Lavender Kay

I am so happy to announce that Ruby Kay is here!  She was born on November 7th at 7 lb 15 oz and was 20 in long.  We already love her so much we can barely stand it!

Ruby couldn’t have timed her arrival more perfectly because Jonathan’s mom and two sisters arrived from Washington less than an hour after she was born.  It was really wonderful to have people with us at the hospital and looking back, I don’t think we could have got through those crazy couple days without them!

You guys, giving birth is no joke!  I wasn’t really prepared for all the craziness that goes into delivering a baby.  I know the birthing experience can vary so much but man, being in labor for 20 hours is nuts!  Actually the first part of the birth was a positive experience.  Our nurse was amazing and definitely played a big part in getting us through labor and delivery.  And, my ob was outstanding!  I delivered at a very large hospital and didn’t expect to have my doctor at the delivery but it worked out that she was there for it, and she was a rock star.

One of the things that was especially incredible was that I pushed for two and a half hours and my doctor stayed with me for the whole thing!!  Honestly, I couldn’t even believe it but I am so very thankful she was!  At the end of the push, things got a little crazy and my doctor was a complete gangster in getting Ruby out.  I won’t give you all the intimate details but I will say, Ruby crowned for 45 minutes and it was totally insane!  Her head was stuck for quite awhile (and she has a pretty large bump on her head to prove it) and we honestly didn’t think she would make it out. But, at the end of all the craziness, Ruby came out wide eyed and beautiful and we are obsessed with her.  The emotion Jonathan and I felt when she was set on my chest was like nothing else we have ever felt.  Totally and completely wonderful!

Happy Friday!  Another week come and gone, and I can’t believe how quickly my due date is approaching!  November 4th will be here before I know it!

Jonathan and I have a long list of things we want to try to accomplish this weekend before our sweet little baby gets here.  Some things on the list are projects and others are fun activities and dates to do together before we are a family of three!

Here are a few fun links from around the web:

great dating tip

beautiful desktop wallpaper downloads

i really like these simple diy halloween favor bags

isn’t this maternity dress cute?!

sweet and simply nursery

image via

Here are some more pretty pins for you to enjoy.  I have been very inspired by dark walls with bold pops of color.  I picked these pins because I love how they inspire deep autumn vibes.  And, aren’t those grey pumpkins wonderful?!

Image sources clockwise: 1 // 2 // 3

Yesterday I hit 38 weeks!  I cannot believe how close we are getting to when we get to meet this sweet baby girl!  I have started having contractions on and off the past few days and although they are probably just Braxton Hicks, I am hoping they turn into something soon!

Jonathan and I are starting to feel ready as we have most of the important stuff like a car seat and the crib.  The nursery still has a ways to go but it is really starting to come along.  Jonathan painted the walls the other weekend and we have the mobile in place!  I hope to share pictures of it once it starts looking a little more finished.

The above baby bump photo was taken at 37 1/2 weeks.

As my belly grows bigger and bigger I am constantly in need of new clothing.  So I am always on the look out for cute maternity clothes.  A website that I have found to have really cute maternity clothes is ASOS.  Most of their clothing is pretty affordable and so cute!  Lately, I have been totally obsessed with the peter pan collar.  It is just so clean and feminine looking!  I am seriously crushing on this maternity outfit right now!  You can find the outfit here.

Happy Friday!  What are your plans for the weekend?  Jonathan and I have a few projects we would like to tackle for the nursery (I’m nearing 37 weeks?!), and we also have a BBQ to go to on Saturday.  This will probably be our last BBQ of the season as the weather as started to turn colder.  But, with the crisp air comes the beautiful fall foliage and for that I can’t complain!  I hope you all have a wonderful weekend.

Here are a few fun links from around the web:

Love this couples Halloween costume

Haunting and beautiful Halloween party

I can’t wait to read this book

Interesting read on parenting in the U.S.

I really want to make this pumpkin chai latte

Can you believe it is already holiday card season again?!  Time is just flying by!  Today I added a few printable holiday cards back into my Etsy Shop.  I just added a few of my favorites from past years but I hope to design some new ones as well!

The above Christmas card is one of my favorites from a few years back.  It isn’t very traditional but I just love the modern lines and color!  If you would like to visit my shop you can click here.

* Photo by Kristen Marie Photography

Hello and happy Friday! Today I wanted to share another color palette with you.  Aren’t good color combinations so inspiring!?  Lately, I have had color on my brain as I have been trying to decide the colors for our nursery.  It is just so hard to choose!  Right now I am leaning towards peach + white + natural wood.

I choose this image for my color palette because I love the soft blush tones in the background combined with the mustard yellow couch!  Stunning!

I hope you all have a wonderful weekend!

(image via)

Hello!  I am sorry it has been so long since I have posted here!  I can honestly say I have missed keeping this place up-to-date.  I am hoping to get back in the swing of things here on the blog and post more regularly.

Today I wanted to share a picture from our Chicago trip last week.  Let me just say, Chicago is absolutely amazing!  I will never get tired of visiting this wonderful city!  One of my favorite things about living in Milwaukee is that we are a 90 minute train ride from downtown Chicago.  We can just jump on the Amtrak for $21 and be in Chicago in an hour and a half!  It is wonderful!  The Amtrak is also a really comfortable ride with free wi-fi and fun scenery.  Growing up in Washington, riding the train somewhere just wasn’t really an option (or at least not a very good option) so I hope to take advantage of this great resource as much as I can!

Once is Chicago, we spent time eating at some fabulous restaurants, explored the city, bought some cute baby clothes along the Magnificent Mile, and walked around the Navy Pier.  Because I am pregnant we had to take it pretty slow but it was still a wonderful time!  I can’t wait to go back!

I designed this illustration a little while back and I thought I would share it today.  Doesn’t it seem like the seasons change so quickly?!  Jonathan and I keep trying to decided when summer is actually over, and although we are starting to see signs of fall, we just aren’t quite ready to let summer go.  So we are choosing to believe these are the last days of summer and are soaking up as much of the warm weather as possible!  Have a wonderful Tuesday!