A Freshly Picked Valentine Story.

A Freshly Picked Valentine Story.

Guys, my baby boy has a Valentine.

I want to say, "I don't know how this happened!" - but I really can't do that. Because I know exactly how it happened. I dressed up my son, took him over to my friends' house, and we proceeded to play babydolls with our real-life babies.

Sometimes moms need to have a little fun, too. Because there aren't adult jumperoos for us to lounge in all day long. SOMEONE INVENT THAT.

// He's probably just hiding his feelings, Finley. Boys are good at acting aloof. //

// These two. I can't even handle it. //

// HAVE YOU EVER SEEN A PRETTIER VALENTINE. The answer is no. //

// Some couples wear their matchy-matchy Chuck Taylors. Some couples simultaneously rock the Nikes. I once wore matching Vans with my skater boyfriend (yes I was in 7th grade, and yes, I still regret not keeping those rad sneaks.) But these two? Well, they're little moccasin wearers. And by little I mean that they are 6 weeks a part in age and my son is wearing shoes two sizes bigger than her. No big deal. Mom loves him. //

// Here, let me help you open the present I brought you. Here, let me help myself to a snack of the present I brought you. //

// He's all, "This snack is a different flavor than last time. " And she's all, "A book?!" (Feigned surprise, really thinking, "Where's the chocolate and flowers, man??" )

// Mom, he bought me a book. How am I supposed to read into this?? //

// Some boys get nervous to hold a girl's hand. Everett just wanted the chance to hold her foot. //

// Nailed it. //

Everett's Advice for Other Bros:

1. Never Show Up Empty-Handed.

Needless to say, his gift was well-received. This little lady, sweet Finley, politely accepted his on-trend choice and even pretended to look away when Everett lost his cool and was overwhelmed with the urge to NAP. What a classy broad.

2. Look Fresh.

In his case, Everett was looking extremely fresh - hence the footwear. Bathing really helps a brother out, too.

3. Give Her a Compliment.

A nice, "Hey Finley, cool head bow," would do just fine. But in his case he patted her soft rose moccasin and everything that needed to be said in that moment, was said.

4. Suck Up to Her Parents.

This isn't hard one when you're 6 months old and so cute that it physically hurts. Things get more challenging when you can actually open your mouth and say something awkward.

5. It's Okay to Cry.

He's a sensitive, communicative soul. We are lucky that she is so laid-back and optimistic about his opinions.

Match made it Heaven? Only time will tell.

Remember, sweet son, Mommy will always be your first love. And probably your first reason for needing some therapy.

Happy Valentines Day to you all!

Disclosure: this post is completely UNSPONSORED by Freshly Picked. Seriously. It's just that my friend Lena and I have a serious Freshly Picked moccasin addiction. And our kids are just cuuuuuuute in their little Valentine-y mocc selves.

Watercolor Your Own Valentines Cards.

Watercolor Your Own Valentines Cards.

I've been doing this thing where I am actually trying to follow through with my New Years resolutions. It's actually kind of hard. Why is it such a struggle to do the things that are in my heart?! It shouldn't be. Especially because my resolutions were hilariously self-centered and with the purpose of intentionally having more fun. My whole philosophy this year was "set the bar low", so that I could be uber proud of myself. Ha. Now that I think of it, I have got to get to the gym this month...

Watercolor painting was one of my resolutions because it seems like a relatively easy (and beautiful!) way to ignite my creative brain. It's been a looooong time since I've gotten crafty, but I am, at my core, a creative individual. I know that if I take the time to be intentional and invest in myself creatively, it will be good for my soul. And probably my skin.

This is the moment where I should mention that I am not an excellent watercolor-er, but that is hardly the point of the exercise. This was fun. Who needs to be having more fun? Don't act like you didn't just raise your hand in your heart. On top of the whole, "Let's have fun by watercolor painting today!"-thing, I also really love giving people presents, so I decided to make my own watercolor Valentines this year. I was inspired to do this by my bff Natalie, because she used to make her own cards and it was SO evident that she put special effort and thought into each one. So I put my best effort forward and you should try it, too!

// Don't laugh at my picture. It was the exercise round and I was just blowing off steam. WHY AM I DEFENDING MY ART TO YOU. //

Watercoloring Your Valentines:

1. Set up your spot.

I laid down newspaper, set out my paint set & brushes, fetched a bit of water, and snagged some flowers for inspiration. When I say "snagged", I mean it. They weren't my flowers. They were my mom's from my dad. Side note, no matter how old you are, it just warms your heart from the inside out to know that daddy bought flowers for your mommy. Sigh.

