Friday Roundup

Happy Friday! What are you up to this weekend? I'm waiting on baby! 38 weeks and counting. Also we're expecting a heat wave in Seattle, which I'd usually be thrilled about...my ankles are not excited.

Enjoy your weekend!

Dirty little secrets of tidy families. Makes me want to do a big Goodwill run.

This looks like a fun late summer party idea. 

SUPER cute cottages. 

Watermelon piñata DIY.

The true origins of your favorite cocktails. 

Loving this retro swimsuit. 

Great giveaway for new moms and some classy labor and delivery photos.

Interesting read on pregnancy and anxiety.

Very cool blog about a family's journey sailing around the world

If you're in Seattle this weekend check out the Glassybaby seconds sale!

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Beautiful Flower Garland

How pretty and unique are these flower garlands handmade from Etsy shop Lille Syster? They would be so pretty at an outdoor wedding or bridal shower. 

So...

Our video shoot wrapped yesterday.

We shot the majority of it out in Jason's hometown. The local paper did an article on it. 

I was a little ragged by the end! Looking forward to catching up on sleep. 

If you want to listen, here's the song the video is for...

PS. Sorry to miss a Wedding Wednesday post yesterday, it's been a crazy week with super limited sleep. Instead of blogging for brides, this is what I was dealing with early yesterday AM:

Dreaming of Oysters

With less than three weeks to go until my due date I'm starting to daydream about consuming some of the foods I've been missing for the past nine months. I haven't been extremely strict with my diet but I've definitely avoided raw meat/seafood. Things I’m looking forward to eating again: 

1) Raw oysters!!!! I didn't realize how addicted I am to these little guys until I couldn't eat them anymore. Patrick and I love to seek out the best oysters that Seattle has to offer and I haven't had one since October. Really, is there anything better than oysters on the half shell and a glass of cold champagne?

3) Under-cooked meat, specifically: a rare burger, runny eggs and some SUSHI! Living in the Pacific Northwest, we are spoiled with our salmon selection. Unfortunately, I prefer mine either raw or very under-cooked. Apparently there is a top grade sushi truck right outside of the hospital that we are delivering at in Ballard so I might even get this treat the day baby arrives.

2) Alcohol: I have had a tiny bit of wine here and there throughout my pregnancy (maybe I'm pretending to be French?) but I will be glad to pour a full glass of Rosé on a hot Seattle day and not feel one ounce of trepidation downing the whole thing. :) 

Speaking of drinking again, I ran across these Milkscreen tests while surfing the internet this week. You can use them like a litmus test to see if there is still any alcohol in your breast milk when you go to feed the baby. What will they think of next?!

PS. What foods would you have a hard time going without?

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A peek at our current project...

Work recently has consisted of throwing things from a tree house and hanging out with a painted man. That's right, another music video. It's gonna be a good one! 

The Time You Have Left (In Jelly Beans)

I watched this video yesterday and thought it was sweet and thought provoking. Makes me appreciate the exciting summer ahead spending time with my new baby boy and getting some time off of work to doddle around.

Also weird to think about that sometime in the next few weeks will be the first day of my son's approximate 28,835 days on earth. Life is a mysterious thing.

Monday Motivation

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Friday Roundup

It's the Summer Solstice, one of my favorite days of the year! I hope you're all doing something to enjoy the daylight. Anyone in Seattle planning on going for a bike ride sans clothes this weekend? Here are some bits and bobs to get you through Friday.



I'd be happy living in Moonrise Kindgdom, wouldn't you?

How do you sleep? And what does it say about you?

Teresa, here's Kate's birth plan as detailed by St. James Palace...Incase you're looking for any tips on how to properly announce a birth.

Summer Music Playlist


This might be the most adorable pinterest board ever. And pretty funny too...here's a summary.

Cat print

Glad I live here!

Mad Men Conspiracy Theories...who else is sad the season is over on Sunday?

Tips on using dry shampoo

John Mayer thinks you should prance to his new song.

