A photo journal comprised of my thoughts on motherhood and other life happenings, as well as some of professional work as a photographer. Southern California is home.
I finally got around to giving this Hazelnut butter a try. It tastes just like chocolate. I added it to cottage cheese, which Hooper has NEVER liked no matter what I’ve mixed or added. But, alas, he ate all his cottage cheese.
I will get avocado in this boys tummy’s anyway I can. It’s such a nutritious food and I know he could use the “good” fat content. He likes his avocado and cream cheese sandwich. I wouldn’t say he loves it, but I can normally get him to eat at least half of it.
The whole wheat pancake mix is from Whole Foods and it’s not half bad. Hooper ate one of the pancakes and finally ate the sliced peaches he had previously refused. Maybe this boy is expanding after all!?
This boy loves ground beef with taco seasoning. Sarah especially likes when he “shares” this with her.
If anyone has any other food suggestions, I’m always looking to try something new!
I’ve been waiting patiently to grab me some colorful skinny jeans. I was tempted to buy a few pairs to add to my post pregnancy prize pack, but don’t want to force myself into my pre-pregnancy size because that’s always subject to change post pregnancy. Anyway, here’s the goods:
My strong desire to nest was continuously being suppressed by our prior hunt for a larger home. Our hunt had taken us right up until about a week ago, when we decided to stay put for a few more years. Being in limbo was causing my nesting instinct much turmoil. In any case, I’ve been collecting tidbits of nursery inspiration for quite sometime. You can check out my “Little Tykes” Pinterest board by clicking here or on the link on the right hand side of the browser. I’m constantly adding things to it. You can also check out Hooper’s nursery by clicking here. I plan on making small adjustments for Van’s arrival. Now, onto my inspiration:
I love the pops of color this dresser provides and I love how the little shoes are displayed. source
A bookcase in the shape of a tree? Don’t mind if I do. source
Love the re-done bright yellow lamp and love the idea of using a vintage desk as a nightstand. source
Love the vintage chalkboard and desk. I also find the old wire crates incredibly useful for storing toys. source
My love for vintage toys is no secret. You can check out some of our collection here. Would love to add a little camera to our current stock. source
Oh what I wouldn’t give to design a little girl’s room. Seriously, I hope my sister one day has a girl because I know she’d give me free reign to do as I please. source
Love this DIY storage crate on wheels. I’m also quite smitten with the cowhide rug. We gave one a chance a while back and it just didn’t work out. Not to mention that Sarah was totally and utterly (no pun intended) obsessed with it. Would love to try it again one of these days. source
Vintage wall paper and danish furniture? Yes, please. source
I love this easy DIY desk idea. Willy and I contemplated doing something similar in Hooper’s new room but opted instead for a vintage school desk that we scored at a flea market. The desk we found is similar to the last desk I included in my post on children’s chairs. source
One way to avoid picking up your kid’s toys? Attach them to the wall. Love it! source
See those book shelves? I believe they are actually spice racks re-purposed as book shelves. Not a bad idea, right? I also love the Herman Miller Eames rocking chair. I found a replica on overstock for a fairly reasonable price but have no where to put it. I’m also head over heels for that vintage rug. Note to self: keep an eye out for a similar one. source
Because every kid’s room needs a feeling of revolt and power and unity, right? Go get em’ little tykes. source
Not only the vintage toys, but check out those vintage patterns. I’m also pleased to see that someone felt comfortable putting a vintage mod green flower sheet in their son’s crib. Willy won’t let me go near the flower prints. Again, I’m yearning to design a girl’s room. source
Willy and I spent the better half of the morning in Ventura the other weekend and hit up the local flea market and then booked it over to Main street to browse the thrift stores. My parents were nice enough to take Hooper for the afternoon. Willy isn’t your typical husband when it comes to shopping, instead, he’s a rather good counterpart, co-conspirator, and he gets just as excited by a good find as I do. This is part of the reason our garage is bursting at the seams with stuff awaiting to be placed or sold. We’ve never sold anything, but we buy a lot with the intention of re-selling it. It’s just stuff we fall in love in with, have no where to put, and can’t live without. Anyway, here’s some of the stuff we picked up:
An AM/FM clock radio in working condition (score!). We put it in Hooper’s new room.
Glass bowl. This was something Willy couldn’t live without. I like it too.
A random assortment of block letters. There were a few letters I needed more of. Collection complete.
Plastic plates, for the kiddos.
This is just a fraction of some of the records we picked up to add to our collection.
Salt n’ Pepper shakers, because who could pass on either of these sets?
This 16 Volume set of Home Handyman awesomeness. Again, something Willy insisted on having. I didn’t hesitate for a second. I have fantasies of him using them to actually make something (hint, hint Willy!)
