Mornings With Miles

The sun has been kind to us here in Portland this past week. Undoubtedly, yesterday's lovely morning was interrupted by heavy rain. Miles and I had a  morning snooze in the hammock before the clouds rolled through and after our nap papa snapped these sweet photos of our bubs.

Besides from having a day out with a sweet new friend, purchasing the wrong color paint at Home Depot and a few trips to the library, my week has been filled with procrastination and a wiggly baby. Ive been needing to update my new Etsy shop and finish a number of projects started around the house but with Miles perched on my hip most of the day and papa working after work, Ive had little time to myself this week. However starting tomorrow things are getting checked off the list, my friends! Fussy baby or not, this mama is going to finally repot the indoor succulents and take our neurotic cat to the vet. 

Also if your stumped on a Netflix movie to watch, check out Bag It.. Its a good one!
AND say hi to Em over at The Beetle Shack and enter one of her fun giveaways ending today.

Seven Ply

So my Mr. is one year from 40 and still has the same passion for skateboarding as he did when he was 11 and if he had it his way he would do it everyday. He has a group of guys around his age and that get together about once a week at an indoor park to shoot the shiat, drink beer and do a little old fashion wheely boarding. Its pretty awesome and it makes him one happy papa! Steve saved a few of his first boards and now they hang throughout our home. He also started painting decks while in art school years ago and they also adorn our walls. 

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Steve's old board in the living room.

 

This was taken at an art show Papa was apart of last year. Aren't these wonderful!

Tuesday afternoon

Hi Tuesday, today we are being silly!

Instagram Week

(clockwise from top left)

 1. Willow cat reeeelaxin.

2. Miles turned 4 months old that day... and he looked like a cholo.

3.Hi papa!!

4. Aww, my baby gnome loved being on the rocker by himself.

5. This is one of my most favorite photos. It makes my heart swell.

6. Papa and I like to spend time with Miles dancing around the house to our favorite records. 

7.Not a happy camper.

8. Last weekend was beautiful, the sun was out and so were we.

9. Our sweet friend Cheyenne is awesome with Miles. Him and his sweetheart are expecting a baby boy in July. We are over the moon in excitement!

Head, Shoulders, Knees and Toes

Emily over at The Beetle Shack wrote something the other day that really stuck with me. She talked about being a stay at home mother and the exhaustion that can often follow that role. Sometimes its easier to share about Miles then open up about my personal life on here and while reading what Emily wrote I found confidence in her honesty to share something private about myself.

My body is a big mushy pile of paleness right now and it makes me a little sad. Im sure some of you are calling bullshit on my complaint but I know my body and this doesn't look like it. My entire life I have had some serious body image delusions thinking I'm larger then I am and as foolish as that may sound it has caused serious anxiety for me. I have struggled with getting dressed for as long as I can remember. My mom tells me stories about me being close to a year old climbing up my dresser to open drawers just so I could change what I was wearing multiple times throughout the day. I swear to you that occasionally it takes hours for me to get dressed to leave the house. In that time I have changed my clothes dozens of times and I can't begin to explain the crippling anxiety that starts to overwhelm me. Over the years it has been especially frustrating for my family and Steve who have to wait and wait and wait around till I'm finished. Part of this problem is how I view my body. I have always been a thin healthy girl but have really struggled to see that in the mirror. In junior high it hit me really hard and I started to only wear long sleeve shirts and jeans to cover my arms and legs because I thought they were too big. Trust me they weren't and it really breaks my heart how much I focused on these issues as a girl instead of  having fun with my friends. The reason why I started getting tattoos were to cover my arms and give myself confidence to show them off. During the end of high school and my early twenties I started to direct my focus towards friends and dating versus my obsession with weight and clothing. I don't remember being too hard on myself then, I think having a busy social life kept me occupied. During my pregnancy I actually felt really great about my body. In total I gained around 35 pounds and schlepping a huge belly around helped distract the extra weight I had gained. My post pregnancy body now has been a real kick to the head but I got to say that It hasn't bothered me as much as I thought it would. I think being so googly eyed over my boy has helped me cope with all of the new body changes. I'm not too far off from my pre baby weight but everything just feels and looks so different. My hips are certainly wider, my legs are much softer and my round stomach shows off a few stretch marks and don't get me started on the boobs. Honestly, I'm really trying to either embrace this body of mine or actually do something about it. There are days that I wish I wore a smaller pair of jeans or didnt have to worry about my flabby stomach but Im actually starting to be alright with my new curvy self. Certainly once the weather warms Miles and I can get back to walks to help tone my legs but for Christs sake I have to remind myself that only four months ago I was carrying a gigantic baby in there. And as far as the endless clothes changing goes I've had to have a selfless big old kick in the ass. There are times where I still struggle in getting dressed but I am diligently working on a change. With Miles in my life I really just cant justify obsessing over my outfit when theres this adorable little boy that I can simply go cuckoo over for hours instead- screw clothes. I do want to say that being with Steve has helped me find confidence in myself. He loves my curves, big tush and all and wouldn't want it any other way and I really really love him for that. I'm not saying a man praising your ass is the ticket to better self esteem but I know for myself having my sweet Steve love me the way I am right now sure can make a girl feel grand.

