with two cats

Advice for a Crazy Person

2012-01-30T07:00:00.002-05:00

She's got the face of an angel and the spirit of an imp, this child of mine. :) I can't believe that in a few short months she'll be two years old...mind blowing really. Each time I lift her out of her crib she feels a little bigger, a little heavier. I measured her when we went to get her passport photo this weekend - she's two-and-a-half feet tall - nearly half her mama's height.

We'll be leaving in July on an adventure. An adventure in which we'll be traveling halfway around the world to meet a new member of our family - an Aussie niece or nephew and cousin.

I think I'm probably crazy to take a two-year-old on a fourteen hour flight. It's very (very) possible I may regret the decision. But I know for a certainty that I would regret not going - not meeting this new baby; not helping my sister enter into new motherhood. It feels so important. She's my only sister, and she's worked very hard for this baby.

So the question is - how do you take a toddler with the stubbornness of a mule, the mischievousness of an imp, and the determination of a marathoner on a flight this long? I suppose you pray to God for mercy and hope that she sleeps like an angel.

And you hope that people will give you advice - good advice - amazing advice. So lay it on me people...I'm all ears.

xo,

a person who has surely lost her mind

Apologies + News

2012-01-27T15:04:00.003-05:00

Hi all! Long time no see. My apologies for being MIA for the past week - I suddenly felt an overwhelming urge for a break. A break from all things technology - Twitter, Blogger, Instagram, Facebook, and yes - even Pinterest. I've barely checked my email and it felt, well, awesome. Does it ever all get to be too much for you? This crazy amount of information and connectedness that we're bombarded with each and every day?

On a fun note - my sister is pregnant!!! I'm going to be an aunt (again). This is her first and she is my only sister so it does feel a little different this time around though.

I'll be helping to plan her shower and with the design of her nursery so stay tuned for some fun baby nuggets here and there!

See you next week!

xo,

Friday Favorites 1.19.12

2012-01-20T11:30:00.001-05:00

Have you seen Joanna Goddard's master bedroom makeover?! It was designed by none other than Jenny Komenda of Little Green Notebook and it takes my breath away. I would fall to sleep a happy woman every night in this space.

Nicole's new business cards are simply perfect.

Love all of Jessica's outfits but especially these neon numbers: one, two.

Sweet siblings.

The prettiest matchbooks (plus you can download the pattern and print it out for free!):

You "don't have to rely on a healthy body image or self-respect" with this amazing new beauty product.

Love this post on styling your children's clothing to make it last. Because they grow out of it so. darn. fast.

~~Carper diem~~ Carpe a couple of Kairoses a day.

And lastly, for all of the mothers out there I have to add an excerpt from this beautiful, beautiful letter:

Dear mother of only one child, don’t blame yourself for thinking that your life is hard. You’re suffering now because you’re turning into a new woman, a woman who is never allowed to be alone. For what? Only so that you can become strong enough to be a woman who will be left.

When I had only one child, she was so heavy. Now I can see that children are as light as air. They float past you, nudging against you like balloons as they ascend.

Dear mother, don’t worry about enjoying your life. Your life is hard; your life will be hard. That doesn’t mean you’re doing something wrong—it means you’re doing it right.

xo,

Got Art?

2012-01-20T07:00:00.000-05:00

A few months ago I featured one of my favorite artists, Lulie Wallace here on with two cats, and I'm happy to say that I now officially have one of her pieces hanging on my wall. If you suffer from the winter blues like me and need a way to brighten up your, art is the best way to do it!

There's so much color and life and wow! packed into that tiny little rectangle. It's truly amazing what some people can do with paint. I'm still playing around with the gallery wall in the back room - limited space and not enough for all of my favorites. I painted the one in the center but I still want to hang my landscape by Elijah Andrus as well...sigh. Too much art, too little wall space. I guess it's not the worst problem to have, right?!

Lulie is currently the featured artist over on Buy Some Damn Art and there's one painting left up for grabs! Or you can purchase directly from her website as well (which is what I did).

xo,

Breakfast in Bed

2012-01-19T07:14:00.000-05:00

Not spending money on each other this year for Valentine's Day? Nothing says 'I love you' more than breakfast in bed - am I right? Here are a few ideas beyond your basic cup of joe:

one . two . three . four

xo,

2012-01-18T16:14:00.000-05:00

Like the content here on with two cats? Help me keep it going by sponsoring for a month or two! Click here for more info.

xo,

Supermom: Nomita of ebabee likes

2012-01-18T07:00:00.062-05:00

Nomita - ebabee likes

This week's Supermom is Nomita of ebabee likes! Nomita is mother to one and worried that her home would become 'one gigantic pink or blue frill' when she got pregnant! Luckily this led her to the creation of her blog where she writes about all things stylish for moms, babies, and kids. Her blog was recently named to Babble's Top 50 for 2011 and she's on my short list for sure! Read on to find out more about Nomita and her favorite picks for babies, toddlers, and moms:

By accident!

