Kitchen Progress - Phase Two Complete!

I could not be happier to be updating you all today on the progress of our kitchen! We finally replaced our sad linoleum floor with beautiful adoni slate and cement tile. I selected and secured the materials and did the design layout for the tile myself, but we hired out the actual labor. It went as smoothly as not having access to your kitchen for two weeks can go ;)  but we finished on time and budget and you can't ask for much more than that.  I love the finished results! 

Here's a quick peek at our kitchen floor "before" (This picture is post phase one where we had completed a lot of cosmetic changes to the room but no major construction).

...and now after!

And yes, we also added a little butcher block top island and stools. I am loving this room more and more. And I'm so happy that all we have left for the final phase will be to install new countertops. We're almost there! 

Sources: Adoni Slate, Cement Tile, Barstools

Ever's Second Birthday Party

Somehow, through some time warp beyond my comprehension I am sitting down to write about my baby's second birthday. Has it already been two years? Wasn't she just born? Wasn't she just a warm bundle swaddled in my arms? Or then again, might it have been a hundred years? I can't remember a life before her.  What did we do without her all that time? She has always been here and yet... Ah, time. My oldest foe. 

And so, here we are. My girl is two. Having a November birthday I thought I'd keep her party seasonal and styled it with fall flavors and foliage. The perfect invitation set the tone I was looking for. Feminine, rustic, and a little bit of magic and whimsy too. 

Oh, and REALLY delicious. 

Abby and I (well, mostly Abby let be real) baked the cake and all the desserts, except the cupcakes and chocolate toadstools which I commissioned from Cheryl and which she more than delivered on. All hail the queen! No one does it better - no one.

 I also ordered these AMAZING lollipops with edible wildflowers inside from Sugar Bakers Bakery.

We had homemade soup and biscuits with honey butter and mulled cider to drink - comfort foods - fitting for the season (or so I thought). In reality, it ended up being nearly 70 degrees and so my idea of a warm and cozy party inside was a little bit waylaid. But who can be mad at seventy degrees in November?! We rolled with it and happily took the party outside. Ever opened presents on the front porch and the kids all played in the huge leaf pile heaped up in the back yard.  It was perfect.

Happy birthday to my bright, silly, beautiful, sweet daughter! You are the magic in our lives. The breath in our lungs. You make life better every single day. To know you is to love you and baby girl, you are so loved.

I can't wait to spend another year by your side.

Halloween!

I know this is way past the fact at this point but I've been so distracted with planning Ever's birthday party this week that it's taken me awhile to sit down and put these pictures into a post. Better late than never? I'm going with it. 

Since Halloween fell on a Monday this year, and mondays just happen to be a day off for me, we thought that would be the perfect day to revive our one year old tradition of making apple dumplings with my aunts.

Ever got way more involved this year and was loving it!

her little flour covered hands!

Two years strong and just as delicious as I remembered. 

*****

After the boys got home from school it was finally, FINALLY time for trick or treating. Oren was a perfect little Luke Skywalker, Wes was a very serious stormtrooper and Marisa made all my dreams come true by making Ever an incredible Rockford Peach costume. You know, she just whipped that up while planning and organizing her own wedding and honeymoon, no biggie. There would be no Halloween without Marisa.

my little Dottie Hinson!

Another Halloween down! Come hither, November. And bring all your turkey and pumpkin pie with you.