MollyMadonna.com

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dresser contest winner :)

And the winner is…Andrea R., who not only guessed correctly on dresser #4, but was also the randomly drawn pick when all of the other “extra” entries were added to the mix. Congrats, Andrea!! Please email me with your mailing address at mollymadonna@gmail.com, and I’ll send your copy of Deceptively Delicious right on its way to you 🙂

Thanks to all who entered! It was fun to read all of your guesses and to get your thoughts on what dresser would suit baby’s room best.

The winning piece arrived this afternoon and is now sitting happily in the nursery. A few shots of it in its new home:

the dresser is painted with a weathered look, so it has that vintage feel i was hoping for!

the top doors swing open...

...to reveal ample drawer space for all of baby's things 🙂

i can't wait to see this with the new bedding after this weekend. turquoise and yellow and grey (and orange and olive:) delight!

wish i could decorate nurseries for a living!

mm

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even if… (47)

Today is a celebration of one of my favorite women in the world–my mom. It’s nearing the end of her birthday, but she’s been on my mind all day. Moms are some of the very best things that happen to us as people, especially when they take their title seriously and love like they mean it, as my mom has so diligently done all these years. I think I have wanted to be a mom for so long because she was the example I grew up with. “Mom” was something worth aspiring to ever since she taught me what it meant.

I can’t capture my mom in a blog post–and I won’t even try, but what I will do is honor every year that she’s been mom to me with a reason that I’m so glad God gave us each other:

1. She has sacrificed as much as she can to make sure that we know we are loved–every day of our lives.

2. Her house is always open.

3. She has sewn every costume, quilt, dress, pillow, hair bow, tree skirt, last-minute project necessity and nursery item we’ve ever needed or wanted. (And they are always the best! I mean, these things win awards!)

4. She’ll stay up all night long to throw a party for 70 crazy teenagers if it means her daughters are safe under her roof.

5. She knows how to have a killer dance party in the kitchen.

6. She trusts God enough to let her “little” girl travel the world and dash off to far away places, and she’s always waiting when I (we) get back.

7. She has filled our lives with song from the beginning, cultivating a love for all things musical.

8. She has read us book after book and told story after story, shaping a love for all things written.

9. She makes up songs and reminds us of them forever–even at baby showers when we’re all grown up 🙂 And she’s never afraid to sing them.

10. At her house, there’s always a pillow and a lap and time for back rubs and playing with hair while we catch up.

11. She’s stayed up SO many late nights to talk me through my high school and college years, to lend company while I’ve worked way too late on homework projects, and to share Oreos and milk over Friend’s episodes and reruns (and reruns again).

12. She remembers all of the important things, like hairpieces and ballet slippers and the right tights for every performance.

13. She never tires of being a mom, even if she’s way too tired.

14. She leaves a special place in her heart at all times for her children–biological AND by marriage.

15. She’s a prayer warrior.

16. She keeps trying, keeps pursuing, keeps trusting.

17. She can console from 8,500 miles away. (And she has a mother’s instinct from that far away, too.)

18. She laughs at what’s funny and cries at what’s sad, and she’s not ashamed of either.

19. She has a heart for the world, even if she hasn’t had every opportunity to explore it in person yet.

20. Her needs are simple. God, family, love, respect and a dose of nature. (And maybe a little bit of chocolate for good measure:)

21. She makes the BEST chicken noodle soup, and has it waiting on the stove for important homecomings.

22. She finds joy in things like magic wands and fireworks and fabric (and grand babies, I think!)

23. She makes triple chocolate fudge cake in miniature, for as many wedding guests as we’ve invited.

24. She nurtures the good, encourages our passions and honors what is lovely.

25. She delights in the Truth.

26. She will never, ever, ever, ever, ever, ever, ever give up on something she believes in.

27. She’s doctor mom, and always only a phone call away.

28. She is more a grandma to Baby K each and every day 🙂

29. Me: “I love you, Mom!” Mom: ” I love you more!”

As I become a mom, and as this little one takes shape, I catch glimpses–more and more, of what it means to be the kind of mom that mine has been to me. A mom is never perfect. She is flawed and tired and protective and insistent, and at times, absolutely terrified of what the next day will bring. But she is also strong, resilient, confident, and steadfast, and she loves unconditionally, no matter what battles she’ll face because of her title role. She is a daily example, good or bad, and she sets the tone for the lives her children will someday lead. I hope I continue to grow into proof that my mom has always been the very best mom she could strive to be.

copyright, Curly Girl Designs

It’s true. Happy Birthday, Mom! I love you more than a blog post could ever say, and I’m so excited for you to be a “GRAND” mom oh-so-soon!

bunches, not grapes,

mm

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measurements. (48)

My mom and I have swapped calls and/or texts numerous times this weekend (and more than usual) for a very fun reason. It’s nursery bedding day! She and my aunt have been working steadfastly to produce a crib bumper and skirt, curtains, a recovered ottoman, and a rocking chair pillow and seat cushion, and verifying measurements along the way. Down the road, we’ll likely add a throw pillow here or there, and in honor of my bucket list, I’ll get my first sewing lesson from Mom in the way of a coordinating quilt. I can’t wait to learn with all of the delightful fabrics that arrived on her doorstep earlier this week!

Next weekend, we’ll get the chance to see all of Mom and Aunt Nancy’s handiwork firsthand, which means it will also be nursery-bound very, very soon. I could squeal with excitement as everything comes together, and I can’t wait to share photos here once it’s all in place. There are still a few “smaller” details that will join the mix over the next month or so, including artwork on the walls (yet to be determined) and a very large, white giraffe silhouette that will greet Baby K in the mornings when he or she awakes.

