To do this, we first had to find a place in our house that was large enough and could use a little face lift.  We also wanted it to be in an area that was convenient to stop at and spend a few minutes.  Our office area is on the second level and occupies what is basically an expanded hallway.  As you can see here, there was a simple row of framed prints along the otherwise, empty wall.  We were not in love with the prints anymore (as they were from my bachelor apartment days) and really wanted to change-up the arrangement.  This area is also on the way from the stairs to the nursery and gets lots of light from a large skylight – it was the perfect spot for our little project!

Upstairs office area after round 2 of renovations

We had to plan early for this so that we could take photos of our immediate family to use for this project.  Since almost everyone was going to be at the family BBQ on Long Island, which is where we decided to surprise everyone with the news, we figured we’d bring our camera along and take their photos then.  We brought a simple black Ikea frame with us for everyone to hold in the photo (that will be important later) and snapped away, just about 30 minutes after our announcement.  This is doubly special for us because not only will Maki start to learn who everyone is, but each time we look at the photos, we remember all the excitement we had that weekend with the big reveal!

Uncle Sal + Aunt Courtney

We asked everyone to take a ‘smiling’ photo and then a ‘funny photo’.  Some people made funny faces others funny or interesting positions, overall fun was had by all.

Aunt Raquela

Uncle Vito + Aunt Ali

After we had all the photos, it was time to personalize them a little bit.  That’s where those black frames came in.  We took the photos into photoshop and added each of their names into the frame they were holding (Grandma, Minke + Pop-Pop, Uncle Vin + Aunt Christine, etc).  With 3 grandparents, 5 uncles, 5 aunts, and 3 puppies, our little girl has her work cut out for her remembering who everyone is.

Uncle Vin + Aunt Christine

Uncle Andrew

With everyone’s photos complete, we headed out to our favorite yellow and blue box store and picked up a variety of simple black frames of different sizes.  We also grabbed a few silver frames, just to break it up a little.  Since the office area is opposite our ‘gallery wall’ we wanted to arrange the frames in a ‘random pattern’ that created one larger group.  Like others have done, we cut pieces of newspaper out to the size of each frame we had and labeled them with each photo we had (so we knew if it was a landscape or portrait orientation) and played with the arrangement on the wall until we found one that we liked.  Then we let it sit for a few minutes, came back to it, and did some final tweaking and adjusting.

Paper templates up on the wall

Having the newspaper on the wall allowed us to accurately place each of the nails to hang the individual photos right through the templates all at once.  When we removed the newspaper and hung the frames, they would all be exactly where we wanted them.  The final step was putting each of the photos in their frame and placing them up on the wall.

Frames up with a post-it labeling who goes in which frame

Finished Family Faces wall

View of our new office area (don't mind all the odds and ends that still need to find a home)

Family Line Up

Photos of a photo or people holding a 'photo'.

We love how it all turned out, how colorful that wall is now, and can’t wait to start showing Maki everyone.  We also plan for the wall to be expanded as new family members and pets are added (yes-dogs are a big part of our family).  We already have to add another frame for Maki’s cousin, Connor, who was born in October so we’re excited to watch it grow over time!

Maki’s due date is fast approaching (February 4th) so we’re trying to check off any remaining last-minute items around the house.  We’re also trying to relax and spend some together, just as a family of 2+ our pup, before her big day.  It’s interesting to hear people’s thoughts; seems like 50% of people are telling us to ‘sleep and relax as much as you can before the baby’ and then the other 50% are telling us to ‘make sure you go out and do things, just the 2 of you, since it will be your last chance for a while.’  Where do we draw the line, seems like there will never be enough time!  Especially since there is a certain daddy who is starting to thing that his daughter might want to make her appearance early rather than later.  But that’s just guesswork at this point .

Well, let’s continue the counting trend and add 29 to the list. As in, 29 ways to be creative…for the coming New Year.

