Made one more today!!

Yes, I squeezed in one more card today! I was pretty busy all day, and then went on my usual Friday evening shopping spree with Hannah, and this time went with her and her step sister Nicole. It was so fun! I got a sweet little one piece... thing... for Julian from TJ Max that I couldn't pass up, and two onesies from ON, one of which says "Babe Magnet" on it (haha) and the other just has a cute little summer print on it. Hey- I'm a sucker for cute little prints! Then, we had a ridiculously filling meal at Applebees. And by filling, I mean that I couldn't breathe. Yeah...

We parted ways with Nicole, and went to the mall, where every store seemed to have some sort of sale going on- including Aerie, my fave. So... I ended up spending about $60 dollars there. I needed new undies! Mine are all either shrinking in the dryer or my butt is just getting bigger. I don't want to know which. And, I got 2 cute v-necks, which I really needed because mine are all getting crappy. Plus, these are nice ones that aren't just slubby. And.. I couldn't say no to this sweet little heart necklace, which was cheap and buy one get one 50% off- so I got Hannah one too! I'm feeling so generous lately!

We looked around in Gap Kids, and they had some seriously adorable things, all of which I had to pry myself away from, but there was this hat on sale that I've had my eye on, and I had to get it! I was really tempted to get the elephant one they have, but it wasn't on sale, and I figured it would be like torture to my baby to put a hat with 2 giant floppy elephant ears on either side of his head, on him.

So, now I think I'll either sit on Illustrator more and let my mind just go wild with more card and design ideas, or relax in bed! Because of my swollen feet, I should go with the latter...

Bye for now!!

PS- Happy 21 weeks to me!! (And Julian!)

I just love cards!

I've always been such a fan of pretty cards and stationary... my mom always gets me a cute set for new holidays. The only trouble with cute cards is that I hate giving them away! I personally know what I do with cards I get... I put the best ones on display for a month, and then they go in a box somewhere. But I know there are people out there that throw them out immediately! So sad!

Despite knowing this, I made a bunch of card sets for a few occasions that I'd really love to have printed up to even give to people as gifts. Here they are:

So, now that I've been playing all day... time to make this brochure for my PR class that I've procrastinated on doing all week! ;)

Officially Crazy

Just made possible shower invitation and registry card! My stepmom, Dom's mom, and my best friend Morgan are hosting it, but I slipped Morgan a color scheme idea that I'm quite fond of, and told her I'd create the invites. ;)

More Creating...

I got this idea in my travels to make a virtual desktop calendar. It was sort of meticulous, so I don't think I'll do another one right now. I have terrible computer posture and my shoulders are aching!

Always Getting Ahead of Myself...

But who can blame me! I just made these birth announcements for Julian... they'll probably need some tweaking (unless he IS born on August 10 and IS 7 lbs and 4 oz- freaky!), and a picture, but I can always go back and fix them later! I love them both! The color schemes are so fun!

PS- Lobster is my favorite font right now! (used in the giraffe one)

I'm in creating mode!!

Obsessed with Letterpress and Typography!!

Blank Note from Smock.

My boyfriend thinks I'm completely crazy, my best friends laugh when I tell them I need to go buy crayons, and  the truth is that I really AM going crazy! This school has no artistic element whatsoever and it drives me nuts! There are no art classes I could take, no artwork of substance, and I hate it. So, I sit here on my computer in my spare time, lurking for hours upon hours on Pinterest at design, letterpress, and illustration pinboards, following the links, and then spending another half hour on the site they bring me to! Then, once I get an inspiration, I have to open my sketchbook, take out the box of 94 crayons my best friend Hannah took me to Wal-Mart yesterday to buy, and just draw away!

Baby Card from Smock.

Last night I was up until 2 a.m... drawing.

I'm going to change my major, after taking the fall semester off, to graphic design. I'm obsessed, and I love it! I recently discovered letterpress, which has made me fall even deeper in love with typography. I never thought one day that I'd be obsessed with greeting cards, invitations, and thank you notes. (I thought I hated thank you cards after having to write them out for TWO graduation parties last summer).

Picture of me and Dom I drew last night.
It's not very good, and it didn't
turn out looking like us.

