House of Hydrangeas

I love shopping at Target.  It's always clean, usually not busy (my location anyway) and they always have great deals on things!  I especially love their accessories and recently purchased a few I thought I'd share. Floppy Hat-$16.99 I love a good hat and this one was just what I've been wanting to find! Oversized Plaid Scarf-$16.99 Blanket scarves are very in for this fall/winter and this one has beautiful colors at a great price.  I wore it for date night last week with a black blouse and cognac boots, and it was perfect. Tassled Shaw-$24.99 I actually got a different color that was on clearance in my store, but I love this one too. Check your stores to see if they have a better deal. P.S. Target is offering free shipping site wide right now!  Happy shopping!

That's how many months my sweet girl turned yesterday.  Ten.  I feel like the first 3-4 months cruised slowly on by and then all of the sudden time just sped up.  And now here we are--prepping for her the celebration of her first year of life in two short months.  Wow. I ran across this photo earlier today when I was organizing my files, and it almost took my breath away.  She was three months old and still so tiny.  We were just at the start of our journey. Newborn- 3 months- 6 months- 9months My how she has grown and become her own little person...mild mannered (most of the time), so happy, curious, joyful and full of giggles and grins.  What a treat it has been to be her momma!  I'm thankful for every day--even the hard ones, because I know life ends far too quickly sometimes.  I want to love her well and soak it all in.  But the truth is most days are a blur and then it's bedtime.  I pray that in that "blur" she thinks I'm doing my part well.

Dear Baby Girl, You're eight and a half months old now and have been sleeping through the night for quite some time.  But some times, ever so often, you'll let out a cry in the middle of the night.  Usually, it only lasts a bit before you soothe yourself and roll over and go back to sleep.  But some times you won't stop until someone comes to see you.  I secretly love those times.  Those times remind me that you still need me. Those times bring me back to the first weeks of your life when you still needed to eat often...when were you still my tiny girl.  In those moments, in the quiet of your dark room, I hold you close and whisper to you how much I love you, how lucky I am to call you mine.  In those moments I thank God for this gift; this immeasurable gift.  In those moments, I just want time to stand still. I'm staring at the monitor now and watching you sleep peacefully, wondering of what your dreams are made.  I have big dreams for you myself and pray continuou

Last month I helped throw my best friend (we met in 9th grade speech class :)) Lauren's baby shower for her soon-to-arrive baby boy, Gunner.  The shower had a "Southern gentleman" theme complete with bow ties, silhouettes and gingham print.  Personal touches and family items were used throughout, including baby Gunner's dad's bow ties :) Gunner's daddy's "going home" outfit greeted guests at the sign in table, along with a framed "Southern gentleman in the making" print. A variety of centerpieces graced the tables with groupings of baby mementos, flowers and photos. An antique baby basket helped house the gifts. The drink menu consisted of milk, apple juice (one of Lauren's cravings), fruit-infused water and coffee. The menu was made of a variety of brunch goodies including fruit, doughnuts, muffins, shrimp and grits, breakfast casserole and a waffle bar.  And of course no shower is comp

Spring is finally here!  These pretty days and warm temps are quite refreshing.  They make me want to shop for a new wardrobe of colorful shorts, cotton tops and of course jewelry!  I'm on a "no clothes shopping" stint right now, though.  If you saw my closet, you'd understand why.  I've decided to remix my wardrobe and use what I have instead of buying new and only wearing previously purchased items a handful of times.   One way for me to easily remix and redress outfits is with accessories, specifically jewelry!  Good jewelry buys last a long time, especially if they're well made and I don't mind justifying a purchase here or there :)  Enter Stella & Dot.  I've purchased a handful of their products before and still wear and love them all.  Here are a few of my current faves for spring! 1.  I have this Starstruck Ring, and it's a great fun piece to throw on with any outfit...and currently on sale for $29.50! 2.  Because everyone nee

Auden's nursery is finally up for your viewing!  "Where?" you might ask.  Well that is the other big reveal.  I not only had a newborn recently, but I also created another baby, 3A Design Studio .  Actually it's me and two other designers who have teamed up to create an interior design business available to everyone--not just those with thousands of dollars to spend.  Our main focus is on E-Design , but we offer several other services as well.  Me and my girls will also be blogging over there.  Check it out and let me know what you think!  Follow along on our Facebook page or subscribe via E-mail to stay in the design loop of all of our exciting new projects and tips!  And if you have a room we can help you design, please let us know! I'll still be posting on here as well, but for more design content (now you have me and two other gals) check out 3A Design Studio .  We're so excited about our new baby! And now back to my real baby.  You can see the de

I know it's been quite awhile, but I do have a good excuse.  Say hello to our new daughter, Auden Emory Reutter. She was born on Veteran's Day (how fitting), November 11th, at 5:37pm weighing in at 6 lbs 1 oz and 19.5 inches and has stolen our hearts ever since. Her brother and sister, Remington and Riley, have adjusted quite well :) Here's a sneak of Auden's nursery in the background. She surprised us all by coming a little over two weeks early (my family is notorious for late babies).  After all, we'd just gotten done taking our maternity photos a few weeks earlier. All photos in this post are by the fabulous  Jordan Burch Photography My water broke at 4 in the morning (another thing I didn't expect), and she was here 13.5 hours later.  It was love at first sight. Needless to say, life hasn't been the same since.  And along with expanding our family, Jon and I also had some career changes--him land