Happy Friday!

Hi Friends! How are you? I know, I know. It’s been too long! I’m so sorry. Please forgive me! I wish that I had an awesome excuse for the absence of posts the past month – like a really big promotion at work or a last minute family adventure overseas. But I don’t. Honestly, life has been pretty normal. After the “craziness” of the Holiday’s, we eagerly settled back into our regular routine. (Well, normal sans daily blog posts for me. Ugh!) But I’ve been missing you all and have some things I would like to share…

Gabby is back at school, and loving it! (Check out the last pic in this post.)

Did you happen to catch the amazing sample sale at Calypso St. Barth? I snagged an awesome Caftan for 90% off. I cannot for summer!

I received a copy of the Smitten Kitchen Cookbook for Christmas (Thanks, A!) and I cannot stop reading it. I’ll be sure to pass along my favorite recipes!

My favorite blogger, Cup of Jo, is expecting! So happy for her!

I made us dinner reservations here for a pre-valentine’s day treat. Yum.

And finally, big “happy birthday” wish to my sister  who turned 21 yesterday! Cheers! We are so excited to celebrate with you this weekend! xxoo

Have a great weekend and a pretty morning!

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Happy Holidays!

Hi Friends! Happy Friday! And Happy Holidays! At this time in the year, I usually find myself reflecting and writing about all the happiness and joy that occurred the past 12 months. But this week I have struggled to find the energy, courage and will to do it. I am still sad, as I know so many of us are. December has been overshadowed by tragedy and sadness, both nationally and personally. I am eager to spend time with those that I love and ring in the new year. Until then, I just have two quick links to share… one serious, and one that is fun. Enjoy!

2012: What brought us together

Creating a perfect cheese board (I am going to attempt this tonight!)

Thank you for reading my blog and sharing this space with me. Stay warm and enjoy the ones you love! See you back here in 2013! xxoo

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Happy Weekend!

Hi Friends! Happy Friday! How are you? How was your week? Mine felt forever long, but I am happy to report that I am starting to feel the joy of the Holiday season! It’s amazing what a little shopping, decorating and going to the Zoo’s annual Festival of Lights can do! Here are a few links to help get you in the holiday spirit (if you need it!)…

How to tie a perfect bow.

Holiday recipes from Love and Lemons.

Cool jewelry for DC peeps! This would make an awesome gift.

Holiday hair inspiration.

Gift Guides from Make Statements (via my friend Hillary – more on this next week!)

Also, I wanted to let you know that I am going to try a new format in December. I will only be posting a few times a week (likely on Tuesdays and Thursdays, but it will just depend on the week) instead of every weekday. Thanks for your understanding, and as always, thanks for reading my blog!

Have a great weekend and a pretty morning! xxoo

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Happy Monday!

Hi Friends! How was your week? And even better… how was your Thanksgiving? I hope it was wonderful and cozy. Did you do any shopping this weekend? I did not. And I have to admit that I am not yet in the Holiday spirit. But we are planning to get our tree this week and I know that will help!

I don’t know about you, but I think our household was ready to get back into a routine. Vacation is lovely, but it just seems to throw everything a little off. Even our sleep schedules have been wacky!

Stay tuned, I have a lot of great things to share with you this week!

Have a great day and a pretty morning! xxoo

Happy Weekend!

Hi Friends! Happy Friday! How are you? How was your week? Are you ready for the weekend? I know I am! We have a busy, fun weekend ahead. Tonight we are attending an awesome Art Event in Cincinnati. Then we are meeting friends for dinner at one of my favorite spots, Nada. And tomorrow night we are going to the MU vs MSU hockey game in Oxford. Go Green! I hope you have a great weekend too! Here are some fun links from around the web…

Monogrammed shoe clips. Adorable!

Gabby’s new favorite food.

The best soup you’ll ever have

A great article on aging.

4 secrets to a well stocked Holiday pantry.

 Have a great weekend and a pretty morning!

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Happy “Haunted” Weekend!

Hi Friends! Happy Friday! How are you? How was your week? Are you up to anything spooky or scary this weekend? It’s amazing to think that Halloween is just a few days away and October is almost over. Soon we will be planning our Thanksgiving menus and making holiday shopping lists! Wow.

Next week is a really big week at our house! Gabby starts school on Monday. She is so ready and I am so excited for her. And Alex’s birthday is on Friday. Fun! Plus we have a lot of Halloween activities, including a party on Wednesday night.  So, given all the action at home, I decided to use up some vacation days (yes, from that real job!) and have the week off work. I will also be taking the week off from blogging to make it a true “stay-cation”! This way I can really focus on family, work on some house projects and enjoy a little bit of down time (AKA “relax”)!

Have a great day and a pretty morning (and a fabulous week!). xxoo

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Happy Weekend!

