I Need Glasses!

I've been in denial, but it's true...I need glasses.  I blame sitting in front of the computer all day {and all night thanks to blogging!} on my bad eyesight.  I thought that I could read close up just fine...it was far away that was super blurry.  But I went to see my optometrist and he confirmed that I have astigmatism and I am actually squinting when I read the computer screen.  Who knew?  So now, I need to wear glasses when I'm on the computer and any time where I might need to see far away, like at a presentation or conference.  

Enter the need for glasses!

I got some through the optometrist office, but kind of want a second, more "fun" pair to have at home and otherwise.  I've always loved Warby Parker's style, so I had them send me five pairs to try on!

It's a pretty cool concept...they ship you five pairs of glasses of your choice and you get to try them on at home at no cost.  Their pricing on glasses is pretty decent too, at about $100 a pop.  

I tried on all five pairs, but it ultimately came down to the Ballard and the Durand.  I actually didn't order the Durand, but I really love them!

I took a poll on Instagram...but would love to know your thoughts. 

And please excuse my "selfie" pics...clearly not my strong suit!  ;)

xo natasha

15 Weeks

So I think I will do weekly updates, as long as you're ok with slightly blurry iPhone pictures!  ;)

How far along? 15 Weeks {first 15 week update}

Baby Size: An orange

Total weight gain/loss: I think I'm finally back to putting on weight.  I'll find out my official weigh-in later today.

Maternity clothes? Still no.  This dress is from Gap {similar here} and the necklace can be found here.

Stretch marks? No

Sleep: Still solid.

Best moment this week: Just enjoying Tahoe in the summer.  

Miss Anything? Eating whatever I want.  I had another unfortunate food experience this past week.  I accidentally ate moldy bread.  Now, in my defense, there was no visible mold but it definitely smelled funky and I just wrote it up to my crazy pregnant smell abilities.  But yesterday morning, Ryan went to make a sandwich for Ethan and it smelled SO bad, almost like acetone.  A quick Google search revealed that it's definitely mold.  :(

Movement: Definitely feeling more and more movement by the day...those little kicks are undeniable!

Food cravings: I really want a gourmet doughnut and ice cream.  Anybody??

Have you started to show yet: Definitely a big bump.  I think I can already retire this question.

Gender prediction: Still waiting to see!

Looking forward to: Having my best come to town this weekend and going to Lady Gaga!!

Differences this time around: I feel like everything is going so much faster this time around.  I would count the days down during my first pregnancy and I can't believe I'm already at 15 weeks.  Because of that, I also feel like it's hard for me to focus on the fact that I am pregnant again.  Especially now that I'm feeling better for the most part, it all seems to be pretty surreal.  I'm sure finding out the sex will make me connect more.

Oh and I also went for the "bronde" look...what do you think??

xo natasha

The Jumpsuit

Is it wrong that I'm 4 months pregnant and I want to buy my first jumpsuit?  I'm serious.  We have a couple fun concert coming up and I really want one!  I am thinking that there might be some forgiveness in the mid-section actually.  Anyone have experience wearing jumpsuits while pregnant??

Shop the look here:

xo natasha

Having a "Bronde" Moment

It's about time for a cut and color, and as always, I'm looking for a change.  I have been going darker with my color lately...adding in more low-lights and I find that I am constantly drawn to that honey blonde/brunette look...I guess they call it "bronde" these days.  It's super natural and pretty!  Here are some inspiration photos:

I'm totally digging this...are you?

I hope you have a wonderful weekend!!

xo natasha

Images can found via my Pinterest board.

Gender Neutral Nursery

A little while back, I started dreaming up the next nursery.  With Ethan, I chose lots of color and pattern for his nursery.  This time around, I think I want to go with something a little different.  Regardless of the sex, I think black and white is really fun and graphic. 

Of course, I am sure once we know, I'll change my mind again, but for the moment, I really love this look.  Several of these items are no longer in stock {like I said, I put this together several months ago}, but here is a breakdown of the items in the board above:

Jenny Lind Crib // Tassel Curtain // Sham

The Rapids Print // Black Dots Print // Mirror // Deer Head

Basket // Rug // Rocking Chair // Side Table

Dresser // Stool // Sheepskin Rug // Blanket

I think if it were for a boy, I would switch out the gold for this, this and this.

What do you think?

xo natasha

Favorite Jo Malone Fragrance?

As many of you know, Nordstrom's Anniversary Sale is going on right now.  Below are some of my top picks:

Bobbi Brown Nude Color Set // Jo Malone Peony & Blush Suede // Clarisonic

Voluspa Candles // Hanky Pankys // Moto Jeans

Open Toe Bootie // Nike Free Training Shoe // Suede Bootie

One of my favorite fragrances is Jo Malone's Orange Blossom.  It's super light and fresh and I wear it daily.  I'm getting low and here's my question: Do I buy this one again or branch out?  Some of the other scents that I'm intrigued by are: Peony & Blush Suede, Nectarine Blossom & Honey, or Vanilla & Anise.

