Yard Sales

My girlfriend Chelsea and I got up early this past Saturday to hit up a few yard sales in the neighborhood. I haven't done that in years and I forgot that you can find such great things for crazy cheap prices. 

I bought this bird house from a high school girlfriend{Caitlen}.  I paid $20 bucks for it and I think it was worth every penny.  It is missing a few spindles in the front but Adam said he could find a way to replace them. Honestly, I only notice them in this picture.  I bought it in hopes of using it for the baby shower I am throwing my friend Natalie.  I am thinking about doing a whole "nesting" theme with little nests and birds.  We'll see how it turns out.  Then I'll have to find it a home around here.


I paid a buck for this little vintage mirror and a buck for the necklace.  Aren't they both sooo pretty? Steals I tell ya.

I also bought some Mary Kay. How random.  It was inexpensive and I actually was in need of some loose powder and they had my shade!

I think I could get used to yardsaling {not a real word} every weekend!

Anyone else have good yard sale finds?

I am participating in Vintage Thingies Thursday.

Eiffel Tower

I read this fun blog, Divas and Dreams.  She had me dying the other day when she did a post about photographing the Eiffel Tower.  She posted 17 photos she had found via Tumblr of the Eiffel Tower.

I saw this one and almost died...The Eiffel Tower, That Dress, Those gloves, Those Top Hats. Yes please, yes please, yes please and yes please some more.

I have been to Paris and seen this beaut in real life.  I even rode all the way to the top.  Now I just have to get Adam there. And to wear a top hat. 

This Really Happened

Yesterday I took my wedding rings to the jeweler to be sent away for a deep clean. 
This morning, I spent almost 2 hours freaking out that I had lost them.

THEN...
Aidan was due for his three year old visit at the Dr. and he really didn't want to go.  Adam started promising him there would be no shots. Way to go babe.

He got four.  FOUR!!! I cried.  He cried. He got stickers. He was happy.

Sick Boy

Last week Aidan started coming down with a cold.   Colds are just the worst because there is nothing your Dr. can do for you, and at such a young age, there really is nothing over the counter you can give a toddler for a cold.  We always know when Aidan is getting sick or not feeling well because he just wants to lay around and that is so not like him.  He and I were chatting in the kitchen the other day while he ate his snack and he climbed down from his bar stool and disappeared.  Our house is so small that I heard him walk in to the play room and turn on the TV and climb up on the day bed.  I loaded up the dishwasher and made him a cup of water and when I found him, he was already passed out.  Poor guy.  His lips are so chapped from being congested and having to breathe through his mouth when he sleeps.   I have to admit, I love taking care of him when he is sick. It's the only time he let's me baby him anymore.  I snapped this picture of him snoozing on the day bed.  He just looks so cute.  I kept him out of school Friday and by mid after noon he was feeling MUCH better and we even took him to Festival and The Park.

A Weekend in The Life of The Harvey Trio

Hey Y'all! Hope you had a great weekend! We sure did! Well except for that Panther loss today but at least the Pats won! Hey, I take what I can get!!! 

We have a great festival in the neighborhood every year called Festival in The Park.  I have been going every year since we have lived in Dilworth and now even though we live a neighborhood over, we still go and it's so much fun to take Aidan.  Friday night we invited our friends Mike and Chelsea and Mike's son Ryland to join us and we really had a great time.  

Chelsea eating a giant Sausage Dog. 

My sweet boy.

Ryland

The boys enjoying some chicken tenders.

Buddies. Waiting in line to ride the ponies.

Having a discussion about cones.

Ryland getting ready to ride.

Aidan was all smiles.

Adam took over taking pictures.  That is why the following photos aren't that great. He hasn't exactly figured out the new camera.

Aidan and I.

When we got home, Aidan got right on the phone and called his Nana and asked her for a pony.  She thought that was hilarious.  Thankfully as much as they spoil him, they aren't crazy so I won't have to worry about having one of these guys in my back yard.  Haha!

Show Us Your Life Fridays

I always love participating in Kelly's Show Us Your Life Fridays.  I was super excited to hear she was going to be doing the home tours version again.  Last week I didn't participate because I was out of town but I'll post a picture of our living room progress at the bottom of this post.  This week is Master Bedrooms.

This is our Master Bedroom. 

Not much has changed from last year except we bought new nightstands...

Adam's side of the bed. 

My side.

And we made a new headboard...

