here weeee goooo! it’s the start of the lenten season!
wow…i felt like it just popped up on me. i was so unprepared. it was like boom! it’s time to fast {i’m hungry!}, reflect on our relationship with God, repentance, penitence, basically go back to square one and it came out of nowhere. literally. wednesday came and i was like whaaaaa? it’s ash wednesday?!
anyhoozle, this journey that we embark on every year is about cleansing our minds. it’s a time to think and pray. to challenge yourself to be better, give back, forgive, and think about, truly, how fulfilling your life is. it’s not the material items that complete you but your kind actions, kind words, and kind thoughts that should make your life fulfilling and complete.
annndd, then there’s the part of giving something up. the question is what? what will i give up that will really be impactful? it’s a decision that has so much weight to me. i think about the suffering that Jesus endured for 40 days and nights and it makes me feel like giving up anything is so minuscule! nevertheless, it’s a reminder for us, that even though what we give up is nothing compared to Jesus’ suffering, it our way to bring ourselves close to God.
every year, i love this time because it really challenges me to be a better person. to slow down and appreciate the life all around me. to love the people around me even more. to try, try, try again because i am not perfect. i will stumble and fall. i will get back up to try again to be at my best.
you are dust, and to dust you shall return genesis 3:19
doesn’t my ashy cross look more like a thumbprint?! ha.
i’m excited to embark on this season of lent. a time to renew myself, work on my commitments, and give back. cheers to a fulfilling and grateful lenten season.
on valentine’s day evening, we swung on by my parent’s house for some love day fun. the boys were over and wanted grace and olive to come by to play. plus, we also had their vday gifts to give as well!
we started with a valentine’s day themed meal. we were crazy about anything heart shaped! we ate a heart shaped pizza, finished off our meal with a heart shaped cake on heart shaped plates! natch. the pizza was ordered by kim and the cake was made by terry’s mom, barbara! how sweet!
we munched away at our dinner and then our cake {delish!}, while the kids played and ate…well, mostly played! they were itching to open up their gifts. oh, kiddies…they have no patiences do they?!
[how adorbs is this heart shaped pizza??]
[twinning]
[heart shaped chocolate cake by barbara]
[b really wanted to be in the picture]
we finally gave them the green light to open up their gifts. they were super excited! we lined them up and they were ready to go.
[ready for presents!]
thuy and the boys gave olive the cutest gifts! pretty outfits, toys, and make up! yes, you heard that right…make up. she loves to watch all the ladies of the house get ready in the morning. that’s her thing…sit on top of the toilet and watch me{us} put on make up and get ready. she loves to brush her teeth {baby toothbrush}, comb her hair, and put on bronzer. so, auntie thuy gifted her with bronzer, make up brush, and a hair brush for her purty hair. so fitting.
[she loves make up and getting gussied up already…]
[my cute tiffany blue colored pouch from thuy]
after the kids opened up all their gifts and reveled in the goodies, thuy surprised us with a little gift! how sweet and thoughtful! she gave me a beautiful tiffany blue zipper pouch…how cool. i love the color and the bag.
well, that was our valentine in a nutshell {or really in a two part blog 😉 }. we had a wonderful, blessed day celebrating with our loved ones. ♥
“Love is patient and kind; love does not envy or boast; it is not arrogant or rude. It does not insist on its own way; it is not irritable or resentful; it does not rejoice at wrongdoing, but rejoices with the truth. Love bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things.” first corinthians 12:4-8
yeah, valentine’s day was probably a three part event. well, kinda. it was quite the beeesy weekend for us. we had people over or did something three days in a row, so yes…it was beeesy. it’s so normal for me to not sit still and boy, i wasn’t sitting still at all this entire weekend.
friday, i spent the morning with my dear olive, then i dropped her off at my parent’s and skedaddled on my way to pick up miss grace {which is such a trip!}. that evening, we had terry and the boys over for wings and drinks {root beer for the kiddos and beer beer for the big boys}. the kids had a crazy time playing together…it was non-stop until they left! phew!
on saturday morning {happy valentine’s day!}, we woke up bright and early, thanks to miss olive, and got ourselves ready for our vday brunch in the city! hc had made all the plans…he made reservations for an early morning brunch at the carriage house, in our old stomping ground. oh, don’t get me started on the city! *sniff* how i miss thee on a daily basis.
anyhoo, we arrived at the restaurant and there was just a wee bit of a wait for our table. it was bustling. i do recall this place being built…hmmm, was it a year or year and half ago? we never ate there even though we lived down the street from it! but now it was our time.
