year in review.

we hope everyone had a very merry happy everything! our december like everyone else's was non-stop and i can not believe i seriously don't have any pictures from our amazing christmas to post. i guess i was just too "wrapped up!" {and still not quite fully recovered from the worst stomach virus ever, ugh.} we got some great video of liv's adorable surprise reaction to santa's visit..but it's 12 minutes long & i dont know how to edit it shorter. this year was a blast, liv "got it" and the elf on the shelf could possibly be the most genious thing ever invented. i somehow fell more in love with my child after she named our elf, schnizzle. awesome. so i'm really on the never-ending mission to organize my life and finally made the effort of uploading pictures from my cell phone. the other night i started scrolling through those 1200+ pictures (in chronological order) and i realized that 2010 pretty much has been an incredible year. so in this lovely post i'm doing a random "year in review through my cell phone kodak moments." here's wishing all a happy, healthy, and prosperous year. bring it on twentyeleven!
1. new years day (2010) in minnesota 2. friends in texas 3. planting a new pom-pom tree 4. happy easter 5. first ice-cream truck 6. touchdown! 7. elmo in nyc 8. brunch in bryant park 9. hydrangeas & lunch 10. sidewalk chalk 11. benefit runs 80's style 12. new trampoline! 13. lounging poolside 14. visiting daddy @ the firestation 15. texas heat in indiana! 16. playdates 17. staying hydrated 18. summer wedding w a hot date 19. surprise birthday mimosas with my bff, elizabeth. 20. puppy kisses 21. my lil cupcake baker 22. root beer float 23. coolness 24. roadtrip 25. pumpkin train 26. sponge rollers 27. school pictures 28. "cago wif vanna" aka chicago with savannah 29. just a swingin' 30. naptime at school 31. go colts 32. new blocks

have a 'rockin' christmas..

i know this gal sure plans to...

just heavenly!

i'm sure a lot of you out there follow that sweet lil 'nie's blog.{see under "loves it" sidebar if you dont.} i'm telling you the truth i just totally gasped when i saw this creative goodness. not quite sure i'll pull it together in time for this year..but mark my words, come holiday season 2011, im sooooo stealing this idea! how sweet is this? l-o-v-e!

my favorite part of the day...

this time of the year is...

2010 christmas card.

mini-me?

so i'm gonna be honest, people have told me my daughter resembles me...i've never really seen it. they make comments, such as "i can't believe she doesn't have really blonde hair"... & i think to myself "ha, hope they don't check out these roots." anyways, liv was at my mom's helping her decorate the "kid tree" aka the tree with all the ornaments my brother and i made from preschool on.. so sweet, mom. liv picks up an ornament that obviously one of our many dogs we've had in our lifetime had gotten a hold of... and proclaims, "wook! it's wiv!" (don't judge, she can't pronounce her "L's" yet.) no wittle miss wiv, that would be your momma, at about age 3..

what do you think? do you see why my dad calls her "little-erin"?

sweet and petite.

finally had liv's "two and a half" well visit today.. her original appointment was scheduled the morning we ended up in the emergency room getting stitches in our brow. oops. anyways, here's the stats. she's healthy and growing a.o.k. 26.5 lbs. 34.5 inches tall. ( i think..i left her sheet sitting on the exam table, just call me supermom.) anyways, she's pretty much just a petite lil bundle of perfection. hope you're enjoying the hustle and bustle of this fun-filled month!

happy december!

december is here, & on this snowy evening... yes, its snowing. i'd like to share a few holiday wintery inspirational images that i've stumbled upon that make me happy. also, take any little ones in your life to go see "tangled." such a cute flick. seriously. liv didn't move through the whole thing. oh, and do 3d glasses really effect your kids vision if they wear them too young? or is that just an old wives tale?

thankful!

maybe i'm getting older. maybe it's because im a parent now. maybe it's because im a bit hormornal. but this thanksgiving more than ever i am completely overwhelmed with the thought of how blessed i am. i am so thankful i live 10 minutes from my amazing mom and dad and that my husband loves them as much as i do. i am so thankful for my goodie of a family and friends. i am thankful for a fun flexible job. i am thankful for a warm cozy home, my new frye boots, and my new shade of lipstick. i'm thankful for my health, my mom's stuffing and solotaire frenzy. i'm also thankful for black friday deals, bring. it. on. and remember...

mr. henry is here!

my dear friend courtney (who i get the absolute joy to work with) had her perfect little boy henry oct. 23! she was one of those tough ones who didn't find out the sex and i thought FOR SURE he was going to be she, we were all so surprised. well he's here and so unbelievably cute. we had one of our first playdates last week, as you can tell liv and henry were really into each other... yes liv may be 2 years older but court and i are already planning our synchronized dance for their wedding. click on her name to see the most amazing newborn photos you've ever seen. welcome henry and love you court!

