Guest Post from Bunny at 86’N It.

I've moved at least every 4 years since I was 16. Germany, Ohio, Philadelphia, North Carolina, Texas, Arizona, New York, New Jersey, and now North Carolina again. All those places in the last 17 years. If you divide it up, it is moving more often than every 2 years. Wow. And that is not counting all the apartment moves in each of those places. I became a maverick at moving. I love moving. I loved whittling my belongings down to what would fit in my Pontiac LeMans.

I've been living at my current address (the crack house) for over 4 years. 4 years, 2 months and 26 days to be exact. And it's getting to me. Big. Time. The amount of stuff we have accumulated and filled this house with is astounding. We moved here those 4 years ago from a 400sf apartment we shared, but have somehow managed to overfill these ~2,300sf in such a short time.

Our first night in the crack house.

Lately, I've been having this fantasy about moving. It has been creeping up on me for probably 6 months, but really came to a head when my sister was cleaning my mom's basement pantry (i.e. grocery store/bomb shelter) and found 11 year old popcorn. 11 years old. Older than all her grandchildren. Said popcorn has sat on a shelf while I moved around to 4 different states. Guess what my mom said: "It's still good!" Straight outta every Hoarder's episode right before the crazy old lady eats a carton of spoiled yogurt. My compulsive moving/ unbelievable desire to purge my belongings might be the result of my mom's slight hoarding issue. Wouldn't you know, I'm 33 and still rebelling?

Problem with my desire to move is I love Asheville, I love my friends, I love my three jobs, and I even love this crack house (most of the time). So lately, I've been dreaming of a new solution: I want to fake move.

Yes, fake move. I want to rent a truck, load all of our belongings into boxes, throwing out Marc's 300 t-shirts, at least half of my 72 pairs of shoes, our hundreds of old magazines and all of the crap tucked under beds and in the basement. 

Then, I want to drive around the block or however long it takes us to realize that we don't need half the junk that ended up loaded into the van. Next, we will park the van where you park vans: the Walmart parking lot. We will live in the van long enough for a cleaning company to completely clean and de-spider, then we will paint all the rooms that need painting. (Rooms like, oh, you know, like the one that still has half-naked lady graffiti or the two other rooms that I only gave one coat to mask the dirt and unidentified stains.) {Note from Michelle… click that last link, I’m loving the pic of Marc with his porn mustache and the graffiti wall in the background.}

Next, we will do the big item: We will organize. We will take stock of all the stuff we have decided not to purge and figure out where every single thing is going to go. I mean every single thing. Extra diaper cream: gets a basket. Our one million black sharpies: in a bin on the new desk. We will raid the Ikea shelving section. We will built Marc the pegboard walls in the basement to hang all our tools on, each with their own outlined spot. (Seriously, it would be like porn to him.)

Image from wallcontrol.com

Finally, we will move back in. It will no longer take me 30 minutes to find the spare AAA batteries. I won't own spices from when I lived in Tucson 12 years ago. And maybe, just maybe I'll be able to sit on the couch for 5 minutes without feeling the insatiable itch to move it all again.

I think she might be on to something with this fake move, I’m in!  Bunny is one of my daily doses of sanity, the friend you can call at 2 am because she goes to bed with her phone, the rock you can lean on when times get crazy, I only wish she didn’t live 8 hours away.  She blogs all of her ‘crack house’ reno projects and cute baby pics over at 86’N It.  You can stalk her on Facebook here and you should, she’s highly entertaining.

Guest Post Lisa from Mommy’s Nest

Hello Friends of So Wonderful, So Marvelous.  Thanks for coming by to read today even if Michelle is a "tad busy".  My name is Lisa, I blog as Mommy Lisa at Mommy's Nest.  Today I am going to tell you the story of my Boo Boo La La - reference reading if you want to know WHY I call her that - Okay, so, Once Upon a Time....

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I endured fertility treatments for three years.  But this is not the story about that.  There are many stories by people who told their tale along the way on blogs - and better writers to tell those stories.  Me?  I pick up my story for you August 5, 2005 at my doctor's office.  It is the day we got a great ultrasound and found out that "Squirmin' Herman" was a girl.

She finally uncrossed her cute little legs so they could tell this would be our sweet daughter to add to my daughter and son-by marriage.  Funny enough I was sure I would have a boy - and the kids WANTED, were DESPERATE, that their new sibling be a girl...

