Catching Up

So much has happened in the past two and a half months. I wish I had blogged more but finding time to get on the computer is more challenging than I expected.  With this post, I hope to get caught up.  It's really long.  Sorry about that.  Enjoy...

See Clark Grow:
Clark's growing amazes me.  I swear, sometimes I can see him grow.  His little body is expanding in all directions at an incredibly fast rate.  I wouldn't expect less from a two month old.  The changes are subtle, but if I blink twice they become extreme.  And I'm his mom.  People who don't see him all day like I do tell me he's exploding (in a good way).  I have loved every minute of it.  Well, except those minutes when I'm completely exhausted and he's fussy or crying and won't be consoled.  (Yes, my perfect baby has those moments.)


For the most part, he is happy, always kicking or moving, and bright eyed.  He's very aware of his surroundings and he knows when I'm around or not.  He smiles easily and makes the cutest cooing sounds ever.  I can't describe how much I love him!


Here's some pics to show you what I mean (in no particular order):

10 Weeks

Meeting Grandpa Voorhees

Just Chillin

On our way home from the hospital

Hours after arrival

I surrender!

Wearing 3 month clothes at 6 weeks

Love the rolls

3 Weeks

Sleeper creeper

2 weeks

Six Weeks

Hanging with Trichlers:

Two of my favorite people were in town a couple weeks ago.  David and Rachel were here for a wedding.  Thankfully, David posted about how good it was to be in Utah on Facebook, which tipped me off on their whereabouts.  We met up a Cafe Rio to catch up.  They are such cool people - I loved hearing about their new house, their careers, and some of their other adventures.  While we were there, who should walk in?  None other than the infamous Matt Fischer, another DC favorite.  Good times.  :)

Solar Eclipse:

On the evening of May 20, there was a solar eclipse here in Utah.  Ben's dad got out the dark glass from his welding mask so we could enjoy the rare event.  

The last time I remember witnessing a solar eclipse was when I was in 5th grade.  My teacher poked holes in some paper and told us to hold it up to the sun so that the light will shine through producing a pin hole image of the sun.  I didn't understand that I wasn't supposed to look through the pin holes.  I remember being frustrated because I couldn't tell if anything was happening to the sun at all. 

I'm glad I didn't miss it this year.  My favorite part about it was the way that everything felt dimmed - the shadow of the mood made the brightness of the day lessen.  When it passed, the brightness came back.

Moving Grandma and Grandpa:

Ben's Grandma and Grandpa Durtschi are wonderful people.  Grandpa turned 90 last March and Grandma is a few years younger than he is.  Their lives are admirable and I wish I had known them when they were younger.  They've lived in the same house in Boise, ID for over 60 years.  Grandpa practiced law for 60 years and was a judge for the state of Idaho for 20 of them.  Grandma was a homemaker, but she also taught piano lessons and she received her degree in business administration from Idaho State.  

For the past few years, Grandma's cognitive health has deteriorated and has finally rendered them unable to take care of themselves.  When Grandma called the police and told them that Grandpa was trying to kill her (false alarm), Ben's mom, Kathryn, and his Aunt Susan decided it was finally time for them to move to Utah where the family could take care of them.  So after a couple weeks in a care center, they moved into Ben's parent's house just days before we got here.  This was a temporary arrangement until a new condo, where they could receive assistance, was ready for them to move into.

They need a lot of help. Grandma's dementia has made her really confused about her whereabouts and the people around her.  This makes her really angry, which she mostly channels at Grandpa.  

Kathryn and Susan have worked with a doctor and home nurse to figure out some medication to help Grandma calm down.  The meds have helped a lot, but watch out if they start to wear off.  The rest of us have spent hours and hours "visiting them," playing the piano for them, and going on walks with them.  Grandma loves seeing the baby.  They've needed full time attention and it's been exhausting.   

