Life on Louise | The VanderMaas Family

January 2012 Recap

2012-01-29T19:06:00.003-05:00

The first weekend of January was the third annual GRunveiled bridal show that I plan with my colleague, Joy'l. It was a huge success and I loved how my space came together this year. We were on the local news (both Fox 17 and WZZM 13) and also listed in the Grand Rapids Press.

My space was a little DIY hot cocoa station, and I loved chatting with all the visitors we had. To see more photos - professional ones too! - check out the Pearls Events blog post here.

Today Eames is officially a 10-month old. He's wearing all 9-12 month clothes and pajamas as I packed all his 6-9 month clothes away last week. I have to admit the past 10 months have been a blur and before I know it, we will have a one year old little boy. He's looking less baby-like and more little-boy like to me, and it has been so fun to watch him grow and learn new things.

Eames skipped sitting and went right to pulling himself around the house in his own army crawl months ago, but he's finally(!) sitting up by himself. He also started pulling himself up to stand a few weeks ago and I've baby proofed the house more since! I know it's going to be soon where he doesn't need the sofa to balance, and will be chasing Olive around the house in no time.

Eames is eating everything we give him, and while he enjoys all fruits, veggies, meats & breads we've tried, he still seems to enjoy baby food, which is fine, as it fills his belly. He has started self-feeding, but he's also still nursing a few times a day. We just kinda do whatever works!

He loves his walker and flies around the house looking for who knows what, and also enjoys sitting in his Tripp Trapp while I prepare dinner, clean the kitchen, or just to hang out and watch Greg do the dishes.

Greg & I just keep looking at each other and wonder where the time is going. We have loved every second with him, and are looking forward to watching him learn even more.

I was quoted in the Grand Rapids Press for a story on Wish Upon a Wedding, the Michigan chapter. I haven't gotten too involved yet, but have helped spread the word! I was interviewed for the story, and it was fun to have my relatives see my face (which I didn't know for sure would be in the article!) in the paper!

The second photo is of Greg's Christmas gift to me - some Merrell snow boots. I've been lusting after a pair for quite some time, although didn't seem to find the exact ones I wanted. He picked some out for me and wrapped them up as a surprise on Christmas morning. I LOVE THEM! So warm, and they are super cute.

The third photo is one I captured of myself on a good hair day. Lately, Eames & I hang on the living room floor most days, and I rarely put on makeup. He's so active, that it's play-play-play all day long. I try & work while he's napping and after bedtime at night, but it's a crazy schedule. This happened to be a day I did my hair - and it cracks me up I caught Olive snoozing over my shoulder!

Ooh, I couldn't resist a few more of Eames. Love that face!

And here's today - our snow filled backyard, new toboggan from Grandma, and some hot cocoa to keep me toasty warm after our snow walk this afternoon. It was a low key weekend on Louise Street, which are my favorite!

February is my favorite month because I celebrate my birthday on the 4th, and I also love Valentine's Day. It arrives on Wednesday and I'm ready to roll! Saturday is my 31st birthday, but I'll also be celebrating a new daughter with my friend Abbey at her shower, and also a marriage with my cousin Leigh at her wedding. At the end of the month, Greg and I have plans to take our first getaway without Eames. Yes, I've been gone overnight from him for work, but not with Greg! We are very much looking forward to it.

**All photos takes with our iPad on Instagram. Follow me @aletha4, or if you don't have Instagram, you can check out all of my photos here.**

The Many Faces of Eames

2012-01-04T21:10:00.003-05:00

My sister, Victoria, captured these images of Eames and us on Christmas day. She was in town from Chicago and doesn't get to see him very often, so went a little crazy with her camera. I LOVE them!

He's got this face he makes (top two photos) that absolutely cracks me up. And as you can see from the one on the bottom right, he's learning to clap quite well!

December 2011 on Louise Street

2011-12-31T14:57:00.005-05:00

December on Louise Street seemed not busy when looking at my calendar, but man did it fill up quickly! With five full weekends this month, it's been go-go-go every since December 1st.

The first weekend we got our Christmas tree & decorated the house. The second weekend I worked a wedding here in Grand Rapids and had a big meeting with a July client while they were in town.

The third weekend I committed to a paint color, bought 4 gallons of it, and Greg got to work transforming the living room & hallway into a dreamy, creamy, spot-on gray called "Ozark Shadows" from Ben Moore paints, mixed into Behr paint from The Home Depot. It's perfect. I love it, and the sofa & chair/ottoman finally pop the way they should have all along.

We have decided to go ahead with new windows throughout the whole house, and with that, all new trim, so while the painting is done on the walls, we are trim-less in the living room right now before the windows are installed.

You know you're a grown up with NEW WINDOWS is the highlight of your month. HA!

The past few weeks, Eames has been learning new things. The most recent is clapping, which just cracks me up. We're still working on waving on command, but he's got "high fives" down pat. What a fun time teaching Eames fun little games.

He LOVES listening to us read his books. I even went a little crazy on Amazon and ordered some more of his favorites, ones with little finger puppets like In My Tree, because he just giggles his pants off when we read those. It's so darn hilarious.

My final event was this week and I'm happy to say that the client was thrilled! It was a small retirement party for 30 guests at a small local restaurant and I pulled a neutral color palette together. It was all grays/taupe/white and looks pretty darn fabulous, if I do say so myself. The candlelight really made the room glow, and the client emailed me right after the party to say how much she loved it. Feedback like that really makes me love my job!

The icing on the Christmas Cake was celebrating the season with Eames. I loved our little tree this year. I have finally have collected enough Old World ornaments where I did not have to fill in with anything else, so we did just white lights and all of the my Old World collection with a large beaded Pottery Barn snowflake at the top. And next year we're going to have to have a bigger tree, as I beefed up my collection of glass ornaments with an obscene amount at after-Christmas sales...

Anyway, back to our Christmas celebration...

We started off the holiday by opening gifts on Christmas Eve. Greg gave me the coolest Merrell snow/trail boots, and an adorable North Face jacket. I ended up exchanging the jacket for a kickass Patagonia one because the size wasn't right. I'm glad I appear smaller than I actually am. Greg opened a bird bath heater (which he wanted!), a Birds of Michigan book & a Banana Republic sweater. We were practical parents this year and wrapped up nothing for Eames. We didn't want to get carried away this year (or ever, if we can help it!) because we really do try to live simply. I hope I can maintain that way of thinking for years to come.

Christmas morning we were awake and out the door to my parent's house for brunch & gifts. We were absolutely spoiled, which my parents love to do! I am the proud new owner of a gorgeous navy blue car coat, and Greg is THRILLED with his new ice fish finder. Eames opened a super-cute wooden pull sled from Santa that we will use for years to come! Although we haven't used it yet, as there has been no snow to speak of.

The afternoon was spent enjoying the annual prime rib dinner at Greg's parent's home, and then evening was spent with my extended family of 70+ people at our family's hall, The Lodge. We were home by 10pm and it made for a long day, but oh-SO-fun!

Just this week, we exchanged gifts with Greg's immediate family, and last night we had our final Christmas celebration with Greg's extended family. I have to say that I am SO thankful for the large families we both come from - I cannot imagine our life any other way, and do hope to one day have a large family myself.

Tonight we are hanging out with a few sets of our friends (that also have kids) to ring in 2012. I made Jello for the kiddies, and am still working on an adult dessert to share.

2011 has been a very full year for this VanderMaas clan. I cannot wait to see what is in store for our 2012.

HAPPY NEW YEAR!

Fall 2011 on Louise Street

2011-12-14T13:02:00.003-05:00

Oy - life is busy, and I've been living life rather than typing it all out! We did get a fun new iPad, however, so I've been documenting things with a little camera program, Instagram. Here's a peek at our lives the last couple of months....

Paint choices for the living room/mini front entryway/hallway have been difficult! Usually, I'm more decisive when it comes to decor, but finding just the right shade of gray for the walls proved to be more difficult than I thought possible.

After putting TWELVE different shades of gray on the walls, we landed on one clear winner and purchased four gallons of it on Sunday. I'll update when the paint is actually on the walls!

We got our Christmas tree a few weeks ago, and man, oh man, do I love a fresh tree! It was a rainy & chilly day, so sadly, not as many photos as in the past, but we got it up and decorated in a few hours. I love it - it's the smallest one we've had, and the least decorated as well, but it's just lovely. Eames seems to be mesmerized by it, and crawls right to it! We made cocoa and listened to Christmas music while decorating - a great tradition we've had for the past few years.

We've been reading to Eames in the chair next to the tree, and my favorite little Christmas book is Olive the Other Reindeer (thanks, Megan!). What a cute story, and quite fitting because our pup is named Olive.

Weddings were in full swing this fall season. This centerpiece is from our GORGEOUS November wedding at the Amway Grand Plaza with a super-sweet-couple from New York City. I loved helping them with their luxury linens & decor - it was a great way to spend November 19th. I'm awaiting professional images to share on the Pearls Events blog and will do so when I have access to them.

Obviously, Eames is filling our lives with laughter lately. The guy is on the move and all over the place. He's army crawling like a champ and eats just about anything is sight. He'd rather have the food off our plate than his own baby food.

He's still nursing a few times a day, and actually won't take a bottle anymore...so when I'm gone for work, he's all food all the time. We're working on the sippy cup with him, but since he's been breastfed this entire time, grasping a cup is work!

He he a couple of teeth on the bottom, and definitely getting more hair, which is good :) I was worried he may be bald (like I was!) for the first 18 months.

We are so excited to celebrate Christmas with him!

Our final wedding was last Friday here in Grand Rapids at the Goei Center. The bride was a sister of a 2008 bride, so it was a JOY to work with their family once again. I did complete set up, including centerpieces & linens, and then my assistant, Steph, was with me all night long for coordination. It was a FABULOUS wedding, and one I was looking forward to all season.

That is it from here - we have some house projects going on. The paint, as I mentioned before, plus replacing all the trim is something Greg is going to tackle this winter. We plan on replacing all our windows with tax return money, and we'd like to give the kitchen a mini-makeover, but haven't decided what, exactly, we want and/or need and want to invest on the project.

Happy Holidays!

Saturday Afternoon Ramblings

2011-11-12T12:30:00.004-05:00

Gone are the days of sleeping in on a Saturday morning! It's just after noon and I am on my third load of laundry, and the bathroom is sparkling clean. It's office organization afternoon (and you can see I'm procrastinating by updating this blog...) as Eames naps & Greg works on operation cleanup in the yard.

What a wonderful & busy week I had! Pearls Events booked two new clients for 2012. One for event coordination and another for full service. This is SUCH great news, as work was slower this year due to Eames' arrival, and I realized how much I missed working. I ran into a colleague of mine this week, and shared with her how excited I am for 2012, and she looked at me and said "Aletha, that is why I still work. Adult interaction doing something you love cannot be beat." And she was right.

Weeks after having Eames, I thought I might want to be a stay-at-home-mom, and honestly contemplated it for a while. After some serious thought, and knowing that I have worked hard building Pearls Events, I know that closing would not make me happy in the long run. I am here to stay!

I am thankful each time the phone rings or a new email pops up. I am also thankful that I've built the company slowly to where it is and am always appreciative for my wonderful team of Kate, Amy, Mary and maternity-leave help from Michelle this upcoming year! That's right - more babies on the horizon for our team...but, that is to be expected at this season in our lives.

So, other than meeting with a couple new clients, I also went to my first Thirty-One party with my sister-in-law, ordered our holiday cards from Snapfish, had dinner with our friends Lindsey & Adam, had dinner with Michelle to chat business & life in general, visited a new local wedding venue, and did a floral and linen mockup for our November 19 clients. Phew. And today is Get The House In Shape Day.

And have I mentioned I'm excited for the holidays? Well, I am. SO excited! And Greg is actually getting a few paid days off (which is new this year!), which I am looking forward to a few long weekends, since both Christmas Day & New Year's Day fall on Sunday this year.

That's about it from here - off to get this office organized!

Eames' First Halloween

2011-11-06T21:50:00.004-05:00

Ah! Halloween 2011 - one I will not soon forget. We didn't go to any wild parties, nor did we bring Eames trick-or-treating, but we did borrow the cutest little costume from my cousin, Jenny, to dress Eames up as a little duck.

Halloween fell on a Monday this year, so after Greg got home from work we put on his costume and headed to his mom's to grab a photo. Then we headed to Greg's sister's house to eat pizza and hang out. It was a low key night, and it's a tradition I'd like to continue.

We are already looking forward to Thanksgiving here!

A Perfect Solution for our Tiny Foyer

2011-11-06T11:00:00.002-05:00

Have you joined Pinterest yet? If not, I have to say it's mildly addicting, and also very inspiring, especially if you're looking for home ideas. This morning, while Eames was down for his morning nap, I came across this maybe(!) PERFECT solution for our itty bitty foyer at our Louise Street house.

My former Zondervan coworker, Jen, pinned the photo above, as she is currently building a gorgeous new home. For me, it rang true as a fabulous idea for our current home. See, when you walk in our front door, we currently have a little table that holds mail, my keys and sometimes my purse. I have a couple of plants on it, and a little candy dish we picked up in Costa Rica a few years ago.

It works well for now, but I always thought it'd be a great spot for a little built in bench to put shoes on. And now that we have Eames (although not really wearing shoes yet!), I can see how getting out the door with children can be a job.

Thankfully Greg is quite the handy guy - I plan on sharing this idea with him with hopes he is on board for making it happen when we repaint the living room and put in new trim. Looks like a winter project for sure!

[image via Jen's Pinterest via House No. 8 via Canadian House & Home]

A Little Update

2011-11-05T17:30:00.000-04:00

Ooh, how I am enjoying this season! The fall colors are beautiful, and it's been a pretty warm fall in West Michigan. I know that I'll never have a year like this again, so I'm enjoying it!

Work is busy right now, which is WONDERFUL! And unusual. Normally, events are wrapped up by end of October. Today, in fact, I had a last-minute request to coordinate a baby shower for a former wedding client. We coordinated her wedding shower & wedding last year and today was positively lovely. It's so fun watching clients go from engaged, to newly married, to expecting their first child.

2011 was an unusual season because our events were spread out this season. Normally, it seems like everything is between May - September, but this season I have a November & a December wedding. I've also had a LOT of time at home enjoying Eames, which worked out well for me, as I will never have this time at home again with just one kid (no, no, that is not an announcement that we are expecting again! Just a mention that this time is precious to me!).

And I can hardly believe he's SEVEN months old already! He's eating all sorts of baby food - and even right off our plates at this point. He hasn't hated anything we've given him - which is great, since I am still nursing and was worried I might have started food too late. Thankfully, textures don't seem to both him at all.

He's scooting around the house like a maniac and I'm afraid he's only getting more mobile as I type this. Up until recently, he was rolling around the house, but just this week he discovered he can pull himself on the wood floors just about everywhere - it's quite hilarious to watch!

Eames has also discovered he has a voice. And he isn't shy about using it! It's totally normal for him to just be screaming in different tones, trying to communicate with me, about any time of the day. Thankfully he does NOT do this in the morning when he wakes up - I admit it's a bit too high pitched for me to handle before I'm wide awake.

And as far as sleeping goes - he has slept through the night, but it's not consistent every night. I still get up and nurse him once between 3-6am. I've learned to deal with the lack-of-sleep, but now I understand comments from friends who said to get all the sleep I could when I was pregnant!

So, besides being head-over-heels in love with Eames, Greg and I have some fun plans for our current home. Windows are the next big project - we plan on replacing the original windows after Christmas. It seems like a luxury to NOT have to deal with darn storm windows at this point. Another project Greg is going to work on is replacing all the trim in the house - it's original, but really beat up after sixty years, and I think new trim will spruce things up. We're also in the market for a face lift to the kitchen, but haven't really put too much work into it yet.

That's about it from here - everything in 2011 has been amazing, and I'm already looking forward to Eames' first holiday season on Louise Street!

My Love for Hoppop Baby Gear

2011-10-26T22:30:00.000-04:00

I must admit, I'm a sucker for well-designed baby gear. If I shook my head in shame for each time I picked the CUTE item over the FUNCTIONAL item, I'd be dizzy. However, I figure if I have to look at the darn thing everyday, I might as well love what I'm looking at.

And while registering for baby bathtubs at Buy Buy Baby, I came across this adorable Hoppop bathtub. I read the reviews on Amazon and they were mixed - some people loved it, and some hated it. I know right off the bat, it wouldn't be ideal for newborns, as it is pretty deep, but more for kiddos who can sit by themselves. It didn't stop me from registering for it!

And when my baby shower rolled around, my mom's best friends from high school put together the cutest baby bath set (including the tub & bath toys), hooded towels, and wash clothes - a whole set to keep Eames clean.

After our baby shower, I put the step stool & the potty in my Amazon shopping cart, and shortly after Eames arrived, I purchased both...just in case they weren't available when I actually needed a step stool or potty.

What do I have to say about Hoppop? I love their products so far! We've been using the tub for a few weeks, and it's a snap to use. I love that the water stays warm because it's insulated, and I love that it has a little drain in the bottom. It's not heavy, and has little handles built into the side of it for easy moving around, which we do often, as we have to store it in the tub, and since it's the only tub in the house, we move it often for when Greg & I shower.

Eames is not really playing with the toys yet, and of course isn't using the stool or potty yet - but I'll keep you posted when he is! I hope he likes everything as much as I do.

Charlie Banana Diapers Do NOT Absorb

2011-10-20T23:00:00.002-04:00

I have rarely, if ever, used my personal blog to talk about negative experiences. I honestly don't think I've ever been worked up about a product as much as I have with these diapers! And I've never had buyer's remorse more than I do right now. Read on for my long (and annoying) Charlie Banana cloth diapering story...

Remember that super fabulous post about us switching from disposables to cloth at the beginning of September? Well, I should have waited a few weeks to rave about them.

Let me preface by saying I was warned I should try a few different brands before diving into one brand exclusively. But our first pack of six diapers came from Charlie Banana and we used them for two weeks and LOVED them! Eames could sleep in them all night with no leaks, and they absorbed so well. I ordered 12 more because even Greg liked them and thought they were easy enough. We could DO this - we were cloth diapering people.

Big Mistake. HUGE Mistake.

All was going great in our cloth diapering journey up until two weeks ago when I noticed Eames' onesies were starting to get wet throughout the day. Upon further investigation, I found the culprit - leaking diapers.

I was shocked - I had only been using them for eight weeks, and before this, they were working perfectly. I ran a clean one under warm water and, sure enough, watched the water pool up and run off. It was like I had used Rain-X on them.

I was following the Charlie Banana's washing instructions carefully. I was using eco-friendly detergent like they recommended. I was line drying. I was positively stumped.

So, I did what any internet savvy gal does, and googled "leaking cloth diapers." I found a ton of advice on stripping them and started this two-week process. I tried the Dawn dish soap method. I tried the RLR method. I rinsed, rinsed, rinsed a gazillion times. I tried vinegar and baking soda. I soaked, I rinsed again, I hung them to dry. I called the local cloth diaper baby boutique and asked what I should do.

And then I cried a little - about all the water I have wasted, but mostly because I wasted $300 on leaking diapers.

And after all of that did not work, especially the crying, I emailed Charlie Banana for help. I explained what was going on, what I had done, and what I needed to happen. They basically told me I was out of luck and it must be my own fault for damaging them.

