Books: October 2013

image via Google Books

So this month, I started The Mortal Instruments series by Cassandra Clare.  I was really excited to read it because Cassandra Clare, unlike E. L. James, is the poster child for why fanfiction is such a wonderful, powerful thing.  Back-in-the-day, writing under the name (I believe) Cassandra Claire, she wrote novel-length Harry Potter fanfiction which was very popular in various corners of the internet because it was so very, very well written.  She used fanfiction properly- as a tool to hone her writing skills.  When you already have an established universe to play in, and you don't have to invent characters or settings or back-stories, a fanfiction writer is free to experiment, receive constructive criticism, and collaborate with a large community of writers and beta readers (the fanfiction world's editors).  Fanfic is like one big creative writing exercise: can you mimic this author's style, thereby learning the elements of style?  Can you write about this pre-existing characters without going OOC (out of character), thereby learning how to write consistently?  Can you develop new and interesting characters and story lines that fit within this established universe, thereby learning how to attract and entertain new readers?  Cassandra Claire practiced writing, became a good writer, and earned herself an internet following by playing in the fanfic world- then she branched out and started publishing original fiction which has done incredibly well- City of Bones was just released as a movie!  E. L. James, on the other hand, is the poster child for what fanfiction writers should not do- she wrote a popular Twilight fanfic, changed the names, and published it as "original" fiction.  That's unethical at best, and it's the kind of behavior that makes fanfic readers and writers nervous, because it threatens to bring the law crashing down on our heads- fanfiction exists in a legal grey zone as it is, but profiting off of what is essentially somebody else's work?  Unethical and lazy, if you ask me. 

But anyway.

City of Bones is a very intriguing read- I was eager to finish it, just to see what happens, and am eager to pick up the next in the series.  It did, however, get off to a rather rocky start, for me, anyway.  While the action launches almost immediately, as the premise unfolds, it feels a bit...cheesy.  Teenage demon hunters?  It took a little pushing to get into it, but once I did, I was glad I stuck with it, because this world is definitely well-written, action-packed, and full of interesting characters.  Again, perhaps I'm getting too old for YA literature, but the love triangle- because every YA novel apparently has to have one- was a bit tiresome for me, and seemed to distract from the overall plot, but, as in real life, love is the driving force behind most of the characters' actions, so I guess you can consider it necessary.  The major love triangle is brought to a messy end through a rather confusing end to the book, which I won't spoil here, except to say that the back-story to this series involves several cases of severely mistaken identity.  I'd like to hope that the dissolution of the love triangle is Cassie Clare's way of stabbing that trope in the heart, so to speak, to prove that it's not necessary for the existence of entertaining YA literature, but maybe that's giving her too much credit?  Either way, I'm excited to follow Clary, the novel's protagonist, through the rest of her adventures in the world of the Shadowhunters, protecting us "mundane" humans from the evils prowling all around us that we can't even see.

Have you read any of The Mortal Instruments?  Did you enjoy it?  What did you read this month?

Much love,
The Geeks

Fashion Adventures: Sweater Weather

(I'm kind of obsessed with this song.  Anybody else?)

You know what kind of sucks?  I'm down to very few pieces in my wardrobe that still fit.  And by "fit" I mean I can be reasonably certain they won't rip when I squeeze into them.  What sucks worse is that most of the maternity clothing I bought was for spring and summer and it's finally started to get kind of cold around here so...those don't really work anymore without layers.  But my warmer layers are decidedly non-maternity.  This will probably be my last set of maternity outfit photos on this here blog because, frankly, nothing is all that flattering on my extra-rotund figure anymore.  (And seriously, bless the poor coworkers who tell me they like my outfits every day- they've earned their places in Heaven.)

These photos were taken on Thursday at precisely 38 weeks.  Because I have yet to feel any contractions, the doctor agreed that Chief is probably going to be a late arrival- or at least not an early one.  She went over their policies for passing the due date and the gist is that, barring any problems they may notice while monitoring the two of us, we don't even have to start talking about inducing until 41 weeks, and even then they'll let us wait until the 42 week mark before they have to induce.  That's one of the many things I love about this practice- they don't want to push us into anything, they respect our desire to understand and discuss everything that's going on, and, at the end of the day, we really do all have the same goal, which is to make sure Chief is delivered safe and healthy (even if she decides to take her sweet time). 