I'm just in love, and I want to know more! I wish there was somewhere in my little town of Auburn, NY where I could learn letterpress. There's an awesome shop that I found online that's in Syracuse. I'd LOVE to visit it!! It's called Smock. (This link is more for my reference tee-hee). Also in my travels, I found this gorgeous paper design site called Minted... with amazing birth announcements. A little pricey, though, but cool for inspiration and ideas for what to do when it comes time to make my own. (I can't wait for that!)

Some more cool sites like these: (mostly for my reference, again)
http://www.finedaypress.com/default.aspx
http://ohsobeautifulpaper.com/
http://www.hellolucky.com/

Thank You card from Fine Day Press.

I'm just so in love with all of these things. They make me so inspired and want to create something of my own like them... but I don't know what! Hopefully I figure it out! 

Until next time!!

Mommy Survey- Week 20!!!

My estimated due date is: still August 10!

The baby is the size of: a  small cantaloupe... oh my gosh!

So far, I’ve gained: ten pounds (as per last visit..)
My sleep habits: great in the past week, once I can finally fall asleep, and if you don't count waking up at 7 am every morning on my own.

My eating habits: same as usual.. trying!!

My exercise habits: up and down 6 flights of stairs and to class every day exhausts me! (still!)

My wardrobe: less yoga pants, and I love it! My stepsister Lindsay gave me some of her old maternity pants and shirts, and although the pants don't quite stay up well, they make me feel like much less of a bum in comfies.

The baby’s movements: feeling him, finally! He's been a jumping bean today and yesterday- I love it!!

I feel: pretty good, but tired! Still very excited and soo in love :) be jealous!

One thing I really miss is: my family, friends, and Dom, who are all back at home.

One thing I really look forward to is: putting all these adorable clothes on Julian!

My obsession of the week: aside from craving a corn dog for the first time in my entire life... nothing that I haven't been obsessing over. Oh, but I did buy my first jar of pickles- bread and butter!

I don't take credit for this survey- I found it at A Mommy in the Making.

Retail Therapy!!

This week seemed to fly by, but not without the usual stress of each week here in college-land. It's almost like every week is a cycle, starting with Monday, the least stressful, and getting increasingly more stressful until Friday arrives, which is the most stressful day of the week. It's always a relief to see the end of it.

Today, Hannah and I went to the mall, originally in search of sunglasses and Friday afternoon entertainment, and walked out with some good purchases. I bought a windbreaker jacket that was on sale (Navy Blue- my current obsession!), a new purse (Navy Blue- again- with white stripes), ON flip flops, 2 new bras (I had to go up a cup size... I'm now sporting a pair of D's -__-), and my most exciting purchases, three adorable things for the little one! H&M has great prices, but not much of a selection (it could have just been this branch) for baby boys. But, I did pick up an adorable sweater which will fit around Christmas time (hopefully), a pair of pants that are great material for the end of Summer/beginning of Fall season, and a little pair of boots that will hopefully fit him this Winter! Those were only five bucks, so if they don't, I won't be heartbroken.


I also bought some snacks for the dorm room to satisfy my sudden hunger pains throughout the day :)

Last night, I was feeling pretty corny and emotional, so I sat down and wrote a two-paged (double sided) note to Julian, talking about me, and a little bit about Dom and I, and what life has been like being pregnant with him thus far, and some of our hopes and dreams for him and as parents. It's prettyy corny and sappy, which I realized when I read it aloud, but I love it. I can just imagine him when he's a teenager receiving it, along with the others I plan on writing him throughout his life, and just thinking I'm crazy and weird. But I'm hoping he will secretly cherish them :). Ahh... a mother's wish. But I really want Dom and I, and anyone else, to write him little letters like that, which I can eventually compile into a book and give to him once he's older.

I'm 20 weeks today, did I mention!! I can't believe I'm halfway through already. It feels like yesterday that I first found out, and was going through all the drama of telling my family (even though there is still plenty of drama, now that everyone knows...) and trying to figure out what to do. Now seems like such happier days, when I pretty much have created a plan for us, with much help from cooperative family members, and can focus on the more enjoyable parts of being pregnant. Life is so good!

I'll probably do another mom survey soon- probably right after this. I'm in a blogging mood!!

Ciao!

Back to the Grind!

The lamb Dom won for Julian from a crane
machine over break, with the help of my
friends Morgan, Alejandro,
and Carrie :) We bought it a blue ribbon
to make it more masculine!

