Three Things Thursday!!

Time for another round of Three Things Thursday!!

1. Ummm...I hit a low point in my life today. Like really low. I fear that if I tell you what I did, you may not look at me the same again. BUT ALAS, at ATOTS we are open and we communicate and we share....so here it is.

Iworesneakerswithmyworkoutfittoday.

It's so weird someone was able to catch this shot of me going to work this morning.

AHHH!!! That's right. Before you go defriending me on Facebook, or unfollowing the blog, allow me to explain.

It was/is raining super hard here in D.C. today. Like borderline monsoon. One- If I had worn flip flops I'd be destined to fall because I'm cheap, and only wear the $2.50 ones from Old Navy. (You know, the ones that practically have Crisco on the bottom when you try to walk on wet surfaces.) Two- Since my feet are too phat (with a PH) for all most of my flats, I had no other choice. Three- My rain boots are still at my parents house and the best traction shoes I had were sneakers. Pink and white sneakers. That's hot.

And let me just say, I was trying to like own it with them on...but people just DON'T LET YOU. THEY JUDGE YOU. (Prior to this I've always been one to judge but I say, "JUDGE NO MO' lest you be judged!" because until you have walked a few city blocks in a sharp-working-woman's-ensemble-complete with-athletic-kicks, you cannot talk.)

It may not be pretty, but she will get from A to B WAYYY faster then you.

It's so funny how people can't hide their disgust either. More than three people gave me the once over, and their faces were neutral until they got to my sneaks. Once they saw my shoes their nostrils flared ever so slightly, and their neutral mouth position totally turned into a frown...and they looked back at me with a "we could have been friends, but now you've reduced yourself to just a quick hello in the hallway before I book it away from you and your 'sensible shoes'" look on their face. Tear.

Oh and I forgot to wear deodorant today too. So in other words I smell like a German barkeep, and I look like I've just stepped off the set of Working Girl. Super.

2.  I'm pretty sure Joel is super pumped that I've been using a lot of my afternoon down time to make our house more homey.

And by "super pumped" I mean "super annoyed" since a lot of this homeyness requires frequent and plentiful trips to TJ Maxx, Marshalls and Michael's. Woopsies! Those hurricane vases don't buy themselves, amIrightladies?!?

As I was justifying explaining to Mother Nixonsleeve yesterday, I just really love a good holiday display, you know? And since the Pumpkin and Harvest Febreze flows like wine around here lately, I thought I needed some decor to match the smell of our house.

Here are a few fall/Halloween things I've done at my house. (Please keep in mind a couple of things: I am probably the least crafty person you'll ever meet. I try but I fail. Frequently. And I am a first year married person who has no clue what they're doing. So everything sort of looks like a 5th grader made it.) Enjoy!

Total Effort= 1% It kind of shows though...

I made these by just taping (so I can reuse) the leaves onto the candle holders.

Woops I forgot to light the black candle. This is in my foyer. 

As you can see, I'm really pushing leaves this year. This is about as creative as I can get without having to take a nap first. I will build and learn about these types of home decor projects over the years. I think I like the Spooky one the best. Although Joel said it is, "A little crafty, that's all. But nice." To which I proceeded to cry. A lot. (What's up pregnancy hormones!)(Don't you wish you were married to me?!)

Speaking of craftiness, do you know who is one sick mama??

This lady.

Doesn't she just look like a twisted little mo? Martha definitely has some disturbing ideas for Halloween decor. Disturbing but creative. 

C'mon Marth...you're better then that.

Centipedes and rotten eggs? That's EXACTLY what I want my centerpiece to be!


 See! She is so twisted! Don't let that little pageboy fool you...she knows what's up. (All images via) 


3. I just wanted to quickly say CONGRATULATIONS to our cousin Phil and his family!

His wife Kathleen (a loyal ATOTS reader!) just had her baby!!! (You can see her pic in my baby shower photos. Taken Sunday.) Maeve Magdalene was born late last night, coming in strong at 8 lbs 2 oz.!!!! We can't wait to meet this lovely baby girl!