I love beautiful things and used to spend time seeking out beautiful products, furniture and more for the home. When I had a baby I started seeking out lovely stuff for her. It was never just about shopping though, it was as much about getting inspired, about admiring. And a little bit of shopping.

Last year I started a site and thought it may be nice to share a few things I’ve found for kids on the site. I didn’t even know what a blog was! I told my web developer to set up a page where I could share some pictures of a few products I loved and he mentioned the word ‘blog’. That’s how and when it all started…

The amazing moments.

I don't mean the big milestones like walking and talking but that moment where you catch your child singing or playing with intense concentration and they don't know you're watching. That moment when you watch them sleep and just see the purest innocence radiate from their face. That moment when you do something silly and your child laughs the purest, most genuine laugh you’ve ever heard (not so much fun if they make you do it again for the 10th time though!).

The worry. I’ve never known anything like it. Especially if it’s your first child, when they’re sick or when they’re unhappy I find it very worrying. I’m a bit of a worrier anyway so I guess that just makes me worse than most!

This is very hard!

First I will have to say my mum-in-laws knits. She knitted the most gorgeous little cardigans and jumpers for my winter baby. Not only did they keep her warm, they kept her warm in style. And they were just the sweetest little things to look at too.

Flensted mobiles – I loved these mobiles from the minute I saw them. I chose the elephant party one which is big, bright and beautiful! The pictures of the mobiles don’t do them justice, they are so much more appealing when you see one for real. And they are very reasonably priced too.

A book called ‘My Friends’ by Taro Gomi
My daughter loves it and so do I. It’s been a must read every night for over a year. It’s a very simple book with sweet illustrations that are unfussy but convey the sentiment of the book. It’s all about a little girl discovering and learning from animals and friends. I’m a huge fan of Japanese kids books anyway and this one is no exception.

iPhone / iPad
I can’t believe I’m saying this but it’s a life saver and I’ve got to be honest. I’m not a fan of allowing the kiddo to use it for hours on end, but those times when you need it, it’s genius. Think aeroplane trips, restaurants, queuing.

1. Bugaboo Bee pushchair/pram
While the baby may ride in it, I believe the pram has got to be the right fit for the mama. And I love my Bugaboo Bee. I had no idea about prams when I bought it, I just chose it for its looks (yeah I’m a bit shallow like that!). It’s turned out to be the best thing I bought. In my opinion, there is absolutely no better pram/pushchair for city living, at least.

2. French Sole shoes
I couldn’t have done without them when I was pregnant. I wanted flat shoes that were comfortable without compromising on looks in any way. And French Soles do just that… lots of comfort and big on style too. With so many to choose from, the only negative is choosing just one or two.

3. Chocolate (especially the dark stuff)
I’m serious! It was chocolate that got me through the first couple of months of motherhood. My husband came home with a 2kg box of dark chocolates one day and it was gone in less than a week. So he had to go get another one. I looked forward to eating it at the end of each day and it was so yummy when I did.

I love writing and finding things for my blog. I feel a real rush of excitement when I discover something seriously beautiful and I just can’t wait to share it. So I guess it doesn’t feel like work. I have just one child and a very supportive husband so I don’t think of myself as doing it all especially compared to some of the amazing mums I’ve met out there.

Live in the moment. Do things you enjoy and things that make you happy. If you’re happy, everything else will fall in to place.

There are so many mum’s out there who manage full on careers, blogs, kids, their home and all the rest. And there are the single mums who do it all on their own. I can’t pick one but I will say to all the single mums out there – I take my hat off to you.

Thanks to Nomita for sharing your advice and lovely product picks! I can so relate to the worrying part - I'm such a worrier myself and I thought the anxiety was going to kill me at first! See more of Nomita and her favorite finds for babies and kids over on ebabee likes.

xo,

For All of the Men Out There...

