

Today's pattern:  Wide Stripes. 

I'm sure there is a "technical" name for this pattern of which I'm not aware.  Please enlighten me if you know!

I honestly searched for a plain navy & white big stripe nursery bedding set for Eli, but could NOT find one!  In fact, when I reached the point of deciding that I was going to have his bedding made (boy bedding is so overly-themey), I searched for a perfect wide striped fabric and could NOT find one!!  Seriously! 

Anyway, I'm filling that void today with this post.  Well, or maybe just whetting my appetite.  :)

I loved this jacket at Ann Taylor Loft

What do you think of the striped chairs?  Too much, or brilliant?  I actually think I like them!  Notice the stripe on the walls?
decorpad

These drapes are really quite dramatic! Can't say I'd ever have the boldness to decorate this way, but I do appreciate it! :)
Coco+kelley

Striped hand towels at West Elm.  Love the texture of these too.


I really love the subtle horizontal stripe in this beachy room.  While I could personally enjoy a nap anywhere (even on the lawn in front of the eiffel tower - jet lag got the best of me there!), I think I'd REALLY enjoy a nap in this room!  
http://www.melledesign.com

Can we just forget that stripes aren't slimming?  This is so cute and makes me want spring sooo badly!
Piperlime

 Ok, I saw this in Serena & Lily's recent catalog and almost got a little angry.  Finally?  Stripes??!  Where were they when I searched so long for them!  :)  West Elm has a great grey striped duvet too.. I think stripes may just be in Eli's future.  :)
Serena & Lily
Trapped inside, yet again.... Dreaming of warm, sandy beaches!

Love!

Monday, February 07, 2011

E*Trade Baby

Eli was cranky yesterday (Sundays are always a struggle -- missing nap #1 sets the tone for the day and we basically rely on Monday to catch up).



Anyway, I thought it might be funny to have him watch some videos of laughing babies.  He cried, instead.  Eli really has a fantastic laugh, but I have yet to really catch it on video which is a huge shame!  Bill had a brilliant idea to see if Eli would laugh in the same scenario as the above video. That's when we decided he was the E*Trade baby.  Click here to see what we're talking about.



You may notice that he's tearing up a produce newspaper.  Yes, that's what Bill reads for fun.  :)

Even if he's not falling on the floor laughing, he's still adorable!  :)

Love!

Friday, February 04, 2011

Farming Friday

Bill has been home since Monday due to the snow.  THE SNOW!  We haven't seen anything like this in years. In fact, last Tuesday we got around 14 inches, beating the previous record of 12.9 inches over 24 hours set in 1994.  It's amazing.  Since I have no farm pics to share, I will share snow pics from today!

I loved walking around the house (after being cooped up for a few days!)  The snow was up to my thighs in my places!  Absolutely wild!



This drift is probably 4 feet!
Bill's dad is taking care of the cattle.  Bill did have one calf die due to the weather this past week.  These conditions are just too hard for little newborn calves.  I just pray that the weather starts to calm down a bit!

Have a fabulous weekend!

Love!

Tuesday, February 01, 2011

For the love of all things Etsy

On this snowed-in day, what's better than a little online retail therapy!  Well, that and a warm coffee, PJs, and a husband home to play with the little one (and make pancakes for brekkie!)  I'm considering pulling the plug on my own internet so I can pretend I get a snow day off work like everyone else.  ;)

I've mentioned the magical shopping site Etsy in the past.  Today I am going to share with you some of the special things I have found there!  There are MILLIONS of amazing things, so please share with me some of your favorites, too!  I could spend hours on this site!

I've recently rediscovered the relaxing benefits of a nice warm bath.  Often times, it is the first moment I have to myself that day!  And, sometimes when I am really cold, a bath is the only thing that will really warm me up!  This shop has really neat stuff.... it's calling my name!  Does the fact that I enjoy taking baths make me an old lady?  :)

I'm loving this delicate jewelry. Bill gave me a "push present" of a beautiful pair of small diamond hoops that I have literally worn everyday for 10 months (they only come out every now and then for cleaning and to allow for a pair of statement earrings when I'm feeling saucy!)  ;)  Delicate and simple is my approach to jewelry most days.  But, some days just call for something major!  Anyway, there are so many great jewelry sites on etsy... too many to chose from!  But, I do love this necklace below. 
I love how this necklace is delicate and simple, but has a punch to it with the stone.
These would be a fun pop of color for spring/summertime!
I've already mentioned this site here, but I'm still loving her selection.  I'm a pillow addict and can't get enough!  Settling on one design is the hardest part!  To make it worse, I just landed on this shop, and I'm thinking I may have a new favorite!  Kelly Wearstler's designs are soo fantastic!
Elegantouch pillow.  Think I'll be sick of chevron soon?
Kelly Wearstler Grey Bengal Bazaar
A couple of months ago when I was searching for ikat and chevron on Etsy, I stumbled upon this fantastic stationary shop.  Following trend, I have a hard time picking out which design & color combination I want!  :)  Too bad I have no use for calling cards, as most of those designs are my favorite.  I think she would customize stationary for me if I asked her.
A non-cheesy Valentine's design.  I just love it.

