Back at it

Our munchkin has been the light of our lives the past 14 weeks. A lot has changed since then. I am back at work and of course have mixed emotions about being away from Charlotte. I am grateful for an incredible employer who paid me to be with her the first 3.5 months of her life, and deep down I know going back to work is the best decision for our family.

In many ways I will miss seeing each small development she makes, as well as not having any set agenda other than her nap and feeding schedule. In other ways, I am proud of my career and the work I've accomplished, and know that getting back in the saddle is just as important for me as it is for Charlotte.

None of this would work without my amazing husband, and now the best Daddy on earth. I can not comprehend how single parents do this every single day while also holding down a full time job (or two). He and Charlotte are the greatest blessings God has ever given me.

With that, I plan on getting back into the swing of things all for our little nugget, whom we love to the ends of the earth and back!

I mean, really?

Charlotte Leigh Walker

Our sweet Charlotte arrived 6 days early on August 24. We are so in love and enjoying every minute with her!

Weekend Recap

These days, we are that boring married couple that spends their weekends picking out tile, marble, paint colors and furiously cleaning our already clean house. I am really nesting - big time. Whenever I finish one project there is another one I/we need to tackle. No, the kitchen remodel isn't enough. I needed a newly painted front door. Then I realized, what's a newly painted front door without a new storm door to go with it? (More to come on that in a later post). Khaner has been more than patient with me. In some ways though, while we can't travel or go to the beach, we might as well make use of our "house arrest" as I call it, waiting for our sweet girl to arrive.

I know you're probably thinking that our unborn child is not going to care about her window treatments, fabrics or upholstery in her nursery, what front door she has, or if she has marble counters instead of formica. But it sure does make Mama feel better, and when Mama ain't happy, aint nobody happy :)

Update on nursery. If you recall from here, I had a lot of plans for this room. From initial concept, most of my vision has come to life, sans the chandeliers. When your husband rarely puts his foot down, you have to roll with it the occasional times he does.

Looking in from doorway from master to nursery. Didn't my father in-law do an amazing job on the cornices? Can't wait for Emily to finish the drapes, another post on that to come! The couple we purchased our home from actually lives behind us and the wife, Caroline (I know!) came by to bring us a baby gift. She, like my mother, thinks the room feels larger with furniture in it. When they lived in the house, it was used as a home office.

View from the master bath/laundry room hallway. I have received so many compliments on her animal prints from Etsy

View from bookcase, looking into master bedroom from nursery.

My sweet parents treated us to this glider from Pottery Barn. All our friends said if we planned to splurge anywhere, to splurge here, especially if having more than one baby. You spend so much time rocking, nursing and cuddling, you want it to be  comfortable on your back. I made sure to choose one with a washable slipcover too!

My sweet coworker has a monogramming machine at home and made this beautiful masterpiece for my footstool. I think Charlotte can use this later on when she's older for the foot of her bed or for a vanity. I purchased the trim from Printer's Alley and used double sided tape to affix.

And security for the house is on double-time with their sister on her way! Practice makes perfect says Cater :)

In the midst of all my craziness, we also squeezed in some much-needed practice babysitting our dear friends Christy and Will's little girl, Cate. I could eat this child with a spoon, she is so adorable.

What are some of your summer home improvement projects? 

Friday Fun

This has put a BIG smile on my face on this Friday!

If you recall from our original showing:

That hunter green! Don't worry, the ugly lighting is coming down too. Stay tuned!

I am blown away by how much impact paint has made in this kitchen. I truly feel it will be one of our least expensive line items but one of the biggest game-changers for the look and feel.

Nesting on a whole new level

They say the "nesting"  phase hits you in your second trimester of pregnancy. I have taken the concept to a whole new level and decided our kitchen needs to be revamped before baby girl is here in August (really September). My husband is a saint. We are approaching the redesign with  "Compromise is the cornerstone of marriage." Like all things design and taste-wise, we differ and will need to come together to think of each other's needs during this process.

