Baby Shower En Blanc for the Andersons

About a month ago, we were honored to throw the Andersons a baby shower for their little one Austin {who joined the world on just a few weeks ago}! I offered to throw Jess a shower last fall, not totally realizing how much more work it would be to host a party with a brand-new baby, but I did all of the planning before Daphne was born and it worked out pretty well!

Jess had requested an “En Blanc” party, so the theme was super easy: white. I pinned lots of different things, but wanted to keep things simple, both décor and food. Most of the décor I got from Etsy, but everything is linked below for those who have asked. There were tons of babies and it was so wonderful to see so many friends.

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{Popcorn favors}

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{Guess how many candies in the jar & the winner gets the entire thing!}

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{Wishes for Baby Austin}

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{The dessert bar!}

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{Thanks to Cale, the father-to-be, for helping get this donut cake together!}

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{Eloise, Daphne, and Jaz before the party!}

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{These two girls had the BEST time!}

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{All of the MAMAS! Such an amazing group of women.}

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{All of the “new” Papas!}

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{Oh brother, those papas…}

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{The Andersons!}

{photos by Jess // Ready to Pop favor stickers: Kaspi Party Etsy Shop // small white picture frames: Michael’s // white clipboard frame: Target // art: Soeurette, my mama // lidded glass vase: Michael’s // small flower bouquets: Michael’s // Oh Boy banner: Ur Invited Too Etsy Shop // LOVE sign: Target (old) // Wishes for Baby cards: DIY // white balloons: Display and Costume // tissue tassels: DIY // menu card: DIY // Oh Boy cake topper: Foiled Prints // mini cupcakes: Trophy (vanilla-vanilla)}

Congratulations Jess, Cale, and big sister Jazmyne!

M

project baby #2 {baby shower}

I was so, so honored to have a shower thrown in my honor by my amazing friend Amanda  this past weekend. As with most things related to a second (or third) baby, I didn’t want anything too crazy, including a big baby shower. We really don’t need much this time around in terms of baby stuff (although I say that and my to-buy list is surprisingly long!) and I just wanted a party where I could catch up and chat with my closest girlfriends. It was perfect.

I don’t have a ton of photos since I am so terrible about picking up my camera during a party, but Amanda took some of most of me and my guests so I wanted to share.

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{A cold January morning was perfect for a fire.}

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{Brunch an a hot chocolate bar! Plus, aren’t the trees absolutely amazing outside the dining room windows?}

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{Little tags for guests to write wishes for Baby Lower. This is so special and I can’t wait to compile them.}

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And onto some pictures with guests (and I am so sorry if you left before we could get a photo!). It means so much to me that each of these women came out to celebrate Baby Lower.

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{Me and Sara.}

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{Me and some of my PEPS mama friends – Leslie, Shannon, and Heather.}

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{Me and Kyrsten. Not pictured is her adorably squishy newborn daughter!}

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{Me, Jess, and our bumps. Jess is about 10 weeks behind me and we are so excited to be having these babies so close together!}

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{Me and my mama. The best Grammie ever!}

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{Me and Amanda, the best hostess.}

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{Chatting, or something.}

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{We were all a little obsessed with the littlest shower guest!}

 

Thank you Amanda for such a perfectly wonderful morning. I know Baby Lower is going to be so loved and supported by some of the best women around!

Amanda also threw me a shower the first time around which you can see here!

And for those that have inquired, my jumper is Hatch Collection (though no longer available but there are others here) and is so, so comfy; I am obsessed! And my pin is Chanel (see more here) that I picked up when Aaron and I were in Paris almost six (SIX!) years ago.

Happy Shower Baby Foot!

M

our trip to texas {san antonio & austin}.

I apologize for the slight absence this past week from the blog. we unplugged & enjoyed the past week on a family vacation to TEXAS y’all!

it was great to have some family time to explore new cities & to hang out with friends. the entire purpose of the trip was to attend Jess & Cale’s wedding (Aaron was a groomsman), but we went down early to visit my very good friend Meg & her family (we have known each other since we were 12 & have been friends ever since! i also know her husband from high school, so it was a little reunion of sorts!).

