Strawberry Pineapple Smoothies

The pregnancy sweet tooth is outta control.  I am most definitely having a girl!  But unfortunately, I can't live off of just Lucky Charms, Oreos, and Mint Chocolate Chip ice cream.  So when I saw Annie's Eats recipe for a fruity smoothie, I made sure to pick up the ingredients at the store.

LOVED this.  Its so healthy, and SO easy to make, I see this as breakfast, snack AND dessert in my future.

Tyler is big on protein shakes, and we have this really discreet little individual blender machine.  Its so small that it fits nicely behind our spice rack, and we have 6 or so different sets of attachments, so he can make a shake, then I can, then we don't have to do the dishes in order to have 2 more...its awesome :)  If you do a lot of protein shakes (or just like smoothies!) I definitely recommend purchasing the Bella Cucina Rocket Blender:

You can view Annie's full recipe here, but since I altered it so much to fit my needs, I'll type out what I did below.

Strawberry Pineapple Smoothie

Take one blending cup and add:

1/2 c frozen strawberries

1/2 c frozen pineapple

Large spoonful plain fat free yogurt

4 ice cubes

1 scoop vanilla whey powder

Splash fat free milk

Blend til all mixed!

Chicken Enchiladas

I think I've said before that I'm spoiled rotten.  Tyler has pretty much taken over all cooking in our house since he beats me home and I LOVE it.  But yesterday, I was home first, and thought I'd cook for a change.  I have a ton of saved recipes that I've been dying to try, and this Chicken Enchilada dish from Annie's Eats was at the top of my list. 

First, the pros:

• It tasted  incredible.  A filling, smokey, flavor.  The sauce really truly is best homemade - no canned red enchilada sauce could ever compare.
• The recipe used up all of the perishable ingredients.  I hate recipes that use half a tomato, or part of another piece of produce, and I end up throwing it away.  
• It was easy to alter the recipe for Tyler and I's preferences

But, not sure I'd make it again.  When I cook, I really want to be able to start dinner and have it on the table in an hour or hour and a half - and thats assuming there is LOTS of time where I'm not involved (aka, its in the oven and I can do some laundry).  This dish was pretty labor intensive for me (chopping all the veggies, cooking the chicken, shredding the chicken, etc).  Not to mention, even baking it involved me constantly getting up - it has you baking for 7 minutes, then lowering the temp/adding sauce, baking 20 minutes, then removing foil, baking 5 minutes, then letting rest 10 minutes....it was too much work for me.

All in all, this tasted amazing, and was just as good heated up for lunch today.  But as a busy working wife...it took me almost 2 hours to get this on the table, and that is just WAY too long.

 

Chicken Enchiladas

Recipe taken exactly from Annies Eats, and my changes are in RED.

Ingredients:
1 medium onion, chopped fine
2 jalapenos, seeded and chopped fine
1 tsp. canola oil
3 cloves garlic, minced  (I used minced garlic from a jar - love that stuff)
3 tbsp. chili powder
2 tsp. cumin
1 tbsp. sugar
1 (15 oz.) can tomato sauce
1 cup water
1 tomato, seeded and chopped
Salt and pepper
1 lb. boneless, skinless chicken breasts
1 cup shredded sharp white cheddar cheese, divided
1 cup shredded monterey jack cheese, divided
½ cup minced fresh cilantro (I skipped this)
12 (6-inch) soft corn tortillas (Tyler prefers flour, so we used 8 8" flour tortillas)
Cooking spray

Directions: 
Combine the onion, jalapeno and oil in a large saucepan over medium heat.  Cook, stirring often, until the onions and peppers have softened, 8-10 minutes.  Stir in the garlic, chili powder, cumin and sugar, and cook just until fragrant, less than 30 seconds.  Mix in the tomato sauce, water, and chopped tomato.  Bring the sauce to a simmer, lower the heat and cook until slightly thickened, about 5 minutes.

Nestle the chicken into the sauce.  Reduce the heat to low, cover and cook until the chicken is completely cooked through (160˚ F on an instant-read thermometer), about 12-20 minutes.  Transfer the chicken to a plate and set aside to cool.

Strain the sauce through a large mesh strainer into a medium bowl, pressing down on the onions and tomatoes to extract as much liquid as possible.  Transfer the reserved solids to a large bowl and set aside.  Season the sauce with additional salt and pepper to taste.