As a reminder, here is what our kitchen looked like during our initial house tour back in August:

Yikes! It sure is larger than our kitchen at Duplin but I feel like I am on the set of Mad Men. If you can envision the kitchen table and side desk gone, island swung over to the left of the counters, and a stainless steel fridge, this is the footprint we are working with.

Of course, with no budget and an endless supply of money, my kitchen would resemble:

Color scheme is white painted cabinets, brass hardware, brass fixtures, gray subway tile, gray and white marble/granite, and keeping our darker floors. Initially I assumed we'd be gutting the entire space and installing new custom cabinets. Ironically, all four contractors we had come out agreed we should really keep the cabinets we have based on their quality and condition. My husband was all in on saving tens of thousands of dollars. Our ideas have finally formed into a concept and we think we have a direction we want to move in.

1. Paint Cabinets and Install New Hardware - 

Can you envision the ones above (ahem, my actual ones) painted white with brass hardware? 

My inspiration:

The spindle style on the fridge and freezer really struck me, and I always like to be a little different than what's "trending," such as the cup pulls.

I definitely think this style goes with the age of our home and style of current cabinets. I need 12 pulls for drawers. 

Thoughts? I like this is intricate looking but not sure how my husband will feel. We need 17 of these - 19 if we add another upper glass cabinet!

I also like this one - which one do you think will tie in better with overall theme?

3. New Granite/Marble for Countertops

4. New 8 Foot Custom Island and Counter Stools

(My hope is to get pull out double trash and double recycling bins).

This island is somewhat along the lines of the seating we'd like to include, with one on the end for a 5th chair.

My husband has got some serious opinions on the counter stools. I am REALLY hoping I can get my way with these gorgeous warm gray counter stools from Ballard Designs that I've coveted since becoming a homeowner. Honey, if you're reading, these have free shipping and reviews are that they're comfortable on the tush and back, without obstructing view of the kitchen. The compromise is we are designing a higher level island to accommodate my 6'7" husband, and these come in barstool height, not just counter height. See? Compromise.

5. New Faucet and Undermount Sink:

Again, compromise is the cornerstone of any good marriage. My ideal faucet is a bridge style, but I have to think function and practicality as I become a new mom. Khaner feels with the dogs, the amount of cooking we do, the frequent use of our sink requires a pull down faucet. We are meeting halfway with his style faucet and my polished brass finish. This faucet and sink featured below come from a former client of mine, Signature Hardware. Their prices, selection and customer service are great if you are in the market!

As much as I love a farmhouse sink, we are leaving our existing cabinetry and footprint, so had to go with an undermount style. There will be a matching polished brass flange for garbage disposal.

6. New microwave for over the range

Thankfully the vent to microwave conversion "should" be an easy swap with a small outlet installation. We are hoping to free up as much counter space as possible.

Sources:

1. Spindle Pull

2. Knob Pull 1

3. Knob Pull 2

4. Cararra Marble inspiration 

(we will buy from a local vendor)

5. Pullout Polished Brass Faucet

6. Undermount sink

7. GE microwave 

(hoping one of our friends can help us with an at-cost discount)

We are also "playing around" with moving some appliances around, adding 1 new upper cabinet with glass for barware, and one custom corner cabinet for cleaning supplies, but we have to check budget, of course! I think this summer is going to be interesting, but in the end, when we bring home that sweet nugget from the hospital, I know it will all be worth the short-term pain for long-term gain.

eCommerce Expert

I can't help it. I LOVE sharing a great deal. Last weekend we had our little Finley neutered and micro chipped. The micro chip website wanted $45.00 for lifetime tracking. I used my handy Retailmenot.com site to find any promo codes and voila! $20.00 off $45.00? I will take it!

In other news, my hunt for the best newborn essentials continue. If you recall from my latest Marks and Spencer post,  I scored some great deals for our little Charlotte. But of course, I am not done.