Hi Friends! I am SO glad it is Friday. What a week it has been! I am happy to report that Gabby is finally feeling better! Life with a sick baby is no fun! But we are excited and looking forward to the weekend. What about you? Do you have any plans? Whatever you’re doing, I hope it is what you love and enjoy. Here are a few fun links from around the web to get your weekend started.

This is hilarious and brilliant: 17 Things Tina Fey and Amy Poehler Should Run

The Cincinnati Zoo’s new baby giraffe needs a name!

The 10 Worst College Majors via Forbes (I’m not agreeing with this list, just sharing it!)

This “school photo” costume is great!

The yearly salary that a 2012 stay-at-home mom would earn (if she were paid!) is $112, 962.

Have a great day and a pretty morning! xxoo

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Reality Check

Before I sat down to write a post this morning, I reread my Happy Weekend post from Friday. After this weekend, I feel that I owe you all a “reality check” post. It all sounded so dreamy on Friday – fun, fall activities and spending time with family doing the things we love. Our weekend included some of those things, but that does not fully describe reality. Let me know share with you what the last three days were like…

On Friday morning, Gabby woke up screaming with a fever. After an hour of holding her limp, tired body, I called the doctor. They said to bring her in ASAP. We were in the waiting room 20 minutes later. She had a fever of 101 (the first fever of her life), but thankfully checked out fine otherwise. It was a just cold virus. And they said to also watch for croup but otherwise just be patient and nurse her back to health. Since we could not go to the Play Cafe, we stopped at Starbucks on the way home for a treat. (I needed caffeine and she deserved some juice!)

Aunt Adrian arrived home from college and we managed to get out of the house for lunch at Panera. While Gabby napped and Adrian settled in, I went to the gym and to the grocery store to buy our ingredients for dinner. But before we could even start cooking, all the smoke detectors in the house went off. Within minutes the fire department and the police department were at our door. It turns out that the steam from Adrian’s shower set the alarms off and they were dispatched via a home alarm system we have. Since our house is still rather new to us, we had no idea! But it’s great to know they are only minutes away!

Once everything settled down, Alex left for the hockey game with a friend and Adrian and I made a delicious dinner. We had salad, broccoli, roasted potatoes and grilled filets. Yum!

After dinner, we called it an early night and went to bed. Luckily, we all got a good night of sleep! On Saturday morning, we had coffee, cinnamon rolls and berries for breakfast.

Gabby was still not feeling great, so we did not go to the Zoo. While Alex played golf, we went to the mall and grabbed lunch at Nordstrom. Their crab bisque is to die for!

When we arrived home, there was a stray dog in our yard. After two unanswered phone calls to the numbers on his collar, we had to let him be. But Gabby loved chasing after him! We hope “Bucky” found his way home!

 

Adrian and I were able to sneak away for a lovely afternoon at the nail salon. (Thanks, Alex!) When we returned home, we lounged around and snuggled with Gabby. Poor thing! We ordered take-out and watched football. However, Saturday night was rough. Gabby was awake from 2:30-4:30am and both Alex and I did all we could to comfort her. My heart broke knowing how icky she felt!

Sunday morning was rather calm, all things considered. Aunt Adrian left to go back to school and I went to a friend’s baby shower. Gabby took a 4-hour nap! Whoa. Alex and I were hopeful that she would wake up feeling better, but she still felt warm and had a cough. Sigh. What a weekend! xxoo

 

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Happy Weekend

Hey Friends! Happy Friday! How are you? How was your week? We had beautiful weather and lots of baseball this week in Cincinnati. But I am very excited for this weekend to be here! My sister will be home from college for fall break and is staying with us all weekend. We have a ton of fun activities planned with Gabby including trips to the play cafe and the Zoo for HallZOOween. And also some girl time at the nail salon for mani/pedi’s. It is going to be great! One of the things we love to do most is cook together. So tonight we have big plans for a yummy dinner at home. I will tell you all about it next week! Until then, here are some fun, foodie posts from around the web…

How to cultivate and grow your own Chipotle habit

Do you really need a crock pot?

Life After Top Chef on Bravo

Recipes via goop.com

The best taco’s you’ll ever have

And really, really pretty food photography!

Have a great day and a pretty morning! xxoo

 

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Happy Weekend

Hi Friends! Happy Friday! How was your week? What are you up to this weekend? I hope is it something fun and “fall-ish”! Tonight I am going to try a Hot Yoga class at a new studio that just opened near our neighborhood. I hear it is awesome! While I am busy sweating and striking a pose, here are some fun links from around the web…

Awesome Dance Scenes From 80s Movies

Two of my favorite things - Mindy on NPR!