Last Sunday, June 2, the condo was finally ready and it was time to move Grandma and Grandpa to their own place.  This kind of thing is never easy.  Grandpa had become accustomed to being in the house where he had constant help with Grandma.  Grandma had been asking to go home to Boise on an hourly basis for the past six weeks so the hope was that seeing her furniture and belongings in this place would make her feel at home.  The move has been challenging, but they are being well taken care of and the rest of the family can relax a little. 

While this has been a fairly inconvenient situation, I can't help but feel grateful for it.  I've been able to get to know and love these grandparents in the late years of their life.  It's also given us the opportunity to serve in our own home on a regular basis.  That kind of service has had a unique way of strengthening our family. The situation has also made us all think about getting old, getting crazy, and hoping for the best in our later years. 

Zach's Restaurant:

Earlier this year, my brother opened a restaurant in Payson, UT.  Poor Boys BBQ and Dawgs.  I'm really proud of him.  The food is delicious and I can tell that he's put tons of hard work into it.  We've eaten there several times and my favorite things are his pulled pork, polish dawgs, baked beans and the mac 'n cheese.

Time with Wendy:

After Zach's wedding, my sister Wendy stayed in Utah for a few extra days to spend more time with me.  I loved every second of it!  She and I are best friends and I especially enjoy it when we get together.  We both stayed with our babies at our Grandpa Voorhees' house in Sandy since neither of us have a place to accommodate a visitor here in Utah.  It was so fun to stay there - my grandpa is an incredible man and I appreciate every chance I get to be with him.

I LOVED spending that time with Wendy and her sweet baby Genevieve.  She helped me brave getting out with a one month old, and we went to Thanksgiving Point and explored like kids.  We also went to the splash pad at the Gateway mall.

Clark's Baby Blessing:

On May 13, Ben had the opportunity to give Clark a Priesthood blessing and have his name added to the records of the Church.  Clark didn't love the experience.  He cried the whole time.  No, he wailed the whole way through.  Ben said that it was rather disconcerting trying to feel the Spirit and say nice things while holding an angry baby.  It was a beautiful blessing, nonetheless, and I was grateful for all the family and friends who were there to support us. 

My Brother's Wedding:

This has been a big year for Zach.  Not only did he open his own restaurant, but he also found the woman of his dreams, Libby Coleman, and married her on May 12. 

The wedding was magical!  The setting, the flowers, the decorations, the cake and the cakes, and best of all the gathering of family was perfect.  I marked it as one of the happiest days of my life - my whole family in one place... that just doesn't happen often.


I love Libby.  She is perfect for my brother.  I am grateful that they found each other and am grateful to have her and her sweet boy, Hayden, as part of our family. 

Moving:

One of the big advantages of Ben being in the software business is that he can work from anywhere.  For the last year, he's worked from home, which means that we get to spend a lot more time together than I imagine we would if he worked at a law firm or for another company.  Having him around has been especially nice since Clark came.  (I can't believe how many times I've said, 'honey, can you do one more favor for me?'  I found myself incapable of doing much when my arms were occupied with a baby almost 24/7.)


Anyway, when we moved into our last apartment, we signed a lease for only 7 months, which would put us there until one month after Clark was born.  Then we would move to Lake Shore, UT for the summer where we could live with Ben's parents and be close to family.


I hate moving.  Packing up our apartment with a one month old baby was no fun.  Luckily, we didn't really settle in much and most of our stuff was still in boxes in the garage. And we had a lot of help - Ben's brother came and my Aunt Pam was a saint.  She held Clark for hours so I could pack and she cleaned our kitchen.


Clark was a trooper.  He slept in my Moby Wrap for hours while I packed, and when it came time to get in the car and go, he slept almost the entire drive (8 hours).  He only woke up to eat and get a diaper change a couple times.  I was proud of him!


It's been so good to be here in Lake Shore (south end of Utah Lake near Spanish Fork).  Ben's parent's are great and have been so accommodating to us.  And it's been fun to be around for family events and to catch up with old friends.  


