Great Christmas Gifts! BIRCHBOX {For Him or Her}

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Our Thanksgiving!

 

^^^I know it's a tad on the late side, but I hope you all had a wonderful thanksgiving! We had Thanksgiving with my Parents and our HUGE extended family. So, I might have gone a bit overboard with all these pictures of the table, but I think my Mom did and amazing job -- she should be a party planner...right?

 

 

^^^We reused the candle holders from our wedding. What a great investment...I think we've used them for every party since then!

 

              

                        ^^^Mom...you are killing me with the bitty butterflies and acorns! Too cute!

 

 

^^^ My cousin Charlie and hubby Dan. Dan teases Charlie for being a frat boy and Charlie teases Dan for being a surfer...basically they love each other. 

 

 

^^^My Dad is the turkey master. Our family loves to have potluck style dinners -- everyone brings their favorite dish. We have a huge family, so having one person cook the entire meal would be insane. I was in charge of bringing pureed candied yams and rosemary potatoes and carrots. I really got into it and sprung for the fancy multi colored carrots at Traders. Is it weird that I was excited about carrots? 

 

 

Because no Grams party is complete without a coffee station and butter cookies...^^^ Nice Mom ;)

 

 

^^^Meet my Family. Mom is up front and Dad is at the other end. Everyone in between is an Uncle, Aunt or cousin + about 20 more not pictured! My mom was the youngest of 8 kids and Dad was the oldest of 3 kids...who all grew up and had 2-6 kids of their own. So family holiday parties are of epic proportions.

 

 

^^^One of my Aunts always brings a box of See's Candy. It's sort of a tradition for family gatherings...one that I take full advantage of {I secretly snuck the rest of the box home when everyone had left}. And on the right is my Danny. This is what his face permanently looks like. ^^^

 

^^^And then we had a Friendsgiving with all of our friends who were still in town. We originally were going to have it in our tiny house {in the backyard},  but it rained all day, so my parents offered their house. How nice :) Well that made things super easy....everything was still set up from Thanksgiving, so we just cooked a new turkey and everyone pitched in with leftovers.

 

 

 

^^^The table looks so different at night! I love me some ambiance and candles!

 

                                          And then we had hot cider and beers in the backyard^^^

It was a great Thanksgiving! We have SOOOOO much to be thankful for! I/we couldn't be more blessed.

P.S. It is now officially CHRISTMAS TIME!

Woot Woot. Lets go get a Christmas tree!

Gifts For Him

 

Cacoon Tree Camping Pod / Ice Balls / Leatherman Multi Gadget Tool / Italian Truffle Sea Salt / Warby Parker Glasses (Try 5 Pick One) / Flannel Shirt / Brown - Hunter Boot / Vans for J.Crew Suede Chukka Boots / Patagonia 'Speedway' Beanie Dark Walnut / Allure Homme Sport / Vestal The Helm Surf & Train Watch / Kala Cedar Wood Soap / Chestnut Brown - Beer Making Kit / GoPro HERO3 Helmet Cam + Surf Package / Beard and Mustache Grooming Kit

Gifts For Her

 

Olive Wood Bread Board / Capri Blue Paris Candle / Black + Blum Thermo / Royal Doulton Espresso Cup / Milk Marc de Champagne Truffles / Lavazza Super Crema Italian Espresso / Toast wool socks / Clinique Black Honey Lipstick / Kai Perfume Oil / La Compagnie de Provence Truffles / Aveda 'Comforting' Tea Bags / Essie Nail Polish in Bordeaux / Sabon Body Scrub / Lamy Safari Calligraphy Fountain Pen

Happy Mother's Day!

 

You know the things that really matter...caring for others, being there when it counts and guiding with your heart. That's why you are the greatest mother and a beautiful person. I love you mama. Thank you for all the love and support.

 

 

{My beautiful Mother-in-law and Mama}

 

{Crème Brulee French Toast}

Happy Easter!

I hope you all had a fabulous day filled with family and friends. Here are a few pictures from our Easter. We went to Church, then had brunch with the family, followed by an afternoon of relaxation and a long nap. Ahhh, It was a wonderful day. We are so thankful for the good Lord.

 

He is Risen!

 

{Cute bunny and Easter egg cupcakes that I made with my nanny babies}

 

{Flowers during brunch}

 

{A heath bar chocolate cake!}

{Lots of yummy food! Strawberry salad, couscous, ham, fruit and chili quiche}

 

{The Easter bunny still brings us treats! Thanks Mom, Dan and I love chocolate milk!}

{Yay for Easter!}

Our First Married Valentine's Day + Happy 6 Months Danny

On Feb 14th I came home from work and this Rico Suave was in the backyard...very smooth Dan. I love it. He made me crab stuffed lobster, grilled veggies and garlic mashed potatoes. For dessert we had chocolate ganache cake with blueberries and wine. Oh how I love you Danny. Happy, happy Valentine's Day my love.

 

 

 goober^

 

Speaking of LOVE, today {Feb 25} is our 6 month anniversary of our first year married! I know, I know...I'm one of those people that counts the months. Actually, Dan was the one who ever so kindly reminded me of the 1/2 way mark. Too cute, my hub is better at keeping track than I am!

 

I Love You Danny.

Time flies by when we're having fun. I can't believe it has already been 6 months. You're the apple of my eye. I love you with all of my heart and I am grateful for everyday we're together. You truly are the best.

 

Pictures: 1-3 A Bit Of Bees Knees, Picture 4 By GusandLula

What Are You Doing For Valentine's Day?

What are your plans for Valentine's Day? Dan and I usually spend the evening at home. We tried going out for a few years, but it seems that all the resturants have fixed menus and jack up their prices. So this year Dan said he wanted to make dinner for me! Ooh so romantico. We'll have a nice dinner at home, drink some wine and snuggle up on the couch with a good movie. Sounds amazing to me.

 

Here is a sweet card that my Aunt Jill sent us for our first married Valentine's Day.

 

 

A sexy outfit to insire your evening.

 

AllSaints / Jimmy Choo high heels / Kimberly McDonald , $41,795 / Mimco lip makeup, $26 / Estée Lauder

Cute Wedding Gift

My Maid of Honor made us this beautiful ornament for our first Christmas. She cut up a copy of our wedding invitation and put it in a glass bulb. She even arranged the pieces so that specific sections of the invite would be visible...Brittany & Daniel, as they join hands in marriage, the date and time etc. And then she attached our stamp too!

I can see Mo now, sitting there at the table delicately maneuvering little swirls of paper into place. You are amazing Mo and this is truly a very special gift that we will treasure forever.

 

*Winter Wonderland*

We had a weekend in the mountains! It was a winter wonderland -- driving up the mountain with flurries of snowflakes and Christmas tunes playing in the car. It was a perfect moment shared with some amazing friends. We arrived LATE at night and made some hot cocoa and ran outside to enjoy the snow. We made a cozy fire and sprawled out on big sheep skins while watching a movie. The next morning we walked into town for breakfast and coffee and took the ATV out for a spin with the sleds. The next weekend we did the same thing again and I tried my hand at making a Black Velvets for the first time. Simply wonderful.

 

Shan and Justin.

 

Me.

 My Handsome Husband Danny.