Four Years!

I'm a little late in posting this but hey..better late than never right?  Jim and I celebrated our Fourth Wedding Anniversary on October 3rd! I truly can't believe it's been four years! I still remember every detail about that day and would give anything to be able to go back and relive it. 

We were lucky enough to celebrate our wedding anniversary with a getaway to Cabo San Lucas. It was a wonderfully relaxing week. There was lots of beach bumming...which I think is my favorite hobby by the way. So maybe it's not hobby..but it should be. There's something about the ocean that just instantly relaxes me and puts me in this super zen mode. 

I'm so happy and thankful we had this time together..just the two of us. 

It's been lovely year with lots of fun adventures which included travel and moving into our new home. A home and neighborhood that we have enjoyed very much so far. It goes without saying that we are very blessed and I know we both realize this and thank God for our blessings on a daily basis. However, it's also been a year that's included loss, frustration and heartbreak as we've continued to struggle to start a family. Something we both want very badly. We are still trying to navigate this windy road..which sometimes feels like more of a roller coaster that is never ending. But mostly, we take it one day at a time...and continue to love and laugh and live our lives and know that somehow..someway..just like everything in life..things will fall into place as they should. Our marriage and bond has only become stronger as we've embarked on this journey..and for that I am extremely thankful. 

Lots of love to you my friends!!!  Be back soon! XOXO

Quick little Catch up!

Hello lovelies! I am still alive! Things have been busy, busy per usual but I guess I wouldn't have it any other way. How about a quick little catch up? Here's what we've been up to...


We spent a weekend in  Reno to witness the beautiful baptism of my now Godson Cameron. Seriously, the cutest little chunk around. It's an honor to be his Godmom! It was a wonderful but way too fast weekend.

Some of my favorite ladies and sweet babes!

Over Labor Day weekend Jim and I visited family in Chicago. This is our third annual Labor Day Chi Town trip. So fun. There were game nights that went into the wee hours.....wine..okay maybe lots of wine..and maybe why the game nights lasted into the wee hours.  There was an architectural boat tour in the city followed by some more adventuring in the city and  dinner at a restaurant  I've been dying to try.  If you are in Chicago...RPM is a must. The food is amazing and if you're a Giuliana and Bill fan like me..then it's a must try as they are partial owners of RPM. There was cuddly time with our adorable niece and nephew and family time that I treasure so very much. I've said it many times..but Geez..I've sort of won the in-law lottery.

 Have a great week!
XO

Wine Country!

One of my most favorite places of all time..the Napa/Sonoma Valley. We headed up to wine country for a wedding for one of Jim's college buddies over the 4th of July week. We decided to make a little vacation out of it and man..I think we'll be filing that decision away in our box of better life decisions.   Wine country never disappoints. Sprawling vineyards, green rolling hills and sunny skies. Oh and yes, the wine. How could I not mention the wine?? It's certainly Disneyland for wine lovers. You may not find Mickey or Minnie or overly made up Princesses. Oh no, here you will find spunky little Chardonnay with her oaky yet fruity flavor and Peppy little Pinot Grigio with her light and way too easy to drink ways and Mr. Pinot Noir who is sauve and smooth and oh so flavorful.

And as lovely as the wine is, I believe the food in this region is just as lovely. Lots of farm to table restaurants with meals that are extremely fresh and flavorful. Oh, how I could gush endlessly about this place.

We met up with our friends Lindsey and Jake and attended a wine tour one day. It was definitely a blast and a highlight of the trip. We were taken to mainly family owned wineries which was really neat. So great to support the local wine makers and purchase wine that isn't widely available.

We were given a tour of one of the wineries which was very interesting. The bottling plant was really neat!

The following pic was at our third stop on the wine tour. We were feeling pretty good at this point as you may be able to tell.