My background in ecommerce has taught me that today's consumer wants an offer. A unique, compelling, can't turn down, have-to-click buy-before-I-change-my-mind offer. And I am certainly that consumer. Brands, guess what? You don't "own" your customer anymore. The only way you do is if you have a very unique shopping experience, select inventory, and high customer service. The kind of customer service that believes their customer is always right, even when they're not. This all leads buyers to deals and promos. If they can't get a deal from their "brand," they will go elsewhere. And it has been proven that they do. Amazon Prime? Ever heard of it?

So when I fell in love with these solid zip-up sleep and plays from Old Navy, and saw they were asking $15.00 per outfit, I almost walked away. This child will only be wearing them for a few months each. However, patience is a virtue I am working on. After subscribing to Old Navy's email, (30% off entire purchase) and then finding an additional 15% off promo code for Baby Items (expiring midnight tonight Khaner), I decided 45% off my entire order was pretty good and I could live with that. If you ever want a deal from a retailer, try subscribing to their emails (my 15 month stint in email marketing).  I am glad I was patient and pulled the trigger with ones I really liked, which are solids. Carter's has some good deals, but my kid doesn't need cats, foxes and aliens all over her clothes, even if her Daddy thinks that's being "well-dressed." I am trying to take on the attitude that just because it's a deal, if I don't love it, wait for a deal on what I do love.

I love all white on babies, I can't help it. Her little pocket can even be monogrammed!

And of course, had to incorporate a little bit of pink for my princess!

For $5.95, I figured these slip ons would be parent-friendly in the spring and summer months.

Entertaining Etiquette

Over the weekend I hosted a baby shower for our friend Christy. It was only the second time I had done a shower on my own (first one being here).  I am sure you are thinking I was crazy for hosting a shower 5 months pregnant, but the truth is, I love doing them and have the energy for it, so why not? Christy had a sweet little girl a year and a half ago and welcomes her son in June.

My sweet husband was my official Shower Assistant, and ran errands, vacuumed the house, and played bartender for my cocktail drink. All had a wonderful time, and I  have to say, my tried and true shower menu was a success. My secret to being able to host these get-togethers is choosing room temperature food that can be prepared the night before and purchase the rest ready-made, but equally tasty. As a child, I noticed that my mother insisted on enjoying all occasions she hosted, and that trait has been instilled in me ever since.

Fool Proof Make Head Shower Menu:

Fried Chicken from Harris Teeter 

Carolina Caviar (Recipe here, made night before)

Crudites with Green Goddess Dressing (Recipe here, made night before)

Fruit Salad (Cut up strawberries and tossed with grapes, blueberries and raspberries night before).

Ham Rolls (Recipe here, prepared morning of, baked off just before guests arrived)

Cake from Whole Foods or Guest's favorite dessert (Christy's is Krispy Kreme Dougnuts)

White Wine, Water, Lemonade

Punch or Cocktail Optional (I used Raspberry Champagne Punch from the Raleigh Junior League cookbook, HUGE hit).

I worked Friday evening on party favors and table setup to ensure plenty of time on Saturday for cleaning and last minute food prep.

I love to stuff these beautiful gold bags from Cassandra's Kitchen with various candies, depending on the type of shower. These blue wrapped cookies and cream Hershey's kisses were perfect for favors and apothecary jars for centerpiece.

My husband teases me on this strange habit of mine, but I tend to label all my bowls and platters the evening before so when I am rushing around just before "showtime," I can quickly fill food in the correct platter.

I love to frame all invitations and display them at parties. It just makes the whole event come full circle.

I found the cutest little baby boy shoes and carriages from Dollar Tree and sprinkled them around centerpiece and bar.

Table laid out for Saturday morning!

Straws, ice and garnishes for drinks are always critical for self-serve bars.

I tend to shy away from awkward games at showers, but  I figured filling out a name, birthdate, hair and eye color was easy and low-pressure. Christy got a kick out of reading all the guesses.

And most important, prepping food the evening before. There is nothing worse in this world than chopping, mixing, and cleaning up when you should be getting YOURSELF ready for your guests.

Carolina Caviar! A winner every time!

