weekend lens | the celebration continues

Sometimes the first weekend of the year can be a bit of a bummer because the holidays are over. Luckily we had a couple more things to celebrate to ease the transition.


We helped wish our friend S a happy birthday on Friday.


She and her hubs P are the cutest couple ever and fast becoming good friends. We look forward to getting to know them better in 2013.


On Saturday we went over to spend time with my side of the family. My sister and her family were in Cape Cod the last two weekends in December so we did our Christmas a little later this year.


These days the only way for the boys to stay still for the camera is to have something on TV for them to watch! You can tell they are tired because their fingers have a permanent place in their mouth ;). And unfortunately Dad couldn't be here to celebrate with us, but he's with us in spirit.

Hope you had a great start to your 2013. So not ready for a full work week, but it's coming so here we go!

Merry Christmas

The hubs and I are enjoying one last breakfast at his parents before we head out to the airport and back home. Not an ideal way to spend the day but it's all good.

Merry Christmas to you! I hope Santa recognized all your goodness and gave you many gifts.
oxox

getting in the spirit

Thanksgiving came a week early this year so technically we had an extra week in November to prepare for the holidays, but they are creeping up so quickly anyways!


We decorated the tree last night. I love finding little treasures, like this ornament my sister made me for Christmas last year, that I forgot about.


All the ornaments on our tree this year are either handmade, gifts, or medals from past races we have participated in. It's actually a great way to display those things.

How is the holiday spirit going in your house?

scrappy sunday

Since working on and completing my December Daily album last month, I have renewed my love for gluing photos on paper. And with Instagram, I love seeing others' art as well as sharing my own. And thus the start of scrappy Sunday, where I will post about my crafty projects.


One of my favorite parts about Christmas is all the cards we receive in the mail. I would love to save each and every one, but we would be swimming in a sea of paper. So the trusty square punch to the rescue. Every year I punch part of each card and make a layout. I don't keep every single card, but I like the reminder of how our friends and family are doing each year. {This idea is straight from Ali.}


I am excited to start Project Life this year.


Only the title page is done as I am still waiting for some photos to be printed. More to come next week!

Christmas elves

Something about little ones make Christmas all the more special. These little elves were very helpful this year!


They were also very good and Santa brought them lots of presents.


They took to Uncle Joe very well.

I am so glad today is an official work holiday. I am not quite ready for the real world just yet. In fact, I may keep my tree lighted the rest of the week (but I am officially done with holiday music!).

My winter uniform

all items remix'd
top&belt&boots: Anthro
cardi: M+O
skirt: Ann Taylor
tights: Gap
earrings: gift'd

I feel like I am a bit of a clothing rut - top, skirt and boots. Those are my go-to items this season. During my last minute Christmas shopping yesterday, I even stepped into Anthropologie to check out their extra-50% off sale items sale and found absolutely nothing that I even wanted to try on. I am not sure if that's good or bad thing.

Today is going to be a busy day filled with seeing friends, grocery shopping, buying one last gift, wrapping and working on my December Daily album. I hope I can get it all done! If not, there's still tomorrow.

Happy holidays to you and yours! oxox

A study in contrasts

all items remix'd
top: J. Crew
cardi: Gap
skirt: gift'd
boots: Nordstrom Rack
earrings: gift'd
tights: Loft

The freaky Houston weather has been cold enough for me to wear this tweed skirt again, but I decided to pair it with some spring-like colors rather than go matchy-matchy. I rather like the end result.

I am going to try to finish the majority of my last minute shopping today. Tomorrow will be a day to assess and I guess Saturday will be the last-last minute push! Just gotta make it through one more work day!

Week in photos

A bit of everyday life:

Our neighbors decorate their fence with wreaths every year. I love it - so festive!


I met the hubs for lunch and we took a selfie.


The hubs made breakfast for us.


Baby J wondering why his auntie always has this black contraption in front of her.


Our annual girls' Christmas dinner and ornament exchange.


We went to this hole in the wall Chinese restaurant with our friends little J and Brookers for some duck!


The tree in our front yard has an endless supply of leaves. We raked then yesterday, only to be covered in more today.

Week in photos

A week full of holiday love.


We finally received our cards in the mail. I love finding the perfect photo to go into them.


I cooked a healthy stew for dinner. I love that its color is green and red!


Because everyone needs a bit of cuteness in their life. I love this face.


Me, the host of our holiday party and P. I love holiday photos.


I love the early morning sun.


