DIY Paper Leaf Painting

Hey friends! I hope you have a great weekend! Here's a fun, super easy project for you to try this weekend. All you need is some acrylic paint, some paper ephemera, and a canvas. The greatest thing about this project is that you can do any color background you want, or even do a color scheme by using similar colors in your "leaves."

For my version of this painting, I used scrapbook paper from Michael's and cutouts from magazines. Paint the canvas however you want. I used a green and teal brushstroke method (not a method, really). You could even do this over an actual painting of something. Then I cut out teardrop shapes in different sizes and arranged them on the canvas in a sort of "U" shape. It kind of reminds me of when kelp sways in the ocean. You could also do an "S" shape or a border design.

Mod Podge or glue the teardrops down, then with a very thin paintbrush, trace a border around them. It makes for a more finished look. I then watered down the black paint a little bit and ran a thick brush around the edges of the canvas. I wanted the bristles to create a kind of messy border.

If you have a shelf or a bit of wall space that is just begging for some art (or if you're dying for a project, either for yourself or to occupy your kid so you can read a book), then give this easy piece a try. What do you think of the final look? What colors would you use in your home?

PS - if you love paper art, then check out the amazing giveaway from Pen and Paint here!

Thursday Giveaway from Pen and Paint

Today's giveaway is from Pen and Paint, which I'm really excited to share. Pen and Paint is the creative product of Lindsay. Her beautiful, one-of-a-kind drawings are some of the most colorful, whimsical, and inspirational pieces I've seen. 

The selection ranges from art prints (both stock and custom) to note cards to mini cards to notebooks and notepads! My brainspace is totally consumed with all things baby, and I've been dying to go with a "by the sea" theme for our boy's nursery, so naturally, this print caught my eye. If it's nautical, I want it.

Lindsay is giving away $30 credit to her shop! What would you choose if you won? Cards? Prints? Maybe everything?!

Connect with Pen and Paint: Shop // Blog // Instagram // Twitter // Facebook

For a chance to win, please complete the Rafflecopter entries below. The winner will be chosen at random next week.

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A first-time experience

I hate weekend updates. I hardly ever read them, especially if they come out on a Wednesday. So I don't blame you for skipping right past this post and moving on to that one blogger who always has a cute, unoriginal outfit on and calls herself a fashion blogger.

Here's what went down this weekend.

-It was gloriously warm weather. The tops of my thighs and my belly got a little pink.

-I had three eyelash appointments in three days. Feeling pretty good about that.

-My grandpa had some sort of episode related to a medication he was taking and was hospitalized (he's fine now).

-We ordered our crib and picked up the dresser for our boy! We assembled the dresser last night (and goofed around a little), and I filled the drawers with the small amount of baby stuff we've accumulated.

-I finally bought some all white dishes that I've been wanting for a while.

-We barbeque'd some food that would have been the envy of the neighborhood if they weren't already having their own barbeques. (Raspberry chipotle chicken, roasted veggies, and bowtie pasta)

-We went for ice cream at our favorite ice cream place and I accidentally ate a peanut butter pretzel. One pretzel, guys. For those of you who don't know, I'm seriously allergic to peanut products. I'm usually extremely careful, and the only time I ever have an incident is at an ice cream or yogurt place (something about those employees, man. They are dumb).

I was really worried that the reaction would affect the baby. I haven't had a reaction in the time I've been pregnant, so I didn't know if it would hurt him or make my own reaction worse. Because I ate such a small amount and recognized it right away, I was able to throw it up as fast as I could. Here's where I talk about my "first-time experience" as the post is titled.

I haven't thrown up in 3 months, way back when he was a tiny little thing. Now that he's big, barfing is a very different experience. When you heave, your stomach tightens. For a big baby, this is uncomfortable, and he might push back with all his strength. This will be weird for you. You can't stop throwing up, and even if you could, you don't want to because there's something bad that needs to come out. So you keep going. The pressure from the heaves and the baby kicking will make you pee yourself. Not like at church, where it's a couple drops and no one will know, but all-the-way pee. So you'll be sitting there on the bathroom floor in a puddle of your own pee, pregnant as can be, with swollen lips and an itchy throat.

I tell ya, I'd be ok if that never happened again. Let's leave the pee-yourself-to-completion scenario in the past.

Luckily, I married this guy, who sat there with me until it was over.

Twenty eight. The third trimester!

Sometimes, when Conrad's working on the computer for hours on end, we go visit him and this is the attention that is given.

