The Pretty Bee

Cozy.

2012-01-26T09:31:00.000-05:00

I love this print from Grace Hester Designs. We are all about cozy these days...there are certain shirts that I wear that my son says, "Mama, you are so cozy in this shirt." Lots of cuddling and coziness has been happening, I assume because he knows a big change is coming. But even though it will be an adjustment, I know there is plenty of room in our cozy nest for one more!

It's getting crowded in there...me at 39+ weeks.

2012-01-25T08:00:00.001-05:00

I am still feeling really good, but man, does it feel crowded in there these days!

Here is an artist's rendering of what it feels like inside:

It looks pretty busy in there, doesn't it? ;)

So, we'll see when this little one arrives, I've mentioned to him/her that any day now is just fine! I had a dream the other night that I had had the baby and it was in an incubator for some reason, and first it was a girl, but then it changed into a boy. How's that for an ambiguous pregnancy dream? Most people are saying girl, but honestly I have no idea...I just don't have a feeling either way.

We shall see...

Cream of Potato Soup.

2012-01-24T16:33:00.001-05:00

This soup is sooooooo good, we double the recipe because we like it so much. And we top it with bacon and cheese. Perfect for cold winter days!

Cream of Potato Soup

Ingredients

3 c. diced Yukon Gold potatoes
1/2 c. diced green onion
1/2 c. diced celery
1 carton chicken broth
2 c. milk
1 c. sour cream
2 T. flour (gluten free flour blend works just fine)

Method

Bring first four ingredients to a boil. Cover and cook until vegetables are tender. Do not overcook.

Add 1 c. milk to pot. In bowl, stir together 2 T. flour, 1 c. milk, 1 c. sour cream until blended. Add to pot. Cook until thickened, stir frequently.

Add bacon or ham if desired. Enjoy!

Sale still going on...

2012-01-24T09:41:00.002-05:00

Hi ladies,

My SHOP SALE is still going, since this little one is still tucked safely inside of me! Everything is 29% off and you can enjoy FREE shipping as well with the code SHIP4FREE!

Once the baby comes the shop will be closed until the spring!

I'll be back soon with an awesome cream of potato soup recipe! We made it the other day and it was soooooo good!

How You Know You're Nearing the End of Pregnancy.

2012-01-19T14:52:00.000-05:00

{ 38.5 week belly }

So here I am, almost 39 weeks, and here's my little list of how to know you are near the end of pregnancy:

:: You are doing bizarre nesting things. Like dusting the top of the medicine cabinet in the bathroom, cleaning the pantry, obsessively checking the ceiling and corners for cobwebs, and making sure that there are no out of date cans in the cupboard. I'm pretty sure the baby won't care about any of those things. :)

:: Helping your son set up a wooden train track is equivalent to an aerobic workout.

:: Most of your shirts no longer cover the bottom 1/4 of your belly.

:: You visit the bathroom approximately 1,536 times a day.

:: You will do anything to avoid wearing socks. I have been wearing flats without socks all winter, but today it snowed, so I may have to break out the socks and do contortionist like moves to get them on my feet.

:: The baby moving in your belly at night looks like an alien lives in there.

:: You think about and imagine the new baby all. the. time.

I wonder when this little one will arrive! Anyone care to take a guess at the birthday? The "due date" is January 29.

Lately...

2012-01-18T09:49:00.003-05:00

:: I look like a giant orange trapezoid when I wear my orange, wool, A-line winter coat.

:: Is that not enough of an image for you? I don't have a photo, but through the magic of Picnik, I can show you what I look like:

:: The baby is head down, so I feel all the hiccups down low.

:: Sleeping is a little rough...my bladder feels like it has the capacity of a thimble. But that's okay, God is just getting me ready for all the late night feedings.

:: It was my birthday yesterday, and no baby. Darryl had predicted the baby would arrive on my birthday, but I guess we each get to have our own special day.

:: I am amazed at how strong this baby feels! I don't know if it is just really strong, or if I feel everything more because everything has been stretched out before.

:: I'm still enjoying having this little one inside of me!

:: I am super excited to find out if we have a little boy or girl!

Keep Calm.

2012-01-16T11:03:00.006-05:00

I decided to make a little printable about birth. You know all those popular "Keep Calm and Carry On" posters out there, with all their endless variations? Keep calm and fish on, keep calm and knit on, keep calm and read on, keep calm and dance on...

There weren't any about birth, so I made one, just for fun. I think once labor hits, that's about all you can do...pray, work with your body and keep calm. Our bodies were designed to birth babies!

Feel free to print it out if you want to! I have the original size saved on my computer, 8x10, if anyone wants that size, you can email me: theprettybee[at!]gmail.com

UPDATE: I've uploaded it to a file sharing site, so you can { click here } to downland the grey 8x10! And I've added one in { aqua and black } as well.

Thank you to Birth Without Fear for posting this on your blog! If you haven't visited BWF before, you should! Tons of awesome info and amazing birth stories as well!

Favorite White Bean Chicken Chili.

2012-01-13T08:13:00.001-05:00

It's chili season, so here is our favorite chicken chili recipe. I am sharing the original recipe, and also the changes I've made to it in red.

White Bean Chicken Chili - from Desperation Dinners

Ingredients

1 pound skinless, boneless chicken breast halves - rotisserie chicken meat, shredded

1 teaspoon olive oil

1 large onion (for 1 cup chopped) - 1 cup frozen chopped onion

1 tablespoon bottled minced garlic - three fresh garlic cloves, minced

1 can (15 ounces) Great Northern white beans

1 can (19 ounces) cannellini beans (white Italian kidney beans) - 1 can garbanzo beans

1 can (4 1/2 ounces) chopped green chilies- half of a jar of medium salsa verde

1 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin

1 teaspoon white pepper

1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper

1 can (14 ounces) fat-free chicken broth

2 tablespoons cornstarch

2 tablespoons water

1/2 cup already shredded Monterey Jack Cheese, optional garnish

1/4 cup reduced fat sour cream, optional garnish

Method

1. If the chicken is frozen run it under hot water so you can remove any of the packaging. Place the chicken on a microwave-safe plate and microwave 2 minutes, uncovered on high, to begin defrosting.

2. Meanwhile, heat the oil on medium heat in a 4-1/2 quart Dutch oven or soup pot. Peel and coarsely chop the onion, adding it to the pot as you chop. Stir occasionally to prevent sticking.

3. Cut the chicken (fresh or partially thawed) into bite-size chinks and add it to the pot. Add the garlic and continue to cook, stirring occasionally.

4. While the chicken cooks, rinse and drain both cans of beans and drain the chilies. Add the beans, chilies, cumin, white and cayenne peppers and broth to the pot. Raise the heat to high and cover the pot. Bring the chili to a boil. Meanwhile, combine the water and cornstarch in a small container that has a lid. Shake well to remove any lumps.

5. When the chili boils, the chicken should be cooked through. Add the cornstarch mixture a little at a time, stirring constantly. Continue to boil until the chili reaches the desired thickness. Remove from the heat until ready to serve. Garnish with cheese and sour cream, if desired. We also like it with cornbread.

Enjoy!

Shop SALE.

2012-01-12T08:57:00.000-05:00

My entire shop is still 29% off! Plus my readers can enjoy FREE SHIPPING with the coupon code SHIP4FREE.

2012-01-10T09:09:00.000-05:00

This verse is helping me lately...as I near the end of pregnancy, I tend to get a little anxious, which is not helpful. But God is in control, everything is in His hands...there is no need to worry. His mercies are new every morning, from actually sleeping for four hours straight, to feeling the baby move within me, strong and healthy, to taking care of little things like making it easy on me as I tell my violin students I am retiring from teaching when the baby comes.

God is good, and faithful, even when I am not.

*you can print out the verse if you like, just right click to save and then print the desired size.

This Week...

2012-01-06T08:00:00.002-05:00

I think I've eaten my weight in clementines...they are so good right now!

{ 36.5 week belly }

This baby is getting bigger! I've done some hospital packing, and we went on the tour the other night. I can't believe we are getting so close to my due date!

I did a big Christmas clean up, and left out a few wintry decorations.

I announced my big pre-baby shop sale. Save 29% on your entire order until the baby comes!

And I think that's enough to have done when you are as pregnant as I am. :)

Have a wonderful weekend!

Before and After: Hall Closet Turned Changing Station.

2012-01-04T08:00:00.006-05:00

So, when your house is not huge, sometimes you have to get creative with your storage solutions. We have a three bedroom house, but the third bedroom is a "music room" that has a piano, keyboard and a couple guitars stored in there, not to mention all kinds of other stuff that has nowhere else to go. This presented a little problem for where to put the new baby's stuff. Not the new baby, because we believe in sharing a bedroom with our little ones for quite awhile, and the bassinet and crib fit in there just fine. But a dresser/changing table, diapers, clothes, etc.

We decided that it would be okay with us to do away with our hall closet and turn it into a changing station/storage area for the baby.

Here is the closet before:

And here it is after!

Look at the teeny clothes! Dresser from IKEA.

Froggy lamp from IKEA.