An assortment of vintage books from a couple different thrift stores.
This mid-century teak lamp.
A handmade pillow. Sarah almost chewed this up. A corner has been nibbled on, but whatever, it’s intact.
I don’t drink anything out of a mug, with the exception of hot chocolate in the winter, but I couldn’t pass up on this beauty. It was fifty cents.
These vintage outfits that came with matching diaper covers.
The title of this post is debatable, but only if you want to hear me complain about how difficult it is to feed Hooper. Na, me neither. That’s why today I’m going to stick with picture proof and let you draw your own frustrating conclusions. The other day Hooper and I took a little trip over to Ikea to get some shelves for his new room. We grabbed food while we were there and this is what ensued:
Here we have proof that a few bites did actually enter thesanctuary known as Hooper’s chompers. That’s macaroni on his face and it’s always a good sign. See, it started well.
Then he ditched the food for the straw wrapper. My hopes are still high, if only I could get that wrapper out of his mouth.
Then he started playing with his straw. He loves taking it out of the hole and putting it back in. I know, typical man, right? Get your mind out of the gutter, would you?
Ah-Ha! The fork is going in the right direction! Hip hip hoorays are starting to build in my throat.
Um, but that’s not a hopeful face. What is he doing? He loves mac n’ cheese.
Stall out move. Yes, he often licks his food when he’s unsure whether he wants to eat it. Hope is still bubbling, but impatience is also brewing. Eat Hooper, Eat!
Same bite remains on the fork. He’s thinking about it.
But instead, the fork makes a detour and the back end goes in. Hope begins to fizzle. My encouragement is going totally ignored.
“Look Mom, no hands”. Look who thinks he’s so cool now. Yup, it’s the same little booger who won’t eat his god damn food.
Oh no he didn’t. Oldest trick in the book and he’s already figured it out at 18 months? The good ol’ hide your carrots in the napkin trick. Come on Hooper, I used to do that. You’re goin’ oldschool on me now.
And now the attention is turned to the napkin. He decides to cover his juice with it.
Then he eats the napkin. Seriously Hooper, you won’t eat your mac n’ cheese but you’ll eat the napkin. For goodness f’n sakes, you’re toying with me now aren’t you?
He proceeds to rip his napkin into pieces. At this point I’ve given up all hope and am trying to find peace in the fact he is still sitting in his highchair past the usual 5 minutes.
We leave to find his shelves. The food remains. And there lies cold hard evidence of an impossible child to feed. I have to conclude by saying that Ikea rocks. Hooper may have hardly touched his food, but kids eat free until 4pm, so three bucks stayed in my pocket. Score. Bummer it was wasted anyways.
A dear friend of mine shared this video with me and I wanted to share it with ya’ll because it makes my soul tingle every time I hear it.
Also want to thank everyone who has voted for The Stork & The Beanstalk on Top Baby Blogs. It means a lot to be climbing in the standings each day. Many of the baby blogs I read today I discovered through the Top Baby Blog website. If you have a second to vote, just click on the link below and then on the brown box above the owl on the left. While you’re there, check out some of the other blogs, there are some great ones!
Some men take pride in their cars. Others in their trophy wives. My man? He takes pride in his mustache. He fiddles with the curled ends of that thing in front of the mirror longer than it takes me to shower, do my hair, and brush my teeth. When he sees another rugged man (I say “another” because surely he thinks his mustache makes him a gnarly dude) he immediately uses his come on line of, “What kind of wax do you use?”. And no, he’s not checking out their surf board, he’s checking out their stache. He makes many friends this way and gloats for the rest of the day after any compliment he receives. Anyhow, I figure it’d be fun to track his stache growth here on the blog. You may remember the initial pic I included on a Bits + Pieces post a few weeks back. If not, you can check out the very beginnings here, before the curled ends made their appearance. I’ll include a monthly snapshot from here on out. Hooper & Van, I’m sorry. Your Papa’s a nut.
I always start with his food the way I intend for him to eat it. I’ll give it a few attempts before I make additions or subtractions. With this meal, he wouldn’t eat the carrots. Sometimes he goes for them, other times he doesn’t. I added just a bit of ranch dressing and he ate all of them. Avocado is also hit or miss, but sometimes adding a little cream cheese does the trick. Ultimately, he gobbled up the chicken quesadilla and carrots but wouldn’t go for the avocado. You can’t win them all.
Scrambled eggs with cheese is my “go-to”. He loves it and he eats it fast. If we have somewhere we have to be and don’t have the luxury to dedicate the whole morning to eating his breakfast, we go with eggs. I’m tempted to start adding spinach to it, but don’t want to mess with the good thing we have going quite yet. It is on the agenda though. I cut the cherries in half and remove the pit and he always gobbles those up.
