my favorite things.

pssssst... christmas is twenty days away!  in typical oprah-style, here is my list of twenty five of my favorite things.  some of them i have and love; others are on my wish list for "someday".  either way, here are a few oh-so-lovely gift ideas.  i apologize this isn't like oprah where i'll be giving you any of this stuff... but i did provide the links for you in case you want to give any of these gifts to loved ones this year... isn't that almost as awesome as giving you all new cars??

i thought so.  and here you go...

from top left to bottom right:

vera bradley folkloric tote bag 

{ebay}

i have been obsessed with this vera print ever since i saw jessica biel carry it on the movie new years eve.

, tea & toast butter dish 

{anthropologie}

i love this butter dish and it's cute little name.

"filled with joy" print 

{the wheatfield on etsy}

one of my fav etsy shops... i love this artist and her eclectic, colorful prints!

ung drill picture frame 

{ikea}

been tempted to make the four hour drive to our closest ikea to get this frame.  what color would i spray paint this baby...

perfect khaki pants 

{gap}

one of my christmas present purchases; love the fit of these pants and the color is just so fun!

, pumpkin pancake & waffle mix 

{trader joes}

a must have for every family.  our saturday morning standard ala nick.

 classic cardy boots 

{ugg}

love these comfy uggs.  need to replace my former pair since it has a giant hole in the toe...

"well with my soul" necklace 

{lisa leonard designs}

i have a couple lisa leonard necklaces and i just love them.  this one is from her faith collection.

 kitchenaid mixer 

{macy's}

my mom surprised my sis and i with kitchenaid mixers this fall.  one day i used it three times.  a must have for any cook or baker!

paperwhites 

{christmastree shop}

planted my first paperwhites a few days ago and my fingers are crossed (i do not have a green thumb and am trying to change that!).  these lovelies are super cheap at the christmastree shop; i think i saw 3.99!

crystal necklace 

{le mode accessories}

love this elegant necklace for a touch of feminine sparkle.

round pintuck pillow 

{urban outfitters}

i bought the turquoise one last year and it is one of my fav things in our home.  love the intricate detail and the luxurious velvet.

kvill picture frame 

{ikea}

another favorite ikea find.  this pretty little sucker is only 4.99!  i have one and am in need of like twenty more.  just kidding.  but shhhh... it's plastic; don't tell!

 homegrown monogram mugs 

{anthropologie}

nick&i have drunk many a saturday morning coffee out of our traditional anthro monogram mugs we got as a wedding gift... but i love these new colorful ones!  and only 8 bucks!

monogram locket ornament 

{potterybarn}

a little pricey, but such a pretty, nostalgic touch for any tree.  a great gift!

grapefruit sugar bowl 

{anthropologie}

how cute is this?!  i want to get it even though we don't really eat much sugar these days it's just that adorable.

 aqua spice jar with chalk label

{world market}

these babies are pricey but they are just so cute.  i'm obsessing over them a little bit.

garlic press 

{pampered chef}

hands down one of my most used and most beloved kitchen tool!

herbal popcorn 

{little lads}

my newest addiction.  i buy it at our local health food store, but it's available online!  and it's super healthy and all natural.  come on... you know you want some...

silver wedge boot 

{old navy}

my most worn boots; they go with almost every outfit and i get tons of compliments on them.  and they're under 40 bucks!

flannel plaid shirt in navy tartan 

{old  navy}

another item i know was purchased from my christmas list; we maine-ahs love our flannel shirts.

christmas cloche 

{target}

saw this pretty little cloche at target recently and it just made me happy.  it's like my love bottles and christmas villages all rolled into one.

reusable snack bags in blue vines 

{planet wise}

one of my favorite things for me and for the girls!  these handy little resuable sandwich and snack bags from planet wise.  eco friendly and super cute!

vera bradley sittin-in-a-tree weekender bag 

{ebay}

my overnight bag and i love it.  the print is so pretty and the bag is a perfect size!  love me some vera.

