we had a special occasion to celebrate! olivia and aaron bought the condo they were living in, hooray!
we scooted into the city for an early dinner at their ‘new’ place. i brought along a little house warming gift: wine, a candle {’cause you can never have too many!}, and a gc to crate and barrel {natch}. olivia walked me through what they were going to change in their new abode and we dove deep into absorbing discussions. it’s so funny how we gravitate towards he/she convos. aaron and rich/me and olivia. it just happens and that is ok by me. i love my girl time with this lady.
we talked and talked and talked. before we knew it, two hours went by and we didn’t even start dinner! eep! we finally started preparing the main dish {olivia was already putting together the pasta salad} and got things ready to cook.
[ask me about bruce and the lobster]
[cheers to their new home!]
[their first purchase for their new home!]
[bruce the dog]
[top chef aaron]
[he’s dangerous on the dance floor]
everything was super yummy! i loved, loved the kale salad olivia put together. it was absolutely delicious. i am such a huge kale fan. the kabobs were savory and perfect. we ate our meal in delight, enjoyed our silly conversations together, and didn’t realize how late it was!!! boo. we were having such a fabulous time. if we didn’t have to get back to our daughter {haha!} we probably would have stayed for a few more hours!
alas, we had to go. according to my parents, olive didn’t sound too happy mommy was gone. awwww, my poor baby. she has become so attached of late and i love it. she is seriously turning into the cutest thing everrrrrrrr. she’s so animated, communicative, sweet, and loving. i am so in love with her!
[manger! manger! mmmmmmm]
[best pasta salad everrrrrrr. i love kale]
[um, there’s a beak in the way! dinner party shenanigans. we were feeling gooooood]
we said our goodbyes and moseyed on our way home. we love hanging out with these two. such good people and it’s always a great time! congrats on your new maison my dear friends! we are so excited for your new adventure!
hc and i were looking forward to attending a friend’s wedding. it had been awhile since we have been to one and the prospect of dressing up, getting our drink on, and celebrating love got us excited!
it was near hc’s old ‘hood {his childhood stomping ground}. the wedding and reception was in long grove. it’s a cute, quaint little town. the wedding was at a cute little white chapel. how i envisioned my ‘church’ to look like in the very early stage of wedding planning, that is until i fell in love with st. clement church!
we arrived quite early and lolllygagged in the car until it was a few minutes to the ceremony. we walked inside to a cozy setting. it probably took another 10 minutes or so until the bride took center stage, as the music played {canon d}…no one stood up?! i waited a moment and still no one stood up. then i saw the bride around the corner and i thought, that’s it…i am standing up if no one else wants to! it’s the proper thing to do…the processional song starts to play and you stand up for the bride! so, i stood up by myself and it took a few seconds for everyone else to follow suit.
in walked the bride looking gorgeous. getting married is such a beautiful thing. it was tearful, lovely, sweet, and romantic. the bride cried and i did as well. i love weddings. i do. it’s so grand that it tugs at my heartstrings.
after the ceremony, we all stuck around to ring bells and welcome the bride and groom as husband and wife! the reception was just around the corner and super easy to get to. hc and i pulled up and traipsed our way to the bar! he grabbed us drinks and we started mingling. there were some folks from hc’s company so we walked right up and said our hello’s.
[here comes the bride!]
[horrible, horrible picture…i couldn’t get the camera to focus in time! obvs.]
[husband and wife!]
[we rang bells upon their arrival]
[got it! perfect]
we met a lovely couple by the name of kenny and marina. they were super fun to talk to. i eventually met a few more folks and we all got along great. it was so much fun to chitchat with these gals. marina is a great little lady, i had such a great time getting to know her that evening. we totally bonded over our love of fashion, louis, and christian! although, she is a multi-faceted lady…not only does this doll love clothes and such, she is also a drag racer?! how cool is that? she is building her own drag race car as i type!
[me and my love]
[pretty table flowers]
[wedding selfie!]
[mr. and mrs.]
[the bride and groom! congrats!]
