greatest hits

we seem to be on a christmas party high.  we have been at one non-stop christmas party for the past two weeks.  like a squirrel, i have sufficiently put on my winter weight from all of the eating.  and drinking.  and eating, eating, more eating.  we are on the home stretch, ready for the arrival of santa and nana & papa.  here is a peek into our week:

1) lazy afternoons with my guys at the "zoo".

 2) a baby shower to celebrate my friend chance and the sweet baby girl in her belly.

 3) girls christmas party.  we raised almost $250 for girls, inc., drank lots o' wine, exchanged white elephant gifts, and enjoyed a night on the town.

 4) crosby now smiles every time i hold the camera to my face.  successful parenting.

 5) our pretty tree after everyone goes to bed.

 6)  a pajama party at robin's to celebrate her new dining room table (and sarah's arrival back to her great home state).  in typical sarah fashion, she stole my camera and took pictures of herself.  we ate mexican food and danced our asses of on the kinnect.  so fun.

 7) crosby's first christmas present!

 (thanks, marcy!)

 8) the company christmas party.

looking forward to date night, christmas eve, and the bonners coming to town!

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

i am sending you one huge hug.  enjoy your christmas weekend!  

until next time,

xoxoxo

the power of positive thinking

in order to turn around this bah-humbug mood i am in, i have decided to peruse pinterest to gaze at some of my favorite images and quotes.   maybe if i share them with you, that will do the trick.  'tis the season of giving, no?

Source: schantalw.tumblr.com via Cortney on Pinterest

Source: piccsy.com via Cortney on Pinterest

Source: awelltraveledwoman.tumblr.com via Cortney on Pinterest

Source: centsationalgirl.com via Cortney on Pinterest

Source: spirituallythinking.blogspot.com via Cortney on Pinterest

Source: blujay.com via Cortney on Pinterest

Source: simplelovelyblog.com via Cortney on Pinterest

Source: wideopenspaces.squarespace.com via Cortney on Pinterest

Source: simplelovelyblog.com via Cortney on Pinterest

Source: designcrushblog.com via Cortney on Pinterest

i think it might've worked.  onward and upward, my friends.

the best santa in dallas

do you ever have one of those days where everything goes off without a hitch?  they are rare, but today was one of them for our little family.  i am always afraid days like this tempt fate a little...but i am choosing to savor every minute of this fine day.  visiting santa was just one of the reasons it was awesome. here's why.

top five reasons to go visit santa at neiman-marcus in downtown dallas:

1) he is so very nice.

2) there was no line!  say what????  in the past chris and i take ben on a weekday during his lunch break.  usually we are the third or fourth family in line.  our friends went last saturday and only waited 30 minutes.  we went today after lunch and walked directly to his lap.  for those that have ever taken children to visit santa know that this is a very. huge. deal.

 3) neimans has fancy window displays like they are in the middle of manhattan or something.  apparently, they haven't gotten the memo that they, well, aren't.  the displays are always beautiful and you don't have to crane your neck over a bajillion people to enjoy them.

 4) there is an interactive tunnel-thingy that the kids can climb through (for free, mind you).  it winds above and through the windows, so your child ends up becoming part of the display itself.  clever.

  5) it's downtown, which brings with it a certain type of energy.  lights are strung from building to building, and this year giant ornaments hang from the strands.  it's beautiful.

 i know it's a little late in the season for this post, as most of you have already toted your children to northpark or bass pro to see santa.  but next year, give this a try.  i promise you will enjoy it just as much as your kids.

greatest hits

in the midst of a week bookended with an ear infection and croup, there have been some shining moments.  as crazy and busy as this time of the year is for me us, it is still my favorite.

1) every year right before christmas, the women in my family dress up and stuff our faces at the christmas buffet at neiman marcus downtown.  the decor is beautiful, the food is delicious, and the company ain't so bad either.  it's one of my favorite days of the year.

 2) marcy hosted her first annual (hint, hint marcy) cookie decorating party for our kiddos.  she went all out.

 looking forward to celebrating my dad's birthday, a baby shower, and our annual girls christmas party.

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

until next time,

xoxoxo

the dallas flea

the dallas flea is "flea market" (a really nice one, mind you) stuffed to the gills with local goodness.  all of the vendors are local artisans.  i have no idea how long it has been going on.  i have been twice and didn't find out it was even happening until a couple of days before.  i am making it a point to be more on top of it in the future, so that i can pass it along before it happens.  it is a dallas gem.

it's not too late to do a little christmas shopping.  i have provided the links below, so you can shop local.

here are a few of my favorites.

dowdy studio

dowdy studio is really a pop-up shop located inside a truck.  chris bought me this shirt a while back (appropriate, no?)

but they also sell beautiful prints, see?

fifi du vie

how adorable are these prints?  you may have seen her print "i believe in good people" floating around pinterest/blogland.

wax paper studio

southern fried paper

and there are more than just paper goodies, there is a lot of textile and clothing goodness too.

like, gaia

their mission: 

"GAIA creations are handmade with care by women in need in the Dallas, TX area, using vintage, repurposed, or sustainable materials.

Our mission is to empower marginalized women through employment, encouragement, and dedication to their long-term success in our own local communities.

Through a living wage and continued training & development, our goal is to lead the women to financial independence and self-sufficiency.  GAIA is a means through which we can all positively affect the lives of those in need in our own community."

feast your eyes on these:

roma boots

my friend bought her baby boy these precious yellow rainboots, and her purchase also provided a pair for a little boy in need.  check them out.

i am tempted to divulge what i purchased, but then mrs. claus would be giving away her secrets.

shop away.  ready, set, go.