The chicken breast is cooked with corn starch for added crunch. We tell him it’s chicken nuggets and he’s never turned it down. Sometimes I mix in a little pesto sauce too if he needs a little push.
I tried to get Hooper to eat oatmeal for the longest time. He always refused. I added raisins and he has yet to push that bowl away. Woot woot.
Sidenote: The vintage placemats are from Etsy seller Star Friends On Earth and I love them. I was devastated the other day when Hooper took a pen to one of them, but it washed off with ease. Love, love, love. Want something similar? Check out these vintage placemats.
Willy, Hooper, and I headed out to Arizona the other weekend to visit with Willy’s side of the family. You can browse through pics from our last visit there here, here, and here. I didn’t manage to take a single picture this time and I’m not sure why. Maybe it was that toddler that had his hands into everything or maybe it was just my pregnancy laziness. Not that I have nothing to show of the trip… Because I came back with plenty of loot. Browsing the thrift stores with my mother-in-law and sister-in-law has become one of my favorite things to do there. They know all the good spots. Here’s what I collected:
An adorable Raggedy Andy doll that now accompanies Hooper to bed. Cutest thing ever!
These children records. And yes, you saw it correctly, Puff the Magic Dragon is included. Boo-Ya!
This vintage book about a boy having his tonsils removed. My nurse instincts kicked in immediately and I had to have it.
This adorable fishing crewel. Thought it would be cute in either of the boys’ rooms.
I stumbled upon this table runner at a Goodwill and couldn’t think of anywhere to put it, but for pennies on the dollar I couldn’t resist. I’ll make it work somewhere or I’ll make something cool with it. This, I promise.
Gotta love a mickey mouse plate. It appears to be handmade. Also found at Goodwill.
I walked by this little cowboy, said “howdy”, he said “howdy” back and from that point on, I knew I was going to take him home with me. Also found at the Goodwill.
If you get something with Micky Mouse, you have to get something with Donald Duck. That’s a rule somewhere, no?
I plan on drilling holes in the bottom of these and planting plants in them. I got the idea from here.
Glass jars. A buck a piece. Beat that you overpriced Mason jars.
Mid-Century lamps. They came as a pair. I’m putting one in Hooper’s room and the other will have a nice home in the garage until a new home is found for it.
This pink Mexican blanket. One of my favorite finds, again, from the Goodwill. A lovely beach blanket. It lives in the back of my car now.
And some random clothing for the boys. I’m in love with that little plaid romper. And I’m quite fond of the Icelandic shirt, though I assure you, Willy and I are not Icelandic. Not even our mailman is Icelandic so don’t draw any wild conclusions.
Today’s Style de Hooper features all styles purchased from Etsy seller Lishyloo. So here’s a few blasts from the past of Hooper rockin’ vintage get-ups from one of my favorite Etsy shops. Thank you, Lishyloo, for making my boy look so dapper all the time.
Check out her store for yourself. She carries vintage clothing for children of all ages, in addition to vintage housewares and decor, books and toys, and even a few things for us women. Some of my favorite items she has listed right now are this pink baby blanket, this pink dress, and these Health-Tex overalls. If for nothing else, stop by to view the cutest little model ever.
Hot diggity damn have we had some warm days here in Southern California. We snuck down to the beach on Saturday and enjoyed lunch followed by a little stroll and some pigeon chasing. Here’s a special beach edition of Mamas & tykes, followed by some pics from our Saturday.
My lovely friend Janet turned me on to this little book before Hooper was born. Gotta love the statement on the opening page: “Let’s get some things straight before I get old and uncool.”
So, to my dear Hooper & Van, mark my words before I’m wrinkled and shriveled and gumming my food, here are some rules to live by:
Stand up for the little guy. He’ll remember you.
Be a good listener. Don’t just wait your turn to talk.
On a road trip, offer to guy the first tank of gas.
Never pack more than you can carry yourself.
Make a hipster’s day. Donate old clothes to charity.
Root for the home team, even when they stink.
Learn to sail.
Remember the girl you’re with is somebody’s sister. And he’s perfectly capable of kicking your ass.
Don’t gloat. A good fried will do it for you.
Never under any circumstances ask a woman if she is pregnant.
Don’t date the bartender.
Be a regular at your local flea market.
Don’t be so eager to leave the kid’s table.
Get your pumpkins from a pumpkin patch.
Thank the bus driver.
Keep your passport current.
Write letters. On paper.
Make yourself useful on a boat. If you can’t tie knots, fetch the beers.