[grace and her dad]
[carriage house]
[i love, love her face in the pic]
[aannndd this photo…olive’s face is priceless]
i loved the interior…very earthy and rustic. i was excited to try the menu and hc was excited to try the drinks 😉 we were seated in a comfy spot and ready to peruse the menu. we started out with drinks…an old fashioned for the hubs and juice {always orange and grapefruit mix for moi} for the gals. olive nibbled on some crackers and we had ordered her some cheesy grits. she was all about the grits {which were sooo delish} at first but then she turned her nose up at it. whaaaaa? it was so good but oh well, more for us!
hc ordered the chicken and biscuits, i ordered the mushroom, truffle, and egg {with a side of bacon} and grace ordered the beignets. mmmmmm. it.was.so.tasty. i was a happy camper. the sun was shining. i was brunching with my loves. we were in the city. the restaurant was cool. the food was delicious. it was valentine’s day. life was good.
[cheers to love]
[mushroom, truffle, and egg with a side of bacon]
we even dressed the part! hc had on a red sweater, as well as grace. i wore my red hunters as my nod to the day and olive wore hearts all over herself! happy valentine’s day it was! we had the most wonderful time having brunch together. hc did a great job coordinating it all!
i hope everyone had a fantastic love day with their loved one. we sure did! as i stated it the beginning of this post…i still have more love day goodness to come. stay tuned my lovies!
so, i don’t usually go crazy in the decorating department for valentine’s day but i do love to jazz up the house just a wee bit. nothing big, but i like a spark of color…especially since january {and february} can be such a dreary month!
a few of the banners i hung, i made myself last year. yes…while the little babes was just a newborn. i crafted some quick banners to jazz up our house because being at home on maternity leave during the polar vortex {a.k.a chiberia} was monotonous and bland. putting color in our place was mandatory!
i totally enjoy valentine’s day decor. it’s pretty, fun, and brightens up the home! so, i placed a few banners across the living room window, it looks so pretty when the sunlight is shining through. i strung the festive strand of circle paper cutouts across a wall in our living room as well. i drew up some fun lettering and design on our chalkboard in the kitchen. i also nabbed an awesome gold heart for our front bay window! i didn’t get to snap a pic of it, but maybe later, it’s pretty darn awesome! i ordered red, pink, and white heart lights as well…but they haven’t come in yet. i want to drape it around the gold heart for a pretty, festive effect. there are still a few things coming in the mail that i will add to the decor around the house. once those items come in, i will {almost} be done! 😉
of course, i then snapped a few pics of miss olive with some delightful valentine’s day props. it was too sweet and she is too cute!
[my handmade banners…doily hearts + crocheted little circles and a hand cut paper ‘kiss me’ banner]
[die cut paper circles strung together on twine]
[my valentine’s day chalkboard]
[baby olive getting into the valentine’s day fun // that’s the gold heart i mentioned above…it was relocated to our bay window!]
[nordstrom’s baby bling headband, zara scarf & shirt, heart leg warmers, & stitches and soles latte bow moccs]
well my lovies, what fun decorating ideas do you have for this valentine’s day? it’s always so sweet to add a little festive love fun to your abode, non?!
december was a pretty awesome month. i love december. i love christmas, i love nye, i love the holiday hustle and bustle. there is always so much to do!
we really did have a wonderful month. we were able to fit in many fun activities, such as going downtown to experience the holiday magic in our wonderful city of chicago. did some yummy baking. decorated. had a lot of guests over. my brother huy and tashina visited. ate a ton of sweets. exchanged fun gifts. celebrated my birthday {woot woot}. plus lots and lots more! you can check out december in my sidebar of ‘ride thru memory lane’ if you would like to peep into the past!
olive had her ‘first’ christmas. well, she really had her first christmas last year but she was barely four weeks old! she’s grown up so much alreadyy {this past month} and she was so cute when we opened up her christmas gifts. she was saying “ooohhhhhhh!!!” with each present. oh, how i love her.
it’s the strangest feeling…when i’m with her or when i think about her. i am filed with soooo many emotions, it’s weird! i’m so beyond happy, filled with love and joy but yet i’m sad and feel bittersweet at the same time. i dunnoooo, maybe the mommies out there will understand or get what i’m trying to say {but not being very articulate!}.
with each passing moment that i have with olive…i’m sad it’s gone but so happy to have another moment with her. i love her to infinity and beyond that i don’t want to lose a single second, but when that moment passes…i want it back! yet, the present is the best time to cherish and revel in. or maybe it’s about the fact that this past year has flown by and i can’t believe how fast she has grown and changed; i just want her to slow her roll!
thinking about her becoming an adult scares me a little bit. i wish she could just stay little, cute, adorable, and sweet. i love her hugs and kisses. i love that she follows me anywhere. i love that she just wants to be loved, cuddled, and in my arms. i don’t want that to change and time is working against me {darn you father time, darn you!}.
anyhoo….this post has now become more of a momfession than it is about our wonderful past month of december. so, back to our december snapshots: below is filled with many fun photos of this past month. check out the candid moments and olive craziness we captured!
