Thursday, October 31, 2013

Jammin

In my last post, I showed a picture of Liam playing the guitar with my friend Dave.

The band Liam is playing with is called Jake's Leg.  They are a Grateful Dead tribute band, and I've been going to see them for years.  Their fans are a tight knit group, and I count many of them as close friends.  I even met my husband while out hearing them play! Needless to say, I'm a big fan.

They play a few times a year at one of the wineries outside of the city.  We usually try to go because it's a beautiful setting and outdoor shows mean we can take Liam.  The last time they played, Liam joined my friend Ryan in playing the drums.

This time, he brought his guitar along and joined Dave on stage.  

I must say, this makes me one proud mama.  I also just love how the band is so welcoming to our little guy.  They love him and just let him do his thing!

I'm pretty sure he's a little rock star in the making....

Enjoy!



Monday, October 28, 2013

Grateful Monday

To start my week off here are five things I'm grateful for:

  • A beautiful fall weekend.  It was gorgeous!
  • Liam has a bad cold, I'm so grateful that I was able to stay home with him today.  We snuggled up and took it easy....well, as much as a two year-old will take it easy anyway!
  • We are looking forward to a backpacking trip with friends this weekend.  I need a little time in the woods.
  • We are also looking forward to a Halloween outing on Thursday night.  This will be Liam's first time trick-or-treating!
  • On Saturday we went to a winery to see some music.  Below is a snapshot of Liam playing his guitar with my friend Dave.  I'll be posting a video soon.  He definitely stole the show!

Have a wonderful week!

xoxo

Friday, October 25, 2013

Haircut

Things have been busy around here.  I've been caught up in a whirlwind of PhD paperwork...I feel like I've been doing nothing but jumping through hoops.  But alas, the paperwork is submitted and the hoop jumping is over for now (I hope!). 

Last week, however, was a big weekend in our household.  Mr. Liam got his first haircut!  It's taken me a long time to warm up to the idea, but I finally caved.  I loved his sweet baby curls so much.  Once our warm, humid days were over though, the baby curls were starting to look a little mullet-ish, all business up front with a party in the back!  So, for the sake of my son not looking like Billy Ray Cyrus, I decided it was time.

We went to Great Clips where my husband gets his hair cut, and we requested his favorite stylist.  I must say, the entire experience was much easier and smoother than I had imagined.  I had no idea how my two year-old would act once he was in that chair....these days he can be a bit of a wild card.  

I should never have doubted him though.  He was a perfect angel.  And Rhonda, the woman who cut his hair, was wonderful.  She was very sweet and patient and gentle with our boy.

Here he is ready to go!


One last look at those baby curls.


He was pretty fascinated during the cutting process and kept a close eye on what was happening.






And afterwards, he got a sucker as a reward.  He was pretty pleased with himself. 


He's so very sweet. And now he looks like such a little boy.


And much to my delight, some of the baby curls are still there.  You can't really see it in this picture, but he's still got some curls on top.  He's so precious and I just love him so.  I really try to cherish each of these special moments because I know how very fast it all goes.

Have a wonderful weekend!

xoxo

Monday, October 14, 2013

Grateful Monday

Here are five things I'm grateful for today:
  • Liam's love of the library.  We were there this morning and it warms my heart how much he loves books!
  • My PhD advisor.  I was part of a lovely brunch at her home yesterday morning and once again she's helping me and guiding me in a positive direction.  I honestly don't know what I'd do without her.
  • My teaching gig.  As hard as it is sometimes to find balance with my time, I truly love teaching and I love the connection that I'm starting to establish with my students. 
  • The anticipation of the future.  I've got a lot of things in the works, none of which are guaranteed, but they are all fun and exciting opportunities.  I'm trying not to get my hopes up too much but definitely enjoying the possibilities.
  • Legos.  Liam was given a set of duplos for his birthday (thanks Megan!!) and he LOVES them.  Seriously.  He will sit in his room and play with them for an hour straight.  It's awesome on so many levels!



Have a wonderful week!

xoxo

Saturday, October 12, 2013

Fall Favorites

It's no secret that I love autumn.  Having grown up in the Midwest, I have a certain appreciation for the change of seasons, and the fall season is one of my favorites.  

It tends to be a busy season for us as we try to maximize our time outdoors and enjoy the beautiful weather. I'm okay with that because I know that the winter season usually brings slower days spent indoors. 

So what do I love about autumn?  I love the cool crisp mornings combined with warm, sunny days. I love watching the colors change on the trees.  I love pulling out my boots and sweaters.  I love drinking hot cider and the smell of leaves burning.  I also love the traditional fall activities of bonfires, hayrides, and visits to the pumpkin patch.

We try to get outdoors as much as possible this time of year.  Liam and I have been hiking at least once a week for the past month. These pics are from our family hike last week.  The little guy was beaming the entire time.




