mom’s day

Posted on May 13, 2015 by tandem in love

i was super excited for my second mother’s day!

me and my sisters were so busy and preoccupied leading up to mother’s day, that we didn’t make brunch reservations in advance! we always book our brunch date weeks ahead of mother’s day, because we know how quickly spots can fill up and we never just want to go to just any ol’ restaurant for brunch!

well, this year, with the boys {nephews} being so busy with activities…we decided to have a later affair instead of an early morning one. and with us being so behind in the game of reservations, we decided to host an early dinner at our house!

the hubs and i love having people over! it’s our thing and we truly enjoy it! so, we set out to coordinate a fun, quick get together at our place for mother’s day. we decided a nice, simple tablescape and some small, cute decorations were in order.

thuy and kim came over early to help set up. terry and kim so graciously picked up the food, hc made a vegetable side dish, and i prepped the punch!

hc did a great job setting up the table. he did all the pre-work {ironed the napkins and tablecloth} and set all the place settings! what a guy! kim brought fun little potted herb plants for the centerpieces. i prepared all the ingredients for the punch. thuy brought over balloons and together, we made cute little balloon chandeliers for the each table. i also love the little nook we have in the corner for drinks/desserts/whatever you want to make of the set up. i put together a banner and hung cafe lights as a finishing touch for the area {again, side note: i can’t waaaaait until we get rid of that awful wood paneling!!!}.

[beautiful flowers from my sister, thuy]

[oh baby olive just waking up from her nap]

[our punch garnish]

[happy mom’s day!]

[apple cake, water, & punch]

[potted herb plants as centerpieces]

[the fanciest kids table evah!]

[pomegranate champagne punch]

as hc and i prepped our place, olive took a good, long solid nap! thank goodness…peeps were on their way over and we needed a well rested babe for our guests. it was a small get together. it consisted of me, hc, my sisters, our brother dan, my brother in law, his mom, his sister, and our dad {unfortunately, our mom was not feeling well…boo}.

while the kids played, the adults imbibed the delicious champagne punch and mingled. we waited until everyone was over before we served dinner. the food was delicious and it was so much fun to sit down, eat, and share stories. after everyone was done eating {i cleaned up…my favorite thing to do!}, and a few people exchanged mother’s day gifts! so sweet and fun!

i then served desserts and coffee. thuy had brought an apple cake, lynne made a delicious lemon cake {soooo good!} and the kids had ice cream. we all hung out for a bit longer and the kids were wild and crazy, running all around. after a few hours of hanging out, it was time to say our goodbyes. everyone slowly trickled out and soon the house was almost empty again. *sigh*

[terry and his mom, barbara]

[mmmm, tasty]

[the hubs and me]

[my mother’s day gift…citrine rose gold earrings!]

[me and my precious babe]

[my beautiful flower plant from lynne]

[these two…]

[me and my sisters]

i had such a lovely, lovely time on mother’s day. i absolutely love my gift from hc, i very much enjoyed our company, and i really had such a wonderful time hosting everyone at our place. we truly love having friends and family over…it seriously makes life go round.

i hope everyone had a beautiful day like we did. life is grand. happy mother’s day to all!

xoxo

hb to my dear dad

Posted on May 11, 2015 by tandem in love

it was my dear dad’s birthday! it was a very low key day. we gathered together at my parent’s house for a little birthday feast and of course, it was portillo’s. my mom was feeling under the weather and typically she loves to cook up a big dinner but since that wasn’t the case that day…fast food it was. natch.

we divvied up our food and jumped right into our typical family banter. as i was setting up everyone’s order, olive {of course} saw the food and insisted on getting up on the chair to eat. she nibbled on a few fries and then got bored and wanted to get down. oh kids, they have a two second attention span!

[the boys playing outside]

[olive holding her uncle’s hand…something she never does with anyone!]

[yup, portillo’s]

[um, no, this is not what she ate…but she was sure loving it]

after dinner and cleaning up, it was time for dessert! birthday cake, of course! we brought out his present and dad took a few photos with his favorite grandkids. i lit the birthday candle and brought out his cake, as we all sang happy birthday!

olive was so confused. she didn’t really know what was going on. we tried to get her to blow out the birthday candle but didn’t get it, so mr. reagan did the honors. i loved that i captured him second by second blowing out the candle…it’s too cute!

[thuy’s creative gift wrapping]

[dad with his grandkids]

[happy birthday!]

[yaaaayyyy, happy birthday!]

[i love these pictures of reagan blowing out the candle!]

