The Door to Spring

I have said numerous times throughout the past few weeks that I am done with paint. I've said it as I've sat on the floor looking at paint chips for two hours. I've said it as I rethought my choices in the aisles of Home Depot. I've said it as I put on what I thought was the final coat on a piece of furniture and laid my paint brush down. Yet still, after all the paint that has been slapped on surfaces over the past few months in this house, I decided that our front door needed an upgrade to help us spring into the season (ha ha ha... funny, no?). Maybe it was an escape from actually making decisions for the nursery or maybe it was just the fact that it's been long overdue, but we picked a color and Peyton took care of that bad boy. 

Here is the dull, dirty white door before (which we found was actually glossy once it was scrubbed down.. whoops.)

We chose a Glidden color called Extra Virgin Olive Oil in gloss. It's a bit more yellow than I was planning, but still has a fun hint of green in there. 

Well, hello there handsome. 

There are a few minor details still left, like peeling the stray paint off of the window panes (yeah, that looks kinda bad...) and touching up a few spots, but overall it makes me smile every time I see it's bright, shiny self. 

And that wreath?? My spring pride and joy! A new door deserves a new outfit, and I will share the few details on how I made it soon. 

Hoping to get a post up about the nursery soon. It finally has furniture in it and just some major organizing to go. Makes it all so much more real!

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Holy Moly!

On Monday we hit the two month mark. Two months to enjoy life as we know it, to prepare for a little babushka, to knock virtually everything on our to-do list off. Two months until we experience the greatest love and joy that we can imagine, not to mention the most natural and greatest pain known to man. Two months until our lives change forever.

That is a lot to take in. It's more than I can comprehend. All I know to do now is to take care of myself, follow my instincts, and to get the nursery to a place where I can release my inner nester! We have a major project going on in there that was a last-minute decision, so what I pictured to be a house nearly ready for a baby at this time is actually one with stacks and boxes of random baby gear scattered throughout and a baby nest that's completely empty. Hopefully this will be different a week from today. Hopefully I will be writing about organizing a dresser and how tired I am of washing little baby clothes. 

Fingers crossed for a productive weekend!

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It Takes A Village...

And what a village we have! Last weekend my mom threw me and the little guy a beautiful baby shower where friends truly let their love and generosity rain down. It was such a wonderful feeling to be surrounded by these lovely, strong, supportive women who have been down this road or simply enjoy supporting others on it. I got to catch up with friends both new and old, hear of past baby experiences, enjoy delicious food, and open wonderful gifts. If the adage of "it takes a village to raise a child" is true, then I know that this little dude will be raised right as rain.

The weekend started with a quick visit to my lifelong bestie, Kathryn, who happened to be leaving for Italy that afternoon. Even though she missed the shower (still sporting a sad face on that one), she did get a proper send off from the bean with a kick. I think it was a combo of disappointment and thanks for his favorite blankie come September.

Then came the preparations. My mom admitted that letting me help was one of her gifts to me, and getting to plan and set up this party with my mama was just wonderful. It was like my wedding with beaucoup less stress. Just joy and excitement for the day and times to come.

Friends were first greeted by this beautiful gift from nature.

Once inside, it was up to us to decorate.

My mom sprinkled pansies wrapped in pretty white paper around the house. A perfect way to welcome both spring and new life.

The pom-poms were hand-crafted using a Martha Stewart tutorial. Easy and fun, they added the perfect touch of whimsy.

We had a variety of vegan snacks, including a three types of hummus, a vegetable platter, some freshly baked breads from the farmer's market, and home baked scones and muffins. 

Some macaroons and a cheese platter were the two non-vegan exceptions.  Don't they look lovely?

There were homemade tags to lead guests to the delights of their choosing. 

In lieu of games we decided on asking everyone to leave a note for the baby, the mama, and the papa. These were then hung on a line by the windows for everyone to read, and definitely included some great words of wisdom and love.

Then came the guests. Our lovely, lovely guests. A party can be made or broken by the people who arrive, and to me ours was perfect. 

The present opening commenced with a wonderfully touching reading by Debbie Lippincott, a connecting link between the women. Talking of the love the mother felt for her newborn baby, a connection so deep between two creatures, brought tears to numerous eyes. It was such a different and special way to start a material event; a way to refocus our attention on the reason for the gifts, the little life that is about to be thrust on the world. 