What to NOT do when you aren't thrilled with a gift you received at your wedding. Yikes!

Image @jkoephoto

Pregnancy Brain and Nesting

Rafa, doing his own type of "nesting" with the baby's clothes

Two things that I was skeptical about before getting pregnant were "pregnancy brain" and "nesting." I'm here to confirm that these are very real phenomenon, at least for me.

First, "pregnancy brain:" I was told that women in pregnancy (and especially late pregnancy) have a special knack for forgetting things and being spacey. This is supposedly due to hormones and just generally being distracted by all of the change. In my early pregnancy I was like, that's BS, I'm the same as I was before. And then the third trimester hit and I've been a total space-cadet for the past six weeks. Yesterday I couldn't find my cell phone and finally realized it was...in the REFRIGERATOR. I'm not making this up, I had thrown it in my Starbucks bag with a salad and put it in the fridge where it sat for a couple of hours, chilling.

Second, "nesting:" again, up until a few weeks ago I kept saying nesting isn't real, we are so unprepared for the baby, I haven't done anything to the nursery, etc. And then somewhere around 33 weeks I went into power mode and have been making "To Do" lists galore, organizing closets, washing and folding tiny clothes...Patrick even scrubbed down the refrigerator for me! We also took a "baby care" class from our doula, Vanessa, last weekend, which helped make us both feel a bit more prepared for baby boy's arrival. Check out the adorable pictures of Patrick "changing" his first diaper. :)

Patrick "changing his first diaper" on cow-baby.

Did you "nest" or find yourself forgetful during pregnancy? Any stories to make me feel more normal are much appreciated!

Summer Reading #2: Boarding Schools and Summer Camps

I've already put a pretty good dent into my summer reading list and managed to add a few more books along the way.

An interesting theme I seem to be stuck on currently: boarding schools and summer camps. Both were dreams as a child. The camp desire was definitely influenced by this music video, this TV show and of course, this movie. There was something thrilling about being away from your parents for that long, same with boarding school because of the seeming lack of adult supervision. Freedom. Not that I didn't love my parents :) 

Read: 

Prep

Winger

Looking for Alaska

Currently Reading:

The Yonahlossee Riding Camp for Girls: A Novel

To Read: 

Sleepaway-a collection of essays on camp from David Sedaris, Margaret Atwood and more. 

Any other good one's I've missed? I'm always looking for book recommendations!

Binge TV Watching

I don't know about you, but I enjoy an occasional binge TV watching session of an old show that all of the episodes are available online. With baby's arrival just around the corner I can anticipate I'll be partaking in this vice/hobby/pastime over the summer. I remember in Tina Fey's book her talking about how she watched all of Entourage while nursing/pumping when her baby was first born. Patrick and I recently started 24, which neither of us ever watched when it was on TV. And we're both finishing up House of Cards, staring Kevin Spacey on Netflix (so good, check it out).

Any recommendations for great shows to binge watch over the summer? What are your favorites?

Wedding Exit: To Change or Not?

I recently had a bride ask me my thoughts on leaving the reception in your wedding dress vs. changing. I left my own wedding in my wedding dress, Brooke (pictured above), who got married last summer, changed right before her exit.  So here are two perspectives.

From my own experience (I left in my dress) I liked that I got to enjoy wearing my dress the whole  day, after all, I wasn't ever going to wear it again! Also, I didn't want have to miss any of the reception to go and change and I love our exit photos of me in my dress. BUT I will say I did feel a little overdressed standing in the lobby of the W Hotel in my wedding dress.

So, I asked Brooke what her thoughts were and here's what she had to say: 

I only wore the short dress (from Never Fully Dressed)  to leave the reception. I wanted to keep my wedding dress on as long as I could!!

We were flying out early for our hooneymoon the next morning and I did not want to have to deal with carrying a huge dress around and figuring out where it would go- So, right before we left I went back and took off my wedding dress, threw on a birdcage veil and took my hair down...