All that being said, on Saturday, we went to a sort of party with some past clients of our Bradley instructor, and they all shared their birth stories while their little ones crawled around and got to know each other.  Each of the 4 moms had drastically different stories of labor and delivery- one was induced and only labored for 5 hours before delivering naturally, one labored for a whole day but in the end needed a c-section, one was induced but eventually needed a c-section, and one labored for nearly 3 days and delivered 100% naturally.  All four children have something in common though- they're all healthy.  I got down on the ground with one of the moms whose daughter was particularly active and she became my new little friend.  She crawled around and showed me her toys (and tried to take toys from the other babies a few times) and at one point even pulled herself up into my lap!  I got a chance to talk one-on-one with each of the moms about some details of their pregnancies, and everyone kept saying I look like I'm going to pop any day now- including our instructor!  So, Braxton Hicks or no, maybe she won't be late?  But hopefully she's not too early...

The funny part is, if our labor is going to be anything like any of the stories we heard, the one that I want the most is actually the 3-day labor.  I know what you're thinking- 5 hours sounds glorious!- but the woman who shared that story didn't seem to remember many of the details, and her husband had to correct her a few times while she spoke.  Her fast labor was also spurred on by drugs that she didn't want and the whole experience sounded rushed and disorienting.  The woman who labored for 3 days, on the other hand, seemed to be in control- or as "in control" as one can be during childbirth- the entire time, coherent enough to make informed decisions after discussing them with her husband all the way up until the transition phase of her labor.  Even during the overwhelming transition, however, she describes being completely aware of everything that was going on, though it was sort of an out-of-body experience- she remembers thinking that she desperately wanted her husband to say things like "this is it, this is transition- it's the hardest part, but it's only going to last 30 minutes!" because somehow him saying those things would've made it easier, but the fact that she wanted to hear those words meant that, subconsciously, she was aware that they were the truth.  She said she imagines that's what it must feel like when doctors experience trauma themselves- they're able to diagnose the situation and could even prescribe a remedy, they just can't do anything about it because it's their own body experiencing the trauma.  And, in the end, though the whole experience seemed like it would never end, she delivered a beautiful, healthy baby girl and walked away with a positive birth story.

I don't think that what attracts me the most to that story is the fact that she did everything 100% naturally; I think what feels so positive to me is that every decision throughout the labor and delivery was made by her and her husband together in partnership with the doctor and nurses- they were given choices, time to discuss them, and those choices were respected.  Nothing was presented as "the only option"; nobody tried to scare them into making the more convenient choice.  That's what I want- and what I feel confident we'll get, after working with the doctors at our practice and touring our hospital.  And I'm so, so glad we took the Bradley Method classes and read the books that were recommended- because I'm confident that we're informed enough to make the right decisions and to not be overwhelmed when things do get started.  Mr. Geek is such an amazing coach and has gotten so good at helping me relax, figuring out what I need, and understanding what he needs to do when labor starts.  It's probably because we're such nerds, but we've been studying for this birth as if it were the most important exam of our lives- and it is, in a way.  I've got a feeling we're going to pass :)

Sweater: Chadwick's
T-shirt: Target Maternity
Necklace: Francesca's Collections
Watch: Kohls
Jeans: Old Navy Maternity
Shoes: Converse Chuck Taylors via Off Broadway Shoes

Moms- what sort of classes or research did you do before giving birth?  Did it help you to hear other women's birth stories before your own delivery?  Did you deliver early or late, based on your due date- and were you expecting that time frame?

Much love,
The Geeks

*All photos personal*

Oh, Internet...{38}

Well folks, it's Friday, and that means we're another week closer to meeting Lil Chief!  We hit 38 weeks yesterday, so it's still technically early, and I keep telling her she should stay in there until her due date- or later, if she wants.  Yes, it's basically impossible to find a comfortable position to sleep in and yes, I have to pee every 5 seconds and yes, my slow, trudging waddle from the parking lot to my desk at work is enough to leave me exhausted for the rest of the day, but the longer she stays in there, the more time her brain has to develop so she can grow up to be the little genius I know she is :)  Here are some awesome things that happened on the internet while I continued to be pregnant this week:

I love this version of Cinderella's mouse-made dress! // photo by That's Sew Kari / image via The Mother Huddle

the husband of the lovey blogger behind View Along the Way made this awesome table!

my favorite part of this outfit is obviously the shoes // via Fizz and Frosting

I discovered the website Geeks Raising Geeks this week...I think it's my new favorite website.