I mean, really... She's making me pattern crazy! :)
I'm clearly a sucker for great colors and patterns, so this shop is right up my alley.   How fun to have orange plates to use for game day parties, or just for summer dinners on the patio!  Who knows... they may even slip into my cabinets for everyday use!
You really should check out her site... so many patterns, colors, and designs to chose from!
You can also find great original art there too.  This is one of my favorites, probably because of her agricultural themes.  :)  Is it cheesy to have a painting of wheat fields in a house that could potentially be surrounded by wheat fields?  :) 
I also like this shop.  There's just something about seeing the brush strokes.  I love it.  Do you think all the gray in the sky is depressing?

Wow!  I feel like I've only scratched the surface... there is SO MUCH more!  Please share your favorites... and stay warm on this enchantingly WHITE day!

Love!

Friday, January 28, 2011

Farming Friday

I alluded to Eli meeting a little calf and piggy the other night in Webber.  Well, I have pics to prove it!!




Eli kept looking back and forth between his dad and the calf... not sure what to think!  He'd smile when Bill would say, "see the baby cow?"  It was sweet!
He was also pretty curious about Mr Pig!  :)  We make a lot of animal noises around here -- farm animal has been one of the themes for his first year, somewhat unintentionally.  :)

It feels weird typing this (this is precisely why Bill won't let me name the animals), but the bottle calf died Wednesday night.  Bill found it Thursday morning.  Is it the mom in me that makes me want to cry typing that?  The calf's momma had abandoned it, which happens occasionally, and Bill and their farm helper Cody had been bottle feeding her.  When Bill's dad found her (she had been born the day prior in the snow), she was "down" (meaning she couldn't stand up) and alone (normally at this age, the mommas are right beside their little one - to nurse and protect).  Rick picked her up and put her in his truck to warm her up a little.  She was later moved to the pig barn so they could keep her warm and feed her there.  Bill had to give her the first feeding through a tube inserted down her throat!

She had seemed to be doing better when we saw her on Sunday, but Bill thought she looked "poor" on Tuesday.  Bill said she had "scours," which basically means she had diarrhea, and I guess that hadn't gotten any better. 

Definitely a sad story, but a reality of ranching.

To end on a happy note, I am submitting our registration to sell at the Cherry Street farmer's market this summer!  This will be our 4th summer to sell there!  You know what that means?  Produce season is rapidly approaching!  Exciting and daunting, all at the same time!!

More about that next week, unless something more interesting comes up!

Wednesday, January 26, 2011

Happy 10 Months to my little Eli!

Dear sweet Eli,

You are becoming quite the little boy -- no longer a baby!  You are becoming more and more adventurous and um...... dramatic?  :)  We love every minute with you and can't wait for the excitement ahead!
10 months old
You are still wearing 6-12 month onesies, although many of them look like scoopneck tops on you.  I'll explain that later.  Your pants are 6-12 months, also, although some are probably on the short side.  You have a great Carhart jacket Papa & Grandma Shelby got you that you've worn alot since Christmas, and a navy puffy vest that you also wear.  Your dad and I are partial to puffy coats (he's a recent convert - I've been staying warm (while choosing to ignore the unflattering affects)) with puffy coats since grade school.  The three of us look pretty funny together!  We experienced your first snow this month!  You thought it was pretty cool... until your little bum got a little soaked.  It happened much quicker than I anticipated.  So sorry!  :)
SNOW!!!!!
This month has flown by.  We settled back into a work/PDO routine after a couple of weeks off around Christmas.  That time was so special - we took several trips to Tulsa to see family and had a few playdates too.  We celebrated Christmas with your Grammy & Pops, Uncle John, Aunt Carolyn, and Uncle BJ on the Monday after Christmas.  You got a cute outfit and some fun Converse sneakers!
Seeing sweet Maria and my rfl Mary

Playdate with Caden and Karsten
 You have started becoming more vocal even in the past two weeks.  A lot of "bah bah bah" and some "mah mah mah mah mah mah" that you typically say when you are exasperated.  It isn't quite the "mama" I was expecting to "count it" as a word, but Peggy says that counts.  :)  You also make some funny noises with your tongue - clicking and clacking.  You think it is so funny! 

You mostly army crawl still, but crawl normally on carpet.  You are starting to crawl normally more often on regular floors, but quickly drop down into your army crawl.  You are pulling up on everything - this morning you were hanging on to the side of the kitchen table!  You push anything that will move when you're standing next to it, including your high chair and the stools we have in the living room, let alone your push toys.  You and I have a funny trick where I ride your John Deere and you push me around.  It's so funny!  You laugh so hard when we do it!  

