Hello!

Hi blog friends!  I just wanted to stop by a leave a quick update. I hope you all are doing great and enjoying your Friday.  Here are a few things that are going on my world:

Hugo turned one!!!

Can you believe my baby is now one? I can't. He is running, climbing, and getting into all sorts of fun things these days. He just learned how to give kisses and sign "please" (he can also sign milk, more, all done, and light). He is obsessed with our chickens and could watch them all day if we let him:) He loves chasing the dogs around, dancing, and walking to the park. 

His birthday party theme was blue squid. His most favorite book is Biggest Thing in the Ocean (which is all about a big blue squid) and his favorite stuffed animal is a blue squid, so it seemed fitting. I ordered a HUGE cake and about 1/4 of it got eaten. We sent cake home with every guest and still had a ton left over. We froze it and ate on it for weeks. Lesson learned.

We ended up having his party a few weeks after his actual birthday because.....

We moved!

We bought a new place and moved in February. We desperately needed more space. Our old house was 750 square feet, which was fine for us for a bit, but we were feeling very cramped over the past year or so. I LOVE our new place. It's so much bigger but still feels cozy. We are enjoying our new neighborhood too. There is a park 2 house down from us, which is so convenient. 

Kya's Illness

I received some really bad news about one of our pups, Kya, a few weeks ago. I took her to the vet because she has started snoring really loudly and making weird snorting noises when she sniffs. It turns out that she has lymphoma, which is a very aggressive/rapidly advancing cancer. The snoring/noises are happening because the cancer is causing her lymph nodes to be extremely enlarged. She likely only has weeks left to live. I am completely heartbroken. I've had Kya since she was 3 weeks old. I bottle fed her when she was a baby (she was abandoned). We have been through so much together and I can't imagine her not being here. 

My heart just feels so incredibly sad. I've cried so much since we found out. I'm really scared that I won't make the right decision about when it is time to say goodbye. I really, really don't want her to suffer. 

We are trying to make the best of the time we have left with her. She loves running on the beach, so we went to the coast a few weeks back so she could run, swim, and lay on the sand. It was such a beautiful day and we all had the best time together. We even enjoyed strawberries and cream (one of Kya's favorite treats:). 

Lazy day at the beach

I hope you guys are having a great week!  Did you find anything good at the Anthropologie tag sale?  Unfortunately, I couldn't make it to the store because of my crazy work schedule and by the time I got online, everything I was interested in had sold out.  Oh well, I don't usually find much during the summer tag sale anyways (winter is a different story!).

Ben and I went to the beach last weekend.  We took Kya along because she LOVES going to the beach.  It's one of her most favorite things:)  She runs, chases birds, plays in the water, and then relaxes on the sand.  Last summer, we stumbled upon a beach on the Oregon coast that is 1) absolutely gorgeous and 2) never crowded  (some days there is not another person in sight).  It has fast become a favorite spot.  We had such a nice day!  If you follow me on instagram, you have already seen these photos.

 

Yellow + Blue

I had an exhausting but good weekend.  I was on call this weekend, so I was woken up numerous times Friday and Saturday nights and I ended up spending quite a few hours at work yesterday.  However, I was also able to squeeze in lots of fun this weekend, so it balanced out for the most part (except for that whole sleeping thing).  I met up with a friend for a pedicure (time for sandal-safe toes!), went to a neighbor's house for a BBQ, celebrated a friend's birthday over brunch, and enjoyed the beautiful sunshine as much as I could.      

This outfit made me feel cheery:)  There is something about yellow and blue together.

Dress:  Anthropologie Two-Wheeler Shirtdress

Cardigan:  J. Crew Jackie, of course

Tights:  J. Crew

Shoes:  Gee WaWa

Belt:  Anthropologie

Necklace:  Botanical Bird

The Anthropologie Two-Wheeler Shirtdress also worn

Here

and here

snapshots

I hope you all had a wonderful Christmas and are enjoying the last weekend of 2012!  My Christmas was great - very low key and peaceful.  I made Russian tea and lots of snacks to nibble on.  We made brunch at our house and had my brother-in-law and his girlfriend over.  After opening a few gifts, lots of phone calls, a movie and a nap, we went over to a friends house for a delicious prime rib dinner.  I am thankful for such good friends who are like family (and who are great cooks!).

Here are a  few snapshots from this week and a couple of recent outfits.  

Kya loves sleeping by the tree:)

Zander was feeling so sweet and cozy on Christmas.  He snuggled up to me and fell asleep on my feet!

On of the best cocktails I've had in a while - made with Chai tea, white chocolate liqueur, rum, whipped cream, cinnamon, and nutmeg.

I am pretty much living in my new AG Stevie cords.  Love!  Also wearing the Field Game cardigan from anthropologie,  Wind-Rippled tee from anthropologie, and Gee WaWa oxfords.

Anthropologie Field Game cardigan again, plaid pants from anthro, J. Crew top, Kate Spade necklace, b. ella socks, and Gee  WaWa oxfords

Gray

I raced home from work today, hoping to catch a little sunlight so that I could get some decent OOTD shots.  Unfortunately, I didn't make it in time.  About half way home, I realized I was missing the last of the good light.  Indoor/kitchen photos it is!  The sun set at 4:30pm.  Crazy, right?  Gotta love PNW winters!