We had to remove a shelf, so that there would be enough room to maneuver in there, and then we painted it with some paint we had leftover from another project. I added navy blue dragonfly decals from TweetHeartWallArt. The teal changing pad cover is from LittleOwlsNest.

I love our little changing nook! It's right off of the living room, so it's convenient, and until we can get into a bigger house, I think that it works very nicely.

Linking up to:
Tatertots and Jello
Flamingo Toes
Whipperberry

Tickle Me Tuesday: Pregnancy Must Haves.

2012-01-03T09:41:00.001-05:00

Well, here I am in the last few weeks of pregnancy, where it starts to get a little uncomfortable (but not too bad!). These are the things that are helping me right now:

For dry hands, this is my favorite lotion...Love and Toast's Grapefruit Sugar. It's a lot cheaper at Whole Foods. (Weird, when have you heard that before? :) It's usually the opposite.

Bob's Mill Steel Cut Oats...tons of fiber, and super good for a nice warm winter breakfast. I like to put flax seed, butter, brown sugar and berries on mine.

Unfortunately I have developed pregnancy induced carpal tunnel syndrome in the last couple weeks. Wearing this wrist brace helps A LOT, especially when I sleep.

Black Old Navy Maternity Leggings...SUPER comfortable, and very cute with boots. At this point I am either wearing these or yoga pants.

Linking up with Sarah for Tickle Me Tuesday.

P.S. Don't forget about my huge shop SALE going on from now until the baby arrives!

What's been going on.

2012-01-02T09:46:00.000-05:00

Happy New Year! I hope you all had a wonderful holiday season! Here's what's been going on here while the blog was quiet last week...

I'm now 36 weeks along! Yay! That means the baby could be here in a week, or in six weeks...

I had a big nesting urge and unpacked and washed all of my son's gender neutral newborn clothes. They are all neatly folded and nestled in dresser drawers, waiting...

My husband bought me this pretty plum diaper bag from Tippy Thai. It is now packed with the essentials and with baby's going home from the hospital outfit.

My husband also got me a kindle for Christmas, and I've been reading lots of birth stories...I love reading birth stories! So inspiring. Kindle cover from BritGalDesigns.

On the agenda this week: take down the tree, hospital tour and big brother class, and more cleaning/nesting.

SHOP UPDATE:

And on that note, my etsy shop will be closed for awhile once the baby is born...I'm not sure how long, probably for at least three months, maybe longer. So since the due date is the 29th, I've marked everything down by 29%. I really want to clear out some inventory. I've added a Valentine Jewelry section, in case you want to do your shopping early! The discount is not valid on custom or bridal orders.

2012-01-01T10:43:00.003-05:00

SALE.

2011-12-29T08:00:00.000-05:00

Save 20%....shop right HERE.

Poinsettias.

2011-12-26T10:42:00.000-05:00

We're just taking it easy here...trying to continue the holiday feeling for as long as possible. I am not the one who tosses the tree to the curb on the 26th, are you? Although I did change the holiday banner on my blog this morning to something new and light.

Hope you all had a wonderful Christmas weekend!

Merry Christmas.

2011-12-24T08:00:00.002-05:00

May you find hope and joy in the birth of Christ this season! Merry Christmas!

Last Minute Felt Wreath, and Stockings.

2011-12-23T12:00:00.003-05:00

I love felt wreaths...a wreath form, some felt and a glue gun, and voila! In a short while you have an awesome, colorful creation! I cut the strips of felt in a zig zag pattern this year, and added a little bow. Here is my wreath from last year.

Have any of you made a holiday wreath lately?

And I made another little felt project. Someone in this household loves Thomas the Train, so I embellished a $1.00 Target stocking and came up with:

My mom made me a felt stocking when I was little, and I still treasure it:

Hers is a lot more detailed...look at all the sequins and stitch work! I love it.

Have a wonderful weekend!

Last Minute Recipe: Rosemary Spiced Pecans.

2011-12-23T08:00:00.003-05:00

I love to make spiced nuts at this time of year, and these are a favorite.

Rosemary Spiced Nuts

from Everyday Food.

Ingredients

2 cups mixed nuts, such as cashews, walnuts, and pecans (I just used pecans)
4 tablespoons (1/2 stick) butter
1/3 cup packed light-brown sugar
1 teaspoon chopped fresh rosemary
Coarse salt

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. On a rimmed baking sheet, roast nuts until golden, 12 to 15 minutes. Line another baking sheet with parchment paper; set aside.

2. In a large skillet, heat butter, sugar, and rosemary over medium-high. Add nuts; stir until butter mixture is golden brown, 3 to 5 minutes.

3. Spread nuts on prepared baking sheet; season with salt. Cool to room temperature, tossing occasionally, about 15 minutes.

Enjoy!

Last Minute Ornament Ideas.

2011-12-22T09:39:00.001-05:00

We made a lot of ornaments this year. My four year old loves anything that involves paint and glitter, so here are the projects that kept us entertained, and look pretty, too!

I found out about these glitter dusted ornaments from this post. We used the clear plastic bulbs from Michael's, they were about .40 each. A little hairspray and my favorite Martha Stewart glitter, and they look like "real" store bought ornaments. So easy!

Martha's glitter is the best! It's very fine, coats everything evenly, and really sparkles.

The other thing we did with the clear plastic bulbs was to take several colors of acrylic paint and drizzle it inside and then twist and turn the ornament until the plastic was all coated. This little project has been around forever, but it's so fun because you never know how it will turn out. Once you're done, drain the ornament upside down in an egg carton to catch all the paint that will run out and let the inside dry off. Once dry, pop the little metal top back on.

I mentioned these woodcuts from Michael's before, we gave them a good dose of glitter as well.

Lastly, I found these little round mirror ornaments from Michael's and used paint pens to draw designs or names on them. I gave these out as gifts to my violin students this year.

What crafty things have you been up to this holiday season?

Christmas Favorites.

2011-12-21T07:46:00.001-05:00

favorite sight: Christmas lights, indoors and out, white or colorful

favorite sound: Christmas songs on the radio, especially the Drifter's White Christmas

favorite smell: fresh cut evergreens, orange and clove from making pomanders, cinnamon, cookies baking, bacon and biscuits and gravy on Christmas morning

favorite taste: peanut butter kiss cookies, sweet and spicy almonds, hot chocolate

favorite touch: cozy cuddling with our family of three on Christmas morning, kicks and twists and turns from this winter baby

What are your Christmas favorites?

34.5 Weeks.

2011-12-20T13:53:00.000-05:00

34 Weeks! Yikes! Where has the time gone! I am still feeling good, although restless legs have made an appearance and sleeping is sometimes a problem. That's one thing that's different about this pregnancy.

An update:
:: still have heartburn (as I've mentioned)
:: this baby gets the hiccups more often than my son did...very cute
:: when I lay down at night, this baby gets pretty crazy...it's a party in there
:: starting to feel like this is real...imagining a fourth person in our little family!
:: getting a little more tired...an hour of shopping is more than enough. Which was perfect, because that's how long it took to hit three stores this afternoon and get my errands done.
:: craving citrus...especially oranges

Necklace from my shop.

Earring of the Week.

2011-12-19T09:21:00.000-05:00

The last Earring of the Week in 2011...find it right HERE.

3 Things you can say to a pregnant woman.

2011-12-17T15:25:00.000-05:00

{ baby bump last week at 33.5 weeks }

I read this on Mama Birth the other day.

There are only three things you should say to a pregnant woman:

1. "You look great!"

2. "Would you like to sit down?"

3. "Would you like a cookie?"

I heartily agree. No need to comment on one's expanding belly, frequency of bathroom trips, etc.

Happy Saturday!

Flourless Peanut Butter Kiss Cookies.

2011-12-16T08:00:00.002-05:00

This is my favorite holiday cookie right now, and the peanut butter base is even richer because it's flourless. We made these yesterday morning and I ate three of them immediately while the kiss was still melty. Yum! And peanut butter is protein, so it's okay, right? :)

Flourless Peanut Butter Kiss Cookies
adapted from Everyday Food Magazine

Ingredients

1 cup creamy peanut butter
3/4 cup sugar
1 large egg (lightly beaten)
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
extra sugar for rolling
Hershey Kisses

1. Preheat oven to 350° , with racks in upper and lower thirds. In a large bowl, stir together peanut butter, sugar, egg, baking soda, and salt until well combined.

2. With moistened hands, roll dough, about 1 heaping tablespoon at a time, into balls. Roll in sugar and place 2 inches apart on two baking sheets.

3. Bake until cookies are golden and puffed, 12 to 14 minutes, rotating sheets from top to bottom and front to back halfway through. Press a Hershey Kiss into the center of each cookie. Cool 5 minutes on sheets; transfer cookies to racks to cool completely.

What are you baking these days?

We've Decked Our Halls.

2011-12-14T20:33:00.004-05:00

So I thought I'd show you our Christmas decorations this year. I'll be honest...I didn't do as much as I usually do. As I looked at the tons and tons of boxes and bins of Christmas decorations, my two thoughts were:

1. Everything I put up will have to be taken down again in a month, and I'll be one month more pregnant than I am right now.

2. Is my four year old going to break this?

So our main decoration is the tree, which we picked out about ten days ago. We went with a Frasier fir and got it from Lowe's this year.

