// Here's To Being 26!







 1 // 2 // 3 // 4 // 5 // 6

Today I'm 26! That sounds so bizarre. But then again I say that every year. I know 26 isn't "old" in the grand spectrum of things, but it feels so crazy to actually be 26, ya know? My life is so different from how I pictured it when I was 18, 21, or even 24... but I'm so very, very happy. I'm surrounded by people I love, we're growing our family, and I feel fulfilled by my work and personal life. Just trying to recognize the good things I've got!

This is the fifth year I've had this little birthday tradition with found typography. I thought it'd be silly to break the cycle now. (26 is a lot harder to find!) If you dig urban typography, check out 22, 23, 24 and 25

Today I'll be celebrating with my family! See ya tomorrow! xo

// Mama (+ Baby) Birthday-Nursery Wishlist


My birthday is in a whopping two days and I've been fielding questions from family about what my pregnant little heart desires. My list is undoubtedly different from last years (ha!), but the truth is I'm just so enamored with precious little baby things that I can't really bear to spend money on much else. (Well, except for maternity clothes because they're becoming a necessity around here...) This little wishlist is just that... a wishlist. Most of these items are things I've grown particularly fond of over the past few months. I've been trying to read loads of product reviews and articles on baby registries, but this is just my dream wishlist. You can probably tell that I'm pretty easily influenced by the blog world around me haha If only I had a bottomless bank account to go along with it! You can also probably get a feel for the theme we've picked out for Baby Flynn's nursery, too. Any guesses?

We're going with an astronomy theme. Nothing too kitschy or baby-ish. But rather something he can grow into over the years that we'll be living in this house. I definitely plan on sharing more about the theme and our attempts at achieving it once we really start putting the room together. While the main colors will be shades of grey and white, we're hoping to infuse some mustard yellow in there, too. I love everything to do with space, and seeing as I'll be spending quite a bit of time in the nursery, I thought it was probably important that I enjoy the surroundings, too. When we first agreed on the theme a couple of months ago, I spent a few hours mocking up what it might look like in Illustrator. While some things will undoubtedly get the boot due to our budget or space restrictions, I'm excited to see how closely we can replicate it.



Here's a run down list of what I chose above and why I chose it:

+ Babyletto Hudson Crib - I've loved this crib since I first saw it. It's incredibly popular in the blog world, and apparently for good reason. Not only have I read a bunch of amazing reviews on it, it also converts into a toddler bed and daybed for when the time comes. Another major bonus? The resale value. If we decide to get rid of it before another little Flynn comes along, we'll still be able to get a pretty penny for it. Luckily I've read accounts from multiple mamas who have used this very crib for several children in a row. I love that it lasts. This is definitely one piece of furniture we're hoping to invest in.

+ Accent and Area Rugs - There's not a single stitch of carpet in our house and I really want to put something nice down on the nursery floor. I'm dreaming of splurging on this yellow Threshold rug for the living room, but I really like this Urban Outfitters rug for the baby's room. I also like the pop color of this H&M rug. It'd be cute in front of the changing table, don't you think?

+ Modern Stroller - My heart is absolutely enamored with the Stokke Crusi stroller. Mike and I really want to get a stroller with a bassinet (the Crusi bassinet is sold separately) because after reading loads of articles we don't really feel comfortable toting the baby around in an infant seat all of the time. Of course the Crusi is way out of our budget, but it's a dream list, right? Another fancy option is the 4Moms Origami stroller. I love how tech-savvy this thing is. Running lights, phone charger, etc. It's also a bit rich for our blood, but I'll admire it anyway! (It also has an optional bassinet attachment!) We tested out and really enjoyed the Mamas and Papas Sola stroller while at Babies 'R Us one day. You can buy a separate bassinet to use with it, too. We hope to save up enough to "splurge" at least a little since we'll be back and forth between home and Nashville a lot. Plus I'd love to have a stroller that will work for him until he's at least 3 or 4 (and maybe has an option for sibling seating (!!! Don't tell Mike I said that... haha)).

+ Storage Baskets - I definitely want to give the nursery a "masculine" feel since normally everything I do is dripping with femininity. I love how rustic these baskets look. They'd be great for holding items on the changing table or in his closet. 