I definitely just added the last part about making it happen for the new year since it was easier to wrap a big bow around the holiday season with that then trying to come up with a list of New Year’s resolutions that I know I wouldn’t be able to keep!

Anyway, I saw this video and couldn’t help but feel the desire to go DO something…try a new recipe (which we’re doing tonight, woo hoo!), start a new family tradition (done! it’s called having a baby. everything’s gonna be new, strange, exciting and up for grabs!), or simply get caught up in my 365 photo project before the year’s over (eeek! T-2 days!?).

(Pardon the static jpeg screen capture – the link above should work for ya. For some reason, I couldn’t get the ‘embed’ link to work right, darn it!)

Watch it. Do it. Finish it.

Just one end of the enormous spread!

Who was the cuter baby? Ha, don't answer that. More importantly...who will Maki look more like!?

The owl theme seems to be big these days, but Aunt Raq took it to the next level with candles in glass “nests”, photos of A and I as babies in a vase full of branches, the most adorable owl faced cupcakes you’ve ever seen and pine cones as food labels!

As delicious as they looked...and then some.

Part of the dessert spread...what you're not seeing is the rice pudding, chocolate covered oreos, carrot cake sandwich cookies and red velvet cake balls. All bellies were in heaven that afternoon!

One of my friends offered to host the party at her house since Raq’s place is great, but not quite big enough to hold all her tasty creations PLUS 25 friends sitting comfortably. This shower wouldn’t have been possible without them going out of their way to make it a special day for me, A and our little girl…I was surprised and overwhelmed with the level of thought and preparation that went into everything! Anthony got the Edible Arrangement for us to enjoy since he knows how much I love fresh fruit – it was the perfect compliment to all the chocolate-y sweet concoctions.

Whoooo wants to eat me?

Showered with gifts...I tried to be good about not crying while reading the cards and books! I can't seem to keep the tears in these days.

The 'Cuse girls! We missed you Jo, Katie, Rose, Heather and Mags...

I’m not gonna lie…we’re still finishing the peppermint bark Raq made since I’m trying to make it last as long as possible! Get it? Bark…from a tree…where an owl lives…

Loved these DIY favors! Pretty, festive, and belly-snacking-friendly.

The gift organization (after settling into comfy clothes!) that night was so much fun…A got a kick out of all the new clothes and books we got. We couldn’t resist documenting this one. It pretty much says it all!

"I just got here and I'm already awesome."

Before becoming the nursery, the room was our guest room/catch-all room full of hand-me-downs, old artwork, and generally things that we didn’t want to get rid of just yet from our previous single lives in our respective apartments.  It has come a LONG way!

Have you been teased long enough?  OK, here are the photos you’re really here to see:

The view as you enter into the room! Yes, those are the curtains and pillow that A made!

Changing table area with the closet and built in bookshelves.

One of our favorite projects was creating the number wall that the crib sits against!

Rounding out the tour with a view back towards the door.

So what do you think?  We had so many ideas for the room (thanks Pinterest!) it was hard to choose just a few projects but we think it worked out well.  The number wall was the first thing we did after painting the room.  We knew we wanted to do some sort of tone on tone number painting, so we first set out figuring out what numbers we wanted up there.  We could have gone the traditional 1-9 route, but come on, what fun would that have been?  We decided to put numbers up there that were meaningful to us and ended up with 4 (N’s house growing up), 5 (A’s lucky number), 11 (N’s Birthday), 13 (N’s lucky number), 21 (where it all happens), 22 (A’s birthday), 82 (the year we were both born, 4+82 A’s house growing up).  Yeah, I don’t think Maki will get it all either, but we think it looks great up there (especially with our modern seed pod mobile)!

4, 5, 11, 13, 21, 22, 82

I’d love to say we just free-handed the numbers onto the wall, but that would not be completely honest.  We actually used AutoCAD and Photoshop to position the numbers around one another and then plotted them onto 4 large sheets of 36″ x 48″ paper.  Then we taped those sheets up on the wall to see the layout and make any modifications.