Allie at Everyday Adventures posted a recap of this year's Bees Gone Wild- I soooo want to go one day!  Maybe next year?  Looks like it was a blast!

What awesome things happened on your internet this week?

Much love,
The Geeks

A - Z Book Survey

A little while ago, My Life as a Teacup posted this little survey and, as I'm a sucker for these kinds of things, I figured I'd fill it in with my answers, too!

photo courtesy the wonderful Emile Frey

Author you've read the most books from:
Jo Rowling (under one of her pennames).  [I've got a feeling she's going to be the answer to many of these questions...]


Best sequel ever:
Hmm...is Ender's Shadow by Orson Scott Card considered a sequel, or a companion novel?  If it's a sequel, I'd say it's one of the best ever, in that it's even more compelling than the original (or, at least, I think Bean is a more awesome character than Ender).  If that doesn't count...then it's hard to decide between the Potter books!  As far as a direct sequel is concerned, Chamber of Secrets is pretty amazing because as a first-time reader, you're not sure if it will hold your interest the same way the original did...and it does!  But the best Potter book is either Prisoner of Azkaban because we're introduced to the best characters ever (the Marauders) or Half-Blood Prince because of Snape's epically tragic life story.

Currently reading:
City of Bones by Cassandra Clare, the first in The Mortal Instruments trilogy.  It's actually pretty good!  hopefully I can finish it in the next week so I can publish my monthly book review here on the blog!

Drink of choice while reading:
Hmm...I don't necessarily need a drink with me while I'm reading, but a good mug of hot chocolate makes any situation better.  A pumpkin spiced latte is pretty amazing, too- decaf, of course, in my current condition :)

E-reader or physical book?
Physical book all the way!  I love having a very visible library when you first walk into our house- two entire bookcases full of treasures.  I love the smell of book pages and the feel of a worn-out, well-loved book.  Plus, you can loan a physical book to someone and share your love with them!

Fictional character you probably would have actually dated in high school:
Hmm, let's see...in high school, I went for the brooding types who "needed me" to "fix" them- I had sort of a saving-people-thing back then, and boys were my favorite projects.  A school-aged Remus Lupin would've been right up my alley- quiet, bookish, and emotionally needy.  Ender Wiggin could've been a contender, too- dealing with the ramifications of having destroyed an entire intelligent race at the age of 12, he was one messed-up teenager and as long as he told me I was pretty, I would've made it my mission to fix that wounded soul of his, or get lost in his dreamy eyes while trying.  (And yet either of these would've been better choices than most of the fellas I actually dated in high school...)

Glad you gave this book a chance:
Definitely The Great Gatsby.  We read it in 11th grade AP English, along with a slew of other classics and randomly-selected snooze-fests, so I was sure I'd enjoy it as much as I enjoyed The Scarlet Letter- which is to say, not at all.  Obviously I was going to read it anyway- the only book I ever used Cliff Notes for instead of reading in high school was The Crucible because urgh- but I'm glad I was forced to, because it's really an amazing story.  (Not in a "Oh what a sweet, tragic love story!" type of way, more in a "Geez these people are messed up and yet I can't look away from the trainwreck!" type of way.)

Hidden gem book:
The Cuckoo's Calling by Robert Galbraith.  Obviously it's not quite so hidden anymore since we know who the real author is, but as I explained in my review- even if you're not into noir-style crime dramas, it's really a wonderful read with complex characters and an engaging story.

Important moment in your reading life:
It's cheesy, but the day I met Harry Potter changed the way I look at books forever.  My sister had bought the first book at the book fair because all of her friends did, too, but she never actually read it, so it sat on our family bookshelf.  Then a friend of mine did a book report in our advanced English class that was the longest paper she'd ever written because she could not stop gushing about this book and dissecting its story and characters.  Then our 6th grade homeroom teacher popped in a book on CD in the morning before the announcements...a book that started with the line, "Mr. and Mrs. Dursley of Number 4, Privet Drive, were proud to say that they were perfectly normal, thank you very much."...and I was hooked.  Harry Potter was the first book I read purely because I wanted to- not because it was assigned, or because I needed something to write a book report on, or because somebody told me I should read it- I just read it because I wanted to.   And it opened me up to a world of books that I could read just because.  Potter even kindled a passion for foreign languages and Greek and Roman mythology and word etymologies and world history and...everything!  Was I always destined to be a bookish nerd?  Probably, but Potter was the door I walked through to get there.

