Tuesday Top 3 – Pumpkin’s Room

Posted in Personal, Tuesday Top 3 by bmariephoto

I haven’t posted a Tuesday Top 3 in a long time, and I knew just what I wanted to do for the next post in the series! Today’s all about little Pumpkin’s nursery (which is also our guest room). I hate that we can’t give Pumpkin a nursery of her own, but I am happy with how the room turned out.

Before we found out Pumpkin’s gender, I decided on a nautical theme for the room, as I didn’t want our guests to feel like they were staying on Sesame Street when they stay the night. But at the same time, I wanted to make sure there were still some sweet little touches appropriate for a nursery too.

When we found out we were expecting another little lady, I added in the pops of coral to the navy, tan and white color scheme. A few little pieces of bright blue, and we were set!

As for my favorite things, here they are (in no particular order):

1. This sweet canvas that two of my Orientation Leaders made for Pumpkin when I was pregnant this summer. It’s adorable, obviously, but the thought & heart behind it, as well as the notes they wrote to her on the back of the sign, are what place it in the top 3!

My mom made these seastars and the little quilts – so sweet!!

This anchor was signed by our family and friends who attended our diaper shower, and I love having their presence in her room!

2. My next favorite part of Pumpkin’s room is the photography we incorporated. The canvas over the bed is a photo I took at one of my most favorite places on earth, San Clemente, CA. The coral-colored reflection of the sunset on the incoming waves paired with the navy shadows was just perfect for her room! (It also helped me cross an item off of my Yearly Bucket List last year.)

A photo of Peanut on that same beach adorns the wall, and one of my favorite images of my cousin holding beautifully broken and imperfect seashells sits on top of a small dresser. The images stand as reminders to never lose her wonder and to embrace the beauty in our imperfections – lessons I hope I can teach well.

(Fun little side note – those coral and white pillows are actually made from clearance-priced placemats from Target. Bargain shopping for the win!)

A few more photographs that make me happy – my first photo with both of my girls (in a frame that was given to her & her sister has a matching one), and a photo of Max and I in Galveston that my brother took of us. (Thanks, CJ!)

3. Wrapping up my favorites is the grouping over Pumpkin’s crib. I love the Bible verse print I designed for the whale frame, and the sweet little water color sea creature art pieces were a project that Peanut and I did together!

For the watercolor art pieces, I placed sea creature scrapbook stickers onto the white textured paper and then had Peanut paint over them with watercolors. Once they dried a little bit, I pulled the sticker off and we were left with these sweet little prints! They’re something I would like enough to buy for her nursery, but the fact that her big sister made them specially for her makes them so much better!

There are little pockets of seashells scattered around the room, and I can’t wait until she’s old enough to go on walks on the beach with me to add more to her collection!

Bonus favorite: This little “Love you to the moon and back” sign – Peanut has a matching one in her room, and it’s a phrase we say all the time in our family! Can’t wait to hear sweet little Pumpkin say it too!

18Aug2015

Tuesday Top 3 – Recent Favorites

Posted in Personal, Tuesday Top 3 by bmariephoto

Ok, so I’m pretty sure it’s been about 10 and a half years (ok, maybe not THAT long…) since the last Tuesday Top 3 post… And I figured what better way to jump back in than to feature 3 of my recent favorite things!!! There are always those splurges, guilty pleasures, go-to make-you-all-kinds-of-happy things, but sometimes you find yourself getting into (or back into) things that just have to be categorized as favorites – and that’s what today’s alllllll about!

First up… e.l.f. Studio Flawless Finish foundation. I will be the first to admit that I am not the best at picking out the right makeup for myself… And I’m also notoriously bad at guessing & trying out drug store options (and wasting money in the process). I know I need to go spend the time & money to really sit down and have someone who actually knows what they’re doing help me out, but I just haven’t quite gotten there yet. Buuuuut I did actually take a chance on an option that I’ve turned out to love!! This makeup provides great coverage without feeling “cakey” and I’ve noticed that it actually lasts past lunch time on my skin (which, sadly, is an improvement). The $6 price tag also makes my little bargain-shopper heart happy! Bonus – I also decided to try out the Studio Makeup Mist & Set (for only $3), and I do think it works!