2. Find a friend.

In my case, I convinced my sister to join me in this endeavor. And she is endlessly more creative and talented than I. No seriously - she actually painted those roses, I just copied stuff I found on Pinterest. But getting shown up by your sister is the best feeling. Because, you know, she's your sister and she's so cute it hurts. If she only knew.

3. Set the stage.

I'll admit it. We know how to party. We made my new favorite granny beverage, turned on some French Cafe Pandora and went to town on our feelings. And I've got the heartfelt cards to prove it. Okay, you could have basically done exactly what I did with a set of Sharpie markers from Walgreens, but just so you know, they are all hand-painted with watercolors. So there.

// I came up with this one all on my own. I'm actually quite proud. //

Fetch the Paints!

Do it! Paint your feelings! Make up cheesy sayings and put brush to paper! I guarantee that you will feel so fun and fancy free after doing so. And also, tell your dad to buy your mom flowers. Because somehow it will weirdly make you feel great, too.

Happy Valentining to you :)

Happy Valentines Day Gift Picks

Happy Valentines Day Gift Guide by oykristen // 1. Freshly Picked Carryall // 2. Kate Spade for Keds Linen Champions // 3. Terrain Locket // 4. Terrain Hydrangea Earrings // 5. Anthropologie Butterfly Potholders // 6. Sonnet James Isabel Dress // 1. Sundance Billiard Bottle Stopper // 2. The Drunken Botanist // 3. Jeni's Berries + Chocolate Collection // 4. Mast Brothers Chocolate Bar // 5. Michael Kors Tie // 6. Williams-Sonoma Copper Mug //

Happy Valentines Day Gift Picks.

The conversation in our household about Valentines Day went a little something like this:

Me: "If I bought you a cuff, would you wear it?"

Him: "A cuff?"

Me: "Yeah, a cuff. Like a bracelet... but like, a man's bracelet. Leather and such. A man cuff."

Him: (After a long pause) "Probably not."

Just so you know, I was was referring to something woodsy and awesome, much like this or this (but obviously, something a fraction of the price), but clearly, such a gnarly item would not have been appreciated by my uninterested husband.

Instead, here are a few gifts that probably would work. Both for him and for her :)

For Her:

1. Freshly Picked Carryall

This brand has pretty much stabbed my wallet in the heart. Everything is SO GORGEOUS. Just take all my money. And my pride. But give me this leathery salt water taffy goodness.

2. Kate Spade for Keds Linen Champions

Keds are the best everyday sneaker. I've been living in mine, although this collaboration with Kate Spade is making me want, nay, need another pair.

3. Terrain Locket

Ooh la la. The enamel is a mod twist on the traditional locket, and I like it.  

4. Terrain Hydrangea Earrings

How gorgeous are these? This is such a very delicate and beautiful gift, perfect for your sweetheart!

5. Anthropologie Butterfly Potholders

Some women take offense to kitchen-related gifts. I am not one of those women. But manfolk, make sure your woman is one of those women who also loves kitchen play before you purchase these for her. And maybe throw in a jaunty little spatula while you're at it. For the spanking. I'M JUST KIDDING.

6. Sonnet James Isabel Dress

This brand is a new obsession of mine. "Playful dresses for playful moms", and they are so adorable! Breastfeeding-friendly, easy to clean and suuuuuuper cute. I mean, look at all that color-blocking. The days of mom jeans are over (praise report!) This little number is high on my list for sure. I'm a sucker for some strong marketing.

For Him:

1. Sundance Billiard Bottle Stopper

This is a rad toy for a rad boy.

 2. The Drunken Botanist

This is why we should all be gardeners. 

3. Jeni's Berries + Chocolate Collection

This is a seriously great gift. My hubby loves ice cream. He would DIG THIS.

4. Mast Brothers Chocolate Bar

The trendiest chocolate. Russell Stover is for SUCKERS.

5. Michael Kors Tie

For the dapper laddie in your life. Some men gotta suit up, might as well help them dress the part.

6. Williams-Sonoma Copper Mug

Don't you like to imagine that your dream man is sipping his morning coffee out of this? Like, atop a mountain? In a rugged flannel shirt? Yep. Yep yep yep.

I hope you have a happy time shopping for your love!

