Here's a little photographic roundup of our Easter weekend.
Jeffrey and Gabrielle coloring eggs.
The egg tray waiting to be filled.
Jeffrey and Gabrielle in search of eggs on the way to the egg hunt.
Gabrielle ready to begin the egg hunt.
Sweet treats at Reeve and Amanda's Easter Eggstravaganza.
Gabrielle finds her first egg.
Outdoor couch time with Frances.
Stopping to smell the roses.
I will never get enough of their oh so sweet love fests!
Gabrielle and I visited Hall Family Farm in the Ballantyne area of Charlotte. We went for opening day of the u-pick strawberry season.
I got Gabrielle to work right away!
And she was into it!
A winner!
This is not a good representation of the delicious and brigt red berries that were available for picking - but not bad for a first timer! Check out the loot of this early arriver to the farm's opening day! Next time, I'll be sure to review the tips for how to pick a strawberry with Gabrielle!
Definitely plan to go again. We had a delightful time! There were other fun activities for kids - including water filled PVC-pipe duck races, a maze, and a fenced off play area for kids. The tractor rides will begin soon and they also have tasty strawberry smoothies! There's more info on the Hall Family Farm Facebook page.
There's a delightful little rose garden in the city of Charlotte.
And for my little rock lover, this was a great place to spend an hour this afternoon.
There are some amazing roses in the garden. And it appears that there is going to be hundreds more over the course of the next month or so.
Gabrielle loved walking around the paths, seeing the train pass by (although it was a bit loud at first!), and sitting down to get her hands dirty.
It was also a great opportunity for me to teach her that not all flowers can be picked with a pull!
It's kind of hard to believe, but there's a little two-year-old now residing in our house!
Here's a photographic account of what went down for Gabrielle's 2nd birthday party!
The highlight, of course, was all Gabrielle's little people in attendance!
The theme for the party was "Time Flies" and I had oh so much fun getting everything ready!
I also went with a pink/white/grey color theme. The decorations consisted of this large baloon overhang above the kid's table.
And these delightful Casa Cabana cardboard houses.
That the kids LOVED playing in.
And dancing around!
We hired The Mud Puddles (made up of Gabrielle's music teacher Reeve Coobs and Matt Glass) to entertain the kids.
Which proved to be a perfect way to gather everyone together at the beginning of the party.
Lunch followed - a selection of tasty little sandwiches (including these pulled pork sliders) that my sister (THANKS ALI!) helped me make. I wanted to serve easy-to-eat foods that could potentially be for both kids and adults.
Egg salad sandwiches.
Chicken pesto and swiss sandwiches.
And a ham and gruyere baguette.
Sweet little treats.
Homemade-from-scratch cupcakes.
Served with ice cold milk in glass bottles.
This was one of my favorite moments of the party. Gabrielle and I had been practicing how to "make a wish" and then blow out your birthday candles for several days leading up to her party. She was a bit overwhelmed when everyone was singing to her/looking at her - but just at the moment when she was supposed to, she made this face to "blow" out her candles.
These were the party favors that I made.
That started as simple paint cans from Lowe's.
I created labels for the tops of the cans.
And paint stamped names on labels to go around the outside.
Inside each can was the airplane t-shirt that inspired the theme of the party.
I have a few extras from the party (in J.Crew Crewcuts size 3). If you'd like a chance to win one, leave a comment below with how you're best savoring your delightful life moments. I'll pick a couple winners this weekend!
When Gabrielle opened some of her gifts, she wanted to read each of the books on the spot. We've had such fun playing with all the special little surprises she received on her day!
The best part was seeing the smiles on Gabrielle's face - knowing that she felt special.
It was a happy day for our family!
In the ongoing craziness that is my current life, I love that I can record moments on my iPhone.
And although the quality of the images isn't as great as what I can get on my other camera, I love looking back on the spur of the moment shots. It's these images that I'm immediately able to send to my parents or text to Jeffrey if he's away. Thank you, technology.
(Party preparations for Gabrielle's upcoming 2nd birthday. A delightful pair of shoes I wanted to be sure to look at online after seeing them in Lucky Magazine. Gabrielle and Jeffrey at Sesame Street Live. Diana Ross performs at Music With Friends in Charlotte - amazing. Jeffrey and his cup of tea. Gabrielle playing with the local kids at Vesuvio Playground in Soho. A great quote I saw on the wall at Club Monaco. Gabrielle sitting on her piano stool with a good book. Gabrielle reminding us, "Hey fellas, we got work tah do!" A super sweet Pom D'Api sandal we came across at Les Petits Chapelais. The beautiful view from our room at Trump Soho. The now empty loft space that will become a creative place/closet/sleeping quarters for Gabrielle. Happy to put on some open toe shoes! Gabrielle playing with super cool Tegu blocks they had for kids to play with at the Patagonia store. Couldn't get enough of the view. Gabrielle eating guacamole by the spoonful.)
