enJOY it

from the flower field.

March 28, 2013

I flew up to Sacramento Friday evening and was catching up on blogs while we waited for my mom to go out to dinner. During my browsing, I saw that my friend Ashlee was hosting a pop-up portrait session in a flower field near her house on Monday. A fifteen minute photography session?! In pretty yellow flowers? An excuse to wear the new skirt I found for $20 on clearance? Too good to pass up.

Thankfully Ashlee still had room for me, so Monday night, baby girl and I took our first "real" photos. (I say "real" because they don't involve me precariously balancing my camera on an upside down flower pot that's resting on a coffee table and then hiding the camera remote and hoping for the best.)

I am thrilled with the images we grabbed and enjoyed a quick catch up session with Ashlee. I have saved for a big "bun in and out of the oven" photo session for May and then June, but these photos are so very special for me too.

Thank you so much, Ashlee, for capturing these for me and the little one. Photos are the BEST.

*All photos by Ashlee Gadd Photography. Skirt was clearance from Anthropologie. Top & belt are Target.
29 weeks & 28 finger sticks later.

March 27, 2013
So far, gestational diabetes is not a big deal. I have had a week of finger sticks. A week of eating my normal diet. And a week of the most shockingly normal blood sugar levels. The only stressor has been making sure I remember what time I finished eating so I know it's been at least an hour and time to test.

My first thought is this is totally absurd. I don't doubt for a second that my body handled 100 grams of glucose in five minutes on an empty stomach terribly. I don't doubt that my results were high and my blood tests put me in the gestational diabetes range. I absolutely don't doubt that diabetes is a very real condition that needs to be taken seriously. I know that being mindful about what I eat is wonderful for the health of my little one and for me. But really, this feels a bit like a case of relying too much science and not enough intuition.

However, I am going to happily stick with the plan and continue to prick my finger and write down what I eat from now until the baby comes. And who knows? Maybe as this pregnancy progresses, my hormones will send my body more out of whack and extraordinary measures will be needed to keep things running smoothly. I am glad for the heads up just in case.

The blessing that has come from all of this craziness – especially the circus that is switching providers at 28 weeks while your husband is deployed and you're trying to set up a house – is that I have become much more relaxed about…everything. Prior to getting pregnant, I had a vision of what pregnancy would be like. I knew I would have a birth plan and belived it was important to find the right person and environment to bring our baby into the world. I am a Planner with a capital P. I imagined I would be frantic about getting the situation all figured out.

Now? Today at 29 weeks? My only focus is staying healthy. And I recognize so much more fully that I already have the perfect person to bring this baby into the the world – me. I'll deliver this baby. Sure, there will be a doctor or midwife in the room (I'm looking forward to having the baby at the Navy hospital with whomever is on call that day) guiding me through the process. But Paul might not make it home in time. The baby might be breech. The baby might be "too big." I might end up with a c-section. The baby might be a week "late" and I might need an induction. Or, the baby might be head down, totally normal sized and I might deliver her in six hours on my due date with no pain medication & Paul by my side because we magically guessed right when we bought his plane ticket home.

But the good news is, I am over the Plan. I am beyond worrying and stressing and worst-case scenario-ing. This baby has been prayed for and planned for and dreamed about for years. Of course I will continue to fight for her and fight for us; the moment I knew she was coming I signed an invisible, but binding contract to do whatever I could to get her here safely. Prick my finger? Any time. Drink 100g of glucose and throw up in front of a waiting room full of people? Happy to. Give up dessert? Obviously. Put a giant red X through "the ideal situation" and embrace our situation? Done and done. Relax my Type A tendencies today, tomorrow and delivery day? Check, check, check. Trust in my body & my baby? Absolutely.

Just eleven weeks to go, baby girl. We got this.

*Photo by Ashlee Gadd Photography from a fun pop-up photo shoot this past Monday. I will have a few more to share soon. Thank you Ashlee!

EDIT : Thanks so much for the encouragement and support. I am so grateful for Blogland.

Other posts you might enjoy:
how to move.

March 26, 2013

I have gotten a few emails requesting information or tips on how to move from place to place without losing your mind. Like everything else, what works for me might not work for you, but since I have moved three times in the past three years, I thought I might have some insight to share.

Get your bearings. Your bearings are different than mine, but these are the points on a map that make you feel like you're at home regardless of where you are. Before I move to a new place, I sit at my computer, go to google maps, type in our new address and then figure out where my local post office is and where the nearest Target, hardware and fabric store are. I also figure out our closet grocery store and where there is a Trader Joe's. If I have those six places figured out, I am good to go for a least a few weeks. The other stuff – plant store, hair stylist, speciality shops, favorite restaurants – will come in good time with exploring. But "my bearings" I need to locate right away in order to feel like I am home.

