Home is where you rest your head.

I love these pillows. Wait, love is not a strong enough word. I think I adore them and want to bring them to the Pink House and look at them all day. I commend the artist's attention to detail. Did you get a good look at the Maine coastline?! It's unbelievable. I can practically see the beach where I spent summers as a child.

Putting a heart on the pillow to mark the location of the capital is a sweet touch as well. Although I've never been to Kev's homestate of Nebraska, I think of it fondly. Especially since I love eating cow. And that's what I think of when I think of Nebraska (who cares if Kev isn't from the country but instead is from the city?).

The good news is that custom orders are accepted, so if your state of choice is not currently listed as available in LoveCalifornia's shop, you can still get your mitts on one. Another great touch of personalization is the color choice- LoveCalifornia will let you choose what shade you want your state to be.

Yet another great deal is the size of the pillows. We're not talking teeny tiny hand-sized pillows. We're talking useful-sized pillows. The Maine pillow measures 17 inches from top to bottom. That's normal-sized! I hate finding something I love online only to discover it's miniscule. How am I supposed to appreciate something I can barely see?

Kudos to LoveCalifornia for making me want a pillow shaped like Maine.

This is what blogging is all about anyway, right?

I do not hand-write much of anything anymore. I journal on a private blog and I write for two public blogs.

The only thing I write these days are "To-Do" lists and Christmas cards.

The journals in this Etsy shop are very good motivators for rededicating oneself to putting ink on paper, as is the quirky Scrabble journal I received from Andi.

Do pretty notebooks inspire you to push away the keyboard and pick up a pen instead?

For the car lover in you.

Kev is selling both of his Subaru Justys. If you're interested in the stats, head over to KSL classifieds and check them out here. Please spread the word so I can get them out of my driveway and into someone else's!

Amore

Really, what is it about birds that is so sweet? Why am I willing to pay $25 for this photograph when it's only 8X8?

Because it has two fat-bellied birds on a wire. A sight I can often see from my desk at work. I love it when moments like this are preserved.

Find this print and many others at Alicia Bock's Etsy store.

I love hippos because in real life they are SO ugly.

I need to visit the Hogle Zoo this summer because it's been too long since my last trip (probably junior high!).

I'd like to remind myself how ugly hippos are in real life.

These cute friends are from PlanetJune's Etsy shop.

Gettin' the juices flowin'

I told Kev I want to consider making a mobile for my pilates buddy.

The part that he's supposed to care about? I want to make it with rock climbing holds. Kev has a lot to choose from, and he even suggested using alphabet or number holds. Cute, huh?

We'll have to see what ends up working. After all, I don't want to do a shoddy job and end up clobbering my pilates buddy with a porcelain letter "A" as she rests in her crib. I'm thinking regular holds will work best since their holes are drilled in the center and can easily be hung to hang interesting-side-down for baby's viewing pleasure.

Have you ever made a baby toy or accessory out of non-traditional materials?

My pilates buddy's parisian pal

Polly decided to skip Paris and come to the Pink House instead because (including shipping) she was less than $6 on Etsy. I think that's a good deal for a one-way trip.

Besides being a screamin' deal, Polly is organic and she is machine washable. Gotta love handmade items that are still extremely practical.

March of Dimes

I was browsing a blog today and realized there's an opportunity for service right now.

Heather is participating in the March of Dimes for babies and she's accepting donations. Additionally, she has an Etsy shop up and running through which you can donate and receive a tangible warm fuzzy in addition to the intangible ones.

Please donate either here at the March of Dimes site for Heather, or purchase something from her Etsy shop.

Une bebe et moi.

La petite bebe jolie et moi.

Nikki and I attended a baby shower for a mutual friend and I got to play with Nik's wee one for a little while. She is just so great with the camera. She almost always seems to smile for a photo.

Well done, Nik, well done.

Too much of a good thing?

I can't decide if I like these boots or not. I think I'd be more inclined to like them if the toe wasn't round. It's possible that a pointed toe automatically makes me like a pair of shoes.

Hooters and pearls.

Is there anything better than a fat bird or owl? I think not. With spring time upon the Pink House, I get to enjoyt he chirps and tweets of all the birds who have returned. I haven't encountered any owls though... except for the fake one sitting in my neighbor's yard.

This tubby little guy is definitely less unsettling to run into first thing in the morning.

On a much-less subtle note, I also love this pearl necklace.

Yes, I am obsessed with Canada.

Perhaps being born and mostly-raised in Maine is what instilled within me a great love for our neighbors to the north. Perhaps it's my life-long exposure to Anne of Green Gables that prompted me to become enamored with the luscious, cold, green land that is also known as America's Hat.

It's difficult to pinpoint the source of my adoration. But I just know that I love Canada.

This print can be found in English Muffin's Etsy shop (naturally, my go-to for art these days).

As the bump gets bigger, the dresses get shorter.

I had to add two maxi dresses to my wardrobe last week. Many of my other knee-length dresses are not up to the task of accomodating my expanding belly while simultaneously covering my legs.

So I jumped on the band wagon and picked up some inexpensive finds at Ross. I was looking around for more options and while this dress is twice what I paid for either of my Ross dresses, it's still worth a second glance.

