Tragedy

Tragedy seems to strike out of nowhere. It comes and goes in a flash. It's shocking, like a Band-aid being ripped off with no warning. 

It happened within our circle just last night and today has been a fog of phone calls, sadness, and worrying. I hurt for the families involved and for the others, like us, that it will inevitably ripple out to and touch. We will be attending a funeral this week that we hadn't planned on, and it just breaks my heart for all involved.

But I know Who is in control. I believe that God has a plan for us, and for every person on this planet. I don't know why he allowed this to happen, but I know that He will work good from it, even though I can't even imagine how.

So today, I hugged my baby extra tight, and thought about how much I love my husband and my family. I can't imagine life without them and I love them. Let your family and loved ones know how much you love them because you just never know what will happen and when tragedy might strike.

Tiny, Cute Things

Some things are just better when they're smaller, you know?

Yesterday, I saw these Tiny Toms (above) at a local boutique, and thought that they were just too cute. I'm not loving the adult styles, but the baby and kid ones are just right.

This precious little dress caught my eye at Old Navy; I wish it came in adult sizes! I'm loving the unusual color combination of the pink and olive. So cute! Speaking of Old Navy, they're really coming out with some cool stuff lately - above and beyond their usual so-so fare. Rumor has it that Todd Oldham is their new creative director, so I'm expecting great things for fall.

I can't get enough of Splendid Littles (below) lately. Super-soft and easy to wear, Splendid's baby and toddler line is my go-to for cute basics with a twist. I have this camo-print romper in blue and red for Jude, and he looks sooo cute in it. I love the women's tops as well. Everything is just so darn soft!

C&C California (below) is another one of my favorites, and it's all the better when it's tiny! I love that they have great colors and basic styles with a good fit. Sometimes baby tees are so boxy.

Wedding Weekend

When it comes to parties, a wedding is the ultimate in events. I really enjoyed planning ours, but I will say that I was ready for it to all be other with by the time the big day arrived. I know my friend Carrie felt the same way this past weekend, but everything turned out beautifully.
I love the tradition of weddings. There's something about all of the day-of preparations: the bridesmaids getting ready with the bride, and trying to stay away from seeing the groom and his groomsmen; peeking into the reception to see how everything has turned out; wondering how the flower girl will behave (and then laughing when she inevitably does something cute).
I think that's why I really love working with brides on their wedding invitations and collateral materials. It is undeniably a feminine event, a day that most brides have dreamt of their entire lives. I love having a part in that.
I worked with Carrie on her wedding invitations a few months ago. She wanted a simple, classic design that incorporated her love of butterflies. I loved that she used robin's egg blue as her color of choice (also mine at our wedding!). 
Her cake was super-yummy. It was a classic white cake with a raspberry filling that was to die for. Delicious.
And do you see those chocolate curls? Um, yeah. The grooms' cake was gone before anyone could blink an eye. Every. Last. Piece. 

Speaking of weddings, one of my favorite blogs is Something Old, Something New, authored by invitation designer Kenzie Kate. Not only does she design fabulous invitations, but she has such an eye for bridal style. Even though I've been married nearly three years, I still love to check out her finds.

Bonne Weekend

I'll be skipping out a little early this week! We've got a lot going on this weekend with my friend's wedding as well as some other things. Also, I think I might be making the switch from Blogger to Wordpress, so if things go down, hopefully they'll be back up and running asap. I'm just not loving Blogger. It seems like half the time, a bunch of my photos are missing, and I just am not loving my experience. :-\

I'm super excited about some of my design projects I've got going on. I'll hopefully be posting some of those here in the next few weeks, so keep an eye out.

I also want to give a special welcome to everyone who's come this way from Chez Larsson! It's great to have you!

Ok, I've got to run;  bonne week-end to everyone!

Summer Magic

Summer is creeping on by, and we are enjoying the not-yet-100-degree temperatures here. I love this time of year; summer in Oklahoma is characterized by high heat, the sounds of cicadas in the late afternoon sun, and vibrant sunsets. 

