Thursday, December 28, 2017

Our Christmas

I almost fell out of my chair when I realized it's been 5 months since my last post.  Major props to those mom warriors that post every day.  Please tell me, what's your secret? Well, there's no time like the present, and 5 days after Christmas, to give you a look into our holiday decor and family photo shoot.  Procrastination at its finest, I know.  Clearly I'm not great at this blogging thing.

So originally, I planned on decorating #allwhiteeverything,  like a chic winter wonderland in a farmhouse somewhere in the country.  I took my daughter shopping to help me pick out Christmas decor and all went south quickly.  She wanted everything red and green, my least favorite.  I gave in of course being that she's only 4 and one day she won't really care what color I choose to decorate the house.



 I love the shelf above our TV because I treat it like a mantel.  Again, as if I were in the country and the mantel was really above the chimney.  I change the decor with the seasons.



Every year, we get tons of Christmas cards.  This year I actually purchased a little something to place the cards and we received only like 5.  Bummer.  I guess I shouldn't complain when we went virtual with ours this year sent via text.


Who else but Target would have these fabulous pom-pom pillow with Christmas trees?




This kid hates photo shoots.  I die with this photo though, that pout.


We tried a little something different this year for our shoot, thanks to our photographers suggestion.  I am in love with the way it came out.
















Check out the story behind these initials on my Instagram, in case you missed it. They're extra special.


Hoping you had a wonderful holiday season with your loved ones.  Now, it's time to relax and enjoy the next week or so before the New Year.

XOXO

Photo cred: Aragon Photography





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Friday, June 2, 2017

The Garden

I'm into gardening lately.  Wait, that's a lie.  I am into eating the food that's flourishing in our garden. It tastes that much sweeter knowing it's truly organic and pesticide free.  Since having our kids, I've become that much pickier as to what goes into our mouths.  Except when I'm scarfing down pizza and beer.  I mean, who doesn't NEED pizza and beer occasionally?

I've always dreamt of having a garden where I can source our food from.  Let me preface by saying I really, really, really dislike bugs {trying avoid using the word hate}. I mean, like if there's a spider in my bedroom, on the ceiling, on the other side of the room, I probably won't sleep in that room until it's dealt with.  Obviously, part of gardening is dealing with bugs.  The scary kind of bugs that hide in the dirt and jump out at you when your hands deep.  So although I've always dreamt of having a garden, part of my dream did not include me being the gardener.  Cue in the husband.  We had a little  "sit down" and I took to Pinterest to show him all the garden ideas and inspiration I'd been collecting.  I also kindly asked that he do the gardening, I would do the cooking.  Match made in Heaven.



Our space is not nearly as large as the space in the above photos, but I thought we could make it work.  Andres got to building out the garden.  We saved the seeds from the squash, green and red peppers we'd eaten and he planted those along with carrots, basil and butter leaf lettuce.  I have a confession to make, I'm a bad wife.  I didn't check out his masterpiece until about 6 months after it was done.  I know, shameful (I had an excuse, I was in 'just-had-baby' daze).  When I did go out and have a look :: dreams shattered :: nothing like my inspirational photos.  

Carrots
Green & Red Peppers

I'll admit, my inspiration photos may have been a little ambitious.  I'm actually not even mad because the man's got a green thumb.  He basically took all the seeds and through them in the dirt.  In no particular order.  We've got carrots growing next to peppers and squash just taking over the whole damn party.  We've got a few things sprouting we're not even sure what they are.  He swears he planted basil here {see below}, but it smells nothing like basil.  Somehow though, he's made it work.

Basil??

Squash {we're not sure if it's butternut, spaghetti or pumpkin} 

If you follow me on Instagram stories, you've seen us eat the red peppers and lettuce.  Truly delicious!  I can't wait to pick the carrots and squash.  We've got a big problem with the squash though, the vines are now taking over my backyard.  My daughter thinks Cinderella's carriage and the Fairy Godmother will manifest soon.  I'm just worried it will kill all the other veggies.   Husband has promised me that after everything has sprouted, he will rebuild and replant. For amateur gardeners, we're not doing that bad.  Like how I took some of the credit there?

Friday, May 19, 2017

FASHION FRIDAY: Date Night







We made it to Friday guys and I'm excited to show you two of favorite things. High waist skinnies and off the shoulder tops.  As a mom of two, you will rarely find me this dressed up and put together. I am usually in some form of athleisure running around with the kids.  We actually went out dancing last week and I got to strut this outfit. Feels good to be in heels and not have to worry about the littles spilling food on my outfit. Right before stepping out of the door.  Never fails...

I am pretty petite so finding jeans that actually fit me and don't stretch two extra sizes is a major win. I love these skinnies because they're the right ankle length and inseam for a shorty like me.  Also, they don't stretch. Like, at all.  Some may find that uncomfortable, I think it's perfect (no-one like a saggy booty).  I love them so much, I got them in white too.

I'm in love with this off the shoulder top at an unbelievable price point.  It's a bodysuit too so you know it will never untuck, one of my major pet peeves. Check out these gorgeous earrings from Bauble Bar.  Put these on plus a red lip and you're ready to hit the town.




Top: From Nordstrom (only $35) but no longer available.  
This J Crew one is similar and comes in three colors (I want it)! 

Jeans: Top Shop 

Sunnies: Prada

Earrings:  Bauble Bar but not available,  these are just as good though.

Purse: Zara but longer available. I just got this one for Mother's Day in putty and I'm loving it.  Good for dressing up or down.

