Merry Christmas

Merry Christmas from the Clays (family of 2 soon to be 3)!  This is the last Christmas the hubby and I will have just the 2 of us, and I'm going to soak it all in and relax as much as possible.  It's crazy how fast time flies and I can't believe our little babe will be here in a couple of weeks!  Ahh!  Are you ever ready for such a big change?  We are excited (and a little nervous), but we know it's going to be wonderful.

Hope you all have a Merry Christmas and get to spend time with the ones you love!

XOXO,

Lauren, Daniel and Bebe Clay

via here

A Fur Coat

I have been longing for a fur coat for a couple of seasons now and have yet to find the perfect vintage one to get.  Pinterest this morning is taunting me because all I see are fur coats upon fur coats.  (This rainy cold weather isn't helping either!)

Does anyone else get the perfect image of what they want in their head and then struggle to find just that?  That seems to be the story of my life!

The search will continue.

via 1, 2, 3

A Simple Christmas

This year I am all about simplicity for the holidays.  Partly due to the fact that I'm almost 9 months pregnant and partly due to the fact that we're moving and my house is in boxes as we speak.  Somehow we always end up moving around Thanksgiving or Christmas, and we're bound to get out of this cycle on our next move.  (Which won't be for some time if it's up to me!)

With all the stress going on right now with work, holidays, moving, schedules and baby, I'm sticking to a simple (and I mean SIMPLE) Christmas.  And I'm loving all the Pinterest inspiration I'm finding to help me along in the process.

The hubby has been great about helping me to focus on what really matters because this is such a special time for us, but the type A personality in me wants everything done and done perfectly.  I'm having to let go and just take one day at a time, and that's really all we can do, right?

What do you have going on this season?  Is it crazy like it is here and you are ditching the over-the-top decor?  Or are you settled and decking out everything you can for this joyous season?

via here 

Thankful

It has been a stressful time here lately, but I'm so thankful for my amazing husband, who I love more than anything, and this perfect little babe growing inside me.  My heart is full!

A New Home for Three

We can cross one thing off our list before bebe gets here - a new home!  Yes, we found a house for rent for our growing family, and we couldn't be happier.  Daniel and I tend to be really picky when it comes to home details, but we knew we had to lighten up because you are never going to find the PERFECT house.  There's always going to be things you want to change, but for the most part, this little 1938 bungalow fits our tastes.

There's original hard wood floors, crown molding, a fireplace, and a sizable backyard...all things that were on our "wish list."  But then with all the charm of an old home comes all the quirks...small kitchen, small bathroom, old cabinets, cracks, etc.  Those are the things we have to let go and just get used to.  We don't have too much more time to look... bebe will be here in less than 2 months!

So after the major clean out we will be doing (and I mean MAJOR), we are still going to have to find some space saving solutions.  (Who knew this little bebe could come along with so much stuff!)  I've been searching pinterest for ideas that are practical but still look good, and some of my finds are above.  The major areas we are going to have to cut down on are the kitchen (where are all my dishes going to go?), decor (we will finally have to find a bookshelf and a space for my magazines) and of course, the closet (Ahh!).

I think this is a good change for us though; we need to get rid of all the junk we've accumulated over the past 5 years of marriage and start new with just the basics.

It's a new chapter and we are definitely ready for it.  If you want to follow more of my choices, you can find me on pinterest here.

Now, time to start packing!

images via 1, 2, 3, 4

Oh, Felicity!

Is anyone else still as obsessed with Felicity as I am?  Keri Russell can do no wrong when it comes to casual style.  (Movie choices, on the other hand, are another story.)  She's just so cool and carefree!

image via here

Prepping for Bebe

I guess I have officially entered the "nesting" stage of pregnancy because I have spent all weekend doing the little's laundry and organizing his/her things.  I don't think I've ever been more excited to do laundry and organize bedding, toys, clothes, etc.  I'm sure I won't always feel this way (ask me in a couple of months when I'm sleep deprived and have a screaming newborn on my hands) but I sure am enjoying it now!

It's funny how seeing everything laid out and put together makes the thought of actually having a little one seem more real.  I know it's real (this bump and all those kicks remind me often) but sometimes it's hard to actually comprehend that we are bringing another human being into this world.  Crazy!

And the best part is going through all these emotions with my wonderful hubby!  I think I like seeing his excitement even more than mine.  He's going to be such a good dad that it makes me want to tear up just thinking about it.  (These crazy emotions might have something to do with me being so sensitive lately too.  Ah...this body of mine is going through so many changes so quickly!)

We have three more months to go, and I can't help myself wanting them to go by quickly so we can meet our little one.  I think we are ready to be a family of three!

onesie via Zara