When first becoming pregnant a year ago, I discovered a slew of amazing blogs about motherhood, crafting, baking, design and I am so thankful to now be apart of it. I dont have very many close girlfriends in Portland to get crafting tips and rap about motherhood with (besides endless phone conversations with my sweet sister) and reading these blogs daily has become such a joy for me. Having other ladies out there who expose honesty about being a woman, a friend, a mother or a wife has really helped find a stronger confidence in myself that has nothing to do with how my body looks.

Etsy update

And we're up! Go check out my new Etsy vintage shop Midnight Ramblers . Ive been up most of the night adding as much as possible but keep checking back because there will be more updated this weekend.  Because your great and I'm excited use the coupon code Welcome to receive 20% off your purchase!

Smiles

 

Miles is four months old now! Can you believe it already? Ahh my itty bitty isnt so itty anymore! Its so cool how much he has learned this past month. Lately we have been getting a kick out of all of the crazy kooky sounds hes been making. Also his rolling over skills are off the hook! Watching my son grow is seriously AWESOME!

Four Month Checkup

16.9 pounds (wowza!!)

27 inches long

Max relaxing

Ahhh our computer modem went on the fritz for the umpteenth time this year. So frustrating!! Anyways we were without internet for about four days which also meant no Netflix, Hulu or Amazon, major bummer. Miles and I broke out the boxes of DVDs that have been shamelessly neglected and  it actually ended up being really sweet and nostalgic. I watched flicks that I hadn't seen in a while and forgot how much they made me happy. Miles is such a cool little dude. He sat in my arms or swayed on the glider and relaxed through most of the movies. Then when papa came home we watched Star Wars and couldn't help but be excited that this was Miles first time watching it. It felt good to not be on the computer or out running errands. Simple days rule.

First week on Instagram

(counter clock wise from bottom right)

1. Miles hanging out with me at the antique mall while I add new merchandise. He had fun flopping around!

2. My other ginger baby George.

  3. Sleeping on papas Slayer pillow.

4. Mama time

5. Delicious looking cheeks! 

6. Duh

7. Dude time in the workshop.

8. Miles LOVES the grass!! He was practicing rolling on his side.

9. My sweet sweet boy. I can't tell you how much I love his face!

10. FIRST time rolling over on Easter! Wow this was such a rad moment. It was so cute watching him try so hard and then all of a sudden he just flipped over like a pancake. Bam! Now he wont stop, its pretty awesome.

11. Working on this sweet needlepoint of our hand prints.

12. Whata sleepy babe!

Picture Booth

Aww goodness, family time rules! The first row of photos were taken when I was 5 months pregnant. Feels like forever ago! The weather her in Portland has been so dreamy the past few days. Papa had a three day weekend so we took full advantage of the time together outside in the sun watching baby roll around in the grass. We are so ready for this lovely weather to stay. C'mon summer!!

Welcome sponsor

I have really wonderful shops who have sent me great products to use and review and shame on me for now just getting around to it. However I'm here now promising to stay more dedicated to showcasing all of my sponsors for the upcoming months. We have very special giveaways lined up for April and May from a few of my favorite independent online shops. Also my sweet little blog will be getting a big makeover this month thanks to the lovely and talented Talia van der Wel get ready for exciting changes within the next few months. 

Anyways! My first sponsor spotlight is Be Light from my neck of the woods in the north west. Billie makes beautiful Eco-conscious reclaimed leather bags from her home in Oregon. She is an incredibly kind person and it certainly shows in the loving craftsmanship of each unique purse. 

I received this beautiful clutch in the mail a few months back and have used it every day since. I am a big Pendleton fan so I naturally fell in love with the fabric, print and soft leather details. This is my go to diaper clutch when I don't want to lug around a heavy bag all day. It fits everything I need when I'm out running errands and in the occasion that I do need my larger purse, this clutch fits perfectly inside. Not to mention it is pretty awesome looking!

