12/30/12

nye

"Some people swear there's no beauty left in the world, no magic. Then how do you explain the entire world coming together on one night to celebrate the hope of a new year? Before we pop the champagne and celebrate the New Year, stop and reflect on the year that has gone by. Remember both our triumphs and our missteps, our promises made and broken. The times we opened ourselves up to great adventures or closed ourselves down for fear of getting hurt. Cause that's what New Year's is all about, getting another chance. The chance to forgive, to do better, to do more, to give more, to love more. And stop worrying about what if and start embracing what will be. So when that ball drops at midnight, and it will drop, let's remember to be nice to each other, kind to each other. And not just tonight, but all year long."--New Year's Eve [the movie.] 

Sweet, cheesy, and perfect for tonight.

12/28/12

recent thrift finds

We've been having some fun thrifting here and there. It has become somewhat of a hobby- an unpredictable, often exciting hobby. We have made a pact in attempts to avoid clutter and hoarding that for every one thing we bring in, two things we must send out. Okay, I kind of made this pact alone, but it's been working, so alone or not, it's a good thing.

Here are some recent finds:
This horse may just be my favorite find to date. It's the perfect addition to Logan's room.// I never thought these pots would have had such a great purpose. A little paint + a small plant = a special gift.// This book was called "Zoo." I bought it simply for the pictures. They are very vintage and full of color. Lo loved them too.// We have been on the search for Berenstain Bears books for a few weeks now, so it was such a score when we found two in excellent condition at our local thrift store.// Meet our Elf on the Shelf. We are not a very scene or mainstream family, so buying the literal "Elf on the Shelf" was out of the question. But this guy-- I could NOT pass up. He served the same purpose and had a ton of character so i'd say it was a triple win.// This bowl is a glass ice cream bowl perfect in size for a toddler's bed time snack. She loves it.

yesterday in princeton

Yesterday we spent some time outdoors walking around the gorgeous, beautiful college campus that is Princeton University. This is one of our favorite spots to visit. We love the cute stores, fun book shops, food, and beautiful sights. We usually go in the spring or the fall, but yesterday we decided to venture out and enjoy the town while it was a little less crowded [with students on Holiday break.] So we ventured out into the cold. Regardless of the bitter chill and harsh winds, we had such a fun time walking around and taking in the sights. Logan loved looking at all of the "castles" --we even went into a few, which added to her realistic thought of being an actual princess. The building pictured right [my favorite] is the University Chapel who's inside beauty matched its outside.
Lo loved spending time with her cousin and being able to walk around campus freely like a big kid. She totally thought she was "one of the guys." Laugh and all. Haha
We also had a lot of fun with Instagram.
 The matching North Face's= not planned.
The matching Einsteins= totally planned.

12/27/12

you'll see and you'll hear us sing

Have you ever experienced that moment when you hear a song and instantly it puts you in another time or place? Where it triggers your senses and makes you actually feel? 

I do.

A lot. 

For some reason, this song always make me think of this time of year-- where we are now, when the air is chilled, and people are happier despite the demands paired with all of the hustle and bustle that comes with the season.

It's a beautiful song. Don't you think?


Beautiful World (We're All Here) by Jim Brickman on Grooveshark

Happy Early Winter!

12/23/12

made with love

I just l o v e handmade gifts. It's a simple yet beautiful expression of love. 

I want Logan to grow up with this appreciation, too. 

I want her to appreciate what people do for her, not what they get for her. 

What people sacrifice, not spend. 

I want her to know how doing things for others, can make herself feel good too. 

And that's exactly what we're doing.


This particular pot was for Great-Grandma. I loved listening to Lo as she expressed her feelings about her gift making ["this will be the perfect thing for a Christmas present"], and too her predicted feelings Grandma will have when she receives it: "she will love, love it." 

Melts my heart.

Lo aslo painted heart cut-out magnets-- a perfect little gift throw-in for someone special.

Don't get me wrong, I like store bought gifts just as much as anyone else, but there is something so very special about a gift that someone makes. Especially, when that someone is a sweet, sweet toddler.

12/20/12

these are a few of my favorite things

 
  
   
 
      



starbucks dates// kissy faces// beautiful days// oversized glasses// thrifted bowl// comfy sweaters// silly baby// silly grammy// beautiful tree// many, many choices// playdates with friends// handmade christmas cards// christmas cheer in full effect// goofy winking baby.

12/19/12

a very thrifty christmas


Lara's VintageToday, I am happy to share with you my first super fun swap I just participated in! Fellow mama blogger over at Lara's Vintage hosted this sweet, thrifty swap. The only thing I had to do was sign up and wait to be assigned my partner. Easy as pie.  The gifts were to be thrifted, So the search was one...yardsale, thrift stores, estate sales, and places of the like. The limit was $25, including shipping. I was given Laura for my partner . I checked out her blog, and found her to be the most interesting and sweetest little college girl AND an avid thrifter. I had a lot of fun searching for special gifts that she would adore.  While I was doing this for her, she was out doing the same for me. Today my box arrived with great stuff for both myself and Logan. 
I loved, loved, loved that she thought of Lo-- Logan loved that she thought of her too! She ripped right into her presents. Logan is very into little play things and dolls. So the little doll Laura picked out for her was p e r f e c t. The hair bands were as well. She put both of them to use immediately.

 





Another part of the gift both Logan AND Scott enjoyed was the little treats Laura sent. I loved the message she wrote on the bag. It made me laugh. If you can't see it, it says: "Don't worry, the candy is not second-hand. My Dad works @ Reese's." Haha



Laura also sent me a few pieces of jewelry. All of the pieces are stylish and in excellent shape. I love the earrings. I wear pearl earrings everyday, they are my favorite. So these were perfect!:]

Laura also sent me a very classic brown purse that is so cute and will go with a lot. I am very excited to use these items. Thank you so much Laura. I was happy to be a part of this swap and glad to experience it with you! ALso, big thanks to Laura's Vintage for hosting! :] I hope that everyone enjoys their gifts as much as Lo and I enjoyed ours.  Merry Christmas!

12/16/12

move over, gingerbread houses


...and hello Christmas tree cones. These cute little christmas trees have been popping up on pinterest left and right. Here and here were our inspiration.  As soon as I saw them, I knew they would be perfect for a Sunday afternoon kitchen activity. Basically, every time I try my hand at assembling a gingerbread house, I fail. Epically. Most likely the result of not waiting long enough for the structure to dry. But seriously, who has time to wait? Especially when working with kids. Not me. So when I saw these, I knew it was meant to be.  No assembly required, no waiting, and same end result [pretty much.] Match made in heaven.
For our "decoration" supplies we used what we had on hand and picked up a few other items to cater to our specific likes. I do not recommend the skittles, as they were a little too heavy and most of the time slid down the side. Everything else worked perfectly. Not pictured are the sprinkles we had on hand [gold and green.]

  
This activity was a total crowd pleaser. My mom, brother, nephews, and myself all enjoyed decorating, just as much [questionably more so] as Logan did :]

We used food coloring to make different color trees. The pink was my favorite.

         
 Logan mostly ate as she decorated. It's safe to say for every one M&M on her tree, she put two in her mouth. Haha. This girl loves chocolate. So does her daddy. In fact, he ended up joining in the fun..and helping Lo finish off the M&Ms.