NEW YEAR'S GATSBY STYLE

The New Year is a time to reflect on the past year and enter into the next with a renewed sense of hope and enthusiasm. For me, 2017 was an absolute blessing. After 2 rough years struggling to grow our family, we finally welcomed sweet Faye Elizabeth into the world last January. That little lady has brought me back to life in a million and one ways and I can't believe she will be turning one in a few weeks. I spent the first half of 2017 in shock that she was actually here and the 2nd half in shock with how fast the first half went.

STAR WARS HALLOWEEN

I love Halloween. Always have. Since having kids, my love for Halloween has risen to a whole new level. What's better than reliving one of your fondest childhood memories through the lens of your own kids?

GHOSTBUSTERS FAMILY HALLOWEEN COSTUME

With Halloween just a month away, I thought I'd get into the holiday spirit and do a little #tbt to Joe's first costume. James and I have always been really into dressing up, so we were so excited to finally partake in family-themed costumes.

JURASSIC PARK FAMILY HALLOWEEN COSTUME

In an effort to keep busy this week, I wanted to share some pictures from our Halloween. This year's theme: Jurassic Park. How many more years until Joe refuses family-themed costumes?

TEACHER APPRECIATION GIFTS

It's teacher appreciation week and Joe's school sent out a theme for gifts for each day of the week. Today is "pamper your teacher" day and Joe wanted to give his teachers some fun summery nail polish. I found nail files that matched and came up with "I love you from my fingers to my toes!" to help tie it all together. Just a tiny little gesture to show how much they mean to us.

EASTER HUTCH

Spring is in the air! Which means goodbye evergreen dishes, hello spring colors! I will admit, decorating our kitchen hutch is one of my all-time favorite things to do. (Even though my husband rolls his eyes at how many sets of dishes I own). It's located in the center of our kitchen and really sets the mood for our whole house. And well, it just makes me happy.

ST. PATRICK'S DAY CARDS

Joe has some Irish in him, so he wanted to send St. Patrick's Day cards to his grandparents to let them know he's thinking about them! We've sent a lot of hand and footprints in the past, so Joe decided to decorate his card with his thumbprint instead. I can't believe how big his little fingers have gotten!

LITTLE VALENTINES

I received an email from Joe's daycare that all Valentine's are due on Friday. I didn't realize that was a thing for 1 year olds, but apparently it is. Of course I wasn't going to go out and buy the standard tear-apart Valentines, but I was pretty short on time. I decided to use things I had around the house to make homemade cards for his classmates.

BEE MINE?

Believe it or not, Valentines Day is one of my favorite holidays. Maybe because it's right after my birthday, or maybe because it's an excuse to be extra cheesy. I wanted to spread a little love and give Joe's new teachers a little something to let them know we appreciate them.

MERRY MAIL SIGN

Nothing puts me in the Christmas spirit quicker than receiving holiday cards from friends and family near and far. I just absolutely love them! Last year, I taped all of our cards to the refrigerator (since we didn't have enough magnets) and it ended up looking pretty cluttered. So this year, I wanted to hang them someplace I could enjoy them throughout the whole season.

HALLOWEEN TREATS

With Halloween approaching, I wanted to give Joe's daycare teachers a little something special to show how much we appreciate them. I found these little Halloween dishes at Hobby Lobby, filled them with an assortment of candy and wrapped them in cellophane.

KISSES FROM JOE

With 2 sets of first-time grandparents, I wanted to make them feel extra special on their very first Grandparent's Day. And yes, there is such a thing as Grandparent's Day. It's always the first Sunday after Labor Day, and I didn't really hear about it until I met my husband.