Added a little highlight to my current haircolor today. This color combination is actually about as close to my natural haircolor as I've been in many, many years. I think over the course of the next couple visits, I'll work back toward the lighter blonde I've been in the past.
Also fun to note that Emily Maynard, who is on ABC's The Bachelor and lives in Charlotte, was getting her hair colored at Modern Salon the same time as me today. I'm definitely in her fanclub and hope her and Mr. Brad end up together (and happy)!
And then one day, after previous hesitations, you decided to come out of your shell
to climb the stairs on your own
and slide into the delight
that life has in store for you.
You're beginning to find your rhythm in life
and I've loved you for every second of it.
Way to go, Gabrielle!
Don't ever stop exploring your potential.
Witnessing early language development is one of my most favorite parts about being a mama. Here's the photographic evidence of how Gabrielle's statements come to fruition.
The statements Gabrielle told me tonight were "Have fun. Love Belen." Which, after some further questions and verbal editing, were revised into the spoken, full sentences of "I have fun with Belen. I love Belen."
All these bright paint colors reminded me how much I LOVE the long ball skirts of the Jil Sander Spring/Summer 2011 collection. Defintely partial to the pink!
A couple weeks ago we took a family road trip from Charlotte to Atlanta (about a 3.5 hour drive) to attend my cousin Walker's (and his beautiful bride Amy) wedding.
Zeebee has been the traveling companion of choice for Gabrielle lately.
I love the adventure of traveling with a one-year-old. My packing checklist now includes toddler toilet seats and goldfish crackers.
How fun to get this little one all dressed up!
And experience life with her.
I'm trying out OPI's Axxium gel laquer "two week" manicure.
I'd love to have maincured nails that don't chip! (Wouldn't everyone?) I actually tried this once before. Had it done at a cheap place and wasn't that impressed with the result after the first couple days. So I gave it a second chance and had it done by Shannon at Modern Salon in Charlotte. I'll keep you posted on how this lasts over the course of the next two weeks!
Here's what you get for the birthday of a man who has everything...
You bring his four daughters and four granddaughters together to surprise him for his airport arrival.
You present him with the biggest balloons you can find - filled with strips of paper with birthday wishes from friends and family.
Then together you let the balloons go - to fly high into the sky to the gods - in hopes that all the wishes come true.
Higher.
And higher.
And higher.
Delightful. Happy Birthday, sweet Jeffrey.
Your girls love you!
I've got a girl crush on Erin Heatherton.
And while we're on the subject of beauty - I couldn't help but smile at the image of this piece (by MBW ) that showed in my email inbox today from Pop International Galleries.
Love this look. Way to go, Michael Kors.
On a cold, rainy day I have extra appreciaton (and anticipation) for J.Crew's Spring preview.
I'm putting together some images for Gabrielle's scrapbook that include the things I want to remember about the 2010 holiday. Here's a glimpse of my favorites:
Around the middle of December, you began to realize that "See-ta" was a character in this life that you should come to recognize. He's a happy man and it was sweet to see how you interacted with the stuffed version of him.
I really wanted to keep things simple this year. To me, that meant only lights on the tree
packages wrapped in The New York Times
and a focus on sharing the moments of the season with the ones I love.
On Christmas Eve, we got you all dressed up in your special red and white pajamas and Santa slipper socks.
Then we loaded into the car to sing some Christmas carols, pick up Matt and Erika, and drive around and marvel at the lights and lanterns.
Jeffrey and I just happened to come across these several years ago when driving around on Christmas Eve.
Somehow, many of the streets in Dilworth and Myers Park (two of old the oldest and most beautiful neighborhoods in Charlotte) are lined with candle lanterns and it's an amazing site to see.
The special gift we gave you was an early edition copy of your favorite book Baby Dear. It's been your most requested, most read, and most loved book. And I've never turned down the chance to have you curl into my lap as I read the poetic lines of the story. The copy you have is part of a bedtime series of Little Golden Books, so we thought it would be delightful to give you a copy of Baby Dear on its own.
And as an extension of the book, we wanted you to have your own Baby Dear. I sewed the bedding for her sweet bed using some of the baby blankets we used to swaddle you in when you were just a little bitty one.
