My loves, he arrived! Mr. Bowie Ocean O'Keefe, our little starman, decided to join us 4 weeks early, much to our surprise. Teaching mama her first big lesson about surrendering. Trusting life to unfold as it will.
He has papa's nose and feet. My mouth, ears and hands. His eyes are perhaps a beautiful mix of us both. For now, a dark sea blue.
With a preterm baby, our world has become a foggy blur of feeding, sleeping, pumping, repeat. Every 2 hours, until he gains the weight he needs. I'll be taking a short maternity leave from the blog for a few weeks until I'm feeling more comfortable with the new schedule. I hope to pop back in at some point to share our birth story before those special memories fade. Would you like to hear how it went? It begins like something out of a movie!
P.S. If you want to stay in touch during this time, come say hello on Instagram.
« August 2015 | Main | October 2015 »
September 2015
September 27, 2015
September 16, 2015
Etsy Faves 19: Cozy Fall
Can you feel the season changing where you are? In Seattle, the temperatures have dropped about 10 degrees, the rains have arrived and the leaves are slowly starting to turn. We finally closed the windows, turned on the heat, and although I'm still going barefoot in Birks (a pregnant woman's best friend), I'm officially ready for autumn's arrival. Bring on the apple cider, cozy cardigans and scary movies!
In honor of the first official day of Fall next week, I rounded up a few Etsy Faves to get you in the mood, no matter where you live...
- Leather Fox Wallet by Small Queue
- Pumpkin Harvest Soy Candle by Brooklyn Candle Studio
- Chunky Knit Blanket by Ohhio
- Golden Brass Oak Leaf Ring by Red Truck Designs
- Leaf Rubber Stamp by Woodland Tale
- Bridal Headpiece by DeLoop
- Autumn Art Print by Sage Paper Co.
- Vintage Leather Fringe Ankle Boots from Piece
PS. 7 more Fall inspiration posts pulled from the archives....
September 10, 2015
The 52 Lists Project + Giveaway!
Fellow list-lovers, I'm excited to share with you my advanced copy of Moorea Seal's new book, The 52 Lists Project! Inside you'll find 52 seasonally organized list prompts for weekly journal inspiration, beautifully photographed by Julia Manchik. So proud of these gals - I know they worked really hard to make their first book a success. It's truly a work of art!
I've been eagerly waiting to get my hands on a copy because I play a very tiny role in its production. Okay well my fireplace plays a very tiny role! If you turn to Page 41, you'll see my living room, wood pile and sheepskin rug sitting pretty for the camera. Julia, whom I met at Aran Goyoaga's winter dinner last year, saw my fireplace on Instagram and asked to shoot it for Moorea's book. So we spent a lovely winter afternoon building a fire and styling the perfect shot for 52 Lists. It's so fun seeing it published in a book!
Are you a list maker? I have around 5 lists always going on at once. Daily to-dos, career goals, groceries, house projects, you name it. Crossing something off - best feeling ever! But what I love about this book - it's less about getting stuff done and more about self-reflection and introspection. To give you an idea, here are the list prompts for fall:
- List all of your favorite things about fall.
- List your top twenty mood-boosting songs.
- List the things that make you feel peaceful.
- List your favorite meals and treats.
- List the words that warm your spirit.
- List the things that make up your ideal holiday season.
- List your greatest comforts.
- List the things you are grateful for.
- List the things you want to add to your life.
- List your favorite books.
- List your accomplishments.
- List the things that you want to be known for.
- List the most memorable moments of your year.
It's almost too pretty to write in, but I can't wait to dirty up this journal on a quiet evening at home with a hot cup of tea. Instant happiness.
Would you like your own copy of The 52 Lists Project? We're giving one away this week! Just follow the instructions below and a winner will be selected on Thursday, September 17th at midnight PST.
Good luck, loves!
UPDATE: Congrats to Allison Salzman - you're the randomly selected winner!
September 4, 2015
My Baby Shower & Mother Blessing
Weeks later, I'm still basking in the glow of my baby shower and mother blessing. Would you like to see photos?
My sister-in-law, Akiko, kindly offered to host it on their newly renovated rooftop deck with an impressive view of the Seattle skyline. I expressed to her my wishes for a more intimate, less traditional affair. So we decided on an evening moonlit dinner to beat the August heat. And the invitations from Minted perfectly suited the vision.
To keep with the celestial theme, my mom asked the ladies who couldn't attend to record themselves on a free phone app singing a lullaby or reciting a bedtime story. The final playlist turned out so sweet! I've been serenading Baby so he can get to know his aunties' voices before he arrives.
Lucky for me, Akiko is a top notch amateur chef! She created the most mouth-watering "moonlight Mediterranean" spread. And since she knows how much I enjoy design details, she let me create personal watercolor menus and place cards for each guest.
My mom brought gorgeous dahlia arrangements from Bea's, a local flower farm in Gig Harbor. Remember them from our wedding?
I also wanted to make favors for my guests. And what girl doesn't love candles? I glued beautiful raw moonstones to the top of each candle with a tag describing the powers of the gem, which they could later remove and use as they wish.
On the second candle tag, there was a poem:
Light this special candle
Once labor has begun.
Send your love through candle flame,
As Shannon greets her son.
Moonlight Mediterranean Menu:
COCKTAIL:
Blueberry Lavender Vodka Spritzer / Blueberry Lavender Water
TAPAS:
Hummus platter with dips, olives, veggies, pita
Grilled haloumi with seasonal fruit with balsamic drizzle
Phyllo triangles filled with spinach and feta
Roasted vegetable orzo pasta
Marinated mozzarella with heirloom tomatoes on grilled ciabatta
Grilled feta wrapped in grape leaves with rosemary honey
DESSSERT:
Dates sautéed in olive oil and vanilla over greek yogurt
Pistachio-walnut orange blossom baklava "cigars"
White nectarine gelato
What a feast, right? Everything was just incredible!
And what mama-to-be wouldn't want to wear a flower crown on her special day?
After gifts had been opened and the sun went down, the candles were lit and the mother blessing began. Have you heard of a Blessingway? It's an ancient Navajo ritual created to celebrate a woman's rite of passage into motherhood. We decided to have one In lieu of traditional shower games. Each guest was invited to share a poem, passage, prayer or positive personal birth story to inspire and encourage me before I give birth.
As each lady went around the circle, they were also asked to select their favorite moonstone beads from a glass goblet and string them onto a thread to create a mala necklace/bracelet for me to wear around my wrist during labor. If you're unfamiliar, malas are usually comprised of 108 beads, a very sacred number according to many Eastern religions. They can be powerful tools used in meditation to keep one mindful, grounded and present, transform consciousness and overall well-being. Although we had some technical difficulties getting the needle through the beads (I'll be finishing the mala on my own!), the sentiment was there. And I have my girls' collective energy to support and empower me spiritually and emotionally during birth.
Happy tears were shed. It was definitely a meaningful way to end the night. I felt so loved, honored and radiant as they gave me the strength and confidence to embark on this life altering journey into motherhood.
Thank you to all the sweet souls who put their heart and energy into making my shower so memorable!
Follow
about partner contact
