Favorite Baking Blogs

I love to get my bake on.  I love watching butter and sugar get all creamy and fantastical, but mostly I love eating the treats once they are done.
Like most people, the muse isn't always upon me.  Creativity comes in waves, and sometimes we could all use a little inspiration to encourage blossoms to bloom.  So I thought I would quickly share my favorite baking blogs with you, just in case you could use a little miracle grow for your creative juices today.

Joy the Baker

Witty writing, yummy treats!

Sweetapolita

Lovely cakes and recipes.  Always, always.

Smitten Kitchen

A wide variety of everything sweet and savory.

Dreamy Wedding Bands

I'm on the search for a new inexpensive wedding band because my fingers are becoming so swollen that my wedding band and engagement ring are becoming uncomfortable.

Here are some that I'm really loving.

 Libra Minimalist Ring -- $26

 Modern Tab Ring -- $20

Hammered Stacking Ring -- #13

Fairy Pearls Ring  -- $20

Little Needles

Based on my love for vintage kitting and sewing patterns, it's quite evident to me that:
a.)  The people were tiny. 

• Side note:  Did you know that today's size 6 is actually a vintage size 14?  Yeah..  So when people say that Marilyn Monroe was a size 14, please understand that she was actually a size 6 based on today's varied measurements.

b.)  These tiny people loved their tiny knitting needles.


I on the other hand, am not such a fan of tiny knitting needles.  I like the big chucka-munka's.  Yeah, you know the kind.  I will openly admit that I am the kind of knitter who would gladly knit with a baby's thigh if I could. 
I also love chunky wool.  I love how you can see every dyed fiber in all it's glory.  There is nothing like seeing one vibrant color spun beautifully in with another.  Nothing. 
Our great grannies didn't care so much for chunky knitting needles or chunky wool.  They might call me lazy today for cursing the little jerky needles.  Don't get me wrong, triple great grandma, I love the way dainty projects look.  My first summer in Madison I started my first tiny needle knitting project.  It was a tiny cardigan, and I was madly in love with how demure it looked.  It took me the rest of the summer to finish the left front of the cardigan, the whole fall to knit the right front, and the whole winter to knit half of the back.  By the spring I was so sick of this cardigan, I set it aside and didn't pick it up again until it had been bleached by the sun.  I kid you not!  I had to take that long of a break from knitting, because it burnt me out.


So my fellow knitters, what do you do when a tiny needle knitting project burns you out?  What do you do to keep going?  How do you keep yourself inspired to continue?

 

P.S.  Both of these pictures are from Vintage Purls.  It's an online directory of downloadable free vintage knitting patterns!  So if you are unlike me, and you have the patience for reliance, please feel free to visit such a great resource!

Nursery Design: What has been helping me.

Since Jason and I found out we were pregnant, I have been thinking of what we would like to do for a nursery.  We have a small budget, but I am confident that we can still pull off a great room that will be comforting for our little girl.  I knew I wanted to produce a gender nuetral environment from the start.  At this point in time, I cannot imagine having another child, but I also don't want my child to feel forced to like something that just doesn't feel right. 
Even though we are no where near the end of our journey, here is a look at what has been helping us so far.



What has been helping me:

1.)  I started off with concentrating on what I would like on Pinterest.  I know pretty much everyone is using Pinterest now, but for those of you who have yet to know the wonder:  Pinterest helps members find inspiration and find patterns from their inspiration to understand what direction to move into next.  I use Pinterest for everything from DIY idea's to classroom tools.
Using Pinterest reminded me that I love robin's egg blue, yellow, and grey as a neutral (with hints of pink and orange.)

2.)  Starting our baby registry was also helpful.  We are registered on MyRegistry.com, which is a universal registry.  It has been so easy to use.

3.)  Apartment Therapy.  It never hurts to see a fabulous room completed.  That's where I found this rug made out of carpet tiles.  You probably could use just about any rug, but carpet tiles would be easiest to work with.

 Check out the whole room here!

4.)  Chic & Cheap Nursery is a blog that has been an excellent source for ideas and inspiration.  It's more than just baby stuff, too!  It's also a great place to find ideas for your big kid, too.

 Click here for the DIY tutorial!

5.)  Color Splash!  I love this HGTV show.  It's hosted by David Bromstad, who won the first HGTV Design Star, and his prize was having his own design program on HGTV.  He's so talented, and not to mention a total sweetie pie.  It's a great place to find inspiration for the whole home, including a nursery.  You can visit the HGTV website to find full episodes for free.

Baby Swimsuits

Baby swimsuits are so freaking cute.  Can we just look at some right now?  Okay, good.  I thought you would say yes.

 Ruffled One Piece -- $25.95

 Eyelet Ruffled One Piece -- $24.95

Striped One Piece -- $16.80

fill in the blank Friday (2/10/2012)

Fill in the blank Friday! 

 

 

 

1.  I started my blog because   I wanted to use my blog to share and organize the things that inspire me.

2.   One thing I love seeing on other blogs   would be the glimpse into how others live their lives.  I love to see others being creative in a number of different ways.  I could do without people taking picture of their favorite outfits though.

3.  Something I love about blogging   would have to be how it allows me to organize myself.  I'm not naturally good at organizing, so I have to seek different ways to help myself to organize.  Blogging not only organizes my thoughts, but it serves as almost a bit of a pin-board of inspiration.

4. A favorite blog post of mine is probably  my most recent posts about the babe!  Jason and I are so excited to be parents, it's such a NEW journey for us.  I have a feeling that the next few months are going to be very special in our lives together.