Positioning the numbers on the wall.

When we had the numbers where we wanted them, we used a mix of chalking the back of the smaller numbers and then tracing the outline on the wall and, for the larger numbers, we used a small push pin to mark the corners of the numbers.  After we removed the paper we just connected the dots and filled them in with the appropriate paint color.

The art wall is a work in progress (and we actually imagine that the pictures and photos will be changed as Maki gets older and we insert favorite photos and items).

Art wall. Little Castle glider from BuyBuyBaby upholstered in the Vera fabric. To break up the square frames, we put up some embroidery hoops with left over pieces of fabric (and even some detailing from one of N's old dresses).

You can see that some of the frames are still empty.  You’ll also notice the ampersand with the two horizontal bars.  This was a piece of cast aluminum that was part of the ‘Baltimore Opera & Company’ sign from their original building.  We purchased this and the ‘Company’ piece from a local salvage place (Housewerks) and have been waiting to find the perfect use for it.  Once our little girl is born, we are going to hang the letters of her name here between the two horizontal pieces.  But for now, you’re going to have to just imagine it in there (and what it might be!).

There are lots of other details around the room that we love:

Found this little guy in an antique store. He was originally a mix of brown, green, and gold glazing. Nothing some primer and a few coats of glossy white paint couldn't fix!

Who would have thought that this little gem came from our favorite blue and yellow box store, Ikea! Less than $40 and added a dimmer so we now have the perfect light in the room for day, night, and late (LATE) night feedings!

How cute are these guys? We saw them in a children's toy shop in Prague, CZ (right after we found out about little Maki) and couldn't resist getting them for the nursery. You'll notice them above the changing table - they bounce up and down on their swing with a slight touch.

This was a very happy accident. Anthony cut out and painted this owl (along with the purple striped one sitting in the shadow box on the art wall). While touring through Longwood Gardens on our 'Babymoon' we came across this book! This owl is almost a perfect match to that in the book. Now they both sit happily on the bookshelf waiting to be read to Maki!

Another DIY project! We saw this on Pinterest and had to recreate it. Stumbling upon these wood buttons in the perfect color on clearance at a craft store didn't hurt!

Maki's Nursery!

There’s a lot to see and we may be back to show/explain some of the projects we took on for the room, but we wanted to get this post up and show you what we had been working on.  We’re so excited for our little girl to arrive in just under 7 weeks and are happy that the nursery is ready for her now!

yup, those are menus with baby blocks as letters...because my dad is creative like that.

So glad we had a few minutes to take photos together before the party got underway...I love these two more than words can say!

True to the way the women in my family do things, there were endless amounts of mouthwatering appetizers, salads, side dishes, wraps and 7 different desserts! Not to mention the hot spiced cider my mom threw together for this thirsty-and-excited-for-something-other-than-water-to-drink mama.

what's become a tradition at family gatherings recently, an assortment of cheese, salami and pepperoni - courtesy of Grandma C!

Raggedy Ann made sure we all ate enough.

The best part of all these desserts was the fact that we received a ginormous tupperware container FULL of the leftovers of all of them. There is nothing better than opening your fridge to see apple streusel cheesecake bars and pumpkin cupcakes staring at you with a sign that says “yes, you definitely do want to enjoy me for breakfast!” Maybe that sign was just in my head…

I love to eat healthy, but there's no way to even try to do that when these are staring you in the face!

A mountain of gifts for our little girl! Some highlights from her Cataldo aunts - the treetop friends playmat and boppy lounger - lifesavers for when this mama wants to set Maki down!

So many people were there from all different aspects of our lives, it was heartwarming to know that everyone is so excited for our daughter’s arrival! One way or another, everyone will know she’s a girl no matter how much hair she has because we have enough headbands for at least 3 weeks of wearing a different one each day.