And then came the presents... 

Has there EVER been a cuter lion made? Hand-crafted by the talented Gwennie, this will be treasured for years to come.

So I have to give a huge thank you to everyone who helped make this day so special. Not only do I feel better prepared, but I now know that it is totally possible to deck a little man in adorable goods. What a lucky family we are.

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And We've Hit The Third Trimester!

I haven't been good about keeping up with the pregnancy on here. As in, this is my first post on it. Ever. The problem with Pinterest is I see so many great ideas to do when I'm pregnant, getting married again (juuust kidding forever husband o' mine), or getting the craft itch that I just can't tackle them all. And I know that I'm not tackling them all. And that makes me sad. But some is definitely better than none, and I am good at doing some. So here is a late start to the weekly pregnancy updates that I would love to keep. Fingers crossed that I post another within the month! :)

Craving: Cauliflower. I've been roasting it with lemon and garlic and holy moly, it is simply take your pants off good.
Memorable pregnancy moment: The first time I decided I needed ice cream was at 27 weeks and I somehow was the one to run into the store at 9:45pm, in the rain, while my husband sat in the car... He's lucky that the cookie dough was just delish.
Favorite Part of Being Pregnant: Feeling our little man kick. And roll. And hiccup. Annnd jab. He's a mover and a shaker I tell ya!
Least Favorite Part: The anticipation of what's coming... Not the baby, just the process that brings that sucker out.
Surprising Part: My belly just isn't that big which makes it harder to realize that I am really pregnant and that I will have a baby in roughly 11 weeks...
Preparations: Been working on the nursery but hit a road bump with the floor, which basically means hours more time on Peyton's part while I'm out of the house. It also means that the nursery is further from being done than when we started...
Looking Forward To: My Baltimore baby shower this weekend!!

So there's my look at 29 weeks! Overall I'm feeling really great and just shocked that I will have a baby in just mere weeks. Kind of mind blowing...

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DIY: Inexpensive Large Dog Bed

Every time I walk into the living room I can't help but shudder at the decrepit, black, bacheloresque couch looming by the wall. It should have been released from its misery at creation, but somehow made it through for eleven years. I guess it's currently in couch purgatory as it has become our "dog sofa"- slowly wearing away with holes torn in the arms and back, lots of loving licks and scratches, and probably too many puppy farts to count. So today we decided to help it (and hopefully our decor) by trying our hand at sewing a dog bed. And my oh my how happy we are! I lucked out by finding a slightly stained two-yard piece of upholstery fabric for just $2.00. I figured that even if I did screw up my second solo sewing attempt, two buckaroonies wasn't a bad loss. But luckily the project did not disappoint, so if you are looking for an inexpensive option for a big dog bed, simply try the following:

1. Find an old comforter to use as stuffing. Check out Goodwill if you don't have one handy. Fold into size you would like the bed to be.
2. Lay fabric down wrong-side up and place comforter on top.
3. Fold ends over so that they overlap. This will not be sewn but rather stay open so that the comforter can be inserted. The flap on the bottom of the overlap will be showing, so if you would like to hem it to make a nice edge now would be the time.
4. Pull everything taut and pin open ends.
5. Sew edges together and flip to right-side.
6. OPTIONAL: Add velcro, ribbons to tie, or simply safety pins to hold the top edge over the bottom. We still haven't decided which we will do. Not a necessary step, but might help to keep dog hair and dirt off of the comforter.
7. Stuff with comforter and just add dog!

The whole Murray clan is happy with this method and super excited that it was just $2.00. Don't get me wrong, I have done my fair share of longing gazes at L.L.Bean beds, but with empty pockets and not-so-friendly-to-dog-bed dogs, they were a bit out of my range. This option is inexpensive, allows you to use fabric of your choosing, and is completely washable! Oh sweet goodness, I sense a couch's funeral a-brewin'...