Do I have a bee ornament, you ask? Of course I do!

We put up a fair number of ornaments, but also made a lot of them this year as well. We found these neat woodcuts from Michael's and glittered them up:

We did put on a few breakables...just near the top!

We like the tree at night!

I have two Nativities, and this year I put out the one we got the first year we were married. I bought the figures from the Dollar Tree, and the stable from Wal Mart...it was not a big investment. Our other Nativity, the one from Willow Tree, stayed packed up, because I knew that Mary, Joseph and Baby Jesus would probably get played with. And they have. I just didn't want this Christmas season to be filled with, "Don't touch that!"

We made these cute snowman candle holders with our play group.

This little area is in my teaching room. The little sparkly tree helps keep me in a good mood when the lessons aren't going well. :)

Other crafts we've done so far are the Advent Calendar, and colorful felt trees.

Outside we went with all white lights.

We kept it simple this year, and I think that's okay. It's cozy and Christmasy here, and I'm not all stressed, which is always a good thing at this time of year.

I'm linking up with the Nester's Tour of Homes, and the Thrifty Decor Chick's Christmas Tree Party.

Cold Hands, Warm Hearts Swap.

2011-12-14T07:43:00.004-05:00

I participated in the Cold Hands, Warm Hearts Swap again this year...and it was so fun to get a pretty package in the mail. I've been so busy shipping packages out, it was nice to receive something in the mail for a change!

I was paired up with Erika, who blogs over at Rouge and Whimsy and lives in Seattle. She also has an adorable Etsy shop where she sells her cute accessories like pillow covers, headbands and earrings.

Here's Erika:

Look at her, in her cute litttle black and white coat!

And here's what was in the package she sent:

:: cozy argyle gloves
:: this sleep mask from her shop
:: two yummy and unusual flavors of chocolate from a Seattle based chocolate company

I love the cute little drawings on the wrappers!

And it was all wrapped really nicely, but I was so excited I ripped it open before taking a photo. (oops).

Thanks, Erika, for the fun package, and thanks, Sandy and Ilene for hosting again this year!

Healthy, Helping Foods for Pregnancy (or anytime).

2011-12-13T09:58:00.001-05:00

I thought I'd share what foods are helping me during this pregnancy. There are so many healthy choices, obviously, but these are a few of the things that I have around all the time, and I regularly crave them.

1. Kiwi. Kiwi has a ton of Vitamin C (150%) of your daily requirement, and a good amount of fiber as well (so important when digestion slows way down). We just slice them in half and scoop out the fruit with a spoon.

2. Nuts. I try to eat a lot of nuts, especially now that I found out my iron is a little low. I keep them in my purse, and they are a good source of protein. I find that when I get hungry when I'm out it goes from "I'm a little hungry," to "I need a snack right now or I'm going to pound someone," really quickly, so it's good to have nuts and other snacks with me at all times. :)

3. Eggs. I eat more eggs during pregnancy because of the high protein content and because of the Omega 3's which are so good for my baby's brain. Farm fresh, cage free are the best and have the most Omega 3's.

4. Dark Chocolate (at least 70%). I love dark chocolate anyway, but it is a healthy treat in moderation, especially since it has a good amount of iron. My favorite brand is Green and Black's Organic 70% Dark.

What foods did you crave during pregnancy?

Linking up with Sarah.

Earring of the Week.

2011-12-12T18:42:00.000-05:00

Need a stocking stuffer? You can find this week's earring of the week right here.

Candy Cane Lane...I Heart Macro.

2011-12-11T10:34:00.000-05:00

We have the tree decorated, candy canes and all...and we only lost two of them in the process. Pretty good! We usually wind up with a lot of broken pieces due to hasty little hands. :)

Linking up here:

NEW in the shop...and a coupon code.

2011-12-09T14:00:00.004-05:00

I have some new statement necklaces in my shop, and this weekend you can get free shipping worldwide with the code SHIP4FREE.

Colorful Felt Tree...from Whoville.

2011-12-09T09:29:00.001-05:00

We made a little felt covered tree the other day for our Christmas "mantle" (the top of a bookshelf). On my wish list, a real mantle and fireplace someday!
I just took out my felt scraps and cut them into strips and then cut some slits for fringe.

Then we wrapped them around a Styrofoam cone and glued them in place.

That's it...it was a very easy and preschooler friendly project. I think the colors we chose are a little bright...it reminds me of a tree you'd find in Whoville. :) You could tone it down, though!

Subway art printable from eighteen25, Joy print from me. :)

Linking up to:
Whipperberry
Tatertots and Jello
Fingerprints on the Fridge

{ some cheer and a winner }

2011-12-08T14:14:00.001-05:00

from hairbrainedschemes.

This all sounds good to me...except for the ice skating part, I don't think an eight months pregnant lady on skates would be pretty. We do have a gingerbread house to make though! And we need to watch Elf, we haven't done that yet either.

The Fancies and Whimsies winner is commenter #17, Amanda! Congratulations!

It's 8 am and I'm Practicing Bokeh.

2011-12-06T08:48:00.003-05:00

Today it's early, and I'm up, so I decided to practice photographing the tree lights...wanting to get a nice bokeh. I've wanted to do that since last January when I got this camera.

Today it has snowed...the first snowfall that has covered the ground and trees.

Today my Christmas decorations are out, some up, some waiting to be put up.

Yesterday, and the three days prior, were filled with stress, as my laptop, (less than two years old) decided to die on me during the busiest season of the year when I had 35 orders to ship.

I had a stomach ache and was filled with worry as I tried to take care of business without the right tools. Also our clothes dryer broke, and the repairman said it was fixed, but it's not. I haven't done laundry in an embarrassing amount of time.

Yesterday I was thankful as God provided a new laptop for an incredible price (this is the time of year to shop for technology, that's for sure), and I started to work on filling all the orders.

Yesterday I completed all the orders, learned about this new computer, and started to relax. Christmas music and Panera Chicken Noodle Soup helped.

Today we are relaxing here...Christmas crafting and decorating, sending our Christmas cards, and thinking about what this season is really about.

God is good.

Linking up with Sarah.

Our Advent Calendar.

2011-12-02T11:02:00.002-05:00

Happy December! We made an Advent Calendar this year, in my favorite color scheme, aqua + red. I had been admiring these calendars on Etsy, but I didn't want to spend that much. I used Kraft paper jewelry boxes that I had on hand, and decorated them with Washi tape and red sticker letters and numbers.

I found large wooden letters to spell JOY, painted them red, and affixed everything to a piece of hobby wood I got at JoAnn's for about $3.00 with my trusty hot glue gun. It was pretty simple, it just took awhile to decorate each individual box.

Done! Since I had the boxes already, it was relatively inexpensive. I filled the boxes with stickers, chocolate and tiny toys.

Linking up to:

Tatertots and Jello
Flamingo Toes
Whipperberry
Be Different, Act Normal

31 weeks!

2011-11-30T08:00:00.017-05:00

:: This photo was from last week...now I'm 31+ weeks!

:: Still feeling very good, this baby is getting bigger and stronger everyday!

:: Ligaments are getting looser in order to get this baby out in a couple months...my ankle gave out and I fell the other day...not fun! I'm fine though, just a skinned knee.

:: No new cravings, but fruit and cereal with milk still taste awesome, my cereal of choice right now is Honey Nut Cheerios. Also homemade milkshakes are delicious.

:: The jeans I'm wearing are from the Gap, and they are the best maternity jeans ever. I wear them all the time, and the panel is super comfortable. You can find them here.

:: This is my 500th blog post! I can't believe it.

Pinwheel Necklace from my shop.

Wrap bracelet from Lee La La...we did a trade awhile back, she is so sweet. I love the pretty peridot beads.

Linking up with Lindsey.

Three Ingredients for Christmas Cheer.

2011-11-29T09:12:00.002-05:00

...this candle from Anthropologie is the perfect Christmas tree scent, and it's soy! Darryl found if for me.

...this has been my favorite winter lotion for years...I stock up the day after Christmas when it's 50% off. You can't have enough Christmas scent in my opinion.

...who doesn't love John Denver and the Muppets?

In other news, my laptop is on the fritz, so I haven't been able to visit so many blogs lately! Sorry about that, I'm hoping it gets back on its feet soon!

Linking up with Sarah.

Don't forget to enter yesterday's giveaway!

Giveaway: Fancies and Whimsies.

2011-11-28T08:00:00.006-05:00

Happy Cyber Monday, ladies! Today I'm excited to bring you a giveaway from Jessica of Fifteen Evergreen! Jessica is a fellow musician and crafter and a really sweet girl...let's get to know her a little better, shall we?

A little bit about me: hmmm....talking about myself is a little weird but here are some random facts about me (think what you will):

+ chocolate give me pimples (how's that for starters?)

+ i love tomatoes (although they give me headaches)

+ i (re)arrange my living room about once a month. sometimes more. this confuses my husband.

+ i collect old editions of children's books.

+ i love cheese. anywhere. anytime.

+ i play the viola. my husband plays the cello. we are obsessed with America's Test Kitchen.

+ we love God and our awesome church.