Do you wear Jo Malone?  If so, what's your favorite?  Please share!

xo natasha

PS...stop over to Michaela's blog to read some great "do's and don't's when it comes to design.  Great read!

14 Weeks

Alright, I haven't quite figured out how I'll do these updates, but here is the first one!

How far along? 14 Weeks {see my first 14 week update here}

Baby Size: A lemon

Total weight gain/loss: Once again, I am down about 5 pounds {ironic that I finally lose those pesky 5 pounds now!}.  I've actually had a stomach bug that turns out to be a possible case of listeria.  We got an email from our local grocery store saying that a batch of peaches we recently purchased was exposed to listeria...peaches of all things!  I called my doctor yesterday morning and they have put me on antibiotics as a precaution.  Google is a terrible thing when you think you might be sick...and this has scared me quite a bit!  Fingers crossed and prayers that this everything is ok!  Have any of you had a listeria scare?

Maternity clothes? No.  This dress is from Old Navy!

Stretch marks? No

Sleep: Sleeping well except for a nightly call to el baño.

Best moment this week: Entering the second trimester!

Miss Anything? My appetite!

Movement: Sometimes I think there might be a little flutter here and there.  I'm excited for that feeling again! 

Food cravings: Sweets more than anything...have been enjoying Panda Puffs for breakfast!

Anything making you queasy or sick: I mentioned it before, but taking my prenatals on an empty stomach pretty much guarantees I'll get sick.  But otherwise, it's been much smoother sailing this time around.

Have you started to show yet: Um yes, I feel like I'm already much bigger this time around.  

Gender prediction: Really no clue!  Originally I thought that since this has been an easier start, maybe it's a girl, but then I think that's my body just being used to the whole pregnant thing this time around.  Plus I feel like I'm giving into cravings {ie: lots of bread} a lot sooner to avoid the queezy feeling.

Looking forward to: Feeling better and entering the glorious second trimester!

Differences this time around: One thing I will say, is that I just LOVE pregnancy hair and noticed how full and non-oily it is this time around.  Before, I didn't really think I had pregnancy hair but then I had Ethan and it all fell out and man, was that a sad day.  So I am full-on embracing it this time around.  OH and another thing...I am pregnant at almost the exact opposite time...being pregnant during the summer and due in the winter.  Should be interesting to see how dressing the bump goes as we enter the cooler months.

Whew!  So there you go!  I will say...it's fun to see how I was with Ethan versus now.  Maybe I'll keep them up!  ;)

xo natasha

Our Weekend // Celebrity Golf

This past week, South Lake Tahoe hosted the annual Celebrity Golf Tournament, which is always a ton of fun.  My company is a media sponsor and I also volunteer through my charity club, so we got to share lots of fun moments.  

Jerry Rice was awesome and ran over to take a selfie with me!

Ryan also got to take a photo with Alex Smith {former 49ers QB}.

And he nerded out with some NASCAR drivers.  ;)

I think the highlight for me was seeing Carrie Underwood perform...she has an AMAZING voice!

It was especially fun because we got to make a date night out of it!  ;)

Unfortunately for the rest of the weekend, it rained a ton and we actually lost power most of Sunday!  So it was good old fashioned fun around here...building forts and eating guacamole by candlelight.  Thank goodness the power came back on in time for me to blog...ha!  #bloggerproblems

I hope you all had wonderful weekends!

xo natasha

A Bump Update

I had planned to write this yesterday, but came down with some sort of stomach bug which was no bueno!  It's passed now and I'm feeling better....so here is an official update!

When did we find out?

I actually found out on Mother's Day!  I thought that *maybe* I could be pregnant again and woke up super early to take the test.  And there it was "pregnant" for the second time.  It was very surreal to think that we were about to embark on this journey again.  And then I realized I needed to tell Ryan, so I very maturely ran into the room and pounced on him with the pee stick.  He had no idea I was even taking it so you can imagine being woke up from a dead sleep to a pee stick shoved in your face.  It was super romantic. ;)  But once he came to, he was very excited!  And we showed Ethan too...though, he thought it was a pen that he could take the cap off of...needless to say, we took it away asap!

Mother's Day 2014--the day we found out!

How have I been feeling?

