Our Halloween

I hope that everyone had a great Halloween!  We took Mary-Grace to our friends house where she went trick-or-treating with their little girl and another friends little girl.  Mary-Grace didn't quite understand what was going on, which I figured would be the case.  She started off walking up to the first couple of doors with us but would just stand there.   When the homeowner would show her the bowl of candy, she would just look at it.  She's not going to eat much of it anyways so it was just for the fun and experience.  All she wanted to do for the rest of the time was ride in this little push car that belonged to her friend.  Josh would push her up to the doors in the little car with her bucket in her lap... even carrying the car up the steps if the house had front steps.  I couldn't help but laugh my butt off.  I took quite a few pictures but a lot of them didn't come out well.  It was either too dark or she was moving too fast.  Below is the best one that I got of her, our little Minnie Mouse! Now time to get ready for Thanksgiving and Christmas (and a few birthdays too!).  

My Current Favorites

Skirt: Loft | Top: Banana Republic | Button Down: Zara | Wellies: Nordstrom (Hunter) | Sweater: Loft

Happy Halloween everyone!  This was one of my favorite holidays as a kid.  I loved dressing up and of course loved the candy!  We decided on Mary-Grace dressing up as Minnie Mouse this year.  It was either that or a puppy; her favorites.  I ordered her costume on eBay for a steal but it didn't come with the mouse ears so I had to hunt for some.  I went to Party City yesterday and they were packed!  All they had were pink Minnie Mouse ears and her costume is red.  I did end up finding a pair of Mickey ears after digging through the party section so I snagged those and went next door to Michael's and found some red polka dot ribbon.  After I glued a bow to her ears, we held her and her Minnie Mouse up to the mirror together and she thought it was the funniest thing.  Tonight we're going to our friends house for pizza and maybe some trick-or-treating.  Mary-Grace won't really understand what's going on but I'm sure she'll still have fun.  I'll post some pictures tomorrow!  Have a safe and fun day!

Cool Weather Favorites Under $40

Old Navy gray socks / Old Navy white socks / BP circle scarf / Hat / Zara hat / Cost Plus World Market infinity scarve


I've been loving this cooler (and now sunny) weather. After having rain and clouds for a good 11-12 days straight, it's been nice to have some sunny days this past week.  I took Mary-Grace to the park a couple of times to enjoy the weather.  The flooding in SC and parts of NC have been terrible and my thoughts and prayers go to those affected.  I hope for some more sunny days ahead!

I've rounded up some of my cool weather favorites that are all under $40!  I already own the fuzzy socks, black infinity scarf, and gloves (in black). The scarf is only $4.99!  You can't beat that.  I think the quality of it is really nice for the price.  I also got it in blue and have been wearing it frequently, even with t-shirts when it's been in the 70's.  I've really been wanting to wear my boots but I don't think it's been quite that cool, plus I haven't seen anyone around here wearing any yet... I could always be the first?!   What are your current favorites?  

My Current Favorites

                                    

                                              

Sweater, Boots, Poncho, Vest, Sweater Vest

I hope everyone is having a great week so far.  It's been raining here for about 5 days now and will for a few more days I hear, plus there's a hurricane nearby.  I've been wearing my rain jacket a lot more!  I'm not complaining about the cooler temps though. It's finally starting to feel like fall around here which makes it more ok to wear fall clothes and accessories.  I don't own any of my current favorites this week but they are still on my wish list... although some will have go on sale first.  I'll be honest, I rarely buy anything that's not on sale.  Almost everything will go on sale at some point, sometimes even right after it comes out if there's a friends and family sale or a holiday sale.  I will spend more on shoes though because they get used more and many can be worn in multiple seasons.  What are your favorites for cooler weather?

I hope that everyone had a great Labor Day weekend.  Ours was very busy as we decided to paint our living and dining room areas.  It's something that I've been wanting to do for a while, plus it really needed it because the walls were getting too scuffed up.  The rooms were both neutral colors, but different shades and I wanted them to be all one color since they are adjoining.  I also wanted to move some shelves from the living room to the dining room and move a few other small wall decorations.  After multiple samples we went with Antique White by Behr.  I'll plan to post some after pictures once I get everything back up on the walls!

Our color samples on the "dining" room color. The Antique White is on the far left and also on the bottom left.  

