saying goodbye to maternity leave

After 12 weeks and in an entirely different season than when I left (and in the middle of frankenstorm!!), this week I’m leaving my babe and headed back to work.

Despite the bonus day off on Tuesday due to the hurricane, it is certainly bittersweet.

I am saying goodbye

+to bringing Caroline in bed with me for early morning snuggles and afternoon naps.

+to lazy days getting to know our daughter, with the biggest thing on our agenda being a load of laundry or a sink of dishes.

+to walks in the quiet of the day while the rest of the neighborhood is at work or school.

+to spending the day with my little sidekick, and being the one person responsible for her every need.

Staying home full-time is not an option for us right now but despite the fact that I will be mourning the loss of these 12 sweet weeks, I think this season also presents some opportunity for us. Going back to work means

+my girl learns to let others entertain and soothe her.

+I have big smiles to look forward to when I get home every day.

+we are getting that much closer to Daddy graduating school.

+we find a new routine, and I get to tackle the challenge of being organized for two each day – laying out outfits and lunches and bags so that our mornings are smooth.

+I get to pursue my career with a job and coworkers that I love.

+work stays at work, because evenings are special and for my family.

gallery wall (pinterest link party!)

We’ve lived in our home for three years this summer and for probably two and a half of those years, I’ve aspired to make a gallery wall in our dining room. Spatial awareness is so not my thing, hence the procrastination, but it finally got done right before I hosted a bridal brunch for one of my best friends at 38 weeks pregnant! Perfect time, right?

Here is our dining room before, after we slapped some navy on the wall below the chair rail:

And here are some of my inspiration images from Pinterest. I had a board dedicated solely to photo walls. You can see I gravitated to arrangements that weren’t perfectly symmetrical. I also liked different sizes of frames, different colors, and matting.

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I went with Ikea Ribba frames in white and dark brown, which my dad graciously hung. I loved the idea of all-white frames but since the wall is white we thought it might lose its impact. It was easy to go with different sizes and have it still look uniform. I also like the option to mat or not, although does anyone else find the sizing of Ikea frames to be odd? My favorite part is the assymmetry. It leaves us the option to add more down the road. Here it is!

I plan to switch out the contents occasionally, maybe for the seasons, but here’s what I chose for now.

(clockwise from the top)

+I Carry Your Heart letterpress print by Lark Press (poem by e.e. cummings – read at our wedding)
+Receipt from an amazing pizza place in Venice – one of our favorite memories, we got extra for the ride home and ended up polishing it all off
+Picture from one of my best friend’s wedding in New York
+Picture from a trip to NYC that Shawn surprised me with our senior year of college – it was pouring rain and freezing!
+Print of a spaghetti maker by my talented sister-in-law
+Beachcombing postcard by Quercus Design
+Picture of Logan from one of our road trips
+Empty frame – oops! I just can’t find the right picture for this space and am waiting for a good family shot.

I’m definitely enjoying the new view, how about you?

*I’m linking up to the Pinterest Challenge by Young House Love, Bower Power, Ugly Duckling House, and Our Fifth House!

better late than never

Three months ago Caroline was born, and I am still sending out birth announcements. (I purchased a Gilt deal for Minted.com and I adore them!)

Everyone likes getting this face in the mail, right?

free playlists

Thought I’d pop in and share some goodies I found. Who doesn’t love a little playlist to help get you through the day? I stumbled across two and not only are they chock-full of wonderful artists (some I’ve never heard of before), but they are also free!

+Playlist by Madewell HERE

+Holiday playlist by Crate and Barrel HERE

Happy listening.

pumpkin patches, hikes, and all things fall

It was one of those beautiful weekends where you’re perfectly comfortable in a long sleeve shirt – no sweating in the sun and no need for scarves or jackets or layers in the shade. Obviously we hit up a local farm for gratuitous pictures of babies + pumpkins.

It is so thrilling having a daughter now. Looking at kids on hayrides and petting goats – I am so excited for all that we get to introduce Caroline to for the first time.

We also went on a long hike on a trail near our house where we almost always are the only ones on the path. Logan has been somewhat deprived of long runs since baby Caroline arrived and it was nice to be outdoors and give him an adventure.

Simple and perfect. How was your weekend?

on my agenda

Have you noticed all my posts revolve around weekends? And I’ve been on maternity leave for 11 weeks, ha!

+Read: On My Heart: Motherhood by Kara. She writes really heartfelt posts that often reflect exactly how I’m feeling.

+Cook: Buffalo Chicken Chowder.

Source: closetcooking.com via Lisa on Pinterest

 

+Follow: Honest Toddler on Twitter. Hilarious!

+Plan: For quick and easy breakfasts when I return to work with this casserole.

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+Make: A quilt! I’m going to start this project this weekend by stocking up on fabrics for Caroline’s monthly photos.

+Visit: Our local pumpkin patch.

Happy Friday!

fall fashion

I think I might need to stock up on a few of these outfits for fall. As if salted caramel mochas, the smell of fires burning, and pumpkin patches everywhere wasn’t enough to get me in the mood for the season.

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Source: tarahlowry.blogspot.com via Lisa on Pinterest