Shred the chicken into bite size pieces and add to the bowl with the onion mixture.  Add in ¼ cup of the enchilada sauce, ½ cup of each of the shredded cheeses, and the cilantro.  Stir to combine.

Preheat the oven to 425˚ F.  Oil a 9 x 13″ baking dish with cooking spray.  Stack the tortillas on a plate, cover with plastic wrap, and microwave for 40-60 seconds, until warm and pliable.  Spoon 1/3 cup of the chicken mixture evenly down the center of a tortilla.  Roll up the tortilla around the filling tightly, and place in the prepared baking dish, seam-side down.  Repeat with the remaining filling and tortillas.

Lightly spray the tops of the enchiladas with cooking spray.  Place in the oven, uncovered, for 7 minutes or until the tortillas start to brown slightly.

Reduce the oven temperature to 400˚ F.  Remove the enchiladas from the oven and pour the sauce oven the top.  Sprinkle with the remaining shredded cheese.  Cover the dish with foil and bake for 20 minutes.

Remove the foil and bake for 5 more minutes, until the cheese is browned.  Remove from the oven and let stand 10 minutes before serving.

Mrs vs Mommy

Someone recently asked me if I'm going to change the name of my blog to something along the lines of "Mommy in Training" now that it is my next stage in my life.


I thought about it.  It makes sense.  I'm anticipating many posts about my daughter, which will probably classify me as a "Mommy Blogger" - so wouldn't it make sense for a blog title and identity to match that?


But the truth is, I still haven't perfected being a wife.  I believe that I will forever be a "Mrs in Training".  My husband and I have a phenomenal marriage - strong and stable, full of love and laughter.  I crave being around him and talking to him.  When I see the dogs dancing excitedly when Daddy walks in the door from work - my heart feels the same way to see him.  To me, he is the best part of every day.

But I'm a long way from having that "perfect wife" thing down pat.  We pretty much never fight, but are excellent bickerers, and when we do I can be childish and spiteful.  I've joked in the past about how you can tell when Tyler and I are disagreeing because my nails or toenails are painted red - something he hates, preferring neutral pinks and beiges.  But its really not funny - it only makes me look even worse.  He comes home a little late (or insert something else here) so I go out of my way to do something that I know irritates him?  Luckily, I haven't done that in years, but I certainly have had my moments. 

I'm also a bit careless when it comes to things that I know are important to him.  He likes to keep his comic books in mint condition.  I know this.  So it should be understandable that he gets flustered when I put a drink on top of one, or toss them on the floor.  Those, I don't do deliberately, and he knows that, but I need to put more thought into my actions.  His biggest pet peeve is cabinets in the kitchen left wide open - and I'm so guilty of walking away after grabbing a plate and not shutting it behind me. 

These seem like small examples, but Tyler and I have been together for almost 12 years, so we've really conquered all of the big things by now.  We never fight about money, because we happen to have the exact same financial goals.  And we both prefer to discuss big purchases with each other, so we never get surprised.  We also always support each other for things that we want.  I will never understand why Tyler spent $1300 on a beat up Datsun pick up truck that sits in our driveway, but surely that one big purchase is cancelled out by my closet full of shoes, purses, clothes and make up.  Neither of us ever feel like one is getting a better end of the deal.

We're also pretty established on chores.  We have certain household tasks that each one of us are responsible for.  Sometimes I have to ask him to take out the trash, and OFTEN he has to ask me to do a load of laundry, but we have a lot of personal accountibility for our chores, and never have any issues taking care of them. 

The saddest advice that a mother gave me upon the announcement of my pregnancy was that I'd never love my husband the same once I held my daughter.  I've heard many women describe themselves as a mother first, and a wife second.  I can say without any doubt that I will not feel the same way.

My daughter will never feel second-rate to either of us.  We already love her fiercely.  But the truth is that she exists because of my relationship with Tyler.  I always said that a child would enhance Tyler and I's life - never detract from it.  We look forward to enjoying our time with her, and never feeling burdened by her.  We look forward to incorporating her into our current loving, social, outgoing and crazy life - not changing our life because we had a child.  But the bottom line is that Tyler and I were "us" first.  I welcome the title of "mother".  But I will never lose focus on working to be a better wife.

I think the reason that our marriage works so well for us is because we share the same dreams, priorities and goals.  Parenthood will be the same for us - being a team when it comes to caring for our daughter will come so easily to us.  And I think that part of being in a marriage is submitting to your spouse.


