A Girl Named PJ

ABC wall art for all ages

Tropical Foliage ABC wall art print by Oleander and Palm

With a new home on the horizon, I can’t stop thinking about different ways I’ll want to decorate. We don’t have a move-in date yet, but I’ve already got my eye on some new decor!

Wherever we end up, we won’t be starting from scratch — we’ll finally get our Omaha furniture out of storage! — but I know I’ll want to add a few smaller pieces and accessories that speak to my ever-evolving aesthetic.

Right now I’m considering ABC wall art for my boys’ future bedrooms or playroom. Thanks to my friend Jeran of Oleander and Palm, I’m fixated on finding a modern alphabet print. She created the unbelievably chic tropical foliage ABC poster in the top photo that I would love to hang in my new home, but sadly, it’s not for sale…yet.

So I did a bit of research and found seven other ABC art prints that would look just as lovely hanging on the wall. My favorite of the bunch might be #1; I really love the Scandanavian-inspired geometric pattern.

However, I had the chance to see The Land of Nod’s A to Z Wall Print in person, and it’s pretty awesome, too. An alphabet poster without any letters? Yes, please!

ABC wall art prints on A Girl Named PJ

  1. ABC Geometric Abstract Print on Etsy
  2. A to Z Wall Print on The Land of Nod
  3. Alphabet Poster on Etsy
  4. Alphabet Print on Poster Cabaret
  5. Alpha Dots on Minted
  6. Alphabet Rainbow Original Watercolor on BRIKA
  7. Alphabet Print on Poster Cabaret

Which ABC art print speaks to your personal style? Do you have a favorite alphabet poster?

 

Talking to kids about hard stuff

talking to kids about hard stuff | a girl named pj

Levi and I have most of our heart-to-hearts while he’s sitting on the toilet.

He’ll be four in July, so our conversations mostly have to do with events that occurred earlier that day (or sometimes earlier that week) at nursery school. For example, he had to be a bad guy instead of a good guy when playing superheroes with his friends. Or a classmate wouldn’t share the pretend tools and he really wanted to play with them.

I listen to his stream of consciousness, offering the occasional “Oh, really?” and “How did that make you feel?” and “How do you think that made so-and-so feel?” But every so often, Levi asks direct question that stumps me.

This past weekend, while he was going potty, Levi wanted to know about the pharaoh from the story of Passover. Where did he live? Was he still there? Could we see him?

Sitting on the ledge of the tub, I explained to Levi that Pharaoh lived in a far, far away place called Egypt a long, long time ago. It was the long, long ago part that he just couldn’t grasp.

“So is Pharaoh still there?”

“No, that happened many, many, many years ago and there isn’t a Pharaoh anymore.”

“Why? Where did he go?”

“Uh, he went away.”

“Well, where did go?”

“Umm, he died.”

“What does died mean?”

A pause. 

“Stop playing with those pieces of toilet paper, and wipe your tushy if you’re done going potty.”

Perhaps that wasn’t my finest parenting moment. But I find relief in knowing I’m not the only mom who isn’t sure how to talk to my kid about the really hard stuff.

My friend Alyssa, in a fantastic parenting interview on Mommy Shorts, recalls the time her daughter asked how babies come out of mommies’ tummies. Her reply was that the doctor does “some special magic.” In retrospect, she wasn’t proud of her answer. In fairness, I’m not sure how I’d explain the miracle of birth to my preschooler, either.

Do you have any tips on how to explain big concepts like birth and death to little kids? Have you ever been asked any cringe-worthy questions by a preschooler? If so, how did you respond?

(photo from my Instagram)

 

Secrets of stylish moms

Secrets of Stylish Moms | A Girl Named PJ

Secrets of Stylish Moms | A Girl Named PJ

I have Erin Loechner of Design for Mankind to thank for this post.

As we were chatting about blogging at Alt Summit this past January, I mentioned to Erin how much I enjoyed the Secrets of Stylish Moms series on Say Yes. Suddenly, as if her ears were burning, Liz Stanley (i.e., one of my blogging heroes), walked past us! Erin called her over and graciously made an introduction, effectively putting the wheels in motion for my own Secrets of Stylish Moms feature, which went up on Say Yes yesterday.

To say I’m humbled to be featured among such fashion-forward mothers like Erin (she’s everywhere!), Angela, and Bridgette is an understatement. I’m flabbergasted, really.

Secrets of Stylish Moms | A Girl Named PJ

Although I had to laugh when I read the interview with Jen of The Effortless Chic from two weeks ago. She was also wearing a denim on denim outfit! For a hot second, I worried that I might be accused of copying her style, but Megan Tsang took the photos for my feature on a chilly morning in early March about two weeks prior. I guess my Secrets of Stylish Moms post simply reinforces the idea of chambray shirt and jeans as the perfect momiform.

