Snapshots & My Thoughts by Ailee Petrovic
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Ailee Petrovic

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Baby

Lainey is Turning One!

Well, not just yet. Our friends’ daughter will turn one next month (which is seriously insane, as it feels like Kathryn and I were pregnant eating lunch at Ruggles Green just a minute ago!). I had the honor of taking her one year photos, as well as a handful of family pictures. Y’all… Lainey is the cutest thing ever. She is seriously the smiliest baby. I normally have to do a whole lot of charades and peek-a-boo behind the camera to get Isla to smile, but Lainey was all grins (until the cake arrived for the smash!).

Isn’t she adorable? I love taking photographs of sweet families like the Yorks!

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Isla Loves

Baby’s Hospital Bag Guide (Giveaway)

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I am a very Type A prepared person, so you’d better believe I had my hospital bag packed and ready to go a month before my due date. I seriously laugh at what I packed now, as I had way too much stuff – for both me and Isla. If you’ve picked a good hospital, you’ll get most of your essential items while you’re there (diapers, wipes, sanitary napkins, etc.). Most hospitals offer tours during which they’ll explain what you really need to bring for you and the baby. I would say the most important thing to remember is the car seat, as they won’t let you go home without it!

Although I am by no means an expert mom already, I do know what I’ll be bringing to the hospital for baby #2 – just the essentials (i.e. not 6 different outfit options like last time!). My friend, Julie, raved that her large L.L.Bean Boat and Tote Bag is perfect for a baby’s hospital bag. L.L.Bean kindly sent me one to try, and I agree with Julie – I love it. It is really sturdy, has a top zipper, and fits everything you need to bring (even the Dr. Brown’s Gia Nursing Pillow!).

When it comes to baby’s clothing/accessories, Carter’s has the best selection of every single baby essential item, which includes swaddle blankets, mittens, hats, socks, sleeper gowns, long-sleeved onesies, footed pajamas and pacifier clips. Even if you’re ‘against’ pacifiers like my husband once was (he’s definitely changed his opinion now!), I recommend bringing a few MAM pacifiers just in case. Trust me: This is all you need. I’ve listed a few optional items below as well, but if you stick with the ‘necessities’ list, you’re golden.

Necessities

Optional Items

  • Monogrammed slippers or blankets – we love Seaside Stitchery!
  • Personalized baby book for guests to sign (and to photograph!) – we love Emily Ley’s!
  • Diapers, wipes, rash cream (or use those provided by the hospital!) – we love Honest Co.!

LLBeanAnd the best part of all is that L.L.Bean, Carter’s, Dr. Brown’s and MAM have all partnered with Snapshots & My Thoughts to offer one lucky reader an entire baby hospital bag set, which includes every single ‘necessity’ item. The winner will get to choose between the boy or girl options (or gender neutral) and pick the color and monogram of their L.L.Bean Boat and Tote Bag. I’m so jealous! I would have loved this for Isla! The giveaway ends on Friday, April 24 at 11:59pm. Good luck!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

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Personal

Week in Review

It’s Monday, and for the first time in what feels like two weeks, there is a zero percent chance of rain all day long. During the entire weekend, Houston was hit with serious scattered thunderstorms that left the city like a swamp, threatening the family photos that I was supposed to take on Saturday morning. Thankfully, we were able to reschedule for Sunday morning, and after moving our location from one part of Memorial Park to another (the gorgeous Arboretum!) to avoid marsh lands, we managed to knock out some gorgeous photos of an even more beautiful family. I cannot wait to share more of Lainey’s photos later this week! She’s seriously a doll.

Other highlights from the week included:

  • Eating dinner at Tiny’s No. 5 with four incredibly talented ladies (Jenny Lake of A Fine Flourish, Meredith Staggers of Cake and Confetti, Brittany Williams of Makeup Texas, and Christina Frederick of Christina Leigh Events) to discuss an exciting project within the Houston creative circle – I cannot wait to share more details once they’re hammered out!
  • Another fun event at Blush and Brush, where six of us (Michelle of Michelle Able Photography, Jenny Lake of A Fine Flourish, Meredith Staggers of Cake and Confetti, Christie of KiKiMac and Uncork Events and Kim of Champagneista) got blowouts and makeup lessons while sipping on mimosas (how I want to spend every Sunday!)
  • Having one of my good friends, Joy, over for dinner and getting to meet her incredibly sweet and funny boyfriend, Kamyar – you’ve heard me talk about Joy before when I’ve shared my love of her company Priya!
  • Going to my best friend’s home for lunch and eating from one of our favorite spots – Cafe Brasil while gushing over the Pink Peonies ring that McKenzie bought me for my birthday! I am obsessed.
  • Wandering around Biscuit Home during their semiannual sale and lusting at everything in the whole store (I even Facetimed Sasha on the golf course to see if he liked this duvet, which was on sale – apparently it’s too girly? Ha). I found this colorful, eco friendly tea cup set, which we bought for Caroline, whose party we went to on Saturday at Wonderwild (I cannot wait to take Isla here when she can jump around!).
  • Catching up with two high school friends, Randi and Lauren, over lunch at our house from Corner Bakery Cafe – they both have gorgeous baby girls (Lennon, 4 weeks and Charlotte, 6 months – photos below). It was definitely one of the best moments of the week!
  • Isla’s swim class was canceled due to pool maintenance, so she kept busy with The Little Gym and Fundamentally Music, and other playdates that our nanny arranged with her friends.
  • Getting the most beautiful package in the mail from Shop Sweet Lulu filled with colorful pretties for Isla’s party!
  • Finally, at long last, starting our 2015 Shutterfly book. I’ve made an annual book for the last four or five years, and normally I keep it constantly updated, but that has not happened this year. I’m all caught up and feel so relieved about it!
  • Chatted to one of my favorite people ever, Andrew, about his new company – I was playing the role of a research participant and felt very official. It made me very grateful to have a healthy baby! I cannot wait to share more details about his company when they’re ready to launch!
  • Finally, at long last, our new bed arrived! We sold our old one ages ago and have been sleeping on the floor on our mattress, so we feel like kings now! You can see my inspiration post here. We’ve got a couple more things to do to the room, then I’ll share photos!
  • I finished Landline by Rainbow Rowell, which I enjoyed reading, but I’ll admit that I didn’t love it quite as much as Rainbow’s other books, Eleanor and Park and Attachments. I shared my reading lists this summer (here and here), and I’m back in the reading game. Suggestions welcome, please!
  • Visits from my little sister, Jill, Sasha’s mom and dad, and my mom – all of our family live in Houston, except Sasha’s sister who lives in San Francisco! I want her to move back or for us to move there (hint, hint, Sasha). She saw Julia Engel on Saturday walking with a friend – I would love this sort of ‘celebrity’ spotting!