{san antonio}

{eloise loved looking at the planes from the gate while we waited. she even waved at the ground crew guys, but I am pretty sure they didn’t see her!}

{eloise was catching up on some reading during the first part of the flight.}

{after lunch, eloise napped. hooray!}

{we had an amazing lunch at Bird Bakery & I wish I could go there every day. they have amazing sandwiches & cupcakes!}

{eloise & violet (Meg’s daughter). it is hard to believe there is only 8 months between them (Vi is 6 months)! they are BFFs already.}

{we headed down to downtown san antonio to the Riverwalk we had heard so much about. Meg suggested we take a river cruise & it was awesome! we learned so much about the history of the Riverwalk & the city, & it was so gorgeous!}

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{there was beautiful architecture all along the Riverwalk.}

{a group shot! eloise’s morning nap was a no-go hence the pacifier in the middle of the day!}

{& then we ventured down to the Alamo. I had no idea it was in the middle of downtown.}

{there was a gorgeous old & huge tree right near the Alamo.}

{the obligatory family shot in front of the Alamo.}

{the girls weren’t too keen about the fur trapper hats, but they sure were cute!}

{we hit up Bakery Lorraine for lunch & I had to try the French macarons. they had an Earl Grey flavor, so it was pretty much my favorite thing ever!}

{Meg & I took the girls to the DoSeum which is the brand-new children’s museum in town. it was such a great place & even though the girls are little, there were things for them to do. there was a little town & eloise had fun exploring all around. she loved putting the mail in the mailbox!}

{we played a few games of Settlers of Catan. it was fun to play after a few years & it makes me want to play at home!}

{I had my dresses for the wedding (I had three sent – one back-up size & one back-up style which you will see below) sent to san antonio so I didn’t have to do an eight-day rental. I was a little nervous since I would have had just one day to find a dress if none of the dresses fit, but Rent the Runway did not disappoint!}

{austin}

{this little one was so good at the wedding rehearsal & so ready for lunch!}

{picking up aaron’s wedding suit. it was a formal wedding, but no tuxes. the guys looked great!}

{we watched the first half of the huskies vs. ducks game, but it was too late to stay up for the entire thing! it was a sad loss, but I am proud of UW for not letting it be a blow-out!}

{shenanigans with eloise. those are her shorts on her head!}

{this was the outside of the chapel at the venue. “A” is for Anderson!}

{after being with just mama all day while papa was celebrating pre-wedding with the groom & the wedding party, eloise was so happy to see aaron after the ceremony! she had seen him thru the window as he was waiting to walk down the aisle & was pretty disappointed when he had to walk right past. she did pretty well during the ceremony with her pacifier & a stolen set of crayons (from the little boy in the row in front of us) that she used to make really pretty artwork all over the inside of my satin clutch… but she didn’t scream or cry, so no complaints!}

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{the wedding party’s table. the bride & groom sat in that little settee in the corner! the dinner menu was BBQ, so we stripped all the kiddos down to their diapers for dinner, & I tucked my napkin in like a bib!}

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{this was our family photo from the guest book. I love instant photos!}

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{we asked the pro photographer to take a family photo (hence the great lighting!) & then we filmed a little bit for Jess & Cale’s video photobooth! my dress was this Marchesa from RTR & I was so in love! We still aren’t sure what was going on with Aaron’s hand!}

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{one of my favorite new photos!}

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{I had the BEST wedding dates y’all!}

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{we made sure to get a group photo with the new Mr & Mrs Anderson!}

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{this is one of me, Hailey, & Carmen. yep, that’s a booster seat in my hands; we shared it between eloise & lily for dinner!}

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{my back-up rental dress – which was this Monique Lhuillier – was a twin to the dress that I made for Eloise for the wedding. & we had to get some photos in our matching dresses before I had to return them!}

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{you can see the back of Eloise’s dress here – a huge bow!}

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{we went to Torchy’s Tacos for lunch & it did not disappoint!}

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{we made our way to the “greetings from Austin” mural & Aaron set up the timer on my phone for a great family photo!}

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{& there just happened to be a French patisserie right next door to the mural. So we wandered in & found ourselves with a half-dozen macaroni to-go!}

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{Austin is a really young town & very hipster. I feel like this picture is a good representation somehow – a huge aloe vera plant & a silver airstream!}