 

Time progressed and I felt TERRIFIC, except for that little car accident I was in at 35 weeks it was pretty uneventful.  Passing all tests with flying colors, not gaining too much weight, sleeping okay - and the bonus of the car accident?  I got to have EIGHT pregnancy massages paid for by my car insurance!  Heaven.  And my massage therapist is also a doula, so I got some great last minute advice and an offer to have a session of learning baby massage.  *sigh* So awesome.  Her best tip?  Drink Emergen-C while you are in labor.  Once every four hours a glass.  She said it helps with your energy level and my OB/Gyn was totally cool with it too. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

My doctor decided to schedule an induction for January 9, my sweet Boo Boo La La's due date.  Mommy takes HBP medication so they didn't want Boo Boo in there any longer than necessary.  We dropped the kids off at their mom's, ate some good Chinese food, and dropped the car off to get repaired.  One last picture and we called the hospital to make sure they were ready for us!  They were.  We headed over to check in.

For those of you who have never been induced I need to explain that I was not dilated much when I checked into the hospital.  They knew/expected that and the doctor had ordered medication to soften my cervix.  I was told that very rarely this medication puts you into labor, I would have it twice that night, and in the morning they would start Pitocin.

We were watching television, still disagreeing over Boo Boo's middle name, and generally just trying to relax.  We fell asleep.  But I woke about 2 am feeling AWFUL.  I went to the bathroom because I felt like throwing up, realized I was going to faint from the feeling I was having and PULLED THAT CORD to call the nurse.  Yeah, they came RUNNING!  It was crazy.

They hooked me up with some oxygen because the baby's heart rate got low from the commotion.  I kept asking, "Am I in labor?" and the response they kept giving me was, "No, you are not having contractions."  About 6:30 am I said, "If this is not labor you better order me some drugs because I am NOT comfortable."   They said they would, but it was shift change so it would probably be a little bit before someone could get to me...

I waited.

I waited some more.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

My dear nurse Shirley came in finally to say they had someone to hook up the epidural and the Pitocin.  She just wanted to check how dilated I was first.

 

Now I need to tell you about Shirley.  She was as no-nonsense as they come.  That is her over there on the left.  She was totally calm when she came to pull me off the bathroom floor and give me oxygen.  She moved quickly and with purpose.  But what happened when she checked my cervix probably caused a momentary panic in dear old Shirley.  You see my water broke and immediately Boo Boo's head shot down the birth canal. 

Her head popped up and Shirley said, "DON'T PUSH!" What do you mean "don't push" her head is right there isn't it? "Don't push." and she rushed out to the hall.  At the desk the other nurse was on the phone with my doctor telling him they were getting me set with Pitocin and everything was going fine when Shirley rushed out and said that Boo Boo was on her way.  She apparently likes to make her own entrance - Pitocin be damned - we wanted to be the RARE case!

They grabbed a random doctor in the hall and he came in and started talking.  I sat up and said, "Wait, what was your name again?"  "Doctor Block" he replied.  I said, "Okay cool, let's go."  and I was having a baby without drugs.  Which was actually what I wanted.

T-bone asked me if I wanted him to get the camera, I probably scowled at him. 

My regular doctor hit land-speed records racing from Edina to Minneapolis and got there in time to sew me up.  The baby was already weighed, cleaned, checked, foot-printed and being held by Daddy.  He looked at my when he got there and said, "You did good kid."  The story of my birth was the gossip of my doctor's practice for a good couple of months.  I know because when I went for my check-up six weeks later the nurse I saw said, "Oh YOU'RE the one."  Shirley had even said that whatever I did to "...pop that kid out ought to be bottled and sold."

There are people who will tell you it takes FOREVER after your water breaks for the baby to be born...for me it was about twenty minutes from the time Shirley checked me to when we welcomed Boo Boo La La.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Here is to all birth stories everywhere...

p.s. I won on the middle name because I gave birth without drugs.  Her middle name?  Claire, after my Dad's middle name.

p.p.s. My Dad now LOVES his middle name.

 

Lisa is one of those people that if we lived closer to each other, I could see myself being great friends with.  She is so sweet, funny, and she blogs with awesomeness daily at Mommy’s Nest.  Go see her!

Guest Post from Jessica at Acting Adult

I hate starting a post. Do you remember when you were in middle school and had to write an essay? And you opened the Microsoft Word on your computer and just stared at it. Somehow, the blank expanse of computer screen was so intimidating. A blank piece of paper on my desk during a test did the same thing. Complete and utter FEAR. That's what it's like when I started this guest post for Michelle. I honestly didn't know what I was going to write about. Then I went to the dentist. I think I do my best thinking during those looooong sessions in the dental hygienist's chair.