Just finished:
The Cuckoo's Calling by Robert Galbraith

Kind of books you won't read:
I don't want to say that I flat out won't read any one genre- if it comes highly recommended, I'll give anything a shot.  I tend to not stray too far outside the sci-fi and fantasy realm, but my library covers all sorts of genres.  I guess the only books I don't read voluntarily are non-fiction- unless it's for a class, or I'm studying a topic intensely (like, say, being pregnant and birthing a child and nursing and raising that child...), I don't go anywhere near the non-fiction section of a bookstore.

Longest book you've ever read:
Um...Atlas Shrugged, I think, as it clocks in at over 1000 pages.  I'm glad I read it, and it is a good book that should be read, but I think Rand could've used a better editor- it didn't need to be that long, honestly.  And maybe I prefer my novels to be more story and less didacticism- by the end, she's beating the reader over the head with her philosophy, rather than letting him figure it out on his own by enjoying the story.  Still, it was very worth reading, and there are definitely more people on my Facebook feed who need to read it...but that's another discussion entirely.

Major book hangover because of:
Untouchable by Scott O'Connor.  The feels, you guys, the feels.  Mr. Geek and I refer to this book as "The Sad Book of Sad" because...it's sad.  I couldn't read anything else for a few weeks after putting that book down- and I couldn't really do anything else for a few hours afterwards because I just needed a hug.  Read my whole review here.

Number of bookcases you own:
Two, in our front room / library / formal sitting room / whatever you want to call it.  Not all the books are mine, but I think more of them are mine than Mr. Geek's, and we have 2 full shelves of textbooks (plus more in my car that never quite made it into my new office at work...) so they're not both packed with novels.  Plus Chief has her own bookshelf in her room, but her library is quite small at the moment- although it is ever-growing as I stumble upon more childhood classics every time we're in Target or Walmart or any bookstore...

One book you have read multiple times:
The entire Potter series, duh.

Preferred place to read:
I can read anywhere- in bed, on the sofa, curled up in an armchair, near a window on a rainy day, on a plane, in the lobby of a doctor's office, at work over my lunch break...my preferred place to read is anywhere that I can bring a book.

Quote from a book you've read that inspires you:
I guess I can't really claim that the text of an entire book is a quote, so if I have to reduce it to just a few lines, let's go with this:

“I believe the universe wants to be noticed. I think the universe is inprobably biased toward the consciousness, that it rewards intelligence in part because the universe enjoys its elegance being observed. And who am I, living in the middle of history, to tell the universe that it-or my observation of it-is temporary?”
 -The Fault in Our Stars

Reading Regret:
I certainly don't regret any book I've ever read...but I guess I regret not reading The Hobbit sooner.  If I had picked that up instead of the first Lord of the Rings in middle school, I may not have had such a strong distaste for Tolkien in high school and I would have been able to enjoy Middle Earth much longer than just the past year.

Series you started and need to finish:
Veronica Roth's Divergent trilogy.  I've only read the first one- I'm selfishly waiting for the second to be released in paperback because, at the moment, I don't feel this is a hardback-worthy series.  (That is, it's not a series I need to own in hardback.  Or want to shell out the money to own in hardback.)  I do intend to finish the series as I'm interested to see where it goes and I enjoy Tris as a character.  I will also definitely be finishing The Mortal Instruments series, as City of Bones has sucked me in.

Three of your all-time favorite books:
Oh dear.  Oh dear dear dear.  Don't make me do this.  Can the Potter series count as one?  Can Orson Scott Card's Shadow series (the books about Bean) count as one?  So if that's just 2 books (heh) then I guess my third choice would be The Fault in Our Stars as it's much easier to pick a favorite John Green book than to pick a favorite Rowling or OSC book :)

Unapologetic fangirl for:
Have you not figured out my Potter obsession yet???  Also, I am unapologetically a fan of Orson Scott Card, though perhaps not a "fangirl"- popular culture has placed such a double standard on him lately for his political beliefs, so it's not cool to be a fan of his work.  There are plenty of authors whose political beliefs I don't agree with- and yet I still enjoy their work.  Get over it.

Very excited for this release more than all the others:
Hmm.  I haven't really craved a book release since Potter ended, but I am looking forward to the rest of the Divergent trilogy- it will be nice to pick up the second one knowing that the series does, in fact, end.