+ the office. (who didn't have a crush on jim halpert?) modern family. new girl. also anything with jack black in it.

+ i love to thrift.

+ i can't swim. or float. weird, i know. but it's true!

+ people often mistake me for a 12 year old. as in (at walmart) "are you old enough to use that credit card?" (true story!)

+ and lastly, because people ask me all the time: i am 1/2 columbian, 1/4 puerto rican, and 1/4 chinese (yes, chinese). i married a norwegian and danish bloke. our kids may look like zombies.
my shop: i started an etsy shop as a creative outlet and a way to earn extra income. i made some headbands for myself and got a lot of compliments! they were encouraging and from there i started making more and opened fancies and whimsies. i have different kinds of hair accessories like headbands, but also have little treasures i find in antique and vintage shops. there are always new products and they are one of a kind. i love to use different textures and colors!
my inspiration: i suppose it would be more poetic and romantic if i said something like "the air we breath and the nature around us," but who would believe that? ....but realistically: anthropologie (let's face it- walking in there is like inspiration overload), pinterest (who else is addicted?), and other shop owners. i could spend (and sometimes do) hours browsing other blogs and etsy shops for inspiration.

challenges of selling online: well, i'm not really the world's best networker, so i mainly let people find my shop on their own and don't advertise a bunch. i'm learning to be better at that sort of thing, but it's a process. (p.s. any advice about this is most certainly welcome!)
my favorite meal? ok, food is one of my 5 loves so picking a favorite meal is pretty much impossible. i grew up in NYC and had a fantastic cook for a mom, so i suppose i am a bit spoiled when it comes to food...i only have this once in a while, but seriously, how much better can you get than roast leg of lamb?

Today you can enter to win this cute and cozy upcycled scarf from Jessica's shop, Fancies and Whimsies.

And look at her adorable packaging! Perfect for the holidays!

You have three ways to enter - please leave a separate comment for each entry:

1. Visit Jessica's Etsy shop, Fancies and Whimsies and come back and tell me what your favorite item is. (Mandatory).

2. Follow Jessica's blog, Fifteen Evergreen.

3. Share this giveaway on Twitter, Facebook or your blog. You can use this:

Win a cute and cozy upcycled scarf on @theprettybee's blog! http://theprettybee.blogspot.com/2011/11/giveaway-fancies-and-whimsies.html

Good luck! The winner will be announced on Monday, December 5.

In the meantime, if you want to do some shopping, use the code THEBEESKNEES to save 10% in Jessica's shop.

Aqua Christmas Clipart.

2011-11-27T15:59:00.000-05:00

I love aqua for Christmas and winter decor...can you tell from my banner?

I found thse fun clipart collections and Christmas cards on Etsy:

from black leaf design.

from great graphics.

from mommies ink.

from whilst digital stash.

I especially love aqua + red for Christmas, and I love the retro feel to all these designs!

What are your favorite Christmas colors?

Black Friday.

2011-11-25T08:24:00.001-05:00

Today is Black Friday, and I'll be offering 15% off in my shop with the code THANKFUL through Monday night! I'm also offering a doorbuster...the first ten customers today will receive this hairpin free with their order:

And...last but not least, you can find tons of 5 and 7 dollar earrings in this section of the shop. Most of them are one of a kind, or very limited in supply.

Happy Shopping! I, for one, will be staying in today and shopping from my computer, and eating plenty of leftovers! How about you?

P.S. We may have a little giveaway this weekend over on my Facebook page...if you're not a fan, you'll miss it!

2011-11-24T11:21:00.002-05:00

Happy Thanksgiving, everyone!

Getting Ready.

2011-11-23T18:00:00.000-05:00

We did a little turkey craft today with Styrofoam, felt, glitter and pipe cleaners...aren't they festive?

Now I'm about to start baking an apple pie (thank you Whole Foods, for stocking gluten free pie crusts), and making creamed spinach gratin. This recipe is divine, Darryl requests it every year.

Tomorrow's agenda includes watching the parade on TV while drinking hot chocolate, and then an afternoon of eating and visiting.

Happy Thanksgiving!

Four Years Ago...A Birth Story.

2011-11-22T08:00:00.018-05:00

Four years ago today, my little man was born! He is such a gift from God...I can't believe he'll be a big brother soon. Happy Birthday!

I thought I would share my birth story...it's pretty long and detailed, but I thought it might encourage other moms-to-be who are considering a natural hospital birth.

look at those red lips! so kissable. :)

It was November 21, 2007, the day before Thanksgiving. My plans for the day included teaching violin lessons in the morning, eating lunch, baking a pumpkin spice cake for Thanksgiving, then teaching more students well into the evening. When I woke up that morning, I felt a little “off.” When I spoke to my dad on the phone, I told him that this was the first day of my pregnancy that I really didn’t feel great. It had been a very easy and enjoyable pregnancy, and now five days before my due date, I just felt a little yucky. I taught my morning lessons, amid trips to the bathroom with an upset tummy, and after I ate lunch, rested on the couch with Darryl to watch TV and relax for a few minutes. At about 1:30, I felt a tightening, much like the Braxton Hicks contractions I’d had before, but this one hurt a little bit. A little while later it happened again. I started to watch the clock, and noticed they were about 18-20 minutes apart. I wasn’t convinced it was labor yet. The next time I went to the bathroom, there was some blood. THAT surprised me. I decided it was labor and called my mom at work, who was super excited and said she would pray for me. I felt the best thing to do was to stay busy since I figured I had a long way to go. So I made my pumpkin spice layer cake and decided to go ahead and continue teaching, since these students weren’t going to get any lessons for at least six weeks. As I taught, I kept my eye on the clock and noticed the contractions getting closer and stronger.

At about 5:30, I decided to cancel my last two students and my husband and I went to Target and the mall to walk around and speed things along. We shopped and walked, and when I had a contraction I’d stop and focus for a minute, and would lean on him for strength. He would feel my belly during a contraction and was amazed at how rock hard it would get. We went home around 9:00, and I started to have a little more bleeding. I called my doctor and told her I was in labor and described the bleeding, and she said that was the mucus plug coming out, and bloody show. I was a little worried, so she suggested going over to the hospital to get checked, since we lived so close. I decided that I would feel better having someone check me and the baby, so off we went. Throughout this time I was eating lightly - toast, broth, graham crackers, water, etc., to keep my strength up, but not anything too heavy. I had read all about natural childbirth and really wanted to have an unmedicated birth. It was so strange though, because most people I mentioned this to were not too supportive, and said things like, “don’t try to be a hero.” It had nothing to do with being a hero, and everything to do with what was safest and best for my baby and me. I really wanted do get a good start nursing, and knew that an unmedicated birth was the way to do that.

At the hospital, they checked me and said I was 1.5 - 2 cm dilated, kind of discouraging to hear, as the contractions were starting to be more uncomfortable. They suggested walking around for an hour to see if my labor would progress. After an hour of walking and talking, my husband and I went back upstairs, and there was very little progress. Maybe half a centimeter. They said I should go home and rest, that I could stay at this dilation for days. I don’t think anyone believed I was truly in labor. They said to have a Happy Thanksgiving and not to starve myself, since once I was at the hospital for real, I wouldn’t be able to eat. Looking back, this was the best thing that could have happened. I think if I had stayed in the hospital, labor would not have progressed, and I may have been set up for many interventions.

We went home at about 12:30 am. I ate half an apple, but not much else. I went to bed and slept for a few hours, but woke up at about 5:00 am with a strong contraction. Somehow, I was able to sleep between each contraction. I started checking the clock when I woke up and noticed that they were about 5 minutes apart. I stayed in bed and dozed as long as I could, and when I couldn’t stand it anymore, I got up and into the shower. I stood in the shower with the spray on my back for quite awhile. That helped somewhat. Then I got up and went out to the couch and tried to curl up and read - not very comfortable. I woke Darryl up at 7:00 am to help me. I don’t think he believed it was labor, as I was very focused and quiet, not screaming and moaning. I draped myself over the birthing ball - yikes! That made things more intense. I called my mom and told her I didn’t think I could do this, it hurt too much. Now I know that that was the point before active labor and my hormones kicking in to help ease the pain.

At about 8:30, I decided we needed to go to the hospital. The ride to the hospital was uncomfortable. I tried to focus on my breathing, but every bump in the road made things worse. We arrived and got an awesome parking spot since it was Thanksgiving day. As we left the parking structure I had a BIG contraction. I hung onto Darryl and let him support all my weight as I hung there trying to relax. I felt that this contraction really accomplished something. We made it up to the Family Birth Center and checked in, and a nurse came to get us. As I walked to the triage area I had another contraction and leaned hard into my husband as the nurse looked on. I got into the curtained area and hooked up to a monitor. The nurse said she would come back in about ten minutes to check my cervix. I don’t think she believed I was truly in labor. When she did come back, she asked how far I had been dilated last night, and I said, “1.5 to 2 centimeters.” As she examined me, she said in surprise, “Well, you are definitely not one and a half to two, you are more like five to six now.” I was so relieved, I said, “I feel like crying! I was so afraid you were going to say I hadn’t progressed after all that work.” She said, “Go ahead and cry, it’s all right.” Both Darryl and I cried a little from sheer relief that things were moving along now, and he ran off to call my parents to tell them to come up to the hospital, and his parents to tell them to pray.

