Fondue and Bubbly...

What are you guys doing to celebrate the new year?

Lovely cousin Erin and boyfriend Ben + our dear friends Julie and Tim and coming over tonight for fondue, champagne and some game-night action -- there's nothing better than some fiercely competitive (just kidding, sort of ;-) Apples to Apples or Wii bowling to ring in 2011, yes?

In an attempt to be super-efficient, I got a head-start on decorating the dining room for Millie's party tomorrow, so I suppose we'll be having a rainbow/fairy/unicorn/princess New Year's Eve celebration too, but if I had my druthers, I'd do something more like what I pulled together over on Etsy's blog... Maybe next year.

Have a fantastic, safe, festive evening friends...thank you for all your support and friendship and loveliness this year.

Happy, happy 2011!

Four...

Today is Millie is four.

Four.

Which blows me away for any number of reasons, but mostly because she has always been wholly and unequivocally my baby, and all of the sudden, she only wants to play with the "big girls", she's fiercely independent, and she's taller and leaner -- the little dimples on her hands seem to have disappeared...

Overnight she's a kid, and it makes me a bit melancholy.



It's an honor to watch the person she's becoming though -- this fierce, determined, salty, spunky little creature who also manages to be incredibly sensitive and loving and funny.

I am, suffice to say, beyond smitten with her. She melts me. Every. Single. Day.

Since I started this blog just a few months after Millie was born, I've also had the privilege of sharing all of her birthdays with you (one, two, three). Thank you for coming along on this ride with us...You guys make it infinitely lovelier.


And just for fun, here's some of the inspiration for Millie's big celebration this Saturday... After a bit of consulting with the interwebs and lots of amazing advice from you guys (thank you!), I'm feeling a bit more confident about that rainbow cake. Photos of the end result will ensue!


Unicorn by Andy Warhol...

felt garland via Erin Dollar...

rainbow cake (+ excellent instructions) via one charming party...

unicorn pinata via party city...

Some Scenes From The Holiday...Just A Few

yummy treats from Sucre...

We are still largely unplugged around here, and I have to say, it's been blissful...

We're reading and drawing and playing with our Christmas goodies and sleeping late (until 8:45 this morning...total decadence). There have been at least two occasions that I've looked at the girlies at 3:00 in the afternoon and realized they were still donning their PJs. After a crazy past few months, we are recharging (big time) and totally loving it.

The rest of the week, I'm going to tackle a couple of house organization projects, work on my 2011 resolutions and make preparations for Millie's big rainbow/unicorn/princess/fairy birthday shindig this weekend... (i.e. I'm going to try and figure out how to make a rainbow cake...wish me luck!)

Hope you all had a lovely and splendid holiday weekend!

p.s. -- I had to share my new striped "dress" from Chance...i love, love, love it...

Love.

The Essential Thing...

lovely painted rocks via Nuno magazine...

I posted this last year at Christmas...it's a passage from an old "O" magazine article that, for me, perfectly encapsulates the magic (and complexity) of the holidays...

"For my grandparents, the essential thing about Christmas is midnight mass, and the birth of a child who shall be called Prince of Peace. For my mother, I think it’s the solstice and the fact that the days will get longer, the light will return. For my father it’s Santa Claus, the spirit of abundance and generosity. But for me, it seems to be something at once simpler and more complicated than all these things…"

So for the rest of the week, I'm unplugging a bit (i.e. no blogging or email) and focusing on the essential things...you know the reveling in each other and the UNO tournaments and the gingerbread house making and whatnot. We also have big plans to drink our weight in hot chocolate and paint rocks and sticks...truly we're livin' it up over here friends.

I am so grateful for all of you guys. Have the happiest of holidays, and whatever is the essential thing for you about this season, take time to revel in it.

Loving...

All of the art at this completely genius etsy shop (via Michelle).


This home (spotted on d*s) for its profuse use of kid art...oh and those genius windows too.

This cozy bathrobe-esque (but far chicer) coat...Although given that it's 77 degrees (!) in Texas today, I'm feeling like "loving" a sundress may have been more appropriate.

Heather Chontos' beautiful work...

Stella McCartney's fantastic kid's line...but especially the insanely cute website (via Smaller).

This lovely little cluster of blown-glass "grapes" via house of brinson...

This beautiful in its simplicity plank and brick bench...

Michele Michael's perfect blue pottery...via fine little day.

The incredible Design for Kids auc­tion at Pierre Bergé...oh my to have even one of those pieces. Gorgeous. Via Rachel (of course).

Some Scenes From The Weekend...

We had a few grand adventures this weekend, namely a surprise mother/daughter overnight with a slew of Audrey's classmates, breakfast and a dance party with Santa, and the highlight (by far), taking Audrey to see my dad play for the first time. (He was in town for a show at The House of Blues.) I have it say, it was a pretty special experience watching her, watching him, as everything is just so much more poignant glimpsed through the eyes of your kids...

Other highlights included our friend Bret's (amazing) photography show at We Are 1976, finishing (!) all the Christmas shopping (I still need to get stocking stuffers, but that's easy, yes?) and multiple episodes of sitting in the sun on our front porch steps while the girlies ran crazy in the yard.

We are so excited about the holiday break...oooh the possibilities (like making paperclip necklaces and staying in your PJs until noon) when you have a chunk of rare unstructured free time at your disposal.

Bliss.

Blogger's Favorites -- Casey of K.I.D. Collective...

image via K.I.D. Collective...