After the last stop on our wine tour we rode our little "party bus" back to our hotel where our fabulous tour guide asked for some music requests. Something that I'm sure she'll never do again on her future wine tours...because Jim swiftly requested Tupac and sure enough our tour guide obliged. The four of us were loving it but I'll never forget the horrified looks on some of the other couples on the tour..one of them  had her hands over her ears. Clearly their taste in music is lacking. You count on us to keep it classy in Napa.

Another highlight was a drive down to Bodega Bay...where we were much better behaved.

It's interesting how some salty air and ocean waves will instantly relax and ground you. We sat together in the sand for a while and had a meaningful conversation about life and our hopes and dreams. Life gets busy and we often forget to have those deeper conversations like where we're headed and what we both want out of our life together. I think it's oh so important to do this from time to time.... Hit the pause button on life for a moment and sit back and reflect. It was a meaningful moment, one that I will cherish. I am beyond thankful for what we have together.

Hope you have a great weekend!
XO

Well...hello again!

Sorry for the silence on this little bloggy lately. It's been quite a busy summer so far and I haven't had much time to sit down and reflect. So, shall we do a little catching up?

I thought I'd share some little adventures. The first being a fun trip to the Reno/Tahoe area to visit some of my favorite ladies and my ridiculously cute Godson Cameron! Yes, you've seen him before here. It was a quick yet super fun visit with one of the highlights being a lovely day spent at Lake Tahoe with two of my most favorite ladies and the cutest little baby boy around.

If you haven't been to Lake Tahoe..put it on your Bucket List ASAP. It is breathtakingly beautiful.

         Can you even get over these cheeks!!! 

They are simply the BEST.

Well..the arm rolls are pretty sweet too! 

  

Our most recent adventure was a trip to Wine Country and well, I just realized that I haven't even downloaded the pics yet and what's a post without pics right?  So...let's end on a high note. 

Another pic of sweet baby Cameron.

Be back soon!! Promise!

XO

Fun Little Succulent Display

My mom and I put together this fun little succulent display while she was visiting us last week. 

I love how it turned out so I thought I'd share. It was super easy and inexpensive. 

Start with any shaped glass container. I found mine at Homegoods which is the perfect place to hunt for  inexpensive glass containers. They carry all shapes and sizes.

Soak your moss in a small bowl or bucket of water and leave it there until it's soaked up most of the water. This will help it be pliable and easy to place in your container when you're ready for it. You can find moss at most craft stores. I usually buy mine at Joann's Fabrics.

Fill your container with rocks. I already had the larger neutral rocks and randomly found the white rocks at the checkout aisle in Homegoods. Seriously, what can't you find there!?! I love how the white rocks add a fun contrast. We did a layer of white rocks, then neutral rocks and another layer of white. 

Then you pop in your little succulents..placing them wherever you desire. My succulents are from a local nursery but you can also find them at Lowe's or Home Depot. However, I have found that our local nursery has a better selection. 

Next you will grab your moss from your bucket of water and place over dirt and in between the plants. Fill in any gaps with the moss. 

Voila! You have a fun little display! Mine has found it's happy home on our kitchen island. It fits perfectly behind the sink.  I want to make a terrarium next! I'll be sure to share that too. 

Hope you're having a great week!

XO

In honor of Mother's Day...a tribute to my Mama.

The above couldn't be more true for the way I feel about my mom.  She is my best friend and my rock. She is always the voice of reason in any situation. She has taught me to be strong just like her and to always, always...no matter what... be thankful. 

When I was a little girl she often called me her shadow.  I never let her go too far without following right behind. I never had a security blanket when I was little and now I realize why. She was it. She was my safety, my security. She was my everything. 

She is smart, witty, fun and nurturing. Her laugh is contagious and her smile genuine. She is hands down the strongest person I know. 

She is an avid tennis player, cook and gardener. She is fashionable, creative, the hostess with the mostess and quite the world traveler. 

She was born to be a mom. I am in complete awe of her ability to love and nurture with such ease.  She has shown me just what kind of mom I'd like to be one day.  

She is my best friend. 

I love you mom! Thank you for simply being you!