A new nurse came in with a gown for me to put on, and to get more information, like our pediatrician’s name. This nurse was pretty brusque - when she asked me about pain medication and I said I didn’t want any, she replied, “But you want to keep your options open, right?” This really annoyed me. Fortunately she was not my labor and delivery nurse. She wheeled me down to the LDR room, and my nurse, Kathy Gregg came in and got me into the bed and hooked up to the monitor. Darryl put my focal point (a large, pink, fake chrysanthemum) on top of a mirror so I could see it during contractions. We discussed our desire for a natural childbirth with Kathy who was supportive and said we could use the birthing ball if needed.

From this point, things seemed to happen pretty fast. I labored mostly on my side in bed, since when I stood up, my contractions were so strong I could hardly deal with them. An intern came in and checked me and said the baby was at +2 station - this was good to hear. My parents arrived, and my sister - my dad and sister said hi and went out to the waiting room, and my mom stayed with me and Darryl. As the contractions intensified, I dealt with them by praying a short, one line prayer in my mind, breathing deeply the way we practiced in prenatal yoga, and looking at my focal point. Sometimes I would have Darryl or my mom look at the monitor and tell me when the contraction reached its peak.

Another resident came in and checked me and said I was at about 7 centimeters and that Transition would be next and not take too long. I did not notice a difference between Transition and the rest of my labor. The contractions were a little longer, but not worse. I would say that about 15 minutes went by, and then my OB Dr. Diwan arrived. She asked how I was, and said she would check me. When she did, she looked surprised, and said, “You are complete.” Dr. Diwan asked me to try to push, but I did not have a very strong pushing urge. She talked to me and suggested putting the lowest dose of Pitocin in my IV to see if that would make me want to push. I agreed, and after about 10 minutes, I definitely felt the need to push. My mom and Darryl stood on either side of me as I pushed. At one point I know I asked if I could sit more upright, and the doctor said no, to try it this way first. I was half reclined. It didn’t take that long to get the baby out, but I think that it would have been more effective to have been more upright, or to have used the squat bar. I've already talked about this with my doctor and am planning to try a different position this time around.

As I pushed more, Kathy was so helpful when she said, "Kelly, even though you feel incredible pressure down there, I want you to breathe and relax deeply between pushes.” Then all of a sudden, Dr. Diwan put her mask on and the big lights came down from the ceiling, and I was a little freaked and said, “What’s going on?” And she said, “The baby will be born on the next push.” She told me not to push after the head came out, to wait for a minute for the baby to rotate. So the next push came, and the head was out! Then I waited, and when she had me push again, I felt the baby slide out - a wet, slippery, amazing feeling that I will never forget. As she held the baby up, all I could do was stare at his huge, dark eyes. She said, “It’s a boy!” (We were waiting to find out the sex). It was an awesome moment, such a miracle. Darryl cut the cord, and they quickly took him to the table and suctioned him and cleaned him up. I was craning my neck to watch what was going on, and I was all choked up, and Darryl was crying, too.

My mom ran out to tell everyone in the waiting room. Dr. Diwan stitched me up (I had an episiotomy), and said how well I had done. As soon as they could, they handed him to me, and I was so amazed that this little guy was our son, that he was out here in the world with us. It was so worth it to go through the labor naturally, because as soon as he was out, the pain was gone. There weren't any side effects to deal with, it was pain with a purpose, and it was over once my baby was in my arms. I held him for awhile and I asked Kathy if she would help me try to breastfeed him. She showed me how to latch him on, and he did a little licking, but not much else, and she told me that was normal, that he was just getting the idea and the smell and taste of me for now. She was so nice and encouraging, and I am so thankful that God sent her to be my nurse. I do not think that every nurse would have been as supportive of my choice to have as natural a birth as possible in a hospital setting. Everything about that day just showed me how in control the Lord is...He had orchestrated everything perfectly.

It was a perfect way to spend Thanksgiving afternoon. Then they wheeled us up to the postpartum room, and I was starving, so they got me a turkey dinner right away and it even had apple crisp, which tasted awesome.

So that's the story of my natural hospital birth! I am hoping and praying for the same kind of birth this time around...and I'd love to be able to avoid an episiotomy this time, too.

If you've posted a birth story on your blog, let me know in the comments! I love reading birth stories.

Earring of the Week.

2011-11-21T09:00:00.000-05:00

Find these green beauties right HERE.

Party Prep.

2011-11-18T14:43:00.000-05:00

We're busy getting ready over here for a big birthday weekend! Someone is turning 4! I can't believe it.

Happy Weekend!

Baby This and That.

2011-11-15T08:00:00.003-05:00

So many cute things for baby on Etsy....here are just a few from my favorites:

from lalashoes

from zoik

from giraffesnstuff

from smilingtreetoys

from mybabyandcompany

Linking up with Sarah for Tickle Me Tuesday.

Earring of the Week.

2011-11-14T14:00:00.001-05:00

It's never too early for a little holiday sparkle...find it in limited quantities HERE.

Lovely November.

2011-11-14T09:04:00.001-05:00

No spring nor summer beauty hath such grace

As I have seen in one autumnal face.

~John Donne

Pre-Holiday SALE.

2011-11-11T07:30:00.004-05:00

Happy Friday, Ladies! The holidays are upon us and I'm trying to make room for all the new designs I have ready to go! Please take 40% off the SALE section of the shop. Just leave me a note at checkout with the code 40SALE and I will manually REFUND your discount via Paypal.

Have a great weekend!

The Holidays Are Upon Us.

2011-11-10T08:00:00.002-05:00

from shannonpix.

Last year, I wrote this post about preparing for the holiday rush on Etsy. I thought I would add a few things this year, especially since I am starting to feel a teensy bit panicky about the fact that Thanksgiving is in two weeks and then we will be in the thick of the busiest shopping season of the year.

So here are my additional tips:

1. Get as much done as you can ahead of time. I touched on this last year, but I really do mean it - do as much as you can now. If you want to have a steady stream of new items throughout November and December to keep your shop fresh, make them now, photograph them now, and even do the listings now...just don't hit the finish button, simply save them to your favorites on your computer. Then when you're ready to post them, go back to your bookmark and hit 'finish.'

2. Plan out your advertising strategy now. Where will you take out ads this season? Where has your traffic been coming from? Check your Etsy and Google stats and make wise choices based on your target market. If renewing is not working for you, then stop doing it! Etsy has changed the game lately, and as sellers we need to think about what will work best for our shop in this new marketplace.

3. Take time to thank your repeat customers/loyal fans. If you have a Facebook Page, a newsletter, or whatever, let them know in advance of your holiday sales promotions. They appreciate being in the know, and they can share the news with their friends as well. If you want to reward them, offer a special coupon code for repeat customers, or include a small gift for your loyal customers in their second or third order. A little surprise like a pair of rose posts, or even candy goes a long way.

4. Relax. This is mostly for me, because I love the holiday season, and it's such a blessing to have that extra income, but I get on the computer and start to process orders and I can feel myself tense up. This is supposed to be fun! Enjoy the busyness, but take time to slow down everyday as well. Remember what the season is truly about.

So those are my tips! What are your ideas? Seasoned sellers, what has worked for you?

Tastes Like Fall: Pennsylvania Nine Bean Soup.

2011-11-09T08:00:00.001-05:00

This recipe was given to me by one of my bridesmaids as part of a kitchen shower. It's so simple and very hearty. Perfect for cold evenings...we like it with cornbread.

Pennsylvania Nine Bean Soup

Ingredients

2 and 1/4 cups of a 9 bean blend (or 11, or 13, whatever your store has)
1 large can of Italian style tomatoes
1 large onion chopped
1/2 pound of chopped ham
1 t. sugar
1 t. lemon juice
1 t. chili powder
1/4 t. pepper

Soak dried beans overnight. In the morning, drain them and put them in a large pot along with 2 quarts water and the ham. Bring to a boil then simmer for three more hours. Add all other ingredients, plus more water if needed. Simmer for at least one hour more.

Enjoy!

Wish List: Baby Cocoons.

2011-11-08T08:00:00.001-05:00

Have you guys seen these adorable knitted baby cocoons? It seems to be a popular photo prop for newborn shoots. I just found out that the hospital where I plan to have our baby has recently started using professional photographers to do little mini portrait sessions for the newborn photos. I'm so excited....I think this will be a perfect excuse to buy one of these little cocoons.

from trickyknits

from lmelissari

from maryyarns

from simplybasicdesigns

from jaykinc

Do you have a favorite?

Linking up with Sarah for Tickle Me Tuesday.

RING of the Week.

2011-11-07T12:00:00.002-05:00

Changing things a little this week! You can find the RING of the week right { Here }.

More Fall, and a Finished Project.

2011-11-07T08:00:00.002-05:00

We had another perfect fall weekend here...sunny and in the upper 50's. I love these pretty fall days.

We soaked up the sun and did a lot of family activities since my husband will be playing in the pit for a musical this week and we won't see him a whole lot.