Alright. Here's the dealio. My parents' dog Jasper (a standard poodle, who was also my dog, but then I got married and moved out) is super mellow. He's a lounger. He needs a minimum of 18 hours of sleep in a 24 hour period, and his waking hours are spent laying on the floor tracking us with his eyes as we move about the room.

He's also pretty intuitive. He's smart. Some dogs are stupid. Some dogs yap and lick and hump, and he does none of those things. He's obedient and contemplative and skeptical of people who are overly excited, and he is extremely sensitive.

Conrad once saw his new poodle haircut and laughed at him. Jasper promptly became very embarrassed and wouldn't go near Conrad for the rest of the day. You have to make him feel good, or he gets really sensitive.

So now that you know a little about his personality, here's my pregnancy story of the week. As if the five I already told you didn't count. I'm staying at my parent's house in LA this weekend, and I came alone. Jasper is always very excited to see me and is very mopey when I leave. He steals my shoes when I'm gone for long periods of time, just so he can have something of mine close to him.

When I walked in the door, he jumped up to greet me, wagging the whole backside of his body, not just his tale, and then resumed his lounging position with his giant stuffed horse next to him. I walked my suitcase upstairs, and he got up and followed, then plopped down like Eeyore in the room I was in. This is how we spend our days. Getting up and plopping back down. I sat down next to him with my legs apart, and he scooted in towards my body.

I patted my growing belly and talked gently to Jasper about the baby that's coming. Jasper looked at me and looked at my belly, and then layed his head on my thigh, closed his eyes, and put his paw on my belly. I tried as carefully as I could to take a picture, but didn't want to move or Jasper would move, which is why the picture is blurry.

I know what you're thinking. He did that because I patted my belly. He's not really intuitive. But here's the thing. He's been different since I got pregnant, and especially since I started showing. He's gentler when we play and he sits close to my stomach instead of just my legs. Maybe it's true, maybe it's not, but I like to think my buddy Jasper can sense the little spirit I'm housing.

OK, enough doggy talk. Here are the rest of my updates:
- still craving meat, but less. Maybe my iron levels are regulating.
- my ability to eat is getting smaller. I still have the appetite but I don't have the space!
- leg cramps are mild. I get them and I get them often, but they aren't excruciating.
- Boybie's limbs are like little needles in there. If something is jabbing me, it is JABBING. He's over the soft flutters and moved on to the karate/triathlete/elbow-mom-in-the-intestines-and-make-her-fart-in-public phase. Oh, the joy of motherhood, and it hasn't even begun.
- we're ordering our crib and baby dresser this week! I can't wait to share pictures of his little nursery corner once it's all set up.
- I have officially gained 20 pounds and I don't care who knows it. Except for those times when I care, just a little.
- some of my food aversions are back, only without the intense nausea. Is that normal?

Pregnancy Dreams of Late

Despite my new sleeping arrangement, the raging hormones and my own subconscious thoughts have left me with quite a few weird dreams lately.

- A nightmare in which I and my crew of heroes were searching for a monster that was terrorizing our village. We trekked to the abandoned life-size dollhouse on the tiny island in the middle of a lake at night in search of the beast. We searched the house with all of it's SUPER creepy dollhouse stuff, and finally happened upon the monster, which was a giant sloth. Yes, a sloth. Only super fast. We had to run away from it, getting lost in all of the corridors of the house. We finally got back to our little boat safely and started putting back to the village. I looked behind us up at the house, and the creature was staring at us through the tallest window. It then let out a blood-curdling screech, as I'm sure sloths don't do, jumped out the window in a physics-defying leap, and landed on the boat by latching it's mouth square on my boob. Then I woke up.

I think I have some issues with breastfeeding. Not sure.

- A dream which I don't remember at all, only that my baby was born with giant, bionic ears.

- A dream that was actually Conrad's (hormone induced dreams must be contagious, or he's just preparing his brain for a baby. Either way.). The baby came out spanking brand new speaking full, adult-level sentences, and was being passed around church having conversations with everyone.

- A multitude of other dreams which I don't remember because they were interrupted by leg cramps, night sweats, trips to the bathroom, or I woke myself up with my own sleep talking.

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Now that we all have a reasonable grasp on what goes on in my brain, I'd like to invite you to sponsor The Framed Lady! I have some amazing sponsors already lined up for next month, so you'll be sure to get some great exposure on my sidebar, by participating in the group giveaway, and in a feature post (XL and L only). 

Here are the deets.

10,000+ monthly pageviews

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For specific ad space details, check out my advertise page. My growth equals your growth, and baby, I've been growing. 

Ok, before this post gets any weirder (I did tell you about the boob sloth, after all), I'm gonna check out and say have an awesome Memorial Day weekend! And don't forget to enter the May Group Giveaway and the Beverly Swimwear giveaway!