Brooke also mentioned that they didn't have a set time to exit their reception, that way she felt she had enough time with guests. She also said it only took a few minutes for her to change. From my own experience as a photographer, I've definitely seen brides miss a good chunk of their reception because changing ends up taking longer than they anticipated. So I'd recommend making sure you've got the entire process figured out and someone who knows what they are doing if your dress involves 100 buttons down the back! 

There you go, two perspectives, definitely pros and cons of both. What will you do? 

Image: Zoe Rain for JKoe

Seattle Spotlight: Cantinetta

As I mentioned, Patrick and I celebrated our five year wedding anniversary last Friday. This was actually the first year since we were married in Tacoma that we've spent the day in Washington State. Our first anniversary was in Florida, then South Africa, Dublin, Oregon wine country and now finally WA! I'm 36 weeks pregnant so it wasn't really an option to go far away this year, and I felt like a weekend away would be too much for me at this point (not to mention we're trying to save for the baby).

So we opted for a low key evening in our own Seattle neighborhood, Wallingford. We walked a block from our house to one of our favorite local restaurants, Cantinetta.  We lucked out with gorgeous weather and were able to sit outside and enjoy the sunshine and peekaboo views of Lake Union.  I know this sounds silly and cliche, but I felt like I was actually transported to Europe or something. We ordered a half a dozen small plates (melon and prosciutto, freshly made sausage, spinach gnocchi, green beans and burrata, etc). Everything was freshly made, summery and delicious. I can't recommend this place enough, just make sure to get there early or plan to wait, they don't take reservations for parties under six.

Goodbye Google Reader

Dear Google Reader, 

You've been a good and faithful friend that I've enjoyed getting coffee with for many mornings. Instead of being sad that you're leaving us, I'll try and remember all the good times we've shared.

I won't forget you, my wonderfully organized, "type A" friend. Thank you for all you've done and I wish you the best in wherever new job Google has for you.  

Don't worry about us, we will miss you, but we'll be OK. Teresa is becoming friends with Feedly, and I'm getting to know Bloglovin. 

Love, 

Jenny

PS. 

Follow "The Things We Would Blog" on Bloglovin

Monday Motivation

The next ten days we'll enjoy the most daylight of the year (around 15 hours a day) in the northern hemisphere. Enjoy!

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Friday Roundup

Five years ago today!

Happy Friday! What are you up to this weekend? Patrick and I are celebrating five years of marriage today, time flies! Since I'm officially HUGE, we don't have any big plans but we'll at least go out for a nice dinner tonight. Happy Father's Day to all you dads out there!

To make you smile, the sad cat diary.

Seattle set a unique record recently.

Summer spritzer's, yum.

World's largest treehouse, so cool!

Kate Middleton wears ASOS maternity too!

Have you heard of the "cronut" yet, looks amazing. Easy recipe here. 

Hilarious baby photoshopping.

Stunning Spanish villa. That bathtub looks like perfection.

I know the feeling.

How to use a receiving blanket in 10 ways (and a fun giveaway!).

To celebrate dad: Father's Day breakfast, father/son bow ties, adorable father-child photos.

Fill Your Home with Fresh Air

Thanks to a friend, I now have a lovely little aloe plant sitting on my nightstand. Why? Well, not only do aloe plants make great gifts, but they are one of many houseplants that actually purify the air around them. The effectiveness of houseplants in removing toxins from the air was actually part of a large NASA study...more houseplant info here.  Aloe takes it one step further and absorbs carbon monoxide overnight, helping you to sleep better. Maybe it's just the placebo effect, but I've been sleeping great lately!

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Eating Dates to Ease Labor?

At our birth class this week we heard about a study that showed a correlation between eating six dates a day during the four weeks leading to one's due date and a significantly shorter and easier labor. Patrick went out the next day and bought a bunch of dates for me to start munching on all day. :)

I like dates, don't get me wrong, but six dates a day is actually quite a commitment! I had no idea that six dates is actually about 330 calories and nearly 90 grams of sugar. I'm trying to space them out throughout the day to make it more manageable. Definitely not ideal but I'm willing to try almost anything for an easier labor!