when it comes to turkey day prep...

i'm not much of a chef...i'm more of a placesetting nametag maker. i like to call these my "dollarbin creative craft minute." made all these for 3 bucks. do you love it?

i just can't handle it.

so im sick. real sick. like ive got strep throat sick. you know what that means...having my sweet husband run the household while i lay pathetically on the couch. on the computer. online shopping... i've come to a couple conclusions. 1. i need a million dollars stat. and 2. im completely obssessed with free people's new kid line, "wee people." i mean can you eeeeeeven handle it??? seriously..santa is so bringing us a metallic fringe purse, stop it. i just died.

two and a half!

i'm not quite sure why "two and a half" is such a milestone age...but hey, you do go to the doctor for a well check and that right there is enough reason for me to "document" what's new with our lil gal. how many times as a parent to do you hear or say, "soak it up, they grow up fast..."? soooo many but jeez louise, it's so true! i've had so many moments over the last couple weeks where i just can't believe i'm having full coversations with my daughter. she is such a sharp little thing and obviously i'm one of her biggest fans. i wasn't going to list all the "accomplishments" but then i remembered this blog here is her "baby book." so here goes, liv lately: can count to 20, knows all her colors and shapes, can work a mean puzzle and can sing her abc's in three different languages. kidding. just english, hehe. (*note* i credit her omie for 99% of her smart-ness. she's so awesome with her!)

here's a couple things that have flown out of her mouth lately that makes me giggle:

imagine hearing these with the sweetest voice you've ever heard.

• 
  
  
  walking out of school yesterday i asked her why she didn't take a nap...she answers, "i'll cuddlebug with you mommy when we get home, okaeee?



• 
  
  
  driving by a starbucks, she squeals out the window, "look!! thanks a latte!" (see why at previous halloween post)



• 
  
  
  from the backseat, "mom! dad! please, no more singing guys!" (the guys is my favorite part)



• 
  
  
  after visiting a friend that has a dog named matilda that played a great game of fetch with her, "momma, that 'tilda is a great dog, isn't she?"



• 
  
  
  this morning she walked in our room with a major case of bedhead and said, "rise and shine sweepyheads"



• 
  
  
  another driving one (i swear she says the best stuff while we are in the car), "lets go get some popcorn from target, and turn up the music please."



• 
  
  
  an hour past her bedtime, she cries from her bed, "pllleeease, someone come paint my toenails..." really?

she still hasn't conquered using the potty completely, but the recently purchased yo gabba panties seem to have put things in full swing. i just need to stop being lazy and focus more on it.. why does it almost seem like more trouble? i've really mastered the vertical diaper change... i know, i'm terrible.

we have her doctors appt. in just a couple weeks, shes still a petite thing and i think she weighs around 26 lbs. she'll like it when she's older right? favorite current food is peanut butter & jelly.

and that's our tot in a nutshell. at 2.5! xoxoxo

cute. and free!

i'm not much a cook but i love to set a table. i'm sure most of you blog queens out there have checked out the ever so good hostess with a mostess blog.. but i had to re-post this. click here to download free templates. cupcake toppers. place setting nametags. wine labels. just a whole lot of tabletop goodness. enjoy!

leaves!

it was a "grande" halloween.

yes she won an official ribbon.

yes she really wore a real headset like a drive-thru worker. for hours.

yes my mom made that apron.

yes a real barista graciously gave us the starbucks hat.

yes she sipped her chocolate milk out of a starbucks cup.

yes we actually took her to starbucks on halloween so she could trick-or-treat.

and yes she really did say "thanks a latte!" to everyone that gave her a treat.

steppin it up.

why must we always pile on more fun projects? just because there's not enough going on in a normal week, right? well i'm thankful liv l-o-v-e-s to wash her hands and brush her teeth. snagged an okay step stool at the local homegoods..but it's not nearly as cute as this. tutorial here. so stay tuned. ill take before and afters.. just wanted to blog about it so it keeps me focused and will hold me to it. finally, finally sweet-talked dutch into buying us yet another camera. (have broken 2 so far this year, oops.) but this time i got a warranty. a fancy case. and even a nerdy strap to hang around my neck. so no more cell phone pics! yay! i may even try and read the "how to manual." i'll post our award-winning halloween costume later! happy november!

eventful saturday nite.

livs asleep. finally. dutch and i are supposed to be watching a movie together. but im playing with pictures and trying to make my kid look spooky. ta ha. have a fun holla-ween week!

another first.