Leopard print pajamas? Check! Fantasy hand puppets? Check! Radio Flyer Wagon? Check! Maki is ready to tackle anything with those items at her disposal, wouldn’t you agree?

Anthony got there just in time to help me open the last few gifts...

The clothesline wardrobe that wouldn't end! Thanks, Grandma C!

Note the Baby Uggs. This girl already has nicer things than I do!

So honored these gals made the trip from Manhattan and CT to be with us! PS - you can be sure we're bringing the mini bottle of champagne with us for a toast after Maki joins us!

We've been friends for over 20 years (!?) and despite having multiple events to go to that day, Shannon stopped by to see me and catch up. And, as I'm writing this post, she's getting married on Long Island...thinking of you and sending tons of love, Shan!!!

Halle...we all felt the same way by the end of the night! Secretly, I hope she's sending mellow vibes to Riese...and trying to explain to her that while the amount of attention she'll get changes once kiddos enter the picture, the amount of love her parents have for her doesn't!

If one thing’s for sure, it’s that this girl is going to be one stylishly spoiled and lavishly loved little lady. Thank you to everyone involved with, responsible for and in attendance at my shower!

The answer to both would be no…thank goodness (we don’t have our car seat or stroller yet!). Not yet, anyway, but soon!

It may have been awhile since you’ve heard from us and for that, our apologies! But, honestly, I feel like every time we write, it could include an apology for the lack of frequent posts. We’ve been busy little bees who lucky for you, like to take way too many photos on our adventures! So while we may not share our discoveries right after they happen (or even a few days after…what’s a month between friends?), you can be sure we will share eventually.

With that, our most recent weekend road trip was a relaxing babymoon retreat to Kennett Square, PA. This was our third stay at a B&B (each in a different state!) and we continue to love the homey feel they offer. Not only is the architecture and history of each home something we love, but the breakfasts…whoa, the breakfasts. Waking up to the smell of coffee brewing and french toast (GOOOOOOOOOD! ha, inside joke) is the best way to start a vacation morning, even if it is earlier than we’d wake up if we stayed in a Marriott.

We stayed in the Longwood Suite at the Kennett House which had an enormous sitting room, private bath and incredibly comfy 3,000 thread count cotton sheets. Someone needs to tell me where we can buy sheets that were this soft.

Kennett House B&B

Picture sitting in these with a warm mug of spiced apple cider...yes, please.

Kennett Square is a quaint little town in the heart of the Brandywine Valley. I’ve always heard the name of this valley and thought it sounded like a perfectly magical little place. Maybe because it has the word ‘wine’ in its name, maybe because it conjures up images of lush gardens in the heart of a state known for its farmland and friendly folk. The Valley didn’t disappoint, the gardens were out of this world. I’m talkin’ Longwood Gardens. I almost convinced Anthony that we needed to become members since they were having a sale on membership while we were there. Maybe next time, once Maki’s with us…because there will be a next time and I’m thinking it’ll be in the spring and then again in the summer…so much to see!

Here’s a glimpse of what we saw…the foliage was totally showing off and the rustle of leaves beneath our feet made me want to stop and bottle up all the sights, scents and sounds.

Walking the grounds we found a treehouse, a series of Italian-inspired fountains and the topiary gardens. Each being more impressive than the last.

I've always wanted a treehouse to hide away in!

On our way to the gaaaahdens…

This photo was a happy accident! I loved the little lanterns, but just held my camera low without looking through the viewfinder and snapped it - lucky for me, it focused exactly the way I had hoped!

If you’re like me, you may like mums, but they’re by no means the flower that’s gonna stop traffic. After hours of touring one of the world’s largest conservatories, I’m a changed woman.

All mums. All incredible.

The 1,000 bloom mum...all originating on one plant, yes, it's true, google it!

Each and every variety, color and size mum ever made.

26 weeks!

The face of a proud and studly soon-to-be-dad!

These garden artists didn't waste one inch of space.