As you can see, fruits, vegetables, dressing and Carolina Caviar were ready to go for Saturday morning.

My one regret with the purchase of my sideboard is not choosing one with a a marble top. You can serve hot and cold items without worry of ruining the finish. As a makeshift buffer, I use silver trays.

Raspberry Champagne Punch from the JLR cookbook. I modified it with strawberry sorbet and prosecco, and taste was still delicious!  Recipe calls for 1 liter of Lemon-Lime Soda, 2 bottles of Champagne, 1 gallon of raspberry sorbet, and raspberries for garnish. Mix all ingredients together and serve.

Green Goddess dressing with crudites. Since the recipe calls for basil I inserted a couple of leaves in the top for garnish.

One of my favorite desserts I've done to date. The Daddy-to be was so sweet and dropped these off the morning of. I purchased the little carriage toothpicks off Etsy 

Not half bad!

I took our little girl's giraffe rocker out of her nursery and tied a baby boy ribbon around it to welcome guests at the front porch. Guest of  Honor and Hostess together!

What are some of your entertaining tricks?

Marks and Spencer Steals

My poor husband has been subjected to a lot of baby purchases the last 5 months. All of my girlfriends shared with me that this industry is kind of like the wedding industry. People know that mothers will give an arm and a leg for their child to have the best of everything. But the secret is, you can have great quality products at lower prices if you're willing to be patient, hunt around and purchase things even gently used. It's so hard to bite the bullet on 100-200 dollar items knowing your child will not be able to use it after X period of time.

One of my friend's tips was to try to find some all white coveralls, as babies tend to get things VERY dirty and printed outfits will fade and be more difficult to get stains out of.

I had checked out Old Navy, but they were out of the sizes I needed and they didn't have a cover for their zipper, leading to the zipper poking babies in their necks - the last thing we need while trying to eventually sleep train! This leads to my latest and greatest find - Marks & Spencer. I know you're thinking, aren't they in England? They have a US ecommerce site, and it did NOT disappoint. I like their outfits are all cotton. Some of Gerber's and Carter's are made of fleece and other materials, and let's face it, we live in the south. Bonus, the entire site was 20% off through midnight last night, so of course had to snag these deals before they went back to regular price today. K, if you're reading this, they DID go back to regular pricing, so early bird gets the worm!

Plan is to have her initials monogrammed on these all white coveralls. A 3 pack was 10.00! Can't beat that, so picked up a few 0-3 months, 3-6 months and 6-9 months. I realize they aren't zip up, but at these prices, I can always put her in these before bed or first thing in the morning and save her zip ups for middle of the night changes when I am half asleep.

These 3 pack pink onesies were too adorable (and inexpensive) to pass up! Love the simplicity of them. For some reason all the American manufacturers print cats, stars and other "loud" prints on their coveralls. I like the simple stripe, polka dots and bunnies on these.

Same for these adorable yellow coveralls! Another 3 pack in wide stripe, thin stripe and yellow bunnies! I  also like these for a boy, as well!

How ADORABLE is this cardigan jacket? Scored this baby for 13.00! Again, love that it's made with all cotton and the double breasted style is adorable!

These little bloomers were too good to pass up! A 3 pack for $7.00? Don't mind if I do. I purchased a 9-12 month size since she will probably be wearing dresses mostly June-September.

I am SUPER excited about this adorable pale pink knit. I searched high and low for something similar in France, and everything seemed to be made out of stuffy fleece or wool. This all cotton knit was $20.00 (versus 100's of euros in France). AND today, it SOLD OUT! So glad I snagged it when I did. Can't wait to bring our bundle of joy home in this!

Babymoon

What a month it has been! I am seriously looking forward to a few months at home with no travel plans! My sweet husband shared a wonderful babymoon with me in Cannes, France, on the back end of his business trip.

It was exactly what I  needed after my own business trip out in Vegas the week before. We had the most beautiful weather, food, drinks, ambiance and company! I think our little Charlotte enjoyed it just as much as her mama! Get ready for serious photo overload. I will be impressed if you make it through all of them, unless you're my mother.