well it took just over 2 years and 5 months, but it was finally time for our gal to get her first haircut. her hair has been growing lately..but was all different lengths..and not in "a good layered cool look" kinda way..more in a "mini rat-tail pointy bang baby mullet only looks somewhat cute in pigtails" kinda way. dutch and my mom have said, "just let it be..let that baby's hair grow!" but after her bath the other night i decided to flat iron her hair (dont judge or call toddlers & tiaras on me. she sits really still and i'm really careful.) anyway, i had her walk in to show dutch and his response was, "get that kid a haircut, she has a total rat-tail." so to the salon we went! my dear friend, sweet maria did the honors, and liv sat perfectly still (i'm sure the cupcake bribe had nothing to do with it..) but are you ready for this? i seriously turned to waterworks! tears, real tears. what's that about? she just looks like such a for- real big girl now. is there any other momma's out there that this happened to? insanity enjoys company... anyway, she's so rocking out some pixie-ish bangs right now. pics to come. happy almost weekend!

reason #92 i love being a mom.

i get to make little treats for little classmates.

break it down now.

is it pathetic to say that yo gabba live was one of the highlights of my year? because it. was. awesome. i just transferred pics and videos from my phone to the computer and dutch and i have been cry-laughing at how into it i was..i had no idea. i've debated on whether or not to post this because i'm embarrassed on how loud i was singing. wow. i am that mom. so here's your warning: turn your speakers down because i am belting out "party in your tummy." i asked dutch if i did it the whole time. he said yes. what he won't admit is that he did too. liv was absolutely starstruck. her custom tee read: "my name is liv" on the front. and "i like to dance." on the back. during intermission, dutch came back with a $27 yo gabba live tee which she rocked out the next day at school with a coordinating bandaid. (see previous post.)



and now for the clip... at least i can laugh at myself, right?

no more monkeys jumping on the bed.

aw snap! looky what we got...

pic o the week.

is of the barretts in september!

because we're all smiling AND looking at the camera! holla!

no-carve pumpkins!

had to share this fun find i just stumbled upon.. i love fall, but not a huge "scary" decorating diva. hate spiders. and witches. and ghostly goblins. however.. i love me some pumpkins and harvesty items, bales of hay, even a gourd or two. click on this link from real simple to snag these adorable how-to tips for some fun pumpkin decorating! love it. happy fall y'all!

chi-town!

what fun we had on our long family weekend! so here's how it went down: months ago, mrs. crystal wright johnson asked me how close indy is to chicago and if we'd be up for meeting them there for a fun weekend.. we're just a quick 3 hours away, so of course we were in! we had an absolute blast! we finally were able to meet the darling miss savannah for the first time and o-m-g, i can't tell you how precious it was to see liv and savannah together. they were best buds from the minute they met. honestly even had to hold hands while they were in their individual strollers walking down the bustling "magnificent mile." melted our hearts and made it sooo sad to say our good-byes. thursday night we had the pleasure of having a fun-filled dinner with 2 more fellow bloggers, lauren and beth! they were simply adorable and it was awesome getting to meet them! shedd aquarium dolphin show, power shopping, fun, laughs, amazing stuffed pizza, and jump parties on the hotel beds made for a super grand weekend. (i was bad and didn't get many pics..but really didn't worry too much since i had the paparazzi by my side the entire time)...so stay tuned for pics on mrs. johnsons b-log. to be honest, i'm actually impressed i've updated before her! ha! have a happy week all! xoxoxo

there's a party in my city!

nerd alert! just take a gander at what we got in the mail today! i squealed with delight. although i swore my life with children would be full of wooden toys and no character pajamas... i could very possibly be more excited about yo gabba gabba live! coming to indy next month than i have ever been about any concert i've ever been to. liv is going to freak. i cant wait to see her face. at night when we say our prayers she seriously "god blesses dj lance wock." not so thrilled about the $130 we spent on these little goodies, but never say never right? now we just gotta plan those outfits...

sweet treat!

i got liv a cupcake after her first day of school on thursday. she hasn't stopped talking about "da cupcake wif da flower and ballareena on top." me and my darling neighbor connie had a yard sale yesterday. it rained all day but i still managed to make some moo-lah and do some major de-cluttering. felt good.. but dang those are a lot of work, huh? went to the most adorable baby shower today for this sweet gal. love her! and now i'm about to hit the hay while wishing my husband hadn't talked me into doing a fantasy football this year. i just get too worked up! my team name is blondetourage and i'm out to beat all those firefighters. also, tonite liv and i were coloring and sure enough she knows all the colors of the rainbow (including turqouise) like nobodys business. i am so stinking proud of her.. now if she'd just stay in that stinkin "big girl bed" because i'm "supernanny" ed out! there's a lil weekend wrap-up for you.have a happy happy week! full of sweet treats!

never forget.

back2school, back2school.

liv's first day of "school" was yesterday. it was a success! no tears. either one of us. i asked her to smile for me and this is what i got. a funny face. took this with my phone, the quality is terrible. on the way i asked if she was excited to go to school... she responded, "no momma, let's go to target instead. okkkaaaeee?" when i picked her up, i asked her what she did all day.. she responded, "just played with those kids."