[cake and ice cream]

[olive going bonkers]

[these kids…]

after cake and ice cream, the kids played around and the adults relaxed and conversed. it was a very chill time and it was great to have celebrated my dear dad’s birthday! he’s seriously the best dad ever! i love him sooooo much and he means the world to me. i am so blessed to have a man that is so loving, kind, and caring as my dad {amongst many other things but words just can’t describe him or how i feel}.

happy birthday to the greatest dad in the world!

xoxo

flashback friday

Posted on May 8, 2015 by tandem in love

today takes us back to 2013.

i am about 7 months preggo in this pic. ahhhh, i just remember being big, tired, and that belly being h e a v y. and i was only seven months pregnant! ha! that 3rd trimester was just starting! little did i know how heavy that belly was really going to get!

here we are at d.o.c wine bar, just having a girl’s night out. i definitely don’t get to see these girls enough and now it will be even less because miss marina is moving away! yes, she and the fam are heading to boston {jelly…i hear boston is fabulous!}. i think it’s pretty awesome that they are making such a huge transition, but of course these situations are always bittersweet. it’ll just be another fantastic reason to visit beautiful boston {we have never been, soooo….}!

i love these ladies! can you believe we have known each other for such a long time?! miss carol is our connection but i love that we have remained in touch since carol moved to seattle. every so often, we will get together {dinners, parties, pregnancies} and catch up on life’s happenings. i’m sad that this will no longer happen so easily! oh life, the loops and curve balls you always throw at us will always keep us on our toes!

anyhoo, i hope you create some great memories with some dear friends this weekend. life is too short to not love the little things. life is too short to not revel in the simple, loving moments. life is too short to not tell someone that you love them.

simple phrases that are sometimes forgotten and sometimes hard to always follow. i hope that i succeed in living out the above phrases and i hope you do too! happy friday y’all!

xoxo

flea market

Posted on May 7, 2015 by tandem in love

it was a beautiful day and we definitely wanted to do something fun and be outside! hc is always so great at finding us something to do, i love his efforts and his will at being creative.

he suggested for us to go to the kane county flea market. i was game! we have been interested in going to this flea market for quite some time but they are only open the first weekend of the month and we usually forget or we are too tied up during that weekend where we can’t go. this time around, it was perfect timing, so packed ourselves up and headed on out.

i was surprised on how close the flea market was. i mean, it wasn’t as far as i thought it would be. we got there in no time and i was excited to walk around and peruse the area. the parking wasn’t that bad…just a few minute walk and we were inside the grounds. we immediately found a really cool seller of vintage looking signs. hc and i were excited over the merchandise, they had so many cool items but the big question was, “where would we put it??!”. we were in love with a lot of items but finding a home for some of this stuff is what caused us to stall in purchasing. we were mainly looking at stuff for the yard/outside or hc’s garage space.

[we loved this little nook and all the cool signs they offered]

[selfie at the flea market]

[we thought grace would love this antique horse]

a little bit into us being at the flea market, the weather started to change. it got a little cooler and hc checked his weather app and the area was going to be hit with a little rain. it was a bit of a bummer because it was going to halt our shopping excursion. we were trapped inside for about an hour and a half but we didn’t want to leave because we really wanted to look around. we probably wouldn’t have another chance to go a month from now if we left, let alone if we even had a free first weekend coming up.

[when she is not into something or approving, she will furrow her eyebrows…it always cracks me up]

[i tried tapping her cheeks and she gets snippy with me…haha!}

[waiting for ice cream with homemade waffle cones]

[annnnddddd, more bad eating, funnel cakes! yum!]

[she seriously cracks, me up. she’s so not into strangers and when they try to say hello to her, she kind of freaks out. this expression is classic. she will turn her head down and stare awkwardly. hahaha!]

[she definitely didn’t like that women talking to her. oh, olive!]

the rain finally let up and we started exploring again. we zig zagged all around, we purchased some funnel cake {yum!}, and scoured the entire area. we had such a great time at this flea market. there were so many cool things to look at! olive was a trooper and such a cutie {soooo many people fawned all over her cuteness}. we definitely want to go back soon and possibly walk out with something fun for the house. until next time!

xoxo

first warm evening

Posted on May 6, 2015 by tandem in love

it was an awesome day. the weather was amazing and the temperature was just perfect.

my bother and his roommate, carl, had been over all day fixing his car in our garage. since it was getting close to dinner time, we invited them to stay and have dinner with us. so, hc fired up the grill and i prepared all the fixings. i had purchased pre-made burger patties from whole foods {gorgonzola, swiss & portobello, and chipotle flavors} and a bunch of sides {kale salad, broccoli salad, and pasta} to accent our meal. it was an almost no cook night. we wanted it to be an easy, relaxing, and quick dinner prep & clean up.