Slice of Life.

Slice of Life.

Life has been fast and slow lately. Winter feels endlessly long, but I feel like there are enough things going on in our world to keep us occupied (and exhausted!) by the end of the day. Is anyone with me? It's like that saying, "The days are long, but the years are short" - I am really starting to feel the impact of those words! So true in this season of my/our life. These are the things happening in our corner of the world lately:

1. I started a blogging course.

And I LOVE IT A LOT.

I am so, so excited about this one. I just started taking the A Beautiful Mess course called Blog Life, and I am a little bit addicted to it. I took one of their courses two and a half years ago when I started this blog (what - it's been that long?!) and it really helped kickstart my ideas. I am ready for more with the blog, and I have been throwing around a few ideas about how to grow it. If you are in a similar place, and you're interested in growing your online business or blog, taking this course is an awesome place to start. Be ready to do quite an alarming amount of soul searching, some semi-time consuming imagining and some creative mining in that brain of yours. But I can personally tell it's going to be worth it! I am feeling those creative juices flowing and it is really fun :)

2. We started feeding Everett solids.

Omigoodness. WHAT A CHANGE. This has probably been the biggest shift in my personal world lately, because feeding my sweet 6-month-old son real food has most definitely impacted his sleep schedule. Which has impacted my sleep schedule. Can I get a hallelujah amen? People - this child is sleeping more than EVER before. Some of you have been mentioning to me for months that I should start feeding him real food, but I wasn't ready to take that step. We started him on solids a few weeks ago, beginning with banana, avocado and sweet potato. It has been quite an experimental process so far, since I've been making everything that he eats, but I love trying to figure out the best things to feed him. It's been a super big learning curve for both of us, but he LOVES eating and I really really love that his sleeping has improved so much - so we are going the distance on this one. I'll share more about our experiences in the baby food department in the coming weeks.

3. I'm drinking a grandmotherly beverage.

This might seem really dorky. But my favorite hot beverage this year has been the most home-made drink in the world: hot water with lemon and honey. Not a fancy latte. Not a holistic tea. HOT WATER. Squeeze in some lemon. Stir in some honey. Bam. It warms me to my toes and it has gone hand-in-hand with my blog course. Give mama a little "me time" and this is what she will be drinking. The times are wild over here.

4. Still saturating ourselves with some good old fashioned family time.

(While we use store products and don't purchase them.)

This picture just makes me laugh. Last weekend Stevie and I were browsing through a very female-ish store, where he was attempting to pick something out because he had a store credit (it's a long story, but yes, it was HIS store credit. To One Magnolia Lane. Hahahaa.) We were joined by Stevie's bro, and we found this darn cool iPhone Selfie Pole, which we used to take this picture. Of course, after two takes, we were good. Selfie taken. Stevie bought some honey instead.

It's cold outside. Go make yourself a grandmotherly beverage, you won't be sorry :)

A Blustery Getaway at Serenbe. Part 2.

A Blustery Getaway at Serenbe. Part 2.

I just had too many great photos from this fun little getaway. See part 1 HERE.

For me, the beginning of the year is such a cleansing season. Everything is sort of bare, torn away, and a little bit unbeautiful. Almost a little too raw, a bit uncomfortably vulnerable. And yet I really love this wintery season. Of course, it's a lot easier to love it in Georgia than in Boston or New York :) Seeing the dirty sleazy snow turn a million shades of sick can really throw your stomach off for a day. But here, the trees are stripped to their skivvies and tenderly hold up their branches in a "raising the white flag" kind of way. Like, here we are, world. Ready to start fresh. Start over. Dream again.

Am I crazy? That's just what February is to me.

I had to include a few more Serenbe photos from last week. I couldn't possibly choose my favorites so I just pretty much chose them all. Seeing my little boy interact with my strapping husband is making me feel alive and happy in a new way. Maybe it's the whole February thing. Maybe it's a new mom thing. Maybe it's a clear-headed thing. Or a "I've finally slept, booya!" thing. But I'm having a small moment in the sun these past few weeks. Life finally doesn't feel so gosh-darn hard. I don't feel so bare bones tired. Or ragged. This little getaway to Serenbe couldn't have come at a better time. It was cold, but so what? I've had colder winters.

// I love setting up Everett's little bed when we travel. I don't know why. //

// I like to tease him that he's my muse. He. HATES. It. //

// 7.5 years. I'm a lucky lady. //

Happy February to you all!