Now, I do take care of myself. Dentist every six month, doctor every year for a check up in all the ways you're supposed to. We're lucky to have health insurance, so I take advantage of it and keep myself healthy. I'm the only bread winner as a law school spouse, after all.

But being that busy spouse, I haven't had time to get to the dentist recently. And when I went the other day, I definitely paid for it.

While in the dentist's chair, trying to have a conversation about the Bachelorette premiere with my mouth wide open, ahh-ing and ooo-ing at the appropriate moments, it happened.

I was chastised for not flossing enough.

I don't FLOSS enough?!

ME?!

Oh my. I felt HORRIBLE. Embarrassed. ASHAMED.

I don't floss enough.

I must be a terrible person.

Oh dear...

Maybe someone in the next chair over heard that I didn't floss enough.

I really hope they didn't...

Because that would not be good...

They'll know I'm a horrible person who doesn't like to put a ridiculously skinny piece of string in between each of my teeth every single day of my life...
Ok, that's kind of ridiculous. I appreciate that I should take better care of my gums. They are the only ones I'm going to get. But why did I feel so bad when she told me that? Aren't I paying her to clean me up and send me on my way? Isn't it kind of a service industry where she should make me feel better about myself, like giving me vanity sizing like my stylist does?

I'm lying, I don't have a stylist. And I know the hygienist is just there to keep me healthy.

But does she have to make me feel so bad? I didn't even have a cavity. Shouldn't that count for something?

Does anyone else ever feel chastised by our health providers? I feel like I should start a help group for people like us. It would help me at least.

 

Jess is a twenty-something actress, law school spouse, Disney LOVAH, and she does crazy shit like clean out her closets for no good reason, which is why we are friends.  She entertains daily at Acting Adult not to be confused with Adult Acting, she is not THAT kind of girl.  Pop over and pay her a visit! 

Guest Post Ashlee from My Spoiled Eggs

 

Hi fellow So Wonderful, So Marvelous lovers! I'm so glad to be here, for several reasons. One, any time spent at SWSM is a good time, and two I'm here because Michelle is having a baby!! Love! Anyway, I know you don't know me, and I probably don't know you (except I probably do because I'm a major blog stalker) so I figured when most people meet for the first time they keep it light and fluffy! So as to not mess with the norm, I shall give you my light and fluffy list of things that make me happy.

10 Things That Make Me Happy (in no particular, but in a very strategic order)

1. My husband Collin. He's a toy designer by day, and the best daddy and husband by night (actually he's a good daddy and husband all the time but I had to go with the saying). He's quirky enough that there's never a dull moment, but steady enough to be a man. My man. Mmmm.

2. My son Nolan. We adopted Nolan a few weeks ago and my life has never been better. I mean that. He's a little nugget of love and I've trained him to accept an astounding amount of kisses. He's my fave.

3. The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints. I was baptized into this church at age 8 and each day, my life is blessed because I know that Jesus Christ is my Savior and that there's a prophet (just like Moses, Abraham, etc.) on the earth today. One of my favorite parts of the gospel of Jesus Christ is that families can be together forever. I love the thought of being with Nolan and Collin for eternity!!

4. Reading. This may come as a shock to anybody who knows me. I used to HATE reading. But ever since I graduated from college (a whopping month ago) I have gained a new love for reading material of my own choice that has nothing to do with anything. Bliss!

5. Game-shows. What?! Yep. Wheel of Fortune, Jeopardy, Let's Make A Deal, Family Feud, The Weakest Link (you know you miss it), Deal of No Deal, Minute To Win It (or as my mom says, win it in a minute), $100,000 Pyramid. I love them all! Must come from years of watching the Game Show Network with my grandma.

6. Music. I majored in Music Therapy and that's because I have a firm belief in the power of music. I'm in to a lot of indie right now, but I'll always be a fan of anything with a beat, it doesn't even have to be a steady beat!

7. Good fries. I good french fry is an essential part of my happy life. Especially when accompanied by some good fry sauce.

8. Sleeping in. Remember that hunk of a husband I mentioned earlier? Well he and I made a deal. I take the middle of the night shift with baby Nolan, and Collin takes the early, early morning shift (we're talking 4:00a.m. sometimes). That allows me to sleep in (like 7:00 or 8:00) almost every day and that my friends (we're friends now, right?) is true love.

9. Fires. I could sit by a fire all day long, even in the heat of summer (which I've actually been known to do). There's just something so cozy about a tiny flame.

