flashback friday

today takes us back to 2009.

via tandeminlove.com

look at sweet baby bennett. how adorable is he?! he’s giving me the side eye and a smirk. toooo stinkin’ cute!

i can’t believe how big he is now and so sweet. he’s such a funny guy. when olive was born, he wasn’t too keen on her. he just wasn’t interested. a baby? it did nothing for him but now…miss olive can play and have fun, so they are good together. it was quite adorbs to see their journey together and how bennett has grown to love his little cousin. vice versa.

bennett is goofy, sweet, and clumsy. from the moment he was mobile, there was always something in his way. ya know that kid that always runs into something? the kid that always trips over something? the kid that always bangs his head on something? yuuuup, that is our darling little b. it’s so endearing and comical at the same time when i see him do something clumsy. i’m totally filled with love and laughter when he runs into something…is that weird?? whatevs, weird but true.

it’s been wonderful to see him grow and become such a good little boy. i am most excited at the fact that olive has the best cousins ever and that they will grow up together and hopefully be best buds. i always wonder what bennett will be like when he grows up but i am fiercely wishing that he won’t cause i love them cute, small, and innocent. i really do wish they would stay small and sweet.

 it’s amazing how babies can evoke such happiness in us all. the purity of a child is truly a blessing from God! well, my lovies. i hope you think back to a time when your little one or niece/nephew was this tiny and precious and it puts a smile on your face. happy friday y’all!

xoxo

momfessions

oh being a mommy. it’s surreal. i’m totally going to revel in it within this post. those with weak stomachs, please stop reading now, ’cause you might puke with my over the top rants on motherhood.

via tandeminlove.com

[grumper mcgrumps]

it’s magical. yes it is. magical. looking at olive everyday overwhelms me with love and joy. she’s amazing. she is quirky, funny, and loving. i can’t hug her enough. i can’t kiss her enough. i can’t stare at her enough. it’s never enough. of course, unless she is having a tantrum 😉

she teaches me to be more calm and less angry. yes she does. and yes i do get angry {over the silliest things sometimes} but her sweet face always puts me in my {happy} place.

it still amazes me that i am a mom. it was a world that existed all around me and i, honestly, had no clue about it all. clueless, i tell ya. obvs, until little miss olive came into our lives. i always say to my friends without children {now being on the other side of the spectrum} that they will never truly know the joy of having a child until they are in the same shoes. people with kids always threw words or thoughts at me about the wonders of having kids and it never, never sunk in until i had miss olive. well, this next thought i’m about to type up will be a little rough & tough, a bit of a 180 from what i was just speaking about.

i used to roll my eyes {well, maybe not physically but at least mentally i did} at people who droned on and on about their children. in my head, i thought…isn’t there something else to talk about besides your kids? yes, i was that person. kids that screamed…eww. babies on planes…eeekkkkk! children in restaurants…ugh. annnddd strollers! strollers were like a nightmare coming at me…so big, bulky, and so in the way! yes, yes {chuckle} i was such a beeeeotch about it. it annoyed me. i never oooohhhh’d and ahhhhh’d over anyone’s kids {of course, unless they were my friend’s children…i could make do with their offsprings for a short moment}, i just didn’t find babies all that cute {do i sound like the devil yet??}. honestly, the only exception before olive were my nephews. now i love, love them to death! even then, i still didn’t change their diapies or do anything very motherly when they were babies.

well, well, well. my, look how much has changed. i’m a sucker for an angelic baby face. i coo over every child i see. i want to and will converse with the mom like she is my best friend! we will compare stories, milestones, notes, and ideas with one another and have a connection because we both feel like being a mom is the best.thing.ever. on this planet.

i see another mom with a baby on a plane and i want her to know that i support her, that i am there for her, and that i understand how overwhelming it can be to bring a little baby onto an airplane in hopes that he or she will remain quiet & calm during the plane ride. i hear a child scream and it actually softens my heart. my motherly instinct kicks in and i want to console the upset child and have them understand that they are loved. i walk into a restaurant with olive and i’m excited to see other moms out lunching with their babies too. i see a women coming with her stroller and i am the first to jump at the door to open it for her, so she can easily maneuver into the store.

i love being a mom. i love having a child. i love that i love it. i have now become that person. i jump at any opportunity to talk about my babes. i drone on and on about her cuteness, like when she giggles and how it rocks my world. or i will talk about her quirky nature and find it the most interesting story evah. or blab on about a story of how she dances and talk about it like it should be broadcasted on the nightly news because it’s that entertaining and important. extra, extra: olive shook her booty and mom almost exploded with love, tonight’s channel 5 top topic. 😉

anyhoo, and that is my momfessions of the moment. how i am now the dorky mom with the silly thoughts and goofy actions 😉 {although i still like to think i am still somewhat the stylish & sophisticated dame, non?}. being a mom is the best job any women can have. i am so fortunate and lucky to have been blessed with my beautiful, healthy, little, sweet olive.