My weekend is starting on a Thursday!

It's the weirdest timing ever (I'm giving birth in two months), but my eyelash business is really picking up, partly thanks to your awesome advice a while ago! I got some business cards on the cheap from Vistaprint.com, and I've been making about 3 appointments per week! 

I'm heading to LA for Memorial Day weekend to spend time with my family, eat all things barbequed, and go baby shopping with my mom (for baby stuff, not babies), and I've got three appointments for up there! I'm even making money on vacation! Love it. Funny how fulfilling it is when you earn money.

What are your Memorial Day plans? Hopefully they involve swimsuits, sunshine, good food, and a moment of remembrance for our fallen soldiers!

The angel in the burger joint

Last night, I had a meeting a few cities away, and I decided that I would take myself out to one of my favorite burger joints that I normally wouldn't drive so far for. While I stood in line, I could feel people's eyes on me - on the bump. It's very obviously a pregnant bump now, not a chubby one, so I'm not usually insecure about it. But in this restaurant full of people, full of couples on dates, full of an entire fire department, I felt kind of exposed.

I ordered my food to-go and looked for a place to sit while I waited. It was packed. There was a bench for people waiting for to-go orders but it was totally packed with men over the age of 80. I wasn't about to let them give up there seat for me, a much less deserving and more-capable-of-standing person. The man on the end started to stand, but I told him I was fine and he could stay seated. Rather than insisting that I take his spot, he scooted over and made some room beside him.

We sat, thighs touching, me and this 85-year-old man. He asked me how I was doing. He asked me without hesitation or worry of offending me when my baby was due. It was refreshing to talk to someone who didn't dance around the topic before asking questions about pregnancy. He knew I was pregnant and just dove right in.

He started telling me how he and his wife had eight kids together. I told him this was my first and I was very excited. He laughed and told me how they had four daughters, then a son, then they thought they knew what they were doing so they tried for more boys and got two more girls, and then seven years later, a big surprise for everyone, they got another boy. We laughed and he even patted my belly. He asked me "the wife does way more work, so could a husband really say WE have a baby? She's really the one who does it all." Then his number was called and he picked up his food, wished me luck and left.

I sat there trying to stifle my beaming smile. I'm sure it made everyone wonder what in the world the pregnant girl is laughing at. I picked up my burger and ate it in my car in the parking lot, thinking about that old man. I wished I had invited him to eat with me or at least find out his name. For the five minutes we chatted, he totally lifted my spirits, made me feel beautiful, and reaffirmed my excitement for this new life I'm creating.

Thanks, Old Angel Man. Many more burgers will be eaten in your honor in the hopes that I run into you again at the burger place.

Beverly Swimwear Giveaway

Today's giveaway is from Beverly Swimwear, an awesome modest swimwear shop. These handmade suits give "women more stylish options while allowing [them] to remain modest." Most of them are retro-inspired, which means more flattering and more coverage without compromising style. Beverly is giving away one swimsuit (winner's choice!). Which one would you choose?

For a chance to win, please complete the Rafflecopter entries below. The winner will be chosen at random next week. Good luck!

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PLUS: looking for another chance to win stuff? Enter the May group giveaway for ad spaces, art, and a blog design!

Some things that make me uncomfortable (that might make you uncomfortable). AND A BEDROOM STORY.

- Oh my word, the church pews. There is no place less comfortable. Every Sunday about fifteen minutes into the meeting, without fail, I start shifting uncomfortably (and very conspicuously). I often somehow end up laying or nearly laying on the pew, at which point I decide it would just be better for everyone if I go sit on the couches in the foyer or the rockers in the mother's room.

- I'm sprouting a weird amount of stray hairs on my stomach. Of all places... The worst is that it's on the low part of my stomach, under the bump, so I can't see it in order to shave it. I did a blind shave and just hoped I got it all. I thought I was successful but Conrad found a missed one and teased me for it. Normally a few stomach hairs wouldn't bother me, but seeing that it's summer and either want to be in a bathing suit or naked most of the time, I figured I should just do the beach-goers of San Diego a favor and try to get rid of them.

- I'm sleeping a pretty consistent ten hours a day, and I wake up every three hours to pee and get some more water. Every time I get up, the baby thinks it's time to wiggle, so I think when I add up all of the actual sleep time, it's closer to seven hours.

- I want a crib. I'm dying for a crib. Why? Not to put a baby in. Baby can stay where he is for now. I want a crib so I can put all of the junk baby stuff I've accumulated into it and get it off my bedroom floor. How's that for nesting?

