Author Archives: Karrey

About Karrey

I’m Karrey, 31, and I live in Iowa City, Iowa. I have a boring day job, but in my spare time I like to bake, take pictures, play with my cats, knit, and decorate my house. I'm also in nursing school, which has eaten my life.

Summer To-Do

May 28th, 2013 | Posted by Karrey in Baby Smannon | Iowa City | Lists - (3 Comments)

I love lists. If you know me, you might have an idea of how much I love lists. I love making exhaustive lists. Sometimes I do this as a means of procrastination, but other times it’s because I need to motivate myself, and breaking tasks down into their components helps get me over the hurdle of actually starting a thing. I saw an idea for seasonal to-do lists on a mama vlog I keep up with, and I decided I wanted to make it a thing. With having a baby and being back in school, having a running list is hopefully going to help me get through this summer in a fun and productive way, instead of letting it speed by and waking up on the other side with nothing to show for the season.

Summer, ahoy!

Family list

  1. Go camping
  2. Go to the Farmer’s Market at least once a week
  3. Go on family bike rides as much as possible
  4. Make cookies for neighbors
  5. Walk to Heyn’s for ice cream once a week

Clare List

  1. Throw a laid-back 1st birthday party
  2. Figure out a craft project we can do together at this age (tie-dye? finger painting?)
  3. Play in the front yard
  4. Swimming lessons!
  5. Figure out how to do a back carry with our woven wrap

Health/Beauty List

  1. Get a pedicure. My feet are not summer-ready!
  2. Make some soap
  3. Make some homemade surf spray
  4. Find that tinted moisturizer of my dreams. My Laura Mercier oil-free TM is okay, but I don’t love it.
  5. Figure out a recipe for the perfect smoothie

I’ve also got a list running over at our house blog for home-related things. What’s on your list this summer?

Friday Link List

March 22nd, 2013 | Posted by Karrey in Links - (0 Comments)
IMG_0058

We got a new camera, and it is AWESOME

  • Kevin and I have been pretty terrible about getting grown-up stuff done since Clare was born, but this site should help. I like checklists, even if they’re for boring things like living wills and powers of attorney!
  • I’m sort of tentatively thinking of having Clare’s 1st birthday party be rainbow-themed, and these cupcakes would complement that nicely. Except I think I might want to do doughnuts instead of cake? We’ll see.
  • Note to self: next time it’s time to update your computer desktop wallpaper, change it to this. I’ve got some other nebula on my desktop here at work, and I’m not quite ready to switch it yet. APOD is a fucking goldmine for wallpaper.
  • My getaway house in the Wisconsin woods (someday, someday) is going to have lots of natural light and wide, wide plank floors. Yes.
  • I think my office is missing a mobile. Don’t you?
  • I’m kind of obsessed with Raspberry Pi computers, and somebody used one to keep track of their beers on tap at home. We could DEFINITELY use this.
  • It’s a little late to make it for St. Patty’s Day, but I would love to make this Jar of Luck to add a little greenery to my home office. Or anywhere in the house, really.
  • I’m so impatient for Clare to get older so she can play with cool things like this felt board over at A Life Sustained. Such a great idea!
  • Stuffed cheese buns? YES PLEASE!

Spring jacket lust

March 13th, 2013 | Posted by Karrey in Links | Revampify | Shopping - (2 Comments)

I hate shopping for clothes for myself. Especially if they’re expensive clothes, regardless of whether they’ll last me forever or not. The last time I bought a new coat was from Target two springs ago, seen below:

Current spring trench

My current spring-y trench coat from Target

This coat is cute, and it still works, I guess. I kinda want something bright and new for spring, though. Especially something in coral…

Soia & Kyo's Martha in coral

Soia & Kyo’s Martha in coral

Or maybe something a little slumpy and army-ish:

Penfield Summer Anorak

Penfield Summer Anorak

This guy by Vans from Zappos is pretty cute, although I can’t testify as to the quality of anything from Vans anymore:

Vans Anchor jacket in charcoal heather

Vans Anchor jacket in charcoal heather

I generally like DKNY stuff, and this is cute, but it might be too boxy on my big-bootied frame:

DKNY plaid

DKNY plaid

Then again, there’s always this one from Target (again):

Target French terry

Target’s French terry in coral

I don’t know if I should try for something shorter, or go with a long trench like last time. Or just, you know, stick with what I’ve already got and skulk about it. Probably the last thing, but it’s nice to think about.

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Pump Up the Jam

March 11th, 2013 | Posted by Karrey in Baby Smannon - (0 Comments)

Let’s talk about boobs some more, why don’t we? First, I’ll talk about fun stuff, and then leave the nitty-gritty for the end of the post, in case you’re here for straight up data points.

I went back to work after a 12-week maternity leave, and thankfully, I work for a very, very progressive department that is supportive of me pumping at work. I didn’t really tell people about the problems I had with breastfeeding at the beginning, but my boss understood how important it was to me to keep my breastfeeding relationship with my daughter going. My employer even makes a point of having a brazillion lactation rooms spread all over campus, and the building in which I work has one right downstairs in the basement, which features a comfy chair and a hospital-grade pump. SCORE.

We already had bottles worked out, since we’d been having to supplement with formula and I’d been pumping during my maternity leave to feed her every day. Originally, I’d bought a bunch of BPA-free plastic bottles to use, until I read something about how they were substituting BPA with BPS, which is mostly unstudied and may be even more dangerous than BPA. YIKES. So, I promptly ordered some glass bottles from Lifefactory, which you can see in action below. They were a little expensive, but the glass gives me peace of mind, and the silicone sleeves that come with them are great for non-slippiness and for cushioning the fall in case we drop them. Plus, they’re cute, amirite?