Next on the list… half-caff iced caramel macchiatos and sausage breakfast sandwiches. Sweet baby girl #2 has definitely done her best to kick my usual go-to favorite, the skinny vanilla latte, out of the picture. For some reason, she just wasn’t having any kind of hot coffee for the loooooongest time. Now don’t get me wrong, I’ve definitely been cutting back on the caffeine since finding out I’m expecting, but I definitely can’t keep up without a little help now that I’ve got the pregnancy tired plus chasing a VERY busy toddler. So half-caff’s been my thing when I do give in to needing that little extra to make it through the ~~day~~ morning. Iced caramel macchiatos though? She’s toooootally good with that. In fact, she’s more than good with it. Especially if it’s paired with a sausage and cheese sandwich from Starbucks too. I try not to think about the money I’ve spent in the past few months on this combo, but hey – a mama’s gotta make it from day-to-day somehow, right??

Last, but not least, Viktor & Rolf Flowerbomb perfume. I got a few tiny little samples of this from my sister-in-law a while back (thanks, Erin!), and really liked it. Then my sweet husband got me a bottle for my birthday, and I’m really loving it! Keeping in line with my drug-store, bargain shopper mentality, I usually don’t splurge on nice perfume, but I do have to say it’s nice to pick up a pretty glass perfume bottle in the morning instead of a plastic body spray bottle! Something about it just makes you feel a little more like a grown woman. If you’re looking for something floral, but not toooo sweet and not overpowering, I think this one is worth a try!

What have been your favorites recently? I’m always up for getting hooked on something new!

6Jan2015

Tuesday Top 3 – Holiday Traditions

Posted in b.marie.photography, Personal, Tuesday Top 3 by bmariephoto

As we leave the holiday season behind us, I love to think back about the past few weeks and what they held for me and my family. I am happy to say that I’m one of the blessed few who has a large family that all gets along, and no major issues. Sure, there are things our family battles, and things aren’t always perfect like the Southern California sunshine, but overall we are a lucky bunch. Family is a HUGE deal to me, and I was once again blessed to spend time with both sides of my family over the holidays. We missed Max’s family, but it was so nice to get to spend a whole week with them over Thanksgiving… and I think we’re starting to build our own traditions with his family as well – love it!

If I have to be really honest though, there’s nothing quite like the magic that happens around Christmas for me. There are so many traditions and annual events with my family, so it really feels like there’s a tradition every other day while we are out there. Tiring – but so so so so much fun, and so satisfying!

So as you can imagine, it’s hard to pick just three holiday traditions to make a Tuesday Top 3 list, but I’ll do my best:

1. Christmas Eve Dinner. When we tell people we have 37ish people for a 4-course sit-down dinner on Christmas Eve, we tend to get a lot of ~~crazy~~ quizzical looks. But yes, y’all… it happens. For years my mom’s mom (Tutu) has hosted this extravaganza, and she always knocks it out of the park. It’s always the same first, second and third courses, and then the main course switches. My incredibly talented cousins, Matt & Victoria, create the menu each year… their skills make me jealous!!

My mom gets the table all set and sets the place cards (which someone tends to go in an rearrange at some point before meal time). Those 37ish places at the table are only for the family members (and guests) 18 years and older, and my sweet Papa always introduces those joining the table for the first time.

A few years ago, one of our favorite restaurants in San Clemente, Carbonara Trattoria, started catering the main course of dinner, and they do such an AMAZING job with the food, and those women really do seem like part of the family, and they’re part of the tradition now!

And this dinner is even more special to me now, since this is where Max proposed to me. He stood up in front of all of my mom’s family, and asked me to marry him. Such an awesome memory to have built into one of my favorite meals of the year!!

2. The Holiday Bowl. Yes, I love this one partially because of my love of college football. But mostly, it’s in my Top 3 because it brings both my mom and my dad’s side of the family together. We all meet at D2 in the parking lot at Qualcomm Stadium, and hang out for hours before game time. Food, drinks, laughter, more food, footballs and volleyballs passed around, more food, and good quality family time.

I think the pre-game and halftime shows are always great (the fireworks show is sooooo good!), and that giant flag always gives me goosebumps.

Best year yet? My first Holiday Bowl when I was actually in college – Texas Tech beat Cal and it was just way too much fun!

3. New Years Eve. Most people have lavish party or go out to celebrate… We go to the beach. A beach with a fire, and more food. And most importantly, more family! We watch the sun set, and when the embers are cooling, we head back up to Tutu & Papa’s house. Board games, more food, and lots of excitement when the ball drops in Times Square. As the count down creeps to 9pm, and we watch the ball drop, I’m able to look around the room and see so many faces I love. I see my family hugging and kissing one another as “Happy New Year!” is said to one another. Sure, the New Year technically doesn’t hit until a few hours later, but for my family on the West Coast, the East Coast moment is the big one. Typically we’re all in bed by about 10:30 or so, and though it may be a little disappointing on the New Years scale, it’s pretty much perfection to me.