We celebrated Christmas with my family a bit early this year since both my sis and I will be spending the actual holiday with our in-laws. I love my family.


Some more cuteness. I love my hubs and our friends.

More holiday fun

We have been enjoying our second Christmas today with Joe's family. He cooked pancakes this morning and then we opened some more presents and took some more photos!A traditional photo followed bya goofy one! I love this pic so much :)

We followed present-opening with a trip to the zoo. It was quite windy and chilly out - I should've worn a cute hat and scarf with my outfit!Joe is definitely getting better at taking the wardrobe remix photos. I have also decided that I want to use my 50-mm lens more often - I seem to get sharper photos with it and I love the bokeh effect every photo has!

Merry Christmas!

Nothing is better than spending the day with those you love the best.

Christmas eve

Today I...ran and ate breakfast with the hubs...assessed the gift situation to see what last minute things I needed to buy...practiced yoga...went to Borders for gifts...stopped by Fidelity to deposit a check (from work to pay for my CE back in October!)...bought gifts at the Gap and Luke's...bought little stocking stuffers at Walgreens...came home and had lunch at Cali sandwich with the hubs...and just finished wrapping gifts. Whew! I am beat!

Tonight we will be having dinner with the fam...looking forward to it!

Stockings

Our handmade stocking are currently hanging at on my sister's fireplace. This year we are doing minimal gifts and some fun stocking stuffers. I am really behind, as usual, and still need to do some last minute shopping (after I get my CE crap taken care of. I hate that I procrastinate so much and stress myself out like this! usually everything works out, but for some reason I am 2 hours short. lesson learned: next year take the CE early early early!)

I think Mom and Dad are arriving today for the holidays. Joe's parents are going to be in town at the end of the weekend so it is going to be a family-filled holiday :)

In other, more random news, this is my 901st post! Who knew I could blab on for so long ;)

Updated this evening: CE taken care of by the hair of my chinney chin chin, delish dinner with the fam and an early night tonight!

To do

...wrap gifts
...buy some more stocking stuffers
...buy a Christmas movie to watch
...buy presents for Jack and Ruby
...remember to take lots of photos in the next few days
...tidy up the clutter!...eat dinner made by the hubs
...stress out about CE that needs to be completed (ugh!).

Dear Santa

Thank you so much for granting my Christmas wish from last year - we have a new addition to our extended family. Baby J has already brought us so much joy and he isn't even a month old! Maybe next year you can bring a wee one for the hubs and me :)

Today was the last Saturday of the decade (!!) that I am working - woot! We had an office party after work, with Lupe Tortilla catered and a fun karaoke machine. It took a little time, but we did get into the singing!

What's for dinner?

Hee hee - that question makes me laugh! My sister and I are definitely not known for our culinary skills. This year we ordered our Thanksgiving dinner from HEB and it was pretty tasty! I don't remember what we did last year - Mom probably cooked. And I know she plans on cooking again this year. What would we do without her?That said, Joe and I did make a yummy chicken-tomato soup last night!

One thing out of the way

We received our Christmas cards while we were in SA this week and this afternoon was spent addressing them. I really really love picking out the perfect card and photo and sending it out. Shutterfly has had some fun designs at reasonable prices so they have been by go-to Christmas card site for the past couple years.While I don't receive near as many cards as I send out, I know I love getting them in the mail and I hope the receipients realize that although I may not talk or see them very often, we are still thinking of them and they have a special place in our hearts!

10 days!

Aaack! I literally have not done ANY Christmas shopping at all. Good grief! I keep telling myself to breathe. Joe and I are going to San Antonio for the last time today and tomorrow and I have Thursday off, which I am going to use to my full advantage...We had dinner with Chris and his new girl Christina tonight. And I forgot to take a photo at dinner, so I was left with this...hopefully the last time I have to pack my bags for work this year!

Gifts

I have been really bad this year and haven't been doing any Christmas shopping at all! I have a feeling a lot of it is going to be last minute, although I am hoping to have this Thursday off so maybe I can get it done then! Fortunately this year we have decided to limit the number of gifts we buy - just because we really don't need any more stuff! I think this year Santa Joe will be bringing me a new point-and-shoot camera to replace the one I dropped last New Year's Ever. It still works, but is definitely on its last leg.

I visited the little peanut today - he seems to be getting bigger and apparently a bit crankier!

My favorite Christmas album

...is A Charlie Brown Christmas. I could listen to it all season, even though it is fairly melancholy. Somehow it makes me feel like the Christmas season is really here.

We decorated our tree today - woot!