Ben loves Utah and I can understand why.  He grew up on a ranch and it's beautiful here.  And he loves all the outdoor recreation opportunities - they have horses, boats for running rivers, gear for camping and climbing and access to all the great places that Utah offers.  Also, his family is here and some of my family is too.  It's all around a great place to be.  We would love to live here for longer than just the summer.  But Nutrislice will be in the Denver area so we're headed back there at the end of the summer. 

Time with Wendy U:

A few weeks after Clark was born, a delightful visitor came to our home.  Wendy U was in Denver for a conference and we were so lucky to have her spend a night with us.  We had to give her a little taste of the Colorado outdoors (and we needed to get out of the house) so we hiked Devil's Head trail.  It's a beautiful hike that leads up to a National Park Service fire lookout.

I was a little unsure how it would be to have a visitor just three weeks after Clark arrived, but I think that I needed it more than anything.  It was refreshing to spend time with one of my best girlfriends.  Having a baby was such a life changing event for me that it just felt good to be with someone who has known me for a long time.  Thanks for making the visit, Wendy!

Baba's Visit:

My mom, aka Baba to her grandkids, came to the rescue with perfect timing.  It was so nice to have her help during our first days at home with Clark.  She did all the things that moms are supposed to do when they help daughters with their new baby. She organized all of Clark's things (I did a terrible job with nesting), she did a Target run for us, bought groceries, cleaned our apartment, cooked every meal, and she even took a night shift with Clark so that we could get some sleep.  Wow!  I miss having her around.

I can't believe I didn't get a better photo of Grandma with Clark.

Our Birth Story:

Clark arrived at 12:50 pm on April 10, 2012. His due date was April 8.  On April 9 - sometime around noon, I noticed that I was leaking.  Maybe my water broke?  I've never had a baby before, so I couldn't be so sure.  I was scheduled for a regular check up with my doctor at 1:30.  Because of the leaking, we took our bags for the hospital (which had been packed and repacked several times for the past three weeks) to the appointment.  Good thing, because we ended up checking into the hospital shortly after the doctor confirmed that my water was indeed broken.  I had planned to have an un-medicated birth and prepared for it with Hypnobabies hypnosis techniques, but the small rupture of the amniotic sac that didn't cause labor to start sort of threw a wrench in things.  

The first several hours in the hospital were quite uneventful.  The nurse started me on antibiotics (I had tested positive for group B strep) and we waited for contractions to start.  We probably walked 2 miles in the hospital hallways trying to get things started.  When my nurse's shift was about to be over (7pm), she wanted to start Pitocin to get things going.  I was devastated.  I wanted things to start on their own and just felt that the few hours we were there wasn't enough of a chance to let that happen.  Luckily, my next nurse was much more on board with my plans to go naturally.  She actually broke my water completely so the big gush would finally happen and would hopefully cause my labor to start.  It didn't.  She let me walk the halls (and eat a little - I was STARVING) for a few more hours.  Finally I let her start Pitocin.  She did just a low dose - hoping to help labor to start. 

At this point, I was starting to have contractions, but they were very inconsistent.  They'd start for 15 minutes then stop.  Start them stop.  They even got bigger, but they'd start and stop.  Apparently, this was happening because my baby wasn't in the right position so he wasn't putting pressure on my cervix.  Every time they checked, I was only dilated at a 2.  Let me tell you, that was such a bummer - I wanted progress so that they could stop the Pitocin and I could get back to my original plans.  Instead, the nurse increased the Pitocin and gave me more antibiotics. 

Ben was amazing.  He walked the halls with me for hours.  He cued me in on my hypnosis techniques.  He supported me every step of the way.  