I feel a particular kindred spirit to Kathleen because I have only been a month or so behind her in this pregnancy. This is her third, so she has been giving me lots of advice and feedback!

We don't have a pic of baby Maeve yet, but here are some cute pics of other kinds of babies...

Enjoy your Thursday! Tomorrow we will post about our latest giveaway!! Hurrah!

-Charlie

I'm doin' it.

I am soooo doing this. I already have the built-in-kitchenclosetdeskdumpingarea and I'm starting the new look for it tonight. Now, functionality isn't super important here on this project. Alas...it's never the primo reason for doing anything really. It's hurts to be beautiful..and all that jazz. But anyway, it's that upstairs I have a home office already--and it's fully equipped so I am making over the kitchen desk for organizational fabulousness. (ie stop drowning in last week's mail)

Here are my inspiration pics.

But oops first I gotta know, which one do YOU like best? That's a legit question...that's what we do here in the Greater DC area...the National Capital Area...we VOTE! Ha, so comment after you decide, one vote each...votes will be tallied sometime tomorrow or the next day and yeah, serious votes only please. We got standards here at ATOTS.

OK, here's the kinda look I want.

Desk #1: 

Right off the bat space #1, love the chinese chippendale chair. But that's not the space. I like the space because the clean, white design and the hidden storage on the top. My closet has the same doors.

Desk #2

OK-space #2 has the pop of color that I love. And the white accessories. Plenty of space on the writing desk AND symmetry with the bulletin boards. I like, I like.

Desk #3

 Desk #3: Brilliant choice to have a mirror with the lamp reflecting. LOVE this and I love the use of space on the doors. But all white, needs more color? I dunno. Yet.

Desk #4

 Space #4: I love everything about this little space. The chair distracts me (in a good way) again, because bright shiny things usually do...but the turquoise goes in my house and so does the dark khaki on the walls.

Desk #5

 Desk #5: Ummm...I'm note sure what is so great here. Other than it's functional and the colors all flow...blah..

Desk #6

 Desk # 6: Come to mama!!!! I L-O-V-E this and it underscores the need for fantastic wallpaper in strategic places! Love the color, the size, the smart use of the doors, the floating shelves. They did SO great on this one.

Desk #7

Space #7: Small and to the point, great wallpaper again.

Soooooooooo....what say YOU?

xoxo
Lulu

PS- Yes, I will post before/after pics because I aim to truly inspire. 

Natalie Dee Wednesday

Via

Weekend Recap!

The weekend= great success! I hope everyone had a nice weekend too! 

Friday night we stayed in, ordered pizza and watched LOST. We just started Season 5 and I vowed that this season I will not read the spoilers. Usually I do because the stress of not knowing what happens makes me hate the show. Literally. I will just give up and read Glamour, and it makes Joel annoyed. It's the weirdest reasoning, but if I can read the spoilers I'm more excited about the show. I guess I don't love surprises?! Wahhhh! We shall see how long it lasts...

Saturday night we had the garden party and I think my outfit did the trick. It was an optical illusion, the all black, and I felt good in it! It was a great atmosphere, great food and great company!! We had a wonderful timeeeeee.

Sunday was my baby shower and it was so awesome!!! It was at my Aunt Kate's house, and we made out like bandits! Everyone was so sweet and generous to us. Our baby is all set with tons of cute clothes, toys and books! 

Here are some pictures...Yes I made them black & white because my face needs all the shading help it can get. Bloastsville, USA Population: Charlie Nixonsleeve. Awesome!

Me and Elizabeth!

Lulu and our cousin Jean

We got some great books!!

Mother Nixonsleeve and Lulu

Some of my girls!

My fellow preggers gal, Kathleen

Hooray for baby items!

