a toast

2012 has been another incredible year.  Can't wait for 2013! So tonight let's toast...

image via

to the ones we love

to the ones we've lost

to our clans & tribes

to friends who have been there & will be there

to precious moments

to shared treats

to not judging

to loving unconditionally

to trusting, forgiving & forgetting

to loyalty 

to patience & passion

to desserts 

to wine

to life longs & life savers

to baby toes & baby breath

to having history

to having a bright future

to husbands with big hearts

to letting go of whats holding you down

to holding on to what means the most

and to making the most of the upcoming year.  See you soon 2013!

we started 2012 as two and we're leaving it as three ❤

is it really friday already?

I can't believe xmas has already come and gone!  Is that even possible?  I had so many adorable posts planned for this week, but with my maternity leave coming to an end I am soaking up all the time I can with Henry.  I've been off now for almost 4 months and I suppose it's time to go back.  (one month before Henry was born and 3 months home with my sweet boy)  I can at least take comfort in the fact that I will be leaving him home with his daddy and then eventually my mama.  He will still get all the love and attention he needs and deserves. 

So next week I will tell you all about Henry's first xmas, but for now I will leave you with the song I sing him every night as his lullaby.

Happy last weekend of the year!

feeling the nostalgia of december 23rd

On this day, three years ago the man I love so much, asked me the question I had been waiting to hear for so very long, "Will you marry me?".

engagement photo by marianne worlow photography

 I'm sure I've shared this story before, but who doesn't love a good engagement story?  We started the night at a holiday party that one of DJ's friends was throwing at 336, a martini bar downtown.  Downtown Plymouth is always beautiful around the holidays.  Christmas trees fill the park and there are lights and decorations every where.  Holiday music plays on the speakers all through downtown.  It feels like a scene from a movie.  We got to the party and it was packed with friends and family.  We drank and laughed all night and the furthest thing from my mind was that DJ was planning to propose.  See, he had always told me that he would never propose around the holidays.  He thought it was so cheesy.  I had been so disappointed once it got closer and closer to Christmas knowing that it meant I would not be engaged before the end of the year.  I had felt like it was going to happen on so many days throughout the previous months and always found myself at the end of the night texting my best friend, "Still not engaged. :("

As we left 336 and walked across the street to a smaller bar with less people, I had no idea that DJ had already shared with his friend visiting from California that it was going to happen that night.  She was the only person that he had told besides his mom and he only told his mom because she had been holding onto DJ's grandma's wedding ring.  DJ's grandma, Helen, the grandma that passed away this year, had left her wedding ring to DJ many years ago to give to the woman he decided to marry.  I'll give you all a minute to say, "Awwww."

After we left the second bar it was time to go home.  I went right upstairs and immediately put on my pajamas.  I walked back down the stairs and with a half hearted tone asked him what he wanted to do.  He was down on one knee and said, "I want to marry you."  I cried and kept repeating "Oh my God." and he asked, "Will you marry me?" as he slipped the ring onto my finger.  I said, "Yes!" a million times.  It was a magical moment that led to a beautiful wedding.

I will now flood you with photos from my wedding, because I love to share these photos any chance I get.

 wedding photos by marianne worlow photography

Excuse the photo dump, but this day makes me so nostalgic of my gorgeous wedding.  I should note, this was not meant to be the day that DJ proposed to me.  He tried a month before, but I ruined it.  That is a story for another day though ;)

just like martha stewart

I've said it before and I'll say it again, I fancy myself a tattooed Martha Stewart.  I LOVE a good art project and crafting.  Now that I have a kid, I know the crafting up in here is about to get heavy.  I'm slightly less of a perfectionist (ok way less) than Ms. Martha, but I still can eff up some puffy paint projects.

For Christmas my Aunt V sent Hank, DJ and I one of those awesome make-your-own baby print ornament.  I made one for DJ probably 4 years ago with Bella's paw print so I was very happy to now be able to make a Hank print ornament AND a Bowie print ornament!  However, Hank said he also wanted to make some for all his grandparents.  Shhhh, don't tell him I told.  Being the best mommy in the world that I am, I turned on some music and made some salt dough and here's how.

Somethings I would like to note; 1. You may have to add a little more water if your dough is too dry or more flour if your dough is too sticky.  2. I used foil with a little flour sprinkled on it to make it less likely for the ornaments to stick.  3. I had to bake mine for almost five hours, but I made six ornaments with this recipe and they were pretty thick.  4. Remember to poke a hole in the ornament somewhere to stick a ribbon into for hanging, before placing in the oven.  You don't want to forget and have to pull them out of the oven piping hot to try and do it, ahem.

