A Stroll Through Riverwalk Landing - Yorktown, VA

While my mom visited us over the Independence Day holiday, we all went for a stroll through Riverwalk Landing in Old Yorktown, VA.Riverwalk Landing is located on the Yorktown waterfront. There is a small beach and a pier to enjoy as well as quaint shopping and dining opportunities on the very picturesque setting of the York River which serves as a beautiful backdrop for a lovely walk. There are several opportunities to enjoy  outdoor concerts, markets and I hear even a wine festival and tall ship visits.beach york riverEllena is the first baby I've been able to successfully breastfeed. It's an accomplishment I'm so proud of. Feeding her in public, has been a struggle for me, I've spent a lot of time in the backseat of my car, but I think I've gotten the handle on it now. These cute covers have helped so much because they totally cover me (I'm the bashful type) when trying to get her latched on.My mother gifted me with a few Alex & Ani bangles for mother's day. One was "mother" and the other "daughter". I love them so much. Here is a similiar one.   

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Decor, Motherhood Decor, Motherhood

Ellena's Nursery - Baby Girl Whimsical Nursery: Unicorn & Swans

Whew! It's been a whirlwind couple of months. We moved from Italy and I had my baby girl. We named her Ellena Grace and she is a lovely little creature I am completely in love with. I'll share more of all the craziness that my life has been in the coming weeks, however today I REALLY want to share her nursery.I moved back Stateside just before I hit the 35 week mark. Her nursery was put together in about two weeks. The only thing I had for was her custom name sign. Everything else was purchased or made here.I had a vision in my mind I cultivated over the several months of my pregnancy. I knew I wanted it to be simple, feminine, and have a whimsical feel. The pallet would consist of white as the predominant shade, coloring the walls, and furniture. Shades of pink (mostly blush and "baby" pink) would be the next most frequently used color followed by varying shades of gold as accents. All in all I'm quite pleased with how it all turned out.Please note, this post contains affiliate links. If you purchase an item through these links, I earn a small commission, which I use to help support this blog. Baby Girl Nursery Pink Gold WhiteThe wall decor was found at various locations. The swan art was purchased from the Etsy shop called Cassie Loizeaux. The custom metal name sign is by Rusted Orange Craftwork Co. I purchased via jane.com, at a discounted price; they're often featured there, but if you can't wait, you can purchase directly from their website. I found the other pieces at Toys R Us, TJ Maxx and Marshalls. You can find similar pieces here, here, here, here, and here.Classic White CribThe garland isn't a permanent fixture as it's a major safety hazard. I only hung it for the photographs, because it looks so pretty, and I've not figured out where or if I'm going to hang it in her nursery.Ellena was due around Easter so I included a few bunnies in the decor. The larger bunny is a Tiffany bank and the smaller bunny I found in a Goodwill. The clock is a vintage find I purchased at an antique market in Italy. The lampshade I covered in ribbon and decoupaged over it. The base was a Goodwill find too.  You can find a similar piggy bank here. A "vintage" clock similar to the one I used here.I found this dresser at at a Habitat For Humanity -ReStore, and painted it white using Valspar Chalky Finish paint purchased at Lowes. The entire dresser took about half a can. I initially intended to spray paint the hardware gold, but realized the brass if polished would look pretty cool, and so that's what I did.The unicorn night light was purchased at Target.  You can find a similar baroque wall mirror here. I didn't intend to use a wipe warmer, and didn't buy one, but after the baby came, my husband went to Babies R Us on an errand, and he purchased it for her. I got a good laugh over it, because wipes warmers are generally one of those unnecessary baby items first time parents get, and we certainly did with Michael. It was so sweet, his not wanting her tush to get cold, and as baby wipes warmers go, it's a decent one.  I have wire baskets I use to hold frequently used items like toiletries on her dresser and swaddle blankets by her crib.  You can find similar ones here and here.unicorn decorThe unicorn was purchased at Target too. I love that sucker. The coat rack was something I had on hand. The lovely dress was a gift at my baby shower. I really like this similar version.whimsical unicorn nurseryThe curtains were purchased at World Market. They're so airy and light. You can find similar ones here. These ruffle curtains are a different style, but ohmygosh are they adorable! The chair is a from Ikea. The hamper was a gift, you can find similar ones, here and here and here. The garland was found in the clearance bin at Michaels. You could easily make one yourself, find one at Michaels or other places like Etsy.Here she is! My baby girl! Ellena isn't sleeping in her crib, yet, so I keep pillows and dolls in her crib until she's ready to sleep in it. You can find similar pillows here, here, here, here, and here. The sleeping doll was another jane.com find. They can be found at the Little Love Boutique website. Swans are my favorite bird, and like the unicorn, they've got that whimsical magicalness about them. You can find the swan rattle here. I purchased the small version, they do come in other sizes. The stuffed rabbit was a gift at my baby shower. You can find a similar one here.Finally the mobile. I made myself and it was the easiest thing... EVER. I'll tell you how I made this DIY mobile in my next post.  I am in the process of painting an old shelf to replace the chair to hold books and other things. Once I get it completed, I'll update this post.

