Who’s ready for a summer picnic and parade? I know we are!

I signed up for a YearCheer holiday subscription for the girlies last year, and it quickly became one of our very favorite parts of the holidays.

Happy Friday!

I am by no means a DIY’er, but I’ve been admiring the Liberty of London inspired handles on so many bags for spring that I thought I might try a little crafting this morning. I found this fabric on Etsy for under $10 per 1/4 yard and used only half of it to wrap the handles of one of my very favorite straw bags. The finished project came out SO cute, and gave it the perfect hint of floral for under $5.

It’s here folks: The Most Wonderful Time of the Year.

And I’m not sure about you, but I’ve been looking forward to it since early March. In fact, if you follow along on Instagram you might recall we had not one, but two {much needed} impromptu “Christmas” celebrations earlier this year to lift our spirits during quarantine. Nothing like a little fir tree, red and green garland, matching family PJs and a Christmas puzzle to put a smile on your face.

Valentine’s Day is in just a few weeks, so to celebrate I teamed up with some of my favorite local entrepreneurs to create a little Valentine’s brunch tablescape to get us in the spirit.

As always, I looked to Winston Flowers for the florals- I love how all the different pops of pink came together, and how the designers created a romantic feel with these whimsical stems.

Yesterday my little elves were up before the sunrise, and we were greeted with the most beautiful dusting of snow. We had a a few hours to kill in the morning, so I decided to whip up some dehydrated oranges with my first girl. I’ve made them a few times before- they always leave the house smelling so sweet and are so pretty strung up as a pop of color in some holiday garland.

Ever since becoming a mom, there are a few products that have become year-round staples in our lives: Hand sanitizer? Check. Band-Aids? Check. Facial tissue? Double Check.

These are the things that fill our home these days. Because germs, and boo-boo’s and sniffling, itchy noses can happen twelve months out of the year now. And that’s just with one little running around the house.

Yesterday I turned thirty-three. And we threw a good old-fashion pizza party- made a little more adult paired with lots and lots of pinot. And because I'm a sucker for fall fire pits and flannels, we all donned our favorite plaids.

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BBQ's, Fireworks, Baseball and Lemonade Stands do All-American summers make.

Growing up, I can remember whipping up a batch of lemonade and setting up shop at the end of our street, eagerly awaiting to greet thirsty customers and collect my coins on a hot summer day. It's a quintessential summer memory, and one that I had hoped to share with MM one day.

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As I mentioned before, this will be the first Thanksgiving I'm officially hosting myself- with my mother, as well as much of our family, scattered throughout the country this year. And while the gathering will be decidedly small, I've naturally spent the last few weeks pinning recipes and festive decor.

After my intimate birthday dinner party a few weeks ago, I'm feeling more inspired than ever to make this celebration extra beautiful.

This past weekend wasn't necessarily ideal- my husband worked most of Saturday and Sunday, and the weather was predominately rainy and dreary.  Despite the odds being stacked against it, the rainy weekend wasn't a total bust.

Even before I found out we were pregnant, I knew I wanted a non-traditional nursery- no race cars or airplanes for baby boy, no hearts or princess tiaras for a girl. So when we found out we are having a baby girl (YAY!) I set out on a minimalistic grey-and-white themed nursery. I've never been too girly, and I tend to avoid most pink tones in general, and I wanted something sophisticated for our little lady.  However, as the nursery progressed it became clear we needed to incorporate some color into the space. My husband, being more traditional than I,  advocated for the use of at least some pink from the beginning.  "It's too girly," I would argue. To which he always responded, "Well, she IS a girl."