At this time of year, I always think of the old Disney movie Summer Magic with Hayley Mills of original Parent Trap fame. When I was little and I'd go to my Grandmother's house, we would watch old movies, and this was one of our favorites. Lovely Burl Ives co-stars, and there's lots of great songs and a little romance to boot. I think of the scene where they're sitting out on the porch at dusk, the mother in a rocking chair, everybody just feeling lazy in the summer heat... it's just a feel-good, summery kind of movie and it makes me think of my own family, sitting outside until it's too dark to see, by the pool, everyone all warm and sunkissed from a day of swimming. I think of the feeling of walking in a wet swimsuit, wrapped up in a towel, and opening the door into the kitchen when the air-conditioning hits you full-force. Run, run, run to a hot shower!
Anyways, I digress... not much to report here, but we're just enjoying each other, and enjoying Jude. He is a busy, busy boy and definitely on the move. The other night, we were giggling at him because his feet were popping out through these PJs (above). He looked like such a little urchin.

Summer is also inspirational when it comes to trying new recipes. My new favorite is from Martha Stewart's Everyday Food: baked polenta fries. They were SO easy and SO delicious. You've got to try them! It's a new fave here at our house. I paired them with baked parmesan chicken that was also delicious and super-easy.
Tonight, Jude took  us on a crawling tour of the house. He crawled further than ever today, and he is just thrilled with himself and his new ability. This means that I am constantly on the run w/ the new Swiffer Vac, trying to suck up any wandering rolie polies, dust bunnies, or wayward Cheerios that might be in his path. Because inevitably, they will all end up in his mouth. We've already fished tree bark and particle board (don't ask) out of his mouth in the past few days.  

This might be the bark about to be consumed (above).

When Simon came home from work tonight, I had dinner awaiting out on our lovely patio. It's the first time we've ever had dinner out on our new table (shocking, I know). We have got to do this more often, despite the flies and mosquitos. Jude was nearby, playing on his blanket, trying to eat more tree bark and grass. It was so beautiful outside... just an idyllic evening.

 

The blueberries were particularly good tonight.

Whoops, here he is going into the powder bath. So much to explore!

Domestic scene: Simon at the counter in the kitchen while Jude makes his way into the laundry room.

And he's off again - around the bend!

This is the face of determination: he is going to get the dust pan next to the refrigerator.

Bye!

Madeline Weinrib Atelier

We are big rug people, Simon and I. It's like an addiction, really. But what better way to bring a little color and pattern into your everyday life than a fantastic rug? Our old house had gorgeous hardwood floors throughout the entire house, just begging for gorgeous rugs to be laid on them. Our new house, though, has carpet in most of the house, with the exception of the family room, kitchen, and entry (a cool brick floor).  

Anyway, we're always in the market for a new rug, and our front entryway in particular calls for a nice runner. When we were in Florida on vacation, we were totally set on purchasing one of the gorgeous Madeline Weinrib Amagansett rugs from ABC Carpet & Home in Delray Beach (yes, that ABC Carpet & Home -- who knew there was one in FL?). However, it was with great sadness that we just couldn't seem to find one in the right size or color combination to really make it work. So I need to call them again now that we're in the house so we can get something to work. I really love the pattern on the one pictured above. Each rug comes in a variety of colors; it's so hard to choose just one!

I love the color of the aqua one above; I'd like to paint our bedroom in that color perhaps. I'm also totally loving the French blue of the one below, though... so many colors, so many choices!
And while it's not right for any of our spaces, check out the electrifying pattern of the fuchsia one below!
I particularly love this red one (below). I think it would be perfect in our family room, and we really need to get a new rug in there. The old stripe rug we have has seen better days and is showing its age. The green version of this rug is one of my faves, too.

Ok, and who can resist a great zigzag? Isn't this one exciting? I don't know how it would be to look at day in and day out, though (hard on the eyes?). Any thoughts?

Accentuating the Positive

Today is all about accent tables. Since we bought our new house, I'd been on the hunt for some snazzy new side tables, specifically for our bedroom. Up until now, our nightstands have been pitiful; an Ikea Lack table for Simon, and an old college Target find for me. Both are showing their wear and tear, and aesthetically, neither fit the look that I was wanting for our room.

So, thus began the great hunt. As I was searching, there were numerous choices that I could fall madly in love with. Alas, their pricing is hardly worth writing home about. But, they make for nice eye candy, so I'm going to post them here so we can all drool together.