10. Good people. When I am around good people I usually end up crying happy tears. There's something about having good conversation that doesn't include vanity, gossip, or talk of mean things that really makes me happy. Don't get me wrong, I am not one of those "good" people all the time, or even most of the time, which is probably why good people have such an impact on me. I just like nice people. A lot. And Michelle is absolutely one of those good people.

I'm so happy to have been here. I'm so happy for Michelle. And I'm so happy to have "met" all of you! Come visit me anytime. :)

 

Ashlee and I ‘met’ when she asked me to guest blog our infertility story at her blog My Spoiled Eggs.  She has since gone on to adopt her sweet baby boy and I could not be happier for her.  While she is a Mama now, she continues to write and share stories of infertility and has created a wonderful community of women battling the same.  Go see her!

Guest Post from The Cape on the Corner

I'm wonderful, I'm marvelous. Ok, maybe i'm not, but Michelle is.  I may have found her blog so wonderful, so marvelous through her son's room makeover, but i stayed for her snark.  Snark is not a bad thing, people, when you pair it with its S sisters known as Sarcasm and Sass.  Then it's a perfect trifecta of laugh out loud award winning goodness. Who am i, you ask.  Well, i blog over at the cape on the corner, and for the most part i refuse to use capitalization.  It irks me.  It impedes my typing process.  I like snark.

 

 

When i'm not stealing things from my mother in law that she's trying to make a profit of off, like this super cute table she had in the attic:

 

or drumming up ways to de-brownify my living room...

 

I may be assisting the boyfriend in painting the master bedroom.  And by assist, i mean follow him around the room holding an industrial sized light fixture and handing him the paintbrush at his request.  I'm thoughtful like that.  But it looks so purdy, no? 

 

He does a bang up job, that man.  And i'm not too shabby in the decor department, if you know what i'm sayin.'  That's...that's exactly i'm saying.

While i'm here because Michelle's having/had another wee one, the only wee one around the cape is this fantastically adorable sweetest of all sweets,

my girl Sunday.  Obsessed is putting it mildly!

 

Other things about me i'm sure you're dying to know include, but are not limited to:

 

Likes: the aforementioned snark and sarcasm, good deals in any clearance aisle, diy network, words, word puzzles, netflix, autumn and halloween (the most wonderful time of the year).

 

Dislikes: bees, humidity, bathroom humor, tea, unreturned carts left in the parking lot, U2, cancer.

 

I also love finding new blogs, so please come on over and introduce yourself.  Do we share any likes or dislikes?

 

  Thanks again, Michelle, for asking me to be here.  You rock, my friend!

 

Follow the sass, lack of capitalization, & house porn daily over at Cape on the Corner.  Or on Facebook.  Or on Pinterest.

Guest Post from Megan at Little Life on the Prairie

Hello, friends and congratulations to Michelle! My name is Megan (although lately I've been answering to "Mommy - its mine! MIIIIINE") and I write over at Little Life on the Prairie. I am so excited to be guest blogging here at So Wonderful, So Marvelous today: first, because it means Baby Girl has arrived and, second, because I felt it was an honor to be asked.

When Michelle first approached me, I had no idea what I would present to you, but my daughter needs some wall art and I'm cheap so the idea for a tutorial was obvious. Along with that is some simply breath-taking photographs by yours truly and a list of lessons learned along the way. (I'm a "fly-by-the-seat-of-my-pants" type of crafter, so I learn a lot of lessons.)

You will need:

• (2) 8x11 sheets of cardstock
• 2 pieces of patterned fabric or paper (I used fabric.)
• a pencil
• a pen (I used a Pigma Micron 01 with a .25mm line width.)
• an Exacto knife
• Glue (I used Modge Podge) or, if you're using paper, adhesive photo squares
• Q-tips, art sponges, or something of the sort
• a frame matted to hold an 8x10 picture

First, and this is a must, on a sheet of copy paper practice your lay out and scripting. Even if you have The World's Best Erasure Ever, don't try winging it on the real deal if you plan on hanging this on your wall. Remember, practice makes perfect. Also, try to keep your practice sheet away from your artistic two-year old or its not very useful for reference later. (If you don't feel like scripting everything out yourself, you can do this step on a computer; this would be especially nice for the border.)

Once you have everything just the way you like it (with a side of candied pecans for me, thanks), pencil it lightly onto one of the sheets of cardstock. You want it just dark enough that you can see it, but light enough that it will erase easily. Remember to either double-line or bold the words you will be cutting out, as well as the border.