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New Years Resolutions... Come a Bit Late

Happy Valentine's Day and New Year everyone! Time has just been flying by. Since my last post I wrapped up my undergraduate career, found out that our May addition is much more on the Pey- side of Peytina, driven halfway across the country twice (complete with two break-downs and three tows), celebrated Christmas, New Years, my big two-five, and the day of love, and adjusted to a life sans school. I have jumped into yoga in hopeful preparation for the (fingers crossed!) greatest and most painful day of my life, started decorating a room for a person I have yet to meet, sewed my first solo project, and tried to incorporate daily walks with the Mister into our schedules. There have been yummy meals, fun projects, and let's face it, a few naps and good shows in between.

So maybe it hasn't been all that busy since I parked my car here on January 10th, but it has been a change. And hitting twenty-five while feeling a little nugget kicking away inside me made me realize that I am halfway through my twenties, becoming a mother, and in turn, a full-fledged adult. Changes are a-comin', so I better learn to flow! To feel in control of this changing year I wrote some New Year's resolutions... A month late... And then waited to post them for another two weeks. But I've decided that putting them down here will help them stick, or at least give me a laugh a few years from now when I look back. So here we go:

Resolutions for My 25th Year

1. Organize the house. I have the time and the reason (hello ten-year-old boxes in closets that must house baby gear) and the hit-or-miss motivation. I am going to soldier through and use this nesting instinct for good instead of bank account destruction.

2. Keep house clean. Umm, so is that a gross one to even have to put on here?? Let's not answer that and just realize that it is a good and positive thing that I even care! Just like a recovery program- step one is admitting the problem. I figure that I had better start good habits now before the little guy is crawling all around. So next up in my procrastination on this is finding a good schedule and method to try and then blogging about how I will start it. That should cover me for at least another two weeks...

3. Walk with Peyton at least four times a week. We both need and love this quality bonding time. I try to forget that it's 50/50 that twenty minutes in we touch on some combative issue where I want to hit him with the bag of poop. Instead I keep the walks where endorphins are flowing and birds are chirping and Tegan isn't pulling hard in mind. And remember that it's good for the heart.

4. Take more pictures. Thanks to my wonderful graduation gift from my parents (THANK YOU!) this will be sure to happen. More on that soon.

5. Blog these pictures. Not only will this document the moments that I'm hoping to keep, it also will make me actually take the pictures off of my memory card and go through them, an exercise that currently occurs with the changing of the seasons. And Austin is known for its lack of seasons...

6. Be better about friend's birthdays. Because I want each and every one to know that they are special and loved.

7. Join a CSA or plant a garden. It's like a thorn in my side that I still haven't done either. Buying local produce is so much better for the environment and our health, and the CSA gives local, fresh goods that make you think outside the box on what's for dinner. I feel up to that challenge.

8. Don't just pin... DO! I am committing to doing two projects and two recipes per month from Pinterest to start to balance out (very marginally, I realize) the amount of time I spend looking at these wonderful ideas versus actual physical labor. (Oooh boy, I need to avoid that word from now on. Out of site, out of mind!)

9. Stick to a budget. Period.

10. Improve landscape. How? I do not know. But simply put, it needs to be done like Cundiff needed to make that field goal. That miss was too much on my heart, and looking at this landscape much longer might just put me over the edge.

So there we have it. The ten goals I have to work on while growing, popping out, and sustaining a baby. Goals that will hopefully make me feel relaxed, in control, and able to enjoy each day fully. Or at least make the house a bit more presentable to put on the show that I feel that way... But let's hope it's the former. ;) Anyone else make any resolutions this year??

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Plenty of Fish in the Sea?

For the last three months I have been preparing for graduation, which at St. Edward's University means researching and analyzing a global issue and spewing out a thirty page paper on the information. I'm not going to share this lovely piece of workmanship with you (beg as you may!), but I am going to do a little post on things you can do to help.

I chose overfishing for my topic. Coming from the East Coast I grew up around delicious seafood restaurants. Newspapers talk of fishermens' issues, crab feasts are more than tradition, and everyone can send you to their favorite markets for fish. When I became vegan I wondered about whether I would occasionally include fish in my meals, which I don't, but I took this opportunity to research why I should or shouldn't. Don't worry... I am not going to say you shouldn't enjoy seafood. I know that that would simply go no where. What I am going to ask is that you enjoy it a little more sustainably and conscientiously. By doing this, your grandchildren and great-grandchildren will be able to taste a piece of delicious tuna or order any sushi they'd like. Sadly, if consumers continue on their current path, by 2050 most seafood will only be enjoyed through storytelling.