Worst bookish habit:
Um...talking about my favorite books too much?  When I'm really into something, I can get a bit obsessive and over-excited and I'm sure that turns people off.  Oh well :-P

X marks the spot: the 27th book on my shelf:
The Curious Case of Benjamin Button and Other Stories by F. Scott Fitzgerald.  Our bookcases are arranged sort of arbitrarily, though.  My Fitzgerald books are on the shelves that are alphabetized by author and then title (except for series), but then the bottom shelf of that bookcase is entirely devoted to Tolkien.  The other bookcase has an entire shelf dedicated to Potter, and an entire shelf dedicated to futuristic sci-fi which includes all of my OSC books, The Hunger Games, and Divergent, and then the bottom shelves are text books.  (And cookbooks are sitting on top of this bookcase since I have nowhere else to put them.)

Your latest book purchase:
The Very Hungry Caterpillar by Eric Carle, for Chief's library.

Zzz-snatcher book (latest book that kept you up way late):
I've spent a couple of nights staying up late to read City of Bones both because I'm really enjoying it and because I'm so freaking pregnant that it's impossible to find a comfortable position to sleep in, so I might as well sit up and read.

Phew, that was quite the survey!  I'd love to read your answers to some or all of these questions, either in the comments or on your own blog.  Do you love books as much as I do?

Much love,
The Geeks
  

Culinary Adventures: A Fall Sandwich

This recipe post isn't really a recipe post- it's more a "here are some awesome things to put on a sandwich" post.  But it really is an awesome sandwich, so I figured I should share it with you anyway.

This is really just a grilled cheese sandwich with a twist- and it's based on a sandwich that Panera had on their menu briefly a year or two ago, so I can't even claim it's original!  Also, it's not technically grilled- I distribute everything between two slices of bread and pop them, open-faced, in the toaster oven until the bread is crisp and the cheese is all melty and gooey.  So it's a "toasted cheese" sandwich.  But that doesn't sound appetizing, for some reason.  So I'm calling this sandwich a fall sandwich, because it tastes like everything fall should taste like- warm and gooey and crisp and crunchy.

A Fall Sandwich
adapted from that sandwich I had at Panera that one time


Ingredients:
-sourdough bread slices
-thinly sliced ham (I went with what was labeled "black forest ham" at the deli...honey ham is good here, too)
-a few slices of cheddar cheese
-a few slices of gruyere cheese
-mayo
-stone ground mustard
-1 green apple, thinly sliced

-Spread mayo on both slices of bread.  On one slice, layer the cheeses and the mustard.  On the other, layer the ham and apple slices.  Place both slices in the toaster oven and toast until the bread has a nice crunch and the cheese is bubbly and melted.  Assemble the two halves of the sandwich and serve with any leftover apple slices.

What's your favorite sandwich to eat this time of year?

Much love,
The Geeks

*all photos personal*

Oh, Internet... {37}

The internet, as per usual, was awesome this week.  Here's just a few reasons why:

Sydney's Justice and Police Museum has a collection of photographs of "dapper criminals" of the 1920s // via BoingBoing

The Jackrabbits took a Disneymoon, too- only theirs was a bit more luxurious.  Read about it on Weddingbee!

Shayla at Northern Exposure shared a look at her Birth Plan.  I haven't typed ours up yet, but in my head it's not very specific- just a description of our thought process going into this birth and how we'd like to interact with the hospital staff.  I'm not sure I'll share it on the blog once it is written up because I'm a little nervous about Judgey McJudgersons...

For the first time ever, South Park was unable to air its new episode on time because the studio lost power the night before- read about it on Hypable.

Geek in Heels shared some really interesting thoughts on screwing up your kids.  Huh, I never thought of it that way...

What was awesome on your internet this week?

Much love,
The Geeks

The Boy Behind the Blog

I'm trying something new on the blog this week- two new things, actually.  First, I'm participating in a link-up in an effort to put this little blog out there a bit- to interact with other bloggers and maybe meet some new readers.  This particular link-up happens on the third Thursday of every month, and it's called The Boys Behind the Blog.

And that's the second new something happening in this post- it's all about Mr. Geek!  This blog is called Our Geeky Adventure and I sign every post The Geeks, but Mr. Geek hasn't had nearly as much input into the actual writing around here as I'd hoped.  So my hope is that by participating in this link-up (every month?) you'll get a little more insight into the other half of the geekiness around here.