Have you heard of any techniques to prepare for a better labor? With delivery day just around the corner I'm open to suggestions.

Are Troll Dolls Back?

I'm walking through the Children's section at Nordstrom last week and what do I see on the checkout counter but TROLLS! I hadn't seen them in years but it definitely brought back a lot of childhood memories. Apparently Dreamworks has just acquired the rights to make a new troll doll movie and they are hoping to revive the popularity of the ugly little bejeweled dolls. Remember how important those jewels were? :)

Wedding Roundup

Wedding coming up soon? Here are a few unique and different details you can add, even at the last minute to set your wedding apart from the crowd.

Heirloom Cake Topper

Have Grandmas as Flower Girls

Elderege Tie Knot

Broach Bouquets

Instead of a guestbook...

Candy Apple Buffet

Unique Father/Daughter Dance Songs

Instead of a slideshow...

Toss Lavender

For someone special who can't be there...

First Look

Tambourines

Seating Chart Ideas

Henna for the bride image by JKoe Photography

Where Will the Baby Sleep?

So we're entering the home stretch -- baby is due less than five weeks from now! The nursery is about 60% done (which feels great) and the only big decision left to make is where baby boy will sleep when he comes home from the hospital (oh, and choosing a name, LOL).

At first I thought he could sleep in a little Moses basket on the floor next to the bed or in a rocking stand. The thing is, they are all so expensive and temporary because he'll only be in our room for the first few months. Also, I've been reading this book and it has some interesting ideas about the benefits of having the baby sleep really near his parents. So, after some careful thought and research, we're considering having our little guy sleep in this little "nest" on the bed itself. Him sleeping with us is appealing to me for a lot of reasons: we have a king size bed that is plenty big enough for an infant, we're both light sleepers and I wouldn't worry about anyone rolling onto the baby (especially since he'll be in his "nest" near our heads), and it just seems so much easier to feed/soothe him in the night if he's already in bed with us. I'll let you know what we decide-- might end up investing in a bassinet in the end if he doesn't like the nest or we're too crowded.

How did you (or do you plan to) have your baby sleep when he or she was a newborn?

PS. More info on bed sharing safely and one family's story of extreme bed sharing (with the whole family, eek!).

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Father's Day Gift Idea

I bought my dad the Wolverine F2D20 Scanner for his birthday in March. It converts slides and film to digital files. Such a great way to preserve memories. It's been fun for me to see images I hadn't seen before of my dad as a little boy, my gorgeous grandma, etc. A perfect gift for Father's Day. 

Monday Motivation

I recently finished Where'd You Go, Bernadette (which I HIGHLY recommend) and this Monday Motivation is inspired by the following quote from the book:

"There’s a story that during the filming of Apocalypse Now, Francis Ford Coppola had a sign on his trailer: “Fast, Cheap, Good: Pick Two.”

I'm ordering this for my office! Image Via

Friday Roundup

This has been a crazy week. Absolutely packed-  Starting on Sunday with recovering from T's baby shower, then tons of work and a quick jaunt to Vegas. I mentioned earlier this week, my grandpa passed away, so we will be remembering him and his wonderful 90 years of life a memorial service this weekend. So basically, I'm embracing every side of life this week: birth to death, working incredibly hard one minute and dancing in a club the next. Regardless of where we are at, life goes on.

Here are a few bits and pieces of life from around the internet. Enjoy!

Past Presidents as you've never seen them before.

A beautiful home

Who knew you can make art with Microsoft's Excel? 

Pop vs. Soda and other American English variants by region

I got SUPER excited when I saw Cup of Jo's post on making your own Magic Shell ice cream topping.

More benefits of coffee

Bad prom photos. If you need a laugh, at least look at the first one.

Starbucks just got more exciting if you live in Seattle and enjoy pastries. (me!)

Public Radio temporary tattoos, really!

This story is crazy.

Helena Bonham Carter as Elizabeth Taylor

I'll be trying out this tip for smelly shoes.