tea & crumpets apron 

{anthropologie}

love, love, love this stylish apron.  it was a christmas gift from nick last year... he took the hint (or the obvious telling him that was what i really wanted).

 rhinestone stud earrings 

{forever 21}

quickly becoming my most favorite piece of jewlry, these stud earrings are so pretty and super vintage looking; reminiscent of costume jewelry from days of yore.

and there you have it.  my list of favorite things.

happy gift giving!

playing dress up.

me & dresses go waaaay back. i have always loved them.  as a little girl, i was usually wearing some type of dress.  and now that i'm all grown up?  things haven't changed.  and now my little girls are usually wearing them too, especially in these hot summer-y days.  what better time to be wearing a lovely little dress than summertime?! that's what i say.  a cute sundress + a pair of flip flops is truly one of my favorite combos. ever.

since i'm not wearing my usual size in most stuff right now at 2 months post partum, i did some virtual shopping the other night and lived vicariously via my computer screen. here are a few picks of mine for some super cute summer dresses.

shabby apple

anthropologie

banana republic

modcloth

gap

jcrew

old navy

modcloth

shabby apple

anthropologie

jcrew

ten things {spring styles}.

so after the heaviness of yesterday's post, i figured we could all use a little lightening up (myself included!). i love that it's springtime and i'm dreaming of eventually fitting into normal, stylish clothes that don't involve stretchy panels, ample pleating around the belly and empire waists.

i really am so excited.

it may take me a while to lose my pregnancy weight and fit into said clothes, but i can't wait. getting back in shape after baby is a bit harder when you have kids into your thirties... but i'm ready for shredding with jillian michaels again which helped me get my body back after bel! for some extra motivation, i've been buying some post-emmy clothing here and there with money i've saved from my birthday and christmas. and it's a very rare thing for me to have extra cash sitting around since december/january, people. be proud of me, please :)

so here are some of my favorite recent styles. for me and bella... who is always fun to dress because she is *always* cute and obviously not restricted by having to wear maternity clothes. sometimes i get jealous.

(and so our littlest cornwell isn't left out, i put a couple cute outfits that emmy has in the mix too).

1. toddler anchor bathing suit (old navy).
how adorable is this suit? the minute i saw it on old navy's website, i knew i wanted to get it for bel! her aunt holly got it for her, along with a matching cover up and flip flops. she's going to swim in style.

2. floral shirt dress (new york&company).
this picture doesn't do this dress justice, but it was a steal of a find last week for a mere $24. new york&company has become one of my favorite places to find work clothes (or... future non-maternity work clothes!). they have really cute dresses and accessories and great sales. this dress has really pretty punches of color and is perfect for warmer weather. need to find some cute wedge sandals to go with.

3. cap sleeve paris dress (babygap).
i saw this dress a couple of months ago and loved it. who doesn't love the clothes at babygap? now that i'm having a second girl, i feel slightly more justified to buy bella clothes here since they last longer, and emmy will get to wear them too. but i still only buy off the sale rack. and love when i stumble upon an extra 25% or 40% clearance sale there. my mom just found this dress on sale and picked it up for me because she knew i loved it. i'm actually saving it for bella's second birthday, and using it as inspiration for a paris-themed birthday party :)

4. infant bubble romper (target).
target is one of my absolute *fav* places to buy clothes for my girls (and me!). their baby clothes are just adorable. and the most affordable around. emmy got this sweet little bubble romper at her shower from her aunt holly. isn't it precious? can't wait to see her wearing it!

5. lace hemmed blouse (new york&company).
another new york&company steal. i got this shirt for under twenty bucks. i love the yellow color, but my favorite detail of this blouse is the lacy hem. would look super cute paired with white pants to dress it up a bit, or some skinny jeans for a more casual look. can't wait to wear it!

6. multicolored ballet flats (babygap).
love, love, love these cute little shoes that i've been saving for bella to wear for easter! she has a dress that matches but these shoes are just my favorite part. fingers crossed that she keeps them on.

