Merry Christmas!

This year's Christmas Card

Merry Christmas Friends! I hope that you have a wonderful holiday with delicious food, thoughtful gifts, sparkle, and most importantly the people you love the most, enjoy!  xoxo

A Christmas Shower

Table Settings (getting some use out of my china!) and the flowers served as the favor and seating assignment

 My best friend is getting married and loves Christmas, so I figured an intimate lingerie shower thrown during the holidays was a perfect way to celebrate her. This was my first time solo hosting, and you may notice there aren't any pictures of the food...that's because that part is not my specialty or what I get excited about so I'm not featuring it (but note I didn't make the guests starve-they got pasta and salad). Here are the things that I did put together that I had fun with. 

Invitations in Christmas Colors

Banner (stole this idea from my other BFF)

Champagne Cocktail Bar- "Naughty" napkins because it's a Christmas lingerie shower, get it, get it?

Dry erase markers add an easy fun touch to the bathroom mirror

The Bride to be and her ladies

Home for the Holidays

Our tree...with no branch left unadorned

So my posting hasn't been very regular. Went from Halloween decor to Christmas (with a baby in between!). Christmas is my all time favorite holiday and for the past 4 years my husband and I have picked out our tree and decorated over festive cocktails (this year mine was sparkling cider). Here is our tree (which is sadly already dead as a door nail) and a few of the festive touches keeping us in the holiday spirit! 

Beautiful Bouquet from the in-laws

A portion of our holiday cards- LOVE getting these in the mail

No chimney, so the stockings hang from a door...mine is still empty (hint hint hubs)

Wedding guests you remember this guy! Our house mascot in his Santa gear

Waiting for You

Straight up chillin'

Some of my more observant friends called out the tiny pumpkin in the first picture of the previous post...Well I am so thrilled to announce that the little guy did in fact represent an actual baby! This May I will become a mama and I have never been so happy or excited for anything in my entire life. Even though we have awhile until he or she arrives, my focus has already shifted totally to our future love. And I already know I have the best child ever because I have been spared from morning sickness, thank you baby!!!
Little Blue (that's the nickname I gave you back when you were the size of a blueberry), we love you so much already and can't wait to meet you! xoxo

This is Halloween

Our Little Pumpkin Family

This year marks the first of my life that I did not dress up for Halloween. Even though I didn't come up with a costume for myself, I made sure to decorate our home. My Halloween decor collection isn't very large at this point but I love a little bit of the season in different rooms. That way I stay in the spirit without having to squeeze into, say, a "sexy blogger" costume;). If you are less of a granny than me and are going out tonight, I hope you get lots of drinks and/or lots of candy! Happy Halloween!

Festive Center Piece Courtesy of the Hubs

Pumpkin Catch All

Fall Flowers

 

You best be scared of my plants

Date Night- Belden Taverna

Not only is San Francisco a beautiful city, it has hidden treasures everywhere. When the weather is pleasing, a meal on Belden Place is one of my favorites. A globe light canopy covered alley off of Pine street, lined with bistro after bistro, you truly feel like you are in Europe. On a particularly warm Friday night the hubs and I had a delicious dinner here at Belden Taverna. The service was just as great as the ambiance and the food, but even if everything was sub par I still would have had a good time and gone back because I love dining al fresco so much. When Indian Summer shows up again we will be back.

 

The Life of a Dress

Palm Springs, 1980

I have never had to go far or pay a penny to get awesome vintage dresses that fit me to a T... I simply  go into my mom's closet. Not only am I thankful for the mom I have because she always has my back, is the most caring and empathetic person I have ever met, is fun to hang out with, and truly is one of my very best friends, but she had the foresight to save all her favorite clothes from her twenties to one day give to me. The picture above is my mom looking super hot on her honeymoon, and below is me on my honeymoon, 30 years later, in the very same dress. Knowing how much I have loved having my mom's previous favorites for my own enjoyment, I have been keeping an archive of my own greatest hits to give my future daughter. I hope she will be as excited about her loot as I was with mine (and better yet, I hope she can wear this dress on her honeymoon and keep the tradition going). Thank you Mom! xoxo

Positano, 2010

Gettin' Girly

Parker Sequin Jacket that I scored for 90 bucks

It has been almost 3 and a half years since I first moved in with my husband (then boyfriend). After all this time I still have to stop myself from buying overly feminine things for our house. Occasionally though he agrees on a girly home accent, and when he doesn't I can always slip them into my jewelry box or closet. Here are my latest purchases that say sugar and spice.

Spike the Punch Necklace

Aperitif Glasses from Pottery Barn

One of my favorite little vases and vintage shelf

Sloth

Summer is officially over which means that the Fall television season has officially begun. This also means that I will turn into a sloth most weeknights after 8 o'clock. Notice I haven't posted much this week? Well I was watching Dancing with the Stars (both episodes-see yah Metta!) and all the Wednesday night comedies on ABC (I love you Modern Family),  heck I even  stuck around for Revenge, that is until I fell asleep on the couch. Tonight marks the two hour premiere of Grey's Anatomy, and Sunday night I will be watching Desperate Housewives (even though I haven't liked that show for 3 years I still watch every-single-episode, why do I do that?). Anyway I would like to formally say farewell to my evenings of projects and productivity and welcome back to all my favorite shows! Which will you be glued to?

                               

A Meal in 30 Minutes

Next time I'll wipe the plate so this looks more pro

Like every other red blooded American fifty-something, I have a subscription to Good Housekeeping... and I love it.  When I read magazines targeted to my age group they don't have adds for mayo in them so this was a real treat. Honestly when I saw the page below I thought how disgusting it sounded, mayonnaise on chicken with a company logo I associate with soap, but then I thought that it sounded easy, and easy trumps gross so I gave it a try. If you need to make a fulfilling dinner in less time than it takes you to watch an episode of Keeping Up With The Kardashians give this recipe a try. Add some sauteed veggies and Trader Joe's orzo and rice pilaf and you got yourself a speedy crowd pleaser. 

It's Business...Cards

Above I present to you my new blogger business card that I am oh so happy with. Next time I am asked the name of my blog I can pass this along instead of just saying it aloud and hoping the person remembers. I ordered these at pinhole press where they are marketed as calling cards for children's play dates. Maybe I will also end up using them to schedule the adult version of the play date- happy hour.

Little Things

Sparkling water in champagne flutes makes me feel fancy-even in sweats

 Friday night to Sunday afternoon the hubs and I were certifiable hermits. The only time I left our apartment during that period was to take out the trash and do a load of laundry. Even though we didn't see the light of day there was plenty in our home to keep up busy and happy. We rented Win Win, which we both really liked (that doesn't happen often so I recommend it wholeheartedly), ordered in delicious Thai, and I got a package from Amazon to keep me entertained...not to mention our whole house is spotless (another Win Win-ha!). Here are a few more things that kept our recluse weekend bright.

$4 of TJs gladiolas brighten the entry way        

my new kitschy camera case

Can't wait to read this cover to cover

Assembling my shopping list now