Archive - May, 2010

Eleanor’s First Birthday Party

We celebrated Eleanor’s first birthday last Sunday. There were plenty of paper daisies (I knew I’d find a use for them some day!), a happy birthday banner, pink baloons, and floral garland across the windows.

Eleanor's First Birthday Party

Eleanor's First Birthday Party

Eleanor's First Birthday Party

Eleanor's First Birthday Party

The weather even cooperated for us.

Eleanor's First Birthday Party

Eleanor's First Birthday Party

Eleanor and Brandon

Oh look, an elephant! Too cute, right?

Eleanor's First Birthday Party

That vase is actually a teapot, but it’s adorable when filled with flowers.

Eleanor's First Birthday Party

Eleanor was a gracious host, thoughtfully opting to skip her nap so as not to miss a moment of her party.

Eleanor and Me

Walking

She was in a good mood the whole time though, despite being tired toward the end.

Tired Birthday Girl

I ordered a cake for the party, but I asked for it to be left completely plain with just pale pink frosting. I wanted it to be a blank canvas, but the bakery apparently thought that I meant “smash a bunch of crumbs all around the edge, and pipe some frosting shapes as a border around the whole cake”. Oh well. I wasn’t really sure what I wanted to do with it anyway; I just knew I wanted to decorate it myself.

Birthday Cake

I made Eleanor’s silhouette out of chocolate for the cake. I melted chocolate chips in a sandwich bag, snipped the end, then laid parchment paper over a template that I had printed out to size. I did the best I could, piping the outline first and then filling it in, and I placed it in the fridge afterward to harden. I also wrote “Happy Birthday Eleanor” in white, lightly scratching the letters in the frosting with a toothpick first as a guide. The cake was not perfect, but it was fine. The guest of honor seemed to like it quite a bit.

Eleanor Loves Birthday Cake!

Blog Sponsorship and Advertising

I’d like to talk to you about the monetization of blogs, and specifically of my blog, Making it Lovely. I announced a new sponsored project earlier this week and the responses were mixed. I feel that it’s important to address the negative sentiments that were expressed.

I am approached daily with offers of items for reviews and giveaways, free trips, sponsorships, and various advertising opportunities (such as text links). I politely decline nearly all of them. To imply that I am thoughtlessly and greedily accepting every freebie that comes my way is hurtful and insulting. I have always taken great care to be ethical, honest, true to myself, and true to my readers. I don’t publish anything that I’m not proud of, and I hold myself to a high degree of integrity and accountability. This blog would be very different if I were only in this to make money. I have always been very selective, choosing only to work with companies that I have used or would use personally regardless of compensation. And now that I’m able to work with a sponsor to share a new project with you that I wouldn’t have been able to otherwise? I think that’s wonderful.

Many have lamented the fact that so many blogs are being monetized, and they would prefer to see them remain free of advertising. I respect those individuals that blog without any form of payment, but I also have respect for those that have been able to be fairly compensated for the lovely sites that they have created. It takes a considerable amount of time, effort, and money to keep a blog like Making it Lovely going. I pay for childcare so that I have time to write and edit original photos for the blog. I have upgraded my web hosting to ensure that the site loads quickly and without problems for every visitor. I am always taking time to file away ideas, thinking of new ways to share inspiration with you, and documenting projects for the blog. I’m honored and amazed everyday that Making it Lovely has taken off the way it has, but you must know that there is a lot of work involved.

I am lucky to be able to earn an income via my blog. I have been working toward it for years, and I’m proud of all that I have accomplished. I will continue to accept advertising and explore new sponsorship opportunities in a mindful and responsible way, and I thank you for your support.

Amy Butler Wallpaper

Be still my heart. Did you see that Amy Butler is coming out with a line of wallpaper with Graham & Brown? Looks like I’m going to need to find another room that needs wallpapering.

(via Apartment Therapy)

Time to Revamp the Bedroom

Announcing a new sponsored project…

Our bedroom has gone through many changes over the last three years. We started with wall-to-wall (disgusting) carpet, broken louvered doors on the closet, and mismatched woodwork. We got to work soon after we moved in and we replaced the carpet with dark bamboo flooring, swapped out the closet doors for a sliding paneled set, and added new crisp white trim. We even added a second freestanding closet to the room, and sprung for a new bed and nightstands.

After all that, we didn’t have much money left for decorating. You know… the fun part! We already had some cute sheets, and I made changes by adding inexpensive bedding. We even had a rug that fit, leftover from the dining room of our old apartment. The jute was a bit scratchy, but that rug really tied the room together.

The latest version of the room has been looking pretty good with its all-white bedding and soft white rug, thanks to a strong nesting urge when I was pregnant with Eleanor. Now though? I want color. Pattern. Texture. I miss the fun, the zip, and the zing.

Our Bedroom

That’s why I’m happy to announce that I will be working with Membership Rewards points from American Express to revamp the bedroom! I’ve always been a big fan of their Membership Rewards program; I use my card for business expenses all the time to rack up points. They can be redeemed for different items, but I usually like to go for the gift cards. With stores to choose from like west elm, Pottery Barn, and Crate & Barrel, I know I’ll be able to find some great items.

Over the next few weeks, I’ll be sharing the process of transforming my bedroom with you. Since we already know what a big difference bedding can make, I’ll be starting there. And at the end of the project, I’ll have a little something (or maybe a big something) for you too!

Shedd Aquarium

Brandon and I took Eleanor to the Shedd Aquarium today.

Eleanor and I at the Shedd Aquarium

Number 28 on my 30 Before Thirty list: done. And we had a lovely day!

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