I AM NOT A PHOTOGRAPHER.

(I repeat)

I AM NOT A PHOTOGRAPHER!

I absolutely admit that I have a semi-fancy camera and have not a clue what to do with it (hello, automatic setting!).  Scott and I both tried our very best to document Baby T.’s completed nursery, just like I am going to try my very best at this moment to let these photos speak for themselves and stop yapping.  always a struggle.

ENJOY! 

Okay, you know I wouldn’t be able to just leave it at that!  I’m a natural born narrator – I can’t help myself!!!

Note to Self (YOURself included): Planning a nursery without knowing the baby’s gender DOES present some challenges.  We chose to start with the primary colors from the bedding and the rug that we love and roll with the rest.  Yellow, gray, and red quickly became our accent colors.  We love the blue wall color and think it screams “baby!” without necessarily screaming “baby BOY!”  It’s just a sweet color.  We didn’t really theme-it-out, but went with a few different ideas that tickled our fancies.  It’s the only room in the house that we’ve planned from paint to curtain pullback and it’s the most serene-feeling room in the house.  We’re really happy with how it came together!!!

C’mon with the NY and SC prints – love ‘em, right?!  They’re so meaningful to us.

We found all of the wall art on Etsy, except for the gorgeous and thoughtful quote art.  My great friend in NY made that for me – thanks, Jenn!!!

I LOVE the nursing/reading nook by the window.  It’s so cozy.  Didn’t my Mom do an awesome job recovering the glider???  NAILED IT.  It’s perfect – thanks, Mom!  ♥

DIY Projects: I added the yellow ribbon to the chalkboard and lampshades.  I also made the curtain pullbacks with the yellow ribbon (and other small and cheap hardware pieces).  I made the mobile and I added the hearts to our home cities (Albany and Charleston) onto the state maps.

I threw that clock in the cube organizer last minute (I had a book opened and standing in place of it originally).  We still CANNOT figure out the perfect spot for that thing, but it’ll live there for now.  or for at least the next 5 minutes.  What a pain that clock has been – location suggestions welcome!

We love that there is still a lot of room to grow (re: space within the furniture, closet, bins, and baskets) and wall space to adorn, if and when we so chose.  I picture some large canvas prints on either wall in the nursing/reading nook of some pregnancy photos and then Baby T.’s newborn photos.  I also imagine a growth chart on the wall in the corner by the cube organizer and closet door. Maybe a little kid-sized coat rack somewhere.  Some more decorations on the top of the bookcase.  Baby’s name somewhere, even?  A baby will soon be in that crib…THAT I am sure of!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

My favorite parts of the room are the personalized ones…the glider, the DIY projects, the blocks, the books, and the state prints.  What’s your favorite part?  What am I missing/what did I forget?  Anything look completely impractical?  What’s your favorite part of YOUR baby’s nursery?  

Phew – another BIG project checked off of the list!!!  I hope you enjoyed the big reveal!

HAPPY WEEKEND!

p.s. 17 days or less was YESTERDAY’S count.  Now 16 is the number – EEK and YAY! 

Beach Count: 77  

Pool Count: 32 

High Temperature: 89° 

Kayla Jones at Kayla Jones Photography took our maternity portraits at the beginning of June and she completely blew our minds.

I had some cheesed up prop-related ideas and Kayla rolled with every.single.one.of.them.  She was wonderful with giving us direction and making us feel comfortable.  We didn’t feel too rushed or too staged or too anything.  It was a wonderful experience.  Not to mention, we love the results!  Here are a few 21 of our favorites (it’s so hard to choose!) ♥

Get ready for belly overload!

THANK YOU, KAYLA!  

Can’t wait until Baby T.’s newborn photo shoot!!! ♥

p.s. You know your face has gotten fat when iPhoto no longer recognizes you with its “Faces” feature.  Yikes!

p.s.s. Like Kayla Jones Photography on Facebook, follow her on Twitter, and check out her blog post about our portrait session by clicking here!

p.s.s.s. Those jean capris haven’t fit me since coming back from New York. 

Beach Count: 76  

Pool Count: 30 

High Temperature: 95° 

So I promised to be better at documenting the month of January for 2012 (since I failed at this last year).  And so far – crap.

Well, the 1st of January was Dad’s birthday.  Happy Birthday, Dad!!!

YES I am wearing a Giants jersey and NO I did not shower.

On the 2nd, we finally checked out Shem Creek Park.  It opened in October and we’ve been wanting to go since then.  It’s basically a really long pier, but we loved it.  Water?  Boats?  Marsh?  View of the bridge?  Yup – works for us!  It was a great way to play around with the camera.  By “play around,” I mean use the camera on automatic.  Yeah – we’re rebels.  (GET IT?!)  Check out some pics!

Note: Confederate flag

Yes, I guess I will live in this house with a boat garage.  okaythanks.

We had a couple of cold days at the beginning of last week, but the past two days were in the 70s!  Today, we finally put Christmas away for good (THANK GOODNESS) and watched the Giants beat the Atlanta Falcons.  Actually – we killed them.  GO G-MEN!

Yesterday (chronological order is SO overrated!), we checked out The Main Squeeze – a new smoothie and juice bar at Belle Hall.  I’m officially obsessed. They only use fresh fruit and vegetables and none of their products are more than 200 calories. YUM!

I highly recommend the Hawaiian Honeymoon!

We journeyed downtown afterwards for some fresh air, linner (lunch/dinner) at Mellow Mushroom, and some picture-taking of course!

