feeling black and white

Sorry mom - no Liam in this post.

Lately I have been very inspired by all of these great design blogs out there. My most recent fave inspiration photo is the first photo below. I actually found this photo after i picked up the most fab white chesterfield/style sofa a few weeks ago. Although I loved the sofa, i kept second guessing that it would "go" and how i was going to incorporate it etc. After I saw this pic, I knew it was a great purchase with lots of potential. What i also really love in this photo (that i do NOT currently have) are the amazing build outs, and that to die for vintage zebra rug! M

aybe some day. If I ever do splurge for either, I will update w/ pics.

Here are my cheap impersonations! Ace is filling in for the zebra rug!

Inspired by the zebra rug (and my cute little pup) I have been feeling "Black and white" - i put out a few of my little black and white doo dads in the ikea hutch. (which by the way is going on 4 years old, and still standing - i am shocked)

These little cocktail plates are "vintage" pottery barn - the sayings are super cute.

My favorite.

I will resume my regulary scheduled Liam posts next time. Have a great weekend!

photo catch up

With the holidays, and everything going on these days, i haven't gone through my camera and downloaded all the photos or organized anything for a while. As I was looking through them tonight, there were a few that were just too cute not to share... in no particular order... just playing photo catch up!

Chillin' on the sofa.

Daddy showing me how to be a "BIG FAN"

This is a crazy V-hawk hair day

omg, how cute is this? Chris just put him to sleep with a massage, and Todd is filing his nails... we call it the "Daddy Day Spa" (Chris said that Liam fell asleep before they could give him the seaweed wrap!)

This is from that same day - all the boys were hangin out in the living room, while all the girls were in the kitchen... boy/girl segregation - just like in middle school!

This is my "build it and they will come" photo of Ace. I put this sheet and pillow down on the floor, and within 3 minutes, guess who came to test it out??? ACE FACE!

Cute Daddy and Son shot from our picnic lunch on Saturday.

I think we may even have forgotten to mention that Liam is now eating cereal like he's been doing it his whole life! This photo is the FIRST bite, and the video below is also from the first meal. We will be trying veggies later this week.. more updates on those fun adventures!

Shout out to Ariana and Jasper

I just wanted to send a big shout out to my pals Ariana and Jasper over at Becoming Mom.
Ariana is the epitomy of awesomeness when it comes to things like being a great mom, photographer, writer, designer, and now - teacher. Her adorable son Jasper was born on the same day as Liam - so if there weren't 3000 miles between them, i am sure they would be BFF's someday.
She recently has taken on the task of schooling her peeeps on photo shop and has posted some excellent tutorials to turn your photos from (in her words) "drab to fab" I feel honored because her latest lesson features our very own Lima Bean as shot by Heather.

The GREATS are here!

My grandparents are "Snowbirds".
They live in Oregon for 6 months out of the year, and Yuma Arizona for the other 6 months. This year they are heading down south a little later than usual due to a back surgery that my "Gran" is recovering from. Well, she finally got clearance from her dr. so, my mom is driving them down, and we convinced them to make a stopover in Agoura Hills for a night.
They arrived yesterday afternoon and left this morning - the visit was short - but amazing. It was the first time they had met Liam. We didn't do much except watch our little one man show and visit... it was perfect.
Here are some pictures.

4 generations!
Great Gramp, Me, Liam, Great Gran, and Grammalinkey


Great Gran and Liam

5 months of Lima Bean!

Oh little lima bean... my how you've grown!

5 months already and month after month... i can't believe another month has gone by! And month after month i think "i like this stage the best" ... and it just keeps getting better!

Today was a holiday - MLK day, so you had the day off from day care, and I had the day off from work - so, you and i spent the day shopping for (and dreaming) about furniture! Believe it or not, you slept the entire time (i bet your dreams were not about the furniture though!)You are now two full weeks into full time daycare... this morning you and i did the "test run" stroller walk/jog to daycare just to see if we could do it and how long it would take. It took us 18 minutes door to door. Lucky for you, pretty much the entire way there is down hill. It took us a little looonger to get home, and we had to stop a few times on the big hill coming home. Next time we go, I will have an empty stroller on the way home which will make the hill easier on my body... but not on my heart.

You are such a social butterfly - you love a good party, and you shine for an audience. You love standing up with help these days, it makes you happy and very proud of yourself. When you get your legs good and straight you turn and look around the whole room, as if it was a packed auditorium... you beam and smile to your pretend audience as if to say "look at me... look what i can do... check me out... i am STANDING people, this is BIG!" You also think you can sing - i sing to you alot, and lately i think you are trying to sing along... either that, or you are mocking my inability to keep a tune!

We are now pretty much into a schedule/routine/rhythm - especially on the weekdays. Its up by 7ish, food, playtime, get dressed, go to daycare, come home, more playtime, food, bath, story, cuddles, and bed. You are sleeping through the night (YAAAY) most nights you go down at 8, and wake up around 7. We got the ok from Dr. Bromberg to start cereal this month, so we are all "geared" up with the proper equipment. baby spoons - check, rice cereal - check, highchair - check, teeth - we think they are coming because lately you are drooly mcdroolerson, and almost can fit BOTH fists in your mouth at the same time (which is where they usually are)! This time next month, I hope to have happy stories of our new adventures in FOOD!

We love you so much little love bug.

i love l.a.

nowhere else in the country would a parent in their right mind send their child to daycare in this outfit today!

* thanks HB for the adorable outfit

* thanks Los Angeles for the great weather so he can wear it

* henny... sending you warm sunny thoughts of 85 degrees today (come home soon!)

Not to make y'all jealous or anything... but the photos below are from 10:00 a.m. this morning in the backyard, where the temp. is already 76 degrees.

All dressed up and nowhere to go...

except daycare!
Poor Liam, he is going to hate me when he gets older and sees how his mother dressed him!