{Gone Pinning} Fruit and flower anniversary gifts

Posted in Adventures, Baby Michael, Holidays by mszerwo

Brandon and I are celebrating our FOURTH wedding anniversary in a little less than a month and with Baby Michael due just a mere 10 days before our anniversary, I’m a little early with this post, since I’d like to have Brandon’s gifts on lock down by the time the kid arrives!

We like to buy one another “traditional” anniversary gifts, as dictated by… Hallmark.

Check out our first (paper) anniversary gift ideas, second (cotton), and third (leather). (Pinterest became popular after our first anniversary, so I don’t have any ideas to share beyond what we did for one another: I made Brandon a book of coupons {I don’t think he’s redeemed any yet} and he gave me a photo album to capture our future memories together that I am sorry to say I haven’t used yet either. I’ll put it on my ‘to do’ list on my baby vacation!)

The fourth anniversary is the “fruit and flower” anniversary, so we’re using that to guide our gift giving. I typically turn to the internet for my gift-giving ideas and this anniversary is no exception. Here are some of the items that fit the bill:

Oh! Chocolate dipping class

We did this chocolate class when we had just started dating and it was a blast! We dipped everything and consequently ate everything too! Chocolate comes from a tree in tropical regions, so I’ve classified it as a fruit. Makes sense, right?

Oh! Chocolate dipping glass

Butchart Gardens in Victoria, BC

I’ve been to Victoria twice while Brandon has yet to visit– a first for us! (Brandon is much more the traveler of our couple.) A jaunt north on the Clipper would be a blast. Butchart Gardens looks pretty spectacular and it might be fun to try out a completely new place for both of us. We’d just have to get little Michael a passport!

A trip north, to Butchart Gardens, perhaps?

Bloedel Reserve, Bainbridge Island

We’ve already been here too, and it was great. We actually went to Bainbridge Island for our first anniversary. It was also the first time Brandon received a student discount on admission to the Reserve. Clearly it was quite memorable. We would highly recommend that you pay the nominal fee (especially if you’re a student!) and walk through the beautiful grounds. It would also be great for a stroll with a wee babe!

The Bloedel Reserve on Bainbridge Island

Pike Place Market
We often cruise to the Market and could again for our anniversary. We could grab some mini-doughnuts, pose with the pig, and pretend (but for real) that we were there four years before doing the exact same thing!

Flowers from the Pike Place Market

Edible Arrangements

What about fruit as flowers? The best of both worlds! This could be an option for Brandon, as long as it’s covered in chocolate!

Edible Arrangements

Wine items

Wine comes from grapes and grapes are fruit, so I think we just hit the jackpot! Any sort of wine accessory could work. Maybe these wine glass screen hats for those blasted fruit flies? Or some new glasses, specific to the varietals that we drink most often? Maybe those wine glass picnic stands? I’d have to start going to more concerts and picnics. ‘Course, I could just get this instead…

Fancy wine glasses!? YES, please!

Or, maybe I’ll deviate from the list and get something even more creative! (Hint, hint!) You’ll just have to check back in late September to find out what we gifted one another!

18Aug2015

Close encounters with the Denver Broncos

Posted in Adventures, Baby Michael, Exploring Seattle by mszerwo

Our pregame view: Amazing!

Last Friday Brandon and I attended the first NFL preseason game here in Seattle between the Seahawks and the Denver Broncos. (And my first NFL game!) Brandon was born in Denver and attended his first Bronco game in utero, so it was pretty special that we were able to go to Friday’s game, even if it was just preseason.

We are lucky enough to have a friend who works for the Seahawks who hooked us up with sideline passes, so of course Brandon was in heaven.

Pregame ON THE FIELD!

It also made the perfect week 35 photos for our baby book! It was pouring down rain on Friday, we had an inch-and-a-half of rain in just a few hours, and I don’t have a rain jacket that covers my massive belly, so I look a bit like a wet dog, but that’s ok. It just adds to the story.

A little rain didn’t dampen our spirits… just our hair.

Soaking wet and so, so happy!

Baby Michael’s first Bronco game: in utero, just like his Dad!

