Elliot West // Our Greatest Adventure

Our sweet son Elliot was born last Monday, March 17th at 2:56pm after what was unexpectedly a difficult delivery. What matters most is that he is perfect and healthy and so am I. Elliot weighed in at 7 pounds, 3 ounces and measured 19 inches long -- a bit bigger than we expected! This last week has been a roller coaster of emotions, late night feedings, countless sweet kisses, and early morning cuddles in Grandma's rocking chair. 

{1 week old!}

More thoughts soon.

xoxo

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Baby Talk // Say What??

Alternate titles to this post include...

The 'No Filter' Files

People are Crazy.. Here's Proof

Things You Just Shouldn't Say to a Pregnant Woman

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Since I'm {finally!} at the end of this pregnancy journey, I thought I'd share a few of the absurd/ridiculous/completely inappropriate things that people have said or done upon seeing my growing belly. Those of you who are or have been pregnant will completely relate to this post, and those of you who have yet to experience pregnancy will hopefully get a laugh out of it.
{Also, let me just preface this with the fact that I know these people meant well and that for whatever reason a pregnant belly is somehow akin to a cuddly puppy. People just can't help but touch it!}

-- A customer at work when picking up pain tablets and telling us about having a root canal: "It is the most painful thing I've ever experienced." {Looks pointedly at my 38 week baby belly} "But I've never had children so...."

-- Random mom shopping with her daughter at a baby store: "Oh, look at you!" {Touches my belly.} "Your belly is so cute. Hopefully you have an easy labor. Not like my daughter here had with her first child. She hemorrhaged really badly, was on an IV re-hydration drip and had to stay in ICU for a couple days after the baby was born."

-- A classic: "Girl! You're about to pop!"

-- The man at the grocery store meat counter (of all places!): "My sister is about to have a baby, too! She's crazy, though. Doesn't want any pain meds or anything. And after watching my wife give birth with an epidural and IV meds, I know that having a baby the most painful thing anyone could ever experience!"

-- Anonymous: "Yeah, just get ready. You won't have a warm, home-cooked meal for at least the next few years. And forget about that bathing suit and beach trip this summer! Nothing like looking like a beached whale to ruin your summer plans, huh?"

The moral of these stories...

1. Don't touch a stranger's belly. Just don't. Not everyone is down with the belly rub.

2. Telling a pregnant woman your personal horror stories without her asking is never a good idea. NEVER!

3. At 40 weeks I am well aware of my large, protruding belly, the fact that my skin is stretched so tight it constantly itches and stings, and the fact that I could have a baby at any moment. I don't really want or need to be reminded that I resemble an over-inflated balloon.

4. Just because you chose not to make healthy eating a priority after having children doesn't mean that we won't either. Also, I don't think I look like a whale, but apparently you do?

So here's to filtering your comments, not assuming that I want you to touch me, and finding something positive and uplifting to say instead of filing my head with all the things that went wrong during your pregnancy and delivery. Unless I ask you about your story or we are close friends. Mmkay?

Did people say or do crazy things when you were pregnant?

xoxo

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Spring Fever // The Home Edition

The warm sunny days filling the weekends lately have put me into serious cleaning and organization mode. Like every other home owner I know, I have a laundry list of projects, updates and DIYs for our house. Unfortunately, being nine months pregnant hinders some of these projects, so I've turned my attention to the things I can currently complete. Husband recently helped me update our couch's end tables via this Ikea hack, and I am so pleased with the end result. Now my sights are set on updating the rest of our living and dining room furniture and revamping our front entrance... and perhaps completing a few outdoor projects along the way! 

Smitten Studio Garment Rack DIY

Cement Planter DIY

Antler Water Hose Hook {I think husband can make this}

Wooden Planter DIY

Bleecker Side Chair - Jonathan Adler for JCP

Walton Sofa - West Elm

West Elm Emersen-Inspired Buffet - DIY

Restoration Hardware-Inspired Shelving - DIY

I've been eyeing dining room chairs for a while, and these Jonathan Adler ones are pretty perfect with the wooden base and nail head trim. Also for the dining room, I think some industrial wood shelving would make a neat alternative for a bar or bar cart. As for our patio, I'd like to make some simple modern planters to house some of our favorite plants and make a cool garden hose hanger for the side of the house since the current one is an eyesore.

Do you have any spring projects or updates in mind?

{All products and links can also be found here.}

xoxo

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Truth // A Trust Without Borders

Spirit lead me where my trust is without borders. 
Let me walk upon the waters wherever you would call me.
Take me deeper than my feet could ever wander,
And my faith will be made stronger in the presence of my Savior.

