Monday Blog Love

Oh, Hello Friend

Wise Craft

Bellies and Babies

The Belly, Week 40

I'm still hanging in there!

Photo taken Saturday afternoon, before departing to go to the wedding, which was absolutely so much fun and one of the most magical, romantic, sweet, and moving weddings I've ever been to. Congratulations, Joanna and Alex!

Photographer Peta Mazey

I'm loving the energy, spirit, and colors of Peta's photographs. Aren't they beautiful? Peta's photostream and website.

Kid Decor Love

That bed! Those stripes! That chair! Via Desire to Inspire.

Shoe Comfy Cuteness

Believe it or not, if I haven't given birth by this Saturday, I will be attending the wedding of a good friend that evening! I am sooo excited to join in the celebration of this happy occasion, although I have to admit that pulling an outfit together for a wedding at 40 weeks of pregnancy has been a bit of a fashion challenge!

For a while now I have known that I would wear the convertible jersey wrap gown that I picked up at the Butter by Naudia sample sale, but I have been stumped about what shoes to wear. I am definitely past the point of being able to manage for any length of time in heels, but I wanted something a little snazzier than the plain-jane flats laying in my closet.

Then I remembered seeing this new line of shoes called Marais USA being buzzed about online a few months ago. So I went to their website and found the perfect thing; these little wedge-heeled beauties in the most eye-poppingly pretty fuchsia suede:

Here's a side view, in "tomato" red:

Well, I got them in the mail yesterday and wore them out for the first time today and I just LOVE them. Super comfy for such a cute shoe, and I LOVE the color. They are available online from Marais USA, and at Urban Outfitters.

I look forward to rocking them in all my gigantic pregnant glory on Saturday!

We Were All Marvelous Kiddos: Vintage Baby Photos, Part 3

That's right, it's time for another installment of my wonderful reader's fabulous baby photos! Thanks to all for continuing to send in the fun snapshots and stories. I look forward to seeing more soon, so keep sending 'em!

First, we have a great photo sent in by my dear friend (and cousin!) Laurel. This is one of my favorites because it shows little baby Laurel with her great grandmother, Nettie, who was also Taro's great grandmother! Here's what Laurel said about the picture:

"When i was born, Nettie was 89 years old and quite ill in the hospital. The story my parents told me growing up was that everyone thought she was dying...but when she learned that her first great-granddaughter was born she made an amazing recovery and lived for about four more years. I was always REALLY proud of that when i was little! I think i was about two months old when this photo was taken and this was the first time we met."

These next two were sent in by Haley, of Trickster-Belle. Here's what she had to say:

"The first one is of my brother and I when I was around two. I’m in the bucket. That was just the start of our comic dynamic. The second one is about a year later when I’m making chicken and dumplings with my Granny. That recipe has been handed down the maternal line as far back as I can find. My favorite part was flattening out the dough and cutting it into strips with the pizza cutter. My Granny went with Jesus about nine years ago and these are some of my most treasured memories of being with her."

My friend Mikiodo sent in the next two cuties, along with these words:

"My parents took a ton of baby pics; it's no wonder I became a photographer. These two make me laugh, and they represent 2 things I love: sweets and animals."

Thanks to reader Heather for sending in this adorable shot of her as a baby with a bunch of kids on a log! Looks like fun times!

Two of my favorite photos so far came from my friend Rachel. The first one, especially, is so tender -- it just really moved me. Rachel's words added to the beauty:

"I cherish any photo of me and my mom I can get my hands on. Having lost her when I was 20, I appreciate greatly the importance of photographically documenting your time with your babies as much as possible. For me, these photos serve such a powerful role and I deeply regret that they became rare during my adolescence. It's amazing to see the parallels between the way in which my mom and I bonded and how my daughter and I bond. I largely credit the extended breastfeeding my mom offered me for our close relationship."

Thanks to everyone who participated! Keep those vintage photos coming! Meanwhile, don't forget to enjoy Parts 1 and 2 of this series...

Ebay Excitement

I just won this antique sewing machine on Ebay! It dates to 1872! I only want it for the table/cover. I will be detaching the original machine and replacing it with my new Janome, which I started using for the first time yesterday. I actually sewed another dress from the same pattern I used last time, but with different fabric...I'll have to post a couple of pictures as soon as I've finished hemming it and making the buttonholes!

Three DIY Things I'm Loving Today

Adorable apron patterns from Sew Liberated.

Make-your-own gorgeous felt play food with patterns from Julyhobby.

