a very late h54f!

each week, i am trying to link up with lauren & give the top 5 highlights of my week! yes... i am aware that it's saturday, but yesterday was a crazy lil day and i was all ready to share these, so here they are... just a little late! :)

5. i am in the midst of what i believe is the '18 month sleep regression' and it is ruining my life!!!! i have always thought i could function on a few hours of sleep, but the past couple of weeks have reminded me that i surely cannot. holden has been fighting all naps, boycotting bedtime and waking multiple times at night. ridic. so... on a number of the past mornings after a long night, i have treated myself to choc chip pancakes. with toppings of fresh strawberries, butter, syrup and whipped cream. whatev. no sleep = a yummy breakfast. my house, my rules!!!

4. speaking of sleep. or lack thereof. my sweet buddy in his sleep-boycotting routine has fallen asleep in my arms a number of times. this has probably been the sole saving grace to this whole phase right now. he's a natural cuddlebug, but not when he is sleeping. there have actually been several nights that i've pulled him into bed with me and he's fallen asleep. a rare treat.

3. grant's grandma turned 89 this past week! wowza! almost all of the grandchildren made the trip to lafayette to join in the festivities! so much fun! loved spending time with our long lost cousin in arizona, tessa! family really is what it's all about and i can't wait to grow old with these people! we had a surprise bday party at a cute place downtown, the buttery shelf. unique experience, but fun nonetheless!

2. finally!!!!! i think i have finally found and decided on curtains for the living area! i've had such a hard time figuring out what i want because the living room, dining area and kitchen all run together in a very open concept. therefore, i didn't want to pick too crazy of a pattern or specific color and be locked into it. one of my fav purses is a navy blue coach purse. i never really thought of navy as a neutral, but that purse goes with seriously everything! so... the curtains i picked are a navy (not a super deep navy, though). they go fab with the decor we already have and break up all the neutrals going on (couch, pain, rug, etc).

1. my number one this week is my lil niecey, roslyn! normally, she's too on the go to sit with me or has an agenda that is more interesting than her auntie. so, this week, when she climbed up in my lap and was being SO sweet, i HAD to document. the girl is so full of zeal and i have no doubt will do great things in her life. and she's pretty darn cute, too.

so, there ya have it! my week in review. hoping next week i can post all about how much sleep i'm getting! fingers crossed!!!!

holden's first bday party!

my sweet holden crew turned one back in november. such a fun day to think back to exactly 365 days prior and where i was, what i was doing and the craziness that changed my life that day. november 7th will always be one of my best memories. the day i met my sweet boy.

i scoured pinterest for months gathering ideas and then i got my diy on. i didn't go crazy and certainly don't think my party was the best of the best, but i had fun getting everything ready. having our closest friends and fam all in one room to celebrate the most important lil guy in my life was overwhelmingly fab.

ok, on to the fun stuff!

for the front door, i wanted people to get an idea of the theme right off the bat! i made a little life preserver wreath from a tutorial i found online. i hung it with a navy blue ribbon since it was a beefy wreath and wouldn't fit on the hanger. simple balloons, the O N E letters are from michael's (spray painted them white) and the framed anchor is just a couple pieces of scrapbook paper. i used a cricut for all of the shapes & letters!

the food spread! i wanted to keep everything festive with red, white & blue! i found the sailboat fabric at wal mart & just threw it down (rough edges & all - who cares?!)! 

i loved the idea of having a personalized fancy smash cake for holden and then i thought about spending serious cash on something like that & decided it was craze. opted for a giant homemade funfetti cupcake instead! borrowed the cupcake pan from a friend & went to town! i also made the regular cupcakes in the back (funfetti & red velvet). i ordered the cupcakes picks online & they made it so fun! i also made some simple white choc covered pretzels & threw on some fun sprinkles!

these brownies were such a hit! found the recipe on pinterest, but it's a betty crocker (old faithful). they were so yummy and even better leftover (kept them in the fridge). have this recipe saved in my 'pinned & tried' board for quick reference! :)

i thought it'd be fun to have a newborn pic and a recent pic of holden since many friends of ours didn't meet holden til he was a couple months old. got the frames at faithful target - nate berkus, my fav!! the crate that the one pic is sitting on is from michael's. was just raw wood and i spray painted it. wouldn't recommend this project cause it was a pain in the butt!!!!

the 'holden is one' banner is one of my fav details! it took some time, but the cricut made it SO easy. i found a tutorial online & searched high and low for good scrapbook paper. if i ever make a banner in the future, i plan on buying the paper online. WAY more options!! it's all hanging on a navy blue ribbon. how perf that my MIL's kitchen was red, huh? 

the OCD part of me hated that his high chair didn't match the theme, but i slapped a lil banner on it and it was fine! thought this would be cute for all his smash pics!!

like a week before the party, i was racking my brain on what i wanted holden to wear. one night, we stopped at a restaurant by the mall for dinner. there was like a 45 min wait, so we ran over to h & m and then this shirt called my name! :) it was the only one and it was just his size. said 'above board' on the back and had anchors on the front. i was in love!

up until this point, holden really hadn't had much sugar. no cookies, ice cream, nothin! i don't think he knew what to think of it! ps-can you see just how big that cupcake is! it's like the size of his head! also... hello, thighs!!!!!

here's holden, his bff ben & his future wifey emersyn! 3 pees in a pod! also, this pic shows their personalities to a T!!!!

i'll end with one of my fav pics! my parents drove the 9 hours to come be here for his party and they brought all sorts of goodies, including this trike! holden was IN LOVE with this thing! i'm hoping his legs will be long enough for him to ride it this summer!

holden's party was such a day of blessings. standing in a room with people that i love and that love my baby... what more could i ask for? 

celebrating life.

my dear friend, caitlin, posted a blog following her recent miscarriage. i think we can ALL learn something from her honesty, grace and trust in the lord.

check it out!!

http://turnuptruth.blogspot.com/2013/03/celebrate-life-without-fear.html

h54f

i've been such a sporatic blogger here lately. guess i'll blame it on moving, unpacking, being deathly sick for 36 hrs and having my parents in town! this week has been great! i've had some really easy days with my lil guy and i feel like i'm finally getting a handle on our house! here's my top 5's from the week! link up with lauren if you want to share your top 5's!!

5. the weather here has been divine. lots of days in the 40's and 50's with the sun shining! i am a sucker for pleasant weather. view from our backyard!

4. took holden to the mall yesterday for the first time since he's really been walking. he LOVED being able to get down and just go! there was an easter bunny there that he checked out every time we passed. oh, and he discovered the joy of mall toys. germs galore. i just redirected him cause i am not about to introduce him this young!!!

3. i got around to hanging a little art this week. this canvas was a gift to holden for his dedication and i am obsessed. it's not my typical style, but it is from my parents to their first and only grandbaby and that makes it so special. it says 'twinkle twinkle little star, do you know how loved you are?' and his full name and DOB. presh.

2. i ordered holden's easter bow tie this morning!! eeek i can't wait! his cuteness is through the roof when he has a little BT on and he can have whatever. he. wants!!! i think this etsy shop will be my new fav!!

1. took a stroll downtown on one of our pretty days! holden loved holding my hand and i loved holding his. i can't even think about him growing up and not wanting to hold my hand...

i'll try to be a more faithful blogger now that we're getting into a routine!!! ps- comment if you blog so i can check it out! :)