So close to the players!

We left the sideline before the game started and were a little bummed that we didn’t accidentally run into anyone famous, but our seats were under cover and we were ready for warm and dry.

As we were deciding which way to go to get to our seats, Brandon’s hero John Elway emerged from one of the back hallways, with his entourage of management and security. We froze in our tracks and I had to pick his jaw up from the floor. We followed him, obviously, and ended up near the VIP elevator bank, where he was waiting to get up to the owner’s suite. John was just waiting there (cornered) and many people started to take notice.

(Of note: Brandon would have this reaction to pretty much four people: John Elway, Sylvester Stallone, Matthew McConaughey and Rachel McAdams. So seeing John Elway was BIG.)

We happened to bring a Broncos bib and sharpie (you never know when opportunity will strike!) and Brandon jumped at the chance to a) talk to his hero and b) get an autograph for Baby Michael.

Here they are, Brandon and John. Broncos historian and Broncos legend. Together at last. Turns out that John has never signed a bib before, so in addition to being slightly weird (his words) it was hopefully memorable too. And hopefully Baby Michael loves the Broncos as much as his Dad and Grandpa do!

Brandon and his hero: John Elway, Bronco legend

The bib won’t be used, and instead will be memorialized forever in a shadowbox frame. I’ll post an after photo of the final product once it’s done, but for now you’ll have to be impressed with this wrinkled version. Thank you, Mr. Elway!

Coolest baby gift EVER! (Especially for the ultimate Broncos fan!)

And some cool shots of the Seahawks, if they’re more your thing…

Beastmode: Up close and personal!

Seahawk stretching

Have a great week!

16Aug2015

Michael’s ombre dresser

Posted in Around the house, Baby Michael, Crafts by mszerwo

I recently posted an update on our soon-to-be-out-of-the-womb-baby Michael’s nursery and his new ombre dresser was definitely the star. (Just wait until you see the whale mobile! It’s even better!)

Here’s the ombre dresser and changing table area.

I thought I’d share a quick tutorial, since this was one of the easiest transformations that I’ve done.

First, take before photos. I don’t take enough before photos.

We’re thinking crib on this wall!

It looked good before but it looks better now!

Before photo of the dresser

Find your color. I spent a lot of time in the paint sections at Lowe’s, Home Depot, and McLendon’s inspecting swatches. I finally found one that I really liked from Dutch Boy, swatch E19, with:

Ombre dresser paint swatch

Moonlit Sky (E19-1), Twilight Navy (E19-2), Highland Mist (E19-3), and Well-worn Denim (E19-4)

Get your paint. I only painted the face of the dresser drawers, so I didn’t need much. In fact, all I needed was a sample size. I found these particular samples at Lowe’s. Sample sizes are 8 ounces and I used far less than half of each. I wanted to get the samples in “glossy,” but they only have them in eggshell. Eggshell turned out just fine for the $2.99 price tag. {McLendon’s had Dutch Boy paint samples but they were $8.99 for the same size. WAY too much for the little amount of paint that I needed!}

Paint samples

Prep. I labeled all of my shelves in the order that they sat into the dresser, so I didn’t get them mixed up or have to repaint over and over again. I unfolded a plastic sheet in my spray painting area outside and set up shop. I used sponge crafting brushes and painted right from the container. I used four brushes and threw them all out when I was finished.

Drawers, drawers, drawers!

Paint. Paint and paint and paint. My dresser was already “primed” (painted white), so we just needed one coat and some minor touch ups. It was a warm day and we let the drawers dry overnight.

Painted dresser drawers!

Finish. After the paint was dry, we took the drawers back in the house and screwed in the new hardware, these pulls from Target. You’ll note that this is a six-pack and we have eight drawers. I was able to find a near perfect match with pulls from Home Depot, thankfully.

Let’s look at this beauty one more time. Ah: I love it! And, in case you were wondering, it’s completely full of diapers, wipes, blankets, outfits, and accessories for Baby Michael. Just four more weeks until his due date!

Here’s the ombre dresser and changing table area.

30Jul2015

50 days to go!