[the cute sign in table]
[kenny and marina]
[first dance]
[attempting a goofy selfie in the dark]
after we ate {filling our bellies with a lot of food} and imbibed more libations {hey, it’s a wedding for pete’s sake!} our tushsies hit the dance floor! woot woot! hc entertained that notion for a moment {he does not like dancing aaaaannnd especially in front of people} but eventually snuck outside to hang with the boys. natch.
we ate cake. we danced some more. we drank some more and by the time we were done, the wedding was over. wahhhhhh.
[chumming it up with marina]
we had such a great time! we really did. boy, do we love weddings! they are such happy events, a day where everyone revels in love and joy…you just can’t beat that. hc and i had a wonderful time getting to know everyone and walked away with another fabulous wedding to remember.
congrats amanda and scott! may God bless your marriage with love, health, and happiness always.
so, these combo of items are really my favorite things for miss olive. i am obsessed with all things pretty, feminine, and fancy. who knows what olive will love when she grows up, but for now…baby girl will be dressed up in these fun, fancy things!
1. i love fancyfreefinery crowns. i love buying these beautiful felt crowns. they are so intricately made and gorgeous! we love this watermelon inspired crown in her shop. oh, a must have for miss olive! i love the color combo and it has been a perfect addition for all her fun, summery outfits.
2. i die over these fabulous dolls by cottoncandydollies. she makes custom dolls as well! she also has these cute, jelly caddies that you can put theses wonderful dollies in so that your little babe can conveniently carry her favorite toy around. any little girl would love a cute little doll that looks just like her!
3. this little balloon decor by confettiandsparklepartyshop are soooo cute! i definitely want this and then some for olive’s 2nd birthday! she has a ton of fun stuff in her shop. it’s like heaven for party throwers! there are so many goodies to look at, i get so overwhelmed!
4. mybeautifullittleshop has the most amazing moccs for your little ones. her styles are unique, gorgeous, and wonderfully made. i am in love with so many of her shoes styles and choices. my favorite ones are the sahara, the hot pink moccs, and her gold gladiators. each one completes her outfits and, well, they pretty much go with everything!
5. this romper from mabelandgordon is too sweet and pretty. isn’t it just the best?! it’s so feminine and delicate…i absolutely die over the poms at the neckline. so fun! the floral print and colors are just perfect for miss olive!
6. this pretty little print is from oh.eight.oh.nine. i discovered her through instagram and have totally fallen in love with her styling. she does the best shelfie shots! she totally rocks neutrals like it’s nobody’s business and has just recently opened up her own little shop of prints. i love this print from her store. it’s feminine and pretty…like all things olive!
well, there ya go lovies. a few of my favorite things for miss olive. can you tell i love pink and gold?! hence her nursery, her clothes, accessories, her birthday party…hehehe. these have been essential pieces to her summer wardrobe this season amongst other things! i hope through this, you discover some goodies that will become your favorites as well! happy shopping!
oh july. it’s always so bittersweet. it’s the month that signifies the ‘end’ of summer. it was super warm {finally} and super fun. we had the best time celebrating america’s birthday, grace’s birthday, and lots of summery stuff in-between.!
july was a complete whirlwind. i must admit. it came and went in a blink of an eye. it went by way too fast. i thoroughly enjoyed every day, every moment of july. i love the long days and warm nights. the ice cream cone moments. grilling and eating alfresco. the fireworks. birthday celebrations and overall shenanigans of these long summer days.
here is our july in pictures:
[my silly girl hanging out on the floor of the grocery store]
there ya go lovies! our past july in a slew of snapshots. again, it was an amazing month of goodness. i am blessed and lucky to have such a wonderful, simple life. i am thankful for my friends and family around me. cheers to a beautiful month of august!
we had plans to meet olivia for brunch, so we decided to make it a fun filled day!
we started it off with a trip to the best church ever: st. clement. i love, love this church. for it’s beautiful architect, for it’s amazing parish, for our pastor fr. ken, and how it always recharges me in my faith. we have been attending mass here since 2010 and before that, i have never found a home like this one. i am sad we are not able to make it here on a weekly basis like we did before {since we’ve moved} but whenever hc and i get a chance, we will go.
