April Pinspiration

I am a self-proclaimed Pinterest addict. 

Like many girls, I find all kinds of great style and design ideas, recipes, craft/DIY ideas, articles, book suggestions, party ideas, organizational tips, exercises, gift ideas, words of wisdom, etc.

I often browse through my own pin boards to get inspired and work on something that had sparked my interest: a new recipe, a mantra for the week, a simple craft, a neat design, or just something that makes me smile. 

I have decided to share some of my favorite pins of the month in a monthly Top 10 list. 

Here's hoping you get a little inspired, too :)

Here are my Top 10 April Pins:

Audrey. The Woman. The Legend.

I cannot get enough. She is so much more than the trendy, college, Breakfast at Tiffany's poster.

More than the impeccable style icon.

A real lady & role model of class.

 These represent me: where I'm at right now in life, style, &  perspective.

1. Paris: The memories I hold so dear to my heart. This beautiful walkway and building remind me of my special time in the city & that any place can be a palace - even a little apartment in Virginia - if you can appreciate the beauty and blessings in your own life. ( It also helps if you're in love <3)  Doing what we can, where we are, with what we have to the best of our abilities has been such a journey. We are proud of our little life.

2. Audrey. At it again. Maybe I'm watching Roman Holiday & My Fair Lady too much. I just love this quote. I couldn't agree more. I have always valued a great sense of humor. Luckily, laughs are frequent in our home as we figure out marriage and prepare for our baby. Blessed to have married my very best friend. 

3. I am just in love with this Jen Aniston look right now. I dig the long, dirty blonde locks and subtle tan. I love the bare neck and sweetheart neckline with the statement earrings. Simple. Sexy. Style. It also serves as post-baby work out inspiration!  

4. Precious baby girl! And ruffles! As I prepare for impending motherhood, the excitement continues to climb at the anticipation of finally meeting her!  I imagine her with such grace and innocence - a true dream come true. I am not naive of the inescapable years of dirty diapers and sleep deprivation, I just want to make sure to get the most out of those special moments that pass so quickly.

These represent my style and design inspirations this month. 

1. Sigh. Champagne. I miss you. I miss you making me feel sophisticated. But I really love the neutrals and lace with gold & bright pastel accents. 

2. Love the simple, feminine, fresh look of this living room. Love exposed brick. Love the crisp, white, trim. Love the soft pinks and purples. Love the stack of Cupcakes & Cashmere on the table. Got mine in the mail a few weeks ago and adore her. Anyways, I am keeping this look in mind as we work on Rowan's nursery.

3. Flowers. I never thought I'd have faux flowers in my home, but, alas. Luckily, I've been able to find some quality silk flowers to make our home a little spring-y. Hydrangeas are shaping up to be a favorite of mine: reasonable cost, full bodied, soft & elegant. 

4. Anchors. I really like the symbolism of the anchor. & of course, I love my little ship chick at ND.

I would put an anchor on everything if I could.

This applies to all months, years, days, & hours.

"Am I ready?"

"Are we ready?"

"What if..?"

Trust.

xox

    Riley

32 weeks.

That's EIGHT full months of pregnancy. EIGHT. 

She'll be here before we know it! We still have so much to do in so little time! 

• work on the nursery
• take a birthing class
• figure out the car seat
• meet with pediatrician 
• get a quality camera (to capture those moments that pass too quickly!)

etc., etc.

Luckily, we have had PLENTY of help preparing for our little one. All our families and friends have shared in our excitement and given us all kinds of clothes, diapers, medicines, bath items, gift cards, nursery furniture, music, toys, books, good advice, guidance, and so so SO much more.

In fact, my co-workers and friends in Virginia SURPRISED me with an adorable baby shower this weekend. I really was not expecting it at all - I showed up in my sweatpants -_- Eileen had asked if Rob and I would come babysit the kids for an hour or so while she and her husband ran to do some errands. I was all ready to go when Rob said:

"Um, I want to take you some place after we're done watching the kids... could you put on some real clothes?"

