week 28, day 0

• Third trimester starts today.  Where has the time gone?
• Passed my 1 hour glucose test, check.
• I have gained 23 lbs so far.
• My belly measures perfectly at 28 cm from top to bottom, which is just where it should be for 28 weeks. Still no stretch marks - score!
• Baby boy's heartbeat was 163 bpm at my appointment on Thursday. 
• Craving cereal (specifically, Wegman's Cinnamon Squares) and Fall flavors like brown sugar, cinnamon, apples, and sweet potatoes. Dr. told me to get more iron in my diet.  I haven't been very excited about red meats so I will be researching other alternatives.
• Name is still not finalized - working on it!

day eighteen

our wedding
April 29, 2006

image credit : all photos in this post by Linda Wallace of Linda Wallace Photography

I selected these from 1000+ photos to tell the general story.  There were so many other wonderful candid photos and details photos, but I held back so as to not blow up this post too much.  If anyone would like, I can post a follow up post at a later date. 

day seventeen

an art piece

Cloud Gate in Millenium Park
by Anish Kapoor
Chicago, Illinois

"What I wanted to do in Millennium Park is make something that would engage the Chicago skyline so that one will see the clouds kind of floating in, with those very tall buildings reflected in the work. And then, since it is in the form of a gate, the participant, the viewer, will be able to enter into this very deep chamber that does, in a way, the same thing to one's reflection as the exterior of the piece is doing to the reflection of the city around."
- Anish Kapoor

I am a huge fan of art within the context of architecture.  I love this sculpture amidst the surrounding architectural structures, and how it reflects and embraces all that is around it.  It really speaks to the designers concept.  I would love to see it in person one day!

image credit: Chris Coleman

Has anyone else seen this in person?  If so, what did you think?

day sixteen

a song that makes you cry (or nearly)

I have to default to the country genre on this one. For variety, I used to listen to a lot of country during the many hours I drove from home to college and from college to Virginia to see Matt. Let's just say many, many hours and over 100,000 miles on my poor Jetta.

He Get's That From Me
by Reba McEntire

A mother singing to the recently deceased husband about their son and what traits he has from the mother and father. I can't relate to it directly, but I have always found it really sad. Pretty song!

Believe
Brooks + Dunn

About a boy who sits with an elderly man listening to stories of his life, then later finds out that the man has died. Another pretty song!

Hallelujah
by Jeff Buckley

Another very pretty song.  I haven't actually cried, but it would be in the nearly category.

If I get tired of all the other songs on, I still go back to listening to country, but really can't think of any recent songs that I like.

day fifteen

your dream house

Oak Alley Plantation
Vacherie, Louisiana

Not that I would want to live in Louisiana per se, but I am in love with this house and the grounds that surround it.  It is perfectly southern for my tastes!

photo credits: 1, 2, 3

day fourteen

the meaning behind your blog name



It's actually pretty simple. My first name is Alaina. Growing up, I was the only one with my name. The only time I thought I heard my name called aloud other than someone directly stating my name was when someone used the word miscellaneous.  This blog is just random and miscellaneous pieces of my daily life. I can't really say it took a lot of thought. I was searching the dictionary and thesaurus for words that jumped out at me for a blog name and it just hit me and the light bulb went off and I ran to my computer, opened a blogger account, and the rest is history.

day thirteen

where I live / a photo of the town you live in



We currently live in a medium sized town in Northern Virginia. I'm not getting much more specific than that. In lieu of telling you where I currently live, I will tell you about the places that I have lived before here.

I was born in Hendersonville, NC in 1982. A great little mountain town known for having all four distinct seasons, the North Carolina Apple Festival and the numerous apple vendors in the area, and it's close proximity to the Blue Ridge Parkway and other outdoor mountain activities. This is my dad's hometown and my grandmother still lives there and is very active with the apple festival and the Mineral & Lapidary Museum that my late grandfather created.

My parents moved us to Aiken, SC in 1987. It is a charming southern town known for Thoroughbred horse racing, being an All-America City, historic charm and homes still remaining from the Winter Colony, gorgeous tree canopied streets, and its close proximity to the Savannah River Site.   

My parents then moved us to Rutherfordton, NC in 1998. Just to give you an idea, as you enter Rutherford county from any direction, there is a welcome sign that reads "Small Town Friendly". That pretty much says it all. Well, the small town part, at least.  Rutherford county is most widely known for the vacation destinations of Chimney Rock Park and Lake Lure.  My parents still live there and I try to make it back to visit at least once a year! 

I moved to Greensboro, NC in 2000 where I attended the University of North Carolina at Greensboro, and lived there until I graduated in 2005. Greensboro is great city that has everything you need without feeling too large. It has a great downtown area and nightlife, enough shopping that you don't need to go anywhere else, and has a great variety of local restaurants in addition to the many chain restaurants.  I really enjoyed the five years I spent in this city, and it feels like it is something of my own because it was the first place I lived without my parents - independent, but not yet grown up.