Finally, at 5:30 in the morning, the nurse said it was time to really increase the Pitocin.  She was starting to feel pressure because hospitals want babies to come within 24 hours of the water breaking to reduce risk of infection.  I was so tired.  Tired of hearing that I was still at a three.  Tired of feeling pretty significant contractions that would start and then stop.  And not sure that I could handle more Pitocin induced contractions with hypnosis.  At this point, Ben and I prayed about it and decided it was time to take a different route.  

I got an epidural.  I'll be honest, it was awesome.  I was so relieved.  However, it didn't take long for me to realize that something wasn't right.  It only worked on my right side and I was feeling contractions in half of my body.  It was very strange.  The anesthesiologist tried a couple things and finally, at 8:30 am he decided to start over.  So I got two epidurals. 

I started to find it very funny that not only had my plans not worked, but I ended up in the hospital way too early, had to have two IVs, two epidurals, and seven drip bags of antibiotics.  I was scared that I would have to have a c-section the way things were going.  Ben and I prayed that I wouldn't have to go that route.

Luckily by 10:30 Clark moved into the right position - facing down and back.  I dilated more and was up to an eight.  We were finally progressing.

The nurse had me start pushing at 12:15 and then she had me stop at 12:30 so that the doctor could get there.  My doctor showed up and asked if there was time to change his clothes.  There really wasn't, but there was so he was gone and back in a about 10 minutes.  I started pushing again and within minutes our baby was here!!

As soon as he was out, the doctor put him right in my arms!  He was wiggly, pink, and wet, and had a full head of dark hair.  I'll never forget that feeling.  My baby, whom had grown in me for the last nine months was finally in my arms against my chest.  He felt warm.  He didn't cry.  I kept telling him he was beautiful and thanking the doctor and all the staff.  

Oh the rush... and the love!!  It was the highest feeling of my life.  It was like my heart was beating outside of my body now, and it was the best feeling in the world!

Clark Isaac Roberts arrived at 12:50 pm on April 10, 2012.  He weighed 7 lbs 6 oz and was 19.75 inches tall. 

On Due Dates:  

I know that due dates are mostly guess work.  My doctor explained that they are averages - 50% of women have their baby before then and 50% don't.  The anticipation that I felt in the last three weeks of pregnancy killed me!  At 37 weeks, they say the baby can come and it won't be considered a preemie.  Once I got that far, Clark was welcome anytime and everyone around me knew it.  I couldn't send an email, set up a meeting, or do anything without the caveat that my baby might come.  My due date was a Sunday.  I secretly hoped that I could skip church to avoid all the "you're still pregnant" conversations.  The day came and went, and yes, I went to church.  

What Pregnancy Taught Me:

I learned a few things in pregnancy.  Some lessons I already knew, but they're the kind that I seem to get to learn over and over again.  

Pregnancy is a case study in patience. Nine months sounds like forever and there are a lot of mile stones to reach.  It simply taught me that patience is more than waiting patiently in a checkout line.  It's time consuming and requires endurance.

Pregnancy and child birth also gave me first hand experience in the principle of submission.  I had plans.  I wanted everything to go a certain way.  But when it comes down to it, there's only so much I could do to make things happen how I wanted them to happen.  Additionally, my body changed constantly.  I had to submit to needing tons more sleep, not being able to get around as easily, and watching my belly grow, which is actually kinda fun.  I thought a lot about the Savior and his ultimate act of submission to Atone for our sins.  Not that what I was experiencing could even compare, but it made me realize how complete his willingness to submit to the will of the Father was.  I imagine that it wasn't easy to do.  Submitting is hard.  I am so grateful to Him for what he did for us.

On Baby Showers and Gifts:

I am so amazed at how generous and kind people have been to us.  Four showers were thrown for me.  Each in different aspects of my life. We had a shower with Ben's family and a few friends in Utah.  One at work with all of my "moms" - there were five women that worked in the same area as me whom were around my mom's age and talked to me about being pregnant and birth on a daily basis - they became wonderful friends to me.  My visiting teachers and the primary presidency (I was the primary pianist for a few months) in the Castle Pines Ward threw me a lovely shower, and delightfully, my friend Staci organized a Skype date shower with several of my dear friends from DC.  