xoxo

a few of my favorite things

i love shopping. yes i do. it’s something so good and fun that can really be a bad thing! 😉 eeekkkk! so, i am currently loving these fabulous items!

bebe’s favorites:

via tandeminlove.com

[flower headband // gem pillow // leather crown // fox dress // fringe boots // watermelon purse // cross blanket // gold moccs // bowie romper // unicorn hook]

let’s start with this flower crown. oh em gee. i am so in love with this beautiful headband. it’s made with such details and care. olive looks so pretty and delicate with this headband on. i love the colors and how feminine it makes every outfit look that she wears. it’s a definite must have for any babes wardrobe.

how adorbs is this gem pillow? a perfect accessory to olive’s room. i love quirky, fun pillows; they can make any room, couch, bed look 10x better! everything in olive’s room is whimsical and unique, so this pillow is the perfect addition to her chambre!

this crown. *swoon* it totally reminds me of where the wild things are. it’s full of imagination and fun. it’s made by stitches and soles {my favorite shop!} and olive looks so stinkin’ cute in it! it’s beautifully made, soft, supple, and it’s just the cutest thing when she runs and prances around in it!

i die over this fox dress. i didn’t post the fox socks that match this dress {c’mon…i have so many items posted already!} but if you saw them, you would freak out! soooo cute. anyhoo, this dress is ah-maze. i see olive with her hair in pigtails and slippers, frolicking around in the grass on a warm summer day.

these fringe boots are too cute. i love the two tiered fringe on them. boots like these and in this color are the perfect complement to any outfit. any dress, pants, outfit will be complete cute shoes like these!

okaaayyyy, i keep on saying this but gawd…this purse. oh.em.gee. it’s the cutest mini messenger bag evah! i envision little miss olive shopping with me and carrying around this cute satchel {stashed with lipgloss, money, and her favorite toy}.

this cross blanket is great either in olive’s room or in the living room. i love the graphic pattern and the neutral colors. it’s a vibrant and cool throw, a perfect accent to any room in the house.

i dig these gold shoes. they are from stitches and soles. again, the best shop ever! alena is so sweet and she seriously makes the best products out there. these gold shoes are neutral enough to go with any outfit but add the perfect sparkle and shine to her cute little baby tootsies.

have you ever seen such a fantastic romper?! it’s david bowie!!! such a unique piece. it’s from a shop based in australia and the shop owner makes the cutest kids clothes. once i laid eyes on this romper, i had to have it for olive. summertime {yes, i am constantly talking about summer…we can’t wait} would not be the same without a bowie romper on olive!

this sweet unicorn hook is adorbs. i was thinking that it would so lovely in the playroom {that we will eventually have} so the kids can hang up their stuff or anything that they want to use it for. it’s whimsical, sweet, and functional.

momma’s favorites:

via tandeminlove.com

[striped pillow // flower cupcake liners // calligraphy name tag // alice in wonderland book // tank top // wood console]

we have been slowly, i mean slowly, decorating our living room. it’s been such a long drawn out process but we have finally decided on pillows! yippee! here is one of the pillows we love. it’s the perfect design and color to tie our curtain and rug together. now only if we can get something up on our walls!

i love cupcakes and i love fun cupcake liners! these have been around for awhile but i will always love them. they are great for parties {to hold candies or other fun trinkets at a sweets table} and make any cupcake t h i s much more festive.

i have mentioned these awesome calligraphy name tags before on the blog but i am posting it here again because i really love them! you can have this etsy seller make any word into something cool and rad for any party that you host. whether you want to label your food or sweets table, or identify signature drinks at your next fete, these will add pizazz to any party decor.

as y’all know. i love rifle paper co. anything rifle and i am game. so, when i took a peek at their website recently, i flipped out over the fact that they are creating the cover of the alice in wonderland 100th anniversary book! yowza! i’m in love.

this tank top is da bomb. it’s so me. and probs every mom or non-mom out there! who doesn’t rock a top knot and tank top?! it’s my staple every summer. fer shizzle. need i say more?

this wood console/bar cart/media table is pretty nice. we bought this with the idea that it would be a bar cart. or really, a multi-use table. hc will eventually put casters on it so we can roll it anywhere in the house {it is sold with casters but hc insisted on putting it on himself…}. i really, really wanted a table like this in the kitchen and the fact is, hc can make this himself but it came down to time and that we didn’t have for this, so we purchased it instead. i love it. it’s perfect and the perfect height and width for what we need it for.

well, there ya go. quite a few of my favorite things! this post ended up being bigger than expected {i almost broke it into two parts but decided not to}. that’s what i get for liking so many items! natch. yeah, next time i won’t pick as many items and temper it out! alright, my typing fingers are dunzo. i hope y’all like/love/lust over my favorite things! i sure do!

xoxo