it's beginning to look a lot like christmas...

While spending Thanksgiving weekend with my Christmas-crazed brother and a marathon of ABC Family made-for-TV Christmas movies (Snowglobe, Holiday in Handcuffs, anyone?) I felt the urge to get the kids dressed in their holiday gear for the annual Christmas card photo. My sister-in-law took some great snapshots of the kids, and here's a look at some outtakes with commentary on what I imagine the little ones were thinking at the time:

Catcher: Another Christmas card? Seriously? Didn't we just do this?

Scout: It's my first time. How's my smile?

Catcher: I'm so effortlessly cute.

Scout: Is this a good look or too deer-in-headlights?

Catcher: Yay Christmas!

Scout: Mmmm, Catcher's sticky hand.

the return trip

Our trip home this morning began with the drive-through at Dunkin Donuts. Catcher enjoyed whole milk (our only option) through a giant, orange straw while Alex and I snacked on the hot and delicious hashbrowns and the new savory sausage pancake balls (don't judge; just try them).

One way to keep your toddler amused during a long car ride: take his "Franklin" and position him randomly throughout the car.

This is just proof that Scout was with us during the trip. She was so quiet at times I almost thought we left her stranded in my brother's garage. At one point when Catcher asked, "Where's Scout?" my stomach dropped for a second.

Perky's Pizza? How can you let that one go without a photo...

road trip

This weekend, our family embarked on its first road trip of the holiday season driving up to Annapolis, Maryland to spend the weekend with my brother, sister-in-law and their four crazy (yet adorable) kids. Here's a look at what transpired during the seven-hour drive:

We left the house at 6:00pm with the kids dressed in their pajamas ready for seven hours of pure unadulterated fun!

A quick stop at Chick-fil-A for a healthy (ha! ha!) fast food dinner. Alex asked for extra special Chick-fil-A sauce (and ended up wearing some on his shirt).

Still driving...

A quick stop for some road snacks at 12:00am: Coke, buffalo blue cheese Doritos, some kind of sugary chilled Starbucks drink, a Skor bar, Skittles, Teddy Grahams and Lifesaver gummies. Gas station food: this is why I love road trips.

Catcher woke up around 11:00pm and spent the next two hours looking out the window asking questions such as "Where moon go, Mommy?" and " Eee [which means anything from 'who' to 'where' to 'what'] cousins house?"

another faker

If you search long enough, you'll find everything you could ever want or need on the Internet (kind of like if you come up with some brilliant idea there's already an app for that). In my continual quest to create some sort of textured effect on the giant wall in Danielle's condo, I came across a casart coverings, a company that reproduces decorative (or faux) finishes on a canvas-like vinyl that adheres directly to the wall. What does that mean? It means you get the look you want without the time commitment that a faux finish or wallpaper installation demands. It also means you can re-use the wall covering if you ever move and want the same look at your next place.

So it's perfect, right? Not exactly: $872 is the minimum we would need to cover Danielle's wall, so it looks like I will be dusting off the paintbrush after all. But at least it's fun to look at...

Images from Casart Coverings

fake it

marthastewart.com

When in doubt, look to Martha Stewart. Faced with the dilemma of finding a less expensive alternative to the grasscloth wallcovering I wanted to use in Danielle's condo, I've been researching faux finishes that would create the dramatic, textured effect she wants. I've looked at everything from metallic finishes (too blingy!) to venetian plaster (too medieval!) until I finally came across what could possibly be the perfect look for her classic, casual [Belgian Modern] style--a fine linen faux finish. The linen look sold me because linen is the key element in Belgian Modern interiors. 

I hope she likes the idea...the next challenge will be to actually create the look myself (at least the process will provide anecdotes for the blog). I did take a faux finishing class while I was in design school, but that was five years ago. At least I remember to test my technique on a practice board before applying it to the wall.

texturize

What do you do with a 21-foot blank wall in a downtown condo with amazing views of the city? That's the challenge I'm faced with in decorating Danielle's place. Above is a picture of the living room and the enormous wall that we want to cover with some sort of texture (whether faux or actual). The problem isn't coming up with a solution per se but coming up with an affordable solution. We found a subtle metallic grasscloth that looks amazing in the space but I was quoted $725 for installation (plus materials!). I know I'm new to this, but that seems a bit steep. If Alex and I can manage to hang a patterned wallpaper in our crooked hallway--while I was six months pregnant--then I have a hard time believing a professional would take more than a few hours to do a simple grasscloth on a flat, blank wall.

I'm seeking other estimates, and also looking into plan B (and C and D...). While I search, go ahead and take a look at what grasscloth can add to a room (all images from decor pad).

i was thinking...

At any given moment I have hundreds of silly questions buzzing around in my head. If I were to speak them out loud, I would sound like my two year-old son (and annoy a lot of people in the process). But I thought it might be fun to catalog a sampling of the questions that have raced through my mind today:

• Is it okay to take your prenatal vitamins with wine?
• Will my friend notice if I put Equal in her coffee instead of Splenda?
• What exactly is an Americano?
• What time is it there?
• Can I make this light?
• What are those pants?
• Should I go with the $9.99 pinot or the $4.99 malbec?
• What channel is ESPNU?
• How is it the 18th already?
• Did I sign that check?
• Where did my phone go?
• What should I blog about?
• Have you heard of Catcher in the Rye, the book?
• Why are you looking at me like that?
• Does Scout like purple?
• How long can you microwave last night's pizza before it turns rubbery?
• Are there enough diapers to make it through the weekend?
• Will Catcher notice if I bite his gummy letter in half?
• Is anyone reading this?