Posted in Around the house, Baby Michael, Crafts, DIY, Homemade, Photos, Uncategorized by mszerwo

About 50 days ago I blogged my master to-do list for the baby’s room.

Well, time has flown by and over the weekend we hit the 50 days until D-day mark. We also spent a lot of time wrapping up some of the nursery projects.

Here’s a update of where we are, and what we still have left to do before the little guy comes in just about seven weeks. (Or sooner?!)

UPDATED master to do list:

~~Remove the mattress and bed frame. Wrap for transport to the cabin.~~ Transported to the cabin over the Fourth, where I won an award for my quinoa salad!
~~Apologize to Maddie for stealing her favorite napping spot.~~ She still sleeps in there, and has made do with the bassinet. She’s in for a rude awakening when that bassinet is full with an infant!
~~Wash sheets, take comforter to dry cleaners.~~
~~Remove ball lights.~~
~~Clean out and remove the bookshelf side table.~~
~~Vacuum and dust thoroughly!~~
~~Buy paint and paint the room. We’re debating between Behr’s Sparrow and Anonymous. Which one is your favorite?~~ We went with Sparrow. It’s very pretty and so serene!
~~Secure baseboards. Touch up with paint if necessary.~~
~~Hang curtain rods and curtains.~~
~~Place the art on the shelves and think about where wall art will be placed~~ We still have some art to frame, but it’s we’re running out of space!
~~Empty Brandon’s clothes from the dresser.~~ He’s all moved into the master bedroom! It only took 5 years…
~~Replant and move Brandon’s terrarium.~~ It looks so good! I realized that I never posted about it. I’ll add that to the list of blogs to work on!
~~Assemble new rocking chair.~~ Assembled! And we’ve used it several times. We have this pouf on order to complete the look!
~~Grab crib from home-home and set it up.~~ It’s grabbed, but it turns out my sister busted one of the rungs when she was a kid. It’s in Dad’s shop now, getting repaired. We’ve got the mattress and lots of sheets for it!
Finish whale mobile. It’s almost ready. I just need to find the embroidery floss in my rather cluttered craft room. Maybe this weekend I’ll finish it!
~~Finish painting ceramic fish and lampshade.~~ Painted. Now I just have to find a spot for the fish and put the lampshade on the lamp.
~~Measure dresser, cut whitewood (or other kind of cheap wood) to create a top. (We’re making something like this, but only the top.)~~ We a went a different direction; one that I’m really pleased with the direction we went! See the photo of Michael’s new ombre dresser below!
~~Sand and paint dresser, replace drawer pulls.~~ Painted. Pulls replaced! See photo and let me know what you think!
Sand and stain ~~dresser top~~, elephant rocker, side table, ~~trophy bases and book boxes~~. Rocker and side table sanding/staining are still on the to do list, but the trophy bases and book boxes are done and look great.
~~Spray paint the ceramic animal heads~~, adhere them to the wood trophy bases. They’re painted and now they need to be adhered. I’m debating between using super glue and hot glue. Anyone have any recommendations?
~~Make rope basket “zoo” for stuffed animals.~~ It’s a great idea and project, but I could not find the rope anywhere. Then I went to Homegoods and found an adorable bin for far less than it would’ve been to make the rope basket.

Some new to do’s, in addition to the ones not crossed out above:

Get sun from home-home, hang in the corner of the room. Michael and I will grow up with the sun in our rooms, made by my Aunt Peggy!
Buy laundry hamper.
Clean out ‘candle drawer’ in the kitchen, so we have a place for all of his bottles and supplies. (Yes, we have a candle drawer.)
Clean out the bathroom a bit, making room for all of Michael’s new stuff.

And what you really came here for… updated photos!

Here's our super-sized rocker and the photo area. I imagine I'll be spending some quality time here soon!

Here’s our super-sized rocker and the photo area. I’ll be spending some quality time here soon!

Here’s the ombre dresser and changing table area.

A close up of the “zoo” bin for Michael’s stuffed animals.

Here is one of our rolling apple crates for books. Brandon did such a great job sanding and staining them! We both did a good job on the wheels.

