Paper Pie

Pudgy Cheeks

Did you know that our baby girl has pudgy little cheeks? She does, and a square jaw just like me. At least that is what her incredible photo shoot revealed to us this week. We'll have to wait and see. This is her face looking right at us and almost resting on her folded arm. This is the most realistic picture of her yet and we are so excited to see her! The doc says that she looks great, which is sweet music to a pregnant mama's ears.

I love this photo from a few weeks ago. It is her little knees, shins and feet. So precious.

27 Weeks

Little Girl moves around A LOT, especially at night or when I am sitting still working at the computer. Ryan felt her kick the other day and said, "It's like magic." I knew just what he meant.

Liz & Kalli #51 Tulip

Hello and welcome to another installment of Liz and Kalli art goodness. We only have one week left to our art/word project before we start on our new endeavor. This week's word is tulip, Liz's is on the top and Kalli's piece is on the bottom.

*Liz

I have to admit that I really just picked the word tulip so that I would have an excuse to go to the store and buy fresh flowers. Not that one really needs an excuse for that though, right? These little beauties are making me smile every time I look at them. That alone makes them worth every penny.

*Kalli

My "tulip" is a themed treasury. Did you know that you can get in and play with the new Treasury East and curate treasuries to your heart's content? It's a good way to kill time and play around with themes and colors, plus it's sort of free promotion. Here is the link.

Oh yes, I have been hearing of this new Treasury East thingy. Cool. How nice of you to name your treasury "Tulips for Liz." Nothing quite says spring like tulips, don't you agree?

Special Delivery

If you stopped by our place right now, you would notice little signs here and there that we are expecting a very special delivery in the coming months. You might see receiving blankets, an assembled crib (sans mattress), a fetal stethoscope so we can hear her heartbeat. Things are changing and we (including Zipper) are starting to notice.

This past week I received a wonderful delivery of LuSa Organics products. I have read about how great the Booty Balm is for diaper rash and had been meaning to order some. To my delight I happened upon a special offer from LuSa over at Sew Liberated. If you act quickly you can get in on it too! LuSa is offering $10 off an order of $40 or more when you enter the coupon code "Sew Liberated" at checkout. The offer ends April 24. I ordered a few things for Little Miss and a few things for myself. So far I have only tried the Belly Balm to soothe and moisturize my expanding tummy. It is wonderful! It smells of lavender and leaves my skin really soft. I have notoriously dry hands and it seems that in pregnancy they have been even more dry. We don't have a dishwasher and I do all dishes by hand, with gloves of course, but my hands really pay the price. I applied some of the Belly Balm on my mitts before bed and they were tons softer and smoother the next day. Can you tell that I like this stuff? I also bought the Postpartum Herbs, Booty Balm, Calendula Baby Soap, and the Baby Wipe Juice. The Baby Wipe Juice is a mixture of all natural ingredients that you use with paper towel for a better baby wipe, free of synthetic fragrances and preservatives. You can check out all LuSa Organics products here. Also, Rachel, the woman behind LuSa, has a really informative and inspiring blog all about organic, crafty, baby goodness. It's called Clean. Check it out, friends.

Liz & Kalli #50 Thread

Hi there! Sorry for the tardiness with this Tuesday art project. Both Ryan and I have been busier than ever. It seems hard to get to everything. You may notice that this is #50 for the Liz & Kalli art project. I can't believe that we have done 50 already! When we first set out on this project we thought we would try to stick with it for at least a year. We have! Actually it has been longer than a year but as you know, our pieces do not always make it to the blog on a weekly basis. Anyways, after #52 we are going to call the art project quits. BUT, we have a new project in store that I am very excited about. It's going to be quite fun, so stay tuned. So without further delay, let me tell you about our pieces this week. The word is thread, Liz's is on top and Kalli's is on the bottom.

*Liz

I bought this framed thread art piece when I first moved to California. I got it at the Salvation Army in Santa Monica. I like to think that it is a souvenir from someone's travels in Latin America. I love this piece, it is so vibrant and loud, it just makes me happy. Ryan hates it. I think he thinks it is tacky, but it's not. It's really not.

*Kalli

I just finished this necklace today, and attached an "in progress" photo. It's made with howlite stones dyed to look like turquoise, hand-knotted on silk and finished with sterling silver end bars and clasp. I've been wanting to do a classic-style, multistrand choker necklace with pearls, but I think this is younger and more appropriate for Spring and Summer.

Pretty, pretty and my favorite color.

Lilac Lovelies

Growing up in Michigan, almost everyone I knew had a Lilac bush. We did, and I knew that summer was just around the corner when I smelled their sweet scent. Imagine my delight when I found a bouquet at the grocery store this morning. I had no idea that Lilac could survive this climate, but it seems they are very drought tolerant. Another fun fact about Lilacs? They are loved by deer, which explains why they are so ubiquitous in Michigan.

25 Weeks

And I am so happy, and for the most part pretty comfortable. I have been sleeping well, so that is a huge relief. Miraculously, I can still see my toes and bend over without too much effort. Maybe the most challenging thing right now is keeping my sweet tooth at bay, it seems to be exaggerated now more than ever. I've just been thinking a lot about her and what she will be like, who will she be? My list of things I want to make for her is longer than the day. Every time Ryan mentions something that she needs, I say, "Oh, I'm going to make that." I won't stress myself if time runs out, the birth is not a deadline it is in fact just the beginning, right? Ryan and I finished the registry, it was pure comedy. It feels like a big accomplishment though. We really focused in on what we truly think we need and what we can do without, knowing full well that all we can do is our best to prepare. When she gets here, she will decide, not us. I'm walking a lot and my hair grows fast. My nails too, and they are stronger. We went to a concert a few weeks ago and I wondered if she could hear and if she did, if she liked it. All these thoughts keep me smiling.

Liz & Kalli #49 Swedish

Good Monday morning to you! It is so rainy here in LA today, I like it though. Very much. I know I am way behind on this Tuesday piece. The word is Swedish; Liz's is on the top and Kalli's is on the bottom.

*Liz

Yesterday for Easter breakfast I made Swedish pancakes. They were thin and eggy and really quite delicious. I set the table with a vintage Luther Travis tablecloth that I received from my Mother-In-Law. Aqua, yellow and blue fruit? I love it. She also gave me the Pyrex butter dish. She's got my number, so bad!

*Kalli

I had this idea for a necklace with these crystal fish beads the first time I saw them. I imagined a necklace that looked like Swedish fish candy, so here's a mockup of what it would look like. I probably won't really make this to sell, because the customer who would buy this would probably take forever to come along, but this is one of the many ideas floating around inside my head.

It is just like Swedish fish! It looks good enough to eat.