Determine your unpacking priorities. The day you move into a new place you cannot set up every single room and have a fully functioning house, so you have to figure out your number one priority. For me, this is always the kitchen. If I get the dishes unpacked, the pantry stocked and food in the fridge, I feel like my head is above water. The rest of the house can stay in boxes while the kitchen gets completely unpacked. After the kitchen, I move onto my office. The way I like to work, it's difficult for me to sit at my desk and write a coherrent blog post or deal with email if a pile of junk is staring at me from across the room. My bedroom, other than having sheets on the bed, is not a priority. Having the TV set up is not a priority. Obviously, your priorities are going to be different than mine, but you have to know what your unpacking order is to help you stay sane.

Plan on donating a bunch before you move and after you move. About a month before we know we are going to move, I go through every single room and every single closet and purge. I'm ruthless with what stays and what goes and usually end up with a huge donation pile at the end of the month. I know from experience that there is nothing worse than unpacking a box at a new place and seeing junk you don't want. The most difficult part of this is mental and it's about getting over denial. It's hard to give up a dress you spent a lot of money on but that never quite fit right, but I promise it's worth it. I saw a great quote from Jordan Ferney on A Cup of Jo the other day – "When you have a small home, your stuff is worth more to you out of your house than in your house." Regardless of your home's size, I think this is SO TRUE. And I promise that no matter how much you get rid of before you move, you'll want to plan on another run to Goodwill once you get to the new place.

Change your addresses in one swoop. Before we move, I make a list of everyone that we pay each month for the household (gas, electric, insurance, internet, credit card, etc), everyone I pay for the business (typepad, e.junkie, stamp makers, etc) and everyone that pays me (paypal, affiliate programs, freelance projects). These are all the businesses that I have to get in touch with to switch out our addresses. Then, I plan on one long day of email and voicemail jail to get it all done. It takes forever and it's boring work, but if I know that going in, I am so much less frustrated. Obviously there are going to be a million more places that you have to make sure your new address is recorded, but if you have all the money transaction places taken care of, you'll be set for awhile.

Forward your mail. USPS.com makes it super easy to have your mail forwarded for up to a year after you've changed addresses. I go online about a week before we move and get the new address set up so I don't miss a day receiving mail. This is probably the easiest thing to do on this list. 😉

Plan on spending a lot during moving month. Our movers are hired through the military, so we do not spend a dime on actually transporting our household goods. This is a huge blessing and something I am grateful for. However, I have learned that our credit card bill the month of a move is usually way higher than normal. There are always hotel stays, new stuff to buy (last time it was appliances!), handy men to hire (this time it was an electrician and a locksmith), more meals out and more filing up the car with gas. I tend to cut back on spending the month before a move in anticipation of this and make a point to watch spending the month after.

Make the new house yours. I get a lot of questions about how I decorate (hang stuff, paint) in rentals and I don't really know how to answer the question because I just DO IT. I don't ask permission to put holes in the wall. I don't ask permission to paint. I just go for it. This is bad advice – I know. But here's the deal: Paul and I are great tenants. We're quiet, clean and pay our rent early. We don't cause trouble or ask for extras. And when we leave a space, we patch the holes in the wall and repaint where necessary. We also leave a really clean unit and in some cases leave new curtain rods and new shelving that enhances the space. The bottom line is, I don't think the owners or property managers really care what we do while we're there as long as the place looks as good as it did when we moved in. If you really can't do anything then use command hooks which are totally removable to display art. Hang tapestries with tiny nails instead of adding color through paint. Bring in bright rugs and bold accessories. Think outside the box or you will feel like you're living in one.

Believe it's worth it. We lived in San Diego the first time for 18 months. We lived in Oxnard for 15. By many accounts, this is a short amount of time to stay in one place and could be considered not long enough to really decorate or spend money on a space. Once upon a time, it was really frustrating to me that we'd be moving constantly with the military and I would always have to start over. "What's the point?" I remember lamenting to Paul. ELISE. I want to say now, Pull yourself together. The point is that FOR YOU, making a house a home is an important part of feeling like your life has stability. It's about being able to enjoy where you are even if it's for a short while. It's also a chance to experiment with your style and see what works (or doesn't work) for you and your family.