7. tulle rosette cardigan (babygap).
i found this for bella at the gap for about twelve dollars. it was on clearance with an extra 40% off. what a steal. i love this sweet little cardigan. looks adorable with leggings and boots, or over a sweet little dress. and the peachy-pink color makes it even more precious. so. girly.

8. coral one piece bathing suit (old navy).
i've been scouring the internet the past few weeks for a cute one piece bathing suit. pre-babies i never wore one piece suits except for maybe some in high school. it's an adjustment to wear a one piece, let alone find one that i actually want to wear... i ran into this cute suit at old navy this past weekend. with a coupon, i got it for under 25 bucks. although i can't try it on at the moment, i love the rouging that will help disguise my after-emmy belly this summer. and the twisted top is super cute, not to mention the bright coral color. i think i'm as excited as i can be about wearing a bathing suit within a couple months after giving birth. thanks, old navy.

9. floral skirt for baby (target).
love this sweet little skirt that emmy got at her shower. it goes with the most adorable onesie and leggings that will be perfect for summer time. i really can't wait for this girl to get here, and these cute little clothes make me even more excited :)

10. floral flutter sleeve dress (new york&company).
i think i got this dress for about ten dollars. yes, it's true. amazing! i'd seen it around christmastime, and just when i had some birthday cash burning a hole in my pocket, i found one left tucked away on a clearance rack and luckily it was a medium. which almost never happens. i love the feminine detail of this dress and--of course--the pink. adorable.

what are your favorite styles? happy spring everyone!

ten things {my favorite stores}.

so. this is pretty much a meaningless post, just for fun. i love to shop. love it. for myself, for nick, for bella, for our pantry/fridge, for our home. i also love trying to stay within a budget because it's a challenge for me, and i appreciate the things i find so much more!

this "ten things" post is all about my ten fav places to shop. my favorite things at stores, items i've found and love and a few tips along the way ;)

1. target.

i've said it a hundred times but i will say it again: i heart target. cool home decor, stylish clothes, oh-so-cute baby clothing and practical everyday needs like clorox wipes and make up. what's not to love? and i am a huuuuge fan of the dwell studio for target line. our bedding (seen here) is dwell studio and i love it so much. if i was told i could only shop at one store for the rest of my life, it would be target. hands down. *registering for your wedding or upcoming baby? target is wonderful. just make sure to keep all/any receipts because returns can be a hassle, but i never had any difficulty and registered at target for both.

2. joann's.

i could walk up and down the aisles of joann's a hundred times (if i have enough crackers on hand to keep bella occupied). and i never have to buy anything without using a 40% off coupon because they always have them. always. so that makes it even more awesome. *hey all you crafters: make sure to sign up in the store or online to get your coupons!!

3. trader joe's.

like whole foods but not the prices? then go to trader joes. uh-mazing. i'm obsessed. try the homemade pizza dough for 99 cents or the various kinds of ravioli for under $5 bucks. so far we've tried carbonara ravioli, arugula&parmesan and have a package of lobster ravioli just waiting for us in the freezer. all delish. the cheese selection is extensive and inexpensive... as is just about everything else. oh--and the multigrain baking mix? yum. *don't live near a trader joes, but can drive to one? we're in the same boat. you can buy a freezer-bag from trader joes and stock it with your favs for the car trip home until the next time you're in town.