Here’s the latest on the whale mobile. It’s looking great and will be finished soon!

I hope you enjoyed our nursery update. There will be more photos as we keep finishing projects in the next (less than!!) 50 days!

23Jun2015

Nutella Chocolate Chip cookies

Posted in Around the house, Baby Michael, Food by mszerwo

Nutella chocolate chip cookies

Normally, I’m all about the savory treats since Brandon has a big enough sweet tooth for the two of us combined. However, this little guy inside of me has an even bigger sweet tooth than Brandon does and suddenly now I do too.

My pregnancy has been relatively craving-free EXCEPT for my new cookie-a-day habit. Chocolate chip cookies have always been my favorite, and we recently discovered a recipe for cookies that is my new favorite: Nutella chocolate chip cookies.

I found these on Pinterest (of course) while researching a dish to bring my friend Stephanie after she delivered her son. On a whim I made a double batch. We’ve enjoyed our portion so much that I’ve made them three times since!

I hope that you enjoy these as mush as I do!

Ooey, gooey dough!

Soft & Chewy Nutella White Chocolate Chip Cookies from Averie Cooks

YIELD: 11 large cookies

PREP TIME: 15 minutes

COOK TIME: about 13 minutes

TOTAL TIME: about 3 hours, for dough chilling

INGREDIENTS:

1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened (1 stick)
heaping 1/3 cup Nutella (stir well before adding)
1/2 cup light brown sugar, packed
1/4 cup granulated sugar
1 large egg
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons cornstarch
1 teaspoon baking soda
Pinch of salt
1/2 bag white chocolate chips
1/2 bag semi-sweet chocolate chips

DIRECTIONS: (My version. Her version is here.)

Mix the ingredients up until flour until creamed and well combined.
Add flour, cornstarch, baking soda and salt. Blend until mixed.
Add chocolate chips and still until combined.
Scoop your cookies and strategically place a few chocolate chips right on top of each mound of dough by taking chips from the underside and adding them on top.
Chill the dough for at least 2 hours, up to 5 days. (I’m often tempted to not chill the dough because when I want cookies, I want them right then! I’ll try making these without chilling sometime soon and report back!)
Preheat oven to 350F and bake for about 11 minutes, or until edges have set and tops are just set, even if slightly undercooked and glossy in the center; don’t overbake. Cookies firm up as they cool.
Cookies will keep airtight at room temperature for up to 1 week or in the freezer for up to 6 months. We really enjoy making a large batch of cookie dough and freezing them, so we can make just a few at a time.

Delicious Nutella cookies!

5Jun2015

100 days until the big day!

Posted in Around the house, Baby Michael, Crafts, DIY, Homemade by mszerwo

Wow. Where did the time go!? It feels like I’ve been both pregnant forever but also pregnant for just a few days, when in reality, the clock is quickly ticking down and there are only 100 days remaining until Baby Michael’s anticipated arrival! (I think he’ll be early, so maybe it’s even fewer than 100 days!)

Brandon is done with spring quarter today, so starting this weekend our attention will be focused on the little man’s new room. It’s always best to start with some sketches, some inspiration and a list. So, here we go!

What do you think of my masterful sketching? We’ll see how true-to-life this ends up being:

Sketching out the room

And the master to do list:

Remove the mattress and bed frame. Wrap for transport to the cabin.
Apologize to Maddie for stealing her favorite napping spot.
Wash sheets, take comforter to dry cleaners.
Remove ball lights.
Clean out and remove the bookshelf side table.
Vacuum and dust thoroughly!
Buy paint and paint the room. We’re debating between Behr’s Sparrow and Anonymous. Which one is your favorite?
Secure baseboards. Touch up with paint if necessary.
Hang curtain rods and curtains.
Place the art on the shelves and think about where wall art will be placed
Empty Brandon’s clothes from the dresser.
Replant and move Brandon’s terrarium.
Assemble new rocking chair.
Grab crib from home-home and set it up.
Finish whale mobile.
Finish painting ceramic fish and lampshade.
Measure dresser, cut whitewood (or other kind of cheap wood) to create a top. (We’re making something like this, but only the top.)
Sand and paint dresser, replace drawer pulls.
Sand and stain dresser top, elephant rocker, side table, trophy bases and book boxes.
Spray paint the ceramic animal heads, adhere them to the wood trophy bases.
Make rope basket “zoo” for stuffed animals.