Via Museum of Happiness.

Book racks made from rain gutters! Via Ohdeedoh.

Exciting Press!

Photo, Associated Press

The New York Times, NPR, and other media outlets across the country are running in-depth stories about Camp Our Time today, including multimedia elements like slideshows and video!!! Click here, here, and here to see some of the highlights of the coverage!

UPDATE: Now CBS, MSNBC, and Forbes have picked up on the story! So exciting!

Whitten Grey

I love these simple/sophistocated/edgy/classic little numbers by Whitten Grey, available at Urth Child. Not only are the styles great, but the dresses are also made from organic and eco-friendly materials.

Best of all, for every Whitten Grey dress sold, Whitten Grey will give a dress away to a girl in need on your behalf! After you receive your dress, you can go to the Whitten Grey website and enter the unique code on the back of your dress tag. You get to choose which dress to send and the region you want the dress sent to, and you can write a special note to the little girl receiving the dress.

How cool is that?

Monday Blog Love

Homeschool. Style. Bytes.

Adventures in Babywearing

Abbey Goes Design Scouting

Weekendy Links

Image via Tralalere.

I'm spending a lot of time here, looking for last-minute baby-name inspiration.

Looks like the baby will be a Virgo. Maybe I should buy this groovy vintage zodiac poster. Via Mondmelodie.

Should I succumb to my desire to paint a wall the Kitchen with blackboard paint? Here's some of my inspiration.

I'm loving these 10 Breastfeeding Slogans.

Now that I have a sewing machine, I feel like tackling this beautiful ring-sling DIY.

Shhhh, don't tell, but the Kiddo might have this to look forward to as a gift from his new sibling.

Read this awesome essay on the importance of play, and why babies are smarter than you think.

Chic, breastfeeding-friendly fashion + 70%-off sale = MUST HAVE. Thanks for the tip, Katie!

And one last thing: I just wanted to express my gratitude for all the love and support that my readers have bestowed upon me throughout this pregnancy. I cannot tell you how much each and every comment means to me, and I'm sorry that I am not always able to respond to each one individually. Just know that I thank you from the bottom of my heart for hanging around on this little corner of cyberspace and helping to make it a warm, fun, and friendly place. I'm signing off for the weekend now, but if I don't have the baby in the next couple of days, I'll see you back here with some Monday Blog Love. XOXO. Leigh

Talib Kweli on Birth

Photo via Imgfave.

We made our birth playlist today, which was so much fun. In the process of listening through our iTunes collection I ran across this track by Talib Kweli, called Joy. I know I've heard it before but I don't think I've ever paid attention to the words until today. Turns out, this beautiful song contains a little rap-commentary on hospital vs. home birth! Check it out (and read the lyrics below):

Joy - Talib Kweli

JOY (Lyrics)

Wooaahh! yeah

on top of the world

Yeah, that's how my seeds got me feeling' right now

on top of the world

Yeah, you ever felt like you could do anything, (Yeah)

on top of the world

(?) I'ma hold y'all down for real, (Gotcha!)

[Talib Kweli]

It was 1996, 4th of July, looking off in the sky

dealing with thoughts inside, when something caught my eye

It was a silhoutte of a beautiful woman, bright with life

carrying my first seed, looking like she gone bear fruit tonight

We at the African street festival, and she walking around

talking about the midwife said, that bring the baby down

I'm about to be a father, the sights and sounds, seem brighter around me

and for starters, I know I'ma work harder, word

We got home at three in the morning, I was beat

them contractions started coming as soon as I fell asleep

3:05, like every five minutes, then the water broke

we on the go, yelling at the cabbie, cause he's sort of slow

You know them hospitals all trying to get paid, no questions

here come the doctor's with they drugs, trying to do c-sections

But my baby stay's strong, in labor for yay long

eight-pound baby boy, to carry my name on, joy!

[Chorus: Mos Def + (Talib Kweli)]

Huh, yeah

I know how you feel, Kweli I know how you feel

(That's the sound of joy)

See my brother, I know how you feel, Kweli, I know how you feel

(That's the sound of joy)

So when you, have a seed, come in the world, say dog that shit's real

(That's the sound of joy, y'all)

Huh, Kweli, yo I know how you feel, Kweli, yo I know how you feel

My baby girl

[Talib Kweli]

June 10th, 1999, I been on the grind

since the birth of my son, it's been about, way more then rhymes

Baby on the way, my lady glowing today, at least

that's what the midwife said, on the phone

Anyway, the music got me going away

Like everyday, but it's a blessing, so I gotta have patience

and she got pregnant on a Jamaican vacation

So it's all good, this time well have the baby in a house

I went the hospital route, I know what they all about (Never again)

So I'm out on tour, in Baltimore

get the call around four, when the water hit the floor (Damn!)