And, I finally finished my little scarflette! Yay! I love the pretty plum color. I made a similar one for my mom in sky blue. I would love to learn how to make some little baby hats, but I'm not sure if I'll have time before this baby arrives.

Hope you are enjoying these fall days!

Winners!

2011-11-04T19:43:00.005-04:00

Congratulations, ladies! Please contact me at theprettybee[at!]gmail.com

Thank you all for entering!

For those of you who didn't win, use the code NESTER for 15% off your entire order from my shop!

November Colors.

2011-11-04T09:08:00.000-04:00

I could take pictures of the gorgeous fall colors all day...and one day last weekend I kind of did. :)

Happy Weekend, friends! I'll announce the winners of the big giveaway tomorrow morning!

Look at all that food!

2011-11-02T08:58:00.001-04:00

I was looking at my Flickr and realizing how many pictures of food I've taken over the last year and a half...you can find all the recipes here. Many of the recipes I've posted are gluten free...you can check those out here.

And now a question: Has anyone made a lasagna that uses butternut squash? I've seen a few posts on it, but I'm wondering what the best recipe is. Let me know if you've tried it!

And in case you missed it, the BIG giveaway is still going on!

HUGE Giveaway. {CLOSED}.

2011-11-01T07:00:00.005-04:00

*Not just one, but TWO winners will be chosen!

You have FOUR ways to enter - leave a separate comment for each entry:

1. Visit my shop and come back and leave me a comment telling me what one of your favorite items is.

2. Follow my blog.

3. Become a fan of Linkel Designs on Facebook.

4. Share this giveaway via Twitter, Facebook or your blog. You can use this:

WIN a $60 shop credit to Linkel Designs on @theprettybee's blog!
http://theprettybee.blogspot.com/2011/11/huge-giveaway.html

This giveaway is part of Giveaway over on The Nesting Place...do you all know The Nester? If not, pop over for lots of fabulous giveaways today, and lots of fantastic posts about how to make the most of your nest.

This giveaway will be open until Thursday, November 3 at midnight and I'll announce the winners on Saturday the 5th at 9am.

More pretties...

What's In My Bag?

2011-10-31T12:30:00.003-04:00

Roo from Nice Girl Notes is hosting a What's in Your Bag? link up today, so I thought it would be fun to join in.

I switch bags often, but this is one of my favorites from Made By Hank. The ruffles with the avocado color is so pretty.

And here are the contents, from left to right, starting at the top:

Made By Hank pouch that contains Gap lip balm, Nivea tinted lip balm, Neosporin, and sometimes spare contact lenses.

Checkbook with Vera Bradley cover.

Sunglasses.

Wallet.

Lash Blast Mascara from Cover Girl, EO lemon hand sanitizer, Love & Toast hand cream in Sugar Grapefruit. (Best Hand Cream EVER!)

Toddler gloves.

Burt's Bee's Lemon Cuticle Cream.

Another Made By Hank pouch, this stores all the creams, mascara and pens.

Tiny hairbrush, two ink pens.

Phone - Samsung Gravity Smart.

Fiber One Oats and Chocolate Bar.

Baggie of Almonds and Cranberries.

Not pictured: Baggie of TUMS, almost always in my purse, but I have to replenish it.

Also whatever toy my little guy wants to take along that he gets tired of carrying.

Also my husband's keys when we're out. :)

That's it! Be sure to stop by Nice Girl Notes to see what's in everyone else's bags!

Oh, and there is an Earring of the Week...find it {HERE}.

Today I am...

2011-10-31T09:47:00.000-04:00

finishing up a diesel train costume for a certain little engineer
planning a lesson for our preschool/home school co-op
thinking about what new fall dishes to try
enjoying the fall sunshine for walking and photographing jewelry
cleaning our kitchen
wondering if I should eat any of the leftover maple walnut cake I made for my Dad's birthday yesterday
getting excited for a HUGE giveaway I'm a part of tomorrow! (Be sure to come back!)

Happy Halloween!

God's Canvas.

2011-10-30T08:00:00.004-04:00

Wow, we are so enjoying this colorful fall season.

We took a walk this weekend and took tons of photos of the gorgeous fall foliage. It's so easy to look around during this beautiful season and see the glory of God. The tree proclaim it everyday with their red, orange and gold hues. What a blessing to live in a state that has all four seasons.

Enjoy your weekend!

At the Old Cider Mill.

2011-10-27T09:27:00.001-04:00

We went to the cider mill yesterday to celebrate our ninth anniversary. It was so nice...a little cool, but not too crowded at all, and a very relaxing time. A perfect way to spend a fall day with my little family.

Linking up here:

Nine.

2011-10-26T09:28:00.000-04:00

+ via +

I just like this quote...

We are enjoying the little things today (cider mill, a date night, a day off) while celebrating the BIG things...nine years of marriage!

I love you, Darryl!

Let's talk business.

2011-10-25T08:00:00.001-04:00

from honey boo.

If you have a shop on Etsy, then you are aware of all the changes that they've been rolling out lately. The most significant is that search is by relevancy now, not recency. There are other as well, such as the opportunity to buy paid search ads - ads that appear at the top of search pages, and the ability to change our shop names.

Just curious, if you are a shop owner, what do you think about these changes? I know there are a lot of complaints in the forums, but I just wondered what you all think? If you're a customer, have any of these changes affected how you shop? I am on the fence about all these changes. Relevant search results seem like a good idea, as long as they truly are relevant. Sometimes it seems like items pop up that are not what I'm searching for. I'm not sure if they are mistagged by the sellers (accidentally?) or what. I tried out search ads and didn't notice a change in my sales, for now I will spend my advertising dollars advertising off site.

One thing that I don't believe is that Etsy is against sellers, or trying to make things difficult for us. I think they really do want the site to work as well as it can for sellers and buyers both.

So...what do you think? Let's discuss in the comments!

Earring of the Week...and a WINNER!

2011-10-24T13:00:00.001-04:00

You can find the earring of the week right HERE.

And the winner of the Fall Jewelry Giveaway is:

Congrats, Sarah! Please send me your address at: theprettybee[at!]gmail.com

This Weekend I...

2011-10-24T08:00:00.003-04:00

ate steak and black bean chili in an effort to get my iron up
enjoyed the sunshine
performed a Brahms Sonata at a chamber music recital on Sunday
enjoyed a hot fudge sundae after said recital
purchased these cute plaid flats at Charlotte Russe
made our favorite lentil soup
thought about a gift for Darryl for our ninth anniversary this week
wondered what the best breakfast casserole would be for a brunch party we are planning
watched Darryl carry a smoking toaster outside when it decided to retire

What did you do?

I Heart Macro: Trail Mix.

2011-10-23T09:43:00.000-04:00

I found a new trail mix at Trader Joe's called...oh my! Omega Trek Mix. It's actually pretty good, and the cranberries are fortified with Omega 3's, which are great for my baby's growing brain. I must admit, when I pack a baggie of it, I throw in a few chocolate chips for good measure. :)

Linking up with Lori:

The fall jewelry giveaway will close tonight, and then I'll announce the winner tomorrow - you can still enter!

Yarn Wrapped Letters: FALL.

2011-10-21T08:00:00.002-04:00

I picked up some wooden letters on sale at Jo Ann's and thought this would be an easy little project. It was a little bit tricky, though! Maybe because the letters I chose are pretty angular...I think O, U and S would be easy. But what can you spell with those letters? Not much.

It was hard to get good coverage around the corners with the yarn. But I think they turned out pretty cute.

1. Get some wooden letters and some yarn.

2. Cover the end of the letter with double sided tape and go back and forth over it with the yarn. This step is to cover the bottom of the letter.

3. Snip the yarn and then start winding the yarn around the letter the way you want it to go.

4. Sometimes you have to decide how to cover an awkward part of the letter. What way will give the best coverage? Horizontally or vertically? Trial and error will show you what works best.

The finished product:

Have you entered the fall jewelry giveaway?

Linking up to:

Tatertots and Jello
Fingerprints on the Fridge
Whipperberry
Along for the Ride

Yummy (and healthy!) Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies.

2011-10-20T15:55:00.000-04:00

I took a simple oatmeal cookie recipe and made it a tad healthier by reducing the amount of butter and using oat flour and flax seed for extra fiber. They are yummy!

Healthier Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies

Ingredients

1/4 cup (1/2 stick or 2 ounces) butter, softened
1/4 cup unsweetened applesauce
2/3 cup light brown sugar, packed
1 egg
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 Tbsp. ground flax seed
3/4 cup oat flour
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon ground
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 cups rolled oats
3/4 cup chocolate chips
1/2 cup walnuts, chopped (optional)

Preheat oven to 350°F. In a large bowl, cream together the butter, brown sugar, egg and vanilla until smooth. In a separate bowl, whisk the flour, baking soda, cinnamon and salt together. Stir this into the butter/sugar mixture. Stir in the oats, chocolate chips and walnuts, if using them.

Scoop onto baking sheet. The cookies should be two inches apart on a parchment-lined baking sheet. Bake them for 10 to 12 minutes. Let them sit on the hot baking sheet for five minutes before transferring them to a rack to cool.

Enjoy with milk!