Fried bananas with honey. Yum.

Great DIY photo booth backdrop

How Awesome is Finland?

I recently learned that for the past 75 years the government in Finland has given every new mom a box full of goodies to get them started. It doesn't matter what economic background you come from, all Finnish mothers are offered the box or the option of taking 140 Euros (95% choose the box). How cool right? Here is a list of what is included (photo above too). Definitely making me wish I was Finnish!

• Mattress, mattress cover, undersheet, duvet cover, blanket, sleeping bag/quilt
• Box itself doubles as a crib
• Snowsuit, hat, insulated mittens and booties
• Light hooded suit and knitted overalls
• Socks and mittens, knitted hat and balaclava
• Bodysuits, romper suits and leggings in unisex colours and patterns
• Hooded bath towel, nail scissors, hairbrush, toothbrush, bath thermometer, nappy cream, wash cloth
• Cloth nappy set and muslin squares
• Picture book and teething toy
• Bra pads, condoms

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Grease!

Hello from Vegas! I've seen a couple of signs around here, and ads on TV for the 35th anniversary of one of my favorite movies, Grease.  June 16th is the official date, but I thought we could start celebrating early. 

I wore out my CD of the soundtrack when I was in middles school. Who else remembers the first time they watched Grease, and even better, watching it when you were a little older and being shocked/ embarrassed at all of the sexual innuendo that you missed due to youthful innocence? Yikes! 

I think a Grease themed movie night might be in order this summer...

34 Weeks

34 weeks along as of last Sunday! Jason was sweet enough to take a few pictures of me in their backyard after the baby shower last weekend. Wasn't the shower beautiful? I was so in awe of how well the girls were able to capture the "themes" that I'm going with for the baby decor. I told them I should have had them come decorate my nursery! It was so fun to be with all of those wonderful women celebrating our baby, I am such a lucky girl and baby is incredibly spoiled already. Thank you Jenny, Britt, Danielle and Alicia for all you did to make it such a memorable and gorgeous day. 

It won't be long now and baby boy will be here! 

My Grandparent's Wedding

Aren't my nana and grandpa cute? This is a happy/sad post. My grandpa died last month and I came across these while working on a slideshow for his funeral. While we all miss him very much, I will always remember the love that I still saw between the two of them years and years after their wedding. Still feeding each other cake even! An inspiration for sure. I hope Jason and I make it to 90 with as much love as my nana and grandpa.

The Baby Shower

Brittany and I co-hosted a shower for Teresa this past weekend, thankfully we had the help of our very talented party planning friends Alicia and Danielle. I overheard Danielle telling someone at the shower, "Every pregnant lady should have a blog!" And it's totally true, the theme and inspiration for this shower came from Teresa's blog post about nursery decor: neutrals, pops of colors, eclectic and animals. 

Our biggest challenge, how to fit 20+ people into my house! Our solution was one giant table. Brittany's husband Victor did an amazing job of building an additional 2 tables that matched the height and length of my dining room table exactly. 

The sheepskins thrown here and there on the backs of chairs and antlers in with the table decor definitely added to the eclectic feel. 

Alicia and Danielle bought little plastic animals and painted them bright colors. Bigger ones ran down the length of the table and  little tiny ones to decorate corks! 

Another way we added pops of color was painting the bottoms of all of the clear wine bottles. Some were filled with white wine, others were used for water. It was a inexpensive and practical way to add color since we needed drinks anyway. 

Since we lucked out with a gorgeous day and we had to put my living room furniture somewhere anyway, we set it up outside and transitioned everyone to the backyard to open gifts. To really get the feel of a living room outside, we included little touches like the lamp and hanging photos. 

Thankfully I have lots of large safari photos on hand which was an easy way to add to the decor. Most were from our trip to Kenya  shooting for Construction for Change last year. 

All in all, shower success! And now we're just waiting for this little guy to be ready to come out so we can dress him in all of his new cute clothes! 

Images by Jason & I, except the last. Belly photo by Brooke Johnson.