(Although I’d be lying if I didn’t admit to feeling slightly bummed by the comments suggesting my outfit was somewhat uninspiring because it was — coincidentally, remember! — so similar to Jen’s. But I get it. They were a lot alike.)

On the plus side, being featured on Say Yes gave me a reason to work with Meg, an amazingly talented photographer (I swear she made me look better than I do in real life!). It also offered me the opportunity to ruminate on my personal style. Trying to define it for myself is something I’ve struggled with for a long time.

Generally, I favor simpler silhouettes, and I veer more casual than dressy, although I still like to look put together. But am I preppy? Bohemian? Trendy? A little bit of everything?

Secrets of Stylish Moms | A Girl Named PJ

Secrets of Stylish Moms | A Girl Named PJ

The interview also gave me the chance to name drop some of my favorite clothing, accessory brands, and makeup: MZ Wallace. Jamie Feinstein Design. Diorshow. Paige Denim.

Plus, I was asked to reveal my celebrity style icon! The actress I picked (well, one of the two) can pull off bold colors, big patterns, and unusual silhouettes. She somehow always looks chic without looking like she’s trying too hard. Can you guess who she is?

I hope you’ll hop over to Say Yes to read the entire interview. And I’d love to hear your thoughts on my fashion philosophy. Do we have a similar style? What is your go-to mom uniform?

(photo by Megan Tsang)

 

Moving to Washington, DC!

moving to washington, dc

My cell phone number has a 202 area code. So when I used to give out my number in Omaha, where the area code is 402, I’d often be misheard.

“No, it’s area code 202 from Washington, DC,” I’d say. “I used to live there after college.”

Well, I’m excited to announce that soon nobody will question my 202 number. We’re moving to Washington, DC!

Six months after separating from the Air Force, my husband started his new career last Monday as a federal consultant. Technically, we’ll be living in Maryland or Northern Virginia, but we’ll be a hop, skip, and a Metro ride away from the nation’s capital.

Asa and I were down in DC with him last week to offer moral support and to start looking for a new place to live. While Jordan was at work, the baby and I spent our days driving through Fairfax, Falls Church, Alexandria, Arlington, McLean, Bethesda, North Bethesda, and Rockville.

We toured apartment buildings, townhouses, and single-family homes.

We felt overwhelmed and discouraged.

At least, I felt overwhelmed and discouraged from house hunting. I can’t vouch for Asa, although I’m sure he was getting sick of riding in the car.

The plan is to continue living with my parents until Levi’s nursery school ends in June. Jordan is staying with family friends in Maryland, and he’ll drive up on the weekends as often as he can. Once we find a place to live, I’m sure I’ll start making more frequent trips down to the area. I’d like to have our new home decorated and move-in ready by the time the school year is over.

An ambitious plan, I know, especially since we have no idea where to live!

If you live in or around Washington, DC, I’d love to hear from you. Do you love your neighborhood? Where are your favorite places to eat, shop, and hang out? It’s been ten years since I lived in the District — and my lifestyle was significantly different, as you can imagine!

(Instagram photos from one of my favorite Washington, DC bloggers, Meg Biram)

 

A quick life update

a quick life update: in the hospital with grandma

I was so excited to share my how to frost a cake post on Wednesday in honor of Cakentine’s Day and had more fun original content planned for the rest of this week. Unfortunately, we’ve been dealing with a family emergency these past two days, so all work came to an unexpected halt.

Long story short, I’ve spent the past two days in the hospital with my grandmother. I rode in the ambulance with her to the emergency room on Wednesday because she seemed exceptionally weak and lethargic. She has some type of infection, but it’s not life threatening — thank goodness.

My parents returned from their trip to Belgium last night and were able to relieved me at the hospital. Today I’m playing catch up on everything I’ve neglected the past couple of days. And this afternoon I have a much needed birthday massage scheduled that seriously couldn’t have come at a better time.

I didn’t have a chance to gather links to share this weekend, but if you have some time, I invite you to check out:

I’ll have some big news to share with you next week, plus my first big outfit post, so stick around. Things will (hopefully) be back to normal very soon!

First, a question for you: If I could teach you ONE thing, what would that be? Thanks in advance for your answers!

(Photo from my Instagram. Click here to follow me!)

I HAVE MORE TO SAY
JOIN MY NEWSLETTER
Exciting updates, bonus content,
exclusive giveaways
LET'S
CONNECT
A LOOK INTO MY LIFE
FOLLOW ME ON INSTAGRAM