My husband shared this song with me recently, and I have been listening to it repeatedly since then. The lyrics resonate with the place I find myself these days. A place where I feel the waters rising, new challenges to face, difficulties ahead, but I feel a sense of rest and peace knowing that I'm not alone when I call upon the name of the Lord. I am so grateful for His renewing grace that I require constantly these days as the anxiety of childbirth, having a newborn and motherhood in general creep into my mind.

My constant prayer these days is for a trust that knows no borders...

Make Believe // Spring Wardrobe

If money were no object... and I weren't currently pregnant... and wouldn't be trying to get my pre-pregnancy Crossfit self back*...
this is what I would be wearing this spring:

Pilot Jumpsuit - Emerson Fry

Organic Moto Jacket - Shop Bloom

Beach Side Twist Tee - Free People

Veranda Sandals - Anthropologie

Marni Dress in Pink - Sonnet James 

Here's to warmer weather, bare shoulders, and pink dresses. 

Happy Spring! 

xoxo

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*I cannot wait to do pull-ups again. I tried to keep doing them as long as possible during pregnancy, but it was too hard on my lower abdomen. Seriously looking forward to that first grueling workout!

Monday Musings {On a Tuesday}

My life has officially been out of control lately... and our little one hasn't even arrived yet! Ha! Guess it's a good indicator of what's to come. Despite our business, everything is going well. Still working my regular schedule, sleeping in three hour increments, enjoying some beautiful weather, accidentally running my belly into door frames, and waiting for the day that I can hold this little man in my arms instead of in my belly.

Some other things...

This article on the last days of pregnancy was poignant. I may have cried a little. 

I can't wait to wear real person jeans again. These are on my post-baby shopping list -- so good for summer!

Another item on my {small} clothing wish list: these clogs by Free People. 

A sweet family friend gave us a KitchenAid ice cream maker attachment, so making this strawberry ice cream is on my to-do list {oh, and it's paleo!}. 

Speaking of delicous desserts, did you see my friend Lesley's recipe for drunken bananas foster? I'm not much of a banana dessert person, but this recipe is just. so good.

LOVE the idea of gold dipped furniture, so there may be a DIY in my near future... I'm looking at you hand-me-down wooden TV cabinet. 

Another DIY: how to make a pendant light out of just about anything. 

A guide to indoor house plants. 

And, my favorite {all-nautral} face washes: one and two. Also love this scrub and use it a couple times a week. 

What are you up to these days? I feel like I am in a whirlwind and am making it a point to sloooooow down a bit this week.

xoxo

copryight Hiking in Stilettos 

Monday Musings

How is it already February? Someone tell me. I feel like the last couple weeks just flew by. I'm sure you've already heard, but Atlanta got some snow, and the city shut down. We played in it a little, but mostly it just made the few work days after the snow absolutely crazy. {One lady called the pharmacy and actually said "I can't get down my driveway because of the ice, so can you deliver my order?" What?!!} Also, the other pharmacist was on vacation that week, so we were a person short. I think I slept the weekend away last weekend to make up for the exhausting day I had on Friday. 

This past week was another blur, with work being pretty busy and me spending my free time working on a side project and cleaning/organizing our house for an upcoming baby shower. {Yay!} But, I think I'm back to the land of the living! At least til the little one makes his appearance, ha! 

Here are some things for your Monday morning:

-- We rented this movie, which was surprisingly good. Love me some Tom Hanks, not gonna lie. 

-- I will never grow out of my love for Jenny Lewis. Never. 

-- After reintroducing dairy post-Whole30, I realized that it makes me congested and gives me headaches. I'm obsessed with this half and half for weekend mornings, nonetheless. 

-- On a related note, I need to try this recipe for paleo coffee creamer, but I'm hesitant because I don't love the taste of coconut milk in my coffee. I'll let you know if I stumble upon a winner!

-- Speaking of recipes, I really want to try and make these samoas with GF flour and almond milk. Don't they look amazing?

-- Also, speaking of recipes, I finally ordered Danielle's cookbook, Against all Grain. Obsessed, I tell you. So many good recipes. 

-- I followed this Ikea hack and made a new side table for our living room. Seriously love it. Too bad my local Ikea only had one table in stock... hoping to pick up the other one this week. 

-- My spot for daily scripture and inspiration. So blessed by these ladies and their immense love for the Lord. 

-- I've been on the hunt for a vintage periodic table for years. So jealous of this one! It even has 3D electron distribution. {Yes, I know how nerdy that sounds.}

Here's to a great week, warmer weather and the hope of spring!

xoxo

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Monday Meal Planning: Whole 30 Week 5 Meal Plan

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The final week of our January Whole30 is here! It's safe to say that I have definitely learned a thing or two about the way I look at meals and the way certain foods* affect me. I am looking forward to another week of good, clean food for both me and the little guy still residing in my belly. It feels so good to be giving him the nutrition he needs -- a practice I look forward to continuing once he's eating real food himself. 

