spring mini sessions!!! book now!

I'm excited to offer some spring mini sessions over at Emily Drake Photography.  Spring is such a great time to get some updated family portraits, Easter pictures, or even Mother's Day gifts!  weekends are starting to fill up so book your session today!

emily drake photography

New blog post over at Emily Drake Photography!  Cute little Scarlet is turning 4!

happy birthday stuart!

Today, is my brother's birthday!!!  If you know him, you should wish him happy birthday!  If you don't know him...well, you are missing out.  not only are missing out on having awesome pictures like this with him...

but you are missing out on knowing an amazingly smart and funny man.  I credit Stuart for my respect of quality film and movies, my understanding of all the marvel comic characters and why I know more about super heroes, star trek, and star wars than my husband does.  He taught me to appreciate good humor...timing, delivery, sarcasm, and dry wit.  Stuart is brilliant and a talented writer.  He is an amazing father to two of the sweetest little boys there ever will be!

So on this day, his birthday, I wish him the happiest of days...that he gets a really long nap, a delicious cup of tea, hours of video game playing time, and that some how he would be transported to Orlando to spend time with mickey and his crew as well as harry potter and a happy birthday toast at the three broomsticks!

very good valentines

we had a great first married valentine's!  we stayed true to my promise of keepin' real classy and getting a take n' bake pizza from papa murphy's.  folks...that's darn good pizza.  If you haven't had Papa Murphy's (which I hadn't until Tuesday night, I suggest you find a time to try it out.  delish).  We got one of the "heart" shaped pizza...obviously it's a loose definition of "heart" ...but still tasty!

and I made a strawberry cake! strawberry = red/pink = valentine's day!

Josh did so good on my little valentine's gifts!  Here's yet another example of how Pinterest is a wonderful thing.  Ladies, if your friends and family don't know that you are on pinterest pinning away all these things that you think are lovely TELL THEM!  The best thing I ever did was show Josh my pinterest boards.  Christmas was great...and Valentine's as well :)  He saw that I pinned some measuring cups from Anthropologie, so low and behold...that's what I got!

he also went out on his own and got me something else too!  this is brave...apparently I'm a hard person to buy for, but he did a GREAT job!  Look at this fun vase he got me (also from anthro)...

I LOVE it!  it's the colors I am hoping to one do use in our kitchen...like a teal-y/turquoise-y blue and a bright orange-y red!  so fun!  I am continually rearranging our built-in's in the kitchen and think they make a great home on the shelves!

I was really excited about what I gave Josh...and hopefully it will start to be a tradition for many years.  I had seen on a blog I read where they made "year books" for their family...just a place to keep all memories for one year in nice and orderly fashion.  I think I've said how odd I think it is I'm not a very good scrapbooker...but I'm not.  And now that I work with so many digital pictures and files all day, this seemed to be a really good fit.  So, I headed over to My Publisher and went to work. 

And here you have the final product.  100 pages of our first year of life together! 

(front and back cover)

I was so glad Josh loved it!  and I'm excited about making one each year!

valentine's day

happy valentine's day!

I'm wearing red pants in honor of the fun and love-filled day.  red pants? I know I know...how am I not a teacher?!?!  truth is I bought them years ago and they happen to fit again!  (woo hoo!  making progress on at least 1 of my items on the "do before I turn 30 list").

My sweet husband started our first married valentine's day off with a classic little number...

yep, red roses.  can't go wrong.  classy, timeless, traditional ...love them, and him!

I found these heart "ornaments" in the 70% off christmas sale section in Target back in January.  Score for valentine's decorations.  They were normal $1...and 3 for $1 then 70%...you do the math.  I was able to get a lot for just $3.  so our mantle is fully ornamented with cute little hearts.

Speaking of classy...timeless...that's how we roll, you know...so of course tonight we are getting a heart-shaped pizza from Papa Murphy's.  If that isn't the traditional dress up go out on the town fancy kind of Valentine's Day meal then I don't know what is!  For dessert, I'm making this strawberry cake I found on pinterest:

I made the cake and icing last night so we are all set!

Hope you all have wonderful valentine's days!  whether you are dressing up or ordering pizza :)

dating my house

I have a confession to make...some of you already know...I think I've talked about it before even, but I need to be honest.  For the past 8 months I've been going on blind dates.  I've been on more than 60 during this time.  That averages out to more than 1 a week.  Some have been promising.  I've even been on second dates with about 15 or so of them...one guy we had 4 dates!!!!  but it just never works out.  It's a little frustrating you know...wondering if I'm ever going to find "the one."

I'm so clever, right?  Our house has been on the market for 8 months now.  It is funny to me how personally I take it when someone doesn't like my house.  It really is like dating...except I never meet these people.  We've had more than 60 showings.  It's kind of creepy to think about all those people going through our house.  The probability alone of that many showings would lead you to think we'd at least have had an offer on the house let alone someone to buy it...but no, we haven't.  Poor little house, just keeps getting rejected over and over again.  Do you want to buy it?!?!

We are going to take it off the market for a bit....just for our sanity.  While having your house on the market the first year you are married teaches you wonderful habits like always cleaning up after dinner and doing the dishes, hanging up all your clothes after you fold them, making your bed everyday, etc.  It also takes it's toll.  I haven't really decorated or added personal touches to the house since May.  No wedding pictures are hung, no moving the furniture around or adding fun nick nacks to the mantle.  Most my craft stuff was moved out of the house to clear out some clutter so I'm not doing as many fun projects. 

We just kind of need a break.  So that's what we are doing...UNLESS you want to buy our house!  We'll list it just for you :)  I'm looking forward to February (which is crazy that next week is february of 2012) and freshening up my house and actually living in our home.  Hopefully new fun projects will be coming soon! Stay tuned.

new year's rockin' eve

does anyone know what I was doing last new years eve? I couldn't tell you.  I looked back at facebook and the blog...no help.  this is why i need to be a better journal-er.  I take pride is remembering details and knowing what i was doing a year ago.  well...I have no idea on this one.  BUT here's what I was up to this new year's eve...

we had a low key night...lots of fun...but nice and low key.  New Year's Eve is hard.  Do you have people over? does that mean they have to stay for 10 hours? do you have it early? do you have a late party?  Well...we opted to just eat dinner with friends and come back and eat treats, get in to a few shenanigans, and then count down to the new year!  Josh was fired up...literally...with some left over wedding sparklers!

I had my cookies and fudge that I made earlier that day and we celebrated the new year with dear friends!

good times had by all!  happy new year!

new kitchen toys

well hello 2012!  I have a feeling it's going to be a great year (fingers crossed someone will buy out house!!!). 

I had some Christmas money and used it to buy 2 new toys for my kitchen!  First up...Candy Thermometer...

of course it's martha.  and it's great!  It has clip on the back that you can adjust for the height of your pan!  wonderful.  naturally, I had to use it...so I just HAD to attempt my first try at some homemade fudge!

Next...cookie scoop.  Can you believe I didn't have one?! me either.

but now I do.  thanks again to martha!  I used to it to make some chewy lemon cookies!  AND thanks to my dear friend Molly, I can now use my new silpat baking mat to bake on!  it was a great christmas for me and my kitchen. 

What were your favorite christmas gifts?  I'll be back later in the week with some more highlights from the holidays!