I am overwhelmed by the generosity, kindness and thoughtfulness that people have shown me.  We were given wonderful gifts that include enough baby clothes for a year, diapers and wipes to get us through the first month, a fabulous video baby monitor, baby supplies like gas relief medicine and Decetin, beautiful baby blankets - a couple that were handmade and will be cherished forever, books and toys, and practical gift cards that have helped us buy other things we've needed.  I love the Moby baby wrap that I was given and the Itzbeen that helps me keep track of when I fed and changed my baby and how long he's been sleeping.  

Early in my pregnancy, I worried about having a baby shower.  Since living in Colorado, I've met a lot of people, but have made only a handful of close friends.  And I haven't been the best at nourishing my friendships. I also felt like I was too transient and didn't have plans to stay where we were long enough to justify people throwing me a party and giving me gifts.  But I've realized that for many people, gift giving is from the heart and those things don't matter.  Also, this has made me excited about paying it forward when I have opportunities to give.

Our Litte Addition!

We are proud to announce that Clark Isaac Roberts arrived on April 10, 2012 at 12:50 pm weighing in at 7 lbs 6 oz and a perfect 19.75 inches long.  We're thrilled to have him in our home!

He's a pro at being a baby.   He likes to eat, be held, snuggle, sleep (sometimes he doesn't like to sleep), poop, listen to static noise (his favorite radio station is the one that makes a constant shushing sound), and ride in the car. 

 

Girls' Night in Denver

When Ben goes out of town, I try to find something interesting to do or check out.  With baby approaching (any day now, seriously), he's been home bound now for about six weeks so this post is way overdue. 

The last time he was gone, a few girlfriends and I got together and headed to downtown Denver to check out a super cool and crafty shop that I've been dying to visit since moving to the area.  The Fancy Tiger. 

Fancy Tiger Facebook photo

I had a great evening with Jenny and Tiffany.  We topped it off by eating a feast at a Thai restaurant. Mmmm!

Springtime, Bridges, and Friendship

I love springtime, especially in DC.  In fact, I've been checking the National Parks Services' Cherry Blossoms webcam on a daily basis.  This is the time of year when the city comes alive and everything feels new again.  I miss it.  Springtime in Denver is beautiful, as it should be, but not quite as vibrant.  I love it regardless.

One of my favorite ways to enjoy the outdoors while I lived in the DC area was by running the "Bridges." The route starts at Roosevelt Island, crosses Key Bridge, drops down along the canal in Georgetown, passes diners on the waterfront, goes past the Kennedy Center and Lincoln Memorial, then crosses the Memorial Bridge (here's where you push yourself - one step per square).  Then it crosses the GW Parkway (yikes!), and the final sprint is done along the Potamac under the trees where the path turns into a wooden one just before Roosevelt Island.  

I've put hundreds of miles in on that route, most of which were enjoyed with my dearest friend, Amber J (a co-founder of the traditional "Bridges"route), and other friends.  I am ever grateful for the times I had on that trail where problems were pounded out, secrets were shared, goals were accomplished, excitements were celebrated, and where, no matter what, life simply felt good for 45 minutes.

The other day, I vicariously enjoyed the Bridges with Amber - she ran it  while we chatted on the phone (heavens knows this prego baby-mama couldn't run a half block right now).  Considering the distance, it was almost like old times.  She sent me a few pics along the way so that I could enjoy the scenery as much as I did the conversation.  I loved every minute of it!

We're Almost There!

When this baby journey started, nine months sounded like FOREVER!  I'm at 36 weeks now and I can't believe how fast it's gone.  This little man is a mover and a shaker!  He loves to stick his feet right under my ribs.  I try to push him out of there, but it only takes a few minutes for him to get back into his favorite position.  At this point, he can come any time and we are SO excited!  Except that he needs to wait until I finish my final reports for my job, which ends this coming Friday.  Wahoo!

