friday link love

Easter weekend is finally here!  I'm very lucky to have Good Friday off as a way to kickstart my weekend, and although I'll be spending most of it touring potential daycare centers I also plan to squeeze in a trip to the flower market to brighten up my porch.  Other than Easter Sunday, we have no plans which is basically heaven at this point.  I've been really making an effort to wind down our schedule as of late.  Okay, here are my favorite things from this week!  

I found this list to be SO true.  I think midwest is perhaps the most stereotyped region in the US (i.e., Marshall from How I Met Your Mother.)

Photoshop can be such an amazing tool.  This artist created a surreal image of what it would look like if Venice's Grand Canal froze over.

This made me laugh hysterically.

I'm a total sucker for nerdy apps like this.  Jigsaw puzzles on my iPhone?  Sign me up.

This video is totally fun to watch - the A to Z of dance.

These Target sandals are on sale for only $17!  I have a pair, and they are awesome.  I might need to pick up the chambray as well.

There is a HUGE Game of Thrones spoiler in here, but if you're really curious about who committed the big murder on Sunday night's episode, this is a pretty compelling argument!

maternity style 18

wearing: laundry by shelli segal dress, old & not maternity, michael kors wedges, kate spade earrings & stripe bracelet, monogram area necklace, and banana republic bracelet

also, can we just take a moment to recognize how pretty my friends are?  

Claire will certainly be the most well-outfitted (and best dress) baby that every was, and I am so grateful to all the friends and family who have celebrated her before she's even here!  My last baby shower was on this past weekend, hosted by my friend Jess at her gorgeous loft apartment.  We had brunch and lots of baby talk, and it was just about the best way I could imagine to spend a rainy Sunday.  I was so in love with the tissue garland that Jess made for the gift table that I snatched it, and it now hangs above Claire's crib.  

awkward and awesome tuesday

wearing: dress - maurices, not maternity and realllllly old.  sandals - jack rogers.  necklace - jcrew.  

Awkward: 

Baby girl has figured out how to wedge herself up into my ribs.  I'm stopped in my tracks multiple times a day just to "readjust" myself in a way that doesn't cause serious pain somewhere in my midsection.  

I could wax poetic about how much I love having a step-and-open trash can (yes, these are the things that excite me now) but this morning my lack of coordination got the best of me with it.  I hit the foot opener, went to toss the leftover coffee grinds in the bin, and let go jusssssst early enough to have the lid catapult coffee grounds ALL over the kitchen floor.  Thankfully, there were no witnesses to the temper tantrum I threw.  

This week's adventures in "baby brain" led to me pouring my cereal directly into the cup of coffee I had just gotten to the perfect cream/stevia ratio.  

Pregnancy crying has officially begun.  Had a good (happy!) session while driving home from work last Wednesday just because a country song reminded me of Darrell....because that's normal.  

Awesome: 

Our FULLY FINISHED nursery!  Of course there are two or three things still to be done, but it's essentially complete and I'm so thrilled with it.  

A bookshelf absolutely stacked with what I'm sure is every children's book currently available for purchase.  At my shower last week, guests were asked to bring books with notes for the baby instead of cards (so sweet!) and people were so generous with the books.  Many brought 2 or 3 along with their gift, and I nearly filled a tall bookshelf with everything from "Chicka Chicka Boom Boom" to "The Giving Tree."  Reading is one of my few really young memories, and I'm so excited to read these books to Claire.  

We chose and assembled a stroller/carseat combo!  Doesn't that sound like just the most adult thing one could possibly do?  I kind of agonized over the purchase, but after finding the Britax B-Agile & B-Safe on Target for an amazing price, we bit the bullet.  For the record, we would have chosen this one if money was no object, but we are just not $700 stroller people.  Although honestly, if those people exist, they are ridiculous.  

Eating a little bit healthier....I'll admit that I went through a phase for a couple weeks where I was soooo tired, so the easiest things to eat were things that required no work (i.e. mac and cheese, cereal, etc.)  This, of course, contributed to my being even MORE tired.  So I decided to get it together and start making more smoothies, less bowls of Lucky Charms, and lo and behold I am actually able to stay awake all day again.  

Darrell heralded his arrival home last Friday with "Burning Down the House" blasting from his windows, and then once the car turned off he finished it off whistling a few more rounds of the chorus.  I love how his cheerfulness just radiates sometimes (but especially on Fridays.)  

a day at the farmer's market

We had the most stunning weather on Saturday, with the high in the mid 70s and all the sunshine you could want.  Darrell's parents were in town to celebrate his mom's birthday, and we took them to our favorite farmer's markets.  I failed to take many pictures, but I just wanted to share how pretty our park is, how gorgeous these ranunculus were, and this picture Darrell took of me.  Sometimes I'm hesitant to post pictures where I look less than my best, but to him this photo was great because I looked so happy, and I really was.  

friday link love

With the weather slated to be beyond amazing, we're planning to make the most of this weekend.  We'll be hitting up one of our favorite Fish Fries on Friday night, then heading to the farmer's market and maybe a baseball game (our first of the season!) on Saturday morning.  We also plan to finish up the nursery, which I'm thrilled about.  I hope your weekend plans - and weather - will be just as perfect.  

How cute is this children's book series?  I'm constantly amazed at how lucky I am to live in the era of "cool mom bloggers."  Otherwise, I would never know about anything!  

Oh, the cuteness.  Here is the short list of animals who can really "dance."  

So if you don't want to read an article about breast pumps.....don't click here.  But seriously, in this day and age shouldn't they be as efficient and sleek as iPhones by now?  

The one word that should never follow "I love you."  

A beautiful essay on marriage before and after children, from one of my very favorite bloggers.  

Baby elephants learning to use their trunks are perhaps the most adorable thing ever.  

This video explains perfectly why we try to avoid shopping at Wal-Mart.  I'm sure no company is perfect, we try to avoid their stores at all costs and instead shop at places like Trader Joe's, who pays their employees a living wage.