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{downtown Austin.}

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{this was a great mural right down the street from our rental house: living the good life in Austin.}

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{we learned at the Alamo about how there was a Mexican cannon in our possession & we basically said “come & take it” & then they did… this was a nod to that great act at Frank’s.}

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{our cute little rental house. In a bit of an up-&-coming neighborhood, but so nice on the inside!}

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{we drove out of Austin to The Salk Lick for some BBQ lunch. It did not disappoint!}

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{my two lunch dates hamming’ it up!}

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{posing with the BBQ pit. That thing was impressive!}

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{we had a few hours in Austin before our flight so we headed to the Thinker which is a children’s museum that focuses on science, technology, engineering, arts, & math (STEAM). Most of the museum exhibits were too old for Eloise, but we did find a few that were perfect! It was nice to get some wiggles out before the flight.}

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{a giant light-bright! I was in love.}

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{Eloise loved the lights too!}

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{Eloise & Aaron running round with our buddies Andy & Lily (who were also on our flight!)}

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{Eloise fell asleep almost immediately on the flight – & we had the entire row again, thank goodness – but after the flight attendant announced that the fasten seatbelt sign was off & then om & then off (a billion times), she woke up… she was really pretty good the entire flight & only fussed when we tried to put her in the Ergo to sleep. She was awake the entire time we de-boarded, got our bags, & walked to our car. As soon as we got her buckled into her seat she was out!}

except for the piping hot weather (it was in the mid-80s!) we LOVED Texas. seriously, it was a really fun place to visit. luckily we had a rental car (which you absolutely need) & got to explore all over san antonio & austin. if you ever get a chance to visit, we highly recommend it!

eloise did really well traveling, & we were super (super) lucky to get the entire row on both flights! it helped tremendously to have a bit more space for her to wiggle; aaron & I sat in the aisle & window seat (respectively) & eloise bounced around between sitting on the seat, climbing up & down, & standing. the hardest part of the trip was that eloise slept terribly the first three (out of four) nights we were in san antonio. like the worst she has ever slept. I think part of it was the time change, part of it was sharing a room, part of it was teething, etc., etc. even though she wasn’t sleeping well at night, she napped fairly well (even with one nap per day on some days) & wasn’t really grumpy from lack of sleep. when we got to austin for the second part of the trip, we all slept so much better! we rented a house on AirBnB & it was perfect. we wanted a kitchen, two bedrooms, & close to downtown & freeways, & it met all of those requirements. I also set up baby gear rental which changed my life! we brought down our own car seat & stroller (both check for free on the plane) but didn’t want to worry about bringing other gear down, especially since Meg had a highchair & Pack N Play for us in san antonio. so I searched before we left & found I Love Baby Rentals in Austin & set up a rental for: a Pack N Play, audio monitors, booster seat, & activity table. it was delivered & set up at our rental house, & then picked up by the owner – so awesome! I highly recommend this if you are traveling with littles!

thanks for having us Texas!

M

our trip to north carolina & indiana.

{sidenote: some of these pictures i shared earlier in a weekend update so don’t mind the duplicates! also, this is a super picture heavy post.}

the first two weeks of this month we were able to get away & fly to charlotte, NC & indianapolis, IN to visit aaron’s family. we joked that we were “taking the (Eloise) band on the road” but that we were just her groupies (since everyone really just wanted to see eloise, right?).

we started out flying to charlotte (via minneapolis) to visit aaron’s older brother david & his family (jodi & their three kids). it had been about a year & a half since we had last seen them all, so there was lots to catch up on. we also got to see aaron’s aunt molly & her girls who are also in the charlotte area.