2012-01-17T13:00:00.000-05:00

If your lady is like me and isn't into diamonds, maybe get her this sweetheart ring instead:

"To remind her of the love in her life." Sounds pretty perfect to me!

Go with the Flow

2012-01-16T10:26:00.000-05:00

So if you haven't noticed, I've been trying to freshen up the H-Haus this year. Nothing major - our furniture will stay, the paint will stay; I'll just be replacing/adding a few key accessories here and there. One thing I always try to think about is if our home has 'flow'. That doesn't mean I want the rooms to be matchy-matchy, but that I do want it to make sense together. Can I take a pillow out of the living room and throw it on the sofa in the back room without it looking crazy?

I'm super visual, so one of my favorite things to do to see how things are coming together is to make a collage. I take photos of the H-Haus, products I'm considering purchasing, and inspiration photos and layer them together to see if it all 'works'. Sometimes I create the collage on a pinboard, sometimes with glue, and sometimes on the computer. This time I went with the computer (considering I have a one-and-a-half year old this tends to be the fastest, cleanest option!) and I'm pretty pleased with the results:

If you look closely you'll see pics of the back room, living/dining room, bathroom, and even Violet's big girl room here along with some products that I've mentioned recently on the blog. A few inspiration photos help to give me an idea of what else I still need. You can see one of the main colors I'm trying to incorporate is a 'grellow'. I love how it's just so fresh and it makes me happy!

Stay tuned, I'll be sure to keep you updated as things come together!

xo,

Anatomy of a Blog Post [001]

2012-01-13T07:10:00.000-05:00

I get a ton of emails asking about how I create certain graphics for my blog, what programs I use to create layouts, etc. etc., so I thought maybe the information was post-worthy. First up is graphics. I create some of the graphics myself, but I also use a lot of freebies from other bloggers. Read on for more info (and a free download!):

1. I created these simple ribbon tags in Photoshop - they take about five seconds to make and are useful in labeling posts.

2. I used this graphic in my New Year's Resolutions post, but I love them so much I'm sure they'll pop up again sometime! They are actually a Photoshop brush that I downloaded courtesy of Pugly Pixel.

3. I created these little bronze polka dots by photographing some metallic paper I had laying around and masking the image with a circle in Photoshop.

4. This is another freebie courtesy of Pugly Pixel. She offers free downloads quite frequently, but if you become a member (for a mere $5!) you can download all kind of great graphics, brushes, layouts, and templates.

5. I've used these polaroids heavily lately. They're a freebie from Jess Craig of IROCKSOWHAT and come in a whole bunch of different colors and patterns.

6. I used this tinsel brush in this post and it got a lot of attention. (I'm not surprised - it's beautiful!) You need to have Photoshop to be able to use it and if you're more of a Photoshop novice like me you'll definitely need to use the tutorial to get this one to work.

7. This washi tape has popped up a lot lately too. Another freebie from Pugly Pixel (seriously check that site out - it's full of great stuff!)

8. And last but not least, these banners aren't something I've use on the blog, but I did use them for the kids' Christmas table I created. I wouldn't be surprised if they popped up on here in the future though!

And if any of you are into the blog graphics I created, here's a page full of freebies for ya [for personal use only]:

Happy Friday the 13th!

We go together like...

2012-01-12T13:00:00.001-05:00

Salt & Pepper . Meat & Potatoes . Eggs & Bacon . Bread & Butter . Milk & Cookies

I was taking another look at Knot & Bow and noticed these sweet engraved pencils! What a fun Valentine's gift for your other half, don't you think?

Etsy Love: Pillow Pairs

2012-01-12T07:00:00.003-05:00

I've been on the hunt for a couple of cozy pillows for the back room, and the gorgeous patterns, colors, and textures of kilims have caught my eye. They look great paired together, or with a more graphic partner. Here are a few of my favorites from Etsy:

one . two . three . four . five . six . seven . eight

Which would you choose?

Instagramish 1.11.12

2012-01-11T12:58:00.000-05:00

A few fun things

1. new polka dots from Old Navy!

2. we went on a factory tour the other day and Violet loooooved it. especially the hairnets.

3. sweet little artist

4. craigslist score for Violet's big girl room

5. my mom made a floor bed for Violet at her house the other day and it was a huge hit

6. violet's been really into cars lately. i've been really into her color wonder markers :)

you can see more snapshots of our little life over on instagram.
follow along with us and I'll follow along with you!

