is coming to an end! {sniff, sniff}

This coming week this momma has to put her nose back to the {work} grindstone.

It’s okay.  More like- I’m okay.  I knew it wouldn’t last forever and it has truly been an amazing experience.

In just 3 months, my little squish has gone from a newborn that only slept and ate, to a big boy that can now hold his head up, smile, and even coo!

I love watching him grow and change and he seems to learn something new every day.  It makes me sad to think that I won’t be there every second to watch for these new accomplishments, but work is a must.

I know it will be good for the both of us. {I keep repeating this over and over in my head}

Plus thinking about this cute little face waiting for me at the end of each work day will make my day just fly by!

**Disclaimer-Not trying to be a debbie downer, just keeping it real over here at b&t.com.**

So I think the Dragonfly on my front door was trying to tell me it was time for a change.

So I headed to the pumpkin patch after work yesterday and picked up these cuties…

and then I…

Stacked…

And stacked…

And stacked a little more…

I think the people at the Greenhouse thought I was crazy.  I must have stacked about 20 different pumpkins to get just the right look.

I think it turned out pretty cute if I do say so myself!!

And the best part is, I plan on using my Pumpkin Stack for not only Halloween, but also Thanksgiving, AND Christmas!!

Remember my post last December about a neighbor that painted her pumpkin stack green like a Christmas Tree?

YUP- that’s the plan!

Now I just want to find a little something to hang on the front door where the Dragonfly use to be.  Any suggestions?

{RIP Mr. Dragonfly. You were a good door ornament.  If I can’t find another one of you next spring, I might have to super glue your wing back into place and milk you for another season. xoxo Mrs. vB}

So I spent most of this past weekend laying in the bed or on the couch with my feet propped up, watching our newest favorite obsession.  Yes, Mr. vB has gotten us hooked on the teenage drama, Veronica Mars.   Ever seen or heard of it? {don’t worry if you haven’t} To be honest it has become quite addicting.  But I digress..  The original plan for this past weekend was for me to meet Mr. vB out in Western Virginia for a close friend’s wedding.  Mr. vB rode up with the groom-to-be Thursday night so he could help with the set up on Friday and Saturday.  I was then going to hitch a ride with another buddy on Saturday to attend the actual nuptials.

BUT have I mentioned lately that I am pregnant?  I mean REALLY pregnant. 8 1/2 months to be exact.

And no that is not a basketball I am smuggling under my dress.

I apparently have acquired a new set of fabulous “cankles” and get these crazy stomach pains when I over exert myself.  {what me?  do more than I should, no- never!!} So Mr. vB and I made the official call on Friday afternoon that I would stay in Richmond for the weekend and relax.

It was hard to force myself to lay in bed, watch TV, and eat ice cream, but someone had to do it.  Actually, I was really bummed to miss Nate and Mary’s wedding, but found it very nice to have no plans and just relax.

Now any ideas on how I can make these cankles fashionable?

I was showered with love {and tons of presents} last weekend as my favorite gals threw me an amazing Baby Shower.

Marty, Keri, Sarah, Moi, Adrienne, Rebecca, Jennifer, and Amanda

We took over the front porch at a local hot spot called Cafe Caturra.

And let me tell you, there were so many personalized details.  These girls know me well!

They made lunch menus to match the invites…

{thanks to redstart creative}

And the cutest personalized table decorations…

And apparently the table decoration that we used at our wedding got modified a bit!

{Correct me if I’m wrong, but I think it’s a no-no to strap a car seat onto a motorcycle- right?}

They also made the cutest personalized diaper cloths and onesies…

Here are some other fun snap shots from the afternoon.

{I can’t tell if it’s Boots or Bailey!}

{what up Squirrel Girls!!}

{this was a pin given to me by Mr.vB’s mom, that was given to her when she was pregnant with her DvB.}

{I definitely think our bellies have gotten bigger since our last belly bump photo shoot.}

{In this photo Sarah is definitely up to trouble.  I believe she has just written van a note that says when he turns 16 she really thinks his mom and dad should buy him a car.}

Thanks SO much to the Cafe Caturra 7!! It was such a wonderful day and I felt so loved by everyone there.

Baby van is very lucky to have so many sweet Aunties.

In the market for some cool, funky, vintage, and/or custom fabric?

If so, you gotta check out this great online fabric store called Spoonflower.

I found them randomly as I’ve been searching the web for the perfect crib skirt fabric for van’s crib.

{But I also noticed that YHL recently linked to them too- great minds think alike}.

I just had to pass along to my favorite readers that today is Free Swatch Day over at Spoonflower!!

Normally an 8″x8″ swatch is $5, but today you can get one for Free.

The hardest part is deciding which one to get!

Just make sure to check it out before noon (EST) tomorrow, that’s when the offer ends.

Happy Shopping!!

1. Use my stomach as a shelf.

Really?!  This is a first.  But it does keep my coffee nice and close by while using both hands to surf the web.

