love day part 1

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.

via tandeminlove.com

[grace and her dad]

via tandeminlove.com

[carriage house]

via tandeminlove.com

[i love, love her face in the pic]

via tandeminlove.com

via tandeminlove.com

[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!

via tandeminlove.com

via tandeminlove.com

via tandeminlove.com

via tandeminlove.com

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.

via tandeminlove.com

[cheers to love]

via tandeminlove.com

[mushroom, truffle, and egg with a side of bacon]

via tandeminlove.com

via tandeminlove.com

via tandeminlove.com

via tandeminlove.com

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!

xoxo

flashback friday

today takes us back to…2014! i wanted to post a pic of me and rich from a few valentine’s day ago but i couldn’t resist this photo!!!! oh em gee. look.at.her. i die. soooooo sweet, small, cute, & perfect! such a little peanut! *sigh*

i’m dying over her short, shiny hair. her round buddha belly. her fat chunky, chubby, cheeks. she is barely 2 1/2 months young here. what a doll! plus, i loved her sweet little outfit: a pink cardi & heart printed pants. she was definitely my valentine!

oh, how time is flying. i can’t believe how tiny my babes was. *sniff, sniff* i seriously wish she could stay little forever. don’t get me wrong, i am loving every moment with olive as she grows but looking at photos like these makes me miss her at this size! soooo stinkin’ cute.

last year, we celebrated one day with our family {my sisters and my nephews} and exchanged gifts. then we celebrated at home {sweet home chicago} with just me, the hubs, and olive. it was pretty awesome…having the new babes and all. it was a very special valentine indeed.

via tandeminlove.com

well, i hope everyone has an amazing valentine’s day! i hope you are spending it with someone special, your family, or friends! enjoy this day of love! happy valentine’s day lovies!

xoxo

makey valentines

we loooooove making cards…especially valentine’s day cards! it’s always a fun project & i love racking my brain for creative ideas. i didn’t get as detailed with this diy as i typically can get. i was a bit rushed, but nevertheless…we got ’em done and they turned out cute.

we set up the workstation and we were ready to go! olive was excited to finger print her cards {but then her controlling mama got her in a tizzy near the end}. she was a good girl, she finger printed all her cards and was a happy camper to be sticking her finger{s} all over that ink pad.

via tandeminlove.com

[i love the valentine’s day mailer envelope!]

i love, love this table and chair set from auntie kim, terry, and the boys. it’s so purrfect. i have future plans to jazz it up a bit. i definitely want to add a little pizzaz to the set but i haven’t had the time as of late. so i am hoping to be able to accent it soon…just a little color and design to the stems and attach a paper roll for fun, drawing, coloring activities! soon. soon.

via tandeminlove.com

via tandeminlove.com

i put out a bunch of fun valentine’s day trinkets to entertain miss olive. she loved the little pom pom creatures. she did such a good job {with the help of momma} stamping all the cards with her ittty bitty finger!

via tandeminlove.com

[my sweet babes…always so serious]

via tandeminlove.com

[ready to makey some cards!]

via tandeminlove.com

[finger printing!]

via tandeminlove.com

via tandeminlove.com

[i love this face & those cheeks]

via tandeminlove.com

[swak!]

via tandeminlove.com

once all the cards were finger printed by olive, me, and hc, i went to work on detailing them. normally, i would add more depth, layers, pizzaz, glitter, and details but i was stressed for time. oh, it’s so me…i always take on toooooo much! so, a few paper cutouts, stamping, stickers, and drawing was all i could do. 🙂

via tandeminlove.com

via tandeminlove.com

[aaaanndd they are ready to be sent!]

well, there they are! our diy valentine’s day cards by us! signed, sealed, and ready to be delivered!

xoxo

i heart you s’more

now, who wouldn’t want chocolate covered heart s’mores?!

i had been contemplating the idea of making something fun for valentine’s day. i wasn’t sure what. i had sugar cookies on the radar. i bought the raddest copper cookie cutters the other week {pictured on instagram} and totally want to use them {no worries…i will definitely find many uses!}. anyhoo, i love hearts, i love s’mores, i thought why not make conversation heart s’mores?! i got my inspiration from love from the oven but i fine tuned some things to what i preferred. i love making anything s’mores!

my stash: graham crackers, lollipop sticks, a bag of nestle milk chocolate chips & two bags of white chocolate chips, edible ink pens, fluff, and a small {1 1/2 inch by 2 inch} heart cookie cutter.

via tandeminlove.com

[ingredients]

i first cut out the graham cracker hearts. yes. it’s pretty cool to do so and they don’t break! i love it. make sure your surface is free of debris {sweep the crumbs off to the side of the counter after each cut} and evenly apply pressure as you press and ta da! heart shaped graham crackers!