Living Room Refresh

2012-01-11T07:00:00.004-05:00

So I've been wanting to freshen up the living/dining area of the H-Haus lately. Nothing major - paint, furniture, etc. will stay the same but here's what I'm thinking for the accessories:

I gave up on the other two sets of curtains and am now a fan of these ribbon-edged drapes from West Elm. My favorite pillow combination at the moment is pairing a textured solid pillow with a colorful patterned pillow. This throw is sooo me, but it's backordered until April! And I am currently coveting this painting by Kate Lewis. It's been sold, but I'm hoping I can paint something similar. Now I just have to see what the Hubster thinks. Wish me luck!

with two cats for Houzz.com: Create a Cozy Home for Winter

2012-01-10T14:00:00.000-05:00

I don't know about you but I swear I suffer from Seasonal Affective Disorder. Since I can't move south, I figure I have to warm up my home within! Click here to check out a few of my picks for Houzz.com to create a cozy home this winter season.

Simply Lovely 1.10.12

2012-01-10T08:34:00.001-05:00

just a few things I find simply lovely

Etsy Love: Knot & Bow

2012-01-09T14:54:00.000-05:00

Aren't these heart stickers from Knot & Bow just adorable?! I can think of a million ways to use them.

Maybe for Valentine's Day?

xoxo,

At least one of which I know I will be able to keep...

2012-01-06T07:00:00.002-05:00

Just a few things that have been rattling around in my brain that I'd like to accomplish in 2012. I'm sure of success on at least one point (turning 30), so no fear of complete failure at least!

One of the things that has been most difficult for me in 2011 is finding a balance between motherhood, a full-time career, blogging, and maintaining a household. Generally the ball I end up dropping is the housework. I mean, the laundry is insane. I swear that if you only saw my bedroom, some days you'd think that I belong on an episode of Hoarders.

Problem is that having a messy home stresses me out. I'd like to have less stress, so I need to figure out a way to get things under control. I'm thinking a regular cleaning schedule, and a strict routine are the way to go. I've never been much of a schedule or routine person, but something has to change. If you have any suggestions for me I'm all ears!

Here's to 2012: The year of de-hoarding!

If I Had My Druthers...

2012-01-05T11:05:00.001-05:00

Our master bedroom would look something like this:

charcoal velvet pillows, woodland floral pillows, yellow velvet pillow, metal footed clock, quartz terrarium, pomme pot, mid-century nightstand, felted foliage garland, sconce, antlers hook

I'm not sure how the husband would feel about the flowers or colors, but it's my taste for sure! I feel the need for happy & clean in my house these days.

What a Tease...

2012-01-05T07:00:00.002-05:00

After arriving home from work yesterday, I hung up my coat, grabbed the mail (I love having a mail slot - no extra time spent in the freezing weather outside!), and plopped myself down on the couch. I was excited to see my new West Elm catalog, quickly flipped through it, and got really excited about two of the new drapery designs - the Diamond Links and Spring Bloom Embroidered window panels:

I've been lackluster about our cranberry-colored drapes in the living/dining rooms since we purchased them, but nothing has excited me enough to consider replacing them until now. Better yet, when I showed them to the Hubster at dinner, he immediately had the same thought as me (and that doesn't happen often!) Our process usually goes something more like: I find something I love, he shoots it down, and I keep looking until we (eventually decades later) come to an agreement. There have been a few other times the stars have aligned in this way - the curtains in Violet's nursery and the chalkboard wall in our back room to name a couple, but trust me that it doesn't happen often.

So after dinner I hopped on my computer to check them out on West Elm's site - only to find that they are 'no longer available!?' I mean, correct me if I'm wrong but I believe they are fairly new??? How have they been snatched up so quickly? Needless to say I am sooo disappointed. :/ Any ideas on how I missed the boat on this one?

West Elm I insist that you stop teasing me with your catalog if you don't have the stock to back it up. If you weren't one of my absolute favorite places to shop you'd be on my black list for sure.

And after the ~~great~~ incredibly frustrating rug search of 2011, I'm hoping history isn't going to repeat itself in 2012 in the form of window treatments! New Years Resolution No. 1: I will not waste hours of my life searching for window treatments online. There.

My first resolution to break.

xo,

H-Haus Year in Review & Goals for 2012: The Bathroom

2012-01-04T07:00:00.001-05:00

Our longest running project has been the bathroom. We started working on it waaaay back before Violet was even born.

This room started out with an animal print border as well - this time a bath tub theme!

