Merry Christmas!

Our first Christmas with Rosie was wild, but it was merry and fun surrounded by good friends and loving family.  Wishing you all happy holidays and lots of love from our house to yours! 

Santa Claus

I spent most of my week putting together client gifts for work. I love Christmas and the gift giving that comes along with this time of year! Finding the perfect gift and making it beautiful is definitely my favorite part about Christmas, it truly is better to give than receive.

I had full reign over our client gifts and holiday cards at the office, from idea to execution. I would have gone a little more over the top but our timeline was EXTREMELY short and I'm only working part time. For the dudes we did a bottle of Bulleit Bourbon and a pair of the Strauss Double Old Fashioned Glasses from Crate and Barrel. Bulleit is a personal favorite, affordable, delicious, and the bottle is just the perfect design too (love that orange.) The hubby and I have had those old fashioned glasses from Crate and Barrel in our home for a while, a house warming gift from my tasteful sister-in-law a few years back.

For the ladies we did two bottles of Lillet in a red canvas tote (from Oriental Trading) that I sewed up the middle to make a festive bottle carrier.  I love the Lillet bottles too, they look like beautiful little Frenchie treats! It was really fun and I can't wait to start earlier next year and make an even better gift.  Playing Santa = BEST JOB EVER.

Losing it.

I think I finally hit the wall parenting this week. I hate to be such a downer, but I just feel like I'm not doing anything well. Rosie is sick again. She is a crazy nightmare when she's sick and I feel bad for her, but after no sleep for 5 days and listening to her cry no matter what we do I just want to throw myself out the window or run away. I sound like such a mean mom, but please give me a break! We just can't seem to get any kind of breather between illnesses.

I'm lucky to have a supportive husband that understands, but when the baby only wants mommy and he works full time there's not always a lot that can be done to help. My brother came over for a couple hours yesterday just to help entertain her, which was amazing. But after another night of crying and fussing I feel a longer break is necessary for me to find my zen again. Oh, and some sleep. What is it about sleep deprivation that makes your outlook seem so bleak?

Nothing in the universe could possibly have prepared me for being Rosie's mom. She is willful, stubborn, and sort of psychotic. I love her, I do. But today I just wish I could disappear without feeling bad or guilty or wondering if she's suffering. Just one day, and then back to the grindstone I swear.

I'm sure my life wouldn't be as awesome as it is without her, but I'm having a bad mom week.

(photo by: Shana Duncan)

Splish Splash: Blogshop SF

With Edwin's encouragement (and lots of excitement and nudges from my dear friend Natalie) I took the Blogshop class on Photoshop and Video in November, and it was AMAZING.  It literally changed the way I see everything, and made me feel 957% more confident in my aesthetic and design "work" (read: play.)

I love using my new skills, and tested my new "videographer" chops on little Miss Rosie Lee one night during bath time.  I know, I know, A LOT of Rosie on this blog.  But hey, she is the cutest subject ever, no?

Here's the old video making me:

And here's the new and improved videographer me!  Filmed in 20 minutes with Edwin's help, edited in about an hour and a half.  Not bad!

I can't recommend the class more highly than to say it's literally changed my life, I am so inspired!  No lie.  If you have the opportunity, take it!

Babyproofing the House (or how I'm surviving the sale of my gorgeous furniture!)

Rosie is exploring, crawling, standing, holding on to furniture to walk around the house, and the time has officially come and past actually to make our home less dangerous for our little fearless munchkin. I've mostly moved piles of books and breakables to other locations, but we have a few things yet to handle.

First on the list: the midcentury lawyers bookcase in the office/guest room.

Oh it's a sad sad day. You know, glass doors on anything does not a safe baby play area make. So the bookcase is being listed on Craigslist to make room for something that can hold baby toys and stand up to a little toddling baby bear. This is what I'm thinking:

1. Etsy Vintage Globe // 2. Open Sky Golden Porcelain Clouds // 3. The Container Store Rugby Stripe Bins // 4. Sleepy King Bon Bon and Belchick Plush Squirrels. // 5. Amazon.com Babylit books. // 6. Ikea PS 2012 coffee table (used as bookshelf)

I seriously need to get on this already, so I'm listing that bookshelf on Craigslist this week. Mark my words!