Wednesday, April 28, 2010

Baby Update

I can't believe I'm at 30 weeks already!

At 10 and 20 (out of 40 weeks, give or take) I was like "what, that's all?", but 30 scares me a bit. 30 feels like it's actually coming soon.

I've spent a lot of time refining online registries the last few weeks, reading reviews & making sure everything from the 'essentials list' was either in the 'have', 'registered for', or 'to buy' categories. That last category was a bit overwhelming at first, but we were able to knock out most of it quicker than expected.

One thing I knew I wanted to buy was a sling. While I love the print on this one, I just couldn't bring myself to have someone else pay $60 for a folded piece of fabric! (At least that one is a little adjustable ~ many weren't). I found this one on clearance for $20, though it was another $10 for shipping. Boo! Still ~ half price! I was very nervous about the fit, since my shoulder to hip measurement was 4 sizes larger than where my clothing size & weight fell on their chart, and it was not something that could be returned for a larger size (which were also a lot harder to find). I tried it on, and it seemed to match all of the fit criteria they mentioned, but it felt a little higher than I was expecting so I wasn't sure.

Right about that time Indy hopped up into my lap, so.... into the sling he went! He seemed pretty comfy after the initials shock (purring away with legs sticking in every direction), and considering I'm very pregnant & he is twice the size of a newborn, I'd say we are good to go!

I then bought my first item from Craiglist! I found a really nice Graco brand infant seat/carrier for $25 (like this one, but in gray & light blue). We already have a larger car seat that I think can also be turned around & used for infants, but then I realized that those carriers are always part of a car-seat set, & we knew we wanted to have one of those. The pick-up was in the same city as the nearest BabiesRUS, so we walked ourselves to exhaustion replacing some of the 'online only' items from my registry with things that could be found in the store. Target is next.

May is going to be a bit crazy with two holidays, three baby classes, & talks of showers. (And Justin is finishing up the school year & two graduate classes in the midst of it!) Once we registered for the two free classes & paid $50 to register for the 3rd, I was feeling pretty good about our quickly diminishing 'to buy' list. That is... until I started looking back at my cloth diapers research. :( I was so excited to be able to register for a few brands & get that off my mind a while ago, but then I realized that they were all 'online only', all fitted sizes (not adjustable), and not really the type I wanted to use. Considering the waterproof covers are each about $15-20, with more cost added from the actual diapers or inserts, the expense list just jumped up again. I know they will be cheaper than disposables in the long run, but it is a step back from feeling 'prepared'.

The crib and changing table still remain unpainted and un-assembled. We've been too busy to tackle that one yet, and have not been able to agree on colors. At least the curtains are made! But not hung yet.... My old workroom is a giant pile of clothing & supplies, and Indy has set up camp in what I like to call "Fort Walker".

Indy in Fort Walker

Today we are going in for another sonogram, and next week I'll hit 7 months, so I should have some more pics soon!

Tuesday, April 20, 2010

Zelda - Genmu no Sunadokei

Zelda - Genmu no Sunadokei

Lately I've been playing through Zelda: Phantom Hourglass in Japanese (Genmu no Sunadokei). It's such fun!! I definitely don't recognize every word, but I understand enough to know what the characters are talking about without looking things up in a dictionary. (Having played through the English version years ago helps, I'm sure!)

Knowing the kanji has been the biggest help, as you can usually guess the meaning of the word from the meaning of the kanji alone. This game has been recommended again & again online because the pronunciation pops up when you touch a kanji with your stylus ~ a feature I'm sure was added to help Japanese children who do not yet know all of their kanji, but very helpful for foreign learners as well.

I shouldn't say that I've put down the dictionary entirely while reading along, though. I'm not used to reading such small and stylized kanji, and you often loose a lot of the details in the compression. I frequently use the pop-up pronunciations in order to look up the word to figure out what kanji they are actually using. It's been great practice for reading small type, a refresher on kanji that is not currently in my vocabulary list, and a fun way to learn some new words along the way! It's such a tragedy that the newest DS games are starting to put in a region lock so that I won't be able to play them without buying a Japanese DS.