20150430_154146513_iOS{napping on the plane – score!}

WP_20150430_20_39_37_Pro {kitchen sink bath – eloise loved it!}

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{eloise enjoyed looking at kitchen fixtures with david & jodi.}

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{aaron was able to attend gavin’s baseball game.}

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{megan, rachel, aunt molly, lindsay, & eloise!}

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{all of the kiddos playing.}

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{maddie let eloise borrow her baseball hat. so cute!}

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{oh boy was it hot. like too hot to wear a shirt if you were under one year old.}

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{date night! we noshed on burgers & sushi, & it was amazing!}

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{eloise, how is that comfortable?}

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{eloise loved her uncle david. he taught her all about baseball at gavin’s game!}

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{eloise & sophie enjoying the game.}

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{maddie & eloise.}

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{we didn’t get a cousin picture until the morning we left. this is the best we could do…}

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{saying good-bye.}

WP_20150505_07_14_05_Pro{eloise & gavin were such good buddies while we were visiting!}

traveling from charlotte to indianapolis meant a stop in atlanta to change planes. our flight crew on the first leg of our trip absolutely fell in love with eloise (who wouldn’t?). she was whisked away by cindy, one of the flight attendants, & got the full tour of the plane – cockpit, galley, & meeting some of the passengers. eloise even got a shout-out during the safety demonstration & was nominated to be “Miss Delta”! it was so fun. plus, we got our own row on the flight, & eloise took a nap. fantastic!

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then we flew to indianapolis (via atlanta) to visit the rest of aaron’s family. while aaron’s dad & step-mom were out at the beginning of september (to meet eloise!), we haven’t seen the rest of the family for at least a year & a half (we were out two christmases ago). we also got to see the gilbertsons (kendra, greg, & their two kids) who were visiting from orlando. it definitely wasn’t a coincidence that we were in town at the same time!

{& these photos are in no particular order…}

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{eloise & charlotte LOVED each other. charlotte kept saying “baby baby” to eloise. i can’t wait to get these girls together again!}

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{uncle aaron loves to play with all of the kids, but sometimes needs to catch his breath.}

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{frankie loved eloise too & helped me feed her one night.}

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{eloise loved all of the attention during her meals.}

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{crosby, kenley, & eloise.}

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{a mother’s day selfie with kendra!}

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{eloise & her great grandmother eileen.}

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{eloise & beau, aaron’s parent’s dog. eloise enjoyed beau since he let her get closer than sadie ever does. he liked to sniff & lick her face though so every time she saw him she would make a face!}

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{i got in a free golfing lesson courtesy of aaron & sam!}

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{eloise & charlotte. eloise has a way larger head & charlotte has longer arms & legs, but basically the same size.}

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{eloise was playing with her aunt cari.}

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{eloise got to meet her great grandmother eileen. it was the sweetest thing when we were all sitting down at the table & eileen looked at eloise & said “she has my thighs!”}

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{four generations of Lowers.}

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{eloise loves to play the slapping game & her papaw sam was happy to partake!}

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{crosby, kenley, & eloise. the best we could do of the three of them!}

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{group shot of mamas & babies.}

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{love those gilbertsons!}

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{kenley & eloise.}

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{mamas on mother’s day – aunt kathi, kendra, me, & diane.}

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{can we please live closer or do this more often?}

SONY DSC{kendra & eloise.}

 

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{eloise was enjoying a delicious brunch!}

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{i was comparing my feet to frankie & teddy, they are 4 & 8. teddy & i have the same size feet & frankie isn’t far behind!}

20150510_000730208_iOS{it took a few days but charlotte finally warmed up to aaron! they were so sweet together.}

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{frankie helping me feed eloise.}

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{our niece mallory feeding eloise.}

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{play time with nana, charlotte, & frankie.}

 

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{eloise had so much fun with nana & charlotte.}

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{eloise also got to meet her great aunt susan.}

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{eloise & i practiced crawling down the hallway. i think she had more traction on the carpet!}

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{me thinks someone dropped a toy down there.}

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{kendra, kait, eloise & me.}

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{all of the (baby) cousins!}

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{kenley, eloise, & charlotte.}

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{me, kait, & eloise.}

WP_20150512_18_34_04_Pro{attempting to do bedtime on the flight home. it was mostly successful but ended up being more of a nap!}

I come from a pretty small family who lived mostly in the same place as I grew up, so marrying into such a big family has been a lot of fun! we were excited to see everyone & catch up, & also be able to introduce eloise to her extended family. hopefully we will be out to visit again soon!

M

a quilt for charlotte.

as I had mentioned here our niece charlotte was diagnosed with liver cancer back in february. you can check out the latest on her treatment here if you’d like. she just started her last round of chemo this weekend & is scheduled to have surgery at the end of the month. the tumor is shrinking but we would appreciate your thoughts & prayers as she continues her journey to remission.