Remember that this move isn't something that's happening to you. This is just a mental framing thing, but it has helped me to remember throughout all of these moves (starting with that first one in 2007 when I moved to Maryland to live with Paul) that WE are moving. The move, even if we don't want to make it, even if it's to a place we don't really want to live, and even if we are leaving a place we really love, is still something WE are doing. A flood is something that happens to you. An earthquake is something that happens to you. A fire that destroys all your personal property is something that happens to you. A move to a different city, state or country? That is something you are doing. You get to make decisions about what furniture goes and what stays. You get to make decisions about where you can afford to live and what sort of neighborhood you want to be in. You get to evaluate the pros and cons of a long commute versus good schools. YOU are in control of this move, not the other way around. Keeping that perspective has helped me immensely, even though I realize we really won't get a final say in where we live until Paul is finished with the military.

I can say with certainty that moving across the country to live with Paul was the best decision I ever made in my personal life (starting the blog was the best I've made in my business life). Our three moves since have strengthened us as a couple and the fact that I have made two with him halfway around the world have empowered me more than I thought they would. Every single time we move it gets easier – not because we avoid setbacks, but because I am better equiped to deal with them now. Practice makes – well, not perfect – but certainly good.
my weekly project life process.

March 25, 2013

While prepping the spread that I shared yesterday, I decided to take note of how I build my weekly layouts and time how long it takes. I get a lot of questions about how long Project Life takes me. It varies based on the week for sure, but on average I assumed about an hour. Turned out it's closer to about an hour and half including photo printing.

Last year I worked on the weekly spreads throughout the week. I really liked the system and had fun with the project. This year, I am pretty much building them all at once, the Monday or Tuesday after the week is over. I am able to do this because I am now sharing the pages a week later on the blog (instead of the following Sunday). As a result, I think my spreads are "better" which for me means they are capturing the stories of the week more fully AND they feel a bit more cohesive.

I absolutely do not think there is a right or wrong way to do this project. For me, it's been all about trial and error and recognizing what works and what doesn't. The goal is to complete the year in weekly spreads and be happy with the layouts – not to develop something monumental or earth-shattering.

So let me break it down.

Monday night I staretd with an empty spread. First I figured out which photos I wanted to use (you can see some on my phone – I create an album of photos for the week I want to include) and the stuff (this week is was a quote from an email and a business card) I had to go with.

Then I sat at my computer and printed photos. I had six from Paul's trip that I cropped into 4×4 squares for an insert. Between my phone and my big camera, I also had seven 4×6 photos and four 3×4 photos that worked.

Below is a video of how I print my 4×6 and 3×4 photos at home. I have shared this before, but if you're new, you might find it helpful.

printingphotos from elise blaha on Vimeo.

After printing, I cropped my photos to the appropriate size and rounded the corners. This whole process took me 35 minutes (remember I do little to no post-processing on my photos printing is pretty quick).

Tuesday morning, I started again with everything I had for the week. This included my photos, a quote from an email I had jotted on scratch paper and a business card from my midwife. I also knew that I had two stories I wanted to share. One about the glucose testing and another that didn't make the blog. Those would both be jotted down on 3×4 journaling cards.

My next step is to get photos in pockets. Usually, I add the "naked" photos in first and then see what I can do to embellish and fluff things up. Nine out of ten times I hate the layout at this stage because it feels empty.

Next I add in the "stuff." The quote from my friend was written on a quotation mark journaling card
and I sewed the business card to a patterned filler card. I also have a good idea of the layout's color scheme by this point so I am able to add the date card. I used the colors of the photos to help pick the best "date card." Thankfully, there are a lot of neutrals in the set so something will
always match, but this was a good week to add the bold teal.

Next I write my journaling on 3×4 cards and add them into the empty pockets. This helps "fill" the space a bit more which I like. Sometimes things get moved around. In this case, the mower photo moved left a pocket.

And last I go through and add notes to the photos that need them. Not all photos need context. Like I didn't write anything on the photo of the lawn mower or the little plants. They sort of speak for themselves. The dresser photo had some great white space, so that got handwritten journaling and I added information to the lamp photo with letter rub-ons. I added a few letter stickers to that market photo and a few date stamps here and there.

Paul's photos needed more, so I added the circle stickers with typed journaling (the text is what he provided me when he emailed the photos). The stickers share what's happening in the photos and they help unify them so they do not seem as random. (I am so glad that I am focusing on including more photos from Paul's adventure and that he is so willing to share with me this year.)

The insert needed something extra so I added the BIG ADVENTURE sticker on top of the page protector. The green works well because it matches the lawn mower photo. The very last step was to add a tab to set it off the background. This makes it clear that there is an insert and it matches the circle stickers.