Then I posted on their Facebook wall for help. A few of Charlie Banana users chimed in with some great responses.

"Okay," I thought, "I'm getting somewhere."

Someone from Charlie Banana gave me another email address to try. Their publicist, Carolyn Sutton who owns 624 Public Relations, told me she was working with a soap company (another company she represents) to see if they would be willing to take my diapers and see if they could "fix" them. No dice.

Carolyn sent me ways to try and strip them...although at this point, I'm not sure I'm stripping anything from them. I think their product just doesn't work. We don't have hard water. The water runs clear. I've used a gazillion gallons of water to rinse them. I would literally eat dinner off of the damn things, and they are USED DIAPERS.

I cannot fathom the amount of water I've wasted - I'm surprised the washer isn't on strike. I know I will pass out when I open the next water bill, but right now, I'm worked up because I have $300+ worth of diapers that do not absorb. And Eames is back in disposables. And I either need to keep buying & throwing away disposables, and cough up another chunk of change for better diapers that actually do their job.

Ooh - and to make it even more amusing (if you find terrible customer service funny) they banned me from their Facebook Page. Me? I've never been banned from anything - I've never even had a detention. I'm a rule-follower. A people-pleaser. I do, however, stick up for myself.

A product that does not do what it is supposed to do should be talked about. I do not want ANYONE else buying something and spending their hard-earned cash on Charlie Banana diapers that will only work for eight weeks.

Apple Orchard Photos with Mindy

2011-10-05T16:35:00.002-04:00

I know I already shared one image from our session, but here are a few more of my favorites! Mindy really did a great job at capturing Eames' budding personality - what a fun session! Now, how am I going to top this for his one-year photos?!

If you'd like to see WAY more images, check out Mindy's post here.

Our Orchard Session with Mindy

2011-10-04T12:15:00.002-04:00

After being rained out twice, we were finally able to meet Mindy at Robinette's for Eames' six month photo session on Sunday. Of course, because I'm planning ahead, I wanted a couple of the three of us for a possible Christmas card photo, or even a large image for our living room.

Mindy captured this one toward the middle of our session. She shared it on her blog last night and I could not be happier with how it turned out! Love the setting. Love the colors. Love that SKY!

Finding Eames an outfit was more challenging than I thought, but on a last ditch effort, we headed out to Holland Saturday afternoon and came across this cute one at Tip Toes. It was WAY more than I would usually spend on an outfit, but for photos, it was worth it. Plus I had a gift card, so it actually was a gift :) Man, do I have stylish clients, or what?!

Half of a Year with Eames

2011-09-29T22:30:00.000-04:00

That's right...Eames is officially six months old today. Half of a year. A whole 180 days or so. It's insane to me how quickly the past six months have gone and how much my daily life has changed. Not that Greg and I lived a crazy-carefree lifestyle before kids, but now we focus on Eames. What he's doing. What he's eating. How often he's sleeping. Did he take a bath today?

I wish I had some photos to add here, but I still cannot figure out how to transfer our Nikon images onto the Mac. I'm afraid to now...since Greg's been taking hundreds of photos for the past six months.

So, six months in, and I have to admit I wouldn't trade Eames for the world. He's a sweet little boy and loves to cuddle, which melts my heart. My favorite time with him is in the morning when he's awake in his crib just babbling on about nothing. I come downstairs to feed him, and then bring him back upstairs to my bed where I *try* to get in another hour or so of sleep. He usually catches on to my sneaky plan, and would rather play peek-a-boo than go back to sleep, which is fine, but does make for a long day because he rarely naps.

Because I booked less wedding & event work this season, I've spent almost every day with Eames over the past six months. I've had a few out-of-town weddings that have required overnight stays, but other than traveling for work, I've been home with him and I love it.

He is still nursing, but we're down a few feedings since we've added rice cereal, which he actually likes now. He's been trying all sorts of baby food, which he's not really too sure of yet. We just keep trying new ones to see what he enjoys.

He goes in for his six month check up early next week. I've been weighing him at home and am certain he's over 20 lbs, but not exactly sure how long he is. He's been consistently 98% for height, and 80% for weight...so I'm excited to see his new stats. I love our pediatrician and look forward to seeing her.

It's getting to be Fall here in Michigan, and we will be having Eames' six month photos on Sunday with Mindy. I will share them as soon as I'm able - this will be the THIRD scheduled date for these - the rain keeps ruining our plans!

Diapers: From Disposable to Cloth

2011-09-07T23:45:00.006-04:00

**I wrote this prematurely. Please see the FOLLOW UP POST to see what happened AFTER we loved these diapers**

We are in the process of making the switch to cloth diapers and I have to say, it's been easier than I anticipated. "In process" because we currently have only six diapers, and some days Eames goes through more than six, so I've been filling in with disposables. And I've been doing laundry every night to try and keep up. Thankfully, I just got word from Amazon that our next set of six shipped today. Maybe I'll do diaper laundry every-other-day now.

I was sold on disposable diapers for a couple of reasons...

Let's be serious...it's easier to throw dirty diapers away.
Cloth diapers make baby bottoms look H-U-G-E!
I was afraid of all the water I'd use laundering cloth diapers would cancel out the trash I produced.
Cloth diapers are an up-front investment (I've spent over $300 on 12 diapers, plus a wet bag at home, two wet bags for on-the-go, a reusable swim diaper, reusable wipes & warmer, disposable liners for on-the-go, detergent. Really, it's a huge investment up front, geesh!)

So, why the switcheroo? I'll tell you...

The trash we were producing was insane. It made me sick to think about that amount for the next 2+ years.
Cloth diapers are pretty cute compared to disposable.
The water I use to wash a small load of laundry is nothing compared to the trash I produce.
Buying diapers, plus disposable wipes, each month was adding up quickly!

The cloth diapering choices were overwhelming to me - pre-folds, all-in-ones, pockets...oh MY! Naturally, I ended up reading at least 485 Amazon reviews before ordering my first box of six Charlie Bananas (in the Tutti Frutti variety, and why yes, that IS a magenta diaper in there...).

They arrived right before our Silver Lake staycation, as well as Eames' adorable little red swim diaper. We started using them when we returned home, as I had to find the right detergent and figure out how to use the darn things before trying to use them on-the-go.

All has been going well. Charlie Banana diapers are pocket diapers, which means that there is literally a pocket in them, in which the absorbent insert goes. The pretty color part is the outer shell, lined with soft fleece that wicks away liquid, and the liner absorbs the liquid. When Eames has a wet diaper, I only need to swap out the liner. When he has a dirty one, the whole thing goes into the laundry bag. It's waaaaayyyy easier than I imagined and absolutely something I have no problem doing throughout the day.

Today our second set (the pastel variety) shipped and I'm pretty darn pumped for them to arrive. The best part about using cloth? They wash well, are soft & cozy on Eames' bottom, and are holding up just fine. I'm crossing my fingers I won't need to buy any more the entire time Eames is in diapers....AND our next child can wear them. I've also heard that cloth diapered children potty train faster than disposable diapered. Gosh, do I hope that true!

Stokke Tripp Trapp Highchair

2011-08-29T11:00:00.001-04:00

The VanderMaas household has a new seat and it may be the coolest place to sit in the whole house. Let me introduce you to Eames' Tripp Trapp highchair from Stokke.

This is not the highchair we registered for. The one we actually received as a gift, was the Cadillac of high chairs, but it had a much-too-large footprint for our small home. After looking for a smaller option that was freestanding, I came across the Tripp Trapp and knew it'd be perfect for our teeny kitchen.

After a week of looking at various color options, Greg and I settled on white. Although I am NOT a fan of white cupboards in kitchens (which is what we currently have), I am a fan of white trim, so figured the white would always match, no matter what color our kitchen happens to be in years to come. I'm leaning towards medium gray cabinets & lighter gray walls when we give it a facelift this winter...

Eames is still exclusively nursing at this point (he's five months today!), however, rice cereal is in his very near future - he's tried it a couple of times, but I haven't consistently fed it to him. He was also in need of a safe place to sit up while I make dinner and while I'm in my office working. In the Tripp Trapp, he is at my level and can eat right at the table with us! And with the added play tray, he can play with a few of his favorite toys while I work, blog, and discover Pinterest (thanks Jen!) in my office.

Because we knew Eames wouldn't need it for a while, the chair had been in the box until Saturday, when I put it together in the living room. From the photos above, you can see the minimal packaging, which kept everything in tip-top shape for shipping. I opened the box to find seven pieces that made up the chair, plus a few screws that hold it all together. Easy, peasy and put together in a matter of 30 minutes by myself.

If you're looking for a contemporary high chair that cleans up well (no nooks & crannies on this one!) that isn't made out of gobs of plastic that will eventually end up in a landfill, the Tripp Trapp get high marks from me! We plan on having this chair for years to come and never needing another one for additional children. One of my favorite parts is that it holds the weight of an adult, so when the kiddos are grown out of it, it converts into a side chair, which would plan to always have around.

And so far, Eames enjoys it - I suppose I'll keep you posted as he grows into it.

Our Silver Lake Staycation

2011-08-24T08:00:00.004-04:00

I mentioned in the last post, our 2011 summer vacation was going to be a staycation...which, to me, meant staying in Michigan and pretty close to home. After a fun Saturday of a baby shower for a good friend & a family reunion on Greg's side, we packed up our car for a week at the lake. Silver Lake. My lake. And my very favorite inland lake in Michigan; one I've enjoyed for the past 30 summers.

If you know me, you know that I come from a big family. My mom is one of seven children, I am one of five children & 21 grandchildren, and the great-grandchildren keep arriving. I believe Eames was number eight.

My grandparents purchased a cottage on Silver Lake in the late-70's, and every year since I was born in 1981, I've visited at some point. Mother's Day many of us venture up there to clean & open the cottage for the season. After the yard work & housework, we share a potluck style meal. In mid-May, the weather is still pretty cool, but we don't mind and usually sit on the deck.

On holiday weekends, including Memorial Day, Fourth of July & Labor day, the cottage is "open" for anyone who would like to stay there (it sleeps 13 in actual beds, but many more can squeeze in!) When I was a kid, most everyone was there. Now that some of my aunts have their own cottages, it's usually much less, but that just means I usually get to sleep in a bed! We were there on Fourth of July weekend and Greg, Eames & I shared the room with three twin beds - we each had our own!

Any other time of the summer, you can "reserve" it with my grandma. I've taken numerous weekend trips with my girlfriends in the past, however, this was the first summer Greg & I spent an entire week there together. And it was bliss. We didn't have any plans - we just packed our groceries, all the baby gear, plus the dog, and headed northbound for an entire week of family time.

Here are a few photos that I captured throughout the week...

We spent a lot of time on the boat. Greg fished almost every day, and in the evenings, Eames & I would join him for a sunset cruise.

We headed to Ludington one afternoon for lunch. We ended up enjoying some time in the park, and also came across this super-fun sculpture that I would like Greg to make for me.

I love this family photo, even though Eames isn't looking!

And what would a trip to Silver Lake be without a jaunt over to the Lake Michigan lighthouse? This is the Little Point Sable Lighthouse, and the sunsets there are like no other in the country - Lake Michigan really is wonderful!

We decided while we were there to make this a yearly trip as much as possible. We had a wonderful time and cannot wait to return. Sadly, Labor Day won't work this year, as I have a wedding (for work) in St. Joseph!

Unplugging for a Week

2011-08-07T11:45:00.002-04:00

We are taking our annual summer vacation this week and I couldn't be more excited. It's a bit more of a staycation that our past summer trips have been...but that is what worked best with our budget this year.

I was thinking back to the past four married summers and remembering what we have done. The first summer, 2007, we were on our honeymoon, spending time in Bermuda & Boston. The weather was perfect, we were complete beach bums, and had a blast together! It was a great vacation to start off our married life together.

Charlevoix is where we spent our 2008 vacation. My grandparents let us use their condo and we explored the surrounding area, and enjoyed a lot of Lake Michigan. It was a week sandwiched in between work weddings, but it was fabulous!

Summer of 2009 was our big trip - a two week, 4700-mile camping trip to Banff, Alberta, Canada. Despite the rain and cold temperatures at night, it was a wonderful trip. It was a trip I had taken as a kid and couldn't wait to share the road with Greg; thankfully, he loved it too. I'd love to do the same trip again someday with our family.

Last summer, 2010, we stayed closer to home and embarked on a week-long camping trip in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan. We explored what our own state has to offer and didn't put as many miles on the car. We had great weather, tons of campfires, plus we had just found out we were expecting Eames, so it was a trip I will not forget!

I look forward to sharing more of our staycation when we return - right now, I'm just looking forward to unplugging for an entire week - no email, no Twitter, no blogging, no Facebook, and most likely, not many phone calls! Happy August!

Summer 2011

2011-07-31T23:30:00.003-04:00

I can hardly believe that it is the final day of July 2011. Tomorrow I will wake up in August, and start the final leg of Eames' first summer on Louise Street. By February, I'm looking forward to summer, but by August, I'm longing for fall...

Yesterday (Saturday) Greg and I attended my cousin Sara's wedding. It was a beautiful and warm(!) day in West Michigan. Although I attend an abnormal amount of weddings each year due to my occupation, watching family members get married is always wonderful. Before the couple spoke their vows, they each prepared something personal to read to each other in front of their guests. It was heartfelt and I would encourage anyone to do that if they can hold it together while speaking their heart in front of all of their family & friends. It was my favorite part of their day! We left Eames with my in-laws for the afternoon & evening, and enjoyed spending time with my family.

Today Eames attended his very first birthday party hosted by my friend & coworker, Amy, as her daughter turns one on Thursday (which also happens to be my half-birthday...yes, I always think of that when August 4 rolls around...). It was a wonderful afternoon with cake & ice cream, and a little baby/adult interaction.

This week is a busy one. I have numerous work meetings, Eames has his four-month check up (already!!!???!!!), I am attending a baby shower for a good friend & we will be going to a family reunion on Greg's side. I love busy weeks and being social, but I also enjoy our slow weeks where life is so simple. Next week will be slow & I am already looking forward to our first summer retreat as a family of three.

Happy August!

A Contemporary Baby Book for Eames

2011-07-27T14:00:00.002-04:00

How am I remembering all of the "firsts" for Eames? In this adorable and contemporary baby book from Etsy seller, Ruby Love Designs of course!

While searching for the perfect non-baby-ish, baby book, I came across a few neutral baby books from Ruby Love Designs. I looked at what they had available in early March, and ended up ordering one very similar to the one above, but in a gray blue color with red & gray interior. I LOVE IT !

I've been diligently filling it out over the past four months with the most precise handwriting I have, and it's already been fun looking back at the things Eames has learned since the very beginning.

My mom handed over my own baby book right after Eames was born, and it's also been fun comparing photos, firsts, and hospital bills. Apparently in 1981, it was about $2000 to have a baby in Grand Rapids, Michigan. In 2011, just 30 years later, the cost has risen to over $20,000 at the very same hospital! WOW!

The Exersaucer Alternative - The Go-Pod

2011-07-19T10:30:00.002-04:00

Upon my initial exersaucer search, I was disappointed there was nothing a.) small for our tiny house, b.) attractive, c.) portable and d.) easy to store. Then I came across the Go-Pod - an alternative I am determined to make work just as well as one of those crazy-huge-and-ugly exersaucers.

Sure, there are no toys hanging all over it, and yes, I realize the colors are not as wild, but I can use a few of the numerous toys he already has to provide instant fun! And my favorite feature? It folds up like a camp chair and will accompany us on our summer vacation and also to my parent's house, plus it will take up less room in the basement when he's "over it".

Lately, Eames has been restless laying on his play mat, and even bored in his once-loved swing, so I suppose this is the next step - a little more vertical and a lot less horizontal!

A Positive Pregnant Test One Year Ago Today

2011-07-17T09:00:00.006-04:00

One year ago today we found out we were going to be parents for the first time. WOW, how that year has flown by! I never shared the story of us finding out we were pregnant, so I thought today would be a fun day to tell that story...

Getting pregnant wasn't the easiest of things for us. We were not that couple that decided one day we wanted to have children, and then next thing we know, we're registering for baby gear. No, no, no, that is NOT how our story went.

We agreed we were ready to start our family in June 2009, on our two week road trip to Banff. We drove 4700 miles round trip, and somewhere along that journey, we decided it was time to throw caution to the wind and let nature take its course. Ever since I was a little girl, I knew I wanted to have kids of my own. It took us a full twelve months to get pregnant and I was, surprisingly, patient the entire time. When we finally did end up pregnant, I had no idea and was actually surprised by the positive test!

Over the course of the twelve months (June 2009 - June 2010), I tracked my cycle on an iPod Touch application, which worked out well for me. I wasn't crazy about testing, and only took one test the entire time (photo above!).

We were headed to the Upper Peninsula of Michigan for our annual summer vacation. We waited until mid-July to hit the road since I had to work on July 3rd, and I was a bridesmaid on July 10th. We left Friday, July 16th for Tahquamenon Falls campground to spend a couple nights with our friends, Lindsey & Adam, before exploring the rest of the U.P. solo.

Because our bedroom gets SO hot in the summer, we were sleeping in our guest room at the time. I thought my back was hurting because of the different mattress. However, after listening to a friend talk about her sister being pregnant and having some back pain, I thought my symptom could be pregnancy, however I never mentioned anything to Greg.

Since we were headed camping in the U.P., I told Greg I thought I could be pregnant and we should stop before crossing the Mackinac Bridge into the U.P. just in case "there aren't any stores up there with pregnancy tests." He agreed.

We swung into a Kmart south of Mackinaw City, and picked up a test, plus a few other things we forgot to pack. Then we headed to the campground and set up for the night; Lindsey & Adam were already there. Dinner and a campfire rounded out the evening! In the morning, I woke up and made my way to the showers. After my hot shower I took the test, and two lines showed up right away. I actually left the box with instructions in the car, so I wasn't sure what I was looking at. Was two lines pregnant or NOT pregnant?! I had no clue. Remember? Novice test taker here...

I headed back to our site and looked at the box - "HOLY CRAP, I think I'm pregnant!" I whispered to Greg that I was, indeed, getting a positive reading from the test. I will not forget his facial expression as I told him that; he was pretty much in disbelief and I couldn't stop smiling. I put the test in our tent, next to the box, and told him to check it out himself before he headed to the shower himself.

The rest of the week camping, we didn't talk to anyone that we knew, and it was so much fun to keep the news between us! It will be a trip I remember over the years & look forward to telling Eames about how we found out we were expecting him!

Today he is just shy of 16 weeks old. We have a healthy baby boy, and we could not be more excited about the next year of his life. Watching Eames grow - he's already 16+ pounds of pure boy - has been an amazing experience. And yes, I am already brainstorming ideas for his first birthday party!

To Bumper or Not to Bumper...

2011-07-16T13:30:00.003-04:00

Ever since I started looking at baby bedding for Eames' nursery, I've been having the mental debate about whether or not to use bumpers. Lots of moms do because they are cute & serve a purpose for when the baby starts moving around in their crib, and lots of moms don't because they are have been linked to SIDS.

Initially, I purchased the Dwell Studio bumpers to match Eames' room, however upon receiving them, I wasn't thrilled with them as much as I thought. I promptly returned them, and continued my search, never finding anything I absolutely loved. I wanted something gray & simple to match the Dwell Studio crib sheet & skirt, but there isn't much on the market without a theme.