These are just a few pictures, but you get the idea! It was really great. Thanks to everyone for making it so special :)

Lastly I just wanted to quickly shout out to Christina over at Christina's Adventures! I won her giveaway a few weeks ago, and this weekend I got the prize in the mail. It seriously made my week. Not only did she include the pillows I had won, but a personalized mug, and bag. SO CUTE!!! Things like this make me want to be nicer. Read her blog! She has a lot of awesome, crafty ideas!

This is what I saw when I opened the box...

The pressy inside! :)

See you ladies and gents tomorrow!!

xo,

Charlie

This Week On "Charlie In Charge"

Hello beautiful people!! T.A.I.F!! I hope everyone had a great week. I started my modified work schedule this week, and it feels great. I only work 5 hours a day now, and spend the rest of my hours stalking the Michael's craft store dollar isle elevating my feet. Truthfully this is what I NEEDED, my friends. Having my cankles elevated in the afternoons has helped my Frodo Baggins feet immensely.

Here are some things I've been up to this week:

1. Planning my outfits for this weekend...

I have two pretty major things to attend this weekend. On Saturday night the school Joel teaches at will be hosting their annual Garden Party. It's this great event for parents and faulty to eat, drink and enjoy the beautiful campus. Last year it was so cold and rainy! My dress barely made an appearance because I was wrapped in a coat all night.

(Sidebar: I tried to find a pic of my dress from Anthropologie and I had no luck. But I did find these two gems....


  

Sign me up for these beauts post pregnancy!! via Anthropologie )

This year it is essential to look good, but also FEEL good. And because of Canklegate 2010, I am limited in my outfit choices. I will not, under any circumstances, be wearing CRC (cankle revealing clothing).  It's definitely a dressy event and most women will be in a skirt/dress. BUT this is what I'm going with:

The Garden Party by charlie25 featuring a knit maternity

I'm hoping that great hair, makeup and accessories will take away from the fact I'm wearing pants. (Anyone reading this who will be there Saturday-- avert your eyes!) I'm secretly happy that I'm wearing pants. With a skirt you have to worry about looking tan, shaving, etc. (Soooo I guess I'll just be super pale and hairy and getting the last laugh? Yes.)

Sunday afternoon is my baby shower and I'm so excited!! But I am all confused about what to wear! I will definitely be sporting pants (black) but I wanted to wear a colorful, fun top. I have a lot of black shirts and honestly that's so morbid for a baby shower! (At least for ME to be wearing. If anyone is planning on wearing black to the shower I salute you. And I am jealous of you.) So I am currently on a mission to find a baby shower approps outfit. Any thoughts?

I have this shirt (which looks way better on/in person):

If it ain't broke, don't fix it.

It's flattering, comfortable and with the right accessories will get the job done. But like Ariel says,  I WANT MOREEEEEE!!! I'm not looking to break the bank, but if anyone knows of shirts that fit the bill let me know!

2. I've been pushing fall in a big bad way...

I just want it to be cooler already! Yesterday was the first day of fall (how do I know this? Because my dotmine planner told me! HEYOOO), and we put up our fall wreath!! I had been promising myself that I would have it up for the first day of the season! It's from Pottery Barn and I pretty much love it.

I tried to take a picture of MY door, but it didn't look as good! Via

I also hit up Bath & Body Works and got a few little items.


Creamy Pumpkin Hand Soap



"Leaves" Candle

If you know what's good for you, you will go purchase these things too. They are delicious smelling and they will get you in the fall spirit!

OK and then something bad happened. I got alittle crazy with my fall scents obsession. I had read (here) about this limited edition Febreze called "Pumpkin Harvest & Fall", and I couldn't stop thinking about it. I went to Giant, Safeway, CVS...none of them had it! This only added to the allure. Was it so good they were sold out? Is it so limited that only a few lucky noses would be able to take a whiff? Have I set out on a quest for the 8th wonder of the natural world? All logical questions. I decided to do what any freak show savvy gal would do, and I took to the streets. EBay. There I found more bottles of Febreze Pumpkin Harvest & Fall then I could shake a fist at! But no one was selling just ONE bottle. So I bought three.