I think it turned out really well.  I bought an ivory velvet from our local fabric store and some foam and batting.  Adam picked up a piece of plywood from Lowe's and we were lucky enough it was the exact size we needed.  We stapled the foam around the edges and did the same with the batting on top of the foam.  Then we stapled the fabric over that and attached it to the wall with a frame hanger. It's not going anywhere. Start to finish the project took us 45 minutes and cost me less than $100.  A much better price tag than the headboard I wanted to buy from Pottery Barn.

All of our bedding is Pottery Barn.  Our bed is the Stratton Bed again from Pottery Barn.  Nightstands were purchased at Home Goods.   Lamps were a Target purchase (I think) and the shelf above our bed along with the candle holders are Ikea.

From Last Weeks Show Us Where You Live...

My living room is now a much bigger room since we removed the wall a few months ago.  Right now it is the biggest project I have going on.  Here is a shot of my sofa. That is really all there is to be excited about in that room for the time being.   I need new window treatments and to hang all of our art back on the wall.  Did I mention it's a huge work in progress right now?

I can't wait to see everyone else's rooms! Happy Friday everyone! Thanks for stopping by. xoxo

I am also linking this up here.

Conversations With a Three Year Old

Grocery Store in the checkout line.

Aidan: Mommy, I want a balloon.

Me: Uhhh they only do that at the other grocery store. 

Aidan: Oh.

Me: Well can you help me and carry this?  (Handing him a block of cheese and packet of taco seasoning)

Aidan: Sure Mommy.

Me:  Gosh, Aidan you are such a great helper.

Aidan: Yesh.

Me: What would I do without you to help me?

Aidan: Carry this yourself.

Baby Shower Fever!!!

One of my besties Jill is pregnant and due this December. {Side Note: Doesn't it seem like I am the only one not pregnant. Besides you Amanda. Ha.} She is pregnant with a baby girl.  Seriously?  A baby girl? We haven't seen one of those around here since having baby girls went out of style.  Except it didn't. Apparently no one knew that so we've been mass producing boys.  I digress. 

A girlfriend we went to high school with, Julia, is co hosting her shower with me.  We decided on a candy theme.  I was in the mood to make candy topiaries, what can I say. 

This is the invite that we chose. I just love it.  I sent it to my mom and she said "April, it's adorable but who the heck is Olivia." Clearly this is just the proof.  We ordered them from http://www.tinyprints.com/

I am the queen of a candy bar.  I had one at my wedding and therefore still have tons of glass canisters we are going to use to create one for Jill's shower.

Ahh gumdrop and DumDum topiaries. My current project.  It's quite easy actually.  Maybe I will take pictures and create a little tutorial. You know in case you ever want to make some.

We are going to make tissue flowers like these and line the sidewalk at my mom's. 

I loved this balloon combination so we will probably do something like it to add some more color.  I want it to be really bright and fun.

And these cupcakes. How cute? I may even get brave and make my own cupcakes. We'll see.  Devil's Food cupcakes and vanilla frosting died with the new neon food colors?  Done. 

I have enjoyed planning this shower so much and I know Jill doesn't read my blog so she has no idea what's going on.  The shower is on the 9th of October. I'll take some good pictures to show you. I hope she loves it.  Next up Natalie's shower.  Seriously I am loving this.

Ice Cream Cone

I coaxed Aidan in to letting me take some photos of him with an ice cream cone. 

Until Daddy came home from work of course...



The Secret Is Out

I've known since I was visiting her, even though she was in slight denial,  ha ha...that my one of my dearest friend's Natalie was pregnant.   Via text I harassed her in to fessing up the good news that she had taken a pregnancy test a week after we left her house and it was positive!!!!  Nat is pregnant with her first baby and I could NOT BE HAPPIER!!!!   I seriously cried when she let loose the news.  

Today it became super official as she and her hubby went to see her doctor and all is well with the little one set to make his or her appearance on April 20, 2011!!!  I have already laid claim to her NC baby shower and will definitely be making some trips North to help her get ready for her little one.  What better reason to visit is there?

Natalie is lucky enough to have an amazing other half and the two of them are going to be one helluva set of parents for this little one.   This baby doesn't even know how sweet it's going to be!

Natalie,
Welcome to the Mommy Club!  I am so happy to have you! I know you are going to be great!! I feel so lucky to be on this journey with you during the best time of your life!!!  I am already loving all of our chats about the little miracle in your belly.  In case I haven't told you enough, I am here for you for whatever you need, whenever.  We have so much shopping to do!!!  I love you!

and Baby,
Your Mommy is the greatest.  We all love you already and I can't wait to meet you!!!

