Nap Mat - A Pinterest Inspired Project

You might have already guessed based on this post that I'm what you might call a Pinterest fiend. That's cool, I dig it. If I were to be called a "fiend" at all, I'm okay with being the Pinterest kind.

My boards are stock FULL of ideas and things to do but somehow I never manage to get around to them.  Figures, right?  Little Mister needed a nap mat for school and popular on the circuit these days coincidentally, is this handy dandy nap mat. Since necessity is the fuel for creativity, I counted on Pinterest to help me get the job done.

Image via Pinterest

Doable, yes?

I purchased the pillows from Ikea and some fabric from Fabricworm  and set to work with a few modifications here and there.

It's big and poofy and from what Little Mister's teachers tell me, he's quite comfortable at nap time. Plus, it's easy to wash when the weekend comes around.

That's what I call a success!!

Giddy Friday

A big DON'T fellow parents:

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Happy Friday!

Today

I'd like to take a moment to help raise awareness for a cause that I believe in.  Every year for the past 19 years, I've donated to the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention in memory of someone very close to me.  (I chose to withhold his name for the privacy of his family).  It is the very least I can do to manage the pain and hurt that I still feel today.  While it has been many years since our loss, I still relive the fateful day as if it were yesterday.  I cannot turn back time, but I hope to play a small part in the prevention of suicide.

Chair Swoon

As if I needed any more chairs.  DwellStudio in collaboration with Precedent has released a new furniture line.

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swoon

ACL 2011

We had such a great time at the Austin City Limits Music Festival this year.  The weather was cooperative and the music was fab as always.  Going to ACL with a toddler is certainly a different experience for us - we were stocked with plenty of diapers, snacks, and baby wipes to get us through the day.  Little Mister had no interest in wearing ear protection as he promptly pulled it off so we stayed safely back from the loud speakers.  We also had to make the difficult decision not go on the last day of the festival since we still had to drive back to San Antonio and Matt and I had to work on Monday.  We didn't want to push Little Mister too far.  It was a good decision and we're still able to check out the highlights of Arcade Fire on YouTube. 

Austin skyline

watching Foster the People

i haven't seen grass this green in ages.  the grounds were beautiful!

i don't know who these guys were, i just thought their signs were funny

Little Mister managed to nap through all the noise

We had a great time with some good friends and thoroughly enjoyed ourselves.  Tickets for next year go on sale NEXT WEEK.  Yes, we'll try our hardest to score early bird tickets.  See you all then!

C'mon Colder Weather

I want to make this:

The free(!) crochet pattern is courtesy of Vicky Howell.  I love her.  I really do.  I've admired her for years and years and not only that, she hails from Austin! 

Since I couldn't snag the coveted Missoni for Target throw, I think this is a nice alternative.  I looked on eBay and people are selling it for nearly 3 times the retail price.  Crazy.  But as much as I love to knit and crochet, it doesn't make sense to cuddle up with yarn and needles on a 100 degree day.  It just feels wrong.  So I'm hoping for a cold front.   

Texas BBQ - A Checklist

A new app came out on the iPhone called the Texas Monthly BBQ Finder.  Not only does it direct you to the nearest BBQ joint (just in case you have a mad craving for a brisket sandwich) but it also lists the top 50 in the state.  I firmly believe that if you live in Texas, it is a prerequisite that BBQ becomes a part of your diet.  Veggies?  Check.  Whole grains?  Check.  Pork Ribs?  Check.

Oh and forgive me, my vegetarian friends - I'm about to talk meat. 

We decided to take the Texas Monthly Top 50 challenge.  This is not an official event, but for us - eating might as well be a sport.  Our goal to is eventually hit every single BBQ joint on the list and space them out enough so we won't suffer from too much heartburn and weight gain.  It also ties in with our love for long road trips and visiting the far reaches of Texas that we've never seen. 

First stop:

While it wasn't the legendary City Market nearby (it was closed the day that we visited), this was a mighty good alternative.  

So much fun!  I prettied up the Texas Monthly list a bit to record our adventure.  We'll probably not hit every joint but this will be fun way to track it!

 

Windy City Part 2

Here it is, the second installment to our trip to Chicago.  We had a blast and can't wait to visit again!  

Giddy Friday

Start the weekend off right - with a little laugh:

via Aled Lewis

Windy City Part 1

Happy September everyone!  Excuse the absence - me and the boys decided that it was high time to escape this heat so we headed north to Chicago.  And we had a real blast! We always try to visit the famous ballparks in the cities we visit so we started off the trip with a tour of Wrigley Field.

Do you love the Tom's shoes?  He's so stylin'.  

We spent just about all of our time outdoors while we were there.  I hear Chicago can get really humid and mucky but thankfully, it was just beautiful.  Our favorite part might have been the time we spent at Millenium Park. 

  

Anish Kapoor's Cloud Gate was amazing and so interactive.

Yup, Little Mister is in his diaper in the middle of Jaume Plensa'a Crown Fountain.  He got so excited to be in the water that we had stripped him down right there otherwise he'd be soaking wet.  As you can see, he thought it was hilarious.