Then I came across some innovative Oliver B bumper pads via Amazon. And, they came in gray; perfect! I didn't buy them because I wasn't sure of the $75 price tag, however, now that Eames has started rolling & scooting around in his crib, I did want something on the slats to keep him from bumping his noggin.

They arrived yesterday while I was at work, and this morning after our 6am feeding time, I tied a few of them on. And then when I really woke up around 9am, I tied the rest of them on. Sixty knots later, and they are on, and ADORABLE! I was afraid they might look too girly in his room, but I honestly think they add a fun bit to his plain, white crib, and reading more about the purpose of them (breathing!), I am happy I went this route.

Eames' Current Favorite Toy

2011-07-14T09:00:00.004-04:00

At this point in Eames' life, he is just over 15 weeks old. He's rolling over almost every time you put him down and won't sit still. I've found he LOVES his play mat, where he can look up at the animals and reach for them. They each make different sounds and his favorite seems to be the bird with the ring on it, which he grabs and pulls at.

I told you yesterday we splurged on our stroller, but I would also have to admit I splurged on this play mat. While others were around $30 - $40, this one was $75. I looked at the other ones, but this was my favorite, so I waited until I had the cash and made the purchase on Amazon (no sales tax or shipping fees, plus free returns; my favorite way to shop!)

The other day, I added the Hug & Hide Owl to his collection of cute toys, which already included these adorable little trio of cuties. I am really hoping that they hold up, so if/when baby number two is around, s/he will be able to use all of the cute things I've collected!

My Favorite Baby Splurge

2011-07-13T09:00:00.003-04:00

I've been meaning to talk more about the baby gear we ended up with for Eames, but I'm now just getting to it. Today, I wanted to share our biggest baby splurge...and my favorite thing we use! Please meet our stroller, the lovely UPPAbaby Vista........

There are many awesome items we received as gifts while waiting for Eames to arrive, but my absolute favorite thing we use for him at this point (three months old!) is our stroller. While shopping for strollers, we had no idea what to look for. We approached that section of Buy Buy Baby with hesitation because of all the choices (and different price points!)

We wheeled a few around, and landed on this little number, the UPPAbaby Vista, in black. Sure, it's pricey, but we've agreed it was worth every penny. The bassinet feature was perfect for Eames when he was a newborn. We actually used the bassinet on the stroller, and then in our bedroom at night for sleeping. The toddler seat (with the Infant SnugSeat) works perfectly now, and when he's a bit bigger, we will lose the infant insert and he can use it until he's 50 pounds. Our car seat (Peg Perego) also snaps right into the stroller, in case I'm in a hurry and/or don't want to get him out of the seat if he's sleeping.

The wheels are great - the go over grass, sand, and gravel with ease. It's so smooth, you can maneuver it with just one hand, which is nice while grocery shopping. This stroller gets used practically every day. It fits in the back of my VW wagon well, and every time we go someplace, the stroller makes an appearance because at a whopping 16lbs already, carrying Eames in his car seat is hard work! Even at the grocery store, I pop him in, and we put the groceries in the generous basket on the bottom - I can fit a watermelon in there!

And two of the features I really loved, besides the fact that it's gender neutral, easy to fold down, and fits in my car well? You can add their RumbleSeat to convert it to a double stroller if/when we need that option. Or you can add their PiggyBack board so a toddler can hop on and ride along. I am really hoping we never have to buy another stroller!

The Bathroom Makeover

2011-07-12T09:00:00.004-04:00

Our bathroom was in a sad state of affairs around Christmastime and I blogged all about it in January. I was so sick of the terrible peeling paint in there, I threw a fit! Greg investigated the cause, and come to find out, there were ten old bird's nests in the vent pipe - no joke - TEN! After cleaning things out in the attic, and putting a cap on the vent, we were back in business.

Greg worked on our little bathroom (and I cannot stress just how tiny this room is) for hours and hours. He scraped the old paint off, sanded the walls, mudded the walls & sanded again. He put in a new vent/fan/light combo, he painted the ceiling & walls & trim, and he had to take the toilet & vanity out to do so (and it's our only bathroom, so thankfully we have awesome neighbors!). He hung the new light fixture, mirror, window shade and accessories, plus cleaned everything up where it felt like a brand new bathroom.

And you know what? I LOVE IT! We landed on the ideal shade of blue-ish gray, I found the perfect shower curtain & hand towels, and our new white bath towels made it feel like a mini spa. (stress the word mini...)

So, here's the shocking before. I know, really, really orange, eh? This was when I first moved in to the house in 2005. Before I had to consult anyone on my color choices...

And here is the refreshing after. I still need a photo for that Pier One frame over the glass shelf! Aaaaahhhhhhh...sooooo much better!

Our Owl Themed Nursery

2011-07-10T19:15:00.004-04:00

I've been meaning to blog about Eames' nursery for months now, however I'm still waiting for one piece of the puzzle (the owl mobile that Greg is still working on...the little wool owls), but for now, this is it. And I'm THRILLED with how it turned out!

We were going to paint the walls dove gray, but decided on a saturated green at the last minute - I LOVE IT. You can see the Roman shades my mom made out of one $66 shower curtain(!), and, of course, the retro rocker Greg refinished the wood on, and I had the seat recovered. You will also notice I had three images from Eames' hospital session matted & framed for over the changing table/dresser from WalMart. I picked up the most cozy rug at IKEA (well, my friend Karen did. THANKS KAREN!) that we play on often - it's perfect for in there. Ooh, and the adorable DwellStudio bins for toys & books are below the window (we have two little ones shown here, and one large one in the closet for more of his toys!)

The only thing you can't see is the little wall of white shelves I did with this print, his adorable silver piggy bank, a few more photos including the USPS' Eames stamps I had matted to match the photos of Greg & Eames, and a couple of mini plants to liven up the room.

I'm thrilled with Eames' room! It's not too baby-ish, and I think he'll grow into it well over the next couple of years. I can already see us converting his crib into the toddler bed and it working just fine with his sheets (The DwellStudio gray dots are my favorite, but we also have two additional plain white ones, and one in the owl print).

Summer Happenings on Louise Street

2011-06-23T10:15:00.002-04:00

The first official day of summer was earlier this week, and I've been meaning to update here with a few photos of what has been happening on Louise Street. Honestly, sitting in front of my computer doesn't happen at long periods of time anymore, and when I am on here, I'm trying to get work done for my clients. But, this morning, I'm all set for this weekend's wedding (I confirmed all of the client's vendors Monday morning!), so I have a bit of time to update my personal blog...

Eames' first family dinner on my parent's deck! My parent's hosted us on Memorial Day for my sister, Jackie's, birthday & also to celebrate her engagement to her longtime boyfriend. We headed over there after our camping weekend and it was a great time. My sister, Victoria, snapped these photos for us. I love 'em, especially the one of Greg & Eames.

The very next day, my sisters and I went to see Jimmy Eat World, an Arizona band I've enjoyed since 1999. I cannot tell you how many times I've seen them perform live (it's a ridiculous number, I'm sure), but each time it's an experience. Since they were playing The Intersection here in Grand Rapids, Jackie & I were going, and Victoria came home from Chicago to join us. It was a glorious night, with dinner outdoor on the deck at Founder's beforehand, and a late night of singing our hearts out.

Although I will admit....we used to make our way to the front of the crowd, and now we just hang out in the back (at a table this time!) and sing.

The entire Pearls Events team had our updated head shots taken a few weeks ago at the kickoff team meeting. Above is a silly one of me & Olive, who interrupted my session with Mindy.

It's back to work this weekend! Now, don't get me wrong, I barely took a maternity leave from my office work, but I will be away from the house overnight for the first time tomorrow night. My team & I are headed to a wedding in Montague and will be crashing at my grandparent's cottage Friday after rehearsal. The clients are SUPER sweet and their wedding is going to be gorgeous - I'm so excited to get everything set up & ready to roll.

And then there is Eames, of course. Life with Eames has been glorious. I look forward to him waking up each morning with a little smile on his face. He has been smiling like a fool for a couple of weeks now, and it's basically the best thing in the world. He loves kicking in the bathtub, snuggling up with me & Greg, and stretching out in his crib. We play on his adorable play mat a lot, and it's crazy how he is starting to understand he can reach out and grab the toys. I'm amazed each day at what fun it is to be a mom, and although a little overwhelming at first, I love each minute.

That's about it from Louise Street for now!

Happy Summer

2011-05-31T09:41:00.003-04:00

This Memorial Day weekend, we went camping to ring in the summer with our camping buddies, Nick & Em. The huge difference this year was that we both had our kids with us. They have a one year old, and we have a two month old. Ooh, and Olive joined us - it was quite the busy weekend at site 23 at Leelanau State Park!

We headed up to East Jordan to stay with Greg's friend Thursday night, and then Friday we made our way to the campground after Greg & Tom went fishing in the early morning. Em & Nick were already there when we arrive, so we set up our tent, and enjoyed dinner together. It got SUPER cold at night, so thankfully we had warm clothes. Eames stayed warm by sleeping between the two of us.

Saturday we woke up to rain which was a bit annoying, but we still managed to have a wonderful breakfast over the fire. After an afternoon nap, the icky weather cleared up, and it turned out to be a great afternoon & evening. The kids were a bit crabby, so we all went to be around 10p.

Sunday we woke up to some HOT sun and after a late breakfast, packed up camp and hit the road. We took the long way home: M-22 to US-31 and stopped in Frankfort for A&W root beer. We got home around 7:30pm and slept well Sunday night. Tons of laundry and cleaning later, and I felt like a new person.

I hope everyone had a lovely holiday weekend - with this warm weather, it officially feels like summer has arrived!

Life As I Know It

2011-05-15T19:00:00.001-04:00

Daily life over the past seven weeks has been turned upside down. What used to be all about Aletha - my morning coffee with The Today Show, my afternoon answering emails/running to the post office/grocery shopping and my evenings with Greg - has turned into All About Eames. And I absolutely LOVE it!

I knew this was going to happen, of course, but it's taken some adjustment for sure. My normal routine is feed Eames around midnight, 5am, again at 9am. I usually get out of bed by 10am, catching the rest of Hoda & Kathy Lee, then hop in the shower and get my tush ready for the day before the noon feeding time. Eames and I hang out on the sofa until he's hungry again right around 3pm, and then if we have errands to run - post office, bank, groceries - we go then. While he's napping, I do my best to answer emails from clients and housework as well - laundry, dusting/vacuuming, dishes, etc.

It's been quite an adjustment period, but I think after seven weeks, I'm finally getting the hang of it! This weekend, I had two client meetings - one on Friday in Grand Haven, and one on Saturday in Holland - and they were both wonderful. I joke that I wish I didn't have to go back to work at all and that Greg isn't a millionaire, so I do have to work, but in all honesty, I am SO thankful for where Pearls Events is at this point. I have the luxury of making my own hours and that is something I always wanted.

This summer I am doing my best to stick to my official office hours (answering emails, making phone calls, working on events) and taking an actual weekend - mine happens to be Sunday & Monday, since I work Friday evenings & Saturdays.

Life is too short to work 80 hours a week, and with Eames at home, I am finally realizing how true this statement is!

Naming Our Firstborn Eames

2011-04-25T17:15:00.002-04:00

Back in November, I shared with you our girl name, and our contenders for our boy name. If Baby VanderMaas would have been a girl, she would have been named Elouise Kate. At the time of writing that post, we did not have a boy named finalized.

It was a bit later in the year when we went to the movies to see Inception and I heard the name Eames. We were watching the movie, and it caught my attention, but I didn't say anything to Greg right away (plus, he hates when I whisper during movies...he's no fun!). A few days later, I Google'd the name, and come to find out it's quite a popular last name, especially if you're familiar with Charles & Ray Eames, but as a first name, it's hardly used. I liked it.

Since Greg's first choice for a boy was Wyatt and my first choice was Silas, and both of us have cousins who had used those names prior to us, we wanted to find something different. Greg wasn't on board with the name Eames at first. I kept bringing it up, and months later, he started to warm up to the idea. Then, on our weekend trip to Traverse City for my 30th birthday, the innkeepers mentioned they had met Eames Demetrios, the grandson of Charles & Ray, at a book signing, and we thought that was a good sign.

I continued researching the name, making sure I was pronouncing it correctly. After I did confirm it rhymed with teams and seams, I was sold...it was just getting Greg to jump on board and finalize the boy name. He finally did, and we were set on either Eames or Elouise.

When Eames arrived on March 29th and he was indeed a boy, we were set with Eames. Ooh, and the middle name, Gregory? Obviously that was an easy choice - straight from his dad.

[photo copyright Mindy Leigh Photography]

Our At Home Session with Eames Gregory

2011-04-18T23:30:00.002-04:00

I cannot believe Eames is already three weeks old - man, does time fly! I've been enjoying my time off of work and have been spending as much time as possible with our little guy (hence the lack of posts lately...). I rarely sit at the computer during the day, and instead catch up on Facebook, Twitter and email via my iPod Touch. Not sure what I'd do without that thing! Plus, I can order diapers on Amazon for 30% off in middle of the night. Aah, wireless internet, what DID we do without you?

I've really been meaning to blog about how we chose his name, his final nursery decor, all of our awesome friends & family who have stopped by to meet Eames (and all the lovely gifts & food they have brought us!) and life in general...but, I've been busy feeding this guy, watching him sleep, kissing his cheeks and trying to catch some sleep myself. Plus, still taking a few work phone calls and a few, short (between feedings!), at-home appointments in the evening when Greg is able to watch Eames.

This weekend was a bust. Our furnace fan went out - and the temps dropped, so it was a bit chilly around here! We are SO thankful for our neighbors, and within hours had three electric heaters going to keep our little Louise Street home warm. We got our first round of hospital bills, which totally stressed both Greg and I out (being self employed, we are self insured. I really had NO idea how much it was going to cost us out of pocket to have Eames.) And then this morning Greg woke up and his truck wouldn't start, so I'll be his chauffeur until he can get a new battery installed later this week. Ooh, the joys of the real world!

But, even though our weekend wasn't one of my favorites, we DID get to spend time with our amazing photographer, Mindy Leigh, on Saturday. And although our house was a balmy 57 degrees when she arrived Saturday morning, it wasn't enough to keep her from capturing Eames at just about three weeks old in his nursery and around the house. I am loving this session. Since I opted to do our newborn session at the hospital, I wasn't set on doing a session at our home, but she convinced me it was a great idea, and after seeing these images, I'm so glad she mentioned it. I LOVE them!

Okay, one more photo post all about Eames with a ton of amazing photos to share...no worries, we don't have another session with Mindy until September/October when he is six months old, so I will try and blog about other things too :)

But, for now, here are a few from the session...

Introducing Eames Gregory VanderMaas

2011-04-05T22:45:00.002-04:00

We have a one week old baby boy already! I can hardly believe it myself....

After 14 hours of painful labor, Eames Gregory VanderMaas arrived via an unplanned Cesarian section at 7:02pm on Tuesday, March 29, 2011. He weighed in at 9lbs, 8oz and was 21.5" long. I cried. Greg cried. It was a long day with the best ending. And it was absolutely love at first sight for all of us.

We were in the hospital until Friday afternoon, and took the weekend to let it all sink in. "Ohmygosh, we have a baby - what are we going to do?!" The weekend flew by, Monday we had our first pediatrician appointment, and today Greg went back to work. I'm still recovering from the c-section, but I can tell I'm feeling better already. Life is pretty crazy, but I'm feeling overjoyed with an amazing husband and beautiful baby boy. It sounds cliche to say, but I'm the luckiest girl in the world!

You may remember we booked a Bundle of Joy package with fabulous photographer, Mindy Leigh. Well, she arrived a couple of days after Eames was born to capture these beautiful images of him. I am in AWE of what she can do with her camera, and cannot wait to get some of these on the walls of his nursery!

Officially One Week Overdue

2011-03-25T11:06:00.002-04:00

(post written previously, but never posted due to lack of time in finishing it up!)

Well, it's Friday the 25th, and Baby VanderMaas was technically due on the 18th - a full seven days ago! I thought for SURE I'd have an infant at home by now, but who am I kidding, this kid will come when it wants to. I've been filling the days with errands, organizing the new computer, using my super-sweet new vacuum (a LOT!) and doing lots of laundry. Thankfully my clients are still keeping in touch with me (or read this blog - HI SHANNON! - so know what's going on) so I have a bit of work going on at all times.

I will be induced on Monday evening, if things don't go on their own, and will update you all when Baby V arrives!

Five Days Overdue

2011-03-23T08:45:00.000-04:00

It is Wednesday the 23rd of March, and Baby V was scheduled to arrive on Friday the 18th of March. I'm five days overdue, however it doesn't seem to bother me like most moms. At least that is what I've heard lately. I'm honestly content being pregnant and letting this little one come on his/her own time.

Even though this week has been slow at work, which was on purpose, since I thought I'd have a newborn at home, I've been filling my time with last minute items. Monday we had our final doctor's appointment, which was a last ultrasound to make sure there was enough amniotic fluid in there to keep the baby safe - and there is plenty! About four times the amount needed. I also had a non-stress test, which involved me sitting in a giant chair with a heartbeat monitor on my belly for half an hour. All is well with Baby VanderMaas, so we scheduled our induction for next Monday (the 28th) at 8:30pm, which means Baby V will most likely come into the world on the 29th of March if not before.

Yesterday I finally went to the mall for a manicure & pedicure. I had been putting it off for so long because the week of my birthday, I stumbled down the basement stairs and my right leg has been bruised ever since. I was NOT looking forward to the pain the pedicure might cause, but Michael did an amazing job on my feet, and was very gentle with my right leg, so I came out just fine. Since I was already out and about, I swung by Banana Republic to hit up the sale rack, and found two AMAZING deals. The first was an adorable gray wool cardigan with a super cute navy & white stripe lining. Originally $120, I paid $38. Seriously? SOLD! The second was this silver/aqua/pearls statement necklace which was originally $125 on sale for $40. Again - SOLD! I felt like a million bucks leaving the mall with my cute nails & toenails, and my good deals.

Today I have plans to head to Baby Beloved and check out their nursing brassiere options. I went to Macy's yesterday and was completely shocked by their less-than-stellar options. Maybe I'll have more luck today - and since I have NO idea what I'm doing, I have heard their customer service is awesome, and am looking forward to a pleasant experience.

Thursday & Friday evening, I have two social events I can attend, however getting out of the house dressed up is a completely different story, and both events would require me to "dress up". Our weekend is completely open right now - no plans as of today, although our friends Mike & D are having a ping pong tournament that we may attend.

And Monday is the big day, unless something happens before then, so I'm trying to sit tight, enjoy the last of my quiet days, and relax.

40 Weeks Pregnant

2011-03-18T11:00:00.003-04:00

Today is my official due date. Friday, March 18th has been circled in red ink since July. This entire time I had a feeling I'd be going late (not early!), so it's no surprise to me that I'm still pregnant. Baby V seems to be doing just fine in there, and I honestly am uncomfortable, but am in no hurry. If nothing happens by Monday, we have an appointment with the doctor for a stress test and another ultrasound to make sure there is enough fluid left in there.