{charlotte & her new hair-do!}

my very dear friend amanda was so sweet & made charlotte a quilt. it is so beautiful & I can’t wait to see it when we are in indiana this week. be sure to check out her post here (the front of the quilt is below but the back is a fun surprise)!

{a rainbow quilt for charlotte.}

thank you so much amanda for such an enormously special gift!

M

my weekend in pictures.

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{my last day of work was on friday. so strange! hello maternity leave!}

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{whole foods was having a huge sale on bars on saturday. aaron decided we should stock up!}

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{we were the clampetts this weekend when we picked up some box springs for our new bed & had to tie them up on the roof of our car!}

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{we met some friends at black raven brewery for a great date night!}

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{so enjoying peach season! & thanks to my husband for removing all of the skins… even though he thinks it is so ridiculous.}

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{after a few trips back & forth over lake washington this weekend, we finally got stuck at a bridge crossing this morning. at least it was a pretty view of the lake!}

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{we spent some time at the house this weekend & started moving back in. good thing we are getting some help with cleaning since there is a layer of dust on everything!}

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{we finally got summer weather back in the PNW! I always worry about keeping sadie cool when the weather is hot. then I see her lay in the sun & I realize I shouldn’t worry so much.}

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{lots of cleaning was happening this weekend. I think this is foreshadowing what our foreseeable future looks like.}

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{lots of painting – by our subs – was completed at the house this weekend!}

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{another dinner date this weekend with friends at skillet diner in ballard. so delish!}

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{sadie was loving the cold concrete floor at lowe’s this evening. I sort of wanted to lay down with her!}

we had big plans to spend lots of time at the house this weekend & really start moving in. we were a bit foiled when there was still interior painting being completed in both our old space & new space. we did the best we could but still have a long ways to go – that’s the way renovations work, right? the weather was absolutely amazing though so it was such a great summer weekend. I officially start my maternity leave tomorrow & have about a million-&-a-half things on my to-do list before baby lower makes an appearance. how was your weekend?

M

my {long} weekend in pictures.

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{on saturday afternoon we celebrated & remembered the life of my grandmother.}

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{mmm, s’mores!}

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{a fierce family board game commenced. aaron & I were victorious!}

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{the bump & I got all dressed up for a baby shower on sunday! pics to come later in the week.}

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{I love being at my parents’ house & catching up on all of my mom’s magazines!}

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{dinner out at smoky mountain pizza – a local fav!}

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{my parents’ dog bentley. love this guy. & he loves you when you have food!}

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{so. many. donuts & cookies. we were sent home by the shower hostesses with lots of sprinkled & sugared goodies. an apparent test of self-control at 8 months pregnant.}

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{sad to leave boise after such a quick trip!}

we spent the long weekend in boise to celebrate the life of my grandmother. it was an emotional time, but so, so good to see so many family & friends. we had a small family “service” at my parents’ cabin to remember & celebrate my grandmother. it was perfectly small & succinct – just how she would have wanted it to be.

I also had the pleasure of being “sprinkled” {baby sprinkled that is} by two of my best friends in celebration of baby lower. it was really great to see family & friends, & meet a few new babies that were in tow. I plan on sharing pics of the shower later in the week, so hold tight!

it was hard to spend so little time in boise before having to make the trip back to the real world, but it is nice that we have a short work week to look forward to. how was your weekend?

M

amanda’s baby brunch.

I had the pleasure of hosting a baby brunch last weekend to celebrate my good friend amanda & her baby boy! she requested a simple affair that was focused on quality time with girlfriends. after amanda chose steelhead diner {right at pike place market!} for the venue, the rest of the brunch came together really easily. amanda’s friend kelly acted as my co-host & we came up with this simple pinboard.