First view from the cab ride into Cannes. Gorgeous!

Thank goodness one of my favorite coworkers of K's was on the trip. Jen is seriously the best shopping partner, laying out companion and fashion advice giver. I love all our European adventures together!

Beautiful Cannes sunset

On our way to THE venue where the Cannes Film Festival is held!

I couldn't believe Lenovo was going to take photos on the red carpet where some of my celebrity idols have walked!

Gorgeous view from the Film Festival

Business and Pleasure!

Walking the red carpet!

Awe struck!

Checking into the Carlton for our extended weekend!

At train station on the way to the French Perfume factory, Fragonard in Grasse! We are hydrated and ready to spend some $$$ on French perfume

Love my mother dearly, but she literally had me walking up HILLS to get her French perfume

Getting our shop on!

Outside Fragonard!

With our Mother's Day purchases! We love you, Grammy!

Before happy hour at the Carlton

My handsome Daddy to-be on the Carlton's veranda.

The most delicious meal at the Grandmother's Wheelbarrow.  Seriously the best meal we had all week. No menu at all - you get there, sit down, eat and choose from a couple of entrees they are cooking that night.

Khaner ordered the quail!

Leisurely breakfast before beach

My own version of heaven on earth.

The French know how to do everything better! They took ice cubes and swirled them around in these wine glasses before serving white wine in them. You don't even have to specify what kind of wine in France, it's all delicious.

Beautiful view of the Mediterranean.

View of our hotel from the beach. It really is an iconic fixture in Cannes.

My hard working husband relaxing in between his two business trips!

I actually got surprisingly burned that day - I didn't expect the Mediterranean sun to be quite so strong!

K approves of the snacks and beverages. 

Delicious club sandwiches, served with mesculine salad rather than fries! Delicious!

Jen and I getting our shop on in the market stalls near the harbor.

My poor child was walked up so many hills and stairs - I would not recommend this babymoon destination later in your pregnancy when you are getting bigger and more uncomfortable!

Bump and I at the top of the hill

We had gorgeous weather for a walk and hike.

So happy to be together here!

The Barefoot Contessa in me had to swing by a fromage shop!

Khaner was a fairly good sport, but I definitely picked up my little princess some French clothes at some of the boutiques.

I found these sweet elephant and carriage pajamas while in Grasse and instantly snatched them off the rack. They are thin, airy and will be perfect for summer time when she is older.

Selfie at the Croissette 72 Brasserie

Dinner with my favorite travel and shopping partner!

Escargot skills.

Arrival in Monaco!

I wasn't feeling the walk or the rain. As usual.

It was hard to remember being here 11 years ago and my mother having a fit the palace was closed. 

Beautiful view of Monaco

We joked that Jen was going to find a new French husband on a yacht because her fiance couldn't make the trip.

Waiting for the changing of the guard!

My good sport. He was so happy to have found the Monaco Grand Prix while we there. He even got to see firsthand the infamous "hairpin" turn.

Panoramic shot of  Prince's Palace of Monaco.

Outside St. Nicholas Cathedral where Princess Grace was married and later buried with her husband.

Delicious Italian lunch by the harbor. We figured we were now officially "neighboring" Italy so the food had to be good, and boy, was it!

Jen and I outside the Hotel de Paris near the Monte Carlos Casino. Sun was finally out!

Babymoonerrs in Monaco.

Back at Croissette 72 for a non alcoholic beer!

And of course, what's a babymoon without a cheeseburger, coke, and chocolate cake your last night for room service?

When I finally arrived home, my little girl felt all the more real when I got my sweet invitation to her baby shower. I have the sweetest friends for rallying together and hosting this for us.

And my two training wheel babies were happy their Mama was finally home.

I told Khaner while we were away that I know we are about to embark on a fun and also scary adventure. I am so grateful and blessed to have had this time, just us, before we make room for an even bigger family! We will always look back and fondly remember these trips and time in our lives.