And no I haven't even smelled it yet. And yes I think paying $22.47 is redic. And no I didn't tell Joel. And yes when he reads this he will be hearing about it for the first time. (Love you long time, babe!) And no I'm not proud of it. And YES I am looking forward to spraying it liberally all over my home.

Come. To. Mama.

3. I gave myself a mani with this color...

Glitzerland

It's great! Get it. Wear it. Love it. It's a fun fall transition color! (I would have taken one of those pictures where I hold the bottle while showing off my nails, but I'm almost pos that pale-preggo-sausage-finger-man-hands need not apply for that kinda thing. Sooooo you're welcome.)

The plan is to take a lot of fun pics this weekend, and post them next week! I hope everyone has a fun, fab and safe weekend. A week from today we will reveal our next giveawayyyyyy!!

XO,

Charlie In Charge (Yes, I know the show was actually called "Charles In Charge", but whatevs!)

P.S. Here is a T.A.I.F. gift from ATOTS to you:


Via

 

Lulu Review 9.23.2010 quick and easy

Lulu Review

S'MORES-CHOCOLATE CHIP COOKIE- CUP CAKES:

Stars: 4 outta 4

These are WONDERFUL little desserts!!!  When I heard this recipe from Charlie, I'm gonna be honest, I was driving my car and committed it to memory. No writing it down or asking for specifics. (no distracted driving here! ha ) When I got home I was playing in by (y)ear. See the complicated ingredient list below.

Step 1: Fill muffin tin with cookie dough. Did fill some all the way, some half. Just testing things out. One quick call to Charlie to confirm I was on the right track...had I imagined the muffin tin part of the conversation? That could happen. Again, I didn't write down directions.

 

Step 2 & 3: Add little mini-marshmallows and  graham crackers. Charlie did tell me 2 marshmallows each, but Mr. Charlie (aka Joel) recommended extra marshmallows. So I went crazy there. And ummm, I was spastic and tried putting whole graham crackers on top.

  

Step 4: Final step. Add chocolate squares. Ha, I put big huge pieces because I thought they'd melt and cover the top but I was wrong! Chocolate always seems to melt all over everything in the car but somehow in the oven at 350 it didn't spread out. Weird.

Action shot: While baking @ 350 for 11 minutes.

Fresh from the oven.

 

Final product: Delicious! A true quick & easy recipe. Hahahaaa even though the center's collapsed under the weight of the toppings...they are still amazing! Now that I think about it, I could have should have crumbled the crackers and chocolate. But oh well. I was picturing an actual s'mores so the layered thing was what I was thinking. I would make them and serve them warm when having COMPANY--because I know they'd be a crowd pleaser. But, I'd also add a scoop of vanilla ice cream on top. Oh snap. That would be the ticket.

So, I guess this little recipe is going viral!  I got in from Charlie and she got it from Emily over at My Heart Shaped Life. And I think she got it from another fabulous blogger out there in our circle of friends!! WOOHOO!! Who will make this recipe next??

xoxo

Lulu

My Flea Market Finds!

OK so here are the lovely items I found at the flea market!!

I got both candlestick holders for $20. And they match my Aqua living room perfectly!

A magazine rack, also for my living room. Bad lighting but it's painted Aqua! $40 (A little steep but the lady selling it was so cute and old. She painted it herself! Plus she didn't charge me tax saying, "I won't tell, if you don't!" SOLD! 


$15 for both of these mirrors! I may paint them, or keep them white and put them in the babe's room.

This is to die for. The little fence even opens in the middle! The top of the posts are blue, but I'm going to paint them grey. For the nursery! SOOO cute for $15.

I feel pretty happy that I got everything for $90 :) Everything is fun, unique and fairly useful! Hooray for flea markets!!

Hope you are having a nice Tuesday! 

-Charlie