I've run across two gems this week, and I just must share.
First is an organic clothing company based out of Kirkland: Kate Quinn Organics.* I picked up a few pieces (including the cutest baby yoga pants) at a local consignment store, did some poking around the internet, and fell in love. The organic cotton used in most pieces is incredibly soft and seems like it's going to wash very well. When I ordered a few more pieces from the website, they were delivered within two days. I love the fabric, the local aspect of the business (though I wish the clothes were made locally as well), the designs, the (sale) prices, the lack of logos, and the fact that many pieces are gender neutral and not stereotypical "girl" or "boy."
Just yesterday, I ran across a pin for this supply company: Shop Sweet Lulu.* The party supplies are incredibly sassy and classy at the same time. I think a lot of them could be repurposed, too. For example, wouldn't it be fun to line up a bunch of these stripey straws and frame them? It'd only cost $4 for the straws, some hot glue, and the cost of a basic picture frame. Their range goes well beyond party supplies, including some pretty sweet packaging supplies. Who wouldn't want to get a gift finished with this twine? Although I haven't yet ordered from Shop Sweet Lulu, I'll likely be placing an order in the near future.
What companies and shops are you discovering? Any you want to share?
*Bytheway, neither of these companies has in any way compensated me for this little plug. I just think they're pretty terrific.
04 March 2012
03 March 2012
New Zealand 2012 Recap
The day we arrived in New Zealand, we freshened up and headed to George's aunt and uncle's house. They not only fed us and gave us a place to sleep, but they also threw a fantastic family gathering. The vast majority of the family came by for a great, if windy, BBQ. I spent a lot of the time wiping tears from my eyes and keeping my legs firmly crossed; the Sadliers are a funny crowd, and I haven't laughed that hard in a very long time. I am so incredibly fortunate to have married into this family.
The next day, we headed to a fabulous rental bach (if you're not familiar with the term, enjoy some history on Wikipedia) in Kuatunu on the Coromandel with Pierre, Anna, and their two wee boys. We stayed three days and had a memorable time spent catching up with our friends, "practicing" being parents, soaking up some rays, splashing in the Pacific, eating ice cream daily, cooking with the limes growing outside the window, and generally being on vacation. It was really terrific and will not soon be forgotten.
Eventually, we made our way back to Auckland to catch a flight to Wellington. Welly greeted us with some cold and windy weather, but generally cleared up the rest of the time we were there, including some truly brilliant sunny days. It's easy to see why you can't beat Wellington on a good day.
In Wellington, we settled in with George's father, Paul, and stepmother, Robyn, who graciously put up with our comings and goings for well over a week. Because we were in town for so long, I got to know my way around, we caught up with quite a few friends, and we got to spend several evenings with Paul and Robyn and George's brother, Heath. It was so nice to be with family and to know George's hometown a bit better.
We did sneak out of Wellington for a couple of days to visit George's mum and grandmother. While there, we helped clean out his grandmother's apartment as she is transitioning to new living arrangements. In the process, we ran across some remarkable old photos and learned more about Nana and her history - very special indeed. Again, it was so nice to be surrounded by family.
Back in Wellington, we celebrated our dear friends, Tim and Kirsten. Their wedding was the reason for the trip, and it was really special to be part of their celebrations. Tim and Kirsten are such thoughtful and inclusive people that, not surprisingly, they made sure that we made some new friends in the process. Between their stag/hen parties, rehearsal, reception set-up, wedding, and reception, George and I got to know their friends and families, and I got to meet many of George's college/London friends who I had not previously met. As for the day of the wedding, the weather was fine but rather windy, so it felt very authentically Wellington. The festivities were wonderful celebrations of their love and heightened commitment. I have no doubt that they have many happy years in their future.
Of course, my growing belly was the topic of much discussion and anticipation.* I'll always remember that New Zealand was where I started feeling our baby girl on a regular basis and where I first felt a kick from the outside. I'm really pleased that we were able to find many New Zealand items and books for our babe, and we received some beautiful NZ gifts as well. This is for sure: baby girl will know that she is a Kiwi and that a lot of people in New Zealand love her.