+ Art Prints - Oh man! I've been going crazy over at Society 6! I've been bookmarking all of my favorite space-themed prints and positive affirmations. We won't have a ton happening on the statement wall in the back, but I want to cover the rest of the room in art prints and handmade wall treatments. This Marc Johns print is perfect for a kids room and I'm in love with anything related to this Smiths song.

+ Moon Globe - Since his room will be astronomy themed, I thought this moon globe would look super cute on display. It's not very expensive at all and I love how antique it looks, despite being brand new (and from UO!)

+ Moses Basket and Stand - We plan on keeping the baby in a moses basket/bassinet in our room for the first month or so (if he'll comply). I think I'd feel more comfortable being closer to him and getting in my groove, rather than instantly putting him in another room alone. Luckily Amazon has really affordable options for moses baskets and stands.

+ Solly Baby Wrap - I really hope to baby wear while he's a newborn/infant. I love the look and versatility of the Solly wraps. They look like they'd be so much more comfortable than a bulky, black carrier. The 'Paloma Grey' is my favorite since Mike could wear it, too, though they're all equally stylish.

+ Ikea Pendant Lamp - The nursery doesn't get much natural light, and there's only one tiny (north facing) window in there. I'd love to inject some more light if possible, and I love the look of this pendant. It's inexpensive but eye-catching. My only issue is that maybe our 8' ceilings might be too low! I'll definitely be exploring my options!

+ 4Moms Rockaroo - This thing (and the original Mamaroo) has made it's way around the blog world. Everyone with a new baby is talking about it. While I don't have any (physical) experience with the Rockaroo, we did play around with the Mamaroo while at Babies 'R Us and it seemed incredibly convenient! I'll be juggling a 5 year old on Summer vacation, a newborn, and a hefty workload almost immediately after coming home from the hospital. Mike will be in nursing school full-time and unable to help me transition into this new role. Anything that will allow me a few minutes of me/work/bathing time is high on my wishlist! haha

+ Dresser as a changing table - Right now we're hoping to get a white dresser for the nursery that we can use both for storage and for the changing table. Initially we had picked out a different Threshold dresser at Target, but this has been the only one we've found that we like lately. We'd be able to use the storage baskets to help manage all of his things (like diapers, onesies, etc), all the while being able to also store books or picture frames (you know, until he crawls and all that jazz)

+ Nurseryworks Sleepytime Rocker - The rocker has been the hardest thing for me to find. I don't want anything with exposed gliders at the bottom (I'd rather not risk tiny fingers getting smashed), but I also don't want anything overly grandma-chic. And rockers are expensive! Holy moly, I was not prepared for that! This Nurseryworks rocker has been the only one I felt had a justified price and looked nice.


Overall that's my initial baby-dream-wishlist haha. One reason I wanted to share things like this is because I know so many of you mamas and mamas-to-be actually have experience with some of these items or brands (or may even want to sing the praises of other products you've picked up!) and I am all ears! I'm totally a newbie at this so I'd love to hear about your experiences! Our house is a rather modest 1100 sq ft so we can't fill it to the brim with a ton of products. We really want to focus on what works well and is worth the space it takes up! If you have anything you'd like to chime in with, I'd love to hear it!

Here's to the last 48 hours of being 25... Yow! xo

// Things I Love Thursday v.177


this! i needed this today more than ever. ♥
♥ plant these to help save the honeybees! ♥
♥ speaking of bees... these macro portraits of bees! they're so beautiful! ♥
this is what i imagine a dust bunny to look like haha ♥
these flowering teas! ♥
this gorgeous perspective of the golden gate bridge ♥
these watercolor whales ♥
these frenchies! ♥
this makes me want to go to disney right now ♥
♥ i remember these passive aggressive notes as the printer in college! haha ♥ 
this sweater ♥

this is so gorgeous ♥

// Spring and Summer are on their way! Fresh Trends is the perfect place to rack up on body jewelry for the new season!


// Dogs are people, too! A new study suggests dogs, among many other animals, experience emotions. (Go look at all the bulldogs! D'awwww!)

// Animals without necks. You're welcome ha!



// Don't forget! SquareHue is giving each of you a FREE one month subscription to their nail polish service for FREE with the code CLUELESS. You can also enter to win a 3 month subscription HERE!


// Love Bob's Burgers as much as I do? Want to put a face with the name (err, voice)? Here are the main voice actors of the show!