Kisses for Baby Dear.
You received several delightful packages from our friends and family of afar, including this Christmas dress from Grandma and Grandpa.
And this handmade tutu, wand, and crown from your Auntie Liz and Uncle John.
Your papa and I melted when we saw how you looked at yourself in the mirror wearing this. You are a gem, Gabrielle.
I think your favorite special treat of the day was your very own container of white M&Ms. I let you splurge and eat them all (as opposed to the "only one" you're used to!
Your papa has recently been signing letters with "Happy Day and Happy Days." It came to him as we were talking about sign offs that famous newscasters have used in the past. And that is how all our days have been with you, Gabrielle - so really, Christmas is just another day. As magical and delightful and joyful as all the others.
It is my hope that as you grow up and are exposed to the wonders and beauty and rush of the holiday season, you'll recognize that at the root of all the magical moments is LOVE. And we love you, forever.
YAY! It came just like I wanted it to. (I actually predicted that we would have snow on Christmas back in October!)
Gabrielle doing the "hooray for snow" dance!
It's incredible how detailed trees become when they're outlined in snow.
I'm loving how easy it is to share photos via iLife '11's new iPhoto. Created this in under five minutes to send my parents a little holiday greeting!
30 years ago today. Where has the time gone? Life moves rapidly. And every day I'm grateful.
I'm thinking of my family today. We are celebrating all across the globe. My parents in Kauai, Hawaii. My brother and his family in Tacoma, Washington. And my sister and her family in Eugene, Oregon. I'm hoping that today's celebration is as magical as my memories of all the holidays we enjoyed together.
One of the most delightful things that happened in my life this year was meeting a great group of ladies that all have daughters close in age to my 20-month old Gabrielle. It's been such a joy to spend time with them - to talk about mamahood experiences and to be inspired by them for the amazing women they are. Intellectual. Stylish. Creative. Caring. Hip. And tomorrow we're all getting together to exchange some holiday goodies.
It's cookie time! (Typing that reminded me of this.) I used Martha Stewart's gingerbread recipe to create my seven dozen cookies. I loved making them, baking them, and packaging them (my favorite part!). I can relate to Amber's sentiments that, "There is nothing more fulfilling than making something with your own two hands and pouring all of your heart and soul into it for the ones you love."
Discovered this sanding sugar snowflake outline after I placed the final batch in its box.
And I'm excited to hear how others like the finished product. The royal icing has a lemon undertone and the gingerbread is crisp but still dense on the inside.
All my boxes are lined up by the door and ready to go! For the packaging, I used compostable containers, created a "Let it snow" label, tied the boxes together (six cookies in each box) with baker's twine, and finished each one off with a snowflake cutout.
Just took a little walk down memory lane to see what I was doing on this day five years ago, four years ago, three years ago, two years ago, and one year ago. It's amazing how quickly the time has passed - and delightful to reflect on all the great times and experiences I've had in my life.
December 11, 2005
I was visiting the Statue of Christ the Redeemer in Rio de Janiero, Brazil, with Jeffrey.
December 11, 2006
I had just returned home from Jeffrey's first Success Weekend in Vegas - and was headed out to Orlando to meet up with my sister and her family in Disneyworld.
December 11, 2007
I was in NYC at a Diane von Furstenberg meet and greet.
December 11, 2008
I was pregnant with Gabrielle - totally excited about what was ahead! And preparing for my final trip (to Philly) before having her.
December 11, 2009
I was in Florida at Jeffrey's Boot Camp.
And this is what my life was about today:
Gabrielle and I found a sweet little sunny spot a few weeks ago to enjoy a sunset picnic. (It seems a little funny to even be thinking about a picnic now that it's super cold here - but wanted to share!)
I've always wanted to try Price's Chicken Coop which is just down the tracks from where we live.
The tater tots and white meat chicken sandwich were a tasty little treat. The highlight was definitely the chicken. Nice and moist underneath crispy flavorful skin. I'd get the chicken without the sandwich (aka bun) next time!
And speaking of picnics, how fun are these boxed picnics?
Thank you world for being so full of amazing things to discover.
Lots of fun family adventures this weekend.
Based on the recommendation from Charlotte's Little Ones magazine, I suggested to Jeffrey that we check out the new Mint Museum Uptown.
The article gave great tips about how to get the best out of a visit with a small child in tow - advising to start the day in the family gallery where there are great hands-on activities for kids.
All the activities tie back to specific pieces of art that are within the galleries.
We played with crayons and glue sticks and colored foam and magnetic blocks.