I gotta rock my show, but I gotta go

got second thoughts about her not going, to the hospital

I left the show early, Mos held me down, good looking (No doubt)

call the car service, like, take me straight to Brooklyn (Uh huh)

Got the news in the car, stayed sorta calm

but I cried tears of joy, when they put my daughter in my arms, how precious!

[Chorus: Mos Def + (Talib Kweli)]

Huh, huh

Said I know how you feel, uh, said I know how you feel when you

(My precious joy)

Said I know how you feel, uh, Kwe I know how you feel

(I know you do, huh, my precious joy y'all)

Huh, uh, said I know how you feel (yeah), said I know how you feel

(My precious joy)

Huh, man I know how you feel (yeah), said I know how you feel

[Talib Kweli]

I do it for the seeds y'all, in they formative years when they need y'all

we gotta believe, in what we conceive y'all, it's deep y'all

I give them the truth, so they approach the situation, with ammunition

I keep nothing away, they hear everything, cause they know how to listen

Teach them the game, so they know they position, so they can grow

and make decisions, that change the world, and break old tradition

They put kids in jail, for a life they ain't even get to start

that's murder too, and it's breaking my heart, it's breaking our nation apart

We gave the youth all the anger, it's just

we ain't taught them, how to express it, and so it's dangerous

You can't talk to them

Unless your language is relating to what they going through

so busy ignoring them, you can't see what they showing you

And you wonder, why we called baby-daddy's and baby-momma's

when we grow up, we can't act like adult mothers and fathers, yo

I'm so blessed to have a boy and a girl, everyday they bring joy to my world

[Chorus: Mos Def + (Talib Kweli)]

Huh, yeah

I know how you feel, Kweli I know how you feel

(That's the sound of joy)

Brother Kwe', I know how you feel, Brother Kwe', I know how you feel

(Baby girl, my precious joy)

Kweli, I know how you feel, say bro' I know how you feel

(Fela, be my joy, yo)

Huh, if you know how the people feel, let me really know how you...yo

I do it for the seeds y'all [Repeat 5x]

The Belly, Week 38

Well, here it is, folks. Ready to pop. Practically fully cooked.

And I am so ready!

I am due on August 30th, but I feel like the baby will come sooner. I went to 41.5 weeks with the Kiddo and I never felt this done.

I know the previous posts about my sewing adventures have left the impression that we are expecting a girl, because I made a little dress...but actually we don't know the gender. I just felt like making a dress ;)

Which perhaps is telling of some kind of subconscious hunch on my part that it will be a girl...

Still, whenever I mention that I think it might be a girl, Taro points out that I have a 50/50 chance of being right, LOL.

So, we'll see!

I do know that I am carrying very differently this time around than I did with the Kiddo.

And for what it's worth, every passing stranger who decides to weigh in immediately predicts a girl...

Either way,

I can't wait to find out!

XOXO, Leigh

Vintage Illustrations

Illustration awesomeness from The Vintage Children's Books Pool on Flickr.

New Loveliness From Little Alouette

I'm loving these new alphabet rattles that were just added to Little Alouette's shop on Etsy. Check out the shop and fall head over heels for all of their beautiful, handmade, eco-friendly goodies...

Not-Back-To-School-Fashion

Even though I did go to college, the unschooler in me is loving these "I don't go to University" T-shirts and sweats. Kinda made my day. Order here. Via Zoomdoggle.

I did it!

I sewed something! I finished this little pinafore in part two of my sewing class today! I'm so excited and satisfied with the outcome. Even though it was a really simple, basic project I just feel incredibly empowered -- like I really can learn to make clothes!

In related news, my new sewing machine arrived yesterday! I can't wait to unpack it and make something else...

Ponyo

Taro, the Kiddo and I just got back from seeing Ponyo. It was so lovely and magical! This was actually the second time the Kiddo has gone to see this film, because he went on Saturday with his grandmother. He loved it so much that he wanted to go again! What movies have you seen lately?

Kid Beauty on Garance Dore

Beachy kid gorgeousness on Garance Dore today. Twirly ballerina skirts make me happy :)

Monday Blog Love

Museum of Happiness

Keyboard Revolutionary

Automatism