4. forever 21.

a must-go-place-for-any-girl. and you don't even have to be twenty one to shop there. how do i know? because i'm thirty. and i still love it. comfy maxi dresses for under $25 bucks, sweaters and tops for around $10 and accessories... accessories as far as the eye can see. *hey christmas/birthday/bridal party-present-shoppers: this is a great place to find fun gifts for any girl friend... i've gotten many a christmas/birthday present here, and also bought all my bridesmaids bangle bracelets and pashminas as gifts for being my girls :)

5. anthropologie.

i don't live near one anymore (tear). but i can still browse online and get inspiration for my wardrobe and my home (even better when i find things i can try to make myself!). one of my favorite wedding shower gifts were "n" and "m" initial mugs from anthro. we drink our weekend coffee out of them often. another one of my fav anthro finds is the initial stand i bought when nick&i got engaged (see here in another "ten things" post). i also love finding their super-cute aprons when they are on sale, and don't even get me started on their sundresses. sigh*

6. j crew.

ohhhh how i love j crew. i was spoiled in my early twenties when my roommate worked there and was told she could give a healthy discount on items purchased for someone she lived with. i went to town purchasing things for myself until we realized the actual clause said "same sex domestic partner." ooops. needless to say, i got a little spoiled getting things at such a discount. shopping at j crew just isn't the same when you have to pay full price. but i still love wandering through a store every.chance.i.get. *hey future brides, check out j crew's bridal line! i purchased my bridesmaid dresses from there, and the customer service was awesome. which made me even more of a j crew fan :)

7. ikea.

oh.my.goodness i love this place. and we now (sadly) live a good 3+ hours from one. but me and some of my girlfriends are making a trip next month, and you better believe i am making a list of all the things i need to purchase! our bedroom set came from ikea, tv stand, shelves, lighting pendants... the list goes on and on. shopping in a store that feels like a really fun museum and smells like warm cinnamon rolls? ummm yes, please.

8. old navy.

hands down one of my go-to-places to buy clothes. for me, nick and bella. my closet is full of boots, shoes, scarves, cardigans, dresses and tops courtesy of o.n. and the prices? even better. i love that the look of the clothing is similar to gap and banana (republic, that is... did you know they were all the same company?) but much more affordable. and i've experienced amazing customer service when i've shopped online. even better. *hey pregnant mamas; this was my go-to-place for maternity clothes, too!

9. gap.

what can i say? the gap and i have had a love affair for as long as i can remember. yes, it's true. i have the clearance sale prices down to a science... if something is 29.99, it's only a matter of days before it is reduced to 24.99 and then to 18.99... and eventually 14.99. yes, i know, it's a bit ridiculous but i can't help it. i've been a gap girl since the 9th grade. their curvy jeans that come in longs, and the high-waisted skinnies (especially for mamas) are like denim miracles sent from heaven. thank you, gap. *do you love the gap, too? sign up to get a gap card. i never use mine; we try not to use credit cards, but they send special sales/promotions to gap card holders.

10. tj maxx/homegoods.

our tj's here where we live now is waaaaaay better than the one down the street from our apartment in dallas. way better. and i am becoming a maxx-anista (don't you love those commercials?) i find the cutest little baby clothes for bel that are very inexpensive, work/dress clothes for nick, and i could go on and on and on about homegoods... the best to find accent pieces to decorate your home... i recently bought a birdcage for $6 and a beautiful white porcelain vase for $5 (don't tell target, but i like homegoods even better for home decor... and that's saying a whole lot!)

what are you favorite places to shop?

lil miss frou frou.

ok. so, i'll admit it. i l-o-v-e dressing up my lil sweet pea. i was telling nick the other day that i definitely try not to do it as much as i want to, because i want to start from the beginning in not placing too much of an emphasis on clothes and outer appearance, but it is just oh-so-fun to do it sometimes. especially for special occassions.

i definitely splurged on bella's birthday dress&shoes from baby gap. but i couldn't help myself. oh rather, i didn't really want to help myself. they were just too cute.

aaaaand i had the perfect accessory in mind that i wanted to make for her. i saw this belt online, and i've been waiting to make it for months now.

so, with her first birthday around the corner, the first thing i thought when i woke up this morning (bella had spent the night at her aunt jessica's) was making that dang belt. so, i got up, sleepy-eyed and all, and went to work.