I moved from Greensboro to our current city in 2005. While we like where we live, we don't feel it is our forever city. We have no plans for the next number of years, but I would eventually like to live somewhere more centrally located to both of our families. We shall see!

[Man, this post sounds like a tourism brochure. On that note, if anyone would like recommendations on visiting any of these locations, I would be happy to make suggestions! Haha!]

so long, summer

Sadly, Summer is coming to an end, and I am trying to savor the last few weeks. I will miss these warm, easy mornings with the boys in the backyard.





Next summer, this baby boy will be crawling around out here, and it will never be as peaceful again. Fun, maybe, but not peaceful!


week 27, day 1

This is a summer favorite of mine.  I can't believe that it is so late in the season and I haven't had a taste of potato salad until now.  The photo doesn't look very appetizing, but trust me, it is deliciousness!



Southern Potato Salad

• 1.5 lbs large red potatoes, approximately 6
• 6 hard-boiled eggs, diced
• 3/4 cup mayonnaise*
• 4 tablespoons sweet or dill relish (whichever you prefer)
• 1 tablespoon spicy mustard
• 1/2 teaspoon celery seeds (optional)
• kosher salt (to taste)
• ground black pepper (to taste)

Wash potatoes, then place in a large pot and add cold water until it covers the potatoes by one inch. Cover pot and bring to a boil over high heat. Once water boils, reduce heat to medium and move lid to side allowing steam to vent. Cook potatoes for approximately 30-45 minutes or until fork-tender.

Hard-boil the eggs and set them aside to cool. Once cooled, peel and dice the eggs. Drain potatoes and set them aside to cool. When potatoes are cool enough to handle, peel them with your hands. Dice and add to a large bowl.

Add diced eggs and all remaining ingredients and gently fold together. Best when served chilled.

* Duke's mayonnaise is the best!  My dad's siblings buy it in bulk when the visit from Indiana and Washington because they can't get it where they live.  We only use Duke's in this house!

What are you doing to savor the end of Summer?

day twelve

twenty of my favorite things

This post contains twenty products that I use on a daily/weekly/monthly basis, or will use once baby boy arrives.  These are items that I either enjoy or that make my life easier, or that I hope will soon make my life more enjoyable.


hunter ceiling fan
love our new ceiling fan, it is so quiet and functional.  I have always been cold, and I have to have covers on me to sleep. this is a must for the summer, and for this pregnant lady who now gets hot under the covers.


teva flip flops
I wear these everywhere but work, and would wear them to work if I could. I have a few pairs, and there is nothing they don't blend with. love them!


nikon camera
I can't say enough about this camera, and I try to have it with me all the time to capture life moments.

philosophy's purity made simple
this is the most perfect face wash I have ever used!  my mother-in-law introduced it to me.  I have been using it for about 6 years and have had no reason to look elsewhere for another product.


philosophy body wash + bare minerals foundation and mineral veil
both of these make my morning routine more enjoyable.   love Philosophy body wash first thing in the morning. my favorite scent is cinnamon buns, and it is almost the time of year for this to be perfect! I also love my bare minerals - it so lightweight and makes my face look so smooth.


haan floor sanitizer
we don't use this as often as we should, but it is very cool.  it will get a lot more use once baby boy arrives and starts crawling.

dyson DC animal
love, love, love this vacuum.  we use it weekly, and depending on the shedding season, sometimes daily.  have had it for almost three years and still love it.


magic erasers
I use these on everything from our stainless steel pots and pans to coolers to soap scum on showers.  it will clean and polish anything.  cannot live without them!

kongs (for the boys)
perfect for entertaining our boys.  they love the kong brand of toys!


racquet balls
endless hours of entertainment for our boys, perfect size and bounce on the deck or the grass, they both love these!


food processor
this model is not too big and not to small. I don't get to use it as often as I would like, but it works like a charm when I do.


pyrex containers
these are used daily for taking my lunches and snacks.  they come in three different sizes.  lids don't hold smells or warp, glass is perfect and doesn't get all yucky like all the plastic brands.  if I could fill all of my kitchen cabinets with these I would.

mr. coffee sweet tea maker
southern girl here has to have her sweet tea.  this was a gift for our wedding and I have been using it since.  this was one of those items that I never knew I needed until I had it and was scared of it at first.  it is a great item and the tea always comes out consistently the same, yummy cold refreshing goodness!

sharpie pen
greatest pen ever - very smooth and bold enough but doesn't bleed on the ends of letters or through the paper

and the products I am looking forward to using when baby boy arrives...


burts bees baby products


vera diaper bag


carters baby clothes


bumbo chair

bumbleride indie stroller