Using your Exacto knife - or in my case, Exacto-knife-wanna-be - cut out your words, reserving the inner parts of any loopy letters, and border. For me, those letters were the capital "L" and lower-case "o" and "e". Don't loose these or your letters will look kind of funky. Unless your going for a funky look, then loose them with great abandon.

If you're doing a border, you will have 2 large pieces plus the innards. Do a double check on the innards. Got 'em? Good.

Now its time to make sure your script is absolutely perfect. Whip out your pen and go over it. Should you, like me, be going for a super-sketched look, go over and over and over it, not caring if it follows the exact line or path you drew previously. This is my favorite type of scripting because if you make a mistake, no one has to know.

If you printed yours, cheater, you can skip this step.

Next, use your glue to adhere the piece of paper or fabric you would like to use as your border to the second 8x11 piece of cardstock. Don't worry too much about getting the edges lined up perfectly if you'll be framing it. If the paper begins to wrinkle and curl, place it on a flat surface and stick a heavy book on top of it for a while. Or, if you're a scrapbooker with mad skills (hi, Aunt Mary!), use one of those nifty acrylic roller things. I used to have one, but I lost it.

When that is mostly dry and definitely flat, figure out where your second piece of fabric/paper needs to go (this one highlights your word) and place that one. Repeat the bit that makes it lie flat if you need to. This is a prime time to get some laundry done, or explain to your son why Thomas the Train doesn't like playing in the mud puddle created by the garden hose.

This is the most challenging part. Of course, that doesn't mean a whole lot - this is a pretty easy project, but whatever. Place and adhere the outer piece of your border to the fabric, followed by the inner piece. It took me three tries before I got it just right.

When those two pieces are in place, glue down your innards. Take a break to admire your handy-work and then put up to dry in a place not easily reached by your two-year old monkey...um...child. Two-year old child.

Finally! Pop that sucker in a frame, put it on your wall and wait for your friends to comment on it. Then, and this is important, preen a bit and nonchalantly say, "Well, it only took an hour or so, but it is pretty nice, isn't it?"

Ok, now back to reality. Its time for "Lessons Learned".

1. Before you start, measure and mark 8x10. I did not, which is why mine doesn't have a top border: its hiding under the matte. If you don't, under no circumstances admit to your partner that it wasn't on purpose.

2. Do not use Q-tips to apply your glue. It takes way, way to long and your paper will start to curl. Also, the cotton will start to detach from the stick and you'll have a wierd, gross cotton trail. Ick.

3. If using fabric, apply the glue to the fabric and not to the paper. This will prevent curling. (I hate curling! Hate it, I say!)

Thank you again to Michelle, for including me; I hope you are getting plenty of rest and enjoying your little one. And to everyone else, cheers!

 

Megan blogs about her life, craftiness, motherhood, and awesome {not that I am jealous or anything, but just LOOK at the chocolate ceiling and those are BEFORE pics!} new house over at Little Life on the Prairie.  You can follow her on Flickr.  Or on Pinterest.

Guest Post Tiffany from Diary of a Fun Ruiner.

Our bedtime routing is pretty standard around here.  Baths, books, breathing treatment (for Ryder), brush teeth and into bed.  It used to be really easy - Emmerson and Ryder would get into bed and lay quietly until they fell asleep.  I should have known it couldn't last forever.

For reasons I've yet to determine (other than he likes screwing with me) Ryder recently decided just going to bed for mom and dad was over-rated and began to protest.  He was telling us he was scared of bats.  And vampires.  And scawee guys.  And outside.  This was usually followed up by requesting some milk.  And for me to tickle his back.  On top of these shenanigans, he'd come down in the middle of the night wanting to sleep in our bed.  I'd have to get out of bed, take him back up to his room and get him back to sleep.  If I was lucky, he wouldn't wake the baby but there were many times he thought it was a lot of fun to piss me off in the middle of the night.

Needless to say, this business was about to put me over the edge.  It's rough enough to be up at least once a night with the baby, but this game was making me look like I'd been a 2 week drinking binge over morning.  Clearly, something had to be done.

And that's when I got the most brilliant idea I've had to date.

Me:  Ryder, do you know that when you sleep you grow?  And you know what else?  Mommy doesn't really want you to grow anymore.  In fact, I've been thinking about giving your shrinking pills so I can keep you teeny, tiny forever.

Ryder:  But mom, I have to gwow.  Dat's what people do.

Me:  But I want to make sure you're my little guy forever.  I just don't need you to grown any bigger than you are, so I'd really like it if you just wouldn't sleep anymore.

Ryder:  Mo-ooom.  I don't want to stay wittle foreva.  I want to get big wike dad.