Drive across the county. Don’t rush.
Always stop at a lemonade stand. Tip well.
If you have to make more than one substitution, order something else.
Offer your seat to a woman, no matter how old she is.
You won’t always be the strongest or fastest. You can be the toughest.
When shaking hands, grip firmly and look him in the eye.
When making an acceptance speech, keep it short, lose the notes, and thank your dad.
Nothing is more important than family.
Love,
Mama
Want a copy for yourself? You can find it on Amazon here.
Hungry for fashion? Well here’s a special edition of mamas & tykes, featuring some adorable vintage outfits that you may just wanna take a bite out of. Here we go. Little ladies first…
I thought our days of pureeing may be nearing an end. He refused his morning mush for Willy and refused the next day again for me, but this morning it was back to normal. Here’s what Hooper’s been grubbin’:
I also added some Flax seed. These purees save me. I’ve shared some of my feeding Hooper struggles in my new series “Hooper Eats”. You can read the first post, from last week, by clicking here. I’m not sure how I’d get him to eat such a variety of fruits and vegetables if it weren’t for the purees. For a whlie, the only fruits he liked were raspberries and strawberries. He used to be a blueberry fiend, but from time to time he’ll simply throw them on the floor. He refused to even try peaches or bananas up until the other day. He ate part of a kiwi once and threw the rest on the floor. And the only vegetables he’ll eat are carrots with ranch dressing and frozen peas and corn. Everything else he spits out. Oh my beloved purees, please stick around just a little while longer.
pssst… Your two clicks away… Would appreciate your vote for Top Baby Blog by clicking on the brown icon to the right. You will be redirected to another page where you click on the brown box above the owl and voila!, that’s it. Much love 🙂
I’ve made no secret of the fact my child is a picky eater. I’m a picky eater too, so I hold myself responsible. That’s probably why my patience takes longer to run out than Willy’s. In any case, the food has to be the right temperature, the right consistency, familiar, and there needs to be a balance between too much distraction and not enough distraction. It can’t be a distraction that draws his attention away from the food, rather it has to entertain him while we shovel food into his mouth. Sitting for long periods in the highchair doesn’t fair too well these days. We have about a five minute window whether he likes the food or not. After that window of time closes, he’s off to the races and we’re left chasing him around with his next bite of food. Which he’ll eat, by the way, it’s just he’s more interested in playing than eating. What’s that you say? Typical toddler behavior? Typical shympical, feeding this boy is d-i-f-f-i-c-u-l-t.
I’m always looking for new things for him to try and I’m always planning his meals to be sure he’s eating a balanced diet. And while I think I do a good job of having him eat well from each food group, I think I fail in the variety category. Which leads me back to the always looking for new things for him to try mantra. In any case, here are some meals I’ve made him as of late and proof of the highchair struggle.
See how sweet he looks in the picture above. This photo was taken within that five minute window I was talking about. Nonetheless, he’s wasting value time within that window because he’s obviously not paying any attention to his food. I made him pretty tasty french toast too. Anyway, here’s what happens when the five minutes are up:
Note Willy’s arm holding him down. It’s of no use, really. I’m not sure why he even attempts to stop the inevitable.
This last picture is really the one that tells the whole story:
Note Willy with his head turned toward the TV. He’s watching golf or basketball, I assure you. Note the food on the fork: mac n’ cheese with peas. This is one of Hooper’s favorites. Note Hooper with his head thrown back and an already been chewed pea and some slobber on his chin. Yes folks, this is what I deal with. I often feel like the naughty school master with a ruler in my hand, one foot perched on the chair, yelling at Willy to concentrate and at Hooper to eat.
The other weekend I had the pleasure of escorting myself to a local flea market, where I had a glorious time. Here are my finds:
I am in love with that little vintage pillow. I got the whole back story about where it came from too, which is always a bonus. The back has lots of stains, so I’ll be asking my lovely mother to take it apart and add new fabric to the back (note to self: learn how to sew). I also bought some trim to add along the edges. I’ll be sure to share the final product. I found that gorgeous turquoise ring within steps from the entrance and I snatched it up instantly. Sure, it’s already broke but when I repair it and give it another life, it will be making my long skinny fingers look gorgeous all over again. And perhaps my biggest splurge was on that danish bed set. But isn’t it perfect? I missed it the first time I walked down the aisle and happened to be strolling back that way and boy am I glad I did. It’s about the same as I was planning to spend on a new twin bed and it’s larger and will last Hooper throughout his childhood. It’s stamped by the Furniture Guild of California. The man that sold it to me was as sweet as could be and even brought it out to my car and loaded it for me. I repaid him with a fresh squeezed orange juice. It was a good day.