And I thought this was just a cute picture of Mary-Grace and Josh shopping in the tool section of Home Depot while we were waiting on the paint.  

My Current Favorites- All on Sale!

Handbag: Kate Spade | Top: Piko | Sandals: Jack Rogers | Sweater: JCrew | Striped Sandals: Boden

I hope everyone is having a great weekend!  We had a great family day yesterday.  We tried a new taco place which was really good then went to Pullen Park to let Mary-Grace play and get some energy out.  She rode the carousel for the first time and cried, poor thing.  We think the different animal rides scared her.  She also got to ride the train again, check out the baby swings and kiddie playground which made the trauma of the carousel all better.  Our little one year old sure has a lot more energy than us!  Today we're doing a fantasy football draft... the second one I've been talked into by Josh.  Hopefully I won't completely stink this season.

As far as my favorites, the Piko tee is sooo soft and the Jack Rogers Lauren sandals didn't have to be broken in for me. The other items are just on my wish list and I think the Boden sandals are fun!

My Current Favorites- Fall Transition Pieces

Shirt: JCrew (Love both colors available)  | Denim Dress: Boden | Jacket: Old Navy | Sweater: Zara (also in black) | Flat: Yosi Samra (on sale!) | Boot: Sam Edelman (many color choices)

I know it's little early to be transitioning to fall but I can't help think about it since I'm tired of the heat and there are now fall clothes showing up everywhere.  Now, I just have to save up for these!

As of lately...

Happy Tuesday!  We've had a couple of busy weeks around here.  We got back from our trip to SC and then spent a few days unpacking and getting ready for Mary-Grace's birthday party the following weekend.  That same weekend we attended a baby shower for our good friends.  They had their baby boy a little early and he was born the day after her birthday!  We got to go visit them Sunday and I held him as long as I could.  He's so tiny and adorable.  I forgot what it was like to hold a newborn after holding Mary-Grace. We've also been staying busy with doctor appointments, Josh having food poisoning (thank goodness he's better now!), and catching up with stuff around the house.

Our trip to Charleston was relaxing and fun... just what we needed.  We rented a house in Folly Beach with my mom, stepdad, grandparents, aunt, uncle, cousin, and my aunt's sister. My uncle, cousin, aunt and her sister all live in Georgia so we thought it'd be a good place to meet in the middle.  Josh and I had never been to Charleston or Folly Beach so we were excited to see everything.  We've also never been on a vacation with everyone before so we were looking forward to spending time with them. We went to the aquarium, city market (which going on a 100 degree day wasn't that great of an idea), the beach of course, and toured around looking at historical sites.  I've posted a few pictures on Instagram of what we did/saw and a few more below.  We also had a lot of relaxation and down time... taking naps, playing cards, cooking, etc.  Josh and I were also able to get a date in since we had several babysitters.  We went to lunch at Husk, which I highly recommend if you happen to go to Charleston.  We love having Mary-Grace with us but it was nice to not rush to eat or worry about keeping her occupied.  Charleston is such a beautiful city and I definitely want to go back again!

*photos by myself-Heather Griffin

My Current Favorites

Sunglasses: Karen Walker | Dress: Free People (Currently on sale! I snagged it when I saw the price drop and can't wait to wear it!) | Necklace: gorjana (Currently on sale!) | Chambray Shirt: JCrew | Dress: Loft (Currently on sale! I recently purchased this for my birthday and it's the best fitting shift I've owned)  

I hope you all had a great weekend! We got back from our vacation yesterday at Folly Beach and Charleston, SC.  We had a great time spending the week with family.  We spent the rest of the weekend unpacking and settling back in.  I plan to have a post sharing the details of the trip and what we did while we were there.  In the meantime though, I wanted to share some of my current favorites!

Mary-Grace (and my) favorite things for her

Mary-Grace and I have found a few favorite things that we know work for us and that we can rely on.  It can sometimes be hard to find what works best for a baby.  Before your baby is born, you'll more than likely hear from other mama's what worked best for them. It's great to get ideas and add to your list of something else to try.  Ultimately though, of course it's up to you to decide what to use and what's best for your baby.  For example, Mary-Grace was breastfed but I had to supplement with formula.  She spit-up a lot and had trapped gas that made her miserable so we had to figure out what formula worked best for us by taking advice and trying something new.  She has my sensitive skin so certain lotions and washes work better for her too.  Below I've shown what I've found works best for us and what she (and I) like best at this time.  Maybe one of these will be helpful to you as well!