We ripped out the peeling fiberglass surround, linoleum and laminate flooring, and plastic fixtures and replaced them with subway and hex tile and a new shiny chrome faucet, handle, and showerhead.

After the bones of the room were complete, we started to focus on the decor. I came up with an idea board for the space:

We painted the room a deep, rich gray:

And added a few finishing touches:

Still to do:

A few pieces of trim still need to be installed
More art
Some sort of window treatment
A rug?

It's so funny that our smallest project turned out to take the longest. It makes me nervous for when we tackle the kitchen...another goal of 2012? (And the master bedroom could use some serious help as well).

So there you have it! Our three big projects of 2011. We're no Young House Love (our year of projects is probably equal to about a week of theirs), but we're slowly plugging along to make our little home a cozy one.

Here's to more steady progress in 2012!

H-Haus Year in Review & Goals for 2012: Violet's Big Girl Room

2012-01-03T07:00:00.001-05:00

Yesterday I shared the progress that we've made on the H-Haus back room. It's nearly complete and it's such a great feeling! Today I'm sharing the room that has come probably the furthest in a year, but still has such a looong way to go:

Violet's Big Girl Room

Another big (but still very incomplete) transformation of 2011 was Violet's big girl room. We've been using it as a play room for now, but when she's ready for it I'm hoping that it will be ready for her. We started with a pretty horrific before:

And needed pretty much a full overhaul. We ripped out the wall-to-wall zebra carpet, removed the animal-print-purse border, and exchanged the ginormous and ancient radiator for a smaller a less noticeable replacement. Next came some plaster-repair and dry-walling:

To get to where we are today:

A rug we purchased long ago from Anthropologie juuuust fit in the teeny tiny space. We hung up the banner that I made for Violet's first birthday party, threw in a few toys and an old chair, and called it a day. Since then I've slowly been gathering treasures here and there to finish the transformation from zebra bordello to a room fit for our little girl:

Etsy and the Land of Nod unearthed two pretty pillows and Lori Marie furnished the third as well as a pretty flower garland for the space. Since then I've gathered some terrarium prints, a lovely little pillow, a dottie quilt, a plush little dancer, a dollhouse made-with-love, a sweet little hook, and a squirrelly little lamp.

2012's to-do list will include:

trim
curtains
a DIY botanical pull-down chart
a floor lamp
an antique serpentine dresser (maybe natural, maybe painted?)
a mirror
a completed dollhouse
hand-painted pull-down shades
sheets
a twin mattress
a headboard or bedframe
and probably much much more

Whew! My pocketbook and I are exhausted just thinking about it - but it will be so worth it in the end. I wish that we had the budget (and the time) to do this a bit more quickly, but slow and steady wins the race, right!?

Tomorrow I'm going to share the longest-running project at the H-Haus (and it's one of the smallest rooms!)

H-Haus Year in Review & Goals for 2012: The Back Room

2012-01-02T07:00:00.001-05:00

2011 was a year of slow but steady progress on the H-Haus. I thought I'd write a few posts to prove to myself that we have made some headway (little by little) and to figure out my goals for our home in 2012. We'll start with the room that has come nearest to completion:

The Back Room

The back room was the big transformation of the H-Haus this year. We started out the year with freshly painted walls and a new charcoal-colored sofa, and not much else. Luckily the Hubster and his dad are pretty handy and installed new hand-built cabinetry into our small nook:

Next came the wallpaper. After some serious debate about the proper way to hang it, it went up smoothly and added a fun burst of color and pattern to the otherwise neutral-Nelly room.

On the adjacent wall, we threw up some magnetic paint followed by chalkboard paint, which the Hubster then framed out with trim:

We left just enough space in between our new pillars of storage bliss for the Hubster's grandmother's desk. I never thought we'd have space for an 'office' in the H-Haus but it just goes to show even small spaces can have big function!

To add even more storage, we snagged ourselves a bookshelf from IKEA and shared a few tips on how to style it with...books! (mostly) Imagine that.

And after a loooong and intense rug search and two duds, we finally (I think I hope) found a rug that's going to stick around for a while:

And after a long wait and much debate, we decided on a photo of the babe to have blown up onto a canvas.

For Christmas we bought ourselves a bit of bling for our little antique desk: a shiny new iMac!

And last, but not least, we installed a ~~back-ordered~~ long-awaited sconce and carved out a little space for more of our growing art collection.