 Here's a little picture show of my growing belly.  I should have taken more pics along the way...

36 Weeks (Basketball Season)

32 Weeks (Soccer Ball)

23 Weeks (Still a Little Bump)

 22 Weeks (Little Bump)

 

Ben's Business

I just have to show off a little bit...

Ben started his own business with a couple buddies a year ago, and his software products are now being used in schools!

The company is called Nutrislice and they provide school districts with technology solutions for improving their Nutrition Services. This includes interactive nutrition education and communications tools that allow districts to more effectively work with their customer base (students and parents).  Ultimately, their goal is to help districts improve the image of school lunch and to be in the 21st century when it comes to marketing techniques and publishing menus.

Check out this Fox 31 news story that features students doing a taste testing session at a school in the district that I work for.  Ben's the genius behind the iPod app - watch for it. Kids play role in making school lunches more healthy

I'm so proud!!!

Hair Tie Trick

By far, the best pregnancy advice given to me is the hair tie to button your jeans trick.  It has extended the wear of my regular pants by months.  But now that our little man is coming in about 9 weeks, I just can't pull it off like I used to.  Unless my shirt is long enough, there's no making my favorite pants work anymore.  I finally started using the Boppy maternity belt my mom sent me months ago (I had no idea what it was for or why anyone would possibly want something that tight around them until now) and bought a pair of maternity pants at H&M last week.  I am getting used to the 10 inches of blue elastic fabric around my whole belly.  Good thing we're almost there.

New Skills

I had no idea that when I was done with school that I'd take on learning a new skill right away.  Chillaxing for a while was my main plan.  But that only lasted a couple weeks and now I'm learning how to do graphic design work.  I bought Photoshop CS5 about two years ago, but finally installed it on my computer about 6 months ago.  I haven't touched it since then until recently.  Thank heavens for YouTube and online tutorials because PS is nothing like good ol' Paint.

Here are the projects that have motivated me to learn this new skill:

1. I designed an outdoor banner for the school district I work for.  I don't know what got into me, but I offered to design the project even though I've never done anything like this before.  I'm pleased with how it turned out.

2.  I'm building a website using Wordpress for a friend.  No, I don't know how to build a website, but I'm learning with the help of my computer genius husband.  Here's the logo I designed for her. You can check out the website at www.1000healthyschools.com.
 

Although it's not without moments of frustration, learning to use Photoshop is very rewarding and motivating.

Being back!

I finished my MPH degree in December and was quickly swept away by the holidays.  Now that I'm back, I'm enjoying guiltless television watching and internet surfing.  It's great!  Once the guiltlessness of being quite unproductive in my free time wears off, I think I'll start blogging more.  In other words, you'll hear from me more in 2012!  (My sister keeps reminding me that even in my free time, I'm making a person, which is quite a project indeed.) 

I've been busy!

Ok, ok, so it's been FOREVER since I've blogged and it's high time for an update!  But this is going to be just a quickie since I'm shoulder deep in writing my Capstone project (first draft is due on Monday) - blah.

1.  We spent Fall Break in  Cabo!  It was beautiful there and the snorkeling was incredible!  I'll post some pictures later, promise.

2.  We're expecting our first baby in early April!  We couldn't be more excited about the addition to our little family.  We're at 17 weeks now, so we don't know if we'll be going with blue or pink quite yet.  I'll let you know as soon as we do.  I LOVE BABIES!

3.  I'm currently taking my last class and completing my capstone project for school.  Thank goodness I'll finally be finished with my MPH degree in December.  It seems like I started it forever ago!