Obsessed with hats.

2011-10-18T07:13:00.001-04:00

Since we're expecting a winter baby, I have become obsessed with handmade baby hats. There are so many adorable choices on Etsy:

from alilbaligreen

from baruchslullaby

from chloescrochetcloset

from baboom

from mymimilove

from sweetandsassycouture

from threefishshop

So cute and cozy! I love them all...do you have a favorite baby shop on Etsy?

Linking up with Sarah for Tickle Me Tuesday.

The fall jewelry giveaway is still going on...

Earring of the Week.

2011-10-17T13:00:00.002-04:00

You can find these pink pretties right { HERE }.

Looking forward to...

2011-10-17T08:00:00.003-04:00

:: that newborn smell
:: my suede baby (those first few days when they still have the lanugo on them)
:: seeing this little one's face
:: nursing a sweet babe again (should be a good refresher for me as an LLL leader)
:: teeny tiny onesies and booties and pj's...and hats! lots of teeny hats.
:: having a warm little bundle to hold and love
:: watching my son become a big brother
:: sleep grins
:: the first "real" smile

:: so many other things...everything about a new little life is such a miracle.

(I know everyone does the heart over the belly picture, but I wanted to do it, too).

Did you enter my fall jewelry giveaway over the weekend?

Fabulous Fall Jewelry Giveaway! CLOSED.

2011-10-15T10:45:00.005-04:00

Happy Weekend!

I feel like doing a little giveaway for all my lovely followers, you girls are the best!

Fall is my favorite season, so I thought a little leafy jewelry would be perfect.

One of my followers will win the collection of leafy fall jewelry pictured above!

Perfect for trips to the cider mill, pumpkin patch, all your favorite fall activities.

Here's how to enter:

(leave a comment for each entry)

This giveaway is for all my followers.

Just click "join this site" over there to the right-------------------------------->

Share this giveaway via Twitter, Facebook or your Blog. You can use this:

Win a collection of fall jewelry on @theprettybee's blog:

http://theprettybee.blogspot.com/2011/10/fabulous-fall-jewelry-giveaway.html

There you go! Two ways to enter.

Open internationally. Winner will be announced Monday, October 24.

Recycled Jar Jack 'O Lantern Candles.

2011-10-14T08:00:00.005-04:00

We were buying canned peaches for awhile that came in these cute little jars, and I was saving the jars because I knew they would be good for something. And they made adorable little pumpkin candles.

You will need:

:: some roundish glass jars
:: orange craft paint
:: a black paint pen

Remove any stickers or labels on the jars. Paint your jars orange, let dry overnight.

Draw some cute jack o' lantern faces on with the black paint pen.

Pop a tea light candle inside and enjoy!

Linking up to:

Be Different Act Normal
Tatertots and Jello
The Wiegands
Flamingo Toes
C.R.A.F.T.
Along for the Ride
eighteen25

Take the Chill Out of the Air.

2011-10-13T09:42:00.000-04:00

It's a little chilly here now...brrr. I've been warming up my home with these things.

Happy Halloween decorations:

Halloween eye chart free printable from Tatertots and Jello.

Silly pumpkin:

Hot cider with a cinnamon stick:

These beautiful crocheted mason jar covers from meganesass on etsy:

How are you taking the chill out of the air this autumn?

Those Autumn Leaves.

2011-10-11T08:00:00.003-04:00

Earring of the Week Times Two.

2011-10-10T12:30:00.001-04:00

Two different styles this week...find them here and here.

24 weeks!

2011-10-10T08:00:00.001-04:00

So, here's what's been going on:

:: Heartburn is still raging, and I figured out that dairy makes it worse, which is not great, since I need the calcium and I crave dairy almost daily. My friend gave me some papaya extract to try, that's supposed to help.

:: This baby moves all the time, especially when I'm playing the violin. S/he is a music lover!

:: I felt a hard lump poking out of my tummy the other day...I assume that was the head. Darryl got to feel it, too!

:: People say I look like I'm carrying a girl. I think I looked this way when I had a boy last time...I'm only 5'2", so there is not a lot of room for the baby to go. It just goes everywhere.

And thank you for all the nice comments on my leaf photo the other day! What a pleasant surprise to read them all the day after I posted it!

Little Leaf.

2011-10-08T20:32:00.000-04:00

Linking up with Lori for:

And I know I totally dropped the ball on a baby update, it's just been so nice here, weather-wise!
We've been out and about shopping at the Farmer's Market, going to Greenfield Village, eating ice cream, and enjoying the Indian Summer.

Also, I felt like all my outfits this week made me look larger than usual. :)

I'll get to it this week, though!

We'll just have to call him Harry. (or Harriet).

2011-10-05T12:38:00.000-04:00

Soooooooo........if the old wive's tales are true, (and I guess there's a study suggesting that they are), my baby is going to come out looking like this:

The heartburn situation is out of control over here! Any tips?

I take Tums all the time...not sure what else to do!

P.S. Bump update tomorrow!

Favorite Skin Care Products.

2011-10-04T08:00:00.002-04:00

Did you know that during pregnancy your skin goes through different changes? It's more noticeable to me during this pregnancy, maybe it's different this time around, or maybe I'm not taking care of my skin as well as I used to, but these are the products I use all the time to combat different issues, especially dryness. All of them are great for non-pregnant skin, too!

1. Origins Vitazing tinted moisturizer - This moisturizer is awesome for evening out your complexion. I have noticed some heavier pigmentation especially on some of the freckles and "beauty spots" on my face. Vitazing is great at smoothing everything out and adding a healthy glow.

2. Burt's Bees Mama Bee Belly Balm - I didn't have any stretch marks from my last pregnancy, and I'd like to keep it that way, so I'm using this belly balm. It's 100% natural, and unfragranced.

3. Burt's Bees Lemon Butter Cuticle Cream - I use this cream daily during the winter. My hands get terribly dry, pregnant or not, and this cream is awesome, and it smells great too!

4. Love & Toast Honey Coconut Hand Cream - This lotion is in my purse, it smells yummy and it absorbs quickly and is non-greasy. Bonus, now Target is carrying some of the Love & Toast line...I'm so happy they are carrying more natural products.

5. EO Lemon Hand Sanitizer - This I use all the time to keep the germs at bay, since during pregnancy your immunity goes down. It's a little pricey, but doesn't contain Triclosan, which is not a great chemical to put on your body.

What products do you love?

Linking up with Sarah for Tickle Me Tuesday.

And thanks for the comments on yesterday's pumpkin pancake post! I see I'm not the only pumpkin fan out there!

Oh, P.S....I've updated my about me page!

Earring of the Week.

2011-10-03T13:00:00.001-04:00

This week's pair can be found right here.

Happy Monday!

Pumpkin Everything!

2011-10-03T08:00:00.001-04:00

Pumpkin pancakes are our fave around here. We love them! So that's not anything new, but, I was at the Farmer's Market the other day, and I was talking to this lady and she said she puts brown sugar on the pancakes right before she flips them and it caramelizes.

So I tried it...and it does caramelize and it's delicious! What a revelation!

See the yummy pockets of crispy brown sugared goodness?

Thank you, Farmer's Market Lady! You just made our fall weekend breakfasts even more delicious!

Need a pumpkin pancake recipe? This is a good one.

New.

2011-09-30T11:56:00.001-04:00

Happy Friday!

Just a quick post to say that I'll be trying something new on my Facebook Page....a super quick, spontaneous giveaway around the first of the month for fans only! If you're not a fan, go to my page and become one so you don't miss it!

Butternut Squash Soup...feels like fall.

2011-09-29T08:00:00.000-04:00

Okay, here we go with another fall recipe...I love this soup, it's rich tasting without a lot of fat.

Butternut Squash Soup
from Everyday Food Magazine
Ingredients

2 tablespoons butter
1 small onion, chopped
1 piece (2 inches) fresh ginger, peeled and chopped (I used powdered ginger, about 1 teaspoon)
2 garlic cloves, chopped
2 3/4 pounds small butternut squash, prepared and cut into 3/4-inch cubes
1/4 cup fresh orange juice
Coarse salt and ground pepper

Sour cream, (optional)

Directions

1. Melt butter in a large saucepan over medium heat. Cook onion until fragrant, about 2 minutes. Add ginger, garlic, and squash; cook, stirring occasionally, until fragrant, 6 to 8 minutes. Stir in 4 cups water. Bring to a boil; reduce heat. Simmer until squash is tender, 20 minutes.

2. Puree soup in two batches. When blending hot foods, allow the heat to escape to prevent splattering. Remove the cap from the hole of the blender's lid, and cover with a dish towel. Stir in juice and 1 1/2 teaspoons salt. Serve hot, with sour cream, pepper, and pumpkin seeds, if desired.

(I use a hand blender to puree the soup. Blending hot foods in a blender seems to dangerous to me, I don't need to burn my hands, thank you very much).

Darryl's parents brought us some pumpkins...it's feeling like fall here!

Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Bars.

2011-09-28T10:00:00.000-04:00

Here is the recipe you requested yesterday! These bars are so good, I'm making another batch today to take to a neighbor that just had a baby. I lightened up the original recipe by cutting the butter in half and substituting applesauce, and I reduced the amount of chocolate chips as well.