How was your week? What were your highlights? Also, the winner of The Monogram Shop giveaway is Sydney A.! Congratulations!

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Décor

Mother’s Day DIY Gift Basket Ideas

On Sunday, May 10, I’ll celebrate my first official Mother’s Day as a mom (last year was an ‘almost there’ sort of holiday), and I’m really excited. I genuinely believe that having a baby makes you love your own mother even more, as you are able to comprehend for the first time how much they love you! I have already been wracking my brain as to what to buy my mom, and I wanted to share some ideas I have for her and also some suggestions for the men out there who need help buying their ladies gifts for Mother’s Day (hint, hint, Sasha!).

I love the idea of creating your own gift bag filled with little goodies following a certain theme, so I’m sharing spa, baking, health, coffee, and stationery-themed baskets. You can either fill a pretty wicker basket or add tissue paper to a gift box and tie a bow around it – I’ve included some good containers at the bottom of this post!

If you want to ‘go big’ and get your mom some nice pieces in the basket, I recommend pairing up with your siblings and getting her a combined gift. That’s what my two sisters and I traditionally do for Mother’s and Father’s Days.

Do you have any other good gifts to buy moms? Is there anything particular on your wish list?

Also, don’t forget to enter the $50 giveaway to The Monogram Shop! It ends tonight at midnight.

If your mom likes a little spa time, you can always buy her a gift certificate to Massage Envy or to a hotel spa (like the Houstonian’s Trellis Spa!). However, if you wanted to be more thoughtful, you can put together a few pampering items into a gift basket. I’d recommend this amazing Body Benefits Loofah (my favorite!) and the Fresh Sugar Face Polish for exfoliation, and the Clarisonic Pedi Sonic Foot Transformation and Essie nail polishes to keep her feet looking pretty. You can absolutely never go wrong with good smelling candles – I guarantee your mom would love a Diptyque candle.

If your mom loves to bake, then make her a culinary inspired gift basket, full of measuring spoons, a cake server, a cute apron, a Rifle Paper Co. recipe tin, and gorgeous white marble pastry board (totally lusting after this one!). This is also a great wedding shower gift basket idea! These items are useful for most ladies trying to stock up on kitchen supplies.

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International

Our Next Adventure: Australia and New Zealand

On Saturday, Sasha and I pulled the trigger on flights to Melbourne for January 2016. As I’ve mentioned before, we’re going to Paris next month to watch the French Open, and so I’ve lured Sasha into traveling ‘down under’ in order to go to the Australian Open (we both win, right?). I visited Melbourne in May of 2010 as the tail end of a vacation in Sydney, where I was visiting friends (and of course, I kept a travel blog!). My parent’s best friends (and practically my second parents growing up) moved to Australia when I was in high school, and I got to stay with them for a few days before flying back to Texas.

I absolutely loved both Sydney and Melbourne. I genuinely think Australians are the coolest people on planet earth, so I was a little fan girl-ish the whole time I was there.

For our 2016 trip, we’ll spend a handful of days in Melbourne, catching up with the Pattens, seeing the sites of the city, and watching tennis, and we will also take a flight to either Auckland or Christchurch (the capitol of New Zealand) for more adventures. Traveling around Milford Sound is on my Bucket List! I could spend hours on Google images clicking through pictures. I’m slightly nervous about traveling 20+ hours with a 1.5 year old, but that’s what iPads are for, right? Ha.

I cannot wait to start planning the trip; however, I’ve got to finish my Paris and St. Petersburg itineraries first! In the meantime, I’d love to start collecting helpful resources. Do you follow any Australian blogs? I’ve listed a few of my favorites below. Have you been to Melbourne or New Zealand? If so, I’d love to hear your recommendations!

Favorite Australian Blogs

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