Shoes: Steve Madden

Hope you have a fantastic weekend and get out and dance!

Thursday, May 18, 2017

Patio Update

Hi all.  Is it just me, or are the weeks flying by?  Since Kev's birthday party in April, feels like I blinked and May is almost over.  We did a lot of hustling before his party to have the patio looking half decent but haven't done much since.  I'm hoping June gives us some down time to get a few things done around the house.  I'm working on a house tour for you as well, along with a nice long list of the projects I have in mind.  Imagine how excited the hubby is about that?  I know he secretly wishes Pinterest would just go away and stop polluting my mind.  Keep dreamin' baby.  

Here's the patio in its current state, desperately begging for a paint job.  So far we've given it two coats of primer and two coats of paint.  It's crazy how much paint the wood soaked up.  I'm thinking it needs two more coats to look completed.  Another thing my husband is thrilled about {insert sarcasm font here}, 2 more coats.  



We prematurely installed two fans so our guests wouldn't melt during Kevin's party.  We'll have to take them down to finalize the painting but they were needed.  We had a hard time finding fans for this space because the roof is only about 7ft.  Not many white/modern/not-ridiculously-tacky fans come with the flush capability.  Amazon to the rescue.



You're probably wondering what that weird, rectangular planter looking thing is right?  Well unfortunately, we have the gas and electricity meter attached to this side of the house.  Hindsight, we could've moved the gas before we laid the cement, but too late.  So, my very creative father built a planter to cover the meters.  It can be removed if needed but for now, it covers those ugly things.  We will eventually paint it white as well and switch out the plants for different ones. Not really feeling the current red ones.



I really can't wait to wrap this up so we can get to the fun part - decorating.  I'm actually having a really hard time planning for this space.  One, it's an exterior space which is not my forte.  Two, I'm trying to be practical about the flooring choice but I am dying over all the tile options these days.  I know that if I choose a patterned colorful tile, I will likely get over it quickly.  I like to change things up and that type of flooring will just limit my options.  But guys, soooooo many beautiful choices every time I browse online and so on trend!  Here are some of my favorites, and I even had a hard time choosing just six.





If you follow me on Instagram, you know I'm obsessed with black and white lately.  However, I don't feel like it would work for my space {or my home}.  If I do end up choosing one of these, it's definitely going to be in the blue family.  Another option, and back to that annoying practicality I mentioned, is to pick a neutral tile or polished concrete and spice it up with an outdoor rug. I was playing around with a few different ideas and came up with this mood board.  I think the dark gray color of the house with the blue tile and pops of yellow will look spectacular.

1 // 2 // 3 // 4 // 5 // 6 // 7 //

Traditional vs. Trendy - oh the decisions I'm forced to make.  Which would you choose?


Thursday, April 13, 2017

When One Chapter Closes

I am feeling melancholic tonight as a big chapter of my life is coming to a close.  I am about to get personal but this something I want to share.  Almost four years ago I made a commitment to myself and to my first born.  Andee came into this world and I chose to nurse her. I set a goal for myself of one year.  To say those first eight weeks weren't the hardest of my life would be a lie.  I wanted to quit.  EVERY.  SINGLE.  DAY.  I cried, didn't eat much, and lost so much sleep {mostly, didn't sleep at all}.   Like most first-time moms, those first few weeks brought so much doubt.  Am I making enough milk? Is she really hungry, again? Is that normal? What is cluster feeding and how on earth can she be going through yet another growth spurt?  I had no idea what I was doing.  Andee would cry, I would nurse her.  Andee would wake up, I would nurse her. Andee would laugh, I would nurse her.  What did I know? I thought she was always hungry,  for 15 months, while she co-slept with us.  I was insane. Trust me when I tell you, you don't want to know what's it's like not sleeping for a year.  It ages you my friends.  Even after all that anguish, and I know it sounds cliche, it was completely worth it.  I loved how she would look up at me, caress my chest, pinch my back with her little hand, all while I nursed her.  When she was so tiny and would doze off on my chest, while I smelled her hair.  How easy it was to get her quiet if she threw a fit, you know, as a human pacifier.  The fact that I was burning roughly 500 calories a day, sitting on the couch producing milk.  Seriously, gym who?  It really was an awfully wonderful feeling and so hard to let go.  I bonded with my daughter in a way I never thought I could.

Circa 2013 with Baby Andee













When my second child Kevin was born about a year ago, I prayed that nursing him would be easier.  It was! I attribute the ease to being a second time mom and the few tricks I had up my sleeve.  Like knowing what kind of cry means hunger, not that every cry means hunger.  Knowing that if I want to survive as a mother to a toddler and infant, the infant has to sleep in his crib.  Knowing that it doesn't matter if the house is not tidy, the dishes are piled up in the sink and everyone is starving. They can go grab some take-out while I sit right here and enjoy this moment, that goes by ridiculously quick.

2016 with Baby Kevin














Ending my relationship with nursing this time around is so much harder for me.  With my daughter, she had to be weaned off.  This time, it seems like I'm the one that needs the weaning and Kevin is weaning himself.  I will definitely miss those early morning snuggles while everyone else is asleep and the house is eerily silent.  I will miss those beautiful black eyes looking up at me and that handsome boyish grin.  I will miss our bedtime hour, sitting in a dark quiet room, just savoring the moment.  To know that Kevin is the last baby I will nurse makes me sad, but knowing that I was lucky enough to nurse them both, that's my ultimate joy.


Photos: Aragon Photography