All good things must come to an end…and with the end of this special weekend, we hit a turning point. Instead of traveling as just a Mr. and Mrs. in the future, we look forward to trips as a family of 3!

We'll be back with you to witness all the colors of spring, Maki!

The silver lining of it all is that at some point tonight we WILL arrive in Manhattan and wake up in the city that definitely knows how to celebrate this holiday with the most amazing parade ever…and we’re going to be staying with my brother and sister-in-law right across the Park  from where all the action unfolds. We may try to make our way down there if the weather and sleep gods play nice! If so, watch for photos. If not, watch NBC.

Anyway, for something a bit more uplifting then the weather we’ve been having, I wanted to share the exciting happenings over at Urban Row Photography! I’m SO excited and thankful to be able to share my photos with you all and appreciate the interest more than you know.

Click here to see what’s been going on over there!

And if you haven’t already, check out Urban Row’s Facebook page since that’s the best way to stay up to date and informed of upcoming promotions, photoshoots and special deals.

Lots more in the works over the next few weeks (and months!) including some new props, new on-location photoshoots (the beach, anyone?) and new families to get to know. Until then, I’m leaving you with this smiley face.

It’s tiring lookin’ good all the time.

I don’t want to jinx the next 13 weeks (believe me, I lose sleep over how many things could still go wrong, could still cause me pain and discomfort and could still throw my body completely out of whack), but I’m so thankful for the way this pregnancy (and little baby girl!) has treated me thus far.

21 weeks.

Oh, the highs. The moments and incredible aspects I’ll truly miss…

• Feeling kicks/flutters/swooshes/jabs/hiccups and flips.
• Seeing my belly move. I always have to stop and think about that for a second. Until this point in my life, I’ve been in complete control of every thought, move, desire, and sensation. Now there’s a person inside of me, saying hi! Moving my stomach all by herself because she’s squished, or readjusting, or stretching, or ready to keep moving once I’ve stopped. I know most of these movements are inadvertent and not necessarily her way of communicating with me as I like to think, but in some small way, I can’t help but think it’s Maki’s personality coming through gently yet meaningfully…subtle yet purposeful.
• FOOOOOD. Snacks. Indulging (but still being reasonable – I’m not going to be preggo forever, so why make it harder on myself by eating junk more frequently?). You name it, I want it all. the. time. I can’t tell you enough how much I appreciated the lack of morning sickness and ability to keep eating as regularly as ever. I know most soon-to-be-moms aren’t this lucky, so I don’t know how the only thing to really bother me at one point during the last 23 weeks (since for the first 4, I had no idea!) was the consistency of wilted spinach.
• Eating my daily dose of veggies and then some. I’ve heard more than once that when you’re pregnant with a boy, you crave meat and not so much with a girl. It totally could be an old wives tale, but from what I know so far, it’s true. Don’t be silly, I definitely enjoy a good steak from time to time but whoa, nellie. I’ve never consumed this many veggies and fruits consistently. All credit is owed to 3 little letters: CSA. This was our first year buying a share in a local, organic farm and it was one of the best decisions we’ve made (and talk about timely! We committed to it before we knew we were pregnant). Not only has it cut down on how much we spend at the grocery store overall (not just in the produce department), but it has expanded our repertoire of favorite meal ideas. I can’t tell you how many different ways we’ve incorporated kale, purple peppers and kohlrabi into dinners.
• Pampering myself. I haven’t gone crazy, but I have taken 4 weeks of prenatal aquatics classes (and plan to continue for at least another 4!) and just last night received a much-needed massage from my friend Claire, who gave the perfect prenatal massage (check out Claire Taylor Massage for more info!). Maybe that’s why I’m so relaxed and in a comfortable mood to get caught up with blogging?

24 weeks.