// YOU GUYS! Carrie Anne had her sweet little baby boy the other day! Check him out on her Instagram. He's precious! That hair!

// The realities of being a wedding planner. Love Joelle's honest (yet still positive) depiction of life.


// Wishlist Wears: a tee covered in james franco?! yes! // the perfect pink dress // this raglan baseball tee with crochet lace - the perfect balance of tomboy and girly girl // this crocheted cardigan looks so comfortable // the cut + print of this dress = Spring meets Mad Men // this dress makes me think of unicorns... I know, that's insanely twee haha // okay, all the other dresses can go home. this one wins!



// Roxy always wears the cutest things. This time around it's a bunny print dress!


// This quote:


For a star to be born, there is one thing that must happen: a gaseous nebula must collapse.
 

So collapse. 

Crumble.


This is not your destruction.

This is your birth.


// The Palm Boutique has loads of fun things in their sale section right now! Am I ridiculous for wishing I could pull off palazzo pants?!


What are you loving this week?

// Project Nursery: v.1


We finally said goodbye to our gorgeous, glittery and pink geometric wall last week. If Baby Flynn had been a girl, we would have undoubtedly kept it. But even since we're bringing a little dude into the world, we couldn't really part with the fun look and feel of a mosaic wall. Rather than scrap the idea all together, we decided to channel the nursery theme around a much more subtle and masculine geometric design. The best part? This project is so budget friendly. The whole thing cost us less than $20!

Now, I've received a lot of questions about how we got the glitter off the original wall, and I'm happy to report it was much easier than we expected! It still took some elbow grease, but a spritzing bottle of warm, soapy water and a putty knife did the trick. After we got all of the glitter off the wall and then off the floor, Mike painted over the pink design with Kilz primer. I busied myself elsewhere for that portion since the fumes are pretty tough. After that he threw down a layer of satin white so the lines would match the finish of the geometrics, and then it was time to tape! If you remember from our original wall, we used regular FrogTape in the .94" size. Last time we had some issues of it rolling up on us, but this time around was perfect! We seriously couldn't have asked for better lines. 

I've also been asked a few times if there's a rhyme or reason to the way we tape the shapes. The simple answer: Nope! The longer answer: We try to do the longer/larger lines first, to sort of set the stage on the wall. Then we break those down into smaller lines. We put more time and effort into the execution this time around, but I think both walls turned out great (I'm totally biased). We didn't use any glitter this time since I didn't want it to get stuck all over everything in the nursery, but we'll be adding some extra color to the room with the accessories. 




If you're still interested in giving a geo wall a whirl, here are a few tips and tricks I'd recommend employing in order to help you get the best results:
  1. Run your fingers over either side of the tape after you put it down. This will push out any wrinkles or bubbles that might have formed while placing. If you don't do this, you run the risk of getting paint caught under them and then ruining your crisp, white line.
  2. After everything is taped, choose your middle color and then mark the shapes you want to be in that hue. We did this by taking small pieces of FrogTape and marking them. Mike was able to start painting the first color while I worked on figuring out what color was next.
  3. When picking colors, get three colors from the same paint swatch for the best results. Of course that's if you want a cohesive ombre color palette. Loads of people have used our original tutorial with contrasting colors and it turned out great. We just greatly prefer the coordinating hues. (Our middle grey is the exact color of our other 3 walls in the nursery. This made it feel really cohesive overall)
  4. Allow the paint to dry for roughly an hour or two, then remove the tape. Try not to leave it on longer than you have to. It's way easier to pull off when the paint is just sticky enough to release, but not so tacky it pulls with the tape. Last time I said ~15 minutes or so, but I think we had a better experience this time around.
  5. Try not to work from left to right or top to bottom with the paint. Step back and view your wall from across the room and pick shapes here and there to mark. This will ensure you have a better balance of colors at the end of the project.
  6. If you're only doing one wall, buy the Valspar paint samples! They're $4 each and 3 of them did our entire wall. That's only $12 spent! (We only have 8' ceilings, but you could make it work with 10' ceilings as well) This does not have to be an expensive undertaking!
  7. If you want to know the Valspar colors we used, they were: Cinder Block, Rocky Slope, and Cathedral Gray (from lightest to darkest).

Now that we have this tiny little bit of the nursery done, I'm excited to try and dive in deeper. It's hard to do much when you don't have the first piece of furniture, but I'm holding out hope we can spring for the items on our dream list. We printed the first pieces of "art" for his room this past weekend and now I just need it to all fall together. It'd be nice if it were that simple, right?