I've been feeling surprisingly good compared to the first time around.  From what I remember {I wish I made better notes for the first twelve weeks I was pregnant with Ethan}, I was super crampy, nauseous, and had several bouts of morning sickness the first time.  I also had really strong food and smell aversions...like I could not even look at a raw onion without getting sick.  This time, I haven't felt nearly as sick...just the occasional nausea and the only times I've experienced morning sickness is when I took my prenatal without eating anything in the morning.  I've been able to eat pretty much anything I want, which has been nice.  The only thing that seems different this time around is how TIRED I am.  I'm sure it has something to do with chasing around a toddler, yes?

Big Bro Shirt

Will we find out the sex?

Heck yes!  There is no way we could wait...I'm way too much of a planner!  I can't wait to find out if Ethan will have a little brother to rough house with or if I will get a little girl to dress up and fawn over.  Either way, we're super excited.

Am I planning on doing weekly updates?

After two+ years of weekly pregnancy updates and baby updates, I was a little hesitant to jump back in {it's a lot of work!}, but then I realized that it would be fun to compare and have for this baby.  So, I'm not sure if I'll post weekly or monthly, but I do plan on updating you all on the progress.

Thank you again for all of your awesome comments over the last couple days...we are on cloud nine!

xo natasha

Bran Muffins Worth Trying

Wow, first of all...THANK YOU for all the sweet comments regarding our latest news!  It makes everything that much more joyful and real for us, so thanks for sharing in our excitement!

I'll go into more detail soon, but this first trimester has been much easier on me.  I don't find myself gaging thinking about vegetables or turned off my the thought of something "healthy".  In fact, on Sunday morning, I had a strong craving for bran muffins, so bran muffins we made!

Growing up, there was this cool coffee house called Diedrich's Coffee and they made theee best bran muffins.  It's hard to describe, but I basically bought them for the top which was almost crunchy.  I'm definitely not doing them justice, but trust me, they were amazing! 

This version is a pretty close second.  The muffins are moist-thanks to the pureed raisins and yogurt, and the tops are just a little bit crispy...which is perfection if you ask me.

Recipe from Broma Bakery:

Ingredients//

2 cup wheat bran

1 cup, plus 1/2 cup dark raisins

1 cup, plus 1/2 cup water

1/2 cup buttermilk or plain low- or non-fat yogurt

a few swipes of fresh orange zest

1/2 cup packed light brown sugar

1/2 cup vegetable oil

2 large eggs

3/4 cup flour

1 teaspoon baking powder

1 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon salt

Method//

Preheat the oven to 350ºF. Line a 12-cup muffin tin with paper liners.

Spread the wheat bran on a baking sheet and toast in the oven for six to eight minutes, stirring a few times so it cooks evenly. Let cool.

While the bran is toasting, heat 1 cup of the raisins with 1/2 cup of the water. Simmer for ten minutes, or until the water is all absorbed. Puree the raisins in a food processor or blender until smooth.

In a large bowl, mix together the toasted bran, buttermilk or yogurt, 1 cup water, then mix in the raisin puree, orange zest, and brown sugar.

Stir in the oil, and eggs.

Mix together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt, and sift directly into the wet ingredients. Stir until the ingredients are just combined, then mix in the remaining 1/2 cup raisins.

Spoon the batter into the muffin tins, making sure the batter is mounded slightly in each one. Because muffin tins can very in size, if your tins are larger, make fewer muffins.

Bake for 25 to 30 minutes, or until the muffins feel set in the center.

Hope you enjoy!

xo natasha

Baby Schue Take TWO!

That's right...Ethan's going to be a big brother!!!

And we could not be more excited!  :)  We're due mid-January, which means Ethan has about six more months to soak up being an only child {wink wink}.  These two will be almost exactly two and a half years apart, which seems perfect for our family.  We can't wait to see Ethan as a big brother and we know he is going to love having a playmate for life.

More details to come!

xo natasha

Adorable photo by Artyard Photography

Ethan Turns Two // The Party Details

I'm so happy with how Ethan's 2nd birthday came together!  Though I'm sure he did not appreciate the theme nearly as much as I did...it was fun to see him enjoy all the different activities set up around the yard and play with his friends.  Oh!  And in case you want to know what his invitations look like, you can see them here.

 Camp Banner 

I made the Fishing Hole sign and found the fishing toys at Rite Aid of all places!

The drink station

 Bug nets found at Target

The camp setup

I made the wreath with some items from Michael's.

DIY s'more party favors...it says "THANKS FOR MAKING MY PARTY S'MORE FUN!"

The camp blanket is from Target's new line Poppytalk!  All of their stuff would be super cute for a girl glamping themed party!

And of course, no party would be complete without showing some of the kids in action.

 Anxiously waiting for the cake to arrive!

  Ethan loved having Happy Birthday sung to him.

And right on cute, he knew when to blow out the candles!