I have to admit that these last few weeks of pregnancy are finding me pretty tuckered out and with a bit less pep in my step. That being said, I've relied on frozen meals from November and December and am repeating recipes that are easy {but delicious} or that are super husband-friendly. The meal plan and recipes can be found here. 

Here's to another week of clean eating and continuing these new habits long after the Whole30 is through!

xoxo

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*Since husband and I started our Whole30 early, we decided to allow ourselves dairy this past weekend as our super generous friends threw us a couples baby shower. I honestly thought that I tolerated dairy well, but after not having it at all for 30 days, then having it in bulk {read: delicious gluten-free pizza} it left me with a serious migraine. Let's just say that Saturday night was really rough for me. And now I am back on the no-dairy train... indefinitely.

Baby Talk // Birth Announcements

Since we didn't send out announcements that we were expecting a little addition to our family, we have decided to send birth announcements to our close family and friends. {This year our Christmas card somewhat pulled double duty, breaking the tiny news to those who hadn't yet heard.} I absolutely love getting announcements from my friends and leave them on our refrigerator indefinitely, so sharing our news with loved ones is important to us. From what I hear, we will have plenty of pictures to choose from since we will be snapping away his first weeks of life. I plan on having K shoot some pictures of the little man, and we may even hire someone to do a short family session. Either way, here are a few of the announcements I've liked thus far.

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Did you send out birth announcements? If so, what site did you use to design them?

Suggestions are more than welcome!

xoxo

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Monday Meal Planning: Whole 30 Week 4 Meal Plan

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How was week three of the Whole30? Nothing terribly exciting to report here. Just some long work days and an overcooked beef roast. {I made the mistake of cooking it in a slow cooker overnight, which left it warming all. night. long. Needless to say, it was a bit tough. Lesson learned.} Other than that, just starting to get a bit antsy that we are less than eight weeks from our due date. When did that happen?

Oh, and I ran out of gas Wednesday morning... on my way to the gas station {and then the doctor}... and my sister had to come help me... and the gas can was broken so the nozzle wouldn't work... and we didn't have a funnel... and then a kind soul took pity on us and helped us use an empty water bottle as a funnel...

Oy. #thankGodforsisters #neveragain

Here is this week's meal plan, if you choose to follow along!

I don't know about you, but we have really been enjoying soup for breakfast these last few weeks. It's warm and comforting and also filling and oh so healthy. 

Here's to another successful week!

xoxo

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Baby Talk // Nursery Inspiration

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I am finally at that point with this pregnancy where I am getting really excited about the reality of this little man. It's not that I've had a difficult time or anything, it just seemed like 32 weeks would never. get. here. But here we are... just 8 weeks away from the due date! So, naturally, I've started taking an active role in prepping and decorating the nursery. Here are some of my inspirations {all pinned here} and a few of the things I've collected thus far. 

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Thus far....

The color palate is grey, white and natural woods with pops of turquoise and blue. Luckily, we were handed down a white crib and glider, and my mom loving purchased us a white mid-century vintage dresser for a changing table. My sweet mother also helped me pick out fabric and is having the glider cushions recovered, and she gave me my grandmother's vintage foot stool, which we are recovering as well. I found a set of vintage grey lockers ages ago at an antique store and bought them to use as office storage. I also already had a vintage metal table, which I recently spray painted grey to match the lockers. I picked up a couple vintage locker baskets at an antique store to use for storage. {Pictures coming soon!}

I purchased this print from Joni Lay, except she was kind enough to custom make it with a different background. I chose a lovely blue and  turquoise mountain and pine tree scene that she had used for her advent prints. I framed it in a barn wood frame and hung it above the crib. It's perfect. I also hung some of K's vintage wooden arrows {you can find them at antique stores or on etsy} to add to the adventure/western/outdoorsy theme we have going. I made the adventure print myself and used a gold frame that we already had. My mom gifted me the glittery deer, and the gold antlers are Threshold from Target. I also really love this courage print by Joni Lay and hope to incorporate it in the nursery as well! For the crib bedding, we are using organic cotton sheets from Burts Bees Baby and this amazing Pendleton crib blanket. 

I will share some {non-Instagram} pictures soon! I should be getting the recovered cushions back this weekend and will take some photos then.

xoxo

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Remember...

{via}

Because reminders are good, and this one was especially timely.

xoxo

Rainy Day Sausage & Vegetable Bake

Some days require an easy meal. It's just that simple. So this past Saturday, after a big breakfast, a morning of cleaning up the house and running errands in the cold drizzle of rain, making dinner was the last thing I wanted to do. Inspired by this recipe, I created a more paleo-friendly sausage and vegetable bake.