It's so nice that the Mint Musuem created this space to encourage young artists!
After about an hour in the family gallery, we took the escalators (which Gabrielle loves) to the upper floors. There were very few people and it was a great teaching experience where I could encourage Gabrielle to use an "inside voice" and appreciate the creations of others. My favorite piece in the musuem is the mother and child vintage bathing suits.
We stopped after the museum visit at Amelie's new uptown location for a cream puff!
Our other outing was to the Eastover Elementary playground for a little outdoor fun. The weather is so beautiful here. Gabrielle got brave on the slide...
And ended up with this war wound!
I got giddy when I came across the idea for water painting in First Art: Art Experiences for Toddlers and Twos. Brilliant. Free. Not messy at all! And we can do it outside - where here in Charlotte, NC, it's still suprisingly sunny and in the high 60s!
Pumpkin goodness in the form of mini muffins to share with our friends. And they smell wonderful when baking. Thanks for the recipe, National Geographic Kids.
These two becoming much closer as Gabrielle's ability to communicate is rapidly increasing. Lately, they've been taking an early morning outing together - for a bagel at Einsteins and a visit to Starbucks. I overheard Gabrielle telling Jeffrey in bed this morning, "Up, Papa" - meaning time for the adventure to begin! This afternoon, when she was in the car with me, I didn't realize she was really processing all that she looks at out the window until we drove past the location of her and her papa's new morning hot spot until she announced "bagel!" as we drove by. So cool.
Hallelujah! Forever holiday stamps that are not tacky, non-denominational, and not totally season specific.
This is one the best baby/kid items! Especially for travel. It pops onto the top of any bottled water (only exception I've come across is Voss). It DOES NOT leak. And the sucking motion required to get the water out seems easy and steady for Gabrielle.
And I would love to get this Modernist Dollhouse for Gabrielle - for the secret reason that I want to have it around to play with it myself!
So love this look. The colors. The shapes. And her taking a big risk with the hair.
Need this reminder as I work Gabrielle back into a comfortable sleep schedule after being on the road for the past couple weeks. So happy to be home.
This sweet little midnight snack (hello, time change + daylight savings time, nice to meet you) of grape Jell-o with mini marshmallows sure hits the spot! I forgot how good it is when the marshmallows soak into the gelatin goodness!
If these keys could talk - I wonder what they'd be saying! It's super inspiring to be here at my sister's house. Her energy for the work she does is something I so admire. It's nice to just live a day-to-day life with her for the week - and let our little ones get to know eachother better.
And Gabrielle and I got to experience the famous Yumm! bowl at Cafe Yumm! in Eugene, Oregon. This is fresh food goodness. I had it for the second day in a row today!
Old McDougall Had a Farm!
And on her farm she had a SHEEP and a COW!
She had all kinds of fun knocking on doors...
And learning to walk in work boots!
All the cousins were looking delightful.
It was a wonderful day!
Such amazing beauty in the Fall colors of the Pacific Northwest.
Ruffled, rosette goodness courtesy of American Apparel.
I've asked myself on several occasions lately: where has my fashion/style blogging life gone? And here are the answers that come to mind...
I've been in a busy place. Juggling so many things. So many great things. Working and thinking and dreaming and learning and mommying. There have been many days when I think of these wonderful and elaborate posts I'd like to create to put on my blog - my stylish visions of delightful images. Of all that's new in putting outfits together. How my hair color change has opened up a whole new world in my existing wardrobe.
And then the end of the day comes, and it just feels nice to sit down at my computer and look at other people's ideas and inspirations instead of writing my own.
There is an ongoing craving for inner organization and calm within me. And I know I'm on an amazing path to better discovering it. I get a little accomplished in that direction each day and we're working to create more of a unified home within the space we live in. Right now, it's pretty pieced together and a lot is out of sorts as we unconstruct to reconstruct - and I can't wait for everything to have its place. My mind buzzes with the vision of walking into our kitchen to see people sitting around, sharing a meal and a conversation - and I just smile knowing the vision will become a reality soon.
Gabrielle is growing so quickly. She is the ultimate daily delight as she discovers the little things in life. How to flip a light switch. What Jell-O tastes like. What sound a monkey makes. How many fun, touchable, tastable treasures mama has in her studio. How to use her imagination. How to travel and soak it all in. How to drift off into sleepland peacefully.
And all is well.
So thanks for stopping by. The wheels are still turning. Don't lose hope, because if you're coming here for inspiration - just like I go to so many other blogs for - there is much ahead!