So on a recent trip to the Doctor’s office I was flipping through a Virginia Living Magazine when an article about Donuts caught my eye. {imagine that!} Apparently I have been oblivious to the fact that there is a donut cart roaming the streets of Charlottesville called Carpe Donut.   And this is not just any donut cart.. it’s an ORGANIC Donut cart! {Yes- you heard me correctly.}

How awesome is a Donut that is made with organic flour, organic eggs, local apple cider, organic spices, pure sugar, and non-aluminated baking powder.  It is even cooked in 100% Soybean Oil!  I’d go so far to say that this sounds like a HEALTHY donut!  And their environmentally friendly too!  Well not the donuts, but the vendor. They go and convert the used frying oils into bio-fuel.  Could I love this place anymore??

For the record I haven’t actually tried the donuts yet, but I’m about to!  The article noted that Whole Foods carried Carpe Donut’s in their frozen food section and all you had to do was pop ‘em in the oven.  So off to Whole Foods I went last night while Mr. vB was out with the boys.  And this morning I’m going to surprise him with a yummy breakfast with fresh donuts..

Here we go!

Directions were super simple.

Preheat oven to 375 degrees and then place donuts directly onto the baking rack for 8-10 minutes.

Next stop.. my belly!

{about 10 minutes later…}

WOW!!!  Those donuts were AMAZING!  Crispy and light with great flavoring.  If I hadn’t have cooked them personally I would have thought someone drove to C’ville to pick up hot donuts for me. YUMMO!!!

Next time you are in Whole Foods these are a MUST pickup!  And while you’re out there, will you grab a few packages for me??

As promised I am back, and I have a fun story and photos to share.

For all my readers with daughters, nieces, or god-daughters have you ever read them the book Fancy Nancy by Jane O’Conner?  It is the cutest story about a little girl that makes every thing fancy by wearing tiaras and feather boas.  I have started a collection of these books for both my niece Maddy and my god-daughter Abbie. I often hear stories about how each little girl will walk around the house exclaiming that they are fancy “Maddy” or fancy “Abbie”.  I just love it!

So when we heard that a local tea house was having a Fancy Nancy Tea Party and book reading we just couldn’t say no!

Off to Williamsburg we went yesterday to the Yankee Candle Outlet.

Within their store they have a little tea house/restaurant where we had lunch.

{please note that Maddy is carrying a real Kate Spade purse, handed down to her by her Aunt TT.  It was too tiny of a purse for me, but just the perfect size for her.  Good Taste starts early!}

After lunch, Mrs. Claus read the girls a Fancy Nancy Book.

They sat very still and listened to the the whole story.  But they kept asking why Mrs. Claus was reading to them and not Nancy. Wasn’t sure how to answer that.  I wasn’t even sure why Mrs. Claus was there! {ha-ha}

It was such a fun adventure and I think the girls really enjoyed themselves.  On the ride back to Richmond, Keri {Maddy’s mom} and I were discussing how cute a Fancy Nancy Tea Party Birthday Party would be.  Or how we could do this very same Lunch and Tea with Nancy idea in Richmond, with a few improvements.  We are thinking about getting in touch with some local tea houses to pitch the idea.  What do you guys think?

I’ve been a bad blogger lately.  And the worst part is that I don’t even have a good excuse.

I’ve definitely been preoccupied with my Daddio but I also think it’s because Mr. vB and I haven’t started any new home projects.  We’ve been trying to restock the ‘ol savings  account which means no fun projects, how-to’s, or makeovers to tell you guys about.  In other words- BORING!! {Good for the Savings Account, Bad for the you guys.}

It’s also unfortunate because it means no frivolous trips to Target or Secret Marshall’s…  I “should” only when we “need” something.  Don’t I NEED one of the cute new dresses that Liberty of London just debuted at Target?!

I promise though that I do have some good things cooking.  Shoe of the Month-March, an update on my Parent’s House, and hopefully a new radiator cover or window sill to show off on Monday.

Can you believe 1 year ago today Boots and Totty.com posted its very 1st blog entry! It was quite a boring entry if I do say so myself, but none the less it has gotten me where I am today!

So here is the breakdown of what B&T.com has accomplished in the past 365 Days.

{in no particular order}

1. We showcased over 18 pairs of shoes in the Shoe of the Month Club.

2. We showed how to build a raised garden, how to install an in ground sprinkler system, and how to attempt to grow grass.

3. Also showed how to collect and recycle rainwater and how to install energy efficient windows.

4. Don’t forget we also renovated our Bathroom, Basement, and Kitchen.

5. And gave face-lifts to our Guest Room, Master Bedroom, Living Room and Dining Room.

6. We also had Mr. Sanders refinish our Hardwood Floors.

7. Let’s not forget all the holidays, birthdays, and anniversaries.

8. Gave Target plenty of free publicity.

9. Gotten some free publicity ourselves.

10. And continue to search for the Best Burger in Richmond!

With a grand total of 151 posts in 35 categories, I’d say it was a pretty busy year!!  BIG THANKS to the the 16,681 visits to the site and the 352 people that published comments.

It’s a nice treat to read them and know that you guys enjoy my silly stories!