Hank and I finished them off with some bronze glitter spray paint and signed the back with love, in green puffy paint.  Trial and error would tell me to recommend that you use something other than glitter spray paint on your own.  I'll show you the finished product after xmas.  Gotta keep a little mystery. ;)

Happy weekend to ya, first day of winter and first snow for us Michiganders! Only 4 days until Christmas!

random acts of kindess

Yesterday was a very unexpected day.  The mail came and there was a letter addressed to DJ.  I was a little confused because there was Chinese writing on the outside.  He opened it and as he did, small cut out hearts started pouring out.  Now we were both confused.  As he opened the letter I could see it was a love note and signed at the bottom was MY name.  It then dawned on me that last month I had participated in a project called Snail Mail My Email.  I emailed a note to my love and one of their many volunteers turned it into a unique hand written letter.  The emails from back in 2011, when the project was first started, were actually turned into a super cute book.  This year the project only ran for a week and is set to run again next fall.  It was such surprise for DJ to get it in the mail.  I can't wait to participate again next year and surprise someone with a very cool handwritten note.

At the end of the day we came home from more Christmas shopping and started making dinner.  We heard a knock at the door and both looked at each other as if to say, "Are you expecting someone?"  After we finally realized both of us were clueless I snatched up Bowie (the runner) and opened the door to see two young girls that did not look familiar.  I said hello and waited to hear what they were selling or whatever.  They introduced themselves as our neighbors that had just moved in over the summer and they just wanted to drop off some holiday treats! WHHHAAT?! They just came to be nice? Just to please my sweet tooth?  Out of the kindness of their hearts?  Does this even happen anymore?  I was so shocked I couldn't stop saying thank you.  I couldn't even stop snacking while on the phone with my mom, and we hate when people eat when you're on the phone, but she forgave me when she heard the story.  I can't wait to go over there today with a thank you card and a small plant. 

Kindness is most definitely contagious.  In the words of Ellen Degeneres, be kind to one another.

legend of the bird nest

I just found out this year that an old German legend states that if you find a bird's nest in your Christmas tree, the following year will be full of health and happiness.  This was awesome news for me.  When DJ and I got married we didn't want to go the traditional cake topper route.  We decided to do a bird's nest with two little birds inside instead.  ("If you're a bird, I'm a bird.")  After the wedding I kept the bird's nest out because I knew I wanted to put it in our Christmas tree.  I thought it would be nice to always have a reminder of that day, especially around the holidays.  I had no idea that a bird's nest in your Christmas tree was a German legend, but it makes perfect sense now.  The past two years have been so full of happiness.

our wedding cake - photo credit marianne worlow photography

the bird's nest in our tree

 more favorites around the house

Wishing you all lots of health and happiness in the upcoming year!

weekend inventory

I'd like to first start by acknowledging the tragedy in Connecticut on Friday.  I have not yet gone a day without crying about those poor sweet angels that had their lives taken from them.  I have felt completely wrecked.  It is something that I, nor anyone else I'm sure, have the capacity to make sense of.  I can't seem to shake the sorrow off and I can only imagine what that community and those families are feeling.  It makes me want to hold my son and never let him go. 

Friday I was thankfully with DJ when I read the news on my phone and he held me while I wept, just trying to get the words out. We spent most of the day shopping for Christmas before we went out on our date.  Once we got home and saw all the images of the day and listened to more and more details we just couldn't go out after the movie.  We saw the Hobbit and it was excellent, but we came right home to be with Hank again.  Hank was fast asleep and it took every ounce of self control I had no to grab him and hold him.  He woke up at 4am and I couldn't get to him fast enough.  I held him and sobbed again as I fed him.  I am so grateful for him.  He looked so small and innocent at that moment and I was happy that I didn't have to explain such an evil man to him.  If I was not already grateful enough, I am now oozing grateful from my pores for my perfect son.  He is the greatest gift.

Mustache Monday - You can't be sad when you see this face

Saturday was a busy day.  We had little sister Natalie's birthday party and my work holiday party.  Zap Zone for a little lazer tag and some kiddy casino type action followed by bowling with my coworkers.  Hank was so good! He is such a social butterfly.  Happy to hang out with anyone and everyone.  No crying, no fussing, just in complete amazement of the world around him.

Hank and his Grandpa

3 generations of Bloomingburg men

I hope you all had a lovely weekend and that you gave your loved ones lots of love.  That is what's important.

my clan, my tribe, my family

Yesterday was a good day.  Not only was husband home all day with Hank and I,  but we got two special deliveries in the mail.  One was from my Aunt V & Uncle D in Tennessee and the other was our family photos that my dear friend and Hank's BFFs mommy, Marianne took while she was here visiting from Texas!  I practically leaped at the mail man to grab everything out of his hands.  So here for your viewing pleasure are some of the amazing photos Marianne took of my little tribe & I.

This isn't even half of the stunning photos she took.  I hope you can see the love that my family is wrapped in, because that is exactly what I see.  Happy weekending, I'm going on a date tonight with that sexy hubby of mine and I have the biggest smile ever!