Family Pictures ~ Happy Holidays!

We had so much fun taking family pictures this weekend!  A friend of ours took the photos ~ she owns her own real estate agency, has three boys (4 yrs old, 2 yrs old, 2 mos old), oh - and she does photography on the side.  WHEW!  She is amazing and we are so thankful to have her as our photographer!

I'm writing this as I lounge on the chaise of our brand new sofa (Merry Early Christmas to us!) and sip on a hot chai tea latte.  The Christmas decorations are up and it is 49 degrees outside!  That is officially chilly winter weather in Orange County. 

 Happy Holidays, indeed!

~My hubby and I~

~Best sister-inlaw in the world, her husband, and their ADORABLE daugher Ella~

~Proud {and good-looking} grandparents~

The whole fam!

~The Guys~

~The Girls~

Blessings to YOU this Christmas season!

Olive's Hand-Painted Cross

My friend Emma asked me to paint a cross for her new baby cousin's baptism.  Emma sure does have a ton of adorable little ones in her family - remember Zoey's pink cross?

She sent me some great inspiration photos of Olive's colorful, whimsical room. 

And here's the final product...

I love the playfullness of the cross, and I think it will look amazing in little Olive's room. 

P.S. How cute is that name?!

Happy {Belated} Thanksgiving!

I hope everyone had a family-friend-food-filled Thanksgiving!  No matter what different walks of life we come from, we have MUCH to be thankful for.

{photo courtesy of tinyprints}

I am sitting on my sofa catching up on my missed Giuliana and Bill episodes {love them!}, depating on whether to run out to Michael's for some Christmas crafting supplies.  Black Friday really scares me!

I have this amazing project on the brain...

One thing's for certain - the Fall decorations are coming down, and the Christmas decorations are going up!

Happy Holidays, Everyone!



{Loving This!} Thanksgiving Kids Table from Celebrations at Home

I can't get enough of this adorable tablescape by the amazingly talented Chris from Celebrations at Home.  She created a simple and easy table with the new product line from Waverly & Hefty ~ durable disposable partyware.  I think this is absolutely perfect for elementary age kids, and the line can easily be used from Thanksgiving to Christmas!

I love that the colors are not so "obviously" Thanksgiving.

Hanging acorns?  Adorable.

Could these "place crackers" be any cuter?

Talk about fun & easy clean-up!

This is what Chris has to say about her design:

There's that manzanita branch AGAIN! This time I hung small ribbons with acorns, from the limbs. On the table a base of craft paper makes for easy clean up after the meal, and provides a canvas for drawing, writing, and games beforehand.
For name placement I found cheesy crackers with letters on them and spelled out each persons name. I also filled a tall vase with indian corn and let the kids guess how many are inside.

Please visit Celebrations at Home for a chance to win FREE Waverly & Hefty products!

Thanks for sharing your creative ideas, Chris.  You are amazing!

{all photos courtesy of Celebrations at Home}

The Perfect Circle Cupcakery, Old Towne Orange

OK, the time has come.  The Perfect Circle Cupcakery in Old Towne Orange is calling my name.  And I must give in.  It's only a couple of miles away for goodness sake.  How have I not been here yet?!

Check out their website.  These photos almost make me want to leave my profession and apply at the Cupcakery.  

Tiffany blue and black damask ~  I like their style.

The family who started it all.  Aren't they adorable?

Made from Scratch ~ Baked with Love.

{a Cupcakery motto}

You can reserve the shop for Camp Cupcake ~ great idea for Baby Showers, Bridal Showers, a Girls Night Out, or any other reason you can think of to pig out on some beautiful {and I'm sure delicious} cupcakes!

Could you say "no" to this sort of proposal?  I think not.

I am seriously LUSTING over these gorgeous cupcake stands available at the Cupcakery.  In the words of Rachel Zoe, "I die."

I mean, come on.

Lastly, look this adorable cupcake charm available at the Cupcakery.  Ya know, Christmas is right around the corner!  {hint, hint Honey!}

Here's a snippet of info about the Cupcakery taken from their website...

"The Perfect Circle Cupcakery was established in Dec. 2008 with the intent of providing our customers comfort and pleasure by offering simple and wholesome, fresh baked cupcakes, in a cozy small town neighborhood in the center of Historic Old Towne Orange.

Cupcakes are reminiscent of warm childhood memories, birthdays, celebrations, or just a good old-fashioned surprise made by mom waiting for you at home.

Small enough to fit in the palm of your hand, you just can't resist one of life's guiltless little pleasures. A treat so inviting, rewarding, and altogether charming is simply... Perfect.

Take a step back in time, come see us at the Cupcakery where life is Sweet."

Well...if you insist!

{all photos courtesy of The Perfect Circle Cupcakery}

Be sure to visit them online or at the Circle!

Why I've Been MIA...

My husband and I are going through our first family loss right now. 

On Thursday, November 4, we said goodbye to Papa.  He was my husband's grandfather ~ a devoted pastor who served as a Navy Chaplain in Vietman, and dedicated his everyday life to serving the Lord.  He was a wonderful husband, father, grandfather, and great-grandfather.  He loved telling jokes and he was able to see the good in every person.  He suffered a great deal of pain in the latter years of his life, and we are thankful that he is in a better place with his Heavenly Father now.

Although we will miss him a great deal, we rejoice because he has truly gone HOME!

 

We are thankful that Papa had the chance to lead us through our wedding vows two and a half years ago.  What a special memory!

Papa definitely knew how to be silly!  He was a real man whom everyone  loved!

I will be M.I.A. for a bit longer as we take this week to spend time with our family and prepare for Papa's funeral services this weekend.

Cherish the moments you have with your loved ones, and never miss an opportunity to let someone know how much they mean to you.

Do you not know? Have you not heard? The Lord is the everlasting God, the Creator of the ends of the earth. He will not grow tired or weary, and his understanding no one can fathom. He gives strength to the weary and increases the power of the weak. Even youths grow tired and weary, and young men stumble and fall; but those who hope in the Lord will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint.

Isaiah 40:18-31