You will need:

about 1lb of sausage links of your preference

(I used chicken sausage. Whole Foods is a great source to find sugar-free, quality sausage)

3 small to medium rutabagas

1 large or two small zucchini

3 to 4 carrots 

1 medium onion (red or sweet, your preference)

2 to 3 cloves of roasted garlic

(Raw garlic will work just fine as well. I just love the taste of roasted garlic, and it's so easy to use.)

Optional: 1 to 2 medium sweet potatoes 

3 tsp homemade ranch seasoning

3 to 4 tablespoons olive oil

(I have tried this recipe, leaving out the saltines, and this recipe, leaving out the buttermilk)

sea salt & pepper to taste 

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Wash and cut all vegetables into wedges. I left my zucchini in pretty large circular chunks because they have a higher water content and will cook faster than the root vegetables. Place cut vegetables into a oven safe baking dish. Now, whisk the ranch seasoning into the olive oil and add in the roasted garlic cloves, smashing them up against the side of the bowl to mix in well. Pour 3/4 of the oil and seasoning mixture over the vegetables and stir them around to make sure they are evenly coated. Slice the sausages into three sections each and arrange in the vegetable mixture. Pour or brush remaining oil and seasoning mixture onto sausages and sprinkle the entire thing with salt and pepper. Bake for a total of 50-60 minutes, turning sausages half way through the cooking time. 

And there you have a relatively painless* but healthy dinner option for your rainy Saturday!

xoxo

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*Disclaimer: K really liked this dish, but I honestly had a difficult time eating it. We used to grill these sausages regularly and top with homemade honey mustard.... but that was pre-pregnancy. And even though I've come a long way from my early food aversions and constant nausea {hello weeks 6-20}, I just couldn't stomach the sausages. The vegetables were delicious, but I had to find protein elsewhere that evening. I'm really hoping that I'll be able to stomach this meal after the little guy makes his appearance!

Monday Meal Planning: Whole30 Week 3 Meal Plan

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How was week two? Not gonna lie. This week left me pretty exhausted and at my wits end by Friday afternoon. I think it was a combination of pregnancy, sugar cravings and feeling absolutely heartbroken for those around me. So K and I decided to get out of the house on Friday. We didn't go anywhere fabulous, just the local Longhorns. K ordered salmon and I ordered steak. We each had a baked sweet potato with cinnamon and a garden salad (no cheese or croutons!) with balsamic vinaigrette. While we didn't eat anything that wasn't paleo, I am sure the marinade on our meat and the dressing weren't strict Whole30 (probably some honey or other sweetener). But you know what? We wanted to celebrate life, spend time with each other and not cook another meal, so we did. And sometimes you just need to get out of the house, right?

I honestly spent most of the weekend in the house. Cooking and prepping meals in the kitchen, cleaning and organizing the living room, putting bedding on the crib and hanging things in little bean's room. This week will be long, but I am looking forward to having delicious, healthy meals. 

Find the menu and recipe links here.

Here's to another successful week of the January Whole30!

xoxo

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Hen Party

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Since husband and I eat eggs regularly we decided last fall that we wanted to have our own chickens. After a bit of research, we found some locally and started building our coop. Since it's early days, the coop has come a long way, but we are still improving it. The original design cost us under $50 since we used a lot of material we already had. But with all the cold weather and wind, we have decided to spend little more time and money on making the girls a better home and are in the process of remodeling their coop. 

We plan to create a new coop and run off of the side of our existing shed. We will use treated siding that is weather proof (unlike the plywood) and attach a dog kennel that we already have to use as a run. We also already have some tin roofing and will purchase a couple more pieces to allow for a roof over the run as well. We have an old ladder and perches that we currently use, so those will go in the new coop, too. Our nesting boxes are made of plywood, but you can easily use anything for a nesting box! We plan to add a couple windows to the front of the coop, which are easy to find at thrift stores, but we happen to have a two old ones that we can use. The final touch will be a red lamp to promote egg laying during the winter months and will provide a little heat for the cold winter days. {We have actually already added the light to the current coop since it's been so bitter cold at night. We turn it off during the day when it's a bit warmer.}

Currently we have three chickens -- a Buff Orpington and two Araucanas. Interestingly, the Araucanas are Easter egg layers, meaning they lay teal or pink eggs. We lucked out and got one that lays teal and one that lays a pale pink egg. They all taste the same, but it's a fun conversation piece and they look great sitting on the counter! And after our new coop is complete, we plan to get two more ladies.

We feed them traditional food which does contain wheat and corn, but we also give them plenty of greens and vegetable and fruit scraps. They spend a lot of time scratching around in our yard, so they get plenty of protein. We are researching making our own food which would be free of grains, but it may not be very realistic given the fact that we don't have access to some of the ingredients. I'll keep you posted on what we find out.

Do you have backyard chickens? If so, any words of wisdom or funny stories?
xoxo

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