I returned to school yesterday afternoon, and went to classes today, both of which have completely bummed me out! It sucks being back at school after having such a great week at home, but I'm really looking forward to just getting it over with and finishing strongly.

I feel like my belly has really popped in the last week or so! I have also started to be able to distinguish between baby and gas, which is really cool, and it makes me so happy whenever I am sitting quietly and feel a couple jabs. Each time I feel something, I say in my head "Baby" or "Gas", just to reassure myself of the differences. I can't wait until there's really no mistaking the two! (A statement which I know I will regret later.)

It's been beautiful out for the past week! I do love being able to open my curtains and let the sunshine in, and see everyone out in the residential quad, laying on blankets or tossing a ball or frisbee around. It lightens my mood considerably when there are so many people out and about! Hannah and I even lied outside for a little while before dinner today. I just wish my legs weren't so pasty and the backs of my thighs weren't so dimply, so I could put on some sorts... *sigh*.

My laptop broke over break! One day it just didn't turn on! I'm completely devastated over it, because that thing is my life, and I've had it for so long. I saved my measly $50 paychecks until I had enough for it! I just hope I can bring it somewhere that will be able to retrieve things thats are on the hard drive so all my pictures and things aren't gone forever. Luckily enough, Dom was kind enough to let me borrow his laptop. It's newer than mine though, so it's actually hard to get used to. Come back to life laptop, please!

Well, this post is mostly catch-up blather, so I won't bore anyone else. Bye for now!!

Mommy Survey- 18 Weeks

My estimated due date is: still August 10!

The baby is the size of: a mango! (My favorite fruit!)

So far, I’ve gained: ten pounds

My sleep habits: vary, but are terrible most nights. :(

My eating habits: ehh.. could be better but it's been tough with my only option being cafeteria food

My exercise habits: up and down 6 flights of stairs and to class every day exhausts me!

My wardrobe: same as always, except yoga pants are much more frequent. I've always dressed sort of like a mom (ha-ha)

The baby’s movements: nothing yet, even though I could have sworn I've felt a few flutters, but they're hard to distinguish between all the gas :x

I feel: soo excited, in love, and happy with my baby and Dom!

One thing I really miss is: ham and cheese subs from Wegmans...

One thing I really look forward to is: having my own little one that I can cuddle and hold, and who loves me more than anything!


My obsession of the week: Cloth diapering and bottles that closely resemble breasts and nipples!

I don't take credit for this survey- I found it at A Mommy in the Making.

It's a Boy!

I knew it! It's a boy!! I'm so thrilled that a) I was right! and b) It's a boy! Obviously I would have loved either, but Dom and I are so excited that our first baby will be a boy, so that the rest will at least have one older brother as their protector. How sweet! And, I can still be the princess he-he.

I was able to find out on Thursday, but as in the previous post, I had the ultrasound technician put the gender in a specially made envelope, and then on Friday night when I got home for my spring break, I had my family, friends, Dom, and his mom over to unveil the gender officially! It was great- my wonderful stepmom bought champagne for the non-pregnant people, and sparkling grape juice for me. (And so I wouldn't be left out, Dom drank that with me) We has pink and blue cupcakes, and stood around the island in the kitchen talking about baby Julian, laughing and enjoying ourselves. I really could not ask for better people in my life!

Saturday and today, my family and I went to do a little baby shopping and browsing. I got socks, receiving blankets, and 2 little short rompers for Julian to lay around in, since it'll be hot in August, and my dad picked out a short sleeved, green onesie with a guitar on it that I can pair with some pants or shorts. Today my stepmom bought him a little pageboy cap that will look so cute on him! I love clothes that make little boys look like little old men haha it's just so sweet! She also bought him a red baseball cap, the zebra long-sleeved onesie from ON that never came when I ordered it, and gray pants to match. At Target we got him another button-up romper with an alligator on it, and a polo shirt with matching shorts, both with alligators on them (in the picture above). (I guess I like the gators!) I bought him 2 short sleeved striped onesies and a pair of shorts.

Yesterday, after our first shopping round, Dom and I came home and lied out the clothes we got and just stared at them for forever. Neither of us could believe that in just a few months we will have something that small that is all ours to take care of! Then, I lied the clothes on my torso, and thought "Hmm... on second thought maybe he could be a little smaller". At the same time, I can't believe something that big will come out of there! Ok... changing subjects.