Quite A little perturbed, I replied: 

"This is all I fit into, I'm going to get spit up on anyways, and I don't need to hear it from you that I cannot zip up my jeans, okay?"

Ouch. Sorry, Love. 

It turns out, he was just looking out for me - and I should have listened. I was prettttty embarrassed being the guest of honor at the party in stretch pants and a t-shirt. Oops! It didn't ruin the time though, the ladies were glad I was comfortable and we had a great time. I cannot believe Rob knew about it and didn't spill the beans/I didn't find out. Rowan was, of course, spoiled again - and so was I. We are so blessed. 

Thank you, ladies!

so cute!

beautiful set up

The second highlight of the week was my successful trip to TJ Maxx! I found all these things for under $20! That basket included! I am so excited for those fresh herbs to start growing! They look so cute on our window sill - will post pictures when there's something to see :)

Maxxinista 

We have our weekly OB appointment tomorrow - including our 32 week ultrasound with the possibility of a 4D picture! We are SO excited. Praying we continue to get good news and a sneak peak at what she looks like.

It's incredible how much she has developed at this point. If she were born right now, although premature, she would most likely do very well! 

You can read up on babies at 32 weeks here, if you feel like it :)

Cravings: Cheese & Chocolate Cake & Citrus

Not together, though.

It's that time of year again: warmer weather = lemon & lime flavored treats!

( key lime bars <3 )

Yeah, remember when I made that "nightmare" chocolate cake from scratch... buttermilk, double layered, ganache frosted, etc... It's all gone :) Now I'm looking for a good brownie recipe...

Misses: Wine

The Blacksburg Fork and Cork is this weekend and I SO BADLY want to participate! Wineries from all over Virginia (Including Trump) come and you can do tastings and eat yummy appetizers and have all sorts of fun. Not Sober Sally over here- but I'll go for the food :)

xox

   Riley

P.S. my girl is already gearing up for football season! :)

My First Chocolate Cake

I just made my first EVER cake from scratch. It's definitely not for those watching their figure, unless they'd like to watch their figure expand a few inches. I have had the most intense chocolate cake cravings but have not given in- until now. I used this recipe by The Baking Pan I had pinned on Pinterest.

Here it is:

INGREDIENTS:

Batter:

3 cups all-purpose flour

2½ cups granulated sugar

4½ teaspoons baking soda

½ teaspoon salt

1 cup unsweetened cocoa powder - I used Hershey's Special Dark

1 1/3 cups vegetable or canola oil

1½ cups buttermilk

3 large eggs

1½ cups freshly brewed, extra-strong hot coffee

1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

Ganache:

12 ounces semisweet chocolate, chopped into small pieces - I used a mixture of Semi-Sweet & Dark Chocolate chips

1½ cups whipping (heavy) cream

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Prepare two 9-inch round layer cake pans; lightly grease the pans with shortening and dust with flour. Tip: to make baked cake easier to remove from pan, lightly grease the pan, line the bottom with parchment paper, and then lightly grease the top of the parchment paper and dust the pan with flour.

Batter:

In a large bowl, combine flour, sugar, baking soda, salt, and cocoa powder; sift or whisk together to mix.  Using an electric mixer on low speed, add oil, buttermilk and eggs; mix well. Add hot coffee in a thin stream, pouring down the side of the bowl. Scrape down the sides and bottom of the bowl with a rubber spatula so the mixture blends evenly.  Add vanilla and mix until batter is smooth.

Bake:

Spoon the batter into the prepared pans and smooth the surface with the back of a large spoon. Bake 30 to 35 minutes or until a long toothpick, wooden skewer, or cake tester inserted in the center comes out clean. Remove from oven and place pans on a wire cooling rack to cool for 10 to 15 minutes then remove cake from the pans and place the cake on the wire cooling rack to finish cooling.