So here are Mr. Geek's answers to this month's questions!

1. Describe yourself in 5 words.

funny, supportive, nerdy, good-natured, witty

 

2. What is your biggest fear?

Spiders.  

But seriously.

Disappointing Mrs. Geek.  I don't ever want her to feel like she made a mistake with me.  (**I didn't!  You've never disappointed me!**)

 

3. What is your favorite candy?

 Starbursts.  (Or Skittles, if I can pick more than one.)

 

4. What was the best Halloween costume you've ever worn?

Urgh.  I don't know.  I don't like Halloween- I don't like dressing up.  It's too much work!  To much pressure!  If I were a girl, I could just go slutty, that would be easy.  I did dress up as Captain Planet once...spray painted my hair and everything.

5. Who is your favorite football team?
Arkansas Razorbacks (much to Mrs. Geek's chagrin).

What are your Mister's answers to these questions?  Tomorrow (Thursday) link up your post on Mal Smiles and see what other bloggers' dudes have to say!

Much love,
The Geeks

Fashion Adventures: Maxed Out

Like I said last week, I'm really getting sick of elastic waistbands.  I'm getting so huge now that even though my maternity pants and shorts still technically fit, skirts and dresses are way more comfortable and feel less constrictive.  However, now that I'm this huge, any dresses or skirts that fit properly aren't really doing me any favors when it comes to silhouette- case in point, this maxi dress.  I originally bought it to wear to my baby sister's high school graduation this summer and while it swallowed my tiny bump then, it's actually making me look bigger than I really am now.  Still, I love the print, and I definitely can't get away with wearing something like this when I'm not pregnant, so I may as well enjoy it now, right?

These photos were taken just over a week ago at 35 weeks 3 days, and you may notice that I'm still wearing my wedding and engagement rings (though not my class ring, as it hasn't fit for quite a while now).  The night these photos were taken, it was kind of a struggle to take my wedding set off before taking a shower, and then when I got back out again, it was impossible to put them back on!  There were little indentations on my finger for a full 24 hours after the fact, too.  I've since put the rings on the chain with the beautiful diamond pendant that Mr. Geek bought me as a wedding gift, so I hope that's enough to convince people that I am not, in fact, filming an episode of 16 and Pregnant.  Hopefully it doesn't take too long for the swelling to go down after Chief gets here.  I'm lucky that the only other place I'm puffing up is my ankles, and even there it's only slightly- all of my shoes still fit, and I managed to spend the whole day in heels for the baby shower!

 

Necklace: gift
Dress & belt: Calvin Klein via Ross
Sweater: Charlotte Russe
Watch: Kohl's
Sandals: Gift

So moms, which did you prefer during pregnancy- elastic waistbands or maxi dresses? 

Much love,
The Geeks

*all photos personal, taken by the lovely and talented Mr. Geek*

Oh, Internet... {36}

Another Friday, another roundup of the awesomeness that happened on the internet during the week.

Yes, please... // via The Mother Huddle

When I'm normal-sized again (whenever that may be...) can I have this skirt please? // via ModCloth

A Taste of Home Cooking shared an awesome one-pot creamy pasta recipe that I think I'm going to have to try soon.

Shayla at Northern Exposure shared 10 things that surprised her about pregnancy- and I agree with every one of them.

Miss Emma at A Pinch of Pixie Dust has me wanting to go have lunch at Tusker House in Animal Kingdom!

Miss Jet Setter shares the ugly side of her latest craft over on Weddingbee.  Ain't no shame, honey- if it's not meant to be seen anyway, it doesn't matter what it looks like!


What happened on your internet this week?

Much love,
The Geeks

Fashion Adventures: Fall Florals

I considered titling this post "Furlough Fashion" but I'm still too pissed to joke about it.  So although these pictures were taken exactly a week ago (34 weeks 6 days), we can pretend I wasn't wearing jeans on a Wednesday, when I should have been in something more office-appropriate.

This top was a rare purchase for me on one of my many Kohl's outings to stock up on baby clothes.  I'm getting sick of maternity clothes and am looking forward to being back in regular shirts again, so this is a non-maternity top.  While we're pretending things, let's pretend that the bottom couple of buttons aren't straining to stay closed because I felt super cute wearing this, not knowing how very close to bursting it looked.