Friday, April 16, 2010

Ambigram Drop

"ODO" & "HDO" Ambigram

"ODO" & "HDO" Ambigram


"Kenzi" Ambigram

"Kenzi" Ambigram


"Riley" Ambigram

"Riley" Ambigram


"Ronald" Ambigram

"Ronald" Ambigram


"Bowden" Ambigram

"Bowden" Ambigram


"Amy" Ambigram

"Amy" Ambigram


"emisi" & "taylor" Ambigram

"emisi" & "taylor" Ambigram


"Road Less" & "Traveled" Ambigram

"Road Less" & "Traveled" Ambigram

Thursday, April 15, 2010

Ambigram Cellars

A while back I had a great time designing some ambigrams for an upcoming winery, Ambigram Cellars. We created an "Ambigram" ambigram as their main logo in a very funky font ~

"Ambigram" - for Ambigram Cellars

I also created a smaller logo & an ambigram of "Pinot Noir", the first wine they will be releasing. I don't believe they have shared images of that one yet, so I'll keep that design under my hat for now.

You can find more information & updates on the release on their facebook page, but I'll make sure to keep checking in & let you know any new info! It looks like we have a few more months to wait. Meanwhile, check out the awesome license plate that the owner had made!

Wednesday, April 14, 2010

Flowers & a Feline

For about a week our town was covered in these pretty white flowers (I believe they are cherry blossoms?) ~

Cherry Blossoms

I brought the camera with me one day while checking the mail and was lucky enough to snap a few pics of them before the rain knocked down all the petals the next day. The lighting was already a bit too dim, though, so there is only one decent one to share.

While circling the tree, however, I did come across a much more photogenic neighborhood cat who circled my legs for a while.

Orange Neighborhood Cat - 1

Orange Neighborhood Cat - 2

Orange Neighborhood Cat - 3

Orange Neighborhood Cat - 4

What a stunning little model! Too bad it ended up being a bit crazy ~ when I finally turned to leave it attacked my food and drew blood. Not sure if it was upset that the petting was over, or that I didn't offer it any food as a reward for the previous sweetness.... or maybe it didn't want its photos posted online? Too bad, little kitty!

Monday, April 12, 2010

Chattanooga, TN

Here are some pics from our trip to Chattanooga from last week! We got married at the aquarium there & like to go back to visit for our anniversary most years. We celebrated our 6th this time around and took a tour in the riverboat (the one thing I didn't actually get a picture of).

Chattanooga Riverboat

Chattanooga Riverboat - Justin

Chattanooga Riverboat - caliope

Chattanooga Riverboat - bridges

Chattanooga Riverboat - Delta Queen

Chattanooga Riverboat - girl

Chattanooga Riverboat - bridge 2

Chattanooga - Clumpies

Chattanooga - Riverview Park

Unfortunately, last week I had some pretty bad inner thigh/groin pain from the pregnancy and was a little more focused on 'getting through' the day without really hurting myself. And then our favorite candy store was shut down!! But we did end the day with a great dinner at a new Malaysian restaurant and I always have plenty of cheery pictures to look back on.

Thursday, April 8, 2010

Ambigram Drop

"Marc" Ambigram

"Marc" Ambigram

"Flores" Ambigram

"Flores" Ambigram

"Dare to Dream" Ambigram

"Dare to Dream" Ambigram


"Friður" & "Frelsi" Ambigram

"Friður" & "Frelsi" Ambigram


"Cash" & "Love" Ambigram Circle

"Cash" & "Love" Ambigram Circle


"Always in my Heart" Ambigram

"Always in my Heart" Ambigram


"Hyde" & "Jekyl" Ambigram
(Yes, the customer wanted the spelling to be "Jekyl" & not "Jekyll")

"Hyde" & "Jekyl" Ambigram


"Lianna" & "Angel" Ambigram

"Lianna" & "Angel" Ambigram

Monday, April 5, 2010

6 months

Here is a 6 month belly shot for you!

Pregnant - 6 months

Hmmm.... it doesn't look that much different than the 5 month shot, just a little more rounded out on top & bottom. But I feel like I've got a bowling ball strapped to my waist and I'm wondering how there can be 3 more months of waddling around? So heavy!!

We've got some exciting things planned this week for Spring Break, but I am going to try to take it as easy as possible too. Walking is no fun! Pictures to come...

Friday, April 2, 2010

"Walk by Faith & Not by Sight" T-shirt

I got this lovely shirt in the mail from one of my customers ~

"Walk by Faith & Not by Faith" Ambigram T-Shirt

The design was from this ambigram. He had sent me some mock-ups before, but the shirt is even more fantastic in person than I was expecting. I love the colors, and it's even a girl cut! Unfortunately I won't be able to wear it for another 3 months, so I'll have to take another photo of me wearing it later on. (I should note ~ customers do pay an additional fee in order to sell items with their design, so don't worry, he had permission to use the ambigram!)

The shirts can be found on Exodus Three Twelve, and make sure to check out his other designs!