[working my magic to get olive to take a picture]
[catching up on st. clement’s events]
after mass, we cruised on over to farmhouse chicago to meet olivia for brunch. she had made reservations, so we were seated right away. the start of our brunch did not go so well. per usual, i asked for decaf coffee and they didn’t have any. i was annoyed. no one caters to decaf drinkers. i get it. i get it. i am a minority but i matter too! i love coffee for its taste and flavor but ever since i was pregnant and nursing, i have not consumed caffeine. since i don’t need it, why bother introducing it into my body again?! coffee is like a routine, a habit, a mental start to my day and gosh darn it, i want my decaf!
the server seriously cowered from me. i know i can be demanding, direct, and very assertive in how i approach someone and i think i scared the shit out of him. eep. i didn’t mean to but when i am passionate about something, i come on strong. anyhoo, i asked the server if my husband was to run to starbucks to grab me my usual, could i drink it in the restaurant? after the catty session {meow} with him, he was like no problem {i think he didn’t want any more confrontations with me}. thank goodness.
[darling olivia]
[fried cheese curds]
[she’s just a little stringy]
we ordered our meals and drinks, and continued our fabulous conversations. olive was being so silly. she was rummaging through the diaper bag and found my sunglass case. she gravitated towards the lens cloth and found it so amusing! she would put it on her shirt and admire it. she would try to show it off the ladies who sat next to us at brunch. she was very interested in them! she kept smiling at them and was being so cute. she’s adorable.
[my meal was quite delicious]
[love these two]
[enjoying her juice]
[she randomly wanted to be in the highchair]
our meals were quite delicious. i do love eating there, the food is fantastic! after a bit of hanging out and snapping some fun pics, we headed out on our way. both parties wanted to shop {hubby wanted some new garb for vegas} but hc was in no mood to shop michigan ave on this hot, hot, hot day. so, olivia proceeded towards the ave and we went to a mall where hc to could shop comfortably.
we said our goodbyes and parted ways. we left each other with scheduled plans under our belts, so i was looking forward to seeing her again soon!
well, as y’all know, miss dana is engaged. i was super delighted to have received the invite to her engagement party!
it was held at her aunt’s house in the cozy neighborhood of highland park. we cruised up north and as we turned down the road where they live, we noticed groups of people walking down the street. we assumed that they were a part of the party and we were right! as we walked closer to the crowd, i asked if they were heading to dana and scott’s engagement party and they said yes! that is when i met scott’s sweet mom and dad.
we walked inside the spacious home and we were immediately greeted by dana! oh, how i love this girl. she was dressed all cute, natch. we were meant to be friends through our fashion sense. seriously. we somehow always manage to dress alike, in coordinating style, or similar color combos. like always. this time dana missed the pop of green but we definitely got the b + w down and our gold accent ankle strapped shoes.
hc and i grabbed drinks and started mingling with the other guests. when it comes to something like this…hc is not in his element! i am the social butterfly and the hubs is socially awkward. he doesn’t like breaking off on his own to start independent conversations like me. so, we usually move around together and i will be the talker and he will be the ‘add on a comment or two’ kind of guy. haha.
[whenever we get together, we somehow always coordinate or match]
[fist city chicago beer]
[everyone gathering around for the food]
[cocktail napkins]
[with the engaged couple!]
after a bit of mingling and several libations, dinner was served. everyone grabbed a bite to eat and continued to socialize. just a bit after the food was served, irina and patrick showed up! i was so excited to see them! irina and i get to see each other every so often and when we do, it’s fantastic to catch up!
the four of us sat down together and did a lot of talking. the conversation just flowed and we were having a great time hitting all kinds of topics. right after dinner, dana’s aunt and uncle welcomed and thanked everyone who came and made a toast to the beautiful guests of honor, the two lovebirds who were going to tie the knot! mazel tov!
dessert was served and i was on it. i went into the kitchen and piled my plate high. i couldn’t stop eating the reese’s peanut butter cups in a cookie crust. best ever. it was like heaven in my mouth.