we were super stoked because it was the first warm evening {on a weekend} and we were excited to have our first meal alfresco! well, it was the first warm evening that we had patio furniture where we could eat outside! ha!

we love our new set, although, like the rest of the house…i can’t wait until we have a new patio to go with it! big dreams, big dreams…

anyhoo, we prepared all the food, dan and carl cleaned up from fixing the car all day and we all sat down for a lovely, delicious dinner under the stars. it was fantastic. i loved eating outside {especially with miss olive who loves to throw her food everywhere!}, i enjoyed our conversations and i just loved the fabulous weather that surrounded us. {before the crazy bugs populate!}

[we love our new patio furniture! we just now need a new patio…]

[burger trimmings]

[chillaxin outside]

[i’m slightly obsessed with funny olive eating pics]

after devouring our savory burgers, sides, and imbibing our beverages, i cleaned up while the boys and a girl sat outside. i brewed some coffee and served sweet treats i had picked up from whole foods {which they graciously left two tasty morsels behind for moi!}. as the boys hung out, i cleaned up the kitchen and the dishes, grabbed olive for a quick bath and continued to clean up the house.

[the remnants of desserts {and coffee}]

it had been a long day for them so while i was dressing miss olive in her p.j.’s, dan and carl swung inside to say their goodbyes. it was such a perfect, wonderful evening together. i had a great time enjoying the beautiful weather with my family and friends! seriously, my life revolves around my friends, family, eating, love, shopping, imbibing, and fun. not necessarily in that order and not everyday…but almost.

xoxo

daddy day

Posted on May 5, 2015 by tandem in love

i’m loving our days when we can visit hc at work. we love meeting him up for lunch. especially on these warm, fabulous days!

i don’t know why but getting out of the house takes f o r e v e r for me. i’m always running around, remembering little things to do, packing a bag for olive, picking out her clothes, chasing her down to change her, figuring my ootd, running to the car to throw things in there, looking for her bunny blankie {we can’t be without that one!}, all the while, miss olive will throw me for a loop by taking out all her toys before we go or throwing water everywhere or maybe having a mini meltdown before we head out the door! jeezzzzz that was a run on sentence! haha!

anyhoo, of course i have to stop at starbucks for a coffee {a must!} before i really hit the road. i got my fix and off we went to daddy’s office! we made it there in no time and hc came out to the parking lot to meet us.

he took us to a restaurant not too far away {it is minooka, miwhatta??! i’d say!} and i, honestly, can’t remember what it was called but it is out in no man’s land…there aren’t many great choices of food establishments out there!

well, the food wasn’t that bad and we had a grand ol’ time eating lunch alfresco {hello sunshine}. it was great because olive could run around the area and not bother anyone and we didn’t have to worry if she would wander off far since the outdoor space wasn’t that big and enclosed.

[she was totally staring down a women sitting four seats down from her]

[we pulled up a adirondack chair for her to pop a squat next to daddy]

[what a sour face! hahaha]

[she’s such a character]

[these onion rings were massive and hearty]

after we spent a wonderful, solid hour of time together, it was time to head back to the office. we had such a great time hanging out with daddy on this sunny afternoon for lunch. we love visiting him at work and adding a little bit of fun to his everyday routine.

xoxo

new bebe

Posted on May 4, 2015 by tandem in love

my friend andrea just had her baby girl, annabelle grace! we couldn’t wait to meet her! we had texted back and forth and finally agreed on a good time to meet {i was so excited to meet the precious bundle}. hc got off of work early that day and we made the trip on over to their place in chicago.

we walked in and there she was…so itty bitty on her play mat, on the floor. she was soooooo tiny. you totally forget how small newborns are! well, at least i did. she was so precious and small, so amazingly delicate! i was in love.

olive was interested but not as interested as i thought she would be. wherever we go, she always points out babies and seems to get excited about it. when she laid her eyes on annabelle, she was curious but still very cautious.

[annabelle grace]

[so precious!]

[semi-interested in the baby]

andrea’s mom has been staying over and she was making dinner for us all. i was so excited and grateful! we totally had plans on bringing dinner over for the new parents but andrea told me that her mom was cooking bi bim bop and i couldn’t have been more delighted! i love korean food. it’s sooooooo delicious. next to my mom’s cooking, andrea’s mom is a winner!

besides that, i love her mom. she is such a sweet lady. i love talking with her and she is so loving towards little miss olive. such a wonderful, lovely woman. i love hanging out with her!