This dress is one of my J. Crew Clearance Store finds (as is the belt).  I think this is my favorite item from my  latest clearance store run.  I will have to take better photos of it soon because these really don't do it justice.  It is beautifully cut and ever so cozy:)

Dress:  J. Crew Clearance Store
Cardigan:  J. Crew Jackie
Belt:  J. Crew Clearance Store
Necklace:  J. Crew
Tights:  J. Crew
Shoes:  Camper

Lemon

I hope you guys had a great weekend! I started my day today with a gentle yoga class, then Ben and I babysat for a friend (a pre-schooler and an 8 month old). It was fun, but also a bit exhausting:)

This is my outfit from yesterday. It was a beautiful day and the dogs enjoyed getting out for their walks. We got some last minute stuff done before our vacation (haircuts, etc.) and we met up with some friends for drinks/dinner. We ended up staying out a bit too late. I definitely needed my morning caffeine today!

I recently bought this blouse from the Have a Cute Day blog sale. I'm not sure how old it is, but I don't ever remember seeing it online/in-store. It's made by Odille and it has the cutest little lemons on it.












Top: Anthropologie
Tank: J. Crew
Jeans: AG
Shoes: Dansko

Trouser Cords

Thanks for all of the great suggestions/advice you guys gave me on my last post. A new travel bag is currently on its way to me (my very first asos order!). Once I get it, I will show it off and do a quick review. I'm still on the hunt for some comfortable, supportive, stylish shoes for the trip. I've been checking out the suggestions you shared and doing a little online research:) We'll see what I end up with in the next couple of weeks.

This is an OOTD from last week. I woke up that morning to snow (obviously, the pics were taken later in the day, when the sun was shining bright), and I really felt like wearing something easy and warm. These J. Crew trouser cords from a couple of years ago were perfect. They are my go-to pants when I need something cozy, but still office appropriate.

Top: Anthropologie
Cardigan: Loft
Pants: J. Crew
Shoes: Dansko
Necklace: Gift (This is the last time you will see this necklace. Unfortunately, it bit the dust a couple of days after these photos were taken.)

Instagram: Chinese Garden

I visited the Lan Su Chinese Garden today. This lovely place (said to be the most authentic Chinese garden outside of China) is right in the middle of the city. In the 7 years I have lived here in Portland, I had never visited the garden, until today. I heard that they were offering free admission this week to celebrate the new year, so I decided it was time to check it out. This ended up being a great way to spend my morning. I took my time meandering through the garden, taking lots of photos (mostly on film), and then enjoyed some delicious jasmine pearl tea in the teahouse. I really appreciate places like this, where you can find a bit of peace and serenity in the midst of a busy city.

The inscriptions above the entryway say "read the painting" and "listing to the fragrance". They explain that this is to "remind us to look for meanings and use our senses in new ways."

I hope you find something beautiful to relish this weekend!

ps - this is what I came home to:

It seems that Kya (one of our dogs) was pissed that I wouldn't let her go with me, so she spent her time knocking over the laundry hamper and piling up all of my clothes on the floor. She can be so spiteful sometimes!

Button-back

I hope your holiday weekend is off to a nice start. I had a lazy morning, a delicious brunch at Zell's, and a long afternoon nap:) Other than a movie tonight, we really don't have any plans for the rest of the weekend. What about you?

I first noticed this top when Appgal reviewed it (here). It's the Stripe Button-Back tee from J. Crew. When J. Crew was offering 30% off sale items a couple of weeks ago, I noticed the tee was still available in my size. I got it for just under $14. Score! I love this tee. It is so soft and comfy.

The best part of the tee is the back. Aren't the buttons cute?

Top: J. Crew
Cardigan: J. Crew Jackie
Jeans: Pilcro via Anthropologie
Shoes: Dansko
Necklace: Botanicalbird (Thanks, Syd!)


In other news, I've had a very lucky shoe week. After finding a new Chie Mihara love (I will share soon), I scored some great deals on a couple of other pairs of shoes. I happened to see that someone posted over at Effortless Anthropologie about seeing the Lemon Stick wedges on second cut for $29.99 at their local store (even though they are still $79.95 elsewhere). I quickly called the store and these beauties are now on their way to me. After reading the reviews, I think that they may end up being too big for me. For that price though, it's worth a shot. I really hope I can make them work.


I also ordered the Crossover Clogs on popback for $29.99. Fingers crossed that they actually ship!

Bath Time!

Yesterday was bath day for Kya and Talus. Zander was spared, because a trip to the groomers is in his near future.

Kya absolutely HATES taking a bath, and she is not afraid to tell me all about it!

Poor thing! She acts like it's the end of the world.

Talus isn't happy about it, but he doesn't put up too much of a fight.

About 2 seconds after this, he was rolling in the grass and dirt. I think he hates to be clean!

Engagement/family photos!

We recently got out engagement/family photos back. I LOVE them! I'm so happy we were able to work in a session with Kjrsten before she relocates to London later this month (check out her photography blog here and her fashion blog here). I love that she uses film only, no digital. She is beautiful, sweet, and oh so talented. See for yourselves:











































Dress: Anthropologie Spinning Lace Dress
Cardigan: J. Crew Jackie
Belts: J. Crew
Shoes: Chie Mihara Loti and All Black via Anthropologie
Bag: Vintage (a gift from Ben a couple of years ago)