Vera bradley home decor / The Honest Company Diapers Size 3 Bumble Bees (One Package) Fits... / Summer Infant Tiny Diner, Pink (Discontinued by Manufacturer) / Baby Bee Shampoo Wash / Amazon.com: Disney Mickey Mouse Plush Doll Toy 25": Toys & Games /  Cloud b Sound Machine Soother, Gentle Giraffe / Saltwater by Hoy Sea Wees



1.  Burt's Bees Baby Bee Shampoo Wash- love that this comes with a pump!  This works great on Mary-Grace's sensitive skin.  It can be used on both body and hair.

2. Wellement's Body Lotion- this lotion worked miracles on her skin this past winter.  I even use it on my skin too!

3.  Pat the Bunny book- Mary-Grace is now sitting through short books.  She loves to flip the pages and look at the pictures.  This is one of her favorite books because she can use some of her senses to see, touch, and smell.

4. Saltwater by Hoy Sea Wees- I think these sandals are the cutest and they actually stay on her feet!  They come in an assortment of colors too.

5 and 6.  Honest diapers and wipes- Again, great for sensitive skin.  I love that they are free of so many harsh chemicals and the cute diaper patterns don't hurt either!

7. Mickey Mouse-  Mary-Grace loves the Disney store.  She has the Mickey, Minnie, and Pluto stuffed animals right now and will be getting the rest of the gang for her birthday.

8.  Tiny Diner placemat-  I just recently got this since Mary-Grace has been wanting to mainly eat with her fingers.  It rolls up so that it can be easily carried in her diaper bag and has suctions so that it will stay on the table and not get thrown off!

9.  Vera Bradley pacifier pouch- I got tired of trying to find her paci's that had fallen to the bottom of the diaper bag so I got this.  It can be clipped to the diaper bag strap or to the inside if there is a key hook.  It also can be cleaned by just rinsing it off or with a wipe.

10.  Sound giraffe-  Since Mary-Grace goes to bed before us and sometimes isn't a sound sleeper, this giraffe has been awesome to have.  It plays 4 different soothing sounds for 45 minutes and blocks out the background noise.

Mary-Grace's Room

Decorating a nursery was always something I had looked forward to and when I found out I was having a little girl, I instantly began planning it.  I didn't have an unlimited budget, but I was able to still achieve what I wanted.  To be honest, I didn't even complete the room until Mary-Grace was 6 months old.  I had good intentions of completing it and dreamt of bringing my baby home to her nursery, fully ready to go, but real life set in and it just didn't happen.  That's ok though, because she didn't even sleep in there or spend much time there until she was out of her bassinet.  We kept her changing pad and wipes in our bedroom too for convenience. We did have the major stuff done before she arrived- walls painted, furniture in place, and clothes put away. Anyhow, I'm really happy with how it turned out and it's my favorite room in the house!  

Photo by Dana Hawley Photography

Crib- Pottery Barn Kids- We got the floor model from a show for a great deal

Crib sheet- Pottery Barn Kids (No longer available online)

Crib Bumper -Target (Mesh)

Dresser- Pottery Barn Kids (No longer available online)

Wood Rocker- Handed down from my grandmother, who got it from her mother

Upholstered Rocker- Little Castle

Flower Pictures above dresser- Ikea (we already had these)

Chalkboard- World Market

Rug- Home Goods

Round Pillow- Pottery Barn Kids

Lamp- World Market (No longer available online)

Giraffe- Buy Buy Baby (No longer available online)

Shelves- Target

Book Ledges- Pottery Barn Kids

Pelmet Boxes- DIY 

Monogram-Etsy

My Current Favorites- Basics

Pink T-Shirt Dress: Gap | Tee: JCrew Factory | Tank: Gap | Denim: Joe's | Shorts: JCrew

Every closet needs some basics- solid tanks and tees to throw on under a sweater and with shorts/skirts, a great pair of jeans, and neutral shorts to pair with an assortment of tops during the hot months.  I have these shorts, tanks, and tees in an assortment of colors.  I'm now the kind of person who finds something that I like, then I buy it in multiples. What is a basic that you keep in your closet?