I'm working on a nursery moodboard right now and it's focused around the theme of his room. I'll be sure to share it soon, along with our ultimate nursery wishlist! That way y'all can chime in let me know if you have any experience with any of the brands or products! I'm going into this totally blind haha

Thanks for reading! xo

// Gola Galaxy - Maternity Style - 21 Weeks



This is the first pair of "sneakers" that I've worn in... gosh, I can't even tell you how long. Aside from the shoes I'd wear to the gym (ha! you know, back when I actually had and used my membership), I've never really been one to wear sneakers with any of my outfits. Even when I wore jeans and tees in high school, I usually opted for flip flops over tennis shoes (I never claimed to be "fashionable"). ModCloth asked me to take part in their Gola campaign and I was so in love with the designs that I had to say yes. Sneaker challenge accepted! Truth be told, I've been eager to put this sunny weather and second-trimester high to good use and get some exercise. I've never been a runner, but I do enjoy getting a few miles in while walking. Luckily that's helped me keep somewhat active during this pregnancy and it also puts my anxious mind at ease. (I'm constantly worrying "Is this okay to do?!") You're probably wondering if it's even practical to walk miles in a dress, but I've done things far more bizarre while donning a similar silhouette. All I've needed lately is a light jacket and somewhere to stick my keys and phone. I couldn't help but pair my bright pink Members Only jacket with these galaxy print Golas. How fun is that print?! And I promise I'm not just being biased here, but these shoes are so comfortable. I was given three pairs of Gola sneakers to style and while these weren't my initial first choice, they quickly shot their way to the top of the pile because they're so playful and comfy. I also can't help but love them because I'm currently obsessed with watching Cosmos. Y'all, space is so cool!

This past weekend was a such a whirlwind (I mean, my definition of whirlwind is undoubtedly much more tame than some of y'all, I'm sure! It was probably a super boring weekend in comparison to what some of you got up to haha) Saturday was spent running errands in Nashville while Toby saw his grandparents. I convinced Mike to go maternity shopping with me and while he may not have "loved" every minute of it, I walked away with a plethora of new items to try out! (And he racked up with some Summer shorts and chambray button-downs!) After a few hours at Opry Mills we decided to settle down at Panera to kill some time and fill our bellies. Man, a soup and salad has never hit the spot so well haha After picking up Toby we headed back home and over to my parents' house. Toby likes to spend a few Saturday nights with them each month and we love having some alone time, too. When we got to my parents' house we saw this insane new 4wheeler that my stepdad won at his surveying conference earlier in the day. By some crazy stroke of luck he was the winner of the raffle and he brought home the ATV which is worth nearly $6000! What! I never have luck like that haha Mike and Toby took it for a quick spin before we left. I can't wait until we actually get to go off-roading with it! 

Sunday was spent back in Nashville running a few more errands and then a Him + Honey photoshoot. Ashlee's son just turned 2 and we were lucky enough to snap some photos of him and her sweet family. I was worried the weather would be terrible but aside from the chilly wind, it was a beautiful day! All of the driving left us a bit worn out but we got home and started cleaning for Mike's sister to visit on Monday. 

Maggie hadn't been to our new house yet so it was a treat to show her around and let her see this growing bump. She was able to go with us to pick Toby up from school and see what all he gets to do in the average day. I know Toby was over the moon to see his Aunt Maggie. She's planning a gal pal trip to Tulum, Mexico soon so we got to dish on all of our favorite places to go, see, and eat. I'll admit I'm totally jealous that she's going and I've been begging Mike to let us go back for a babymoon. Sadly that won't be happening haha! A girl can dream! 


This week we're trying to finish up some home projects and I'm enjoying my last few days as a 25 year old. My 26th birthday is on Sunday (!!!) and I need to revisit my 25 Before 26 list to see what needs to be completed! (Spoiler: I slacked off big time this year! Ahhh!) I'm also working on my 26 Before 27 list so if you've got any fun ideas to share, I'm all ears!

I'm also planning out our Summer garden (I hope it happens!) and fun projects to keep me and Toby busy during his Summer vacation. And I'm maybe stalking Pinterest for fun nursery/baby projects and crafts. If you've got a fun Pinterest board or account you want to share, leave your link in the comments below! I'd love to see what you've been pinning lately.