The Bible is chock full of passages talking about how a wife should submit to her husband.  And if you read that literally, you may be picturing a 1950s housewife - one that completely defers to her husband, and waits on him hand and foot.  A woman that doesn't make any decisions for their family, and instead relies on her husband to handle all "important" matters.


Times have changed, and thats not how I interpret it.  To me, submitting to my husband is respecting him.  Trusting him.  I voluntarily submit myself to him, because I trust him THAT much.  I know he will always have my best interest at heart, and anything that he does is for the betterment of our family.  I don't need to ever question his actions - I married him because I know that he is the very best for me.  And I want to always be the very best for him.  So I'm working on that, every day, to be a better wife, a better listener, a better friend.  An eternal "mrs in training".  As long as I remember to focus on my marriage and husband...being a mother will easily fall into place, as long as he is by my side.

Proverbs 31:11-12  "The heart of her husband trusts in her, and he will have no lack of gain. She does him good, and not harm, all the days of her life."

Green with Envy

In honor of St Patricks Day I'm going virtual shopping for my favorite green pretties, to make myself feel less guilty for not wearing green today.  I blame my limited maternity wardrobe.

Herve Leger

I'd break out my favorite black heeled sandals and a teeny clutch.

Halston Heritage

I'd love this in summer with a cognac leather belt and flat leather sandals.  

J. Crew

The perfect utility jacket - I'd roll up the sleeves a bit, and wear it over a pretty floral dress.

Tory  Burch

While I'm still wearing heels throughout this pregnancy, I am far less likely to be doing so holding an infant.  Love the neutral olive of these leather flats.

Proenza Schouler

I have long loved the PS1 large leather satchel, and this green is such a fun pop of color.

Ports 1961

With white skinny jeans, a thick gold cuff bracelet and gold sandals - perfect for summer happy hours.

Christian Louboutin

Colorblocking is everywhere right now, and these are perfectly done.  I'd wear them every day.

J Crew

Casual summer days - these shorts, a white boyfriend v-neck tee, a straw fedora and flat sandals.  

David Yurman

I wear my pearl DY bracelet every day, it'd be fun to jangle it with another bracelet with a different stone.

Isharya

Gorgeous drop earrings - they'd really stand out with a white summer dress and nude heels.

Did YOU remember to wear green today?!

OOTD

My daily attire is getting increasingly less exciting.  I finally caved and bought two more pairs of jeans (since I can wear jeans to work) so I'm up to two pairs of skinny jeans and a bootcut pair.  But I still find myself wearing skinny jeans and a v-neck tee pretty much every day.  I try to wear fun shoes and accessories when I can, but even that is becoming rare, as I stay in bed as long as possible, and then am running late for work.  


What have I become?  I need to pull it together before the baby gets here.

Maternity Skinny Full Panel Jeggings:  Old Navy

Flats:  Steve Madden

Tee:  Liz Lange for Target Maternity

Trench:  LOFT

Bag:  THEIT

I feel like this outfit sorta works because at least it coordinates.  The cream in the flats matches the cream trench, and the black pulls together the black tee and black purse.  Plus, the bag is quilted, as well as the flats.  I'm really making a stretch here, huh...

I bought this trench last Spring, and while it can't even come close to buttoning, I'll still break it out as often as I can this Spring - the ruffled collar just kills me.

And whats an OOTD without an obligatory bump shot?!

Thanks to Buffalo Wild Wings for your fabulous full length mirrors in the bathrooms ;)

Nursery Progress

Everyone's first question is "So how is the nursery going?!"  And I love their enthusiasm, but it has definitely turned out to be a LOT more work than we anticipated.


To view our plans for the nursery, you can read this post here.


Tyler has been hard at work in here, even though it may not look like it from the pictures.  Since our home is a new construction, and will be 3 years old by the time Guinevere arrives, we're now dealing with one step worse than nail pops - the screw pops.  This room alone had maybe 50, so Tyler has had to scrape off the surrounding drywall, screw the screws in tighter, then spackle, allow to dry, and sand each spot.  He made a ton of progress - until I came in with blue painters tape and marked even more that I found.


The other issue has been the paint.  In my original post, I talked about doing a faux tray ceiling with this gorgeous crown molding:

But then I priced it out, and the faux tray plus the matching crown molding was going to cost almost $900 in this room.  So we immediately nixed that idea, and decided on a fancy regular crown molding from Lowes with about 2-3 inches below it, and then a matching trim, all painted a glossy white.

