The Nursery: Sources

Thank you all for your sweet comments welcoming our baby girl and on little Alice's nursery. It was just enough comment love to kick that girl into action, two days later (and mere 10 days past her due date) Alice decided she'd come out and see what all the fuss was about. We love this room and love it even more now that it has a little peanut calling it home. We've already spent many hours in here cuddling, feeding and pooping. Eat, sleep, poop, repeat... and I wouldn't change it for anything.

I've had a few people ask me where I got some things so here is a full list of sources I did up for the room (pre-baby, thank goodness, time is precious around here lately).



Wall Colour, Sarah Richardson, Escarpment (colour matched to CIL Zero VOC paint)
Chair, Karbon Swivel Chair, EQ3
Smile Pillow, Etsy seller Honey Pie Design
Knitted Pouf, on clearance (!) at Home Sense
Curtains, made my me and Heathermom (aka Gma), fabric from Tonic Living
Light, Maskros Pendant Lamp, IKEA 

Dresser, Hemnes, IKEA (bought brand new of Craigslist for cheap!)
Knobs on Dresser, on clearance Anthropologie
Elephant Lamp, Home Sense
Mobile, made by me using cut up pieces of felt and this photo mobile I already had kicking around.
Alphabet Blocks, Etsy seller tiny giraffe 



Crib, Davinci Jenny Lind, All Modern Baby
Crib Skirt, made by me using Tula Pink, Raindrops Fabric 
Artwork, made by me (wrapped canvas with IKEA Nummer Fabric)

Rocking Chair, $3 at used baby sale!
"Book Shelves", IKEA Spice Racks painted same colour as wall
Pillow, made by me using Joel Dewberry Fabric, modern meadow, herringbone in pond
"You Are My Sunshine" Print, Etsy Seller Lydia Crook

For more photos check out the full nursery reveal post here. And because who can resist a cute baby pic, here is Alice enjoying her new pad. I just love this photo Andrea took, she looks so cute and tiny in her big crib. I just want to eat her up!

photo by pink sugar photography

Also, I'm soooo behind on my blog reading but wanted to send a quick shout out to Cassie at Hi Sugarplum! and Michaela at Michaela Noelle Designs for featuring Alice's nursery. Thank you for the love ladies!!

Christine

Must Eat: Pumpkin Spice Donut Holes

Of all the pumpkin recipes I drooled over this fall, I spotted this one on pinterest and I couldn't stop thinking about it. It looked SO good and now that I've baked and devoured them, I can tell you these pumpkin spice donut holes are amazing. The recipe is just like a muffin so a bit healthier than the deep fried donut (nevermind the dipping in melted butter and covering in cinnamon sugar. I said health-IER, not healthy ;)



Baked Pumpkin Spice Donut Holes
Recipe via The Craving Chronicles (who I'd like to hug cause these are so good)

Ingredients
For Donuts
1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon allspice
1/8 teaspoon ground cloves
1/3 cup vegetable oil
1/2 cup brown sugar
1 egg
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
3/4 cup canned plain pumpkin (not pumpkin pie filling)
1/2 cup milk

For Coating
1 stick of unsalted butter, melted
2/3 cup granulated sugar
2 tablespoons cinnamon

Directions
Preheat oven 350°F. Spray each cup in a 24-cup mini muffin tin with baking spray or butter generously.

In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, salt and spices (through cloves). In a separate, large bowl whisk together oil, brown sugar, egg, vanilla, pumpkin and milk until smooth. Add dry ingredients to wet ingredients and mix until just combined – do not over mix!

Divide batter evenly among muffin cups. (Using a 2-tablespoon scoop will ensure uniform size.) Bake at 350°F for 10-12 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean.

While the muffins bake, melt butter in one bowl and combine granulated sugar and cinnamon in another bowl. Remove muffins from oven and cool for 2 minutes, or until just cool enough to handle. Dip each muffin in melted butter, then roll in cinnamon sugar to coat.

Note: These taste best fresh from the oven and covered and eaten while still warm. If you're not going to eat them all right away, hold off on coating the ones you aren't going to eat so they don't get all soggy from the butter.