4.  My job with the school district has been busy and fun.  My latest big project was to organize a district-wide Flat 14ers Community Walk.  Around 700 people came out for it!  The event started with Zumba, proceeded on to a two mile walk (the equivalent of climbing from the trail head to summit of Mt. Democrat, a real Colorado 14er - hence the Flat 14ers), and it ended with a party hosted by Radio Disney and Channel 4.  I also recently completed the process to update the district's wellness policy.  Now we're on to raising more awareness and compliance with the policy in the schools.  It all ends in March when the grant I'm managing is over.  Just in time for Junior to come!

5.  We moved a few weeks ago.  Just from one apartment to another.  I'll be honest, moving sucks.  But we had great help and are so thankful for it!

6.  We went to Driggs, ID with Ben's family for Labor Day.  God's Country - seriously.  They have a cabin there.  It's a simple old cabin with the most incredible view of the Tetons.  Ahh, I just love it there.

7.  I made a baby quilt for a good friend - pictures to come.

8.  Since my last post, we went to Spicer, MN to enjoy the lake and fireworks, went to an AWESOME Avett Bros concert at Red Rocks Amphitheater, spent some time in Utah, and did a bunch of other things that I can't remember right now.  :)

Once I'm finished with school, I'll add pictures and start posting more often! 
Hope you're all doing well!

More fun :)

We went Canyoneering in Southern Utah this past weekend.  I didn't freak out this time like I did last October (phew!).  Ben's brothers (except for Sam who's on a mission in Des Moines, IA, currently serving in Quincy, IL), and our sister in law and Jake's cool girlfriend came along for the trip.


First, we hiked Zero Gravity, which is on the way from I-70 toward Hanksville, UT:

Then we hiked (and swam) The Black Hole in White Canyon near Lake Powell:

 

What we've been up to lately

We've been doing all sorts of stuff to stay busy and here are a few of the highlights:

Road Biking Denver's Cherry Creek Trail:  

 I got a steal of a deal from Craigslist for my bike.  Some lady bought it last year, rode it twice, and decided she does not like road biking.  So I picked it up for less than half the retail price.  Wahoo!


Visit to Colorado Springs:

 Biking around Garden of the Gods.

(Someone please tell me not to wear those sunglasses anymore!!!)

Touring the chapel at the Air Force Academy.

My dad came for Memorial Day!

And we went hiking in Evergreen and went to the Flying W Ranch for a cowboy dinner and a show with Uncle Gordon and Aunt Pam:

 

We're just having a bunch of fun.  That's all.

Helvetica Coolness

I've always liked fonts and think it's so cool how the design of letters can influence the image and even the meaning of a word. Here is a trailer to a documentary about Helvetica, the font. Looks like a documentary worth seeing at some point, if only for the NYC pics.

Pretty Therapy

Picture from http://www.maleneb.com/showrooms/

I could (and do) spend hours and hours googling over pretty things. There is just something about staring at pretty things online that makes me feel so feminine, international, stylish, and inspired. It's strangely therapeutic.

I have an obsession with a certain kind of style that's hard to define, but you know it when you see it. I love designs that seem to use a palette of the world to create a perfect combination of culture, sophistication, worldliness, organic earthiness, modernity, and fresh class. But it can't be overdone (i.e. Amy Butler).

• Cultural/Worldy/International
• Shabby chic (But not too much. yuck, when it's overdone.)
• Modern vintage
• Contemporary
  
• Antique-ish and Jacobean
  

Perhaps I could define it with one word: Anthropologie. (This also might explain why I like to look, but don't often buy.)

Here are a few highlights from my latest pretty googling therapy session that was motivated by a frustrating trip to the fabric store and started with googling India and fabric, and morphed into kantha, and morphed again into Anthropologie and fabric, and morphed again into....

www.maleneb.com/collections/signature/
www.contemporarycloth.com/
www.etsy.com/shop/theneedleshop?page=1
www.absolutelybeautifulthings.blogspot.com/
www.apartmenttherapy.com/chicago/good-questions/good-questions-similar-fabric-online-059460
www.justscandinavian.com/
http://kkantha.com/
http://bolefloor.com/