I just couldn't keep these images to myself! This is exactly what my perfect spring/summer scene looks like.

You know how you can be drawn to the same things over and over while shopping for your home? Even when looking for something completely unrelated? This is what happens to me with trays (and lanterns. And to be completely honest here, with throws too). I might be looking for new knives or mugs or chairs or even a soap dish for the bathroom, when I spot a good tray, I have to have it.
The thing about trays: they are so versatile! You can use them to get your food things from the kitchen to the dining room, which is probably what their original purpose in life is (though not what I mostly use them for). However, just as easily they convert into decorative little tables (when placed on a stool) and gorgeous gathering places for candles/rocks/picture frames/memorabilia. The really nice ones even do well by themselves. I especially love trays with an ethnic look. Most of the time I find those in smaller stores that import their things from Asia or Africa, but these two I came across at Crate and Barrel:

Now that the weather is slowly starting to improve and my due date is fast approaching (May 29th), I thought it was time for some springtime redecorating while I am still mobile. So the past two weekends have been spent with friends and family and lots of tools. We rearranged the hallway to accommodate our new Bugaboo stroller and this was a good excuse for me to also get out a can of paint to freshen up the color. So instead of a muted gray, the main wall in our hallway is now a soft green with the lovely name pasta verde.
The nursery is still a work in progress but it is in much better condition than a month ago. Because our budget isn't sky-high, we ventured to Ikea for some nursery furniture. We bought a wardrobe and rocking chair as well as these lamp shades.

This Winter, our street received a makeover. That is what happens when you live in a new suburb like we do. While the suburb is not so brand new anymore -going on seven years now- all of our street's inhabitants were still living with a temporary layout, consisting mostly of ugly pavements and no trees. The reasoning behind this was that all the heavy traffic that is involved in building a new residential area frequently passed through our street (as it is rather wide) and would damage the fancy brick that is now in place. Anyway, we have been able to enjoy our street's new and improved look for a couple of months and I have to say I quite like it. The only thing that still needs to be done is planting some trees. There is a plot of grass (or would-be grass if it would start to grow already) separating the pavement in front of our house from the road. This is where the trees will go. Now here is my plan: I bought some flower bulbs this week (irises and tiger flowers for the gardeners among you) with the intention of planting them at the base of the trees when they are put in. A clandestine and wildly courageous act on my part of course. So come June, when the leaves on the trees are the freshest hue of green, lots of colorful flowers will be blooming and it will be a marvelous sight. Grass or no grass.

I thought I got pretty big during my first pregnancy. I was wrong. This -third- time around, I am ballooning to never before seen proportions. This would've been kinda okay had I been in my ninth month of pregnancy while writing this or had the weight attached itself only to my tummy, as planned (by me of course). Alas, I just entered my third trimester last Saturday and the weight seems to be evenly distributed between my legs -or cottage cheese pillars, as I now call them- and my rear, which means I carry a lot of extra "junk in my trunk." I seriously considered not putting on my bathing suit to go swimming with my Two-and-a-half this weekend. Thankfully, my maternal instincts beat my vanity, but I am doubtful this will be the case two months from now, when I look (and no doubt feel) like a beached whale.

Wow, a seven month hiatus leaves quite a gap, doesn't it? Rather than try to fill it with a big long summary of what has happened in the last half year (now that makes it sound even longer...), I will jump right back into current affairs.