You still have 6 teeth, but I can see #7 nearing its debut.  You take milk 4 times a day.  We are nearing the end with nursing as you just simply won't nurse sometimes.  You did yesterday, and did this morning, but I am working on weaning you this month.  I have dropped to nursing (or pumping) only twice a day.  You are still a great eater.  You still prefer to eat finger foods, although you will let me feed you yogurt (which you still love) and sometimes breakfast baby food.  I had bought a few to have handy in case we were headed somewhere and I couldn't get homemade food packed properly, and I'm trying to work through that little stash.  You love canned green beans most right now.  You also love red and black beans, sweet potatoes, carrots, pears and apples.  You have had roast chicken and grilled pork chops and loved those too!  Oh, and lasagna!  :)  You are headed towards eating what we eat.  The only thing you haven't liked was a tomato from a can of rotel that was in a soup.  Sorry about that.  Perhaps it was a tad too spicy for ya.  Noted.  ;)  You still get excited when you see me reaching for the (plain) cheerios and still enjoy your fish or chicken sticks.

You might be trying to change your 2nd naptime on me, but I can't quite figure it out.  Some days you go down easily, and others you play in your crib for up to an hour before falling asleep.  You also have decided that you don't like sleeping with a dirty diaper, so sometimes I have to go in mid-nap and sort that out before you'll go back to sleep.  Can't say I blame ya, but not sure why that changed all of a sudden.  :)
I should have known it was too quiet... you were UP to something!
Thanks to you, we now have a big wad of toliet paper to use piled behind the toliet seat (out of your reach!)

We still love playing peek-a-boo.  We also play catch.  I thought months ago that you understood the concept, but dad wasn't convinced.  But, there is no denying it now.  You love throwing the ball.  You also love dropping your sippy cup from your highchair, but I'm going to thank you right now for not throwing food.  We get enough food on the floor without you throwing it, so thank you for not making it worse.


This is your fake cry face.  I laugh when I see it.  I think it's cute!  :)
You still LOVE bathtime.  We've been playing with your hair lately during bathtime.  It's getting so long - it touches your eyebrows!
You stayed overnight with your Papa and Grandma last weekend.  You really enjoy being around your cousins!  When your dad and I went to pick you up, we went to visit your Great Grandpa Bob.  We feel blessed that you got to meet him as he is not in the best shape.  He asked several times what your name was.  But, he thought you were pretty cute!!  After that, your dad let you sit in his lap and drive us home (1/4 mile on a deserted road -- no hate mail, please).  Your dad considers driving young a rite of passage.  He started driving in the watermelon field when he was about 7 (ARE YOU KIDDING ME?!!!).  Anyway, we headed straight for the pig barn where they are housing a bottle calf.  You weren't eager to touch the calf, but you seemed to enjoy seeing it.  You kept turning to your dad and smiling.  It was so sweet!
10 & 2, ELI!!!
Hanging out with GGrandpa Bob and his Mountain Dew :)

I could go on and on!  Your dad and I love you so much and cherish each moment with you!

Love you,
Mom

Wednesday's Pop of Pattern

Zhush does a "Monday's Pop of Purple" posting each week.  Click here to check them out!

I enjoy seeing the post each week.  I like purple.  But, I like different patterns more.  So, I'm going to make my own weekly post!

Today's Pattern?  Herringbone.

I just love the menswear element of this pattern.  It's classic.

Check out these herringbone throws at Serena & Lily.  Love the colors!


What about this gorgeous sweater jacket from Anthropologie?  Looks like something I'd live in during the cold months!

Lovely herringbone backsplash over stunning range

Love the herringbone pattern of the wood floors!

While I'm sure I would never have turquoise drapes in my dining room, I love the color and energy of this room, including the herringbone floor.

This looks more classic - In fact, I might actually REALLY like it!  I'm loving the farm table look, especially seeing as I will likely soon live on the farm!  We will be embracing this trend, for sure!
PS - "Soon" in the above caption could mean 1 year or 10 years.  I just see it looming in my future.  :)

Love!

Friday, January 21, 2011

Can we pretend tomorrow is Friday?

I'm seriously very excited about Farming Friday updates, but today has been one heck of a Friday.  In fact, I nearly thought it was Wednesday this morning.  I have worked 55 hours this week, all before noon today.  I got 1.5 hours of sleep last night (from 6 am to 7:30 am).  At noon, I turned off my computer, played with Eli until his naptime and then fell into a coma.

Yes, I want your sympathy.

I am going to post about a possible bottle calf on the farm tomorrow.  So, we're all going to pretend tomorrow is Friday, ok?  :)


This picture was taken through my back door.  At my house.  NOT on the farm!  Imagine the shock this former city girl experienced when she saw that one morning!

Love!