[digging for gold]
[o christmas tree]
[look ma…i’m feeding myself!]
[birthday!]
[gulp, gulp, gulp…ah, no we didn’t let her drink a bottle of pop]
[over indulging during the holidays]
[her play corner]
[reagan and olive ~ so cute!]
[having fun at papa’s]
[pitching a fit]
[cookies with gramma // i hide under things like a cat]
[that sweet pout]
[wild]
[yummy pudding]
[i’ll just smash the cupcake into my face]
[work holiday party]
[birthday gifts from andrea, jamie, and ollie]
[catching up on world news]
well, my lovies i hope you enjoyed our december snapshots! everyone, please have a wonderful wednesday.
“shoot for the moon. even if you miss, you’ll land among the stars”
new year’s eve is such a magical night. it’s a night where everything turns over. not only is tomorrow a new day, it’s a new beginning. i do get wrapped up in the idea of starting over and fresh. it’s your chance to change. this is what you get to do on this first day of a brand new year if you choose to believe.
look upon this upcoming year like a glass half full.
i want to be a better person, always. i am who i am and there are things i cannot change {i can be quick to judge, impatient, temperamental, and too serious}. but i will do my best to be {more} kind, understanding, generous, loving, patient, humorous, and light hearted.
“tomorrow, is the first blank page of a 365 page book. write a good one.” ― brad paisley
“should old acquaintance be forgot, and never brought to mind? should old acquaintance be forgot, and old lang syne?
for auld lang syne, my dear, for auld lang syne, we’ll take a cup of kindness yet, for auld lang syne.”
cheers to a new start, a new day, a new year lovies!
christmas morning was quiet and calm. it was me, hc, and olive doing our usual routine. we really wanted starbucks but the one closest to us was closed {sad face}, so dunkin’ donuts it was; hc got us yummy donuts and {okay} coffee. the coffee was alright. i’m such a starbucks fan and i was totally missing my americano this past christmas morning.
after breakfast {olive was napping}, hc and i just chilled on the couch. ahhhhh, some relaxation was in order. it was quite nice to have some quiet time and do nothing. we just waited and waited for miss olive to wake up and be on our merry way to aunt vicki and uncle steve’s house.
before going to their house, first we stopped off at missy’s house to exchange presents. it’s our christmas day routine. of course, it was mostly about miss olive. she had the most presents! natch.
[miss olive loving the cat]
[here kitty kitty]
[my cutie]
when we arrived at missy’s house, olive was totally smitten by the kitty cats! she was so delighted! she smiled and petted the cats, she was loving it. it was too cute to see. i love seeing her amazed by simple things and how sweet she can be when she’s so curious, intrigued, and happy.
[olive loving her new vacuum]
[my gift from dick and jane]
[quilted olive pillow!]
[she loves her the winnie the pooh wooden puzzle]
[papa opening his gift: a whole year of salami!]
[cousin daniel]
[aunt missy and olive]
after missy’s place, we finally arrived at aunt vicki and uncle steve’s house. the party was in full swing. we rushed in and greeted everyone. a lot of hugs and ‘merry christmas’ exchanged amongst everyone. we made our rounds of hello’s and settled in. we were only there for a little bit before dinner was ready. every year, vicki makes her famous stuffed shells…they are so rich and yummy. it’s like a heart attack on a plate but oh so good.
once dinner was served, we all hung out and socialized. it was great to see olive in action. she is always so scared, attentive, intense, and observant when she is in a place that is unfamiliar. she has to assess her situation and get comfortable before she decides if it’s a safe place. once she is sold that it’s not a scary place, she will start to explore. that is when she becomes herself and starts to enjoy her surroundings and people.
[chocolate martini]
[kaitin and lisa]
[chunker cheeks!]
[heart attack on a plate]
[lori, kait, lisa, and missy]
[jay and morgan]
[rich’s godson, jake]
[lori and moi]
[parents]
[kids]
[grandkids]
after a few hours of hanging out with the fam, olive was a bit spent and it was time to go. she was getting super tired and when that happens, she gets into these crying fits. that is when we know she is dunzo! so, we said our goodbyes and off we went.
ahhhh, it was christmas eve! i love christmas eve. it’s the most wonderful time of the year! every year, it’s at my parent’s house. we gather there for food, fun, and gifts!
hc and i got ready {while olive was napping away}. i was hemming and hawing over what i should wear. i wanted to be festive and fun but i couldn’t figure out what my ensemble should be. well, i got a little dorky and totally went all cheesy chritmasy with my outfit du nuit. red and green it was. it was a bit loud, bright, and crazy but i totally rocked it like nobody’s business {no comments please}.
olive’s outfit was a bit classier. she wore ralph lauren plaid. yup, the cutest little red dress with a plaid ribbon, sparkle tights, and a red flower pin. hello, she had to match her cousin’s outfits!
once we got there, we said our hello’s to everyone and i went downstairs to see if my sisters needed help with dinner {they were chugging along quite nicely}. in-between helping with dinner, we were visiting with everyone and clinking our drinking glasses on this very merry evening.
we did a lot of goofing around, taking photos at every chance, and just relaxed. a perfect evening to sit back, unwind, and slow down from this hectic, hectic holiday season. it was pretty cool to just chill with our family. i was so tired that i actually fell asleep sitting up on the couch. what?! i never do that, like never. just ask hc. but never say never ’cause i just did!