[toasting to the engaged couple]
[irina and patrick]
[i couldn’t stop eating the desserts]
we had such a great time celebrating dana and scott’s engagement. it was fun and fantastic to meet and greet most of their family members and friends. weddings are so much fun…love, happiness, elation…the best celebratory emotions all rolled into one beautiful day. we can’t wait until the big day comes!
olive had her first swim lessons with her dada! i, unfortunately, could not attend. boooooo. hc did his best to take some photos of their first experience but…they are so so and they will do. haha, i asked him to ask someone to snap a few photos of them but he didn’t. c’est la vie!
hc and olive got inside the pool and all was well. olive wasn’t too worried or fussy. she was entertaining the fact that she was in a pool with her dad but she wasn’t hip on the idea of other people around her in the pool. as usual, she was not a happy camper. stranger danger! she gets super clingy around people she doesn’t know and this little group of swimmers was making her a bit uncomfortable. she’s a trip!
they went through a series of activities and olive was upset. she didn’t want to be in anyone else’s arms. she didn’t want anyone to touch her and she definitely didn’t want to give the instructor any high fives! oh dear. thank goodness, being in daddy’s arms was pretty much the case until this happened…
there is a part of the class where the instructor takes your babe and pulls her across the pool – all hell broke loose. she shrieked bloody murder and flipped out! eeekkkkkk. oh olive.
overall, it was still a success despite her mini meltdowns. she was in the water. she did have fun and the next few lessons will be easier and better! i am hoping to catch one of her lessons soon and see my little babe in action! soon she will be a trained mermaid! i can’t wait for her to be a little swimmer!
on 6.24.15 is a day i will always remember. it’s the day baby olive decided to not nurse anymore! whaaaaat?! yes, it happened. i wasn’t sure when this day would arrive and i was not ready for it.
i remembered telling myself that i would do my best to hit six months with nursing olive, at minimum, as long as my body cooperated. my bold goal was one year. as the months rolled by, we hit six months! yipeeeee! it was a good milestone for us. alright, i told myself. a year it is. it felt like a million years away at that point. well honestly, i thought hitting six months was a long time but a year? we will see!
a year rolled around and i found myself not ready to give it up and olive wasn’t ready either. i, for sure, wanted olive to make that decision for herself because as a nursing mom, i think i was attached to it more than her! ha!
i knew i was going on a trip in january to celebrate my sister’s big birthday and i said to myself…this is it. i am going to stop nursing! this trip will help me out because i was going to be without my babe for four days. while i was in l.a., i decreased the number of times i pumped. well, as soon as i came back, olive and i fell back into our usual routine.
i wondered a lot about when was it going to be the right time? i talked with other moms and a lot of them said when it happens, it happens and it will all fall into place. i felt like olive would never want to stop nursing. for months, i would try to change up the routine. i would wake her up and walk her into the living room {she would cry and sign for milk}, i would stay in her bedroom and try to play {she would cry and sign for milk}, i would try to go into the kitchen to distract her {she would cry and sign for milk}.
don’t get me wrong. i loved, loved, loved nursing her. it has always been our time, our special moment, our wonderful quiet time together. i enjoyed almost every second of it {except for when i would experience the pain…now that is a whole ‘nother story}. i think i loved it more than olive did! no joke!
well, that wednesday morning, i got her out of her crib and distracted her. i changed her diapy and then put her on the floor of her room to see what she would do. she stood up and walked over to her toys and started playing! whaaaaaa??!!! omygoodness. she didn’t cry for milk! i was mildly excited {i ran into the room and hid the boppy!}! i was very watchful and curious. after she roamed around for a bit, i started getting ready. she came over to our bedroom {where she nursed every single morning} and walked up to the bed and just leaned her head against it, staring lovingly at me. i just stared at her, for what seemed liked forever but was probably on a few minutes, and my heart felt sad. i was soooo sad. it was a great big millstone for both of us and i was the one who was shattered. oh, that moment where it no longer is and it’s a fact and you have to except it.
my baby was moving into her big girl chapter and it was so stinkin’ bittersweet for me. so, yes, that is how the story goes. the day olive gave up nursing at nineteen months. i am so proud to have gone this long and never giving up even when, at times, it was so incredibly painful. i never would have thought i would be such a strong advocate for breastfeeding. i mean, even when i was pregnant with olive {up to the eight month}, i wasn’t going to nurse her. i then changed my mind {i figured why refuse something i have never even tried?} and i am so glad i did…what an amazing journey i would have been missing out on!