In the end, we ended up going with this white mirrored table for me (above) and  this great dark wood table below for Simon (below). Both pieces are from ZGallerie and were better when it came to the $$$. The one thing I love about both of these pieces is the pull-out tray. How handy! Plus, both have adequate storage for books, magazines, and other whatnots.
So now that we've got our bedside tables, I still find myself drawn to several of these other accent tables. I especially love garden stools - I just saw this white one over at the ZGallerie website. Isn't the detail gorgeous? At $99, it's an excellent price for such a distinctive design.
I'm loving these brightly-colored garden stools from Pottery Barn. They're so shiny and candy-esque. I also like that they are a simplified take on the classic Chinese garden stool. Minimal theme, you know? At $149, also not going to break the bank.
Speaking of breaking the bank, check out this beautiful side table from Williams-Sonoma Home (below). I adore WSH. If I could just buy out their entire catalog, I would. Their showrooms are to die for, too. If you ever get a chance to visit one, take the opportunity! I try to keep an eye out on eBay for any pieces that show up, but they're few and far between.
I just found Cottage & Bungalow via Elements of Style. C&B has soooo many great accent tables from several of my favorite designers. Once again, the colors seem to make all of these tables that much more fun.

Both of these nailhead-trimmed tables(above and below) are fun; I like the exotic twist on the blue one below. 

Loooooove this one (below) -- it comes in a bunch of colors, too.
Another rif on the garden stool.


Whimsical and fun, this table (below) would be great for a little girl's bedroom.

A couple final favorites from Eboniste, another of my favorite online purveyors of unusual furniture. There are a ton of great little side tables in a variety of whimsical styles. The curves of the Hollywood Table (below - $695) are fantastic.
And finally, while this isn't exactly an accent table (it's a console), I thought it was worth adding to the mix. The calligraphic curves on the Paris console are incredible. I would love to see this one in person. It also comes in a coffee table version, although I think the console is far more dramatic.

Big Milestones

Man oh man... times, they are a-changing here at the Shingletons. It seems like within a matter of two or three weeks, Jude has made some major milestones. As of tonight, we now have a crawler on our hands. He's been up on all fours for over a week, but tonight, he really got moving. I nearly cried, I just can't believe it. He just seems so... big.
Plus, he's sitting up so well these days. Granted, he can't quite pull himself all the way up, but if I sit him up, he'll stay that way for awhile. He likes to lay on his side, so George Hamilton chic, as if he were lounging on a bearskin rug and he needs me to bring him a refreshing beverage. He waves his hand around like, "Yes, my minions...."

Today, he distinctly said, "Mama." I don't think he had the slightest clue what he was saying or what it meant, but he said it!
And, as evidenced by my earlier post today about the high chair, he's doing so well with eating. I started giving him Puffs, these little dissolvable cracker things (that are actually pretty yum), and he has now figured out how to carefully pick them up one by one and place them in his mouth. Now if we could only get the sippy cup thing down, we'd be good to go!
So now we have entered an all new era of mobility. I have a feeling the crib mattress will need to be lowered very, very soon. And I'm also going to be in the market for childproofing items and baby gates for the stairs (!!!!). A whole bunch of new things for Momma to worry about!
Every day is a new day, with new things to see and learn. Tipping over his toy bucket today was a source of great glee, as he just laughed and laughed, like it was just the funniest thing ever to dump out all your toys. But it was more a laugh like, Wow, look what I did! 

What a joy and a privilege to be with him every day. I couldn't be more thankful that I get to stay home with him and see every exciting little thing.

Product Rave: Boon Flair Highchair

I've been holding out as long as possible on the whole high chair thing. For one thing, nearly every high chair I have ever seen is just flat-out ugly. Plus, they all seem to come with some mega-frou-frou plush padding that just seems like a sticky food mess-magnet. And after spending yesterday morning cleaning (ahem) poop out of a carseat, which is pretty low on the frilly scale, I want low-maintenance when it comes to cleaning.
Hence, our new highchair, the Boon Flair Pedestal with pneumatic lift. Boon is a fantastic company when it comes to kid stuff. With a variety of products, they've pretty much cornered the market on cool. Some friends of ours gave us several of the bath products, including the super-cute Frog Pod.
We've been using the Bumbo seat up until now, and as of the past couple of weeks, it just wasn't cutting it anymore. Jude's starting to climb out of it now, and as it doesn't have any straps, it's pretty easy for him to get in and out. Plus, the thing's getting pretty nasty now, and I clean it all. the. time. So I'm pretty excited about this -- Jude is completely strapped in, and he can sit up high so he can watch me while I work in the kitchen or wherever. With the Bumbo, he was pretty much restricted to the floor. 

Such glee as he sits in the Flair!