That’s about it. Totally doable, right? Maybe not in a single weekend, but we’ve got 100 days!

Here are some before photos.

The rocker will likely be on this wall. Ball lights will be gone. Pictures are already gone.

We’re thinking dresser, changing pad and toys on this wall

We’re thinking crib on this wall!

Closet wall. Not much will change here except many of the clothes will change!

Let the magic begin! Happy Friday!!

31May2015

Our bumble bee-themed gender reveal party

Posted in Baby Michael, Crafts, DIY, Food, Parties! by mszerwo

A couple of years ago I received a special order in my small business, Little Britches Bakery, for a bumble bee- themed diaper cake, for a “What will it BEE” gender reveal party. Ever since then I’ve been thinking about starting a bumble bee line for Little Britches and Mo/Michael’s big reveal was the perfect opportunity!

As usual, I started with some inspiration on Pinterest and a board.

Then I set about making the diaper cakes, and shifted the color scheme to yellow and white rather than yellow and black. I also added some burlap into the mix, which was very complimentary.

The full spread: What a party!!

I always hang some sort of a banner (here, here) and this party was no exception. I wanted something light and airy, so I opted for tissue paper tassel garland. These are pretty easy to make and the bang you get for the cost and energy is definitely worth it!

My tissue paper and washi tape banner

I use 8 pieces of tissue for each garland and followed the instructions here for the most part. I did not bust out my glue gun and instead created a loop and secured the tissue paper with a black glittery washi tape. This was one of the first times I’ve used washi tape and as a result, I didn’t know that it wasn’t very sticky. I added a dot of of super glue to the edge of the tape and now the washi tape is there forever. Once the tassels were created, I alternated white and yellow when stringing them on the burlap yarn.

Because of the afternoon timing of the party, we opted for a light menu focused on desserts , with several of gluten-free options for our gluten-free guests. We enjoyed: a variety of cheeses, crackers, cured meats, a veggie platter, polenta bites, bee sugar cookies with royal frosting, meringue bee hives, spring Oreos (with yellow filling!), chocolate cupcakes with yellow frosting and chocolate bees, and lemonade.

It turned out to be quite the spread:

The food spread

Even more food! Did you spot the bees buzzing the lavender bush?

What will Mo bee? A “he” or a “she”?

Handmade chocolate bees on cupcakes

Beyond the diaper cakes, the beehive cookies were the focal point of the party. They were by far the best tasting items at the party. I normally try to make — or semi home-make — all of the items at my parties but I outsourced these cookies to my friend and former colleague Robin. She only makes cookies as a hobby right now, but she could easily be in business full-time! Her skill and creativity are both exceptional! Just typing about these cookies makes me want one right now… Just delicious.

The best cookies ever! Bzzzzzzzzz….

I scoured the internet for old wives tales related to gender prediction — ok, it wasn’t just for the party. For the first 20 weeks of the pregnancy, every time I experienced a new symptom, it was off to the internet to try and gain some insight as to whether Baby Mo was a he or a she. I created this poster, and underlined the symptoms I’d been experiencing.

Old wives tales: truth or fiction?

We had our guests guess Mo’s gender and they went along with the old wives tales and guessed girl. They were also wrong!

All signs were pointing towards Mo being a GIRL! (And yes, they were wrong!) Our little one will likely look like little Brandon, pictured here:

Guess the gender!

The actual reveal took place in the form of this beehive cake. The results of the baby’s anatomy scan were given to our local bakery and they used blue or pink frosting in the middle. We had a great time cutting the cake and finding BLUE frosting! See the full party here! We didn’t peek, this was the reveal to us as well!

What will it bee gender reveal cake

If this Bee Gender Reveal party looks like something you would like to replicate, you can order most of my supplies and decorations on my Etsy shop.

Bumble bee diaper cakes

As always, please ask any questions you might have! I’m happy to answer everything from suppliers to technique questions and beyond!