Me:  Well, I don't think we'll have anymore of that growing business so whatever you do, don't sleep.

And guess what?  He went right to sleep and stayed in his bed all night long.  And has ever since.  Just another way for me to prove to Zach that I rock mommy-hood.

Tiffany is one of my favorites, her stories are hilarious, her kids are cute as hell, and she tells it like it is.  You can find her blogging about all her mom awesomeness at Diary of a Fun Ruiner.  Or on Facebook.  Or on Twitter.  Go on over and follow her, I won’t be too jealous. 

Guest Post from Melissa at The Scarlet Cardinal

Hi Everyone!  I am so thrilled to be guest posting for you today while Michelle takes care of her new little girl.  When Michelle asked me to guest post I couldn't believe it.  You see, I have been reading So Wonderful, So Marvelous for quite some time... waaaaaay before I ever had a blog.  And when I did finally create The Scarlet Cardinal, my blog about life in Philly and adventures at home, I finally came out of lurkdom and commented on Michelle's blog.  She was one of my very first bloggy friends, and continues to be a great support and hilarious confidante as I grow my little corner of the blogosphere. 

I don't need to tell you all how fabulous Michelle is, and so I felt a little bit of pressure to write a great post for all of you.  And so while thinking about Michelle and all the amazing people I've interacted with due to blogging, I was inspired.  I love my imaginary blog friends and they bring laughter and fun to my every day. In fact, I think they are way better than some of my friends that I have actually met in real life.

So without further ado, the top 10 reasons why bloggers make the best friends:

1. Your blog friends appreciate your quirky/snarky/goofy sense of humor and love you for it.  Or, at least you can't see them roll their eyes at your corny jokes.

2. You can know intimate details of their lives without ever having a conversation and that doesn't make you a creeper!

3. They will share your great recipes, tell you how snazzy your profile photo is, AND retweet that funny thing your dog did all in the same day. 

4. They will never judge the way you look.  Since they don't see you every day, they have no idea you've gained 5  10lbs and so they will always think you look fabulous. 

5. They love your mod podge obsession/glitter mania/curtain collection and probably have one of their own.  Therefore, you're no longer "the weird craft girl" in your circle.

6. They are always up on the latest and greatest and can help you find a great deal on it too!

7. They will always have the best ideas for that party you're planning, and won't judge you for using pom poms as decor, since even though they are so last season, none of us are really over that trend....right?

8. You can bond over a meal without fear that they will see the food in your teeth or the BBQ stain on your shirt.

9. You can learn from each other!  Learn about new cities or countries, great restaurants, how to make that whachamacallit all by yourself, how to deal as a parent, or just about anything else you can think of. 

10. Finally, your fellow bloggers support you-ALWAYS!  They leave encouraging comments, and helpful tips.  They might let you know about a possible sponsor, or sponsor you themselves!   They won't laugh at you when you say you have no clue what HTML is, and they will help you navigate and grow your blog.  And they DEFINITELY don't think it's silly that you write about your life and share it with "strangers" because let's be honest...we're all family here anyway. 

Thank you all for having me, and I hope we can become blog friends soon!  Feel free to visit me anytime!

 

Melissa is a Chicago girl transplanted to Philly.  She blogs about her fair city, life as a newlywed, and her Big Goals for 2011.  Get yourself over to The Scarlet Cardinal and say hello!

Guest Post Meg from House Notes

Well hello there! My name is Meg and I am the proud owner of the blog House Notes. Usually I'm a cheap Goodwill diy makeover kind of girl, but in honor of Ms. So Wonderful, So Marvelous and her inspiration to me, I'm foraying into parties today.

Let me just say that I am no Michelle. She makes everything look so amazing and effortless. I, on the other hand, usually have grandiose visions that are above and beyond my capabilities and time constraints. And no matter how much I dream of classy and sophisticated, I usually land on raucous keg party.

This time around, I was determined to create an elegant setting using some of the inspiration I'd gleaned from Michelle. Here are a few shots of the space I put together for our Southern Soiree:

I wrapped the deck in twinkle lights and adorned the tables with tea lights and citronella votives to keep the party well lit after sunset and bug free. The temperature was surprisingly pleasant.

 

 

(The hurricane lamps at the ends of the table are my great grandmother's)



 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

To keep my expectations in check, the total cost down, and my to-do list more manageable, we included a 'tapas cook off' as part of the festivities.