 We already bought this for the room, and painted a few coats, and it only cost us about $350.  It definitely is taking forever to paint these - you have to be really careful to not let the paint pool in any of the little details.  We completely underestimated how long it would take!

We then decided to just paint the ceiling and the inside of the closet a pretty gold color.  We found a gold that looked perfect in the Valspar Brilliant Metals line.  We knew we'd need two gallons, but then they informed us that its actually a base coat and a top coat, so it ended up costing us like $120 for this paint.  However, multiple coats later, and Tyler and I were SO unhappy with the color.  Its orangey, and dull, and streaky - not at all the gorgeous champagne color on the swatch!  I hated it.

Nothing about it says "gold" or even "metallic", so I went back to the drawing board.  After some research, it turned out that Ralph Lauren made a metallic paint that is supposed to be wonderful.  Unfortunately, Home Depot discontinued carrying Ralph Lauren paint since they took on the Martha Stewart line.  Apparently she refused to be sold in the same place as him.  Scandal!  So I could only find a paint shop about 60 miles away that sold it, for $55/gallon.  A little pricey, definitely a bit of a hike, but 100% worth it.  I decided to stop at Home Depot on my way for some more supplies.

Then!  Wonder of wonders!  Turns out, they DO still have some of the old Ralph Lauren paint!  And, since its discontinued - they sold it to me for just $10/gallon!  I almost kissed that man right there in the paint aisle.  Tyler got right to work that night.

Why yes, my husband IS wearing Guiness pajama pants :)   My mom buys Tyler all of his pajama pants, and they usually tend to be alcohol or comic book character themed.  She knows her son in law well!

It was hard to tell at night, but the next morning, I could tell that I was in LOVE with the color.  The only problem was that you could still make out the roller marks.  So Tyler did another coat, and they were still visible.  He then turned to his Aunt Carol (who is a FABULOUS professional faux painter!) and she lent him a fancy stippling brush to add in some texture and swirls.  And it looks perfect!  Its really going to pop once that crisp white crown molding goes up!

He still has to go redo the closet (and OH GOODNESS does that man hate painting - he must really love us!), but we are both so happy with the color!

So here is where we stand today.  The sunny windowed corner where I'll have my rocker and ottoman (and windows all taped up for the wall paint to go up!)

To the right of that, the wall where the crib will go:

The left wall will have her dresser/changing table:

On the little wall between the closet and the door, I'm going to do a little gallery wall of pictures of Tyler, myself, and Guinevere as babies in sepia tones, all in mismatched gold frames.

And on this wall, you'll see part of the crib (its actually going on the perpendicular wall, but will touch this one as well), and a giant 8' tall ornate white mirror.

Tyler also ripped out all the existing baseboards and sanded them smooth, so you can see that those are gone now:

Next Steps:

• Paint the closet the same color as the ceiling
• Paint the walls a soft cream - Benjamin Moore's Bare
• Install baseboards
• Install crown molding
• Paint baseboards and crown molding.

Its looking less and less likely that this will be done before we leave for Puerto Rico...since thats in 3.5 weeks.  But we are slowly making progress!!

A Letter To My Daughter

Dear Gwennie,
I'm really sorry about your college fund.  It sucks paying for college yourself - trust me.  Daddy and I both had to pay our own way, and we really did want to pay for yours.  We'd even started saving as soon as we found out I was pregnant with you.


But then something happened.  You see - you have sort of destroyed my body.  In particular...my boobs.


When I met your daddy, I was a 32A.  When we got married, I was a 34B.  I had cute, perky boobs, and I could wear cute tank tops and strapless dresses and never had to worry about a bra.

Your daddy used to tell me that "anything more than a mouthful was a waste", and I was never insecure about my chest.

But something happened during pregnancy...they kept growing.  And growing.  So today, I finally went to Nordstroms to get professionally fitted for a bra, since my DD bras had both under-boob and over-boob (which I didn't think was possible), and I was long over due.  I guess its a good thing my belly is too big too sleep on now, because my boobs are DEFINITELY too big to sleep on.  I hate my chest, I hate the way all clothes look on my chest, and I think its bullshit that my jeans are all a size 2, but that I'm buying size 12 dresses and having them taken in to accommodate my ridiculous chest.  

Getting fitted was a pretty...intimate experience.  She had me leaning forward and shaking my breasts into the cups, to determine which cup size was most appropriate.  Finally, we found one that fit, and I looked in the mirror, ecstatic - no under-boob, over-boob or side-boob - a perfect fit!