Love, April

P.S. Natalie approved I will post a pic of the babe when she gets one in a few weeks. 

Anthro You Would Not Tell A Lie

Anthropologie emailed me to tell me I would love the following looks and boy did they hit the nail on the head with these ones...


Tattle Tale

The other day Aidan and I were home alone and I was getting ready in our bathroom.  He was standing in the doorway talking to me while I was straightening my hair.  Then I said to him "Aidan doesn't Mommy look pretty."  his reply "Yes, Mommy you pretty."

Fast Forward to the next morning.

Me: Honey (Adam) Aidan, told me I looked pretty yesterday.

Adam: Oh really? That was nice.
Aidan, did you tell Mommy she looked pretty yesterday.

Aidan: Daddy, she told me to do it.

Conversations With a Three Year Old

This was out of the blue in the car while sitting at a red light headed to dinner at my parents...

Aidan: I miss my family.

{Adam and I turn and look at each other confused}

Adam: What family?

Aidan: My brother and my sister.

{Again, confused}

Me: You have a brother and a sister?

Aidan: Yessssssss Mommy.

{Okkkkay}

Later at dinner I say to my father. Aidan tells us he misses his family.

Dad: Hap {my dad's nickname for Aidan, short for Happy} you miss your family?

Aidan: Yup.

Dad: Is there something you aren't telling us Hap?

Aidan: I miss my brother and sister.

Dad: What's your brother's name?

Aidan: Ishtar.  {I'm assuming this is how we spell it}

{We all explode with laughter}

Aidan: I'll tell him you say hi Grandpa.


Seriously, where does he get this stuff?  Once he said his brother's name, I was crying.

Yummo

My Mom Likes to Make Me Cry

A few days after Adam and I had arrived home from our trip to Boston he and I spent the evening cooking a giant pot of spaghetti sauce and pasta for the three of us.

After we ate, we threw the giant pots and our plates in the sink and spent some quality time in the living room as we do every night after dinner playing with Aidan.  We eventually gave Aidan his bath, read him his book and put him to bed.

Adam turned on the TV and I figured I better tackle the dishes from that evening's meal so they would be done when I woke up next morning.

I walked in to the kitchen and I looked at the pile of dishes awaiting me.   I slaved scrubbing the pots and bread pan and dried them and put them away.  I returned to the sink looked at the remaining plates and thought "Thank God I can put these in the dishwasher."  Then I remembered.  The day we left for Boston, I loaded up the dishwasher and used up the last of the dish washer detergent.  I was going to have to wash them by hand. Rough life, right?  But imagine this, it's 11 pm and you are just ready to get in your bed, the last thing you want to do is scrub spaghetti sauce and Parmesan off of a pile of plates and now glasses that have been submerged in the same water. 

Just to make sure, I leaned down, opened the cabinet below the sink and there it was.  The bright, shiny, new bottle of dish washer detergent my mom had bought while I was gone.  And I started to cry. I know it sounds so silly and you probably are wondering why I would cry because my mom bought me dish washer detergent.  But it's not about the dish washer detergent. It's because my mom does things for me just because she loves me and to some they seem so little, but to me they are huge.   

It wasn't just the dish washer detergent. It was the closets she organized, the laundry she had completely caught up, the rugs she had vacuumed and the floors she had washed, it was the clean linens on all the beds and the meal she had my dad prepare for us so we wouldn't have to worry about it when we got off the plane.  It's the way I smile to myself when I do something I know I learned from her.  The way she sounds when she tells me I'm a great mom and that she loves me.  She makes me cry because she's the best.
So I picked up the phone and even though I knew she would be in bed, called her to tell her "Thanks".  For loving me enough to buy me dish washer detergent so I wouldn't have to wash my dishes by hand.   And for making me cry so much my husband laughed at me for 10 minutes.

Someone got a new bike

I was on a rare trip to Wal Mart recently and I some how ended up bringing home a new bike for Aidan.  My parents had wanted to buy him one for Christmas this year but with the weather being as nice as it is now, they agreed it was the perfect time to buy him one.  And on sale for just $45!  How can you go wrong?

Aidan was thrilled. I was a little nervous he wouldn't know what to do, but he jumped right on and took off.  We have actually had the bike for a couple of weeks but this morning my mother was complaining she never gets to see him ride it.  So I took a little video to share.  He is wearing my youngest brother Jordan's old helmet.