Ganache:

In top of a double boiler, combine chocolate and cream. Place pan over simmering water (the upper pan should not touch the water.) Heat and stir the chocolate and cream together until the chocolate is melted and mixture is smooth. Remove from heat; cool to room temperature and ganache becomes thick enough to easily spread. Tip: Place bowl in a larger bowl of ice water to speed cooling and thickening, stirring Ganache as it cools.

Tip: Create a double boiler by filling a saucepan with 2 inches of water and heat to simmering. Place a stainless steel, ceramic, or glass bowl on top of the simmering water, the upper pan should not touch the water.

Using an offset spatula, spread ganache between layers and over top and sides of cake.

You may have noticed I have not included a picture of my creation. Well, I'm not too proud to say that my amateur attempt at this cake was impressive until the time came to assemble the cake. I completely forgot to trim the cake tops for layering- Sorry Mrs. Gates (my home ec teacher). Then, I could not get the gancache to thicken - but was so impatient (and hungry!) that I frosted it anyways and it looked terrible: like something out of a chocolate nightmare. And of course, the cake was a little dry because I left it in for another minute or so in fear I would under-cook it. None of this, though, stopped me from hogging an enormous slice.

So, my rookie cake wasn't the dreamy chocolate paradise I had imagined. Rob tried really hard to be over-the-top enthusiastic about how "decadent" it was. God love him.

Here's to the next one!

xox

   Riley

31 weeks.

This was an eventful week!

first and foremost: there are some newlyweds in town!

CONGRATULATIONS MR. & MRS. WILSON!

Photo credit: Love is Greater Photography LLC

My sister in law got hitched last weekend and it was SO beautiful & such a BLAST! Rob and I were honored to be a part of their special day as a groomsman and bridesmaid. And of course, Rowan snuck in the bridal party too ;)

The next day, Rob's friends and family threw him a little SURPRISE diaper party! And he was surprised - especially since he had never heard of a diaper party before. It was so sweet of the guys to think of Rob - and nice to get a head start on getting some diapers :) 

THANK YOU, GUYS!

This awkward photo is courtesy of my Bro-in-law JD
And yes, that IS the most interesting man - the one on the right ;)

I am still feeling GREAT - experiencing just a little of the third trimester fatigue. This week's OB appointment went well. Rob even surprised me by showing up! He usually only comes to the appointments with ultrasounds so he can see her; but I think he is just getting too excited and wants to be there for everything now. So far, I have managed to pack on a whopping 15 pounds total... and hoping I can keep it around 20 by the time she arrives! Her heart rate is strong and healthy and everything is measuring perfectly up to this point. Next week we have another growth ultrasound with the possibility of a 4D PICTURE .. if she suddenly feels like cooperating during these ultrasounds. I hope we get a sneak peak at her features so we can see what (and who!) she looks like. She looked like a little alien at about 15 weeks (16 weeks ago) , as you can see, and we're hoping she looks a little more human next time.

15 weeks

Freaky, right?!

In other news, I have embraced bump pictures! 

Enjoy :)

maxi dress nightie getting a little maxxed out!

I'll be laying off the horizontal stripes from now on...

Still no news on the nursery front. I just wish I got paid in Amazon.com gift cards because I am obsessed. I even got an Amazon Mom Prime account :) Yeah, I'm your average 23 year old - not. You get TONS of great deals and free two-day shipping! What's not to love?

Cravings: Mediterranean Food & Mexican Food

I'm feeling the international love these past few weeks. Creamy hummus, spicy salsa, fresh tabbouleh, etc. We're even making green chile chicken enchiladas tonight for supper!

Misses: Sleeping in!

I know, I know: get used to it. I would just really appreciate a day where my body would let me sleep past 7:40am. 

xox.

   Riley

30 weeks.

thirty. flirty. & thriving!

(did you get that 13 Going On 30 reference? just checking.)

30 weeks!

Definitely showing now. I can barely squeeze into my shirts... as you can see.

There's a little cubby in there! Ha!

Not much news this week. There's still PLENTY of work to be done in the nursery. We've been traveling back and forth to Ohio for the past 3 months so once we can settle down we will really get to work on getting our girl all set up.

