greatest hits

get ready for perhaps the wordiest greatest hits in this blog's history.  and here we go.

1) my group of girls does a bang-up job of making a point to carve out some time for each other in our busy lives.  it doesn't happen as often as we would like, but we can usually throw together a last minute happy hour, piece of cake.  well it just so happens that two of my best girls are pregs with sweet baby boys, named nolan and finn (boys number 5 & 6 for this group).  we surprised them with a little shower  at our last "happy hour".  they drank water out of wine glasses and we drank bud light in their honor.  yay for babies!

2) rewind to monday night before valentine's day; my baby has a double ear infection, our sitter and dinner plans are cancelled, and i am having a pity party for one (no one else was invited).  cue chris.  he makes surprise plans for the next saturday and managed to keep the plans a secret ALL week.  this is a big deal for my sweet husband (i think he asked me once a day if i wanted to know the surprise :)

fast forward to saturday.  we drop the babes off at my parents, check in to the hotel belmont, partake in a celebratory bloody mary, enjoy dinner at the common table (delish), finish the night with beers at the foundry, sleep soundly in a bed that isn't ours, eat a delicious brunch at smoke, and take the long twenty minute drive home.  perfection.

kudos, chris.  thanks for the hot date :)

(the patio at the foundry.  reminded us of austin.  good work, dallas!)

3) the rest of the week was spent keeping the baby out of trashcans and spending time outside with the boys.  you know, the usual.

* i do realize that reading this post could lead you to believe that this week has been all unicorns and rainbows.  in an effort to keep it real, i just want to let you know that this week has also included a nasty eye infection (me), poo that escaped the diaper and landed directly on my foot, and the ingestion of some sort of insect by the littlest one.  and there you have it.  never a dull moment.

looking forward to an easy weekend.  how was your week?  what are you looking forward to?

until next time,

xoxoxo

let there be light

sorting through the contents of the 'starred items' folder in my google reader, i noticed a theme in the loads of images i hoard for my occasional 'this and that' posts. 

light. 

 so many of the images that have stuck with me recently are ones i never want to forget beause they shine.  aren't they beautiful?

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the above photo was taken of fireflies.  gorgeous.

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italian artist giancarlo neri installed 9,000 LED powered orbs in a field in rio de janero.  set on a timer, the orbs change color every five minutes.  once the cycle of colors is complete, the orbs are lit in a multi-colored display.  what in the world would you do if you happened upon a field of 9,000 colored lights???  trip to rio, anyone???

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"At Tate Modern in London from February 9 to June 5, 2012, you'll find a space filled with mirrors and small LED lights, which change color. Infinity Mirror Room – Filled with the Brilliance of Life is by famous Japanese artist Yayoi Kusama, an 82-year-old woman who has spent most of the last forty years of her life as a voluntary resident in a psychiatric hospital." -my modern met

it blows my mind that her 82 year old mind cranks out ideas of such beauty and creativity.  unreal. 

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this installation was created by the same 82 year old artist i mentioned earlier.  she started with a white room.  she equipped young children with colored dot stickers.  after weeks of visitors, the installation ended up looking like the first photo.

the thought of stickers ending up on every surface of my home sends shivers down my spine, but i think i could get on board with it happening in a gallery space.

happy wednesday, friends.

i hope you like these images as much as i do.

R.E.M.

my favorite radio station has been blowing up R.E.M. lately and i am loving it.  here are a couple of my favorites that i have heard lately.

R.E.M. is one of those bands whose music immediately transports me to another time and place and that, my friends, is what i love about music.

my blog receives the least amount of traffic on my music posts, but i cannot help myself.  i apologize if i am boring you to death :)  but if you are interested, i would love to know the music that transports you back in time.

p.s.  michael stipe is such an artsy weirdo (and y'all know how i love artsy weirdos...enter kanye), BUT i recently learned that we share the same love for my beloved new orleans.  i'll have to check out some of his picks on our next trip.

happy listening!

greatest hits

this week has been nutso.  chris was out of town from friday to sunday, as were my parents, so the normal village i use to help raise my children were out-of-commission.  so, different villagers stepped up to help this momma out. (thank you, villagers...you know who you are).  we have celebrated chris' return by eating chocolate non-stop.

here's a peek:

1) this kid has already found the ONLY non-child-proofed cabinet in the kitchen.  look at his face, he knows he is busted.

 2) a baby shower for a dear friend from college.  the baby's name will be luke ryan, but we like to call him craig-craig after his daddy :)

 because i am lame, i only have one picture of luke ryan's momma...she's the one way in the back.  sorry, em.

 3) a pancake breakfast for my little guys.  

below is my sous chef.

 nothing says valentine's like pumpkin, christmas tree and heart-shaped pancakes.

 of course this kid loves pancakes.  he is made of them.

 4) glow sticks from the target dollar bin + idea found on pinterest = a glowing bathtub and two ecstatic boys.

 5) a party a ben's school.

 hipster.

 6) chocolate cake baking.

 7) unprompted backseat hand-holding.  on valentine's day, no less.

 8) vday lunch of champions (with daddy).

 9) this heart arrived in the mail from our big boy.

 10) i always knew that one day i would have children.  and i would dress them in matching pajamas.

  looking forward to a rescheduled valentine's date night.

how was your week?  what are you looking forward to?

until next time,

xoxoxo

you are loved

happy valentine's day, sweethearts.

Source: ffffound.com via Cortney on Pinterest

i'm off to change a poopy diaper, shower, then bake a cake.  i hope you day is equally (if not more) exciting!  love y'all.

mwah!

girl crush

oh adele, your voice is so pretty. and so is your face. 

 i think i love you.

Source: tomandlorenzo2.blogspot.com via Cortney on Pinterest

Source: roxwel.com via Cortney on Pinterest

Source: hairromance.com via Cortney on Pinterest

this and that: valentines edition

i once had a boss who referred to her husband (in a silly, yet adorable way) as "lover".  at 20 years old, this made me blush but now i see it as a little window into their playful relationship.  love it or hate it, valentine's day is around the corner.  i used to hate it, but now i embrace any holiday that provides an excuse to eat a fancy dinner at a fancy restaurant.  here are some valentine-inspired things from around the web that make my heart go pitter patter.

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photographs by lauren fleishman (of couples married 50+ years) found here



gorgeous cards featured here

how hilarious and true is this?  found here.

be still my heart.

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totally making these next year.

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Source: dandee-designs.com via Cortney on Pinterest

or these

Source: faboolous.blogspot.com via Cortney on Pinterest

or these.

o.k. i'm done (although i could keep going fo sho).  anything been inspiring you lately?