[eating bi bim bop…seriously, mad good]

[this picture does this dish no justice…total tastebud explosion]

[i couldn’t get enough of this little one]

after dinner, we hung out, relaxed, and conversed about life’s plans. i had andrea open up a little gift for miss annabelle {clothes, naturally!} and i finally washed up my hands and asked to hold the little bebe. oh, she was so light, small, and adorable. i totally had forgotten how tiny, tiny and almost weightless newborns are. she is so precious and sweet.

as i stood there holding little miss annabelle, olive was not happy. she did not like it one bit. she started to freak out. first she was whimpering and tugging at me but then she had a full on freak out. she started screaming and crying and was just not having it with me and another baby in my arms! i tried to calm her down by picking her up {it worked!} but i can only hold a 1 1/2 year old and a newborn for so long!

it was too cute when ollie jumped off his chair and ran over to help me. he was so worried that i would drop his baby sister. the whole situation was nutty, funny, and bananas with olive having a fit. haha!

[little gifts for baby girl!]

[olive entertaining herself with annabelle’s play mat]

[holding his baby sister]

[this was seconds before olive’s meltdown. she was.not.happy. that i was holding another baby girl besides her. not happy]

[olive was ok with me holding her and the baby…she was having a fit. as you can see, ollie was worried i would drop his baby sister. don’t worry ollie, i was a pro]

[the fab couple]

soon after olive had her freak out moment, it was all downhill from there! olive was just not happy and her mood had totally changed. we stayed just a little bit longer but decided to say our goodbyes and head on home. i was super happy to have had a chance to hold their precious little baby girl. it was a perfect evening with a perfect little babe.

xoxo

mayday!

Posted on May 2, 2015 by tandem in love

it’s may! it’s may! i love it when it becomes the month of may. it’s the month where everything turns green, all the flowers on the trees bloom, and the weather is on it’s way to being consistently warmer. woot! woot!

here are my top favorite things i love about may:

1. it’s the month of my dad’s birthday

2. it’s the month of my mom’s birthday

3. mother’s day

4. pretty flowers abloomin’

5. warmer weather

6. you really notice daylight savings time

7. memorial day

8. sandals = pedicure

9. grilling our dinners

10. bye bye jackets!

xoxo

flashback friday

Posted on May 1, 2015 by tandem in love

today takes us back to…2013.

no, this isn’t from that long ago but a fabulous blast from the past {if i do say so myself}. this was taken at hc’s big birthday party that i threw him. it was at a bar in chicago, in wicker park…right down the street from us. a perfect walk home {a necessity if you’ve been drinking…but we don’t drink 😉 haha!}.

i had the best time planning this event. i wanted to incorporate everything ‘him’. i purchased fun balloons & tissue tassels. i made menus and favors {all candies from his birth year}. i had the bakery {from across the street…alliance bakery} make him a pabst blue ribbon beer cake! it was ah-maze. a very, very good time. you can check out the post here.

well, of course, we had invited friends and family to help us celebrate his big birthday! it was pretty awesome to have a big group of people join in on such a fun event. i was pretty grateful that so many people had made the trip into the city to celebrate {some peeps don’t live so close!}.

here is a pic of me and my sisters with our childhood friend, lan. i love this photo because it’s impromptu, it’s cute {um, we’re cute}, and we are genuinely happy! there is something special about this picture that makes me smile just by looking at it. it’s so crazy to think that we are sisters and yet soooooo different. whether it be by style, personality, humor, or looks. it’s pretty amazing that we all came from the same two parents but yet we are all so unique and quirky in our own way. it totally makes me think about nature vs. nurture…how it leads you down the path that you are on, to be who you are.

[at hc’s big 4-0 birthday bash]

okay, enough deep thoughts…it was a grand ol’ time! we had the best time celebrating his big birthday with a fantastic party, with the most fabulous friends and family! muwah!

xoxo

tandem in love

{life is truly beautiful and it should be celebrated + shared.}

Monthly Archives: May 2015

mom’s day

hb to my dear dad

flashback friday

flea market

first warm evening

daddy day

new bebe

mayday!

1. it’s the month of my dad’s birthday

2. it’s the month of my mom’s birthday

3. mother’s day

4. pretty flowers abloomin’

5. warmer weather

6. you really notice daylight savings time

7. memorial day

8. sandals = pedicure

9. grilling our dinners

10. bye bye jackets!

flashback friday