Ethan's I AM TWO shirt // My Dress

I hope you all enjoy the pictures as much as I do...let me know if I missed out on any details!  ;)

xo natasha

Best Summer Essentials Under $100

With summer in full swing, I thought I would pick out some of my favorite summer finds under $100.  You definitely don't have to break the bank in order to spice up your wardrobe this season!  

Dresses: Old Navy Embroidered Dress {$29-I have this and love it!} Gap Fit & Flare Dress {$80} Tinley Road Dress {$89-love all the colors} Love Sadie Maxi Dress {$84} MinkPink Rainbow Wave Dress {$80}

Sandals: Bright Stripe Sandals {$69} Tkees Flip Flops {$50} Sam & Libby Strappy Sandals {$19} Splendid Congo Flats {$68} Deena & Ozzy Ankle-Strap Sandal {$39}

Sunglasses: Winward Tort Sunglasses {$38} TOMS Bellevue Sunglasses {$98} Heartbreaker Sunglasses {$16}  Floral Print Sunglasses {$29} Skylar Sunglasses {$16}

Totes: Gap Palm Tote {45-a summer must!} Reversible Faux Leather Tote {$48} Pour L'Amour Du Frais Tote {$70} lululemon Asana Tote {$78-love the leaf print} Sisters of Los Angeles Tote {$34-hometown shoutout for the Newport Beach one!}

Shorts: Gitane Shorts {$78} Lace Trim Drawstring Shorts {$50} Track Short {$20} Chambray Track Shorts {$50} Hibiscus Floral Short {$70}

Accessories: Cape Knot Collar Necklace {$34} Airy Summer Straw Hat {$26} Ombre Petal Hair Garland {$13} Desert Ponytail Holder Set {$10} Jonathan Adler On the Go Charging Kit {$25}

Swimwear: Old Navy Swim Cover-up {$35} Volcom Party Crasher Crop Top {$30} // Volcom Party Crasher Bottoms {$44} Sun Surf Sunset One-Piece {$50} Leaf Print Bikini {$15/$18} ASOS Cold Shoulder Cover-up {$38}

Have you made any fun summer purchases this summer?

xo natasha

Ethan Turns Two // Campout Food

In an attempt to revive my Tasty Tuesday--aka food posts, I thought I would give you the details on the food we served at Ethan's second birthday party.  I had fun pulling together a camp theme and everyone seemed to really enjoy the food.

 A fun snack for the kiddos...we made "mud pies" which is essentially chocolate pudding, crushed oreo and gummy worms on top.  They were a big hit!

 I saw the "Don't feed the bears" idea on Pinterest.  The "bears" are Teddy Grahams.

 Ants on a log were a natural "healthy" choice to serve as a snack.

Pigs in a Blanket...or kiddos in a sleeping bag!  They made for tasty little morsels.

I should also add that we had a pasta salad, watermelon, homemade focaccia, and BBQ chicken sliders.  Everyone raved about the sliders.  Seriously, just throw some raw chicken breasts and BBQ sauce in a slow cooker for 4 hours, and voila!  Your friends will love it!

 "Bug Juice" was a must for the camp theme.  And of course, vino for the adults.

And last...the cake.  Now...I will admit, I had the cake made.  I just did not have time to make one from scratch.  BUT the topping was all me.  The logs are Pirouette Rolled Wafers and the flames are melted cinnamon and butterscotch hard candies.  My one mistake was buying the "cream butterscotch" candies and not the yellow kind.  Oops!  It still turned out ok, I think!  ;)

We had a lot of fun pulling all the food together.  I believe that part of what makes a great party is the great food {and beverage!}.

I'll be back later this week with more party details!

xo natasha 

Our Fourth of July Weekend

Sorry for the radio silence late last week.  We've had family in town, 4th of July and Ethan's second birthday.  I'm finally coming down off the high and let's just say, I'm pooped!  But I wanted to check in to let you know what we've been up to these last few days.

On Wednesday night, we went out on the boat for the first time.  The weather has been amazing lately so it was nice to enjoy it from the water.

Ethan also had his maiden voyage for the year...he was not too sure about his life jacket or with how fast the boat went, but he really loved checking out the sailboats once we got out on the lake.

On 4th of July, we went on a little walk and enjoyed the beach.

Ethan especially enjoyed the water. 

He also indulged in an ice cream...you can tell how exhausted he is here.  Pooped like mama!  As a result, we stayed in that night and didn't catch the fireworks.  They weren't scheduled to start until quarter 'til 10 and we had a big day ahead of us on Saturday.  

Ethan celebrated his 2nd birthday on Saturday.  It was a blast!  I'll share more photos later this week, but until then...here are some details.

Yesterday we were pretty low key.  We did escape to the beach for a couple hours late in the afternoon.  It was nice to just unwind from our crazy busy weekend!

How was your 4th of July?  Did you stay up late to watch the fireworks show?

xo natasha