Pancake Pillows

I'm afraid these would make me hungry everytime I looked at them.

♻ Damien

9 Famous Sweaters

"That's a COSBYYYY SWEATAAH, a COSBBY SWEATAAH!" 

Anyone know what that line is from?

♻ the near sighted owl

Let's Take It Back To The Start

Willie Nelson singing Coldplay- yes please! This film and soundtrack were commissioned by Chipotle to emphasize the importance of developing a more sustainable food system & if you've ever seen Food Inc. you'll appreciate Chipotle even more.



* thanks Jenton for sharing

Scratch Maps

I love the idea of marking on a map where you've been. I've been lucky enough to travel quite a bit in my life- mostly through my career & would love one of these Where I've Been Scratch Maps from Fred Flare. Maybe I would put it up in my living room just to brag a little...

p.s  Husband's would be way more brag worthy- the guy has traveled just about everywhere. 

Awesome!

I could camp everyday if I had one of these VW Van tents.

* found via geek alerts

New In the Shop/ Mustache Pillows

What's that? You want a mustache pillow in plaid? No- you would rather have one in houndstooth? Great go here or here to get one!

Etsy Love/Roma Winkel

I've been a super fan of the multi talented Roxy for sometime now & now you can buy her art work on plates- I want them all! If you want to get to know the super rad Roxy a little better you can visit two of my favorite blogs ever-  Roma Winkel & her blog dedicated to men & tomboys called Mansvolk.

Reyn's Birth Story

Yes this is yet another birth story. Don't read any further if you're rolling your eyes cause that probably means you are the type of person who hates babies & if you hate babies than you definitely don't want to read about another birth story. Especially about our cute baby Reyn. You can't go to too many blogs without reading about one- these days can you {Within a 2 mile radius of where I live 11 babies will be born this year!} Yikes!

6 days after reyn was born he was smiling! 

Untitled from nicole Choules on Vimeo.

It all started when I reluctantly told my husband that I was pregnant with our 3rd child {together}. Right after I told him I went to the gym. He was sitting on the couch right before I went to the gym- & he was still on the couch when I came home staring blankly in front of him. You see we had just had two little girls. One in 2008 & the other in 2009. It was 2010 at this time & we were married December 30th of 2006. Not a lot of sexy time without a bump if you know what I'm saying. We had decided to have one more child- just not quite yet. Needless to say he was a little bummed- but don't worry he came around.

elsa & ida with daddy- they are16 months apart

Pregnancy in your late 30's just isn't even close to what it's like in your early 20's. I'm lucky to be one of those girls who doesn't get sick the entire 9 plus months- but I do gain a ton of weight. {55 lbs with this one!} So by the time week 35- 40 comes around I'm feeling huge & pretty miserable. I was lucky enough to have my sister Michele in town my due date week. Well maybe not that lucky. My mom & her made me do a ton of running around with them. That week we had a lot of "last meals before baby comes" at all of my favorite restaurants so life wasn't so terrible except that Michele & my Mom definitely jinxed me by telling me everyday that I wasn't allowed to have my baby yet- we still have to do this & that. 

Just to be clear- these were not getting ready for baby this & thats. The this & that's going on where going to lots of antique stores & fabric stores so I could make these awesome union jack pillows Michele designed. Michele is an amazing designer, not so much sewer. So I made one for her & one for my moms. We used antique doilies & lacy table runners. linen fabric for the base of the pillow & velvet ribbon on Michele's & a really nice grosgrain ribbon for my moms. By the time we finished {It took us 2 super really late nights} needless to say my ankles were the size of my thighs... 

they look way better in person

We also celebrated my little Ida's 2nd birthday. Four days before Reyn was born. She was soooo cute opening her presents. So gracious for everything she received- saying "I yuv it" to everything. She can't quite say her L's.

