we're having a(nother) nephew!!

it is official - my sister & brother-in-law are having another boy!!! we are all so excited. there is something about finding out the sex that just seems to make things "official"(at least for those of us who aren't actually carrying the baby).

i can't wait to see how this little boy loves his new brother


crosby nelson, we can't wait to meet you!

onions

i think everyone in the blog world follows 'a cup of jo' (and if you don't, you should!) but her post today provided a little trick to keep you from crying while chopping those mean onions. can't wait to try it! check it out here.
picture via

greatest hits - trying to be like my sister

although i spent most of my childhood trying to be as 'cool' as my sister, i'm not quite sure i succeeded. however, we are definitely two independent people, both cool in our own right... :)
today i am stealing one of her weekly blog post ideas and creating my own "greatest hits" - sorry cort. if you haven't checked her blog out lately you certainly should!

so, although i have again been under the weather this week, lots of fun and festive things have taken place! here is the documentation of a few of them:

1) zach and i traveled 30 minutes west to the great city of ft.worth last weekend for a little get-a-way. we saw a country concert, ate yummy bbq, visited the zoo, and caught up on much needed sleep.





2) as tradition would have it, the wednesday before my dad's birthday, the family visits a local dive bar to eat burgers, drink beer, and listen to "red" sing old waylon and willie songs



3) as for christmas traditions, the women of my family have been getting together for the past, i don't know...10+ years, for brunch at the festive neiman marcus store downtown. it is something we all look forward to every year.




4) for the past few years, my lovely friend elizabeth has hosted a christmas cookie decorating evening for all us girls. this year we combined it with our potluck dinner and white elephant gift exchange. it was wonderful.



5) and finally, zach and i were able to keep the tradition alive, courtesy of texas paint, by attending a yearly cowboy's game!



i just love holidays, and the traditions they bring. i hope everyone else is enjoying this christmas time of year!

he asked me a question...

yesterday marked three years since zachary got down on one knee and asked me to marry him. and yesterday, he surprised me with these at work:

and we spent our evening decorating for christmas


my sister's words of wisdom when we got married was to write everything down. such good advice.
the day he proposed i remember;
-we arrived in new york city (with my family) to snow and a very delayed rent car arrival
-he was unusually tense
-he tried on at least three outfits, all of which he complained about
-the parents rented all of us a limo for my dad's birthday
-he excused himself from the dinner table to go to the bathroom
-he tapped on my shoulder and i turned to him on one knee
-i hit him, and said shut up
-then yes
-he fell asleep in the limo shortly after dinner (stressful day, i suppose)
-we sat up most of the night trying to decide who would be in our wedding party
-i was so very happy

such a great memory!

pictures needed

so it has been a while, to say the least. i have been super busy at work and once i get home and go to the gym, all i feel like doing is lounging on the couch mindlessly watching tv. sad, i know.
lots has happened since i wrote last...thanksgiving, christmas shopping and decorating, fun times with family and friends....all of which have been undocumented due to me "misplacing" our NEW camera. uuuggghhh. i shouldn't be trusted with expensive things.
so without any fun pictures to post i will simply provide you with a link to one of my bestie's blogs where she has the cutest post on a hanukkah project. her little video makes me miss her more.

miyan

home sweet home

making a house a home.
sometimes i catch myself feeling so proud of my home. don't get me wrong, most of my minds thoughts revolve around what else we "need" to do to our house, but every once in a while when the house is fresh and clean i stop and realize how much of a home it is. i had one of these moments a few weeks ago as zach built our first fire of the year and we cuddled up on the couch. i just felt so at ease and comfortable in our home.
my parents have what i consider the best 'home-y' feeling home, if that makes any sense (and yes i realize i may be a bit partial). people have always felt welcomed and relaxed in their house. growing up most of my friends spent as much, if not more, time at my parents house than at their own. i hope to one day have a home as comfortable and inviting as theirs.
here are a few pictures of living spaces that seem to me to exude a wonderfully 'home-y' feel
this living room, with its tall arched windows is awfully inviting

paintwork by barry a. martin painting, design by cathy kincaid interiors

i would love to host dinner parties in a kitchen like this one

paintwork by barry a. martin painting, design by cathy kincaid interiors

this soothing bathroom invites a good book, bubbles and a glass of wine

paintwork by barry a. martin painting, design by cathy kincaid interiors

what do you think makes a house a home?

highs and lows

when i was young my family would sit around the dinner table to eat each night. most of the time we randomly talked about the various events that happened that day, but on some nights my mom would start a 'conversation game' called highs and lows. she adopted this game from our church youth group and it simply entailed taking turns telling each other the high points of your day along with the low points.

so i decided to share, with you, my highs and lows of the week. enjoy.

HIGHS

-dressing up like this for the annual mandell halloween party:

(kat von d & jesse james)

seeing my friends dressed up like this:


attending a friend's beautiful wedding

"i love going to weddings, it reminds me to love my husband" - molly

seeing this little elephant (my nephew) on halloween:


-eating a yummy dinner at my mom & dads with my great aunt who just moved back from colorado.

-catching up at work and having my grandma come in and help organize

-the start of true wedding festivity planning for one of my besties

-having the sun return to help me handle the cold weather a bit better

LOWS (by the way, 'lows' don't deserve pictures):)

-getting sick, coughing, sneezing, running fever, etc

-leaving my ugg boots in the bathroom floor where bella (our dog) found them and removed part of their amazing lining.

-the cold rainy weather. this week was the first true 'fall weather' week we have had around here and the beginning of it was accompanied by nearly 48 hours of solid rain. yuck.

-missing my normal workout routine b/c of the sickness.