lemony heaven

I am officially now head-over-heels for Haagen-Daz's "Zesty Lemon" sorbet. I seriously can't stop eating it, and the tiny pints are $3+ each! Not only do they contain zero grams of fat, but the calorie count isn't bad either. This new addiction can't be good for my pocket book, but perhaps this treat will help me lose baby weight?

autumn, here we come

While I wait (impatiently) for the arrival of my baby, I keep reminding myself to stop and smell the roses. (We don't have any roses, but I digress.) I'm sensing the arrival of fall, my favorite time of year, which officially begins tomorrow. Nevermind that the temperature is still in the 80s. Somewhere, somehow there is a green leaf slowly changing to crimson, and it makes me giddy. I took the above photograph a couple of years ago, and decided to post it because, well, I love gourds. I just love them. Pumpkins of all shapes, sizes, and colors are on sale at Whole Foods already. Call me silly, but I live for autumn.

_

My Autumn Top 10:

_

10) Cooler temps. We don't get much of a break between summer and winter in Texas, and I cherish all three weeks of it. I adore breezy temps in the 60s.

_

9) Halloween. This was my favorite holiday as a child. My elementary school would have a Halloween carnival, and it made the night so much more festive. I don't dress up now, but I never miss a chance to give out candy to the neighborhood little ones.

_

8) Thanksgiving. As a young adult, my favorite holiday morphed into Thanksgiving, and my mouth still waters thinking about my Nana's turkey and dressing with the sounds of a football game in the background.

_

7) Pumpkin bread. There is a tradition in my family of clove-and-nutmeg-enriched, pumpkin-bread-making in the fall. We are not allowed to begin until October 1, and all baking must cease by January 1. It keeps it special.

_

6) Colorful leaves. Lest you begin to think that my entire list is food related, worry no more. I once made a pilgrimage to New England in October just to leaf-peek. I'm a weirdo. In Dallas, we only have a brief show, but it makes me happy.

_

5) Football. I'm from Texas. It's a prerequisite.

_

4) Charlie Brown's "The Great Pumpkin". Don't laugh. You know you love it, too.

_

3) Autumn at the Dallas Arboretum. I begin to lose consciousness (not really) when I think about how, this year, I will have a little one to take to the Arboretum, snuggle her up against some pumpkins, and take a picture. Sigh.

_

2) Gourds. Green ones, white ones, striped ones... I'm addicted. It's no coincidence that Cinderella's pumpkin turned into a magic coach to take her to the ball. Gourds are magical. And they don't taste bad, either. Bake a butternut squash with some cinnamon, and you'll be addicted, too.

_

1) The State Fair of Texas. This is, hands down, the best thing about fall in Dallas. The fair begins this Friday and ends October 18. I've only missed it once my entire life, and I look forward to it every year. I'm beginning to salivate right now. But it's about more than the fried food; it's the ferris wheel, the livestock, the giant talking cowboy in Wrangler jeans, the tradition of attending a fair that's more than a century old. It's beyond explanation.

_

Well, did I leave something out?

just my style

Because I sometimes feel inclined to put a label on things (hey, so what?), I started thinking today about my own personal design style. This sometimes happens when I'm cleaning the house and looking around at how I've chosen to decorate my abode. If someone asked me to describe my design aesthetic, what would I tell them? I'm certainly not just "modern." I'm far from "traditional." No where near "classic." Anything "contemporary" is too new. I like retro pieces mixed with new. I came across the term "bohemian modern" recently, and that seems more like me. Then I thought "vintage modern" might do. Am I over-thinking this?

One of my favorite designers is Amy Butler. She designs mostly fabrics, but her home is divine. Just my style. The above photograph is an image of her dining room. What would you call this? Whatever it is, it's "me."

macca macca macca

I should have posted this a week ago, but time gets away from me these days. August 19 was the Paul McCartney concert at the new Dallas Cowboys Stadium, which, by the way, is a huge, flashy place of superlatives. If you know me well, then you know about my love for The Beatles. And if you know me really well, then you know that Paul is my favorite Beatle. I love his Lennon-McCartney work, his Wings work, his solo work, his Fireman work. You name it. That being said, if you know me really, really well, then you know I've already seen him twice before (The Husband has ventured to his concerts three times before). And let me just say that I've seen some smashing live acts in my day, including Radiohead while pressed against the stage baracade back in 1997. Paul always puts on a great show.

This time was a bit different, being eight months pregnant and all. But no worries, the swollen feet and four hours of sleep did not deter me from enjoying myself. We had floor seats near the back, which made it hard to see him, but we had the jumbo screens to help. My parents were with us, which was fun because, after all, they were around for the real McCartney mania and can appreciate the experience perhaps more than we can (although that might be tough).

We snapped the above photo with the Blackberry, so it's not high quality, but it's a momento nonetheless.

a year in the life

Okay, I will post this, and then I promise to post something non-baby-related. But as the day draws nearer, I find that I am curiously drawn to things like this. Makes me smile. Hope it does the same for you.

feathering my nest

Last weekend was baby shower time, and like everything, I was picky about the details. My wonderful sister (pictured below) was the marvelous hostess and helped me make my shower dreams a reality. We created an afternoon high-tea party for 40 guests in my living and dining rooms. Mini chicken salad sandwiches, mini cucumber sandwiches, mini muffins, scones, macaroons, fruit, sugar cookies, a giant two-tier buttercream cake, pineapple-strawberry punch, and (OF COURSE) hot and iced teas. We even had sugar lumps. Favors were loose-leaf tea bags wrapped in a cutesy fabric that announced "A Baby Is Brewing." It was all very dainty, ladylike, and fun. My mom and mother-in-law were endlessly helpful as well. I never could have pulled it off without everyone pitching in to make it so perfect. Needless to say, the nursery is now very full with baby items and clothing. Happiness.

nursery revealed

The nursery is finally (mostly) finished, and I am so happy with the result. I chose a birdie theme, which begins with the wall colors by Martha Stewart. The accent wall is called Bird Nest while the other three are appropriately named Forest Lichen. While it took a lot of work and time, I'm really proud of my modern yet whimsical decor, most of which I found on sale or from cheap sources. (I'm not one to spend $500 on a sheet set, after all.) So I was patient and waited to find the perfect items. Both the crib and changing table were gifts, but they are from Wal-Mart's ModBaby line. The rug, lamp, side table, and frames are all Ikea. The retro 70s rocking chair was my mother's. In fact, she once rocked me in it! My grandfather built the beautiful bookshelf, which we painted and fastened tight to the wall. It almost looks built in, doesn't it? The bird prints were made by my sister, a graphic designer. I've found myself on occasion standing in the middle of this room and just staring at everything. Soon, there will be a baby living in there...