via tandeminlove.com

[graham crackers]

via tandeminlove.com

after i cut out the hearts, i spread half of the hearts with fluff. i then melted the chocolate and spread the melted milk chocolate {for a dozen hearts…i would use 1/4 of the bag…don’t over heat the chocolate!} on the other half of the crackers. i placed the sticks {about an inch} on one half and took the marshmallow covered heart and gently placed it onto the chocolate heart and stick.

i placed the pops into the freezer to stiffen them up and moved onto making the white chocolate. i used food coloring to get the desired color for the hearts. ok, ok. so i know there are so many opinions out there. folks say to not add anything to chocolate, because it’s already such a delicate form and you should use colored chips instead. plus, people also say to not use nestle chips for dipping. that candy melts, almond bark, and chocolate melts are best for dipping. honestly, it doesn’t taste as good! so, nestle chips it was! adding the food coloring didn’t do anything to the chocolate’s consitency but i definitely should have added shortening to the chocolate to thin it out! next time. it will definitely create a smoother coat.

via tandeminlove.com

i let the chocolate dry for an hour or less. after they hardened and cooled, i took my red decorating pen and wrote fun messages on each heart. so cute! i then individually wrapped each heart in a festive cellophane bag and voila! a cutesy valentines’s day treat for your loved ones!!

via tandeminlove.com

via tandeminlove.com

xoxo

love day decor

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!

via tandeminlove.com

[my handmade banners…doily hearts + crocheted little circles and a hand cut paper ‘kiss me’ banner]

via tandeminlove.com

[die cut paper circles strung together on twine]

via tandeminlove.com

via tandeminlove.com

[my valentine’s day chalkboard]

via tandeminlove.com

[baby olive getting into the valentine’s day fun // that’s the gold heart i mentioned above…it was relocated to our bay window!]

via tandeminlove.com

[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?!

happy decorating!

xoxo

my little valentine

so us goofy gals {okay, olive has no choice || right now|| but to be a goofy gal with me} decided to coordinate our p.j.’s in celebration of valentine’s day!

yes, corny me is getting excited for valentine’s day! i’ve been thinking a lot about what to do, what to make, when to decorate {i am hoping i have the time to squeeze in some fun stuff…it’s so precious lately}. i’m a fan of this upcoming holiday…it’s a day to celebrate love, love for your family, love for your husband, love for your significant other, love for your friends, love for your children, love all around!

alright, lots of mommy and olive pictures coming right up! we had a blast hanging out in our heart p.j.’s for the day {well, really for the evening}. i love coordinating our outfits but it’s a once in a blue moon kind of thing. i’m into that idea {love it} but i’m not into the dedication, time, and effort! i only wish i could sit around all day and think, coordinate, and buy outfits that matchy matchy. shyeah right. i’d rather put an effort in to get creative with her ensemble but sometimes that is a fail! so, typically for special occasions, i’ll whip together a cute twinnie outfit of the day.

via tandeminlove.com

[victoria’s secret pj’s & leveret footies]

via tandeminlove.com

via tandeminlove.comvia tandeminlove.comvia tandeminlove.comvia tandeminlove.com

via tandeminlove.com

[my funny gal]

via tandeminlove.com

[what am i doing in this photo? i’m not sure…chillaxin’…being pensive, or just waiting for miss olive to return to me so we can snap more pics?!]

via tandeminlove.com

[so sweet]

via tandeminlove.com[she looks so much like her auntie kim in this photo!]

via tandeminlove.com

i hoped you enjoyed our twinnie outfit of the day! olive was somewhat cooperative. she’s a babes on the move, as of late. getting her to snap some decent photos is a complete challenge! i’d say we were quite successful…i’m loving our heart pajama session. anyhoo, on that note, i love valentine’s day and can’t wait to celebrate it.

xoxo

i love you book

hc and i had a love book personalized for our baby girl olive.

it is such a delightful book by paper hat press. they customize the story to your child’s favorite items! olive received the christmas mouse book from her aunties kim and thuy this past holiday {you can see it here}. it definitely was my favorite christmas gift for olive.

so, i as was surfing the web, i stumbled upon a valentine’s day themed book through pbk. of course, i couldn’t pass it up!

we received the final product the day before valentine’s day. how perfect! so, we were able to read olive’s book to her on this past wonderful vday.

via tandeminlove.com

[i was super, duper excited to see this package in the mail!]

via tandeminlove.com

[how sweet! isn’t it just adorbs?!]

via tandeminlove.com

[awwwwwwww]

via tandeminlove.com

[i love the illustrations]

via tandeminlove.com

[aaanndd we do love our pasta!]

via tandeminlove.comhow sweet is this book?!

sweeter than this cupcake ↓ i voraciously consumed from previous weeks!

via tandeminlove.com

xoxo

a cozy vday in

this year for valentine’s day, we had a cozy night in. in our pj’s that is…it was that cozy! we truly had a wonderful valentine’s day together. it was the best one yet!

my, what a difference a year makes! last year, we spent valentine’s day at one of our favorite restaurants, roy’s. you can read about it here. i wasn’t even pregnant with little olive yet either! now look where we are at! blessed with the cutest little cupid ever!