Aidan's Fall/Winter Wardrobe

I am lucky enough to be complimented all the time on how well/cute I dress Aidan.  People ask me all the time where I shop for him.  It's really no where terribly exciting.  I especially love to shop for his fall/winter wardrobe.  I always get annoyed at the amount of clothing available for girls in great fabrics and prints and how limited we moms that have boys are when shopping for our little guys.  And it seems to only get harder as they get older. I am of course always on a budget {because I realize they are just going to grow right out of things} but I try to buy individual pieces here and there and I almost always buy on sale.  I find great deals for Aidan on eBay, Gap, the clearance rack at Nordstrom and when I find something I am in love with out of my price range on a website, I just continually check back until it goes on sale!  In past years I have found great items at TJ Maxx and Marshalls but I think the secret is out there because they have been a little dry lately.   I am also very blessed to have an aunt that loves to shop for Aidan and she has great taste.  I have been buying clothing here and there to build Aidan's wardrobe for the upcoming seasons.  I tried to find as much of what I have purchased as a I could to give you some great ideas for your little men.  You might notice a trend in blue.  He looks so good in it!


Baseball Tee from American Apparel.  Comes in a few different colors. We have it in green, light blue and black.  Aidan looks so cute in this shirt.   They run deals on buying three at a time often.

 I love this Oxford shirt from Gap Kids.  I can use it when I need to dress Aidan up and he wears it with Khaki shorts, Chuck Taylors and with the sleeves rolled up. We have it in blue and white.

I recently fell in love with the company Boden.  I love this shirt with a pair of jeans.

Another shirt from Boden. These can also be purchased at Nordstrom.

I believe this is the Monster shirt. It comes in a few colors with different fabrics as the monster.

The waffle shirt from Gap Kids.  I buy this shirt for Aidan every year in every color (white, navy, grey).   They are great for lounging around, wearing alone and layering under his favorite tshirts.

I enjoy throwing in a little pop of color here and there.  Love this polo from Gap Kids.  So far this is the only color I have purchased (they had it at the outlet) but I will probably find a reason to buy a few more.

The following two polo's we layer underneath the pullover below them. This polo is on sale online right now for $11.99. I paid $9.99 at the outlet. Gap Kids.

If he gets hot he can take off the pullover. I love these polo's.  They are so soft. I am pretty sure we have them in every color. Gap Kids.

The pullover I own does not have the number 9 on it or the embellishment on the sleeve.  Aidan is just navy with a pocket in the front. Pockets are important to my kid.  Gap Kids.

Adam bought Aidan his first vest when he was around 6 months old and I have bought him one every year since.  They are so cute and add just the little extra bit of warmth you need in the fall before a full coat.  This was the first year I bought a red one.   Gap Kids.

I bought Aidan this North Face jacket in black last year a size too big so he would be able to wear it for a couple of seasons.

This would be one of those items I am waiting to go on sale.  Every year I buy Aidan way too many coats.  A pea coat is essential. This one is by Ralph Lauren.

Cords.  I buy him a pair every year.  Gap Kids are nice and soft.

I buy more pairs of jeans then we need.  I think I have purchased five pair so far.  He wears them daily in the fall/winter and I buy different styles and washes. 

The staple Gap Kids sweat pants. This is the first year I have seen them available in black as well.

Gap Kids Khaki shorts.  These I purchased at the beginning of the summer and down south they will last us until late September. I hope.

I was so excited I could buy Aidan some fun shoes this season.  Shoes are my other weakness with Aidan.  These are Adidas Sambas in white.  Available at Nordstrom.

Hunter wellies for kids in Orange. Overstock.com

Standard.  Black Converse All Stars. 

I had to have these socks from Boden for this season. 

I love great accessories too.  Remember his scarf from last season? It will be making another appearance this year. 

Etsy is also a great resource for unique shirts and accessories for boys.  These are a few items in my cart for the season:

I love a knit hat for my little guy. He looks super cute in them.

I think this is so cute and simple and would be fun to layer over a grey waffle shirt.

I'm southern so naturally I love to have a few things with Aidan's name on them.  In the past I have had one made for each of the holidays for him to wear to school.  When he grows out of them we use them for night shirts.

I bought Aidan one of these lounge sets when he was a year old and he looked so comfortable in it and we wore it out.  They just recently started making them in toddler sizes so I bought one for him today.  In the winter I let him wear it all day and if he passes out in it, it's perfect for jammies too.  I love the guitars.

So there you have it.  Now if you see Aidan on the street you'll now it's him because I just told you what he'll be wearing. 

P.S. I am ALWAYS looking for cute clothes for boys.  If you have a secret on where to find cute things please let me know.