Throughout the week I had plans with friends and coworkers for coffee, lunch and dinner, however today my calendar is wide open, so here I am, sitting in front of my work computer, trying to come up with something fun to do. All of my clients know that I'm about to give birth, so the questions coming in from there are few & far between, and I've finished up some of my own personal projects by today (ahem, taxes...) so I wouldn't have to worry about them after the baby arrived.

My office is super clean & organized. The baby's room is just waiting for an actual baby. The bathroom is up and running again. And the rest of the house is clean. I suppose I could go into the basement and fuss around with the perpetual mess that is the basement, however it's sunny & nice outside, and I'd rather just jump in the car and make a Target run (for nothing in particular, of course) and browse TJ Maxx for random items I most likely do not need.

Well, the sun is shining and I'm getting antsy, so that's my cue to walk away from my desk for the morning.

Less Than One Week To Go!

2011-03-13T22:00:00.001-04:00

I honestly cannot believe it's March. We are due with Baby V in less than one week, as the official due date is Friday, March 18th. Crazy stuff, but I think we're pretty much set around here. The bathroom project is about 94% done - just the new faucet in the tub, and hanging the new shade in there. And the nursery is about 87% done - just the rocking chair to work on. We are also going to wait to have some newborn images of Baby V framed and matted in a large white frame for over the changing table. Ooh, and the mobile & roman shades my mom is working on need to appear soon.

Let's see - with about a week to go, I'm getting anxious/nervous/excited for all the craziness that is to come. First of all, going into labor is something I'm not quite prepared for. I have no idea what it's going to feel like when it starts, and I'm already not looking forward to going to the hospital and them sending me home because I'm too early. I hear that happens a lot... Thankfully, we are about five miles from the hospital! I've got my hospital bag packed and ready to go - just waiting on those items I use everyday like my toothbrush, etc.

We attempted to put the car seat in the back of the Volkswagen today. BIG fail! We had no idea what we were doing, and we didn't get very far. I suppose we need to read the directions again. It's currently sitting sideways in the backseat. HA!

This week my schedule is full of fun things, with a little bit of work. The big work project is getting our taxes organized and off to our accountant for filing. I need to get this done ASAP, as I don't want to be worrying about this after the baby arrives. I have my weekly check up with my doctor tomorrow morning, then I have lunch plans with an old coworker. Tuesday I have lunch plans with a childhood friend, and a coffee date is scheduled for Wednesday with a colleague. Thursday is St. Patty's Day, and we have no plans. Friday, if baby hasn't come yet, I'd LOVE to go to the St. Alphonsus fish fry, however waiting in line for an hour or more, isn't something that sounds fun right now. I can hardly make it up the stairs at bedtime anymore!

This could very well be my last post as a pregnant lady. Our awesome photographer will be coming to the hospital to capture the first professional images of our little family, and I will share those as soon as I can blog them!

Two Weeks to Go!

2011-03-04T08:32:00.003-05:00

Today I'm officially 38 weeks pregnant - seems like a LONG time to be pregnant, if you ask me! All is going well with Baby VanderMaas, however I'm starting to get uncomfortable, especially while driving, sleeping, and sitting down. Standing up is actually the most comfortable position, except then my feet start hurting. It's a no-win situation around here.

The house projects are coming along swimmingly. Last night Greg got the first coat of Herbal Green paint on the walls in the nursery, and we were hoping it'd be enough, but after assessing the walls this morning, they could stand another coat...so, off to The Depot I go to buy another gallon of green. It is quite a lovely color, though, and I'm very glad we went the green route instead of the gray route I had been thinking all along.

The bathroom project is almost complete. It just needs to be primed and painted, and Greg is going to tackle that on Sunday, while I'm away working. He needs to take the toilet out, and since I'm using the facilities at least 87 times a day, there is no way I could last all day without the use of the bathroom! I'm giving a presentation at the Amway Grand Plaza's annual bridal show, so will be out of the house most of the afternoon.

After years (literally) of talking about getting a new computer for work (and obviously our home too, since I work from my home office...), I finally ordered a new one. I am SUPER excited for it to arrive on Monday morning, and hopefully get it all set up before Baby V arrives. I decided on an iMac desktop, which a.) I've never owned a desktop, and b.) I've never owned a Mac. I have a feeling I'm going to get frustrated with the learning curve, but I'm hoping it makes work easier & quicker.

Baby gear is taking over our house! It's quite crazy all the stuff we've acquired over the past nine months. This week I worked on all the laundry - clothing, bedding, blankets, etc. - and it's all ready to be put away in the new dresser & organized in the closet. Right now, however, the dresser is still in the box, and the closet is full of baby gear waiting for a permanent home while Greg paints.

Work is picking up - finally! I have several initial consultations over the next two weeks (let's hope I don't go too early...) and I'm hoping to book a few more clients for 2011.

The birds are chirping and I'm off to breakfast with a friend. Enjoy your weekend!

Four Weeks To Go

2011-02-18T16:30:00.001-05:00

Today marks being officially 36 weeks pregnant, and with four weeks to go until the scheduled arrival of Baby VanderMaas, it totally freaks me out! Sure, we've known since mid-July that come March 18th, we'd be parents (or close to that date, anyway) but not that it's mid-February, it's all seeming more real to me.

The nursery project is at a standstill, and Greg and my father-in-law are going to work on getting the queen sized guest bed out of the room this weekend. The bathroom project is coming along slowly, but surely. We discovered this week our bathtub has a major leaky faucet, so that will need to be replaced as well. Oy - the tiniest room in our house seems to be the most problematic! I suppose Baby V isn't going to demand a room when he/she comes home from the hospital, but I would sure feel a bit more prepared if I were settled.

The big wedding show I have planned now for two years, GRunveiled, is next Thursday, and on Friday, I am going to be happy it's over for the year. It's fun to plan, but a ton of work securing vendors, selling tickets to brides-to-be, plus doing my share of the behind-the-scenes work, which consists of vendor communication, website maintenance and promoting the show. We will be on the morning news next week as well, so finding the perfect outfit and getting to the news station at 8am is on the docket for Wednesday!

Our final baby shower is on Saturday morning. My mom and I will be riding together, and the shindig will be hosted by Greg's two sisters and one sister-in-law. I am excited to celebrate Baby VanderMaas with Greg's family - it could be the last baby shower on his side of the family for quite some time!

Happy weekend! I plan to enjoy mine :)

I am Officially 30 Years Old

2011-02-09T16:11:00.002-05:00

Friday I rang in the big 3-0. No, no, I can hardly believe it myself, but 'tis true, my twenties are long gone.

The original plan was to rent out a roller rink, get a bunch of pizzas and beer, and host all of our friends for a mega-80's party, however, once finding out we were expecting, knew it'd be best to stay off skates.

So, instead of doing the Dead Bug to Tequila (any Tarry Hall skaters will know this one...) on Friday night, we were nestled by the fire, sipping tea at the amazing Tesoro Inn on Mission Peninsula, near Traverse City, Michigan.

We enjoyed the entire weekend, and the B&B was perfect. Saturday we spent the afternoon in Traverse bumming around the snow-covered town. We found a couple of baby stores to check out, but didn't buy a darn thing! We got back on Sunday afternoon before heading to a Super Bowl party with friends, and this week has already flown by!

Our Winter Maternity Session

2011-01-30T21:15:00.001-05:00

This morning we met with our photographer, Mindy, for our first installment of our Bundle of Joy package we booked with her last summer when we found out we were expecting. I talked about how it was the first purchase we made for Baby VanderMaas back in October and tonight, after seeing these images, I know we made a wise decision.

I will be honest in saying that I wasn't super excited to do the maternity session. I'm less than seven weeks from my due date, and I'm feeling tired, gigantic and not myself, to be completely honest. But when I saw these two images tonight, I am thrilled we did the session, and cannot believe how Mindy made me look: a.) not dead tired, b.) not gigantic and c.) a lot like myself, surprisingly. THANK YOU MINDY!

Today was also my baby shower hosted by one of my BFFs, Emily. It was absolutely fantastic to celebrate Baby V's upcoming arrival with almost all of my girlfriends. The food was wonderful, the games were non-cheesy, and Greg & I received amazing gifts. I am feeling completely thankful for the ladies in my life, and cannot wait for them to meet Baby V!

Cute Gender Neutral Clothes

2011-01-29T11:15:00.003-05:00

I have been having a heckuva time finding cute, gender neutral outfits for Baby VanderMaas. I did end up finding an adorable yellow, gray & white newborn outfit for our "home from the hospital" trip, however, the rest of Baby V's current wardrobe is quite white, which is fine with me, but I do realize it is quite boring.

Imagine my surprise when I came across this adorable set at Carter's Outlet yesterday in Holland - all white, gray and a teeny bit of lime green. I especially LOVE the stars! There were a few more items in the collection, but I restrained myself knowing that we have a bit of time before we are dressing anyone in cute clothes.

Do you moms out there have a favorite resource for cute kid clothes? I've been picking up things here and there at Target, Meijer, TJ Maxx, etc. - I'm a sucker for the Carter's clearance rack! - but I'm wondering if I'm missing out on any other great deals.

The Perfect Print for Our Nursery

2011-01-27T11:00:00.002-05:00

Ooh, have I become a wee bit in love with owls, or what?! I love that my Facebook friends are posting owl items they come across - fabric (Thanks, Jessica!) and wall decals (Thanks, Jen & Kate!). I'm actually surprised how many owl things there are out there.

The other day, while on my daily Etsy baby nursery search, I came across this print from Oh Louise!. Can you say PERFECT for Baby V's nursery?! I sent the seller, Eleanor, a message and confirmed I could order it in custom colors, and placed my order the same day.

I picked hot chocolate, asparagus, turquoisey, steamed milk and ashy (largest image) for the five colors and I cannot wait for it to arrive so I can find the perfect frame for the print, and then the perfect spot to hang it in the room.

We are still in the midst of the bathroom project, but do hope to start disassembling the guest room bed and getting ready to paint in there in the next couple of weeks. I'm DYING to get everything organized and ready! I did drop the rocker off at the re-upholsterer (Something to Talk About on Plainfield Avenue) today, so I feel like we are making some progress!

The Bathroom Project

2011-01-26T10:15:00.004-05:00

Aah, our itty, bitty bathroom is finally getting the overhaul it needs. When I moved onto Louise Street in May 2005, I picked the most shocking orange to paint the walls. Paired with white tile (shower and floor), a sparkling white cabinet, mirror and towels, I was in business. I loved it - it woke me up in the morning!

Well, 5.5 years later, and my beloved orange walls have been peeling and flaking like it's their job. It's not pretty, and although I'm sad to see the orange go, I'm excited to be redoing the room. Since we don't plan on painting again before we move (which isn't on the agenda for at least four more years), I knew the safest way to go with paint was neutral. I found a lovely soft blueish-green shower curtain & rug, and decided to go with taupe walls to compliment the solid surface countertop.

Since the walls were most likely peeling because of poor ventilation, we splurged on a quality shower vent/light combo that also looks pretty and will be much quieter than the current one we have, which is a plus, since it's right next to the nursery. I also decided if we were already redoing the bathroom, I might as well update it up a bit. I found a new vanity light for over the sink, which led to a new mirror, toilet paper holder, glass shelf to hold a little silver clock and a couple decor items, and the much needed towel hooks (I ordered two - one for by the sink, and one for by the shower).

They are all from the Gatco Bleu collection, which we purchased via Amazon, and I cannot wait until it arrives (estimated delivery time of February 5th) and Greg installs it on our freshly painted walls (coming soon...) And although the room is tiny, it does the job quite well, and the huge benefit is I only have one bathroom to clean!

Eight Weeks Left!

2011-01-22T12:00:00.002-05:00

Yesterday marked the official 32 weeks pregnant mark, which means I have eight weeks 'til Baby VanderMaas is scheduled to arrive, although Greg & I know he/she may arrive early or (most likely) late. I am feeling quite huge lately, but know it will be worth it once I hold that little baby.

Today we were scheduled to do our maternity session with our photographer, Mindy, however it is literally freezing cold in West Michigan so we rescheduled for next weekend instead. Hopefully the weather cooperates and we get partly sunny skies and big, giant snowflakes for our background for the outdoor part of the session.

I've been quite a slacker at taking photos of the ever-expanding stomach. The 26 week photo you've seen before, and the 30 week one was the day of my baby shower hosted by my mom's sisters a couple of weeks ago. I snapped the 32 week one on Thursday, so that is the most recent.

Still no progress in the nursery - Greg is still chipping away at the bathroom project. I'm sort of annoyed with myself for wanting to do EVERYTHING at one time! Progress IS being made, though, and we hope to have everything set by the beginning of March so we're all ready for Baby V! If not, well, we do plan on living on Louise for at least four more years, so we have plenty of time :)

Retro Rocking Chair for Baby VanderMaas

2011-01-20T13:30:00.003-05:00

Earlier this week, I asked my Facebook friends if a rocker in Baby VanderMaas' nursery was absolutely necessary. It's always amazing to me how many of my friends help answer my questions - I realize I know a LOT of parents - and I truly appreciate all of the feedback!

The short answer was yes, so my search continues. I dislike the look of traditional nursery gliders (and know I wouldn't use it after the "baby season" of our life), the room is too small for one of the contemporary gliders disguised as a beautiful, upholstered chair, and the Eames rocker I once coveted, sits WAY too low and I'm afraid it wouldn't be practical for feeding.

So, instead of buying new, I've decided to use a chair I already have and love, but will be getting it recovered with new fabric. The seat, shown above, was a freebie I acquired from my oldest friend, Rachelle. It doesn't rock, but it does "bounce" back and forth. Her dad owns rental properties and this (soon-to-be) beauty was left behind by a tenant. I acquired it after a few friends moved around, and it's been in our guest room for five years.

With the seams literally splitting, and the cold, vinyl "fabric" not the most inviting, I've decided to have it recovered. I reached out, yet again, to my Facebook friends, and Keri (a reader of this blog - HI KERI!) recommended her friend, Melisa of Something to Talk About Home Interiors. I emailed Melisa yesterday with these photos of the chair, and she quoted me $150 to have it reupholstered.

$150? Are you kidding me? SOLD!

New chairs I had my eye on were well over $500, and I wasn't in love with any of them. The chair is wide enough to sit in with my Boppy (thanks for the tip, Michelle) and the seat isn't as low as the Eames rocker so I shouldn't have issues getting out of it in the middle of the night. I am hoping it will be perfect - and if it isn't, I'll have a new chair to use in our living room and I'll look for something else.

The Most Stylish Diaper Bag

2011-01-19T10:00:00.001-05:00

Since I've never really been too interested in baby gear, I don't know about a lot of baby-related products. My friends have told me things like "Ooh, Sam's Club has great pricing on diapers & formula" and "You have GOT to get some adorable BabyLegs" but honestly, I haven't been paying much attention to any of it until recently.

I've been ordering a ton of baby things online, so the UPS man has been stopping by quite frequently. Last week Friday, I had three different packages arrive, two of which I were expecting. So imagine my surprise when the coolest diaper bag showed up at my doorstep as well! As I opened the package, I could see the awesome print, however thought to myself "I know I did not order this; there must have been a shipping mistake!"

After discovering the enclosed note, I realized it was a thank you gift from my New Year's Eve clients. I cannot even tell you how in LOVE I am with this bag. Yes, I'm a purse snob, most of my friends know that, but I had no idea my baby's diaper bag could be just as stylish!

I went straight to our baby registry and removed the one I thought I wanted, and I began searching Posh Tots for more fun things. I ended up ordering the little stroller clips yesterday so I could attach it to the black UPPAbaby VISTA stroller we plan on buying with gift cards we've received from generous friends & family.

If you're looking for an awesome gift, or just browsing for yourself, I highly suggest looking at Posh Tots while you browse! What an awesome online store!

Things for Baby VanderMaas

2011-01-18T10:45:00.003-05:00

A few months ago, I downloaded the Amazon application to my iPod touch. What happens is I normally go to bed before Greg, and then start reading reviews about strollers, highchairs, and toys for Baby V. I also start putting things in my Amazon shopping cart, however, I rarely hit "buy" in bed because I cannot choose the free shipping option on my wireless device. And you know I'm Dutch enough to be completely allergic to paying for shipping and wake up the next day and purchase my shopping cart from my laptop.

The last couple of nights, I've found a lot of little toys that have caught my eye. And as you can see, our baby is going to either LOVE owls, or be terrified of them. I just can't get enough of their cute, retro feel, and really do hope Baby VanderMaas enjoys them too!

I'm Ready for Spring

2011-01-08T12:00:00.001-05:00

Well, the holidays have come & gone and it happens to be a gorgeous, sunny, albeit very cold day in West Michigan. The sun is streaming into our living room and I love feeling the warmth from it. (I am thankful for South-facing windows this time of year)

Since the holidays are over, I'm just about ready for Spring. I'm pretty sure I feel this way every January - ready for tulips, green grass and clothes with some COLOR! I know, I know, I have months to go until the grass starts popping through the snow, and tulips bloom, however as I prepare myself for the rest of winter, I updated my wardrobe with a few new items this week.

With our maternity photos coming up, and baby showers for Baby VanderMaas, plus me being 30 weeks pregnant, I wanted to be comfy, but still cute and look as much like myself as possible. Finding jeans & pants isn't that difficult - I keep things dark, solid and slightly boot cut to balance out my big(ger) belly. I just scored some adorable dark gray corduroys from A Pea in the Pod at 50% off (at Macy's in Rivertown) and LOVE them!

Tops, on the other hand, have proved to be more difficult to find. I am NOT a fan of empire waist anything, so the "standard" maternity shirts which have a drawstring or elastic on top of my belly aren't in my wardrobe. I prefer a fabulous fabric with a great hand & drape to show off my baby bump, not add bulk to it.

Last night, I headed to the mall and tried on this amazing top from Banana. It's super long, a fabulous color and made of Modal, so it fits my belly and has fabric to spare. I'm SO in love, and didn't even mind paying full price (I used a gift card from my mom!) because I know I will wear it a ton. Then I hit up the sale rack and found the oatmeal sweater with a super-cute ruffle trim, and a v-neck wool sweater in this lovely pink that will layer well over my plain t-shirts & tanks. I also picked up this super cute reddish pink top with a cute ruffle on top from Macy's.

So, there you have it - some punch to my winter blues. And who doesn't LOVE feeling super-cute in a sassy new outfit? It definitely puts a spring in my step (pun intended...)

Hello 2011

2011-01-04T18:45:00.001-05:00

I rang in 2011 at work - that's right, Pearls Events had their largest wedding of the season last Friday night, and Mary, Stephanie and I were passing out New Year's hats to 240 guests on a dance floor right before the clock struck midnight. It was a glorious evening I will not soon forget. Really, a great way to ring in 2011, although I missed Greg & Olive and our usual New Year's Eve friends Mandy, Em & Nick and Sarah & John.

And now that it's 2011, life is in full swing - very different from the peaceful December I had. New Year's Day, the phone started ringing and the emails began arriving with newly engaged couples looking for a wedding planner. This is SUCH great news for me, as the Pearls Events calendar is down from years past at this point.