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{the main focus of the décor was the table: a simple kraft paper runner with a few flower arrangements & succulents}

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{a simple guess-how-much-candy-in-the-bowl game // a thumbprint guestbook that will be a keepsake for baby boy’s nursery}

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{the table // wishes for baby // the cutest little succulents in pots that were sent home with each guest}

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{more thumbprinting! // onesies with tiny clothespins hung as a bunting-type banner}

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{me & amanda & our bumps // kelly & amanda}

details:

  • the kraft paper runner was a simple version of this one
  • the low flower arrangements were a combination of a whole foods bouquet & peonies.
  • the “instruction cards” were handmade with faux calligraphy & washi tape buntings
  • the thumbprint guestbook was made in illustrator {with a little trial & error}
  • the succulents & ceramic pots were from fred meyer
  • the glass candy dish was from michael’s

also see amanda’s brunch post here!

it was so great to celebrate with you amanda & I can’t wait to meet baby boy!

xo M

my weekend in pictures.

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{got to attend jaz’s dance recital on friday night. such a treat! great job kiddo!}

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{I had the pleasure of hosting a baby brunch for amanda & baby boy sadlier at steelhead diner on saturday afternoon. more pics to come this week!}

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{traffic was awful this weekend going to seattle & in the city. the 520 bridge was closed & streets all over the city were closed for the half and full marathon.}

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{not usually a fast food eater but I did have to try a wendy’s frosty in a waffle cone. so good!}

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{we got to hang out with jaz on saturday night while her parents went on date night. lots of games were played!}

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{I bust out the iron only for special occasions. this occasion was maternity photos.}

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{lots of hair products used by the gal at swink style bar while getting my hair done.}

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{stopped by the house this weekend to see the progress & DRYWALL! pics to come later in the week.}

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{sadie enjoying the new almost finished space in our basement.}

we had a very busy first-of-the-summer weekend but it was time well spent. we got to hang out with our friends jes, cale, & their daughter jaz {twice!} which is always a good time. I also got to co-host a brunch for my good friend amanda & it was so good to see her & get some girl time in. the setting wasn’t too shabby either – right in the heart of pike place market! I was able to stroll around the market ahead of time, buy some gorgeous flowers, & enjoy a delicious raspberry croissaint from le panier. we also did a maternity photoshoot this afternoon – all of us: aaron, me, sadie, & the bump! we were down at golden gardens beach park which was busy because the weather was so great. can’t wait to share these pics in a few weeks!

how was your weekend?

M

erin & colt got married.

last week we were in indiana {you can see highlights of our week here if you missed it} to see aaron’s family & also to attend erin & colt’s wedding!

colt & aaron {not to be confused with erin} went to high school together, & erin & I hit it off as soon as we met. they have both been really great friends for a lot of years & we were so, so honored to be invited to celebrate their big day.

along with being able to join in the wedding festivities, we also had a few other family ties to the big event. cari, aaron’s sister, sang all of the music at the wedding ceremony – processional, recessional – as well as the first dance song & a late night rendition of bobby mcgee which is her go-to karaoke song {um, she sounds exactly like janis!}. funnily enough erin heard cari sing crazy love during our wedding ceremony & asked cari to sing at her wedding during our reception; almost four years later she did! also, all of the antlers that were used in the wedding – to line the aisle & along the centers of each reception table – were courtesy of my big brother jason. they looked fantastic!

the wedding site was at colt’s parents’ house & it was perfect. the ceremony was out in front of the house & the reception took place in a huge tent out back. erin & colt thought of everything which you could see in all of the beautiful details. there was an old mantle & windows that stood in for a traditional altar, the reception tables were lined with antlers, fresh flowers, moss, & tall candlesticks. towards the end of the night we were entertained with a huge fireworks show!

without further adieu, the pics {since that is what you are really interested in, right?}.

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{all dressed up! // the bride & me at the cocktail hour pre-ceremony // the ceremony set-up}

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{the ceremony aisle // first kiss! // program stand}

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{the ceremony site // our seats at the reception // the lounge area in the tent}

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{pie bar in lieu of cake // the gorgeous reception set-up // first dance}

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{the moms & bride watching the father of the bride’s toast // colt & his mom dancing // the tent all aglow}

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{cari belting out bobby mcgee // the groom // erin singing baby got back with the band}

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{the tables were even more gorgeous in candlelight // mo, cari, me & aaron // the bride & the bump}

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{cari & mo // colt & erin having a good time // aaron getting’ down // group pic at the end of the party}

& if you didn’t get enough you can see all of aaron’s pictures of the wedding & reception here.

we had such. a. fun. time. it was one of those weddings where everyone had a great time & danced the night away. congratulations erin & colt!

xo M