And I hope that helps explain my process. It was actually interesting for me to break it down in this way and see how I really work through the week. I feel like this method is simple but successful and I will keep doing it until it stops working.

Questions about Project Life? Check here and then if you don't see an answer, ask in the comments. For a full product source list, check yesterday's post. 🙂
project life 2013 : week 11.

March 24, 2013

It's week eleven and I love this project.

click the photos above to enlarge for a somewhat clearer image.

Week of : March 11 – March 17.

What happened this week? Lots of doctor's appointments. I met with the prenatal coordinator, then my midwife, and then I had two attempts at the three hour glucose test. I didn't take a ton of photos but had some interesting ones from around the house. Paul went on a weekend trip to meet up with his best friend who's currently in Afghanistan.

Anything special in the spread? A simple insert with six photos from Paul's trip.

Techniques this week : Paul sent his photos with captions so I printed the captions on Paper Source circle labels (using Microsoft Word and the PS templates). It was an easy way to give the photos some context and unify the photos.

Overall thoughts : My favorite photo this week is of our local grocery store. It's something that wouldn't have made the book in a busy week, but this week, when there were not many photos to include it got in and I am glad.

Ratio of iPhone photos to "real camera" photos : 11 to 5.

Ratio of photos taken by Elise to photos taken by Paul : 10 to 6.

Supplies used : Seafoam core kit, Studio Calico Project Life kit (rad badge), Ormolu file dividers, Amy Tangerine "Big Adventure" sticker, de-flecto letter rub-ons, Basic Gray for Studio Calico letter stickers, Paper Source circle labels.

Tools used : Design A pocket pages, Design I pocket page, Fiskars corner rounder, Zig Millenium pen, Rotatrim paper trimmer, Office Depot date stamp, staz-on ink. All photos were printed at home on my HP Photosmart 2575 printer on Office Depot semi-gloss photo paper.

Project Life is a memory-keeping system created by Becky Higgins. I use photos, text and stuff to document our life weekly. You can see all the posts from 2012 here and 2013 here. Do you have a question about how I am tackling this project (including ANYTHING about how I edit and print photos)? Check here.
around here.

March 22, 2013

that square photo directly above is my favorite and is an aluminum print from PostalPix. the 3×4 printed journaling cards are by paislee press.

Thank you so much for your kind words on my post yesterday. Perspective is fantastic and the more I get, the better, I feel. Smooth sailing from here on out would be delightful, but we'll see what comes up next…

I got a big office decorating project crossed off my list this week and am thrilled with it (you can see a peek in the above photo!) and I hope to share more about it (and a corresponding online workshop) soon. I also got the stamps restocked and out the door. That always feels really good.

Today I am headed up to Sacramento to spend a week with my parents, have a baby shower and celebrate Easter. I am looking forward to getting out of the new house (hopefully I'll come back inspired to get some of these rooms finished off!) and shaking up my schedule a bit. Next week will be a light work week and I am very (very) excited about that.

And just a note : for the first time ever, Project Life will be sold on HSN this coming Monday, 3/25. Sadly, Seafoam is not part of the package, but there will be some other amazing deals on fun kits happening. Go here for more information. I put together some pages to showcase the products and I am excited to see if photos of Paul and I make it on live television. 🙂
we are now entering the third trimester.

March 21, 2013
I am happy to be here. I am happy every day that we get a little bit closer to meeting our baby girl. I am happy every day that she stays put and my belly grows.

This pregnancy has not been as easy as I hoped. Nope. There was the CPC scare, which in the long run should be no big deal at all, but then on Monday I found out I have gestational diabetes. It's something I hadn't considered, but the one hour screening I took a few weeks ago came back elevated and my second 3 hour glucose test (I threw up on the first go around) confirmed that my blood sugar levels get totally out of whack when you throw a ton of glucose at them.

Wop-wop.

I am glad to know so I can hopefully just continue to control my sugar levels with diet and exercise. I met with a nutritionist yesterday morning to learn more about the food I should be eating and when I should be eating it …and it turns out I already basically follow the recommended diet (minus a grilled cheese sandwich here or there). I was also instructed on how to monitor my blood sugar levels four times a day through finger sticks.

So far (with a day of finger sticks and the "new diet" plan) this seems pretty easy to manage, but I will be working on getting back into moderate exercise (like 30 minute walks) and diligent about tracking for the next week. Then I will meet with my provider on April 1st to see if this is something I have under control or something that I need medication to help maintain. The hope is that following a healthy diet (eating at certain times, upping protein and limiting carb/sugar intake) will be enough, but if I need medicine to stay healthy and keep the little one healthy then that's what we'll do. Regardless of outcome, I will be monitored pretty closely for the remainder of the pregnancy.