This break has been perfect so far! I love spending time with Dom and my family at the same time. I feel so loved, and I can't wait to come home in May, when I can be with them all the time. Going back to school next week will be the hardest thing ever, and I'm already regretting it!

It's been such a long weekend, I just can't wait to get to sleep finally!!

This is something everyone needs to see!

I cried like a baby! (Maybe because of pregnant hormones, but it still has a lot of emotional appeal- hormonal or not!)

Everyone needs to watch this and support the cause by donating, or buying one of their products!!!

#Kony2012

Such a Beautiful Day!

I went outside for the first time today about an hour ago, and couldn't believe how beautiful it felt! It's windy and therefore a tad chilly, but the sun was warm and I could just feel my mood lifting automatically. Love days like today! Too bad I'm not home, where I could sit outside or go for a walk, or find something fun to do outside. This campus lacks... well.. everything. the only thing to do outside here is walk from one building to another.

I went shopping last night for a few things! I have been in desperate need of some new shirts, not even because I'm outgrowing my old ones, but because mine are so old and I hate having to wear the same thing over and over. I absolutely LOVE Aerie's shirts- they are just my style. They were all on sale, plus I had a 20% off coupon! I ended up getting three shirts that are normally like $22, all for 20 and some change! This is my favorite one, which I'm wearing today:

I also got a new zip up hoodie from Victoria's Secret, because I was dying for something comfy. I have barely any hoodies/comfy clothes. I had a gift card from Christmas, so this was basically free for me. Then, at Target, I got a bag of Starburst jelly beans (yummm) and a belly band! I'm wearing it right now and I can already tell it's going to be a life saver. I already want to go and buy one in every color! It's awesome! Now I'm not just limited to one pair of jeans!

All I can think about is going home next weekend for over a week! It's going to be the best week ever- I'm afraid I will be miserable and even more lazy when I return to school! The good news is there are only a few weeks in March (by the time I'm back from break), the month of April, and then only the first week of May (finals week) until I'm done! Woo-Hoo! I'm ecstatic! I just can't wait for it to be August :)

Scrapbooking Adventures

I said in previous posts that one of my latest obsessions is the idea of scrapbooking, or making a baby book, so I want to post some of my ideas that I've created so far. I downloaded the Blurb Book Smart program, which seems like one of the easiest ways to create your own professional looking book for a decent price. I like that I can edit so many things and there aren't just a bunch of presets to choose from. So, even though my photo collection thus far is pretty limited, since the whole baby thing is in progress, I just had to get started anyways to satisfy my craving to make something awesome! I started planning the pages, so hopefully once I do have the pictures and text, it won't take as much time- since I'm gathering I won't have much of that at first.

I got the idea of making baby word clouds from a scrapbooking pinboard I saw on Pinterest the other day. The blog it's from can be found here, and I really recommend it to anyone who has their own family and likes to stay creative. She makes the best little things and I've really found so much inspiration from her! These are the hypothetical word clouds I made in Photoshop. Obviously I'll have to change some things because who knows when baby will actually be born, and it depends on if it's a girl or boy.

I'm pretty proud of them myself, and I figured I could do similar things for each month, with words that highlight what baby has been up to. So far it's not much, but it's getting me really excited for the baby to come so I can take millions of pictures!

I finally checked my order status today from Old Navy, because I still haven't gotten the things I ordered, and I was really upset to find out that my orders have been canceled all this time that I've been waiting! The last time I ordered from there I had a different e-mail, so my order information was all sent there, and I have since forgotten the password, so I had no idea. And now the things I ordered are probably sold out completely. So, I was really bummed about that today.

I made a bunch of new things for the blog today, too. I made a new header since my template was so boring before. I love the color scheme! It's actually the one I used to make the boy word cloud. Turquoise/teal is my favorite color of all time, and orange just goes so well with it. I found both of the color schemes from Kuler, which is sponsored by Adobe, and it's really the cooled site I've come across. You should really check it out!

My posts are so long and meaningless to most people probably, and no one is probably even reading any of this, but I'm excited to some day come back and read all the silly things I have posted. I always love doing that with old journals, and I end up thinking "Ugh! That was so corny! I can't believe I wrote that!". Haha!

Time to do some homework and studying, though. Catch ya later!