Subject: Happy Birthday to YOU & Cake Prints

Melissa! My long list friend. Oh-ma-gosh...I am so sorry I have been MIA this week. No, Suz is not taking up ALL my time (although a great deal of it - who knew babies were so needy?!). However, I did spend some time this morning whipping up some homemade baby food (sweet potatoes). Can I just say: there is nothing quite like the feeling of satisfaction I get when I open up my freezer to a half-dozen bags brightly-colored, ice cube-shaped fruits and vegetables for my little girl. And the number is growing as she gets older and tries new food. (Variety is the spice of life, after all, even if you are only 8.5 months old!) And it's cheap! I bought four sweet potatoes at $.15 a pound (a POUND) and just filled up two ice cube trays, which is the equivalent of 32 meals. That is nuts!

Anyway...I just felt very accomplished and had to share. Moving on...

So, I LOVE those cake prints too! Wouldn't that be such a great birthday gift for someone to enjoy year round? Something about the sweetness (no pun intended, seriously) reminds me of the Etsy artist Janet Hill, who I am obsessed with and would one day like to own at least a print, if not an actual original. Aren't these fabulous???

The colors are amazing and would look great in my bedroom, although my uber-masculine husband may object to paintings of dresses hanging in his eyeline so it's the first thing he sees in the morning. But a girl can dream! Don't you just want to BE in these paintings? Love.

Also, I love your wish list for your birthday. I am very much intrigued with your at-home wardrobe. I am in desperate need of an alternative to pajama pants (it's bad for morale) that aren't actually jeans. Plus it's COLD here, but winter clothes always look so bulky that I feel like a big marshmallow if I layer on too much. Your JCrew sweats (I use that term losely) are the perfect choice, though. I also love the idea of something like these from the Gap:

They would be great as house shoes but also super warm to run out to the mailbox in too. I don't think I would wear them to the grocery store, but I'm not making any promises! I've realized that Stacey&Clinton (they're like one person) have no idea about staying home and the wardrobe necessities therein. I don't want or need to get dressed to the nines everyday, but I do need something that isn't pajamas. I think I could take some cues from Gwyneth's "uniform" on GOOP too.

And I love the plates from Anthro! Something about the inky blue of the octopus is really nice to me and the Ladies-in-Waiting would be adorable in your Ruffle Bathroom!

I have missed you! It's so good to finally catch up!

Kisses,
Kara

P.S. In the time that I have been writing this, Ina the Cat has climbed onto my lap and fallen asleep...and I'm on a laptop! I forget how snuggly she is in the winter!