I want to get one of these fancy donut pans so next time they're shaped like cute little donuts.


You have to try these, trust me, you won't be disappointed.

Okay and I think I've reached my quota of pumpkin for the year, time I move onto another ingredient?
Christine

P.S. happy thanksgiving to all my American friends out there!

Must Eat: Pumpkin Anything

update: this post was written during my pregnancy obsession with pumpkin. We're covered in a blanket of snow right now so I'm already dreaming of peppermint lattes and such. I guess I am in time for American thanksgiving and, snow or no snow, pumpkin is always good...

As I mentioned in this post, this time I year I get some serious cravings for pumpkin. Pumpkin anything. I've been finding tons of great recipes this year and got some great recommendations from you guys, here's a little sampling for you to drool over:

Pumpkin Cinnamon Rolls via Bakedbree.com

image via bakedbree.com

Pumpkin Snickerdoodles via Annie Eats

image via Annie Eats

Spiced Pumpkin Sippers via Farm Chicks

image via The Farm Chicks

Pumpkin Gooey Butter Cake via Bakedbree.com (recommended by Andrea who also had the brilliant suggestion of DQ pumpkin pie blizzards. Um, YUM).

image via bakedbree.com

I haven't had time to make all this deliciousness yet, but I did make one amazing dish that I'll post soon and it's gooood, really good. Hopefully, this can tide you over till then!

Christine

Sweet Smiles

Life has been pretty good around here, a lot sleepier than usual but how can you complain when you have this sweet face staring back at you?



Thanks Andrea of pink sugar photography for capturing this perfect moment of Alice, just 5 days old, at our newborn session on Monday. Love :)

Happy Friday everyone!
Christine

oh baby! it's a...

GIRL!!

Please meet our sweet little babe

Alice Michaela

born November 9, 2011 at 10:31 am, 8 pounds 9 ounces.

We are so in love.

I have a few prescheduled posts to share in the next while but mostly I'll be busy soaking up every little second with this little one, I cannot get enough. She has already brought more joy and happiness than I could imagine, it's the best. She's the best.

love and hugs,
Christine, Michael and Alice :)

Nursery Reveal!

There are few finishing touches left to do, I still need to find a side table for the chair and I think I'll want to add a few things once baby arrives, but all in all the nursery is ready to go! All we need is that little baby! Here's your room little munchkin, I hope you'll like it (and comes see it SOON).












I love a little kiddie sized reading nook and always loooved the IKEA spice rack turned bookshelves idea I'd seen here and here.  So simple yet so perfect.  Thanks ladies, for the inspiration :)




One of my favourite details is the beautiful pattern the chandelier makes all over the room:



It was so fun to do a room from top to bottom. This room was our office before, which was pretty much a dumping ground, now I walk in here and it makes me smile.

From this, to this:


What do you think, you like?

UPDATE: for a full list of sources for the room click here.

Christine

Maternity Session Pics: Pink Sugar Photography

Check out baby's first photo shoot with Pink Sugar Photography, I think baby worked it ; ) Hopefully we'll be seeing Andrea again for our newborn pics very, very soon.

Click on over here to see the full session featured on her blog. Thank you so much, Andrea!

The Enjoy Centre

A few weeks ago Mike and I decided to have a mini "date weekend" - a potential last weekend hoorah before 2 become 3. I kicked it off with a massage/pedicure at the preggo spa, then dinner and a movie and finally a relaxing day at the Enjoy Centre. Not just a greenhouse this place is just packed with goodies: a cafe, bakery, market, spa, gift shops and then some! We had an amazing brunch, some delicious hungarian pretzels and picked up a few pumpkins for halloween.






I first heard about the Enjoy Centre from my friend, Dajana and have been wanting to go "enjoy" for ages! It certainly was enjoyable (and I certainly reminded my husband how funny I am throwing "enjoy" into the conversation at least every other sentence).




Ahh, so lovely. It's the perfect place for laid back brunch and perusing some greenery and goodies. I can definitely see myself stopping by for some sunshine once the dreary days of winter come, I bet this place will be all decked out for Christmas soon (it IS two days after Halloween).

Next time, I think the spa will be calling my name. So, how about that girls day??
Christine