Cravings: Mediterranean Food

YUM! Maybe I just have a taste for this now that the weather is so nice?!

Misses: Beeeeeer

It's Oberon & Sam's Summer Ale season! I'd like to participate ..

Xox
Riley

Our Week: in pictures

This was one CRAZY, BUSY week! Instead of boring you with lots of details - We thought these pictures would be worth THOUSANDS of words ;)

we caught up on some reading

we ventured to the farmer's market

farmer's market

farmer's market

we went to the VT international festival downtown

 VT international festival

 VT international festival

this is why blacksburg is so diverse - it's like being in the UN ;)

 VT international festival

we ate some delicious Egyptian food

Rob had his first Sam Adams Summer Ale of the season

at our favorite tree house bar

in some gorgeous spring weather

we made peach cobbler a la mode

this precious peach turned 22!

I got to play with some babies :)

and eat yummy snacks

and STILL got some birthday presents!

All in all, this week rocked.

xox

    Riley & Rob

29 weeks.

It's official: I can no longer zip my jeans.
Not loving the feeling, but reminding myself it's only temporary.

Thank goodness for the belly band, leggings, yoga pants, pajama pants, nighties, maxi dresses, and all other forgiving articles of clothing :)

Our OB appointment went well this week. We had our growth ultrasound and Rowan is measuring perfectly!  God is so good. She is unready positioned with her head on my bladder and her bottom in my ribs - which is really comfortable- for her. She is also estimated to weigh in at about 3.1 pounds. The ultrasound technician tried for about 10 minutes to get a cute picture of her for us to take home; but as usual, she was not in the mood for pictures and would not cooperate :/ At around 32 weeks we will have another growth ultrasound where they can use 4D technology to get a better look at her features! We can't wait to see who she looks like. Rob predicts she has a "button" nose like me. I'm crossing my fingers in hopes she has green eyes! We won't know that for a while even after she's born - but that's my only superficial hope. Other than that we're praying she's a happy, healthy little girl.

I have packed on 12 pounds in total pregnancy weight gain (feels like 30lbs with this protruding belly!) with about 8-10 weeks to go. Of course, I always have an appointment weigh in after big family get-togethers where I pig out on all the yummy food. Oh well, c'est la vie.

I ordered Jillian Michael's 30 Day Shred from Amazon in preparation for post baby work outs! It was part of my birthday gift... to myself.

bring it on!

This week we took an infant CPR class at our birthing center. It was just us an one other couple for an hour of instruction. The class was decent and we practiced pushes and breaths on a little baby doll - which made us feel a little silly - but we feel that much more prepared to care for our baby. 

Rob & "franken-baby" - see the screws in his neck?

see the resemblance? ha!

We go back to the birthing center for our weekend "prepared childbirth class" the first weekend of May. Then the next time we go back will be to bring little Rowan into the world!

We are excited. nervous. scared. anxious. 

blessed.

Cravings: Chocolate Covered Nuts

mostly peanuts & almonds

Misses: Wearing my regular jeans

:( I never thought I would miss wearing real pants. I guess it is just the fact that I couldn't even if I wanted.

xox

    Riley

Tribute to Twenty-Two

22 was good to me. 

twenty-two in pictures

It was a whirlwind, really; one big, beautiful, blur. I managed to cram so many milestones into just one year:

0: 22nd birthday (March)

1: graduated from college with my bachelor's degree (May)

2: finally married my best friend (July)

3: moved to Virginia (July)

4: started a new job (August)

5: honeymooned in Europe (September)

6: SURPRISE! got pregnant (September)

Honorable mentions:

1: accidentally dyed my hair red, again

2: got my first few pieces of Tiffany & Co. jewelry - my first blue box!

3: followed the Irish to the National Championship game (let's not talk about the outcome)

4: developed an allergy to kiwi

5: started a blog!

First things first for 23? HAVE A BABY!

Life is crazy. Crazy wonderful.

Here's hoping 23 will be just as blessed. Thank you, 22!

xox 

    Riley