Kensie dress via Stitch Fix
Members Only jacket (c/o - last year)
Gola galaxy sneakers c/o ModCloth

PS; I'm pretty sure I've got straight up wonky-eye in the last photo haha! Whatever - A little bit of derp never hurt anybody!

// SquareHue Giveaway : Be Stylish + Give Back!

For someone who doesn't paint her nails an excessive amount, I've amassed quite the collection of polish. To be honest, nail polish is what stopped my nasty habit (biting my nails!) in it's tracks almost exactly one year ago. The day before I turned 25 I just up and decided to not bite those pesky things anymore, and I honestly think it's because I kept them painted. Anyone else out there feel ultra guilty for ruining a perfectly good manicure?! I'm no polish-applying pro or anything, but I grew so attached to how nice my nails looked longer! Now I love to paint them up and show them off. And that was my tangent about how I used to bite my nails and now I don't... riveting, right?

Well, if you're into nail polish and subscription boxes, you'll love today's giveaway! I'm partnering up with SquareHue to bring you their Passport Collection! SquareHue's collection boxes are thematic! In 2014, the Passport Collection takes us to different cities throughout the world. (You can view their past collections like Paris and London the website! Those are the 2 boxes I got my hands on [literally!] and I love them. The lookbooks even have a playlist for each city!) Each of the boxes contains three full sized bottles with colors that are representative of that city.

SquareHue colors are long lasting and durable (Mine survived a pretty busy weekend already with no chips at all). They also dry really fast, too! (Bonus points: they're totally "clean" and don't contain anything like Formaldehyde, Toluene, DBP, etc! And they're cruelty-free [Vegan friendly!] and made in the USA.)

If that wasn't good enough, SquareHue is also committed to helping others. Currently a portion of all monthly subscription proceeds are being donated for prevention awareness, the protection of trafficked victims and the prosecution of human traffickers, through The A21 Campaign. (Unlike some brands who vaguely mention their philanthropic efforts, SquareHue tells you exactly who benefits! I really appreciate that)

In terms of my personal experience and "review" of SquareHue, I'm a new, but convinced, fan so far! I'm loving the Paris collection for this time of year and my fingers have been donning the Notre Dame and Arc de Triomphe hues these past few days. I have a feeling I'll be wearing the London collection a lot come Summer since it's very patriotic (despite being UK-themed!). The Tokyo collection does not disappoint either! Those bold colors are perfect for the warmer months. I also really appreciate the size of the bottles. I feel like with a lot of other polish subscription boxes, you're only getting a tiny sample amount. Each SquareHue bottle is a full half-ounce so you'll be painting your nails for a while! Another major thing I loved about SquareHue: the packaging! Each collection comes in a small, subtle box and when you open it up the three bottles are nestled perfectly in a little carry tray. You don't have to worry about them getting broken in transit because the packaging is perfectly designed for it's purpose: to keep your items safe and secure until delivery. I know it's such a silly and small thing to mention, but it was the first thing I noticed upon opening them!

But don't let me try and convince you: See for yourself! SquareHue is allowing each and every Clueless Girl reader out there try their first box for FREE! Just use the code CLUELESS at checkout and all you'll be responsible for is shipping! (Only $5 - A savings of $14.99 - win!) That's a pretty sweet deal since you have nothing to lose. And while you're at it, test your luck! Check out how you can win a three month subscription below!



In order to be entered to win a THREE MONTH SQUAREHUE SUBSCRIPTION (!!! May-July boxes) of your very own, just pop over and sign up for their NailMail (email list!). Then leave a comment below letting me know which email you signed up with! (Bonus if you share your favorite color from the Passport Collections so far!)

You can increase your chances of winning by doing any/all of the following (optional, but encouraged!): Follow @SquareHue on Instagram - Follow @SquareHue on Twitter - Follow SquareHue on Pinterest - Like SquareHue on Facebook - Tweet this: "I just entered to win a @SquareHue subscription box on @kaelahbee's blog! thecluelessgirl.com"



Just be sure to leave a separate comment for each entry to ensure that it gets counted! A winner will be drawn at random next week and contacted shortly thereafter! Thanks so much for supporting the sponsors who help make TCGG possible, and for playing along! Good luck!

Congratulations Katie!