Enjoy!

Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Bars - adapted from Everyday Food

Ingredients

2 cups all-purpose flour, (spooned and leveled)
1 tablespoon pumpkin-pie spice
1 teaspoon baking soda
3/4 teaspoon salt
1 stick unsalted butter, room temperature
1/2 cup unsweetened applesauce
1 1/4 cups sugar
1 large egg
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 cup canned pumpkin puree
2/3 package (8 ounces) semisweet chocolate chips

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line bottom and sides of a 9-by-13-inch baking pan with foil, leaving an overhang on all sides. In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, pie spice, baking soda, and salt; set aside.

2. With an electric mixer, cream butter, applesauce and sugar on medium-high speed until smooth; beat in egg and vanilla until combined. Beat in pumpkin puree (mixture may appear curdled). Reduce speed to low, and mix in dry ingredients until just combined. Fold in chocolate chips.

3. Spread batter evenly in prepared pan. Bake until edges begin to pull away from sides of pan and a toothpick inserted in center comes out with just a few moist crumbs attached, 35 to 40 minutes. Cool completely in pan.

4. Lift cake from pan (using foil as an aid). Peel off foil, and use a serrated knife to cut into 24 squares.

Today I...

2011-09-27T14:11:00.000-04:00

scrambled farm fresh eggs for breakfast
ate freshly baked pumpkin chocolate chip bars
helped new moms and babies at our La Leche League meeting
enjoyed lunch with a friend at Noodles & Co. (how yummy is that place?)
felt this little baby have a party in my belly
loved being out in the sunshine
browsed diaper bags online
purchased some supplies for the holiday season
found some new pants that I think will be comfortable for my growing belly

What was your day like today?

P.S. The winner of the My Memories Suite giveaway is Meeling! Congrats!

from redletterink.

Earring of the Week.

2011-09-26T14:30:00.000-04:00

Here we go with another Earring of the Week! Find it right HERE in limited quantities.

First Fall Weekend.

2011-09-26T08:00:00.001-04:00

colorful leaves.

mama and baby acorns.

freshly made leaf garland inspired by pinterest.

apple, kiwi and orange juice smoothies.

Plus a lot of resting, plus butternut squash soup and apple cider...just what the doctor ordered.

How was your fall weekend?

DIY - Colorful Pine Cone Door Decor.

2011-09-23T07:30:00.003-04:00

Fall always makes me feel crafty! I wanted to make something new to hang on our door, and I didn't want to go buy any supplies since I was sick, so this is what I came up with. It was so easy, and it didn't cost anything, since I already had all the supplies on hand. I've seen a lot of pine cone wreaths and swags, especially natural looking ones around the holidays, but I wanted something with a little more color for fall.

You will need:

:: pine cones
:: craft paint
:: ribbon
:: leaf garland package topper
:: hot glue gun

First, paint your pinecones and let them dry out overnight.

Next tie lengths of ribbon to the stem of the pine cones, and secure with some hot glue.

Once dry, gather the ribbon together and wrap with the wire leaf package topping. Adjust the lengths of the ribbon so it hangs the way you want it to.

So easy, and very festive for autumn!

Linking up to:

Tatertots and Jello
Be Different, Act Normal
Flamingo Toes
Whipperberry
Along for the Ride
Fingerprints on the Fridge
One Artsy Mama

Slowing Down.

2011-09-22T10:12:00.001-04:00

You guys, this cold took a lot out of me this week. I think being pregnant makes it harder to get back to 100%...mostly because you can't sleep through the night because you have a baby on your bladder. :)

So I did something that is out of character for me today...I cancelled some commitments and cleared my schedule for the weekend so I can rest and catch up. I usually just plow on and do everything, but after finding out that my husband will be working overtime this weekend, and expending a lot of energy on finding and buying a new car this week, plus doing all my normal stuff around here, I feel like it's time to take a break. This little lady or gent inside of me is saying:

But it feels weird...I don't like to cancel stuff. But I know when it's time to slow down, and I think that that will be a key concept as our family expands from three to four.

What do you guys do when you are overbooked and running in all directions? How do you know when to say no?

Have you had your vitamin C today?

2011-09-21T09:58:00.002-04:00

So a few days ago I cam down with an awful cold. Just miserable. And of course you really can't take anything for it when you're pregnant, so it was pretty yucky for a couple days.

But, I did make my favorite Vitamin C Smoothie recipe from Dr. Oz again...and it worked! It definitely shortened the life of the cold, and it's super delicious. I did a variation this time, instead of cantalope, I used peaches (canned, not fresh, unfortunately, because the fresh peaches have been weird here lately. Mushy and bland).

Ingredients:

1 cup orange juice
1 small glass jar of peaches, drained
1 cup strawberries
1 kiwi

Blend all of the ingredients together, drink and be well.

P.S. There's still time to enter the My Memories giveaway!

Linking up to Bouffe e Bambini.

Favorite Birth Books.

2011-09-20T08:00:00.003-04:00

I am so grateful for good, sensible birth and pregnancy books. I was blessed to have a natural birth in a hospital with my first born, and am praying for the same kind of birth experience again. There are some books that I just love, so I thought I would share them with you.

The Pregnancy Book, by Bill and Martha Sears - very thorough and informative, and goes through all the ups and downs of the nine months of pregnancy.

Adventures in Natural Childbirth - a wonderful collection of birth stories - home and hospital births are covered in this inspiring book.

Ina May's Guide to Childbirth - this book has two parts - the first is natural childbirth stories, and the second goes through and talks about birth practices in America and common interventions and ways to avoid them.

The Birth Book, by Bill and Martha Sears - a detailed guide to all aspects of birth, including how to cope with birth naturally and information for the birth partner as well.

So, all you mamas out there...do you have any favorite books on birth and pregnancy?

Linking up with Sarah for Tickle Me Tuesday.

Earring of the Week.

2011-09-19T11:00:00.002-04:00

This week's pair is a classic...black gemstone teardrops and simple gunmetal wires. Easy to dress up or down, and perfect for Halloween. Find them { HERE }.

Don't forget to enter my giveaway for the My Memories Suite software!

Shop Handmade with Etsify.

2011-09-19T08:00:00.000-04:00

Have you visited the new site, Etsify? It's such a fun site, showcasing the best handmade clothing, jewelry and accessories for women and men. Kailey started the site to create a unique online boutique. I spent some time browsing the site the other day and found so many new favorites! I've pulled a few fall favorites together below:

Do you have any fall must haves? Are you going to update your wardrobe with any handmade items this season? Stop by Etsify if you need some inspiration!

Fruit Frenzy.

2011-09-16T08:00:00.002-04:00

Can I just say how much I looooooooooooooooove fruit right now? Must be something the baby needs, but I cannot get enough pineapple, berries, apples, kiwi and pears.

What are you enjoying right now? If you've ever been pregnant, what did you crave?

Happy Friday! Don't forget to enter my giveaway!

Giveaway: My Memories Suite.

2011-09-15T07:30:00.003-04:00

I'm so excited to present this giveaway today from My Memories. When Liz contacted me about hosting this giveaway, I thought it would be perfect for the upcoming holiday season. The My Memories Suite is a digital scrap booking program that allows you to make wonderful scrapbook layouts and pages on your computer. I was able to try out this program, and although I am not a scrapbooker, I was impressed with how easy it is to use. You can also create photo layouts for things other than scrap booking. For example, I made this fall harvest party invitation below:

And here is a traditional scrapbook page layout.

Today you can win your own copy of My Memories Suite 2.0. To enter, simply:

Visit http://www.mymemories.com/ and come back and let me know what your favorite paper design or page layout is. (Mandatory).

For extra entries (leave a comment for each entry):

Follow My memories on Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/mymemoriessuite

Follow My Memories on Twitter- http://twitter.com/#!/mymemoriessuite

Become a follower of my blog.

Tweet, facebook or blog about this giveaway. You can use this:
WIN a fun digital scrap booking program on @theprettybee's blog: http://theprettybee.blogspot.com/2011/09/giveaway-my-memories-suite.html

That's five chances to win!
Giveaway will end Sunday, September 25.

Earring of the Week.

2011-09-12T09:52:00.000-04:00

regular price $14, earring of the week price, $8 with free shipping.

I'm in a colorful mood today...you can find the current earring of the week right HERE.

Ten on Ten (Sort Of).

2011-09-11T16:04:00.002-04:00

Saturday was kind of a rough day...scroll down and you'll see why. My ten on ten didn't turn out exactly like I'd planned, some photos are a little bit random and weren't evenly spaced out one per hour. Oh well.

jewelry parts.

crash.

crunch.

baby!

cutie.

dominoes.

berries.

legos.

new fish.

inventory.

So as you can see, Darryl was in an accident on Saturday. He is fine, but the VUE is totalled, so that's too bad. A lady ran a red light and plowed right into him. :( I am thankful that he's okay, the car can be replaced.

Aside from that, which took up a few hours of our day, we mostly hung out at home and did normal, boring stuff. Which is just fine, especially after a car accident. I can't say I was too eager to jump in the car and go driving.

How was your weekend, friends?