Now that you’re all caught up, I will try to go back to blogging each event separately (versus in a cluster like this post)!  I guess you could call me a little blog-rusty!  ;)

I hope your 2012 has started off on the right foot!  

I may share my New Year’s resolutions by the end of the month.  What?  I’m still brainstorming!

p.s. How bout that picture quality?  Much better, right?!

p.s.s. I totally forgot to include 2 sets of awesome visitors in *2011 in Review!* Oops!  Diane and Steve visited in March…

AND Laura and Trevor visited in September.  They loved Charleston SO much, they plan on moving here someday!!!

Beach Count: 64  

High Temperature: 73°  

We had thee best time over the 5-day Thanksgiving Break.

BUT, I was simultaneously sick (yes, that’s right – Rudolph came to town early) AND THEN it was time to go back to work AND THEN I let Christmas loose all up in here.  Hence…the blog break.

Please forgive me.

Now I am back and have lots to say!  Buckle up, kids.

I shall start with Thanksgiving.

{Nicer pictures courtesy of my brother, Jon.  His camera is 843289532432 times better than mine.  Yes, I did the math.  His photography skills are also that much better.}

I am thankful for the beach…

I am thankful for this bridge (which leads to Downtown)…

I am thankful for this guy – my Dad…

I am thankful for the pier at Mount Pleasant Memorial Waterfront Park…

I am thankful for our freedom…

I am thankful for the *charm* of Downtown…

I am thankful for palm trees (duh)…

I am thankful for this flag and what it represents…

I am thankful for my brother, and his first visit to Charleston…

I am thankful for my Mom’s famous shortbread cookies…

I am thankful for my parent’s fat cat, Garfield…

I am thankful for festive table settings and Thanksgiving at our house for year #2…

I am thankful for my Mom (and Dad) lending their cooking expertise…

I am thankful for this yummy bird (not her best angle)…

I am thankful for these brothers…and football…

I am thankful for delicious food (including corn pie – a Southern Thanksgiving side dish!)…

I am thankful for the best husband in the entire world…

I love these people and am incredibly lucky to have them in my life!!!

I hope ya’ll had a FAB Thanksgiving!  Now it’s time for Christmas, kiddies!  YAY!!!

xoxo

p.s. 70s for the next 4 days – woop, woop!

p.s.s. Got the tree yesterday, decorating it today!   =)

Beach Count: 64  

High Temperature: 67°

Thanks to the awesome Nicholette Creedmore, I gots me a new pic in the sidebar ::minus the hair helmet::!  - – - – - – - – - – - – - – - – - – - – - – - – - – - – - – - – ->

Thanks, Nicholette!  

Problem is, I can’t figure out how to center align the beepin’ thing.  I tried the obvious.  HELP ME, fellow WordPress users!!!  Pretty please?!  I’m using the “Image Widget” (it wouldn’t upload at all into the “About Me Widget”).  Any/all suggestions will be appreciated and paid back in lovely comments on your blog!!! Or in cupcakes!  (Did I just sweeten the pot?)

Cheers to better quality pictures on this blog!  

Well, at least when I’m not taking them!

p.s. I’m thinking of changing the whole look of the site, so if you’re good at that kinda schtuff – please share your knowledge and I will be forever grateful! 

p.s.s. Who came up with the word “widget?”  I’m guessing the same person who came up with the word “tweet.“

Beach Count: 62   

High Temperature: 63° 

Have you seen the cover of Southern Living Magazine’s October issue?

It’s me, it’s me!

[Ha!]

This is more like it!

I recently attended Southern Living’s Taste of Charleston at Boone Hall Plantation in Mount Pleasant.  What an awesome event!

Lucky, lucky me – I was invited to attend this event as a guest of Southern Living!

IMAGINE THE E-MAIL – From: Southern Living ~ To: ME.

Okay, I thought, who’s messing with me?!  After a few back-and-forths with the PR Director, turns out it wasn’t a mistake.  Permanent blushing for days, y’all.

The event was over 2 days; I went on Sunday while my parents and some friends went on Saturday.  Lemme tell you, we all had a ball and cannot wait to go again next year (with the hubs in tow)!

Here are some amateur pictures taken on my amateur camera by this amateur photographer lame photo-taker.

Never mind the presence of a million yummy local restaurants…I was all up in the Southern Living “Village.”

Luckily my awesomely talented non-amateur photographer friend, Nicholette, met up with me and took these beauties.  Thank you, Nicholette!

Are you photographically-challenged?  If so, contact Nicholette so she can take some pretty pictures for YOU!  =)

Favorite parts of the day, you ask?

1. The setting

2. Shag dancing lessons (watching only, no shag twinkle-toeing for me)

3. Good company

4. The presentation on how to “Set a Southern Table” by Kimberly Schlegel Whitman.  Did you see the gorgeousness in the first slideshow?  If not, you MUST go back and look!!!  Ms. Whitman had AWESOME ideas, was gorgeous (duh), and was super sweet (yes, I got to MEET HER!)

via here

Here she was, doing here thang!

Thank you, Southern Living, for having me as your guest!  My l♥ve for you is beyond words!!!

Did anyone else attend?  Wasn’t it amazing?  

p.s. Anyone notice my crazy hair on the mag. cover?  Holy wind!

p.s.s. I heard the food & drink, music, and other events were pretty cool, too!  ;)

p.s.s.s. Sorry the stupid slideshows wouldn’t center…boo.

Beach Count: 62   

High Temperature: 73°