The top dishes were: coconut shrimp, dates stuffed with almonds and wrapped in bacon, bang bang shrimp and pecan crusted goat cheese drizzled in honey. I kept my contribution easy with a smattering of appetizers:

Now, I admit I got closer to classy and sophisticated than I have in the past, but the paper lanterns I purchased never ended up hanging from the trees ( silly I know, but I was stoked to find eyelet paper lanterns) and we all ended up hammered.

 

Plus, we all picked our nose...

 



I'm also pretty sure we probably infuriated the neighbors with our loud drunken singing at 3 in the morning. Especially when I kept screaming "white person party!" as we sang terribly to Bon Jovi.

 

But it sure was fun!

 

So, Michelle, tell us your secret! How do you manage to put together parties that belong in Home and Garden magazines but still have so much fun?

 

And can you do me one BIG favor? Cuddle and coo and kiss all over that beautiful baby girl for me! Congrats on your precious little bundle of joy! What a lucky girl she is!!



I am pretty sure that this post illustrates just why I love Miss Meg so much, she’s sweet, she’s from Georgia, and she knows how to have a good time.  She is endlessly creative and I am still trying to convince her to give me the fabulous red filing cabinet she made over ages ago, it’s just that awesome.  She can be found blogging {not often enough!} at House Notes, go over and fall in love with her style yourself or follow her on Twitter.

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Roxy & National Prematurity Awareness Day

Sam is one of my readers.  She sent me an email asking me if I would mind helping her this week and when she told me why, I was MORE than happy to lend her my {and your} ears.  Please take just a minute to read Roxy's story as told by her Mama, Sam. 

And Sam?  Thank you for letting me be a small part in helping you tell your story.

A little background: During a routine checkup, the doctors found out I had developed preeclampsia. I was given steroid shots to strengthen Roxy’s lungs and we were told that we would try to hold out 48 hours before delivery. I was already having contractions and Roxy was in position to deliver. About twelve hours later, I was wheeled away for an emergency C-section because Roxy was in distress and my kidneys were starting to decrease in urine output.

Our miracle baby Roxy was born 11 weeks premature. She weighed in at a whopping 1 pound, 9 ounces and was a mere 14 inches long (She was estimated to weigh approximately 2 pounds, 10 ounces). She was born with a head full of black hair and immediately whisked away from us to be taken care of. For us, the delivery room was silent - no newborn screams filling the air - and my husband got to cut Roxy's umbilical cord and then watch as the doctors began performing resuscitation on her.

We weren't in a normal situation where the waiting grandparents could see the newborn in the nursery. Everyone was in the room with me after delivery awaiting the anxious arrival of Roxy. We were told that she was too small to stay in the nursery at the hospital we were at. She would have had to weigh in as expected to be big enough. She was being transferred to a bigger university hospital with a better equipped Level 3 NICU. Although the idea of transferring me to the other hospital was tossed around, it was decided that it would be best for me to stay where I was. This was on Saturday.

What seemed like hours and hours later, they finally wheeled Roxy into my room so that I could see her for the first time and the only time before they transported her.

My little micropreemie came into my room in an incubator and was strapped in for transport with straps that looked to be as big as she was. She was on a ventilator. She was screaming to let us know she wasn't happy and her screams could barely be heard - her voice was as small as she was. We spent about ten minutes with her adoring her and I was able to touch her teeny hand. Her entire hand wasn't as big as the last joint of my index finger. Then they wheeled her away and it was almost two more days before I saw her again.

The following Monday, Labor Day, was the first time I was allowed to leave my hospital to go to hers and visit. Learning the NICU was an event all in itself. Roxy was only allowed to have two visitors at a time, one of which had to be a parent. Eventually, this was limited even further to only parents and biological grandparents. We had to stop at a reception desk and be buzzed back into the nurseries. We were only allowed to visit during certain hours - every three with an hour break in between. We learned how to scrub up as we went in. The first time you walk up to your baby's incubator, you see tubes and wires and hear machines beeping and groaning.

Its scary. Every little bleep had me looking at Roxy's monitor to see if it was her.

That was our life for almost the entire time Roxy was in the NICU. Roxy spent a total of 67 days in the NICU. We did have several scares. Roxy developed a staph infection soon after being admitted into the hospital. Then they thought she had developed another one.  After that they thought she developed NEC (which is potentially fatal to premature infants), she was routinely checked for Retinopathy of Prematurity (ROP) which is common in premature infants and would affect her eyesight. She had several ultrasounds of her brain to make sure she didn't have a hemorrhage (intraventricular hemorrhages can cause several problems in premature infants from minor to severe) and generally made sure that anything that could possibly be wrong with her, wasn't.