I don't mean to be such a Debbie Downer, but running your own business is always risky, and when you're about to have a baby and income needs to be steady, you start thinking maybe that gray officle (cubicle-office. Thanks Karen.) might not be that bad after all. And even though I do love what I do, and the clients I get to work with are awesome, you never know how many people will hire you. Unlike a doctor, car mechanic or retail boutique, a repeat client is rare (thank goodness!) so each season it's a clean slate with brand new brides, grooms and mothers of the bride.

So, 2011 is going to be full of changes, with one HUGE one in particular. We are having a baby in ten and a half weeks. A baby. Another human to care for - pay health insurance premiums for, feed, clothe, put diapers on, entertain with all that baby crap the stores say you need, you know - a real, life baby. I honestly cannot believe I will be going to the hospital one day, and coming home a few days later with a baby. It blows my mind. And although my stomach is large enough where I can actually feel this fetus, it's crazy to think it comes out and grows up to be an adult.

And speaking of Baby VanderMaas - our first baby shower is this weekend. I've been stalking our baby registry at Buy Buy Baby just as much as I stalked our bridal registry at Pottery Barn. I'm terrible at waiting for gifts, so it's no surprise to Greg I've been peeking since the invitation arrived. We are SO thankful for both sets of our families for throwing us a baby shower, and my bestie, Emily, for throwing me a shower with all of my girlfriends.

And since it's a new year, many people make resolutions. I've made them in the past, but this year I just have a few goals. One is to balance work and this new baby that is due to arrive in the first quarter. I have no idea how I'm going to be a good mom, work full time, and keep the house nice & orderly (and clean!), but millions of woman do it everyday, so I hope to join their ranks.

Another goal is to cook dinner more than once every two weeks. I'm not the most adventurous in the kitchen, and Greg is not the most non-picky eater, which makes for a LAME dinner menu throughout the week on Louise Street. I am not sure what the answer is here, except to just try new recipes and serve them up.

I hope everyone had a great holiday season. I wish I had some photos to share with you here, however, nothing has been photo-worthy (except the wedding, which will have professional shots!).

Happy 2011!

Bookends & (Shower) Curtains

2010-12-29T13:45:00.001-05:00

Baby VanderMaas' room is coming along quite well - in my head. Since Greg is still working on the bathroom, the nursery is still our guest room with grapefruit pink walls, which is fine, since we have 11 weeks until arrival time.

Santa brought us Baby V's crib & dresser (the one I shared here), and once the room is emptied and painted light gray, we will tackle the task of putting them both together. I ended up sending back the bumper pad & blanket (which I shared here) for a few reasons.... a.) Baby V doesn't really need them, b.) they were quite expensive, and c.) I wasn't in love with the pattern. So, the crib will be just the tiny gray & white polka dots, which is on the crib skirt and fitted sheet. If I want to add white bumpers later on, that is what I'll do.

You may remember I fell in love with an owl a while back. That caused me to start seeking out other owl-related decor. A few weeks before Christmas, I was in the bookstore, and spotted these guys. Since the plan was to display a few pieces of artwork in frames, plus a couple of books from our Eric Carle library, I was planning on getting a couple of white floating shelves to hang on the wall. I just had to have these, and since they didn't arrive under the tree, I ordered them last night myself.

The last bit of decor that I was still looking for were curtains for the two windows in Baby V's room. I was planning on going super-boring with white curtain panels, but then started looking at the cute owl printed ones from Dwell Studio. They are outrageously priced ($150+ for each Roman shade!) so that was out. Then I had the brilliant idea to buy the cotton shower curtain, which is 72" by 72" and have my mom, who is an excellent seamstress, take the fabric and make shades for me. Since the windows are less than 36" wide, and 72" long would be more than enough to cover everything, I am getting two curtains for $66, instead of $300! Let me tell you HOW excited I am about this!

So, that's about it from here. We had a great Christmas with family & friends and know that next year is going to be very different from this year.

December Happenings on Louise

2010-12-24T09:15:00.002-05:00

(meeting Megan at the train station)

(Kate's bridal shower)

Before Christmas rolls in tomorrow morning, I wanted to reflect on last weekend, which was spent with my friends from junior high school. I know I've blogged about the great group of friends from my formative years in the past, but this year felt different. Maybe it's because I'm pregnant, or maybe because we (some of us...) are all-of-a-sudden are turning 30, but this year made me SO happy.

It started on Thursday evening when Kate B., Ingrid, Emily, Greg and I surprised Megan at the Amtrak station. Her dad emailed me weeks ago to set up a little HAPPY 30th BIRTHDAY surprise for Megan, and it worked like a charm. After greeting her at the train station, we headed to a favorite, local spot, The Cottage Bar for a night cap (mine was a cherry coke). It was a great time and I'm so glad it worked out - even with her late arrival!

Saturday, Kate H.'s sister hosted her bridal shower in my hometown. It was a great little party at a local restaurant and it was absolutely fabulous to see everyone and celebrate the upcoming marriage of Kate & Mike. Because their wedding is three weeks before Baby VanderMaas arrives, Greg and I will not be traveling to Florida for the big event (which I'm SO bummed about - ask my doctor. Or Greg. Or anyone who knows me). Danielle, Rachelle, Jessica, Kate H., Megan, me and Emily were all there to celebrate with Kate and it was a fun afternoon had by all!

Monday evening, I hosted my annual Christmas party. Ten gals in my living room, plenty of food to nibble on, and tons of time to catch up with one another - it was a perfect night on Louise Street! Almost everyone - Emily, Rachelle, Danielle, Jessica, Kate H., Kate B., Sarah, Megan, Mandy and me - was here; the only one we were missing was Ingrid!

Today is Christmas Eve, and Greg has to work until 1pm this afternoon. I finished up all my shopping yesterday and just need to run to the grocery store for the appetizer I'll be bringing to my extended family's Christmas celebration tomorrow night.

Merry Christmas!

The Countdown Continues

2010-12-22T18:22:00.003-05:00

Two more shopping days until Christmas - I can hardly believe it! Today I headed out to Holland for some more shopping. I swear, even though we don't buy for a lot of people, I always feel like I don't "have enough" wrapped under the tree. Today I finished up Greg's list, which makes me feel SO good! I just need to run to Horrock's tomorrow for a few things for my parents.

This past week seems to have flown by! Greg finally started on the bathroom project. About 1/3 of the paint is off the walls, and 1/2 the ceiling is scraped too. After Christmas, he should have that finished up, and then we can begin the mini-redo. We're planning on painting the walls light taupe, and we have a lovely light aqua shower curtain & rug to go in there. I need to find a new silver clock for the wall, and then we'll call it good. I'm excited to see the changes.

After the bathroom, we'll be starting on the nursery. Right now, it's the guest room, so the bed will need to be taken down (the white bed will be stored in our basement, and then hardly-used mattresses are going to Greg's eldest sister), and the painting party can start. It will be going from grapefruit pink to light gray with blue undertones. We don't have the furniture quite yet - it's on our Christmas list from my parents - but once that arrives, we'll put the crib & dresser together in there. The bedding is in - I decided to NOT keep the bumpers & blanker, so it's just the gray & white polka dot skirt & sheets (plus various white crib sheets we just registered for...) I found some super-cute white frames for the wall, either above the crib or dresser, from Pier One last week, and it's all coming together. We have a grass green wool rug for the room, and lots of fun details to accessorize. I'm SO excited.

Speaking of registering, Greg and I made our way to the newest baby store in town last night - Buy Buy Baby. Let me tell you how much I LOATHE Babies 'R' Us, so I was SO excited to hear it opened yesterday. We went in around 7:30 last night, and since I'd already started our registry online, just added to it. They were super friendly and helpful - and now I feel ready for this baby. We have three showers coming up - two in January, and one to-be-determined and I was stressed out because people kept asking me where I was registered (and we weren't...) but now we're ready to roll!

Merry Christmas!

Baking Christmas Cookies Solo

2010-12-11T16:30:00.002-05:00

Greg will tell you I'm not much of a cook, as he does most cooking around our house. However, since Greg isn't a fan of baked goods, I take over in the baking department. And since he's not a sweet lover, the only time I pull out the mixer and start baking is when I have a reason to.

Each year, around this time, my lovely friend Sarah invites me to her annual cookie exchange party. She cleans her house, makes lunch, and bakes dozens of sugar cookies. All the attendees bring cookies to share, (except the first year, 2007, where we attempted to bake cookies together. Let's just say although Sarah's kitchen is fabulous, it was NOT ready for hundreds of cookies to be baked in one afternoon. She could have used three additional ovens that day...) we enjoy lunch, then decorate the sugar cookies together. This will be the fourth year she's hosted this fun ladies gathering, and I enjoy myself each year!

This afternoon, with Greg away watching The Big Chill (a hockey game at The Big House in Ann Arbor), I set up cookie baking shop in the kitchen. I made three batches of cookies, which yielded nine dozen Russian tea cakes, one of my favorite holiday cookies. I had planned to bake 10-12 dozen, but the weather report isn't looking so hot, so if I don't end up making the trek to Portage tomorrow, I only have nine dozen to give away as gifts, not twelve dozen!

Making Spirits Bright

2010-12-10T08:00:00.004-05:00

I sent the bulk of our holiday cards out earlier this week - I'm still waiting on addresses from two friends who have recently moved - but other than that, they are on their way. I've been sending Christmas cards for years - I try to drop them in the outgoing mail the day after Thanksgiving. This year, however, that didn't happen. But, they are out, and it's not quite mid-December, so I feel good about that!

The first year I sent a card with a photo was right before Greg and I were engaged - it was Christmas 2006, so this is the fifth card from us with our photo. Next year, maybe Greg and I will be able to bow out of the photo and just include a photo of Baby VanderMaas.

I'm a HUGE fan of photo cards - they definitely get more attention when I open the mail to see smiling faces back at me. Of course, the non-photo ones get their own spot in the house as well. I have a cute card holder on the sofa table that displays them nicely, while the photo cards go on the wall.

This photo is a snapshot taken at our friend's wedding this past July. I was a bridesmaid for the second time in my life, and Greg was my cute date. This wasn't Greg's first photo choice, but the one he liked, I wasn't in love with. And since I do the work of ordering, addressing & stamping them, of course I picked my favorite photo of the two of us from 2010.

Happy Holidays to our friends & family - thank you ALL for reading along on Life on Louise!

Collecting Eric Carle Board Books

2010-12-09T09:00:00.001-05:00

I'm not sure when my love for Eric Carle began, however most likely when I first heard Brown Bear, Brown Bear read out loud by an elementary teacher. Between the fun stories, and the fun artwork throughout each book, I'm a huge fan.

Ever since finding out we were expecting Baby VanderMaas, I've been on the search for Eric Carle board books at TJ Maxx & Marshall's book section. Since I've been giving them to friends & family as gifts for years, I thought I may as well collect them for our children. I love to find an assortment of three, tie them in a pretty satin ribbon and attach a card as a baby shower gift, or child's birthday gift. I think the artwork is so pretty, there is no need to wrap them up!

This is my collection so far - each one of the twelve shown above lovingly searched for at either TJ Maxx or Marshall's. Yes, they have these (and tons more!) at Barnes & Noble, but the fun of the collecting is that I get to search for them. My favorite find so far, and only once, is The Very Busy Spider.

I sure hope Baby VanderMaas likes to read (when he/she gets a bit older, of course...)!

Three More Months to Go!

2010-12-08T09:00:00.001-05:00

When we found out we were going to be parents in July, March seemed like forever away. Now that it's already December, March seems right around the corner. Literally. Christmas is three weeks away, my 30th birthday is six weeks after that, then six weeks after that, Baby VanderMaas is set to arrive. HOLY MOLY - it will FLY by!

On Friday, I will be 26 weeks pregnant - with only 14 weeks to go! That, my friends, is absolutely crazy. And to date, I have to say, I've enjoyed the experience. I didn't have morning sickness the first trimester. I've gained 16 pounds (and counting...). I still haven't had any strange cravings. And I've been eating clementines like it's my job. I can honestly say, at this point, it's been a piece of cake!

The hardest thing has been to get out of bed in the morning. We have a low, platform-style bed and although it works well in our bedroom, which has sloped ceilings, it's a terrible bed to get out of with my weak stomach muscles.

And the thing I'm most anxious/worried/nervous about? Giving birth to Baby VanderMaas. It actually scares the crap outta me! Yes, yes, I realize millions and millions of women have given birth over thousands of years, but my pain tolerance is low and that's the one thing that I'm not looking forward to. I know, I know - it will all be worth it when I see Baby VanderMaas, but as for now, I'm just dandy staying pregnant!

Decorating the Christmas Tree

2010-12-07T10:45:00.002-05:00

The tree is up and the house is ready for the holiday season. We cut the tree down on Sunday afternoon and put it up in the evening. The lights went on first - they are one of my favorite parts because they are shaped like stars. The I strung the silver beads around the little tree. After the trimmings were set, the tree was ready for the ornaments - many from my childhood (the Old World and Margaret Furlong ones), a few from recently (I Love My Yorkie) and a bunch of white & sparkly ones to fill in the tree.

Over the past five years, I've had a red theme on the tree, but since I did a bit of redecorating in the living room and got rid of all the red, I switched the tree decor to white, ivory & silver - which I'm loving! I found a new ivory, quilted tree skirt and two ivory crocheted stockings which are perfect for the look.

And although I've never really cared too much about the gifts and how they looked wrapped, this year I was fresh out of all wrapping paper, so I set out to find cute stuff that actually went together. I ended up with blue, silver, white and tons of sparkle! I still have more to wrap, but need to find more boxes - we purged a bunch while we were cleaning the basement out on Saturday - oops!

Let the Holiday Season Begin

2010-12-06T15:30:00.003-05:00

West Michigan got our first snow last Wednesday, and it put me right into the holiday mood. Since our house is small, I don't really go "all out" for decorating, since there isn't many places to actually decorate. The main focus is the Christmas tree, and the sofa table that holds our stockings. I did pick up a new piece of metal which hangs on the wall to display our holiday cards - can't wait to get some more to put up there!

This year, just like I did as a kid, Greg and I hauled ourselves to a tree farm - the same one we went to last year - to hunt for the perfect tree. My favorite trees smell pine fresh, have soft & short needles, and have few branches so I can tuck ornaments into the tree...not just on the exterior. I am 88% sure it is a Balsam Fir, but I'm not a tree expert, so that's a guess.

We went out yesterday afternoon, all bundled up, since it was freezing. Greg and I walked around for about 25 minutes looking for our tree. Since our living room is quite tiny, we needed something not too wide at the bottom, and of course nothing over seven feet would work in the space. After looking at many trees, we landed on this little beauty - and once inside the house, it proved to be just perfect!

We hauled the two boxes of ornaments & lights up from the basement and began testing the lights. Greg got three strings working for me, which was enough this year - we must have a smaller tree than previously, because we usually use at least five. After all my star shaped lights were one, up with the Old World ornaments, that I've been collecting since I was a kid. Then went up the new white ones, the old Margaret Furlong ceramic ones I've had for years, and then the silver beaded snowflake topper. I LOVE the new ivory tree skirt I found at Target, and the ivory knitted stockings I found at TJ Maxx are just adorable too.

After I get some of the presents wrapped and under the tree, I plan on posting a few photos of the adorable little Christmas tree we put together.

Off to sip my tea and wrap some gifts!

Numbers That Stay in My Head

2010-12-01T15:15:00.002-05:00

I've always been able to remember random pieces of information containing numbers including dates, phone numbers, street addresses & prices. Last night, Greg and I were in laying in bed - me wide awake, Greg half listening to me as he drifted off to sleep, and I recited the dentist's phone number, randomly. He, of course, thought I was off my rocker, but I had called there last week, and I can still see the number in my head - 453.8211.

Then I went on to recite all of my aunt's phone numbers - Sally, Sandy, Lori - my Grandma's, The Wild Flower (the old boutique my mom use to own with her sisters), plus some of my high school friend's parents (Kate, Danielle, Mandy, Rachelle...) He was not as impressed with me as I would have been with him!

EDIT: My friend Sarah just commented about license plate numbers, and that is another one I can usually remember. My first license plate on my awesome 1992 Pontiac Bonneville was MZS 510. No meaning, but I can see it in my head. My current one is easy to remember too - it ends in a nice, even 5500. Lovely!

And it always amazes me when I find a strange connection. Early on in my pregnancy, I realized that Baby VanderMaas #1 would be born in a.) an odd year, just like Greg and I were, and b.) in my every-four-years-something-big-seems-to-happen. See below...

Greg's birth year: 1979
Aletha's birth year: 1981
Baby VanderMaas' birth year: 2011
All odd years

Aletha graduated from high school: June 1999
Aletha graduated from college: March 2003
Aletha & Greg were married: June 2007
Aletha & Greg's first child due: March 2011
Observance: Basically four years apart - two in June, two in March...

So there ya have it, my random thoughts of the day. Anyone else out there remember random number information? I have a friend who is all about color - she says every word, including names, have a color aura. I forget what color ALETHA is to her, but now I want to know!

Thanksgiving Weekend

2010-11-24T16:08:00.003-05:00

I am beyond excited for this Thanksgiving weekend, which starts tonight! Every Wednesday night before Thanksgiving, Greg's parent's treat us to a lovely dinner out. I'm excited - this year we are headed to Longhorn Steakhouse and they have great food! Not sure what I'm getting yet...but I'm already looking forward to dessert.

My parents have been on vacation the last two Thanksgivings, and my mom's cooking is the best. I'm pretty sure the Betty Crocker stuffing recipe she uses is my favorite part about the meal. I have a tiny contribution - the green bean casserole - nothing fancy, but hey, it's the least I can do!

We plan on having lunch with my family (all of those who can make it. Victoria is staying in Chicago this year.), and then we'll head on over to Greg's parent's house for a bit of time in the afternoon. For dessert, we plan on making our way to Allendale to see my extended family in the evening. It's absolutely a busy day that I look forward to each year.

Friday, I'll be hosting brunch for my high school girlfriends. Nothing fancy, but since we're not shoppers, we have Friday morning to hang out and catch up. I plan on putting a pound cake in the oven in the morning to serve, and also will get my fine selection of tea, hot cocoa and coffee ready to serve. I do enjoy hosting so much! If we had a dining room, I swear I'd host family holidays here. Maybe in our next house.

No concrete plans for this weekend - just relaxing with Greg. Greg actually had a few teeth extracted this week, which was no planned. Hopefully he can eat a lot of mashed potatoes!

Happy Thanksgiving from The VanderMaas Family!

What I've Been Wearing While Pregnant

2010-11-22T17:00:00.001-05:00

I am sure I developed my fashion sense by the sixth grade. See, my mother and her three sisters owned a clothing store for 25 years. Since they retired and closed the store in the fall of 1998 - my senior year of high school - I didn't really work there much except for markdowns after Christmas, sidewalk sale in the summer and the occasional Saturday spent unpacking new items, steaming them and tagging them for the floor.

The major plus about your mom owning a clothing store is that you get to see all the new things. And not that I fit into most of it (they only carried misses, not kids), but I sure did know what I liked to wear. And it's been quite the same since then...crew neck t-shirts, button down cardigans, jeans/chinos/cords, understated earrings and fun necklaces. That's basically been my uniform for, oh, the last 17 years.

I am not kidding.

Sure, I've worn blouses. Yes, I like the occasional button down (under a cardigan, naturally) and I'll even wear a print once in a while, but most days you'll find me in my uniform. And I'm most comfortable in that.