- Speaking of the bedroom... that whole thing is awkward. Not that. The actual sleeping part. I used to look on our bed as a wonderful place. The most comfortable place in the world. I even devoted a whole post to it. Now, that horrible thing is my nemesis. It doesn't let me sleep. It's too hard. It's too small. Sharing a bed with someone in such close proximity is driving me and my belly orb bonkers. There simply isn't enough room in it for me, the orb, my five pillows, and my husband whose body somehow kicks into furnace mode while he sleeps. Plus, sharing blankets has become, like, my second least favorite thing. For a while, Conrad was the sweetest thing ever and SLEPT ON THE FLOOR so I could get a good night's sleep. Can you even believe?

Then, after a while, he started getting whiny and wanted back on the bed. I had to allow it, but then I was cranky from discomfort and lack of sleep. So I solved my own problem by going and sleeping on the guest bed. This worked a few times, but left us lonely. There's something about waking up next to someone you like that just makes you have a better day. So Conrad started to give me guff again. Something about how we're married and shouldn't be sleeping in separate rooms, and sharing a bed isn't an option. I tried to truck it out in the nemesis queen, but found that my back hurt and my brain didn't want to work the next day. I told Conrad, "Hey, why don't you sleep in the guest room with me?! After all, the marvelous twin bed with the saggy mattress that allows me to still sleep on my stomach does have a trundle you could sleep on!"

So we've been trundling for the past couple weeks (this is actually why Conrad got me the body pillow for Mother's Day; he was hoping it might make the queen more comfortable for me. It didn't). Conrad is such a good sport. He still has a thing about being on separate twin beds, but I argue that they're practically the same bed as long as the mattresses are touching. We don't have to share blankets, I get the wonderful mattress sag (which any normal human would hate), and we get to wake up together!

Now taking donations for a new king bed. Did you have major sleep problems when you were pregnant? Did they go away after you had the baby, or did your new habits stick around?

Twenty Seven

First, can I just say that it's laughable that I thought I had a belly here. 

Second, my first Mother's Day was pretty great. Conrad got me this body pillow. At first, I kind of hated it and wished he had gotten me some new canvas and a bluetooth device. But then, THEN, a couple days later, I took a nap with it and slept for a good 50% of a 24 hour period. I had the most glorious pillow lines on my chest and face, and it took them an hour and a half to go away. That's how you know you slept well. 

My mom got me some pregnancy and labor goodies. She said she "wanted to get something that was more for mommy than baby." A cocoa butter stick for my belly (which is mysteriously void of stretchmarks; my tots, on the other hand...), a bottle of massage oil that smells like a spa (meant for massaging my body while I'm pregnant), and a delicious candle that makes me wonder if I have pica (I promise I don't). I don't think the candle will make it with us to the hospital. I've already burned through a third of it. 

My parents took us to the Pasadena Showcase which is one of my favorite, favorite things. Looking through artfully decorated homes might be my number one thing to do, ever. The only downside was that it was LA's surprise heatwave weekend meant to kill pregnant women. 95 degrees outside, 100 degrees inside. Yes, friends, they did not condition that air. Many contractions were had. 

As for pregnancy milestones, we're one week away from third trimester! The boy-child is getting bigger and stronger, as are his kicks. 

DIY Paper Pendant

I made this pendant wreath a while ago when I had an abundance of energy and inspiration (you know, before I got pregnant). But really, it is the easiest craft you could do. It looks totally bookshop-y and country. 

HOW TO:

Cut a piece of cardboard about 4 inches in diameter. This will be the backing to the pendant. Set aside. 

Take an old book. One with yellowed pages would be good, but you may want to go with a more stark look, depending on the room. Carefully tear or cut the pages out of the book as close to the binding as possible. Roll each individual page into a very gradual cone, and secure with a piece of tape. 

Assemble the pages to form a circle, and use hot glue to secure to the cardboard backing. Make sure the taped sides of the rolls are in the back. If there is a small gap in the middle of the circle when it's complete, that's fine. You'll cover it up.

For the center piece, I just used some crumpled brown paper cut into circles with scalloped scissors. I layered 4 or 5 pieces on top of each other to give it a more flowered look. You could also use a circular printout if you have one you've been wanting to use, or some scrapbook paper. 

To hang on a wall, hot glue some twine or ribbon to the backing. 

If you end up making one, take a picture and send it to me! I'd love to see how you styled it in your home, or what different materials you used!