Paper Bag Costumes

Pretty Scarves for Fall

History of TV Theme Songs with Jimmy Fallon! This video is hilarious!

So, How Was Your Day?

A good reminder: How to talk to little girls

Also, tomorrow night we are attending a black tie function called The Red Tie Gala. I cannot remember the last time we went to a fancy event other than a wedding. It should be a lovely evening!

Have a great weekend and a pretty morning! xxoo

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Happy Weekend!

Hi Friends! Happy Friday! How are you? How was your week? I am so glad that the weekend is here and for once (in a long very time) we have nothing big going on! I am hoping to cuddle with Gabby, drink warm lattes and plant some fall flowers. While I am starting to finally enjoy fall, here are some fun things from around the web…

I decided that I need a (faux) leather jacket.

Wine in a purse.

Anna Dello Russo for H& M.

A love letter that made me smile and tear up at the same time.

Six kids and no car… This mom is amazing!

Have a great day and a pretty morning! xxoo

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Happy Weekend!

Hi Friends! How are you? How was your week? Oh boy… if I thought the past 24 hours were busy, then this weekend is going to be “jammed packed”! Here is what we have going on…

Tonight, Alex and I are playing in a couples golf tourney dubbed “The Nine and Dine Classic”. Last year was the first annual and we won! But I have only played once this year (and it did not well!). So we are just looking to have a good time tonight! P.S. Did you know that I played golf in High School?!

On Saturday, we are going to a wedding! I love weddings! Ironically, a childhood friend of mine is marrying a childhood friend of Alex. (It’s a crazy, small world.) Though we have known them for years, we did not put it all together until about six months ago. Emma is going to be a stunning bride! And we cannot wait to celebrate with them! Cheers!

On Sunday, we will attend the Harvest Festival at Camp Joy. I was recently asked to join the Board of Directors for JOEC (Camp Joy), so we are exceptionally thrilled to be a part of this event. Then after we put Gabby to bed, I hope to plop on the couch and watch the Emmy Awards. The nomination list is stacked and Jimmy Kimmel will surely deliver some good laughs!

I hope you have a wonderful weekend and a pretty morning! xxoo

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Paella Party

Happy Monday! Are you ready to hear about our dinner club surprise…? We had a Paella Party! And I am happy to report that it was a successful evening! We really wanted to do something fun and different, so a few weeks ago I looked into a few options. Hector from Paella at Your Place was originally unavailable, but had a last-minute cancellation and called me! So we scraped the mediterranean menu and shifted to a Spanish theme. It was authentic and delicious!

The finished Paella!  Hector and the Paella… he brought everything including salad and bread!  The cooking process took about an hour.While Hector cooked, we enjoyed Spanish cheeses and meats al fresco. It was perfect!

One of the things that I love most about dinner club (other than it being a great night with friends) is that it gives us a reason to use our nice china and other wedding gifts that would otherwise be collecting dust in a closet. I also love that it makes us get our house “guest ready”!  

Happy Weekend!

Hi friends! Happy Friday! How are you? How was your week? Are you ready for the weekend? I am, but I have to admit that I am nervous about our dinner club on Saturday night. We decided to make a dramatic change of plans… instead of serving the Mediterranean menu, we are doing something totally new and different. I promise to tell you all about it on Monday (with photos)! Until then, keep your fingers crossed for us and enjoy these links from around the web…

A cool new place to buy art.

Yum… Milkshakes.

I wished I lived in Seattle so I could try all of these.

Gabby’s school has a blog. It’s so cute!

A parenting guide for the rest of us. LOL

Boden’s Fall Sale (25% off!). And boots! I’m ready for fall!

My alma mater, MSU is playing Notre Dame tomorrow night. GO Green!

And finally, a very BIG Happy Birthday wish to GOOTZ! We are excited to celebrate with you tonight! xxoo

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Happy Monday!

Hi Friends! How are you? How was your weekend? Did you do anything fun? We were very busy doing a lot of great activities with the people we love…

  • On Friday night, we took Gabby to a Family Night event with Alex’s parents (Gootz and Grandpa) at the Cincinnati Nature Center. You can see photos here.
  • On Saturday, I went to a baby shower AND a bridal shower while Gabby played with my Mom (YaYa)!
  • On Saturday night, Alex and I played some golf and had a nice dinner al fresco, while Gabby was with her favorite babysitter, Lindsey!
  • On Sunday morning, I did a photo shoot for a friend. Her daughter just turned one!
  • On Sunday afternoon, we met my Dad (Grandad), brother and sister at the Cincinnati Reds game. It was a perfect day for it!

All that in one weekend! Wow! As usual, it’s Monday and I’m exhausted!

Also, I think we have finalized our dinner club menu. I will be sure to share it this week!

Have a great Monday and a pretty morning! xxoo