5. Something my friends in real life know about me that I've never before mentioned on my blog  is that I've started eating meat again.  Before getting pregnant, I was a vegetarian for about eight years.  During my first trimester, I had to start eating meat again because it was one of the only foods that kept me from getting sick 24/7.  I'm planning on going back to the veg lifestyle after the baby is born, but for right now, I feel it is something that is aiding me through my pregnancy.

6.  My new favorite blogs to read are  a huge mixture of things I've been finding inspiring lately.  Father Figurine is a snarky parent blog from the dad's point of view, which my husband and I have been loving lately.  I also love tipatipa.

7.  Some things I tend to avoid doing on my blog are   being too critical of my writing.  If I concentrated on "Is this good enough to go on my blog?" all the time, I would probably have nothing on my blog.  I write for myself anyway, so what?  Who cares?

TRY the DIY.

Here's a collections of some great DIY projects that I'm itching to try!  I knew you would all be pretty interested too, so I thought I would share.

1.)  I've been seeing these knitted pouf stools everywhere lately.  And they are always extremely expensive.So if you're like me, and you're asking yourself "how the heck can I get this look for less?":  look no further!
Click here for a knitted floor pouf tutorial from Norwegian Knitting Website, Pickles!
Wouldn't this pattern work great with a stretched jersey fabric instead of yarn?

2.)  DIY sprinkles!  I know, right?  Can we just talk about how many times I have gone to the grocery store to buy just plain white sprinkles and all I can find is a rainbow funfetti vomit fest?  Now I never have to worry about it again.  This tutorial makes so much sense, and I am POed that I never thought of it before.
Click here to learn how to make your own sprinkles!

3.)  Spumoni Bombe!  Think Neapolitan ice cream and Baked Alaska had a chunky Italian baby.
Click here for a step by step Spumoni Bombe recipe!

The truth about pregnancy.

Pregnancy is completely glamorized.  When Jason and I found out we were pregnant, I thought I would feel like a beautiful earth mother for an entire nine months.  I mean, yeah, it is amazing to create life, but it's also incredibly disgusting.
I have never felt so repulsed and amazed by my body in my entire life.  Don't get me wrong, I love my new rounding belly and the fact that I'm actually getting something that most people call their butt (I've always called it lower back number 2.)
NO ONE, and I mean no one, talks about how crumby being pregnant is, but I'm going to.
Somebody has to do it.


The pro's of pregnancy:

1. You get a really sweet babe in return, after suffering for nine months straight.
2. Your boobs get huge.  (This can be a pro, and it can also be a con.)
3. Your belly is really cute once it starts to round out.
4. Your hair gets really shiny and strong, and it grows really quickly.
5. Everyone treats you like royalty.  (Not too shabby.)

The con's of pregnancy:

1. You burp all the time.  (Watch out if you're a gal who burps a lot anyway.)
2. You pass gas all the time.  (Ditto on number one.)
3. Most people feel like they are going to vomit for three months straight, if not longer.  (If you are the exception, you can suck my toe.)
4. Sometimes when you sneeze, you pee yourself a little.
5. Back pain.
6. Weird, vivid dreams.
7. Bloody noses.
8. You have to purchase a brand new wardrobe. (For yourself, and then your babe's.)
9. You can't drink coffee or alcohol anymore.  (Again, this can be seen as a pro or con.  For me, I miss my morning latte.)
10. You can't even eat Wisconsin Fish Fry OR a spicy tuna roll.
11. You are tired, pretty much all the time.
12. Your breasts hurt half the time.
13. Swollen feet.
14. Heart Burn  (did I mention that this also can lead to vomiting, even if you're not nauseous?  Oh yeah.  It does.)
15. Killer leg cramps. 
16. Excessive sweating.
17. Your skin gets weird like a teenager's.
18. Your balance is off.  (Say goodbye to your stiletto's, sister.)
19. One minute you are elated, and the next you are scream-crying.

Here I am basking in the sunlight of my glorious pregnancy, sipping a virgin bloody mary.  

Yes, they are glorious too.

But they actually are.

It's a...

....girl!
Jason and I are really excited to be parents, and we cannot wait to just meet our sweet baby girl.  I can't believe she's already so big!  I don't really look all that pregnant, just kind of bloated, so it was a surprise to see a baby looking back at us that already has a profile. 
Yesterday I spent all day on our registry, looking up stroller and car seat safety reviews.  It's boring AND exciting all at the same time.  Can you believe it?

Vintage Children's Books

Have you ever noticed how there are not many options for gender neutral items for babies lately?  It could be because so many people find out the sex of their babies before they are born, so there is more time to prepare.  This has been a problem for me so far.  I am normally a planner by nature, but my need to plan has been heightened by my pregnancy.  The planning feels urgent now!
Jason and I get to find out tomorrow what we're having, but in the meantime, we have been trying to collect items that our baby will benefit from, no matter what reproductive organs it has.  One of those things has been books.
We have been going to thrift stores to find the classics (like Dr. Suess, Corduroy, Have you seen my mother, etc...) and we've made out really well doing that.  Thrifting for children's books is also a great option because you come across some reals gems that you wouldn't find normally, too.

On one thrifting visit a few weeks ago, Jason and I found three books from the 1930's.  Pretty cool!
My favorite is Petite Suzanne, about a French Canadian girl who learns to hunt and weave, all by Christmas!  That Suzanne...she really knows where it's at.