I'm also super-stoked that it goes up and down so easily, and it rolls so smoothly. Can I gush anymore? Oh yes I can -- because I got it on eBay for a great deal, and that makes me (and Simon) happy!

Fantastic Fourth

Patriotic Cousins! Note Jude clutching the flag.

I hope this weekend found everybody enjoying friends, family, freedom, and lots of fireworks. Add food to that, too, and that's a pretty potent combination. Simon and I both commented to each other that we thought this was quite possibly the best Fourth of July ever. It was particularly nice that it fell on a Friday so we could enjoy a three-day weekend. Three cheers for that!

Our long weekend began Thursday night with a campout of sorts. For whatever reason, Jude decided to be particularly fussy and woke up numerous times Thursday night. At some point after midnight, I had nearly decided it must be the inevitable first tooth, since he was so so so sad, and wouldn't let me feel around in his mouth. This teething business is fishy - every time he's uncharacteristically unhappy or a fuss-face, we attribute it to teeth. And as of yet, there are zero teeth. So, Jude and I camped out in the spare bedroom where we got very little sleep. However, he was Mr. Perky at 8 a.m., which bode well for us since we were going to meet my sister and nephews at 9 a.m. for their local neighborhood parade.

The parade was a huge success and so much fun. The neighborhood puts it on every year because families wanted something to go do on the 4th of July: the kids decorate their bikes, there's a parade of cool old cars, and there's one dude who brings out his gigantic snake (think the snake that Britney Spears shimmied around with) that all the kids pat as it slithers around in the grass. Jude was thrilled with all of it. He just kicked his feet and squealed. 

The snake! I love the colors of his skin - the yellow and gray is so chic right now! :)

Kennedy for President: Best for Oklahoma

Rachel and Jude in front of the firetruck.

Great vintage cars. Wouldn't it be fun to buzz around town in one of these?

Really, everything is just so much more fun with kids. Maybe it's just that I really liked being a kid and still like doing kid things, so now it's just a great excuse to be a participant again! My nephews also have a new trampoline, so we enjoyed jumping on the trampoline. Simon can do four flips in a row. I really need to get a picture of that, because it is something to see -- all six feet four inches of him flipping in the air!

The afternoon was spent lounging at my parents' house, who are out of town on an Alaskan cruise. We slathered on the sunscreen and baked all. day. long. There is no better way to spend a summer day than in the pool.  We also ate more junk than I care to admit. So much for my resolution of taking good care of myself by eating good things and exercising. :-\

Ugh, speaking of the pool, Jude thoroughly christened it. I was holding him, he was gleefully frolicking, and all of a sudden, there was, um, debris floating in the pool, despite his swim diaper. We all squealed, promptly removed Jude from the pool, and stripped him down in the grass, where we then hosed him down(!) to get all the poo(!) off of him. Sounds harsh, but he thought it was great fun and the water wasn't too cold. 

Maui Babe Suntan lotion and Biotherm sunscreen. 

We unearthed the Maui Babe browning lotion from somewhere in our bathroom. Despite the fact that we bought it on our honeymoon in Maui nearly three years ago, we think it's still good! Either way, we are all sunburn-free, and slightly glowing from our tans. 

We enjoyed dinner at Simon's parents' house, and then packed up in the car to go look at fireworks. Fireworks are always my favorite part (once again, it must be my inner child or something). Is there anything better than listening to the oohs and aahs of the little kids as they stare up into the sky? Jude was sound asleep, but quickly woke up, and was slack-jawed as he stared at the firecrackers bursting. I'm kicking myself that I let the battery get down on the camera, because I think I could've gotten some really great night shots. It was just all so magical, all of us there, and I do mean all of us, which is great. I think the last time I saw fireworks with my entire family was when I was 7 or 8, in Colorado Springs. It just felt like we really celebrated this year. It was just so great, everyone sitting out on a blanket, and cheering. It would have only been made complete by the presence of my parents, but I'm glad that they're enjoying a great vacation.

Saturday, Simon worked really hard to get all of the stuff that had been sitting in the garage appropriated to its final resting spot. I'm glad he felt the urge to do this as I have been seriously unmotivated to even touch anything in the garage. 

We enjoyed a yummy lunch at the Iguana Cafe, a cool new spot in downtown OKC. Once again, we consumed a ridiculous amount of food, and then hurried out to Mom and Dad's for more sunning and swimming. Check out that 7-layer dip that came out in an Oklahoma-shaped platter. Delicioso!

Jude and Simon, eating their hands, being silly.