And since I'm in Sandy so often to visit my brother, I may as well stop by the Forever21 down town and try some of their maxis. It's nice not worrying about adjusting anything while at work or church. I just layer a maxi over a wonder tee and call it good. It's weird to wear flats instead of heels, but I think they're a must when wearing a maxi.

This DownEast maxi is also a great find, and I'm partial to it in black. I didn't think I'd like maxi dresses (because I'm only about 5'4") but if you get just the right length for your body type you can totally pull off.

Delight in DSW.

Kev and I did a little shopping on Friday night and he said if I was quick I could window shop in DSW.

Nine West is the best. Even if they don't photograph well via my cell phone.

Remember when?

My younger brother and I had a plethora of toys growing up. It was both good and bad that we're so close in age. I had millions of Barbies that he could de-head and fling about, and in turn I hurled his Ninja Turtles at rocks in the yard. We played with Legos, Matchbox cars, micro-mini machines, PlayMobile, and yes... Lincoln Logs.

Searching prints on Etsy I found this one that really took me back. I'm happy to see that sets of Lincoln logs are available on Amazon! The only problem will be convincing Maddie they're toys for the human child and not her. Perhaps she can find some wood scraps in the garage (she's very skilled in that respect) and both child and dog can be pacified.

Help for Haiti

I'm sure it's only a matter of time until relief shirts are created for the Chilean/Pacific Island disasters. Until we can offer help there, we can purchase these $25 tees. 100% of proceeds go to Haiti relief.

It feels good to donate, and it also feels good to get a little something as a memento of your service. For a list of other organizations that offer tees in return for a donation, go here.

Please tell me you remember this movie!

I am always quoting this movie and singing the weird songs and picturing those ugly cartoon bad guys. I almost peed my pants when I came across this knitted version of Roger Rabbit last week.
Isn't he fabulous?

Word on the street is you can win a rug from my girl Jess.

Want it? Win it over at Jess' blog. There are four ways to enter so don't waste any time, k?

Go find a giveaway

Jess is doing another giveaway on her blog that I think you must check out. Since it's time for spring cleaning, this is the perfect opportunity to get a little something fresh and new for your house. I know right where I'd put this in my Pink House, that's for sure.

To enter, head over to Jess' blog and leave a comment (also, take a minute to get THREE other entries too). Good luck!

Oh, and don't be surprised if I show up at your house crying if you win and I don't.

This little piggy...

I've heard of sock monkeys but never a sock pig. This design is so cute. So plump, and has a tiny little tail to boot!

Isn't it great? I really really need to learn how to knit and sew and crochet. If you're like me and don't have those skills either, then go to Addieology's Etsy shop and find a little something to fill the void.

Everything about this shop is so awesome.

Have you checked out The Doom Girls yet on Etsy? It's fabulous. Who doesn't know a sassy, saucy, grumpy little girl like the ones depicted in these prints?

Two things I'm not into.

I don't think your baby girl looks ugly in a giant headband, but please don't expect me to put one on my own child. She will probably be bald until she's two, and I'm okay with people thinking she's a boy.

Another thing I'm not into? 4D ultrasounds. When I received my first one last month, I discreetly tucked it away and have refused to look at it since. I don't think they're adorable. I think they're creepy. As long as the doctor can see that my pilates buddy is healthy, then I'm fine. I don't need to see that mushy ultrasound myself. People always told me "oh you'll LOVE it when it's your own baby." I'm sorry, but I do not.

That's all for now.

Almost too cute for words.

Look! There's my little pink house! I found this Etsy shop and fell head over heels in love. It's called LittlePinkHouse and I was drawn to it for the charm and detail each piece has- whether it's a print, felted cards or an original felted piece in a hoop ring.

Melissa also does custom orders, and I think she could definitely make something fabulous for my little pilates buddy. We shall see what my pink house tells me it needs.

East coast, represent.

AH. Love this. Cute little lobster chubbikin. From here. If he was real, I would totally eat him. No butter, please.

Still on the hunt

I love and regularly use my pyrex collection (scored on KSL). I'd still like to add to the collection I've accumulated. Kev found a couple of pieces for me at Christmas time and I was so surprised. He's sneaky.

The hearts casserole dish is my new favorite. The only problem with finding these items online is paying the shipping costs. I need to stick to Kev's tried-and-true method of browsing thrift stores and taking my time on the prowl. Now if I could just find the time to spend a day in all of Ogden's awesome thrift shops.

photos link to sources on Etsy

$8 shipping, are you serious?

This set is an additional 20% off, but shipping completely cancels out that discount. Totally lame. It's too bad I can't go to Freeport for free and shop all the outlets (including Ralph Lauren) for what would usually be over-priced-but-is-now-insanely-discounted baby gear.



Don't even get me started on the jumpers they have on their website.

J. Crew mini-me

Should I be the kind of mom who matches her daughter? Or is that just sad?

It's a good thing I can't afford to shop at J. Crew. Even the outlet store in Freeport is too expensive for me.

I do love this little girl's ring though. And at $15 it isn't a ridiculous expense. We'll see if my pilates buddy develops an appreciation for rings as I have over the years.