Christmas 2017

We had such a lovely Christmas at home with the girls this year.  Our typical Christmas tradition is basically travel-travel-travel, but these last two years we've changed things up so we can enjoy Christmas morning at home.  It's seriously so nice.  Sometimes it can be hard for us to switch up traditions with family members because of hurt feelings and whatnot, but I honestly wish we had proposed this change years ago.  Having Christmas as a relaxing and slow time instead of chaotic and stressful makes all the difference in fully taking it in.


You guys.  Poesy's face just kills me in this one.  Oh, to feel like that again.  Being a kid at Christmas is just the best.


Poesy lost her voice this year, so listening to her high-pitched shrieks was pretty entertaining.  She gets excited about EVERYTHING, so you can probably imagine all squeaking and honking. 

This is the first year Hope hasn't really wanted any toys.  I was nervous about navigating those waters, but it was actually the most fun year for me to shop for her.  She likes clothes and jewelry and games.  Her favorite gift was a pink Taco Bell hoodie that I found at Forever 21 earlier this year.  It was the very first Christmas gift I bought-- that kid LOVES Taco Bell.  Her big present was a Harry Potter overnight bag filled with gobs of smaller Harry Potter presents.  (Clothes, Pop figures, DVDs, jewelry, etc.)  It was also a win!

Poesy's school travels to a local church once a month to shop with points they've earned.  There are clothes, toys... well, quite a variety of things.  The church gifted the kids 20 extra points so they could shop for family members, and Poesy was thrilled to have her very own presents to give us.  She picked a Springfield Cardinals hat for Johnny and I got a three pack of dollar store eyeshadow. 😂 It was precious and so very thoughtful.


The last 4 pictures are some of my favorite gifts from this year.  Johnny's mom and dad braved auctions to find these beautiful head vases for me.  I mean, I'm now the proud owner of a Lucille
Ball head vase.  What?!  She will go perfectly next to my Elizabeth Taylor vase.

The swan measuring cups were a sweet gift from Hope.  She braved the mall days before Christmas and bought these with her own money.  I love to see this thoughtfulness shining through her.

I hope you all had a wonderful holiday.  I know family stuff can be tough sometimes... I'm thankful for a year without any drama and a slow-paced, nap-filled Christmas.  xo.

Tom Petty Tribute (and video clip)

("and the days went by, like paper in the wind"-- To Find A Friend // Wildflowers)

Johnny and I finally finished this Tom Petty documentary yesterday.  It was so good, but it was so long that we had started it so many times before actually making it to the end.  After we finished it, I felt even more of a connection to his music and an all new level of respect for his songwriting.  There aren't a lot of songwriters out there that stood the test of time like good ol' Tom, in my opinion.

After Tom Petty passed away, some of our friends got together to put on an epic tribute show.  They pulled in a rotating cast of musicians from our area (Springfield is saturated with great musicians in the best possible way) and we all poured our hearts into celebrating his legacy.  It was a wonderful night and we raised a bunch of money for Care to Learn, a charity that I love.  Johnny and I were honored to be a small part of the show, and since Poesy's favorite song long before she could speak words has been "Free Fallin" we figured it would be so fun to let her join us onstage to help out.  She's been around enough Tom Petty music to hold her own.  ;)  Here's a little video clip from that night:



She took her tambourine job very seriously.  I hope to continue to encourage her dreams of being a musician and being onstage.  Oh, and I'll just keep exposing her to as much golden music as she'll allow.  :)

Snapshots

Things have been exciting and busy around our house lately.  Poesy's Kindergarten had a graduation ceremony for her class and we decided on which school she will be attending in the Fall.  I'm pumped about this because this particular school comes highly recommended from a teacher friend who works at one of the most sought-after Springfield public schools.  It's feels like such a relief to have this decision over and done with!

I've been collecting a ton of vintage from my closet for a sale coming soon!  I know I've said this a few times, but I'm partnering up with Whurl so no getting too busy this time around!  I've been back on a vintage clothing kick, so need to let some pretties go to new homes to make room for new ones.


I had the most wonderful Mother's Day.  My sweets made me brunch at home, showered me with thoughtful gifts, and made me feel like a million bucks.  The gorgeous jade plant was my big present for Mother's Day, but Johnny actually gave it to me early as a little pick-me-up during a most stressful week.

I've been working hard in Poesy's room (see the last post for my explanation) and I'm finally at the finish line.  She's stoked on every element I've introduced, so that feels awesome.


Our garden is starting to produce, band life is kicking into high gear for the summer, and we have some fun trips on the horizon.  I'd be lying if I tried to pretend like juggling all of these things is easy all the time, but a new planner is helping me hold it all together.  I hope your May is treating you well!

Easter 2017

Welp, I'm a little late to the Easter posting party, but hey- I'd rather it be late that not at all.  We decided to dye eggs in the backyard a couple nights before Easter morning and it was the perfect weather and perfect setting.  We got messy, enjoyed the cool breeze, and the girls took trampoline breaks.  I always wonder if this will be the last year Hope enjoys our holiday traditions because of how old she's getting, so it makes my heart especially warm to see her loving these small things still.


(Hope's face in this one. 😂 )

We spent Easter morning doing our own thing and then headed back to our hometown to visit with both mine and Johnny's parents.  It was rainy and dreary that day, so I opted to be a lazy lady and not bring my DSLR.  This is when I thank the universe for decent iPhone cameras.  Katie, Katie... you should know better by now...


Johnny and I still exchange Easter baskets.  It's one of my favorite traditions.  I got him a bunch of fancy-person candy and a basketball.  You've gotta have the fun things in there, right?


This is the face of "OMG- I got headphones with a microphone for my musical.ly videos!"


We had a wonderful day all together and I hope that baseball bat stays in the tree for years to come. (It's been there since I can remember.)  Also, Hope is wearing one of my shrunken dresses in the photo above-- WHAT?!

I adore my beautiful family and I'm so thankful for our traditions.  xo.