via tandeminlove.com

[cutie patutie]

this year, we had dinner at home and i couldn’t have asked for more! we waited for hc to come home that evening; he arrived at the door with a bouquet of beautiful flowers and a sweet, sweet card for me! we relaxed for a bit before hc started his cooking magic. he fancied out the dining room table, opened up a delicious bottle of wine {thank you to terry for the gift}, and started to whip up some amaze appetizers {oh em gee!}. i am a lucky gal!

via tandeminlove.com

[the cute card from hc // a few fun, valentine’s from us and others!]

via tandeminlove.com

[gorgeous flowers from cattails]

it was a three course meal totally at our pace and comfort, which i was absolutely loving. the three of us sat down to nibble on the savory appetizers hc had made. stuffed artichoke hearts. they were to die for. so stinkin’ good. dangerously delectable. i wanted to eat the entire dish as my entree but i knew some more yummy goodness was on it’s way!

via tandeminlove.com

[the fancied up table // the amaze stuffed artichokes]

after noshing on some starters, we continued to sip wine, enjoy each other’s company, and chill in our warm abode. all the food was prepped, so once i started to feed the babes, hc started to cook up our entrees. we then sat down for our main course. words cannot describe how piquant the dish was! i was in love with every bite! i couldn’t thank hc enough for the best meal ever!

via tandeminlove.com

[the prepping of the soon to be devoured entree]

after our main course, we then devoured our decadent dessert from alliance bakery! hc had purchased a red velvet heart shaped cake from one of our favorite bakeries, down the street. we sliced it in half and savored every morsel of this rich, moist, sweet, yummy cake.

via tandeminlove.com

[olive’s first photo bomb // the wonderful, sweet red velvet cake]

via tandeminlove.com

[family selfie! doesn’t olive look amused?!]

it was the best valentine’s day yet. i have had so much fun celebrating it the past several weeks and it ended with a wonderful family night celebration this past february 14 !

much love mes amies!

so now faith, hope, and love abide, these three; but the greatest of these is love. 1 corinthians 13:13

xoxo

foto fun

the other snowy day, we ventured out to the land of nod to take some vday pics! here’s a sample of pics from the photo shoot from this past post!

the store had created a fetching backdrop for the pictures; patterned chairs, heart pillows, and darling stuffed animals to pose around with for the photos! katherine salvatori was the photographer who captured the fun pics for valentine’s day! the photo shoot was quick {the store was quite quiet, making it even better for us to play and shop!} and our afternoon evolved into a great time together.

the pictures turned out quite festive. here are a couple of the charming snapshots:

via tandeminlove.com

ya gotta love all of the festive stuff going on here. hearts, dogs, red, pink, oh my!

via tandeminlove.comi love this one of grace. so precious!

happy love day to all! i hope everyone had a wonderful february 14!

xoxo

is it christmas?

i ventured out to my sister’s house this past week to celebrate a little love with the nephews.

i hit the roads during rush hour {ugh}; it was congested but not so bad! i was constantly moving and it didn’t take that long to get there. i was, at first, hesitant to travel out there because it was suppose to snow during the late afternoon, which is a recipe for a driving disaster!

i brought over valentine’s day cupcakes and i set the boy’s presents on the console as i walk in. it was too cute, they kept asking who those presents were for. i told them it was for two boys named reagan and bennett, i asked them if they knew who these two boys were. bennett looked confused but reagan blurted out, “that’s us!”. i told them there are more little boys out there name reagan and bennett, which made them giggle. 🙂

via tandeminlove.com

[it’s fat free…yum]

via tandeminlove.com

[olive chillin’ while we ate our dinner]

after a healthy dinner of portillo’s, we exchanged presents! it was so fun! i gave the boys their gifts, and they gave olive her gift. thuy had brought the boys and olive presents too! there was a lot of exchanging and gifting going on, the boys screamed out, “is it christmas?!”. lol.

via tandeminlove.com

[the boys with their vday presents // s’mores // alien pom growth on r’s face]

via tandeminlove.com

[the cute stuffed animal // olive’s vday fashion // r + o]

kim, r n b, had gotten olive the cutest stuffed animal that came with the most adorable tutu and headband! we dressed her in it and we were just delighted on how darling she looked! it was so precious.

via tandeminlove.com

[r + b decorated olive in valentine’s day stickers! // baby’s first valentine // wooden animal blocks]

via tandeminlove.com

[love her first valentine’s day card]

thuy had bought olive awesome wooden toys and a lovely outfit {so cozy and cute}. i love wooden toys. i want to stay as close as possible to just buying wooden toys {quite a feat but i’ll try my best!} for olive.

via tandeminlove.com

[thuy’s stenciled clutch gift for me! // auntie kim and olive {look at her face and skinny legs!} // adorbs outfit from thuy]

it was a very sweet evening with the family. we had a blast celebrating valentine’s day together. it was filled with lots of love, giggles, and charming fun.

xoxo