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Motherhood Motherhood

Baby Is Two Months Old Already!

It's been just the kids and I for about three weeks. The first couple of weeks were kind of rough. The kid felt the absence of their father and I certainly missed my husband. I don't really know anyone here yet, so not having anyone to talk to has been hard. This next year is gonna drag, but we're getting into our routines and thanking the Lord for FaceTime. My son Michael took these photos of Ellena and I. Aren't they great? He's got a great eye. I felt so proud. photo by windowEllena is fully a part of our lives and our hearts as she has been since the day we found out a new baby would be coming into our lives. We all adore her so much and the boys fight to see who will get to hold her, or watch her when I've got to prepare meals or take a shower.photo by window with babyThe dress I'm wearing if from Old Navy. You can find a similar one here, here, here. The stripped scalloped outfit Ellena is wearing is from the Victoria Beckham Collection from Target.newborn baby two months oldI'm totally smitten with this jumpsuit Ellena is wearing. I love how totally feminine and dainty it is. I purchased it at Macys. You can find it here. 

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Family, Motherhood Family, Motherhood

My Baby Girl Is One Month Old

milestone blanket baby girl one monthA lot of this last month feels like a blur. I can't believe my daughter is a month old already. It feels like she's always been a part of our family and we're all so happy she's here. She is such an incredible blessing. I still can't stop staring. Breastfeeding has been hard, but we made it through the first couple of weeks which was my first goal. My next goal is three months. I'm constantly worried I don't have enough milk.Ellena has developed baby acne. I didn't experience this with my boys... I also didn't breast feed for this long a period either, so trade offs I guess.I'm so in love with her little feet. I love to pick the lint that gathers between her little toes, which are always squished up.You can find my milestone blanket I used by Batzkids here.These milestone blankets are also cute and a little bit cheaper too! First Impressions, Hello Spud This on on Amazon or this one is pretty cute too!

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Family, Motherhood Family, Motherhood

Bringing Baby Home

Newborn in Graco 4Ever Convertible Car SeatWe brought baby Ellena home from the hospital the day after she was born. It was a bright sunny April afternoon when we left the hospital and placed her into our rental car. We were still waiting on our car which was being shipped from Italy. It was a tiny car and her Graco 4Ever Convertible Car Seat basically took up the whole backseat. new born baby girlI can't tell you how happy I was to be home. I had great care and a pretty uneventful labor and delivery, but one really can't get any rest when in the hospital and I was exhausted by the time we pulled into the drive with our precious cargo.We spent the first couple of days she was home going back to the hospital because she wasn't putting weight on quick enough, and she became jaundiced. So by the time we were given the all clear I was fairly tired of seeing that place.It's still feels unreal to have her home. My heart is full and my family complete.

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Family, Motherhood Family, Motherhood

Welcome to the World My Sweet Baby Girl!

new born baby hospital picturesShe's here! I'd like to introduce you to Ellena Grace. I am absolutely and completely in love.Here are a few pictures we took of our newborn baby in the hospitalShe's perfect. Absolutely perfect. She's healthy and beautiful and I feel so completely blessed.I wasn't planning on introducing a pacifier to her in the hospital because I'm breastfeeding, but so far so good - we're having no issues with her rejecting me. The pacifier brand I'm using is Mam. You can find them here.Her brothers and Daddy are totally smitten with her too.Here they are meeting her for the first time. <3 love.I can not stop staring at her. 

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