celebrations galore

"happy halloween" was my last blog..seriously!? not that i have readers waiting with baited breath for my next entry, but that is just sad.

well, since my last post, we celebrated my dad's, brother's and husband's birthday; not to mention Thanksgiving and my sister's baby shower. okay, so maybe it's just been a busy couple of months--or maybe i just need to stop making excuses and start blogging more!

speaking of baby showers , we celebrated the upcoming birth of little Toos two weekends ago and it was a blast! taking her namesake into account and her daddy's birthplace, we partied it up mardi gras style--with beads and feathers galore! (no flashing, though. it was an all ladies shower! come on people.)

i have more photos to post from the shower, but for now i will just share one photo (taken by my sister-yes, i stole it from her blog) of a crafty creation i made for Toos. i'm relieved that this isn't a close-up photo, considering this pillow was sewn by hand and by a total amateur seamstress. i come from a family full of artistic people, who showered my and my siblings with handmade treasures when we were littles ones. i love the idea that maybe one day Toos will look at this pillow and be reminded of the many people that loved her even before she was born!

(ps- the nursery is narwhal-themed. google it if you've never heard of it; they are pretty awesome little sea creatures!)

Happy Halloween!

In honor of Halloween, and my mom (because she always used to make Halloween-themed cupcakes for my birthday), I decided to make some candy corn cupcakes of my own to help spread the holiday cheer!

The cupcakes are in costume too! ... they're flowers! As for me? I'm a zebra.

Tiny Bean

This past weekend we got to visit with our Visalia family and that means time with little Lindsay! She is about 11 lbs now and looking a bit fuller- so cute! Big blue eyes and dimpled chin, coupled with a laid back demeanor equals adorable baby.

how cute...

....are my parents?

Celebrate Good Times

This weekend was fabulous. "What makes a fabulous weekend?", you may ask. I will tell you- it is a weekend that starts with David Bazan and ends with RockBand. Throw a birthday celebration with dear friends in the middle and teaching little ones about baby Moses, and there you have a fabulous weekend.

But I have one. MAJOR. regret.; no pictures to show for it.

I forget that when all else fails, I have the iPhone to document. Fortunately, I was able to capture one picture- Unfortunately it involves none of the above mentioned people. What is wrong with me?

One of my best friends, Katie, turned another year older (and might I say, more beautiful) this past week and we were able to meet up in Santa Monica to celebrate with her, David, Linds, Raan and Mark. The night started with wine and a tour of the newlywed's (the Partons) new pad, and boy is it cute!! I might have been a little jealous. The majority of the night was spent at Bottega Louie; a super fun restaurant in downtown L.A. The food was good, but it was the ambiance and service that really made it the place to be.

I had a few present ideas for Katie and each fell pretty flat-- either I couldn't find what I was looking for or what I found just didn't seem 'Katie' enough! While at Target, I found myself perusing the booze aisle as a last resort-- I didn't want to show up empty-handed people. After finding Katie a fitting bottle of fine Merlot, I saw it.

I stood in the aisle, staring, as if my eyes were adjusting to the site in front of me. It was almost out of body- and I realized why all of my other present ideas had fallen through.



Genious! It was the adorable label that drew me in (which matches nearly perfectly with Linds' table runner!) - and then... I saw it- 'Kate & Cassie'. Are you joking?? The back label read, in short, something like:

"Kate and Cassie have been friends forever and while they couldn't have more different personalities, they both share a love for wine."

Perfect.

Happy Birthday, Katie.

Pink Peacoat

i'd say she's ready for fall! aj & crys were nice enough to send me photos of elyse in the stylin' jacket curtis & i got her for her 1st birthday! good thing it fits just in time for the cooler weather.

is it just me, or does it look like she feels as cute as she looks?! we may have a fashionista on our hands....

Little Doll

We waited two longs months before getting some face time with our precious newest niece, Lindsay Marie. Lil' Linds was born a bit early and was just over 4 lbs on her world debut, but from day one she was as cute as ever.

As the weeks have passed, Lindsay has only grown bigger and stronger. It is quite clear that the Master Physician has been with this darling little one with each step; continuing to knit her together, even outside of the womb. She is a tangible product of His love and grace, and she is beautiful!