Charlie and Nell

I love to sew. It was a fabulous friendship that started when I was 11, the year my great-grandma moved in with us. With her came the most amazing stories, sweet smiles, memories and TONS of sewing goodies. Fabrics, needles, hundreds of buttons, old patterns and tomato pin cushions, asked to be my friend that year. Nellie, my "Nama" sewed all my mom and aunt's clothes for them growing up.  She also made every grand and great grandchild a quilt or two and you could rest assured you were getting a hand stitched something for christmas. She was the coolest. From then on, I would find myself  in my room for hours, figuring out how to stitch bonnet sue's onto old muslin and piecing together the doll patterns my Nama had used and saved. That's where my love for it all began and so it seemed fitting to name my little shop venture after her and my great-grandpa Charlie.

Say hello to a few of my "Charlie & Nell" dollies! ( 2 more little ladies will be added to the store in the morning. ) Kael has a couple of the bearded lads and LOOOOOVES them. They are almost his size so he always tries to make them walk beside him which is the cutest. We call his "Mr. Bow-tie" because of a mustard bow tie I added to it for him. So, they are great for guys or gals. :)

I've decided to just sell what I have as I make them instead of waiting for myself to finish a huge bulk stock. I quickly realized that if I waited til then, it would never really happen. :)

I created the pattern, and lovingly create each one uniquely from vintage fabrics,  trims and recycled materials! I will continue to add more as I make them. :) I'm starting off on Goodsie, but might switch to Etsy later. I've never sold anything online before, just to friends and from word of mouth so, this is all new to me. I'm learning as I go! Thanks for encouraging me!

Enjoy!

Charlie & Nell store CLICK HERE

Not Just Coffee: Boy? Girl?

Our favorite coffee bar is an AMAZING place called, "Not Just Coffee" and it is seriously the best coffee in Charlotte with a handcrafted espresso and pour over coffee menu! Makes me weak in my knees! haha. Today, it really was "not" just coffee for us!  Samuel called me on his way to our appointment with this idea of revealing the gender at NJC, instead of finding out in the sonogram room. (They don't let you film in there and Sam really wanted to get our reaction on tape to have for our little family's life story.) I was thinking we'd just go old school and tweet it, but Sam was pretty stoked about this idea. So, I was like, "Why the heck not? I'm married to a film maker, I'm gonna embrace it." I called James, the owner of the coffee bar, and he was down for it! It was a treat and a precious memory for my heart! Ah! I can't tell you how excited we are, we got our heart's desire! I'm so in love.

My soul is soaring with happiness and bursting with smiles at the memories I'm anticipating for the future!

If you live or are visiting the Charlotte area, your life experience is not complete until you go visit Not Just Coffee! Go have one of their oh so amazing cappuccinos, teas or latte's and enjoy the flavor. They are located on east 7th street in the Uptown area. Here is their page, NJC!

Dear Forest Boy

My Dear Forest Boy, 

I feel like the most privileged girl in the world to be your momma. Watching you learn and grow, these past months, has been the most magical, new and emotional adventure my heart has ever taken. All of a sudden, the mantra of countless moms, dads and grandparents saying: "Enjoy it, they grow so fast..." has become the beginning of a new reality for me. I feel like I want to press the pause button, weeks at a time, so I can soak up the new pages of your exploding personality. Now that you're going to be a big brother, I find myself living in slow motion more than I used to. I know that in just a few months, we'll have a new friend and adventurer to share our time with. It' won't be just you, me and daddy anymore. That thought excites my heart and it makes me kinda sad at the same time. Not a real sad, but just a realization that things will be kind of different; a good different but different just the same. I can't tell you how thrilled I am to watch you be a big brother and have a new friend for life. I can't wait to watch you two play and come in from outside covered in, Lord knows what, with big grins on your face. But, back to us. You are our best little buddy. You make me and your daddy laugh and love like no other human on earth can. I love you. You have been sunshine to me, and have been the source of so much growth in my own heart and life. The last 5 months, when my heart was the most broken it's ever been, you were the greatest source of comfort and light in such a dark time. You were literally the heart of Jesus to me in my most vulnerable moments. Thank you for that sweetheart. You are such a joy. There are so many new happy memories to be made and places to be explored!  Your daddy and I adore you!

It's going to be a fun day today! We all will get to find out if you're going to have a little brother or sister. You, me and your Daddy, we're getting ready for another extravaganza of love, aren't we!? Let's go, full speed ahead! 