A nursery for a little prince (because seriously, we'd have to be royalty to afford it)

here

here

here

here

here

Oh, baby boy stuff. That co-sleeper up there was designed by some Italian designers for a contest, and it isn't actually a product you can buy, but man, do I wish it was. It's the most sensible design for a co-sleeper I've ever seen. Why are there no others like it?! 

The Restoration Hardware crib and dresser are totally beautiful and absolutely too expensive for me. I'm thinking I'll either go with a white crib or a driftwood crib like the one above. And don't get me started on how senseless changing tables are. I'll take a full-size dresser and a $20 changing pad, thankyouverymuch. 

As for decor, I was thinking I'd stick with a nautical theme and go with whales (which I still love), but maybe I'll go less "theme-y" and more "do whatever I want because my baby won't care anyway." So I threw a hot-air balloon mobile into the mix, and I'm super in love with the grey and yellow one above. 

And more whale art. 

Phrases pregnant women hate

"You look like you're about to pop!"
I had one person tell me this, and I was 20 weeks along. Granted, he was 21 and had probably never been around a pregnant woman, so he totally couldn't have guessed how far along I was. Mostly it was just funny. I actually like when people acknowledge I'm growing, but I might be weird.

"You look so much bigger/smaller than ___ weeks!" 
I'm never offended when people tell me I look smaller, but some people are. I'm honestly not even offended when people tell me I'm carrying large. A woman at church asked me "Are you sure you're not having twins?" and it didn't even phase me. It's probably all the hormones. They're like sedatives or something. I'm comfortable with my size, but it certainly wouldn't feel good to have someone say outright "You're gaining a lot of weight," or suggesting that you're underweight and therefore malnourishing your baby. Gee, thanks.

"Should you be eating that?"
This one gets my goat, along with any other comments about my behavior that would suggest I'm using bad judgement. Yes, I'm drinking soda. With caffeine in it. Yes, I eat red meat several times a week. Yes, I even ate sushi - real sushi, not the cooked excuse for sushi - when I was first pregnant because it was the only thing I kept down.

"You look tired/uncomfortable."
Well, you look like a fat person with too-skinny legs. Oh wait, that's also me. Just don't comment on a pregnant woman's appearance. Her ego is fragile.

When people ask the gender but then still call the baby an "it" rather than a he or she.
Why would you ask if it's a girl or boy if you aren't going to refer to it by it's gender-specific pronoun?

When people ask awkward questions like "Are you excited?" or "Is the dad excited?" 
Of course I'm excited. And why would the dad be extra-excited? Because it's a boy? Here's how to respond. Make the asker feel as awkward as these stupid questions. Say "Oh, not really. We were trying not to get pregnant but it happened anyway." Or "There's no father. I got pregnant in a one-night-stand." They'll never ask you a stupid question again. Mission accomplished.

"Can I touch your belly?" Or worse, touching without asking.
Only a few people have touched my belly, and they all asked first. It doesn't really bother me. I understand that they just want to "give their good energy" to the baby or feel him move. If I'm feeling like I don't want to be touched, I'll simply say, "Oh, he's asleep right now, but if he wakes up and starts moving, I'll tell you so you can feel!" No one ever pushes too hard. I think most people understand boundaries. It's usually older women who touch without asking.

When people ask what names we're thinking of, I tell them, and they proceed to call the baby by one of those names - or worse, a nickname. 
It's not his name now. It might be his name when he gets here. Please don't lock me into a certain name when I may want to reserve the right to change it. This one, weirdly, is probably the most irritating one to me. I've simply just started lying and telling people who ask that we don't have any names in mind yet. We do.

And other questions asking about what I plan to do, like "Are you going to breastfeed?" "Are you going to get an epidural?" etc. They make me feel like no matter how I answer, I'm about to be judged. What I find most irritating are the questions I have to answer a thousand times, like "How are you feeling?" "When are you due?" "Boy or girl?" "Do you have any names picked out?" I just get tired of saying the same rehearsed answer over and over again.

What's the most obnoxious thing anyone has said to you while you were pregnant? This could get fun.

2 Ingredient Pineapple Bars

Here's a Pinterest recipe for y'all. It intrigued me because it only called for two ingredients and both were items that I had in my pantry.

It's seriously absurdly easy. If you're out of eggs, no problem. If you're out of absolutely everything except a box of angel food cake mix and a can of crushed pineapple, no problem. 

In a bowl, combine 1 box of angel food cake mix and one can of crushed pineapple, juice and all. It should be kind of foamy. Pour into a greased 9 x 13 pan and bake for 30 minutes at 350 F. 