after thread&needles, pearls&beads, fabric&felt and scissors&ribbon being strewn all over our living room floor, here is the finished product:

i am pretty excited. maybe not as pretty as the original, but the satisfaction of making it myself and saving a bunch of $$ (to offset the dress&shoes, of course :)) just made my lil heart so happy.

and bella wearing it?? makes my lil heart even happier. how. stinking. sweet.

this post has been linked to these *lovely* blogs:

http://thediyshowoff.blogspot.com/

http://morrowsunshine.blogspot.com/

http://www.homemakerinheels.com/

http://tatertotsandjello.blogspot.com/

http://shabbynest.blogspot.com/

http://todayscreativeblog.net/

thursday three.

well, it's 11:43 and i had fallen asleep but woke up to a huge coughing fit. we are seeming to pass allergies and colds around this house and it's kind of a drag. i decided to get up and use my trusty netti pot and get some water, while also allowing time for my husband (who i undoubtedly startled half to death with my racking coughs) to fall blissfully off to sleep once again.

and here i sit.

which gives me time to write the thursday three in the fifteen minutes i have left before it is no longer thursday.

nick
miracle of all miracles this week is no guessing game (although i guessed it right on my first try... i told you i know the mind of my husband!) i actually remembered to ask nick today what his top moment of the week was... and alas, it was going to the mavs game last night with three of his best friends for *free*. that's right, people... f-r-e-e. love that! his friend matt won free tickets because he won some score-guessing-contest (and actually guessed the score to a mavs game spot on which is pretty crazy) and was awarded four free tickets to last night's mavs game against the jazz. i know my husband acted like the crazy sports fan that he is; complete with his mavs t-shirt, screaming&yelling and his giant-number-one-foam-hand waving in the air (just kidding on the giant hand... but still.) anyone who knows my husband knows he loves his sports, and i just love watching him in action, as does everyone else. love. that. man.

meg
i would have to say my highlight of the week may sound like a shallow one, but please hear me out... these days shopping for myself is an extremely rare occasion. but as i have been learning over the past several months, the lord reminded me of again this week: god always takes care of our needs... and sometimes he chooses to take care of our wants. this week with some sale-watching, coupon clipping and store credit at the gap, i managed to snag a pair of $70 skinny jeans for a mere twenty bucks. yep, i loved it. almost as much as i love. these. jeans. aaaaand due to a shipping mishap (long story) i also was blessed with a super cute easter dress for bel for practically free. i definitely tend to struggle sometimes with our lack of "things" or the means to obtain "things" especially since we chose to have me be a stay-at-home-mom for our family. i wouldn't have it any other way; it just makes finances a bit tighter. i've been asking jesus to help me with that this week, and to keep my mind stayed on the many things i'm so thankful for. he--as always--has been faithfully changing my heart and helping me focus on the irreplaceable blessings around me that i could never even imagine my life being without. the "things" that are worth *far* more than all the money in the entire world. so that, my friends, is really the highlight of my week :) doesn't mean my struggle is over, but it's always good to have those little reminders... and god is so sweet to give them.

bel
our poor little sweetie has not been feeling so hot the past few days. she's had a runny nose, cough and just doesn't look or act like herself. it's quite sad. but this has also meant more time in her pjs, more cuddle time with daddy and mama, and more "praisebaby" and "baby einstein" (which we ordinarily limit to a few times a week... but this week i think she has watched one or the other every single day. ahhh well.) i think bella's highlight this week was getting a couple new toys from grammie and grampy! they had given bel her first tea set (plastic, of course) for christmas, and i stashed it in the closet to bring out later when the newness of some of her other christmas toys had worn off. we brought it out this week, much to her excitement in only the way a baby can show it. as soon as she saw the box, she began squealing and kicking her feet with a huge smile on her face. so. cute. so we've been playing "tea" which she hasn't quite gotten the hang of yet and certainly has no manners. the english would be sorely disappointed. for valentines day, grammie and grampy gave her an activity walker that we just picked up this week. it makes lots of noises and has tons of buttons that light up and play songs. it keeps her entertained for a while. hard to imagine that she will soon be pushing it all over the apartment as she waddles behind it! it seems like just yesterday when all she did was lay on a blanket and blink. she has been growing up so fast i think i cry about it every day. just kidding, but i do get teary-eyed. a lot.

and there you have it, friends. our thursday three just before midnight. i will now go back to bed and hopefully be asleep within seconds. stay away, cough. stay away.

multitude monday.