We've only been home for a little over a week, and I'm already anxious to get back to New Zealand. Alas, it'll have to wait until after our babe has arrived.
*On an unrelated note, New Zealand is a fabulous place for pregnant women to visit as public toilets are very widely available, and every one that I visited - more than I can count - had a full supply of toilet paper and running water. Oh, the things pregnancy makes you think about.
The next day, we headed to a fabulous rental bach (if you're not familiar with the term, enjoy some history on Wikipedia) in Kuatunu on the Coromandel with Pierre, Anna, and their two wee boys. We stayed three days and had a memorable time spent catching up with our friends, "practicing" being parents, soaking up some rays, splashing in the Pacific, eating ice cream daily, cooking with the limes growing outside the window, and generally being on vacation. It was really terrific and will not soon be forgotten.
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| George, Amanda, Anna, O, A, Pierre |
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| The Bach |
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| The beach...right across the street |
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| Mr. O |
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| Mr. A and his dad |
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| Mr. A and his chocolate ice cream |
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| Paradise. |
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| When did men with a stroller become attractive? |
Eventually, we made our way back to Auckland to catch a flight to Wellington. Welly greeted us with some cold and windy weather, but generally cleared up the rest of the time we were there, including some truly brilliant sunny days. It's easy to see why you can't beat Wellington on a good day.
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| Downtown Wellington from Oriental Parade |
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| Wellington from the local turbine |
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| Wellington at Night |
In Wellington, we settled in with George's father, Paul, and stepmother, Robyn, who graciously put up with our comings and goings for well over a week. Because we were in town for so long, I got to know my way around, we caught up with quite a few friends, and we got to spend several evenings with Paul and Robyn and George's brother, Heath. It was so nice to be with family and to know George's hometown a bit better.
 |
| George, Amanda, Dad, Robyn |
We did sneak out of Wellington for a couple of days to visit George's mum and grandmother. While there, we helped clean out his grandmother's apartment as she is transitioning to new living arrangements. In the process, we ran across some remarkable old photos and learned more about Nana and her history - very special indeed. Again, it was so nice to be surrounded by family.
 |
| George, Amanda, Nana, Mum |
Back in Wellington, we celebrated our dear friends, Tim and Kirsten. Their wedding was the reason for the trip, and it was really special to be part of their celebrations. Tim and Kirsten are such thoughtful and inclusive people that, not surprisingly, they made sure that we made some new friends in the process. Between their stag/hen parties, rehearsal, reception set-up, wedding, and reception, George and I got to know their friends and families, and I got to meet many of George's college/London friends who I had not previously met. As for the day of the wedding, the weather was fine but rather windy, so it felt very authentically Wellington. The festivities were wonderful celebrations of their love and heightened commitment. I have no doubt that they have many happy years in their future.
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| Rehearsal |
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| Here comes the bride... |
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| Vows... |
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| Groom and Bride |
Of course, my growing belly was the topic of much discussion and anticipation.* I'll always remember that New Zealand was where I started feeling our baby girl on a regular basis and where I first felt a kick from the outside. I'm really pleased that we were able to find many New Zealand items and books for our babe, and we received some beautiful NZ gifts as well. This is for sure: baby girl will know that she is a Kiwi and that a lot of people in New Zealand love her.
We've only been home for a little over a week, and I'm already anxious to get back to New Zealand. Alas, it'll have to wait until after our babe has arrived.
*On an unrelated note, New Zealand is a fabulous place for pregnant women to visit as public toilets are very widely available, and every one that I visited - more than I can count - had a full supply of toilet paper and running water. Oh, the things pregnancy makes you think about.
26 February 2012
Weekend in Photos
It's Sunday night already?!