What results is a dense, moist cake that I decided to label as "bars" since it was significantly denser than a regular cake. I bought a generic cake mix which was kind of different than if a Betty Crocker mix. Instead of one bag of cake mix, there were two separate bags in the box - one labeled "flour mix" and one labeled "egg white mix." I was kind of confused, so I just dumped both mixes into a bowl and combined with the crushed pineapple. 

Maybe a name brand cake mix would have turned out differently. Maybe less dense? Have any of you tried this recipe with a name brand cake mix and gotten a different result? I'd be curious to hear! 

I made an easy cream cheese frosting that turned out lumpy, served it with fresh berries and called it a day. 

So, about those teenage years...

Check out my awesome MS Paint skills..

To my awesome mother who dealt with more drama from me than from all my other siblings combined. To my mother-in-law who did the same for my husband. 

To all the women out there who have ever had a baby. I never knew what it took until now, and I haven't even had the thing yet.

And to all the women who have ever been nice to, helped, smiled at, protected, or otherwise positively affected a child, whether you have children of your own or not. 

Happy Mother's Day to all, and may there be an abundance of chocolate, and may you enjoy hours of having your feet elevated, and maybe even massaged. 

Twenty-Six

- My cravings are leaning toward the unhealthy. I've craved meat the whole pregnancy, but it's starting to get out of hand. I ate at In-N-Out four times (for you out-of-staters, it's the West Coast's favorite burger), plus I had a steak at some point. Any time I want meat, I allow myself to have it because I'd rather gain weight from red meat than have crazy constipation from an iron supplement.

- Also, this happened.^^^  If this ever happens again, I want you to slap me in my pregnant face and remind me that there is no excuse - NO EXCUSE - for this behavior. Pregnancy does not justify it. (Also, follow me on instagram for more of my awesome food updates)

- I had a doctor's appointment this week, and we discussed my gestational diabetes test results (which were totally normal, despite the whole me-and-a-can-of-whipped-cream thing). My doctor even commended me on the seventeen pounds I've gained. "You had a slow start. You lost weight in the first trimester, so you needed to catch up." And then, at some point while we listened to the baby's heartbeat, I mentioned how much extra hair there is on my stomach, and she insisted that I wasn't hairy at all. I think I love this woman.

- The baby kicked SO hard while I was in the bath the other day that the bath water actually splashed from the jolt. Like, water sloshed around and my belly was the epicenter.

- Conrad is just the dreamiest. He was laying on my belly's upper half, looking downward at the lower half watching and feeling the baby kick him smack in the face, and he started singing "Sea of Love," one of our current favorite lullabies. Conrad does this thing when he can't remember the words to a song where he just makes up whatever words he wants. Usually, what results is an absurd string of words that make no sense next to each other. But this time, he made up the sweetest little rhyme:

Actual words:
Come with me, my love
To the sea, the sea of love
I wanna tell you 
How much I love you

Words that Conrad made up:
Baby boy, do you recall
The day we started it all
I wanna tell you 
How much I love you

I promptly started crying, as pregnant women do. I just imagined him singing those words to our son years down the line, referring back to the first time they laid eyes on each other, and the tears came a-flowin'.

Have I mentioned I'm really enjoying pregnancy?

How Grand (as in, a thousand) (also as in, how great)

Welp, we're well on our way to reaching 1000 followers on GFC! When I combine all my social media platforms, and even account for some overlap, The Framed Lady reaches significantly more than 1000 people, but you know how us bloggers can be with milestones.

So I've decided to plan a giveaway. Once I get to 1000 followers on GFC, I want to put together a big giveaway with a big prize (maybe a cash prize, maybe an assortment of giftcards?), and I want to invite EVERYONE to participate!

Here's the info:

Options for donating:

$3 - 1 social media link (either Facebook or Twitter)

$6 - 2 social media links (either Facebook or Twitter for the first link, and one additional link)

$9 - 3 social media links (either Facebook or Twitter for the first link, and two additional links)

$12 - Co-host position (1 mandatory social media link and two additional links, at least one link must be Facebook or Twitter)

Giveaway will start within one week of reaching 1000 GFC followers. I'll keep you updated as it gets closer. 

Plus, if you sign up and share the announcement post (fill out the form to get the code), you can win an option upgrade if you refer the most people! Help me get to 1000 followers and let's all gain some new followers!

If you could be a doll and fill out this donation form, that sure would be awesome! 

Nesting

It's been 65+ degrees in our neck of the woods despite all the rain. Conrad spent one of the rainy days with me checking items off our to-do list. Normal to-do lists consist of doing the dishes, running errands, or sweep the porch. It was an unconventional list: clean the ash out of the fireplace, clean the barbeque, dust the baseboards, clean the walls (yes, walls) in the master bathroom. Ah, nesting. And ah, Conrad, for humoring me and helping me reach up high and bend down low (or doing it for me, rather, since my body's range of movement is becoming more and more limited).