There may be leaves on the ground, but it was upwards of 80 degrees when these photos were taken.  I'm not normally one to complain about warm weather, but it's October, for heaven's sake- I'd rather be in scarves than shorts!  (Yes I'm in jeans in these photos, but I was in shorts just a couple of days later...)

Headband: Forever 21
Necklace: gift
Floral top: LC Lauren Conrad via Kohl's 
T-shirt: Target Maternity
Jeans: Old Navy Maternity
Watch: Kohl's
Boots: Shoe Station

Has the weather been unseasonably warm where you are?  Moms- when did you start getting sick of elastic waistbands?

Much love,
The Geeks

*all photos personal*

A Very Merry Un-Birthday to Chief

We had a baby shower this weekend!  Both of our moms came into town to host a tea party in honor of Chief and everyone had a fantastic time.

My mom went to every antique store in her town to find different tea cups and saucers for each guest.  As everyone came in, they could grab a tea cup and choose what type of tea they'd like from a small basket- breakfast tea, various fruit teas, or a vanilla-flavored tea.  Then they proceeded into the dining room to put together a plate of goodies and cupcakes before taking a seat for a few fun little games.

"Eat Me" and "Drink Me" tags were scattered throughout the snack tables.

We covered the mirrored wall in streamers as a backdrop to the snack table.  (If we weren't renting this place, that mirror would be long gone.)  Mr. Geek graciously volunteered to serve as the day's official photographer. :)

The first game was one that was played throughout the shower.  My mom handed out one clothes pin to each guest who pinned it on her outfit some place visible.  From that moment on, nobody was allowed to say the word "baby" (or "the 'b' word as people started to call it).  If somebody did say "baby", whoever called them out on it got to take her clothes pin and add it to her collection.  If someone had 2 clothespins and then said "baby", whoever caught her got to take both clothespins.  The winner was whoever had the most clothespins at the end of the party.  I was technically not allowed to win, as I had an entire pile of gifts all for myself and didn't need any extra prizes, but I still played, and I was technically the winner when it was time to tally up clothespins because I was very on my game!  The trick is to be creative- say "infant" or "little one" or just use her name.  I also had to refrain from reading my cards out loud, otherwise I would've definitely said "baby" several times.

In this picture, we're admiring a sculpture my sister (the artist) made and I claimed for my own...but really I just wanted to show off my outfit.  I got this dress from Asos the moment I discovered they had a maternity line!  And yes, I'm wearing (low) heels, for the first time in a long time.  I can't manage a whole work day in them any more, but I figured I could get properly dressed up for the party, especially since I spent most of it sitting in a rocking chair opening gifts.

Everyone sat around and enjoyed their tea and snacks before we started the next game.  (And they also had a chance to peruse our wedding album which I FINALLY had made.  I promise I'll post wedding recaps soon!)

The first game was a memory game, only it wasn't announced as such.  Mom filled a basket with 21 unique baby items and walked around the room to show everyone- you could look, but you couldn't touch.  Then everyone was given a sheet of paper and a pen and 3 minutes to write down as many items as they could remember.  After the initial go-round, she had everyone put their pens down and take one more very quick look, then another minute to add to their list.  The prize obviously went to whomever could correctly list the most items.

The last game was a word un-scramble.  Everyone had 5 minutes to un-scramble as many jumbled up baby-related words that they could from a list of about 20.  This was apparently pretty hard- no one was able to figure out all of them!

Gratuitous photo of our gallery wall :)

And then it was time for presents!

 

(This is from the front cover of The Baby Owner's Manual which appears to be both hilarious and informative.)

Uh-oh, my friends are feeding my Kohl's habit!

(The calculus book was a big hit.  Chief is going to be a little nerd before she even learns the word "cool".)

Chief has quite the growing library already, including this beautiful pop-up Alice in Wonderland.

...and then the battery died in the camera :/  But Chief received many more gifts of bibs, shoes, clothes, blankets, toys, and other necessities.  After the gift opening, we chose a winner for the clothespin game and everyone breathed a sigh of relief as they were once again allowed to say the word "baby" at a baby shower :)

We all had so much fun, and it was great to catch up with friends I haven't seen in a while, either because they don't live near us or because being pregnant has made us a little anti-social :)  Chief is so blessed to have two wonderful grandmothers who will love her and spoil her- they already have!

What are your favorite baby shower games?  Have you been to any themed parties lately?  Moms- what were your favorite gifts for Baby?

Much love,
The Geeks

*all photos personal, taken by the lovely and talented Mr. Geek*