June 1st

I can't believe it's already June 1st.  Today marks the month that our son will be born!  It's hard to believe that we have been waiting for this month to arrive since way back in September when we found out we were expecting.  And what a journey it has been.  

This month, particularly this day, holds a special place in my heart.  Today is my brother's birthday...he would be 27 today.

{Me holding my little baby brother}

It's hard to believe he has been gone for 6 years.  A part of my life stopped the day he left us...and yet I can't believe how much life has still gone on.  I think about the fact that I'm welcoming my son into this world...my own little boy who I have so many hopes and dreams for.  My own little boy who I hope to see grow into a successful young man and have his own family one day.  I want things for my son that my brother never got the chance to experience...his life cut short far too early.  I wish he could meet his nephew and teach him all the things he loved to do, like how to create with legos or how to build a skateboard ramp or a treehouse, how to excel at any sport he puts his heart and mind to...and most of all how to dream.  

{Celebrating my college graduation...our last photo together}

I also wish that my son could know his uncle...a young man who was extremely talented with his hands, tenacious, hard-headed, loving, driven, competitive, confident, and above all passionate.  He had a zest for life that was contagious...he seemed to always be a part of the next big thing and he dreamed big.  He was a loyal and fierce friend and dog lover.  Though he was my younger brother, he was protective, like a big brother would be.  We were also fiercely competitive...which in reflection seems so petty now.  However, I know above all, how much he loved me and how proud he would be to an uncle.

Our son's middle name will be after my brother, Grant, in honor and memory of him.  I know he's shining down on us and will protect our little guy like he did for me.

Thanks for allowing me to open up and share today.  I know that June will bring us more joy now than sadness and that makes me so very happy.  It's funny how life works that way, don't you think?

Happy Birthday Brother...love you always!

xo natasha

Family-Friendly Doesn't Mean Losing your Style

Hi Friends!  First, thank you all SO much for the sweet comments on our maternity shoot yesterday.  You all make me feel so special...especially during a time where I am feeling more like a beached whale, than a glowing preggo lady!  ;)  It really means a lot to me, so thank you!

I have a special treat for you all today...the talented peeps over at Houzz have written a guest post for all of us...talking about something pretty pertinent to my life right now...how to live in a family-friendly home without sacrificing style.  Hope you all enjoy!


Hello everyone! My name is Becky and I'm a contributor at Houzz, a home design site focused on helping design professionals and homeowners manage the remodeling and decorating process. Thanks so much to Natasha for having me! 

 Beautiful home design and having kids around — often it seems like these are two things that cannot coexist. However, just because your home is filling up with backpacks, toys, diaper genies and science fair projects, it’s no reason to lose track of your own personal style. Popsicles, GoGurts and Capri Suns will have to live alongside your sofas and rugs, so it’s best to toughen up your interiors a bit. Here are five tips for going kid-friendly without losing your own sense of style.

modern living room design by san francisco interior designer Jute Interior Design

Use durable fabrics. The wide variety of outdoor fabrics on the market today makes this easy. Ali Davin of Jute Interiors decorated this entire flat with the clients' toddlers in mind. She used durable outdoor fabrics almost everywhere throughout the space.

modern kids design by san francisco interior designer Niche Interiors

Go for sophisticated wallpaper. As your family grows, you'll likely be shuffling bedrooms and offices around. Thus, you should think beyond duckies when decorating a nursery (actually, you should be thinking way beyond duckies anyway!). Choose a wallpaper that you know you'll love for years, whether the room is a nursery, an office, a guest room or an older child's bedroom.

Choose neutral colors for the big, permanent pieces. Jennifer Jones of Niche interiors has wisely chosen a beautiful dragonfly paper in a neutral color palette and added color via more portable accessories. This is always a wise move in a room that will need to grow and change with your child.

modern kids design by boston interior designer Rachel Reider Interiors

Have a place for everything, and teach your kids to put everything in its place. Interior designer Rachel Reider flanked the fireplace in this playroom with shelves for books that include baskets for toys. Establish a strict "one in, one out" policy for toys and keep a donation container handy for those that are on the way out.

Use carpet tiles in kids' spaces. If one is stained or otherwise damaged, it's a cinch to tear out that one tile square and replace it rather than having to buy a whole new area rug.

Have any great tips for going kid-friendly without sacrificing your design aesthetic? I hope you'll share them below!

Find more kid-friendly inspiration for your home from San Francisco interior designers and more design professionals at Houzz.


Wow...so many great tips and things that I hope to instil in our home, once the little guy gets here!  A special thanks to Becky for her post today!

xo natasha

Maternity Shoot

I'm so pleased to share our maternity photos with you today.  They turned out beautifully and will be such a great way to remember this special time during our lives.  The talented Darcy Rodriguez of Artyard Photography {website to come!} took these for us.  She is also 9 months pregnant with a son, so I am excited for our little guys to meet here shortly, but also grateful she was able to take these for us!  Hope you enjoy...