So, when I found out I was going to be gaining a bit of weight, mostly in the abdomen (hopefully...), to accommodate Baby VanderMaas, I was a bit of a mess. I wasn't going to fit into my favorite Banana Republic jeans. My Gap chinos were no longer an option. And forget about trying to squeeze into any of my favorite t-shirts (which I replace each season because I bleach the heck outta the white ones, and the other colors get dingy...)

So, where did I even begin? Target & Macy's. I found a pair of jeans, five long sleeve t-shirts (in red, berry, gray, white & peacock), two lightweight hoodies (in red & black), a cute black empire waisted peacoat, and one sleeveless black dress to wear to work functions all at Target. And at Macy's I found black chinos, chocolate brown corduroys and another pair of jeans. All of that, which I still am mixing in with my pre-pregnancy cardigans, shoes, necklaces, scarves and other accessories, ran me about $350 with tax.

At this time of year, work meetings with clients & other wedding professionals has me dressing more casual. I have one more wedding in 2010, in which I'll wear the black dress with a sparkly cardigan (it's New Year's Eve, after all!) and as many days as I can, I work from my office in my super comfy Gap yoga pants and one of my lightweight hoodies I picked up at Target.

My big HOPE is that I can fit into my pre-pregnancy clothes after this baby is born. Buying another new wardrobe does not sound like fun - well, it does, but only if I can find a money tree soon!

Dwell Studio Bedding :: in love with dots!

2010-11-16T15:00:00.001-05:00

Sunday I shared the details for our baby's nursery, and today I ordered the rest of the set - the quilt and bumper. There was also a small accent pillow, but it did not make its way into my cart because I already have the cute, little owl one coming for the rocker!

Yes, yes, I realize that the baby does not NEED any of this in the crib, and actually some people do not use bumpers at all for fear of suffocation, but I wanted traditional bumpers, and since the quilt reverses to the same print as the crib skirt, I couldn't resist. That darn Amazon application on my iPod Touch may just be evil.

My plan was to find some fabric and have my mom make the bumpers, however, this is the match to the crib skirt & sheet, so instead of searching high and low for a complimentary pattern and having my mom sew something, I just went ahead and put it in my cart.

Oh goodness, this baby is costing more & more each day, and it is not even here yet! Thankfully, Christmas is approaching (and most of this won't ship until after, since it seems to be on back order) so I will put my Christmas money to everything instead of to myself! I can see where moms stop buying things for themselves so their kids are all set.

And so it begins...

I Fell In Love with an Owl

2010-11-14T22:30:00.004-05:00

I've been looking at cribs for weeks now, and have finally decided on the one above. Our nursery is tiny, so we're opting for only the crib & dresser, and will use the dresser as a changing table too. I love all the drawers, and the mod circle pulls are really what caught my eye. The crib & dresser both have brown wood bases, which we plan to paint dark gray, to make it a bit more contemporary.

The walls will be a light gray, and the bedding is white & gray polka dots. I only purchased one fitted sheet and the bed skirt, and plan on registering for some more solid color (white, gray) crib sheets knowing I will need a few extras for when the polka dot one is in the wash. I'm still looking for the perfect curtains, but have a couple of inexpensive options from IKEA in mind, as well as the curtain rods.

The plan was to keep the nursery gender neutral - gray, white & grass green - and then add either lavender if we have a girl or orange if we have a boy, but today on Dwell Studio, I sort of fell in love with that little plush owl above.

The print is right up my alley, and included the gray, white and grass green we were already doing, but had a lovely teal and a light blue included. I thought "Hey, I'm a girl, and I LOVE teal, so I'm not sure this baby will care one way or the other..." In the cart it went. Along with the matching changing pad cover (which will liven up the plain white dresser a bit) and the little catchall basket, which I plan to fill with books, toys, blankets, and other odds 'n' ends.

The only thing in the images above I'm still looking for is the Herman Miller rocker. My oldest friend, Rachelle, used a similar one in her nursery (a gift to her parents from Herman Miller when she was born, as her father worked there...) when her daughter was born, and now I'm on the hunt. This is actually a photo of a knock-off, and if I can't find a gently used one locally, I may resort to buying a replica. I'm totally okay with that, since the price difference is pretty huge.

There you have it...I fell in love with an owl, and our nursery was complete! Now, just to wait to fill it with a baby. 17 weeks, 5 days to go....

Naming Baby VanderMaas

2010-11-12T17:00:00.002-05:00

Aah, if only choosing a name for a baby were as easy as it was for a puppy! I have always liked the name Olive for a dog, and was just waiting to get a dog so I could name it Olive. Of course it had to be female, but I had male names picked out too (Elvis was one of them), but I reeeeaaaalllly wanted a girl puppy. And, I was single at the time, so there was no one I needed to consult with...

Now, on to naming this baby....the girl name is easy. If our baby is a girl, her name will be Elouise. I've loved the name for years and Greg is on board with it. I have toyed with various versions, such as Eloise, Louisa, Louise, but we have decided if our baby is a girl, her name will absolutely be Elouise Kate. (Elouise because I like it, Kate after my childhood best friend)

And if we end up having a boy? Completely different story. We've talked about a thousand boy names. I LOVE Silas, but Greg has a cousin with a son named Silas. Greg LOVES Wyatt, but my cousin has a son named Wyatt. No joke - what are the chances? Needless to say, those two were out of the running.

So, the boy name search continues. We've talked about Benjamin, Asher, Xavier, Grayson, Cal, Ari, Xander, Wesley....the list goes on and on and on. Everyday I come up with a new one to add to it. Part of me hopes it's a girl so we're all set and the other part of me knows we need a boy name ready to use.

I'd love to hear if you have any fabulous boy names that you're not using (or we are not close enough friends, so it wouldn't matter if we borrowed it from you!) We have ruled out any names that have been on the popular boy names list for years - Jacob, Luke, Ethan, Noah, Michael, Alexander, William - you get the picture. Something unique, but not too far out there, and something that goes well with our last name VanderMaas.

Midway to March!

2010-11-08T08:30:00.002-05:00

Here are the few photos I've taken over the past 20 weeks. I still cannot believe there is a baby in there - it's crazy for me to think we were all once that tiny and small and protected by our mother.

Today I'm officially 21 weeks, 3 days pregnant and our "big ultrasound" is tomorrow. And although we're not finding out the gender of our baby, we still get to see the crazy cool photos of Baby VanderMaas, hear the heartbeat, check out the chambers of the heart, and everything else I'm sure they look at, but have no idea about.

We're over halfway there - I've got 18 weeks, 4 days to go until our official due date of March 18th, and I'd love to deliver on the 17th for a St. Patty's Day baby, but realize I have not much control in the matter.

Although this month is quite slow for work, I have been filling up the calendar with work & non-work things - coffee with other wedding professionals, networking events and of course, re-doing the house.

Since Greg went to the U of M football game on Saturday with his sister and we did hours & hours of yard work yesterday, the bathroom paint did NOT get touched like I had hoped. Ooh well, thankfully we have plenty of time before March 18th, although I' prefer to get it all done and back in working order before Christmas.

It's November!

2010-11-01T12:45:00.000-04:00

I cannot believe it's already November. This year has flown by, as each year seems to do as I get older.

Last Friday, October 29th, marked my official 20-week-pregnant mark. I can't believe I'm halfway there already. I suppose since we didn't find out until I was five weeks pregnant, it's only been 15 weeks of "feeling" pregnant. But, either way, we're due in 20 weeks, right around March 18th.

My final wedding of the Fall season was Saturday. And while I was working, Greg was UpNorth in East Jordan fishing all weekend. He caught a 10-pound walleye, which is, I've heard "the fish of a lifetime". He was so, so excited, and I was excited for him! Our wedding went off without anything crazy happening - a lovely Fall day in Grand Rapids to get married! And although by the end of the night, our city was full of creepy, ghoulish characters out celebrating Halloween, my wedding clients were having the time of their life at The B.O.B.

This week things slow down at work. Our next wedding in New Year's Eve, and this week includes finalizing their linen order - it's a wedding full of black, gold, ivory & tons of texture! I really cannot wait to see it all come together in nine weeks. Wednesday I have an initial consultation with a potential bride & groom for next year, which I'm excited for - as they are planning a Lake Michigan wedding.

This weekend begins our first home project. Project: bathroom re-do. It will start with me scraping the old orange paint off the walls and assessing the damage we'll need to repair before re-painting them in a nice tan color that goes well with the countertops & tile grout. I plan to accessorize the boring tan & white room with pale aqua and polished silver. It's a tiny little room, but I know this painting thing is going to be a PAIN! We need to take the toilet out (the only one in the house...), and also the vanity to paint behind them, so wish us luck!

Cute Black Ballet Flats

2010-10-20T17:30:00.001-04:00

Ever since I found out I was pregnant, I've avoided heels like the plague. No idea why - it's not like I can't walk in them anymore; I suppose I just feel more comfortable in flats in my home office anyway. A few weeks ago, I randomly was walking down the shoe aisle in Target, and came across these black patent beauties.

Now, to tell you the truth, I don't LOVE Target shoes. I'm more of a name brand shoe snob, although I prefer hunting for them at TJ Maxx & Marshall's. However, these caught my eye because of their adorable rhinestone & grosgrain ribbon toe accent.

I tried them on, and they immediately went in the cart next to my cereal, dog treats & light bulbs. Of course, they are cheap shoes, so I add my Dr. Scholl's inserts to make it through a day on my feet, especially a day working a wedding. While online today, I saw they also come in gray. These babies will last me through the holiday season, by dressing up my black trousers a bit, and my ankle length pants I've been wearing lately. Hey, a little bit of glam on my feet throughout this pregnancy sure makes me feel sassy!

The Biggest Purchase for Baby VanderMaas

2010-10-18T15:45:00.002-04:00

Because we're not finding out the gender of our firstborn, buying clothes, bedding, toys, etc. has proved difficult. I had NO idea how gender specific baby stuff was until I was about to be a mom myself.

The one thing that I've mentioned to Greg time and time again is how important capturing the first year of our little one is. So, before we made any sort of announcement, I booked Mindy Leigh Photography's Bundle of Joy package. It includes everything I wanted, plus more...

Four sessions: maternity, newborn, 6 months, 1 year
50 custom press-printed birth announcements
Four 5×7 spiral bound mini albums – up to 25 images from each session
10×10 inch flush mount album with up to 50 images – completed after your last session

I am beyond thrilled with our investment and so excited to see how Mindy captures our child's first year. I am also a little excited for our maternity session. I am thinking more "engagement session" and not "bare-all for the world to see." Not that there's anything wrong with that, it's just not me at all.

So, there you have it - the first thing we purchased for Baby VanderMaas!

[photos of super-cute babies, copyright Mindy Leigh Photography]

Maraschino Cherries in the Middle of the Day

2010-10-15T16:36:00.002-04:00

Today my sister-in-law stopped by while I was still in my bathrobe! Talk about a terrible hostess... To be completely honest, I had forgotten she was stopping by this morning before my lunch date with a fellow wedding planner, so I was running on-time for that, but wished I would have been dressed when she was here. Ooh well, the life of me is quite lazy these days - really, I can stay in my yoga pants most days, unless I have work meetings.

This afternoon, I was absolutely dead tired. I got home from lunch, went to chat with one of my favorite neighbors for a bit, then came home and cracked open my first (subscribed-to) copy of House Beautiful. After a couple episodes of Sarah's House, I felt like some maraschino cherries, which I actually had some in the fridge. So, what do I do? Make a freakin' ice cream sundae, complete with fudge and a cherry. Okay, okay, a FEW cherries, because, really, they were what I wanted in the first place.

Tonight I'm headed to a bridal show, as a guest, to wander around with my friend Abbey, a local invitation designer. After the show, we plan on heading to Reserve, a new wine bar in Grand Rapids, and although I won't be drinking any of their delicious wine, I plan on trying their food for sure!

Tomorrow I'm headed to a mom-to-mom sale with my new friend Ashleigh, and then having lunch with St. Joe wedding planner, Jessica. Sunday we have no plans on the books, so I'm hoping to get some yard work done - gosh, the leaves never quit - and maybe get our basement cleaned out a bit.

Enjoy your weekend!

Back to Blogging

2010-10-13T18:00:00.001-04:00

This blog has been sad, just plain miserable, for the past six months. I used to be really great at updating, with photos even, at least weekly. But as work got busy, taking time to write about our life was put on the back burner. And really, my life seems pretty boring, so there wasn't much to chat about in the first place.

But now that we're expecting our first child, I feel like I have more things to write about - repainting our home, setting up a nursery, my (hopefully!) slow winter season that only consists of one (amazing!) wedding, and what we're going to do as we prepare to get ready for this baby - not that I really have any idea what I'm doing over here. Ooh, and the adventures of Miss Olive, our first baby, naturally.

Today one of my interns came into the office and input all of my receipts since July. With my interns, I usually only have them do the lame tasks once, just to teach them how I run my business and show them a snippet of what we do around here. Then, this afternoon, one of my all-time favorite mother-of-the-brides popped by to drop off some poppies that she split in her yard for me. I'd been eying them since her daughter's wedding day, and today I got my very own coral poppies. I can't wait to watch them come up next spring! We enjoyed chatting over coffee and THAT is my favorite part about my job -personal connections with real people.

Tomorrow I'm having coffee with a friend, who also happens to do PR for the wedding show I produce with Joy'l, GRunveiled, and then I have a design meeting with a brand new client. And this weekend is filling up fast, so I am excited to not be working and just enjoying life!

Getting Ready for our +1

2010-10-12T12:00:00.003-04:00

We announced in August we were expecting a baby, and the next exciting thing in my life is redecorating our home to accommodate this little person! The crib seems to be pretty big purchase, and I've been looking at all three of these and enjoy elements about each one of them.

I think I've decided, but each day I go back & forth on the one I like most. I'll keep ya posted!

a long, overdue update on tax day

2010-04-15T10:30:00.000-04:00

I'm glad it's finally spring. Our lawn is looking fabulously green, and our tulips are coming up. I always hate the chore of planting bulbs in the fall, but by spring, I've forgotten all the hole-digging, and enjoy the fruit of my (small) labor.

Work is busy - busier than I thought! Spring is the time of year I travel for conferences and workshops. This year, I've been to Florida, Washington DC, and am headed to Indy on Sunday for another conference. I'm not a huge fan of being away from Olive & Greg, so I've been shutting the computer at night and spending time with them, instead of working into the wee hours.

Life is good - Greg and I are currently talking about our annual summer vacation. Not sure where we'll be going this year, but do believe it will be another camping road trip, our favorite kind. I honestly could do the same exact trip we did last July, however realize there is much more of North America to see via car. We're contemplating Denver for two weeks (to visit various friends) or possibly stay local and explore the Upper Peninsula for a week and then do a winter getaway later in the year. Ooh, the choices!

That is it around here - wedding season starts May 15th, and I'm getting interns lined up for the season. This year Kate, Amy, Mary and I will have three ladies to assist us on the day of. And with two of my associates (Kate & Amy) expecting late summer, I've brought another planner on board, Mary, who is a friend of mine, to fill in for them.

Happy Spring!

Ringing in 29

2010-02-04T00:45:00.002-05:00

It's after midnight which means I am officially 29. Sure, I still have to go to bed and wake up, but technically, I'm 29. I'm not exactly sure what time I was born that Wednesday in 1981, however I don't think it was in the early morning. I should look that up - now I want to know.

How will I be ringing in 29, you ask. Well, no big party plans this year. Most years I plan a get together with friends & family. We get pizza and go bowling and just hang out. This year, it seems everyone that WOULD come has a kid or two and would need to get a sitter. Not sure if anyone would have shown up.

Instead of party plans, Greg and I will get dinner tomorrow evening - I've decided on Japanese from Shanghai Ichiban. We love the hibachi dinner - not for the show, but for the food. We could do without the fake mustard trick, onion train that "smokes" with steam, or catching shrimp in our mouths, however we love the miso soup, ginger dressing on the salad, and filet mignon with fried rice. Ooh goodness, I just got excited for dinner tomorrow night.

I am a bad personal blogger. I really feel like I haven't had much going on besides work, and since I write a lot for work, it's hard to make time to write here. Although, I should tell you that things are going SO great with work. I try not to brag too much, but here, with my very limited amount of readers, I will share a little more "behind the scenes"...

First of all, 2010 is going to be good and I think I'll actually take a paycheck this year. Currently, I'm working with 12 couples. I am in the midst of planning, designing and making sure things go smoothly for everyone. And on top of that, I have my very first "repeat client" - a sister of a 2008 bride (and this bride DOES read this blog, so hello KRISTINA! I'm excited to work with Sarah & your mom soon!)

Without Greg supporting me (financially and emotionally) I would for sure be back in a cubicle taking notes for Corporate America. Instead, I have the luxury of working from home (in my pajama pants most days...), making my own schedule and trying to make things work on my own terms. I know I'm lucky - so, so lucky.

Besides planning weddings, I'm a wedding blogger. I write. A lot. Other people are usually skeptical about how much I share via the blog. They don't get it. I say "ooh, good gracious, you have no idea where writing consistently will take you." And then I share this...

A new Midwest wedding blog, Clover & Bee, contacted me months ago to be a contributor. Crazy stuff - because I don't really consider myself a writer. However, the first article I wrote I was incredibly proud of and super pumped to be showing off a photo shoot I had done in September with a bunch of colleagues. Take that - non-bloggers.

Then America Online (yes, AOL) called me in December. The editor saw I was a contributor on Clover & Bee and asked if I was interested to write for their brand new website. "Um, excuse me. Did you say America Online?" She was looking for "the top ten reasons to get married in Michigan" and I totally nailed the article. It was harder than I thought, but I came up with ten great reasons to get married in Michigan and I cannot wait until it's up - I am excited to see where AOL takes their new site and I am thrilled to be a part of it. I am hoping she asks me to write more - I'd love to contribute to national wedding publications more. It really makes the Pearls Events brand real to me.

And then, finally, getting my actual client's weddings published is AMAZING! A trendy, hip wedding I designed for an October couple is going to be published in Brides Michigan (coming out later this month.) I'm SO excited for this one because I designed it, planned it, and loved this client (Liz & Don). I will be shouting it from the rooftops once I see the article - it might be the biggest press I've ever gotten so far! We'll see what actually gets printed :)

And that's it - the end of my sharing/bragging - whatever you want to call it. It's almost 1:00 A.M. on my 29th birthday and I'm watching HGTV solo on the sofa with Olive snoring behind me. I should get in bed and try to sleep.

December Has Been a Whirlwind

2009-12-18T09:30:00.000-05:00

I cannot believe there is only a week until Christmas - that is crazy! Things on Louise Street have been busy - work, family functions, holiday happenings; but also enjoyable - getting a Christmas tree, receiving holiday cards, Christmas shopping.

Tonight I'll be hosting my first (and only!) Christmas party. Ever since I purchased my house in 2005, it's been tradition to have my high school girlfriends over for a holiday slumber party. We begin the evening with appetizers & drinks, and then the slumber party portion begins with pajamas, dessert and frankly, just being silly. It's a tradition I hope we continue for years to come! And yes, we are almost 30 years old, but that doesn't matter!