ida in her new birthday tunic I made her & her cute toms

After finally finishing the pillows & the baby a day over due- we decided to go to dinner & a movie. This time with husband in tow. I'm pretty sure I laughed the kid out of me cause during the second half I started feeling my contractions a lot so I started timing them & they were 6 minutes apart for the rest of the movie. On the ride home they were consistently 3-5 minutes apart. I guess it's time to start thinking about going to the hospital... Sometimes this is the hard part. Trying to decide whether or not it's time. I wasn't in any pain- but from what I had read- my contractions being so close & not letting up meant I was starting labor. Plus my friend Holly had her baby in her car last year. She didn't realize she was in active labor because her contractions weren't very painful. I wasn't about to take that chance so I went & took a shower- called my Mom to let her know I was going in for sure & to have her & my sister come over to stay with the girls. I got my things together & Adam & I drove to the hospital. It was 12:30 in the morning.

Unfortunately my midwife Diane had left town the day before to attend her son's wedding- fortunately all of her fellow midwives are pretty great also. The nurses sat me down to check on my contractions & to listen to babies heart beat. All was good & I was for sure in active labor so Sandae {the midwife on call} had me start walking around the hospital to get kung fu baby moving down & to get my dilation going. I was only at a 3. It was around 2:00 now. I walked for about an hour or so until I started feeling the pain that a little more true active labor brings on. The nurse brought me back to my room & asked me if I wanted my epidural now. I was only dilated to a 4 or so- so I wasn't sure I should say yes. I felt my next contraction & decided that this would be a great time to have that epidural after all. Adam & I decided it was time to call our moms in. They both really wanted to be at the birth & I really loved having the support of both of them being there. Mom on the video camera duty {yes I film my births from below} Jann on leg duty with Adam.

Around 3:30 in the morning the nurse told us all that we should try & get some sleep. One of our moms on the chair- the other on the couch & Adam on the floor. I didn't sleep at all. I was way to anxious to see this baby. Around 6:30 I decided I wanted to watch some television so Adam & our moms helped me turn onto my left side so I could see the television better. After this everyone was up & chatting & pretty much having a party when Jann noticed that my contractions looked really far apart on the monitor {we had the volume off & of course my numb self couldn't feel that happening} Sandae came in to check things out. All of the sudden my contractions were 10 minutes apart & my baby had turned to posterior! WTH! She turned me over to my right side & then crossed my left leg over my body far enough so that I was half way on my stomach. She wanted me to go on pitocin to kick up my contractions. The last time I went on pitocin- for my second child- it made the muscles in my shoulders & neck hurt so bad that I wasn't too excited about this idea but I wanted this baby out & I wanted this baby safe so I said yes. Within an hour & 1/2 my baby was turned I was dilated to a 10 ready to go. YAY! 4 pushes later & Thomas Reynford Paul was born at 9:41a.m. This was my shortest labor- yet my most tiring. All 3 of my other children's labor started after a nights sleep. 

don't mind the double chin...

sister michele

I watched the whole thing with a mirror. I did this with all of my children. I know this grosses some of you out but being able to see my baby's birth is one of the most amazing/craziest things to see- ever. As soon as Reyn came out- Sandae put him on my chest & I kid you not- he raised his head & looked around before snuggling up to me.

The feelings you have after this is too hard to explain. Even when it's your 4th child. Nothing in the world is so wonderful & so hard at the same time. Ok maybe sometimes marriage...

9 weeks old

reyn today- 2 1/2 months old

I couldn't ask for a better baby {knock on wood} Every time I look down at him while he's feeding he has the biggest smile & it kills me. Sucking on his hand is his favorite thing to do lately. He still loves sleeping in his straight jacket. His mommy is his favorite person but his daddy is definitely a close second. YaY for babies!

The Grow With Me Moccasin Giveaway

Have you seen Susan's blog lately? She's giving away a full year of moccasins! I'm always sooo sad when my baby's grows out of my favorite little shoes for them. Now's your chance to get a pair for each growth spurt your little one has. That's 9 pair of the cutest moccies out there! Go here to enter- but don't win please...

* also you can help her win a business grant -go here to vote for Freshly Picked!