 So glad that Wilson got to make the shoot!  :)

The photos were all taken down at Camp Richardson on the lake.  The white dress is actually a skirt and top and the second dress is the same one I wore to my baby shower. 

I'm sure we'll frame some for the nursery...it's hard to pick my favorite though!  :)

xo natasha

36 Weeks: One Month Countdown!

How far along? 36 Weeks

Baby Size: The size of a honeydew!

Total weight gain: 24 pounds
Maternity clothes? Lots of maxi dresses...like this one.

Stretch marks? No, but this would be the time...my belly just keeps getting bigger!

Sleep: I'm starting to struggle more and more...it's hard to get to sleep...he always seems to get hiccups right about the time I'm dozing off!  And shifting around/getting up to use the bathroom is becoming more difficult!

Best moment this week: Having my first weekly checkup with the doctor!  He said baby is starting to move down, which means he could come early!  That would be nice!  And we also got our maternity photos!  Can't wait to share them with you tomorrow!

Miss Anything? All the usual things...drinking, bending over, feeling "normal".  But I have to say, it's all worth it.  No complaints!

Movement: Lots and lots of movement.  He's an active little boy!

Food cravings: Fresh fruit, angel food cake with whip cream and strawberries, Frosted Mini Wheats! 

Anything making you queasy or sick: Not really

Gender: BOY!!!

Labor Signs: Nope...nothing yet.  The doctor also said I did not show any dilation, but my cervix is starting to soften.  Hoping after an active weekend that I'll show signs of progress this week!

Symptoms: Lower back pain, lower stomach/pelvic area pain, sleepy, low energy...pretty typical!

Belly Button in or out? halfie

Wedding rings on or off? on

Mood: Getting more emotional...like crying for no reason!  But really happy overall!  And excited for his impending arrival!

Looking forward to: Baby's arrival!  It's crazy to think that he could be here any time now.  We'll be 37 weeks tomorrow...full term!  Yipee!!

Hope you all had a great Memorial Day Weekend!

xo natasha

PS...I'm over at Gaby's sweet blog today talking about what's in my makeup bag!  Check it out!

Happy Birthday My Love

Wishing my husband a happy happy birthday!

Here's a sneak peek from our maternity shoot...more photos next week!

xo natasha

Friday Fancies::Memorial Day Madness

Necklace // Wedges // Lipgloss // Dress // Earrings // Swimsuit // Tote

Yay for a three day weekend!!  And yay for the hubby's birthday tomorrow!  ;)

We have good friends coming up this weekend to help us celebrate, which I'm pretty excited about.  The weather, however, doesn't look like it's going to cooperate {there's a chance of snow!}, but we won't let that damper our time together.  It really feels like the last hoorah before baby gets here!  And if the weather were perfect...I would wear this outfit...pregnant or not.  I LOVE this maxi dress!  And the ruffled bikini is adorable.

What are your plans for the long weekend??

xo natasha

Thoughts for Thursday

Hi Friends!  How is your week going?  I swear, as I draw closer to my due date, the days and weeks seem to get slower and slower.  I need things to speed up...but I guess I should be careful for what I wish for, right?  We still have a lot to do in anticipation of the baby's arrival, which makes me anxious!  Just a combo of mixed emotions I guess!

Anyway...here are some random thoughts for today's post.  

I saw this mint J.Crew scarf on Natalie's blog yesterday and have now fallen in love.  But how do I justify yet another scarf of the 103983487 I already own??

Something else mint green, that I could afford, and probably need, are these knock off DV sandals from Target.  If only they were available at my local Target last weekend!

Ummm what to say about this book??  I'm currently reading it to see what all the hype is about, but honestly!  This is some of the most crude and graphic stuff that I have EVER read.  To say I'm blushing is  a major understatement!!  And how in the world are they going to make a movie about it??   I swear I'm not a prude, but this is just beyond me!  Seriously ladies...what's your take on it??

I saw this and thought it was pretty funny:

So I can kid a little bit about it...only a little though!  ;)

Speaking of babies...

Here's a sneak peek of the baby's gallery wall in the nursery.  We're SOO close to being done...cannot wait to share it with you!

Last, I wanted to slow down for a second and say THANK YOU to all my new followers...I've noticed that you've been stopping by and I can't tell you how thankful I am for all of you.  And to my loyal readers, thank you for your kind and supportive comments, emails, and tweets.  I am behind on returning a lot of your sweet comments and visiting your blogs, but I promise I read every single one of them and truly appreciate you stopping by to say hi!  I'm guessing it's not going to get easier over the next several months, but know that I do care and really love hearing from you.

Ok, enough thoughts for today!  Have a great Thursday!!

xo natasha