All the love in my heart, 

Momma

Some of my most precious memories being made lately have been taking Káel to his favorite park on sunny days. Sam captured a few of these memories for me a couple of weeks ago. I love having a film guy as my husband. Can't wait to watch all of our videos with our kids when they are older! ;) <3

Lots of Things

The last two weeks were crammed packed with activities, events and responsibilities. Whew. Sam worked on a film set forever, some of our dearest friends got married (which we had the joy to be apart of!), Kael and some of his best buddies, all took a trip to the zoo for the first time, and we hosted a blogger meet up at my house, which was a BLAST! (I can't wait to post all the pictures and videos from all of our excitement!) Here are just a few snippets:

my handsome man, doing his thing.

best wedding! a whirlwind of family friends, laughing and lots of happy tears....of course there was dancing, tons of dancing. ;) 

wedding love (wearing my new and latest fav vintage dress, gloriously turned maternity!)

zoo babies 

first time seeing a tiger

micah and lorean, two of my favorites on the planet!!!! <3 we were determined to get up close and personal with this giraffe. haha.

one of my bestest friends, jessie.

here's a little peek at our blogger meet up! post coming soon! pic from brooke

One last thing! This Monday, we have our second sonogram and I have butterflies in my tummy. The first sonogram was done around 7 weeks, so this will be the first time for us to really see our new little lady or lad's face! It's just been in the last 2 or 3 weeks that the reality of this new baby has resonated in my heart. We are super excited, and yes we are finding out the gender! So many thoughts flying around in my heart about this new baby and my own soul. Slowly trying to write them all down. :)

there it is! 18 weeks. 

Hope you guys have been having a lovely week!

~ Jess

Summer in March

Yesterday was a high of 79 degrees! Ah! Summer in March?! Well me and a few girlfriends got together and sunbathed all.day.long! Our babies played, we sipped smoothies, nibbled on treats and talked the afternoon away. It was a simple bit of heaven. Simple days like that rejuvenate my soul, seriously. 

first time i've put my suit on this year, it was a little scary, not gonna lie. ha! but what better time to start then with your closest girls on the back porch eating yummies and toasting in the sun. ;)

summer babies!!!!

we just stayed in our bathing suits the entire day. 

Jessie made me the yummiest cup of french press coffee once we came inside...and yes I had a few peanut butter cups from Trader Joes to go with it.  (Can I get a witness?)

Matt and Kara: Pink or Blue?

What can I say? I loooooooove video stories, announcements, surprises...you name it! Eeee! Many of you know my beautiful friend, Kara from her BLOG,"Matt and Kara Adopt" right? Well, if you haven't seen this video already, you need to take a minute and watch! Last Friday we all squealed and screamed as we found out if their sweet baby was going to be a boy or a girl! Kara is due the first week of August. Our babies are going to be summer friends!!!  SO dang exciting! She is a total glow of loveliness and is going to be THE BEST, most amazing mommy ever! Love you Kara and beyond thrilled about this baby sweetness of yours!!!!! 

Stop on by her blog and blow a kiss or two her way! It's going to be a beautiful, wondrous journey to follow!

Enjoy beauties!!!  

Pink or Blue? from Kara on Vimeo.

Letters Of Love: Ink

Another amazing video my guy, Samuel created for us. 

For quite a long time, Sam and I had been throwing around the idea of one day getting matching tattoos that said, "i love him" and "i love her." Neither one of us had ever gotten a tattoo before, so it was kind of a big decision. We thought about it for a couple of years and finally decided we really wanted to do it. The style had to be unique, simple and romantic. Being a girl who has a secret passion for certain styles of tattoo art, I knew what I liked and what I didn't like. I was super attracted to script tattoos that weren't your standard font, but handwritten and a tad messy. I constantly was writing our idea out on paper, on our arms and our wrists with sharpie or ink pens, trying to narrow down placement and size. I was thinking maybe my own handwriting might work? But, I'm pretty critical of anything I sketch or create and knew I wouldn't want to look down at my arm and see my  own penmanship permanently inked there. Once it's there, it's there baby. I'd find something about my handwriting that I'd want to change. When I settled into this realization, the hunt began. 

I've admired the work of  wedding calligrapher Mara, from Neither Snow for a couple of years. She's been featured on all the big wedding blogs. She is seriously just so AMAZING and inspiring.  So, when I found out that she occasionally designs tattoos for clients, I got really excited. Her style was exactly what I had in my mind. It is light and breezy and very unique. I can be on any blog and know when I see Mara's work. Her style makes me feel like Mr. Darcy from Pride and Prejudice who just finished a quickly written love letter or something.  I presented the idea to Sam and he agreed that her style was perfect for us. I contacted Mara and set up a tattoo appointment around the time of our anniversary! Which was the fall of last year. 

We couldn't be more pleased with how they turned out! My left arm now has "i love him" imprinted on it and Sam's has "i love her." We were originally going to have them much smaller but realized the calligraphy wouldn't be as dramatic on a tiny scale. So, Sam decided at the tattoo parlor that we should go big or go home. ha.

My heart is so happy when I look down at my arm. I get little flutters of romantic artsy-ness. We did this because we're crazy and in love. It's one of my favorite things that we've ever done together and will always be a sweet memory of our friendship and the heart romance I share with this guy named Samuel. ;) 

To see a ton more of Mara's calligraphy go to her website, CLICK HERE! 