dear babysnatcher,

i'm not quite sure when you came and snatched my "baby's" legs away and replaced them with little girl legs... but this quick switch is causing this momma to come down with a severe case of baby fever. just saying..will you please give me a heads up before you come back. sincerely, erin

a little {long} clip.

hello friends and fam. sharing a little sing-along montage with you. yes, its over 4 minutes long. yes, i realize she has on a headband that may resemble a piece of lingerie. it's not, it really is just a lacy headband she wanted to borrow for the afternoon. along with the chunky turquoise necklace. and yes, i also realize she may start to have a bit of a mullet 'do. i won't be offended if you get bored and click stop half-way through. but i know liv's grammas & great grammas will love it..so im uploading! hope you had a happy and relaxing weekend. xoxo.

the playlist includes:

1. abc's

2. you are my sunshine

3. twinkle twinkle little star

4. baa baa black sheep

5. jesus loves the little children

6. jesus loves me

7. the b-i-b-l-e

8. yo gabba gabba chant

9. counting

enjoy!

store those white pants.

lighten up on your bronzer. pack your backpacks. bust out the layers. and the boots. or at least treat yourself to a new pair & have them ready. get a few lowlights in your hair perhaps. buy some mums. get outside and enjoy this weather.

bday bash details. finally.

remember about a month ago when i turned the big 30-licious? well here's a quick re-cap on how my amazing birthday week went: my husband told me "we're having a party here at the house but you don't need to do anything." really? have you met me? i know we're going to host a party and i can't even plan coordinating napkins? so i reeeeally tried to not be the control freak i can tend to be and "go with the flow" and would secretly pray at night that there wouldn't be bags of lays chips laying around and rolls of paper towels..

the thursday night before my birthday weekend i am woken up and COMPLETELY SURPRISED by my dear bestie crystal and jennifer, who had roadtripped 14 hours from texas. they came fully loaded with party details, decorations, prepped galore. just when i think the weekend can't get any better..crystal somehow gets me out of the house for a few to go get a fresh spray tan (not hard to do, ha!) i walk back in my house to my OTHER bestie of 17 years, elizabeth that lives in south carolina sitting down reading a book to liv. UNBELIEVABLE. this was the first time she had met liv! i have never been so surprised in all my life.

the weekend continued to blossom from there. champagne lunches. shopping trips. tapas and blueberry beers outside with perfect weather. my husband, family and friends completely takeover and create the most special birthday party right before my eyes. everything was just perfect. seriously my eyes are filling up with tears just writing this..i have never been so overwhelmed with love! my dear friend danny (and amazing hairstylist) shows up to my house saturday afternoon with loads of amazing bouquets of flowers, decorates, blows out my hair, i felt like a local celeb. words can't express how much i appreciated every little detail. especially the kareoke machine and dj that brought a trunk full of costumes. one of the best weekends ever. i am so incredibly blessed and so excited to see what this next decade of my life brings. here's a few pics!

pic o the week.

i'm cooking dinner & turn around to see this sight. it blows my mind how quick she can climb up there..and i love that she's browsing through the urban outfitters "early fall" catalog.

photobooth fun.

i would perfer if every event/wedding/party i attend in the future would have a photobooth. so fun! i officially love them, almost as much as i love my date.

where a kid can be a kid.

oh chuck e. cheese, how i've missed you these last 20 years...liv waited so patiently as her parents had a fierce ski-ball competition going...my tickets were out of control!! 179 tickets scored us a dum-dum sucker and a bracelet that said "all-that." awesome.

m.i.a.

i've so been missing in action lately. to be honest i've been soaking up the rest of summer as much as possible with these guys... i have a feeling im a much better blogmom when there's snow on the ground and it gets dark at 6pm. chat more then! xoxo.

boxcycle!

okay i know i should sit down and do some serious bloggin. like talk about all the adorable stories i have tucked away just waiting to be shared, upload my 30th bash pics, or even the video of my little nugget singing her abc's in the sweetest voice you've ever heard...but for right now i just have to show you my newest obsession. the boxcycle. why do i want to put everyone and everything i love in that box and drive them around? seriously, how fun is this?

thirty!

wow.. it's official. the ole "eb" has hit the big 3-0. and i have to say if my third decade is anything like the birthday weekend extravaganza i had, i am going to love it!! i am blown away at what amazing family and friends i have. more details to come.. im a bit wiped out right now.. but wanted to post this clip of the little love of my life. oh how she brightens my world.

pic o the week.

why? because neither dutch or i lined those animals up so perfectly... i walked in to her reading nighttime stories to mr. cow, pig and giraffe. oh how she melts my heart sometimes..
p.s. liv and i went to the zoo today. when we got the baboons..

she says "wook, momma. boo-boos on der bottoms." she's genius i say! ha!

wishing you a...