We’re now seven weeks away from d-day, so baby and I have been scheduling pep-talks with regular occasion. Four or more weeks, and the world is fair game. Before then, the little one better just continue to cozy up in my belly 🙂 I hope we’re in agreement on this one!

On the subject of measurements…the bump is now defining my every move and decision. Bending over? It’s nearly a thing of the past. Tying shoes? Let’s just say I’m ready for flip flop season. The good thing is, it won’t be too much longer before I can see my toes again. That nail polish color I once admired is now SO winter 2010/11…

grateful for the extremely talented women in my life, and for the extremely adorable (just guessing:) baby in my tummy,

mm

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anyone’s guess. (49)

If you haven’t noticed already, we’re all about the guessing games around here…guess what Baby K will be, guess what we’ll name him or her, etc. We like surprises (if they’re good ones:). So today, Jason and I ventured out and about to procure a dresser for the nursery, and we had a few destinations in mind. We also had an end goal in mind–not to have to go out looking again. These decisions get overwhelming after a while, and we’re both a little too particular for our own good. It’s fortunate that things like babies put a time restraint on other things, like decorating the nursery!

After a few hours spent traipsing around town (and by town, I mean here, there and everywhere), we found what we’d been looking for–the perfect fit. There were a few options in the running today, but I am overly happy with our final choice. None tipped the scales until we laid eyes on this particular piece.

Instead of showing you the dresser “in nursery,” I thought it’d be fun to have you guess tonight. Below are a few photos of today’s candidates, including the big winner. (Besides, the dresser actually won’t be delivered to us until Tuesday, so the whole dresser-in-its-natural-habitat shot would have been tough this evening.)

Here’s the scoop. There are 6 photos below. Leave a comment with whichever dresser you think is the most “Baby K,” and we’ll see who’s got us pegged. Anyone who guesses correctly will be put into a random drawing for a copy of Jessica Seinfeld’s oh-so-fabulous cookbook, Deceptively Delicious. This title is a must have for any kitchen where food is prepared for discerning eaters, ie. picky children and/or family members who’d rather not know they’re eating good-for-them treats:) Entries will be counted until Tuesday at 5pm, and I’ll announce the winner here in my Tuesday evening post.

If you’d like extra entries and aren’t 100% sure on your guess, you can add one additional entry for each of the following:

1. Subscribe to mollymadonna.com (“Stay Connected” above) and post a comment letting me know you did.

2. “Like” mollymadonna.com on facebook and post a comment to say you did.

3. Share mollymadonna.com on facebook by clicking “share” on the lower lefthand side of the page, and post the contest for your friends to see 🙂

That’s up to 4 entries for Jessica’s awesome book, and three are a guarantee!

Deal? Deal. This is exciting, since it’s technically mollymadonna.com’s first giveaway ever. We may start a trend here.

Here are our oh-so-fancy pics, courtesy of Jason’s iPhone:

#1

#2

#3

#4

#5

#6

Please make sure to include your email so I can contact you if you’re the lucky winner.

may the best dresser…I mean, guesser…win!

mm

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four-legged feature. (50)

Hi. This is Kruger. I’m blogging for my mom tonight. She’s kind of tired and looks like she’s had a long day–plus, I decided it was time that I get to put my two cents in about this whole baby thing. I’m not much of a writer, but I’ve been taking notes. And since mom has decided to be on her computer every night around this time, I think I understand a little more about what this “blogging” ordeal is supposed to look like.

First, a little bit about me. Most days, I wake mom and dad up; they don’t seem to understand how important it is to eat and pee early in the morning (although mom’s been getting better at this throughout the night). I guess you could say I’m the go-getter in this house. Once everyone is up, we do things like brush our teeth and get dressed for work, and I follow mom and dad around for a while. When they leave, the house is quiet. I check on things, watch out the window and mostly, I take naps. It’s a rough life.

When mom and dad get home in the evening, I’m really ready for some good conversation. Sometimes we play with toys or take a walk in the neighborhood. Then, I always eat dinner at 6pm. If I don’t, I get kind of irritable. Punctuality is important, I say. For the rest of the night (at least lately), mom and dad do things to make big changes around the house. Now they keep me out of certain rooms and are always telling me I can’t lay on the plush new carpet. I hate that. What am I chopped liver? Wait. Did someone say “liver?” Yum.

Anyway, the other thing we always do now is talk about this “baby.” I’m not totally sure what all of that means, but I do know that mom’s always saying stuff like, “Kruger, where’s the baby?” and “Are you going to have a little brother or a little sister?” I’m confused about why this matters to me. Apparently there’s something in mom’s tummy (she sure is looking funny these days), but all I know is that I can’t play with said baby or sniff it or run around and have it chase me. I’m hoping this will change. I do think something’s about to happen, because mom is different, and dad seems different, too. I don’t know if I like it, but I’ll weigh in on that later.

So, yeah. I’m the dog of the house, and I used to be pretty convinced that my role was clear to everyone. Now, I’m not so sure. I still have my bed upstairs, and my other bed downstairs, and I still get treats for good behavior and for coming inside when they call me. (With the weather getting nice, though, it’s a tough choice.) I like my family (mostly when they’re scratching my ears or letting me lounge on the couch), but I think I deserve a vacation from all of this baby talk. I dunno. Something tells me it’s here to stay.

It’s time for me to bug the happy couple about going outside again. Don’t they know it’s 10pm?!

on the fence about change,

kruger (for mm)