[red and green!]
[the boys]
[cheers!]
[i found this picture quite funny. mmmmmm, wine…]
[why, yes there is a tent in the middle of the room. and santa and rudolph were visiting olive]
[super auntie thuy and olive]
[tashina actually holding olive! or i mean, olive letting tashina hold her]
[sweet baby girl]
[silly faces]
after much waiting, dinner was finally ready! yum! kim always creates the most wonderful entrees. everything is always so flavorful and delicious. we had a wonderful seasoned beef tenderloin, buttery mashed potatoes, savory mushrooms, corn, brussel sprouts, and a crisp, fresh kale salad. it was all so tasty and good!
[christmas tablescape]
[dinner place cards]
[matching ralph lauren plaid outfits]
after dinner, our little elves changed into their pj’s. oh so cute. could this be any more adorbs?! we, of course, went photo crazy. after much admiration of them, we finally trekked upstairs to open up christmas gifts. it was so crazy and fun. of course, the kiddos went first. that’s the best part! olive, reagan, and bennett opened up all their gifts and ooh’d and ahh’d over all their goodies. the cutest part? olive learning to ooh and ahh herself! she would squeal every time we opened up a present…it was beyond precious to watch and hear her! i just about melted every time she did it.
[santa’s elves]
[this picture cracks me up! i laugh every time i look at it!]
[elf feet]
[gifts!]
[presents, presents, presents]
[my gift from hubby charming]
[prints from rifle paper co.]
[bose sound system]
[christmas booty]
[how many christmas presents can i wear?]
[pout]
[what a cool dude]
after the kids opened up their presents, all the adults opened up their secret santa gifts and had to guess who their secret santa was! score…i got mine right, it was tashina! ha! i’m so good. 😉 so, as usual, everyone tinkered with their christmas gifts and/or reveled in the kids excitement of new things.
thuy and i then brought up desserts and coffee for everyone to nibble on while we continued to play around with our new toys. oh what a night…it was a pretty awesome eve together. spending time with family is precious and it was definitely a christmas eve to remember! merry, merry indeed!
“who can add to christmas? the perfect motive is that God so loved the world.
the perfect gift is that He gave His only Son.
the only requirement is to believe in Him.
the reward of faith is that you shall have everlasting life.”
[corrie ten boom]
happy birthday jesus, for this day you were born and we were given the best gift of all!
amidst all the gifts, lights, expectations, stress, materialistic items, money, and toys, we tend to forget that this day is about the birth of Christ, our savior! i do love the warmth of love the holiday brings, i love decking the halls, all the edible deliciousness that is gifted to us, the exchange of gifts to one another, the kindness that comes forth from everyone, and the overall holiday cheer that emanates from all around but i humble myself to remember that this day is about our Lord.
*sigh* my favorite time of the year has now come and is almost gone. i hope everyone has had the most wonderful time this holiday season. i definitely did. i am blessed with a beautiful family, friends, and i am loved. i couldn’t ask for anything greater.
a few years ago, i created these little snow globes for our place and as gifts. i just love them! they are so easy to make and so cute to have around during the holidays. this year, from our move {chicago to the burbs}, a few of my snow globes were jarred from the bumpy move and needed some tlc. so i decided, why not share on how they are made? it’s so simple and fun!
what you will need:
ball jars {wide mouth or regular…whatever preference or size and height} i like a bit of a variety in sizes.
snow. you can buy it at any craft store. i bought frosty snow and iridescent snow to give it some bling.
i added in confetti gold stars to add some shine.
little pine trees. a package at the craft store comes in a variety of sizes.
a glue gun.
[i also used iridescent snow…it was camera shy]
first, undo the ball jar so you have the round, flat lid bottom side up. i put a generous amount of glue onto the bottom of the tree and firmly place it onto the lid. hold onto it for a few seconds to let it set.
i then take the snow {both types} and confetti, and mix it into the ball jar. you only need a little bit. maybe a inch or half an inch {depending on the size of your tree}. a little goes a long way.
some people add water to the jar, but i prefer not too. i then place the lid {with the tree} back onto the cap and screw it back onto the ball jar. flip it over and ta da! you have yourself a snow globe! easy peasy!
i love making these. i hope you have some fun making them too! like i said, they make great gifts or add just the right amount of festive, holiday decor fun to your house.