I still have a few things on my list as far as nesting goes, and the list gets longer as we get closer to Boy's arrival. I'm toying with the idea of painting all of our walls, I need to designate a "baby area" in our house, and I get weird artistic urges to paint, which result in entire days spend behind a canvas, and when I finally emerge, there's paint in my hair and a smile on my face. Now if you'll excuse me, I need to go construct built-in shelves and buy a new king bed. And probably start a farm, or something.

Why we waited to get pregnant

As you've probably gathered from reading my posts for the last few months, we're THRILLED to be welcoming our little boy. Ecstatic. I chalk our happiness up to good timing and blessings. Of course, we would have loved our baby if he had come earlier, but life would have been very different for us. We got to have some wonderful time for learning and creating a strong marital foundation for our future family in the four years we had before babies came along.

Mine, His

We both got to graduate college. We've placed a very high value on education, and always felt that we would be more prepared to provide for our family if we had completed our schooling. Having kids before you graduate can certainly be done, but it also makes it significantly harder.

One of our first nights in our first apartment.

We got to move several times. I love that we've lived in a few different homes together. We got to start over and make a new home each time we moved, and it brought us closer as a couple.

Conrad and me in front of the building he used to work in. Downtown San Diego.

Conrad underwent a job switch and is now settling in at a very stable, opportunistic position. Right by the beach. With a very short commute. This job switch was a huge deal for us. Conrad's work-related happiness was really kind of low at his old job because the commute was all the way in downtown San Diego (an hour-long train ride each way), and by the time he got home, he had hardly any waking time to do anything he liked. Now, with his new job, he gets to travel for work, spend time outside, and is only 10 minutes from home. He has time to surf after work because it's not totally dark when he gets home, and he's had a lot of time to work on side projects. Making the switch with a baby would not have been hard, but we're in such a happy place now. We're much more ready to welcome a baby.

We got to buy a home. We bought our condo after only 2 years of marriage, and will probably have it for the rest of our lives. It's an awesome investment for later in life. We'll rent it out when we want to buy a bigger place for our growing family. We're happy we were able to save up and "get ahead" with our home purchase!

We fell WAY deeper in love. There was so much we didn't know about each other and about ourselves when we were first married. We were so much less mature and prepared compared to now. I throw way fewer tantrums. Conrad does way fewer things to result in my throwing tantrums. We've grown. :)

Did you wait to have kids? Why or why not? Why are you glad that you waited or didn't wait?

MANGO TANDOORI CHICKEN PIZZA

This pizza. THIS PIZZA. Conrad and I used to go to California Pizza Kitchen and get this pizza there, but then they got crazy and changed their menu drastically. This pizza was cut from the selection. So I went two years missing it, never thinking to myself, "why don't you just make it at home?"

Last week, I finally had that thought. I included it in our meal plan, picked up all the ingredients, and had it hot and ready right when Conrad walked in the door. This pizza is so good. We ate the whole thing. Looking back, we could have just saved the leftovers and enjoyed it again later, but it was so good that we couldn't stop eating it. The Mango Curry Grilling Sauce is the star. It's sweet and spicy and smoky, and it gives your pizza this cool, summery look because of it's color. 

I've made my own pizza dough before (this is my favorite recipe), and while it is cheaper (and more homemaker-y) to make your own dough, it adds at least an extra hour to prep time (20 minutes to mix and knead, 1 hr + to rise). I weighed my options and went for the pre-made dough, and it turned out delish. 

Recipe

You need:  

Pizza dough (I used Pillsbury's for the sake of convenience) 

Archer Farms Mango Curry Grilling Sauce (they sell it at Target and I put it on everything)

Mozzarella cheese

1/2 diced red bell pepper

1/4 cup chopped red onion

1 cup chopped cooked chicken (I had some in my fridge from leftovers, but you could even use canned)

1 bunch of cilantro, chopped 

1 cup frozen mango chunks (I sliced them in half because the chunks were pretty big)

Directions:

Spread the dough out on a cookie sheet to desired thickness. Pour about 1/3 cup of the Mango Grilling Sauce onto the dough and brush around evenly. Sprinkle on desired amount of mozzarella. Add the diced onion, peppers, mango, chicken, and cilantro. 

Cooking will be based on your dough's directions. Cook as directed until dough is cooked through and cheese is melted. (Sidenote, if you're using the Pillbury's, it says to precook the dough. I did not do this. I cooked for 20-25 minutes instead, and it turned out perfect)

Add more cilantro as desired, and you could even drizzle on a sweet chili sauce like Maggi's, but it honestly doesn't even need it.