The NICU is a rollercoaster ride. It has ups and it has several downs.

She was transferred to a Level 2 Nursery before she was discharged. We were in that nursery for just about two weeks before Roxy came home. That was the nursery where she was discharged from her incubator into a heated bed (her "big girl bed"). Roxy was discharged on November 11, 2009. It was the best day ever for me. It was frightening, but joyful!

Since Roxy's been home, we've only had a few scares. We stayed quarantined for most of the winter. But we've been so very fortunate. We've had an ultrasound of her head and her back to make sure there were no neurological complications and that her Grade I IVF (brain hemorrhage) left no lasting damage. Both came back perfect. Each trip to the NICU Grad Clinic and pediatrician are good. At the last NICU checkup they indicated that she appears advanced for her adjusted age.

She took off crawling and jabbering just before her first birthday. She's a happy and healthy baby and for that we are thankful. Now, at 14 months, she's walking and talking. She has about eight teeth in various stages of coming in. She's got attitude, she's got spunk, and most importantly, she always has a smile for everyone.

Not all babies are as lucky as Roxy. For that reason, we have joined with the March of Dimes to help all babies have a chance...for survival, for health, for a good beginning.

March of Dimes has a mission that all babies will be born healthy. Their focus is not only on premature babies like Roxy, but rather all babies. We’re fighting for those who are too small to fight for themselves. Please check out the March of Dimes website or join the cause by creating a team for your local March.

Our fight will not be over until all babies are born healthy!

The LAST Summer Guest Blogger Friday! It's Meg from House Notes!

My summer guest blogger series, just like summer itself, has come to an end.  I wanted to say a special thank you to all of the lovely, wonderful, spectacularly entertaining women who shared their words with you every Friday this summer.  I hope that my readers have discovered some new blog finds too.

Meg is one of my favorite house reads, she's sweet, she's sassy, and she's talented.  What I really adore about her though is she makes decorating accessible to everyone.  Sometimes decorating bloggers have an unlimited budget or perks, but Meg shows you how to achieve a high end, yet still liveable look for pennies.  I'd like to call it decorating for the rest of us.  She's not afraid to roll up her sleeves and work hard to make her house into a beautiful home.  If you haven't visited House Notes yet, I'm guessing that after you see her work you'll be paying her a visit... now if I could only get her up here to help me re-do the living room.  By the way Meg?  I need that filing cabinet and the turquoise lamp too!  LOVE.


Well, hello! My name is Meg and I’m a frugal newlywed that loves the environment as much as I love decorating. Thanks to lots of bargain shopping and a few cans of paint, I’ve been able to do my part in reducing and reusing all while designing on a dime.We all love a good before and after, so today’s post will highlight some of my favorite transformations through a little Goodwill Hunting and the power of paint. Let’s get started, shall we? Lee and I had almost nothing when we got married. We did, however, have his childhood bedroom furniture. After getting his permission, I went to town with some white paint and black spray paint for the knobs and pulls. Before:

 

After:

We did the same thing for a cute $15 night stand that we spotted at Goodwill: Before:

After:

This little filing cabinet was also spotted at Goodwill for $15. I simply added some red spray paint and scrapbook paper, and voila! Better off red. Before:

After:

And when we needed a chandelier to glam up our dining room? I spray painted a $10 one from Goodwill! Before:

After:

How about another way to save the environment? My husband and I have saved quite a bit of paper by converting a Goodwill mirror into a chalkboard using chalkboard spray paint. Perfect for grocery lists! Before:

After:

Up next, my very first furniture makeover ever: a $45 armoire that my mom bought from a friend. Puke green wasn’t quite my style. Before:

After:

And finally, my favorite Goodwill transformation to date, a little project I like to call the “Economic Recovering.” My MIL tracked down these cute chairs for 11 bucks each. I could smell the potential (and thankfully nothing else):

I located my favorite fabric at Joann (in indoor/outdoor material to save money and increase its stain resiliency)on super sale for 50% off the regular price. We then researched our way to the cheapest local upholsterer, and the rest is history!

And there you have it! Saving pieces of potential from the trash and also keeping some green in your pocket. With a little bit of vision and paint, everybody wins!

I’d like to thank Michelle very much for letting me take over So Wonderful, So Marvelous today. It’s not every day you come across someone with such wit (not to mention hilarious advice and insanely yummy recipes), and I am a huge fan of hers. This blog is one of my very favorite online haunts.

If you adore a fun furniture or paint makeover like I do, feel free to visit House Notes as I transform just about everything I can think of. Thanks, everyone!