85. movie nights with my best friend (aka: "my husband").
86. lazy weekends.
87. hazelnut coffee creamer.
88. gap clearance sales.
89. target gift cards.
90. weekend mornings in bed snuggling with my loves. bella squealing with excitement and learning to play peek-a-boo on her own. so cute.
91. homemade fajitas.
92. riding in the car with windows done, sunroof open, music blaring. spring is here in dallas!

multitude monday.

47. breakfast with girlfriends; girl talk + coffee? yes, please.
48. my hazelnut scented candle.
49. the swiffer and clorox wipes... two of my favorite cleaning aids.
50. spider mums from the husband.
51. dressing up my baby girl in cute gap *clearance* dresses.
52. blueberries&cheerios.
53. crockpot dinners.
54. seeing a sweet note written to me on our foggy bathroom mirror from a cute guy i know.
55. striped baby tights. and chubby baby thighs.

thirtieth birthday three.

i'm bringing back the "thursday three" (i know, i know... you've missed it). this week will be a little different. it will be all about my thirtieth birthday celebrations last week. i'm going to try to condense it down into three points... here goes.

so i turned thirty last thursday. those of you that are "bachelor" fans and have been watching this season, you'll appreciate when i say: not twenty nine... not thirty one... but thirty. (thank you, crazy michelle.) nick spoiled me and made it so special. here are the top three moments.

1. our beloved, maggianos.

after i got home from work thursday night, nick had lined up his mom to babysit bel and we headed to our favorite special occassion spot: maggianos. YUM. it works out rather perfectly that it's one of our most loved restaurants and a popular gift card choice for parents to give the teachers for christmas presents at first baptist academy. ahhhh, our favorite foods for free?? even better. we dined on our favorites: bruchetta, chopped salad, chicken&spinach manicotti and creme brulee for dessert. throw in a tasty pomegranate martini and good conversation with a handsome man and you have one happy birthday girl.

2. mall date.

yes please. on saturday we dropped bella off at nick's parents for overnight and when we got back in the car, nick looked at me and said "wanna go shopping?" yes, he knows the way to my heart. we walked around the mall (my favorite mall that is nothing but outlet stores. love it!) for a bit and purchased a couple shirts from jcrew and gap. two of my favorites. it was perfect.

3. surprise!

we left the mall and got in the car to go to dinner. when we were about fifteen minutes away, nick asked me to close my eyes so i would be surprised. when i opened them, we were in one of our favorite areas of dallas: the bishop arts district. those of you that live in dallas... you have to come here if you haven't already. we love it! quaint little shops and restaurants and plenty of hole-in-the-wall places which we are huge fans of. one of our fav restaurant there is a trendy lil pizza place that has oh-so-delish-thin-crust pizza... with toppings like pancetta and goat cheese. YUM. nick lead me upstairs to where all of our good friends were waiting. so. fun. we stayed up that night until almost two oclock in the morning, and since we were bella-free we got to sleep in until almost noon. happy birthday to me.

i am very excited to be thirty... my life has only gotten better and richer and more blessed with each season, so i can only anticipate what the lord has in store for the years to come.

multitude monday.

8. christmas lights in my living room.
9. bella in footed pajamas.
10. the sound of the dishwasher running... cleaning my dishes so i don't have to.
11. leftover pumpkin pie.
12. 50% off sales at the gap and christmas money from my grandparents.
13. getting to sleep in with nick yesterday morning for the first time in six months and grandparents who kept bella overnight.
14. girlfriends with whom i can laugh with until i cry.