Although there are still a few details we'd still like to add (a couple of throw pillows, a little touch-up paint, and a few more additions to our art wall) I'd say this room is pretty much finished! (Happy sigh)

Stay tuned tomorrow to find out which room has come sooo far but still has a looong way to go...

2011 Year In Review: Violet

2011-12-30T21:54:00.003-05:00

What a year we've had baby! We've been through a lot and learned a lot and grown and lot and guess what? We made it! And 2012 is sure to be the best yet. Here are a few highlights from 2011:

January: After eight months of nursing we discovered that you were allergic to your mama's breast milk. We tried an elimination diet, which helped but unfortunately not enough. So we weaned. It was emotional (for me more than for you) and painful (Again for me - thankfully not for you.) but in the end you were such a happier healthier baby on your prescription formula.

February: We celebrated your first Valentine's Day! Complete with some funny outtakes, you were Mommy & Daddy's favorite Valentine.

March: You finally started to crawl! Walking was your real goal but you finally settled to get from point A to point B.

April: Crawling didn't satisfy you for long! You were up and about before we knew what hit us.

We took a photo of you one year later in the same spot. On the left is your mama eight months pregnant and on the right you are 11 months old:

We had a heat wave and went for a spring romp in the yard:

And you went on your first Easter egg hunt. The prettiest little egg hunter I ever did see:

May: May was a big month. You turned one! We celebrated with a pink and red birthday party and your mama worried about if your birthday would be the same without cake. But it turned out fine in the end.

June: We had your one year photos taken by Megyn Barroner. It turned out to be a blazing hot day but you were a trooper and the pictures were beautiful.

You also fell in love with the great outdoors. Every leaf, rock, and twig was the greatest joy in your life.

And the flora wasn't the only thing you loved. The local animals got their share of attention as well:

July: We found ways to keep cool and you were daddy's favorite gardening assistant.

You also started to take to solid foods after we visited the feeding therapist. We shared some of the tips that we learned in the hopes that someone would find them helpful.

And last but not least, you attended your first baseball game on the fourth of July! The stairs and carousel were your favorite parts.

August: Mommy had a tough time with going back to work. It took a few months, but we finally all settled into a new 'normal'. (I think it was harder on me than on you.)

You also went on your first trip to the zoo! You were absolutely thrilled and we had a perfect day.

We finished out the month by switching from a bottle to a sippy cup. It took a few tries but we finally found the right fit and have been going strong ever since!

September: Your mama still struggled with being back at work. I wanted nothing more than to be home with my little girl. Luckily you were in good hands and having a ton of fun with your friends.

You had your first trip to the fair. It was a short one due to the weather, but you loved the lights, people, and animals. You even said, 'cow' and 'moo!'

I wrote a post to all of the mothers out there - Mothers Know Best. You were so so sick and I felt compelled to share what I'd learned from months of caring for a sick child.

October: Corn mazes, farm animals, and hay rides - October was a month for fall fun.

Your Aunt Kari and Uncle Alex tied the knot and you attended your first wedding in style:

Your favorite face to make was your 'stink face' - dubbed so by your father. And a cuter face I never did see!

And, of course, there was your very first trick-or-treat. Last year you dressed up and went to trunk-or-treat, but this year you went door to door for the first time and loved putting 'candies' in your bag!

Not as expected was a freak snow! You had your first sled ride and were fascinated by the fluffy white stuff.

November: We romped through the leaves, read a lot of Shel Silverstein, got a new iMac, and just spent time together as a family.

Your mama and papa worked on your dollhouse, and you enjoyed helping out around the house. Life was good.

December: In December we unexpectedly said so long to your pacifier. You took the news like a champ and went to bed with hardly a peep!

You settled into some amazing sleeping routines and attended your second annual cookie exchange. And of course, there was Christmas! You had a thrilling holiday week filled with family from near and far, birthday parties, and presents galore.

You've come so far! From a baby to a toddler, you've grown into such a beautiful, smart, and sweet little girl. Mommy and Daddy love you to the moon and back. We can't wait to spend 2012 with you!

xoxo,

Mommy & Daddy

A happy new year to you and yours! We hope that your year was as wonderful as ours and that your 2012 is filled with love and laughter.

Happy 50th Mom!

2011-12-30T09:31:00.000-05:00

Last night we celebrated my mom's 50th birthday! Her one request was a small party, so it was just our little family, but we had a ball!

Happy 50th mom! You are beautiful and we love you!!!

xo,