Enjoy!

Twenty Five

- I took my glucose test this week! You can read about it here. And my results are within the normal range according to my medical records. We'll see if my doctor has anything to say about it on Monday.

- This "tan-faster-when-you're-pregnant" thing is no joke. See below. Also, observe my new swimsuit. Watermelon colors! You know, to house the watermelon as it grows. 

- Conrad pointed out how clear my skin was this week, and it made me realize I haven't had a zit, or even a blackhead, in a few months. I broke out a little bit at the very beginning, but mostly on parts of my body other than my face. I'll probably break out again after I have the baby, due to more massive hormone fluctuation.

- We were talking about lullabies we want to sing to our baby, and we realized we have kind of unconventional taste. Several Celtic songs were on the list, as well as David Bowie, Nat King Cole (Nature Boy), Cat Stevens (Morning Has Broken), The Honeydrippers (Sea of Love), and Billy Joel (Goodnight My Angel). 

- Conrad has been kind of impatient so far about waiting to feel the baby kick. He thought he could just set his hand on my belly and the baby would kick him immediately, not realizing that the baby may not feel like kicking at that precise moment and he might have to wait. If he had his hand there for more than a minute without feeling anything, he'd become bored and distracted, and would usually just stop trying. Last night, he had a bout of patience and decided to lay his head on my belly and just lay there and let our boy kick him in the face over and over. It was pretty precious. He gasped at every kick.

There's some major pre-baby bonding going on over here, guys. Major. 

Answers to Questions

Last week I opened up to reader questions. Here are the answers to some of your questions!

How many kids do you want?
I go back and forth on this one. I used to want a lot, but then when I had super terrible morning sickness, I swore to the heavens that this baby would be an only child and I was never going to go through that again. But now morning sickness is gone, and I'm back up to "several." I kind of love the idea of having a houseful of happy children. Maybe three? Maybe four? Maybe even more! We'll stop when we feel like we can't handle it anymore, or when we feel like Heavenly Father has sent all the little angels that were meant to be in our family. 

Were you trying to get pregnant?
Yes. First official try and we had a baby on the way. I was expecting to have at least a little bit of trouble getting pregnant (meaning it might take a few months), so I started documenting my pregnancy journey. But then, BLAMO, we were blessed enough to get pregnant so quickly, and I felt kind of silly for expecting issues. 

What is your faith?
I'm a Mormon. There is so much I could say in answering this question. Here is a list of thirteen basic statements which very briefly explain Mormon beliefs. Personally, I find happiness here. I believe that families can be together forever through this gospel, which is something that I definitely want for myself and all my loved ones. I also believe in the awesome power of Christ's atonement, through which we can be forgiven and return to live with Heavenly Father. If you have further questions, you can email me at tesiahwilk@yahoo.com or inquire through the church directly by contacting missionaries in your area here. 

What advice do you have for other bloggers?
Um, sponsor me? Just kidding. I've written several posts on blogging, tips, and networking. Here's a list of some of the posts:
Easy Blogging 101
Like Weeds: Tips that helped me in growing my blog
Blog-turned-business
Why Facebook Pages Suck
Feature on The Feminine Crusade (top five pieces of advice about blogging)

I love answering questions about my blogging experience, or sharing tips. If you have any other questions about it, email me or leave a comment!

Do you read every comment posted on your blog, even days after you posted the post that your readers commented on?
Yes! I actually have my comments set up where I get emailed every time I get a comment, so even if you comment on a post that I wrote a long time ago, I see it and read it! Every comment you leave brings a little extra joy to my day (granted the comment is a nice one). So go ahead, comment more! I do my best to reply to comments where it would fuel a conversation. Sometimes I don't get around to replying to every single comment, but please know that I see them and love them!

Where did you get all of the outfits for the photo shoot you did (pictures in this post) and who did your styling?
For that photoshoot, I worked with the amazing David Talley. He provided all of the outfits, which I think were all thrifted. I did my own styling and makeup as directed by the artist. :) We wanted to do a creative shoot that was kind of dark, so I went with darker, more dramatic eye makeup (not like glam-heavy, more like dark-circles-and-spooky-expressions-heavy). I actually didn't do anything to style my hair, but the reason it looks different in some pictures is because of David's awesome editing skills!

It was really fun reading what you guys were curious about me. Have a question that wasn't answered? Leave it in a comment or send me an email at tesiahwilk@yahoo.com. I'd love to start a conversation with you!