Wednesday, March 27, 2024

Mama Drama: Ripping Off the Band-Aid

"Buy yourself some cute Band-Aids."  That was what my sister said when I told her that I had gestational diabetes.  Well, she said a lot of other (very helpful!) things too, having gone through this horror herself.  But that was what, ahem, stuck with me when I finally decided to write this post.  

When I got my test results, I was terrified.  I had no idea how I was going to cut carbs and (gulp) prick myself four times a day.  The husband, as always, was (and is) amazing, patiently showing me how to use the glucose monitor and making me protein-rich meals.  The first time I stuck myself, I almost threw up.  Then another time shortly after I couldn't get the needle thingy to work (I'm not the most mechanical person), and the more the clock ticked, the more flustered I got.  Panicked, I thought, I can't do this.  And then, like a sign from the universe, it all clicked -- literally and figuratively.  The pen did its thing, and I took my reading.  And I knew that I could and would do this, for my health and for the health of my baby.

It's been a week and a half now, and I already feel like an old, ahem, hand.  I even went for other (pregnancy-related) bloodwork earlier this week and was completely fine.  Best of all, so far, my numbers have been great.  So, pizza-free or not, I feel incredibly lucky.  It's a comfort knowing that what doesn't kill you makes you stronger. 

And that sometimes the only way to stop being a baby is to have one.

Monday, March 25, 2024

Painting the Town Pink: Baby Girl World

Bow barrette: Kohl's with flair from my craft stash

Bag: Sugar Thrillz, Dolls Kill

Shoes: Chase & Chloe, Zulily

Tee: Sonoma, Kohl's

Leggings: Tek Gear, Kohl's

Coat: So, Kohl's

Magical Marabou Earrings

Sweater: Nine West, Kohl's

Star and Circle Necklace

Bag: Amazon

Scrunchie: So, Kohl's

Gift bag: Marshalls

Dress: So, Kohl's


Choker: Ella & Elly, Zulily



Bag: A New Day, Target




Michaels

Boots: Dolls Kill


Dress: Trixxi, Kohl's

Bows: Wild Fable, Target; Hair: Amazon


Maybelline, Walgreens

Bag: So, Kohl's

It's finally time to unveil my highly anticipated -- if only by me -- new collection.  Surprise, surprise, it's baby girl-inspired bling!  Fixating on pretty pink pacifiers, rocking horses, and other sweet things helps me concentrate on the magic of having a little girl instead of stressing about the scary stuff.  So, business as usual but motherhood edition.  Crafting, is there any problem that you can't solve?

Speaking of distractions, I also branched out by trying Maybelline's tattoo line of eyeshadow pens.  They're so fun, like markers for your face!  You can see how they look in the first and last selfies.  Which is to say a little lurid, a little '80s, and exactly what I need sometimes.  Ironically, I haven't used the pink one yet.  Maybe I'll bust it out for my baby shower.  

Finally, this weekend the husband and I picked out the paint for the nursery.  It's a pale pink called Marshmallow Bunny.  I actually picked the shade right across from it in the swatch library thingy, but the husband lobbied for the bunny because the name was cuter (and the color was pretty much the same).  

As a lover of language -- and bunnies! -- I couldn't agree more. 🎀🐰

Friday, March 22, 2024

Inspiration Transformation: Crafting a Cove With Less Clutter



If you're thinking, hey, aren't you the Trove, not the Cove?  And also, haven't you shown us your craft room before?  Yes and yes.  But over time, this crazy quilt of a sanctuary started to resemble a refuse heap.  The closet overflowed with boxes, and each time I packaged an order, I had to dismantle and dig through them.  What's more, the floor was littered with rolls of wrapping paper, piles of craft kits and books, and jewelry supplies.  Each had its own little pile (I'm not an animal), but still.  I couldn't even bear to take a pic of it.  Just trust me that it was chaos.  

So this past winter, I decided to clean up my act.  I bought a wrapping paper storage box and some colorful craft caddies and trashed anything I couldn't cram inside.  I really got into it, going so far as to sift through my rhinestone stash and weed out any dull and deformed ones.  It was weirdly therapeutic, a way to ease into my pregnancy.  

And now it's a happy place space again with a floor I can actually see.  

Which I'll appreciate come June when I'm knee-deep in diapers.

Monday, March 18, 2024

Post St. Patrick's Day Pose

Dress: LC Lauren Conrad, Kohl's


Shoes: Chase & Chloe, Zulily

Scarf: Arizona Jeans, JCPenney

It's never too late to celebrate the wearing of the green.  Or to enjoy a St. Patrick's Day mystery or three.  Because it wasn't until late last night that I opened this trio of Irish-themed novellas: Leslie Meier's Irish Coffee Murder, Lee Hollis's Death of an Irish Coffee Drinker, and Barbara Ross's Perked Up.  All three small-town sleuths find themselves in hot coffee -- and hot water.  Thankfully, my own holiday was limited to lounging under the archway.  

Here's hoping that yours was as exciting -- or as uneventful -- as you wanted!💚

Tuesday, March 12, 2024

One Darn Yarn: Fostering Calm Through Crafting


You know that crafting and sitcoms are near and dear to my escapist heart.  So when I stumbled upon Sutton Foster's Hooked: How Crafting Saved My Life, I thought,  Younger's Liza Miller taking on her anxiety one paint stroke at a time?  Yes, please!  I could especially relate when she shared how cross-stitch helped her deal with catty chorus girls.  Not that I've ever starred in a play.  Or cross-stitched.  But I'm no stranger to retreating to my own inner world.

"And so, in order to survive the tour, I needed something to do that would ground me.  Something that had nothing to do with the show or its social politics.  Something that I could be in complete control of.  That was how I started to cross-stitch.  I call it my gateway craft." (18-19)

There's an autonomy that comes with solitary pursuits, especially creative ones, that's very freeing.  And I loved that Sutton had this tool in her self-care arsenal.  As I read, though, I learned that the real source of her angst wasn't mean girls, but her agoraphobic mother.  Although Helen Foster fiercely supported Sutton's career, she almost never told Sutton "I love you."  It was very sad and often hard to read.

But Sutton's resilience kept me going.  With each Broadway show, breakup, and roadblock with her mom, she finds joy and solace in a new form of artistic expression.  She's so likeable and scrappy and vulnerable that you can't help but root for her to come out on the other side.  And by the time Younger airs, she does, emerging as stronger than the mosaic glass girl she once made and then shattered.

Not unlike our intrepid Liza.

Thursday, March 7, 2024

Boots Before Booties and Other Kitsch Cuties: Also, Hello Zipperless Denim

Flannel: So, Kohl's

Bag: Betsey Johnson, Boscov's

Hair clips: Marshalls

Jeans: Sonoma, Kohl's

Boots: 2 Lips Too, Zulily

Dress: Lily Rose, Kohl's

Headband: Zulily


Bag: INC, Macy's

Boots: Wild Fable, Target

Sweater: Gap

Boots and bag: LC Lauren Conrad, Kohl's

The bigger I get, the more I love boots.  It's nice to have the height and support that come with a sturdy block heel -- not to mention the sass of the Southwest.  You know what else is nice?  Maternity jeans!  At first I was suspicious of these so-called jeans sans zippers, but now I can't live without them.  

That said, no new jewelry to show this time.  But I am working on a special new "drop" (do people still say that?), and I'm pretty excited about it. 

So stay tuned.  I'll be here, dwelling in cloud-soft denim.