We’re excited to meet our “HE” joining our family in September!

11May2015

Our SoCal spring break

Posted in Adventures, Baby Michael by mszerwo

With a husband still in school, our vacations typically rotate around school holidays. And while we’re off on a different vacation I’ll tell you about soon, here is a better-late-than-never recap of our recent spring break trip to Southern California.

We started off with a much-overdue trip to Disneyland and had a magical time. It has been at least 10 years since my last trip there. A lot of sights seemed familiar, but a lot seemed very new too.

Disneyland!!!

We arrived as the park was opening and went on nearly every ride that we could. (There are a handful of rides—most of the cool ones and any that have the word “mountain” in them—that pregnant ladies can’t ride. Thanks, baby.) We ended up staying nearly 15 hours and by the end of the evening, we were exhausted! Yet, we can’t wait to get back there!

We met Pluto! (We were there just before Easter, hence the ears)

Cruisin’ through the “jungle”

Princess time at the castle

An all-you-can-eat BBQ feast in Frontierland

Storybook Land canal boat ride

We found several City Halls (a vacation must for me…) Here is Toon Town’s City Hall!

One of the mountain rides Michael and I couldn’t go on

Brandon found a bench! (Another vacation “must” for us…)

We took our time travelling up the coast, with a visit to Hollywood Boulevard and the Walk of Fame. We happened upon a filming of a magic show called “Don’t Blink.” We couldn’t find it online, so I’m not sure if it really exists. If you’re familiar with it, let me know. And watch for us in the background. I’m in a long, flowy pink dress! Next time we’re going to go on one of those tour buses of celebrity homes.

“Don’t Blink” filming

…And hung out with Shrek

Saw one of Brandon’s hero’s stars

Who is one of both of our hero’s stars? (Get it?! Jeopardy!)

And a stop in Ventura for lunch and a stroll along the beach with one of Brandon’s aunts.

Ventura Beach. I do love the coast!

Rock sculptures at Ventura beach

We spent the evening and following morning in Santa Barbara, exploring the courthouse and the stores and seeing some more family. We didn’t spend enough time there, and we definitely hope to return sometime soon.

The view from the wharf in Santa Barbara

We continued our voyage north, to Solvang, to visit Brandon’s grandpa. Solvang is a quaint town with shops, restaurants and winery tasting room after tasting room. We didn’t drink wine on this trip, but we have in the past and we definitely will in the future. Solvang is in the Santa Ynez valley and there are tons of wineries and tasting rooms there.

Solvang!

Glamour shots outside of the Santa Inez mission in Solvang

I hope to have some quality writing time soon, so don’t be a stranger and come back soon!

3May2015

Drum roll please: Baby Szerwo is a …

Posted in Baby Michael by mszerwo

It’s a boy!

…BOY!

It was a fun weekend on Megan’s Island: we found out Baby Mo’s sex! We had some of our closest friends and family over for a bumble bee-themed reveal.

What will Mo bee?

We had our 20-week ultrasound earlier this week and we had the tech write down the baby’s sex and seal it in an envelope. Brandon then took the envelope directly to the bakery, so neither of us were tempted to open it.

Here we are with the envelope. No peeking!

It’s been a long couple of days since the ultrasound, but it was worth the wait.

Our local QFC was in the know and baked a bumble bee chocolate cake, with the inside frosting the color the color of the baby’s sex.

The cake knows! Soon we would know too!

We gathered everyone, cut the cake, and saw the BLUE frosting!

Such excitement! BLUE frosting!

BLUE frosting! It’s a BOY!

I’ll start working on a party-specific post now, so good bye for now from baby Michael!

Hello from Michael!

Megan's Island

Welcome to my island!

Category Archives: Baby Michael

{Gone Pinning} Fruit and flower anniversary gifts

Close encounters with the Denver Broncos

Michael’s ombre dresser

50 days to go!

Nutella Chocolate Chip cookies

100 days until the big day!

Our bumble bee-themed gender reveal party

Our SoCal spring break

Drum roll please: Baby Szerwo is a …