Have fun!

Weekly finds

Hi all, Check out yesterdays thrifting loot! 

I was thinking about opening a second Etsy store for my vintage finds. I had one before but once I took the space at the antique mall I decided to only have an online shop for my jewelry. Right now the mall space is jam packed with goodness and I figured I would extend my sales to everyone out there in the internet world by starting a new shop. What do you think about that? It may be a week or so before its up and running but I wanted to give you friends a heads up. 

Hey by the way, have an excellent Easter!

 Sweet owl planter!

 Funny eyed salt and pepper shakers

 Cool twisty wood toy for Miles

 Sweater for a little boy I know whose name starts with an M..

 I LOVE this awesome southwestern print vest. Too big to keep. Boo!

 Cute red sneaks for baby.

 This isn't the best shot of these boots but they really are good scores. They fit great too so I may just have to keep them for myself!

 I was shocked at how great of shape these older 9 West boots were. The original price tag was still on the bottom for $95.99 and I unbelievably scooped them up at a yard sale for $2! Go mama go!

 Got to love these sweet Saltwater Sandals! These will be perfect for the summer time.

 Oh isn't this shade wonderful!? I received it in the mail yesterday from an Etsy shop and I can't wait to use it in our room once its finished. It is going to look great with the mint colored walls.

We have a huge Pack N' Play in our bedroom right now that is being unused because a certain little boy sleeps in bed with us. The crib has a changing area attached to it that we use quite often so I figured we put the Pack N' Play in the basement until we are ready to use it and we get a changing table in exchange. Well what do you know, two days ago I found this special little fixer upper for $10! Its really darling and will look awesome in the new room.

Baby kicks!

 Monday

 Tuesday

 Wednesday

 Thursday

 Friday

 (These mocs are still too big but I couldn't resist!) 

Saturday

Sunday

Awww baby shoes, they get me every time! I thought it would be sweet to take photos last week of his cutie pie kicks. I'm currently drooling over all of these awesome baby sneakers at Zara. And don't even get me started on moccasins! 

By the way congratulations to Emily over at A Denver Home Companion for winning my first giveaway!

For everyone else, here is a 25% discount code to Midnight Riders. Girl, get your self something pretty and enter ENJOY at checkout.

Past few days

Hi, How are things? We're pretty swell here. How sweet is this photo of Mr. Miles? He has learned so much in the past month, I still cant believe he'll be four months in a few weeks. This baby boy makes me swoon! He really is such an incredible person and I couldn't imagine trading these special days for anything else in the world. Isn't being a mama the greatest? Miles is such an easy breezy boy too. He's laughing and smiling constantly now, sleeps almost through the night and wakes up around 10 in the morning (no joke!), eats like a pig, rarely fusses and loves smothering kisses. Sorry to brag! Its hard not to with such a mellow boy. We seriously count our lucky stars that we have it so easy with him. Watch out baby #2, your going to be a damn spit fire!

The weather here in Portland has been a drag. Most days Miles and I just hang at home or run out to a few near thrift shops to keep busy. Ive been wanting a solid project to do around the house and our bedroom is just the right place to start. I want to change the entire room with new lighting, art, color and furniture and I'm sure this will keep me entertained for months. Right now the room is too dark. The walls are a dark teal and burnt orange with big hanging red lanterns that unfortunately drown out the wonderful window light we have. Since I spend 90 percent of my day indoors because of the weather, I figured it was due time to give the bedroom a lighter look in anticipation for summer. I feel in love with the color scheme in this room and I think that If I paint the majority of the space mint green and use a rusty orange color on one wall that I could achieve a look similar to this but brighter. Ive been on the hunt for cool prints and maps on Etsy that I'll mix and match with framed photos of my family. Check out these awesome wood prints! Ill keep you posted on the room updates. 

What do you guys do to keep yourselves busy? I thrift a lot for the antique space and do crafts around the house. We go to the library and probably to Target way too often. Do you have any secrets of being a stay at home mom and not going entirely stir crazy with lackluster weather? I recently picked up a Sunday lunch shift at the restaurant to get out of the house without the babes and so that Papa and him can have an entire day together. It felt really good to make a little extra money and see my old friend plus Steve brought Miles by so I could feed him (so easy and awesome!) but happily its just one day a week. I still missed my little friend.

Don't forget to enter the giveaway ending this Friday.

Oh hey, I have Pinterest and Instagram now! What, what! Want to follow me? Find me on Instagram under MilesMama.