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Dreaming of autumn

January 28th, 2013 | Posted by Karrey in Daily - (0 Comments)

yashica008

“Delicious autumn! My very soul is wedded to it, 
and if I were a bird I would fly about the earth 
seeking the successive autumns.” 
-   George Eliot

Friday Link List!

December 28th, 2012 | Posted by Karrey in Food | Links | Lists - (0 Comments)

Friday Link List!

  1. I’ve been gently daydreaming about building another HTPC machine (especially now that we’re giving up cable next week!), except unlike my last foray into this realm, I think I want to build a media server to stash in the basement, and then have set-top boxes at the tvs in the house to stream from the server. I’m going to be watching this entry for ideas on DVD rippers.
  2. I am in love with the homemade cocktail mixers that Whitney over at the Ugly Green Chair made to pass out as holiday gifts. Want to steallll!
  3. I also want to make some of this sleep salve. Another great idea for next year’s gift baskets.
  4. Don’t these homemade paper crackers look wonderful? I need to send away to Ferm Living for some wallpaper samples so I can make these for various festive occasions.
  5. Anna over at Door Sixteen wrote about her skincare routine, and so much of what she said rang true for me. I’m still dealing with acne in my 30s (even though I got a wonderful respite while pregnant), and I need to start doing what I can to take care of my skin more effectively.
  6. These Stephen Wildish posters are fucking awesome, and I WANT THEM ALLLLL. Ahem.
  7. Soooo, I’m making my first foray into using woven wraps, and I used holiday money to order this lovely little item. This is apparently a huge mama-subculture that I didn’t even know existed until very recently. I don’t know if I’ll get into the community, but I’m definitely looking forward to carrying my bambina around in something this beautiful (and RED). Time to start watching YouTube videos on different carries!
  8. Since my friend Amanda introduced me to this quinoa salad recipe a few weeks ago, I’ve made it twice. TWICE! That’s a record in our house since C was born! It’s so refreshing and filling, I’m sure I’ll make it many more times this winter (especially since it reminds me of summer, with the citrus and corn).
  9. Homemade Magic Shell? Don’t mind if I do!
  10. Handmade sprinkles for cakes and DOUGHNUTS? You’re killin’ me, Smalls! Yeah, I’m gonna make these, too, for a little doughnut-themed shindig we’re hosting next month.

♥ ♥ ♥

New Set of Shades, Pt. 2

November 28th, 2012 | Posted by Karrey in Vanity - (0 Comments)

Okay, I’m still on the search for a good pair of glasses. I think I finally decided on the Sims frames from Warby Parker, but HEY, I’ve got more flex spending account money left after I buy those. I might as well buy MORE!

Whitney over at the Ugly Green Chair recently posted about getting some glasses from Fetch Eyewear, and upon reading that they also do home try-on, I had to check them out. I love the fact that they donate all of their profits to animal rescue, too! They totally know their target audience there. Their glasses are also only $125, which is slightly more expensive than Warby Parker, but they also seem to have a larger selection and many more color options.

Fetch Eyewear #1

Gretta in Mahogany

Fetch Eyewear #2

Felix in Onyx

Fetch Eyewear #3

Darby in Cameo Fade

Fetch Eyewear #4

Pepper in Cranberry Matte (I might like these better in Opal)

Fetch Eyewear #5

Tracy in Bittersweet

Fetch Eyewear #6

Sadie in Berber Crush

These frames felt much like the Warby Parker ones: well-made, substantial without being too heavy, and fitting my face well. I’ve had a run of bad luck with other online glasses sellers, with them selling me frames that are wayyyy too big for my head (and I’ve got a pretty big head!). I think the last ones, Sadie in Berber Crush, are the clear winners here. So, Sadie and Sims it is!

Local and Handmade 2012!

November 27th, 2012 | Posted by Karrey in Iowa City | Links | Shopping - (0 Comments)

Who wants a shopping idea list of things that are local and handmade, just in time for the holidays? I DO, AND MAYBE YOU DO TOO.

Gifts for Her

  1. Knitted lace shawl from Alma’s Knit Shop
  2. Raven bleach hoodie by The Whatnot Stand
  3. Jersey scarf by Susan Shinnick
  4. Beach stone necklace from BABEjewelry
  5. Bunting necklace by DizzyRhinoDesigns
  6. Wooded layered necklace from E Halsch

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Hurricane Sandy Relief

November 7th, 2012 | Posted by Karrey in Links - (0 Comments)
Supply Kit

Via SpecialKRB on Flickr

My heart is aching for those affected by Hurricane Sandy, but being landlocked in Iowa and having a new baby, I unfortunately can’t pick up and fly out to the east coast to help out in the relief efforts (even though my background as an AmeriCorps alum ensures that that’s my kneejerk urge whenever things like this happen). Since I’m stuck here, I tried to find other ways I could help out.

Thanks to Anna at Door Sixteen, I was directed to this post on Sweet Fine Day, which gives a view on the destruction that got lost in the uproar over the elections (yay Obama, by the way!). At the bottom of the post is a list of local organizations and efforts that are directly benefiting those affected by the disaster, which is apparently the way to go about helping them the fastest, since Red Cross funds aren’t necessarily getting to where they’re needed quickly enough. From there, I donated via the Occupy Sandy Amazon wishlist, using my Prime membership to make sure things got delivered quickly. I also contributed to the NYC Food Truck Association, which is currently out in full-force, feeding Sandy victims for free.

I’m sad I can’t be there in person to help out with the efforts, but I’m happy to do some small part to send things that are needed and spread the word about the awesome things that are going on.

Help out if you can!

Let’s do it again

November 6th, 2012 | Posted by Karrey in Daily - (0 Comments)

Please go do your civic duty today and vote, if you haven’t already. If you need more information, visit Gotta Vote.