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| I thoroughly enjoyed my prenatal yoga class on Saturday. |
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| I made these lemon blueberry cupcakes (and should have chilled the frosting for longer before icing the cakes). |
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| We decided on this rug made of NZ wool for baby girl's nursery. It looks like the nursery is shaping up to be a primary color paradise - a classy primary color paradise, that is. |
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| We took advantage of the last day of a 25% off sale and found some zero VOC paint for the bath and laundry rooms. |
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| We ordered some affordable but modern and functional upper cabinets for the laundry room. |
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| Of course we were tempted by some shiny new appliances for our shiny new laundry room. If we're sufficiently under budget on the rest of the project, some laundry bling may actually be in our future (just not these particular ones). Here's hoping. |
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| We bought baby girl's crib mattress (lower price + local store = win-win) and discovered that it fit perfectly inside my Legacy. |
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| Sometimes the best recipes are old family recipes.* |
* Grandma's BBQ Ham Sandwiches
~1 lb. sliced ham (thin sliced works best)
~1-2 cups of BBQ sauce (bottled or homemade with ketchup, vinegar, and brown sugar)
Hamburger buns
Toppings (cheese, veggies, condiments, etc.)
Bring meat and BBQ sauce to a rolling boil in a sauce pan for 3-5 minutes (be sure to reach 160F if preparing for a pregnant lady). Drain meat as you remove it from the pan. Assemble sandwiches and top as desired (shown above with cheddar, tomato, and dill pickle). Makes 2-4 sandwiches.
24 February 2012
New Zealand Photos
Feel free to take a sneak peek at the photos I've posted from our trip here. I promise more photos and more explanation soon.
23 February 2012
We're back!
George and I are back from a wonderful visit to New Zealand. To me, it felt different: less about seeing the sites and more about finding a place within the community while time allowed. Like every trip to NZ, it was really hard to leave. This time it was even harder because it was so nice to be surrounded by family and so many friends during this time of preparing for the addition to our immediate family.
There have been big developments with our baby girl while we've been gone. The bump is definitely growing, which leaves me longing for dress-wearing weather to reach Seattle. While I admit that part of my bulge may consist of pie, fries, pavlova, lamb, and a host of other NZ treats, a good portion of it is also baby. I passed the halfway point (20 weeks) in the pregnancy while baby girl passed the 1 lb. mark, assuming average length of pregnancy and typical fetal development. I can tell that baby is growing because I can feel her more and more every day, and I felt my first two jabs from the outside while we were in Wellington.
We had a happy return yesterday (following two hours of Canadian and American immigration and customs in Vancouver), complete with spring bulbs poking through the mulch, beautiful baby and Valentine cards, and discovery that one of our neighbors was keeping an eye on our house without us even having to ask. Now that we're back in our nest (this word was chosen quite deliberately), I'm anxious to get my hands on several projects, including painting our laundry and final bathroom (completely safe thanks to low- and no-VOC paints), otherwise finishing those rooms, turning the craft room into the nursery I envision, making these homemade sheets from the awesome shark and whale fabric we found in NZ, turning tea towels into bibs, making these burp clothes, and finalizing about a million baby decisions (yes, including the ever elusive name).
Stay tuned for several photo-heavy posts over the next several days.
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| February 16th, Wellington, New Zealand (21 weeks pregnant) |
There have been big developments with our baby girl while we've been gone. The bump is definitely growing, which leaves me longing for dress-wearing weather to reach Seattle. While I admit that part of my bulge may consist of pie, fries, pavlova, lamb, and a host of other NZ treats, a good portion of it is also baby. I passed the halfway point (20 weeks) in the pregnancy while baby girl passed the 1 lb. mark, assuming average length of pregnancy and typical fetal development. I can tell that baby is growing because I can feel her more and more every day, and I felt my first two jabs from the outside while we were in Wellington.
We had a happy return yesterday (following two hours of Canadian and American immigration and customs in Vancouver), complete with spring bulbs poking through the mulch, beautiful baby and Valentine cards, and discovery that one of our neighbors was keeping an eye on our house without us even having to ask. Now that we're back in our nest (this word was chosen quite deliberately), I'm anxious to get my hands on several projects, including painting our laundry and final bathroom (completely safe thanks to low- and no-VOC paints), otherwise finishing those rooms, turning the craft room into the nursery I envision, making these homemade sheets from the awesome shark and whale fabric we found in NZ, turning tea towels into bibs, making these burp clothes, and finalizing about a million baby decisions (yes, including the ever elusive name).
Stay tuned for several photo-heavy posts over the next several days.
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