So what is going on? The oceans are simply being overfished. Currently 25% of global catches are ten types of large predator fish, and nine of these ten are in collapse (meaning 90% below amounts that were present 50 years ago). Much of the fishing that is occurring is happening illegally, with catches being unreported or underreported and all sorts of regulations being skirted. This mainly happens with industrial ships in foreign waters, waters off of developing countries where the boats can take all the fish while the local populations go into starvation since their food source is gone. Not only do these illegal ships harm local people but they also have abysmal living conditions for workers, making them sleep on cardboard in cockroach infested areas after 18 hour days and paying them with by-catch rather than money. It is estimated that the IUU (illegal, unreported, unregulated) boats catch around 19% of the global catch, but that is a difficult number to accurately get. Because of the overfishing that is rampant, each year since 1988 the global catches have gone down by half a million tons. It is not leveling off because there are no areas for fish to regroup and restock; current technology allows ships to locate and catch fish in ways that never happened before.

Beyond this, the common method of bottom trawling (where a HUGE net is scraping the bottom of the ocean) is extremely destructive to the ecosystem, killing plants and animals that aren't the target. Each year trawlers drag up an area twice the size of the contingent United States. With a harmed ecosystem and a lack of fish the oceans are not healthy, which means they can't absorb carbon as effectively as before. More carbon in the air is the biggest cause of climate change and global warming, so we need the oceans to be at their peak to help fight.

Depressing, right? It's looking pretty awful for the world's oceans, air, and stomachs. But luckily there are simple changes that YOU can make, changes that will fight these issues. Consumers have the power in their hands, so by making smarter choices in the way we buy we can make a difference for the world.

How you can help:

1. Buy local. If you are lucky enough to have oceans and bays nearby, support them! Local fishermen typically use sustainable methods of fishing because they want to maintain their livelihood. Go to markets that sell local catches and do not be afraid to ask where the fish was caught.

2. Buy sustainable. For those who don't live near water or don't like the fish offered at the local market, seek out sustainable companies. A New Hampshire-based company called EcoFish sells frozen fish from high-quality fisheries throughout the world. They only sell fish that have been caught using sustainable methods, such as hook and line, rather than by trawlers. Yes it may be more expensive, but it is a necessary step to ensuring our ocean as we know it. Another idea is to find sustainable fish markets. I was lucky enough to interview Carol Huntsberger, proprietor of Quality Seafood in Austin, and learned all the steps she has taken to make sure she is only selling sustainable options. Support smaller businesses like hers that are happy to answer questions and rely on customer feedback and desires.

3. Be informed. If you've taken the time to read my lengthy overview above, you are likely more informed than you were. Stay that way! Be up to date on what types of fish are endangered and shouldn't be eaten while which others are safe. The Monterey Bay Aquarium has a great tool for this called the Seafood Watch Pocket Guide that can simply be downloaded and carried with you to restaurants and markets. This will help ensure the fish that need protection for a while get it so they can replenish their numbers naturally. Do more research online, through books, and even documentaries. I highly recommend a recent film called The End of the Line if you'd like to learn more.

4. Ask questions. Ask where the fish is from and how it was caught. These two pieces have huge effects on how sustainable it is. Within every realm, whether ocean fishing or fish farming, there are more sustainable methods than others. This is another place where you can inform yourself on the best and worst places to buy from. But fish from the United States are almost always a safe bet since regulations are high here.

5. Eat less fish. This doesn't sound great right now, but will be better in the long run. What most fish currently need is a break, or at least a breather, and the First World consumption of fish has risen drastically since 1950. More than one billion people throughout the world rely on fish as their main form of sustenance, and most of these people are in Third World countries. For those in developed nations, fish is typically a choice made on desire. By eating fish less often the demand for fish will reduce and so will the global catch. When you eat it, enjoy it. Take time to appreciate what you are eating and to realize that the steps you are taking are ensuring seafood for generations to come.

So there you have it! Even making one or two changes can have effects on the market and the oceans. You have more power than you think. Share this information with friends and family and take heart in knowing that simple actions can have a big impact.

** If you would like a list of my sources please let me know as I'd be happy to provide them. I decided to keep them out of here to make it a bit more reader-friendly.

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