Tonight I'll be hosting Emily, Rachelle, Jessica, Kate H., Kate B., and Ingrid. Both Mandy & Megan won't be able to join us, so we will miss them!

A November Update

2009-11-07T21:51:00.005-05:00

Oy - it's dusty over here. My poor, neglected blog has been, well, neglected. Here's the small update, starting with today...

Greg and I worked in the yard from 9am - 2:30pm, I'm not certain if I'm going to be able to move tomorrow morning. Greg worked on raking the millions of leaves and cutting down the iris' and day lily remnants, and I worked on planting 150 new tulip, daffodil, crocus and anemone bulbs I picked up yesterday at Fruitbasket Flowerland.

I'm quite excited because I love spring flowers, and when these new flowers start coming up, I'm going to be SO happy. Since they were on sale, I splurged on fancy tulips - something I wouldn't normally do. Then, a late night run to our favorite grocery store, Horrocks, had us picking through their clearance and we found some great deals - 45¢ delphinium, 90¢ hostas, $3 lilacs, $6 peonies - no joke. We made it out with 14 new plants for under $15. So, working in the yard was today.

After the yard, Greg took off fishing for the rest of the weekend. Olive and I hung out tonight - with leftover Chinese, my favorite Michigan cherry wine, and a couple of girlie movies. Tomorrow I have no plans other than to do a bunch of laundry and clean the inside of the house.

Let's see....what else has been going on? Well, I have booked two new clients in the past few weeks. This is GREAT news for me, since I need to work! I had an interesting inquiry this week from a woman who needs someone to fully plan her wedding by January 30th. I'll keep you posted if she decides to book. It'd be a huge commission and would take up the next 9 weeks. It would also keep me from NOT having to find a part time job, which I've been looking for.

Last week Greg and I checked out a 150-year old farmhouse. It sat on 3.5 acres of very close to the river. We were absolutely in LOVE with the location and land, but the house needed a ton of upgrading for our taste, and with it being quite old, there was a ton of projects that would need to be done - new foundation, siding, rearranging walls to make more room - yikes - too much for us! But, it was fun to look at and we know we would eventually like a (larger) home with lots of character and details. Don't get me wrong - we LOVE our little home in the city, but our plan was to stay here five years, which will be in May already.

A couple of weeks ago we headed UpNorth with our friends Em & Nick. They hosted us at Em's grandparent's cabin in the woods around Baldwin. It was SUCH a great weekend with them - we had a blast relaxing together.

That's about it from here. This week is crazy busy - I'm heading to Detroit for a work party/networking event on Wednesday, and then I'm off to Chicago on Friday to hang with my sister.

A Good Start to Fall with Photos!

2009-10-18T01:00:00.002-04:00

Camping with Nick & Emily Ann at Leelanau State Park

Stopping for Dog 'n' Suds on the way to Silver Lake | Sarah & Aletha at the Cottage

Aletha, Leslie & Lindsay climbing the sand dunes | Olive & Aletha running around the dunes

Aletha & Olive | The Fab Five - Aletha, Megan, Lindsay, Leslie & Sarah

Leslie & Sarah taking a shopping break in Pentwater

Aletha & Greg checking out ArtPrize on opening night

Photo booth photos from Las Vegas

Well, if I thought summer was crazy busy, life since Labor Day has been quite crazy as well. Greg and I spent Labor Day weekend camping with our buddies, Nick & Emily. We always have a great time roughing it at the Leelanau State Park with them, and we had A-MAZ-ING weather this year. Nick and Em headed home on Sunday, but Greg and I stayed until Monday - which meant we went wine tasting solo. Since Nick and Em are expecting their first baby(!) in March, this was a good thing. Greg and I stocked up on enough of my favorite cherry wine from Gill's Pier for the entire year. Yummmm.

The second weekend of September I headed to Glen Arbor with my associate planner, Kate, to coordinate a wedding at the Homestead Resort. Ooh, how I love that place! The weather, again, was absolutely fabulous.

My Zondervan friends and I headed to Silver Lake the third weekend of September. This is an annual trip we make, and this is the fourth year we've gone and it's never dull. We basically go for a short weekend - Friday night thru Sunday afternoon - to just hang out and get away from home for a bit. This year the weather was fabulous, and we even put our suits on and laid in the sunshine for a bit. Of course we hit up my fav kitchen shop in Pentwater, The Bitchin' Kitchen! I really do love these weekends away with the ladies.

The end of the month was a fun time to be in Grand Rapids - ArtPrize was going on and Greg and I headed down to opening the ceremonies. I also had a chance to check it out a second time with my lovely friend Sarah one Saturday afternoon.

The first weekend of October I had a fabulous wedding with one of my favorite clients. The weather was pretty crappy, but gosh it was a fantastic day. You can read my recap on my work blog - and I'm still waiting on detail shots to show off all the hard design work we did for this fabulous bride.

Since official "work" weekends are over until May, I've been thinking about what to do this winter. I have a few clients for next year, but unfortunately that means I'm not making much money right now. I've thought about being a barista - maybe I could get a gig at my local Biggby's? I'll keep you posted! If you know of any fabulous part-time job, pass the info my way :)

Last Sunday, I headed to Vegas for a wedding professional conference. I had a fabulous time, got to see a few industry friends, and met new wedding pros I admire. I would say the most recognizable person there was Sylvia Weinstock, the fabulous cake designer! I traveled with another wedding planner from Michigan, Lindsey - which was a blast. We ended up having a ton in common and I was thankful to have her with me! We were on the red-eye back from Vegas Wednesday night, so Thursday was a strange day.

I was thankful that this weekend was work-free, since there is a ton to get done around the house - laundry, cleaning, errands. Friday night I went to the bridal show in Grand Rapids with my florist-friend, Natalie. We went out for a drink at Bistro Bella Vida afterward - yum for margaritas!

This coming week is quite busy, as I'm still catching up from being gone for four days. I'm looking forward to an 8-hour business consulting session with a couple of wedding planners from St. Louis at the end of the week. They are driving up and I have two 4-hour intensive sessions planned for their time in Grand Rapids. I do hope it's productive and they come away learning a lot!

Tomorrow (well, technically today, since it's after midnight) is Greg+Aletha day. We need to get groceries, run errands we didn't run today, and put away mass quantities of clean laundry!

Enjoy your day!

Fall is Settling In

2009-09-26T11:42:00.002-04:00

Summer has left West Michigan. Leaves have been blowing down the street, we have been comfortably sleeping with our window open and there are apples galore. My favorite being honey crisp - yum.

Last weekend I went away with my girlfriends, Lindsay, Leslie, Megan & Sarah. Ooh, and Olive joined us this year. You can see a few photos on Sarah's blog post here. We lucked out with some glorious weather - we even donned our bathing suits Saturday afternoon.

I'm getting excited for my work trip to Las Vegas in a couple of weeks. I'll be attending Engage, a wedding professionals conference. I'm SO excited to have met a Detroit area wedding planner who I'll be traveling with, and rooming with. Definitely cuts the cost a little bit. I have not been to Vegas since the summer between 8th and 9th grade - oy! I have a feeling it's changed in the past 14 or so years...I'm looking forward to it!

Not much else going on around here! I wish I had some photos to share, but alas, I do not.

Happy Fall!

What I Wanted

2009-08-31T18:00:00.001-04:00

I'm one of those annoying girls who has always known what she wanted. From the time I can remember, I dreamed of living on a quiet city street, in a little house, with a little dog. My job didn't matter much as long as I could afford a modest life and share my life with someone fantastic.

My great grandma still lives in her cute city house and I was always interested in the concept of having neighbors and enough space to decorate. Being the oldest of five kids, I never had my own bedroom, so decorating an entire home was a dream.

From the time I was 14, I knew I wanted a husband. I imagined myself with a tall, blonde fellow who would love me and not mind my habits too much (such as biting my nails, painting my toe nails "upside down", and keeping the house organized).

It wasn't until my first love came along that I realized he might not be blonde. My first marriage proposal happened when I was 18, in a dark family room with a diamond ring. Of course, we were not really engaged, just head-over-heels for one another. However, from that relationship I learned I wouldn't feel the same unless there was the right guy sharing life with me.

Fast forward...I bought a house in 2005 and in 2007, I married Greg after his proposal in the living room with a diamond ring. This time it was for real :)

Last night Greg and I were sitting in our living room of our tiny house on our tiny city street. Olive was stretched out on the sofa and I said to Greg "this is exactly what I have always wanted."

I realized this weekend that we are SO blessed - we have great friends, an amazing family (both of them), and jobs to pay the bills. We also have fun together - I laugh a lot, and Greg laughs at my (sometimes lame) jokes.

Of course, not everything is perfect - I'd love to have no debt, weigh what I did in high school and never, ever be jealous, angry or mean. But of course - I'm working on all of that, and I am a work in progress.

Introducing Little Devin!

2009-08-20T10:19:00.004-04:00

Devin FINALLY got to go home after spending a week in the NIM section of the NICU. We were excited when we finally got to hold the little guy last night. What a complete cutie - totally melted my heart. Beth & Dan are amazing parents and we cannot wait to watch this little one grow up.

This is Greg's first time holding a baby - I think he did a stellar job. Devin's SO itty bitty, weighing in around six pounds right now.

And here I am - I seriously did not want to go home last night!

And what's a post without OUR baby? The poor dog is sick of me following her around, trying to get the perfect shot of her as she lounges around the house. This photo shows a "new location" - perched on the sofa arm, having the pillow support her. Yes, she's in need of a late-summer haircut, but I'm trying to wait it out as long as possible. Her haircut costs MORE than mine these days!

Welcome Devin!

2009-08-11T16:14:00.000-04:00

Greg's sister, Beth, and her husband, Dan, welcomed Devin Jacob into the world on Sunday evening. He's a little guy weighing in at 5 pounds, 15 ounces and is 19 inches long. Everyone is doing well and are expected to make their way home by Thursday.

Greg and I are both quite excited about the new little addition to the VanderMaas family!

I Love the Movies

2009-07-29T00:10:00.001-04:00

I've always enjoyed going to the movies. My parents took us quite often as kids - I'm pretty sure they loved going just as much as we did. We'd head to Studio 28 (which closed last year) for a Sunday matinee and my step dad would buy the largest bucket of popcorn and bag it for each of us (I'm one of five kids) in brown-paper lunch bags. This was LONG before stadium seating, free refills and soaring ticket prices. I've actually held on to most of my ticket stubs from when I was old enough to actually hold on to, and it's pretty fun to look through them.

I remember seeing both Pippi Longstocking and The Neverending Story at Studio 28. For my fourth grade, co-ed birthday party, my mom took me and some friends (including my super-cute boyfriend, Kevin) to see White Fang. And more recently, Greg and I saw The Passion of the Christ and The Chronicles of Narnia is Theater One, which was every one's favorite theater and reserved for the "big" movie of the week/month.

Since Studio 28 was a bit of a hike from my parents house, they were quite excited when Star Alpine opened in the 90's. The first movie I saw at Star Theater on Alpine was Sister Act, and I went solo because the rest of my family saw Batman Returns, I think. I remember screaming in a packed theater during Jurassic Park with my cousin Jenny. Many high school movie dates, girls nights with friends and sneaking into a second movie after the first with my mom. No joke.

Tonight I went to the movies with my favorite girls - Lindsey, Leslie, Megan & Sarah. We saw The Proposal and I laughed throughout the entire movie. The movie has been out for a while, so we were in an itty bitty theater, but we shared Chewy Sprees, and I had a blast. I'm pretty sure the matinee price in 1992 was $3.25, compared to $7 now! WOW!

Back to Life, Back to Reality

2009-07-22T09:30:00.000-04:00

Now that you are all singing En Vogue, I'll update you on what's up on Louise Street.

It's been crazy since we returned, and I'm finally getting everything under control. Laundry, for one, finally got put away. Yep - I DID the laundry when we returned, but putting it away is another story. It sat on the footstool in our bedroom for a week before last night, when I was finally sick of digging through it for clean socks.

Work has been busy! We managed a beautiful wedding on Saturday, and this weekend Kate (my associate) has an event set-up downtown. And I will tell you since we've been home over a week ago, 2010 is shaping up to be QUITE busy, which of course, we're thrilled about. I am no longer thinking about what I am going to do in case my business goes bust after 2009. Greg is happy too :)

Greg's buddy Carey is in town, so this evening we'll be grilling out with friends. This weekend we're a tad busy too. Friday we have two gatherings to attend - with both sets of my friends (Zondervan girls and high school girls), Saturday I need to make my share of food for the baby shower that I'm throwing with Steph & Deb (my sister-in-laws) for Greg's VERY pregnant sister, Beth. Beth is due in 3 weeks with their first baby boy, and I cannot wait to meet the little guy. I'm excited to find out his name too. :)

The Roads We Took

2009-07-17T07:45:00.003-04:00

When my friend Em asked me what our plan was and I answered "none at all", she was a little shocked. Here she thought we had planned this fabulous trip, all the stops and had reservations at campgrounds. In all honesty, there was no pre-planning, just a final destination in mind. We hopped in the car and got on the road, deciding which way to take & how long to stay when we had to make the decision.

Here are some fun facts -
-Total miles driven: 4700
-Total spent on gasoline: right around $450
-Total spent on overnight accommodations: right around $190

So, the path we took was as follows (and I would have done ONE map, however Mapquest doesn't allow that many stops on one trip...)

From Grand Rapids to White Sulpher Springs, Montana

From White Sulpher Springs to Glacier National Park to Lake Louise to Simpson, Montana.

And the final leg from Montana back to Grand Rapids

I Cannot Believe It's Over Already

2009-07-16T12:06:00.007-04:00

The last few days of our trip were spent driving a ton of miles, however we did fit in some sites on our way home. My favorite part was stopping in Medora, North Dakota. It's fabulous there, and I'd love to spend a summer working in the town in some manner. I realized on this trip that I like the small town feel, where everyone knows everyone. I suppose I have that a bit on our street, as we have awesome neighbors, but I can honestly say I wouldn't mind living in a smaller community someday, especially when we start our family.

Here's the recap & photos to accomany the final three days of the trip. More posts later on the highlights, lowlights, and fun facts about the money we spent (gas, campgrounds, etc), random stories not told here, and our favorite parts. Thank you for following along!

Day Ten - July 9th We woke up at Cypress Hills in Elkwater, Alberta to the pouring rain. We literally tried to wait it out, so we could pack up our tent, however, there was no reason to - it would NOT stop raining. We packed up the tent as quickly as possible, and then made our way out of town, south to the boarder back into Montana.

(side story: You will NOT believe this, but from Elkwater to Wild Horse is about 46 miles and there is absolutely NOTHING on the road. And when I say nothing, I mean nothing but a two-lane road and gorgeous countryside. We were a little gutsy and got the car up to 115 MPH, although that proved to be quite reckless, because at that speed, the poor birds cannot get out of the way. We smoked two of them before taking it back down to a respectable 80MPH.)

After getting back into the US through the tiniet port (Wild Horse), we headed southeast to North Dakota. We arrived at Teddy Roosevelt National Park around 8:30, set up our tent and went into Medora for dinner. We had an amazing meal at Rough Rider's Dining Room before playing a little Yahtzee before bed. Do you see a trend here? We played a LOT of Yahztee! Ooh, and we saw bison, wild horses and a ton of prairie dogs while we were there!

Day Eleven - July 10th I'm pretty sure I could move to Medora, North Dakota after seeing this cute town. We woke up at Teddy Roosevelt National Park, loaded our (finally!) dry camping gear, and headed into Medora for breakfast and some java. We got a great cup of coffee and shopped the little town for an hour before getting on the road. We had a picnic lunch at a nice rest area and ended up making our way through North Dakota and into the Minneapolis area by 8p. We set up camp at Lake Ann and headed into a little town for dinner, which we found at The Lake Cafe in Big Lake, MN. Another game of Yahtzee before bed.

Day Twelve - July 11th Since we're SO close to home, we decided to make the drive home from Minneapolis a day early, since it was only Saturday. We headed into the city for breakfast with my dear friend, Megan, who has lived there for the past two years. We had a late dinner before getting into Michigan and picking up little Miss Olive at Greg's parent's house around 9pm. We were home, our friend Leslie & Joel mowed our lawn for us, our neighbor Rita got our mail and watered the lawn/garden and we were ready to sleep in our own bed again. Ooh, and spend time with Olive - we totally missed her!

Enjoy the last of our photo recap :) Not too many here!

On the road to Wild Horse.

No sign of life for about 150 miles.

Terrible photo of a buffalo we came across.

Loved this sunset in Big Lake, MN.

Aletha & Megan being dorky with the map.

Greg & Megan before we made our way back to Grand Rapids

How Can It Get Better? Lake Louise.

2009-07-15T07:00:00.002-04:00

Our ultimate destination was Banff, Alberta, so we spent two nights there – both July 6th & 7th. It was a perfect way to celebrate our anniversary, although two years prior we were in Bermuda, in our bathing suits, we were fine in the (much!) cooler weather! Here's the recap

Day Seven - July 6th We got up late because of the rain. We packed up our camp at Avalanche Campground and drove the rest of Glacier Park. St. Mary's Lake was at the end - and it was spectacular! We drove into Canada and through Calgary - it was their giant party week, Calgary Stampede, so the streets were busy. We made our way to Lake Louise, stopping in Canmore for dinner at the BEST place, Sage Bistro. Holy moly, this was fabulous. I had venison meatloaf and wish I had the recipe. YUM. We set up our campsite and took a walk around our electrified campground - they have a fence to keep the bear out. We went to bed kinda early, since there wasn't too much going on. It was FREEZING that night. Got to below 40 degrees. Thankfully I had two pair of pajama pants and many tops to wear!

Day Eight - July 7th Took warm showers and headed to see Lake Louise. Simply gorgeous! If you haven't seen Lake Louise, add it to your must-see list. I was there as a kid, but don't remember it being so beautiful! We then made our way into Banff for a little sight-seeing. And shopping - finally! It's definitely a tourist town, but it was fun to bum around the shops, find some cool souvenirs, and then had lunch at the iconic Fairmount. We ate on the terrace sharing appetizers of beef satay & minestrone soup, and then splitting their Four Seasons pizza. We headed back to our campsite, and on the we saw a little black bear. He was pretty cute and not afraid of us one bit. We had a fire at night and Greg grilled brats, baked potatoes & green beans over the fire. It rained, which was par for the course and we hit the hay early. Another freezing cold night in the tent!

Day Nine - July 8th After packing up our gear, we headed to Lake Moraine, which was quite a site. Not as popular as Lake Louise, but just as majestic. We originally decided to take the Canada route home, however after realizing it was a boring drive, we headed South back to Montana ASAP. We ended up at Cypress Hills in Elkwater, Alberta for the night. The campground was huge and literally, in the middle of nowhere. It rained all night long, so no fire. We played some Skip-Bo and Yahtzee before bed, which was quite the standard way we spent the night before bed.

Our campsite at Glacier National Park

An awesome arch in Glacier National Park

The Weeping Wall in Glacier.

It's a mountain. Which one, I'm not sure.

Waterfall on the side of the arch & road. So cool!

Seriously awesome views!

Self portrait

You could walk up to a glacier here, but it was all snowy and we were in sneakers. We took photos!

A Glacier Lily

Lake Mary on the East side of the park.

