"Born To Golf" Birth Announcement

Tommy's birth announcement was one of my first post-baby projects. I was looking for a unique idea, since most birth announcements seemed so generic to me. My husband is a huge golfer (he started caddying at the age of 11!), so it seemed like the perfect theme. I wanted something classic and tasteful, with the photo doing most of the work. The print on the announcement reads..."Right on par and happy as can be, our new baby boy suits us to a tee!" We used the incredibly talented Francine of Lillybelle Rose Photography to capture Tommy's newborn portraits. He's seven days old in the photo. 

The outfit we used was a gift received at my baby shower. How adorable is this "Sweet Tee" Golf Layette Set that comes in a mini golf cart package? We opted to only use the hat and booties with golf balls as props. The "naked" baby look is just too cute to pass up, and the window of time that you can reasonably get away with it goes quickly! 

Daddy didn't waste any time getting Tommy on the course... Tommy's first golf adventure took place at the ripe old age of 7 weeks (see photo below on left). Tommy has since been to the driving range countless times and is a big fan of golf cart rides. For his 1st birthday, Great Grandpa gave him is very own set of real baby-sized golf clubs. Oh boy! We've already needed to keep those things locked away and far from all windows and breakables! 

Twelve Months of Tommy

To say I've been busy this past year would be a huge understatement! Hence the lack of blog posts in, well, over a year. Oops! And if I didn't say how quickly it's all gone by, well then I wouldn't be telling the truth. Man, does time fly! Sometimes I wish I could go back to being a kid again, when time seemed to mysteriously linger and take forever. Just so I could sit back, relax and take in all the glorious moments of living and watching a little human grow before my eyes. Tommy is our sunshine! I didn't know how much I could love someone until he entered this world. He's one of the happiest babies I've met, smiling 95% of the time. He's brought so much joy and happiness to our family, especially during some of the saddest times with my father's diagnosis of ALS (Lou Gehrig's disease). I'm hoping to catch you up (if there's any readers still out there) on a few of my favorite Tommy projects and first year adventures. Happy Birthday Tommy! I love you! 

My little man...

Thomas Edward (aka "Tommy") arrived

Wednesday, September 19, 2012

7:44am

9lb 5oz, 22 inches

We brought home our little "monkey" on Friday! 

I'm so in love...and exhausted.

Past Due

My due date came and went yesterday. Luke and I spent a few hours at the doctor's office (mostly waiting, I'm so over that part!) and the doctor kinda laughed and said we'll probably see you next week. Great. NOT! I guess there hasn't been much progress happening down there. I was in a foul mood for the rest of the day (poor husband). I mean, I didn't expect the little guy to come out on his actual due date, but I'm not really excited about waiting another week either. A friend of ours told us that Baby D probably just takes after his parents, perpetually and "fashionably" late! Probably. I'm sitting at the office as we speak, experiencing some minor cramps (contractions?!), so hopefully I'll have an exciting announcement for everyone in a few days! 

Full Term - 40 weeks!

Fall Favorites

Hello! Hope everyone had a wonderful Labor Day weekend. I was lucky enough to have Friday-Tuesday off from work, so needless to say I had a good time. It's hard to be back at work, especially knowing that I'm only 11 days away from my due date! I'm not sure how fashionable my fall will be, with the arrival of Baby D, but that doesn't mean I can't share my favorite finds with you. Today, I'm featured over at 101 Things I Love, sharing my Fall Favs. Please go check it out here. And while you're there, check out Johanna's adorable new baby girl, Lola. She's so sweet! 

Since deciding on only five favorite things was pretty hard (nearly impossible), I wanted to share a few of my "runner ups"... 1. Denim Boyshirt, I'm still obsessing over chambray too 2. Sienna Fringe Boot, pricey but super cute 3. AEppelTreow Wine, yup this girl is ready to have a real drink and can't wait to go back to this Wisconsin winery in October 4. Gold Healing Crystal Necklace, not sure about its powers but cute nonetheless 5. Aden + Anais Swaddlers, so soft and sweet I might just wrap myself up in one if the Chicago weather ever turns cool! How about you? What are you excited about this fall? 

Family Monograms

I love the simplicity of a monogram. Earlier this year, I created the following set of monograms for a family of five. I love the fact that they work together, but also hold up on their own as individual designs. Color was used to distinguish among different age groups and genders. 

As many parents are doing now, this couple combined their two last names for a hyphenated surname for their children. At first, I was struggling with how to incorporate the 4 letter approach, but lucked out with the fluidity of the "R" and "J" working together. Each of the boys' monograms are in navy blue and Amani, the adorable daughter, stands out with a vibrant pink. 

Emma (the Mom) plans to utilize these monograms on bed sheets, stationary and other custom projects for her family. Do you have a favorite monogram style? Or favorite place to apply yours? On a side note, as I've been debating over baby names with the hubby, you can bet we've banned a few names for the horribly funny (or offensive) initials and monograms they would create! 

Belly Update

Baby D's Nautical Shower

Ahoy, readers! I know I've had a lot of nautical posts lately, but this should be the last one for awhile. I was blessed enough to have this amazing shower thrown for me and Baby D last month by my Aunt Joanne (and my Mom). It was super adorable! I especially loved the sweets table - check out the brown sugar used to mimic sand in the cake pop pales. I also drooled over the "Welcome Aboard" life preserver cleverly used as a guest book. I can't wait to hang up the finished product in Baby D's nursery. For more details and information on the event visit my baby shower submission over at PROJECT NURSERY. If you haven't checked out the site before, it's a great source for decorating and party planning inspiration. Would love it if you voted for my event too! Happy Friday!