I turned to the saleswoman, and asked her what size I am.  She responded that I am, indeed, a 34G.

"G" for gigantic.  "G" for ginormous.  "G" for gargantuan.  Fucking G!

I consoled myself with the fact that I was at least still smaller than Heidi Montag, and began texting my friends to gain sympathy in what was clearly the Worst. News. Ever.

But those Mommy-Friends, they just can't ever leave you a sliver of hope.  I am pretty sure they prey on pregnant first time mothers, just waiting to horrify you with stories about mutilated vaginas and mucous and tearing to your butt-hole and hemorrhoids and stretch marks that look like a panther ripped into your abdomen.  You like scary movies?  Rent "The Business of Being Born" or "Pregnant in America" - THOSE are scary movies.

So not one, but TWO dear Mommy-Friends decided to inform me that this isn't it.  They gleefully texted back that my boobs will likely grow not one, but TWO more cup sizes once my milk comes in.  

So, uh, Heidi?  Any recs on good places to bra shop?

Anyway, I will be spending your college fund on a boob job.  Better to warn you early, so that you have time to start saving.  I think you can start babysitting at the age of 12 in the state of Virginia.

Love,

Mom xoxoxoxo

G-M-YOU KNOW!

I went to George Mason University in Fairfax, VA for college.  I applied to 4 schools, got accepted to all, and ultimately went to Mason since that was where Tyler went.  Tyler and I both agree we probably wouldn't still be together if we'd gone to different schools, but it actually DOES feel like we went to different schools - we had completely different college experiences.


Tyler lived at home his first year, then got an apartment with his best friend, Joel.  He never lived on campus, never spent more time there than he had to.  He worked full time, and never went to Midnight Madness, or Homecoming, or Mason Day, or any of the big events at Mason.


On the other hand, I lived on campus, joined a sorority (Chi Omega!), and loved every second of my time at school.  Tyler didn't make any friends in his time there.  I made some of the most amazing friends and sisters, and I'm so thankful for all of them.


The highlight of my time at Mason was my fourth year there, in 2006.  I was working at a popular sports bar in Fairfax, living off campus with three friends, active in my sorority, and George Mason had an explosive Men's Basketball team.  I hadn't been a huge basketball fan before, although I did make it to all Midnight Madness events, but suddenly, Northern Virginia couldn't get enough of the green and gold.  We managed to make it into the NCAA Men's Basketball tournament.  Most of the country had never heard of us...and then we kept winning.  


We were all over the news...articles about us on the front pages of papers like the Washington Post and the New York Times.  They called it the Cinderella story, and it really was something of a fairy tale.  The bar that I worked at would have lines out the door hours before we even opened, and was slammed for every game:

You can see Mason playing on the TVs in the background.

On the few nights that I didn't have to work, I could be found front and center at the bar.

I'm the redhead on the left with my friend and roommate, Lauran.

We made it all the way to the Final Four, where we ultimately lost to the Florida Gators.  As disappointing as it was at the time to have not gone all the way, it was still a pretty amazing run for a college that had long been considered a "commuter school".  


All of the sudden, everything changed.  Applications skyrocketed (and so did tuition rates).  The school has undergone massive reconstruction, and the campus is hardly recognizable anymore - its incredibly nice.  There are restaurants on campus, and a bar.  Rumor has it that they are even building retail shops like a Forever21.  I get most of my up to date news from my neighbor and avid Mason fan, Shawn, and I'm sure he's linked to articles or written posts about all of the changes we've undergone.


Like they said in 2006, a Cinderella story.


Tyler graduated from Mason in 2008.  I'm still working on my degree, and thats a story for another day :) But we're definitely proud of our school, and love keeping up with them.


Now, Mason has another phenomenal Men's basketball team, and Tyler and I have spent every game day possible at our local Buffalo Wild Wings, cheering on the Patriots.  And today, we are going to watch them in the CAA tournament.  Our biggest regret used to be not going to a "big" school.  We swore we'd push Guinevere to go to some sort of college with a huge presence in sports - Auburn, Georgia, Miami, Tech...and we could live vicariously through her experiences.


Now?  I'd be pretty darn proud to see my daughter rock that green and gold.


GO MASON.

The only Mason t-shirt I own that still fits over this big belly!

Mommas - what would you do?

In five weeks, I'll be in Puerto Rico for my best friend's wedding.  And I've said since day 1 of finding out that I was pregnant that I wanted to be done with the nursery before I left.