• Clothes. Before Maki was public knowledge, I tried my darndest to get away with wearing my regular clothes for as long as I could. I didn’t run out to Motherhood Maternity at the first chance I got…me and maternity clothes definitely had a sort of hate-hate relationship in the beginning. I hated the fact that they were so expensive (considering they were something I’d wear for 6-ish months and hoped to not have to look at for a looong time). I hated the fact that they had the potential to take over my closet if I let them and would then take away space from all of my regular clothes. However, I started coming around to the fact that 1. they were inevitable and 2. they were actually pretty comfortable when the time came, since one of my close friends had her baby last March and was willing to let me borrow all of her maternity clothes!! There’s nothing better than having an instant supply of comfy corduroy pants, cute dresses/skirts and work outfits that didn’t cost you a month’s worth of groceries. I owe you big time, Linz! Now that i’m about 12 weeks away, I can safely say that while having a valid excuse to wear “thanksgiving pants” everyday is nice (aka a ginormous stretchy fabric panel in place of zippers/buttons), I’ll be very excited for the day when I get to zip up those skinny jeans again.
• The back pain. I kept running through week 22 or so and definitely knew when it was time to stop. I think other than your skin that stretches so much (I still can’t stop staring at people who’ve had babies and look like they never did. The belly’s there one day, gone the next it seems like…magic, right?!), your spine takes most of the beating during those last few months.
• You mean one day there’ll be an opportunity to eat out a restaurant where I won’t have to scrutinize the menu for things I should stay away from? Or better yet, things that people think I should stay away from but are really ok to eat in moderation.
• Wine. Beer. Margaritas. Mojitos. Sangria. Mimosas. Bloody Marys. I’ll just stop before there’s a bigger pile of drool on my keyboard.
• Everyone’s a critic. For the most part, I’ve somehow avoided the random stranger comments and belly ambushing, but there are a few coworkers that just don’t seem to understand a few things…I’m not the first pregnant woman to grace the earth and I won’t be the last. No need to share every single (and usually ridiculous) thought or concern that pops into your head that you think I need to hear. Also, I’m still me: An architect. A wife. A photographer. A homeowner. A dog-owner. Plenty to talk about without the word baby coming out of  your mouth.

Having said all of that, I haven’t mentioned all of the excitement and anxiety with which we’re looking forward to meeting our little girl and getting familiar with our parental roles. There’s so much to learn, to experience, to decide, to teach and to love…as a new family. Ready or not, she’ll be here before we know it!

26 weeks.

Fast forward 5 years, 44 (+ ?!) trips to Marshall Street, 3 residence halls + apartments, 2 southern states and 1 blossoming lifelong friendship and we were Syracuse alumni. Now “real life” began. Along the way, each of us married our soulmates, worked our way up the corporate ladder, tackled moving to cities far from our families and raised puppies…but not without constant emails, shared stories, lessons learned and memories remembered.

Now, we’re having babies together. Never in a million years did I think we’d be that lucky (since I sometimes have to pinch myself and remember that 11 years have gone by since we first compared bedding and wardrobes in Lawrinson Hall). I’m ecstatic to be able to go through 9 of the most life-changing, exciting, intimidating, hopeful and thrilling months of our lives, together. For a girl who was very specific about all of the timing of when our newest family member would join the nest, this was absolutely one of those cases where I couldn’t have planned it better if I had tried.

Here are just some of my favorite photos from Bana’s shower up in PA with her closest family and friends there to show her little guy how on-the-edge-of-our-seats we all are to meet him in a few short weeks!!

Gifts galore for this little dude!

Bana's mom saved this dress of hers and had it displayed prominently for us to see during the celebration. So adorable!

Part of my gift to make sure Nugget is one stylish little prep.

One of the most beautiful handmade sweaters, ever. I'm not sure if Bana liked it.

Bana's mom made baklava for everyone...and I could have easily eaten every last morsel.

And I can’t wait to report back in 18 years when Maki + Nugget are ready to share college memories together. Not like we know where they’re going to school or anything.

Definitely love at first bump.