The infamous Lake Louise. This photo is untouched - it's really that gorgeous.

My beef satay at The Fairmount. Too pretty - and delicious too!

The grand Fairmount.

They bring you a blanket when it gets cold. When it rains, you go inside. We were inside shortly after this...

We wanted to stay here, but it didn't fit into the travel budget. Instead, we poked around, ate lunch and took photos!

The little black bear we saw on the way from Banff to our campground at Lake Louise.

Greg looking for moose. None were to be seen.

Me & some mountains.

At Lake Moraine

Greg at Lake Moraine

Working on using that manual mode!

And We Kept on Trucking...

2009-07-14T09:45:00.004-04:00

After three nights, we had a short break from sleeping in our tent as we arrived at my grandparent's home in Billings, Montana. They hosted us for dinner & breakfast, plus provided us with a bed & clean shower! We were back on the road after breakfast on headed Northbound to Glacier National Park.

Here's the little recap...

Day Four - July 3rd Left the awesome campground at Devil's Tower and drove to Billings, Montana. We took the back roads when able, as driving them was much more interesting than the highway. We ate dinner with my grandparents around 6p and enjoyed chatting with them on their beautiful patio into the night. It was fun hearing about their first date, their engagement & married life in the 60's!

Day Five- Fourth of July We had breakfast with my grandparents and then got on the road. We headed up to White Sulpher Springs - a place I visited as a child. We attempted to travel to a ghost town, Castle, however the road had washed out and it was impassable in our VW. We had dinner in town before making the drive to Great Falls. Since we didn't have any reservations, we thought we would have a hard time finding a campsite on Fourth of JUly, but we found one at the local KOA. It was full of kids, and a little too busy for us, but it was our only option and we did want to see fireworks that night. We also had a campfire, in which Greg cooked a turkey breast (totally random, I realize...) and I made some s'mores! Yummmmmm.

Day Six - July 5th We got up early and headed to Glacier National Park. We went through some cute towns - with our favorite being Choteau, Montana. We popped into an antique shop and I bought a mink stole - no joke! I could not pass it up! Can't wait to wear it this winter :) We stopped and saw The Lodge at the East entrance before driving around to the West entrance and going into the park and heading up Going-to-the-Sun Road. We found a campsite at Avalanche Creek campground and took a 4-mile hike (I may have whined a bit - I was scared of running into a bear on the way...) to Avalanche Lake.

Here are some photos to accompany this portion of our trip. Stay tuned for day seven, eight & nine tomorrow.

On our way to Billings from Wyoming. We're outside Devil's Tower here.
[Pigtails = no shower for Aletha!]

Greg loving the scenery on the back roads. It was beautiful for sure.

A great sky around the abandoned church on the way to White Sulpher Springs, Montana.

Greg figuring out the Nikon - me holding my hair in the wind and looking sassy.

We are almost there! Almost :)

Glacier Park Lodge. My family stayed in the room up top (with the three little windows) when I was a kid. There were six single beds in one giant room! It was perfect and like a giant slumber party. I had to snap a photo.

The beautiful gardens in front of the Glacier Park Lodge

Greg & Aletha enjoying our shakes before entering Glacier National Park.

Being tourists, naturally. :)

Cool places to stop along the way.

Me in a tree.

This is one of my favorites from the trip. Tons of waterfalls in the park!

At the end of our hike - Avalanche Lake

Totally worth the hike, although I whined. We were the only people there!

Our cute bear-free campsite. You have to keep everything in your car otherwise they kick you out. Or fine you.

On the Road We Went

2009-07-13T21:39:00.009-04:00

We were scheduled to leave on our second wedding anniversary, Monday June 29th. However, we left on Tuesday since I unexpectedly hit a deer on the 12th, and my car was in the shop until then.

We picked up the car, packed it up at home, and dropped Miss Olive off at the in-laws and headed South to Chicago - after getting a frozen cherry coke at Speedway, naturally. We honestly had no plan of travel and decided what roads to take as we approached our options. We decided to go West via South Dakota and hit up Wall Drug & Mt. Rushmore on the way out. We are SO glad we did, because we met a cool couple traveling Eastbound at our second campground who suggested we stop at Devil's Tower National Park in Wyoming, and it was amazing!

Here's the first couple of day in a nutshell...

Day One - June 30th Left home at 2pm and drove a lot. We stopped for dinner in Madison, Wisconsin and set up the tent at Mirror Lake State Park, not too far from the Wisconsin Dells. Nothing too exciting going on yet!

Day Two - July 1st Got on the road and saw a 60 foot Jolly Green Giant in Green Earth, Minnesota. Totally stopped to take some photos - we are THOSE tourists for sure. Found the best campsite at Lake Vermillion State Recreation Area in South Dakota because we stopped at a random sculpture park off the highway. Met a nice couple & grilled dinner.

Day Three - July 2nd Stopped at Wall Drug and Mt. Rushmore on our way to Devil's Tower State Park.

Stay tuned later this week for the next few days. For now, enjoy a few of our snapshots!

All packed and ready to hit the road.

Greg in Madison - we were searching for some dinner!

The giant Jolly Green Giant in Green Earth, Minnesota

My favorite campsite at Lake Vermillion State Recreation Area in South Dakota.

Greg & Aletha hanging out at Mt. Rushmore

Mt. Rushmore

Giant, double rainbow on the way to Devil's Tower.

Beautiful road just outside of Alva, Wyoming, population 50. Yes, fifty.

Devil's Tower - which is something you must see for yourself. It took an hour to walk around it and was full of fun facts. We camped at their campground on the third night and had a view of this "mountain" from our tent. It was Greg's favorite campground from the whole trip.

And we're back...

2009-07-12T19:21:00.005-04:00

After almost two full weeks, Greg and I are back home on Louise Street. We had a whirlwind camping road trip across North America and were a little bummed as we hit the Michigan state line last night.

I plan to recap the trip, complete with photos in the coming days, however for now, I'll leave you with a few to keep you coming back later this week. These were all taken at Lake Moraine, in the Banff National Park in Alberta, Canada.

Missing the Husband

2009-06-16T00:00:00.001-04:00

It's been a long few days without Greg and I'm anxiously awaiting his return late tonight/early morning. One of my interns, Tara, and I headed up to Silver Lake Thursday afternoon for a wedding rehearsal not too far from our family's cottage. We had a little Girl's Night In after the successful rehearsal and then were back at the wedding on Friday for a long, but absolutely fabulous, day.

On our way home Friday evening, we hit a deer. A dead one. The poor deer had already hit a semi truck's trailer before I drove over him in the middle of the lane. I screamed. I did not cry. And then I called 9-1-1. It was quite a fiasco, but we finally got a police report and headed home - not getting home by 10p like I had anticipated. It makes for a good story, and I found out today our car damages will cost us a total of $100 to fix, even with the leaking radiator & broken belly pan. I suppose the full coverage insurance after YEARS of paying it is finally going to pay off, eh?

Greg hit the road on Friday afternoon bound for Troutman, NC to visit a friend who moved there a couple of years ago. He hasn't left the state of Michigan since we've been married, so imagine the irony when the ONLY time I've been in an accident since I lived in Chicago, he's out of town. Thankfully both Tara & I were fine, and the car was driveable.

The past few days have been good - I cleaned the house, caught up on laundry, printed/assembled/addressed/mailed baby shower invitations, had a fabulous potential client consultation, caught up on sleep, visited my grandma (and picked up her extra car) plus went grocery shopping and found a few good deals at Target. One of those deals included a super cute dress to wear to my sister-in-law's baby shower I'm hosting (along with my two sister-in-laws) in July.

Today the weather finally changed and it actually seems like summertime! I finally watered the lawn today too, for fear that if I let it get too brown, there will be no turning back. Happy Summer!

The Formal Living Room

2009-06-09T13:40:00.004-04:00

New homes don't seem to have them. Greg and I talk about never using or wanting one. However, every time I see one, I cannot help but think about the bridal & baby showers, Thanksgiving dinners, Christmas celebrations and hide 'n' seek played in the formal living room. The plush carpet, lamps flanking either side of the tailored sofa and matching love seat and the solid wood furniture - it's utterly traditional and completely beautiful.

Today I stopped by my Grandma's house to pick up the cottage key. Her carpet was being cleaned in the family room, so in the living room we sat. I can honestly say that I've never been in there on a regular day - there was no finger food to munch on, no punch bowl, and no celebration - just the two of us chatting. And I love chatting with my gram.

Maybe formal living rooms are a thing of the past, but the concept of a living area, sans television, for social gatherings with neighbors, friends, family, coworkers, etc., greatly appeals to me. Maybe Greg and I shouldn't rule out that room in our next home.

Enjoying Summer

2009-06-03T22:50:00.002-04:00

This weekend marks the first official weekend of summer for me - regardless of what the actual calendar says. It's Festival weekend in Grand Rapids - and for years, Greg and I have made our way downtown to support local businesses by buying food, shopping the art tents, and watching the locals showcase their talent - from ballet to rock concerts.

I can remember going to Festival all the way back to when I was a kiddo. One concrete memory is my mom taking me and my siblings, and my Aunt Sandy taking her three kids and all of us getting these crazy toys - they were foam alligators on a metal "leash" of sorts, and you'd "walk" it around. Very bizarre to type out, but I can picture it like it was yesterday.

Years later, my cousin Jenny and I would go down to our church's booth and work selling caramel apples slices. Ten years ago I was graduating from high school and attended with my boyfriend at that time. I remember meeting up with Kate and Jessica after working at English Hills that summer. I missed all three years while living in Chicago - 2000, 2001 and 2002. When I moved home in 2003, I attended with my girlfriends from high school - I have the photos, pre-digital, to remember.

The past five years, I've attended with Greg - we go down and enjoy yummy food and just enjoy summer in the city. I love people watching and it's a great way to kick-off summer. This year I will be sharing the experience with Greg and my high school friends & their husbands. I'm already looking forward to Saturday! (and thankful I have a wedding on Friday instead of Saturday this weekend...)

Happy Summer, everyone!

Learning to Use my Camera

2009-05-18T16:00:00.001-04:00

When it comes down to it, I have no idea what I'm doing in Photoshop. I've been using my new camera over the past few months and I enjoy taking photos - but then it comes down to editing them and I'm all thumbs.

Here are a few I've taken of a giant limb in our backyard, and then the rest are of Olive. Nothing breathtaking, but something to look at, eh?

Wedding Season Approaches

2009-05-14T20:45:00.000-04:00

This weekend is my last "free" weekend before my official wedding season gets underway. I've had a couple of amazing weddings this year, but they were solo events - one in March and one in April. Next week I start a six week stretch of events, then have a break for a mid-summer vacation with Greg, then I'm back at it the rest of the summer. Thankfully, I'm not quite as busy as last summer.

The best part about this weekend? Greg and I have absolutely no plans besides hanging out together around the house. Maybe finish up the pantry project (still need to paint the doors and put the new hardware on - however the doors are up and the food is in!), perhaps work on converting one of our cupboards in the kitchen to an open-view option (pop the door off, give it a fresh coat of paint on the inside and show off our Fiestaware) and maybe stop at Seven's to check out their modern wallpaper samples for our one and only bathroom. Our yard is really looking fabulous and Greg is working on getting his veggie garden in. He's been growing veggies from seeds in the basement over the past couple of weeks, and the plants are getting big enough to go outside.

Tomorrow I'm looking forward to coffee in the morning with Mindy, a longtime family friend. She's recently popped back in my life because of our wedding industry ties (she's a photographer) and I've enjoyed reconnecting with her.

Work, housework and enjoying Greg and Olive has been all that's going on. I cannot believe our 2-year anniversary is coming up soon. Time certainly flies!

A Day in the Yard

2009-05-03T22:00:00.000-04:00

What a great day at home in Alger Heights! We woke up late and enjoyed breakfast, per our usual Sunday schedule. We then headed over to Fruitbasket Flowerland to look for a couple new plants for our front yard. The outdoor area was full of plants - perennials, annuals, shrubs, trees, and vegetables. We ended up with a couple of new shrubs for the front, snapdragons & vincas for the planters, gladiolas bulbs because I love them, and a few other random fillers. Greg loaded up on tomatoes & peppers for his veggie garden out back.

We got home and went to work - I worked on the front yard and Greg manned the back. I got the planters all set with one daylily each, then some snapdragons & vincas - they look SO great and I love the mixed plant idea - thanks to my friend Sarah & my neighbor Rita for the idea. I used to do all snapdragons, but decided to mix it up a bit. Love how it turned out!

Greg got the back lawn mowed, plus picked up a bunch of sticks from our lovely Sycamore tree. I think we'll get the patio furniture out in the coming weeks. We also need to work on getting the screens back in the windows and taking out the storm windows - all that Spring cleaning is starting to get me in a great mood :)

I've been quite busy with work lately that working in the yard refreshed me. Digging around in the dirt & mulch and being unplugged from email, blogging and Photoshop for most of the day reminded me that I need to get out of the house more often. I'm always working on something - images & content for the blog, typing proposals, receipts & emails, social networking on Twitter, etc. - that it's easy to be so busy all of the time. I need to make more time for non-work-related life!

Happy Spring, everyone. I am SO thankful that I live in West Michigan this time of year. Ask me in January and I may tell you something else, but in May, it's my favorite place.

Nostalgia

2009-05-02T23:00:00.001-04:00

I've been feeling quite nostalgic lately and I know it has to do with the fact that it's been ten years since I graduated from high school. This spring has brought a flurry of memories rushing into my thoughts and I cannot help but smile at all the fun things that happened the spring of 1999.

I was in my senior year of high school - Palm Springs spring break, my first real boyfriend, catering weddings on the weekends, two proms, graduation, a summer driving the '75 Beetle, college on the horizon, and am amazing summer of fun ahead of me. I've been meaning to scan in some photos from that time, but haven't made time.

I cannot believe how much that time in my life shaped who I am today. That catering job? Helped me decide that being a West Michigan wedding planner was in the cards. The boyfriend? He lead me to college in Chicago, which lead me to doing an internship with a bridal designer. Those friends? Celebrating my 20th birthday with them is where I met Greg. And those prom gowns? Still in my mom's basement and unfortunately not fitting; most likely never again.

The spring flowers are out and good things are going on at the VanderMaas house. I feel so blessed and when I look at this amazing time in my life ten years ago, I smile knowing that although I didn't have anything figured out in the real world, I was absolutely smitten.

Spring - Finally!

2009-04-18T23:45:00.000-04:00

Today was the nicest day in 2009 so far. Absolutely gorgeous and a completely lovely day in West Michigan. I spent the morning with the Pearls Events team - Kate, Alison, Tara & Amy, and then Kate & I met up with other wedding pros for lunch at Marie Catrib's in the East Hills neighborhood. I returned home around 3p and promptly fell asleep in the sunshine on my bed. It was a fantastic afternoon nap!

Greg spent the day fishing with his buddy, Tom, and this evening we watched a couple of movies and hung around the house, eating leftovers for dinner. Tomorrow is supposed to be much cooler outside, which is a little disappointing, but I've got a coffee date with a Detroit photographer (in Grand Rapids...) and I'm hoping Greg is motivated to work on the (new!) pantry door.

This week the calendar is chock full of fun - vendor coffees, a couple potential clients meetings, a few fresh ideas, a grand opening event, and a morning walk with an old friend. I hope the weather stays nice, but the forecast isn't promising.

Off to bed for the night!

Ooh, how I'm a slacker...

2009-04-10T23:42:00.003-04:00

For goodness sakes, I promise you that I enjoy writing here, I've just been a tad busy in the past couple of weeks. I traveled to Chicago and Columbus last week, and then was in Indianapolis this week for a couple of days. This weekend I have the second wedding of our season and it's also Easter, which I'm looking forward to.

Spring has sprung around West Michigan and our yard is slowly turning greener and the flowers are about ready to burst open. We still need to lay fresh mulch in the flower beds, and I'd like to work on the front landscaping a bit, but I have no idea what I'm doing in that department, so I always seem to put it off.

Tomorrow is a fab wedding right here in Grand Rapids - the couple is so sweet to work with and it's on the smaller side - 120 guests - and they have a fabulous line up of my vendors, most of them being friends of mine, so I know it will be a fun day.

Sunday we'll be spending Easter with Greg's family - which is always a great time! Lots of good food and fun to be had. Next week my travel schedule comes to a complete stop (thank goodness!) and my social calendar picks up once again, which is really my favorite part of doing business in West Michigan.

I hope everyone has a great Easter - HAPPY SPRING!

lil' Miss Olive

2009-03-26T18:23:00.002-04:00

Since I blogged about our new duvet cover earlier this week, I wanted to get a few photos of Olive on it because really, I don't have much else to take photos of...and, I'm loving these!

A Little Sass

2009-03-24T22:30:00.002-04:00

On Monday morning, I made my way to the Detroit area for work meetings all day. Well, not all day - just lunch with some photographers and then dinner with friends.

So, what did I do in between, you ask? Ooh, I hit up IKEA completely solo, which is my favorite way to shop. I enjoyed meandering my way through the showroom - taking as much or as little time as I wanted, oohing and aahing over their ingenious ideas, inexpensive prices and tiny packages their large items come in. I ended up making a random purchase to perk up our bedroom - I bought the above duvet cover for $20, complete with shams for our aqua bedroom. It really brightens up our room and I'm totally loving the retro feel the orange dots* lend. Talk about sassy!

*They are not polka dots, per se. Greg things they look like Shawn White's hair-do and I think they look like sea anemone .

I'm a Slacker

2009-03-21T10:59:00.003-04:00

I realized last night there are two reasons I don't update this blog often - a.) I am busy writing for work, that I hardly want to type any more by the time I get things ready over there, and b.) I really don't have many things going on besides work to talk about.

I know I promised photos of Arizona, however I've been lazy and haven't edited a single one, and I could just post them straight out of the camera, however I took some great shots and would like to make them look even better - the ones of the rodeo are my favorite. Plus, if you're Facebook friends with me, you most likely saw the snapshots from my point & shoot already!

The weeks honestly are flying by lately - almost every day I have some sort of meeting or coffee date with either a vendor or client. Things at work are so good - I even have some great news coming soon about expanding the business into things I had no idea would be possible so soon. I will keep you posted, and I am SO excited, but since things are not quite set yet, you'll have to wait. And yes, I HATE when people write cryptic blog posts like this, but this is the reason why I wouldn't ever write this on the Pearls Events blog - but here, with very few readers, I am okay with being cryptic for some reason.

My sister-in-law, Beth - Greg's youngest sister - found out on Thursday she's having a little boy in August. I am so excited for her and pumped to be planning the baby shower. I just got off the phone with my mom about using our family's hall to host the party. It's going to be lovely!

Early this morning, I had the strangest dream - people from college, family members and some unknowns showed up in it. Basically, I was being held, against my own free will, at a house by some crazy woman who was bossing me around. My brother Nash was in it, and this crazy kid I went to college with, Ryan. NO idea - ooh, and we went swimming in Silver Lake. And I jumped in with my iPod Touch in my pocket and was mad at myself. See? Random things!

Today I'm headed to a potluck at Em's house to hang out with all-friends-high-school. Mandy is in town for the weekend and everyone is getting together. I'm bringing root beer float ingredients for AFTER the yummy lunch.

That's about it from here - I hope everyone has a great weekend!