I knew I wanted to sew the crib bedding, and I wanted the crib as soon as possible.  My parents offered to buy it, and they finally did so on February 6th.  The website said it took 4-7 business days to deliver to the store, yet here we are at March 4th, waiting at least another week for it to make its appearance.  So thats pretty frustrating - I feel like it has really backed up my plans.


Everything else in the nursery are things that Tyler and I planned to purchase or build ourselves, and so the nursery completion is really only dependent on us.  Except...the rocker.


I couldn't find my dream rocker, in my price range, anywhere, until I found this ULTRA comfortable one from Babies R Us:

We did a metallic version of this color on the ceiling of the nursery, to tie it into the "white and gold" theme.  At $359 for the rocker, and $139 for the ottoman, this is the priciest thing on my registry, by far.  But my shower isn't until April 30th, and now I'm panicking that this might have the same fate as the crib - taking forever to get here.


I know I don't NEED a rocker when Guinevere gets here.  But Tyler won't be taking much, if any, time off work after her birth, and I'd love to have somewhere to nurse and soothe at night so I'm not bothering him, and I'd really love to have the whole room ready long before she's here.  


So do I chance someone buying it for the shower for us?  Or should I be proactive, and order it now, after having learned my "better safe than sorry" lesson with the crib?


Any advice?

25 week

How far along: 25 weeks!

Size of our baby:  An eggplant.



Total weight gain/loss:  Total gain:  8lb.

Maternity clothes:  Only maternity jeans/skirts.  A few pre-pregnancy dresses still fit.

Stretch marks: None.  And no linea negra either.  Thank god.  I think the day I discover these I'm going to be pretty disappointed!

Sleep:  Still up during the night to pee, but always fall back asleep again.

Best moment this week:  Getting the first few coats of paint up in the nursery!

Movement: Yes!  She doesn't stop.  She always kicks hardest when her daddy has his hand on my belly though :)

Food cravings/aversions:  Still loving sweets.

Belly button in or out: Officially out.  And its not as creepy as I thought it would be.

What I miss/What I am looking forward to: Looking forward to our "babymoon" trip to Puerto Rico!!

Weekly Wisdom:  That oh-so-handy sense of equilibrium is kicking in, and baby's learning to distinguish right side up from upside down

Milestones:  Officially viable, and in the third trimester!

Symptoms:  Acid Reflux and back aches..yuck.

OOTD - Pre Preg clothes!

My maternity wardrobe is pretty limited, so I've been going through my "normal" clothes to see what I can wear. Uhh, not as many options as I was hoping :)

Dress:  Charlotte Russe

Jacket:  Target

Tights:  Amazon

Boots:  Wet Seal

Scarf:  Target

It looks like I may need to buck up and go shopping soon...since this was pretty much the only outfit that I could still put together from my regular wardrobe!

It may not be as obvious with the jacket and the scarf...but you get a much better idea of the bump without them!

I'm 25 weeks pregnant, and I feel like I'm the size of a house.

These are a few of my favorite things...

Last Saturday, I went to a bridal shower for a dear friend of mine.  It was a bit weird attending a party for once, and not throwing it, but I definitely enjoyed every minute.  The theme was "These are a few of my favorite things" and it was perfectly executed!  


And so the song goes...

Raindrops on roses 

and whiskers on kittens

Bright copper kettles 

and warm woolen mittens

Brown paper packages tied up with strings

Many gifts were sent this way, in brown paper with string!  I forgot to get a picture :(

These are a few of my favorite things

A table was set up with many of the bride and groom's favorite things.

Cream colored ponies and crisp apple streudels

Doorbells and sleigh bells and schnitzel with noodles

Wild geese that fly with the moon on their wings

A diorama made by one of the hostesses.

These are a few of my favorite things

Girls in white dresses with blue satin sashes

The bride!

Snowflakes that stay on my nose and eyelashes

Silver white winters that melt into springs

These are a few of my favorite things

When the dog bites

The bride and groom's dogs.

The bride and groom actually foster dogs, too.

When the bee stings

When I'm feeling sad

I simply remember my favorite things

And then I don't feel so bad

Isn't that the cutest thing?!  They did such an amazing job pulling it all together!

I also adored the edelweiss around the punch bowl:

And the fact that they had the groom come surprise the bride at the end!

Only five more weeks til we leave for Puerto Rico to celebrate their wedding!  (but who's counting?! ha!)