While we spend a lot of time outdoors, I also like to bring a little fall indoors. Our house is small so I don't have a lot of space for seasonal decorations, but I do add a few touches.  In our next home, I hope to have a fireplace.  I would love to have a mantel to change up with the seasons, but until then, I like to keep it pretty simple.

I frequently change up the centerpiece on our dining room table.  I love the vibrant colors of these fall leaves. 



I'm also big on natural touches and have a thing for candles.  This little arrangement sits on my grandmother's antique sewing machine.



One of my favorite ways to change my decor is to change out our decorative pillows.  I love the fall colors and embroidery in the middle pillow. 



I also have a love for all things pumpkin.  I light this candle every evening and I love how my house smells!

I also recently discovered Trader Joe's pumpkin butter.  Wow.  So good!  


In an attempt to save money, I also started making my own pumpkin spice latte using this recipe.  It's so good and gives Starbucks a run for it's money.


Happy fall!  I hope you get to enjoy all that this beautiful season has to offer!

xoxo

Thursday, October 10, 2013

Pumpkin Pie

For Andrew's birthday, he requested a pumpkin pie, which is his favorite.  

I usually do not bake for his birthday, not since the first year we were dating anyway!  That year I decided to make him a chocolate cake.  It was a hilarious disaster.  So much of a disaster, in fact, that he's never asked me to bake for him since.

Let's just say that baking is not my thing.  I love to cook!  But my attempts at baking haven't proven to be the most successful.

This year, however, I rose to the challenge.

Making a pie from scratch was on my life list.  Since I wrote that list, I have dabbled a little in pie making.  But I've never had the nerve to make my own crust.  

My cousin recently came to our house for dinner, and she brought along the best apple pie.  When I asked her about the crust, she shared with me this recipe that she uses, which sounded completely non-threatening, so I decided to go for it.  

This crust is super low maintenance and easy to make.  It's not the prettiest crust, but it tastes great.  I was a little nervous because I used coconut oil instead of vegetable oil and it still turned out great (excuse the horrible photos, it was at night and I was using my iPhone).  Hopefully, with some practice, I'll be able to make some nicely scalloped edges.

Ready for some filling!

I also used the pumpkin pie recipe on the same link, although I used canned pumpkin.  I do not, and likely will not ever, have the time or the interest to roast and puree my own pumpkin, and I'm okay with that!

Baking

For the sake of keeping it real, here's what my pie looked like when I pulled it out of the oven.  See my stab marks?  That's the result of jabbing a knife into the center multiple times to see if it was done.  Note to self...next time use a toothpick!

Yummy

The end result wasn't necessarily pretty, but it was delicious!  So delicious that last night my two year-old actually buried his face in his bowl and started licking it.  No joke.  And as for that crust?  It's a nice, flaky crust and much better than the store bought ones.  

Based on this experience, I'm no longer afraid of making pie!  In fact, I'm ready to start making all kinds of pie.  So if you have a good recipe, please pass it along!

xoxo



 

Tuesday, October 8, 2013

A Birthday Wish

Today I want to wish a happy birthday to my love.

I am so very blessed to get to spend my life with this man.  He is a wonderful partner, father, and most of all, my best friend.  

Andrew climbing a tree.  Isn't he amazing?!

Happy Birthday babe!  May this year bring you wonderful things and all kinds of joy!

I love you to the moon and back.

xoxo

Monday, October 7, 2013

Grateful Monday

To start my week off on a positive note, here are five things I'm grateful for:
  • A nice weekend spent visiting with my husband's family.  It was great to catch up.
  • All of my grading is finally done.  Whoop!  
  • Cooler temperatures have arrived, which makes it actually feel like fall!
  • My analysis of data for my dissertation is coming along....very slowly.  But at least I'm making some progress.  Baby steps.
  • This old boy.  He and I celebrated our 9th anniversary on October 4th.  He was about a year old when I got him, so he's slowing down a bit these days.  He's such a good dog, and I just love him so.
On a backpacking trip in 2010
Have a wonderful week!

xoxo

Tuesday, October 1, 2013

TOCO Family Festival

Happy October!  Welcome to one of my favorite months.  Living in the Midwest, October tends to be one of our most pleasant months of the year, meaning that we have lots to look forward to!

We spent this past weekend at the annual TOCO Family Festival.  We've been attending this small music festival for years, and it's always one of our favorite weekends.  It's small and all of the proceeds go to charity.  It's also very safe and family friendly.  They have several events, workshops, and specialized areas designed just for children.

Liam was old enough this year to really enjoy himself as well.  Here are some of my favorite pics:

Costume Parade
Post-parade shot of the guys

Andrew and I both got the chance to catch up with old friends



Family time

View of the stage

Super Liam!

Liam and his friend Cecelia went to the kids' Music Maker Workshop


Liam and his wild curls

Liam rocked out to the music all weekend long.

Thankfully he still wears his ear protection!

Liam LOVED the music.  He was drumming and dancing and playing his guitar all weekend.  Many folks said that he was the king of TOCO this year!  So. much. fun.

Have a wonderful week!

xoxo