New Year's Eve

How I spent New Year's Eve:

1. Dropping off about two tons of dry cleaning that has been piling up for weeks and weeks.
2. Going to a garden center with Grace and checking out a potential fiddle leaf fig tree for my living room.
3. Eating at Wildfire restaurant with my two best friends (my sister and cousin Jenny)
4. Taking the long way home and chatting, joking and laughing with Sophie.
5. Hanging out on the bed with my two girls and Darren.
6. Ringing in the new year by drinking wine on my bed with my hubby.

It doesn't float everyone's boat, but for me it doesn't get better than this.

I'll leave you all with the best thing that happened to me this year:

Grace, born July 2010

Merry merry

From our family to yours...wishes for love and peace this Christmas.

It's a wrap

I was up to my eyeballs in giftwrap and ribbon last night, but I'm halfway done!  I'm seriously reconsidering the virtues of giftbags now.

On a related note: I would love to take a class on gift wrapping.  Maybe I'll check out youtube for some tutorials.

5 months

Grace, 5 months and 6 days

These days Gracie has rolled over, grabs objects (and hair), drools like crazy, and loves to hold her feet while she's lying on her back.  She's our roly poly little piglet.

Up on the Rooftop

'Tis the season of recitals, and tonight was another one.  Darren and I have really made a point to come to every one of her school and extracurricular events to show Sophie our support.  Plus, I love 'em...bring them on!

Sophie is the one wearing green leggings in this video below:

Eating during the afterparty.  I made those cookies!

First Dance Recital

I don't mean to brag or anything, but....Sophie had her first dance recital today and she was awesome!  We've been so incredibly busy preparing for a holiday party lately that we neglected to mention anything about her upcoming performance to her.  Today, we got her dressed and she assumed that we were just going to her regular dance class.  On the way to the recital, she fell asleep in the car.  When we arrived, we barely got there on time and I dragged her in from the car, peeled off her coat and left her with her teacher.  A few minutes later, Sophie groggily walked onto the stage in front of a couple hundred people and when the music started...she danced!  No crying, no shyness...she was all business.  That's my girl!

Posing at home before the recital.

  
Unfortunately, the video quality is horrible and the glare of the lights makes it almost impossible to see her.  She's the second dancer from the right and she did a great job!  We were so proud of her.

Can't Complain

...when this is what I spend my Fridays doing...

Gingerbread Houses

Tonight, we started a new family tradition for Christmas of making gingerbread houses.  My sister brought over gingerbread house kits and Sophie and her cousin Bodhi each made their own.  Sophie had so much fun doing it and she was quite proud of her work!  I am so glad that she enjoyed it.  It's going to be a yearly event for my girls.

Intense focus

A work in progress...

The finished house!

Very proud

Sick Day

At home with two sick kiddos today.  Even on days like this, I still feel like a very lucky mama.

California Rustic

Although this home is in Atlanta, I consider the style to be California Rustic--clean, contemporary, simple and rustic. Inspirational.

all images from A Life's Design (a great design blog with gorgeous images!)

Snapshots

 These past 10 days has been incredibly busy with family events, and unfortunately I haven't had a moment to keep this journal updated.  Here is a potpourri of my life, in snapshots:

Grace and I waiting for my sister to be done with her haircut at Vidal Sassoon.  I overslept and missed my own appointment.

Sophie trying to pray at our family Buddhist temple.  We were there to commemorate my grandfather's passing, four years ago.

My cousin Ashley from New Jersey came, as well as many other relatives from (literally) across the country to honor my grandfather.  A yearly tradition in our family.

 

Sophie hanging out outside the Buddhist temple after the ceremony.  I loved her red capelet.  She insisted on throwing a wrench in my perfect outfit and bringing the pink purse, but it was cute.

Sophie and Darren waiting outside.  They were both really patient throughout the long ceremony!

One of the rare pictures of my two girls together.  My awesome, awesome aunt and her family babysat for us so that we could watch the latest Harry Potter movie.  I have a great family!

Sophie at her Oma's house for Thanksgiving.  I was so proud of her--sitting quietly at her end of the table and feeding herself the entire time.  No ipod necessary this time!

Grace at Thanksgiving.  She's growing into such a pretty girl.

The girls chilling with their dad on our bed.  Watching TV, what we do best!