Photos ©2012 Keg Design

Nautical Nursery Mood Board

Here's my mood board for Baby D's nursery. I've always loved nautical decor - it evokes happy summer memories for me. Since I wanted something appropriate for a baby boy, but not too cutesy, it was the perfect decor style. My first stop for inspiration was Pottery Barn Kids - they have a great selection of nautical merchandise. From there, I used Pinterest and Google to finish off my mood board. I'm delighted to report that we've nearly received or bought everything from above. Now, we just have to figure out where the nursery will actually be (since we're in the process of selling and moving). Someday it will all come together perfectly, but for now all I can pray for is a happy, healthy baby boy!

1. Quilt 2. Mobile 3. Oars 4. Boat 5. Rustic Oars 6. Rope Letters 7. Crib 8. Crib Skirt 9. Chair 10. Pillow 11. Sheets 12. Dresser     13. Rug 14. Floor Mirror 15. Blanket

Nautical Maternity Shoot

Check out our maternity photos from a few weeks ago... Luke was a trooper at the session, only rolling his eyes at me a few times! Francine, from Lillybelle Rose Photography, was the woman behind the camera. A colleague referred me to her and I have not been disappointed. She'll be doing our newborn session with Baby D in September, can't wait! Since the nursery is going to be a nautical theme, everything has followed that lead... my baby shower (more on that soon) and now our maternity session. I absolutely LOVE the "Welcome Aboard" life preserver! Isn't it cute? And if you look close you'll see the little embroidered whales on Luke's shorts (Baby D already has matching ones for next summer so he can be just like Daddy). There's even a sneaky belly shot at the end. 5.5 weeks and counting...OMG!

©2012 Lillybelle Rose Photography

Surprise!

Today my coworkers got me good - with a surprise baby shower! I had no clue and was complaining all morning about the dreadful "meeting" that was scheduled! Instead, I was showered with lots of love, gifts and yummy sweets! I'm so overwhelmed and happy right now. Definitely makes you love where and with whom you work! Thanks everyone!! Baby D is going to be one spoiled little boy...

Ms. Thing

I'm so excited to introduce "Thing 1"... Ms. Audrey Anne. She was born two weeks ago to my dear friend Megan and I can't get enough of her. She came into this world a happy and healthy girl, weighing 8lbs 13oz. Mom is doing great. I can't wait for Baby D to arrive so they can become fast friends. She already attended his "first party" over the weekend (my baby shower) where he got more loot than I know what to do with! Seriously, babies require a lot of things! We love you, Audrey. 

Photos ©2012 Keg Design - Instagram Obssessed!

Growth Spurt!

32 weeks and counting...

Dr. Seuss Baby Shower

"A person's a person, no matter how small. -Dr. Seuss" As I mentioned earlier, my best friend is also pregnant (she actually had her baby a few weeks ago now!) and I had the honor of helping her mom and sister plan her baby shower. Since the baby's sex was a surprise, the theme chosen was "Dr. Seuss." It was absolutely adorable and perfect for Megan since she is a high school reading teacher. Her mom and sister did most of the hard work and planning, but I pitched in my efforts on the favors. I had found some cute "Thing 1" cake pops on Pinterest as inspiration and used my creative skills to execute them. Since I'm NOT a baker, I hired a friend with her own cake pop business to create the plain red pops. I decorated them with white candy melts, black icing and blue cotton candy. I must say, it was MUCH harder than I expected! But I think they turned out great in the end! All of the centerpieces were made by Megan's mom and included a quote from a Dr. Seuss book. Other cool features included red and blue custom soda bottles and napkins folded like diapers. I found a baby-sized "Thing 1" t-shirt to give to Megan too. Oh, and the "belly" cake was to die for - it was made by this Chicago based high school student who definitely has a huge career in front of her. 

Photos ©2012 Keg Design

Zoo Cute

You know when you get super excited about something and just can't contain your joy... well that's how I feel about two very functional items - the diaper bag and car seat I've picked out! I'm in love with them! The LeSportsac Zoo Cute baby bag is light weight, durable and absolutely adorable. What's even better is that I virtually got it for free... I've had a $200 gift card to Bloomingdales since our wedding (3 years ago) and finally found something to spend it on. The bag goes perfectly with the Peg Perego Denim Primo Viaggio car seat I registered for. I'm obsessed with denim - it's boyish yet sophisticated. And an Italian company to boot. Ciao bambino! Check out Peg Perego's 2012 denim collection here. 

Mama Megan

Have I mentioned that my best friend is also a soon-to-be first time mom? Megan is actually due in 2 days! It's been such a blessing to have someone so close going through the same experience. Since she's been 10 weeks ahead in the process, I've gotten the amazing opportunity to always ask her "what's next..." as well as "what the hell is happening to my body?" or "can you believe my doctor just did this?" We've had a lot of funny conversations! Megan & Bryan decided not to find out the sex, so they have an extra special surprise coming to them in a few days. I'm rooting for Team Boy (so we can continue to swap stories), but really just praying all goes well and they have a healthy, happy baby! Megan just finished decorating her nursery last week. Isn't it adorable? A soft and sweet little lamb theme - perfect for a baby boy or girl. She and her mom spent many painstaking hours stenciling one of the nursery walls (it took them much longer than expected) but I think it was definitely worth it. My favorite pieces in the nursery are the adorable rocker from PBK and the rustic bookshelf Megan found at a flea market. She painted the bookshelf white but left the back shelf exposed to match her farmhouse style crib and changing table. PBK's Sweet Lambie bedding and mobile finish it off.