You know, a couple of weeks after we got these, we found out we were pregnant with baby Windland, who we lost in November. There were moments when I would be grasping for goodness in the middle of confusion. The simple nothing of a tattoo with the words, "i love him" permanently scribbled on my arm would in a small way remind me of love. The love that Sam and I have, even in hard times. I'm always amazed at how things effect my heart in moments when I don't expect them to. Who would have thought a tattoo of all things could do something like that? 

North Carolina Meet Up

Hey beauties, fellow bloggers and loves!

Bekah, over at "My Little Loves" approached me last week about  helping set up a mini blogger meet up on the weekend of March 24 and I LOVE this idea!  It will be held here in the Charlotte area! She already has a sponsor that will be providing treats and such! Yay! I know this is short notice, but for those of you interested, we would love to hear from you! It would be a fun chance to meet, talk about the blogging world and just develop new face-to-face friendships! So, if you are in the North/South Carolina area and want to hang and have some fun, leave a comment or drop one of us a line!

We are finalizing a lot of details, most of which will depend on the feedback we get back from you girls!

Let us know if you want to join! You can RSVP by emailing me at bohobabybump@gmail.com OR on our RSVP page on Facebook click HERE.)

Lots of love!

Jess

Boho Style: 15 Weeks

15 weeks. Wow. The day I marked 12 weeks off my calendar, I was ready to soar to the moon. But, as every week passes, my heart keeps throwing bigger and bigger parties! Now, 15 WEEKS! AH! This is starting to feel real! 

My morning sickness has kinda gotten worse, the past couple of weeks. But, I have tons more energy for the most part. Which, is fabulous. (Not the throwing up part. haha.) I finally am able to get my booty off the couch and do some Pilates, a bit of Yoga and have power walking days with friends at the park. Last week, I got my first sunburn of the year, while soaking up the sun at the park! Do you know how happy that made me!? Ah! Spring/Summer is around the corner! Yay! Those 3 months of laying on the couch from fatigue and morning sickness haven't been too kind on my thighs. Eeek. I've got a couple of months before I head to the beach. Which means, I'm pretty motivated to walk and Yoga away that cellulite before the waves and the sunshine see my bare legs. haha. Lord help me. 

My belly is starting to look more like there's a baby in there instead of too many pints of Ben & Jerry's ice-cream. Especially in the evening, there's no denying I'm a mini human incubator. ;) . haha. I can't wait to really look pregnant, to feel my little sweetness dancing around inside! (It won't be long!) I have felt a few flutters, but no real strong movements yet. Just a couple more weeks until we find out if we are having a boy or  a girl! Eeee! Until then, here's my 15 week self  having a date with my boys in Noda. Noda is the artsy district in my beautiful Charlotte, the Queen City.   

Sweater and Feather Earrings: Urban Outfitters
Top: Free People
Belt: Vintage, Thrifted
Maxi Tank Dress: Target
Boots: Minnetonka 

I lived in my Minnetonka moccasins during my pregnancy with Forest boy-I'm sure this round will be the same. They are the best! I'm hoping to add some ankle Moccasins to my collection this spring!

I have worn this particular outfit several times already in different variations and combinations. It's been so comfortable and flattering on my slowing swelling belly and widening hips. ;) Yay for comfy dresses right!? 

Bracelets are from Israel, my necklace is an old french clock key that I put on a leather cord. 

I'm really excited to see how my bohemian flavored style emerges and evolves with this pregnancy! Chasing around a toddler all day and every day, while puking, definitely puts a set back in my world. Especially when it comes to the priority of getting out of my yoga pants. I'll admit that on most days the yoga pants have won out. But, as the energy and motivation returns to my body and soul, so does the eagerness for my wardrobe. haha. 

Have a great day full of goodness! 

-Jess

Boho Home: Pop of Color

My home, for the most part, has a very light, airy and rustic feel. Lately, I've been craving subtle pops of color. I love simplicity and don't want my peaceful spaces to become cluttered and busy with too many patterns (which is VERY easy for me to do). My living room used to be crammed full of vintage nick knacs, antique books, rich, deep colors and old instruments. I LOVED it that way, but when Káel started to crawl, I decided to change it up, lighten my color palette and simplify. Now, almost 2 years later, I want to compromise and bring a touch of texture and splash of bold color in. I've been gathering inspiration and trying to form some sort of clear direction so that I can start collecting pieces to satisfy my crazy boho soul. 

I have a huge, distressed leather sofa similar to this and am thinking I might love a littler cultured texture like this.
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love those pillows. I need to take a trip to Jerusalem again.
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the colors of my decor in my house, for the most part, looks like this picture and the one below, but without the sea foam green or mustard yellow. I'm thinking I could pick a bold, but semi muted color and paint my dining room chairs for some extra personality.
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This is a tad on the busy side...leaning more toward how I used to decorate, but I just love that crazy patchwork looking curtain used as a room divider. <3
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