each from that wednesday, we have changed her routine and every day, she has moved on happily without nursing. i am so happy to have let her choose what was best for her. any mom can make that decision for their babe, it’s easy, but to have your child make it for herself…it’s the best feeling in the world {besides, if it was left to me…i would probably nurse olive until she was eight…hahaha, just keeding}.
oh, i am still so sad over it but i now have a new found freedom! no more nursing, no more pumping, no more timelines and restrictions! hallelujah! i am free! i am free of it all! woot!
i am so happy to move onto the next wonderful chapter with my baby girl! cheers to that!
little miss olive had her first dentist appointment! i was a bit nervous for her check up because she does.not.like.strangers. she doesn’t like anyone she doesn’t know getting too close to her. so i was a bit trepid over it all.
we arrived at the office right on time {whaaaaa?? who me, on time?!}. olive immediately took to the play area while we waited to be called in. we put together a few puzzle pieces on the tiny table and then it was time. we walked all the way down the hallway to the last room. we sat on the chair together while the assistant asked me several questions about olive’s diet and teeth. after the questions, she put on a mask and gloves and that in itself freaked olive out. as the assistant moved closer…it was a total meltdown.
i had to hold olive down and put her head in the assistant’s lap so she could examine her teeth. it was so heartbreaking. olive kept screaming, “no, no, noooo, no, noooo!”. awwwwww, my poor babe. after a minute or so, she was done and gave me some feedback and then went to summon the dentist. she did warn the dentist that olive has ‘some lungs’ on her! hahaha!
dr. albert came in and was so kind and sweet. she was wonderful with olive and very attentive and detailed. she quickly examined olive’s mouth and teeth and shared insights on olive’s teeth situation {she has a few crooked teeth}. it was informative and great to talk with her!
overall, it was a successful visit. olive was a trooper and championed her first visit to the dentist! she walked away with some goodies {sugar free lollipop, floss, and a new toothbrush!}. yay!
[she took to the play area right away!]
[waiting for the dentist!]
[ooohhhhhhh, she was not happy]
it was a great visit overall! we love the place for it’s cool decor, super friendly staff, and sweet dr. albert! here’s to another great visit in six months!
we were excited to have matt and johann over for dinner!
lately, it’s just been me, olive, and matt {brunching}. no husbands included. so, we finally agreed on a time where we all could get together and have some fun.
matt and johann traveled through the thick of traffic one evening and our little party began once they arrived. johann came in with two large jugs of beer and matt was double fisting wine bottles. hahaha! we were practicing for vegas {in a few weeks}. woot woot!
we had prepped apps and the meal for the evening, so we popped open the beer and toasted to our evening. we nibbled on snacks and yapped non-stop. we are quite the talkers when we are together, yes, even hc! mr. shy guy!
[holy jug o beer]
[hawaiian flower print was the print du jour for dinner]
[remnants of appetizers]
[love these two]
we love matt and johann. they are just the best. such great friends and travel buddies. we love hanging out with these two. they are perfect for each other…just like me and hc. seriously. matt is crazy, temperamental, loud {just like me} and johann is calm, sensible, and patient {like hc}, so together, we totally balance each other out! when we hang out, it’s a riot and we love it.
after we imbibed a few libations, hc fired up the grill to start cooking the food and we went outside to hang out for a bit {the evening had cooled off…it was quite warm outside!}. olive, obvs, wanted to swing on the play set and johann joined in on the activities and hit up the slide! hilarious!
once the food was ready, we headed back indoors to eat. it was yummy, fun, and comical. seriously love these two {did i mention that?}. we laughed, gasped, chuckled, discussed, argued, and had the best time. we ate, drank, and reveled in the wonderful evening together. ya know that feeling. when hanging out is just comfy and cool, as it should be.
[olive swinging and johann sliding]
[i love her…and her funny faces]
[chicken kabobs and seasoned rice]
once dinner was consumed and dishes were cleaned up, i served coconut cake and more wine! several hours {and laugh wrinkles} later, it was time to say goodnight {the husbands were tired}. we said our goodbyes and wished them both safe travels home. we were a bit excited with our goodbyes because we knew the next time we would see them would be in vegas! woo hoooooo!