Today was a beautiful day for a visit to Hodges Farm in Charlotte, North Carolina. Bruna and Gabrielle and I joined our friends Amber and Stella for a wonderful adventure. The farm has a pumpkin patch and chickens and goats and pigs and horses and hay rides.
Pumpkin heaven.
This girl LOVES to travel. But when our plane touched down tonight Gabrielle looked right up at me and said, "HOMMME." It's a line I've heard Jeffrey say hundreds of times, and it's always the thought I have when landing back home in Charlotte after being on the road.
I've never NOT cracked up while reading an E. Jean advice column in ELLE magazine - so I was delighted to come across her list of the 25 Things Every Woman Should Know.
She's a brilliant writer. And her list made me think and laugh. I hope you find the same.
Party hats.
Lots of kisses.
And cupcakes. Life is good.
Oh what fun you can have with a "tub o' beans." Thanks to sew liberated for the idea (and Amber for the recommendation to visit the SL site).
Gabrielle was a bit hesitant at first. But then decided to jump right in.
I love watching her explore.
I'm so in love with the illustrations from Suzy Lee's wordless book Mirror.
It's a delightful piece to flip through for a moment of self-reflection.
Today is a rainy September 11th. Someday, you'll better understand what this day stands for.
For now, you're grateful to be up and checking out the world from an upright perspective.
I love you, sweet Gabrielle.
I decided to take the stairs in the parking garage of my doctor's office building.
After many, many visits there throughout the time I was pregnant, I always used the elevator. This past Tuesday was the first time I'd been back in quite some time. And mentally, I am such a different person now that I have Gabrielle in my life. Time moves so fast. But I always try my best to stop and slow down and notice the little things - the things that could be easily overlooked, but when noticed, bring such joy and delight to my life. Things like this moth that fluttered to the wall of the parking garage stairs as I walked down. At first glance, it was a dirty, brown bug. But it quickly opened its wings to expose these AMAZING colors, and then stayed there long enough to let me get my phone camera out and take a couple shots, just inches from where she landed.
Life is beautiful.
We are back in Charlotte after a month-long trip out to the West Coast - to visit family and friends and work on Jeffrey's next book. It was such a wonderful time. (A chance to meet my friend Jessie's little Max, a wonderful day with Jessie and Rebekah, witnessing my big sister participate in her first triathlon, delicious dinner with Diane and Richard, Jessie's other little man Noah, cupcakes all over the place, Rebekah and Gabrielle bonding, kid's lunch date, and a visit to Anna and Simon's new house!)
The remainder of our stay at Lighthouse Beach couldn't have been better. The sights and sounds at the Oregon Coast are just so amazingly delightful.
Every day was a new adventure of exploration for Gabrielle.
And every day was a new backdrop of weather.
We cooked s'mores.
Checked out all kinds of nature treasures.
And ate wonderful culinary creations - many that featured fresh caught seafood. Thanks Mom and Dad!
On the day Gabrielle took her first steps, my mom found this lady slipper shell
when we were walking on the beach.
Jeffrey's next book is the third book that we have worked on at the Oregon Coast. It's a peaceful and productive place. We worked on his last book, the Little Teal Book of Trust, in Gearheart, Oregon. And we now know I was pregnant then. Cool to think that little Gabrielle was part of that experience as well! I'm once again in awe of Jeffrey's brilliance. He can dictate thousands and thousands of words on a specific topic (without stopping). And I always ask him afterward, "Where did all that come from?!" He's amazing.
Other big news in the Gitomer world is that Jeffrey's books are now popping up in the iBooks store. Super fun to see what they look like on the iPad and iPhone - and to imagine people reading them in this new format.
We saw so many beautiful sunsets during our visit. Hard to say goodbye to this view.
And the return trip back through Seattle wouldn't have been complete without a stop at Dick's.
A tasty cheeseburger and fries was a great end to a wonderful adventure.
OMG GMG! Today you took your first solo steps.
But you can hold my hand forever.
Eating colorfully makes me happy.
Start with some lettuce.
Add lots of chopped vegetables.
There's no limit!
Add a little fresh caught and picked dungeness crab. (Thanks Dad!)
And top it off with homemade croutons.
I thought I'd never say this, but here goes: I now love flossing my teeth!
And it's thanks to my REACH Access flosser which works wonderfully and really does make flossing as easy as brushing.
Grandma Pati introduced Gabrielle to this container of amazing washed ashore treasures.
Rocks to peekaboo through.
Oops, there was also a slug in the bucket!
All kinds of interesting pieces to touch and feel and toss.
Yay for nature items that are interesting to investigate.
Love you.
