Happy Valentine's Day!

Happy Valentine's Day!

Hope everyone thoroughly enjoys this day as much as I do.

What could be better than a day about love?

Especially when chocolate is involved!



{above photos via greenweddingshoes}

I made a few little treats for friends,

and found my favorite new treat.

Homemade chocolate peanut buuter cups!

Made in mini cupcake tuns, and individually wrapped in tiny heart stamped brown bags,

they are too cute to resist and too tiny to feel guilty about.*

*Note: I do not support feeling guilty about eating chocolate. Life's too short.

design*sponge featured the recipie last week, and it was too simple not to try!

i.love.this.day.

red hearts & brain waves

Thursday night, a dream literally came true for me-

we had a Valentine's Party! 

I know there are a lot of mixed feelings out there about Valentine's day, 

but I am, and have always been, a HUGE fan.

Partly because I love hype, sweets, little crafts and gifts, 

and of course, love.

Two of my good friends from work started planning this a couple of weeks ago, 

and the prepping, baking & crafting side of this party

may or may not have been my favorite part. 

Let get's real, those are the reasons I always want to have parties.

And my friend Kelley's love language is parties, so she totally gets it too.

strawberry cake balls by kelley

sugar cookie cupcakes

mason jar + burlap + lace +wooden heart = v-day vase 

the cuuutest felt heart garland, also by kelley

please note Roux checking out the snack table...

This table was full by the end of the night,

so many sweet friends brought awesome desserts that disappeared quickly.

Ross even made pigs in the blanket for the first time!

empty tazo tea box + burlap + string + a doily = v-day candle holder

The Mexican Valentines flags were my absolute favorite!

Kelley simply folded tissue paper, cut holes, and then taped the flags to ribbon.

Super cheap & easy, and they were a hit!

Remember the hearts everyone wore in Julie & Julia?

That was my favorite part for sure. 

Kelley's sister brought over this game...

it is so crazy...

you control the movement of this ball with your brain waves.

I'm still not sure I believe it, but everyone loved it!

It was such a wonderful night, 

and we feel so blessed by our friends here. 

Our hearts are full to the brim.

Looking forward to more Valentine's celebrating to come!

catching up: thanksgiving

Okay, blog, I'm sorry for peaceing out on you for so long. I sort of broke up with blogger for a while I guess.  We got into a fight, you see.  I had this incredibly eloquent and interesting post (just kidding, but seriously...) in which I poured out my heart & shared what the Lord was showing me through Jack Kerouac and apple pie and pursuing a new career adventure. The post took at least a week to write, and when it came time to publish and share it with the blogging world... blogger failed to save the post...and failed to post it... so we ended our relationship on pretty bad terms. 

BUT, I love the holiday season waaaay too much to not take some time and document our adventures.

I forgive you, Blogger.  Maybe another day when I have more time to rewrite the aforementioned incredibly eloquent and interesting post I can share that story, but for now we will just have a simple and slightly cheesy recap of Thanksgiving.

Here are a few pics from our time with my family in beautiful San Jose, California. 

I'm saving my favorites for another post, but this is a start.  

{p.s. please excuse my extreme editing on some on these photos.

i like to get a little carried away sometimes}

Ross & my dad enjoying some cigars and manhattans while frying turkey # 1.

best.turkey.ever.

Our beautiful table!

JB being cool.

Fancy cheeses at the girl & the fig in Sonoma. 

 Wine cave in Sonoma.

Decorating for Christmas!

Some years we have over 30 people to celebrate Thanksgiving with.  This year it was just the 6 of us and was so much fun.  My dad planned out the whole well balanced week of staying home and cooking, exploring new parts of California, going out to eat, having an extreme bocci ball tournament, visiting my brothers new school, playing games, watching movies, and going on family walks.  It was perfect.  Ross and I were so grateful to just spend time together and take a much needed break from work. 

Can't wait to fly back on Friday! How is Christmas sneaking up on us so fast?!

too full

this easter,

we were so grateful to spend our first holiday all on our own,

to get to give little baskets to each other,

to enjoy a picnic in the park with friends,

and for the reminder of Christ's deep, passionate, crazy strong love for us.

"We now have this light shining in our hearts,

but we ourselves are like fragile clay jars containing

this great treasure.

This makes it clear that our great power is from God,

not from ourselves."

2 Corinthians 4:7

this easter left us feeling very full of love & gratitude,

a sense of renewal,

and horrible stomach aches.

i never could control myself with easter candy.

darn you, cadbury eggs...

happy easter!

But if the Spirit of Him who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you,

He who raised Christ Jesus from the dead will also give life

to your mortal bodies through His Spirit who dwells in you.

Romans 8:11

He is Risen!

on cupcakes