It's frustrating, of course. It sucks to get test results back with anything less than "yep, everything looks great." I don't want there to be one more thing to think about. I don't want to test my blood sugar four times a day for the next 12 weeks. And I don't want to give up nutella and cake at my showers. 😉

I was panicking on the phone with my parents a few nights back. These past few months have been filled with bumps (some that have been shared on the blog and others that have not) and I am tired of fighting the small battles alone. (Paul! I miss you!) My parents commiserated and then my dad reminded me tactfully,

"Leesee, I know it's hard. But none of these problems are things you can't bounce back from."

And yep. True story, Dadio. I am frustrated. But I am also blessed. There are about a zillion complications that can occur in the making of a human being and if this is mine, it's a relief that it's something relatively easy to manage.

And the reality is that I feel great. Now I am just more passionate about staying as healthy as possible. I love being pregnant. I am honored to carry our baby. Making it to 28 weeks feels like a big deal. Like we're in the home stretch. The Big Picture still looks pretty fantastic and my little one is as active and amazing as ever. AND OH MAN, was I doing something right when I choose brave for my one little word.

ps. dress from old navy (similar skirt here), tank from j.crew & nail polish is essie fiji. bookshelf is back in action and I am obsessed with the lighter feel. I will share more of the new house in a few weeks.

Other posts you might enjoy:
my black and white triangle quilt.

March 20, 2013

This quilt was inspired by a rug that I saw on Pinterest (here is the original photo). A previous pinner had mentioned how rad the rug would look as a quilt and OH MAN, I loved that idea.

I kept it simple. Black and white. Black and white. Black and white.

The top was easy – solid colored triangles sewn together following this method. I sewed strips and then sewed the strips together.

The tricky part was figuring out how I would quilt it all together. I decided NOT to try and wrestle it through my sewing machine and instead hand-stitched it. I used black hand quilting thread and went around about 80% of the black triangles. (Not all.. just enough to hold it together.) Unlike some of the other quilts I have worked on, this means the stitching that holds it all together is hidden on the front side.

But it's super obvious on the backside. I went with the same off-white as the front and so the black stitching shows there almost like random constellations.

I bound with just black fabric as well. It would have been fun to add a pop of color but really, black and white was the name of the game here.

I love the pattern and am so happy with how it turned out…except… I made a rookie mistake and it's a bit too small for our bed. I have to realize that our thick mattress needs a king-sized cover, not a queen. But, I've got a plan to make this work as bedding. Hoping it all comes together and I'll share soon!
i love march.

March 19, 2013

art.com Pablo Picasso print, sweet goods NYC vintage hanging planter, old navy maternity swimsuit, braxton studio cradle rocking chair, c.wonder brass letter, urban outfitters wall decal, ikea patio dining chair

It appears seating is the name of the game lately. I bought that small rocking chair (yep, I know it's just an imitation of the real deal) and I'm loving it but we are going to wait on patio furniture until Paul comes home. I am a little obsessed with that Pablo Picasso art and think it would be awesome in our bedroom as part of an art wall I have planned. AND THAT SWIMSUIT! I cannot say enough good things. I have a few bachelorette parties and a wedding this spring, all of which will involve some laying by the pool and I am thrilled to have found something cute and flattering (and at a great price!).

There is so much to love this March.
getting started growing.

March 18, 2013

My intention this month is to get my container garden all planted and I am sort of doing it in stages based on what I find. We have more backyard space now, but because I already know what I am doing with containers, I am going to stick with them again this spring and hopefully try something more ambitious next year.

I lined up a bunch of containers against the sunny side of the house. Most are the same as last year, but I also added some 16 gallon galvanized tubs (we drilled holes in the bottom for water drainage). It's not too pretty yet, but eventually, those plants will grow and we'll have something more exciting to look at (and eat!).

This is my second run at a small vegetable garden and I'm already ahead of where I was last year. My tomatoes are in larger pots AND they are already caged and spiked. Ideally I'll be doing less replanting this season.

I have many more empty containers waiting for plants and would like to bring in more basil (we LOVE pesto) and another variety or two of tomatoes (we are trying cherry tomatoes this year!). I also have an artichoke plant and am looking for another new and different vegetable. I'm having trouble finding a perfect plant shop like I had in Oxnard but the hunt continues. Any San Diego locals have recommendations for where I can buy great vegetable seedlings?

I really enjoyed tending a garden last year and hope it's as rewarding this season.