Lavender Kay

Happy Friday friends! Any fun plays for the weekend? Ruby has had a rough time sleeping lately so I will probably be tucked in a warm blanket drinking lots of coffee!

Here are some fun links from around the web:

How to do anything.

I just got a Dutch Oven for my birthday so Ruby and I are going to make this bread recipe today.

How to dress the bump for expecting mothers.

This cocktail looks tasty.

Great tip for having a dinner party with kids.

(image via)

How are you today?  It is insanely cold here in Milwaukee so Ruby and I are staying indoors and trying to keep warm.  I am starting to get some cabin fever so I have been brainstorming some fun things to do around the house.

And, while brainstorming, I stumbled upon these donuts!  Aren’t they the most beautiful donuts you have ever seen!   I think Ruby and I will be making these soon! You can find out how to make them here.

Happy Wednesday!

(Photo via Paper and Stitch)

Here is a little trick I recommend trying in your shower: hang eucalyptus branches on your shower rod.  I got this idea from here the other day and thought I would try it.

Jonathan and I were just talking about how it would be nice to have a plant in the shower.  And, with the craziness of having a newborn we haven’t had time to fully materialize that plan.  But, hanging eucalyptus branches in the shower is such an easy alternative!  When the steam hits the leaves it gives off such a wonderful, foresty scent.

Would you try it?

Happy Friday friends!  Have any fun things planned for Valentine’s Day?  I plan to make some of these yummy donuts this weekend, and celebrate with my little family.  I hope you all have a wonderful weekend!

Here are a few fun links from around the web:

What a fun party.

A trick to avoiding small talk.

Fun candy-free valentines.

Some tips for helping your baby sleep.

I am digging this lipstick color.

(image via)

I am so excited to post the DIY to Ruby’s dresser today!  Jonathan and I had searched high and low for the perfect dresser and we just weren’t having any luck.  We really wanted something mid-century to match her crib but nothing was in our price range.  Then we stumbled upon this amazing antique shop in Milwaukee and there it was!  But, it was all wood and we needed something with white so that it complimented the room better.  So we took a risk and painted the drawers.  Below is the before pictures as well as some of the steps we took to get the final product.

First we sanded the front of the drawers.

Next we pulled out the drawers to tape and prepare for painting. We had to be extra careful with the taping because of the cute gold indents on the front of the drawers.

Once the fronts of the drawers were painted, we left them outside to dry.

And that’s it!  It was that easy!  I am so happy with the end result!

Today I wanted to share some of my thoughts on raising Ruby far away from home.  We decided to have Ruby while we are in Wisconsin and all of our family lives in Washington State.  Because we are new parents, we didn’t know what it was going to be like. But, I have to say now that we are three months in, it is equally a very special and challenging experience.

On the positive side of having Ruby so far from home, we get to create a bond as a family of three in a unique and beautiful way.  There are definitely daily challenges of feeling like you are all on your own with no one to help, but there is also something so special about learning how to rely on your partner in a new way.  The deep love I feel for Jonathan as we have entered this new world of parenting is hard to even put into words.  And, equally the love I now feel for sweet, little Ruby is so strong.  We are this small family learning to find our own way.

Some days Jonathan and I are bursting with so much love for Ruby that we miss her when she takes a nap.  And, sometimes we just lay on our bed and stare at her in wonder.  If you would have told me this is how I would feel before Ruby was born, I wouldn’t have understood.  But, now it is just so clear to me.  Having Ruby has been the very best!

But, on the other side of the spectrum, it is also very hard being away from home.  Sometimes I feel like I am keeping Ruby from her family.  She has such loving grandparents, aunts and uncles, and cousins, and it is hard knowing she doesn’t get to see them very much.  FaceTime is AMAZING, but sometimes it just doesn’t do the trick when you wish your sister could come over for some coffee and help you raise your daughter (#amiright)!  And, don’t even get me started on babysiting!  I would die for just one night away with Jonathan, and I know if we were close to family this would be possible.

For now, it is important that I accept that fact that we are on the other side of the country raising Ruby, and find joy in the special moments that opportunity brings us.

Have any of you had children far away from your family?  What has been your experience?

Hi friends!  Taking a quick breather from the world of motherhood!  I wanted to show you this cute picture our friend took of Ruby and I.  That hat!  I. can’t. handle. it!

Life has been kinda busy for us lately as Jonathan’s parents came to visit us the other weekend, and then my grandma and great aunt came after they left.  It was so fun having family visit us and help out with Ruby.  We had so much fun with everyone, and wish they could stay forever!

This week is especially crazy too as Jonathan is on call all week and then we fly to Florida this weekend.  I am very excited to get out of town for a week and see the sunshine.  And, you should see the cute swimsuits I have for Ruby.  It may be too much cute that I won’t even be able to handle it!

Have a great Wednesday!

Happy Tuesday friends!  Today I wanted to share a few photos of Ruby’s bath time.  Bath time is Ruby’s favorite time.  No matter what mood she is in, if we draw her a bath she is one happy girl.  We try to make the environment as calm and serene as possible because bath time also means bedtime.  Our nightly routine is to give Ruby a bath, followed by getting a massage (aka getting covered in head to toe lotion) and then nursing and sleep.  She loves it.

Our friend stopped by to snap a few photos of our family time and I am so happy he did!  What a great memory to capture!

Ps. Did you notice the tiny design refresh I did on the blog?  I decided to change things up a bit and update my logo/design color.  What do you think?

Photos by Shrikant Tele

Today I wanted to share the Christmas card I designed for my sister.  She really wanted me to design their card so we got a major head start, and designed it before Ruby got here.  She wanted to incorporate an update on her and her husband’s life so we made a top six list on the back.

Holly always give me free reign on the design so I decided to keep it modern and stay away from the traditional Christmas card look.  I am really happy with how it turned out. I had so much fun designing this and wish I would have had time to do more!

Hi friends!  Today I wanted to share a little video Jonathan put together.  He compiled a bunch of iPhone videos we took after Ruby was born so that we could remember that special time.  It is truly crazy how fast time flies, and I can’t believe she will already be two months old tomorrow!  I hope you enjoy this little snippet into Ruby’s first month.