Not long after finding Casey's fantastic blog, K.I.D. Collective through her lovely cousin Jora, I was completely and totally hooked...

See Casey is pretty much my aesthetic kindred spirit. I like everything thing she likes.

Every. Single. Thing.

I also really relate to Casey's stance that necessities such as food, clothing and shelter should be revered and showcased. I firmly believe that in doing that we create meaning in all of life's smallest moments...

And it's those kinds of connections (that "meeting" someone through their blog and feeling synced up in some way visually or philosophically) that make blogging so much fun, don't you think?

So without further ado, herewith Casey's favorites. Enjoy and have a splendid weekend!

***

Ask me what my favorite thing is in December and you may get a different answer again in April. Aside from friends and family my evolving list of favorites changes depending on the season. With that said, there are a few things that hold true and are always on my favorites list.


GARDENS: I love digging around in the dirt. My current place doesn't have space for a bigger garden, so I brought mine indoors. Terrariums are also a great and easy way to bring in greenery. My all time favorite garden shop is Terrain. I so wish they had one in Portland.


TRAVEL: I never tire of seeing new places. I love traveling abroad as much as I love exploring new to me cities in the US. There's something magical about being somewhere new for the first time. My husband and I can't afford to take a big trip each year, so we've set every other year as a travel savings goal. Last year was a trip to Turkey and Croatia (see photo above). 2011 has a trip to Japan in the works.


BOOTS: Boots are my fall, winter and spring wardrobe staple. I have a small collection on heavy rotation. My newest, a vintage pair of saddle tan riding boots (shown in photo). I also love anything Jeffrey Campbell whips out and have my eye out for a pair of vintage Justin lacers.


CREATING: I'm an interior designer by trade but I'm happiest when I'm making things. It's such a great feeling to take parts and pieces and turn them into something. At the moment, I'm working at Tanner Goods making wallets and belts but you can also find me sewing pillows for my home or making curtains for clients.


BREAKFAST: Apparently I listened when they said breakfast is the most important meal of the day. Whether it's a quick cup of coffee and piece of toast or a full brunch with cocktails, I never miss it. I feel fortunate to live in a city that has a gazillion brunch options each sounding better than the last. My current favorite in Portland is Tasty n Sons but I can't wait to get my Southern fix at the Screen Door.


MAGAZINES: My addiction began in my early teens with issues of Teen, Cosmo (when I could sneak it past mom) and 17. Fortunately there are so many great blogs out there my fix is fueled daily. But there's something relaxing about stepping away from the laptop and thumbing through a magazine. My current favorites, Anthology and Monocle.


SMALL BAGS: Never underestimate the power of a small bag. It's a perfect accessory and is also handy at holding the necessities like phone, lipstick, credit card and keys. I have two larger bags that I alternate from time to time but it's the small ones that I change regularly depending on what I'm wearing and my mood. The black leather small cross body bag shown above is my most recent purchase You can find a similar one here.

An Outfit (Deconstructed)...

I haven't done one of these posts in a while...truth is I've been a bit disenchanted with my closet of late. Nothing in there is very inspiring. I'm bored with my clothes. Does this happen to you?

But in the past few days, the tides have turned a bit. And it's been due to, wait for it... the bangs (or the "fringe" as my friends in Australia and my bestie Karey refer to them).

Yes, the bangs are causing me to look at my closet in a new way. The pieces I always reach for when I'm getting dressed somehow skew differently now that the bangs are in the picture. I'm now digging into the recesses, trying new combinations, wearing things I haven't worn in ages (but have somehow mercilessly been spared from my Goodwill rampages), like that ancient black jacket above...it literally had dust on the sleeves. Sad.

Bangs as a "wardrobe refresher." Who knew.

The Details:

• Jacket -- Vera Wang for Kohls
• "Slummy" T-Shirt -- Alternative Apparel via Pretty Mommy
• Jeans -- Gap
• Wedges -- Martin + Osa (I miss that store...)
• Necklace -- Madewell
• Bracelets -- Madewell + Vintage

p.s. Madewell is fast becoming my new favorite store for jewelery.

p.p.s. Notice how the bangs are slowly becoming side-swept...the full forehead action didn't last long did it?

A Question, Some Internet Loveliness and The Joy of Clementines...

First the question...

Let's say there was a certain necklace that you'd been "stalking" for a while...now let's say that you're on the site where said necklace is sold doing some last minute Christmas shopping for your two daughters when you notice that the necklace is hugely on sale.

Hugely.

Would it be bad to throw it into your shopping cart as a gift for yourself even though you're supposed to be buying gifts for other people?

Just wondering, because I may have done that. Maybe ;-)


And speaking of gifts...I pulled together a little gift guide for iVillage a couple of weeks ago (above) and shortly after, I received a note from the (incredibly) generous Alice Q. Foodie wondering if I would like her copy of The Splendid Table's How to Eat Supper (which was on my list), as she doesn't use it anymore.

I said yes (!), and she sent it my way (along with a pretty card and some sweet stickers for the girlies), and I've been buried in it ever since.

That Alice is awfully lovely + amazing, yes?

image via roland bello...and clearly it's one of my favorite images, as it's now been on my blog three different times (first here and then here)...

And finally there are the Clementines...the ones that we wait to buy until December 1st every year because it makes them feel special and rare and slightly unattainable in an age where nothing really feels rare or unattainable anymore.

I wrote about the special things we save for the holidays over at Say Yes to Hoboken for Liz's fantastic "Blognog" series today...

Is there anything special you save for December?